Magical Lotus, Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 2

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"So I should be careful who I talk to about this."
>"Is there anything else I should know?"
>"As much as I would hate to involve others in this, a battle is much easier with commpanions. Are there others who can fight, or am I the only one right now?"
>Even if we don't want to have anyone else putting themselves in danger, it can't hurt to know.

[Oldmansour]

>"So I should be careful who I talk to about this."
>"Is there anything else I should know?"

>Of those who dwell in Our houses, there is but one I know will not betray you, and that is the Child of Spring. I have measured her heart today, as I have measured yours. She will neither willingly betray Byakuren Hijiri, nor the Hero of the Heart.

>"As much as I would hate to involve others in this, a battle is much easier with commpanions. Are there others who can fight, or am I the only one right now?"
>Even if we don't want to have anyone else putting themselves in danger, it can't hurt to know.

>That is a valid point. If nothing else, it's good to know who will stand beside you, rather than against you.
>There are those with power still in this world. Some in this town. And of those, there are some who would stand against the demons. Some even have the power to challenge, and even defeat, the youma creations of the Demons. But you are the only one that has the power to remove a Dark Seed without destroying the object or person it was corrupting. And they can corrupt people, young Hero. The lone demon currently in this world has not yet recovered the power to create a Seed powerful enough to do this yet, but she will.
>And even among those who have the power to destroy a Youma, none of them have the power to defeat a demon, even one as weakened as this one is currently. As things stand right now, you are the only one that can do that.

[Hello Purvis]

>"So, where is the demon?"

[Oldmansour]

>"So, where is the demon?"

>Her presence is concealed from My sight. I believe she must remain close to the seat of the boundary, but even of this, I cannot be certain. That is the domain of the Purpose.

>The glow in His eyes fades altogether after He says that, and the rippling of His fur stops altogether. The sense of his presence lessens around you.
>She approaches. Our time is done. Now I must act to protect you.

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod.
>"Thank you."

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>Don't say that. Do we really want to let him risk himself for us?
>"I can't let you put yourself in harm's way for my sake. If she is the one I need to fight, then I shall fight. And it would be better to do so now anyways, before she can recover her power."

[Oldmansour]

>"I can't let you put yourself in harm's way for my sake. If she is the one I need to fight, then I shall fight. And it would be better to do so now anyways, before she can recover her power."

>Your valor is admirable, young Hero, but it is no demon that approches us. Rather, it is one that should have been your ally, but is not.
>And no harm can come to Me. I am but a mere shadow of my former self. To use your mortal terms, I died ages ago. What you see before you is but a memory, an echo, of what I once was.
>But she can harm you. So if you will allow me, I can protect you from her.
>I will suppress your memory of this encounter, of your experiences in the woods. You will remember chasing a fox into the woods, you will remember being seperated from your friend, and you shall be searching for her when she finds you. She will not harm you if you do not recall this meeting, have no trace of Me upon you. And when you part with her, the memory of these events will return to you.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>...
>"Very well."

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod. "I am not fully convinced of your insistence that she is my enemy, but it's better to err on the side of caution."

[Oldmansour]

>...
>"Very well."

>Nod. "I am not fully convinced of your insistence that she is my enemy, but it's better to err on the side of caution."

>The Tiger takes a step towards you, then pauses as you keep speaking. You believe he is puzzled. The word of a God is not enough to convince you of something?
>But that passes after a moment, and the Tiger approaches you again. Despite yourself, you find your breath quickening. This guy was big before He was this close, and even though you know He means you no harm, He's still a tiger, and still very, very big. Even with His assertion of Himself being a ghost, for lack of a better term, it's still a touch unsettling to not feel His breath upon you as He towers directly over you. To say nothing of the unsettling feeling of not quite coming halfway up the leg of the predatory cat in front of you.
>The Tiger's eyes glow a subtle shade of blue, a rather pretty color, actually. Almost like the sky on a clear day-


>You watch the pair little robins flit down from the trees and into the clearing before you. Looking for worms, or something, you suspect.
>It's a pretty enough clearing, dull yellow flowers, their petals closed, amidst a sea of short grass, brown in spots with the advancing autumn. But no sign of Lily here, either, nor the foxes you followed in here. You're beginning to wonder if chasing those canines in here was such a brilliant idea...

[Hello Purvis]

>"I suppose they ran off..."
>Call out: "Lily?"

[Oldmansour]

>"I suppose they ran off..."
>Call out: "Lily?"

>You ponder out loud about the fate of the foxes you saw, then call out again to Lily. It seemed simple enough at the time; the foxes went seperate ways, so Lily went one way while you went the other. She'd intended to circle around and reconnoiter with you if the fox got away, but that was the last you saw of her. Somehow you yourself got turned around, and after a little wandering, found yourself here.
>After a few seconds, however, a voice answers back from some distance behind you. It doesn't quite sound like Lily, but it's definately a human voice.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"Hello?"
>Head towards the voice.

[Oldmansour]

>"Hello?"
>Head towards the voice.

