Chapter 25
?Renko, do you have that newspaper entry for the sighting about the black tiger?? Maribel?s voice called out as she peeked over the pile of books on the table obstructing her face.
?Yea, it should be here. Give me just a second,? Renko called out from the corner of the study as she ruffled through a pile of newspapers on the floor. ?I thought we didn?t bring that many papers from Kyoto, but there?s a lot more than I initially thought.? Then Renko glanced over to the other corner of the kotatsu. ?You haven?t read that one yet have you Akyu??
Akyu paused her current writing to look up at Renko. ?No, I haven?t yet. It?s almost too hard to comprehend the variety of mysterious creatures that have been reported.? Akyu said, fixing Renko with a slight smile.
Renko blushed as she made eye contact with Akyu turning her head down for a moment. Then she looked back up, a confident grin on her face. ?It doesn?t matter though. We?ll figure out what?s going on and how to solve it.?
Over by her corner of the kotatsu, Akyu nodded. It was a relief that the two girls were back to their perky selves again. It was the following day after they had initially stopped by and explained what had been happening in the outside world as well as revealing what they had learned about Akyu. Maribel and Renko had been extremely remorseful and it tore at Akyu herself to think she had indirectly caused them such grief. So Akyu had determined the best way to push those guilty feelings aside was to have them help conduct her research on this series of strange events. They had gladly accepted and had even thought ahead to bring newspaper clippings from their world, a resource Akyu had not had before.
Akyu brought her attention back to the open newspaper in front of her. The headline at the top of the paper described an accident in Nara City. A male in his mid 30s was found dead with multiple stab wounds and chunks of his flesh missing in a small corner of the park there. This was according to the police report and the article did not feature a picture. Authorities had labeled the crime as a homicide.
?As gruesome as it probably would be, I wish I could see a picture of the dead body,? Akyu mumbled aloud.
?Which one?? asked Maribel who stood up and walked over to where Akyu sat.
?The one for the murder in Nara,? Akyu said pointing at the headline.
?Oh, I have that one I think, just a minute,? Renko had walked over to the left of Akyu. ?Let me dig out my cell phone. I hope my battery didn?t run out yet.?
Akyu let the foreign words go in one ear and out the other. Certainly she had heard of the phrase, ?cell phone? before, but she still found the concept of a tool that could allow one to speak to disembodied distant voices outside her realm of understanding.
She looked up at Renko as she had taken the device out of her pocket and began pressing on it at different spots. A series of short high pitched sound emanated from the thing with each press of Renko?s finger, all of which Akyu took in with interest.
?Here, found it. I took a picture of it on the internet back home,? as Renko leaned down and held the little black rectangle in front of Akyu. At the top where a transparent display was located, Akyu could make out an image of a man lying on the dirt ground, slightly disfigured and clothes torn.
?How could your tool see this? I mean how did you get something like? never mind,? Akyu stopped herself before she let herself get carried away. Hardly believing her eyes, she stared at the remarkable item showing an image that by all means was indeed the picture describing the horrific death. She looked back up at Renko who nodded while she handed her cell phone over to Akyu.
Akyu slowly took the device, holding it with her hands together like a cup and gently brought it down to her eye level while the other two girls looked over her shoulder at the image. The scene was indeed gruesome. Most of the man?s shirt was gone, torn to shreds. A series of irregular gaping holes had appeared in his chest and shoulder. Over on the right side, parts of the body had been mutilated, large pieces of the man?s flesh laid bare. Ignoring the macabre nature of the picture, Akyu peered as close as she could at the numerous wounds.
She frowned as she thought about past corpses she had seen in her memory. The torn flesh from the image clearly resembled the bite marks of youkai that had devoured humans in the past. And thinking objectively, it was difficult for humans to pull apart flesh in such an irregular manner as the reports described, even with hunting tools. And the stab wounds were spaced in clusters at seemingly random points on the body and of varying size.
?Can any of your society?s weapons make marks like these?? Akyu asked the two girls behind her.
?Not really,? Renko said. ?Gunshot wounds don?t look like that, at least not on those TV dramas. Maybe a hunting knife??
