War, Peace and Vengeance (IC) (Currently Postponed Due to Life itself taking an interest in me)

[Nyoko]

“Who are you affiliated with: the Hakurei, the Scarlets or the Moriya?” Rose asks her captive, namely me, with a commanding voice. Depending on the answer I give her, I would be ruthlessly annihilated, or left alive long enough for me to make my case for being here.

I speak: “I am affiliated with none of those three, for I come from underground in search of a vindictive spirit.”

The commander stands still, looking at me with eyes that wish to kill, as if to intimidate me into slipping the truth. Now, I swear upon my name Mina Katt that everything I said is the truth.

“You seem to be telling the truth”, she states, alleviating the pressure, “But why are you here then? Would you not find your spirit faster in the area around the prison for such spirits?”

“Reliable sources have told us that the vengeful spirit I am hunting has infiltrated your camp to kill someone in here”, I explain. Well, the person on the hitlist is you, Sanguine Rose.

“Can we catch it?”

“Will you release me to bring it back to where it belongs if you do?”

“Yes, we will.”

I explain what they require in order to capture the spirit and who it is that the soul possessed. Predictably, the victim falls to the ground the second the spirit is captured. Yet the poor soul was possessed for too long and fell to the ground, unconscious. Which has the small side effect of nearly getting executed, but after they confirmed the person is alive, I am let go, with nothing but the clothes on my back and the spirit capturing device that was already a pain to drag here. Yet now it is even heavier with the vengeful soul inside of it.

Now, how should I get back to the Underground?

\------------------------------------------/

HP: 144                                  MP: 44
crippled body parts: none
Items & equipment: A filled spirit capturing device and a uniform from Former Hell.

Search for a path in the plains
→ I know these plains well, but they are inhabited by danger and I already got ambushed once on these plains…

Follow tracks
→ Tracks lead to civilization or trouble, as they can belong to a trading caravan or a wandering band of mercenaries looking for a fight and/or food… or both.

Take the same route I took to get here back
→ In these fields camps left out in the open attract pillagers of all kinds, but perhaps we can scavenge some spoils from the inevitable brawl and dash?

Pick a direction and walk
→ All Caves lead to Chireiden. Or we find a checkpoint of some kind after walking for a bit.

\------------------------------------------/

(This is actually my first piece of fan-fiction and it is of fan-fiction, funny how fate works out...)

As this is a CYOA, mostly for plans far in the future you needn't worry about now, a small explanation of what is what is in order.

This means that our Nekomata uses her perception to solve a problem or find a hole in the enemy's defence.

This means that the Nekomata uses her knowledge of the area and/or person to get out of a predicament.

This means that Katt uses subterfuge or gets ready to perform trickery of any kind.

This means that Mina uses her diplomatic skills to get through checkpoints and such, or attempts to head towards a peaceful or less bloody solution.

Those four will always be there, being the core skills of the poor soul.
With those four also comes three sub-skills, noted down here.

This means using her Understanding of Vengeance to solve a problem, including orientation. However, as the magic of Gensokyo has dissipated, so too has the usefulness of this skill.

This means that she will take a break, recuperate and heal.

These are your luck choices; good and bad luck, respectively.

[Nyoko]

Fairies usually disappear instantly when they are killed, but the low magic of Gensokyo during the magic crisis made fairies’ bodies stay as ‘corpses’ for a bit. Like they were in some kind of purgatory for a week.

- Fairy Retrospective

\------------------------------------------/

I should go back to my small camp and see if I can steal a weapon from the battlefield it should already be. Though the difficult terrain I traversed was not exactly terrain I hoped to have to cross again, I don’t think Sanguine Rose let me off just to get rid of a potentially deadly vengeful spirit…

While the way back went without incident, save for your occasional detour to avoid ravenous Youkai or a trap set by some warband, what I found at my camp is much more alarming than just your common denizens of the Plains fighting for loot big and small. It is namely fairies, likely from a warband as they like clinging together, and humans in what I first assumed to be Hakurei military attire, but on closer inspection is a uniform I don’t recognize. They’re all human, though, and I don’t need to use my ability to feel the vengeful feeling coming from them, so these people must be the Purification Brigade I heard about recently… fighting a Crazed Fairy warband…

Well, This looting is an inherent part of life on the Plains. I just need a weapon and some food to last me a day, thus I’ll just get near the battle–
Someone already threw a corpse at me, because it was in the way of the enemy. This body belongs to a fairy, and the ‘sword’ she is holding on to could better be described as a dagger than a sword, but I’ll take it. I’d have preferred a human body as they would have also had food, but I’ll take what I can get. I leave as quickly as possible because I don’t like being near an entity called the ‘Purification Brigade’ for any amount of time longer than necessary. Especially if they have so much vengeance I can feel it without having to actively use my understanding.

As the lush green rolling hills of the Fantasy Plains make way to the Scarlet swamplands, I hunt some fish with my bare hands while also being paranoid that those vengeful humans are after me. A lot of those fish escaped due to that paranoia, but I should have enough for a decent meal. I find an alcove to spend the night in and drink some water from the ponds in the area. It seems like none of those humans followed me, but the amount of vengeance I felt there was truly destructive. Do humans always have that much potential for vengeance stored in their bodies?

I wake up sometime after sunrise and begin my journey to the cavern I came out of, when I spot a caravan heading the same way I want to go. Now, travelling with more people is usually safer…

Yet how am I going to ‘join’ the caravan?

