[20] Don’t let the goddess build herself a platform! The standing victims would have to cover the others, but…
[4] Use the time she’s building her ground to recover a bit.

{0} Fall back, and let the fireball pass.
{24} Ahhhh, any sword can sword! Just go for a swing!
-{11} Hold Myon in her mind's eye. How did she hold her swords, again..?

Okuu pulled the blade out, doing her best to think back. She wasn’t Youmu… but she didn’t need to be Youmu. She just needed one good slash.

Strangely, in this moment, the right motions were crystal-clear. She could imagine the moves she needed almost as if she’d done it herself. Unsheathing the blade - in the moment, holding the sheath between her teeth - and bracing her other hand on the dull edge to steady and aim the blade, and waiting for the right moment.

Closer… closer… now. The blade whipped out, slashing through the fireball. It didn’t just cut through it, the flames actually seemed to recoil, and fade away from its touch. Okuu grinned at her work, turning her head to make sure nothing was left after her swing.

…Huh. Satori and Mr. Youki both seemed pretty shocked. Utsuho gave them a wave, and resumed her full ascent.

---

Youmu couldn’t risk the goddess getting better footing. While Suwako was distracted building her platform, the hell-raven took a bit higher to the skies, priming herself to destroy it.

As soon as the goddess started to look up, Youmu dived. Her blade cut through the boulder, causing cracks to ripple through it. The burning Suwako roared as her hard work fell apart, pelting the white hell raven with falling fragments.

Youmu turned, putting Kuroihane up and bracing against it to block the Goddess’ brutal stomp - had she just seen - no time to think on that now. With the extra spacing momentarily afforded by the downwards stomp, Youmu pulled herself away from the goddess, and tried to get back on the level with her.

---

Satori stared. “...Okuu can use that blade?”

Parsee looked at her, confused. “...Yeah, obviously. What’s got you looking like that, Sat-”

“Get ready!” Orin’s voice caught both of them back to attention. They looked up, to see Youmu shattering the Goddess’ boulder.

Large fragments started to rain down. Satori spread her arm out, pointing to a particularly large piece of cover. “Everyone over there!”

Everyone did their best to comply, either running over or dragging someone else along. Satori was one of the furthest away, and had to do her best to sprint to catch up.

She saw her sister stumble, and stopped to help her up. Koishi’s foot had sunken through the charcoal of a burnt tree, and both sisters struggled to free her. Satori looked up, and realised with a pounding heart that a large fragment was bearing right down on them. She rushed in front of her sister, trying to shield her from the inescapable impact, and screwed her eyes shut.

There was a thump, one that shook through her. Then another, slightly weaker thump. But… as the Mistress of Chireiden realized that all she’d felt were reverberations, and not impacts, she slowly opened her eyes to see why.

…Ah, of course.

The rocks couldn’t have hit her. They hit the onbashira first.

---

Youmu was being pushed down, bit by bit, and the Pyre wasn’t giving her enough room to get back on the level. When Youmu finally turned to outright get more space, there was a few moments of lacking response. That… only made Youmu more concerned.

And when she turned back, she had every right to be. The goddess had coiled her arms up like springs. When they uncoiled, they spun out whirling rings of black fire. Youmu felt herself sweat. Could she block them, with her sword? …It was doubtful at best.

She tried to get away, but fighting so close to the fire had taken far too much of her energy out of her. She screwed her eyes shut, and tried to brace for impact…

…

……….She opened her eyes, slowly. The figure in front of her was unmistakable.

“Okuu?” Her sister turned and waved. “How did you…?” Utsuho grinned, sheathing an even more unforgettable blade and offering its hilt to Youmu. “You… You can use Hakurouken?”

The black hell raven grinned. “I did pick up a few things from you, you know.” Youmu just stared at her for a moment, her jaw hanging open.

The goddess roared, snapping Youmu back to reality. There was no time to hesitate. Youmu grabbed the blade, and pulled it out.

There was a sparkle of crystalline light. The encroaching goddess recoiled, falling back momentarily.

But Youmu barely registered it. Not when so much else had happened.

Right in front of her, Okuu had grown, the moment she unsheathed Hakurouken, not to her size in her past life, but bigger, regardless. And crystalline structures had formed around her - partially in black, and partially in white. One mostly-black piece resembled the control rod around her hand, while another had bedecked her left wing in white, save for a few black patches. Third, and most strikingly, was the crystalline white eye on her chest, and the whispy, black and tendrilling tail that stemmed from around it, wrapping loosely around her neck.

She realized Okuu was staring at her, and started to inspect herself, realizing much of the same changes had occurred in reversed colors. Rather than getting her own control rod, instead Hakurouken and Kuroihane were wreathed in white crystals, extending her reach without feeling any heavier for it. It was her right that had gained a covering of crystal, and as she looked down, and felt her own eye-like amulet, embedded in her chest.

She found she could move the tail, ever-so-slightly.

She’d never felt so much relief.

The two hell ravens turned their attention to the goddess, who had recovered. Okuu looked down the frog. “Anything you can do to stop her?”

Myon nodded, grinning. “I think I have just the thing.”

[ ] Sword Sign!
[ ] Raven Sign!
[ ] Twin Sign!

{ } (Suggestions are once again open.)

---

Y 0/3 S 5/6

[0] Sword Sign!
[0] Raven Sign!
[21] Twin Sign!

The two hell ravens silently looked at each other, and nodded. As the goddess began to approach, Youmu dived in with renewed fervor, slashing viciously.

When one of the whiplike arms came to crash down on her, Hakurouken got their first. It tore through the flames, causing most of the appendage to fall away and leaving the goddess’ real hand - badly burned, but fleshy and whole - briefly visible within it. The Pyre roared in pain, falling back.

“Lady Suwako, your salvation is at hand!” Youmu grinned, turning back to her sister and giving her space. Okuu’s crystalised control rod seemed to be doing just fine as a replacement for her real one, charging up a massive ball of blinding light.

Utsuho lowered the ball of light, having it shrink down to a pinprick. She aimed it at the goddess. “This power is the will of the hell-raven sisters! Youmu of ghostly white, and Utsuho of deepest BLACK!” The power of the shot sent her flipping backwards, struggling to right herself.

The goddess was still bewildered, and didn’t recover in enough time to dodge. The ball struck Suwako in the chest, wrapping her arms around it from the force of the shot driving her upwards.

Youmu grinned, aiming her slash. “And the things our feathers cannot cut… are next to none!”

Binary Star “Blinding Faith”

Youmu’s slash tore through the flames, black and red alike. The fireball split in two, the halves spiraling away with trails of danmaku.

And out of the center of it all… emerged Suwako. Horribly burnt, but… alive. She fell, slowly, Okuu already ready to catch her, and guide her down to the ground. Youmu dived to follow, landing right next to her sister.

The black hell-raven turned to her sister, excited. “Myon - I feel like - I know things. Things that haven’t happened yet.” Youmu chuckled, patting her on her back. So that was what Re/Awakening felt like, was it? …Well, the two sisters certainly had managed it with aplomb.

