東方プロジェクト二次小説・オリジナル小説サイト
Chapter 6:The Revolution of Usami Sumireko

[𝐔𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐢 𝐊𝐚𝐨𝐫𝐮 - 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐌𝐲 𝐒𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 — 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟒]

The hardest part about studying for university entrance exams is that you never know when you're done. There's no guide anywhere that says where to stop.

Until both the primary and second National Center Test are over, there will always be more studying to do. And no matter how much you manage to study, there's never any way to be certain that it will be enough. Until the day of the exam, you never know just what you'll be facing. Or actually, until you receive your pass notification it will continue to be a mystery, I guess.

It's the mid-autumn holiday of my final year of high school, and I had done as much sitting and studying in a single block as I could stand. I decided to get up and just take a walk around the neighborhood. Taking breaks to relax every now and then is important. I’ve been putting off starting any of the books I bought at summer Comiket to keep from being distracted. I suppose it's a blessing of sorts that no new official 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑜𝑢 𝐶𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 releases were announced for this year.

Ah, the life of a student preparing for exams is a bleak and boring one. If I can at least make it into my second choice for university then at least I can look forward to going back to being a student again. Then I can read all the doujins and light novels I want. Is that too much to hope for? The last thing I want is to have to go through another year of this if I fail.

I was thinking thoughts like these to myself as I wandered down the streets, heading for the convenience store, but my meandering route had carried me to the little playground that I had played in a lot as a child. Back then it had seemed like an endless expanse of space to run around in, but looking at it now...

My reminiscence was interrupted by the sight of a familiar face. Was that...?

"Sumireko?"

She looked up as I crossed the street and walked into the park, her eyes narrowing at the sight of me. She was sitting on top of a spring-mounted panda ride, and clearly hadn't been expecting to see me here.

"Oh, it's just you, Kaoru."

"What a greeting for a hard-working student on the verge of writing the entrance exams. You have your high school entrance exams coming up too, come to think of it, so what are you doing sitting here?"

"I'm not you, brother. I don't need to study this late for something like that."

"And so humble too! I guess you’re right though. You can probably get into any school you want without even trying. Have you decided where you want to go yet?" I took a seat on the horse-shaped ride next to her, sitting side-saddle so I could face her.

"You're probably planning to go somewhere prestigious like Ochanomizu, or Keio or Tsukuba, right?"

"Hmm. I'm thinking of Higashi Fukami, actually."

I was stunned. Why there, of all places? "Higashi Fukami? That's all the way in Kanagawa, isn't it? It's not a bad school, but it's more than an hour outside of Tokyo. I'm sure you could get into something closer."

"Ugh, you sound like my teacher. I don't really care which school I go to as long as it's far enough away that I'd have to move out."

"Seriously? You're planning on moving out?"

"Seriously. Super seriously. I'm not leaving because of you though, brother, don't worry."

"Have you told mom and dad yet? You haven’t, have you?"

"Nope. I'll tell them later. I'm sure they'll object."

"Yeah, obviously. If it was for university that would be one thing, but there’s no way they’re going to let you move out for high school. Do you really think you'll be okay on your own? Do you know how to like, live?"

"Again, I'm not you, brother. I'm a model student, remember?"

"Did something happen between you and mom?"

"Do you think you were so busy studying that you wouldn't notice if our family fell apart?"

"Why the rush to move out then?"

"Questions like that are exactly the problem. You wouldn't understand, Brother. You're still bound by the limits of common sense. I'll be 15 at the beginning of next year. People used to get married at that age, you know? It’s old enough that I can figure things out for myself. If I stay home, I might end up like you, a parasite living off my parents with no ambition, spending all of my time on nerdy hobbies."

"Shut up!"

"I was joking. I do want to move out though. There's something I want to achieve."

"Something you want to achieve? It must be something you couldn't do at home, right?"

"I guess you could say that. I'm not going to do anything that will cause any problems for you or the rest of the family though, so don't worry about it."

