東方プロジェクト二次小説・オリジナル小説サイト
Chapter 5: Immaterial and Missing Power

—13—

Living in Gensokyo means learning about Youkai.

It's a simple fact of life here. Just by taking a step outside the village, you are entering into a world ruled not by common sense or any human law, but by the twisted laws of nature that birth these strange creatures as living embodiments of human fear. A world where the dark whimsy of mankind's most primitive perceptions of the natural world is given flesh, along with power and hunger —That is the true nature of Gensokyo. Living here means learning about Youkai: you either do, or you stop living.

Even for the average human in this world, who had as few dealings with youkai as possible, knowledge of the peculiarities and weaknesses of specific youkai as well as the knowledge of how to identify them was absolutely essential.

It was for that purpose that the 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘬𝘺𝘰 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦 was first created. Its history spanned more than a thousand years, with each edition adding a generation's worth of observations, deductions, speculation and records to the wealth of compiled information on youkai. Akyuu, the writer of the latest edition, had once told us that Gensokyo was becoming a more peaceful place nowadays. Perhaps some day the chronicle would lose its role as a manual of practical defensive knowledge and instead become something more akin to a bird-watching guide. Be that as it may, however, the mere fact that a book titled 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘬𝘺𝘰 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦 was filled with information about youkai made one truth clear: friendly or not, this was a world of youkai in which some few humans dwelled, and not the other way around.

Two days after our outing to the mountain (or really just its foothills), just when my legs were starting to recover, there was another party at the shrine. Once again, we, much like everyone else, gathered together for no real reason and drank our fill amidst an atmosphere of loud and chaotic revelry. It was the morning after that when we next visited the Hieda manor. My partner, who had finally learned to pace herself at the parties, had awoken before me again. For the last three days she had been quiet, brooding and ruminating on whatever mystery she had been occupying herself with ever since our return from Youkai Mountain. On this morning, she seemed to have come to a conclusion, and as soon as I could make myself presentable, she was dragging me out the door saying simply "I think we should go see Miss Akyuu."

And so we found ourselves kneeling on cushions in one of the prettily furnished reception rooms of Hieda Manor, sipping tea while Renko pontificated to Akyuu about the nature of the world.

"The more I think about it, the more I see Gensokyo as a sort of machine," she said. "A very well designed one too, at least as far as its intended purpose of preserving and supporting youkai goes. Of course, it's also a good, stable system for humans too, but I suspect that is only because humans are a necessary factor in achieving the machine's primary function. That's probably why things have become as peaceful here as they have - with the machine humming along without interruption, everyone has what they need and no one feels the need to upset the balance in order to claim more for themselves."

Akyuu raised her eyebrows slightly as she sipped at her tea. "What makes you see things in that light?"

"Well, the key point is that humans here know that they aren't at the top of the food chain, right?"

"Aren't there still animals in the Outside World that could eat humans?"

"There probably are at this point in history, but even now, those that remain are kept strictly separate from any contact with humans. Any person in the Outside World can go about their day relatively certain that unless they enter an area where wild animals still rule they won't be eaten by a tiger or mauled by a bear."

Akyuu didn't respond, but nodded, indicating she was following along as she waited for Renko to continue.

"Gensokyo is different though. Here, there's only one small safe space for humans, and going outside that space is dangerous, even if you're just leaving for a little bit to walk to the Hakurei shrine, or go fishing in the lake or go shopping at Kourindou. It's constantly drilled into people's heads that leaving the village for any reason is taking your life in your hands. People here know they are vulnerable as a species."

Akyuu continued to stare at Renko without offering any objections. Seeing this, my partner continued.

"That fear of being eaten is a constant source of power to the youkai that live here, isn't it? This paradise for youkai is almost like a conservation park. A place where youkai forgotten by the Outside World could come to be safe. There's enough fear to sustain them here, even if they're weak or tired of terrorizing humans. Here they just have to be known and that's enough. In other words, the humans who are living here are nothing more than a power plant, kept alive for the benefit of the youkai who feed off of them. That's why the village is protected and gathered in one central spot."

"...You are correct. That is the truth of Gensokyo."

Renko nodded in satisfaction before continuing. "That much I had figured out a while ago. But until recently there were still some parts that didn't make sense."

"Like what?"

"Well, I wondered how it would be possible to make sure all the different youkai played by the same rules. From what I've read in your books and also what I've seen with my own eyes, youkai tend to be individualistic creatures, mostly driven by their own whims and averse to following any sort of rule handed down from above. How could youkai like that not end up devouring humans, or fighting amongst themselves for the right to?"