There were various people running to see them, with an absolutely horror-stricken Akyuu and a similarly desperate Orin leading the pack. The two ravens smiled, but the dying of the tension brought with it the dying of their crystalline light, and they stumbled, about to fall over.

But rather than Orin or Akyuu, it was old, weathered hands who caught them. The two sisters looked up, slowly, to see Youki holding them, gently.

With tears in his eyes.

---

Y 0/3 S 6/6

Well done, guys!

Youki hugged the two hell-ravens close. It was… god, how long had it been? Since they’d hugged? Even in her past life, Grandpa was always… restrained. Careful.

Here, he held them close, as if they might actually fly away if they could. And for the moment, both Youmu and Okuu were too tired, and too relieved, to do anything but hug back, practically hanging off him. As the others gathered around them, Youmu gave a tired wave, smiling.

“Everyone- everyone okay?” She looked over the group. Satori nodded, firmly.

“Yes, we are… though we did have some assistance.” The elder Komeiji gestured to… an onbashira that had appeared at some point. Youmu’s gaze followed it up, up, up… until she saw the figure on top.

“Lady Kanako?” The goddess turned, gently hopping off the pillar and alighting on the ground. She reached over, gently taking Suwako from Okuu’s hands.

“...Are you both alright?” The two sisters nodded. “...Thank goodness.” She sighed, looking down. “I can only apologize for my coworker’s… issues. …She’s not been well.”

Youmu start to shake her head, and again, the feeling of wrongness started to emerge. She wanted to tell her, tell them both, but… what? What was she trying to tell her? She saw Koishi quietly catch her attention, putting her finger to her lips. …Right, trying to say something she wasn’t certain about would just draw up more pain.

Kanako reached out, to ruffle Youmu’s hair. “...Konpaku Youki. Treasure those granddaughters of yours.” Grandpa nodded, firmly, and the war goddess looked up at the sky. “...I wish we could talk more, but… you should all get clear. The tengu will be here soon. I’ve apprehended the person who gave them the tipoff… I’ll be interrogating her more later.”

Satori stood up from something she’d been inspecting on the ground, turning to Kanako. “I agree in the vague, but… I believe you two are seeking to give our pets special power in the future, are you not?” The goddess nodded. “...Is it possible for us to establish a reliable line of communication?”

Kanako looked surprised, but quickly started to prepare. “...Yes, if that is beneficial to you.” The goddess focused, summoning a vine from what Youmu had assumed was dead earth. It snaked around in a serpentine shape, cutting itself free with a bite on its own ‘tail’, and turned into green crystal. Satori caught it and pocketed it, quietly.

She turned to the others. “Best we be off, for now then. Can you two stand?” The two hell ravens stood up, and she curtsied before Kanako. “We’ll leave it for now, then. …I hope your friend makes a swift recovery.”

As the group started to pick themselves up and leave, Youmu turned to her Grandpa, lifting up Hakurouken again. “Um, this-”

He chuckled, pushing the blade back down into her. “It’s yours. That fact is absolutely undeniable, I think.”

Grandpa reached to his side, and pulled out a second wakizashi. A very familiar one, with a tassel of white feathers. “I think… this blade will suit me just fine. Don’t you?”

---

“I cannot believe any of you.” Youmu, Orin and Koishi all shared guilty glances. Satori was lecturing all of them at length, about just how reckless and irresponsible they had been. “Sneaking out to the surface? Waltzing right into the middle of the village with her in tow? Honestly, what were any of you thinking?”

Orin stuttered. “But… but it all worked out well enough in the end, didn’t it?”

The mistress of Chireiden “In some improbable example of two wrongs making a right, the only reason you managed to get away with it was because you didn’t do what I asked you to do and investigate the Moriya first.” She turned, looking away from them. “And I can hardly call this turn of events ‘well enough’ - poor Suwako is in pieces. Now, Koishi…”

As Satori began a long lecture, Youmu found herself side eyeing the rest of the group. They were - lecture aside - quietly making their way back to the entrance to the Underground. Reisen had caught up with the group at last, and was quietly consoling a very glum Akyuu.

Okuu and Youki, meanwhile, had completely hit it off. For a mercy, it didn’t seem like Youmu would have to choose between Reiuji and Konpaku, as what remained of the former was enthusiastic to be received by the latter, and said latter was equally happy to welcome her. Clearly some part of Youmu was in her sister, if the latter was able to wield Hakurouken. Which was… it was good. Definitely. Even if Youmu wasn't able to join them, and just had to sit and watch...

…She pulled the edge of Hakurouken out, nicking her finger on its tip, and gave a glare to a now-disappointed Parsee, lingering at the back of the group. As the lecture seemed to be focused on Koishi for now, she fell back, going to check on her friend.

“Hey, Akyuu… are you alright?” The rabbit looked up at her, and sighed. “...Are you thinking about Lady Suwako?”

Akyuu nodded. “Whether it was the truth or not… she wouldn’t have gone berserk like that, if it wasn’t for me.” She turned, looking back at the Youkai Mountain. “...I hope she’ll be okay…”

Youmu gave the rabbit a pet on her head. “...There’s only so much we can do. It was a painful way to experience it, but… at least now she has an answer.”

The young Inaba still looked downcast. At length, she looked up. “...I need to stop putting off speaking with the other families, don’t I? If they’re hurting half as much as Suwako is…”

Reisen reached out, pulling her sister into a loose hug. “You’ve had a pretty rough time of it too, Akyuu. If we were sure you were ready for it, we’d have made you go there a lot sooner.”

Akyuu hummed. “Well… I need to be ready for it.” She pulled her hand into a fist. “So far, I’ve just been making things worse wherever I go… I have to work on that.”

Youmu shook her head. “Well, it’s good you’re motivated, but you’ve been able to fix your problems, haven’t you? Any lingering issues here, I’m sure we’ll be able to fix as well.”

Satori started walking over to Youmu, and the hell-raven had a momentary feeling of dread, but her Mistress’ eyes were locked on Akyuu. “...You two. You’re part of that enclave in the bamboo forest, yes? Can I entrust something to you?”

The two rabbits nodded, as Satori fished into her pocket. What she pulled out made Youmu’s heart stop. A crystalline ember, of similar but not quite identical shape to the ones she’d seen before.

“This… fell with Suwako. Have you seen its like before, Akyuu?”

The rabbit looked at it, musing. “...It resembles a stone cherry. It’s something that forms most commonly when fairies are put under great distress, as a sort of recovery state for them.” She took the stone from Satori’s hand. “I only really had one chance to take a look at them, though the number to look at was plentiful at the time. ...But I’ve never seen one like this.”

Youmu shuddered. “That’s… that’s what’s left over after a fairy becomes a Pyre.” Akyuu looked up at her, alarm on her face. “I saw them myself… last time.”