I sighed and shook my head at her. Sumireko is just like this I suppose. She's always deciding things by herself, and she can't tolerate letting anyone else hold the reins.

"I'm sure I can think up something to convince mom and dad, but I'd appreciate it if you'd be willing to help. Will you?"

"Tell me what you're planning on doing once you're living on your own and I'll think about it."

"Seriously? Do I have to tell you?"

"If you want me as an accomplice, yeah."

"I'm not planning on breaking any laws. I just..."

"...Just what?"

Sumireko went silent for a moment, then threw her weight forward on the playground panda, sending it wobbling back and forth.

"Kaoru, do you remember what happened in this park when I was four years old?"

"What's this all of a sudden? Did something happen to you here?"

"You probably don't remember. You were only seven back then. You and I were playing in this park along with two of your friends. You wouldn't let me play with you guys back then, so I came and sat on this panda ride. When I looked up from it, you three had already left. You went home without me, and left me here."

"...Did this actually happen?"

"Yes it happened! You don't remember at all? Mom got really mad at you over it, remember?"

"Oh... I vaguely remember something like that..."

To be honest I barely remember anything from back then at all. I do recall running back to this park with my parents almost in tears once though. Maybe that was then...

"Back then I was sitting on this same panda ride. I had been riding it, then I looked up and you and your friends were gone, along with all of the other kids. It was dusk, just before twilight and everyone must have gone home for dinner. I was the only one here, and it felt like I was the only one in the world, wobbling back and forth on this panda, completely forgotten."

What could I say to that? I watched as Sumireko slowly bobbed back and forth, no longer looking at me but staring off into the night, her eyes unfocussed.

"A stranger talked to me back then. Called out my name and came over to me. I can remember exactly what she looked like. A tall, blonde woman carrying a parasol."

"What happened? Did she hurt you, Sumireko?"

"Let me finish. I really can’t remember who she was, or what we talked about, but ever since then. From that day... something inside of me changed."

I wondered what Sumireko was about to say. I shut my mouth and listened intently. Nothing more seemed to be coming, however.

"...You know what, forget it."

"What!? You can't end the story there, what happened?"

"Nevermind. I don’t even know why I started talking about that. Anyway, I was about to tell you why I need to move out, right?"

"Hold on, what did that story have to do with anything?"

"Forget about that. The reason why I need to move out and live on my own is because I plan on making a bunch of doujins for 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑜𝑢 𝐶𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 and I don't want mom and dad to know."

"WHAT!?"


—


[𝐔𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐢 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐤𝐨'𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨 — 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟒]

'I plan on making a bunch of doujins for 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑜𝑢 𝐶𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 and I don't want mom and dad to know.' That's the lie I told my brother.

It was the perfect explanation to convince him to help me persuade mom and dad. My parents aren't the sort to suppress otaku hobbies —if they were, there's no way my brother could have fallen so far down the rabbit hole he has. Their approach to parenting as always been rather hands-off, and the result is that their son has become a 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑜𝑢 𝐶𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 otaku.

Even though they aren't against that sort of thing, I don't think they'd be pleased if I told them I wanted to make a doujin though. Making a proper doujin takes time and money and the general perception of normal people like my parents is that most everything sold at Comiket is likely to be porn.

Therefore, my brother would understand why selling doujins would require me to have a place of my own.

I suppose all the research I've been doing into 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑜𝑢 𝐶𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 since last year paid off, just not in the manner I might have expected. When I told this lie to my brother, he looked at me with a bewildered expression and simply said "If you're being honest, then you have my support."

He was so earnest about it that I felt kind of awful. Lying to him was just a matter of convenience, but he really is a loving, if hopelessly naïve, big brother.

—

If I were to tell my brother that my intention was to actually try to go to Gensokyo, he'd think I was insane. To him, Gensokyo is merely a fictional setting, the sort of place that would be impossible to travel to. He's an ordinary person, bound by common sense.

That's fine. In fact, I'm grateful to have someone like that in my life.

