[x] Accept. Her offer seems to be sincere.

I took the glass she offered and raised it to my lips.

"Mmm.. not bad. Is this from France?"

"Portugal, actually. How is it?"

"It has a pleasant aroma, and the flavor isn't too strong."

"Glad to hear that you like it~"

Yukari smiled cheerfully as she poured herself another shot. The bottle on the table wasn't something that one brought to an everyday visit. I could tell that the quality of the brandy was certainly first class, perhaps even a rare vintage. Putting aside the less than pleasant rumors I've heard about her, she didn't seem too bad for a youkai girl.

"Don't worry," she said. "I didn't put anything shady into your glass. That isn't really my style, you see~"

"Then, whose style is it?"

"I had best not say. But that isn't what you really want to ask me right now. Don't you have something else in mind?"

There was a very strange aura about this girl. From the very beginning, I felt that I could never trust her words completely. Her eyes glittered of mischief and intelligence. Yet at the same time, I felt certain that she was sincere about lending me a bit of her power. I couldn't explain it well, but I sensed a subtle hint of compassion in her voice. But why? Why would she act that way to an ordinary human like me?

"You really are Yukari Yakumo, aren't you? The famed youkai of boundaries?"

"Perhaps," she said. "Why do you ask?"

"I've heard several stories about you, both good and bad. One could never predict whether you would play the part of the villain or the heroine. But regardless of your true motives, whichever side you chose would have an incredible advantage."

"Seems like you've heard quite a few rumors. But now that we've finally met, what do you think?"

A moment of silence passed as I pondered on her question. I took another sip of brandy.

"You are truly a dangerous and beautiful existence."

Yukari giggled at me.

"Why, thank you~" she said. "Though I don't think you should say that in front of our host."

"Our host?"

She poured a shot of brandy into one of the empty glasses. And as soon as she put down the bottle, a familiar shadow appeared behind her. Remilia Scarlet stood there with her arms folded, frowning.

"What the hell are you doing within my territory!?"

Without glancing behind her, Yukari passed the glass to the vampire.

"Relax. I'm not here to fight you."

Remilia took the glass and drank it all in one go. Then, she took a seat beside me and started pouring herself a second shot.

"Why are you here, then?" she asked.

"Various reasons," said Yukari. "But before that, I have something to ask you."

"Go ahead. I'm not obliged to answer, though."

Yukari nodded solemnly.

"Have you had any strange visitors lately?"

"You mean, besides you? Who are you looking for, exactly?"

"A wandering wizard. I believe that he goes by the name, 'Hansel', nowadays."

Remilia paused for a moment before answering.

"No one by that name has ever been invited to this place."

"Ah, is that so~"

Then, the vampire put down her glass and turned to Yukari with a grim smile.

"Now if you'll excuse us, we have some important work to finish. I believe you know the way out..."

"Eh? But I still have some business with your friend here~"

At those words, Remilia turned and glared at me.
[ ] Yukari should leave.
[ ] Yukari should stay.
[ ] I don't really care.

Minor Addition for >>41936

[x] Brandy

"So then, why did you call me out here, anyway?"

"No real reason," said Keine. "I guess that I just wanted some company while drinking."

The village guardian took her cup and finished it off in one gulp. Then, she asked for another bottle. Mokou sighed sadly.

I probably shouldn't be the one saying this, but don't you think that you should cut down a little?"

"Cut down?"

"On the booze, I mean. You shouldn't be coming out here to drink every evening. I've heard the rumors from the villagers. Did you really come to class completely wasted the other day?"

"Ah, that. I think that the parents just overreacted a little bit."

"They said that you knocked several students out cold after they answered your questions wrong..."

"Eh? Did I, now? That must have been hilarious, ahahaha..."

"..."

Mokou slowly planted her palm upon her forehead. Her friend was officially 'on leave' until she got her act together. But ever since the incident a few weeks ago, Keine had been obsessed with her investigation. She started secluding herself in her research, only returning to the village to teach an occasional class or two before passing out. Then, she started spending her nights drinking. She claimed that the alcohol helped her sleep.

"Mokou, didn't you notice anything odd that day? You know, that time when you three joined me for breakfast?"

"You've asked me that dozens of times. But no, I didn't feel anything unusual with those two. Just like you said before, that was just another ordinary day in the village."

"Yeah, you're right. It was just supposed to be a normal day..."

"..."

The village guardian stared at her cup for a moment before emptying it all in one go. Then, she started pouring herself another shot. It was difficult to watch.

"Say, Keine? Why do you care about this incident so much? It wasn't like anyone in the village got hurt or killed, right?"

"Why do I care?" she repeated. "You want to know why I care? I'll tell you, why!"

She banged her palm loudly on the counter.

"Because everything that happened was my fault!"

"..."

"Yes... (hic)... that's right... (sob)... it was... (hic)... all... (sob)... my fault..."

Mokou sighed as Keine started to cry. She pulled out a few bills from her pocket and handed them to me.

"Sorry about this," she said. "I guess I need to take her home again. Please forgive us for troubling you so often."

And with that, the two of them left. They were my last customers for this evening, so it was time for me to close shop.

A few weeks ago, news of a great incident spread across Gensokyo. But unlike the other mysterious incidents, this one had gone completely unsolved. The first one to discover it was that black-white, Marisa Kirisame. While on one of her usual visits to 'borrow' books, she discovered a series of ghastly murder scenes.

Patchouli was found at the very bottom of the Voile Library, with a strange metal spike impaled upon her chest. Sakuya and Koakuma were discovered at the second floor hallway with fatal wounds on their chest and necks. Flandre Scarlet and Hong Meiling lay lifeless out in the gardens, despite having no visible wounds or scars.

Then, when Reimu and the others arrived, they swept through the mansion grounds and discovered four more bodies buried by the greenhouse. The victims were identified as Rumia, Sunny, Luna, and Star, all of whom had been thought as missing for some time. Needless to say, everyone was baffled as how they were killed, especially in the case of the three fairies.

Up untill now, the remaining two bodies were never found. The first belonged to the Mistress of the mansion, Remilia Scarlet. The second belonged to their newest resident, the Outsider. Neither of them were ever seen again.

Little by little, it started to rain. The moon shone brightly, and the water droplets reflected the silver light as they fell to the ground. Just like that night...

"..."

My name is Mystia Lorelei. The last survivor and witness to the truth. And despite that, all I could do now was to sing one last song...

"Even if there's no one left to listen~♪"



ENDLESS SILVER: END



.


..


...


[ ] Dirge
[ ] Elegy
[ ] Requiem

Next: >>41959

Under the Scarlet Moonlight

She sat before me, a little shot glass in her hand. There was a bottle of brandy and three more glasses on the tea table. This scene felt very familiar, and that was what made me uneasy. She smiled as she took a sip.

"..."

I was seated at my usual place at this tea table in the gardens. The crimson sky glowed ominously from above. And in that inverted ocean of blood and shadows, a countless number of humanoid figures reached out toward the ground. Those voiceless souls cried silently of their despair. But that wasn't the reason for my surprise. After all, I had been here before.

"Welcome back~"

This blonde girl in front of me wasn't Remilia Scarlet.

"Who... are you?"

She chuckled a bit and put down her glass.

"Just a simple youkai passing through," she said. "You can call me Yukari."

"Yukari? You don't mean, Yukari Yakumo?"

The girl smiled wider, but she didn't confirm nor deny my question.

"That was a very interesting game back there. Quite entertaining, indeed."

"...entertaining?" I repeated.

"It was enough to distract me from my work, at least~"

"..."

I frowned hard at Yukari. Despite everything that had happened, Remilia had never took this riddle as a game or a joke. But here stood the youkai of boundaries, talking as if this was some kind of play that had been set up for her amusement.

"Ara? Now, don't start getting riled up," she said. "If you listen carefully, you just might gain something very useful for the next round. A blessing from this young girl is nothing to shrug off. In fact, you should be very thankful that I chose to appear before you at all. This is a miracle that won't ever happen again, you know~"

"Let's get to the point. What do you want in return?"

"Nothing at all. I'll do you this favor free of charge, but only this once~"

"And why would you do that?"

She pulled out a fan from her dress and covered her mouth with it for effect. The gesture only increased my suspicion and unease.

"Let's just say that I've taken an interest in you~"

"..."

"Ah! But where are my manners? Why don't we have a drink, first?"

Yukari poured a shot of brandy and held it out to me.
[ ] Accept. Her offer seems to be sincere.
[ ] Accept. Not like I have anything better to do.
[ ] Accept. Might be better to avoid offending her.
[ ] Refuse. This isn't the best time to drink.
[ ] Refuse. The host of this party has yet to arrive.
[ ] Refuse. I don't want to have anything to do with her!

[x] Brandy

"So then, why did you call me out here, anyway?"

"No real reason," said Keine. "I guess that I just wanted some company while drinking."

The village guardian took her cup and finished it off in one gulp. Then, she asked for another bottle. Mokou sighed sadly.

"I probably shouldn't be the one saying this, but don't you think that you should cut down a little?"

"Cut down?"

"On the booze, I mean. You shouldn't be coming out here to drink every evening. I've heard the rumors from the villagers. Did you really come to class completely wasted the other day?"

