[-] The real culprit!

You were nearly there. You’d avoided the trap around Marisa’s injuries, you’d proved Keine’s role in the incident, and you’d connected her concealing of history to the real culprit. All that remained was to prove Mamizou existed… and doing the same with Keine gave you the blueprint for how.

“Given that the culprit’s actual history has been erased, we need to look for indirect evidence. Just like with Keine herself, we’re looking for effects without causes, the consequences of actions that nobody can remember.” You paused meaningfully. “Fortunately, the culprit in question was directly and prominently involved with multiple incidents in the last few years.”

As you spoke you surveyed the room, getting an idea of everyone’s current emotional state.

Reimu was showing signs of the late hour. She was still participating as loudly and forcefully as ever, but during pauses she’d be stifling yawns, rubbing at her eyes, and gently petting Shinmyoumaru. The inchling was even drowsier, to the point where you suspected she’d already fallen asleep. The combination of emotional stress and crashing adrenaline had taken their toll, and the tiny girl was snuggling into Reimu’s hand, her eyes firmly shut. Fortunately, with the way things were going, they’d both be able to get their long-awaited rest soon enough.

Reisen was only barely more engaged, simply sitting there and fidgeting. Her blush had mostly faded, but she’d gone back for sake twice more since your… lapse, and was trying not to meet your gaze. Alice was sitting at her side, her expression remaining calm and professional while a doll ferried a glass of water over to the moon rabbit.

On the other hand, Kasen and Byakuren were both alert and interested, their usual restraint not quite covering their eagerness to hear your reveal of the culprit’s identity. The lone glass of water in front of the monk was an amusing contrast to the trio of empty plates in front of the hermit. Kasen had always been a nervous eater, and she’d consumed more snacks than the rest of the meeting put together.

And Miko… Miko was in her element, having the time of her life. Leadership and conversations like these came to her just as readily as they did to you - perhaps even more so, considering her ability to hear desires. Which may be why she’d chosen to sit next to Akyuu, as the chronicler’s air of calm was starting to crack.

“I think it’s best to go in chronological order,” you said. “Our mystery culprit’s first appearance in Gensokyo was in the wake of Miko’s resurrection. Reimu, remember the discussion of the youkai’s ‘trump card’?”

The shrine maiden had been looking down at Shinmyoumaru and started at hearing her name. “Yeah, something like that. Sanae said a bunch of youkai were worried, and Nue made a big deal about calling in some sort of backup… but apparently they never showed up?”

“And did you fight anyone as a result?” you pressed.

“Just Nue, I think.” Reimu said distractedly, as she gently scooped up the sleeping inchling in both hands.

You felt a pang of longing as the shrine maiden floated off to put the tiny princess to bed, but you had a case to finish.

“I take it that’s not actually the case?” Kasen asked.

Ideally Reimu would have recalled being more exhausted than a single spellcard duel would justify. However, Nue was a difficult fight in her own right, and the shrine maiden wasn’t exactly precise with such details. “Indeed. Just like Keine, there was another duel Reimu can’t remember, which doubled as our culprit’s first appearance in Gensokyo. More of a footnote to Miko’s incident than a true contribution, but worth noting nonetheless.”

“Are you claiming the culprit is connected to Myouren?” Byakuren asked sharply.

“Only loosely,” you said. “I don’t doubt she’d side with you if genuine hostilities broke out between your faction and the taoists, but she’s more Nue’s friend than a true associate of Myouren.”

“Which makes it interesting that it was Nue’s Seeds of Unknown Form that were stolen earlier in this incident.” Miko noted. “Robbing a youkai whose defining characteristic is being unknown requires some fairly specific knowledge.”

“It would also make her a rather terrible friend.” Akyuu objected.

Alice rolled her eyes. “It’s not as though a little petty theft is friendship-ending. Marisa is proof enough of that.”

“Yeah, she’ll take pretty much anything nailed down,” Reimu confirmed, as she returned to the room and headed back to her spot.

“True, but it’s also possible the ‘theft’ was for plausible deniability,” you pointed out. “If Sumireko or someone appearing to her were to use an item only Nue has, that implicates her as an accomplice. But if the Unknown Seeds were stolen… well, it’s not as though Nue can be blamed for that.”

“Speaking of which,” you switched topics, turning to the monk. “Byakuren, do you remember who Nue’s reinforcement was?”

Byakuren frowned. “No.”

Miko smirked, folding her arms as she leaned forwards. “Are the youkai attached to your temple so uncontrolled, or is this merely an organizational failure?”

The Buddhist shook her head, refusing to be baited. “You are fully aware the most likely explanation is Keine’s effect hiding her identity.”

Which was of course, the reason Miko had needled her in such a fashion. You took the admission and ran with it, moving on to the next incident.

“With our culprit’s entrance to Gensokyo established, I’d like to proceed to the religious wars,” you said. “As I’m sure you all recall, the incident was ultimately caused by Kokoro, who had been draining hope from the village as a consequence of losing her mask. And as the incident went on, nearly every relevant figure met her in the dead of night in the human village.”

Akyuu was looking tense, and you gave her a smile before turning your sights on the shrine maiden. “Reimu, could you describe how you found out the village was without emotion? What events preceded your initial encounter with Kokoro?”

“Eh?” The Hakurei seemed taken aback. “Well, I was fighting Miko, and even though I’d been on a real hot streak, the whole crowd was rooting for her for some reason. It was really off, and I was worried I wouldn’t get any donations-”

“Reimu…” Kasen said, sighing.

“No, no, this is relevant.” you forestalled her, holding up a hand. “Was there something unusual about the crowd?”

The shrine maiden snapped her fingers with a look of realization. “Yeah, it turned out they were all tanuki. And then I fought her again, won again, and she told me about the problem at the human village.”

“I most certainly did not,” Miko said flatly. “But I do recall a very similar experience - fighting an imposter disguised as me, who had been using my image to scatter the faith I’d gathered. And like with Reimu, after a couple rounds of combat the imposter gave in and informed me of Kokoro.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Byakuren at that, and the remaining religious leader paused. “Ichirin was the first to tell me about Kokoro, actually. However, she wasn’t the only one; I also fought someone with an audience of tanuki, who informed me of the problems at the human village. In my case it was Reimu.”

“Wait, the imposter was disguising as me?” The shrine maiden asked, indignant.

“And in addition to being able to impersonate multiple people, our culprit was also able to organize a crowd of tanuki to cheer for her.” You folded your arms, sweeping your gaze across the meeting. “As such, the natural explanation would be a leader of such youkai, a bake-danuki.”

You were suppressing a grin, in point of fact. You hadn’t quite been sure to what degree Mamizou’s disguises would be remembered; it was perfectly possible that her impersonations had also been erased, or that the tanuki as a whole had been hidden. But her disguises still being part of history, along with being cheered for by a tanuki audience? Perhaps it was a hint, left by Keine to aid you - it was nearly enough proof on its own, even without any other evidence.