"The youkai know that attacking the village would mean starving themselves eventually."

"Sure, a wise and rational youkai would understand that reasoning, but the thing is, they're not all like that. If they were, then there wouldn't need to even be a village, humans and youkai could just intermingle however they liked. The fact that a rule like 'don't attack the village or its people' even exists means that there must be youkai who wanted to attack the village at some point. So then what happens when a rebellious youkai gets it into their head to disregard the rules? Well, the answer is contained in the question itself —a youkai might choose to disobey the rules because they reject authority or are governed only by their hunger, but such a youkai will necessarily act alone. The same drives that compel them to reject the rules will prevent them from working with other youkai, which means that Incidents will always stay at a level where they could be resolved by one well-trained individual. The Hakurei shrine maiden, in this case: Gensokyo's troubleshooter. She's part of the machine too, to keep things running smoothly."

Renko paused to sip her tea, then leveled a question at Akyuu. "However, if a group of youkai could work together, then that group would be a faction that would have the power to threaten all of Gensokyo, wouldn't it?"

"But such a thing is impossible, isn't it? If there were a group of youkai like that, they'd have to be intelligent enough to see the benefit of working together, at which point they would also be intelligent enough to know that attacking the village would be a losing proposition regardless of the outcome."

"Ah, but you see that brings me to my point. That's the part that I’m questioning. It’s taken for granted that youkai need humans to survive, but is that really the case?”

I had heard Renko come up with some strange theories before, but I couldn't help but turn to stare at her now. She was questioning the very foundation of this world, which we had been told about since the first time Keine had taken the time to explain things to us.

"...What do you mean by that?"

"It's a very simple question, really. If youkai really needed humans, then how would they continue to exist in places like the Netherworld, where there are no living humans or Makai, where there are no humans at all? How are the denizens of those places kept fed without human fear and recognition?"

Akyuu froze in place for a moment with a sour expression on her face before letting out a soft sigh. "So youkai must not depend exclusively on the fear of humans to survive, is that what you're saying? There must be other methods?"

"Exactly. We know there are types of youkai that are no longer seen in Gensokyo, but were at one point. Unless you believe that every single one of those youkai is now extinct then it means that some youkai have transcended the need for human fear. But if that's the case, then is the situation you just dismissed as impossible really that unlikely? A group of youkai could come together and destroy the village if they wanted to, and if they had another way of sustaining themselves, couldn't they?"

At this point Akyuu frowned, wearing a worried expression. Renko smiled faintly, looking amused. For her this was no more than an interesting, scholarly discussion, but for Akyuu in her role as the Chronicler, it had more serious implications.

"Furthermore,” Renko continued, “I don’t think you can really dismiss the idea of powerful youkai working together so easily.”

“Powerful youkai usually hate working with others, as they have no need to rely on others."

"Perhaps," Renko agreed. "But not always. Think of the tengu. They've conquered that whole mountain, held the territory and brought the kappa into their service. Doesn't that sound like the actions of powerful youkai? And their society seems stable enough."

Akyuu did not answer for several seconds, then set her cup down and looked up at Renko with a rather serious expression on her young face. "So what exactly are you suggesting, then?"

"Nothing definite yet, but I think I might have figured out an answer to a thought experiment of mine though." Without another word, Renko climbed to her feet.

"Oh, are you going now?"

"Yes, this little chat has been a real eye-opener. Thank you very much for the tea and the discussion. I hope we didn't take up too much of your time, Miss Akyuu." She bowed politely. "Come on, Merry, let's go."

I stood up hurriedly. "Hey Renko, wait!" I cried, then turned and bowed to Akyuu. "Please excuse Renko, she gets like this sometimes." Then I followed after Renko as fast as I could. It was bad enough when her thinking outpaced those around her, leading her to pursue seemingly nonsensical topics of conversation, but it was when she couldn't even wait for others to get to the starting line before she took off that she got truly frustrating.

"Miss Usami, Miss Hearn?" Akyuu's voice rang out from behind us, somewhat more stridently than the soft tone she usually used. She was speaking with authority, as a voice of the village and the ninth Child of Miare. She wasn't looking at either of us though, instead simply staring straight ahead. "It would be better for all involved if you did not question the nature of this world too much."

"Thanks," Renko grinned, with the same air of aloofness as always. "I'll try to keep that in mind."


—14—


"Alright, Sherlock. What shocking truth have you arrived at this time?"

