Falling Light 1.5: The Chaos that Crawls

Chapter Five

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm starting to miss Gensokyo. It's only been thirteen days since I've been here in the Outside World, specifically Japan, and I'm starting to miss the place that I'm constantly cautious about, aware of my surroundings, and trying to get used to it all while trying to fight for my own survival. For me to miss a place like that is unusual. I think I'm starting to become a thrillseeker or something like that where I want to appreciate the dangers around me. That strange appreciation where I don't know if it's something I don't want to admit to, then I secretly admit to it without realizing it. I guess the reason I miss Gensokyo is because I'm not around Suika-sensei, Reimu, Marisa, Alice, or anyone else in particular.

I'm starting to miss the support Suika-sensei offers me, the hospitality Reimu gives me, the snark between Marisa and myself, and hanging out with Alice. I know that I'll come back to Gensokyo after I solve this occurrence. Yukari could at least give me an update on what's going on in Gensokyo. There might not be anything happening there, but I want to know how Suika-sensei and my friends are doing. They've done a lot for me, so it's only right that I show my care for them.

I can take care of myself. Only in situations that demand it, however. In most situations, I would be fine with having help. Having Kotohime and Asakura-san's help is greatly appreciative. They're nice people that want to solve the rumors that are happening in Chiyoda.

Something did seem wrong about this place. I just don't know what or how until Yukari informed me when we arrived to Chiyoda. These disappearances do confuse me. Yukari told me that the Nightgaunt kidnapped people. Where it brought them was something she never told me.

I know she wants me to figure it out. She just has too much explaining to do. If that were the case, and like I mentioned before, it would make it too easy for me. I would be able to take care of it. Except there's one problem to solving this occurrence.

It's the fact that I'm going to fight against a deity. A being that is far beyond my own power. I will be nothing but an ant compared to the fearsome power of a god. I'm a human being. I know that I faced against Satan, but I had help with that.

I also know that I fought against her by myself. Even then, I didn't really have a choice and I still lost that fight. I know that losing means nothing to me. It's just that I absolutely cannot lose if I face against a deity. I have to face it with all of my power.

Except I'm so scared of what will happen. I never searched up anything about Nyarlathotep. Yukari told me that he is known as the Crawling Chaos and that he is an Outer God. I shouldn't have been an idiot and interrupted her. I could have given her that chance to finish.

That chance ended up passing. I'm so stupid when it comes to moments like those. I forget to ask the most important questions that may or may not help me in my time of need. I should take mental notes of what I do, not just stand around all day. I don't do that in fights, though.

No way in hell would anyone stand in place in real life. I get away with it in Gensokyo because that's what people usually do. They stand around and gloat at times. They don't even move when they see an attack that is coming for them. I do get why they stand around.

It could be because they think they can take on the attack without any damage. It's easily justified when I used God Fist on someone. How else would they react when a giant fist made out of light is coming at them, especially one that is too wide and too large to avoid? That attack is intended to surprise opponents or cripple and weaken them. So far, it is still one of my most useful and most powerful skills in my arsenal if I use it right.

Using it too recklessly would cause my power to be drained early, my right arm would end up hurting, and it would be too slow if I try to attack a fast opponent. I can use it as a three-sixty degree attack that can blow away enemies that surround me. I can only use God Fist a total of three times. Overusing it would cause my right arm to become numb. I don't want to abuse God Fist too much.

Someone may end up developing counters for it. That's something I don't want. I can use Twin God Fist. In all honesty, I got the idea from One Piece where Luffy is able to go into Third Gear. I never got to do rapid fire punches with Twin God Fist, nor have I done a double palm strike that can send an opponent flying far across the horizon. That attack is what damaged Satan severely which allowed the five of us to finish off the Original Sin of Pride once and for all.

I always believed that Satan was the strongest being I have faced in my life. That was until I remembered about my battle with Yukari that she's the one that brutalized me. It's incredible that I was facing someone like her. A human against someone so powerful that she would kill me with the snap of her fingers and yet, I managed to land that hit on her. I know that she let me punch her across the face.

She allowed that punch to happen. She wanted to see if my determination was real. If my life was worth living, not willing to give up on a goal of trying to go back home. I impressed her because of that. Was it really necessary for her to kiss my forehead during that moment...?

It kind of shocked me. It makes sense if your family kisses you on the forehead, specifically grandmothers, but Yukari kissed my forehead. Not that she is a grandmother. I'm not trying to say that she's old or anything like that. Just because she's a youkai that has lived for centuries doesn't mean that she has to be called old.

No one makes fun of her age. It would be immature and stupid to disrespect someone's age if they reveal it. That's why I don't reveal my age to others. Appearances and age don't matter in the Outside World or in Gensokyo. So, learn this life lesson or don't learn it. Whatever makes you happy, then that's all up to you.

Oh, right, I should get back on track. For the past thirteen days, Kotohime and I were trying to investigate these disappearances. We asked people around if they've seen anything strange. We know that the Nightgaunt is capturing these people to bring them to the Dream Cycle. What we want to find out is what this cult is about and where we can look for it.

Asakura-san didn't find any clues about the symbol. She's still continuing her research on it, wondering what the strong force around it is from. She would update us on her progress, and so far, she's found nothing. We have reason to believe that a cult member must have dropped it when trying to do something. What that member was trying to do is unknown to the three of us.

They could have been sent out to see anything interesting. They could be around the area watching our every move. I get the feeling that these cult members know what they are doing if they can hide even in plain sight easily. They must be wearing some sort of special robe and have an unnatural behavior. It's easy to see these kind of things if you're insightful enough to see them.

We would continue our search later. What we needed is a break from all the searching. Endlessly searching every single day would cause stress for the both of us. We can't keep doing this every single day, so Kotohime proposed that we take a week off of searching. I agreed to it, and I made a good call.

Now, here I am, laid down on a futon. I don't move around, staring at my phone. The futon is comfortable to sleep in unlike Reimu's damp futon that made me toss and turn around. Having my own house was a good call. I had a bed rather than sleeping on the floor.

It was nice sleeping on a futon. I used to sleep on the floor when I was a kid. It was during summer vacation where my brother and I stayed in the living room to watch Studio Ghibli films like Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Castle in the Sky, and all of that. Mom and dad would end up carrying us upstairs to the bedroom that we share and lay us to bed. Only for Kuya and I to do it again.

It was summer vacation. It was that time where we would stay up to watch anime late at night on Adult Swim. Big O, Inuyasha, Cowboy Bebop, and so many other late night animes that Kuya and I enjoyed watching together. Those were fun times that I greatly enjoyed. Looking back at them makes me feel happy to know that even the simple times of life can be fun, no matter how uneventful they can be.

Kuya is exactly what I would expect him to be later in life. He's good at making friends, good with computers and smart to boot, and knows how to drive better than I do. Basically, he's good at things that I'm not good at. The funniest part about us is that we were both lazy. When the going gets tough, the two of us are flawless in what we do when we work together.

We periodically snark at each other from time to time. He often recommends that I watch good animes that he watches. We end up watching it together and laugh. We're pretty tight, no matter what separates the two of us. We're family and we're brothers that care for one another.

I miss him a lot. Not a day goes by where I need his help or at least his presence being close to boost my confidence. I always imagine what he would do in my situation. He would be able to take care of it with ease if he wanted to. We both share the lazy, but brilliant mindset, but he is more lazy than I am.

He does have a job. He works at a casino as a housekeeper and he makes friends with his co-workers. I don't have a job yet. I might become eternally unemployed. What we have in common is a lack of girlfriend, didn't go to college, and the fact we stare at our computers all day, playing video games.

I don't call him by his name. I call him Kuya which means brother in Tagalog. I'm the only one in my family that calls him Kuya since I'm the younger brother. There are rare moments where I call my brother just by his name. The rest of the time, I call him Kuya.

I admire him. He's nice, passionate, and good person to rely on if anyone was in trouble. I wish he was here with me. We might be able to solve this occurrence ourselves. He's probably searching for me, having left home.

He doesn't realize that his own younger brother is in Japan, living with a princess at an estate. I hope he does find me so that he can tell me about mom and dad and how the rest of the family is doing. I miss having my normal life back and I miss being in Gensokyo. As much as I miss Gensokyo, nothing will keep me apart from being with my family again. That's how important they are to me.

I want to care about the residents of Gensokyo, too. Reimu, Marisa, Alice, Suika-sensei, the Scarlet residents, and even Yukari are the people I care about. That's why I want to get to spend time with them for as long as I can if the time comes where I do return to the Outside World once and for all. Give them a chance to be happy. Give them a chance to tell me about themselves, so I can become closer to them.

I shouldn't think about this. I'm never ready to say goodbye. I'm not good with them. They say if you don't say goodbye to someone, it doesn't mean that you're gone for good. It just means that you aren't here right now.

