東方プロジェクト二次小説・オリジナル小説サイト
Chapter 3:Ten Desires

—7—


To be honest, I had no expectation that messing with the headstone would achieve anything. However...

"Whoa, it opened a little!"

"That's my Merry, Gensokyo's finest barrier-detector. Accept no substitutes."

"This has nothing to do with any barrier, Renko. It's a physical mechanism."

The moment we had turned the pillar, some sort of mechanism beneath the ground had opened with a click, and the flat slab of stone that marked the grave before the headstone slowly drew to the side, revealing a shaft that led vertically downward into a profound darkness.

Looking into that hole, I could still see the edges of a powerful barrier, but the barrier was open. It seemed that the mechanism had been set up such that when operated correctly, both the physical doorway and the barrier would open at once. I had seen barriers that operated that way before, but usually only in sacred places like shrines. At any rate the only thing preventing us from proceeding at this point was the fact that there was no sign of anything like a ladder or stairs inside of the hole. If we wanted to keep exploring, it would mean plunging into that inky blackness and whatever might exist beneath it.

"Genji, do you think you can fit into that hole?"

"If I tuck my limbs into my shell, I think so. It looks like it gets wider below. I take it you want me to go down first and then you'll climb onto my back?"

Genji tucked his limbs into his shell and descended into the shaft, hovering in place and poking his head out to look back up at us only once he had descended a little ways and was cloaked in deep shadows.

"Alright, Merry! Let's go, today's activity is exploring an ancient undisturbed tomb buried and sealed beneath Myouren temple!"

"That sounds like a good way to get eaten or caught in some sort of trap."

With an excited whoop, Renko kicked her legs over the edge then scooted herself into the void, landing on Genji and settling herself into position. I lowered myself down as much as I could then slid over the lip as well, falling down to settle into position behind Renko. I held on as Genji descended, clearing space for Nazrin to float down after us.

"I’ve been thinking this ever since you accompanied us to Makai to rescue Byakuren, but you two are actually insane, aren't you?" Nazrin asked as she floated down behind us.

"Oh please, you're embarrassing me, Little Naz!"

"That wasn't intended as praise." She said dourly. "If anything, I'm annoyed that—" whatever she was about to say was cutoff as, with an audible mechanical click, the stone slab at the top of the shaft suddenly began to close, rolling smoothly and soundlessly along its tracks as the light above was cut down into a narrow line.

"Huh," Renko mused, ahead of me. "I guess that mechanism was designed to close automatically after a while."

"How can you be so carefree about it? What do we do now?"

"—No time to bicker!"

Nazrin said that as she spun around and lunged toward the entrance, trying to thrust one of her dowsing rods into the narrowing gap, but she was moment too late, and the sound of their metal ringing off of the underside of the stone slab rang through the air. The gap closed completely and we were plunged into an absolute, all-encompassing darkness.

"Well, now we're trapped," Nazrin's voice said as a flare of greenish-white light blossomed in her hands, dimly illuminating our surroundings. For a moment I wondered what Nazrin could be holding that would produce that much light, but then I recognized the same stone and crystal pagoda she had stolen from our office during the Treasure Ship Incident

"Oh, good idea bringing that houtou, Little Naz! Isn't that Miss Shou's though? Does she know you have it?"

"Byakuren asked me to bring it since I'm supposed to be protecting the two of you. She's lending me some of her power to keep you safe."

For a thousand years, part of Byakuren's magical power had been sealed in this tiny pagoda while she had been imprisoned in Makai. When we had rescued her from the Realm of Truth, I thought we had seen all of that power return to her, but perhaps there was still some of it present in the houtou. Maybe an artifact that holds on to that much power for that long becomes imprinted with part of it. I wouldn't know as I'm not a magician myself.

"We may as well go deeper. Whatever we're looking for is probably further down," Renko said, peering over Genji's shoulder, deeper into the dark shaft.

Nazrin nodded. "We don't really have any other choice."

And so we proceeded downward, our path lit only by the glow of the houtou. As we proceeded lower and lower we did encounter a great many drifting spirits like we had seen on the surface. There were also more than a few small fairies down here. I wondered if they were a natural feature of the stone surrounding us, or simply surface dwellers who had gotten lost. Nazrin shot down the few curious enough to draw close with beams of light from the houtou.

