[x] Queen of Hearts

I had two cards in my hand - the Ace of Spades and the Jack of Clubs. If this were an ordinary game of Poker, I would most certainly be in a favorable position. But as my dwindling pile of chips reminded me, this was no ordinary game. I reluctantly called Remilia's raise.

"How disappointing," said the vampire. "Have you decided to play more cautiously now?"

"Not exactly," I replied with a vague wave.

"I wonder if he's figured out the true odds yet? Ehehe~"

"Koakuma, another cup of tea please."

After taking a sip, Patchouli began to shuffle the remaining cards. She sat to my left with a calm, unreadable expression on her face. A neat stack of chips lay beside her. Despite having played a number of games, her stack hardly seemed to grow or shrink.

"She's quite good, you know," said Remilia, who had noticed my gaze. "Don't underestimate her tight play. She often outlasts everyone on the table."

The elder vampire sat across me, to the left of Patchouli. She wore a confident smile on her face as she watched me. Her stack of chips was noticeable taller than that of the magician. I didn't think that she was cheating, but her previous plays had been much more bold.

"Be careful now," said Flandre. "A few more weak plays and you'll be eaten alive, ehehe~"

The little sister sat on my right, taking the seat of the fourth and last player. She had a pleasantly bright smile as she nibbled on a sweet biscuit. But I wasn't fooled by that carefree appearance. Flandre's stack of chips was the tallest among us all. And she didn't seem at all surprised.

"The flop," said Patchouli.

She dealt the first three community cards face up. From left to right, the cards were - Ten of Clubs, Ace of Diamonds, King of Spades. At first glance, they were all unusually high cards. But I wasn't fooled. We were playing a variation of Poker called "Royal Hold'em", which was played with only 20 cards - tens, jacks, queens, kings and aces. Needlessly to say, I was struggling to revise my strategy. And it hadn't been working out very well.

Remilia chuckled to herself before taking some chips from her stack and pushing them to the center.

"Raise," she said firmly.

It was Flandre's turn next. The younger sister stared at the table for some time before making an unexpected move.

"I fold."

She threw her own hand carelessly on the table, revealing the King of Hearts and the Queen of Spades. Then, she glanced at Remilia. The elder sister's smile did not waver. But for some reason, I felt that it was a bit forced.

"Hmm..."

It was my turn next. I paused for a moment to think carefully.
[ ] Call
[ ] Fold
[ ] Raise
[ ] Go All-In

[x] Time for tea.

Koakuma and the Outsider walked down the hallways, chatting happily about today's tea time snacks. Little did they know that they were being watched. A pair of red eyes watched intently as they disappeared down the stairs to the first floor.

"..."

When there was no one left, someone walked out of the shadows and sighed to herself. It was a short blue-haired girl in a pink dress and cap. Her bat-like wings drooped slightly as she folded her arms. The girl sighed again and glanced at her left hand. Even through the bandages, she could see that it was still badly burnt and showed no sign of healing.

"Are you alright? That looks quite painful."

Someone else had stepped out into the hallway from a strange purple door. Of course, that door was most certainly not there before.

"You don't look at all surprised," Remilia said. "Did you expect this, Hansel?"

"That was a forbidden move. Of course there would be repercussions. Did you think that you could simply take it back and apologize?"

"I suppose not."

"You should be more careful," said Hansel. "You know as well as I do that the rules of this game aren't to be taken lightly. A single mistake could completely deny the possibility of your existence."

"Perhaps."

Remilia paused and looked carefully at the grey robed magician. For just that moment, this person seemed very familiar to her. He seemed almost... human.

"But why worry about me? Shouldn't you jump at the opportunity of a swift victory?"

"That would most certainly be easier," he replied. "But I'm afraid to say that a quick win isn't my goal in this round."

"Is that why you didn't capture my piece?"

"I have my reasons."

Remilia watched him closely and tried to read his intentions, but to no avail. His face was perfectly obscured by his hood. By this time, she was almost certain that this was a powerful enchantment to hide his identity.

