Loading User Commands:
[X] Don't let her escape. Block her path if you have to.
[X] Custom

---

"A-anyway," says Meiling. "I better get back to the Mansion to make my report. That nothing of interest was found, of course! Ahahaha..."

She laughs uneasily as she starts walking away from them. Grimnír hesitates for a moment to think. Then, he gently shakes Wriggle awake.

"Uuu... w-what?" mutters the firefly girl.

"I need to put you down for a bit," he says as he carefully lets her off his back. Wriggle sleepily complies as she rubs her eyes.

"Huh? Where did the bug youkai pop out from?" asks Alice.

"Later," he says.

As the gatekeeper turns around to leave, Grimnír takes to the air and quickly flies in front of her. He raises both of his arms to block her path.

"We need answers," he says sternly. "I can't let you run off like this."

"E-eh?" cries Meiling. "B-but I don't know anything! Really!"

He shakes his head at her obvious lie. Then, he lowers his voice to a whisper so that the others can't hear them.

"I just saved your life," he whispers. "If you know anything that could help us..."

"I-I have no idea!" says the gatekeeper.

"Please," he adds carefully. "This isn't some isolated incident. Too many are getting hurt. We can't just stand here and watch."

A minute passes in silence as Meiling looks away, her face conflicted. For a moment, she acts like she is about to run off again. But then, she answers in a low voice.

"Neither can we..." she whispers back. "But we don't know much about it, either. This was the first time I've seen the enemy face-to-face."

"The enemy?" he repeats.

Meiling nods solemnly.

"The Mansion was attacked," she says. "It was really dangerous. That cloaked figure was only one of them."

"Attacked?" he says. "What the hell is going on?"

She frowns at him.

"As for saving my life, I'll have to apologize. This is all I can tell you. You see, my life already belongs to someone else. I can't betray the master's trust."

With those words, she gives him a low bow.

"I-I'm sorry, sir!" cries Meiling loudly. "I-I really have to go now!"

Before he can stop her, the gatekeeper speeds past him and is soon out of sight. Seems like she won't tell him anything else, and she made it a point to tell only him. Grimnír pauses to think. Are the incidents related?

"Is something wrong?" asks Alice.

He jumps in surprise.

"Eh?" he mumbles. "Ah, sorry... didn't see you there..."

Alice frowns at him and waits patiently for an explanation.

[ ] Tell Alice about the battle with the cloaked figure.
[ ] Tell Alice about the identity of the 'enemy'.
[ ] Tell Alice about Yukari.
[ ] Tell Alice about the Wolf Knight.
[ ] Tell Alice about finding Wriggle in the cave.
[ ] Tell Alice about the attack Meiling mentioned.
[ ] Don't tell Alice anything.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Untie her. Ask her what happened.
[X] Custom

---

"Wriggle?" says Grimnír incredulously.

"W-who are you?" whispers the girl. "I-I'm not afraid!"

He pauses before the person. Her short green hair and the pair of distinctive antennae protruding from it are unmistakable - this girl is definitely Wriggle Nightbug. However, she seems to be wearing her usual boyish costume, and she doesn't have a heavy cloak and hood. None of her clothes have any magic runes or symbols.

Wait... is this a trap? But then, how did she change clothes so quickly? And how did she tie herself up? This is getting really confusing. However, he can't just leave her like this.

"It's me, Grimnír," he says carefully.

"Grim?" says the girl. "H-hey, where are you touching!"

"Stop squirming and let me get these ropes off..."

It takes him a couple of minutes to remove the bindings. He notices immediately that the rope is quite durable, and he senses a faint energy coming from it, not unlike his own magical barrier. Was it preventing Wriggle from using energy attacks? As he unties the last knot, he takes the rope and keeps it in his sack, just in case.

"There, I think that was the last one," he says. "Hey, are you alri -"

Suddenly, he feels something tackle him down to the ground. The back of his head hits a rock when he lands. His vision goes blurry for a moment in pain. Then, he gradually becomes conscious of a small, shuddering figure clutching tightly around his body.

"You came to rescue me," whispers Wriggle. "Y-you really came..."