"This reminds me of the shaft leading to Old Hell," Renko said, "but it's a lot drier here." It hadn't occurred to me to notice, but it was indeed surprisingly clean and dry here and even a bit warmer than one might expect of a cave.

"Well that passage led to a city full of youkai, and this one supposedly leads to the tomb of a saint, so maybe it's not surprising that they're different. If anything, this place reminds me a little of what the Realm of Truth felt like."

"Yeah, it does sort of feel like that. I wonder if that means that whoever's sealed down here is a famous Buddhist monk?"

"Like Kukai?"

"Kukai was the founder of Shingon Buddhism, and Myouren Temple is a Shingon sect. It would be pretty strange for Byakuren to want to seal away the founder of her own religion, don't you think?"

"So who do you think is down here then? Saicho?"

"The founder of a rival Buddhist sect? That'd be interesting, but it could even be a holy figure from another religion. Byakuren said that she suspected whoever is buried here was about to be resurrected. That brings to mind a different holy figure, doesn't it? There's even a place in Japan that claims to be His grave, right?"

"Don't even kid about that, Renko. He'd be the last person I'd expect to come to Japan." I didn't even want to mention His name here. While it's true that there is a place in Aomori that claims to be his grave, that story is more of a local legend that a savior from afar came to Japan and died here, rather than any sort of serious theological claim of a tie to the Christian messiah. If someone like that were going to show up in Gensokyo, it'd likely be an incarnation of that legend than the literal son of God.

At the time, I thought Renko was just being ridiculous as usual, but it turned out that she wasn't so far from the truth. We continued to descend with Nazrin lighting our path. After a few minutes of steady descent, she suddenly stopped.
"Stay there." Nazrin called to us.

"What's wrong?" Renko called back.

"The shaft ends here, and there's a big door set into the wall."

Nazrin lifted the houtou above her head ,and we could now see that there was indeed an end to the shaft here, bare dry rock laying completely undisturbed except for an enormous pair of doors that were set into the wall. Although it was too dark to make out fine detail, the doors appeared to be elaborately ornamented, bearing a huge and intricately detailed mural depicting a stern-faced man with a long beard dressed in some sort of official Chinese courtier's uniform. There was no sign of any method by which the doors could be opened or closed, nor was there any gatekeeper present.

"The saint must be just beyond these doors."

"That makes sense, but how will we open them?"

"What's it look like to you, Merry?"

The imposing weight of the doors was reinforced by the presence of a powerful barrier. To anyone who could see it, this was a very clear 'keep out' sign.

"...There's a barrier here. Stronger than the one above."

"Welp, you can't catch a tiger without going into its cave. Let's get you close enough to open it." Renko nudged Genji into motion.

"Renko, wait. What did I say about volunteering me without asking?" I tugged on her waist to hold her back, but Genji carried us steadily forward. At least until Nazrin suddenly held one of her dowsing rods out, blocking our path. She was staring warily into the darkness, eyes focused on something above us, just beyond the reach of the light.

With a grim expression, Nazrin shouted sharply into the shadows. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

"What do we have here?” asked a bemused voice. “A rat, two humans and a turtle. I sensed that the entrance to this place had been opened, but I hadn't expected quite so many strange guests to have wandered in."

A figure floated into view from the edge of the darkness, dressed in pale blue silks, with her blue hair tied into a braid in a shape like the mathematical symbol for infinity with a long metal hairpin that threw back the glow of Nazrin's pagoda. The sensation of her presence was decidedly inhuman, but not quite like that of a youkai. More than anything she reminded me, in some vague sort of way, of Ibara Kasen. Could she be another hermit?

"I told Yoshika not to let anyone through until the resurrection is completed. I hope she's not sleeping on the job," the woman continued, floating closer but seeming to pay us no mind, resting her cheek on the palm of her hand as she moved through the air. I wondered if by 'Yoshika' she was referring to the jiangshi we had encountered above ground.

"Well at any rate, I can imagine why the rat is sniffing around, she's one of that temple's minions. What brings two lonely humans here though? Are you just greedy souls pulled here along with all these desire spirits?"