?Doesn?t seem to look too consistent to be one tool, but?,? Akyu paused as she noticed something in the background of the image. ?Is that a deer there??
?Yes Akyu,? Maribel answered. ?Nara is famous for the large amount of deer that roam in the streets. Tourists go to the temple there to worship and also to see the deer.? Maribel gasped as a sudden thought came to her. ?You don?t suppose?? she breathed out in a whisper.
?Yes,? Akyu nodded, her face grim. ?Perhaps? he was not stabbed by a knife, but by antlers?? Akyu wondered aloud. That description seemed to better fit the details of the slaying. Except deer were not carnivores. Even if they attacked humans, they could not eat them. Unless? another being scavenged the body. Or, if the deer had become a youkai deer.
There was no giddy celebration at the realization that they may have pieced together the details of this murder. The idea that there was a man eating deer potentially on the loose did not sit well with any of the girls. And this bit of deduction here did not answer the bigger questions. Why had they appeared now? And was it related to any of the recent events here in Gensokyo.
?Let?s keep at it then,? Akyu said as she carefully handed the technologically advanced device back to Renko. ?If all of this is indeed tied to the release of the Gensokyo Chronicles, maybe you two can look through them again and spot something I might have overlooked.?
As the other two girls stepped to the bookshelves, Maribel to pull two more volumes of the Gensokyo Chronicles for her and Renko, Akyu reached over to her current manuals and pulled out the one labeled ?Unresolved Materials.? It was time to check all the leads they could. If indeed, her own works was a reason why a youkai had been able to establish itself in the outside world, she would do all she could to fix that error. With a determined nod, she opened her book and began reading through it again.
Chapter 26
The sounds within the room were so muffled and subdued, it was as if the room had nobody in it. Yet save for the soft turning of pages and the occasional clinking of a teacup, the three girls continued to read in silence. So intent on their texts, it took Akyu a while to realize that the clearing of throats she suddenly heard were not from either Renko or Maribel. Looking up, she saw one of the house servants patiently waiting by the door.
?Yes?? Akyu asked, her voice catching the attention of the other two girls whom also looked up.
?Miss Akyu, you have two more guests today,? the lady said.
?Oh, that?s right. The time certainly passed by quickly. I shall go meet them,? Akyu said quickly getting up.
?We should take our leave then,? Renko said as she also made to get up.
?That?s not necessary,? Akyu said. ?You won?t be interrupting anything. Rather, it would be helpful if you two sat in on this session. Wait here for a moment.? With that, Akyu walked out the doorway and went to greet her guests.
---
?Miss Keine, it?s been awhile,? Maribel got up excitedly as she spied the taller person following Akyu into the room. The schoolteacher, clad in her familiar blue dress and squarish hat greeted the girls with a smile.
?It has indeed been awhile, Maribel and Renko,? Keine nodded to each girl in turn. ?How are you two doing??
?Pretty good, I?m glad you?re ok after having recently been attacked,? Renko spoke up as she stood up with a respectful bow.
?Ah,? Keine remarked. ?So Akyu had told you the details of what happened then.?
?Yes I did,? Akyu replied as she waved Keine into the room. ?It seems there are similar beings showing up in the outside world now, so the matter does concern them. In the meanwhile, that?s why yours and Mokou?s input will be most valuable.?
At the mention of the second name, the figure behind Keine stepped forward. Fujiwara no Mokou was there, also looking the same as that night, wearing overalls and pants and with her shirt discolored yet no hint of smoke emanating from her. ?Pleasure to meet ya,? she nodded towards Renko and Maribel.
The five of them then made to sit at the center table, all managing to find a spot with Akyu sitting opposite of Mokou with the other three around them. Once tea was again served to everyone, Akyu spoke up. ?This is our task for today, to find out if the attack upon Mokou, Keine and I at the Bamboo Forest is indeed related to the one occurring in the outside world. And to find out the source of these attacks if there is indeed a perpetrator behind them.?
She turned to Mokou again while pulling out a fresh new writing scroll. ?Let?s start with Mokou?s account of the fight and details leading up to it.?