His eyes widen in surprise, and, having nothing to say, he stays silent. Then, he realizes that the girl is sobbing silently. Gently, he wraps his arms around her. They stay together like that until she calms down. A few minutes later, she pulls herself away from him and wipes away her tears.

"So," says Grimnír. "Do you know who did this to you?"

The firefly girl, still sitting on the ground, shakes her head.

"It was so fast," she says. "Something flew up at me, and the next thing I know, I'm tied up and blindfolded. I couldn't even use danmaku to free myself."

"Couldn't you call your insect friends?" he asked.

"I already tried that," she replies. "For some reason, none of the bugs of the forest are listening to me anymore. It must have been that bad man with the trident!"

But that person saved his life, Grimnír notes to himself. This is getting complicated. He doesn't know who to trust anymore. He takes a moment to think.

"Wait... how long have you been here?"

"I have no idea," says Wriggle sadly. "I couldn't tell if it was day or night with my eyes covered."

Suddenly, the girl's stomach grumbles loudly.

"But it must have been a while. I'm so hungry..." she mumbles.

"Err..."

Grimnír rummages through his sack, but the only thing that looks edible are the mushrooms. But he isn't going to give her those. They might be poisonous, and he has no idea what they are even used for.

"Sorry," he says. "I really don't have anything to eat right now. We'll have to get out of here. Can you stand up?"

"Of course I can," says Wriggle defiantly as she forces herself up. "I'm not some weak human like -"

Suddenly, she loses her balance and starts falling. Grimnír barely catches her before she hits the ground.

"Umm... maybe I should carry you?" he suggests.

Wriggle looks up at him in surprise. Then, she looks away, her cheeks turning a little bit pink.

"W-well... maybe just a little," she whispers.

...

It took him several minutes to get back. He didn't realize how difficult it was to fly while carrying someone on his back. The firefly girl was actually pretty light, but he needed to exert more effort to manipulate the wind currents. Wriggle herself was pretty quiet during the trip, and he only realized that she had fallen asleep when he arrived at the clearing.

"Is she alright?" cries a familiar voice from below.

"Yeah," he replies. "Just tired and hungry, I guess."

As he lands, he takes something from his pocket. He quickly hands the medicine bottle back to Meiling.

"You look a lot better now," he comments.

"E-eh?" says Meiling as she looks at the medicine. "B-but how did you know about this?"

"Well about that," says Grimnír. "Would you know anyone that -"

Then, he senses someone else approaching. Turning to his left, he can see Alice speeding toward him. Behind her are a troop of dolls carrying some kind of make-shift hammock. He can see a pitiful figure that could only be Mystia resting upon it. She still looks unconscious, but most of her wounds have been bandaged.

"Oh my... what happened here?" cries Alice as she looks at the devastated ground.

"Long story," he says. "In any case, we better get Wriggle and Mystia back to Eientei."

"Ah!" says Meiling. "M-miss Alice? How unexpected, ha ha..."

"Eh? What are you doing here?" the dollkeeper asks.

"Nothing!" replies the gatekeeper. "Nothing at all! Just out for a walk... ha ha..."

Both he and Alice frown at Meiling. What the heck is she trying to hide?

"A-anyway," she continues. "I better get back to the Mansion and report to Sakuya and the mistress. That nothing of interest was found, of course! Ahahaha..."

At those words, Meiling laughs uneasily as she slowly starts walking away.

Grimnír pauses for a moment.
[ ] Don't let her escape. Block her path if you have to.
[ ] Convince her to tell you what she knows. (Specify how)
[ ] Forget about it. You have other things to worry about.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Head toward the cave.

---

Grimnír forces himself up and takes another look at the cave. No matter how he thinks about it, the place looks like any ordinary cave. He doesn't even feel any presence from inside. However, he doesn't really have any other ideas. This might be an important clue.

"Ah hell..." he mutters as he walks toward the entrance.

For the first ten minutes, he finds nothing of interest. The cave itself has several cracks on the ceiling to let in light, so he has no trouble walking. There are no turns or small tunnels, and the place seems to be just a hole in the wall. Then, just as he thinks about turning back, he notices something shining in the distance.

