[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

[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.