Loading User Commands:
[X] Head straight to Dr. Yagokoro's clinic. You should check on Marisa's condition.

---

"Back already?" says Eirin. "You returned far earlier than I expected."

The Lunarian doctor turns to Grimnír and crosses her legs suggestively. She has a sly smile on her face as she takes a better look at him and his new companion.

"Ran into a dead end? Or did you get a little side-tracked?" she asks. Wriggle shuffles her feet nervously.

"Yes and no, to both questions," Grimnír replies. "But first, how is Marisa faring?"

"There isn't any improvement in her condition," she says. "However, there is some good news."

"Please go on," he says.

"Alice and Reisen returned just a few minutes ago. They brought back the things I need to create an elixir. It should slow down the reaction."

Grimnír sighs in relief. At least they have bought a bit more time to look for a cure. Half a day isn't nearly enough time to search for a way to save Marisa.

"Don't relax just yet," Eirin says. "I can only guarantee extending her life by an additional one or two days, at most."

"I understand," he replies.

"So, were you able to meet Yukari?" asks the Lunarian.

Grimnír shakes his head.

"No, I haven't," he returns. "However, Ms. Saigyouji gave me one of Yukari's calling cards. She said that Yukari will be able to find me if I hold on to it."

The doctor's eyes widen slightly. Eirin looks at him carefully, as if observing his insides. A whole minute passes in silence as the Lunarian completes her silent examination. Somehow, he could sense her reaching deep inside him, even probing his mind a little bit. He feels pretty uneasy.

"I see," she says. "That is unusual."

Eirin drops the subject abruptly, turning to Wriggle.

"Next question," she says. "Did this bug give you trouble? Or perhaps you are the one troubling her? I do hope you aren't one of those strange guys who are obsessed with youkai girls."

"W-what?" cries Wriggle, her face red like a beet. "No way! I was just helping this guy out, since he looked so weak and pitiful! D-don't misunderstand!"

While he appreciates how the firefly girl is doing her best to prevent any misunderstanding, Grimnír feels a bit hurt from her words. First Chen, and now Wriggle - did he really look that weak? Honestly, compared to all these powerful beings, he feels pretty small. But surely, he can still do something to help.

"She is a witness," Grimnír says. "She saw how Marisa got injured."

"Hmm," Eirin says. "May I borrow her for a moment, then? I'd like to ask a few questions."

Wriggle glances at him nervously, but she gives him a slight nod.

"I-I guess I can tell you what I know," the firefly girl says.

"Please come with me to my office," says the Lunarian.

Eirin pauses to turn to Grimnír.

"This might take a while, and it can get pretty technical," she says. "Why don't you show yourself to Alice? She was asking about you earlier. Or perhaps you'd prefer to stay here to watch over Marisa?"

She smiles mysteriously.

"Then again, you look a bit tired. Why don't you rest in one of the guest rooms? A nap and a good dream can do wonders."

Grimnír pauses.
[ ] Follow them into Eirin's office. Wriggle looks a little nervous.
[ ] Head to the dining room. Alice might be worried.
[ ] Stay in the clinic. Marisa shouldn't be alone.
[ ] Rest in a guest room. No harm in following the doctor's advice.
[ ] Custom

Loading:
[X] Talk about the Trident Lunatic.
[X] Custom

---

"Hey Wriggle," Grimnír says. "What do you know about the Trident Lunatic?"

"E-eh?" stammers Wriggle. She seems to be spacing out.

"You mentioned that you've seen him a few times before," he says. "Did you encounter him before we met?"

"Ah! Y-yeah, I did!" Wriggle says suddenly. "I don't remember exactly when, but he arrived at the Forest of Magic some time ago. I heard that he was a hermit of some sort, and he preferred to stay away from everyone. He kept wandering around, but he never bothered us, so we just ignored him."

"Hmm," mutters Grimnír.

"That's why I was surprised when Keine came into the forest asking about him," Wriggle continues. "She said that he was attacking travellers passing through the Forest of Magic. We didn't mind her much at first, since it wasn't our problem. Maybe some stupid human just got him angry. They fight over the strangest things."

"Sad, but true," he comments. "Humans can be very foolish."

"That's why I was surprised when he just jumped out and attacked me yesterday," Wriggle says.

"But he didn't hurt you that much, did he?" he asks.

"N-no! It was weird. After beating me, he just left suddenly," says Wriggle. "Then you arrived."

"I see," Grimnír says. "Do you have any suggestions on how to defeat him?"

Wriggle shakes her head.

"Now that I think about it, that guy is ridiculously powerful. He defeated Marisa so quickly, and he didn't even look tired after the battle. I'm not sure what we can do against that kind of strength."