"Do you have no intention of winning?" she asked.

"From the very start, I already declared how this scenario will end. This is a futile struggle. You have absolutely no chance of attaining victory."

"Then, why hold back? Are you looking down on me, wizard!?"

Hansel shook his head.

"You'll understand the theme of this game soon enough. In the meantime, may I ask you to join me for some tea and biscuits?"

"Tea and biscuits? Is that some kind of joke?"

"Not at all. I've brought another rare blend with me."

"Eh? A rare blend? What kind of tea is it?"

"That's a secret. But I'm sure you'll enjoy this one, as well."

Remilia hesitated for a moment before answering.

"I guess that I'll think about it," she said finally.

And with that, both of them vanished with a shower of red and blue sparkles. The purple door had disappeared as well, leaving no trace of the exchange between the vampire and wizard. A pair of fairy maids walked along the hallway as they gossiped about their newest resident. Neither of them noticed anything strange. After all, this was just another ordinary sunny afternoon in the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

Back downstairs, Remilia Scarlet smiled as she drew her first card.
[ ] Ace of Spades
[ ] Queen of Hearts
[ ] King of Diamonds

"... are you alright?"

It was a familiar voice. I opened my eyes slowly, as if awakening from a deep slumber.

"Ugh... my head hurts," I said aloud.

And that it did. These headaches come and go every once in a while. I even got some medicine from the village for it. But it wasn't that serious. As long as I didn't forget to take those pills, I didn't have to worry about these annoying headaches. Ah, that's right. I must forgotten to take the medicine today. How careless.

"Your face is pale. Do you want to rest in your room for a while?"

"I'll be fine, Koakuma. My head is already starting to clear up."

I rubbed my temple for a moment as I looked around. We were standing inside one of the storerooms at the second floor. I don't really remember what happened, but I guess I passed out earlier.

"Are you sure?" said Koakuma. "Why not have Miss Patchouli examine you for injuries?"

"Forget about it. If I'm late for Remilia's game, I'll never hear the end of it."

That was right. I quickly checked my pockets. Ah, there it was! I pulled out a small deck of playing cards. The vampire had asked me to find one from the storeroom earlier. Today's weather was pleasantly sunny, so she had decided to spend it indoors. Needlessly to say, I was invited to join her for cards and tea this afternoon.

"... ugh..."

There it was again, but much more faint this time. A subtle ache in my head. Eh? For some reason, I felt like I forgot something. I turned to Koakuma.

"Forgive me for asking, but did I do anything strange this morning?"

"Strange?" she repeated. "You were with Miss Patchouli and I at the library. I don't recall anything unusual, though."

"Is that so? Well, it might just be my imagination, then."

I shrugged to myself as we left the storeroom. But for some reason...
[ ] Time for tea.
[ ] Just forget about it.

[x] What the hell? You can't leave it at that!

"We've met before," I said. "I'm sure of it. You even knew my name. How could we possibly be strangers?"

"..."

"I'm sorry if I couldn't remember, but it isn't like I forgot about you on purpose. I had some sort of strange amnesia, and I don't have any memories of the time before I arrived at the Scarlet Devil Mansion."

"..."

"Please believe me! This isn't a trick! I can't even remember the names of my own parents, you know?"

"..."

"Can't you at least tell me who I was to you?"

"..."

For some reason, I had expected this girl to get angry at my persistence. In fact, I probably would have preferred that reaction. But no matter what I said, Yuuka wouldn't respond. She wouldn't even turn her head. I understood then, that our conversation was already over. She no longer had any interest in me, it seemed. I sighed loudly.

"..."

Yuuka didn't say anything, but she didn't force me to leave. I decided to stay here a bit longer. The weather was pleasant, and the sunflower field was beautiful. I closed my eyes as the wind blew gently. Even if this was my first time here, I felt completely at ease. How strange.