"Ah, that. I think that the parents just overreacted a little bit."

"They said that you knocked several students out cold after they answered your questions wrong..."

"Eh? Did I, now? That must have been hilarious, ahahaha..."

"..."

Mokou slowly planted her palm upon her forehead. Her friend was officially 'on leave' until she got her act together. But ever since the incident a few weeks ago, Keine had been obsessed with her investigation. She started secluding herself in her research, only returning to the village to teach an occasional class or two before passing out. Then, she started spending her nights drinking. She claimed that the alcohol helped her sleep.

"Mokou, didn't you notice anything odd that day? You know, that time when you three joined me for breakfast?"

"You've asked me that dozens of times. But no, I didn't feel anything unusual with those two. Just like you said before, that was just another ordinary day in the village."

"Yeah, you're right. It was just supposed to be a normal day..."

"..."

The village guardian stared at her cup for a moment before emptying it all in one go. Then, she started pouring herself another shot. It was difficult to watch.

"Say, Keine? Why do you care about this incident so much? It wasn't like anyone in the village got hurt or killed, right?"

"Why do I care?" she repeated. "You want to know why I care? I'll tell you, why!"

She banged her palm loudly on the counter.

"Because everything that happened was my fault!"

"..."

"Yes... (hic)... that's right... (sob)... it was... (hic)... all... (sob)... my fault..."

Mokou sighed as Keine started to cry. She pulled out a few bills from her pocket and handed them to me.

"Sorry about this," she said. "I guess I need to take her home again. Please forgive us for troubling you so often."

And with that, the two of them left. They were my last customers for this evening, so it was time for me to close shop.

A few weeks ago, news of a great incident spread across Gensokyo. But unlike the other mysterious incidents, this one had gone completely unsolved. The first one to discover the scene was that black-white, Marisa Kirisame. While on one of her usual visits to 'borrow' books, she discovered a series of ghastly murder scenes.

Patchouli was found at the very bottom of the Voile Library, with a strange metal spike impaled upon her chest. Sakuya and Koakuma were discovered at the second floor hallway with fatal wounds on their chest and necks. Flandre Scarlet and Hong Meiling lay lifeless out in the gardens, despite having no visible wounds or scars.

Then, when Reimu and the others arrived, they swept through the mansion grounds and discovered four more bodies buried by the greenhouse. The victims were identified as Rumia, Sunny, Luna, and Star, all of whom had been thought as missing for some time. Needless to say, everyone was baffled as how they were killed, especially in the case of the three fairies.

Up till now, the remaining two bodies were never found. The first belonged to the Mistress of the mansion, Remilia Scarlet. The second belonged to their newest resident, the Outsider. Neither of them were ever seen again.

Little by little, it started to rain. The moon shone brightly, and the water droplets reflected the silver light as they fell to the ground. Just like that night...

"..."

My name is Mystia Lorelei. The last survivor and witness to the truth. And despite that, all I could do now was to sing one last song...
[ ] Dirge
[ ] Elegy
[ ] Requiem

[x] Don't hate her

Flandre took my hand and caressed it gently with her fingers. She blushed a cute pink with a peaceful smile on her face. The gems on her wings gave off a pleasant tinkling sound as they shook. I could sense that she was feeling a bit uneasy. The shuffling of her feet was enough to give away her nervousness. But she did not retreat or laugh it off as a joke. Instead, she drew herself even closer to me.

"I love you," she whispered.

I stood in shock at this sudden confession. She had said all this while looking straight at me. I saw no trace of malice or hatred in her eyes. She seemed no different from an ordinary girl in love. With certainty, I knew that these were her true feelings.

"I want to spend the rest of my days with you. That is my wish."

"..."

"Do you.. hate me?"

A moment of silence passed. Very slowly, I shook my head.

"Thank goodness! I was afraid that you would hate me after everything that had happened."

"I don't hate you," I said. "But I can't really respond your confession right now."

"That's alright. There is no rush anymore. Let's take our time in getting closer to each other's hearts, ehehe~"

"No, that's not quite it, Flan. I'm... sorry."

If circumstances were a bit different, then perhaps I could have responded to her feelings. But there was something wrong here - something very wrong. A number of different scenes flashed in my mind. I couldn't figure out the exact connection between them, but I sensed that I was close now. I was very close to the truth. It pained me, but I slowly pushed her away.

"Eh? But why!?"

"I'm sorry," I said. "I never realized how much pain you were in. All that time, I never knew."

"..."

"But it's alright. I think I'm starting to understand your riddle now. You had left so many clues and hints."

"... stop it."

"It was all my fault," I said. "I had closed my eyes to the truth."

"I said, stop it!"

I gave her a gentle smile.

"Let me share in your pain, Flandre."

"That's enough, already!" she cried. "I've heard enough! I'll certainly break the stupid out of you, this time!"

The vampire raised her hand and quickly clenched her fist. But to her surprise, nothing happened.

"Eh? What the? W-why isn't it working!?"

She tried several more times, but to no avail. Then, she looked up at me in shock.

"Why!? Why can't I break your will? And why can't I grasp your 'eye'?"

Of course she couldn't use that ability on me. Not anymore.

"You still don't understand it, do you? The answer to your own riddle?"

I sighed sadly. Then, I raised my hand and snapped my fingers. In an instant, we were transported to the gardens outside the mansion. It was already evening, and the rain continued to pour incessantly. But unlike earlier, the moon shone brightly from above. The drops of rain reflected the light as they fell, painting the sky with endless silver.

"A-ah! How did you manipulate the territory?"

"Because we are in the depths of your heart. And this..."

I slowly held my hand open in front of her. The vampire watched in awe as the silver rain began to collect around my palm. The drops shone brightly as they came together, forming a small handheld weapon. It was a Colt Peacemaker revolver. Then, I raised it toward her.

"This is the miracle that all of us failed to see."

"B-but that's impossible! Absolutely impossible! I can't accept that answer!"

Flandre chanted spell commands under her breath. Then, a strangely shaped metal wand appeared in her hands. She grasped the Laevateinn tightly and rushed forward at me. But she was already too late. There was no way that I could miss with this weapon.

"Let us meet again in hell, Flandre."

And then, I pulled the trigger.

[ ] Brandy
[ ] Wine
[ ] Sake

[x] Remilia

Flandre looked at me carefully. Her expression was completely neutral, and I couldn't tell what she was thinking. Then, she nodded to herself and sighed, as if she had expected this answer.

"Very well, then." she said.

The vampire snapped her fingers loudly. At that signal, the shadow tendrils loosened their hold on Meiling and retreated back into the darkness. She bent down and coughed violently. I quickly ran up to her so that I could help her up.

"Are you alright?" I cried. "Can you stand up?"

"I think... (cough).. I'll be alright.. (cough).. in a bit."

"..."

Meiling took her gaze away from me and turned to Flandre. Neither of them said anything as their eyes met. Yet, they seemed to arrive at some sort of understanding. Very slowly, the gate guard nodded.

"I see. There is no other way, is there?" she said.

"I'm sorry, Meiling," whispered the vampire.

"Don't worry about it. But can I have a minute?"

Then, Meiling turned to me and gave the gentlest of smiles.

"Listen carefully," she said. "As this is the last clue that I can give you."

"Last clue?" I repeated. "What are you talking about?"

Without warning, she gave me a tight embrace and whispered something unexpected. My eyes widened in shock.

"Eh? B-but that is -"

"It's time," said the vampire.

Meiling reluctantly pulled herself away and turned back to Flandre. She walked a few steps forward, stopped, and nodded.

"I am ready," she said.

"Thank you for coming this far..." said the vampire.

"Thank you for going this far..." said Meiling.

"And... goodbye..."

Flandre raised her hand and grasped at something that only she could see. There was no flash of light, nor was there any loud noise. But in that moment, I sensed that something had changed. And a few seconds later, the gate guard collapsed to the ground.

"Meiling? Meiling!? Meiling!!"

I quickly ran up to her, but it was too late. There was no wound, nor was there any sign of suffering. She lay there quietly, as if she was just asleep. But she had completely stopped breathing, and she had no heartbeat or pulse. I shook her and called out to her again and again, but it was useless. All my efforts were useless.

"And Then There Were None..." said Flandre. "The ceremony is finally complete. With this, an impossible wish shall be granted with absolute certainty."

"Ceremony? You killed everyone for some... CEREMONY!? For some... WISH!?"

Flandre gave me the sweetest smile and nodded.

"Apart from a miracle, this was the only way..."

"Only way!?" I cried. "Only way for what!?"

"To reach this ending..."

The vampire took a few steps closer. And then, she said the most unbelievable thing to me. I stood in shock for several seconds, and I had to ask her to repeat it again, just to make sure.

"W-what did you just say!?"

Flandre Scarlet gave me the brightest of smiles.

"I love you."

[ ] Hate her
[ ] Don't hate her

[x] "I'll kill them all."

After reloading once more, I raised my rifle toward the left.

"BANG! BANG! BANG!"

I fired three more times into the darkness. And as I continued moving forward, I passed by the corpses of three more shadow creatures. I clicked my tongue in irritation. These small fry were really starting to piss me off. Ever since I walked through the door to the Master's room, these things kept trying to ambush me in twos or threes. I couldn't even remember how many of them I had already killed.

