Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

Upon hearing this, Kaguya looked around, her extraordinary perception extending outwards. She sensed the size and details of an area roughly one kilometer in size beneath the high wall. Her gaze descended from the tower, exploring the wide streets and towns below the wall towards other areas. Clearly, this was not a simple border fortress—it was more than just a high wall; beneath it lay a supporting town that had developed alongside it. Besides Lothric soldiers, many ordinary people lived in the town, and shops and farms could be seen.

The Fire Keeper kicked them both in, one foot each, and gave them a task before she even started kicking them. Their purpose in going to the High Wall was to awaken the members of the Middle-earth Team who were sleeping there, and to speed things up, the first person to be awakened happened to be someone they knew.

Patchouli Knowledge.

The Fire Keeper only gave this one name, nothing more—nothing about whose identity she would overwrite, nor where she would appear. And when the two Penglai maidens tried to ask further, being kicked here by Zhao Yingkong was the answer they received.

Kaguya tapped her head, pulling her thoughts back to her previous objective. Her sensory detection accompanied her thought process. The auras of all living and inanimate objects in the entire fortress transformed into spots of light of varying sizes in her vision. The strong shone brightly, the weak dimmed, and among these auras, some strong and some weak, a slightly strange aura particularly caught her attention.

[A total of 2,365 people: 202 soldiers, 39 knights... and three who should be high-ranking knights or mages, as well as a fairly robust dragon. At the base of the high wall, there is an aura roughly equivalent to the combined aura of three high-ranking knights... but in reality, there's not much difference; if we could keep our presence confidential, even combined, they wouldn't pose a significant obstacle.]

Kaguya suddenly tilted her head and said, "Do you remember? There was a soul-devouring demon sealed somewhere above the high wall."

"...You felt it?"

“Yes, it’s right there.” Kaguya stretched out her hand, pointing to a tower below the high wall. “Just like in the game, an ancient Soulflayer is imprisoned in a secret dungeon beneath the walls of Lothric. But you should know that’s not my purpose.”

"...You're looking for the thief, that undead Greiart?" Mokou raised an eyebrow slightly.

Greret the Undead is a thief imprisoned in a dungeon within the starting area of ​​Lothric High Walls. Once rescued, he will appear at Firelink Shrine and sell goods to the player character, the Ashbringer, at very low prices. He will then repeatedly risk his life to steal treasures for the player in later, more advanced areas, until he dies in Lothric's capital city during his third heist.

He's a good person, a true friend who genuinely helps Ash. In the game, players often hesitate to let him steal a third time, hoping to save him from certain death. Kaguya and Mokou, two veteran Dark Souls players, share the same feeling towards this unseen friend.

Of course, this is only one aspect.

"Obviously, if what that guy pretending to be the Fire Keeper said is true, then everyone in Gensokyo and their members will inevitably overshadow those who have a place in the linking of the flame. And Greret, although she is just a thief in this world, is a very important character in the game... or rather, in the process of linking the flame."

"...Who do you think will replace him?" Kaguya tilted her head and asked.

“No doubt about it, it’s definitely Kirisame Marisa.” Mokou’s lips twitched. “And just like in the game, Greret has a life-or-death relationship with that other shady merchant named Patchouli… Tsk, Kirisame Marisa, Patchouli Knowledge. Patchouli, Patchouli… What a twisted sense of humor.”

“A touch of morbid humor is better than wandering around aimlessly in this confusing place,” Kaguya shrugged. “Neither you nor I are particularly skilled in illusions or torture. Trying to find out where this dungeon is would be a waste of time and could easily lead to complications. A direct assault would also introduce many variables… So, using the ancient prison where that soul-devouring demon is located as a base coordinate, and searching along the trail, I think that’s a more suitable strategy.”

"You can be of some use sometimes, you shut-in girl."

"Hmph, don't be fooled by who I am... Wait, something's not right about what you're saying... What do you mean!"

"Alright, let's not waste time here. We need to get down to business." Mokou waved her hand, grabbed Kaguya's shoulder, and amidst Kaguya's scream, transformed into an invisible fire phoenix, rushing towards the tower that Kaguya had previously marked. The distance of several hundred meters was covered in a flash, and when they landed at the very top of the tower, they didn't even attract the attention of any of the patrolling soldiers nearby.

Mokou casually tossed Kaguya to the ground, and just before falling, the latter used a rather un-princess-like manner to regain her balance by tilting her weight. Their eyes met briefly in mid-air before drifting away to the other side.