Grimnír quickly follows the glow until he discovers a large chamber at the end of the tunnel. On the right, a single beam of blue light is emitted from an electronic device embedded into the wall. From this source, the light collides with a carefully positioned set of mirrors, lenses and prisms at the center of the room. The optical devices reflect and refract the light to form a variety of strange symbols along a circular design. The blue light escapes to the left, where another electronic device contains it.

"What the heck..." he whispers.

Carefully, he walks along the perimeter of the strange circle. As he examines it closer, he recognizes some of the smaller symbols as magical runes. However, he can't read the symbol at the very center of the circle of light. Perhaps if he only leans a little bit closer and -

"CRASH!"

Grimnír rubs his head painfully as his vision starts to clear. That was both careless and stupid, falling over like that. He forces himself up as the pain subsides. Then, as he looks around, he plants his palm upon his forehead.

"Now that was stupid," he tells himself.

The devices have fallen into disarray, and some of them lie in pieces at his feet. Frantically, he tries to put the apparatus back together, but he fails miserably. Damn this luck! He better get out of here before someone finds out that he -

"H-hey!" cries a new voice. "I-Is anyone out there?"

Grimnír tightens his grip on the staff as he carefully walks toward the sound. Seems like it came from a dark corner at the end of the chamber. As silent as possible, he makes his way forward to investigate.

"P-please," cries the voice weakly. "I-I don't like it here! I don't like this darkness!"

Somehow, the voice sounds familiar. As he steps closer, he can hear someone sobbing quietly. He can sense fear as he approaches, and moments later, he recognizes the silhouette of a person lying helplessly on the ground. It looks like a small girl.

"W-who are you?" whispers the girl. "I-I'm not afraid!"

Grimnír's eyes widen in surprise, shock and confusion. The person lying before him, tied up with ropes and blindfolded, is most certainly Wriggle Nightbug. Green hair and a pair of distinctive antennae - there can't be any mistake. However, she seems to be wearing her usual clothes, and he can see no magic runes or symbols on them.

[ ] Untie her. Ask her what happened.
[ ] Untie her. Carry her outside.
[ ] Untie her. Don't say anything.
[ ] Don't untie her. Ask her what happened.
[ ] Don't untie her. Carry her outside.
[ ] Don't untie her. Don't say anything.
[ ] Leave the place quietly. Don't get involved.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Use the medicine on Meiling's wounds.
[X] Search for Yukari.

---

As the trident-wielder vanishes into the forest, the crimson energy field disappears with him. Left alone with the unconscious gatekeeper, Grimnír pauses to think. The dangerous wanderer of the Forest... Marisa's unusual injury... Wriggle's appearance at Hakugyokurou... Dr. Yagokoro's analysis of the reading... Remilia's unexpected generosity... and now an attack on Mystia's red-lantern stand. Is everything just a coincidence?

He shakes his head in frustration. There isn't enough data here to come up with an acceptable conclusion. All he can do now is make the best decision for the present. First things first - he needs to help Meiling.

"Hmm..."

Grimnír quickly examines the gate guard. Her injuries are very similar to Mystia's, if not a little less severe. She has deep cuts and burns all over her body. Thankfully, nothing seems broken, and she is still breathing.

Having no better idea, he opens the bottle the stranger gave him. It is full of an ointment that smells strongly of herbs and mushrooms. With a shrug, he starts rubbing some of the medicine on Meiling's wounds. The girl shudders slightly as he does so, but she doesn't wake up. After putting the medicine, he lays the gatekeeper in a more comfortable position before preparing to head into the forest once more.

"That should do," he says aloud. "Now to find Yukari..."

...

After flying and searching the area for a while, Grimnír lands and leans against a tree to rest. He couldn't find any trace of the girl, even when he checked the last place where he left her. Searching for someone so small is an impossible task in this labyrinthine forest. He looks up desperately at the clouds as he catches his breath. This is a futile gesture.

"Where the hell are you?" he asks aloud, half-expecting Yukari to pop out beside him.