Having someone like that waiting for me here makes me think that if I make it to Gensokyo, I can probably make it back too.

Kaoru, you should write a doujin to compete with me.. When we were children, I always liked the stories you would tell about our stuffed animals. That's a secret though.

Let’s put all of that aside. For now, I have to concentrate on getting to Gensokyo.

Is there a way that I could visit Gensokyo without smashing my way through the barrier surrounding it?

Who knows.

I won't let it stop me either way. I'm going to discover secrets sealed on the other side of that barrier.

I'm going to release the hope trapped inside of that place.

I'm going to bring dreams and fantasies back to this world.

—

When I got back home from the park last night, my phone rang. It was late, but I answered it. The call display showed it was Raiko.

"Hello, it's been a while."

"It has been. How've you been?"

"Alright. You've been pretty busy for the last while, right?"

"Yeah, thanks to you, I guess. You must be busy too though, you're getting ready for exams, right?"

"Oh, don't worry about that."

"No? Well, then let me tell you about this..."

We talked for a while, mostly about nothing important, but after a while she got to the point.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about the drum thing."

"Did something new happen?"

"Kind of?" Raiko let out a troubled breath before continuing. "I've been seeing more lately... even without using telekinesis."

"More of... that world?"

"Yeah. It doesn't happen if I'm just practicing, but if I'm on stage, in front of an audience... Even if I don't use telekinesis, if the crowd starts really getting into it, I can see it... Another stage, and another me, playing the drums in front of another audience. When that happens, I can still keep playing. If anything, my performance gets better. Does that make any sense?"

Sitting on my bed, I blinked and pondered what she had said. Mr. Fortune Teller had said that my psychic abilities were the magic of this world.

If that was the case, was I a magician rather than a psychic? And if I was, was Raiko one too?

If she was seeing that world even without using telekinesis though, then that had to mean it wasn't her powers that were connecting her to Gensokyo, it was something else.

Could the act of drumming itself be a kind of magic?

"Sumireko? Are you still there?"

"Yes, sorry. I was just thinking things over, I'm here."

"Does it make any sense to you?"

"Maybe... If you've been practicing playing without telekinesis lately, maybe your drumming has gotten so good that you're playing at the same level even without your powers."

"What? Are you saying the reason I'm seeing these visions isn’t because of telekinesis, but because I'm playing the drums too well? Like I'm going into a trance or something?"

"Maybe."

"If that's the case then how were you able to see them too?"

"That's... hmmm.

I tried to puzzle it out, and when I tried to find an explanation, I couldn't help but laugh.

It was simple really.

Music, performed skillfully, with heart and passion could be a type of magic. A mere vibration in the air that was capable of moving people's hearts and minds. If that wasn't magic, what was?

"...I think maybe... I've been under your spell this whole time without knowing it." I muttered.

"What the heck? What are you talking about?"

We both laughed awkwardly over the phone.

If I went to Gensokyo would I meet the same drummer I had seen in those visions?

We talked for a bit longer, then ended the call. I plugged my phone into its charger then walked the two steps back across my room and threw myself onto my bed.

Why had I brought up that old memory of the woman in the park when I was talking to my brother earlier?

I couldn't help but think back to that evening years ago, sitting alone in the park at dusk. The world had gone silent in the moments just before she appeared...

Her golden hair had glistened in the hues of sunset. I wonder now how old she was? At the time she had registered to me simply as a grownup, but trying to think back, she might have been as young as Raiko. I tried hard to envision her features in my mind, but they wouldn't come to me. Come to think of it, had I ever actually seen her face? With the way she was standing it would have been hidden…

Beneath her parasol. It had been a warm spring evening. There had been no hint of rain and it was dusk. Not the sort of time one would expect someone to be carrying an umbrella. I even remember wondering at the time why she would have had one.

As far as other details go… she wore a purple dress, a fancy one, of a shade that almost melded with the evening sky. My impression of her was tremendously vague—as if she was a mirage.