It had been some time since I first arrived at the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Now when was that, again? I couldn't really remember. But those details weren't so important. Not as important as what happened, anyway.

That day, I had opened my eyes and found myself lost in the wilderness of Gensokyo. And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't recall what I was doing, or where I was from. I was a complete amnesiac, and all I could remember was my own name. But for some reason, I knew that it was dangerous for humans to stay in the forest. So I forced myself up and wandered until I came to a clearing. There, I saw a large Western style mansion.

"...?"

I blinked in surprise. Yuuka had said something, but I wasn't paying attention.

"Sorry, but could you please repeat that?"

Yuuka Kazami turned to me with the most solemn expression on her face.

"Who am I to you?" she whispered.

"Eh? But I already said that I couldn't remember..."

A powerful image suddenly flashed before me. But before I could react -

"Aaaaaarrrggh!"

I felt like someone was sticking a red-hot poker into both of my eyes, and in that very instant, the image vanished. In its place was this incredible, throbbing pain. I cried out and crumpled down on the ground. From the side of my eye, I thought I saw Yuuka running up to me. But the pain was too much. Both my brain and my body couldn't take it. Everything was turning black.

Before I lost consciousness, I used the last of my strength to remember. And then, I finally realized it.

Yuuka Kazami had been waiting for me.

[x] Tell her the truth. You don't remember her.

I gently helped Yuuka to her feet. She was only a couple of inches shorter than me, and she didn't look any different from an ordinary human girl. In her other hand was her parasol. She must have held onto it all this time. Then, this girl stared straight at me with some feeling that I couldn't place. For some reason, that expression seemed very familiar. But no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't remember...

"I'm sorry, but I really can't remember meeting you before."

"Eh?"

Her smile completely faded away. She put her hand to her chin and stared at me thoughtfully. I wasn't sure how best to respond, so I just stayed quiet.

"..."

"Ah! That's it, isn't it?"

Yuuka suddenly snapped her fingers, as if she remembered something. Then, she smiled brightly at me. A chill ran down my spine. Without warning, she reached for my neck.

"I get it now," she said. "This is what you humans call a joke, isn't it?"

"W-what are you... urk!"

This time, I could feel her youkai strength as she effortlessly choked me. Her smile widened as she watched the horror in my eyes.

"I haven't seen you around for the longest time, so don't fool around like that."

"... but... (cough)...I'm... (wheeze)... not..."

Yuuka raised her arm and lifted me up in the air. She tightened her grip painfully.

"This joke of yours isn't very funny. Stop lying and come clean, already!"

"... was.. (wheeze).. not.. (cough)... lying"

"When was it? The last time we met?"

"... don't... (cough)... remember... urk!"

"..."

I don't remember how long she held me like that. But right before I could pass out, she suddenly let go. A few minutes passed as I recovered from her attack. Then, I looked up to her angrily.

"What the hell? Are you trying to kill me!?"

"You really... don't remember?"

"That's what I've been saying earlier! Aren't you -"

Yuuka shook her head and sighed. I stopped speaking. She watched me with a sad smile. Her next words were but a whisper.

"Then, we are just strangers, aren't we?"

With that, Yuuka started walking around the sunflower field. I tried to call out to her a few times, but she did not turn her head or respond. She opened her parasol and hid her face with it. But from the corner of my eye, I thought I saw that same sad smile on her face. It was both lovely and lonely.

I sighed to myself, unsure of what to do next.
[ ] "I wonder what Remilia was doing?"
[ ] "I wonder what Sakuya was doing?"
[ ] "I wonder what Patchouli was doing?"

[x] Catch her.

I swooped down and caught the girl in my arms. She was surprisingly light, and I had little trouble carrying her. We landed together among the sunflowers. I glanced at her for a moment.

"..."

