Loading User Commands:
[X] Ask for directions to Hakugyokurou.

---

Grimnír stands up and brushes the dust off his robes and sack. Nothing seems to have been damaged during the chase. He takes the walking stick before turning back to Komachi.

"I am currently on an urgent errand," he says. "May I ask if you know the way to Hakugyokurou?"

"The ghost princess' place?"

"That is correct. I need to see the good Lady Yuyuko Saigyouji as soon as possible."

Komachi pauses for a moment. She seems to be in deep thought. Somehow, such a serious expression doesn't fit this girl. She seems pretty friendly and carefree, if not a little bit odd. She has a strange, macabre air about her. The scythe she carries is especially disconcerting. He wonders idly about what a shinigami does for a living.

"Alright then," she says finally.

The girl turns toward her left and peers into the deep fog. There are a few gloomy trees near the steps.

"Why don't you come out now? This guy seems alright."

Grimnír follows her gaze toward an ancient old tree. A small child steps out in view. She is wearing a red and pink outfit with gold trimming. A comfortable looking green hat covers her her brown hair. Her dark orange eyes are strange, but that isn't what catches his attention the most. She has a pair of cat ears protruding from hair and two long cat tails poking from under her dress. Is she some sort of cat demon?

"Come on closer, don't be shy," Komachi says.

The cat girl takes a few steps closer. Grimnír takes care not to make any sudden moves. Somehow, he feels that she might run off if she is startled. After a few more encouraging words, the girl finally steps beside Komachi. The shinigami ruffles the smaller girl's hair.

"This is Chen," Komachi says. "We both just came from Hakugyokurou."

"N-nice to meet you," the cat-eared girl says with a bow. "M-my name is Chen."

Grimnír returns the bow before continuing.

"I am Grimnír."

"Grim-nier?" Chen asks. "G-Grim-near? Grim-neir?"

He shakes his head as she tries to pronounce his name properly.

"Just call him Grim," Komachi says.

"Grim," Chen repeats. "B-big brother Grim?"

Grimnír nods reluctantly. It will do for now.

"Anyway, why don't we head back to Hakugyokurou together? It's just a few minutes away," the shinigami suggests.

"Weren't you leaving?"

"Not really. We were just asked to have a 'time-out' of sorts. Nothing you need to worry about."

Grimnír has a slightly bad feeling about the way she dismissed the question.

"Anyway, we should get going. They need to know how many guests we are having for lunch."

Before he can reply, Komachi grabs his hand and takes off into the air. It takes a moment for him to recover and fly on his own. Chen follows close behind Komachi. Soon, all three of them are flying over the endless stairs toward Hakugyokurou.

[ ] Start a conversation with Komachi.
[ ] Try to talk to Chen about something.
[ ] Stay silent. Let them speak first.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] A scythe wielder

---

Without warning, several projectiles fly toward him from the newcomer.

"W-what the fu -"

Grimnír doesn't have time to dodge them. He closes his eyes and braces for the impact, but it never comes. Slowly, he opens his eyes.

"..."

Grimnír watches the scene with mouth agape. Dozens, maybe hundreds of projectiles fly past him. Several of them miss him by only a few inches. While he finds it strange that they aren't hitting him, something else grabs his attention. The projectiles seem to be coins, or some similar currency. He can't help but feel that this is out of place. Why would someone use coins as a weapon? Wouldn't that be extremely inefficient in terms of cost?

"Pop!"

After a few moments, he realizes that he isn't the target. He turns around to a pleasant sight. The crazed fairies have begun to retreat. He watches in awe as several of them are hit by the speeding coins. The unlucky few that are hit by the barrage suddenly disappear with a comical "Pop!". Somehow, he is reminded of bubblegum or popcorn. The rest flee back down toward the mountains.

Grimnír heads down to the ground, landing deftly on one of the steps. It seems like he isn't going to end up as a meal for these insane fairies today. He actually has a few more cards to play in case the barrier broke, but he is thankful for the assistance all the same. He sits down and takes a few minutes to catch his breath.

A tall figure pauses above him for a moment. He can't make out much of the details, but the person seems to be carrying a long scythe. He waves at the stranger to show that he is alright. After giving him a wave back, the person heads back in pursuit of the fairies.