"Why don't you tell us your name?" Nazrin said, moving to put herself between us and the floating woman.

"Wouldn't it be more polite to give your own name first?" she replied, meeting Nazrin’s open suspicion with a mirthful tone that seemed almost flirtatious.

Nazrin seemed like she was about to make a retort but Renko waved her arm and called out before she could.

"My name's Usami Renko," she volunteered. "This is Merry here behind me and this turtle is Genji, who's giving us a ride since my partner and I are just normal humans. We run a detective agency in the human village and we're looking into the cause of all of these spirits suddenly becoming visible. Miss Nazrin here is our bodyguard. And you?"

"I'm Kaku Seiga, a hermit. What happened to my cute underling? She's supposed to be guarding the entrance up above."

"I assume you're referring to the jiangshi we encountered?"

"Yes, her name is Yoshika. She's so rotten and cute, isn't she?"

'Rotten and cute' was an extremely odd phrase to hear spoken aloud, but I suppose aesthetic preferences of the sort of person who would create a jiangshi from a corpse were bound to be a little skewed.

"I see. Well Yoshika should be resting in the shade of a tree at the moment. She found the sunlight to be a bit overwhelming, I'm afraid."

"Oh dear. I had warned her to stay hidden during the day. She wasn't gnawed on by any rats, was she?"

"Neither I nor any of my soldiers would stoop so low as to eat a rotting corpse," Nazrin growled.

"Oh that's a relief," Seiga said, laying a hand over her heart. "I'd hate to think that my cute little Yoshika might have any bite marks from a rat on her. Why, if that had happened, I'd have to gather up all of the rats responsible and all of their families and use them for my experiments." She spoke with the same gentle, carefree smile she had worn since appearing, seemingly completely at peace with such an idea. I couldn't help but wonder why she would use a jiangshi as a gatekeeper if she was upset about the possibility of her being harmed though.

"You see, Little Naz? It's a good thing I was able to negotiate with her." Renko said, turning to Nazrin. I couldn't help but think that, given the situation we found ourselves in, Renko's carefree smile was just as unnerving as the one opposite us.

"It's a miracle that you're even able to make such a ridiculous boast. You came very close to being a rotting corpse yourself." Nazrin grumbled. She wasn't wrong.

Renko ignored her commentary and continued to address the hermit. "So, Miss Hermit. We've come here to investigate the appearance of these spirits, but I wonder what might lie behind this door? You mentioned that someone was about to be resurrected?"

"These spirits have gathered of their own accord, attracted here by the power of someone who is about to awaken.. Compared to that foreign prophet, who had resurrected three days after his execution, this will be much more divine and magnificent."

Someone more ‘divine and magnificent’ than who Renko and I had been discussing? I couldn't imagine who might take top billing over a superstar presence like that.

"It's actually quite impressive for a regular human to have made it this far, even if you did have a rat escorting you. Miss Renko, was it? Have you ever considered studying Taoism?"

"Oh, are you a Taoist then?"

"Taoism has a lot to offer. I could teach you to become a hermit, if you'd be interested. Perpetual youth, a clear mind, a sturdy body..."

"Oh well, that's very enticing of you to offer. Perpetual youth sounds nice, but my mind is already perfectly clear," Renko said without a moment's hesitation or thought, as if she were ordering off of a menu.

"What about the other human behind you? Your eyes are quite unusual. Would you be interested in witnessing the truths of the Tao?"

"Me?" I asked, shrinking awkwardly behind Renko, "Um, I visit a pair of Shinto shrines fairly regularly, so I should probably avoid dabbling with other religions." I was more than a little unnerved by the fact that she seemed to have noticed the power of my eyes despite never having come close enough to examine them.

"Well that's no trouble, you'd just have to convert. Would you like to?"

"Um, no, not at the moment, I should mention that Renko attends the same shrines as well."

"Well it would be a shame for two mortals to have come this far for no reason. I know what we'll do. Why don't you come inside? I'm sure once you've witness the resurrection, you'll understand the true appeal of the Tao." Saying that, Seiga drifted over to the enormous doors and touched them ever so lightly. Without only the faintest whisper of a creak they slowly began to open.