"...I'll settle the score with you later!" Kaguya stormed off towards the bottom of the prison, but of course, she didn't abandon the concealment barrier she was supposed to maintain. Mokou shrugged and followed her at a leisurely pace.

..............................

[Turkey isn't that kind of person. Although she's clumsy, stupid, and boring, she wouldn't act impulsively or provoke others at a time when she needs to get down to business. So... perhaps she wants to express something, something that can't be directly stated in words.]

Kaguya pouted, sulking as she walked down the spiral stone staircase towards the bottom of the tower, deep in thought. On the surface, she appeared exasperated, but inwardly she was extremely calm—yes, ever since Alice's projection appeared, she had been in a completely focused, unguarded state, with all her senses operating at their peak. Her clumsy behavior when encountering Zhao Yingkong, and even her telepathic communication with Mokou outside the Firelink Shrine, were all deliberate. And she believed that Fujiwara no Mokou was certainly in the same state.

This is a matter of life and death; there's no time for other trivial matters. While the people Alice brought aren't entirely untrustworthy, ultimately, it's best to keep the leverage in our own hands when the situation is unclear. After all, they have other interests to consider, and they might not prioritize the interests of Gensokyo.

After all, having lived through an era of constant battles with outsiders, easily trusting strangers is practically a taboo in Gensokyo. The harmonious and peaceful atmosphere of Gensokyo stems from the fact that everyone has fought side-by-side, knows each other intimately, and some even owe each other dozens of lives. Compared to old partners with whom they've been entangled for hundreds or even thousands of years, new allies are simply... a bit hard to trust.

Even if she's incredibly strong, strong enough to take us both down with one hand, the matter of one's stance will always be delicate until the very end...

【and……】

Kaguya slightly disrupted her steps, deliberately making her pace out of sync with Mokou behind her.

[If the previous speculation is true, and Marisa really did overwrite the thief Greret, then how could someone with her magical abilities be imprisoned in this kind of cell? Judging from us, and the woman who calls herself Zhao Yingkong and the man called Zheng Zha, our strength in this world is not limited. Even if our memories are sealed, our thought patterns and creativity are still preserved. In other words, if the person in that cell is indeed Marisa, then this place is unlikely to be able to hold her. But if she is indeed imprisoned and in the same situation as in the game, then this means…]

[Does the external interference Alice mentioned hope that the script will largely unfold as Alice and the sages originally intended, with only minor changes? And does this mean... if Alice hasn't prepared a contingency plan, then this ambiguous world is most likely to completely confuse Alice or the sages of Gensokyo, who are most involved in the entire plan?]

[...Could it be that their target is Alice?]

She couldn't help but recall Mokou's behavior at the outer tower of the ceremonial site. Based on her nearly thousand years of understanding of Fujiwara no Mokou, she was truly in a state of bursting inspiration, unable to control herself. And yet, in this state, she ultimately achieved nothing…

No... finding nothing is still a discovery. But...

There's still a lack of conclusive evidence.

The girl pondered as she continued forward. All the knights and patrolling guards along the way ignored her and Mohong, who was following behind her. Those warriors who wielded great axes, brandished halberds, and were fully armed with shields and spears—the warriors who had given her painful memories—were as fragile as dust in her eyes at this moment, and she couldn't even muster the will to crush them.

Downwards, downwards, and downwards again.

She quickly found the ancient prison where the soul-devouring demons were imprisoned. Although even the guards might have forgotten about it, it posed no problem for Kaguya Houraisan, who could directly sense the presence of spirits. As she discovered the ancient prison, ordinary cells also came into view. After a stealthy and uneventful infiltration, the two Hourai girls successfully reached the prison that might hold the thief Greiret… or perhaps Marisa.

Then, unfortunately, they saw something both expected and unexpected at the door of one of the cells—the expected sight was a thief bound like a dumpling, his gender indistinguishable except for his eyes, completely wrapped in rope. The unexpected sight was a fellow wrapped in a cloak, who seemed to be pursuing a similar purpose to them.

The other party discovered them.

The other party remained silent and conjured a terrifying-looking Seven Luminaries Magic Cannon.

Transformation, Chapter Seventeen: Those who play tactics all...

Now that they've found Patchouli, let Miss Patchouli handle the rest herself; I don't need to interfere.