\------------------------------------------/
HP: 144                                        MP: 48 (+4)
No crippled body parts
New Items and/or Equipment: A dagger

Follow it.
→ A trading caravan so close to the Plains must be prepared for ambushes, better play it safe and keep my distance.

Create a roadblock.
→ If I stop the caravan, I might be able to bargain my way on it.

Act like a poor person.
→ Maybe by appealing to the merchant’s humanity I’ll be able to join the Caravan.

Bargain with the merchant directly.
→ I don’t have much to offer, but extra protection in these outskirts of the Empire wouldn’t hurt, now would it?

[Nyoko]

Sanguine Rose came from these lands. While Queen Remilia seemed honourable and a decent ruler for a land… Her people seem less than honourable, so I should watch my back.

Even under the cover of the sun, this black uniform grants a kind of camouflage in the shade of the trees. I should still watch out as this is not a perfect camouflage like certain bugs or insects have, but it’ll have to do. I follow behind the caravan, sneaking across trees, arches and grottos so I always know where it is. But after about an hour or five of this sneaking around, something peaks my interest.

The sweet stench of blood fills the air around me, and I can’t help but investigate where it is coming from… It appears to be from a battlefield, though I can’t figure out who won and who lost from the bodies I can see. It does appear to be a fight between the Scarlet’s military police and some bandits… which is probably why the Empire is known to be the safest place in Gensokyo.

A little further, the bandits who seem to be primarily made up of Western Youkai, catch me off guard. Some are wearing garments worthy of a commoner, others wearing hastily-made clothing likely because they have no money. I guess they did not have time to loot the corpses on that battlefield earlier for some better clothes.

“Ye mone’ o’ ye li’e!” the one who seems to be the leader shouts in an accent matching her position as a criminal. Well, antagonizing them for their lack of time is going to end very poorly, so I’ll keep my mouth shut as I think about how to escape this predicament.

They have completely surrounded me, all five of them, and something tells me they won’t take ‘I have no money’ as an answer… There is a hill behind me that drops down to the road, but I would most certainly get caught by the caravan I was following as I hear it coming… When did I get in front of it?

Also, what do I do with those bandits?

\------------------------------------------/
HP: 144                                        MP: 48
No crippled body parts
New Items and/or Equipment: Nothing

Attempt to find a fault in their encirclement.
→ They’re exhausted, and some are even bleeding.

Give them their own money.
→ Perhaps their exhaustion makes them less vigilant.

Give something else away.
→ Substitution is the primary skill you must learn on the Plains, but it is surprisingly useful outside of there as well.

Jump off the cliff.
→ I’d rather be horribly maimed than give criminals a chance to kill me!

Make them witness their own horrors. (-22 MP)
→ Laying bare their hearts should confuse the enemy enough for me to dash.

Some Military police barely clinging to life provide a distraction.

...Are those more bandits on their way here?

[Nyoko]

“Well, would you like your dignity still intact, or shall I reveal your darkest desire?” I respond to her ultimatum.

“Wha’ kinda threa’ is tha’? Now I’m curious wha’ you can re’eal, miss”, that leader of the bandits says. Which is amazing, because that means I get more perspective on the vindication. But it’s still easy to underestimate the scale of the vengeance…

Entering what I call the Abyss, a black expanse stretching out to infinity with flames of one of three colours scattered around the landscape, I see eight flames. The heat coming from all of them are enough to cook me, though I don't plan on staying here for much longer. A red flame appears to be the vengeance of the leader of the bandits, so I touch that one to see who she despises.

Shortly after, a cell lays before me. That person is locked inside the cell, while one who I can only assume to be the victim stands just outside the cell with a parchment in his hands.

“Nelly of York, I needn’t remind you why you are here, do I?” The human says with a piercing stare.

Nelly merely grunts in response.

“Good, then allow me to finally give you your final sentence as decreed by our Queen and saviour of Gensokyo: You are to be put to death by virtue of a spear”, he relays.

“When?” Nelly asks.

“According to the sentence, in four days,” the victim says as he phases through the bars of the cell, a sure sign that we’ve diverged from what actually happened, “But I can hasten that, if you so wish.”

Nelly proceeds to knock him out as the cell transform into that torture chamber I have become all too familiar with. She begins by not nailing, but screwing him to the Scarlet’s family insignia. Two screws in the palms and two in the farthest reaches of the feet, so he has to stretch for as long as he will be alive in this vision.

Next, she beat him, barehanded, while saying: “The Queen is more forgiving than that, I just stole a dozen apples.”

I could ascertain how much of that sentence is true, but that would be a waste of mana. Also, those blows reverberate across the room three times, as she picks up a pot, throws some mice in there, presses it against his stomach and sets the pot ablaze. Which is a form of torture I don't typically see in these flames, as they're either too weak to warrant a death or too strong to allow people to die.

After the mice dug their way through the poor soul, she commits her last act of vengeance; surgically removing his heart before throwing it into a dump.

It is that corpse that I show to the bandits, who are rightfully disgusted by what just appeared in front of them.

“Who is… wait, him?” Nelly, taken aback, proclaims as she struggles to understand her emotions upon seeing him. The other bandits look at her in disbelief, which is my chance to escape.

Bye-bye, whatever happens next is not my problem. Now to find the carava–

“Hey, you, the lady in black!”

Or it can find me…

“I’m someone from Otherworldly Ventures the ruler of these lands hired to help refugees. So, is there something I can help you with? Especially because you just ran a good 500 meters.” the merchant on the caravan greets.