"Damn this darkness..."

This passage was very poorly lit, and only a handful lamps and torches illuminated the surroundings. I could smell the dust and mold in the air. Unlike the rest of the mansion, this place didn't show any sign that it was maintained by the staff. In fact, I had the impression that I was inside one of those areas that had been sealed away long ago and forgotten. After all, this most certainly didn't look like Remilia's room.

"And damn that bitch."

She must have did some trick with the door. Was it some sort of spell or illusion? I had no idea how it was done. But I just shrugged that away and continued onward. All I knew was that the culprit would be at the end of this dark passage, waiting for me.

"BANG! BANG!"

I turned around and fired two more times into the darkness behind me. Two more yelped in pain as they collapsed. These shadow wolves were relentless. No matter how many I killed, they just kept coming. Meiling had called them 'familiars' earlier. If that was so, then perhaps I must kill their Master to put a permanent end to them.

And just as I was thinking that, a large pair of double doors came into view from the end of the passage. I paused for a moment to catch my breath. This was the end. I could feel it in my bones. There were no more obstacles, and I was sure that the culprit was just behind these doors. Once I stepped through, there would be no more turning back. And there would be no more escape.

I put my free hand on the handle and opened the door quickly. A large, well-lit ball room came into view. At the very center stood the silhouette of a young winged girl.

"You sure took your time. I thought you might have gotten lost on the way here~"

"..."

Without a word, I raised my rifle, aimed and pulled the trigger.

"Click! Click! Click!"

But nothing happened. Was the gun out of bullets? I quickly started rummaging through my pockets for ammunition.

"D-damn it!" I mumbled.

"What's wrong with your toy? Having any trouble? Ehehehe~"

The young girl turned around and stepped into the light. She smiled mischievously as she watched. I recognized the vampire immediately. Then, I began to understand.

"So this was your plan," I said. "You intentionally lured me here, alone. Then, you used your familiars to waste all of my bullets. I should have guessed that you were behind this intricate mass murder."

"Intricate? The plan was quite simple, really. And that's why it was so elegant~"

She raised her hand and snapped her fingers playfully. With just that, the rifle in my hands broke in half. A cold sweat began to drip from my forehead. I didn't take a single step back, bu that wasn't because I was feeling brave. If this girl really was behind all of this, then there was one thing certain. My chance of escape was now at zero percent.

"I guess I'm next then. What now? Are you going to decapitate me with your bare hands? Burn me to death with magic? Or perhaps you'll tie a weight to my neck and toss me into the lake?"

"Eeeeeeeeh? Haven't you figured anything our yet? You really are a silly sweet bun head, aren't you, ehehehe~"

The vampire giggled innocently as she stepped closer. And without warning, she ran up and gave me a tight embrace. The moment I felt her soft touch, all doubts my doubts had vanished. This girl was certainly the same Flandre Scarlet that I knew.

"Just a bit more," she whispered. "And, just maybe..."

"W-what the!?"

And just as suddenly, she pulled herself away and a malicious smile returned to her face.

"And now, the main event!"

She raised her hand and snapped her fingers once more. And from the shadows, someone was dragged into view. My eyes widened in horror as I realized that it was Meiling. Strange, shadowy tendrils were wrapped all over her body, binding her movement. Her mouth was covered as well, and she couldn't speak.

"Meiling!" I cried. "What the hell is this?"

"If you solve this riddle, then the gate guard will be set free. But if you fail, then I'll proceed with the last part of the ceremony. So listen very carefully now, because I will only say this once!"

Flandre turned to me with an unusually serious expression upon her face. And when she spoke, her voice was almost a whisper.

"At this point in time, there are nine named murder victims. Four of them were listed out in the letter that you have in your pocket, with one name that couldn't be read. Another four were killed after the letter was found. With these and all the other clues presented, who was the first person killed? Whose name was meant to be written at the start of the letter?"

I closed my eyes and thought back carefully...
[ ] Remilia
[ ] Flandre
[ ] Sakuya
[ ] Patchouli
[ ] Meiling
[ ] Koakuma

[x] I speak no evil.

"What the hell?" I cried. "Where is her injury?"

"A-ah! I-I can't find the wound! There isn't any at all!"

"That's impossible! Where is she bleeding from?"

I knelt down to examine Sakuya myself. But I couldn't locate the chief maid's injury, either. All we could do was wipe off the blood that seemed to be seeping right through her skin. I tried putting pressure on her chest, but that didn't stop the bleeding. Damn it! Carefully, I tried shifting the position of her arms and legs, but that didn't help either. Argh! What was going on here? Her body seemed perfectly fine, and there were no visible wounds or bruises. But blood continued to drip from her chest. I became increasingly aware that her face was slowly turning pale white. I raised my fist and pounded on the ground in frustration. No matter what we tried, the bleeding wouldn't stop. Meiling began to weep as she gingerly wiped off some blood that had begun dripping from the chief maid's mouth.

"Miss Sakuya! U-u-uuu.. (hic)... uwaaaaaah!"

"Damn it all, Sakuya!" I shouted. "Didn't you already figure out the truth? Weren't you going to lead us to the culprit? Damn it, don't leave us like this!"

"...so noisy..."

Those words were whispered with great difficulty. For just a moment, I thought that she had recovered. But when I looked, she had only one eye slightly open. Very slightly, her head nodded. Immediately, both of us lowered our heads closer to her lips.

"The Mistress..."

We waited patiently, as there was nothing more we could do. Almost a minute passed before she found enough strength to speak again.

"She is... already..."

"Already?" I said. "Already what? What happened to Remilia!?"

"M-Miss Sakuya... Miss Sakuya? Hey Miss Sakuya!"

"..."

Meiling held the chief maid tightly in her arms and began shaking her as if she had just fallen asleep. But I knew then that Sakuya wouldn't ever open those eyes again. And very slowly, the gate guard realized this as well. Slowly, tears began to well up in her eyes. Meiling stopped shaking her body and cried out.

"No. No! Nooooooooooooo! Miss Sakuya! Wake up! Miss Sakuya! Miss Sakuyaaaaaaaaaa! Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Her cries and sobs echoed loudly along this final hallway. And as I watched her weep, I realized that my own vision had become blurred. I couldn't stop the tears that had finally began rolling down my cheek. This day had been a living nightmare. My friends and acquaintances were found murdered this morning. And now, four of those that I had considered the closest I had to a family had been killed.

I turned away from the others and closed my eyes. What kind of monster would commit such horrible murders? What did any of my friends do to deserve such punishment? Was this just someone's sick idea of a game? This was all just... too much to bear...

"..."

"BANG!"

Suddenly, the door to the Master's room burst open. And from the shadows within, I saw the hint of a smile.

"VERY GOOD! I had greatly underestimated you. Honestly, I had thought that you were just some useless background character. But to get this far unscathed, you have certainly reached far beyond my expectations!"

I quickly wiped off my tears and faced forward. The Master's room was wide open now, and I could spy a pair of red eyes and a toothy grin in the dark. The voice sounded like that of a young girl's.

"Now I understand why she gave you that title. It really didn't make much sense to me at the beginning, but now it all falls into place!"

"Title?" I repeated slowly. "What the hell are you talking about? And who the hell are you, anyway?"

"Hee hee hee! You really haven't figured anything out, have you, Lord of Scarlet?"

'Lord of Scarlet', she had said. The moment I heard those words, I understood. I pulled out my rifle and checked the chamber. It was only partially loaded, so I took a few bullets from my pocket to reload.

"Eeeeeeeh? Why did you pull out that toy, I wonder~"

"Click!"

Then, without a word, I took a step forward. One by one, the murder scenes flashed in my mind. Rumia in the greenhouse. Sunny, Luna and Star beside the gardens. Patchouli and Flandre at the lower library. Koakuma on the way here. And now, Sakuya as well. But I didn't care anymore. None of those puzzling murders matter at all, now that the culprit was right in front of me.

"Ah, I see! You want to play a game with me, don't you?"

A game? Is that all this is to you? Damn bitch... I'll kill you!

"But this hallway is far too dull. A poor place for a final showdown, don't you think?"

Kill you? No, that won't be enough. I'll rip out your eyes, stick my rifle down your mouth, and make you eat those words! Then after you're broken, I'll take my time to tear you apart the same way you did to my friends.

"So then, why don't we head inside? The party has already begun~"

I raised my rifle and fired five times at the shadows. But from the girl's laughter, I was sure that all of my shots had missed. I clicked my tongue as I pulled out five more bullets from my pocket.

"Watch out!" cried Meiling from behind.

But I didn't need that warning. I loaded only two bullets into the rifle. Then, I raised it, aimed, and fired twice in front of me. And with just that, two shadow wolves lay dead along my path. Their killing intent was enough to give away their position.

Without another word, I began marching into the darkness, reloading my rifle as I went.

[ ] "I'll kill them all."
[ ] "I'll KILL them all."
[ ] "I'll kill them ALL."
[ ] "I'LL KILL THEM ALL."

[x] I have to lead the way forward.

The three of us ran down the final hallway toward the Master's room. We did not encounter any more obstacles as we moved. In a couple of minutes, we would reach our final destination.

"This way!" said Sakuya. "We don't have much time!"

"Where are we headed?" I asked.