---
Soon after, Akyu had finished writing as the details of the long fight settled into everyone?s mind. After a few moments of silence, Renko spoke up. ?It seems the most unusual thing about this creature you fought was that according to Akyu, she later determined the feathers were made of sand.?
?Yes,? Akyu replied. ?We had Suika deconstruct the materials of the feather and she determined it to be sand. She later thought that perhaps when the bird was alive, it wasn?t exactly sand, but glass. She later went to check on the corpse to see if it was completely made of glass.?
?So, that could explain why its attacks were able to cause so much damage,? Keine pondered. Akyu just realized she had forgotten to inform Keine and Mokou of this discovery earlier.
?Hmm,? Mokou pondered. She seemed to have an idea of some sort as she looked down putting her hand on her chin in thought. ?Maybe,? she mumbled, then thought better of it and closed her mouth. After a moment, she looked up to find four pairs of eyes trained on her. Blushing slightly, she let out a grunt. ?What? Hold on for a sec. I?m not used to having so many people look at me to hear what I might have to say.?
?Don?t worry about it Mokou,? Keine said as she wrapped her hand through Mokou?s left arm, a warm smile on her face. ?What you say could be very important to solving this riddle. Besides, you?re amongst friends here,? as she gave her a gentle squeeze. Mokou looked down at her arm then at Keine. Then seemingly aware of the position she was in, opted to stare up at the ceiling while scratching her head with her right hand, her cheeks turning crimson.
Watching the exchange, Akyu couldn?t help but feel a pang of some unknown feeling hit her right then. Seeing Keine cling to Mokou so happily evoked a feeling of something she hadn?t felt in a long time. She surreptitiously glanced over to her side and noticed Renko and Maribel holding hands. Yes, they were close to each other as well and it only made her feeling of longing increase.
?Yes, that was it,? she thought. A feeling of longing. Not really of jealousy, but as she thought about it more, it was something similar. It was a feeling of envy. That she felt alone in this group. That in all this time, she hadn?t had a close companion to her since the time that handsome traveler graced her life. And that in all this time, she had avoided confronting Suika about her own feelings. What was she most scared of? Was she scared that if she was rejected, that she would never be able to lessen its pain with the passage of time?
Caught on her tangential thought, she suddenly noticed Keine had been calling to her, ??kyu, are you paying attention??
?Oh yes, my apologies,? Akyu quickly said, trying to hide her embarrassment. She needed to focus more. Perhaps it was time to face her fears head on. She picked up her pen as she looked back at Keine and Mokou. ?Go on then please.?
?Well, when you mentioned the glass thing?? Mokou began slowly, as if trying to choose the correct words. ?Now that I think about it, I had a certain feeling when I set the bird ablaze. As it burned, I looked into its eyes and was reminded of something from a time long ago. I saw the image of when I had consumed the Hourai Elixir. Of when I drank that hateful concoction because I hated Kaguya and the world around me, but because I hated myself and my powerlessness the most. For some reason, as I stared into that burning bird?s eyes, I was reminded of that. As if it knew what my darkest moment was at its moment of death.?
There were a few moments of silence at Mokou?s unexpected revelation. ?Could it have just been your imagination?? Maribel asked tentatively. ?Nobody else saw something like that did they?? Maribel continued as she looked at Keine, then Akyu.
?No, I didn?t see any strange visions or memories,? Keine said. ?But let?s assume it were true. Could the bird really have caused that, something that was mostly feral??
?It was damn weird though,? Mokou said. ?I didn?t mention it after the ruckus had died down, but I was a bit spooked by it which is why I kind of chased you guys off afterwards. Then, I continued to watch the body until that little oni came along and did whatever she did to it. I thought that damn tengu that showed up afterwards would know something about any darn ravens or crows or whatever that could put images in my head. But then she said she wouldn?t talk to the ?murderer of her dignified race,? and then I told her I should just deep fry her on the spot. Oops.? Mokou finished with a shrug, yet not an ounce of remorse in her voice.
?Do you think that the bird being composed of glass feathers meant it was mystical in some way?? Renko asked. ?We?re not too familiar with how youkai and their powers work.?