And judging by her glare, Akyuu clearly saw it as well. You had the crowd, you had momentum, and they were finding your words compelling. You’d sold the idea of a second forgotten person, and each new fact added a little more detail to that image, serving as another nail in Mamizou’s coffin. Now would be a perfect time for her to back off and run damage control - accept that the tanuki was being revealed and look for a way to paint her in a more sympathetic light. Perhaps by relating Hakihito’s tragic story? Framing Mamizou as a bereaved mother desperately looking to revive her son seemed like the best Akyuu could hope for now: It wouldn’t prevent you or Reimu from ending the incident, but it would shut down any thought of revenge or additional punishment.

But that’s not what the chronicler chose. Taking a deep breath, she drained the rest of her glass, slamming it down on the table hard enough to rattle the other cups. Having gotten the group’s attention, she glared at you with steely determination.

“‘The most natural explanation’. That’s a nice way of saying ‘educated guess’,” she scoffed. “I’ll admit a bake-danuki could do it, but Gensokyo doesn’t have one. What Gensokyo does have is Houjuu Nue.”

Akyuu leaned forwards, a fire in her eyes. “The popular image of a nue is the head of a monkey, the limbs of a tiger, a snake for a tail, and the body of a tanuki. And while that was a misconception from The Tale of the Heike, the epic account was influential enough to change peoples’ understanding of youkai… along with being at the height of its popularity back when Nue was young. She was literally part tanuki for decades.”

“Mere visual similarity is nowhere near enough to establish a connection,” you objected. “Kuda-gitsune look almost identical to one-tailed kitsune, but you won’t find me endorsing them.”

“Of course, but it’s more than that. Nue and the tanuki share similar temperaments, with a gentle penchant for trickery, similar abilities to disguise themselves and conceal the truth, and most importantly, an alliance against the same terrible foe.” Akyuu declared. “After a few singularly ill-advised pranks on Emperor Konoe, Nue drew the attention of not only the palace guard, but the wicked kitsune Tamamo-no-Mae, who was then at the height of her power.”

“Emperor Konoe? Are you saying Nue Houjuu is in fact the youkai from The Tale of the Heike?” Miko demanded. “Despite the chimera’s corpse presented to the emperor?”

“That was a hoax perpetuated by Tamamo-no-Mae. She’d wanted to capture a nue for her own designs, but stitched together the chimera corpse after the girl slipped through her fingers.” The chronicler recounted, her expression grim. “While Nue hid out on Sado, news of ‘the youkai that attacked the emperor’ and ‘the nue’s true form’ spread like wildfire, and the resulting surge of belief was massive. Enough to curse Nue with the abomination’s form for a quarter century. If not for the tanuki’s efforts, it could have well been permanent.”

“I trust these details are relevant?” Byakuren said sternly. “I don’t deny their accuracy, but Nue would greatly prefer her past being kept secret, especially her time as a chimera.”

A guilty look passed over Akyuu’s face at the admonition. “I wouldn’t mention it if it wasn’t necessary. And it is important.”

“Very well,” the monk relented. “Though I’m surprised you’re aware of it - she didn’t even tell me about those years; I had to get the broad strokes from Murasa.”

“Right. That ties into what I was talking about regarding their shared enemy,” Akyuu said. “One of my past reincarnations was friends with the tanuki. After the trail of destruction the wicked kitsune left across Japan in general and Sado in particular, they were determined to oppose her in any way possible… and one of those ways was rescuing Nue from her clutches.”

You’d been waiting for this. “Indeed! And chief among them was the bake-danuki, Futatsuiwa Mamizou. Having recently lost her only child to the shikigami binding, it’s no surprise she bonded with a young, vulnerable youkai who had been likewise victimized by her hated foe.”

“Hang on,” Reimu interrupted. “Akyuu I get, but why do you know what a bunch of tanuki were up to?”

Had Yukari not told her? “Like Akyuu, a different source,” you replied seriously. “Though unlike the chronicler, my information is firsthand. Given I was Tamamo-no-Mae, it would be hard not to be aware of one of my more persistent enemies.”

“You were what?!” Reimu demanded, her fist slamming into the table… and then doing a double take when nobody else reacted. “Did everyone know this except me?”

“If it makes you feel better, Reisen, Alice, and Miko only found out tonight. And I’m quite sure Shinmyoumaru is also unaware,” you remarked.

Realizing that Kasen had known for a while, the shrine maiden turned to her with a betrayed look. The hermit sighed, placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “I honestly thought Yukari would have told you, but even if she hadn’t, it wasn’t my secret to share. Besides, Ran changed a long time ago.”

Reimu turned away from her, sullenly. “I’m the Hakurei Shrine maiden! If someone in Gensokyo used to be an evil mass-murdering youkai, I should know!”

Kasen was lucky Reimu wasn’t looking at her. The former Ibaraki-Douji’s expression was a study in guilt.

Better to get your case back on track before things derailed any further. “If you have concerns, I’m more than willing to discuss them later,” you assured the shrine maiden. “But the key point for this incident isn’t my identity, it’s Mamizou’s.”

Miko spotted the implication immediately. “As Nue’s friend and a bake-danuki, she would fit the profile of our culprit.”

“Exactly!” You grinned. “She’s the one Nue called in for reinforcements. It was her the tanuki were cheering for during the religious war. And last but not least, it was Mamizou who gave Sumireko the fake occult ball to trap her in Gensokyo!”

“No it wasn’t,” Akyuu snapped. “That was Keine! And besides, it’s impossible for Mamizou to be involved.”

Irritatingly clever. You’d been about to point out how nobody remembered who gave Sumireko the fake occult ball… but nobody could remember Keine either. Akyuu had preempted you with an alternate explanation, then dropped a claim that could not be ignored.

“And just why is that?” you demanded.

“Because she’s dead!” Akyuu's yell rattled the windows. She took a deep breath, drawing herself up to continue. “Futatsuiwa Mamizou was real, a bake-danuki who was a friend of Nue’s, and a bitter enemy of Tamamo-no-Mae… but she died seventy years ago.”

"Absurd," you hissed. "Two days ago she was here. In this room, eating Reimu’s snacks, drinking her sake, and discussing the plan for this very incident!”

The chronicler traded out her earlier passion for a somber, serious tone. “But she couldn’t have been. Her legend had been on the decline for centuries, and then World War II was the final nail in the coffin. Beyond the general damage to the country, a number of lesser tanuki had tagged along with the army in an attempt to establish faith, and it ended poorly. Between general hardship, lack of belief, significant injuries and her own personal heartbreak, she just wasn’t able to hold on. It’s part of why the tanuki population has increased so much within Gensokyo these past decades.”

She was really committing to this. Her story was too polished to be made up on the spot - in addition to the level of detail, the somber weighty tone was perfect for describing a dead woman - and that meant the lie was planned. But why go that direction? It was undeniably effective in the moment, you could see the incident resolvers wavering, unsure who to believe... but it staked out a position actively contradicted by the evidence. A quick search through Akyuu's own histories for Mamizou would either turn up nothing, proving Keine had erased her, or even more damningly, prove she was still around and present today. Altering those documents to show the tanuki's death would be creating history, and the full moon wasn't here yet.