Otherworldly Ventures? I don’t have the employee card with me, as I left it at home, but they’re usually a trustworthy bunch if you’ve proven yourself. Well, I’m actually pretty close to my destination, just two more kilometers further, but a ride wouldn’t hurt and we can utilize the caravan to speed up should bandits approach.

“While I can march the distance, may I take a ride to my destination?” I ask.

“Is it to Scarlet Castle Town?”

“No, but it is in the direction of that place.”

“Then you’re accepted, as long as you tell me where exactly it is you’re headed.”

“Underground, towards what used to be Hell.”

“…Come sit with me”, he commands, intrigued.

Considering that the other nation responsible for the Nuclear Reactor does not have a good relationship with Otherworldly Ventures, at least from what I can tell, I should make it seem like I used their services out of necessity. Though… Satori’s going to get a visit from them sooner rather than later, now that they know it exists.

“May I know about that place?” he asks when I sat down.

“Well, the fact that it is my home should be enough to compensate for the ride, no?”

“You know of that axiom?” he says with a curiosity that cannot be fake.

“You’re not the first OV person I met, that’s all”, I answer, calmer than him.

“Then who was the first employee? Was it the CEO of the company?” he pries with an overwhelming amount of enthusiasm.

“…Information is a resource like any other, treat it with the respect it deserves”, I eventually articulate, though I nearly said the truth out of wonder for his absolute wonder at everything.

“…Right, you may ask a question, then”, he gives as a form of apology.

What’ll I do with that question, then?

\------------------------------------------/
       HP: 144                                               MP: 26 (-22)
No crippled body parts
New Items and/or Equipment: Nothing

Ask about the land.
→ A healthy exchange about Gensokyo goes plenty far and keeps his nose out of the business of the Underworld.

Query about Otherworldly Ventures and the Scarlet Empire.
→ Dig for information on them.

Appraise him.
→ Let us see how much value he places on himself compared to what he is actually worth.

pry about the CEO of Otherworldly Ventures.
→ He certainly idolizes him, but how much does he know?

 A catnap won’t hurt, now would it?
→ Though asking for a rest must have some good reasoning behind it.

Edited August 7, 2024 by Nyoko

[Nyoko]

Otherworldly Ventures

First appearing in Gensokyo in season 139, their initial attempts at trade failed due to not learning the customs and the fact that most of them only spoke English and even less spoke a lick of Japanese. Nevertheless, as of the first Scarlet War in season 140 and clever diplomacy by the CEO, Oscar Diggs, they managed to get trade relations going. As of season 142, the season I am currently in.

\------------------------------------------/

“Do you know why Otherworldly Ventures has to act as a refugee taxi for the Scarlet Empire?”

“It’s part of a contract our great CEO made with Queen Remilia herself: in exchange for free education of the Japanese language, Otherworldly Ventures would have 10 carriages traveling around the country catching refugees and baiting criminals into Scarlet traps”, he responds with glee.

Well, that explains the battlefield I saw earlier and makes me wonder just how many people Nelly had under her command. I doubt Scarlet authority would allow any of them to just run away, which makes the organization of the banditry here scary.

“If I may know so I can spend my money at an OV store later, do you know where the business operates?” I ask, knowing that I don’t have the free ticket to any question I have anymore.

“I know that OV is currently operating in the Scarlet Empire and the Myouren Republic. Our great CEO should also currently be trying to branch out to the Hakurei Republic, though the news I have received might be getting in the way”, He shares wholeheartedly.

“What news, if you’re willing to share?”

“Reimu Hakurei was the protector of these lands, right?”

“Yes, I believe so”, I answer, confused.

“Then she is trying to maintain her position as such. As the Netherworld appears to be preparing for an invasion of Gensokyo.”

“Weren’t they building walls to prepare for an invasion from Gensokyo?”

“Yes, but something seems to have changed in their country recently which has caused them to focus their economy more on the military side rather than the civilian.”

I’m at my stop and step off the carriage. Though the merchant is baffled at the wilderness it appears to be, I convince him that my house is hidden by a magic barrier and set off for the underground.

Upon entering, the first person I see when my eyes adjust to the lack of light is Yamame staring into my soul upside down.

“Hello there, Yamame”, I hail her.

“I would assume you’re the person Queen Satori sent aboveground for that spirit?” she asks.

“Yes, Mina Katt is the name”, I confirm.

“Welcome back, a lot has happened while you were away.”

“I could imagine, there are at least four requests I personally deal with every day.”

“Only four?”

“…What has happened while I was away?” I query, stunned.

“It’s better if you saw for yourself.”

She then led me through the caves to the gate to the Former Capital. Which is more the Current Capital but everyone calls it as such so I’ll just name it that way as well. Opening the front gate I witness a lively street of Oni… only Oni.

So I ask the first Oni who would listen: “What has happened since I was gone?”

She just shrugs and moves on with her day. I’ll have to ask mistress Satori for more information. I also need to report to her, so let’s just do that now.

After getting permission to come inside I say: “Mistress Satori, I have returned.”

“Do you have the vengeful spirit?” she asks, not skipping a beat.

“Yes.”

“You really shouldn’t have entered that camp.”

“Probably…” I say as I continue remembering my journey back here.

“But that information on aboveground affairs is good to know, but what is this about a ‘vengeance you could feel even when not actively using your ability’?”

“The heat from the abyss came through the fabric seperating it from Gensokyo, if I had to hypothesize.”

“Yes, I may ask the next person from the aboveground regarding that group. As for here, a schism has appeared in the Oni here.”

“Hmm?”