Renko was staring up at the ceiling from the tatami of our office, where she had flopped unceremoniously as soon as we returned from Hieda manor. Eventually I grew tired of watching her ponder in silence and asked my question. She rolled onto her side and rested her head on one hand. "I have an idea of what the big picture might look like, but it still doesn't feel right."

"And what is that idea?"

"Well, I'm still drawing it out. That's why I wanted to talk to Akyuu, it helps to clarify the image if I can say it out loud."

"Something about youkai forming a faction and attacking humans?"

"Yeah. There's still something I can't quite figure out."

I waited a moment for Renko to elaborate, but she just continued to stare into space. "Saying it out loud helps to clarify the image, Renko."

Renko rolled over and sat up. "You're right," she said. "Let's sort out the questions, as usual."

"Right, right. I'll get some paper." I grabbed a mostly blank scroll, along with an inkstone, ink stick, some water and a brush. Over the past year I had gotten quite used to writing by hand. The questions that Renko laid out to me looked like this:

𝐌𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐛𝐮𝐤𝐢 𝐒𝐮𝐢𝐤𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬:
• Did she really used to be Shuten Douji, or is she just trying to appropriate his legend?
• If she is Shuten Douji, why does she take the form of a young girl now?
• Where was she from the time the oni disappeared from Gensokyo until now? Why has she returned?
• Why throw so many parties?
• Why hold the parties here on the surface, and after going to all the trouble of setting them up, why does she just watch them in the form of a mist?
• Why hasn't Reimu noticed or done anything about this Incident yet?
• Why are the parties always held at the Hakurei shrine?

𝐌𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐢 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞:
• Why did they leave Gensokyo and relocate to the Underworld?
• Is it a coincidence that they left at nearly the same time as the Great Hakurei Barrier was erected?
• What about all the other youkai who disappeared? Did they go to the Underworld too?
• Are there humans in the Underworld?
• If not, how do the youkai of the Underworld sustain themselves?
• Why is it not permitted for anyone to travel between the surface world and the Underworld?

"Well, that's about it."

"It's a shorter list than usual, though if Suika is working alone that could explain it."

"It's a smaller scale, but depending on the answers to those questions, this might end up being more significant than the previous cases. This goes right to the very foundations of Gensokyo." Renko crossed her arms and dug her chin into her chest.

"So have you come up with any answers to these riddles, Chief Investigator?"

"Enh, maybe. I don’t think I’ve got any way of getting any closer to the truth at the moment though, so I suppose there’s no reason for me to keep up the usual routine. I have a guess, but it's a long shot, so I'm warning you up front that it might be wrong."

"You don't need to bother with all the qualifiers, this investigation wasn't requested by a client, remember? I'm the only one who'll ever know how wrong you might be, Renko."

"It's a matter of pride! My professional pride as chief investigator of the Hifuu Detective Agency!"

"Yes, yes, Miss Director. Now, exactly how long of a shot is it?"

Renko grimaced and mumbled something to herself. I sighed and made a show of putting down my brush and laying my elbows on the desk, waiting patiently for her to reveal her theories.

"Go ahead whenever you’re ready."

She grumbled some more. "Well... the simple version is that I don't think the oni left of their own volition. I think they were chased out."

"Like being banished?"

"Exactly, just like the youkai who refused to follow the rules. The youkai sage gathered up everyone who was a threat to her vision of Gensokyo —either because they were too powerful, too disruptive, or too rebellious and sealed them away in the depths of the earth. If you look at things that way, then it all starts to make sense. It only leaves the question of Suika and what she's up to. Based on what I was talking about with Akyuu earlier, I'm sure you can see my reasoning on why the Administrator would want the oni sealed away."

I didn't appreciate Renko's little quizzes. But I wasn't about to give her the satisfaction of seeing me unable to answer. I thought back to the conversation the two of them had had earlier.

"You're thinking that once the Great Hakurei Barrier was erected, the oni would be too dangerous to the human village to keep around, especially if they were capable of surviving without the help of humans."

"That's right, the Great Hakurei Barrier sealed off this world. With nowhere else to terrorize, the oni would have all had to turn to the village. A whole tribe of oni would be too much for the village to handle, even if they had oni-hunters back then, I imagine. "

"So as part of the plan to create a paradise for youkai, the oni were banished to the Underworld, is that what you're thinking?"

"Exactly. Afterwards, the tengu may have been instrumental in making it look like the oni left on their own, but whether they were banished or left voluntarily there was one who stayed behind..."