"Wait! Renko, Merry, don't go in there, I don't trust this hermit." Nazrin said, still holding her dowsing rod out in front of us.

"No talking please, minion from the temple." Seiga waved dismissively. As she did so a flash of intense white light raced away from her hand, crackling through the air like a dagger made of lightning. Nazrin was taken off guard and would certainly have been struck if not for an equally intense beam of light that leapt—unbidden, from the crystal sphere of the stone pagoda she was holding—to meet Seiga's projectile in the air and vaporize it.

"Oh!" crowed Seiga, her eyes widening with interest. "What a dangerous toy you have. Is that the power of the founder of your temple? I certainly can’t let you inside while you’re carrying something like 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡."

"I'm here to act as a bodyguard to these two. I have no quarrel with you directly, but I cannot allow a wicked hermit to abduct them from my care. Allow us to leave in peace and there will be no need for a fight," Nazrin said, taking up a defensive stance.

"A 'wicked hermit?' My, what a compliment. If you'd like to resolve things without a fight, then just leave these two with me."

"Merry? Renko?" Nazrin said, glancing back at us for a moment. "...Let's run!" She twisted in midair, re-orienting herself then shooting upwards, back toward the entrance.

"Oh, we're running now?" Genji asked, as he turned to pursue.

Seiga called out from behind us as Genji turned. "I won't let you escape, you know."

At the same moment, from somewhere ahead of us another voice called out. "Nooo escaaaape!"

"Oh Yoshika, you're finally here. Don't bite the humans, please. You can eat the rat."

"Yaaay, dinner!" Yoshika dived into view, her mouth open wide as she flew like an arrow at Nazrin, who blocked the attack at the last moment with her crossed dowsing rods, pushing their metal back against Yoshika’s face as the jiangshi gnashed her jaws.

From behind us Seiga was slowly closing in, glowing with an ethereal light and smiling unconcernedly. In front of us, Nazrin and Yoshika backed away from their clash and were now squaring off, fangs and weapons bared. Lit by the glow of the borrowed houtou and surrounded by the absolute darkness of the cave, a fight seemed inevitable as the two of them closed in.


—8—


One would expect at this point that Renko would have talked us out of a fight. Or perhaps Nazrin would have revealed some clever plan to save us. Maybe the ground above us would have burst open and Reimu or Marisa or Sanae might have come hurtling down the shaft in a blaze of danmaku. Unfortunately reality is not so considerate as to obey the rules of a proper narrative. What happened instead was this:

"Damn it! Sorry you two, I'm retreating!"

"Wait, what? You can't just..."

There was a blinding flash as the pagoda flared into brilliance, emitting a stinging light so intense that we could feel it on our skin. A faint crackling sound filled the air and Yoshika reared back in terror from the light. Then it was gone, and with it, Nazrin. She had extinguished the light as she left, disappearing into the absolute blackness of the subterranean tunnel. What kind of a bodyguard runs away in the face of an enemy?

"Hey, Little Naz?" Renko called out.

"Well that's fine," Seiga said innocently as she ascended to a position level with us. Yoshika floated to her side, arms still held stiffly in front of her a moment later. Seiga stroked her cheek affectionately then turned to face us. "Now that that pest is out of the way, why don't you come along with me?" Seiga drifted backwards and once again reached out to open the huge doors.

Now that they were open, I could see a strange and seemingly vast space beyond which looked like a night sky filled with innumerable twinkling stars. In the middle distance, the dim outline of an octagonal tower rose up out of the gloom.

"Right this way," Seiga said, floating off with her jiangshi at her side.

Renko and I looked at each other. Genji craned his neck to try and look back at us.

"What should we do, master?"

"The only thing we can do," Renko said with a shrug. "Little Naz ran away, so we don't really have any choice but to follow the hermit, right Merry?"

"...I'd say our chances of survival are probably better if we follow her than if we try to run away, at any rate."

Thus, once again, we proceeded directly into the tiger's den, reaching the mastermind at the heart of the incident before Reimu or any of the other incident resolvers were anywhere to be seen. I suppose you'd call this business as usual for us.