“It has to do with defensive policy. Some want to utilize the vengeful spirits as weapons of war, while others want to destroy the vengeful spirits for their power.”

“So I need to mediate?”

“Considering that if I choose a side, the other would rebel, yes, you have to”, Satori states, “Also, there’s an applicant for the position of a warden that came in recently. Seems like a decent person; even with his eccentricities.”

“I’ll see what I’ll do to remedy the problems you laid out before me”, I say before I leave.

So, there are more than a few problems that piled up due to my absence, and untangling them is something that the Komeiji family is a bit understaffed to deal with…

Let’s first begin with an overview of the problems I know of:
-A schism in parliament threatens a rebellion if the Komeiji family picks a side;
-War is on the horizon aboveground for some reason;
-I have a new applicant, and
-People are unresponsive to my questioning.

\------------------------------------------/
       HP: 144                                               MP: 26 (-22)
No crippled body parts
New Items and/or Equipment: A whip

What problem shall I tackle first?

Interview the applicant first.
→ They may also be useful faster than usual.

Talk to Orin about the schism.
→ Also, imprison the vengeful spirit.

Visit the parliament building.
→ Perhaps they’d be more talkative?

Talk to Okuu.
→ We can’t neglect our most vulnerable entrance, now can we?

Figure things out via the reasoning behind vengeances. (-5 to 26 MP)
→ The abyss isn’t all doom and gloom, though torture is surprisingly common.

[Nyoko]

If mistress Satori sent the applicant to me, that means that person is either best suited for being a guard or is able to help me in current affairs. Off to the prison I go.

As I enter the room containing this applicant, I am greeted by the sight of a Sinsack… who is trying to get rid of the sack on his head. I hesitantly enter the room… and then his line of sight, which caused him to stop trying to rip his sack of unsuccessfully and asks if he can find a job here.

“You’re a Sinsack, yet you left the order I have heard so much about”, I state, staring directly into his soul, “Why?”

“Because the methods they teach us to use are underhanded, immoral and despicable. How would one even find true love if the person they love had to be emotionally manipulated and broken first? That’s not the creed we had before!”

“…” Goodness me this Sinsack actually has a moral compass in the correct direction. But I can’t trust him just yet, he may be hiding his abundant lust to release it all later on the one he decided to target.

I thus ask after whose skirt he decided to chase after.

“I don’t know the name, so is a description good enough?”

“Just include all the details you know of”, I say.

“It’s a girl no older than 20 years of age with twintails, two cat tails, pitchblack hair and black clothing”, he says.

That sounds like me, but there is one question I can ask in order to be sure: “Where did you see her for the first time?”

“The Fantasy Plains.”

…Are you serious? Well, he has not jumped me yet, does not seem to have lied and despises what the Sinsacks have become.

“You’re… hired.” I say.

“I know it is not my place to ask, but you seem awfully familiar…”

“The answer to that question comes at a cost.”

“I’ll accept it.”

“I am the person you saw in the Plains. The name is Mina Katt.”

“Now I can at least place a name on the person I sacrificed my most valuable asset to. My name is Jun Kuroshiro and promise on whatever is left of my honour that I will serve you.”

“You can start by taking the position of a guard in the prison for the entire day. Consider it a way to win my trust.”

“…Do I get something to do my job with?” he queries with a pained smile.

“A whip. The rest you’ll learn on the spot or get possessed or possibly even die if you play your cards horrendously wrong.”

I also guide him to his workplace. If he survives the day then I am indebted to him for making him suffer more than necessary… Actually, would he harbour a vengeance against someone he loves? Even so, I would want revenge against myself if I put myself through that experience…

A bell tolls me out of my thoughts as the afternoon starts in the underground. It also feels like I’m going to be deaf after hearing it for the 404th time.

So what am I going to be spending the afternoon doing?

\------------------------------------------/
       HP: 144                                               MP: 26 (-22)
No crippled body parts
New Items and/or Equipment: Nothing

Watch Kuroshiro suffer.
→ I am as much to blame for his suffering as he is. Might as well watch it unfold.

Talk to Orin.
→ Who is in charge of maximum security prisons and where I want to send the Spirit I captured.

Visit parliament.
→ Both sides need to be heard for them to agree on my compromise.

Talk to Okuu.
→ That entrance still needs securing. I don’t trust the flames to deter the enemy.

Order the vengeful spirits to make the Sinsack suffer.
→ He should go through hell for my trust.

Sleep.
→ Now that the bell has tolled, I won't be rudely awakened until the next day... Unless it's something urgent.

[Nyoko]

Assuming there is no trial happening, Orin is in the former Hell of Blazing Fires, now known as the Prison of Blazing Fires, working to get a way back to the rest of the former Hells. So that’s where I head to.

I am correct in the assumption that there is no trial, for Orin is overseeing the construction of catwalks through the Prison so that more people can fit in there.

“Good afternoon, Orin.”

“Mina! Did anything happen to you on your return to the Plains?”

“A slight scuffle with some bandits and losing basically all of the possessions I had bribing a Rose, but nothing too serious”, I answer cryptically, “How has things been with you?”

“Well… not great. Mistress Satori entrusted me with a task that I failed to handle and… um… put my position in jeopardy.”

“Your position in the social standing or…”

“Come with me to a place where we can speak privately.”

That certainly doesn’t sound foreboding at all. But there’s no point in attempting to run away from it, so we went to Orin’s ‘house’ at the edge of the palace to discuss the problem.

“You see, some of the more radical parties demand my resignation for ‘assuming I know what the queen is thinking’…”

“I assume you managed to find a way to keep your position?”