I always liked something like that. That it means you're waiting for that person to come back. It may take months, years, or centuries for someone to return to someone's side again. Just the thought of having someone never forget you and wait for you. That level of loyalty and love for someone is astounding in a sense that I'm not sure if I'd be happy with that.

I would be afraid. That the person I care about so much moved on with their lives and forgot about me, deciding to live the rest of their lives in peace. I would be happy for that person. They made the decision and I get to at least see them happy. I know that I'll at least keep watch over them and see how far they can go on with their lives as a silent guardian.

I should get up now. No use laying around all day. I better go ahead and enjoy this week. I might find Maribel if I'm lucky. I haven't seen her around in a while.

"You seem relaxed. These days must have been nice to you."

I look around the room, hearing the familiar voice. I look up above to see Yukari's legs, slowly dropping down until she lands a few meters away from me. Her arms crossed underneath her chest. The serious look that she has is present, making me feel uneasy. Can she please be her usual playful self for once to give us a comedic moment?

I kind of want to have a comedy moment right now to relieve the tension. It's so weird that she's taking something seriously. It won't be the first time that I see Yukari so serious. I regret saying that she should be serious for once. Having things be so serious makes me nervous about my role in having to solve this occurrence.

I don't feel incompetent about it. Not even close to being something like that. I know that Yukari would pick me to go to the Outside World since I'm much more familiar with it. She would be familiar with it, too. Yukari has lived long enough to understand what the Outside World is like.

She's also right. I've been taking it easy. I took walks around Chiyoda to get familiar with it. I didn't buy any manga or light novels in Akihabara yet. I've been going to the local library where I would try to find information.

Nothing that I would have managed to find. The local library didn't have anything on Cthulhu or about Nyarlathotep. Like I said, it was going to cause too much stress. Even I need my days of having some rest and recuperation from searching. Yukari might tell me to go back to work eventually, but she's willing to give me a few days off.

"You said it. All of this searching is becoming tough on me. By the way, do you know anything about Maribel Hearn?"

"The girl that you spoke to on the train? No, I cannot say that I have. Her appearance does indeed resemble mine, something that I'm aware of to an extent. I did sense her powers. I find it strange how a girl such as her can have a strong presence."

Of course Yukari would notice something about Maribel. She must have been observing my progress and how I met Maribel for the first time. There must be something that is on Yukari's mind for her to be interested in Maribel. I know that it could be her power or her appearance resembling her own, but I can't really determine it myself. The way she looks is as if she knows about her which is frightening.

I don't get how the two look so similar. I know that this would be the best time to ask who Maribel is, but I can't bring myself to do so now. I don't know what to say. Maybe during a heated argument that will happen at some point, I will end up calling Yukari that name. It might cause Yukari to possibly react in a way she would not want to reaction.

Her first reaction would possibly be shock at how the name seems to catch on her, but then she will change her expression to a serious, threatening glare in an attempt to deter the conversation to another area. The second reaction would end up being anger mixed with annoyance at how I said that name right in her face without warning. The tone she would use on me would be a subdued, but strict one in attempt to frighten and intimidate me from speaking any further about it. I know that I'll make her tell me who she really is and if that is really her name and what she once was before she decided to become who she is today. Not that I mind who she is at all anymore since our hostility towards one another is lessened, but not gone.

I don't judge Yukari. I don't know if it's because I'm already used to her by this point, or because of the fact I don't think I can judge her since it wouldn't seriously for once than the other times where I was always given cryptic hints or warnings. Actively helping me out is something I don't expect Yukari to do so often since she's an all-powerful and all knowing youkai that can practically take care of any problem. This is one problem that she has to actively deal with, forcing her to get serious for once.

Nyarlathotep must be a powerful force to be reckoned with if someone like Yukari is forced to become serious. It enforces how dire the situation has become. From what Yukari told me, this guy is an Outer God which makes him outclass normal gods themselves. I can't believe that I'm going up against something I never thought I would end up facing. As much as I wanna help Yukari out with this, I feel like she can do this without my help.

I have no doubts about it since Yukari has a one of a kind ability that would make her the most powerful being that I have ever met. Suika-sensei is incredibly powerful in her own right and what's worse is that Suika-sensei's ability to manipulate density counters my ability. She is able to manipulate gravity in a sense which is my logical weakness if someone thinks about it hard enough. There was a moment where during one of our training sessions, she would manipulate gravity to make my ability to use light useless against her. Gravity bends light as a result of the gravitational lensing effect in general relativity, so Suika-sensei wants me to overcome my weakness against gravity should I ever encounter anyone that is able to use it.

Gravitational lensing works in an analogous way and is an effect of Einstein's theory of general relativity. Simply put, mass bends light. The gravitational field of a massive object will extend far into space, and cause light rays passing close to that object to be bend and refocused somewhere else. The more massive the object, the stronger its gravitational field and hence the greater the bending of light rays. Sort of like using denser materials to make optical lenses results in a greater amount of refraction,

Gravitational lensing happens on all scales. The gravitational field of galaxies and clusters of galaxies can lens light, but so can smaller objects such as stars and planets. Even the mass of our own bodies will lens light passing near us a tiny bit, although the effect is too small to ever measure. Long story short, Suika is one big weakness for someone like me since she can completely bend my light. I think it makes a lot of sense why she trained me or one of those reasons she trained me. The two of us are complete opposites of our own respective elements and concept that it works despite how incompatible it is for us.

Suika-sensei wouldn't care about that. She knows what my weaknesses were as soon as we met. That didn't really stop her from training me. I know for sure she boosted up my confidence a lot during the training. Most of the times that I fought, I would be prone to panicking much easier and become hesitant with my action.

Suika-sensei wants me to be confident with myself, having more of a clear head to fight much better, and not rely on brute strength all the time. She even says that might is never always right when it comes to overpowering an opponent and that my strength is still uncontrollable. She's right about those two things since even if I do have control over my strength, there are moments where I end up tensing up, causing it to leak out and damage something. If and when I fight against Nyarlathotep, utilizing my full strength is a must since what I am going to fight against is a god that wants to cause something bad. I just have to keep Reimu and Suika-sensei's training in mind since they are the reason why I managed to get this far.

"I will see if there is anything else I can look for. You should take this time go outside and see if there is anyone you should talk to. There might be some things you might be able to know."

"Alright. Be careful, Yukari."

She nods once and enters her gap. It closes as she goes through it. It's time that I got going, too. There's no real reason for me to stay around here for too long. I'm not doing much.

I get up and put my jacket on. I don't sense Kotohime. She must have gone to work. I should check around Chiyoda while I'm at it to see if anything is happening. Maybe I'll even go to the arcade to play some games while I'm at it.

I haven't played a video game in a while. It could give me ideas on what kind of attacks I should have next time. Something good that can help me out when I need it. I need to stay being creative with my powers. I can do more than shining a flashlight in someone's face.

I need to focus on being able to use more than one light. I should combine my lights together to make them stronger. I didn't try it yet. I might try it when I get back into Gensokyo. It's something that I thought of but never got to try out earlier.

I should think about the drawbacks. Using two lights at once could drain me severely and controlling them would be difficult. They would be powerful to use, just difficult to control and drain me. I use one light for a reason. Different types to fit the situation.

Sacred Light is the most used light I use against the supernatural. It does make sense that I use it when I'm in Gensokyo. Youkais get hurt much more from it. Not even Yukari is safe from it since she is a malevolent being. The more malevolent a youkai is, the more damaging my light can harm them.

Since Yukari is incredibly malevolent, I can do a lot of damage to her. That is if I can damage her with my attacks. Yukari can dish back twice as hard as I can attack. I can't defeat her and I don't think I'll be able to defeat her given the fact that she doesn't go all out. There's no limit to her power.

That's why I'm glad that she rarely fights seriously. Should she ever get the chance to fight seriously, it would have been over for that person. She doesn't need bullets or anything to kill you. All she needs to do is warp your mind that you kill yourself instead. I wonder where she is or what she's doing right now?

Gathering information on our enemy? Speaking to her mutual friend and informant named Nodens who is an elder god? I don't know what she does, unfortunately. Yukari is a difficult person for me to read. You can't read someone who is unpredictable, yet a mastermind at the same time who possesses incredible powers.

I exit the estate and walk to Chiyoda. Kotohime's car isn't here, so I have to walk there myself. I want to see if I can find Maribel. If not, I can go straight to the Chiyoda Science Museum to see Asakura-san. She could use some help with dealing with this mystery.

[CHIYODA]

It isn't a long walk for me to get to Chiyoda. Well, it did take me about an hour to get here. I'm going to see if I can find Maribel. It's going to be tough since there's so much people walking around and bunching up together. How can I miss a girl that wears a purple dress and wears a white mob cap on her head?