As we proceeded through the doorway, the space beyond it had an unusual feel to it. There was a distinct and unusual sense of cleanliness to our surroundings. I couldn't see anything but the distant and colorful pinpricks of light dimly illuminating the sky and the silhouette of the tower we were heading toward. I tried to focus my eyes on one of the colorful dots. After a moment of struggling, I realized they were not distant stars, but drifts of densely packed spirits, crowded together enough to glow, making the subterranean blackness look like the starry depths of outer space, all watched over by that singular pillar of a tower.

"I take it the person you're taking us to see is in that building?" Renko asked, gesturing toward the looming silhouette before us.

"Yes, this is the Hall of Dreams, where the resurrection will soon commence."

The 'Hall of Dreams?' Wasn't that a real place in the Outside World? It sounded familiar, certainly. I think there was supposed to be something like that at the Horyu Temple, but I don't think it was supposed to be a tall tower. Seiga smiled back at us but didn't reply, continuing to float along, leading us toward the bottom of the structure.

"Umm, Miss Kaku?" I asked, leaning out from behind Renko. "Who exactly is it that is about to be resurrected?"

Seiga continued to float ahead at the same speed but turned in the air to face us, resting her cheek upon the palm of one of her hands. "You'll find out soon. The attendants should awaken first, so they might already be up and about."

With that Seiga and Yoshika sped ahead of us, down toward the base of the tower. Genji adjusted course to follow along behind. We were close enough now that I could make out some details of the octagonal tower, but with the general dimness and the drifting lights I couldn't get a good count of how many floors it must have. We made our way toward the lowest of these to find Yoshika standing in front of a completely unornamented wooden door. Daintily, Seiga raised a hand and knocked on the door.

Before long the door opened and a woman dressed in a fine silk eboshi-style robe and hat appeared from behind it. Her skin was faintly luminous beneath the tall hat she was wearing and beneath the hem of her robes, where her legs should be, there was only a formless translucent mass trailing away to nothingness. A ghost, I assumed. The ghostly woman looked first at Yoshika, then at Seiga, then over at Renko and I on Genji's back with a frown that grew more confused-looking by the moment.

"...Since when do you knock on doors, Seiga? And who are all those people behind you? We don't have time for games now, the Crown Prince is soon to awaken..."

"That's why these people are here. They're humans who have come to help celebrate the resurrection!" Seiga said sweetly.

"Celebrate?" The ghostly woman glared at us. As I cringed away Renko smiled calmly and raised a hand in greeting.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Usami Renko. This is Merry, and this is Genji. We heard that someone famous was about to be resurrected, so we wanted to get a chance to meet them!"

Genji and I both looked at Renko incredulously, but the ghost in the doorway just looked from Renko, then back to Seiga's oblique smile, with obvious suspicion.

"Seiga, we were supposed to be keeping the mausoleum isolated from any disruptions until the process of resurrection was completed. Isn't that what the jiangshi was for?"

"This place is already surrounded by thousands of desire spirits, I'm sure adding two humans to the mix won't cause any problems. They're not from the temple and they don't have any ill will, so what's the harm? Besides, if they try to cause any sort of trouble you can handle it, right? They're only humans."

"I'd do that whether or not you told me to," the woman in the doorway muttered. "Well, if you're going to come in, at least put that jiangshi back in the ground where it belongs. A rotting corpse isn't a suitable thing for someone who's just been resurrected to awaken and see."

"This coming from a ghost!"

"Who do you think is to blame for me being this way?"

"Very well. Yoshika, go back to guarding the entrance. Eat anyone who tries to come in, okay?"

"Gooot it!" Yoshika growled, then tilted to the side, lifted off the ground and flew away, back toward the doors we had just come through.

The ghost in the doorway stared after her for a moment, then turned to us. "Alright, you three are under my watch now. I don't know if you're actually here to celebrate the Crown Prince's resurrection or not, but I suppose it doesn't matter. If I left the two of you in her care it would also lead to some sort of disruption, I'm sure."

"There you go, everyone wins. Be sure to let them see the wonders of Taoism, Tojiko."

"I don't take orders from a wicked hermit."

"You're so mean to me. After all these centuries we've spent waiting for this moment together too. How cruel."

"You know what you've done. You're a vile temptress and an evil influence. Had I the means I'd kill you here and now to spare the Crown Prince from any further corruption at your hands."