“I don’t think I’ll be capable of acting as the Supreme judge, but as a title, I did.”

“Now I know why I am stuck cleaning up this mess of a situation after just coming back… anything you know that can help me?”

“One side wants to get rid of the spirits to free up space for farming, while the other wants to use the spirits to capture land for farming.”

“…Have you talked with the spirits about their farming capabilities?”

“Yes, that was the first thing I did. They seem to at least believe themselves to be capable of farming if given a body and a field.”

A field can be given, but a body… Guess that Sinsack’s going to be put under my half-mad experiments as one of his first actual orders. As I do not think we just have a random corpse or willing volunteer to get possessed existing in the general vicinity.

“They also talked about whether or not it is moral to even use the spirits as soldiers, but have been inconclusive as of my most recent intelligence report”, Orin sighs, “Satori has given us a troublesome task, hasn’t she?”

“She can’t exactly call on other people to deal with it for her, now can she? But I’ll figure something out, vengeance can be used for something more than finding new intriguing ways to torture someone.”

We also exchange some pleasantries, but the pressure weighing upon my shoulders as I may as well be the ultimate authority among the Wardens made me quickly forget the fun I had exchanging them. Though, if I do attempt to put my theory that spirits can farm more effectively than Oni, I should talk to my informant prisoner on the inside…

But most people are going to sleep now as the evening rolls in, categorized by the dimming of the flames of Former Hell as people from Moriya-shi thank Okuu for her hard work and pay us our fair share of profit. I have a lot to do tomorrow, so let us rest.

But there is something unusual about this time I rest, I woke up in an unusual place, with a certain someone who introduces herself a Doremy Sweet in front of me.

“Assuming I’m not here to get murdered and this is your dimension, why am I here?”

“Well, someone asked me to help you for a favour, and she’s fairly powerful, so I accepted the proposal.”

She isn’t lying, but I cannot dismiss the evergrowing malice before me... Wait, this feels more like she is trying to not fall into her base desires.

“Before you lie four dreams, you may choose one to see for yourself, the rest I will devour.”

This person seems dangerous, and I don't know the motive of the being who ordered her to give me this choice, but I'm not in a position to decline the offer, so looking through the windows to the dreams, I pick...

\----\/-----------------\/----/
HP: ?/\?\/?           MP: ?/\?)
No crippled body parts...?
New Items and/or Equipment: ???

 The dream showing a courtroom.

 the nightmare depicting a scene of fresh blood and corpses abound.

  A subliminal space residing in what appears to be a mausoleum.

 A lush landscape withering away.

[Nyoko]

Upon hearing my answer, the Baku sighs a sigh of relief, like she was threatened to give me this offer, rather than accept it without violent concern.

When I enter the courtroom, I am met with a face I haven’t seen before, but the name of the person that face belongs to is too familiar… Eiki Shiki, the Yamaxanadu of Gensokyo.

“Heaven, Hell and Meido now reside in the same place, which is something that should be fixed”, one of the apparitions of a Yama says.

“But the only place that can be used currently is the Netherworld, and they won’t have enough space to seperate the three places”, Eiki rebuts, “Old Hell has made its own kingdom; and the way to the only heaven I know of is not in control of the Netherworld.”

“I understand your concern for the livelyhoods of other people, but they shall be ruined if you don’t fix it immediately.”

The way this conversation sounds… It’s less like a dream and more like a conversation over the phone. I didn’t care enough to note any changes in temperature here, for dreams follow their own logic, but it can be that this place is… no, it’s not enough for me to distinguish that…

“…I’ll try the diplomatic option first, but I don’t think the Gods of the Mountain nor the Kingdom of Old Hell will accept the proposal”, Eiki says.

“When they don’t, you will attack them with everything you have, right?”

“…Of course, ”

And I wake up in the second Eiki’s mouth made another sound, so I could’ve maybe heard something more about the other Yamaxanadu there. Something is certain though: I have no time to waste and a mistress to warn of the impending danger.

\------------------------------------------/

HP: 144                                         MP: 19 (-7)
No crippled body parts

Experimentation time!
-> Though the poor soul who is going to be put into my experiment is going to be less than happy...

Warn the Mistress.
-> That is if she listens to it.

Weaponize the vengeful spirits.
-> Which is probably illegal at this stage but what other choice do I have?

Attempt to negotiate a middle ground for the two sides of parliament.
-> Only a united front can win a battle.

[Nyoko]

Walking through the streets of this former hell on a morning always feels weird considering the near-constant snow that falls. The stillness of the path I like to take also doesn’t help the perception that this place almost freezes over if nobody is there to liven it up.

“Welcome back, Mina. Here to present your progress…?” Mistress Satori greets me as I enter.

“Well, kind of. A person named Doremy Sweet presented me with quite an intriguing event.”

“…Yeah, that was about what I thought happened when I heard the news that the Netherworld is militarizing.”

“Then I won’t dwell on it. The other thing I want to ask you-”

“Is permission for your experiments, right?”

“…Yes.”

“…As long as you get parliament on-board.”

“Will do”, I say even though I might end up meddling in the affairs of parliament a bit more than is allowed by the constitution. I suppose I should also check up on Kuroshiro to see if he has lost his mind yet either by the constant possession or just the lust that drives those Youkai.

“You’re a fun person to be around, even though you are a Sinsack.”

“Thank you. My greatest wish is to become something other than a Sinsack, leaving this life behind, but that is harder than you would think.”