?We weren?t sure that this thing was a youkai in itself, but rather a familiar of a potential youkai,? Akyu said, speaking up. ?But when we encountered the controlling being at the Misty Lake, it had no true form and Reimu Hakurei being an exorcist dispatched it rather easily. It didn?t seem like a normal youkai, at least the ones we normally see in Gensokyo. Still it was intelligent, not a mere spirit or fairy.?
?Could it be because it may have originated from our world rather than yours?? Renko asked.
Akyu thought about it for a moment. ?If so, it shouldn?t be so different. Before the Hakurei Border was set up, our worlds were connected so youkai should still develop the same in both worlds. The only reason it would be different is if it changed somehow when crossing the Hakurei Border. But you two seem to do it just fine with no ill effects.? Akyu said intoning her head towards Renko and Maribel.
?So in conclusion, we don?t really know what it is or anything about its ability after all?? Keine asked, a slight look of frustration on her face.
?Well, in regards to this ability, I?ve never heard of a youkai able to channel an image into someone?s mind,? Akyu said as she scratched her head. ?The closest examples would be of the Eientei moon rabbit with eyes of lunacy, but what she projects aren?t memories, but rather frightful illusions. And being able to read your mind can only be done by satoris and their third eyes of perception. What we suspect about this creature is that its ability is some sort of combination of the other two. Eyes that reflect memories for lack of a better description.?
With a sigh, Akyu looked at her incomplete notes. ?Still, like you said, there?s still so much we don?t know yet. Also, where does the Namazu fit in all of this? And does this have anything to do with the release of the Gensokyo Chronicles in the outside world??
At this statement, Mokou slapped at her knees and stood up. ?In all of my years of living, if I ever was frustrated with anything, I?d take a break and find something to eat. Or beat up Kaguya. Since that bitch ain?t here, guess we should fix up something to eat. I left my stand out front, mind if I bring it to your lovely backyard??
?Um, go ahead,? Akyu nodded, her words coming out slowly. She was as much surprised by Mokou?s use of the word ?lovely? as she was about the actual request to take a break. ?This might actually be a good place to stop. It does seem this has been the only thing on my mind so I think a break is warranted. Thank you Mokou.?
?Then it?s settled,? Mokou said. ?I?ll ask your servant ladies how to get to the back and fire up some of my realm famous yakitori.? With that, she strode out of the room. Keine made her way to the door as well before turning back with a last comment, ?Mokou?s yakitori really is very good, I hope you two will stay,? as she addressed Renko and Maribel.
?Oh yes, we?d love to, right Mari?? Renko answered turning towards her friend. Maribel lightly nodded.
?I will see if I can provide some snacks and tea then,? Akyu said as she got up. ?I do think we?ve made good progress today so a small celebration is in order. Let?s go.?
Chapter 27
The scene at the Hieda manor?s backyard was one of organized chaos. As Akyu stepped out into the backyard carrying a tray with edamame and bowls of miso soup, she saw Mokou in the middle of the garden preparing to fire up her grill.
With Keine, Renko, and Maribel watching, Mokou leaned down with a grin as she held her right hand forward into her cooking box. With a snap of her fingers, a spark could be seen and a small burst of flame shot into the enclosed space. An orange flame began to heat the grill attached to the top of the box. Even from a few meters away, Akyu could feel the flash of heat fill the cool afternoon air.
?The trick to cooking anything good isn?t just the ingredients, it?s the cooking process. And I?ve got that down to an art,? Mokou said, with pride in her voice.
?Prepare the marinade, then let it simmer,? Mokou continued to herself as she pulled out a skillet and several small bottles and began pouring their contents into the skillet. Then rather than put the skillet on the grill, she palmed the bottom with her hand and ignited her hand once again. Spinning the skillet around on her now glowing hand, she did this for about 30 seconds then put it down on a corner of her stall.
Then reaching into a compartment of her stall, she pulled out a frozen chicken and some green onions and set it on the counter. ?Raw power always makes the best cutting tool too,? she added with another nod. Then with her right hand, Mokou generated a danmaku bullet in the shape of a knife and began chopping with it. Skipping past the bones, she sliced through the meat and vegetables with ease. Moments later, she plucked several small cube size pieces of chicken and strips of green onion and placed them on skewers. One after another, she began flipping them onto the grill where the meat started to sizzle and slowly change color. Grabbing a cooking brush, she began lightly coating the skewer full of food on all sides as the smell of glazed teriyaki sauce began to fill the air.
