Gensokyo.

Also known as the land of illusions; this has been a land of unchanging rules and unchanging environments. The Hakurei Shrine Maiden's watchful eye ensured that no unwanted incidents could ever befall Gensokyo. Since then, this wonderful land has become peaceful. The bond between humans and youkai has been steadily improving, and there haven't been any dangerous encounters with humans and youkai.

Of course, nothing is perfect in life, and even a sanctuary can have casualties. The youkai of darkness had her occasional meal, and the nameless youkai that lacked decorum proved dangerous towards humans that strayed too far from the village. As a result, a true bond between humans and youkai would prove to be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible.

This is why the Human Village still remains as the only “safe zone” for humans. The Hakurei Shrine and Moriya Shrine are also considered safe from youkai, but they have their own “dangers.” The Hakurei Shrine Maiden partied with youkai so often that most of the villagers were confused as to whose side she was actually on. Surely someone who’s supposed to protect others from youkai wouldn’t be partying with them, right?

As for the Moriya Shrine, it rests at the epicenter of a dangerous youkai environment. This has the side effect of deferring human worshippers, as they believe the dangers of Youkai Mountain are far too great to risk a visit to the Moriya Shrine, even if they utilized the ropeway. In fact, some people are deathly afraid of the ropeway, as they think the tengu will “prank” the humans by cutting the ropes.

Obviously, this is just paranoia, as the tengu are aware of the consequences that would come of doing something so catastrophic.

With that being said, the morning of another autumn day in Gensokyo brings us to a home within the Human Village. More specifically, the mess of notes and journals that I refer to as my home. My name is Jacob, and I’ve recently become a private investigator in the Human Village. Although it’s more of a hobby that I don’t take too seriously. As most of the investigations I partake in are the result of a certain kleptomaniac magician stealing the prized possessions of my neighbors.

So you can imagine that my “work” wasn’t very interesting, and I was on the verge of calling it quits when I found something interesting during my trip to the village market yesterday. It was a flyer advertising an ancient ruin lurking in the depths of a nearby forest. It advertised the possibility of one wish being granted to anyone who managed to visit the ruins first.

Obviously, I was skeptical about this proposition. A flyer suddenly appears in the Human Village with no clear point of origin, and it’s advertising something as powerful as a wish for anything? Especially in a place described as “ruins,” which are usually abandoned and in a state of well… ruin. So, I needed a second opinion on this matter, and my first destination in mind was the Hieda Residence. Miss Akyuu has been documenting everything that happens in Gensokyo for centuries, so surely she would know something about this.

Unfortunately, this turned out to be a dead end. Neither Akyuu nor

Keine knew of anyone who would be behind this. As such, the only information they could give is that this was likely a trap or a scam, and that I shouldn’t visit the location mentioned, as it doesn’t exist in any Gensokyo maps. That much was obvious, but this whole situation was weird to me. How is it that a borderline omniscient historian who has been around for decades is unable to recognize something that should’ve been abandoned for years, assuming the place is actually “ruined?”

Since it’s been made clear that asking around isn’t going to lead me anywhere, I ultimately decide to follow the map on the flyer myself and scope out the surrounding area. I should be fine as long as I don’t directly enter the ruins; so I pack up a light travel bag and head out early the next day in search of anything that resembles a ruined building.

Following the map brings me through one of Gensokyo’s ordinary forests, as opposed to either the Forest of Magic or Bamboo Forest of the Lost. This only serves to further my confusion, as it seems that these ‘ruins’ are conveniently places in a very accessible part of Gensokyo for everyone, whether they’re youkai or human. More importantly though, as I get closer, I can see a metallic structure peeking above the thick vegetation. Finally reaching the “ruins,” I’m met with something that shouldn’t be possible, even by Gensokyo standards: a huge spaceship that looks like it came straight out of a sci-fi novel. It’s a magnificent, gleaming beast that should’ve alerted every being in Gensokyo upon it’s arrival, yet nobody said anything.

Approaching the large, airlock-esque door of the spaceship results in it slowly opening on it’s own, revealing a pristine interior full of humming generators and tubes full of liquids I don’t recognize. Every single instinct tells me that this is an obvious trap, and that I need to turn back and tell Reimu about this. But I can’t help but feel proud for being the one to discover this place first. If it’s truly abandoned, then this is going to make for great news material for the tengu, and I could even take some of the technology and sell it to the kappa!

And so, I step into the sterilized environment of the spaceship, and I can feel a faint chill in the air. Despite lacking in a ruined aesthetic, the place seems to be completely abandoned; there aren’t any creature members in sight, nor is there any form of automation, such as cleaning robots, to ensure this place remains pristine. During my exploration, I encounter a large reactor at the back of the ship, the strange machine filling the room with a blue glow. Following the glowing blue tubes, I’m led to an oxygen production room containing a large tree inside of a greenhouse. Unfortunately, nothing looks easily removed in either room, but I’m able to get plenty of pictures as evidence of this places existence.