…Am I hallucinating? The Sinsack became friends with the prisoners? Sure, lust is among the most common reasons for people to wish for vengeance, especially with the ones locked up here, but I did not think we had any with that kind of lust. This… strange outcome was not part of my plans for him, but now I don’t need to even physically interrogate prisoners who do not like me in the slightest, I can leave it to him.

\------------------------------------------/

HP: 144                                         MP: 19 (0)
No crippled body parts

 

Bother the Sinsack to use him as a guinea pig.
-> Evidence is crucial in court, so parliament may work on the same principle.

Talk Okuu into letting the vengeful spirits function as soldiers.
-> Considering she is has more connections than me, it would be helpful.

Find the leader of the people who wish to banish the Spirits.
-> Why would Oni have to worry about Vengeful Spirits?

Find another test subject to utilize.
-> I'm not going to be so heartless as to stop Kuroshiro from having fun on the job.

[Nyoko]

Even though his help in keeping the relationships between the guards and inmates healthy, it does not help me. I feel weaker with each passing day, and the only thing that makes me feel stronger is if there is more vengeful desire running around.

It is at that moment the Sinsack notices me and invites me over to have a pleasant chat with those spirits… Though I politely refuse and ask him to come to me for I have certain ideas I have to discuss with him.

After a small discussion on what I am planning to do with his… I’m not going to finish thinking that sentence; he asks: “Why don’t you let one of the animals in this place get possessed first?” to which I retort: “Surely you must understand that those animals won’t allow you to do as you please with them?”

“Understood, Though I will ask for one condition”, he answers diplomatically after reading my glare that may as well state that I will not under any circumstances accept a no.

Despite my piercing magenta eyes still staring daggers at him to make him drop that request, I eventually relent as it is overly clear that there is only a small amount of things I will do for him. He took the opportunity to surprise me.

“May I know how you get your Mana?”

I stare at him quietly, though not a piercing glare like before. His voice had this tinge of compassion, like he could see that I am struggling to gain it. But at the same time, do I actually trust this person to give more than a basic overview of my collection activities?

“I get it from vengeance, as should have been obvious enough, right?” he gets as an answer. It did not fool him in the slightest.

“Allow me to rephrase the question, then”, he courteously queries, “What gets you the most Mana?”

“…Envious vengeance. The type that appears when you wish to do an act of wrath out of jealousy for what the victim has.”

“I assume you have a name for that kind?”

“…I don’t, but if I had to name it something, it would be… vindication.”

Now that my part of the deal is done, I take him and a lucky soul to the Former Hell of Blazing Fires and, with prior permission from Orin, ascend into the Former Hell of Needles via the use of the great technology of a hook on a rope. Still not the best place for agriculture, but it’ll have to do. The holes left after the intense needling of tongues of eternities past still exist here, which provide excellent seed pits for the agriculture.

As for where the soil I brought with me comes from, well, let’s just say that a small pit near one of the entrances to the caves won’t immediately be noticed, shall we? The seed I picked for this experiment is the quick-growing lettuce, to be grown twice in a week. Naturally, they also got food to last a week up there.

Seeing as there is nothing to do for that week except work and keep the nation from entering a civil war, I use my free time in between those two chores to brush up on my knowledge of spirits and the way Gensokyo used to be before this plague set upon the place. I did not learn much I didn’t already know, but any information on potential enemies is good information. I also brush up on my English in those moments, though how useful it will be is to be perceived at a later date.

After that week of momentary calm subsides, though, it is back to whipping the lust-fueled Youkai into working shape. Climbing up the grappling hook again to see a large field of nearly ripe lettuce next to a dozing Kuroshiro. To say that I am taken aback by the amount of lettuce there is would be an understatement, they nearly harvested twice the expected amount with that week of time here.

Not like I am going to give even a hint of my surprise to that one, I still do not trust the poor soul.

“Wake up, you demon.”

“I’m not a demon, I’m a Youkai~, miss Katto-heagh!” he responds like a drunkard. Though that kick was to throw out the vengeful spirit from his body instead of an action of malice against him personally, I did attack him a little too forcefully, as he was sure to notify me in between his coughs.

“How are the results?”

“You can see that for yourself, can’t you?” he asks rhetorically, “It is a major success.”

The evidence has been acquired, now it is time to present it to Parliament. Luckily, things seem to have calmed down in Parliament as well, though the unconcealed wrath due to that incident merely became grudges. They listen to my arguments and agree with most of my conjecture, as only the most stubborn of Oni remain on the side of banishing vengeful spirits. Though I did not use fair means to get those Oni on my side, as everything except actual bribery was fair game to me. Though even those persistent Oni eventually concede to the entire chariot filled with lettuce that I asked our resident Kasha to bring for me.

Another couple of normal days pass, with the streets being in high spirits, praise from every branch of the country directed at me to the point where I question if people forgot that I am the singular person who would encourage hatred against someone, even if that someone would be me.

Yet it is the day that I got called to the Palace that interests me the most, as the most influential person in the history of Gensokyo save the Dragon God pays us a visit then.

“Oh, hello. You must be that Nekomata everyone here is so joyous about”, she says.

“…That is indeed correct, but I have to wonder what you are doing here.”

“I have a favour to ask of you.”

“Come again?”

“Can you convince Queen Satori to send a small contingent to the aid of the Hakurei Republic?”

What is she… Hold on, the Hakurei Republic and the Netherworld are at war!?

“I’ll even let you in on a small secret regarding what is happening to the world, how does that sound?”