I'm not the type that waits patiently during stuff like this. I will admit that I did run sometimes when I was walking home from the mall. If there's no car coming, I would immediately start sprinting as fast as I could until I saw a car. After that, I would stop running and start walking. That and maybe I was paranoid, scared to know that someone would be following me.

Now that I think about it, running would make it worse. That means the stalker that is probably steps behind me would end up running to chase after me. I got really lucky that there was no one trying to follow me. It went from I think noon to night in about two hours. I was a stupid kid back then.

Which reminds me about the mall thing. Never in my entire life have I been stood up before. For those that don't know what the term stood up means, it's when you go on a date and someone never arrives. What happened to me was the friendly type of being stood up. How did this happen exactly?

It was after my Tae Kwon Do class where a friend of mine from high school told me if I wanted to go to the mall on a Saturday. I decided that I would go by myself than have my brother come along. I made the biggest mistake in not having him come along with me because it sucked being alone at the mall with no one that you know. I literally walked around the mall, looking like I'm going somewhere or separated from my friends to go check on some things. It didn't take long for me to realize that they didn't come to the mall which made me feel embarrassed about the whole situation.

I had an old Samsung flip phone, too. There were times where I would flip it in a cool way or just the normal way. I didn't have service on my phone, which is one reason why I walked home. My cousin was going to pick me up, except I didn't know that he would. In the end, I made it back home safe and sound without any worries.

I didn't really have a better judgement. All kids do pretty dumb stuff. I do the most dumbest things that even a thirteen year old would have more common sense than I did as a kid. I'm glad that I'm old enough to have a better judgement, becoming wiser and smarter about what I'm doing now than what I've done before. My idiocracy was justified during those moments.

I can only blame myself for being stupid as a kid. I want to go back in time and smack myself in the jaw for going to places that I shouldn't even go to. I do break that rule, but I wasn't a rebel. I was far from being a rebel. I was just a naive kid that lacked judgement.

It's still embarrassing when you remember those moments as a kid. I even felt bad that my parents spoiled me and how rotten I was whenever I whined at them to get me something that I wanted. I didn't have temper tantrums. Kuya had those one time. It made my mom leave the house, wanting to go somewhere causing Kuya and I to yell for her to come back when we were kids.

It got worse. There was a time we argued so badly that mom gave us knives, seeing if we would kill each other. Needless to say, we cried yelling out no the entire time. It was the craziest childhood memory ever. Filipino families have crazy families.

I have that kind of family where it's crazy. I admit that what most of us do is downright insane that no one should ever know about it. Mentioning this to children would scared them and telling this to friends would make them laugh too hard they would bust their own gut from the absurdity of a mom giving knives to her sons. She was stressed out, so I guess I can see why. Our family is never a happy one, too.

Mom and dad argued on some occasions since dad is too stubborn to listen or has a temper. There was times where mom wouldn't even sleep in the same room with him, sleeping in my room. Of course, I know that I don't have a perfect family. Even if I don't have the perfect family, I still miss them so much that I don't want to be away from them for too long. I want to see them again.

I don't like the arguments, obviously. They caused a lot of rifts. My cousins would argue with one another, too. I remember the time where my first cousin argued with his girlfriend and started hurting her while my aunt tried to stop it. My second cousin would do the same except he argued with his wife.

He would end up hurting her like what my first cousin did. I still remember it to this day. As a result, the two separated with my cousin-in-law moving away from the house to get away from him. She made the right choice in doing so except she would only visit when my second cousin worked in Alaska. My aunt and mom would try to stop what was happening.

There was nothing that they would have done to stop it. I don't know what to think about my second cousin after what he did. They shouldn't solve their problems with violence or arguing with someone they care about. It is difficult to maintain a relationship, especially a family of your own. I just hope that in the future, I don't become like them.

I'll be better than my cousins. I won't let my emotions get the better of me. I won't let it hurt the ones I love. It'll become worse for me if it came to that. That's why I'll always be self-aware of my actions since actions speak louder than words.

Speaking of arguments, there was even a time where mom suspected and even accused dad of cheating on her. He would never do something like that. Kuya and I didn't believe her and when I asked about it, dad scoffed at the idea, saying that it is nothing like that. Mom even said that they would end up getting a divorce which worried me a lot. He may have a temper, but he's well-meaning.

Dad is a reliable kind of person. He's smart, knows more things than I do when it comes to whatever I ask except for technology and other modern stuff, and he's supportive. Sure he can even get frustrated at someone, but like me, who gets frustrated, does something to get it over with without any problems. I act more like mom, however. Kuya acts like dad much more than I do except we share the same temper. Mine is just much more subdued than his.

He isn't a bad person. It's from the stress that he has combined with his stubbornness to try and prove he's right. What's worse is that he and I shared that kind of trait. I don't want to admit it, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I've already come to accept my stubborn nature and prove that I'm right about something. It's a pretty immature thought.

It's unbecoming of me. That I would have something to prove. That I want to prove to someone that I can do something. Just like how I wanted to prove Patchouli-san that I'm not a weak, inexperienced human that won't get in her way. I succeeded in earning her respect.

There is always something a person can prove. They need to overcome their boundaries, the limits that are pulling them back. I was able to do it because I was determined to prove myself to her and to the others. Marisa and Alice know what I'm capable of and even Meiling put her faith in me for being able to get so far with the others. It's Patchouli-san's approval that I seeked out.

Now, she respects me. She treats me as a friend and a loyal comrade. I was so happy about myself. If only I could enjoy moments like those again. They were actually fun.

I'm not surprised that I act like dad or mom during certain situations. I can go from being hot-headed and impatient to being unsure and a constant worrywart that gets frightened easily. I've never been this emotional in my life. Back at home, I had limited emotions. The moment I was in Gensokyo, I displayed a wide variety of emotions that I never let out before.

Sure I showed off some emotion back then, but not as much as I did now or my time in Gensokyo. I fully understand what it's like to be scared, bewildered, angry, frustrated, stressed, and even apathy. It was nothing like jumpscares that are present in horror video games or the emotional moments of an anime. I was becoming more expressive the more I stayed in Gensokyo. I noticed it during my first week in Gensokyo, and that thought hasn't gone away for a while.

Anyways, I should stop it with these thoughts. It's making me feel pretty somber. I wonder what kind of games I can play? I hope that I haven't gotten too rusty. Not being able to play video games for a whole year would make anyone go mad.

I'm sure Asakura-san will call me about those symbols since Kotohime is working on investigative work. Right now, this is how I'm going to spend my week break. Just playing games at the arcade to entertain myself. Hopefully, Yukari doesn't mind it. I'll probably spend a lot of time in the arcade.

I notice someone familiar ahead of me. The hat she is wearing has talismans all over it while wearing normal clothing. There's no doubt about it. That woman is Yukari's kitsune Shikigami. She's definitely the strongest Shikigami I faced in Gensokyo, and I can tell she held back against me when we fought against each other.

I doubt she would recognize me. I hit her so many times that I pretty much pissed her off. She might be one of those types that is indifferent towards me and views me as nothing more than a hindrance. I can already hear it in my head. I better leave her alone.

Her head turns in my direction. I sigh heavily and roll my eyes at myself. Why is it that I keep tempting fate? I get the general feeling that I am subjected to a strange coincidence where I am somehow recognized. The worst part is that I don't even know her name.

"Hello there, boy."

She smiles in a mischievous manner. She definitely recognizes me. I'm surprised to hear that. I really thought she would be the type that would be indifferent towards my presence. I never did get to know her that well.

"Oh, uh, hey there."

I become uneasy. I know how powerful she is. In the presence of a master, a Shikigami's power is increased. She also has nine tails which means she is at the height of her power. Even without her master, she's one of the strongest youkais I've ever faced in Gensokyo.

I can't beat her even if she isn't in the presence of her master. Even when I'm trained by Reimu and Suika-sensei, that's not going to be enough against a kitsune who has nine tails. It's going to be a very long while before I get up to the level where I can fight against the strongest youkais on even footing. That's why I'm being careful of the kitsune Shikigami in front of me. I know my place when it comes to stronger beings.

"Relax. I won't bite. I'm doing a bit of shopping. You've grown a lot taller than the last time we met, boy."

"Well, the last time we met, we fought, didn't we?"

"We did. I still remember running into your shovel. Quite humiliating."

"Y-Yeah, sorry. You did come flying at me."

"Fufu..."

She chuckles to herself. I shudder, not knowing what that could mean. I'm actually intimidated. We're in the presence of people, but she's one of the few people that could intimidate me without even trying. That's why I'm trying not to look uneasy. It isn't working in my favor.

"I don't think we've officially met. I am Ran Yakumo."

RAN YAKUMO [SHIKIGAMI OF THE GAP YOUKAI]

"Nice to meet you, Yakumo-san..."

I'm still uneasy even when she tells me to relax. I know that people in Gensokyo won't hold a grudge, but I knew she would remember that time she smashed her face into my shovel. Just like with Yukari, she looks calculative. Her smile fades and I'm unsure of what to say. She walks to me, each step carrying a heavy weight behind it that I hold in my breath until her hand grabs my wrist.