Satori nodded. “...a suffering fairy would make sense. It’s… I’ll spare you the details, but it’s not exactly a pleasant state this poor thing is in right now.” The two reincarnators shared a worried glance. “...I’m not sure why it was on Suwako, but… it might have literally been the ember that made Suwako’s despair catch alight.”

She offered it to Reisen. “...Can I ask you to take this to your Lady Eirin? If anyone will be able to help them, it’s her.” Reisen nodded, pocketing the ember. “...Thank you. And with that…” She turned to look at the cave mouth yawning over them. “...I believe it’s time for us to part ways.”

Youmu turned to Akyuu, and gave the rabbit a hug. “It’ll be okay, Akyuu. I promise you.” She felt her friend hug her back, tightly, and let the moment just… hang there for a moment. At length, the two split at last, grinning. “Anything you need, we can use that device, right?”

Akyuu nodded. “Yeah… yeah. Thanks, Youmu.” She smiled, before turning to Koishi. “...Are you sure you’re alright?”

Youmu turned to Koishi, who… at length, nodded. “Mmmm. I’ve got an idea - for a way I can use my powers to help. But I need to think it through a bit more.” She gave a little smirk. “And if it works, you better keep your promise about writing me in as a hero.”

Akyuu smiled, bowing before her. “It’s a promise, Koishi. Looking forward to whatever you come up with.” The two rabbits bowed, and turned to leave. Youmu waved them off, smiling.

Once they were out of sight, though, she sighed. “...I hope Akyuu will be alright. I wonder if Suwako’s descendant… is it all just a horrible coincidence?”

The two satori looked at each other. Koishi gave a small grin. “Well… I’m not so sure about that.” When Youmu’s head snapped up, she put her hands in a defensive posture. “Now, I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, which is why I didn’t want to discuss it until we were on the surface but… I saw Suwako’s memories of her last descendant, Rana. And when I saw those, I thought she looked strikingly familiar.”

Youmu stared at Koishi. “You- you’ve seen someone that looks like Rana?!” Koishi nodded vigorously. “Where?!”

The younger satori grinned, pointing at Youmu. “Why, in that dream of yours, of course.”

The hell-raven blinked. “What? My dream?”

Koishi nodded. “Yeah, the green girl at the end. She looked a lot like Suwako’s memories of Rana. And there were other things she reminded me of, too.”

Satori pointed in the direction Akyuu had departed in. “I’m sure you noticed, but this… Re/Awakening state? It comes with an aura of intimidating presence. I certainly felt it, looking up at you two working together.”

Koishi leaned in. “Not to mention glowing all over. And that same feeling… you got it in your dreams, right? ‘Cos Reisen was thinking the same thing about glowy Akyuu!”

Youmu blinked. “...You mean… that girl might be Suwako’s missing daughter…”

“And… it’s possible she went through a similar process to you.” Satori started to rub her chin. “Of course, the question that springs from that is how similar?”

Koishi grabbed Youmu’s hands, pulling her close. “Youmu… you might be the only one who can give Lady Suwako closure. Maybe even find her miracle!”

Youmu looked at them, starting to feel her pulse quicken. “But… but…”

…But she didn’t want to die. She didn’t want to go through that again, and seeing Suwako’s suffering had only reaffirmed her dread. The satori’s eyes turned sympathetic, and they gave the shivering raven a hug.

“We have ways to mitigate the risk of the worst memories surfacing, but… I’m sure even with what we’ve got, there’s other ways to track it down. So, if you can’t face it, we’ll investigate it our own way, okay?” The hell-raven nodded, slowly, at Satori’s words.

With that done, the group began to pick their way down to Former Hell. Youmu lingered at the back, trying to ease her thoughts.

…She was torn. She knew that she should… should try to remember, not try to run away. But.. it was still so terrifying. The thought of experiencing her own, fiery death…

She needed to talk about it. To someone, to anyone. …The Komeiji sisters were no good, they wouldn’t want to pressure her. And… she didn’t want her first deep, real talk with her grandpa being about her chickening out on helping someone so desperately in need. And Okuu seemed to have some memories of the last timeline, but they were assuredly scattered as well, and she’d very easily get confused regardless.

…That left only two options in the group.

[ ] Her usual big sis, Orin, might know the right words to get her into the right headspace.
[ ] There was actually someone with counseling experience here. And they did still have that blank check on Parsee from the bet for just a little longer.

[5] Her usual big sis, Orin, might know the right words to get her into the right headspace.
[12] There was actually someone with counseling experience here. And they did still have that blank check on Parsee from the bet for just a little longer.

She fell back a bit, letting the crowd walk ahead. It wasn’t long until she was at the back of the pack, with Parsee.

“Heya, Parsee.” The hashihime turned to look at her. “Can I… talk to you about something?”

The hashihime shrugged. “You can talk at me about something. I’m giving no guarantees about a good conversation - why me, anyways? This talk about time travel and stuff is messing with my head.”

Youmu sighed. “It’s… not something I can talk about with most of Chireiden. Or with Grandpa.” She started to rub her arm. “It’s… it’s about the pyres.”

Parsee looked over at her. “Izzat what you call that black fire stuff?” Youmu nodded. “Al-right. Assuming you’ve met them before?”

Youmu nodded, slowly. “Um, yeah. It’s… in a past life, I… think I died to one. Or… maybe to their mastermind? And… I don’t want to remember it, but…”

“...But those memories might have something important in them?” Parsee mused. “Maybe something to do with that frog girl?” Youmu nodded. “So… what’s the problem?”

Youmu looked down. “...I’m scared. Terrified. I-I don’t want to… to burn like that. A-and maybe I did, last time…”

Parsee looked at her, slowly. “...So the phantom of Chireiden is really just a big chicken, huh?”

Youmu glared at her. “I’m not a-”

“Yes, you are. You’re letting your fear decide for you, aren’t you?” Parsee glared at her. “...Well, I suppose it’s fine by me. Frankly, I prefer the idea of that frog girl seething with jealousy. And clearly, you do too, no?”

Youmu grabbed at the hilt of Hakurouken, but… rather than cutting down the arrogant twerp, she nicked her finger on the blade again. “...Fine, you have a point. I know it’s being… selfish to do that.”

Parsee shrugged. “Well… not that it’s any of my business, but… I want to point something out. Whatever killed you… do you think it was a rampaging pyre, or some kinda evil mastermind?”

Youmu thought it over. “...I’m not sure, but… probably a pyre, I’d guess.”

“I see. So you weren’t good enough?” Youmu stared at her, open-mouthed. “If it was a pyre that did you in with that special blade of yours, you must have really been inferior. Maybe you were too slow, or you overestimated yourself. Or maybe you did something overly flashy like that spell card you showed off with this morning.”

Youmu tried to recover, but Parsee didn’t relent. “I mean, that’s the obvious answer, isn’t it? The reason you died last time is because the other team was better than you. Or maybe they just tricked you for being the gullible fool you are.” She shrugged.