Yuuka's eyes remained closed, and she did not say a word. Her lovely green hair was surprisingly well-kept, and her skin was flawless and smooth. She breathed softly, as if she was just sleeping. There was something oddly familiar about this scene. Before I realized it, I found myself absent-mindedly stroking her hair. We stood like that for a few moments, without any other care in the world. And very slowly, a small smile started to form on her lips. That is, until I realized that something was odd.

"Wait a second... huh!?"

I blinked in surprise when I realized it. All of the burns on her face and body had vanished! Wait, what!? Wasn't she just hit with a powerful elemental spell a while ago? And I was sure that she took severe damage that time. But when I looked at her again, there was no sign of even a single wound or scar. I never heard of humans healing so quickly, even in Gensokyo. This level of natural regeneration was restricted to only the most powerful youkai. Which meant that this girl was...

"Why did you stop?" she said suddenly.

Yuuka Kazami stared straight at me. There was no fear or anger in her eyes. Just that same expression of mild interest.

"No p-particular reason," I said uneasily. "I'm glad t-to see that you're alright."

"You don't look very glad. Did you only realize your mistake now?"

"Mistake!? W-what are you talking about?"

She smiled cheerfully, as if she was talking about how pleasant the weather was. And even without words, I began to understand the entirety of this scene. Here I was, holding a hostile youkai girl in my arms. Said youkai girl was completely unhurt and was already proven capable of dealing much bodily harm. And from this range, there was little I could do to defend myself. This really was the worst possible situation, wasn't it?

"I could easily kill you right now, human."

From this close, I couldn't even put up a basic spell barrier. And this girl knew it. Very slowly, she put one of her soft hands on my chest. I shivered slightly. Was she going to punch through my ribcage and rip out my heart? I watched in horror as she playfully poked at my shirt with her fingers. Then, she moved her hand higher.

"W-what the -"

I held my breath as she wrapped her fingers around my neck. Was she going to choke me to death? I couldn't say a word as she tightened and loosened her grip several times. But she didn't seem satisfied. Instead, she continued moving her hand higher.

"..."

Her soft fingers pressed against my cheeks. Was she going to gouge out my eyes? Was she going to rip out my tongue? Or perhaps, she was going to crush my skull? I closed my eyes shut and silently prayed for a swift death. And I waited. And waited. And waited some more. But nothing happened. She just stroked my hair softly with her fingers. It felt oddly comforting, and little by little, I started to calm my heart.

Then, she said something strange. I immediately opened my eyes, unsure if I had heard correctly.

"What... did you say?"

She said it again - my name. But I still didn't understand. How could she know that?

"I never thought we'd meet again. You really have grown up."

I stood there silently, the girl still in my arms. She had introduced herself as Yuuka Kazami. But I had absolutely no memory of her or this sunflower field.

"Have we... met before?"

At those words, her smile began to fade.
[ ] Tell her the truth. You don't remember her.
[ ] Lie for now. Perhaps you'll remember later.
[ ] Just forget about it. Time to leave this place.

[x] The radiance of the sun

As soon as Yuuka finished casting, the area was filled with a shower of colorful flowers. I watched in awe at this beautiful new magic. Or at least I did, until one of them grazed me. The flower projectile sliced right through my shirt and skin painfully. I cried out as it left a deep cut on my shoulder.

"Gyaaaaaah!"

It was then that I realized that she just used a dangerous offensive spell card. If even one of those things hit me, then I'll end up dead for sure. Each one of those little flowers was as dangerous as it was beautiful. Just like this green-haired girl in front of me.

"D-damn it! That really hurt!"

"Come now," said Yuuka. "A little cut never hurt anyone."

"Yeah. But a lot could kill me!"

Yuuka smiled cheerfully. I saw no remorse in her eyes, just a vague expression of mild interest. For some reason, I started to doubt if this person was like any of the other magicians I've met. In fact, I started to doubt if she was human at all.

She started moving forward leisurely as she sent dozens more of her flowers in my direction. Her attacks steadily kept on getting stronger and more difficult to avoid. The air grew thick with her deadly offensive, and I began to ran out of space to dodge. This was really bad. If I didn't do anything now, those little flowers would slice me up into a hundred and one pieces.