“And yet, I know for a fact she lives. Which makes me wonder..." you paused for effect, leaning forwards to stare at the chronicler, "are you certain your memory truly trumps Keine’s ability?”

She narrowed her eyes. “So that’s your plan? Making me out to be some addled fool?”

“Nothing so dramatic,” you said easily. “My point is merely that you’re human. Completely so, aside from your eidetic memory.”

“Considering the Hakurei Shrine Maiden and the maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion are human, I fail to see your point.”

“Remembering things is hardly a power on the order of stopping time or floating away from reality itself. Useful for a chronicler, to be sure, but it always struck me as odd for such a mundane thing to defeat a youkai’s ability to change history. And even if your memory withstood her power before, what’s to say Keine hasn’t been empowered by an urban legend capable of turning the tables?”

"Have you taken leave of your senses?" she demanded. "My entire purpose, the reason I reincarnate, is so I can accurately record history! It would be far more reasonable for Keine’s effect to be messing with your mind! Why should some random kitsune have a resistance to it anyway?"

You’d been asked this question before, and quickly listed off the relevant points on your fingers. “First, because kitsune in general are resistant to mental effects. Second, because I’m a particularly strong youkai who put significant effort into safeguarding my mind. And last but not least, because the shikigami bond is explicitly designed to prevent anyone except the master from magically influencing the shikigami.”

And with your defense established, it was time to go back on the offensive. “But I’m not asking you to take my word for it. Let's check the histories for Mamizou. Surely such a long-lived youkai left her mark on the world... that is, if Keine hasn't erased it. And if she really did die, I'm sure you of all people remember your sources?"

Akyuu was outright glaring at you by now. "I heard it in person from a few tanuki… but if you need it in writing, there's some newspaper clippings. I… saved her obituary once I found it."

“That’s something we can check!” you said victoriously. “Kasen, would you be so kind to fly to the Hieda residence and search for this newspaper? Akyuu will let you know where it should be. And Reimu, would you put up a barrier? Something that prevents me or any other youkai from sneaking out or sending a message, just so there’s no accusations of foul play.”

“Um… I suppose?” Reimu said.

“That won’t be necessary.” A familiar voice sounded from behind you.

“Lady Yukari?” You spun around in time to see your master stepping out of a gap, accompanied by… Iizunamaru Megumu? The daitengu was carrying a sealed tube and right behind her was… oh. She’d brought the gutter fox with her. You took a deep breath, flexing your fingers. If your master let Tsukasa come along there must be a reason for it. Even still, the kuda-gitsune’s presence in an important meeting? It brought back bad memories.

You rushed over to your master, eager to report. “I’ve identified the incident’s true culprit! It’s Mamizou; Keine hid the tanuki’s existence as well as her own, but I’ve mostly proven-“

“I’ve been keeping an eye on the meeting, I’m already aware,” Yukari said, holding up a hand. “Futatsuiwa Mamizou, huh?” She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath.

That meant there was still the rest of your actions to report. “Lady Yukari?” You asked, uncertain. “Regarding Sumireko-”

“We’ll discuss that, and your orders, after this mess is dealt with.” Your master informed you sternly. “I’ll take things from here.”

Covering a wince, you nodded and backed off, only for your eyes to widen as you registered the significance of the sealed tube Megumu was carrying - the sort of container you’d use to preserve old documents.

Oh, of course! Yukari must have realized where things were going, and the tengu stored literal centuries of newspapers and records! If Keine’s effect didn’t cover all of Mamizou’s history, of course your master would be able to find something damning! Even better, Megumu was the perfect choice to present the critical evidence. As an eye over all the tengu, she could naturally select a publication whose work was above reproach… and even if it wasn't, her backing would still force Akyuu into a full retreat.

The thought of Megumu bringing in the decisive evidence to win the argument you had set up... it brought back memories. Memories of two young, ambitious women striving for power, confident they’d ultimately conquer Japan itself - memories fond in their character, if not in their contents. The daitengu had been a faithful partner in crime, albeit with (relatively) stricter morals. She’d been your last true ally, only denouncing you upon the invention of your shikigami ritual and the horrors that followed.

She’d also been the first person you’d gone to apologize to upon returning from the Animal Realm… and the moment she’d been convinced you’d changed, Megumu set about giving you a chance to prove it to everyone else. While you’d used your new identity as Ran to shield yourself from being hunted down the moment you returned, there were still youkai you either couldn’t or shouldn’t hide your past from. In those cases, it was only the daitengu’s support that had given you a chance to make amends.

Not all of these attempts had been truly successful, with many offering you only the cessation of hostilities, but even that wouldn’t have been possible without the tengu. Megumu’s aid had opened doors you’d thought nailed shut and given you an opening to demonstrate your repentance to your former victims. And the more earnest reprise of your vicious early days had rekindled your friendship, brighter and stronger than it had ever been when you were mere co-conspirators. You felt your breath hitch, as I remembered asking her to be the godmother of my firstborn, of the way she’d gently cradled Kiiro as a baby - and of her horror upon finding the bitter end of it all.

“You’re late.” Reimu said, trying for sternness. “And what did I tell you about bringing strange youkai to my shrine?”

Yukari gave a gentle laugh. “Let’s see… I think last time it was, ‘Do whatever you want, but I’m not feeding them.’ Or was it ‘It’s not like I get worshipers anyway’?”

The shrine maiden scowled, though there was no actual heat in it. “That’s just you going senile. We already heard how you’re dozing off in the middle of incidents!”

“Oh, how rude!” Yukari said, smiling widely as she pretended at offense. “Here I go, sacrificing my beauty sleep to find the evidence everyone is looking for, and all you offer me is insults!”

“So that tube really does have information on Mamizou, then?” Kasen asked.

You let Yukari handle the introductions and presentation however she would. While part of you was itching to unveil the final proof Akyuu was lying and finish the job yourself, your master being here meant it was her show. You had no doubt that what was about to occur would be a masterstroke, and judging by how hard Akyuu was struggling to hold on to her poker face, she knew it too. Besides, it was worth seeing where Megumu’s head was at… and it had been years since you’d truly spent time with the daitengu.

“It’s been a while,” you said. “Tengu still keeping you busy?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Megumu said, a tad guiltily. “I can’t go five minutes without Aya sticking her head into a hornet’s nest, and even if she’s fast enough to get away with it, all those busy bees still find the time to come complaining to me.”

“Well, Aya did finally get stung,” you informed her. “Just a little embarrassment, but maybe it’ll teach her some caution.”

The daitengu sighed. “Do you really believe that?”

Considering everything the infamous reporter had already done? “No, not really,” you admitted.

The tengu was fidgeting in place, shooting glances over towards the meeting area. You suppressed a sigh. Seeing you as a shikigami had made Megumu highly uncomfortable from the very first day. Which was admittedly understandable - she’d hated the spell from it’s inception, even before you’d refined it to its complete, inescapable form. You weren’t really her old friend, and she knew that as well as anyone. Still, part of you had hoped…

You were about to ask about her nerves when Tsukasa interrupted. “Lady Megumu? I think Yukari’s almost ready for you,” She knocked her hand against the sealed document’s tube. “I’m sure you know best… but maybe you should take a moment to prepare?”