What had she said to me?

I feel like she had said something really important, but I can't remember what it was at all.

I have a feeling it had something to do with my powers.

—

That’s why, the first time I had met Raiko, I had asked her about this mysterious woman.

Was psychic power something that you were born with? Or was it something that could be given to you later in life?

If it was the latter, could my powers have been awakened by something that that woman had given to me?

Or could the woman with the golden hair have somehow made me into a psychic?

For some reason that felt like it must be the case.

Could that woman have been from Gensokyo?

The reason I was planning to go to Gensokyo now was because of the events that had been set in motion back then. Could this all possibly be something she had planned?

If so, why?

Why would she have wanted me to know of Gensokyo's existence?

Why had my powers been able to pierce the barrier and establish communication with someone in Gensokyo?

Why had Mr. Fortune Teller responded to my divination?

I don't know. I can't. There was no way to get those answers from this side of the barrier.

I'll have to cross over.

—

The question is, how do I do that?

I'll have to investigate. And reason it out. And I don't have much time.

"Right."

I headed over to my desk and cleared off the review materials I had laid out earlier. Studying for exams didn't matter now. I had more important tasks to pursue: research, investigation, fact finding and rigorous scientific testing of my theories. These were my priorities.

The first order of business would be to understand the barrier, to empirically prove its existence.

I had been able to communicate with someone on the other side using a simple tool like Kokkuri-san. Perhaps other occult items would be just as effective. Tarot cards, crystals, books of spells and rituals, pendulums, amulets and charms purchased from shrines. These were the tools in my arsenal. I opened my closet to see if there was anything more in there that could be of use.

And that's when I saw it. An unlabeled cardboard box.

When I opened the box, right on top of everything else, just as if it was waiting for me—was a chunk of amber with an insect suspended inside.


—


[𝐇𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐮 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝 — 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟓]

I commit these words to paper as a record of my first steps in revolutionizing the world.

My magnum opus has begun. With these actions, I begin my project to restore fantasy to this world.

—

It was 6:30 in the evening and I was standing on top of Raiko's luxury apartment tower in Tokyo. Miss Horikawa Raiko herself was right beside me.

"Sorry for making you do this when you're so busy."

"I don't mind, but can you tell me what we're doing? It's overcast, so I don't think you dragged me up here in this weather to go stargazing. Why are we on the roof? And why did you bring my drums up? And why are you wearing a cape?"

"It's cool, isn't it?"

"Hmm. I'd say it suits you."

I flipped the cape off of my shoulder and smiled up at her. It wasn't raining, but the clouds overhead were heavy and dense, making the sky darker than you'd expect for early evening at this time of year. In the distance, thunder boomed. A thunderstorm warning was in effect for the entire Tokyo metropolitan area, meaning that it was exactly the sort of day I'd been waiting for.

I looked over to Raiko's drum set which I had carried into the elevator using telekinesis. Psychic powers are handy for this sort of thing.

"With the weather like this, it's the perfect opportunity. There's even thunder."

Raiko looked over to her drum set, then back at me with a worried expression. "Just what are you planning, Sumireko?"

"You can probably guess."

"...You're trying to recreate the scene from my visions..."

"Precisely. My aim is to open a bridge between here and there."

She stared at me with a stunned expression, opening her mouth, then closing it several times before finally speaking.

"...Now that I think about it, you were referring to that scene as if it were a view of another world. Do you really think that place is real?"

"Wouldn't you like to go see a place like that in person?"

"Whoa whoa whoa, slow down there. Are you being serious?"

"Don't worry, I'm not planning on crossing over to go there yet. I'm going to try sending something over there, just to see if I can. You won't be in any danger yourself. Well, probably."

"Probably? Maybe start with that part next time!"

"Would you have agreed to try it if I did?" She stared incredulously at me. "Look, I'm sorry I pulled you into this but you're the only person I can ask for help with something like this."

She stood with her hands on her hips, staring down at me for a few moments. "I guess I can understand wanting to see more of that world but you're not going to do anything stupid, are you?"