A few minutes pass in silence. Seems like Marisa's attacker will be difficult to subdue. They need to form a good plan. Maybe Dr. Yagokoro and the others can give them more ideas.

Unexpectedly, Wriggle turns to him and smiles.

"Hey Grim," she whispers, "Thanks for stopping me earlier."

"D-don't mention it," replies Grimnír, quickly turning away. Wriggle's smile is breathtaking. He can't stand to look at such a cute sight for much longer. For some reason, the firefly girl looks extraordinarily attractive, and it takes all of his self-control to stop himself from just grabbing her in mid-air and holding the firefly girl against him in a tight embrace. She even smells nice.

Focus. This isn't time for such things.

They are going to arrive at Eientei pretty soon.
[ ] Head straight to Dr. Yagokoro's clinic. You should check on Marisa's condition.
[ ] Go to the dining room. You noticed it this morning.
[ ] Find an empty room somewhere. You can have a private chat with Wriggle.
[ ] Wander around aimlessly. You didn't have time to explore earlier.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Head back to Eientei.
[X] Insist that she come with you.

---

"Wait," cries Grimnír.

"Hmm?" says Yuyuko.

"Why are you helping us?" he asks.

"Why? That is a good question," she says. "I wonder why~"

She smiles cheerfully at him.

"Yukari-chan is a good friend of mine," says the ghost princess. "Let's just say that I am doing her a little favor."

"Huh? I don't get it,' returns Grimnír.

"Just be nice to her, alright? I'll get really angry if you make her cry," she says.

Without warning, he senses an immense amount of energy radiating from the princess of ghosts. Before he could react, that dark, powerful aura simply vanished, leaving an innocently smiling Yuyuko staring curiously at his surprise. It must have been just a moment, but it made his neck hairs stand on end.

"O-of course," he mumbles.

"Now, I must ask you an important question," says Yuyuko with a most solemn expression upon her face. "Will you be joining us for lunch?"

"Err... that is to say..." says Grimnír.

"You have some urgent business to attend to?" suggests Yuyuko. "That's too bad."

She smiles at them gently.

"Why don't you visit us sometime? Feel free to bring friends. We always appreciate the company."

"T-thanks," he says gratefully.

...

Wriggle didn't argue when he asked her to come with him. Perhaps she was still confused, or maybe she had no idea what to do next. In any case, he believed that it would be safer to travel together.

Thankfully, they haven't met any trouble on the way back. However, Wriggle has been completely silent ever since they left Hakugyokurou. They still have several minutes before they arrive at the Eientei.

He probably has time to talk to the firefly girl about one or two things.
[ ] Talk about magic.
[ ] Talk about insects.
[ ] Talk about spell cards.
[ ] Talk about herself.
[ ] Talk about Marisa.
[ ] Talk about Alice.
[ ] Talk about Yukari.
[ ] Talk about the Trident Lunatic.
[ ] Talk about Eientei.
[ ] Talk about the Human Village.
[ ] Custom

Both Grimnír and Wriggle turn to face the newcomer. Yuyuko Saigyouji is standing just a few feet to his left. When did she come inside? How did she come inside? And how long had she been listening?

Yuyuko smiles brightly at their confusion, clearly amused. Before he can say anything, she pulls out a small card from inside her dress (does that thing even have pockets?). She quickly hands it to Grimnír with a smile. About the size of a standard calling card, the item is completely unmarked except for a single name written on one side.

"Yukari Yakumo," Grimnír reads aloud.

"Yukari-chan is a very busy person," Yuyuko explains. "Even if you find a way into Mayohiga, she probably won't be there."

"How did you -"

Yuyuko raises her hand to silence him.

"However, if you hold on to that thing for a bit," she says. "She will find you soon enough."

What? Who is this person? Where did she get such a thing? When did she find out his purpose here? Why is she helping him? So many questions. Grimnír's head spins as he tries to analyze her motives. By the time he recovers, Yuyuko is already about to leave, carrying his tray with her.

"No need to thank me," she says without looking back.

"Wait," he cries.

He needs to...
[ ] Head back to Eientei.
[ ] Head to the Forest of Magic.
[ ] Have lunch at Hakugyokurou.
[ ] Custom

Wriggle is still in shock from the sudden turn of events.
[ ] She can take care of herself.
[ ] Insist that she come with you.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Strengthen your barrier and block the door. You can't let her fly off.
[X] Custom

---

"I said, get out of my way!" cries Wriggle.

Grimnír pauses. If he lets the firefly girl leave now, she is probably going to do something stupid, dangerous, or both. While he has no special liking for youkai girls, he can't just let her fly off to her doom.