My search eventually brings me to a large open hallway, with glowing tubes leading to a large room at the front of the ship, likely a cockpit, but it’s hard to tell. While I’m making my way towards the large room, I suddenly hear rapid footsteps approaching me from behind, followed up by the feeling of something metallic slamming into the back of my head with a loud “CLANG!” that makes my legs crumble beneath me. As I helplessly lay on the floor of this spaceship with my vision quickly dimming, I can barely hear the muffled sound of someone letting out a frustrated groan.

“Ugh, great. We accidentally lured in a random human instead of a youkai. Unfortunately, I can’t let you go; so I hope you have something interesting about you, or else this entire plan was a waste of time.”

The last thing I remember is being dragged along the floor of the spaceship as my consciousness fades. When I awaken, I feel a pounding ache in my head, and it feels like my eyelids are made of lead. In my attempts to blink away the dizziness and regain consciousness, I find that I’m bound to a small chair, with two figures arguing about something nearby.

“You brought some random Human Village NPC?! Out of ALL the youkai in Gensokyo you could’ve chosen? I’ve already ran scans on his unconscious form, and he has no trace of magic within him! How do you expect me to prove my worth to the academy with this?”

“Hey! It’s not my fault he stumbled his way in here like some kind of stray animal! What would you have done with him?!”

“Just shoo him away with your laser gun! He would’ve taken the hint and ran away!”

“And then what, genius? He tells Reimu and we attract the attention of an incident resolver?”

A loud bang echoes through the room like a gunshot, alongside a whine of pain. One of the people arguing must’ve punched a wall in frustration.

“This is completely UNACCEPTABLE! I cannot allow all of my work to come undone at the hands of your incompetence!” The voice breathes heavily, her frustration evident. “Hey, don’t blame me! This was your idea-“

“SILENCE!” The voice shrieks, her words dripping with manic desperation. “I don’t care who or WHAT this person is. I’m going to drag him back to our academy and prove that I’m not crazy, even if I have to inject him with magic myself!”

By this point, I’ve fully woken up, and I can see a woman with neatly tied red hair dressed entirely in a red uniform and red cape. She’s currently glaring at a shorter woman in a white sailors uniform, who has an indifferent expression, like she’s used to these meltdowns from the red-haired woman. When they notice that I’ve woken up, the red-haired woman’s eyes light up with excitement. She turns to me with an air of professionalism that masks her previous breakdown almost perfectly.

“Finally! I was starting to think my assistant killed you with that chair impact. I apologize for her… blunt methods of obtaining research subjects. But regardless, I am Professor Yumemi Okazaki, and this is my assistant, Chiyuri Kitashirakawa.”

I stare at her with with a bewildered look. Her assistant was the one who kidnapped me, and now she’s acting cordial?

“And I’m Jacob. It’s nice to meet you, I guess. Now could you explain why I’m currently being kidnapped by a mad scientist and her assistant, both of which have questionable fashion sense?”

Yumemi’s face immediately contorts with indignation while Chiyuri bursts out laughing. “Mad scientist?! TERRIBLE FASHION SENSE?! The nerve! The AUDACITY!” She jabs her finger into my nose. “I’ll have you know that this is the uniform of a dignified scholar where I’m from!” She chuckles. “Of course, not that someone as insignificant as you would know. But enough of that!” She immediately straightens up again. “You’re my key to proving that magic is real!”

“What.”

Yumemi deflates slightly. “Hmph, if you must know; the imbeciles at the university I used to teach at kicked me out because their feeble little minds couldn’t comprehend the supernatural, and they kicked me out when I rightfully defended my beliefs! The nerve of some people!”

Chiyuri rolls her eyes. “Doesn’t help that you had a temper tantrum when they confronted you…”

Yumemi’s face turns a deep shade of crimson. “How DARE you accuse me of something as unprofessional as that, Chiyuri! I’ll have you know that it was merely a heated, but civil debate.”

Chiyuri grins and grabs a nearby tablet. “Are you sure? Because I recorded the whole thing-“

Yumemi immediately slaps the device out of Chiyuri’s hands and sends it skidding across the floor. “NO! That won’t be necessary!”

“Why not?” I ask with a teasing grin, while I slowly and discreetly attempt to undo the ropes. “If she has evidence that proves you correct, why not show it?”

“Because… I… uh… well…” Yumemi stammered, her composure breaking as she frantically looks around for an excuse or a distraction. “THAT’S IRRELEVANT!” She suddenly wails. “What’s important is that we’re kidnap- er, borrowing you for a bit so I have living proof for the academy! And then…” She taps her fingers like a stereotypical villain. “…I’ll have the greatest ‘I told you so’ moment of my life!”