"Of course not."

Sorry Raiko. I even ended up lying to you. Please forgive me. A clap of thunder boomed in the distance, drowning out Raiko's sigh as she shook her head.

"You only need me to play the drums, right?"

"Not just play, but play your heart out. I want you to make a beat that will resonate all the way to the other world. A beat so awesome it won't even lose to a thunderstorm. You could do something like that, right? Or are you afraid you’re not good enough?"

"Well I can't exactly turn down a challenge like that and still call myself a drummer, can I? No fair, Sumireko."

"This is just me acknowledging your skill. You really are a great drummer."

"Smooth. Do you really think drumming can open a door to another world though? I guess we'll find out soon."

"Really? You'll do it?"

"You're asking me now after already coming this far? To tell the truth, I've always wondered why I've had these abilities." She looked at me for a moment, then held up her palm. A drumstick jittered, suspended in the air over it. "If the reason I'm like this is so that I can open a door to another world… well honestly that would be pretty epic.”

"Awesome, Raiko! If you're on board, then I'll show you my hand too." I reached into the pocket sewn into the hem of my cape and drew out the small velvet bag I'd stashed there, emptying its contents into my palm.

"What are those?"

"Power stones. I've collected them from all over Japan, using various connections."

"Power stones?"

"Not like the sort of junk you could get in your local store. They're all stones that are supposed to have miraculous powers. This is a rock from the peak of Mount Osore. This one is a fragment scraped off the Gotobiki Rock. All of these are supposed to be magical in one way or another."

"What are you going to do with stuff like that?"

"I'm sending them to the other world. Along with a little rumor." A flash of lightning illuminated the sky. Three seconds later a roar of thunder shuddered through the city. "Come on, it's getting closer. Let's get started. I'll take the cymbal."

"Alright. Here goes, I guess. Hopefully we don't die."

Raiko sat down and began beating out a simple rhythm. As before, I used my telekinesis to slap the cymbal along with her beat.

A pristine beat.

A primordial beat.

The natural rhythm of the two of us, in perfect synchronicity. And then…

The boundaries of the world were shaken.

Occult Balls, go!"

"Take your new form and carry the magic of the Outside World to Gensokyo!"

"Be united and smash the barrier between fantasy and reality! "

"The revolution of this world has begun!


—


[𝐇𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐮 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝 — 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟖𝟓]

My grandfather died. He was 89 years old, which is not really long enough to be celebrated just for being a long life, but it’s still pretty long, I think.

I don't think he had very many regrets. He had been almost entirely bedridden for the last several years because his legs had weakened so much. While the cause of death was pneumonia, I suppose that counts as dying of natural causes.

"89 years old. That means you would have been born in the 20th century. I can't imagine that."

After the funeral, my parents held a banquet to celebrate his life. I rushed here from Kyoto as fast as the train could carry me and eventually made my way through all of my extended family—who were all calling out to me—to arrive at my parents' table.

"When your grandfather was born Tokyo was still the capital of Japan, you know."

"It's so nostalgic to think back to that. History is never very far away, is it?"

I rested my chin on my hands as I listened to dad speak. From what they taught us in school, the period in which my grandfather was growing up would have been some of the worst years of the dark ages that characterized the beginning of this century. The economy was at rock bottom and everything was dominated by a sense of stagnation back then. I wish I had asked him more about what things were like back then while he was alive.

"Things were pretty bleak back then."

My grandmother, who is five years younger than my grandfather was, spoke softly, one hand brushing against her cheek. She stands hunched over now, but she’s still as bright and cheery as ever.

"Kaoru was always a happy fellow. I'm happy to have known him,"

"Grandma, now that I think about it, I've never heard the story of how you and grandpa met."

As I leaned towards her my grandmother smiled a little shyly at me. "Oh, it's a bit of an embarrassing story. Did you know your grandfather used to write novels?"