"...You mean Suika, right? She could have turned into mist and hidden."
"Ooo, very clever Merry, and very tragic too. If manipulating density isn't something all oni can do naturally then she could well have been the only one to escape the purge. She might even have remained a mist for a long time, only emerging now to make her move as the last oni still living on the surface."

"And what move would that be?"

Renko sighed. "This is where I feel like I'm probably wrong, but if she's the only oni to have escaped banishment, then the answer seems obvious. Her aim is to enable the return of oni to Gensokyo and re-establish their rule over this land."


—15—


I raised my eyebrows in surprise. Renko let her shoulders droop but continued her explanation.

"I don't know what the parties have to do with that goal, exactly. They might be some kind of ritual to make it easier for the oni to return, or they may be completely mundane, and only intended to exhaust the shrine maiden by forcing her to host a party every three days. That would at least explain why they're always held at the shrine rather than anywhere else. But if they're somehow connected to returning her friends to this world. That would explain why she hides in the mist around the edges, so that no one guesses her true intent… What do you think, Merry? Is it plausible, or am I grasping at straws?" She shot me a lopsided little grin.

I sighed and thought it over for a moment. "You're correct that it would explain a lot of the mysteries in one go, but… I think I see what's bothering you about it."

"Oh? Which part?"

"You're thinking 'In that case, why wouldn't the youkai sage put a stop to it?', right?"

"Ooo, you're sharp today, Merry. Spot on."

"It's just the same as it was at Hakugyokurou, isn't it?"

Renko gave me a weak smile then flopped back down onto the tatami again. "If my theory is right, then it's an even more clear threat to the order of Gensokyo than anything at Hakugyokurou would have been. It's taking place during the summer and at night, times when the youkai sage should be active and aware. What's more, it seems like Suika and the sage know each other. Also, most importantly, you were able to find Suika when no one else could, Merry."

"Me? What've I got to do with any of it?"

"It seems like the youkai sage's abilities are much the same as yours, Merry, but much stronger. If you could pick out Suika's trail while she was turned into mist, then track her down while drunk with just your power, then we have to assume it would be simple for the sage to do the same. In that case we have to assume the sage knows what's going on, but is choosing not to act. I find it hard to believe that it'll turn out the same way the Spring Snow Incident did where the attempt is doomed to fail from the beginning and if it's not, well then every other part of my theory is probably wrong too, since it wouldn't make any sense for the youkai sage not to make a move."

She sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "I think I'm making a fundamental mistake somewhere, but I don't know if it's because I'm missing information or making a bad assumption. Gah, this is a tough one."

I put my writing desk aside and stood up, walking over to stand over her. When I bent down to poke her in the middle of the forehead, she opened her eyes and looked up at me.

"So then what’s the point of pursuing this mystery at all then? Suika isn’t really bothering anyone and no one’s asked us to pursue this so what’s your goal? To find the sage so you can gloat and pay her back for Hakugyokurou?"

“No, no, it’s not like that. It’s just that I still don't know if these parties should be stopped or if it would be harmless if they kept going. I think if they continue, Reimu is bound to notice something is unusual eventually, then she'll go and exterminate Miss Melon to end the incident."

"That seems to be how Gensokyo's troubleshooting system works, yes."

"But if possible, before that happens I'd like to meet our little Miss Melon again."

"Why?" I asked. It wasn't unusual for Renko to act out of curiosity, but during the previous two Incidents we had more or less been thrust into the middle of affairs. This time she had begun investigating of her own volition. I wondered if there was something more driving her to act here.

Renko closed her eyes again and grunted in frustration.

I smiled and knelt down beside her. I could see how much it bothered her, not being able to make the pieces fit. As she lay there, eyes closed, breathing softly, I could almost hear the gears whirring in her head. I reached out to brush a lock of hair off of her forehead.

Suddenly her hands shot up to both of my cheeks as her eyes snapped open. "She reminds me of someone else I met once, Merry. Someone who was all alone in the world, keeping her distance and pretending she's not interested even when she’s desperately lonely! I have to help her out, there’s so much more I want to know about her!"

"...Renko…"

"How could I leave her all alone? Do you think I'm meddling?"

"Yes, definitely."

Renko pouted. I gave her a headbutt. She fell back to the floor, her hands falling from my cheeks and clutching at her head.

"Agh, Ow! Merry, be gentle with your kind-hearted Renko! She's one-of-a-kind!"

"Thank goodness. I don't think I could handle more than one of you!" My forehead stung from where I'd smashed it into her head. "Everyone has the right to be left in peace, Renko. She didn't ask for you to interfere."