"You really are so tense. You should relax. I told you that I'm not going to bite. I can understand why you are like this, so I can't blame you for it. Want to help me with my shopping?"

"Huh?"

"Maybe I'll even cook for you, boy. You look hungry."

"I... Okay. I guess I can help."

"Good. Come along, then!"

Ran immediately drags me away. I don't resist as she keeps holding my wrist. She's holding my wrist so tightly that it's starting to hurt. Her strength must be below Suika-sensei's strength, but that doesn't make her any less dangerous. I keep the pain in, not saying anything about it.

I feel like being dragged around is going to be a thing that occurs. It's not like I can do anything about it. Protesting would get me into trouble. I watched plenty of animes that I'm practically savvy about what is going to happen to me in my everyday life. It doesn't always work because it only happens during some circumstances.

We walk to the supermarket where I take a look around what's in store. I feel like I can make something with these ingredients. Ran did say that she would cook for me. It sort of reminds me of Reimu doing that for me, that time when I met Sakuya, or and Alice making breakfast or sweets. Now, I have a kitsune wanting to make food for me.

The first was primarily out of hospitality, the second was because I was a guest, and the third is because there was so much to eat. I hope I didn't put on weight from all the sweets that I eat when I visit Alice's house. I'm trying to cut back on eating sugar. I can get a little obsessed with sugary stuff. I can't help it if Alice can make the best sweets ever.

"What do you think I should make, boy?"

"I'm actually not sure. How come you're shopping in the Outside World? Doesn't the Human Village in Gensokyo have ingredients?"

"It does, but they don't have specific ingredients. The ingredients in the Outside World far outclass the ones in Gensokyo. There are varieties that I can use, but I don't know what to choose."

I'm not sure what Ran can make. There's so much food that comes to mind. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. I don't really eat that much lately since Suika-sensei would force me to not eat for days. She wanted me to go without food for two weeks and I was pretty much withering away while training.

It did help control my appetite, but it was absolute torture. Whenever I was at home, I couldn't eat. I had to drink water all day. She never did say that I can't drink water. Of course, living off of water can be hazardous.

I tried it. I stopped after about three days. I was killing myself faster than youkais trying to kill me. I had to endure it. I can probably survive in a desert without dying.

"How about Pork Katsu Curry?"

"My, my, I didn't know you were into something like that. I guess I can make that if you like meat that much. Should I also add tofu with it?"

Ran pinches my cheek softly, snickering to herself. The books are right. Kitsunes can be quite the tease. I better watch myself around Ran. I'm not going to fall for her feminine wiles that easily.

Speaking of which, I don't think I ever did fall for feminine looks that easily. I guess it's because I'm not that kind of person that is into that kind of thing. Even though I admitted to what I said months ago. I just treat others with respect and never argue unless when I know that there is something wrong. I like to be the guy that hangs in the back, not the guy that takes charge of things and think everything is going to be okay.

I'm not exactly the leadership type. If I find myself in a group, I find myself treating them equally because that's one of the most important aspects of being a leader. Treating everyone equally while also treating them with respect so that they can follow something. I'm not really that smart when it comes to tactics. I leave that to those that specialize in it.

I'm sure if it comes down to it, I can be a leader. There's so much responsibilities to being a leader that it would be frustrating. If someone can pull that off well, that's good for them. I'm sure I would be relied on in any situation. I'm fine with something like that.

"Sure. I could go for tofu. Fried if possible."

"Seems like teasing you won't be so easy, after all."

"Yukari and Suika-sensei have done that plenty of times. I don't fall for their tricks."

"How disappointing. I would have loved to see your reaction. I wouldn't mind wrapping you around my tails and letting you sleep in them."

"I'm fine with a bed. Thanks for the offer."

"You're quite the interesting one for not falling for my charms, boy."

I know better than to fall for them that easily. Kitsunes are said to be able to seduce men with their looks and voice. I knew that at some point, I would meet a kitsune. An eastern type setting isn't complete with kitsunes. I'm sure a lot of people were just waiting for something like this to happen.

I shouldn't get ahead of myself. I've trained my mind to not fall for a kitsune's charm. It's easy to think of something else other than them. Anyone else would drool, blush, or become flustered. There's nothing really meaningful when a kitsune is trying to tease someone with their looks alone.

"Sorry to disappoint you. I have important matters to deal with than fall for your looks."

"I'm just joking with you, boy. No need to be so serious. I am impressed, though. You are the first man to not fall for my charms. Many men would lust for me as soon as I am seen. I'm sure you have noticed the many glances and stares."

"I've noticed and it's creepy. I can't be the first man to not fall for your charms, either. At some point in your life, you must have met at least someone who treated you differently."

"Nope. You're the first. Are you not surprised?"

"I'm not. Either way, I was supposed to go to the arcade and play some games, but shopping for ingredients isn't bad, either."

"My apologies. You were the only person I knew in this city since Yukari-sama is away. I hope you don't mind that."

"It's alright. I didn't have anything better to do. All I would do is awkwardly walk around Chiyoda before heading to Kotohime's estate and wait for Asakura-san to call me."

Ran snickers again and pinches my cheek. Why does she have to do that? She must be teasing me again. That's the kind of teasing gesture I would expect from a kitsune. I don't show any embarrassment nor am I flustered by what she did.

I scowl at her. I'm not particularly comfortable about having my cheek pinched. It's almost like she's mocking me, but I can't think negatively like that or be mad over it. That would be immature of me. I sigh, getting the necessary ingredients to make the Pork Katsu Curry.

I'll make the curry myself if I have to. I know how to make it. I'll pay for it, too. Ran doesn't have to spend her money on me. It's a good thing that Yukari actually gave me money.

This is new, though. I'm at a Japanese supermarket buying actual Japanese ingredients. I shouldn't forget about side dishes or soups. Miso soup is good enough. As for a side dish, Japanese style fried chicken can work.

"Sorry, sorry. Don't get mad at me when I do that to you. You just don't seem to mind it at all. You're taking it very well, considering that I'm trying to get a reaction out of you. I didn't expect you to scowl at me."

"It doesn't help that you're touching me so freely. It's making me uncomfortable."

"Now, you're making me feel bad. I'll stop, then. As a way to apologize, I'll make you anything you like, including the Pork Katsu Curry. I want to get to know you more, boy. It would be an interesting interaction between us."

She's got that right. I don't think we ever did officially meet. We did fight, but I didn't know who she was at the time. I just identified her as Yukari's Shikigami. I do have a grasp on her personality. She's teasing, yet wise and confident.

Ran isn't showing that wise or confident side of herself. It's just the first time that I see her teasing nature in full view. She is doing it to mess with my head, but she isn't doing it to harm or hurt me. I should get to know her if I want to get used to her teasing. I don't want her to think that I'm this serious, no-nonsense, focused driven man hellbent on solving matters on my own like some edgy character in an anime.

We buy the ingredients we need and walk to Kotohime's estate. I hold the bags of groceries, carrying them myself. I ended up paying for it, too. I was serious about not having Ran spend any money on me. I'm the one paying, but she will be the one cooking, so it's an even trade.

I wait in the living room, watching the news. There's nothing interesting on aside from the rumors. I change the channel to watch some anime. It's weird watching an anime without English subtitles, but I can understand it well. I don't have to worry about not understanding what the characters are saying.

The shoji slides open. Ran walks into the living room, holding a tray. She places the tray down on the table to reveal two plates of Pork Katsu Curry. Her plate has fried tofu on it while mine has extra pork and chicken. The smell of it is enough to make my stomach growl loudly.

I almost drool, too. I turn off the TV and go to the table. I clap my hands together, thank her for the meal, and begin eating. The moment I take my first bite out of the curry, I make sure to eat it slowly. I'm savoring the flavor of it.

That's just how good it is. Yukari is lucky. She has a Shikigami that can cook better than I can. I'm sure if Ran entered a cooking contest, she would win first place with no contest. This is so good.

I don't want to cry again. I'm resisting. I'm trying not to cry. That will not be a running gag. I'm not going to cry because of how good the food is.

"So, how do you like it?"

"It's amazing. I've never ate something so delicious."

"I'm glad to hear that. Because you look like you're about to cry. I can make more if you like."

"No, no, this is good enough. Thank you, Yakumo-san. I truly appreciate this."

I hide my embarrassment. She caught me. It's so embarrassing. I can't believe it happened again, too. I'm really bad at hiding my emotions when it comes to eating good food.

When it comes to cooking, the people in Gensokyo are practically god-like. I don't think the best chefs in the world can compare to the residents in Gensokyo. Those hands should be made for cooking, not fighting. Actually, no, that just makes me sound sexist. I should take back what I said and stop thinking about this because that's just terrible of me.