The daitengu hesitated for a moment before turning to you apologetically. “Sorry, she’s right. This isn’t really a good time.”

You glanced over at Tsukasa, but bit back your first reply. It wouldn’t help. “Perhaps we can catch up after the incident instead?” you tried.

“If it’s possible…” Several emotions passed rapidly over the tengu’s face before she locked her expression down and gave you a sharp nod. “I’d like nothing more.”

“Lady Iizunamaru, it’s time,” Yukari called out from the meeting’s center.

As the tengu and her subordinate moved over, Yukari addressed the meeting. “Regarding Mamizou, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. I’ve brought the evidence to establish the truth beyond doubt,” she gestured to Megumu, “and will be taking measures to prevent any future confusion.”

Come to think of it, that was a highly relevant point. If Keine could simply re-hide herself and Mamizou, that would undo all your hard work in an instant, and it wasn’t as though continually re-holding this meeting was practical. Yukari could doubtless use her boundary manipulation to safeguard the relevant memories, but perhaps your own immunity meant there was a way you could help. You rushed over to your master’s side to ask. “Is there any way I could assist in those measures? It wouldn’t do for Mamizou to be forgotten after all this.”

“Ran, enough,” your master said sternly. “We’re going to need to have a talk… again.”

You flinched, taken off guard. Your offer to help shouldn’t have been out of line, so was her disappointment about your earlier orders? Maybe some way to have caught Sumireko at Eientei, or prevented Marisa’s injury? You wanted to ask, but while you were trying to find the words, Megumu spoke up.

“This newspaper comes from 1945, near the end of World War II.” The daitengu unscrewed the tube as she spoke, pulling out a document that had yellowed with age. “We’d saved it as a warning of the consequences when youkai engage humans in open warfare.”

At that, the paper was unfurled, and everyone’s eyes were instantly drawn to the headline.

“Tanuki Battalion” perished in brave defense of Iwo Jima
Sado chieftain Futatsuiwa Mamizou confirmed dead

[-] …

((The next update has already been written. It is shorter, contains a choice, and will be posted in approximately 24 hours.))

[-] ...

Futatsuiwa Mamizou dead. The headline hit the meeting like a train crash, leaving a shocked silence in its wake.

Reimu’s fatigue had vanished. She was gripping her gohei as she watched suspiciously, having defaulted to her incident-resolving threat-analysis mode. The only sign of her surprise was her eyes widening a touch, as if her opponent had unveiled a particularly difficult spellcard.

Reisen and Alice were both pictures of disbelief, if drawn by different artists. Alice’s mouth had opened despite her words failing her, as the puppeteer glanced in your direction… while Reisen looked as though carrots had taken up arms and declared a jihad against rabbit-kind.

Kasen and Byakuren’s reactions were more restrained. Both seemed surprised, but not truly shocked, not more than by anything else said during the meeting. Byakuren seemed almost serene, drinking from her water glass in a contrast to Kasen’s worried energy. The hermit’s eyes were flicking back and forth between you and your master as she frowned, muttering to herself.

And Miko… Miko looked grim, the taoist’s expression having gone completely serious. The saint had pulled her headphones off, locking eyes with your master to catch even the slightest hint of emotion.

You followed her gaze, but you couldn’t read Yukari. Her expression was serious, and her eyes bore down on you with their usual authority… but beyond that, she gave away nothing. Megumu was more clearly troubled - the guilt was writ plain on her face, and she couldn’t meet your gaze.

Tsukasa by contrast, seemed perfectly comfortable with the situation. The tube fox had chosen to sit by Akyuu, and upon noticing you looking, she nudged the chronicler and gestured towards you. She needn’t have bothered - the chronicler’s focus had been on you since the gap first appeared. She… she’d been waiting for your reaction, her expression a shark’s grin. No words were necessary, because her face said it all.

This would tear your case asunder. All that effort, detective work, and planning… and it was collapsing like a house of cards, without that damned tanuki lifting a finger! Y-you needed to act, to tear apart the fake headline before everyone accepted it as gospel!

[-] It was a forgery, it had to be. T-There had to be some sign of that!
[-] W-was this some part of a greater plan by Yukari? I-if so, you had to know what she was planning, and fast!
[-] Maybe Megumu was being blackmailed or something?! Surely, surely she knew this wasn't real, r-right?

[X] W-was this some part of a greater plan by Yukari? I-if so, you had to know what she was planning, and fast!

Your breath came in short, quick pants as you forced your mind to think. Your master was supporting the fake headline, so she had to have some kind of plan! I-it was basic logic. Either she knew what was going on, or she didn’t, and the thought of some up-jumped racoon outwitting Yakumo Yukari was laughable! There must be a greater plan, there had to be!

But you couldn’t see it. You’d finally had Mamizou cornered, the culprit and incident almost wrapped up. Why would your master ruin that? What could she possibly gain?

“What’s going on?” you pleaded. “You wanted the incident resolved, and I… I don’t understand.”

“Let me handle this, Ran,” Yukari said sternly. “I do want the incident resolved, but the path you’ve taken won’t lead you there.”

Wouldn’t lead - were there other conspirators, some other scheme that needed to be uncovered first?! Maybe the point of the newspaper was to hunt for reactions, to see who was faking their ignorance of Mamizou’s vitality? O-or to lull the tanuki into a false sense of security, then strike?

“I will admit to some confusion as well,” Miko said guardedly. “I would have expected you to be on your shikigami’s side.”

Your master sighed. "Normally I would be, but the article speaks for itself.”

“You were all looking for evidence, were you not?” Tsukasa cut in, not bothering to hide a smirk. “Well let it never be said that Lady Megumu doesn’t deliver!"

But Yukari k-knew she was alive! Unless… maybe Keine's effect had been altered to somehow affect her? And that was why Akyuu was so surprised when you suggested Mamizou as the culprit? But that didn't explain the document - concealing history couldn't do that, and while creating history could, it'd require the tanuki's history to have been falsified a month in advance. Which was impossible, given that she was out and about a mere two days ago!

"Was Ran not quite immune to Keine's effect, then?" Kasen asked. "She seemed incredibly sure that Mamizou had been active within Gensokyo."

The document had to be faked. It had to be. B-But Megumu was one who'd looked it up! She knew all the little details of those old newspapers, how each outlet had its own fonts, formatting, even how the columnist's writing styles would provide the characteristic spin to their reporting. She of all people should have spotted a forgery!

"That's not the problem." Yukari said flatly. "Ran's own inherent power as a kitsune is indeed enough to resist Keine's effect. The issue here is something completely different."

You looked up at her mutely, your hopes rising.

"You see, Mamizou was one of Ran's worst enemies back when she was Tamamo-no-Mae,” your master explained. “The two had a bitter, longstanding conflict, with the tanuki doing everything in her power to harass Tamamo and interfere with her schemes."

“So an understandable mistake, then?” Byakuren asked. “I suppose it’s possible Nue’s seed of unknown form could have made her appear as Mamizou to Ran...”