"To the source of this tragedy," she said.

"You don't mean, the Mistress'..." said Meiling.

The chief maid nodded to her as she spoke.

"I've decided to stop running. We'll face her together, the three of us, and end this."

"This won't end without more bloodshed, will it?" said I.

"This fate has already been written. All we can do now is fight so that no more innocents are killed. Then perhaps, maybe I can..."

Suddenly, Sakuya stopped in her tracks. It only took a moment for Meiling and I to realize the reason. We had finally reached the end of the hallway. However, another hindrance had appeared. The door to the Master's room was completely encased within a wall of ice. The frozen barrier was easily several feet thick.

"How in the hell?" I muttered aloud. "What's going on here?"

"..."

The chief maid raised her hand and motioned for us to wait. Then, she pulled out a knife from her dress and threw it at the frozen barrier. Meiling and I gasped in surprise as the knife suddenly stopped in mid-air a few feet from the icy wall. The knife had suddenly been encased in ice, and when it finally fell to the ground, it shattered into pieces.

"Such a powerful barrier," said Meiling. "But cold manipulation shouldn't be enough to cause an effect of this level."

"... no, it shouldn't." said Sakuya.

"How are we to get through? Is there something we can use to pass through safely?"

"...huh?"

I realized that Meiling was looking at me. And then, I remembered what she mentioned earlier. Yes, that was right. I just happened to be carrying something that could be of use here. After a moment, I successfully fished out the crystal vial from my pocket.

"You mean, this thing?"

Meiling nodded solemnly. And the moment Sakuya saw it, her eyes widened in surprise. Then, she narrowed them with suspicion.

"Where... did you get that?" she asked.

"Sorry, I don't really remember. But is this really the time for an interrogation?"

"..."

Sakuya sighed, but she didn't say anything more. With the glowing vial in my hand, I stepped closer toward the wall. I had to be careful. If I got too close, I would probably end up as a human popsicle. But either way, we had to break this barrier apart if we were to go through. And if that was the case, then I had only one option...

"Uuuuuwaaaah!"

With a loud cry, I tossed the vial with all of my strength. For a moment, it felt like time had slowed down. All three of us watched in anticipation as the vial flew toward the frozen barrier. We watched as it reached the ice unhindered, and shattered to release its contents. The effect was instantaneous. We shielded our eyes as the unhindered power of fire was released upon the wall of ice. And when the bright flash of light had dimmed, we saw a great flame dancing all over the end of the hallway. The dangerous barrier of frost was easily reduced to steam as we watched. It almost felt as if the legendary phoenix itself had lent its power to crush this final obstacle. And as the steam cleared, we saw that the door to the Master's room was now within reach.

"Was that all our opponents could muster?" I said. "He he he... I almost feel sorry for them. They will learn first hand of what happens to those who oppose the Scarlet. Right, everyone?"

"I feel no joy from inflicting harm on others," said Meiling "But this is also my duty, and I will not back down."

"..."

No response from the chief maid. Puzzled, Meiling and I turned around. Sakuya was standing behind us, clutching at her chest. Eh? Was she hesitating? That wasn't like her, at all. I laughed a bit as I approached her with a smile.

"Don't be nervous, Sakuya. I see that even you have a human side to you, so maybe -"

I stopped mid-sentence when I noticed it. My eyes widened in horror, and my throat immediately went dry. An alarming amount of blood began to seep right through Sakuya's maid uniform. It seemed to be coming from a wound from her chest. Then, without any warning, she just collapsed.

[ ] I see no evil.
[ ] I hear no evil.
[ ] I speak no evil.

[x] A shopping trip at the village.

I stood before this antique shop once again. There wasn't anything particularly unique or elegant about this place. It was one of many establishments along the main road of the Human Village. But ever since I first noticed it, I found myself passing by whenever I had the chance.

There were a number of items on display, but only one really caught my eye - a small hand mirror. It lay between an intricately designed music box and a strangely tinted pair of eye glasses. I felt a strong sense of nostalgia whenever I took a look. But for some reason, I could never bring myself to go inside and buy it. After all, it didn't really fit the image of the position I held.

"Ah, isn't that Sakuya?"

I couldn't help but sigh when I heard his voice. And sure enough, he was already running toward me when I turned.

"What were you looking at?" he said as he glanced behind me. "Find anything interesting?"

"I-It's nothing special, really. Just looking around..."

"Is that so?"

"..."

He raised an eyebrow, as if expecting more. I didn't say anything in response, so he just shrugged and changed the subject.

"Anyway, have you heard about the new cake shop that just opened?"

"Cake shop?"

"Yep. I heard that they have a number of fancy cakes and pastries. They even serve their own unique blends of tea."

"I see."

Interesting. I wonder if they had anything that Mistress Remilia would like? She did have a taste for European sweets, and it wasn't easy finding the ingredients.

"So then," he said. "Would you like to check it out with me?"

"Eh? What are you talking about?"

"The cake shop, I mean."

I stared blankly at him for a few seconds. He started to laugh uneasily.

"Ahahaha... well. Just forget about what I said. You're probably too busy, I guess."

And with that, he went off and left me before I could say anything. I frowned as I watched him disappear into the crowd. Well, it wasn't like I was really that interested, anyway. I still had some things to buy in the village before I could head back to the mansion. I really didn't have the time for such carefree activities.

"..."

The trip home felt lonelier than usual, as I had to stay longer in the village. But when I passed by the kitchen, I was in for an unexpected surprise. There was a small box waiting for me. It had a small card with my name on it, and inside was a cute little chocolate cake. Very slowly, I started to smile.

"... that idiot."

After that day, I was quite certain of one thing - our newest resident really was an idiot.

"..."

Today was no exception. I opened my eyes slowly to see a pair of idiots worry over me. Seemed like I had passed out earlier. The gate guard cushioned my head comfortably with her lap, while the other one glanced at me from time to time.

"M-Miss Sakuya? Are you alright?"

"Don't worry. I'm sure she'll be ready to attack us again after she rests. Right, Sakuya?"

I quickly got up and brushed the dust off my clothes. Then, I gave them both a small smile.

"... maybe next time."

For some reason, my head seemed to have cleared up a little.
[ ] I have to take them to safety.
[ ] I have to lead the way forward.

[x] Break the silence.

For just a moment, no one spoke. The two who stood before me showed no sign of retreating. I sighed sadly. It was a small chance, but I had hoped that they would pull back after I had stepped in. I even took care to avoid their vital organs. But instead, my plan had backfired. Here they were, fighting back with a power I've never seen. The head maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion was being forced back by a gate guard and an ordinary human.

Heh, what an embarrassing sight this must be. That silly girl actually managed to seal my powers. All I had left now was my speed and my skill with the knife. In this situation, she would most certainly defeat me. So then, shouldn't I just give up and tell them the truth?

"..."

No. This was my last chance to stop them. If I didn't force them back now, then even that last ray of hope would be lost. It was already too late for me. Even now, I could feel that subtle poison spread through my veins. Soon, I would lose even the will to finish this task.

I focused the last bit of my power into the knife in my hand. It shone with a bright silver light against the faint golden hue of the gate guard's barrier. This was my last trick and my final trump card. Without any doubt, this move would drive these stupid fools out of the mansion. And perhaps, they might just be saved.

Yes, if I could somehow manage that, then perhaps I might finally be forgiven.

"Have you said your prayers? Your final goodbyes? If not, then this might be your last chance."

"..."

With the most wicked smile I could muster, I glared at them with cold eyes.

"Then, this is the end. Goodbye, you fools..."

With that, I tightened my grip on the knife that now held my last trick.

"Wait. Before we start, let me ask you a question, Sakuya."

Just as I was about to rush forward, that inconsiderate man made a ridiculous request.

"..."

"You mentioned something odd earlier. That you were acting on the orders of the Master of this house."

I nodded slowly, not understanding where he was going with this.

"But that's strange. Haven't you always called Remilia, 'Mistress'?"

"... huh?"

My eyes widened in surprise. And suddenly, old memories began to flash in my head. Preparing Mistress' tea. Cleaning Mistress' room. Brushing Mistress' hair. Fighting off intruders while Mistress watched. Accompanying Mistress to the shrine. Investigating incidents together with Mistress. Preparing Mistress' extravagant parties. Standing beside Mistress during lazy afternoons...

How could this crude, obnoxious idiot notice something like that?

I turned toward him, and looked deep into his eyes. He did not have any aura of magic about him, nor did I sense any unusual spiritual power. Yet, there was something very familiar about the way he looked back at me. My head ached painfully as I tried to remember. Yet I withstood the pain because I was sure that there was something that I needed to remember. And for just a moment, something flashed in my mind.

"... no way."

Was there really such an impossible memory?
[ ] Tea and biscuits for two.
[ ] A shopping trip at the village.
[ ] Spring cleaning at the mansion.

[x] Wait for Sakuya to attack. Focus on defending yourselves.

Sakuya approached us with a cold smile upon her face. There was an ominous aura about her, as if she was spreading her killing intent across the entirety of the hallway. Meiling clenched her fists tight and changed her combat stance. I took several steps back and aimed my rifle at the chief maid. She was our enemy right now. We didn't need words to understand that. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to attack first. And neither could Meiling.

