I ran towards the path until I sensed a heatwave. I must have been near the entrance of the Underground Geyser Center.
As I looked at the entrance, a sudden barrage of icicle bullets came flying towards me. I swiftly dodged the incoming bullets and scanned the area.
"Hm! You dodged that, Vampire maid." A figure emerged from the shadows, wearing a blue jumper dress as she defiantly placed her hands on her hips.
"You... I have no time to deal with you right now."
You have to go through me!"
"Tch." I swiftly retrieved my knives from my pockets. "Get out of my way." Activating my time-stopping ability, I surrounded Cirno with a circle of knives and swiftly made my escape, resuming time. The knives hit Cirno, successfully stopping her in her tracks.
"I'll be back...!"
An hour later, I found myself running around Youkai Mountain, still searching for Shun. The winding paths and dense forest made it challenging to locate him.
"Where is he...?" I muttered to myself, growing increasingly frustrated.
"Are you looking for someone else?" a voice suddenly called out from behind me.
Startled, I quickly turned around to see a kappa standing there. She wore a blue dress adorned with numerous pockets around the hem of the skirt and her upper arm, and a dark aquamarine backpack.
"Kappa? What are you doing here?" I asked, slightly surprised by her presence.
"Me? I'm actually heading down to the underworld," she replied, adjusting her goggles.
"For?"
"For some good old-fashioned tinkering and exploration, of course! There are so many fascinating gadgets and mysteries to uncover down there. It's like a treasure trove for an inventor like me."
"I see. Well, I hope you find what you're looking for...."
She chuckled. "Oh, I will. But what about you? You seem to be searching for someone. Need any help?"
"Actually, yes. I'm looking for a human named Shun. Have you seen him?"
The kappa pondered for a moment, tapping her chin. "Hmm, a human, you say? I don't recall seeing any humans around here recently, but I can keep an eye out for you. We kappa have a knack for gathering information, after all."
"I see. Thank you."
"No worries!"
With a nod of acknowledgment, I swiftly passed by her and continued on my way. "Now that the surface is taken care of, I should go check out the underworld." I thought to myself as I made my way toward the entrance of the cave.
As I ventured deeper into the cave, my progress was suddenly halted by the unexpected drop of a bucket. Reacting swiftly, I leaped back and instinctively gripped my knives, ready for any potential threat.
"It's not nice to suddenly drop yourself without a warning."
"Hehe." A head with dark teal hair tied up in pigtails by white hair beads emerged from the bucket. "Are you looking for someone?" her mischievous tone evident.
"Yes, I am. I'm looking for a human named Shun. Have you seen him?"
Kisume giggled mischievously. "Oh, Shun, huh? What's in it for me if I tell you?"
I can offer you something in return. What do you desire?"
"How about a game? If you win, I'll tell you where Shun is. But if I win, you have to play with me for a while."
"Very well. What kind of game are we playing?"
Her grin widened. "Let's play a danmaku game! Get ready, because I won't hold back!"
"Very well," I replied, assuming a combat stance With swift and precise movements, I began throwing knives towards her, intending to catch her off guard. However, to my surprise, she effortlessly dodged each one despite being confined within a bucket.
Suddenly, she raised her hands and pointed them toward me, unleashing a barrage of red and blue bullets in my direction.
I quickly maneuvered through bullets, evading them easily.
Swiftly leaped into the air, With a swift motion. I scattered my knives around me and then surged toward Kisume. But to my surprise, she skillfully maneuvered, dodging and weaving between the oncoming blades with a seemingly unnatural agility.
I landed back on the ground, my eyes fixed on her. "Impressive. You're no ordinary opponent."
The second wave of knives, unnoticed by her bounced off the ground behind her and swiftly closed in. Before she could react, the knives found their mark and gets hit. "You can't beat me."
"Ahahaha~ I guess I can't..." She sighed, her voice tinged with a hint of admiration. She lowered the bucket, revealing her face more clearly.
"Though, it's impressive how you can still dodge." I smiled at her.
"Thank you! A-Anyway, if you're looking for that butler human... You should be able to find him in the Old Capital. I heard that he's currently engaged in a battle with Hoshiguma."
"You mean, the oni?"
"Yes! That's the one."
"Thank you." I bowed respectfully to her before turning and running toward the Old Capital.
Of course, It's not just her that I'm encountering...
"I see, You want to go toward the Old Capital? I'm jealous...!"