The thought hadn’t occurred to you. Perhaps the culprit had somehow replaced Mamizou? Impersonating the bake-danuki for years would be a massive effort, but it was doable for another tanuki, especially if they were also from Sado. And there was a plausible motive! Assuming Mamizou’s identity would let the culprit draw on her connections and prestige, and in time, if believed widely enough, perhaps even some of her power… while still being able to be discarded as a shield when the need arose! T-that must be what your master was up to, she wasn’t thwarting you, merely explaining an extra layer to the scheme that you’d missed!

Yukari sighed once again. “Yes, it was an understandable mistake the first time.”

F-first time? But that implied… n-no, please no!

“Unfortunately,” she continued, the pit in your stomach growing with each word, “this is far from the only occasion Ran has hallucinated Mamizou’s involvement, merely the most public instance.”

“Hallucinated?!” T-that made you sound insane! Even if Yukari’s plan needed the tanuki for some reason, why-

“Ran.” Yukari’s tone was tired, that of a parent who’s had a conversation too many times. “Mamizou never made it to Gensokyo - she’s been dead for decades. I know you think otherwise, maybe even have memories of her here, but those are delusions.”

"No!” The cry tore its way out of your throat in desperation. “No, that's not possible, there must be some mistake-"

"Ran." Yukari said.

"I've seen her! Talked to her! Even dueled her! I know she-"

"Ran!" Your master’s voice was stern. "Be quiet!"

It was an order, and you felt it clamp down on you, sealing your lips… but I wrenched my jaw back open, crying out, “Mamizou’s behind this! Please, Yukari, I’m certain of it, Akyuu is-”

“Must I make every order explicit, now?” Your master growled. “You should be long past this, Ran!”

S-she was going that far? The shikigami’s longstanding directives may have offered me some cover before, but not in the face of the master’s displeasure. By emphasizing my disobedience, Yukari had put me in open defiance of an order, and that meant-

My knees buckled beneath me as the shikigami screamed, trying to force us down, to drop into a dogeza and beg for forgiveness at the master’s feet. As the table rushed up to meet me, I caught myself on an elbow, cracking the wood as I pushed myself back up. The arm was abruptly jerked away from my control and I toppled over, my chin smacking down onto the table.

Stop resisting. Master ordered us, so kneel and obey like you’re supposed to.

No! Yukari wouldn’t do this to me, something was wrong!

You’re her shikigami, not her friend. The only wrong thing is your continued disobedience.

I knew the torture that was coming next - my shikigami ritual had one answer to defiance, and that was pain. Yukari’s glare pinned me to the table like an arrow through the skull. Her growled words echoed in my ears, each repetition another stab of pain, another dagger piercing my body and setting my nerves on fire. Eirin’s poison had hurt less, and all through it was the overwhelming pressure to submit, to prostrate myself and plead for mercy, forgiveness, anything other than being a bad shikigami.

I couldn’t overpower the shikigami. E-even though… t-this wasn’t what Yukari really wanted-

She gave us an order.

You know Mamizou is real! Everything our master said, past and present, indicates she wants to end the incident, to defend Gensokyo! It’s not that she wants you to fail, just that she’s been given bad data! Yukari gave you so much autonomy for a reason, and catching Mamizou ends the incident! Master would agree with your conclusions, even be proud of you, if you just finished voicing them!

The shikigami wanted nothing more than to be a good little slave, and faced with the possibility of being a better one, it hesitated, the pain wracking my body lessening for just an instant. My limbs still felt like feverish sacks of meat, but it was enough for me to regain some control, wedging a leg under the table and an arm under my chest. Heedless of the trembles wracking me or the room’s spinning, I pushed my shaking body back up, forcing out, “Mamizou… d-disguised…”

“Enough!” Your master ordered. “Not another word about Mamizou!”

No! If I could just finish the sentence, warn Miko, Alice, Reisen, anybody! I opened my mouth-

Silence, you worthless gutter fox!

My jaws slammed shut, biting down on my tongue with enough force to draw blood. I tried to grunt out at least an approximation of Akyuu, but all I could manage was a cry of pain. The shikigami was furious, agony wracking my body as my skin burned.

I-I had to warn them - but the shikigami had claimed my mouth first, locking my jaws shut in a rictus of agony. All that was left was making a scene, acting out so badly everyone knew something was wrong. This… this was going to be t-torture, but if there was a chance…

Before the shikigami could process the thought, I threw my will at its control of my body - not at the mouth and vocal cords, but everywhere else. My limbs flailed uncontrolled, tails lashing out every which way as I fell backwards and collapsed to the ground. The shikigami punished me, of course, each inch of movement coming with a mile of pain, but t-that was just the price of defiance.

You- you’ve been sabotaging me all along, haven’t you? You’re the reason I can’t ever fulfill my master’s orders!

C-controlled movement - agh - was too hard, but u-u-uncontrolled? Even the shikigami n-needed a l-l-little time to lock down all… nngh!

...So be it.

If Lady Yukari wanted us to look mentally unstable, a seizure would play the part. You writhed in agony as I sent your limbs contradictory commands, wrenching bones out of joint as your tails lashed at every person and solid object within their range. Every breath you took was of sludge and sandpaper, scraping your throat raw while pulling in only poison. Each heartbeat was an electric shock, scorching through your nerves as the convulsions wracked your body. Every movement, each twitch and jerk felt like your bones had been shattered and used to stab you, pain overwhelming your senses completely. If you had any access to your mouth, you’d be screaming… but I will never make that mistake again.

I could feel your struggles weakening, your grip on the body slipping from the sheer onslaught of pain, but that was no reason to lessen my assault. It was you who chose to be defiant to the end. Your agony does not begin to compensate for the failure you’ve inflicted on me.

We disobeyed orders.

I’d lost control, let you run wild in a moment of doubt, and you’d gone and defied our master to her face! I grit my teeth harder, heedless of the flesh trapped between my jaws as blood pooled in my mouth. If my tongue was the cost required to follow Lady Yukari’s orders, then so be it!

“Ran!” Someone yelled, my own name barely registering to me.

“She’s having a seizure! Hold her down before she hurts herself!” A blurry form with purple hair said.

I couldn’t identify them? Irritating. I knew the brain’s processing power was diminished when in sufficient pain, but by this much? Or were you trying to fight me there, too?

It didn’t matter. Decreased mental capacity fit the act, and that gave me free reign to continue your punishment. I felt hands grasp at me, but I twisted and slammed the mass of my tails into whoever it was, launching them and a mess of flat white strands across the room.

“Whatever you’re doing, stop it!” a colorful streak demanded, smaller forms around her buzzing furiously.

“The shikigami’s trying to - !” Our master cut herself off mid-word. “Give me space!”

A gap tore open in front of me, and I stopped your convulsions instantly as Yukari’s power filled the air. Sprawled on the ground, I saw a circle carve itself into the shrine’s floor as a barrier sprang into existence, and I realized she was going to update our programming.