"... heh."

Noticing the moment of weakness, the chief maid suddenly rushed forward and swung widely. Several knives came flying straight at us. Meiling stepped forward, raised her hands and twisted them in a spiral fashion. A barrier of many colors suddenly appeared in front of her, and when the knives struck it, they shattered into pieces. But soon afterward, we realized that Sakuya had vanished.

"Huh? Where did she -"

"Get down!"

I didn't have time to finish speaking. Something was flying straight at me. I barely had enough time to react. In the next moment, I felt it pass only inches from my head. If it had hit, I would most certainly be dead right now.

"Tsk. Missed again."

The chief maids voice came from above. We looked up to see her standing with her feet on the ceiling. Her face was expressionless, but there was a mad glint in her eyes that made me shudder. She raised her hand and snapped her fingers. Dozens of knives appeared out of thin air. My eyes widened in horror as they fell upon us like a rain of blades. There was no way to dodge such a large number of projectiles.

By the time I turned to Meiling, she had already began moving. Her heel began to glow once more with golden light. And then, she leapt right above my head and swing her foot in a great arc. I couldn't help but be dazzled by the grace and power of her movements. With that single move, Meiling easily broke through the chief maid's silver rain of death.

"Very impressive," said Sakuya. "Good to see that you aren't so useless, after all."

Meiling, who was now standing right beside me, looked up at the chief maid sadly.

"I don't want to fight you, Miss Sakuya. So please... won't you let us through?"

"Isn't that cute? But I can't let anyone through this hallway."

"But why? Why are you acting this way?"

"The orders of the Master of this house are absolute."

With that, she swung her arm widely once more, scattering knives in several directions. None of them were specifically aimed at us, but they were moving at an accelerated rate. And each time they hit a wall, they ricocheted without any loss of speed. My eyes could barely follow their movements.

"Dammit! How are we supposed to avoid these things?"

"We don't need to," whispered Meiling.

"Huh?"

"Increasing magic restriction level on this territory..."

The gate guard closed her eyes and whispered something under her breath. Once again, the room was filled with faint golden light. And when it dimmed, all of the knives suddenly stopped and fell harmlessly to the ground. Meiling sighed with a heavy heart and turned to Sakuya.

"Is this battle truly unavoidable, Miss Sakuya? If we go any further than this, there is a good chance that one of us will die."

"This is the only reason I have left to exist in this world," replied the chief maid. "I will fight you with everything I have. So please..."

For just a moment, Sakuya was lost for words. She lowered her head slightly, and when she finally spoke, it was but a whisper.

"Show me your true strength, just this once."

The chief maid landed on the ground, and this time, she only pulled out a single knife. And as we watched, it began to glow bright silver.

"Fight me with everything you have."

"B-but, Miss Sakuya..."

"This is my last request, Hong Meiling."

For just a moment, no one spoke.
[ ] Don't interfere.
[ ] Try to stop them.
[ ] Break the silence. (Specify)

[x] Stay silent

I raised my hand. And very slowly, I tugged upon her sleeve. It was a very small, but deliberate movement.

"..."

The little devil used to do this to me all the time to get my attention. Then, she would remind me of something that I had forgotten or some task that I had to finish. Looking back, she never really had any real responsibility toward me. She was the magician's familiar, not mine. Yet, she would often go out of her way for me. Not in ways that easily stand out, of course. But with simple, everyday things like a cup of tea, or a tray of biscuits. Her acts of kindness were small and deliberate. Just like the way she would tug on my sleeve.

"..."

I tugged on her sleeve once more. However, Koakuma showed no reaction. I lowered my head and closed my eyes. Then, very softly, I held her against my chest. She was still warm to the touch. But there was no longer any heartbeat.

"..."

The rain continued to fall outside. But it was strange. Even if I was indoors, I felt something wet roll down my cheeks. Very slowly, a single drop fell down upon the floor. But it didn't make a sound. The only sound that could be heard in this final hallway was the unending rain that fell upon the Scarlet Devil Mansion. With a sigh, I carefully laid her down. Despite everything that had happened, she kept a small smile on her face.

"I'm... so -"

"Look out!"

Suddenly the silence was broken by Meiling's voice. And as I raised my head, I saw something coming toward me. It was a relatively small object, but it was flying at an inhuman speed. And it headed straight for my heart.

"Snap!"

I blinked. In front of me stood Meiling, who was in a combat stance. The object was only a few feet away when it stopped in mid-air and broke in half. I couldn't tell if she used her hands or her feet. Her movements were too fast for my eyes. So instead, I took a look at the object that now lay on the ground in two pieces. My eyes widened in horror.

It was a knife.

I quickly looked around. And as I feared, someone appeared in front of us. Her arms were folded as she spoke to us in a cold, indifferent tone.

"Tsk," said a familiar voice. "It didn't hit. How unfortunate."

"S-Sakuya? What the hell? Are you trying to kill me?"

"Yes. As a matter of fact, I am."

A moment passed as I stared in shock. Suddenly, she held a spell card in left hand. The chief maid began muttering something under her breath. But before she could finish the spell, a bright flash of gold filled the room.

"Chi Sign, 「Spirit Restriction Field」!"

The whole hallway was now bathed in a faint glow of gold energy. I didn't feel any different, and when I looked around, everything looked exactly the same as it was before. But Sakuya seemed to have noticed a significant change. She frowned slightly as she pocketed her spell card.

"An anti-magic barrier?" said Sakuya. "And it seems to be effective against my abilities, too. So you were hiding a powerful move like this. I wonder why I was never told of your capability to use forbidden magic."

"Lady Remilia made me promise," whispered Meiling. "I was never to tell anyone. Even you, Miss Sakuya. So please.. just let us pass through peacefully."

"I see. So the Mistress kept you as a hidden ace... is that it? Yes, that does sound very much like her."

Sakuya gave her a wry smile.

"So what are you going to do next? Do you seriously think you can defeat me with just this trick? Or perhaps you expect that 'ordinary human' over there to tip the scales to your favor?"

"We don't want to fight you," I said. "Please, Sakuya. Just let us pass and -"

"Silence, you dirty human scum!"

The chief maid gave me a dark look and grimaced. It was certainly her. Yet, I have never seen such hatred in her eyes. And before I could say anything else, she began walking toward us.

"How irritating," she whispered. "The cleaning never does end..."

She pulled out a single knife from her dress and smiled darkly.
[ ] Make the first move. Aim carefully and fire the rifle.
[ ] Let Meiling charge in first. Then, support her from range.
[ ] Wait for Sakuya to attack. Focus on defending yourselves.
[ ] Use a different strategy. (Specify)

[x] Anger

From the shadows of the second floor hallway, a fierce wolf beast emerged. It ran straight towards us. I didn't even have time to raise my rifle.

"Watch out!" cried Meiling.

She jumped right in front of me and swung her leg in a great arc that reminded me of the crescent moon. Her heel left golden trails of light as it connected with the shadow creature's skull.

"Crack!"

The beast whined in pain for a moment. Then, it dropped dead on the ground. And as we watched, its form slowly melted back into the shadows. It left no trace that it had even existed, almost as if it had been just a bad dream.

"Damn it! It's those things again!"

"Again?" repeated Meiling.

"Yeah. Elena and I encountered them in the greenhouse while you were at the front gate."

"So it had started even earlier than I noticed..."

"Started? What the heck are those things, anyway?"

The gate guard had a serious expression on her face. It was very unlike her.

"Familiars," she whispered.

Before I could ask, she suddenly struck a combat pose. Several pairs of glowing red eyes approached us from the shadows. Some came from in front of us, and a few came from behind. We were surrounded. Without hesitation, I raised my gun and prepared myself. I understood immediately that we would have to fight in order to break through.

"There is no place for us to escape to, is there?" said Meiling. "I have nowhere else to go besides here."

"Doesn't look like it. But I'm not planning on abandoning our home."

"Neither am I."

I smiled grimly.

"It is settled, then. So why don't we give our uninvited guests the warm welcome that they deserve? It would be quite rude if we left them unattended."

Meiling laughed softly.

"Yes. That sounds great."

And with that, we began to charge through the hallway. Two shadow wolves emerged to intercept us. I aimed my gun at the one on the left and fired twice. The second shot hit right between the eyes, and the creature fell dead immediately. And as its corpse disappeared into the shadows, Meiling dashed forward and shattered the skull of the other wolf with a carefully placed punch. Three more creatures came running toward us. I turned around and emptied my rifle on the one coming from behind, while Meiling quickly dispatched the other two. Then the gate guard stopped running and waited as I reloaded my rifle.

"Are you alright back there?"

"Yeah. Just pray that I brought enough bullets."

We continued running through the hallways while fighting off the shadow beasts. Somehow, we managed to get through uninjured, though we did have a few close calls. And after what seemed like an eternal battle, we had finally made it. The last hallway toward Remilia's room was well-lit with chandeliers and candlesticks, so there were no shadows for these creatures to emerge from. We paused to catch our breath.

"Bang!"

Suddenly, one of the doors to the side burst open. Meiling and I both readied ourselves for another attack. But the person who emerged was no enemy of ours. A familiar little devil stepped out, holding her stomach with her hands and limping. My eyes widened in horror as I realized that she was bleeding from a large open wound.