"Merry, did you find it troublesome when I asked you to join the Hifuu Club?"

"Incredibly troublesome! I get dragged to all sorts of locations on next to no notice, all the time I would have spent reading for pleasure is wasted on chatting about haunted UFOs or the like, all the discretionary money I had set aside for books ends up going to the coffee shops, I'm forced to play out a grave robbery in the middle of the night, a chimera attacked me and got me put in a mental ward for months and then I ended up thrown back 80 years in time and into another world where I've dropped out of not only university but my entire social life as well! If there was anyone who didn't find that troublesome they'd be a Buddha!"

"Yikes, okay Merry, I get your point."

I reached down and pinched at Renko's cheek. She let out a pitiful scream as I twisted, distorting her mouth.

"Hiii—"

"I feel bad for Suika, for having caught the great detective's eye as her new pet project."

"Dat's tebbible, Mebby! Don' say dat."

"It's all true though." I released Renko's cheek as she scrabbled at my hand and pinched her nose shut instead. "Really, if I'd never met you, I'd still be living a blissfully ignorant life, enrolled in university in Kyoto in 2086. What have I got to look forward to now?"

She managed to escape from my grip and scooted backwards on the floor, rubbing at her face. "I know we lost a lot in coming here, Merry, but is it really so bad? Things are much more laid back here, there's no schedules or cramming. Teaching the children at the school, waiting for cases to come in and hanging out here in the office, and every now and then solving the sort of supernatural mystery we could only have dreamed of back home. There's so much more here to discover than we could have found in a decade of exploring the Kyoto of the Scientific Century. It's like living in a giant playground full of secrets to explore. Are you really so unhappy here?"

I huffed angrily. "Everything here is at least three times less convenient. And there's no way for me to continue any of the series I was reading!"

"Yeah," Renko said softly, "I know what you mean. There's a lot of things I'd give my left arm to be able to get back." She sat up off the floor and reached out, taking my hand. "But Merry, I'm glad I met you, and I'm glad you're here with me now. I'm glad for all the time you've spent with me."

"I'm sure it's been fun for you. Your entire life runs on curiosity."

"That's not true. I couldn't have done any of this if not for you. If I had come to this world alone I would have been crushed by feelings of loneliness."

"Renko? Paralyzed by uncertainty? I doubt it."

"Jeez Merry, you really don't pull your punches, do you? Well I don't mind. I still like having you here with me. If it weren't for you, my college life would have been boring, dreary and stale. Here too, I never would have had the confidence to do anything. I never would have even started the Hifuu Club if not for you. That's why the two of us make one Hifuu Club, Merry. Hifuu wouldn't exist if not for you."

"It's fate that we met," she continued. "You may not think so, but I knew it the moment I first ran into you. From the moment we first met, it was all set in stone that we would form a club, investigate the secrets of the world, and eventually end up here. We're not meant to be separated, you and I. I decided that as soon as I met you."

"...What kind of a weirdo decides other people's fates for them?"

"It wasn't your fate I was deciding, it was mine. Or ours, maybe. You showed me that there was more to the world than I could find in a textbook. Things equations couldn't describe. I wanted to follow that path, and see where it led. If I hadn't met you, my brain might have been wasted deriving proofs of theoretical physics all day. It was your mysterious eyes that twisted my destiny toward a world of wonder and joy. So you'll just have to keep tolerating my company. You're guilty of corrupting the Planck-quality brain of Usami Renko, and getting it all tangled up in thinking about nothing but just one girl and her abilities, day in and day out. You're going to have to pay for that for quite some time to come."

It was impossible to make an argument against her. For every comment I could think to make she already had dozens of comebacks ready. I should have expected as much. "I don't see why I should have to take responsibility for your selfish obsession, Renko."

"Well then how about you become obsessed with this great detective too. Fair's fair, right? Be entranced by the impeccable reasoning of Usami Renko's brain. I'll do everything I can to become Gensokyo's most amazing detective, and you'll be my Watson, always by my side."

"Isn't the fate of every Watson-type character that they can't leave even if the insane whims of a great detective force them to do all the work?"

Renko smiled back at me. "It's okay, Merry. You wouldn’t stick around and do all the work if you didn’t want to, I don’t think. But you keep telling yourself whatever you like. I'll keep you around even if you make for a bad Watson and can't keep up with the work."

"Oh I'll show you what kind of work I can do!" I reached for Renko's cheeks again as she laughed and tried to push my hands away.

Outside the window, the red sun slowly wandered its lazy way downward. Another day passed with no clients stopping by our office.