...

Before him stands a tall and confident presence. The woman's shining red eyes sparkle with life. Her short wavy hair is tied comfortably in two different places. She is wearing a white and blue dress of some sort. A wide belt is tied around her delicately slender waist; a single large coin is tied at the center like some sort of buckle. She is carrying a dangerous looking scythe carelessly with her right hand.

She raises a hand to silence him before he can speak.

"Always a pleasure to help out a future customer," she says cheerfully. "Just as a formality, may I ask if you are currently dead or dying?"

"Neither, I guess?" he answers carefully. That's a pretty morbid question to ask.

She sighs in relief before smiling brightly at him.

"That's convenient. I don't really feel like working right now."

Grimnír scratches his head in confusion.

"I don't really get it, but thanks," he manages. "You saved my life just now."

"D-don't mind! Don't mind!" she says as she blushes slightly in embarrassment. The girl strokes one of her stray hairs nervously. The gesture is pretty cute.

"..."

The two look at each other in an awkward silence for a few moments. Grimnír decides to speak first.

"Thank you very much for your help," he says. "My name is Grimnír. I'm an apprentice magician staying with a friend at the Forest of Magic. Pleasure to meet you!"

He extends his hand at the girl, but she just chuckles. Instead of shaking his head, the girl simply ruffles his hair.

"I'm Komachi, the Shinigami in charge of Sanzu River."

Grimnír pauses to think.

He can probably talk about one or two things.
[ ] Ask for directions to Hakugyokurou.
[ ] Ask about Shinigami.
[ ] Ask about the Sanzu River.
[ ] Offer to repay her somehow.
[ ] Offer to stay and chat for a while.
[ ] Offer her a mushroom.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Flee straight towards Hakugyokurou.
[X] Cast a protective barrier. Those things hurt when they hit.

---

Grimnír flies toward Hakugyokurou at full speed. It isn't very far from here, and he might be able to get help. Eirin said that the gardener is in charge of controlling rowdy spirits; perhaps she or the ghost princess can help him deal with these crazy fairies. He can't remember doing anything that would upset them. Why the hell are they after him anyway?

In the Forest of Magic, maybe they were just defending their territory. They probably considered him a threat (or perhaps food? He'd rather not think about it..). However, they followed him all the way out here - it can't be just that. Have they gone completely insane, or is it something else?

"D-dammit!"

One of the shots flies dangerously close to his head. If that hit, he would probably be falling down to his doom right now. If he doesn't do something fast, those foot-high little misfits will tear him apart. He takes a glance behind him. They are relentless in their attacks, and they look like they are catching up. This can't possibly end well.

"Terra...Anima... Murus..." he mumbles.

A yellow-orange spherical field forms around Grimnír. It isn't perfect, but he was able to use this spell to defend himself against Alice's assault earlier. She said that she was holding back only slightly, and that his barrier was pretty decent. It should be enough to take a few hits from these fairies. Sure enough, one of the shots hits its mark. He cringes as he feels it through the barrier. The force of the blow did little damage, but it really hurt. These cute little winged demons are out for blood.

"S-stupid fairies! Leave me alone!"

As he takes a closer look at his pursuers, he notices that the fairies have odd blank expressions on their faces. They aren't even chattering to each other like those he encountered at the Forest of Magic. Something is wrong with them. Even as a newcomer to Gensokyo, he can tell that this isn't natural.

"What's going on?" he asks loudly.

...

The chase continues for several long minutes. Thankfully, the fairies are fairly inaccurate with their shots. However, the sheer volume of energy globes is dangerous. Every so often, one of the shots manages to hit him. Each successive shot weakens the barrier considerably.

"Not good," he mutters.

Another shot hits the barrier. Grimnír flinches in agony as he feels it burn his left arm. The barrier is getting weaker. He can't take much more of this. He looks below to see that the terrain has changed. He seems to be flying over a ridiculously long set of stairs now. He must be getting close to Hakugyokurou. But his vision is blurring.

"..."

He can see something approaching from somewhere in front of him.