This time, however, she doesn't, and Grimnír finds himself alone in the forest. Time passes, both slowly and painfully. The sky is starting to turn orange as the sun sets. To the right, he can see a small cave, almost hidden by the trees. That must be what the stranger was pointing to earlier. To the left, he can still see the clearing where he left Meiling. Perhaps he should check on her as well.

"I just want to see her again..." he whispers.

The moment he says that, he realizes that it's true.

[ ] Keep searching the forest.
[ ] Head toward the cave.
[ ] Return back to the clearing.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Let her escape.

---

"Are we going to let her escape, Serpent Knight?" says the trident-wielder.

Grimnír pauses to think. Wriggle seems to be chanting the spell commands for a teleportation spell. They only have a few seconds to stop her. But, for some reason, he can't bring himself to recklessly attack the girl. There are too many missing pieces in this puzzle.

"Yes, I believe we are," he says firmly.

"Alright then, so shall we... what?" replies the stranger.

"She seems quite powerful," says Grimnír. "There is no guarantee that a couple of humans can take her down so easily."

"..."

"Besides," he adds. "I'd rather make sure that everyone is alright. Mystia needs medical attention, and that gatekeeper took a beating earlier."

With a flash of green light, Wriggle suddenly vanishes. The stranger gives him a shrug and a sigh.

"Well... I guess that it has nothing to do with me," he says.

Then, before he can ask him some questions, the trident-wielder quickly heads back toward the ground. He stops slightly when he spots the wounded the gatekeeper. After a moment of hesitation, the trident-wielder rushes down beside her. He seems to be examining her clothes for something. Maybe he is searching for something? But by the way he is moving his hands...

"Hey!" cries Grimnír. "Don't even think about taking advantage of an unconscious woman!"

The stranger ignores him and continues his work. He doesn't seem ashamed of touching certain sensitive places as he moves his hands hurriedly.

"Are you some kind of sicko?" he cries. "This girl needs medical attention, and you are still thinking of -"

"Found it," says the trident-wielder.

Suddenly, the stranger stands up and shoves a small bottle into his hands.

"Apply a small amount on her wounds," he says. "This will speed up Meiling's regeneration."

"Wait... what?"

"She makes the medicine for herself," says the stranger. "I don't think it works on others."

Without another word, the trident-wielder gives him a small nod before walking away.

"Hey!" cries Grimnír. "Who the hell are you anyway? Why are you helping us? And why am I the Serpent Knight?"

The stranger pauses for a moment.

"Your other friend is being kept in a nearby cave in that direction," he says, pointing toward the right.

Then, the trident-wielder disappears deep into the forest with inhuman speed. The crimson energy vanishes as he leaves, and soon there is no trace of him left. Even if Grimnír wanted to follow, the Forest of Magic is far too large to search.

Grimnír pauses to think.
[ ] Search for Yukari.
[ ] Return to the others.
[ ] Approach the nearby cave.
[ ] Use the medicine on Meiling's wounds.
[ ] Custom

"You have come out on your own?" says Wriggle. "How unexpected."

"Wriggle Nightbug," says Grimnír. "Why are you doing this?"

"I told you already," she says. "I have to save this world. It is my duty."

"So you are saying that I am an enemy of this world?"

Wriggle pauses for a moment to think about it.

"Perhaps not," answers the firefly. "But your existence is extremely dangerous. We can't take the risk that you present to the balance."

"Kill the innocent few to save the many," he replies. "I'm assuming that you are thinking along those lines?"

"This game isn't as simple as that."

"Then why?" says Grimnír. "Why are you willing to kill your own friends?"

Wriggle looks at him with a solemn expression.

"In this game," she says. "There are no winners. Only ways to lose a little bit less."

"..."

"I'm sorry," says Wriggle. "Please don't hate me."

The firefly youkai raises her arm and fires several green darts at him. Slowly he closes his eyes to focus. Then, he generates a great barrier in front of him, defying his self-calculated limits. The impact of the attack is incredible, but somehow, he survives. Wriggle gasps in surprise as the dust clears. He is still hovering in front of her, unharmed.

"E-eh?" she mumbles. "How did you?"