Youmu looked down, frustrated at her inability to make a response. Without knowing the truth of the matter… she couldn’t exactly refute Parsee’s words.

“But… that’s only how it went last time, right?” Youmu looked up, to see Parsee smirking. “Iiiif you actually see these past memories, then you’ll know what standard you need to be at, to get there. And while they’re getting ready for their first match, you’re getting ready for a rematch. So… in my eyes, the best thing to do is find out how you got chumped. So you’ll never fall for it again.”

Youmu stared at her, before… breaking into a smirk. “Trust the hashihime to make ‘reliving past trauma’ about envying whatever beat you last time.”

Parsee shrugged, chuckling. “Well, you’re asking me to help you solve that frog girl’s problems, and that’s a pretty juicy source of envy for me. Of course I’m going to trade one for another.”

Youmu smiled. “Yeah, but… that’s what I needed to hear. Besides, envying someone who’s stronger than you only makes you more eager to take them down, right?” She drew the wakizashi - her wakizashi - and twirled it in her hands. “If I end up learning what took me out… I’m sure I’ll get them next time. Thank you, Parsee.”

“Feh.” Parsee’s mood had soured. “You’re that confident, huh? You think you’re so special, with your flashy wind moves…”

The hashihime broke into a rant, starting to agonize over various irritants Youmu apparently exhibited. The hell-raven did her best to take it in good stride, and… surprisingly, it did seem to work. After all, someone complaining about how you were so annoyingly perfect was… in a way, a backhanded pep talk.

She just let the Hashihime have her stress out, and used the gripes to get a grip. She could do this. She’d definitely, definitely do this.

Face the past, and find the truth. That was the only way forward, and Youmu couldn’t afford to falter.

A few hours had passed since they’d dropped Parsee off at her bridge, and all made their way home. Youmu found her confidence draining, bit by bit, and now the “only way forward” seemed less and less like a declaration of certainty, and more and more like a proclamation of doom.

They’d all come home, and had a lovely dinner (albeit, still of leftovers). Grandpa had been assigned to one of the guest rooms, and Okuu and Orin had retired shortly thereafter.

Myon, meanwhile, had been brought to her mistress’ room, and now lay atop her giant bed. The two Komeiji sisters leaned over her, only making the hell-raven more uncomfortable.

“Apologies, Youmu…” Satori reached out to comfort her nervous pet. “I know it’s scary… you don’t have to do this.”

Youmu shook her head. “...No, I have to. I can’t run from this. And if I do, that’ll just… be the avenue to keep giving myself excuses.” She took a deep breath. “But… um… could you walk me through this, one more time?”

Koishi nodded. “Big sis’ll be using her powers to surface your memories of your past so far. I’ll be working on keeping you calm throughout the process. And… hopefully, we can find out the truth for Suwako.”

Satori ran her hand through Youmu’s hair. “For now, we’ll just get as many answers as we can, and pull you out. If it looks like we’ve got everything we need, we’ll call it there, so… hopefully it won’t come to the worst, at least for now.”

Youmu nodded, taking a deep breath. “Okay… Lady Satori? Lady Koishi? …I’m as ready as I’m going to be. Let’s do this.”

The two sisters nodded, reaching out to gently place their hands over Youmu. Youmu did her best to think back, trying to remember. “Okay, mystery Lady…” Youmu gulped. “Wh…who are you?!”

The green-wreathed figure kept looking at Youmu. She couldn’t read her expression from this far away. “...I’m one of the two reasons Yukari decided to sequester you all away.” She looked up at the sky. “The other is responsible for our little light show here.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Youmu saw Koishi, landing in the background of her memory. She stepped in close, looking at the green-wreathed figure. “The resemblance is there… but we’ll have to get her closer to you to see her in any detail. I wonder what the other reason is? Or maybe who?”

Youmu raised her sword, as the figure lifted off, and started to approach. “You may be surprised to know… there is actually such a backup plan. One last hope - the Hourai Immortals. They’ve got Kamishirasawa Keine with them. I’m sure they’ve seen the gap you were all in open up by now. I certainly did.”

Youmu took a step back, trying to keep pace with the interloper. “The… the Hourai Immortals? C-can they save my friends?”

The figure nodded. “...With their help, you could be the key piece in saving everyone. But… that depends on them getting here before it’s too late. Getting here while at least someone is still around.”

Youmu shuddered. “Do… do you mean if they get here…” Youmu looked down, trying to psych herself up. “I-I’ll hold out. However long I have to.”

“Not like that, you won’t.” The half-ghost looked back up at the figure. “You intend to fight with only one hand? Don’t think fighting off a few burning fairies is enough - you’ll need both your blades out, Youmu. As it is, you don’t stand a chance.”

Slowly, the figure extended her hand. “But… fortunately, your miracle has arrived. There is someone else here who knows exactly what to do with those little motes. So… how about you let me take care of them?”

Koishi sighed. “'Your miracle', huh? If my theory about her is correct… she’s really not explaining herself well, is she? What, was her mom a puzzle box tsukumogami or something?”

Youmu pulled her arms around the motes defensively. “...I don’t trust you. Who are you? How did you last this long, in… all this?”

The figure paused. Then, something seemed to hit her. “Oh, is the glowy thing that imposing?” She waved her hand, and the glow faded.

Youmu slowly straightened up, as she saw the figure more fully. Now that she was looking at her more directly… it became a lot clearer who she was. “...I know you. …I thought it was weird, when Yukari was sealing us all away - I didn’t expect you to be there.”

She put a hand to her chest. “You’re right, I was there when you got sealed away. In fact, we sorta came up with the plan together.” She chuckled. “You thought I was just another Youkai, didn’t you? But the truth is… I’ve been through this scenario before.”

The figure smiled. “So, believe me, nobody can protect Reimu and the others like I can. When it comes to steeling those little motes against the dangers of this broken world… there’s nobody like the Paradox Priestess.”

---

Estimating 4 more updates, 3 more chapters to Yester/Youmu. Let's see if I can bang it all out before we hit autosage on this thread.

As one prize for beating the whole thing perfect... I was going to have Youmu's flashback bring up the second mystery officially, but I'll give you all the answer to that, at least so you understand it out of universe. For... reasons, the answers Youmu will get in universe won't be that helpful to her.

Some time had passed. With little better to do, Youmu had moved Yukari’s body out of the main path, and into a position somewhat resembling a sleeping one. For all her faults - and Youmu considered herself more aware of them than most - she didn’t deserve to have the last of her crumpled up on the shrine’s steps. Neither Aunn, whose statues had been set on the grass next to her pedestals.

The entranceway now cleared, Youmu returned inside. The Priestess had drawn some kind of magic circle on the table, and was now carefully setting the motes of light to rest above it. She slowly stepped back, musing over her handiwork.