"M-Miss Koakuma!"

"Koakuma!"

"Eh? Ah, it's you," she whispered.

I barely had time to catch her as she began to fall.

"Are you alright? What happened to you?"

Koakuma smiled weakly and shook her head. Even without a careful examination, I could tell that her wounds were most certainly fatal. She seemed to be aware of this as well, so she wasted no time.

"Miss Patchouli told me... to give you this..."

She motioned for me to come closer. I lowered my ear right beside her lips. Very slowly, she moved her face even closer. I could feel her warm breath. And before I had time to react, she gave me a soft kiss on the cheek. Then, she whispered three short words into my ears.

"Why did she..."

I turned to her, and she gave me one last smile before dying in my arms.
[ ] Stay silent
[ ] "Koakuma..."
[ ] "Patchouli..."
[ ] "It's all useless..."
[ ] "..." (Specify)

[x] Examine Flandre first.

"Be careful," said Meiling. "I'll check on Miss Patchouli."

After giving her a quick nod, we split up to save time. I took a few steps toward the tree that had impaled the younger vampire sister. As a precaution, I pulled out my rifle and held it steady in my hands. Then, I took a glance at my watch. It was just past 4:00 PM. Horrible as the scene was, there was no sign that this tragedy was finished.

"..."

I climbed up a nearby pile of fallen bookshelves to get closer. And when I examined the body, all hope that she was still alive was lost. Certainly, she could have survived being pierced through the abdomen. But there was no way that a vampire would survive this kind of attack to the heart. Several twisting branches had somehow buried themselves through her chest like wooden stakes that had been hammered in.

Indeed, it was a gruesome sight. But I noticed something very strange. Despite such a brutal death, there was a look of peace upon Flandre's face. And if I blocked everything but her face with my hands, I could easily have thought that she was just sleeping. To borrow her own words, this was definitely something that 'didn't fit with the story presented'. Perhaps if I had her level of insight, I could come upon a sudden epiphany. But unfortunately, that wasn't the case...

"Huh?"

There was something that glittered from her dress. I apologized silently as I reached in to pull it out. Eh? Why was she carrying something like this? I blinked in confusion as I stared at the item in my hands. It looked like an ordinary ballpoint pen, but it had been broken in half. In its current condition, I probably couldn't use it to write anything.

I fished through her dress for a few more minutes, hoping that she had prepared some other clue or hint, but to no avail. And as I was considering what to do next, the ground rumbled loudly. I coughed as dust fell from the ceiling. Clearly, the sound had come from somewhere upstairs.

"A-ah! W-what was that?" cried Meiling.

"Something dangerous. We have to return upstairs."

"But how about Miss Patchouli and Miss Flandre?"

I quickly jumped off the broken shelves and landed near the gate guard.

"Those two will have to wait," I said. "We need to help where we can. There might still be survivors."

She nodded and took my hand. We quickly started flying back from where we came.

"Where exactly are we going? Do you have someplace in mind?"

"..."

At that point, there was only one place that came to mind.

"Remilia's room," I whispered.

We didn't meet anyone else as we travelled. The mansion halls were completely silent. And when we finally reached the second floor, I felt something wet drip on my shirt. Eh?

"Damn it all," I whispered.

I didn't even notice that I was crying.
[ ] Fear
[ ] Anger
[ ] Hatred

[x] Meiling's hand. It shook nervously.

I led the way forward as I held her hand. Together, we slowly flew above the bookshelves and searched. A tray of tea and cookies left beside a neat pile of books. A half-empty picnic basket lying upon a blanket on the floor. A lace handkerchief dropped carelessly on a desk. There were many signs that there were people in this place not long ago. Yet, there was no sign that any of them were still here. It almost felt like we had entered a different world, one where the Voile library was completely empty of life. The only source of sound was the endlessly pounding rain from the outside. And that only made me feel more uneasy.

"Let's quickly check the lower floors," I said.

"A-Alright, but could you wait a second? Please don't pull me so roughly..."

"Pull you? What are you talking about..?"

We stared at each other for several seconds. I could tell that Meiling had noticed something. But I still didn't understand. Not until she finally spoke.

"Forgive me for asking, but how are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Leading the way, I mean."

"Eh? What do you... wait... huh!?"

As an ordinary human, I had no capability to fly on my own. So naturally, I had to borrow some of Meiling's power and synchronize so that we could fly together. But even so, it shouldn't be possible for me to control the direction and speed of our flight. My eyes widened as I realized this. And in my surprise, I lost focus and let go of her hand. In that instant, I felt the effect of gravity return and I began to plummet down to the ground. She grabbed me before I fell.

"W-woah! How the heck!?"

The moment her hand touched mine, I stopped falling. She giggled a bit and shook her head.

"Let's just call that a fluke, for now. Do you mind if I lead the way this time?"

"Err... yeah. That might be a good idea.. ha ha ha."

Thankfully, Meiling did not ask me any further. Even if she did, I wouldn't know how to explain it. She probably sensed that and quickly dropped the subject. Well, it probably didn't matter. All I knew was that if I held her hand, I could fly.

"To the lower library, then."

We slowly made our way down. The sound of the wind and rain faded away as we went deeper underground. And in its place was an ominous silence. We could hear nothing but our own breathing. The place was clearly illuminated by the lower library lights. We had no trouble finding our way. But the air felt unusually heavy and stale. Even without words, we knew that something was wrong.

Meiling's hand began to shiver again. I swallowed nervously. We were almost at the lowest floor now. And as we approached the bottom, a disturbing sight came into view. The once neatly arranged bookcases of the library were in disarray. The lucky few were only tipped over, with their contents scattered all over the floor. Most looked like they had been tossed around the room like old toys, and their wooden frames were cracked or shattered. Some even look like they had been burned or ripped apart with sharp tools. Old memoirs and tomes were brutally torn to pieces, their loose pages scattered all about. The place almost seemed like a...

"Battlefield," whispered Meiling.

She tightened her grip on my hand as we surveyed the area. The old library was in complete ruin. And as we searched, I silently prayed that we wouldn't find anything. And I was right. We didn't find any 'thing' in particular. What we did find was much worse.

"Damn it, Patchouli!"

We had found the magician at the very rear of the library. A strangely shaped metal wand was driven straight through her chest, impaling her to the floor. Her head was tilted forward, so I couldn't see her face. One of her hands somehow remained on the wand, as if she had tried to pull it out. And her other hand was closed into a tight fist. Blood stained the floor around her. It gave the impression that she had died fighting.

"T-That's not all. Look!"

At the sound of Meiling's voice, I turned around.

"What the..."

Just a short distance away stood a single little tree. It had no leaves at all - just sharp, twisting branches. And upon the very top lay the body of a small girl. The growing tip of the tree had pierced ruthlessly through her belly. Even from here, I could see a short string of intestines hang out from the opening. The arms and legs were in awkward positions. Then, I saw it. An unmistakable pair of gem-filled wings jutted out from her back.

We had found Flandre, as well.
[ ] Examine Flandre first.
[ ] Examine Patchouli first.

[x] Carefully melt the lock away with fire.

I pulled out the crystal vial from my pocket and glanced at it. The vial gave off a subdued glow, and it was pitifully small. Yet the tiny tongue of flame within it still flickered with life. Wait a minute. How was that possible? Even if it was completely sealed, it didn't show any signs of dying out.

"A-Ah!" cried Meiling. "W-why do you have that vial!?"

"Stand back."

After removing the cap, I held the open vial above the prison door lock. Very slowly, a single drop of liquid flame fell onto it. Upon seeing this, Meiling quickly stepped back against the farthest corner of the cell. I quickly replaced the cap and stepped a good distance back. For some reason, I felt that something was -

"FWOOM!!!"

The prison bars were completely engulfed in a great wall of flame. I couldn't help but shield my face from the sudden blast of heat and light. Then, I heard a violent hissing sound, followed by cracking and popping. I wrinkled my nose as the smell of molten metal began to fill the room.

"Meiling! Are you alright in there?"

"Y-Yes! Don't worry! I'm still fine, I think."

I couldn't see her very well through this fire, but I was glad to hear that she was unhurt all the same. And as I began to worry about the fire spreading to the rest of the mansion, it began to die all on its own, leaving behind a huge hole through the prison cell bars. I waited for a bit for the smoke to clear and the molten metal to cool before calling out for Meiling. She easily stepped out of the cell shortly afterward.

"Sorry about that," I said. "The effect was far more powerful than I expected."

Meiling narrowed her eyes at the vial in my hand as she approached.

"That flame... and that crystal vial. Neither of those things should be in the hands of an ordinary human. How did you come across such a dangerous artifact?"

I glanced at the vial for a moment. It gave off a faint warm glow. Now that I thought about it, I couldn't remember where I found this thing. Didn't I just pick this up while shopping at the village? Or perhaps, Remilia or Patchouli gave it to me for safekeeping. Either way, I couldn't pinpoint when I obtained this item. But for some reason, this did not feel at all strange to me.

"Dangerous artifact? Isn't something like this commonplace in Gensokyo?"

"You just burned through those magically enforced prison bars, which even youkai can't break. And not just that. You managed to completely shatter the spiritual and conceptual seals that prevent the use of magic within these prison cells."