"You're welcome. Savor that meal. You may call me by my name. No need to be so formal."

"I will. Again, thank you. Sorry if I was indifferent to your teasing."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I understand why you were like that. It's because of Yukari-sama doing that to you and it reminded you of that, didn't it?"

"Yeah, it did. Things have changed between the two of us since then. We aren't as hostile."

"I've noticed. You and Yukari-sama are on good terms now. Before, you two didn't seem to get along. Now, you two are willing to help each other find Nyarlathotep."

I'm willing to put aside my differences and working together with someone. I wouldn't even mind working with an enemy I previously fought if we got trapped together. It's a lot better than having to bear a grudge against them. I don't hold it against an enemy if they hate me. They'll get over it eventually.

"I just didn't think I would be against an Outer God. How can I fight someone like that? She should have chose someone else than me, considering that I'm probably one of the weakest people in Gensokyo."

"She did ask for your help, didn't she? It isn't like Yukari-sama to misplace her faith in someone. She needs you because Nyarlathotep wouldn't know who you are. She has told me stories about the being known as Nyarlathotep. He enacts the will of the Outer Gods, and is their messenger, heart and soul, the immemorial figure of the deputy or messenger of hidden and terrible powers. Unlike the other Outer Gods, spreading madness is more important and enjoyable than death and destruction to Nyarlathotep. He will destroy the human race and possibly the planet itself if he were to be let go. He is deliberately deceptive and manipulative, using propaganda to achieve his goals. He walks among the earth in the guise of a human. As is his nature, he is a chaos that crawls into the hearts of mortals, enjoying sadistic games that he plays on mankind for his own amusement. He has ruined entire societies in the form of the Black Pharaoh, possesses and murders men as the Haunter of the Dark, and once tried to spirit away a man into the throne room of a even greater Outer God, the Ultimate Chaos. Nyarlathotep seduces men into worshipping him with his many avatars and orchestrates madness by the masses wherever he goes, differing from his fellow Outer Gods by virtue of being a wholly evil entity hindered by none of his brethren's eldritch mindsets and possessed of nothing more than for reaping the chaos that defines it. He is not a force of nature that can has any morality. Think of it like this. If you go by the metaphor of humanity being like ants to the Outer Gods, Nyarlathotep can be likened to a cruel child who loves to torment the ants by burning them with a magnifying glass. He resides somewhere in this city, taking the guise of a human."

"So, that's his goal? Destroy the entire planet?"

"Possibly worse. Since he is the living embodiment of the Outer God's soul, his existence is pivotal for the Outer Gods to remain as they are aside from a few that Yukari-sama has told me. What you're facing against is beyond anything you have faced before in your life. You may have fought an Amanojaku, an Onryo, the half of a fallen angel, and the Original Sin itself, but no human has ever faced an Outer God and lived to tell the tale. All who have tried in the past perished, became the servants of the Outer Gods, or become cursed with such unspeakable horrors that death would be a blessing to them than continue to exist. You will need to use all of your power to defeat the Crawling Chaos if you encounter him. Even then, defeating him will be no easy task. You have to be completely prepared, boy. You're not fighting for yourself anymore. You're fighting to protect the planet."

Fighting to protect the planet. That's how serious it is. I'm fighting for the planet. For humanity like some kind of hero. I can't believe that I'm being hit with this much level of irony.

I'm protecting the planet from an Outer God. I haven't even met Nyarlathotep, and I'm already afraid of what's coming to me. It's going to be like fighting against Yukari again. I know that I'm not going to win that easily. I'm going to really need Yukari's help to fight against this incredible threat.

"That's a heavy burden I have to bear, isn't it?"

"It is. I know that you're scared of facing something like this, but you learned from the best. From the Oni and from the Shrine Maiden. Now, you have Yukari-sama to help you, which means that I will help you, too. Maybe you don't realize it, but through sheer persistence, you seem to be the epicenter of important events with powerful people that crowd around you. I feel compelled to stop you from trying to face Nyarlathotep since Yukari-sama wants you alive. I can't because I can't force you to change your mind. Even if I try to stop you, I know that you understand that you will have to face against this threat yourself at the end of it all. So, don't be afraid. If the time comes where none of us can possibly face against something and we're defeated, be the one that rises up to fight with everything you have even if it all seems hopeless."

This truly is my burden, isn't it? I don't even know what to say. I'm being counted on to save the entire world. That means I can't fail at all or else everything I love in this world will be destroyed, but what can I do against an Outer God? I'm facing against something stronger than the Devil itself.

I know that if Yukari and Nyarlathotep fight against each other, they might take out the entire planet or destroy everything. I'm just glad that Yukari isn't active right now. I wouldn't want those two to meet. I can only hope that I don't encounter him so soon. I'm going to need a lot of help at this point.

I finish the rest of the meal and try to relax. I can't, processing the information that Ran told me. I can't believe that I'm the one that needs to be relied on from Yukari. I know that I'm thinking ahead, but that's what it seems like. I would be happy about this.

I'm not, though. I'm not happy, knowing that I'm facing this threat. It may sound like I'm complaining, but how else would I feel? I didn't expect it to be me. Ran said I've been trained by the best.

It's only been a year. What is a year of training going to do? I did fight against a Nightgaunt. That's just an example of what it is I'm going to be fighting against later on. I'm not going to really expect anything different.

"This will help your mind relax."

Ran sits down next to me, placing a tea cup on the table. She is sitting in a seiza, having her hands folded together. The air around her has changed. It doesn't feel like she'll try and tease me. It's a comforting kind of air, the feeling of being at home.

"Thank you."

I hold the tea cup with my left hand, placing my right hand under the bottom of it. I take a small sip of it, making sure I don't burn my tongue. It tastes pretty good. A little bitter, but it did help me relax. I take more small sips before letting out a sigh.

"This is quite the atmosphere, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is. I like moments like these. Where it's quiet and not much is happening. It's not going to last long. I know it."

"That's why you must enjoy it for as long as you can. Even the little things can become enjoyable."

"Yeah, you're right. I'm just trying to let it all sink in. Thank you, Ran-san."

"You're welcome, Sotto-kun. Like I said, if Yukari-sama is helping you, I will help you, too."

There is a lot on my mind, but I have to put up with it. I can't think of the negative all the time. I'm just being realistic, after all. I'm an ordinary human that is going up against an Outer God. That won't be the only things that I'm going to face.

I let the tea cool down before using my sunlight to warm it back up again. I finish the rest of it until I set the cup down on the table. My phone immediately rings. I take it out of my pocket and answer it. Maybe Asakura-san has some good news.

"Ray, can you come to the science museum? Kotohime is busy at the moment, so I'm going to need to explain this to you in person."

"Alright, I'll see you there, Asakura-san."

I hang up and put my phone back into my pocket. Just when I was starting to relax, too. I can't relax forever, though. I get up, stretch my arms, and put my jacket back on. I look over at Ran who smiles at me.

"Thanks for everything, Ran-san. I'm glad I got to know you."

"Same here. I see that you're far different than the other humans I've met before. Let's see each other again when you have the time."

"Sure. That's alright with me."

I head out of Kotohime's estate and start walking to the Chiyoda Science Museum. It'll take me awhile to get there on foot. I don't want to jump on rooftops to get to my destination. I'll only do that at night. Nobody will suspect a thing when they can't see me.

I could ride a bike. Kotohime doesn't have one, though. I pretty much have to walk my way there. I could run there. Just like how video games do it where a character just runs around without bumping into people and talking to them.

Regardless, I'm fine with walking. I need the exercise. I didn't get to go to the arcade like I wanted to. I did have fun talking with Ran and spending time with her. There were probably many opportunities where she would tease me, but she knew that it would be a bad idea.

I don't mind the teasing. It's like something straight out of an anime. There's the teasing type that wants to get a reaction out of somebody. She did that on purpose, too. I had to put up with it for a short while since the teasing didn't last that long.

Anyways, I'll run my way there like some typical protagonist in a video game. It beats walking. I'm sure nobody will seem to mind. They'll think that I'm in a hurry. It's too bad that I'm missing is the "taking my time" aspect.

It would be funny, knowing that I can just go to some ramen shop and eat a large bowl of ramen while the world is falling apart. I don't think I would be able to take a situation seriously like that. If I was at least more powerful, I would do that. After all, I'm powerful enough. What do I need to hurry for?

It's the same thing when it comes to speed. If I'm so fast, I can get to the location in the last minute. I can take my time by being fast enough to complete the things I need to do before heading somewhere important. That would make me become a show off. I'm much faster than Sonic the Hedgehog for sure.

I'm not faster than the Flash, unfortunately. I'm not exactly in a comic book series, so that means in reality, I'm faster than he is. There's the Tengu that are faster than I am. I don't think I could win in a race against them. I know that I can outrun black holes, but I can only outrun them for about two minutes at best.