Koishi looked at the magic circle, unimpressed. “...Is this just what you remember of it, Myon? Like, I’m not someone who knows all the runes and everything, but I feel like little doodled flowers aren’t a part of it. This is definitely just a scribble.” She side-eyed Youmu, though caught in the memory, she couldn’t reply.

Youmu stepped closer, anxiously leaning over the motes. “...Will they be alright?”

She’d received a nod in response. “They’ll last long enough. And if anyone else in a similar state wanders in, they’ll be pulled in to join them.” She sat back, breathing a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness! We’re gonna be able to pull it off again, I know it!”

Youmu looked at her, tilting her head. “...Again? This has happened before?”

The priestess sat back, musing. “Mmmm. What we’re in now… is the second time this incident has occurred. Or, at least, I’m pretty sure it is.”

“See… this black fire’s attacked before, and… it utterly destroyed Gensokyo. Everyone was taken by surprise, and nearly all of the humans perished within hours. Where the fire didn’t spread from body to body, those who lost their family and loved ones just became new kindling.” She sighed. “Then, their souls began this… withering process, and soon vanished, I believe. The immortals survived it, but among the normal humans, absolutely nobody was spared… except for three exceptions.”

Youmu tilted her head. “Three?” Her confusion was concurred by the observing Koishi.

“Yep, three. Kamishirasawa Keine was one - she was with Fujiwara no Mokou at the time, and Mokou managed to preserve her soul. And there were two others - me, the priestess of the Moriya Shrine, and the troublemaker I was trying to kick off the grounds when it all went down. Lady Suwako… cast a shell of stone around our souls, preserving us. Protecting us, for long enough for Keine and the others to find us.”

Koishi looked downcast. "...Poor Miss Suwako. She didn't know why, did she? I hope she'll be okay..." Then she paused, and slapped her cheeks. "No, she WILL be okay. We'll make sure of it."

The priestess smiled, holding her hand close to her chest. “They were desperate - they had to do whatever they could to change fate. So, they took us, and changed our place in history. They tried to make sure we’d be in, or at least come back to Gensokyo… but in practice, that meant we both ended up becoming youkai.”

Youmu stared at her. “...So when you said you were human a lifetime ago-”

The priestess chuckled. “I did mean that rather literally, yes.” She sighed. “But… frankly, it’s confronting how little truly changed. Oh, the details did, but… I was never a mover and shaker by myself. And my partner was the only one from her area who really interacted with Gensokyo.”

She turned to the motes. “...By the time she woke up, a lot of time had already passed. And by the time she managed to wake me up, the first Pyre was about to go off. …We were on the back foot.”

Youmu looked at her. “...Which is why…” she gestured at the motes. The Priestess nodded.

“It was my plan, and our… power - the glowy thing - that got Yukari to agree to it. We pulled you all in here, for safekeeping. And a few other places made their own similar preparations, in hopes at least one group would make it through. We were hoping you’d be able to revive Gensokyo, ideally, but if that failed… Then Keine could change your history. And… well, we’d get a second chance, at least.”

Youmu rubbed her head. “This is a lot to take in…”

The priestess chuckled. “Well… now, all that’s left to do is defend them until the Hourai get here.” She offered her hand. “We’ll get through this. I swear it.”

Youmu took her hand, shaking it. “Defense? That, I can do.” She stood up, tapping her swords. “What about your friend? Where is she?”

They stepped outside. “...Not sure, but I doubt she’s out yet. When we were sealing you all away, she went to retrieve a certain powerful weapon from her home. And those auroras are proof she succeeded.” She looked up. "...Well, I'm hoping, at least."

“You’re sure? I've never seen weather like this before...”

The priestess turned, and gave a small smile. “...Oh, of course. You wouldn’t know, would you? Her incident never occurred.”

She gestured up to the sky. “Well, she goes by a couple of names. She calls herself the Paradox Paladin these days, and it’s not her real name anymore, but… old habits die hard. I just call her Tenshi.”

Koishi tilted her head. “Tenshi, huh? …But by the sound of it, we can’t rely on names being the same, then?” She hummed. “But… it’s been right for everyone else…”

Youmu chuckled. “Tenshi the ‘Paradox Paladin’, huh?”

The priestess blushed. “Th-the names were her idea, I swear.” She gesticulated awkwardly. “W-we were trying to keep a low profile, because… well, when we were still trying to protect this timeline rather than salvage it, we were worried that if Reimu or Marisa caught wind of things they’d go and get themselves killed. So we used codenames, that sort of thing.”

“Sure, sure. I’ve had my chuuni phase myself.” The swordswoman laughed, pulling her ghost half in close.

The priestess looked at her, surprised. “...I have to say, you’re taking this all in stride pretty well, Youmu. You… do understand this means you’re all gonna be youkai, right?”

The gardener shrugged. “Well… Iunno. I’ve never been one to make the plans, or need to understand them. Working with Lady Yuyuko, you get used to not always getting a straight answer to why you need to do something.”

She started looking out, over the grounds. “...But I don’t need to know the exact, intricate details when something’s this obviously wrong. I just need to know there’s a way, and how to do it… and the team will take care of the rest.” She smiled. “So… is there anything specific you need me to do?”

The priestess nodded. “There’s two things. One… We need to defend until the Hourai get here. And you need to get sent back through history with everyone else, as well. …And I can make certain, absolutely certain, that that’s going to happen.” A wink accompanied that statement. “I am a miracle maker, after all.”

Youmu nodded. “And… what’s the second part?”

“...If we don’t survive until the others wake up… You need to remember me.” Youmu blinked at that. “You need to remember this conversation. None of you remember me as I used to be, so… once probably Akyuu or someone else finds you, you need to make sure you all find us, too. We remembered far, far too late this time, so…”

Youmu nodded. “...I promise. I’ll remember you.” She chuckled. “As least, I’m sure I won’t forget a name like ‘Paradox Priestess’.”

“Oh, nononono… it’s okay for you to forget that detail. In fact, please do.” Youmu chuckled at her blushing face.

Koishi smiled. “...Might just be a guess, but your flashbacks might have been you subconsciously trying to get here. Get to the Priestess… now, I hope you actually do remember her, and not just this conversation.”

“So… your friend, right? This Tenshi. What’s it like having her as your only partner?”

That question prompted a bit of musing. “Well… she’s always been a bit bratty and brash. A very arrogant person, really, but she’s always been able to back it up. At least, she did last time.” The priestess sighed. “...she’s taken this whole… becoming Youkai thing hard. Very hard. And for a time, she was having a really uphill battle finding me, all on her own… make sure you all find her, okay?”

Youmu chuckled. “Well… then I need to ask. What’s her name this time? What kind of Youkai is she?”

The response was cut off by a powerful roar, one that rippled the sky. The two of them shared only a momentary glance, and started dashing off.

Koishi blinked. “Youmu, your heart rate’s skyrocketing…”

“Any idea what that is?”

“Specifically? No.” Youmu was about to ask further, before she saw the trees tremble. The priestess gave a small chuckle. “But I think Tenshi’s already fighting it.”