"Well, that is..."

I only intended to melt away the lock on the prison door. The more I thought about it, the more confused I began to feel. But this was not the time to think about it. There were more urgent things to worry about.

"That doesn't matter right now!" I cried. "Something horrible is happening in the library!"

I shook my head and held out my hand to her. Meiling hesitated for a moment. Then, I gave her a gentle smile.

"I need your help. I can't do this alone."

Very slowly, she took my hand. And together, we quickly made our way out the dungeon and back to the Voile library. However, when we arrived...

"H-Huh? Where is everyone?"

Meiling glanced at me, but I couldn't give her an answer. Besides our own voices and footsteps, the library was silent. The little camp that the mansion staff had built was completed deserted. Not a single fairy maid was in sight. There was no sign of any violent struggle. Everyone who was here just vanished without trace. I had the worst feeling.

"Patchouli..." I muttered.

What was I holding in my hand right now?
[ ] Nothing. My hands were free.
[ ] The rifle. It was still loaded.
[ ] The crystal vial. It glowed a bit.
[ ] Meiling's hand. It shaked nervously.

[x] Head down to the dungeon.

Outside, the clouds had become dark. The wind had been growing stronger since this morning. Heavy rain drops beat loudly against the mansion windows. This place was now engulfed within a great storm. And with this kind of weather, visitors wouldn't be coming for a while. The crashing thunder gave a bad feeling - that somehow, this place was now sealed from the outside world. No longer would anyone be able to leave this mansion. And no longer would anyone reach this place. Unless that person was blessed with a miracle.

I ran as quickly as I could, not stopping for anything. And before I knew it, I found myself before the dimly lit staircase that led down to the dungeon. It was hidden in an alcove, and if Flandre hadn't pointed it out to me earlier, I surely would have missed it. I paused for a moment to ensure that my rifle was loaded. Then, I made my way down the staircase.

"Damn it all," I muttered.

There was no one at the dungeon entrance. No guards were in sight, not even the two fairy maids who I met earlier. Did everyone return to the library? That didn't feel right. If they truly did suspect Meiling of any wrongdoing, then they couldn't just leave her here without supervision. I swallowed nervously as I stepped inside, alone.

Several minutes later, I was still wandering around the vast dungeon. This place was deep underground, so the sounds of rain and wind had been replaced with an eerie silence. There was no sign of Flandre, Sakuya, or any of the fairy staff. I had not met a single soul down here. Not until I heard it.

"..hic..."

The sound was faint, and I had almost missed it, had I not paused to catch my breath. With my gun in hand, I approached the source of the noise. There was nothing otherworldly or feral about it. In fact, I had a suspicion to who it was. And I was right.

"Uwaa... hic..."

Seated alone inside one of the cells was the mansion gateguard. I paused for a moment, and cautiously watched her. The poor girl sobbed quietly to herself in the darkness. There was no hatred or anger in her eyes. Just confusion, fear... and loneliness. She was no different from a misunderstood child, who had been accused of something she didn't do.

I tapped the bars of her cell lightly with my fingers. Her reaction was late, and she stared at me, dumbfounded. It almost felt like I had woken her while she was napping by the front gate. Very slowly, she mouthed my name. As if she was uncertain that I was really here.

"..."

My name? What was it, again? For some reason, it sounded like it had been ages since someone called me by my name.

An old memory flashed in my mind. Remilia led me out to the front gate, while Sakuya followed beside her with a parasol. It was a bright and sunny day, then. A girl clad in a green uniform bowed to us nervously as we approached.

"This is the front gate," said the vampire. "Visitors often come through here."

"A-ah! Lady Remilia! W-w-what brings you out here?"

"I see, and this person here?"

"That one is the gateguard," she said. "Now if you follow me here -"

"Ah, wait a second."

Without any shame, I nodded toward the girl in green.

"What is her name?"

Remilia stopped in her tracks and turned around, astonished.

"Her name? You mean the gate guard? Well, that is -"

The vampire paused for a moment, uncertain of how to answer. When Sakuya noticed, she cleared her throat and motioned for the other girl to introduce herself. The gate guard blushed furiously as she turned to me and spoke.

"Hong Meiling," she said with a bow. "N-nice to meet you!"

I returned her bow and spoke.

"Nice to meet you, too. My name is..."

Yes. That was right. She told me her name, and I told her mine. And with that, we acknowledged each other's existence. That day, we accepted each other as fellow travellers along this often lonely path. And even if the world ended this day, nothing would change that.

I blinked as I returned to the present. But I did not hesitate this time. Not when the truth was right in front of me.

"I'm breaking you out of here," I said.

I knew then, even without proof, that Meiling was innocent.
[ ] Search the area for the keys.
[ ] Blast the lock open with the rifle.
[ ] Carefully melt the lock away with fire.

[x] Accompany Patchouli down to the lower library.

The magician paused before the staircase that led underground. Then, she turned around and offered me her hand. I took it without saying a word. Together, the two of us returned to the lowest level of the Voile library. This was the 'old library', as Patchouli called it. She led me back to her reading area.

"I shall continue searching. Please wait here for a bit."

"Wait here? Why don't I help you look, instead?"

"Can you read French? German? Latin? Egyptian? Aramaic?"

"Err... no, I don't believe I can."

"Then wait patiently. Your presence here is already more than enough to raise my spirits."

She said that without any hesitation. After giving me a very small smile, she left on her own, back toward the bookshelves. I watched her until she disappeared from sight. Then, I yawned. At a glance, I could tell that most of the books around this place were written in various foreign or ancient languages. But there wasn't any harm in looking around a little bit, was there?

"Ah! How about this one?"

I pulled out a thick book from the shelf. Upon the cover was a picture of a warrior wielding a great spear against a monstrously large wolf beast. But more importantly, the title was in a language I could understand.

"Fenrir and Odin," I read aloud.

With this book in hand, I headed back to my seat. And I began to read. The tale was surprisingly vivid in its description, and soon I found myself engrossed in it. Several minutes passed. And when I finally pulled myself away from the book, I realized that Patchouli had already returned. The magician was at her seat, examining a thick volume.

"Enjoying yourself?" she asked without looking up.

"Sorry about that. I guess I got too caught up in this story. Did you discover anything new?"

She gave me a small nod.

"Your arrival here was no accident. That much is clear now. You were definitely the catalyst for these tragic events."

"My arrival? Catalyst? What are you talking about?"

Patchouli sighed and looked straight at me. But before, she could say anything else, a deep rumbling noise filled the old library. We both became very much aware that we were no longer alone down here. The magician immediately closed the book in her hands and stood up. Without another word, she walked up to me and grabbed me in a tight embrace.

"I'm sorry," she whispered softly. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry..."

"P-Patchouli!?"

I don't remember how long we stood like that. The calm and cool magician of the Voile Library had suddenly threw herself against me. My mind couldn't even begin to process her bizarre behavior. I was still dazed when she finally pulled herself away.

"Stand over there," she said. "Quickly!"

She seemed to be pointing behind a nearby bookshelf.

"Huh? Over here? What's going on?"

Despite that, I walked over behind the bookshelf as I was told. Then, I saw the magician pull out a smoky green orb from her dress. And it was only then that I realized that the girl's eyes were damp.

"You must survive this," she whispered. "For everyone's sake."

"H-hey! Wait a sec -"

"I leave it all up to you, now..."

Before I could say anything, Patchouli threw the orb and shattered it on the ground before me. A strange green mist engulfed my surroundings. I coughed as I tried to wave it away from me. And when the smoke cleared, I found myself standing back in my room. Alone.

"Damn it, Patchouli!"

I took a glance at my watch. It was almost 3:00 PM.
[ ] Return to the Voile library.
[ ] Head down to the dungeon.
[ ] Try entering Remilia's room.

[x] Keep silent on the matter.

"You should have thought out your plan a bit more. To be honest, I am quite disappointed that the answer could be found this early in the story."

"I am the culprit!? W-what are you talking about, Miss Flandre?"

The vampire shook her head sadly.

"There are more than enough clues to prove this theory of mine. Does anyone care to challenge it?"

A moment of silence passed. I was still too shocked and confused to speak. Meiling was the culprit? How the heck did Flandre come up with such an absurd conclusion? Was this some kind of sick joke?

"If not, then I -"

"I object."

Those two words came from the person I least expected. Patchouli closed her book and put it down as she raised her head.

"I cannot accept this conclusion," said the magician. "First of all, I ask that you explain the basis of your opening statement. What makes you think that the culprit is anyone among us?"

"Seriously? That part is so simple, isn't it? Ehehe~"

Flandre giggled to herself, clearly amused. However, the magician just repeated the question.

"What makes you think that the culprit is anyone among us?"

"You, more than anyone else here, should already know this. But I guess I can explain, anyway. There are several facts that point to this conclusion, but let me stress upon three key points."

The vampire cleared her throat for effect.

"First is the nature of the incident. There have been no visible signs of break-ins, whether physical or magical in nature. If there were any physical signs of an intruder, Sakuya would have noticed it immediately. She had already made a sweep of the whole mansion this morning. And if an intruder broke in through any magical means, Koakuma and yourself would have sensed it. If that was the case, then you would tell us, wouldn't you?"

"..."