She’s desperate, but is it my prerogative to weigh the lives of everyone in that contingent to my pursuit of knowledge? Then again, that could strengthen our bond with the Hakurei, and that weird dream I had a few weeks ago basically stated that the Netherworld was going to demand something of us if we don’t do anything… so it might be in our best interest as a nation to help the Hakurei.

“…Consider the favour done, after you tell me the small secret.”

“Ah, thank you kindly. The small secret is that everything is absorbing the Mana at an unforeseen rate”, she says before gapping to god knows where. Leaving me with more questions than answers and a problem. I thus enter the audience room to meet a Queen who has forgotten what she was going to ask of me after reading my thoughts.

“…You don’t know when she is going to repay that debt, but you still took it.”

“The Mana dissipating is a problem for all that I have been keeping an eye on internally, in the hopes that I could maybe find a way to deal with it.”

“I see your reasoning… it is hard to find a hole in there, but we’re not going to declare war against the Netherworld, so you only get six people to bring with you.”

“That’s enough, we’ll leave in a week.”

[Nyoko]

I barely put up the notice before I could feel the familiar presence of the Asura of Former Hell… Well, what did I expect when I decided to put up a notice of recruitment to go to a battlefield?

Despite being primarily driven by the sins of Buddhist myth, this person somehow retains the ability to take orders and would probably be reborn in the Human realm if my understanding of Buddhist theology hasn’t failed me. Though that is only if he can be reasonable during the interview.

Turning around to greet whoever this person is, as he never introduced himself, ever, the hulking giant proudly flexes his muscles on his four arms as I question whether or not taking him with us would be a half-decent idea… Well, considering the other option is probably dueling with him, I’ll take the option with the greatest chance to not get me killed.

Thus I, the Nekomata who is half the height of the Asura who follows me, lead him to a special interview room specifically for him. I order him to be seated as I mentally prepare myself for my first true interaction with him.

This specific Asura wears a red cloak and enough bandages on his waist that it doesn’t seem healthy, has hair so drenched in blood nobody knows what its original colour is and is naturally muscular to the extreme. Even Oni have trouble getting that much muscle, likely because they don’t have to constantly fight. Even so, his personality, while mostly in line with the violent, impulsive and greedy gluttony they’re known for, differs in that he knows how to be a normal person… At least, as normal as a four-armed red giant with the feeling of wrath emanating from it can be.

I ask for his name just so I can be complete, to which he gestures to his body as an answer. I forgot he had taken a vow of silence for as long as he is not either condemned to live in the realm of the Asura or judged to be reborn in the realm of humanity by the Yama, so I thank him internally for not getting mad at me. He does still need a name, though, so I write Ashura in that field.

The next serie of questions would be about his past, but everyone in the nation knows the story of Ashura, so I ask him if that’s the past I should write in the questionnaire. He gives three thumbs up and one down, to which I ask if it would be worth it trying to get that last thumb up. The answer to that was a definite no, so I write down the story I have told and been told so many times I know it by heart.

On one of the battlefields of the Grand Civil War, a red warrior with four arms slayed the Oni who were at war with one another, drinking the blood of his victims. It was only when queen Satori talked to him that he stopped the slaughter and took orders from us.

“Why do you want to join this expedition?”

Ashura punches his four sets knuckles together.

“For the thrill of battle”, I say to myself as I mentally bully myself for asking a stupid question.

Now we’re off to the last question, which I am scared of.

“How much do you want to be compensated?”

He starts gesturing, but quickly stops as he thinks things out. Surely everything is what he wanted, yet he knew that was going to get him nowhere. Instead, his gestures after he thought about suggest he wants to split it however I want, as long as he got the most. He passes my judgement, but I should swing by mistress Satori in case she has any objections.

“It should be fine, as long as he behaves as good as he had in the interview.”

“That’s everything I wanted to ask you, mistress.”

That’s a wrap for today, dealing with the theatrics of an Asura and the amount of wrathful energy they dissipate around them is tiring...

[Nyoko]

At least, that was the plan before the incredibly useful annoyance calls out to me in that foolish voice again.

“It has been a long day for me today, Kuroshiro; so may I retire for the day?” I acknowledge his existence… which is a mistake, Katt. It didn’t take long before I begrudgingly join him to an interview room, politely turning down his increasingly more elaborate proposals.

Once inside the interview room, I take the initiative to pressure him to leave me alone for a while. Eventually culminating in the sentence: “Look, Kuroshiro, you would do me a favour by staying here and taking care of your work.”

However… He’s not one to back down. “What if you get hurt? I wouldn’t be able to continue living!” he nearly screams so loudly I worry that the Gods of the Mountain can hear his whining. Though I do suppose he gets some points for prostrating himself, but those are instantaneously deducted because he is possessed.

That vengeance… belongs to a spirit who calls himself Mark. A delusional person who holds a grudge against the world, though it has been tempered so much you can barely sense it. Orin didn’t want him due to his weak vengeance, so I am the only person who wants this vengeful spirit that doesn’t know what a targeted grudge is. Still, I treat him the same way I do every other vengeful spirit, as that’s the only way he is going to get a grudge against me specifically… and add some colour to the flame.

Readying my whip as I stoke his grudge, the poor young soul comes out of the body he is possessing, telling me that Kuroshiro is making the face of a loser… Do you truly have nothing better to say, Marc? I whip him, though the crack didn’t sound as my weapon disappeared right in front of my eyes. Then Jun tries to strangle himself, which I wouldn’t recommend due to how useless the action is.