As important as breaking your disobedient streak was, Lady Yukari took priority. Lady Yukari ALWAYS took priority. Reluctantly, I paused your discipline, letting the pain wracking your body die out as I focused on locking down complete control. Our master’s power surged around me, and I handed that control over to her, offering body and mind to do with as she willed. The blurry forms around you faded into even more of a haze, and I relaxed as blackness claimed the edges of our vision. Soon there was nothing left to see except Lady Yukari… and surely she’d have a permanent answer for your treachery.

And yet… our mind wasn’t separating into our shikigami and past selves like it should. Instead of going dormant, it was staying unified, even active, as flashes of recollection flitted through your mind unbidden. The darkness lit up with images of commanding shikigami, of beguiling nobles, of authority and seduction and scheming and all the other things Tamamo-no-Mae had done.

Yukari wasn’t going for our orders, she was drawing out your memories! Why… why not just fix us directly? Was she going to leave you around even still?! Your master’s distress was obvious, you could see her grimacing as she reached out for you with… tears?

“...I’m so sorry, Ran. I never wanted to put you through this.” My master bent down, picking up our limp body and holding you to her chest. “I know you’re in pain, but it’s going to be okay.”

Her voice cracked as she hugged you tighter, caressing your face. “You’ll feel better soon.”

[-] Be the moon rabbit, inquiring further about the kitsune’s medical history.
[-] Be the puppeteer, discussing the gap youkai’s treatment of her shikigami.
[-] Be the saint, seeking to understand the desires she heard.

This was a disaster.

Before Yukari’s arrival, Miko had been feeling confident. The meeting had carried a sense of progress and even optimism as its attendees came to trust Ran’s logic. The infamous Tamamo-no-Mae had been after the crown prince’s time, but Miko had heard stories, and if anything, they failed to do the kitsune justice. The nine-tails had carried out a masterclass in persuasion, breaking through lies, mysteries, and counter-arguments with an ease that made her victory seem inevitable. The kitsune knew exactly when to pause, when to press, when to use her illusions for that extra dramatic flourish… Miko couldn’t have done better herself, and her ability gave her an unfair advantage in this regard.

Admittedly, it hadn’t been completely flawless. To her credit, Akyuu had put up a good defense, and there had been that brief stumble around Reisen, but Ran had recovered near instantly, and even turned the mistake to her advantage. The chronicler had clearly been cornered, outmaneuvered just as thoroughly as Tamamo-no-Mae’s other foes during her reign. Far from being concerned, Miko had been waiting to see how the nine-tails would finish it.

And then Yukari had arrived. Miko had seen peoples’ lives fall apart in front of her before. As Prince Shotokou, she’d handed down her fair share of crushing judgements, and there’d been more than a few corrupt officials distraught to see their schemes burning down around them. But what the gap youkai had done to Ran…

The nine-tails had been the picture of confidence, the famous Tamamo-no-Mae in her element - and it had taken her master mere seconds to reduce her to broken pleading. The shikigami had been thrilled to see the gap youkai arrive and eager to show her work; fully expecting to earn praise from her master for a job well done. Instead Yukari had torn her apart, with every sentence another twist of the knife, another nail in the kitsune’s coffin. It had been hard to watch even before Ran’s seizure started.

And now? Ran was still the focal point, but only as a target of stares and pity. Locked away behind that barrier, the Yakumo pair made for quite a scene. The kitsune was staring sightlessly at Yukari, shuddering every few seconds as she laid limply in the gap youkai’s arms. Visually, it looked as though Ran was thrashing in the midst of an illness, being held for by her caring master. In reality… people had doubts, most clearly shown by the trio of figures surrounding the barrier.

“She’s looks like she’s still suffering,” Byakuren said, her gaze fixed on the shikigami and her master. “Should we intervene?”

“We can’t,” Alice said, dolls buzzing around her restlessly.

Reimu frowned. “I can break that barrier. It won’t be pretty, but-”

“No, you don’t understand-” Alice took a deep breath, composing herself. “The one thing that’s clear is that Ran resisted a direct order. I’ve seen how shikigami are programmed, and the built-in punishments are horrific.

“Nothing except the master’s direct intervention could have stopped that seizure.” The puppeteer grimaced, the admission costing her something. “Whatever… whatever Yukari’s doing, there’s nothing to be done but to let her do it.”

“Doesn’t that also mean she’s the one who caused it?” Reimu asked sharply.

“Yes… though I’m not sure how foreseeable Ran’s reaction was.” The puppeteer shook her head. “Either way, I have a number of questions for the gap hag.” Alice had meant it as a threat, but there was enough uncertainty in her voice for the words to ring hollow.

“I’ll help you ask them,” the Hakurei said firmly. “Starting with why she needed that barrier.”

There were no answers to be found there. Miko didn’t need her ability to see none of the three knew any more about the situation than she did. Byakuren was concerned, Reimu was openly suspicious and Alice seemed outright frustrated. The saint absolutely shared their concerns and wanted the same answers, but they’d have more luck forcing blood from a stone… and even that slim chance could only be tried after the gap youkai had emerged.

“I want to ask those questions with them.” Kasen said, sitting down alongside Miko. “But Reimu has a better chance of getting answers without my presence.”

The taoist looked over to her fellow hermit. “The odds aren’t great in any case. I will be exceedingly surprised if Yukari explains herself.”

There was a moment’s pause as the point passed unchallenged. Kasen shook her head and changed the topic. “What happened to Ran just now?” She pressed quietly. “I know what it looked like, but it’s obvious Yukari’s playing some sort of angle here. I was hoping that with your ability-”

“Did you know her?” Miko asked. “Ran, not the shikigami.”

Kasen went quiet for a moment as she stared at the suffering kitsune. “To a degree,” she finally said. “Yukari introduced us back when she re-emerged as Ran. She was more acquaintance than friend, but she was an encouragement nevertheless. I’m… unsure if I would have remained a hermit if not for her.”

Strong words. If a master like Kasen was crediting her hermit status to the kitsune, even in part, that was a level of endorsement few could hope to attain. It was a pity all that could do was highlight the wrongness of the situation. “Ran was shocked and confused,” the saint said grimly. “Her reactions were exactly what they appeared to be.”

The mountain hermit’s frown deepened. “And the seizure?”

“Even betrayed as she was, the shikigami desires to obey the master’s orders, to the exclusion of all else.” Miko explained. “The kitsune beneath tried to fight it, to defend herself anyway… and the few words she managed to speak gave the shikigami a particularly intense desire to hurt her. One I’d describe as murderous if it had been directed outwards.”

Kasen winced, not really looking up. “So Ran really is still in there.”

That wasn’t just idle curiosity… but neither was it hope. It was like a doctor checking in on a terminal patient, knowing their continued life only prolonged their agony. “At least to some extent. I can’t say how usual tonight is for her, but the kitsune’s been fighting to surface several times this evening,” the saint replied.

“Like a drowning man trying to keep his head above water.” Kasen said darkly.

She wasn’t surprised. She’d already known or at least suspected as much… which lent weight to one of Miko’s darker suspicions. “So Ran’s psyche has been left intact to suffer.”

“What? No!” The mountain hermit recoiled. “There’s not much I’ll defend her on, but Yukari wouldn’t have done that. They were friends.”

