/jp/ - Otaku Culture

Discussion about the sword continued as the afternoon turned to evening, and conclusions looped back to either sealing it or stopping Yukari or Kasen from getting to it. The topic of killing was brought to the surface, but as always, killing a Sage of Gensokyo would ultimately destroy the Hakurei Barrier, thus making all our efforts inconsequential. As the moon rose, it was uncomfortably accepted that we'd have to fight knowing about those risks. Kanako and Suwako seemed at peace with the odds; Hijiri stared at the moon, meditating, and Toutetsu huffed, her mind elsewhere. Things surely escalated, but goals hadn't changed—maybe reinforced, if Kanako's metronome mind was any indication: a second she pondered the grueling battle, the next a very sappy romance fantasy. Ugh…

Okina was the weirdest, though. The sin sword was made specifically to steal her soul, yet she appeared the least affected by its existence. She looked weirdly expectant…

It sent shivers down my spine when her eyes locked with mine, and she showed this indescribable smile.

I swallowed cold under her gaze. "After the battle is done, and we have the sword…" I blurted, tense. All eyes were on me. Mine were on Okina. "… What are we going to do with it?"

"Destroy it; purify the damned souls of its composition." Hijiri expressed it as an ultimate truth. Silence followed. Frowning, she looked around, slowly crossing her arms, inserting into the atmosphere a heavy dosage of pressure.

"Sealing it would be best." Suwako was the one to break the silence. "As with sealing Yukari, sealing the sword would keep it in stasis, so its powers could naturally fade over millennia rather than destroying it and possibly have said power drain back into the world with the subtlety of an atomic blast." Byakuren considers her words, Kanako agrees, and Toutetsu watches, eating a dead squirrel.

"That could be dangerous and absentminded. If someone stole it…"

"It won’t happen.” Okina suddenly states, and all eyes shift over her. “Because I'll throw the sword into the Abyss of Backdoors.” There's no smile on her face anymore. Perplexity spreads like a virus. Abyss…? "It'll fall through a trillion doors for millennia, making it impossible to be found by anyone—even myself." She looks at the moon, and I can see in those eyes a glimpse of true, complicated emotions. I don't know how to react. "Yukari has created a monster in pursuit of control. No one should have control of the fate of that thing."

Everyone looks at each other; words not said. A conclusion has been reached, then.

Yukari will be sealed by Sanae and Reimu, the sword thrown to the Abyss of Backdoors, where it'll be lost to time and memory.

Or at least, that's the plan…

… Plans always change when the first Danmaku is shot.

With that, the meeting had come to an end, and the women started to disperse. Kanako came to me and in such proximity, I noticed I barely reached her shoulders. I expected a conversation and thoughtful words—she patted my head, smiling. "Thanks for all the information, young Satori. Going to battle without knowledge of this could've ended terrible."

I was blushing. "D-Don't mention." Yuugi was familiar and annoying, albeit endearing… But someone else doing it—?! Another hand joined, and I gawked at Hijiri, who was patting the back of my head, a motherly smile on her face. I burned crimson.

"It's no time to be humble, dear girl. We're a team and despite differences," a glance to Kanako, who huffed. "We're all working to free a wronged man and defeat an evil woman—what you've shown us will define our battles."

"I-I… uh… Gah, stop!" I hit their hands away from me and instead of getting mad or exasperated—a much better outcome—Kanako laughed and Hijiri hummed.

"I forgot you could be feisty~you'd be a great mascot, now that I think about it. Popular with the children for the cuteness and mothers, who'd want to nurture you."

"W-What the hell are you talking about?! I'm not a mascot."

"The children at the temple would appreciate you—they love pink, thanks to Unzan~" Hijiri stares at me up and down, and I feel something really bad rising. Almost a light source greater than the moon itself, I leave the hell the two older women put me through, rushing to Okina; they started talking about Anon. Suwako, who was talking to Toutetsu, laughed on her palm, a small sound… Toutetsu laughed as if she wanted everyone in the world to hear.

I felt about to pass out.

"T-Take me back home, please." I begged.

Okina bit her lip, eyes amused, ignoring the snow accumulating on top of her head. "Why don't we go back to mine~?" I gave her a wide-eyed stare. She giggled, shrugging. "Worth the try."

—

I jumped on my bed and rolled myself in a fortress of blankets. Orin stared, confused, and murmured, "Bad mood, I guess…" before leaving and closing the doors. I could hear her and Yuugi talking before a loud, muffled oni laugh made me groan.

… I got up, beet-red, and, this time, locked the doors shut