[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