Suika-sensei knew that I lacked speed. I never really relied on it in fights unless I had to use it. I could only use it in short ranges in battle to catch someone off guard. Now, I can easily move to one place to another without having to think about it. Her black hole training really did a number on my body.

She did teach me about how I can augment my speed and strength by using energy from the sun. It's similar to Seraph's Call, but it centers on physical augmentation than making my special attacks stronger. It's like an attack buff from a JRPG. Seraph's Call is like a special attack modifier or makes my skills stronger for two turns before it dies down. I can only maintain it for seven seconds. I don't have a defense buff yet.

Fortunately, I can use it as many times as I want so long as the sun stays up, but when it's night, I can use it five times in a row before losing sunlight energy. A total of thirty five seconds than being able to use Seraph's Call three times which lasts for thirty nine seconds in total. I do have a name for it. I call it Cherub's Bell. I'm quite proud of naming my special abilities.

I'm surprised that yelling out my special attacks doesn't cause someone to avoid my attack. I thought for sure that I would meet someone who would dodge every time I yell out the name of my attacks. I'm glad I didn't because it wouldn't have much flair if I didn't get to do that. I'm sure nobody would since the residents in Gensokyo do that. I can't exactly blame them.

I follow that whole concept from Bleach. Any special attacks are less powerful if the attack name isn't called. That and because of Dragon Ball Z, screaming out Kamehameha's or whatever. What can I say about it? It's a bad habit when I've watched those two animes as a kid.

I can't forget about Naruto, either. What with the jutsus being flown around everywhere at once, screaming the names out loud. One Piece is another anime that does that. Pretty much every anime I've watched that always has something or someone calling out the name of an attack is a standard. So, I don't think I need to be concerned about whether or not that's weird for me to do.

I can't use my buffs all at once, though. I've tried to do that, but it's too much for my body to handle. Combining two of my lights together exhausts me much more since I'm not used to that. I should have practiced. I'll let Suika-sensei beat that into my mind and body.

Well, looks like I'm making it. I've been so preoccupied with my thoughts that I didn't expect myself to get here so fast. I can see the Chiyoda Science Museum just up ahead. I speed it up, but not too fast. It just looks like I'm doing some casual sprint.

I slide to a halt when I make it to the entrance of the museum. There's already people coming into the museum. Most of which are tourists, taking pictures. Some of them young and some of them old which is the usual. They already have tour guides, too.

I walk inside of the science museum and knew that it would be a bit crowded. There's a lot of people here to look at the interesting stuff. The guides are explaining the science behind some things that were interesting. The kids were definitely excited to see something cool happening, but I'm not here for that. I need to head into Asakura-san's secret laboratory.

What I said is not crazy. She has a secret laboratory that only Kotohime and I can enter since we know where it is. It must be taking her a while to finish her research on the symbol that Kotohime and I showed her. The patience might be worth it, though. I make sure no one is looking in my direction before pressing my hand on a wall that pushes into it.

The floor beneath me opens and I fall about twenty feet before landing on my feet. The lights of the laboratory are turned on. It's not too bright or too dull. I can see everything that's in the laboratory like the supercomputer, machines that are on a table, crumpled up paper that is near a filled up trash can full of crumpled up paper, and an assortment of tools that are hanging up with five shelves on a wall. There is a bed in the corner that looks normal with a mini fridge next to it, being on the right side to act as an end table.

This is her humble abode. It makes me wonder how much time and effort she put into making this place into her home and laboratory at the same time. Scientists sure know how to be creative with how they live. I don't think I can see scientists the same way ever again. I'll be reminded of how someone like Asakura-san can live so strangely.

"Asakura-san? Hello?"

"Oh, Ray, hello there. You got my call. I'm up here."

I look up to see her. Asakura-san is floating in the air with a goggles being worn on her face. She lands down on the ground, taking off her goggles and also revealing that she is wearing glasses despite having goggles on earlier. Asakura-san must have been conducting research on the symbol that Kotohime and I found. I hope it's good news.

"Any progress, Asakura-san?"

"It took me a while, but I managed to understand what this symbol is. It seems to be the symbol of Nyarlathotep."

"Symbol of Nyarlathotep? Could that mean that Nyarlathotep has followers? Like some sort of cult?"

Asakura-san nods, confirming it. Her eyes narrow to a serious, grim look as she looks at the symbol she projectes on a screen. The two of us walk to a chair and sit down. So, this guy has followers. I forgot to ask Ran about that.

"Yes. This belonged to a cult member. Through the use of DNA testing, Kotohime and I were able to figure it out. We managed to trace the DNA all the way to what could be their hideout."

"Their hideout? Where is it?"

Asakura-san grabs a remote controller on a table. She presses a button to reveal a map on the screen. Pressing another button on the remote, it zooms in at the top region of Japan itself. I can't believe it. They're that far?

"Hokkaido?"

"Not just there."

Zooming out, she zooms in at Tokyo. There is a blinking dot. That's where the hideout is. I can't believe how close it is. It's in Chiyoda.

"This is one of their hideouts. Hokkaido is their main hideout."

"Look at where it's going. The dot is going down an alleyway."

We watch the dot moving until it disappears on the map. It zooms in to see that it went underground. The dot keeps on moving until it stops to reveal several more dots. So many in a single place. Are they conducting some sort of ritual?

"Underground?"

"It seems they are performing some sort of ritual. We'll have to wait for Kotohime."

She's right about that. For the time being, I'm going to go ahead and see if Maribel is around Chiyoda. I hope that she isn't going to get involved with Nyarlathotep's cult. They're underground, too. They could be almost anywhere, spying on certain individuals to capture them and recruit them in their cause.

Maybe they are the real reasons for any disappearances aside from the Nightgaunt that has been going around doing that. The Nightgaunt must have been capturing humans to give them some sort of sanction from the Nyarlathotep cult. At least that's what I want to think. I'm going to need to ask Yukari to confirm it. She's the only person that's going around and checking these things out.

"When is she coming?"

"In about one hour. I'll call you if something is happening, Ray."

"Alright. Thank you, Asakura-san. By the way, what are you working on?"

"This? I'm modifying a ship for interdimensional travel. Ironically, despite the fact that I view science over magic, this is one of the moments where I'm going to have to use magic and science together."

"How come you value science over magic, Asakura-san?"

"Because I don't believe in it. I'm a person that consistently believes that magic doesn't believe in this world. I'm sure you're well aware of Arthur C. Clarke."

Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, the writer of Odyssey book series. He was also a inventor, science writer, and formulated the three adages known as Clarke's three laws. The first law is when a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong. The second law is the only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the possible. The third law is any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

"It's not a surprise. I was born and raised in the Outside World, after all. No one in this world would believe in magic. I was young when I first entered Gensokyo where I tried to invoke science in a place that would be branded as heinous and be branded as a heretic because of how much science is much more of a believable concept than magic. The moment I arrived, I noticed that my magic abilities were heightened to such degrees that when I used a scanner on myself, the readings were off the charts, breaking it. I was in a completely different land that I knew was magical in nature. I didn't realize how dangerous the world really was to me, but it wasn't much of a problem so long as I had the power of science on my side to help me. Of course, I ended up losing to Reimu even though she was a lot younger than I was, yet her talents far exceeded my scientific mind. Then again, I was more of a mad scientist during my days in Gensokyo. Even though I could have stayed there, I decided not to, making a decision where I will use my technology and experience to make breakthroughs to the future of today. I've truly matured into someone that now views science as something that can truly be used in accordance to how we use it and how it can be used. Science has always remained with us for our whole lives as it gave us the means to create anything with our own hands and minds. Magic has no real effect on this world other than looking pretty for other people to see. So no matter what, the brilliance of science will continue to outweigh the supernatural causes in the world despite how magic can do anything if you imagine it."

That makes a lot of sense. Not many people would believe in magic. Magic in the Outside World is card tricks, but really, it's misconception and deceiving the person rather than full on magical powers such as being able to form fireballs, create water, make earth rise, or cause wind to burst. There is a difference between the reality and fantasy of the two worlds that I noticed about. I was one of those people that didn't really believe in magic until I came into Gensokyo and met Marisa who showed me what magic can really do.

"Anyways, it doesn't look like much is happening today. Go on and see if there is anything happening. I'll still be here."

"Right. Thanks, Asakura-san."

"I do have something to inquire, Ray. I hope you don't mind me asking. How did you come to the Outside World? Simply walking out of Gensokyo's barrier would be impossible since no one has done it before. Only two people I know can do that. Reimu and that infamous gap youkai that I've heard so much about. Are you in league with her?

"I am. Her name is Yukari Yakumo. She's able to control boundaries and is probably the strongest being in Gensokyo."

"Interesting. I didn't think someone like that would exist. Just why is it she is helping you? Someone with power like hers would manipulate you for her own ends. Are you sure you can trust her?"