Youmu chuckled back. “Well, I guess I can get my answers myself then, can’t I?” She drew her swords, starting to focus. “...And then we’ll all go back together.”

The priestess looked at her, concerned. “...Just be careful. This thing could very well be the death of you…”

“Youmu, you’re- we’re gonna pull you out. You’re, you’re gonna be okay, alright? We have enough to work with here, so…” Koishi hopped up, starting to move away.

Youmu grinned. “Ah, if I die fighting alongside you two, at least it’ll be a suitable finale. And win or lose, we’ll all be doing this again, won’t we? Akyuu will find me, I’m sure, and with her help, we’ll bring everyone back. Marisa, and Reimu, and Kosuzu, and your friend Tenshi, and-”

As they passed a final thicket of trees, Youmu felt herself retreat from the memory, breathing heavily. The two satori were on either side of her, trying to calm her down.

“And…” Youmu took a deep breath, refocusing herself. Pulling what scattered memories she had together. A single word taunted her, right at the edge of her memory.

“And…” At last, it surfaced, and Youmu felt a weight lift off her back with it. “And Sanae.”

The morning was cold, and misty. Suwako sat atop one of Kanako’s many pillars, staring out into the distance.

The tengu were, surprisingly, keeping their distance. Or perhaps not surprisingly. Perhaps they were keeping their distance for very good reasons. Perhaps they were safer that way. The goddess kicked her legs idly, watching small eddies in the water.

She lifted her head, looking out at the graveyard, attached to the Moriya Shrine. Where the Kochiya rested. They weren’t all there - some had drifted away, some had asked to be buried with their other half’s family… Rana’s grandfather was somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. And not even God knew where. Still, as many as she could bring, she’d brought.

…And yet, it had a gap in it. A few more rows, proposed by Kanako in fact, to keep Suwako’s spirits up after those two terrible wars. Now, the empty space gnawed at her. Mocked her, silently.

Suwako endured it. At least she didn’t have to bury those poor kids in there.

…Apparently, Kanako had captured that blonde girl. And some part of Suwako wanted to- wanted to do things she knew she’d come to regret. She’d have liked to say she restrained herself for tactical reasons, but… she was just a little bit older than the right age… and she couldn’t even bring herself to look at the girl.

She tilted her head up. There were a few birds, flitting about in the morning sun. Just some wild crows, it seemed. A few of them flew over, fluttering around the spire.

One bird even perched on her hat, from behind. Suwako didn’t respond, at first. After a few moments, she felt the bird begin to peck at the center of her hat.

“...Oi, stop that.” The bird diligently did so. “...you suicidal, birdy? Didn’t you see what happened yesterday? You make a curse god angry, and she’ll burn you right up.”

The bird let out a bit of a squawk. A crow, maybe? Felt heavy for one. “...You with the tengu?” Another squawk. “...Can you keep a secret, birdy?”

The goddess looked up, holding her hat. “...I dunno how old you are, but… no sane person wants to outlive their children. ‘Tis the curse of gods who bear children, though, to do so. To see your loved ones die, and their loved ones die, over and over and over again…”

She looked down. “...But, while there was a Kochiya - any Kochiya - I could… see bits and pieces. There were lots of different grandsons and granddaughters, and yet… I kept seeing the same traits pop up, generation after generation.”

“...But the power of the gods started to fade, and we needed to start planning to come here. We wanted to stick it out for one more generation, you know? Get as much knowledge as we can. ...And then, Rana had that false pregnancy, and we had to move the schedule up.”

The goddess gave a hollow laugh. “You know, she was always… clever. So good at hiding things. Hiding the snacks she snuck away, hiding the fact she hadn’t done what we asked her to. I never caught on to her tricks. Not even… I wasn’t attentive enough, I guess.”

She broke a little piece of the rock pillar, and tossed it into the water, watching the ripples spread out. “Is it strange for a god to have faith? To believe in miracles despite the odds? Because… I really did believe it. No matter what, I really, truly believed that her daughter was one of them. One of the Immaterial Children. …But I’ve seen the truth of it now.”

Before the water below could settle, a droplet disturbed it. And then another. “...So… so why? Why did it have to end that way? Rana… Rana died thinking she was… that she’d failed me. The last… The last thing my very last daughter…” The goddess leaned forward, letting out a ragged sob.

“I… I still don’t want to give up. I want to believe they’re out there. But… what is there even left to look for? Why can’t I let it go?” She tilted her head up, fast enough that her conversation partner had to flap to steady themself. “...What am I holding out hope for? Am I just going to hurt more innocent girls who don’t deserve it because I can’t give up? I… what am I supposed to do?”

There was no immediate response, and the goddess sniffled, sagging. Well, here it was. She’d absolutely gone crazy now. She felt the bird cautiously walk forward, to the brim of her hat, and peek its head over the edge.

…It was a raven, she assumed. Looking at her, with a strangely sorrowful expression. Maybe it was the angle or the misty lighting, but the color of its feathers looked weird. Lighter than pure black, lighter than most grays.

…Almost a ghostly white- Her eyes shrank, and she stared up at the bird. “Y-Youmu?!”

The bird took off, changing as it came to land on a nearby pillar. Youmu waved, awkwardly. “...Hi, Lady Suwako. I wanted to check in with you.”

The goddess retreated into herself. “...S-sorry. I, I can’t apologize enough.” She side-eyed Youmu. “...And I can’t thank you enough, either. Akyuu, Utsuho, and especially you… you stopped me from doing something unforgivable… to anyone but yourselves, at least.”

The hell-raven seemed contemplative. “Are you okay? Uh - I mean -”

“No.” The goddess sighed. “No… and I don’t know if I’ll ever be okay again. But… but I’m not going to burst into flames like that again. I-I don’t even know how that happened.” She gave a weak smile. “...I’m not going to hurt anyone, Youmu. I promise you that.”

The hell raven nodded. “...Well, you might need to apologize to Akyuu and Okuu, but… I don’t think you have to apologize to me.”

Suwako shook her head, before burying it in her knees. “No, I do. I used you, I-I made you bait to draw out your friend, and when I didn’t get the answer I wanted, I just…”

“That’s not why. Akyuu couldn’t have remembered the truth you were looking for… But I could have.”

…After a few moments, the goddess peeked an eye out from between her legs and her chest. “...You… you what?”

Youmu smiled. “Come down and talk with us, okay? Koishi’s better at explaining this than I am… but I guess I can sum it up for you.”

She gave a small, cheeky grin. “Suwako Moriya… your miracle has arrived.”

---

“...And that’s what we know.” Koishi concluded. “I believe this Paradox Priestess… this Sanae… is your missing Kochiya.”

They were inside the Moriya shrine now, sat around a small table. The Reiujis (and Grandpa), and the Komeiji sisters had all sat themselves on one side, with the Moriya gods on the other. The two had been listening, with incredibly focused intent.