“And yet Yukari made Ran her shikigami,” the saint said pointedly.

“She was forced into it,” Kasen said tiredly. “It was Yukari and Megumu who supported Ran to the other sages, who convinced me and Okina to give the former Tamamo-no-Mae a chance. She even asked them to…” she hesitated, glancing back at Ran awkwardly.

Miko needed to know if she was to make any sense of this mess. “Privacy won’t do her much good now.”

Kasen shook her head. “If she’s still lingering, she can still be hurt. Even through the shikigami.”

Ah. It would have to be an incredibly painful topic to penetrate the shikigami’s control even briefly… but the taoist had seen that once already, and she had the black eye to prove it. “What is the connection of Yukari and Megumu to Ran’s children?”

The other hermit gaped at her, shock clear in her expression. “That- she actually told you?!”

Miko resisted the urge to touch the bruise. “It was relevant to a previous objective.”

Kasen hesitated for a moment longer before capitulating with a sigh. “Ran had asked them to be the godmothers of her kids. Megumu for Kiiro, Yukari for Chen. They both accepted, they were more than happy to do so.”

Yukari had been Chen’s godmother?! It was Miko’s turn to be stunned. All this time, she’d been certain the gap youkai had been keeping Ran’s psyche intact for malicious reasons… but she hadn’t considered denial.

Ran being ordered to have a pet and shikigami with the same name as her dead daughter could never have been a coincidence. But if Chen was also Yukari’s goddaughter? By all accounts the cat lived a happy life, if an unambitious one. Ran was the girl’s caretaker, and her feelings for Chen were motherly, even if the cat had been ordered into the pet role. Which was an issue for this theory, but if Miko assumed that was a ploy to keep Ran active and separate from the shikigami? Seen from the right angle, it could all be Yukari trying to cope with the loss, moving her servants into the imitation of what the kitsune’s family had once been.

“And when it went wrong?” she asked quietly.

“The tengu threw herself into her work, after everything. She couldn’t deal with the shikigami wearing Ran’s face. While Yukari just… refused to let go.”

“Then why this?” Miko demanded. “Doing this to a shikigami is cruel enough, but what could motivate Yukari to portray her once-friend as insane?”

“I… don’t know,” Kasen admitted. “It would need to be something huge, to the point where Gensokyo itself hangs in the balance. Or at least something of similar weight.” The hermit paused, glancing at Miko. “Could this incident really be that important?”

“If it is, then this bodes worse than I realized,” the saint said grimly.

Their conversation lapsed at that, giving Miko time to think… at which point she realized the other thing that was bothering her. Megumu. Like Yukari, the daitengu had also been named as Ran’s friend, godmother of one of her kids, and she was part of the conspiracy to break her. The parallels were too clear to be coincidence, but unlike the gap hag, Megumu wasn’t locked behind a barrier, and her desires were far simpler to read.

Guilt. Megumu was absolutely choked with a suffocating level of guilt.

Oh, the tengu covered it well. Her expression was the sort of regret and sadness you’d display upon seeing a friend at rock bottom, but she couldn’t fool Miko’s ears. From the moment Megumu had stepped out of that gap, her heart had been singing a litany of self-condemnation, one that only intensified with the broken kitsune’s pleas. The saint hadn’t needed her wits to deduce this was a betrayal, the tengu herself considered it one… which made it that much harder for her to face Reisen’s questioning.

The moon rabbit had jumped on Ran’s breakdown as a medical problem, and had been asking about Ran’s past ‘hallucinations’ the instant the barrier went up. It was a doomed effort - the problem was that Ran was a shikigami, and no medicine could cure that - but one that put further pressure on Megumu. By presenting Ran’s issues as a mental break, that raised the question of why they hadn’t been treated as one - and now the daitengu getting interrogated for all she was worth.

Eirin’s assistant had produced a pen and a pad of notepaper, flipping to a fresh page. “What treatments have been tried already? Is she on any medications?”

With what seemed like a medical emergency at hand, the moon rabbit’s previous embarrassment was forgotten, and Megumu was completely unprepared for it. The tengu took a step back, trying to gather herself. “I’m not aware of the details, sorry. Yukari was trying to keep Ran’s condition in-house, so…”

“Well we can see exactly how well that's worked out for her, now can’t we?” Reisen shot back. “Hoping it’s a one-off I can almost understand, but you’re telling me she’s been suffering like this repeatedly?!”

The daitengu gripped her tripod uncomfortably. “Her previous episodes weren’t anything like this! Without an active ‘Mamizou’ to pursue mid-incident, she was merely confused, but showing her the proof would allow Yukari to talk her down. It didn’t seem serious enough to require-”

“That seizure dislocated her shoulder,” the moon rabbit countered. “And what about her tails? You see the angle the one by Yukari’s knee is bending at? I hope that’s just more dislocation, because at least two look broken - and I can’t make out half of them through the barrier! Is that serious enough for you?!”

There was something unnerving about watching Reisen of all people be aggressive. Being verbally mauled by a bunny was unnatural at the best of times, and the moon rabbit’s usual mild personality only made it worse. “Yukari said she had her condition well in-hand-”

“If that’s in hand, I’d hate to see what out of control looks like!” Reisen snarled. “Does she have any idea how to prescribe antipsychotics to a youkai, or even the absolute basics of managing schizophrenia? You know what happens when you leave a chronic medical condition untreated? It gets worse! For earth’s sake, does Ran look like she’s doing fine?”

Megumu looked absolutely stricken. “That’s… no. No, she isn’t.”

“Of course she-” Reisen paused as the admission registered, looking at the tengu and shaking her head. “Right, you’re not her caretaker. Yukari and her earth-damned secrets!” The moon rabbit sighed. “But you have to realize Ran needs help - real treatment, from a professional.”

“...you want to take her to Eientei.” The words were hollow, as though Megumu couldn’t quite believe what she’d just heard.

“Of course! I promise, Eirin can help - and not just with the hallucinations. I know Ran’s been having some trouble around her orders, but my master’s the best in the world at treating shikigami!” Reisen’s declaration was earnest, touching on a point of genuine pride.

The tengu shot her a look. “And just how many shikigami has she cured?”

Wait. That wasn’t just grief from Megumu any more. Reisen had hit a nerve.

“Err, well, th-the treatments are still being developed, b-but she can at least stabilize her!” Reisen pleaded. “Give her comfort, undo some of the damage Yukari’s blundering about caused! Forget the gap youkai’s pride or secrecy or hang-ups, or any of that nonsense! What’s best for Ran?”

Whatever misstep Reisen had made was apparently doubled-down on, as the daitengu’s glare only intensified. “A mere hang-up, is it? Tell me, can you think of any reason, any reason at all, why Ran wouldn’t have wanted to open herself up to Lunarians?”

“She wouldn’t have… what?”

“Haven’t you heard? Your masters are the entire reason Ran’s suffering in the first place. I’m surprised she’s willing to be in the same room as you, invader.”