"What? Seriously? He was a writer?" It was the first time anything like this had ever been mentioned to me.

"Well, sort of" she said, laughing. "He was strictly an amateur. There used to be a series of games called 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑜𝑢 𝐶𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛. You've probably never heard of that either, but Kaoru wrote derivative works for that series. Have you heard of Comiket?"

"That's what they used to call the World Subculture Festival, right?"

"I think that's what it became, yes. When I was young it was the biggest event around for amateur creators of every sort. Everyone made their own books, manga, CDs, and games and just sold them from shoddy little booths. I think they still have a small section for things like that now, but that used to be the main event. Anyway, Kaoru sold the novels he had written there."

"So grandpa was a doujin author. Talk about family secrets, I never knew about any of this. Did you, dad?"

"I had heard of it, but I think he had stopped writing by the time I was born."

"Well, how did you meet? Were you a writer too, Grandma?"

"Oh my goodness. I can't believe I'm still embarrassed about it all these years later. I was an artist. I never had any ideas for comics though, so I just drew silly little pictures and posted them on the internet. I liked the novels that Kaoru wrote, so whenever I went to events, I used to bring him a present. One day he asked me to draw some illustrations for an upcoming novel. Eventually that turned into us making books together, and then into me helping him sell books at his books, and then… well, things moved on from there. Ohh, I remember those times." She looked up and smiled sweetly, reminiscing.

It was, to put it mildly, unbelievably cute.

It was, however, rather surprising and quite at odds with the conception of my grandfather I had in my head. "Grandpa must have been quite the otaku back then. But then again, back in those days I suppose otaku were more or less the professors of subculture. I guess I can more or less see why Dad turned out the way he did." For the record, Dad is a professor of theoretical physics.

"Oh yes, Kaoru was very particular about things."

"So what kind of novels did grandfather write?"

"Love stories between girls. They called it yuri back then."

"...huh."

I couldn't imagine it. The smiling, Buddha-like face of my grandfather, always so laid back and even-tempered. Would he have worn that same wise-looking smile while hunched over a keyboard writing sappy and embarrassing stories of girls in love with each other? Unthinkable.

"By the way," my dad said, after drinking from a glass of beer, "what should we do about that room?"

"Ah, I suppose you're right. We've kept it all this time, but I suppose we should move on now. Maybe someone can help me clean it up?"

"What's this about a room?"

"Maybe you remember it, dear. The door on the second floor of my house that we never open."

Hearing that jogged my memory. There was indeed a room on the second floor of my grandparents' old house in Tokyo that had been closed for as long as I could remember. As children we had always been told never to open the door, but I didn't know anything else about it. Any questions about the room were always pointedly ignored.

"Back when he lived there as a child, that door led to his sister's room."

"Sis—Grandpa has a sister?"

"Yes. She died a long time ago. She was his younger sister. I never met her, but from what Kaoru told me about her, I think you would have gotten along with her, Renko. Her name was Sumireko."

[𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐤𝐨 𝐔𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐢 — 𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐓𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐮 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝟏: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐎𝐟 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥]

—


Author's Afterword:
Hello. Thank you for reading this far. This Asagihara, the author.

This was the full text of the Hifuu Detective Agency side-story: The Revolution of Usami Sumireko — GAIDEN, which was first released in October of 2015.

I wrote it as a prequel to the Hifuu Detective Agency novels, with the focus being "How did Sumireko learn about Gensokyo?"

If you were surprised to find out who Sumireko told about Gensokyo, then I've done my job well. Heheheh.

There's one additional detail I'd like to add here, since there was no way for me to include it within the story. The Horikawa Raiko of the Outside World is the drummer from which the Raiko of Gensokyo learned to steal the power needed to sustain herself.

After this I will be returning to the regular series, but I've decided that the entry I'll be taking up next will be Hisoutensoku. Seriously? A whole novel on Hisoutensoku? Seriously. We're preparing it for serialization now.

I hope you will enjoy it. We here at the Hifuu Detective Agency look forward to your continued support.