Within moments, she was finished and began handing out the skewers to her entertained spectators. ?Careful, the first bite is always a little hot,? she said as the other girls graciously accepted. Then at their own pace, they began to bite into the sweet tender pieces with each murmuring their approval.
?These go real well with sake,? Mokou said as she nodded with satisfaction. ?Does your house have any?? she asked as she turned to Akyu.
Before Akyu could answer, a voice cut in from overhead. ?I got ya covered there!?
Everyone looked up to see an energetic Suika floating overhead, eagerly waving her large gourd in the air. Behind her, Reimu sighed before waving to the diners below. ?We thought we?d check in on Akyu considering we hadn?t heard from her for a few days,? Reimu said.
?Oh, I?m sorry about that,? Akyu called up as she bowed lightly to the guests. ?Please, join us. I believe there?s enough food for all of us,? Akyu looked over to Mokou who nodded. The two newcomers then floated down to settle gently onto the ground.
?Trade ya two skewers for a round of your sake,? Mokou offered as Suika walked on up to Mokou and her stand..
?Deal!? was the quick reply from Suika. After Akyu quickly went to retrieve a set of small cups, Suika began to happily top off the cups as Mokou prepared two more skewers. Within a minute, she handed two tender looking offerings to Suika.
?Thanks for covering the meal for me,? Reimu said as she reached out to grab one of the sticks from Suika.
Suika, however, reeled back, clutching her prizes fiercely. ?What do ya mean, these two are mine!? she cried out with a pouty look on her face.
?Think again, freeloader.? With a quick step, Reimu dashed forward to Suika and slapped at her gourd with her hand. As Suika attempted to steady the gourd around her belt with her right hand, Reimu circled around behind Suika and reaching over her shoulder, grabbed one of the two prizes that were clutched in her left hand.
?Noooo, you?re too fast!? Suika whined as she tried to grab at Reimu who was already out of arm?s reach.
?It?s not that I?m too fast, it?s that you?re too drunk,? Reimu laughed out as she took a bite. ?Mmm, this is good,? she nodded over to Mokou as Suika chased after her.
Everyone had burst out into laughter, but Akyu could only watch the scene as a sense of confusion overtook her. There she was, the cute little oni girl following after the charming Hakurei maiden and yet Reimu herself had said that Suika being a youkai held no love interest for her or for anybody in general. Whether that was true or not, Akyu found herself overcome with a new sense of doubt. How could Akyu even stand on the same stage as Reimu? She had no physical abilities or powers to be able to keep up with the oni. What could she offer to Suika that Reimu couldn?t?
Akyu could only stare after them, her chest tight with a growing unease as Suika continued to run around playfully.
---
After the meal, as everyone broke up into small groups for a talk, Akyu began walking over to Suika who was with Mokou and Keine. As she strode forth, each step seemed to grow slower and heavier, as if a lead weight were tied to her feet. Butterflies churned in her stomach. As she got closer, she could see that Mokou seemed to be having some sort of drinking competition with Suika with Keine sitting next to Mokou. The fiery girl in turn, seemed to be barely cognizant of her surroundings, clearly a sign of discomfort for Keine. Mustering up her courage, Akyu walked up next to Suika and said, ?Ex-excuse me Suika, can I have a moment with you??
?Sure, I could use another drinking partner,? as Suika hopped onto her feet. Out of the corner of her eye, Akyu could see Keine mouth a ?thank you? as she quickly grabbed a hold of Mokou to try to wake her up.
Akyu looked over by the porch to see Reimu talking with Maribel and Renko. So looking for a quiet spot, Akyu led the slightly swaying Suika over to the short bridge at the corner of the garden. Here, it was quiet and dark save for the soft moonlight reflecting up from the water beneath the bridge.
?So, what did you want to talk about?? Suika asked once they had stopped. ?It?s kind of far from everyone else; if we were going to drink together, it?d be more fun to do it with everyone else.?