>You call out to the strange voice, and start wandering back in that direction. After a few moments, a small feminine figure with purple hair in what appears to be miko's garments comes into view, heading towards you. Whereas Lily's hakama was a greyish color, this one's is a shade of gold. She waves once to you, and calls out, "Are you allright?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yes. Just looking for Lily. We went chasing after those foxes and got separated."

[Oldmansour]

>"Yes. Just looking for Lily. We went chasing after those foxes and got separated."

>The woman closes the distance between you at an easy pace. She's on the petite side, with short hair and big, dark purple eyes. She also has a very strange pendant around her neck. It's a half-open eye attached to a long purple... cable, moreso than anything. A black headband on her head doesn't quite keep her purple bangs out of her eyes.
>"You both should have known better." she chides, resting her hand against a tree a few feet from you. "Especially Lily. Most of the dangerous animals in these woods don't come around at this time of day, especially at this time of year, but they're still by no means safe."
>She sighs briefly, then beckons you over. "Stay close, I'll get you back to the shrine." She turns and sets off without waiting to see if you follow her instructions or not.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>Follow her.
>"We can't leave Lily behind. What if she's lost in here like me?"

[Oldmansour]

>Follow her.
>"We can't leave Lily behind. What if she's lost in here like me?"

>As you sprint forward a couple steps to make sure you don't lose sight of the little miko before slowing to a walking pace. And as you do, you voice your concerns about Lily to your guide.
>"You needn't worry about her." she replies in a strangely neutral voice as she steps over a tree root skittering with ants.

[Amraphenson]

>Halt.
>"What do you mean?"
>That tone of voice is bad news.

[Oldmansour]

>Halt.
>"What do you mean?"
>That tone of voice is bad news.

>The miko either does not notice you come to a halt or does not care. She continues walking. This does nothing to improve your bad feeling at all.
>"I mean you needn't worry about her. I should think I wouldn't have to repeat something so simple. I brought her out of the forest not long ago, before I came in for you. She wanted to keep looking for you, but that would have been a waste of time."
>"If you need to rest, simply say so." she calls back over her shoulder.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"You found her first? That's good to hear."
>"I don't need to rest now. Let's get back to the shrine."
>While walking: "I haven't introduced myself properly, though you probably know who I am from Lily if nothing else. I am Byakuren Hijiri, and it is a pleasure to meet you."

[Oldmansour]

>"You found her first? That's good to hear."
>"I don't need to rest now. Let's get back to the shrine."
>While walking: "I haven't introduced myself properly, though you probably know who I am from Lily if nothing else. I am Byakuren Hijiri, and it is a pleasure to meet you."

>Hearing Lily's safe is quite a relief. You hope she won't get in trouble for this little excursion, though..
>Still, the sooner you see her, the better, so you fall back into step behind the miko, who does not set a fast pace, but an even one. You easily close most of the distance between you as you reach a small gully. You decide to introduce yourself to the miko as she approaches an old dead tree that spans the gap. In this, at least, she proves polite, for she stops, turns around, and bows formally.
>"My name is Satori Komeji, head miko of the shrine of the White Metal Tiger." Straightening, she sets off across the tree, her balance apparantly perfect with no extra effort. "And as a matter of fact, I've known about you for years."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Dare I ask the context?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Dare I ask the context?"

>Satori hops off the log on the other side, then half turns to look at you. "I've been head miko here for many years. There are few people in Mayoiga I do not know, or at least know of. And you, the famous Morning Star of Mayoiga High, are a rather distinctive figure."

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod.
>"You have quite a reputation, as well. But I'm a little embarrassed to hear word of myself has traveled this far."

[Oldmansour]

>Nod.
>"You have quite a reputation, as well. But I'm a little embarrassed to hear word of myself has traveled this far."

>"Just about everyone with a position of note has a reputation of sorts, and people love to talk about them. I'm sure you know how people gossip." Her tone of voice has remained that odd neutral throughout everything she's said. You can't tell if she's annoyed, bored, concerned, anything. She turns her back to you and puts a little distance between her and the log. "We should not tarry here."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Of course."
>Follow her.

[Oldmansour]

>"Of course."
>Follow her.

>Middle of the woods might not be the best place to have a chat with the miko of the western shrine, so you climb up on the log and start walking over. Besides, something about this place gives you the creeps....
>Pausing only once to let a small spider pass in front of you without threatening it, you reach the other side without incident, the log proving surprisingly stable, and you eat up some of the distance between you and Satori as another pair of robins fly over head between the trees. You can't help but glance from side to side every now and then, checking for signs of those foxes you followed in here, but the forest betrays no furthur sign of their presence.
>The trip is a quiet one between you and Satori, her apparantly not being much of one for small talk. However, as a familiar gap in the trees comes into view in the distance, marking, you believe, the edge of the woods, Satori says suddenly, "You couldn't catch them, could you?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"The foxes? No, they got away from us without any trouble on their part."

[Oldmansour]

>"The foxes? No, they got away from us without any trouble on their part."

>Satori nods. "A little unusual for Hideo, but not for the foxes of this place in general. Most of them enjoy playing with 'two-legs'. You were fortunate to encounter the fox you did. Not all of them are so beneficent. The both of you should keep that in mind, the next time you decide to duck into these woods with a girl."