"Yes, had you the means." Seiga said. Her smile was both sweeter and crueler than ever. "You can't though, can you?"

"—I can try!" the ghost declared. As she did so there was a sudden feeling of charge in the air between us. The ribbons attached to her hat fluttered upward and sparks leapt at random from her body, sizzling as they fell.

"Oh, very scary. I’ll take my leave for now then. Take care, Tojiko dear."

Saying that, Seiga turned and departed. It was only after she had shrunk to a small blot against the dim outline of the distant doors that our host relaxed her shoulders with a sigh and the sensation of an intense static charge in the air faded away. With her gone, the ghost turned her attention to us.

"I heard what Seiga said but I'll ask you myself. Neither of you were sent here by that temple, correct?"

Renko tilted her head in consideration. "Hmm, when you say 'sent by' what do you mean, exactly?"

"Renko!" I chided. Of all the times for her to be truthful.

"So you are working with them!" Instantly, the air was charged again. It seemed clear this ghost possessed the ability to produce electricity. Like a Nen user transmuting their aura into power, I thought. Electrocution is not something I'd ever like to experience.

"I'm not a member of the temple or one of their disciples," Renko explained calmly with her palms raised. "I was, however, hired to come here by the temple's head nun. I have no intention of interfering with anything that may be going on though. The specifics of my commission were just to learn who might be buried in this tomb and I'm not being paid to do anything beyond that. From what I've seen so far, whoever it is must be someone truly impressive. I'd very much like to meet them, if I may."

The ghost stared at Renko for a moment, seeming almost like she was reading something on her face given how intensely her gaze lingered. After a moment she relaxed and once more the charged feeling prickling across my skin died down. "You certainly are a strange human. I'll bring you inside, but see to it that you behave yourselves."

I have no idea what convinced the ghost to trust Renko, but she seemed sure of herself. She turned and retreated through the doorway. Genji followed along behind her, and thus we found ourselves inside the Great Spirit Mausoleum of the Hall of Dreams.


—9—


The inside of the octagonal tower appeared to be mostly empty, at least here on the ground floor, consisting of a narrow corridor that defined the outside of the building and a large inner courtyard. With Tojiko leading the way, we proceeded in single file down the corridor. Renko followed directly behind Tojiko, I walked behind her and Genji floated along behind me.

Just who was this elaborate tomb built to house, I wondered? For that matter who was the ghost in front of me and what twist of fate had bound her spirit to this world? Countless questions swirled through my head, but with Tojiko speeding steadily down the hall and her only begrudging acceptance of our presence, I didn't want to risk stirring her up by asking anything that might be taboo.

"I'll warn you once again," she said as we rounded a corner. "You're free to observe the proceedings here, but if you try to interfere, your lives will be forfeit. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Renko said as she marched along. "Merely seeing the face of such a revered saint will, I'm sure, be quite the privilege."

Tojiko stopped floating forward and turned to face Renko.

"You say that, but do you even understand where you are? Do you know who's about to be resurrected?"

I couldn't see Renko's face from my position behind her but from the tone of her voice and the way she tipped her hat back on her head with one upraised finger, I knew all too well what sort of smug grin she must have been wearing as she answered the question she had clearly been waiting for.

"Of course," she began. "That would be—"

Whatever grandiose conclusion she had been about to reveal was cut off by the sudden sound of running footsteps stomping down the corridor towards us. Before she could say another word, a figure dashed around the corner ahead and nearly sprinted directly into Tojiko.

"Tojiko! Ho, Tojiko! Oh! What's this? Tojiko, what are these interlopers that accompany'st thou?"

The girl who had been shouting and sprinting down the hall had stopped short and was eagerly peering around Tojiko to get a look at us. She was wearing a wide-sleeved Taoist-style robe of fine silk that looked like something right out of a period drama, but adorned with numerous colorful ribbons and paired with a tall eboshi cap. As soon as she stopped short, Tojiko pointed a finger at her and a bolt of lightning leapt from her hand to strike the girl with a loud snap, giving off a bright flash and a stinging whiff of ozone.

The girl jerked backward, twitching and crying out in surprise. "Aaaahjihbibibibhah!"