Akyu stopped and then turned Suika to face her. As Akyu looked at Suika?s half closed eyes, slightly red cheeks and lopsided grin, Akyu?s hands stopped by her side as she froze up. She had wanted desperately to talk with her, but suddenly she realized that Suika may have been too drunk for a serious conversation. Regretting the decision to bring her out here, Akyu could only clench her fists in frustration.
Then she gasped as Suika suddenly took Akyu?s hands into her own. ?What?s wrong Akyu?? Suika?s voice came to her, seemingly devoid of inebriety. ?You must be really worried about something to drag me out here alone.?
Akyu looked back at Suika and after a moment, mustered up her courage again. ?I? wanted to ask of you. What, you think about me,? Akyu said as she felt her face began to warm up in embarrassment. Now she was glad that they were out of earshot from the others and it was mostly dark.
?Eh? What I think about you?? Suika repeated the question. ?You?re the Child of Miare. You?re smart and a hard worker and performing a great deed for the Human Village. Really, all of the humans in Gensokyo owe you a great favor.?
?No. That?s not the kind of answer I?m looking for,? Akyu said anxiously as her face took on a tortured expression. ?I want to know what your feelings are for me? Because I have? I have strong feelings for you?? Akyu managed the last words out with great difficulty and as she finished, she felt as if the world had gone completely still. Her heart beat seemed to be deafeningly loud in her own ears as she waited for Suika?s answer.
Suika had her head down as she pondered Akyu?s words. Finally, she looked back up, her expression serious. ?Remember when I crawled up to you at Reimu?s shrine?? Suika began without preamble. ?At that moment, I told you I liked you. I could tell you were straightforward with your feelings. At the same time, you?re brave and mature, like when you confronted Nue Houjuu after she had begun questioning you about your origins. I wasn?t happy about what she did and I think I drunk myself into a stupor after that, he he he.?
?Suika?,? Akyu whispered, her voice coming out ragged and filled with emotion. ?You?ve already saved me twice when you didn?t have to. And you cared me and my feelings and without a doubt, I?ve noticed it. Your actions have touched me deeply and I can?t deny this feeling anymore. I?ve fallen in love with you!?
Suika didn?t say anything for a moment, then looked up at Akyu and sighed. ?So it came to this eh? Are you sure that this is love as you humans tend to call it or perhaps a mere infatuation??
Akyu was caught off guard by the blunt response Suika gave and she just stared back at Suika unsure of how to respond. Gently, Suika let go of her hands.
?These strong feelings you have for me, aren?t they the exact same as what I had said I liked about you?? Suika continued.
Akyu thought back to what she had liked about Suika. She liked her earnestness, the honesty of her actions was refreshing to see. And she was in awe of her strength and bravery, her willingness to put herself in harm?s way for others. With a slight gasp, she realized what Suika had meant. Was it possible that she was so enamored with Suika because they shared similar qualities with each other?
Suika gave a slight nod as if she had read Akyu?s thoughts. ?Akyu, I like you. And I think that feeling will never change. But unfortunately, I can?t be the one to return your love to you. Youkai are solitary beings and I?ve never let myself be tied down by a feeling like that. I?m sorry, but I can?t be dependable like that for the long term. Furthermore, do you see yourself depending on me in the future? You haven?t needed to despite me coming by to save you from danger. You?re strong, and because of that, you will be able to endure this hardship. One day, a human will love you for who you are and you will overcome this infatuation. But I apologize that I can?t be the one for you.?
As Akyu took Suika?s words in, she couldn?t respond back. She could think of ways to argue with her, that this relationship could be different with the two of them. But the words wouldn?t come out. Because Suika was being honest with her as usual. And the fact that she said she?d never be able to love back left no doubt that there was nothing possible between them. After what seemed like an eternity, Akyu looked up and back towards the Hieda manor. Wiping the tears that had suddenly formed in her eyes, she put on a brave face and strode back to the patio, where the other guests were still gathered. Behind her, Suika didn?t move nor look back. Instead, she sighed and then reached over to her belt and took a long pull from her gourd.