"Second is the murder itself. If you recall how the bodies were damaged, you would realize that all of them were killed instantly with one blow. The culprit must be someone who could successfully overpower Rumia and the others. Among those living in the mansion, none of the fairy maids have enough magical or physical power to defeat them in a danmaku battle, much less a serious fight. And if they attacked in a group, the bodies would be damaged in a different manner. After ruling out the fairy maid staff, we are left with the people assembled here."

"..."

"And that leads to the third and most important point. Do you all remember the letter that the culprit left? The fact that the person must be someone familiar with the Scarlet Devil Mansion is a no-brainer. That is clearly implied by the use of several special terms, such as 'Lord of Scarlet', 'chronomancer-architect', and 'Watchmaker'. Only those who have lived a considerable amount of time in the mansion would know this. However, the culprit also knew the full names of the first four victims, which implies that she was familiar with the area around here as well."

"So that means that the culprit must have been among those who lived here after the mansion was moved into Gensokyo."

"Exactly."

Patchouli frowned slightly and sighed.

"I concede that point. Explain then, why you suspect that Meiling is the culprit?"

"Think back carefully. How was the first corpse discovered? That morning, the gateguard was the only person outside of the mansion who carried a key to the greenhouse. Everyone else was still inside, including the fairy maids assisting Sakuya. And don't forget that there was no sign that the culprit forced her way into the greenhouse, whether through physical or magical means."

She was right. No one could confirm what the gateguard was doing before that point in time.

"I-I-I was guarding the gate!" cried Meiling. "That's the truth!"

"Then let's recall how the three fairies were found. You were the first one to discover them as well, weren't you?"

"Ah! B-but that's -"

"After Sakuya took that sparrow youkai to the dungeon, everyone but yourself headed back into the mansion. I confirmed it myself that not one single person witnessed your movements between that time and the time that you 'discovered' the second set of bodies."

"How did you confirm that there were no witnesses to Meiling's movements?" asked Patchouli.

Flandre smiled slightly.

"Oh, that? I simply interviewed each and every fairy maid and staff member that I didn't meet during the specified time period. Did you think that I was just playing around when I started bugging everyone in the Voile library earlier? I didn't bother asking you because Koakuma and a few others already confirmed your alibi."

"As for him," said the vampire with a nod in my direction. "He was with me when I led him to the dungeon."

I felt a slight chill. Did Sakuya just give me a dark look?

"And myself? Besides several witnesses, there is a clear reason why I couldn't have been the culprit. Here's a hint: it is the same reason that I can't step out of the mansion even until now."

Another moment of silence. It was still raining hard outside, and it had not shown any sign of stopping. There was no way that any of the vampires could travel in this weather, even with an umbrella.

"Therefore, it is clear that the only person who could have committed this crime is... YOU!"

Flandre raised her finger dramatically toward the gate guard.

"E-eh? W-w-wha? H-how? B-but!?"

Patchouli sighed and sat down resignedly. And with that, the assembly was over. Flandre, Sakuya and several other fairy maids escorted Meiling down to the dungeon. Koakuma excused herself politely and began assisting the remaining fairy maids with the dishes. And soon, only Patchouli and I remained at the table. She had a book open in front of her, but she hadn't turned a single page since she started. It was only then that I finally recovered from the shock and confusion.

"Wait a minute," I said. "What the heck just happened here?"

"A mistake," she whispered.

Suddenly, the magician closed her book and stood herself up. Patchouli pulled out a small black book and stared at it for a minute. Then, she replaced it in her pockets.

"Meiling is certainly not the culprit," she said. "And neither is Flandre. That much is certain."

"Huh?"

"I don't have enough evidence yet," said the magician. "I must continue searching the old library."

With those last words, she began floating away, presumably back to her research.

I paused to think.
[ ] Accompany Patchouli down to the lower library.
[ ] Sneak back upstairs and try to meet with Remilia.
[ ] Follow after Sakuya and the others to the dungeon.
[ ] Talk to Elena and Koakuma here in the upper level.
[ ] Head somewhere else. (Specify)

[x] Sit beside Patchouli, on the left.

After everyone was finished eating, Flandre suddenly clapped her hands together.

"That was a wonderful meal! Indeed, it was all very good! The staff has done an excellent job, considering the circumstances. You are as reliable as ever, Sakuya."

"It was no trouble," said the chief maid. "My only regret is that Lady Remilia was unable to join us."

"Yes, that was quite unfortunate. So in her stead, shall I begin the game?"

The vampire was smiling, but I sensed something slightly unpleasant.

"What game are you talking about?" I asked.

"Ehehehe~"

Flandre licked her lips and grinned even wider. And suddenly, she stood up and slammed her hands hard upon the table. The sound echoed loudly along the library.

"I hereby begin this assembly with my opening statement," said the vampire. "The culprit behind the murders is currently among those seated in this table."

A moment of silence and dead air. I was not surprised at all that the vampire already knew about the incident. Even if no one told her, she probably figured it all out from the movements around her. But to make such a bold accusation within just a few hours of the incident was unthinkable. There weren't yet enough clues to form such a conclusion!

"Presentation of evidence, if you please."

The little sister held her hand out toward me.

"H-huh? What are you talking about?"

"The letter that was found earlier. It was addressed to you, was it not?"

Did she already start an investigation beforehand? But even so, I had no idea what Flandre was planning. I frowned a bit as I pulled out the letter from my pocket and passed it to her. She took only a few moments to read it all.

"This was the so-called letter from the 'Watchmaker'? It's just as I expected! Ehehehe~"

"S-so it really was from the Watchmaker?" asked Koakuma.

"Of course not! Obvious forgery is obvious. Isn't that right, Patchouli~"

The magician nodded carefully.

"The handwriting and style are both slightly different."

"Exactly!" cried Flandre. "But that's not all. Just from this letter and the information I have gathered from the incident, another level of reasoning can be reached."

"Another level of reasoning?" repeated Sakuya.

The little sister folded the letter and returned it to me. Then, she sighed to herself.

"The answer is quite boring though. Isn't that right, Meiling?"

"Eh?"

"You are the culprit. And a careless one, at that."

The gateguard jumped a bit. From the empty look on her face, she was the most clueless person among everyone here. Poor girl probably didn't follow the conversation until this point.

"..."

Wait, what? Meiling was the culprit!?
[ ] Agree with Flandre's theory.
[ ] Challenge Flandre's theory. (Specify)
[ ] Keep silent on the matter.

[x] Insist that she come with you back upstairs.

"Upstairs? But I'm not yet finished here..."

I shook my head and firmly held her hand.

"Four people have been brutally murdered, and we have no clue to who is behind these killings. I'm not leaving anyone alone down here. Especially you, Patchouli. You are in no condition to wander around like this. You should know that."

"Did Koakuma tell you that?"

"She is just worried about you. You shouldn't push yourself in this kind of weather. What were you researching, anyway?"

The magician paused for a moment. Her expression was unreadable.

"This curse is the inevitable result of several events in the past," said Patchouli. "And these events have been carefully chronicled in the records and memoirs that lie here in the old library. The key lies somewhere in this vast sea of information."

"Huh? You mean it isn't some random incident?"

"I must continue searching... for the truth."

Patchouli forced herself up and started limping towards a nearby reading desk. There were a number of thick volumes on it, most of them in French. She picked up one of them and began flipping through the pages once more. I sighed loudly.

"Don't you think that it is a bit too late for that?"

"..."

She did not raise her head from the book, but I was sure that she was listening. I took a few steps closer and pulled out something from my pocket and put it down in front of here. It was the same letter that I had found this morning in the rain.

"Read it."

Patchouli did not answer, nor did she look up at me. Instead, she calmly put down her book and took the letter in her hands. I watched as she read the entirety of its contents. Her eyes widened slightly at several parts, but she did not speak. And after she finished, she folded it and returned it to me. What she said next was something I didn't expect.

"That letter is a forgery. The handwriting and style is indeed similar, but I assure you that this was not written by the Watchmaker."

"Huh? How can you tell?"

"I've read almost all of his works."

The magician began moving several of the books on her desk, revealing a small black book. She quickly pocketed it. Then, she turned back to me.

"Let's go," she said.

"But I thought you wanted to stay down here."

Patchouli gave me the tiniest smile as she took my hand. Together, we began flying back upstairs. Neither of us spoke until we reached the main level. And in a few minutes, we reached the little camp that the fairy maids had formed. But there was something different. A large dining table was set at the very center, and it looked exactly like the one from the main dining room.

"Welcome back, you two. We've been waiting patiently, ehehe~"

Flandre Scarlet stood at the farthest end of the table. That place was usually reserved for the lowest ranked person, so this was a strange sight. On her left sat the servants. Closest to her sat Meiling, who looked utterly confused. Beside the gateguard was Sakuya, who gave me a slightly cold look. On the vampire's right sat Koakuma, whose face lit up immediately when she saw us. And after letting me down, the magician floated to the seat beside her familiar.

"What's all this about?" I asked.

The little sister smiled a bit wider.

"It is lunchtime, of course. Why don't you take a seat~"

I saw that there were three empty seats at the table.
[ ] Sit beside Sakuya, on the right.
[ ] Sit beside Patchouli, on the left.
[ ] Sit across Flandre, on the other end.