"Not like I have a choice. She was serious about it, but I don't think she's manipulating me as of this moment. We fought a long time ago except it didn't really go well for me. Our hostility lessened, so I don't exactly know how I can explain the relationship we have. Our goals are the same even if we don't see eye to eye. If I can trust her, I'm sure that there is more to this than her being manipulative."

There is more to this than her trying to manipulate me. She even apologized to me and even taking me seriously. It's not like her to be like that at all, but I can tell that it has something to do with Gensokyo, too. I don't doubt her for a second if she's doing it for the sake of her own home than herself. I know better than to think that she treats me like an equal.

I still have my doubts since she did pick me of all people. I would have expected her to pick someone that she trusts completely like Reimu. I'm the one that got picked instead, possibly for good reason. She knows how much I value the Outside World. She knows that I have a family that lives in the Outside World.

I'm not just saving the Outside World. I'm also saving Gensokyo. Two worlds that I'm trying to defend with people like before. I always find myself needing help than necessary and I'm grateful for that. I won't hesitate to ask for help when I need it.

"I can understand why she can trust you, then. You're truly different than most humans, Ray. I can tell that from your experience with her, you two have a strange and complicated relationship, but I know that it might be more than interest. It's actual respect from two different beings. A youkai and a human trusting each other is an ideal example of what should be followed."

Asakura-san turns away from me. She looks at the computer screen. I can't tell what her expression is like. I walk to her side and stand next to her to see her expression. She's frowning at the screen.

"There was a moment in my life where I wanted to understand why humans and youkais hated each other. Is it human nature that caused youkais to be wary, fearful, or outright hateful of humans? Is it the nature of youkais trying to live up to the standards of what they are, accepting their nature as monsters that haunt humans or are they beings who genuinely want to help humans? Ten years of research led up to a moment where I didn't understand what it all meant until I finally understood it, but that was when I left Gensokyo behind to pursue my own goals. Science can change anything, but it can't change human nature nor can it change the nature of youkais. As a human being, we're no different from youkais if you think about it. We always believe that we are at the top, melting down and shaping metal into trophies that boost our egos that make us seem powerful, lying to ourselves, being greedy, and we shape the shadows that begin to overtake who we were. I suppose I can admit that humans are bastards and youkais have every right to hate or fear us for what we have done to them in the past. When you look at today, you never know who is a youkai and who is a human because they are now fundamentally the same in emotional and mental focus."

"That's a cynical way to put it, Asakura-san."

"But it is true, isn't it? We continually make it difficult for youkais to live in our world and we make it difficult for ourselves to live in their world. What have we ever done to help youkais? What we have done in the past can't change the minds of the tragedies they have faced during an era where violence would be solved. Nothing has really changed because all it takes is a bullet and chaos will ensue. The world will turn to hell because of what we've done and that humanity will reveal its darkest side possible. It would be our punishment for our arrogance and ignorance because we failed to see what we have done wrong and shift the blame on something we had no control over when we truly did. We're all different and not so different at the same time. We're an unpredictable paradox. A facetious anomaly."

There's truth to her words. So much of it that I can't come up with anything else to say. It's cynical, but realistic. I can understand what it is that she's saying, so I can't refute that logic. She's saying it in a more negative light than how Yukari said it in positive light.

Asakura-san knows a lot more than I do. She's been in Gensokyo before. It makes sense that she has the experience of being there. I must be reminding her of the past. The past that she has gone through.

"I've spoken for too long. Thank you for listening, Ray. I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable. I don't want you to make the mistakes that I've gone through in the past when I arrived to Gensokyo. All I did was survive, being way in over my head in believing that science can change Gensokyo, but I was wrong to think that. I was young, after all. Eventually, I saw the reality of my actions and decided to go back to the Outside World with Kotohime. I'm much happier here than being there. I can actually change the real world and I'm not deemed a heretic for my belief in science."

"Of course and thank you as well, Asakura-san. I'm glad I got to know you more. It feels kind of weird. I always seem to be that kind of person who lets someone talk and they tend to reveal their feelings and thoughts."

"I did feel a lot better talking about it. It's always been on my mind, but I never really talked about it to anyone. Not even to Kotohime. I'm sure it gave you a new perspective on youkais and humans."

"Yeah. I see them in a different kind of way. Thank you for the talk, Asakura-san. I'll see you soon."

With that said, I head out of the lab by taking an elevator that takes me to the roof of the science museum. I wonder who else I can see? I could try to find Maribel and ask her if she's around. She might be around Chiyoda. I might even find Kotohime on the job, chasing after a criminal.

I head back to Chiyoda for the time being. There's nothing else for me to do here. Asakura-san might talk to Kotohime about what she's discovered. Now that we know where one of those guys hides out at, we can hit them with an ambush. The cultists won't be a problem for us to deal with.

Asakura-san said she would call me if something happened. I'm sure there is a good reason as to why we talk to each other in person rather than on the phone. There are suspicious individuals who might be eavesdropping and keeping a close eye on us. Cultists can range from being normal-looking that it's almost impossible to tell they are from a cult until they reveal who they are. I have to stay cautious whenever I'm in Chiyoda because not all cultists wear the same get up.

I am trying to find Maribel, though. It'll make it seem like I'm talking to a friend and not doing anything suspicious. As long as there isn't a being who has the ability to read minds, then I'm okay. I don't want to be put into a situation where my mind can be read. I should have a way to resist telepathy if that ever happens since there might be a time in my life where I have to actually stop thinking completely or overload a person's mind with so much thoughts.

What if I'm like Usopp with his negativity before he became stronger? That would be a laugh. Too bad that I'm not that negative or rather pessimistic. I'm more of a realist. I know what doesn't work and what does work because I use boring, yet practical tactics than anything that involves crazy enough to work strategies.

There are times where I might have to do that, though. Now that I think about it, most of my strategies are crazy, but in ways that are not too crazy like getting stabbed to get closer to my enemy. I don't have the regenerative capacity to do that. What I would do is take advantage of the opponent's lack of fighting ability by using my own skills against them. It would go like this.

If I face an enemy that's much faster than me and speeds around me, I would use an omnidirectional attack that would knock them away and restrain them, landing crippling hits on their legs or feet to disable them completely before defeating them so they don't become a threat in the future. If I face an enemy that is physically stronger than me, I would just use range to keep them away from me since they would need to get close to get me. If I face someone who uses range, I would keep myself on the move by using my speed and get behind them to knock them out completely. If someone tries to transform, I would stop it at all costs by using one of my strongest moves without hesitation since they are making themselves vulnerable and I wouldn't let them take the advantage. The same goes for someone charging up an extremely powerful attack that would take too long for it to come up, which I make sure to use a distraction before using it.

It isn't a scenario where I stand around like an idiot and take on an attack, not bothering to dodge it. If the attack is too slow or too weak, I'll still dodge it because I'm not going to get hit by something so obvious coming for me. I'm sure if I was placed in any other setting, I would use the same tactics. As messed up as that sounds, I'm not that kind of person who would just let someone get back up. I'm sure if I fight someone with an adaptive ability, they would have a difficult time in figuring out how I fight since I'm using attacks that can throw them off.

I'm savvy about these kinds of things. I've watched plenty of animes where that stuff happens on so many times that I understand what to do in some situations. I'm not like Sun Tzu or Batman. The only downside is that I'm against youkais. If it were against beings stronger than I am, I don't need to hold back.

So many people around today. It should be easy to distinguish a girl that looks to be somewhere in her college years, wearing a purple dress, white mob cap, purple eyes, and blonde hair. I already established the fact that she looks similar to Yukari. I need to confirm if Maribel Hearn is actually Yukari Yakumo even though it could lead down to consequences that I won't be able to get out of. I just have to know if there is a reason that Yukari may have originally existed as a human being.

Maribel must be around Chiyoda. I don't have the ability to sense presences like Reimu or Alice. It puts me at a serious disadvantage, forcing me to rely on my instincts. Normally, that would be important since Reimu taught me some of her techniques, but not the ability to sense presences. That means I can't naturally gauge an enemy's strength until I meet them in person.

When I do, that's when I can feel a pressure from them and it lingers in the air. I don't know what to call that. I just feel how cold and tense the air is. I guess even if I can't sense presences, I immediately know what to think of them. It's difficult to explain even for myself.

I can call her right now. It would be a lot better than just searching for her. I take out my phone and look through my contacts. I start to call Maribel. If she doesn't pick up, she might be busy.

["Hello?"]

"Oh, hey, Maribel. I didn't think you'd get my call. Are you busy right now?"

["Not right now. I'm just at Kitanomaru Park. Is something wrong?"]

"Just wanted to see if we could talk. I don't think we got to know each other that much. Maybe we can hang out."

["I'd like that very much. I'll see you soon."]

"Alright. See you at the park."