Youmu was vaguely aware that the Komeiji sisters had run the gist past Kanako once. That had apparently been what had got them this far, and avoided any issues as they were officially escorted up the mountain. At length, the larger goddess looked up.

“So… in other words, the theory that the reason that Youmu and Akyuu didn’t remember her… is because she was from another loop?”

Koishi nodded. “Yeah. Akyuu’s got some kinda blessing on her that should protect her memory, but… chances are by the time the apocalypse came, that protection was long gone. Or maybe even Akyuu herself was…” The satori idly tapped her cup. “...So she wouldn’t remember that their position had changed.”

Kanako leaned forward, steepling her fingers. “...But conversely, someone managing to pull a half-dozen people together and hide them from that black fire makes a lot more sense if there was forewarning of some sort.”

She paused, looking at Youmu. “Do you remember exactly who this Sanae is? What type of youkai she is?”

The hell-raven struggled under her gaze. “...Um, not exactly. My memories are still a little scattered on that front, and Akyuu couldn’t narrow it down from what I gave her.” She took a deep breath. “But… but we’re going to assemble the Immaterial Children first, and compare notes. I’m sure we can figure it out if we work together. Both her and this ‘Tenshi’ girl.”

Kanako hummed at that. “Yes, that’s strange as well. I don’t remember hearing about another outlier - at least not one that wasn’t debunked by Asakura.” She shrugged. “It’s possible that she came from some other place…”

She turned to her partner, who seemed to be deep in thought. After a moment, the smaller goddess stood up, walking around the table, looking directly at Koishi.

Suwako leaned in. “Do you have any way of showing me? Showing me this girl in Youmu’s memory?” Koishi looked a bit flustered, but reached out for Suwako’s hand. Another hand scrabbled in Youmu’s direction, and she took it.

Youmu took a guess at what she needed to do, closing her eyes and trying to think back. To the Paradox Priestess. To her hair, to her way of talking, to her eyes and her face…”

There was a few tense moments, where nobody spoke. Then… a small chuckle. Youmu opened her eyes, looking at Suwako.

And felt a wave of relief wash over her, as the goddess smiled. “...She looks just like her. Just like Rana.”

Konpaku Youki nodded. “Seems to be a common trait. Youmu’s also similar to my daughter, after all.”

The goddess suddenly launched herself forward, pulling Koishi and Youmu into a tight hug. They did their best to hug back.

“...Youmu, Koishi… I, I can’t thank you enough. Either of you. You went through so, so much trouble because of me, and yet… and yet…” The goddess let out another sob.

Kanako chuckled. “Well, sounds like Suwako’s on board. If you need any help finding your remaining friends, let us know, will you? After all, the sooner you find them, the sooner you can find Sanae, by the sounds of it.”

Youmu nodded at Kanako, then turned to look at Koishi. The girl seemed caught off guard, blushing furiously at the sudden hug. “Y-you’re not mad, Miss Suwako? I-I thought you wouldn’t like me peeking into your mind like that…”

The goddess released Youmu, looking at Koishi gently. “...Little Koishi. As a curse god, let me say this. Any power, no matter how scary it is, can be used for good and evil. Bringing death can bring peace to the suffering. Someone with the power to control fire can use it to burn, or merely to warm.”

She gave a small smile. “And the power to read minds… well, it can surface things long forgotten. Important things. You’ve done me an… an incredible kindness, Koishi, and only you could do it. …Thank you.”

Koishi blushed even more, but nodded. “...H-happy to help, Lady Suwako.” The goddess kept hugging her, as Koishi nervously played with her hair.

The goddess smiled, releasing her. “Now! I think personally I’m in the mood for a small celebration. Would you girls be willing to stay for a little longer?”

Satori coughed, interrupting. “While I wish we could, there’s… another engagement. And this stop’s just on the way.”

Kanako raised an eyebrow. “...Oh? There’s somewhere else you’re going? What place is there to go that’s higher than the mountaintop?”

Youki let out a small chuckle. “Why… the Netherworld. Of course.”

---

One. More. Update.

For the fifth time in even less minutes, Youmu found herself straightening up her dress, looking for any wrinkles. Grandpa gave her a gentle pat on her head.

Okuu was just as nervous as she was, not helped by the fact that she’d never been here before. She kept looking around, overwhelmed by the sheer openness of the sky around them. Satori was also not doing well, somehow managing to sweat up a storm despite the weather being brisk at absolute best.

The only one of the Chireiden group who didn’t seem particularly worried was Koishi. The younger Komeiji sister seemed to have left her nervousness back at the Moriya Shrine, and was now eager and excited, hopping about.

…Still, that was a good thing. It had been a while since the younger satori’s eyes had sparkled like that. And she deserved it, too. Youmu smiled back at her, and turned to look at their target.

The Barrier of Life and Death loomed over them, stoic and imposing, pillars on either side of it’s entrance. Youmu wilted under its presence, trying to steady her heart.

“...Mr Youki?” Youmu looked up, to see her sister looking anxiously. “...This barrier… what’s on the other side?”

Youki hummed. “A place called Hakugyokurou. It’s where I work. And… its where someone I want you to meet lives. Or, resides, rather.”

Youmu nodded, slowly. “...Saigyouji Yuyuko. Mistress of the Netherworld. She’s… she’s not a bad person, but… she likes to mess with people at times.”

Satori fiddled with the edge of her dress. “...Whatever happens, Okuu, if you’re uncomfortable, we can just go home, you know.” She said it a bit too quickly, before silencing herself and turning away. “...If you want to, of course.”

“...It’ll be okay, won’t it Youmu?” Okuu looked at her, anxiously. Youmu took a slow breath, and nodded.

Youki turned to them, smiling. “Now, if you’re all quite ready… It’s only one more step.” He focused, and jumped, running up the side of a pillar, to jump off it and onto the top of the gate. Youmu and Okuu shared a glance, took each other's hands, and followed him.

As they crested the barrier, Youmu felt tears forming in her eyes. The expanse of the netherworld spread out before her, cool and calming. She was finally… finally coming home. She felt a small smile creep across her face, as she saw the lands before her.

She pointed a finger, to a gnarled, barren, but massive tree. “Over there! That’s where we need to go.” Okuu nodded, and the two flew alongside, coming closer and closer. The Saigyou Ayakashi may have had a reputation, but Youmu found just the site… comforting. A landmark to a place she’d practically grown up in.

Slowly, the mists parted, and Youmu took in the old grounds. The long staircase, leading up. The lamps lining it, dozens and dozens of pairs. The smaller, more lively cherry trees, and the zen garden…

And there, sitting on the Engawa. The woman Youmu had perhaps spent more time with than even her own mother. She was dressed in her usuals blues, with a cherry-blossom dress, and looked up at them with a smile.

She heard Okuu’s breath catch. “Is… is that…?”

Youmu nodded. “...Yeah. That’s her. That’s… Lady Saigyouji Yuyuko.”