I cursed to myself as I searched through my mind for a way to escape. But I was reaching my limit just flying around to dodge her flowers. It was like standing in a minefield. There were so many of them around me that any wrong move would mean certain death. Did she really not feel anything as she attacked me like this?

"How very disappointing," said Yuuka.

When I glanced at her, I realized with horror that her smile was starting to fade.

"You seemed different. Like a thorny rose bush."

"Y-Yuuka!?"

"But I guess you were too ordinary, after all. Just like all the other weeds."

"W-wait! Don't just -"

"Good bye, human."

She raised her arm toward me and gave one last bored look. Then, a single giant-sized flower appeared out of nowhere and began flying straight toward my chest. There was no way I could dodge this attack. I closed my eyes with resignation. This was the end. I was going to be slaughtered like an animal right above this beautiful sunflower field. Well, at least my remains would fertilize this place a little. Guess I just ran out of luck. Too bad for me. I didn't even get a chance to tell Patchouli that I...

"..."

That was right. I still hadn't told her. I couldn't let myself die here! As my last act of desperation, I focused all of my magical energy into the first spell that came to mind.

"Sun Sign, 「Royal Flare」"

Everything turned white. An old memory flashed in my mind. Patchouli had caught Marisa in the act of 'borrowing' from the Voile library. The black-white didn't yet realize that she was spotted, and she eagerly continued grabbing books. Without a word, Patchouli walked right up to her and cast this spell at point-blank range. I was completely awestruck at the raw power she displayed. And it was then that I asked if she could start teaching me magic.

I slowly opened my eyes. The sky was now clear and free of those deadly flowers. And as for that dangerous Kazami girl, she was still floating listlessly in front of me. Despite her numerous burns, she managed to smile weakly.

"You've grown up... quite a bit."

And with those last words, she closed her eyes and began falling toward the ground.
[ ] Catch her.
[ ] Watch her fall.
[ ] Leave this place.

Under the Scarlet Moonlight: Dead Magic

[x] Yuuka Kazami, the Flower Master of Four Seasons

Earlier this morning, I left the mansion for the Forest of Magic. Patchouli instructed me to train with the black-white for a while, since she and Koakuma were busy cataloging some newly acquired books. Unfortunately, Marisa said that she was also too busy to teach today. So instead, she gave me this map.

"If you follow these directions," she had said. "You will find someone who can teach you a number of powerful spells."

Having no better option, I obediently followed the directions on her map. And before I knew it, I found myself standing in a vast field filled with sunflowers. The sky was clear, and the morning sun was pleasantly warm. A gentle breeze blew against my cheek. This was a fresh change of pace from the dusty old library. I couldn't help but smile to myself.

"It's a shame," I said aloud. "There isn't anyone else around to share in this beautiful scene."

No sooner than I had said those words, my eyes came upon a beautiful green-haired girl standing some distance away. She wore a red plaid waistcoat over a plain white shirt and a matching red plaid skirt. In her hands was a parasol, which she held to shade herself from the sun. And as I watched, the girl bent down to examine a sunflower that had began to wilt.

"Are you feeling alright?" she whispered to the flower. "You don't look so healthy, so why don't I encourage you a little bit..."

The girl spoke something under her breath as she touched the sunflower with the tip of her finger. For just a moment, the flower shone as bright as a small star. And when the light dimmed, the sunflower she held had bloomed even more cheerfully than those that stood beside it. I couldn't believe my eyes.

"A spell to make flowers bloom," I said without thinking. "I've never seen anything like it before. That was a wonderful bit of magic!"

"..."

The girl didn't even look in my direction. She just stood up and began walking away.

"Hey, Miss!" I cried. "How did you do that? Could you teach me that magic?"

"..."