"If that is how this game is played," Grimnír whispers darkly. "Then I will bend and break all the rules to change it into something else. Something more."

His bracelet starts glowing with an eerie light. He can feel an incredible energy flowing through his body. With this power, maybe he can call upon...

[ ] A legion of loyal and heartless servants.
[ ] A burning and cleansing luminescence.
[ ] A destructive and unpredictable anomaly.
[ ] A fearless and -

"I-It can't be..." cries Wriggle. "No... I can't let you awaken!"

She suddenly pulls out a spellcard from her clothes.

"Verdant Force,「Endless and Infinite Night」"

Everything starts to turn dark. He can feel an incredibly powerful energy emanating from her. She only needs a few seconds to complete the incantation, but he already understands. This attack... there is no way he can counter it in time. Grimnír sighs heavily as he waits for it to land. Though, for some strange reason, he has no regrets.

"Iyaaah!" she cries suddenly. "W-what the -"

A familiar figure floats in front of him. Dressed in a thick worn coat and some old pants, the man turns around slightly to glance at him. In his right hand, the man holds a long trident made of a strange dark metal. From this close, he can recognize some of the ornate designs on the weapon as high-level magical runes.

"You really are crazy," he says. "Diving head-first into a battle you can't win."

"Y-you!" Grimnír cries. "W-what are you -"

"Don't misunderstand," says the trident-wielder. "I will have nothing to do with you or your friends."

Then, he points the weapon straight toward Wriggle.

"But for once," he says. "We both agree that this person is a nuisance. A bug that should be squashed."

"S-squashed?" says Wriggle. "W-who do you think you are?"

The stranger then strikes an imposing pose in mid-air as he points at the firefly girl.

"I am the Wolf Knight," he says. "And you are already within my territory."

Suddenly, Grimnír becomes aware of a familiar field of influence. He can feel a terrible crimson energy around the whole area.

"This forest shall be painted Scarlet with your blood..." says the stranger.

"W-wolf knight?" repeats Wriggle. "This isn't part of the plan... damn it..."

Suddenly, the firefly girl starts chanting some spell commands. Grimnír recognizes it as a high-level teleportation spell. Then, the stranger turns toward him.

"Are we going to let her escape, Serpent Knight?" he says.

[ ] Let her escape.
[ ] Attack her together.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Custom

---

"Leave me here and run," whispers Yukari.

For the past few days, he felt nothing but suspicion and fear of this girl. After all, she had already tried to force her will into his head once. And while she didn't harm him on their other "meetings", he certainly didn't welcome her in his mind. It felt unnatural and dangerous. One's mind is one's world, and only a fool would accept a stranger into it so freely.

When she offered her help, he hesitated. What would she want in return? Was this a honey-laden trap? Was she involved in everything that happened, in some sort of conspiracy? There were too many questions, and he couldn't trust her.

Even now, after she had saved his life, his heart feels cold. This isn't an issue of trust or friendship, but that of logic. He must select the course of action that has the most reasonable chance of success.

"Yukari," he says. "If you die here, what happens to the rest of you?"

The tiny girl coughs violently before looking up at him, her eyes turning glassy.

"This really isn't the time to ask questions," she says. "But you aren't going to move unless I answer, are you?"

"..."

"Like I said before," says Yukari. "This self is also myself, unlike a mirror-image or a familiar. That is why my awareness exists here. That is why I can use my powers. This isn't an extension, but a true part of myself."

"But doesn't that mean..."

"I've never died this way before," she says. "But I don't really mind losing a part of me. After all, this is to protect something important."

"What?" he says. "I don't understand. Why would you risk so much?"

"Gensokyo needs you," says Yukari. "And maybe I do, as well."

Grimnír hesitates. There is still a good chance that she is lying.

"Don't worry about me," she whispers. "We will see each other again, one way or another."

Slowly, another voice starts to drown out his calculated logic and rational thought. Something pulls tightly at his chest. A warm and powerful feeling, he can feel it pump through his veins. Grimnír stands up and takes a glance at the clear blue sky.

"I'm sorry... my friend..." he whispers.

Without another word, he takes off into the air.