"Quiet!" Tojiko scolded her. "Don't be disruptive, you idiot. It's almost time for the Crown Prince to awaken, after all."

The girl in the white robes stopped twitching and fixed Tojiko with a stern glare, seemingly unharmed despite the coil of steam rising from the spot where the bolt had struck her. "You’re right, Tojiko! The very moment of our lord’s destined resurrection is nigh! We have no time for such japes."

"Futo. Just calm down."

"I am most placidly becalmed. But who are these behind you? Have they arrived to celebrate mine own awakening before the Crown Prince's then?"

"No one is celebrating your resurrection, Futo."

"Eh? Then pray tell, what design hath led to my resurrection? ‘T’would be lonely to be so reborn with none to cheer my awakening!"

"I'm sure when the Crown Prince awakens the two of you will be able to congratulate each other."

We stared blankly at the two of them as they continued to bicker, their exchange seeming very much at odds with the sacred atmosphere of the tower. Tojiko seemed to notice our stares and reprimanded the one called Futo even further.

"You're an idiot, Futo. These humans are probably laughing at you for being so clueless. These two are here to celebrate the Crown Prince's resurrection, not yours."

"What? How darest thou! Am I not... Oh wait. They’re here to celebrate the Crown Prince, you say? Then I have mistaken them, for they must be wise and refined visitors indeed. Tell me, is it so? It hath been 1,400 long years since the Crown Prince last stirred so it is indeed a momentous occasion." Looking satisfied with herself, the girl called Futo crossed her arms and leaned back, looking us over.

Renko bowed and doffed her hat. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Usami Renko. This is my partner Merry here, and behind us is our escort, Genji."

"Ah, I see thou hast at least grace enough for proper manners. I am Mononobe no Futo and this disrespectful personage is none other than Soga no Tojiko. We are both loyal servants to the Crown Prince."

"'Disrespectful personage!?' Me? You're the one who's making a mockery of the importance of this day. Your very existence is a blemish upon the Crown Prince."

"Wilt thou truly waste such sad breaths spewing forth such nonsense? Tojiko, hath thou no respect for me?"

"What reason would I have to extend any of my respect to you?"

"Is it truly so? Thou hast no love at all for me?"

"None."

"Surely thou shouldst respect me as our lord's loyal servant if naught else."

They continued to argue, completely ignoring us. The names of these two people - Soga and Mononobe, were of course familiar to us, as they should be to anyone with even the faintest familiarity with Japanese history. So too was the name of this collection of buildings, the Hall of Dreams, familiar to anyone with a knowledge of Japanese Buddhist temples. Those clues, combined with the fact that they kept referring to the person awaiting resurrection as the 'Crown Prince' could leave little doubt as to who must be entombed here. Although that moniker was technically a title, it was generally used to refer to one specific figure, famous throughout history...

"Forget all of that for now Futo and focus on what's important. Has there been any change in the Crown Prince's condition?"

"I can hardly tell! So many of these vulgar spirits are swarming about the Crown Prince one after another. Surely our lord's resurrection is almost at hand."

"1,400 years. At last it's nearly over..." Tojiko's voice was barely more than a whisper. She seemed to be muttering to herself rather than to us or Futo. As a ghost could she have been waiting here, haunting this tomb for all that time? Murasa and Ichirin claimed to have been imprisoned in the Underworld for a thousand years, but it's hard to imagine that that wasn't some degree of hyperbole. For a human like me the scale of time in Gensokyo was simply too much to keep up with.

"Now then, Renko!" Futo declared. "And thou as well, golden-haired one."

"...It's Merry."

"At any rate the resurrection of the Crown Prince is at hand! In consideration of the wise devotion that has brought you to this point, I will grant thee both the right to bear witness to the Crown Prince's resurrection."

"What? You can't just decide that on your own!" Tojiko shouted, reaching over to press her knuckles into the top of Futo's head.

"Please, there's no need to fight," Renko said, smiling as she poked the brim of her hat back. "I would be honored to meet your Crown Prince."

Then Renko spoke the saint's name. It was the same name I had imagined, the storied and ancient ruler who had passed from historical icon into legend.

"After all, I never imagined that his highness, Prince Shotoku would be here, awaiting resurrection in Gensokyo."