But, considering I get to win in both situations, either a nuisance dies or I learned of a fairly strong ability with my aide getting a free torture session for no reason, satisfying my sadistic impulses, I slowly start clapping… In fact, I might be able to drive the fear of vengeful spirits through the roof with Mars’ ability, so I take a formulary and pen and, upon witnessing them stopping, ask them their name.

“Jun Kuroshiro and Maru”, uh… Jun answers. I know it is Mark, but I must write in Japanese, so the closest is マルク. Alright, next question.

“Why do you want to join this expedition?” I say in English, prodding Marle first.

“To understand…” he begins saying, yet stares with a confused look into the wall behind me for a decent minute.

He shakes off his confusion, reaching the answer of wanting to understand himself to find peace. I don’t need to ask the other one why, nor do I want to listen to his self-aggrandizing stories of his exploits. I also skip over the question of their past, as I am fairly knowledgeable about them. Marx went through the front door of his home to find himself in Gensokyo without the ability to speak Japanese. Considering that Gensokyo started to become the modern day one a couple of years prior to my awakening, he came into contact with a lot of folk who did not understand him, and his delusions got him in trouble with the local authorities, which eventually lead to his death.

Though the circumstances regarding his spiriting away is suspicious, I’ve never really had the opportunity to look into it… Well, better late than never, I suppose.

As for the last question, which I also ask in english because I’m certain beyond a shadow of a doubt the Sinsack will ask for something to do with my body, I ask what the other soul wants from me.

“Your hand in marri…”, the body says. I need a rest because I am hallucinating or Kuroshiro understood English just now, but I also want my whip back. So, considering the possesser is a resourceful being, I hold my hand up expectantly. The Sinsack’s hand goes towards mine, nearly touching, but the whip appears just as they were about to touch. So I swiftly pull it back with my whip in tow.

“I look forward to working with you two~” I say in a calculating tone to keep them on edge, though I won't be able to work with them if I am exhausted to the point of collapse. A quick catnap should fix me right up, so I retreat to my quarters for a bit.

[Nyoko]

Ring

Yeah, yeah, just let me sleep for a while longer.

Ring

Perhaps you would let me sleep for a slight bit longer?

Rin-

Okay fine, I’m up! Stupid bell. Time to change out of my Yukata and into my long-coat-ish dress to get ready for work. While I’m at it, I’ll also wash myself.

“Good afternoon, Katto-san”, the familiar voice of Orin calls out to me the second I stepped out of my front door. It’s only natural to respond in kind, but I have to wonder how long she has stood here waiting for me.

“Don’t worry about that~”, Orin answers in a tone that indicates that she has been here for a long time, “I came here to introduce you to an applicant for the expedition you’re organizing.”

“…What did you do this time?”

“Maybe a little lie and circumventing Celestial bureaucracy for a child spirit, nothing much, really.”

Sure buddy, last time I had to deal with a confusing urban legend regarding a certain Mary-san, I won’t be taking any chances.

“…I present to thee, a Zashiki-Warashi!” Orin exclaims so enthusiastically I could’ve sworn a theater appeared there for a split second. A Youkai of diminutive size walks into my field of view at the same time, looking like they just put on a pillow.

“H-Hello, Mina. I… wish to join this expedition to flip every pillow in the world!” they exclaim after mustering the courage to speak to me. Am I that really that scary for Youkai?

Disregarding that question, “Orin, mind telling me why you’re sending a child to war?”

“You’re the vengeance specialist, you’ll figure it out in time~.”

Now is not the time to dodge questions, Orin! And she’s gone off to the Prison of Blazing Fires, of course. I’m in an incredibly vengeful mood today, so she won’t get away with just a retribution. As for the child I’m now stuck with… I guess I have to swing by the Queen to get rid of them.

“…She stays.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“The kid will be more useful that you think, considering she has the ability to flip anything 180 degrees.”

“…Fine”, I agree, pouting. Is this her new attempt at secretly trying to kill me for being a massive spanner in the works?

“It would not be the first time, at least.”

“I’m aware, Mistress Satori”, I answer. She might also have some vengeful feelings for me being more popular than her now. Well, I’ll deal with that later, when it becomes a problem I can’t ignore.

Now I have to fill in a form to send a child to war… with an Asura and a Sinsack in the same group. Orin, You’ll pay me back four times over for this, understand!?

“Name, please”, I ask in a resigned voice.

“Nezuko Katyusha.”

Nezuko… Katyusha – Does fate hate me? Why the hell is it someone from the Katyusha line, who have very potent vengeances for things I do not understand because they manage to present their vengeance in the most Russian way possible.

“A bit about your past, so I know how best to command the group.”

“My parents died in front of Orin.”

The hell did I say, 火焔猫 燐? What mess did you get into this time?

“She tutored me to take revenge on the people who killed my parents using my ability to flip anything, like you, hehe!”

I don’t have anything to say in my defence. She got me fair and square. Well, now I have three people under my command, none of whom are a normal being in the widest sense of the word. 助けてください、神様。

“You would go so low as to enlist a child?” Mark asks rightfully baffled when I introduce Nezuko to the rest of them. I answer with my half-lidded eyes that I tried to keep her from joining the army, but I can’t exactly go against a direct order from my mistress who sees me as a spanner in the works and has in every discreet way imaginable tried to exile or kill me.

Other news to note, Ashura seems to have taking a liking to the child, as he is playing peacefully with her. Yes, the Wrath is still permeating the air and fueling vengeances more than your typical amount, but the sight has not turned bloody yet. Then again, I have yet to see a spirit bleed.