[ ] A ghostly presence
[ ] A scythe wielder
[ ] A young child

Loading User Commands:
[X] Continue toward Hakugyokurou at full speed. You can't get sidetracked here.

---

Grimnír can't afford to waste any time.

Eirin said that the ghost princess Yuyuko Saigyouji is a good friend of Yukari Yakumo. She lives in Hakugyokurou together with her gardener and retainer Youmu Konpaku. The lunarian doctor mentioned that they are both quite amiable as long as he doesn't do anything offensive. Hopefully, he can get the help he needs without trouble.

He takes one last look of longing at the street stand as he passes over it. Some grilled chicken and a beer would be a great, but now isn't the time. He sighs as he checks his things again.

"Got no money anyway," he mutters to himself.

He hears a faint melody as he flies by, but he pays it no heed. Soon, the red-lantern stand is far behind him. He probably didn't miss anything important.

Maybe.

...

A few minutes later, he finds himself flying over a heavily forested mountain. To the left, he can see a large peak reaching high into the clouds. He can't see the top of the peak from here.

Grimnír pulls out the map Eirin left him. According to the map, that large peak is Youkai Mountain. He is getting pretty close to Hakugyokurou. Perhaps he can make it there without incident.

He takes a moment to examine the contents of his sack as he continues onward. He looks sadly at the small pouch full of mushrooms. It must be useful somehow, since Marisa gave them. He still has the beginner's magic book that he borrowed from Alice. He is almost halfway done with the book, though he still hasn't tried some of the more advanced exercises. He is carrying five blank spell cards and one special card of his own. He isn't exactly sure how to use them, so he should find time to ask someone about it.

"W-what the hell?" he cries as he barely dodges a shining ball of light.

Grimnír turns around and finds over a dozen fairies flying behind him. Small globes of light are already forming in their hands. This doesn't look good. Didn't Eirin say that this path is supposed to be safe?

"Oh shi-"

What should he do?
[ ] Flee straight towards Hakugyokurou.
[ ] Try to lose them in the mountains.
[ ] Stand and fight.

How should he deal with the attacks?
[ ] Dodge the projectiles. A moving target is harder to hit.
[ ] Cast a protective barrier. Those things hurt when they hit.
[ ] Try your spell card. It might help somehow.
[ ] Attempt to counterattack. Fight fire with fire.
[ ] Use _____ magic. You don't have much choice.
[ ] Custom

Grimnír continues soaring above the trees as he heads toward Hakugyokurou. Eirin said that the route should be safe as long as he doesn't get sidetracked. So far, he hasn't seen anything unusual.

"..."

However, he is sure that he is being followed. He can feel several pairs of eyes watching him from beneath the treeline. For now, they seem to be trailing him at a relatively safe distance, so he isn't sure who they are or how many.

He is currently flying over one of the trails north of the Human Village. He doesn't see any travellers walking along the path. Strange.

Suddenly, something catches his eye from below. There seems to be a red-lantern stand along the road. Maybe they sell grilled chicken or other tasty snacks there. Grimnír can feel his stomach grumble at the thought.

Then he remembers that he doesn't have any money.

[ ] Continue toward Hakugyokurou at full speed. You can't get sidetracked here.
[ ] Continue toward Hakugyokurou at half speed. See if you can identify those following you.
[ ] Head down and check out the stand. Maybe you can ask for help.
[ ] Head down and check out the stand. Maybe you can have a snack.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Go to Hakugyokurou alone.
[X] Custom

---

Grimnír finds his will wavering, but he really believes that Yukari can help. She may be difficult to predict, but someone with her abilities can surely be of great assistance. At the very least, she might be able to point them in the right direction. The power to manipulate boundaries must count for something, after all.

"I'm sorry Alice, but I really believe that Yukari can help," he says sternly.

Alice lowers her head. He can't see her face expression. Grimnír swallows nervously. He can feel a rift forming between them. She isn't taking this well.

"I understand," she whispers. Alice turns around to leave.

He needs to do something. Without warning, he grabs her hand.

"Wait," he says. "I can't let you go alone out there."

Alice pulls her hand away.

"I'm not that weak. I can take care of myself," she says cooly.

"No doubts here, but that isn't the reason."