She took a light step into the air and began hovering. And as I watched, she began to float away into the distance. But I wasn't going to give up that easily. I just had to learn the secret behind such beautiful magic!

"Please wait!"

"... eh?"

That was the very first word that she had directed to me. I raised my arms and blocked her path. It had taken much of my concentration to take flight after this girl. But it seemed that I had finally gotten her attention.

"Please wait," I said. "I am an apprentice magician, and I have come in search of a teacher."

"A teacher?" she repeated.

"Yes! I've come here on the advice of the human magician Marisa Kirisame, and I -"

Without warning, the girl raised a hand and fired a powerful blast of energy straight toward me. Luckily, I managed to dodge the surprise attack. And when I turned to her, I saw that she had that same calm smile on her face.

"Oh. You're still alive."

"W-what the hell?" I cried. "T-that's really dangerous! Are you trying to kill me!?"

"Yuuka Kazami," said the girl. "But you can call me Yuuka."

She introduced herself as if there was nothing unusual about the situation. It caught me completely off-guard, and I was lost for words. Her smile had not wavered at all, and I had no idea what she was thinking. But when I looked into her eyes, I saw that she was staring straight back at me with interest. And that terrified me.

"A-ah, is that so? W-well then, it's been great meeting you, Miss Yuuka. But I just remembered that I had something to finish back at the mansion and -"

"I like you," said Yuuka suddenly.

"... wait, what!?"

Without giving me time to think, the girl pulled out a spellcard from her dress.

"Let's begin our first lesson."

[ ] The depth of the sky
[ ] The radiance of the sun
[ ] The steadiness of the earth

Afterward, Remilia returned to the gardens. There was someone seated at the tea table, waving at her. She wasn't surprised.

"Welcome back, Miss Scarlet."

"I was wondering when you would show up."

Hansel was seated at the tea table with a glass of brandy in his hand. He wore thick grey robes, and his face was obscured by a carefully placed hood. His walking stick was leaning on the table. If she hadn't known any better, she might have mistaken him for an ordinary human traveller. The vampire took a seat across the wizard and poured herself a shot.

"Glad to see that Yukari still has excellent taste in rare liquors. And by the way, thanks for earlier."

"For what?"

"You didn't tell her that I was here."

"Oh, that?" said Remilia. "I didn't do anyone any favors. I just told her the truth. After all, I never invited anyone by the name of 'Hansel' to this place."

"Heh, I guess that's true. But regardless of your motives, that was a wise move."

"..."

Remilia sighed to herself and took a sip from her glass. Hansel watched her carefully.

"He chose the path that I had warned you about, didn't he..."

"I respect his choice," she said. "And I will stand by it, as well."

"Even if his chance for success is zero percent?"

"That doesn't matter. If it's him, he'll surely find a way to solve this riddle."

"Really, now? Heh heh heh... what an interesting turn of events. So, you're saying that you'll back him up even if there is absolutely no way for him to survive this round?"

"That is correct."

"And why would you do that, Miss Scarlet?"

"Because I believe in him."

Hansel put down his glass and grinned. That grin slowly turned into horrible laughter.

"Ahahahahahahahahahahaha! What a wonderfully tragic turn of events! I never thought that I would step onto the stage so soon!"

He snapped his fingers with glee. Suddenly, the scenery around them warped and twisted in a miasma of shape and color. Remilia shielded her eyes as a bright flash of light filled the place. And when she opened them, she found that they were standing in a field of lush green grass. The cerulean sky above was clear and bright.

"W-what is the meaning of this!?" cried the vampire.

"I am merely explaining to you the truth."

"Truth?"

"The chance for your success in this round is zero percent."

"And why is that?"

Hansel smiled nastily. There was no trace of kindness in his eyes.

"Because I am your opponent this round! And I shall guarantee this truth with my own hands!"

"...I see. I should have known..."

Remilia Scarlet grinned back. Her eyes were filled with fire and malice.

"You will regret those words."