At the park, huh? I hang up and start walking to Kitanomaru Park. Looks like I didn't need to fruitlessly search for her and stumble upon her out of sheer coincidence. I have a phone. Why wouldn't I use it?

I make it to the park and see Maribel, sitting on a bench to her lonesome. She doesn't look okay. Her head is lowered down, staring at the ground. A lot must be on her mind. I walk over to her.

"You okay?"

"!?"

She gasps out, startled. Maribel turns her head to look at me, then sighs out of relief. I chuckle, knowing that I spooked her. I used to do that to mom and dad. I tend to be pretty sneaky with my light feet, but that is because I had socks on.

"Sorry about that. I didn't take you for the type to get startled so easily."

"It's okay. I didn't see you."

"How is searching for your friend?"

"I couldn't find her. I get the feeling that she's somewhere else. At the same time, I feel like that she is somewhere around here in Chiyoda."

"Don't worry so much about it, Maribel. I know that you'll be able to find her. Come on. Let's go ahead and cheer you up, okay?"

"Eh? W-Where are we going?"

"To an arcade. Let's go play some games. Might be fun, right?"

I smile at her, holding my hand out to her. Maribel smiles in return and takes my hand. She stands up to her feet, not letting go of my hand. Her hand feels cold. I don't even know why, but it must be because of how she's being here for a while.

I let go of her hand, stuffing my hands into my pockets. We walk together, being side-by-side. This is one of those date scenarios in animes. That's one of the few times I held a girl's hand. I did hug Alice, so it's normal.

We're just friends hanging out. We could be mistaken for a couple because of the way we're next to each other as we walk. She's walking closely, too. People really need to get their minds out of the gutter by thinking that. We're only friends.

Anyways I always wanted to try out the games in Akihabara or unique Japanese arcade machines. It makes me want to figure out what we could play. I'm glad that I played a lot of video games back in the day. It's going to be a lot of fun to be able to play an arcade game. I am genuinely doing this to cheer up Maribel, too.

We make it to the arcade in Akihabara. I didn't use the money that Yukari gave me earlier. Looks like I'm going to waste it away on games that we're going to play. I remember going to Mulligans, spending most of the money I had on getting tokens, always playing Time Crisis. I wish I could own a gun.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't help me much in Gensokyo. I could fire out blasts of light from it. I don't really need the ammunition. The bullets won't effect youkai at all, making it useless in a fight. Maintaining the gun is something I have to do daily.

That's something Kuya would do. He is the type that knows about guns better than I do. I only know some guns. Kuya practically researched guns himself, bullets, and just about anything gun-related. I guess it's because of all the Call of Duty that he played that he got really into guns.

"Hey, a rhythm-based game. Let's try that."

I'm being insistent. I really want to make sure that Maribel cheers up. I can't just let her have negative thoughts. She needs to loosen up. The same goes for me as well.

I need to loosen up. There's so much on my mind about these occurrences that don't make any real sense, forcing me nothing but to rely on my own theories or interpretations or motives that Nyarlathotep is attempting to pull. I'm sure I'll understand once clues are solved. For now, there are games that need to be played. I might go ahead and get a prize.

We start playing the games in the arcade for about an hour since the games aren't that long. Maribel is surprisingly good at playing them and even beat me at all of them. That's right. She beat me at every game in the arcade. It's like I met my superior.

"That was very fun, Sotto-kun. I used to play these games with my friend whenever we had the time."

Oh, well, that explains that. I can see why she can beat me. Her friend must be upset at how many times she won. Even when I did my best, Maribel is just too good. It looks like my status as a gamer is questionable.

"You cheered up now?"

Maribel smiles warmly. There's no worry in her eyes. Her shoulders are no longer sagging. I can now tell that she's in a spirited mood unlike how I saw her. I needed this, too.

"Yes. I'm glad you took the time to do something like this for me. I realized that you're doing this to clear my head. Thank you very much, Sotto-kun."

"You're pretty observant, Maribel. It's no problem at all. I just did my best to help out a friend in need. I'm sure wherever your friend is at, you can find her."

I'm going to have to find Maribel's friend for her. I don't want to have Maribel get herself into anything dangerous. From how I see things, she stands out as an innocent bystander that seems to know what she's capable of, yet hides it away through actions even she isn't fully aware of. She might become a potential target because of her meddling into affairs she shouldn't be getting into. It will be a matter of time before she gets discovered.

"Something on your mind, Sotto-kun? You've been staring at my face for a while now."

"Hm? Oh, sorry about that. It's just that you look like a friend of mine. You two look similar."

"Really? I hope I get to meet your friend."

She's such a polite, kind girl. She doesn't harbor any sort of impurity or have anything negative. All she wants to do is find her friend. That's all she wants, but she's having a difficult time. It makes me feel bad for her.

A girl like her couldn't possibly be what I would believe or theorize as Yukari Yakumo in her human years. The suspension of belief is breaking apart in my mind that it bothers me. Even Yukari is bothered by how much she and Maribel look alike in appearance. While Yukari has an otherworldly beauty that makes it seem wrong, Maribel is at an age where she is youthful, yet beautiful in her own right. I don't know what to really think.

"You will soon. She's not the type that reveals herself to others so much."

She really doesn't reveal herself so much. There are moments where she can only talk to me via telepathy. Sort of like King Kai being able to talk to people across universes. It's very rare for her to do that, though. The only reason she does use telepathy is to fool around with me, but since this situation is serious, she's using it as a means to inform me.

"Is she shy?"

"Not really. All you can do is hope you can meet her."

"You're right. Thank you again for cheering me up, Sotto-kun. I'll continue my search."

"That's the spirit. You can take care of this. I believe in you, Maribel."

Before I can say anything encouraging, she wraps her arms around me. Maribel is hugging me tightly. It takes me by surprise for a brief second. I smile and hug her back, not letting for until I pat her back and place my hands onto her shoulders to gently pull myself away from her. We smile at each other and nod in understanding.

That strengthened her resolve. I watch her walk off into the crowd. It's about time that I make my way back to Kotohime's estate. I'm glad that I got to see Maribel again and cheer her up. We'll see each other again.

I just know it. I'm worried about her, going off by herself, but I can't stop her. I'll just support Maribel. It's all I can do for her.

I head back to Kotohime's estate, making it there in a short amount of time by jogging my way there. I can see Kotohime's car parked nearby. Looks like she's finally at her home. I go inside of the house, checking to see if she really was here. Sure enough, I find her in the living room, cleaning her gun.

"Oh, hey, Ray. Welcome back. I heard that you visited Rikako."

"I did. Asakura-san told me the gist of what was happening."

"Ain't that right? I've been trying to search for clues or other strange activity going around."

"How did it go?"

"Rock bottom. Although, I would see strange red cloaked figures in crowds, walking around. They also had the symbol of Nyarlathotep adorned on their cloaks."

Walking around? That doesn't sound suspicious at all. They must be looking for members or like something all cults would do such as kidnap children or summon rituals. One of those two things sound wrong. It has horrifying implications.

"What do you think this means?"

"That they're going to be a menace for us later on. You already established the whole spiel that something was happening. I want to make sure that citizens feel safe under the protection of the law. These cultists are ruining the peace, prosperity, and elegance of Tokyo. I won't let them spread their unhappiness on others to hurt them."

Kotohime sighs heavily. She looks straight at me, setting her gun down on the table. We are sitting across from one another. The air becomes tense. I probably know what she's thinking.

"Sorry about that. I don't normally ramble on like this."

"No, it's okay. I understand how you are feeling, Kotohime."

Kotohime lets out a brief chuckle. She smiles warmly, the second warm smile that I have seen in one day. I don't want Nyarlathotep and these cultists to do as they please. I'm sure whatever it is they are doing, it doesn't get too complicated. I don't want to be over in my head when I confront the Outer God.

"Right. Anyways, it's getting late. I'm going to head to bed."

"Yeah. Let's get some shut-eye."

So much has happened in one day. It's fine for me since I actually got to know Maribel, Asakura-san, and Kotohime better. Three people I got to know in a single day. I don't want to be terrible protagonist in a JRPG that needs to increase relationship values. Friendship is more important than romance unless it's in some cases where it wouldn't be the case.

I just hope Maribel stays safe and keeps herself away from the horrors that she might encounter on her path to find her friend. Maribel may discover that if she goes deep down the rabbit hole, there is no turning back. I've already gone too far deep that I can't see the light anymore. I have no choice but to keep going further. That's all I have to do.

Tomorrow will possibly terrible, but I am ready for what might come next. I don't know what it is and that's what I'm afraid of. I have to see it for myself. I might end up regretting it. Even though that's happened a lot of times in the past.

I should get to bed. Thinking about the negative wouldn't make me feel any better. I just have to prepare myself. Yukari probably knows right about now, so she might tell me tomorrow. I get the feeling I'm going to need her tomorrow.

[CHAPTER FIVE END]