“Uh… Prof?” Chiyuri interrupts. “You already scanned him. We both know he doesn’t have any magic.”

Yumemi’s eye twitched. “I’m well aware, Chiyuri.” She muttered through clenched teeth. “Which is why I’ll use his body as a catalyst. Now, grab me the thing™, Chiyuri!”

Chiyuri looks at the professor like she’s list her mind (which she probably has). “…What?”

Yumemi lets out a frustrated sigh. “You know, the magic syringe? The thing I created as a plan B?” “We don’t have a magic syringe.”

Yumemi freezes in place, her eyes widening like she just got stabbed. “W-What…?”

Chiyuri shrugged. “Yeah, you never actually created it because you were busy making that robot maid for the science fair.”

Yumemi lunged at her assistant and grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her like a ragdoll. “AND YOU DIDN’T THINK TO REMIND ME?!”

“Ack! Let go of me! This wasn’t even supposed to be part of the plan!”

Yumemi unceremoniously drops her assistant, who crumples to the ground. “Whatever. I can still work with this… I think.”

Finally sensing a moment to speak up, I ask: “Since it’s clear you screwed up and have no actual use for me, can you let me go? I’d like to go home.”

Yumemi turned to me with a glare that could melt steel. “Absolutely not! You know too much, and we cannot allow you to reveal our secret research facility!”

“It’s a giant spaceship, crazy lady, it’s gonna attract attention regardless. Now let me go, and kidnap someone who actually has magic instead.”

“I CAN’T DO THAT!” Yumemi stomps her foot like a child throwing a tantrum. “If I do, then… then…”

“Then she would have to admit that she screwed up.” Chiyuri interrupted with a grin.

“THIS IS NOT MY FAULT!” Yumemi shrieked in defiance.

“EVERYTHING WAS GOING SMOOTHLY UNTIL CHIYURI GRABBED THE WRONG PERSON!”

While I’m undoing the ropes, I accidently move too quickly and make the ropes snap off, which frees me but also alerts the duo. We stare at each other in silence, nobody moving a muscle.

“Uh-“

“GET HIM!” Yumemi shrieks, which prompts me to start running through the vessel’s hallways and rooms, with the academic duo in close pursuit. Unfortunately, I'm unfamiliar with the layout of this place, and as a result, the pursuit brings us to a dead end in the form of a small room where a green-haired ghost lady is currently asleep inside of a large containment tank, with a crescent staff resting on a nearby table alongside a large whiteboard covered in nonsensical writing.

“End of the line, specimen.” Yumemi speaks from the door, sounding out of breath but maintaining her manic energy. Chiyuri stands beside her with a wide grin, already pointing a ray gun at me.

“Surely this is more effort than it’s worth. What could you possibly gain out of regaining your job? Fueling your ego?”

Yumemi clenches her fists in frustration. “BECAUSE IT’S ALL I HAVE LEFT! I’m seen as a ‘weirdo,’ an outcast from the rest of the group. So if I can prove my worth, I’ll finally have value where I’m from! And I’m not gonna let you RUIN THIS FOR ME!”

“Then tell me, what’s THIS, huh?!” I angrily gesture at the creature in the tank behind me. “This woman looks pretty supernatural to me! Why not use her?!”

Yumemi takes another step closer. “You don’t deserve to know why we need her. She’s for a different project entirely!”

“Which is?!”

“Who cares! You’re our research subjects, and I’m not letting you LEAVE!!”

I notice a large lever on the nearby wall, and I get an idea.

“In that case…”

I run over to the lever, and Yumemi’s face pales. “NO! YOU IDIOT! STOP! STOP!!” Yumemi attempts to lunge after me, but it’s too late, I flip down the lever, and the liquid drains from the containment tank and the glass opens.

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!” Yumemi wailed. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that woman is?! She’s gonna-!!”

In the blink of an eye, the strange woman grabs the staff on the table, gives me a wink, and raises her staff. It charges up a rainbow sphere that slams into the top of the spaceship, and a blinding white fills my vision. When the blurriness clears, I find that I’m surrounded by the destroyed and smoldering remains of the spaceship. Yumemi can be seen in the distance, curled up into a ball and sobbing into her smoldering cloak while Chiyuri attempts to comfort her.

Despite everything those two put me through, I feel a twinge of guilt in my heart. It’s clear that she was just a goofy scientist who wanted to prove herself, and I don’t think she deserved to have her entire spaceship blow up at the hands of that woman, even if I was the one to release her, thinking she would’ve been a suitable distraction.

And so, I sneak my way over to the duo, and I write a quick note on a piece of paper. When I’m finished, I drop the camera and note beside Yumemi, who looks up in surprise to see nobody in sight, but a camera and note resting on the ground, containing as follows:

“I’m sorry you couldn’t fulfill your dream, but by taking what you had, I’ve given you everything. If you wish to form your own academy, then the village is waiting. Farewell.”