Without warning, the sky behind the vampire was enveloped in darkness. A great red moon slowly rose from the horizon. The territory began to fall under the influence of blood and shadow.

"I hold fate itself in my hands. Cower in fear and prostrate yourself before me, wizard!"

The green grass and blue sky on Hansel's side of this space remained unaffected by the vampire's ability, and he didn't show any sign of retreating. On the contrary, he seemed even more excited to see that his opponent chose to fight.

"I shall unveil the bitter truth behind this world! Prepare yourself, vampire!"

The curtain began to rise, signalling the start of a new tale.
[ ] Nitori Kawashiro, the Super Youkai Warhead
[ ] Alice Margatroid, the Seven-Colored Puppeteer
[ ] Yuuka Kazami, the Flower Master of Four Seasons

[x] A troubled vampire girl. Its price is "???".

"Haa.... haa.... (cough)... haa... haa..."

I sat myself on the floor to catch my breath. The two flintlock dueling pistols seemed ordinary at first glance, but they felt like they weighed several tons. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't move them from their place. Hell, I couldn't even lift them an inch up from the table. I might as well have been trying to lift a boulder with my bare hands.

"Damn! Is it useless, after all!?"

"... of course it is. What did you think would happen?"

Remilia stood nearby with her arms folded. I didn't notice her at all, but it seemed like she had been there for quite some time. How long had she been watching me, I wonder?

"Well, I just thought that if I tried a little harder, then maybe something different would happen."

"How foolish," she said. "If you do the exact same thing again and again, then of course you would end up with the same result."

"But I'm not doing the exact same thing."

"Eh? Do you mean that there's something special with those guns?"

"Not particularly. But I thought that since there are two of them, we could each take one."

"Those are dueling pistols. You do know what they are for, right? Are you trying to pick a fight with me?"

"Huh? O-of course not! I just thought that it would be nice to carry matching weapons."

"... matching weapons?"

"Why not? We're partners in this game, aren't we?"

"P-partners!?"

With a gentle smile, I held out my hand to the vampire. She blinked at me in surprise.

"You aren't alone, Remilia."

And very slowly, she took my hand.

[x] Library Key

I took the violet key from Remilia's hand. She watched me carefully.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"..."

The vampire sighed loudly and shook her head. Before I could ask any further, she grabbed my hand and held it tight. And in an instant, we were transported to the Voile Armory. She let go of my hand and started walking away. Remilia had almost left my sight when I called out to her.

"Wait!" I cried. "Where are you going?"

"I need some time to think," she said.

"Then, what am I supposed to do?"

"Go ahead and pick out what you need. I'll meet you near the entrance later."

Remilia didn't turn around, and her voice was just a whisper when she spoke. I watched quietly as she left. She didn't show any of her usual energy and confidence. And that made me feel a bit nervous. For some reason, I felt absolutely certain that something had changed. Something important.

"Hmm..."

I examined the violet key closely. But aside from a few strange symbols engraved on the side, it seemed like a perfectly ordinary door key. There weren't any tricks or strange devices, and I didn't feel anything particularly ominous from it. This item was just a means to open the way to the library, wasn't it?

"Well, whatever."

There were a number of interesting items that I hadn't noticed before. A camera used for spiritual photography. A worn battle axe from the North. A deck of strangely marked playing cards. A pair of flintlock dueling pistols. A schematic for building a 'Kappa Arm'. A map that showed all the fairy dwellings around the mansion. An old baseball bat and a BB gun. A grimoire filled with spells and curses. An umbrella that was left behind and forgotten.

"Too bad these don't have any labels..." I muttered to myself.

I sighed sadly. There weren't any new items to choose from, this time. Just like before, only five items had labels. And as I stood there, thinking about what to bring, I noticed Remilia beside one of the few windows in this place. She looked troubled.

"Hey! Are you feeling alright?"

"... I'm fine."

"Ah, is that so?"

"..."

Remilia sighed to herself as she looked at me.

"Have you decided, then?"