Slowly, the group started to land, only a few steps away. Yuyuko got up as they landed, and started to approach. Youmu once again checked herself over, and heard Satori behind them, quietly doing the same.

First, Yuyuko turned to Youki. “My my, Youki. You’re looking well.” He bowed, pulling off his hat. “I hope the surface treated you well?”

He nodded, as he straightened up. “Very well, in fact. And… I’ve found what I’ve been looking for. And even more, besides.”

Yuyuko smiled at him, before turning her attention to the hell-raven sisters. “...I can see that. Can they both…?” Youki nodded. “Well, that just about settles it then, doesn’t it? What are your names, then, little ones?”

Youmu stuttered. “I-I’m… I’m Reiuji Youmu. Formerly Konpaku Youmu. Gardener and guardian of Chireiden in Former Hell. It’s… it’s a pleasure to meet you again, Lady Yuyuko.” She curtsied before the princess of Hakugyokurou. “A-and this is my sister.”

Her sister took a deep breath, then let everything out at once. “R-Reiuji Utsuho! I-I work at Chireiden too, under the Ladies Komeiji. U-umm, but you can call me Okuu, if you want, Lady Yuyuko.” Youmu gave her a shocked look, which made her spot the difference. “O-oh! And we call Youmu Myon.” Myon put her face to her palm.

Yuyuko let out a small chuckle. “Okuu and Myon? My, it’s a pleasure to meet you both.” She reached out, petting their heads. “And these are the Ladies Komeiji, I assume?”

Satori nodded, curtsying. “Quite so, Lady Yuyuko. I am Satori, the Mistress of Chireiden, and this is my little sister, Koishi.”

The princess of Hakugyokurou bowed. “It’s quite a pleasure to meet you all. I’ve been expecting you, you know.”

Youmu raised an eyebrow. “You… you have?”

Yuyuko nodded. “Why, yes, of course. I do keep close contact with Lady Eiki, you know.” She chuckled. “Though… I never expected Youki to bring home two girls, instead of one. …Twin sisters, I assume?”

The two of them nodded. Yuyuko grinned, before walking past them, to the Komeiji sisters.

“...I want to thank you both. They’ve grown up to be strong, beautiful girls, and that can only be because of you two.” The satoris blushed, and Yuyuko gave a small smile. “Of course, they wouldn’t be proper heirs if they didn’t honor their duties in this life. …Don’t worry. I won’t try and steal them away from you. Well… not entirely, at least.” She chuckled.

Satori blinked. “Y-you- You can read my-?”

“I can read your expressions, Lady Satori. I’m the princess of Hakugyokurou, not the Grim Reaper.” She chuckled at the blushing mistress. “And may I say, you have impeccable fashion sense, Lady Satori.”

The two pink-haired ladies shared a small laugh, before Yuyuko clapped her hands. “Now! Perhaps I should take you four on a tour of the grounds? There’s many small delights I can show off, and it’s rare for us to have guests that are of only the temporary variety.”

She turned to look at Youmu. “And then… I’m curious how the Konpaku style is handled by a hell raven. I’d like to see how well you two can use Hakurouken, if you don’t mind?”

Youmu nodded. “It would be our pleasure, Lady Yuyuko.”

She chuckled. “And… in the meantime, Youki. As much as I don’t want to split you from your daughters… Would you mind preparing lunch for us all?”

He chuckled. “Not at all. In fact, it would be my pleasure, Lady Yuyuko.”

Youmu hopped forward. “U-um…” Her wings flitted anxiously. “L-lady Yuyuko? Can I ask something?”

Yuyuko turned to her, and Youmu continued. “U-um… if it’s not too much to ask… I, I’m actually familiar with the grounds already, so… c-can I help with the cooking, too?”

Yuyuko tilted her head in confusion, as Satori stepped forward, chuckling. “She’s not had much alone time with Konpaku Youki yet, you see. So she wants to spend time working with him, at least.”

Koishi hopped up on the other side. “Oh, and we can vouch for her cooking, too! Youmu’s a great chef.”

Yuyuko smiled. “...Is that so… ah, then we’ll have to talk over lunch, you and me.” She chuckled, flicking out her fan. “Well, that sounds lovely, Youmu. I’m looking forward to what you can create.”

Youmu beamed. “I’m at your service, Lady Yuyuko. Are there any specific requests?”

Yuyuko’s smile hid behind her fan. “Specific requests? Yes, there is one. One that only you might be able to fulfill.”

The hell-raven tilted her head. “Only me?”

“Yes, quite. We’re fresh out of certain ingredients I believe, and you might be just the person who’d be able to procure us more.”

Youmu bowed. “Anything that you ask for, Lady Yuyuko, I can fulfill it.”

“Great!” The fan flicked back, revealing a smile that had turned rather more impish. “Then… dearest little Youmu… I’d like some tamagoyaki. Could you procure the eggs for us, please?”

Thank you, everyone, for joining me on this journey. We're now at the end of Act 3; I hope you've enjoyed the trip!

I'm gonna be a bit more explicit about my plans. I'm gonna give you three options to vote for, for the next arc we explore:

[ ] Kaizou/Kosuzu
[ ] Mark 2/Marisa
[ ] Paradox/Prologue

Obviously Paradox/Prologue is set before everyone else's arcs, and covers the second timeline, up to the very end. With that said, quite a lot of it will only be covered in the vagues - we've got two whole children to cover, after all. Now, once the Immaterial Children (+ Okuu) are assembled, the next arcs will be then most likely splitting up in teams, and going after each of the Paradox Pair.

I'm calling this first set of arcs the Re/Awakening. The next set will be Re/Union, and it'll either start after all these arcs are complete, or with Paradox/Prologue, if you choose to have it last out of these three. And yes, Tenshi and Snae deliberately have their youkai traits undefined at this point, you will get to pick them too.

I'm also gonna ask something. Now that nearly half of the group isn't technically part of the Immaterial Children Incident... what do you wanna call the whole group?

{ } Immaterial Children
{ } Paradox Children
{ } Something else?

Reason I ask is, part of the reason I called them 'Immaterial Children' is because I didn't wanna spoil that the surface was kinda aware of what happened (if not why it happened) just yet.

As for your prize in perfecting the grueling match that was Suwako's rampage... I may have something in mind. But perhaps we wait until the dust settles here, and we have at least one more youkai species locked in - it's the sort of thing that gets more powerful the more things are already set in stone in canon.

New thread is up! Kosuzu's arc starts at >>209221!

And this signifies the end of Yuuka's time as the GMPost Mascot. I'll give some specific responses in the next thread, but for now, I gotta give a recommendation.

Considering I gave Kyouko a sendoff with a reference specific to her, I decided to look for one for Yuuka as well. My... my search lead me to a 0.99 usd game on steam with an Overwhelmingly Positive rating, so it's definitely a good game, right?

Anyway, you can find it here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1430420/CBT_With_Yuuka_Kazami/

Now, it is time for the Bookworm girl to get her chance in the spotlight. See you all in Arc 4!