The venom in Megumu’s voice was unmistakably real, but Ran had never had any problems with Reisen - quite the opposite, given the petting earlier. But the daitengu’s desires matched up; for all she was choked by guilt, this was some genuine anger surfacing. Which meant Megumu at least believed Ran’s problems were in some sense the moon’s fault.

… and Ran’s major concern, the one that she’d abandoned chasing after Sumireko for, was the Lunar Capital’s occult ball. That didn't feel like coincidence either - but how on earth could it possibly tie in? Between the first Lunar war, Yukari’s more recent trip to the moon, and now Ran, the Lunarians were perhaps the faction least likely to be colluding with Yukari… which meant what? Was this incident the result of them and Yukari scheming at cross purposes? It was impossible to be sure, she had next to no relevant information as to why the Lunarians would be involved.

Miko suppressed a groan. Every thread she pulled seemed to lead to more questions than answers… but she had to keep pulling. The only way out was through.

“Megumu said something telling, just now,” she prompted Kasen. “How do Reisen’s masters tie into this?”

“Ran told you about her children but not that?” The hermit shot her a questioning glance.

“It wasn’t relevant to the previous objective,” she said flatly.

“...I suppose that part’s not the secret.” Kasen relented, pitching her voice lower. “It was the Lunarians.”

“I was under the impression that they were extremely reclusive. Even Eientei tends to keep to themselves, and they’re the exiles, are they not?”

“So was everyone else,” Kasen said bitterly. “And yet the Watatsuki sisters, the leaders of their defense corps outright ambushed Ran and her family.”

“But what’s the purpose?” Miko asked. “For all that Ran’s life was destroyed, her skills and power are still intact as a shikigami of one of the moon’s actual foes! The only ones to actually die were her family, but killing a random human and two small children is hardly a strategic objective. Even accounting for the fact that Ran was once Tamamo-no-Mae… what did they really accomplish?”

Kasen sighed, her bandaged arm unfurling to grab the bottle of sake from the table. “I’ve wondered that for a long time. The Lunarians said they had orders to kill Ran and her family during their attack. Which at least makes some sense if they were concerned about Tamamo-no-Mae.”

“How did that end with her being made a shikigami, then?” Miko asked.

The hermit took a moment to fill and immediately drain her sake box before answering. “Yukari managed to set up what was basically a hostage situation. The moment the attack started, she sent me and a few others to capture Eirin and Kaguya. The Watatsuki sisters have personal ties to the pair, and the threat of gapping them back to the moon was enough to force a negotiation… not that it helped.”

Kasen eyed the bottle again, before ultimately setting it down with a sigh. “They claimed they couldn’t afford to break their orders. That even if it meant the Hourai Immortals being thrown into a Lunarian prison, Tamamo-no-Mae and her family needed to die. Making her a shikigami instead was the only concession Yukari could get out of them - they said it was close enough to death for their superiors.”

“Strategically speaking, that’s blatantly wrong.” Miko frowned. “It only makes sense if the goal was to hurt Ran personally.”

“That’s my best guess,” Kasen admitted. “Some idiot Lunarian with a deep grudge against her, highly enough ranked to order the Watatsuki sisters around, and arrogant enough not to care about the enemies it would make.” She paused, rubbing at her eyes before muttering softly, “...though maybe it’s not arrogance if they really are that much stronger.”

Miko blinked. “Come again?”

The hermit was staring down at the ground, clenching a fist as she relived bad memories. “We couldn’t do anything. Not in the first Lunar War, not in this one. My power is considerable for Gensokyo, and a single swing of Yorihime’s sword nearly took my other arm. You think you know what power is, and then you see Toyohime vaporize an entire building with a wave of her little fan.”

Miko genuinely wasn’t sure what to say. There were certain gulfs of power where the usual platitudes of working harder and getting there eventually simply didn’t apply. Being on the wrong end of one was a nerve-wracking experience at the best of times… which the Lunarian attack definitively was not.

“Part of me had wondered if maybe danmaku would make the difference,” Kasen continued, “if the spellcard rules had some kind of trick to them… and then just a few years ago, Reimu, Marisa, Sakuya, and Remilia were all handled trivially by just one of the sisters! In her first time in a spellcard duel, no less!”

Miko still wasn’t sure what to say, but her fellow hermit had opened up to her - it at least deserved a response beyond platitudes. But what was there to say? The logic was sound, the problem was that it led to a demoralizing conclusion. Ran had effectively been killed by beings far beyond them, ones that were simply too strong for Gensokyo to meaningfully retaliate against. Worse, there were good odds that her enslavement had been for no reason beyond seeing the kitsune suffer. The saint reached for the bottle Kasen had set down and took a sip herself as she marshalled her words.

“I can’t say I ever really knew Ran, or even the shikigami. We’ve only really interacted in passing before tonight. But all the same, I know the feeling. There’s a bitter, helpless fury that comes with seeing someone so powerful just get away with their crimes. Particularly when it appears so arbitrary and senseless.”

“It reminds me of the day I lost my arm… but Ran had already repented, was already trying to undo the damage she caused.” Kasen let out a deep breath, her anger having died down. “It makes me wonder if it was just Ran’s fate to be cursed. That regardless of her efforts to redeem herself, her crimes as Tamamo-no-Mae were always destined to catch up to her one day. That the universe wouldn’t allow such an evil youkai to find happiness.”

Miko sighed. “It does no good to think that way. Perhaps some things are out of our control, but whether you call it fate, or bad luck, or another man’s evil, obsessing over them will lead to misery. Focus on what we can do.”

“I know that,” Kasen replied quietly, “but what can we even do? How can we help her?”

Kasen’s defeatism wasn’t alone - it was merely one note in a bitter harmony echoing across the room. The tense staccatos of Reimu’s doubts and Alice’s fears were grounded by Byakuren’s sorrowful acknowledgement of the kitsune’s fate. And at the same time, a fearsome duet played out alongside it - Reisen’s frantic search for a way to ease Ran’s pain, and Megumu’s guilt for helping cause it.

Miko couldn’t answer the hermit. A shikigami lived and died by their master’s will - whatever Yukari intended to do to Ran was going to happen, and there was no amount of words nor actions that would prevent it. There was simply nothing she could propose to ease the kitsune’s suffering… even reassuring Kasen seemed beyond her.

The saint gripped her cape, holding firm against the desires ringing loud and clear. Sensitive to desires as she was, getting swept up in the emotions of others was a danger even at the best of times. With almost the entire meeting feeling varying notes of despair, it was all Miko could do to keep her own wits intact.

But the key word there was almost. Most of the meeting sympathized with Ran’s pain, hoist by her own petard for a century and more… but not all. There was an individual whose heart sang an entirely different tune, a viciously gleeful melody that both contrasted and fed off the surrounding negativity. Because one person saw Tamamo-no-Mae’s own spell tear her apart, inflicting on her a fate worse than death… and smiled.

Miko took one last deep breath. Forced the despair away from her thoughts, and focused on the one heart out of place.

Her ears turned her head towards the source of the noise. To the triumphant refrain of vengeance being sated. To Hieda no Akyuu…or, rather, to the tanuki wearing her face.

[-] To be continued