"Decided?"

"On what you are going to bring back with you."

"Ah, that. Let me think..."

What shall I take this time?
[ ] I don't need any of this junk.
[ ] A length of rope. Its price is "Trust".
[ ] A crystal vial. Its price is "Restraint".
[ ] A small compass. Its price is "Time".
[ ] A ballpoint pen. Its price is "Accuracy".
[ ] A silver candlestick. Its price is "Calm".
[ ] A troubled vampire girl. Its price is "???".

[x] Yukari should stay.

I sighed loudly and shook my head.

"I'm sorry Remilia, but -"

"I've agreed to help him from this point onward~" said Yukari suddenly.

"Eeeeeeeeh? W-what did you say!?" cried the vampire. "D-did you just make a contract with Yukari!?"

I could hear the panic in her voice. For just that moment, the vampire lost all composure, and I thought that she was going to start crying. Or beating me to death. Or both. I couldn't really tell. And I didn't plan on waiting to find out. Seeing her look at me with those eyes was painful enough. I quickly shook my head.

"Of course not! We haven't agreed on anything yet!"

"B-but she just said that..."

"Don't misunderstand," I said. "Yukari said that she could help. I just think that we should listen to what she has to say."

"...is that really all?"

"I don't want us to be trapped in this riddle forever. Don't you think that we should try something different this time?"

"..."

Remilia glanced at me with suspicion, but she didn't say anything more. I could tell that she wasn't completely convinced. But at the very least, she seemed to calm down a bit. The vampire took her seat and poured herself another glass of brandy. I quickly turned back to Yukari.

"What kind of help are you offering?" I asked.

"Nothing much, really..."

She put down her glass and began combing her long golden hair with her fingers. Then, she paused and fiddled with something I couldn't see. And with a gentle smile, she held out something in her hands. It looked like a small hair ribbon.

"With this, you can escape from even the most dangerous of situations in the blink of an eye."

"Oh really? Well, then..."

"Don't get too excited," said Remilia. "It isn't like you could just take that with you during the next round. And even if you did, you wouldn't remember any of this conversation, so it's all useless."

"That is certainly true," said Yukari. "Which is why I am going to do this, instead~"

Before either of us could respond, she cheerfully put the ribbon into Remilia's hands. I understood immediately. This would work within the rules, I think. The vampire stared at the ribbon carefully for a few moments.

"What are you playing at, Yukari?"

"Eh? But I gave you the real thing, just now. Can't you tell just by holding it~"

Remilia shook her head and repeated her question.

"What are you playing at? I know that it's genuine. Is this another scheme of yours?"

Yukari giggled as she stood herself up. She pulled out a parasol out of nowhere and waved at us cheerfully.

"Well... that's all the time I have for now," she said. "I'll be looking forward to your next performance~"

"W-wait!" cried Remilia. "Answer me! Why would you -"

Suddenly, a black portal appeared at the youkai girl's legs and swallowed her up. Then, it closed up and vanished just as quickly. The vampire angrily stamped her foot on the ground.

"Ugh! That damn Yukari! What the hell is she playing at?"

Despite her words, I noticed that Remilia had carefully pocketed the hair ribbon. I prudently took care not to mention it any further. Instead, I poured myself another shot. Yukari had left the bottle behind, after all. But before I could take a sip, the vampire turned around and glared at me.

"And you! What do you think you're doing?"

"Err... having another shot?"

"Enjoying yourself at a time like this!?"

Without warning, the vampire slammed her palm loudly upon the tea table. I immediately took the hint and put down my glass. She nodded and pulled out a metal key ring from her dress. Then, she removed two keys and held them out for me to see.

"Keys? But these are different from the ones before..."

"The violet key goes to the library, while the silver key goes to the clock tower."

"I see..."

Remilia didn't say anything more. Did she not know which one I would choose this time? Or perhaps she knew, but...
[ ] Library Key
[ ] Clock Tower Key