He quickly completes chanting his barrier spell, strengthening it up to full power. This might not be enough completely deflect her blasts, but it will slow her down, at the very least. After making sure the barrier is prepared, he steps in front of the door, blocking Wriggle's path.

"What are you doing?" she asks.

"I can't let you fly off and get yourself killed," answers Grimnír.

"I-I don't want to hurt you," returns Wriggle. "But don't think I won't do it!"

Grimnír takes a step toward the firefly girl. She trembles slightly at his approach.

"Just so you know," he starts. "Marisa is dying."

"W-what?" she says. Her eyes widen in surprise.

"I just came from Eientei. Dr. Yagokoro says that she will be dead by the end of the day if nothing is done. She has never seen that kind of injury before. That man can probably do the same to any of us, even to beings that aren't human."

"H-how?" mumbles Wriggle. The energy between her hands is beginning to dissipate into the air harmlessly.

"We don't know," says Grimnír. "Alice and Reisen are collecting some herbs in the hope that Eirin can create something to buy Marisa more time. I came here to search for Yukari Yakumo. Even if she doesn't understand what is happening, the gap youkai might know of other ways to help Marisa."

Wriggle's antennae droop slightly, though she glares back at him with defiance.

"B-but you don't know for sure!" she counters. "The gap youkai rarely helps others."

"No, I don't," admits Grimnír. "But I am sure that this is a better choice than going off alone without a plan."

Wriggle lowers her arms and lowers her eyes in despair.

"Your friends would not want you to die for nothing," he adds.

The silence that follows is deafening. Wriggle lowers her head and stares down at the ground quietly. He can't see the expression on her face. Just to be sure, he keeps his barrier up.

"So this is what you were up to~"

Loading User Commands:
[X] Tell her that they will need extra help. He needs to contact Yukari.
[X] Try to calm her down with words.

---

"This person you are talking about," Grimnír starts. "Is he that Trident Lunatic attacking travellers?"

"Keine and the villagers call him that," says Wriggle.

"And you are telling me that this person defeated Marisa single-handedly?" he says.

"He didn't answer Marisa's challenge for a spell card duel," Wriggle answers. "He just started attacking as soon as she got too close."

"This is the same person who beat you the first time we met?" asks Grimnír.

"Y-yes," she says, looking away. "He was ridiculously powerful, and he didn't fight fairly."

"I see," replies Grimnír. "Then, may I ask you a simple question?"

Wriggle nods slowly, though she still looks confused.

"If you can't beat him, and Marisa can't beat him, what makes you think that this guy can be beaten with only the two of us? Just so you know, I may be a magician, but my skills are nowhere close to that of Marisa."

The firefly girl looks down despondently, but she stays silent.

"For something like this, we will need some extra help," says Grimnír. "It just so happens that I am currently searching for a way to contact Yukari Yakumo."

"W-what? The gap youkai?" Wriggle asks disbelievingly.

"Yes. I believe that she is more than capable for resolving both of our problems."

"..."

"All we need to do is convince Yuyuko to give us a way to talk to Yukari. Hopefully, we can get her help to resolve this incident. So, why don't you just calm down and -"

"Shut up!" she whispers fiercely.

Grimnír takes a step back in surprise. Her reaction caught him off-guard.

"W-what?" he mumbles.

"I said shut up, you big idiot!" cries the firefly girl. "You're all the same! None of you understand!"

Without warning, Wriggle raises her hand and fires a bright yellow energy ball at him. Grimnír barely has time to raise a barrier to block the shot.

"Hey! No need to be violent!" he argues.

"You all talk and talk about your plans and schemes," says Wriggle. "You calmly sip your tea and discuss incidents like they are part of everyday gossip."

She fires another bolt at him. Grimnír cringes at the impact.

"I-I thought you were different," whispers Wriggle.

She looks up at him, tears flowing freely from her eyes.

"My friends are dying!" she cries. "I will not stand here and watch, while you discuss it over lunch party!"

"J-just listen for a second," says Grimnír.

"Shut up!" shouts Wriggle. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

He raises both of her hands toward him, gathering energy from the air. In seconds, the room glows bright yellow with the light in her hands. If she launches a full barrage at close range, it will definitely tear this room (and possibly him) apart.

"W-wait! Try to be reasonable!" cries Grimnír desperately.

"Get out," she whispers. "I'll save my friends alone, if I have to."

"What?" he says.

"Get out of my way," says Wriggle. "You damn... human."