Alice turns around and looks at him. Her eyes are cold and angry. He wouldn't be surprised if she would attack him right now. At this moment, she really doesn't seem like an ordinary human. However, she waits patiently for him to continue. Grimnír takes a moment to organize his thoughts.

"I don't want you to feel alone anymore," he continues.

"..."

Silence fills the room.

"- and that's why I'm going to go with you anyway, even if I disagree." he finishes.

Alice looks up at him in surprise. He can see her eyes starting to tear up again.

"W-what? Y-you don't have to! I mean -"

Suddenly, a loud snap interrupts them. Eirin smiles slyly as she watches the two blush and fidget in embarrassment. She clears her throat loudly before speaking.

"While I hate to interrupt such a touching moment," she says, "We should get moving some time this week..."

Eirin suddenly points at the bunny girl.

"Reisen will accompany Alice in the Forest of Magic. I believe that the two of them should be able to handle themselves in case of trouble."

Eirin points at Grimnír.

"I'll give you directions to Hakugyokurou. Since you can fly, you shouldn't meet any problems on the way. Just don't get sidetracked and you will be fine. This way you can try both methods."

Eirin nods to herself confidently.

"This will also prevent you two from getting distracted by each other," she adds with a mischievous grin.

Extra: Winter Firefly

Wriggle shivers in the cold.

"W-why have we come here?" she asks. "Y-you know that I hate this weather!"

He nods slowly to the youkai girl.

"We have come here to test your abilities," he says slowly. "Magic does exist outside of Gensokyo."

She pouts at him, shuddering violently.

"B-b-but you said that magic doesn't normally work in the Outside! Only really powerful beings like Yukari can use their powers easily. I-I can't even keep warm, much less fly out here."

"No, you can't," he says. "Even if you could fly, it would be a bad idea to attract unnecessary attention here in the Outside. Youkai who are foolish enough to expose their abilities in this place are often mistaken as aliens by government agencies. They end up killed, captured, or worse."

"O-of course I know that," she says. "Due to their weakened state, even youkai are vulnerable when they cross over to this world."

"Good to see that you were listening to my lecture," he says with a gentle smile.

Wriggle only listened half-way, of course. She still doesn't understand why magic and other youkai abilities are difficult to use in the Outside; perhaps she fell asleep at that part of the lesson. She does remember that Humans in the Outside rely on technology and science, and have found numerous ways to cope without magic.

Master said that Youkai and Humans from Gensokyo cross the border over to the other side every once in a while, not unlike the Outsiders who sometimes end up in Gensokyo. Those incidents rarely end well. He said that most of them end up disoriented and confused, as they can't use their powers properly.

The foolish ones often end up killed or captured by the local authorities, since human weapons work very effectively in a world that weakens magic. There are a few who manage to return to Gensokyo, while some willingly choose to continue living in the Outside.

"This place will do," he says.

Wriggle looks around. This must be what Outsiders call a "park". Master said that they sometimes construct artificial forests inside cities for their own enjoyment. However, she finds these places as poor imitations of nature, not unlike the "zoo" they visited earlier.

"There isn't anyone around at this time of the night," he says "We can begin your training."

"T-training? O-out here in the blistering cold?" she argues.

"The conditions are perfect to test your casting ability under stressful conditions."

"..."

"I want you to light up those pine trees," he says pointing. "If you can't pass this trial, then we may as well return to the border."

...

"Did you hear about it, Renko? Did you? Did you?"

"Of course I heard about it. It was all over the evening news. Fireflies gathered into one of the large pine trees in the park."

"I rushed over there to see it for myself, but by the time I got there it was all over."

"Some say that the University did it as a present for the children in the orphanage beside the park. I heard that they couldn't afford to set up a Christmas tree this year."

"Impossible. My biology professor told me that while their pheromone research on insects is promising, there isn't any technology available to pull such a stunt. This has got to be a supernatural incident!"

"I suppose. But don't you think that it is pretty sad that all the fireflies died after about half an hour? The weather was freezing. They never had a chance."

...

When they got back, she bid her master good night before returning to her room.

After making sure that the door was locked, she crept into her bed.

Wriggle Nightbug cried long into the night.