She looks serious. He has time to try one or two things.
[ ] Let her do what she wants. No need to get involved any further.
[ ] Strengthen your barrier and block the door. You can't let her fly off.
[ ] Attempt to counterattack. You can probably try Fire element magic.
[ ] Try declaring the spell card. It reads, "Logos Sign, 「Calculated Risk」"
[ ] Use _____ magic. You have to stop her.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Find someplace they can talk in private.

---

Grimnír looks thoughtfully at the youkai girl. How did she find him? Why didn't she ask someone else for help? Why is she hiding from the others in Hakugyokurou? Everything about this situation smells like trouble, and he has enough on his hands right now. The logical, practical and reliable part of his mind is telling him to refuse. He can't let himself get involved in this. He needs to stay focused and find Yukari.

"Please, can you come? I can't do this alone," cries Wriggle.

She clamps her hands together as if praying, and looks up at him with her shimmering blue-green eyes, which, upon closer observation, seem to be slightly damp, as if she had been crying.

He sighs, wishing he could plant his palm on his face, hard, several times. How can he refuse her? Once again, he resigns himself on doing something completely stupid.

"Alright, I'll hear what you have to say," says Grimnír, not looking her in the eye.

"T-Thanks! We should hurry and -"

Grimnír raises his hand to cut her off.

"We can't talk here," he says. "Let's find a room where we can speak in private."

For a moment, Wriggle looks like she is going to argue, but in the end, she simply nods and follows him obediently. They easily find an empty room, since the place is pretty huge. Grimnír places his tray on a nearby table before turning to Wriggle.

"So, what's bugging you?" he starts.

"What's that supposed to mean?" cries Wriggle. "I resent that!"

"What?" stammers Grimnír.

"Don't look down on us bugs! We have feelings too, you know? Hmph!"

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," he replies.

"Yeah, I'm sure you didn't. You humans just push us around and step on us like we don't exist!" returns Wriggle.

"I'm sorry," he says.

"I, for one, take pride in being a bug, and I refuse to stand while some human insults -"

Wriggle stops abruptly, blinking at him in surprise.

"W-what did you say?" says Wriggle, slowly and carefully.

"I said," he replies. "That I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you or your kin."

Wriggle shuffles around uneasily.

"T-that's alright then," she mutters. "You're alright."

Grimnír nods patiently at the youkai girl. While a discussion of bug rights and their history of persecution might be mildly interesting, they do have some other business that they need to talk about. After Wriggle composes herself, she turns to him, her face a picture of worry.

"Something's wrong with them," she says. "No matter what I say or do, they just won't listen to me any more! Some of them even started attacking travellers, and there was a whole bunch that just flew off somewhere! Something must be driving them all mad!"

"Slow down," interrupts Grimnír. "First of all, who are 'they'?"

Wriggle stamps a foot hard on the floor.

"The bugs of the forest, of course! Who else do you think I was talking about?"

Oh wow. This is just great. He can't say he is surprised. All this panic for a bunch of bugs. He doesn't have time for this. He needs to think of an excuse to get rid of this girl. A sharp prod at his side interrupts his line of thought.

"W-what?" he stammers, rubbing his side. It hurt quite a bit.

"Hey, are you listening? Like I said, I think that it's being caused by that crazy trident guy wandering the forest. Even the black-white agreed when I told her about it this morning," says Wriggle.

"Wait, you mean Marisa?" Grimnír asks.

"Yeah, the reckless black-white. She said that she could take care of it herself, but she was easily beaten. That nut even drove his spear through her chest! I was surprised that she survived at all! It was lucky that Eientei wasn't too far away."

"That guy hurt Marisa?" he repeats hollowly.

"I was hiding when I saw how strong the guy was, but I think that's what happened. The black-white should be fine though, since that moon bunny girl found her."

No, Marisa isn't fine. If nothing is done, she is going to be erased, permanently.

"A-anyway, could you help me fight that trident guy? I think we can bring him down if we both attack together. You're a magician, after all, so we shouldn't have trouble."

Trident Lunatic, was it? If he could defeat and injure Marisa so easily, they don't stand a chance! Wriggle must think that all magicians are as powerful as Marisa or Alice. Maybe he should have told her that he is just an apprentice.

"Please," whispers Wriggle as she looks up at him desperately.

His decision...
[ ] Offer to fight alongside her right now. He is a magician, after all.
[ ] Suggest gathering allies before going. Alice and Reisen must be somewhere in the Forest of Magic.
[ ] Tell her that they will need extra help. He needs to contact Yukari.
[ ] Refuse to get involved.
[ ] Custom

Wriggle looks pretty emotional right now. She might just run off...
[ ] She can take care of herself.
[ ] Try to calm her down with words.
[ ] Block her path if she tries something reckless.
[ ] Don't let her leave this place alone, even if you have to fight.
[ ] Custom