Zhao Yingkong withdrew her gaze from the chaotic scene beyond the spatial rift—since she could casually snap her fingers and teleport the two 'Ash Lords' to the high walls of Lothric, she could naturally observe the scene on the other side through the spatial rift she created. There was no need to tell the two Penglai people detailed information—now that she herself had awakened, Patchouli, that calculating individual, would no longer be lost in false memories. Presumably, she had already created a considerable situation, so her two fellow countrymen should naturally be dealt with by her own hand.

[They are the witches' friends, and the witches are my companions. But I don't recognize these two Hourai people who look like celebrities. Touhou Project is certainly an interesting setting, and many of its characters are charming in their own way, but that doesn't mean I have to like them.]

She pressed her finger against the blindfold on her nose, hesitated for a moment, but still didn't remove it. The claim that 'a Fire Keeper is necessary' was obviously a ruse… Yes, she had enhanced the bloodline of the Ember Spirit, making her a legitimate Lord of Cinder even without linking the First Flame. But a Lord of Cinder is a Lord of Cinder, while a Fire Keeper clearly belongs to a different system. She had neither the ability to initiate the path of linking the First Flame nor the capacity to convert her soul into attribute enhancements. She had only said that to have those two Hourai pass on a message and to ensure they wouldn't return and get in her way.

As a Fire Keeper capable of killing Gundyr and breaking the Lord of Cinder's leg, dragging him back to be used as firewood... I doubt they'd want to encounter me again. After all, the game already contained the implication of 'Don't underestimate the Fire Keeper,' so that implication would have a deterrent effect based on my actions, thus slightly interfering with their strategies... However, perhaps I'm just overstepping my bounds. After all, while I may not be very clever, I do have that much self-awareness.

Even if I catch up in terms of computational workload, I'm not exactly a person who excels at thinking.

She tilted her head slightly, gazing at Zheng Zha's body sealed in the courtyard of the Fire-Linking Ritual Site—the 16,000 equally sized chunks of flesh were colliding with each other in the spatial rift like swimming fish. In the blink of an eye, countless molecular organs with different functions had grown and differentiated. Some were like tentacles, some spewed acid, some shimmered with the color of plasma, and some, like a processing table, synthesized pliers and chainsaws—they used all sorts of strange methods to analyze, or violently dismantle, the spatial rift seal left by Zhao Yingkong. And presumably, it wouldn't take them long to break through it.

Five minutes at most... Anyway, he can't escape that confined space, so leaving him there to continue blocking the way is fine.

Zhao Yingkong thought to herself that she never expected the spatial rift seal she had created with her bare hands to last long. Whether Zheng Zha escaped or not was not actually a consideration for her. After leaving that locked space, she extended her senses outward to the extreme, and the final conclusion she reached was that this locked space was the only one of its kind within her perception range.

Clearly, this is a testing ground set up by some troublemaker. And this person, whose identity remains uncertain, probably knows everything now, yet remains indifferent.

"Then this only means that everything we have done has been within the enemy's plan... Although it is difficult to distinguish friend from foe this time, their strength is beyond doubt."

Zhao Yingkong rubbed her head in annoyance, watching as Zheng Zha's sealed body slowly broke through the spatial rift she had created, while simultaneously checking the area around the fire-prevention sacrificial site for any other living creatures. Her fingers trembled, and an extremely treacherous spatial trap was secretly set up around the fire-prevention sacrificial site. Although its effect might be minimal, that didn't stop her from doing so.

She knew perfectly well what Alice's purpose was in initiating the fusion of the two worlds. Helping the people of Gensokyo escape the human empire outside and integrate into the human race's destiny to erase their alien identity was only a secondary objective. Her real purpose was to use the opportunity of the fusion of the two worlds to make Patchouli Knowledge the protagonist of the Season of Linking the Flame, and then, at the cost of ending the cycle of linking the flame and bringing a new direction for advancement to this world, forcibly push Patchouli to the fourth tier using the protagonist's destiny from the destruction of the old era—the problem of an unstable foundation and many future troubles could be dealt with later. In any case, as long as she could achieve transcendence, there would be plenty of opportunities to rebuild her foundation later.

In Alice's plan, Patchouli will swallow—whether she likes it or not—the sweetest fruit in this world. The others will reap other, slightly lesser rewards. The souls of the Lords of Cinder can be used to strengthen the souls of the Reincarnators, and the intricate spatial overlaps during the Season of Fire will provide a high-quality testing ground. This world itself, after absorbing Gensokyo and acquiring a new path, will ascend to a higher realm. Aside from Patchouli, who might be somewhat dissatisfied with being forcibly pushed to the fourth tier, the final outcome will inevitably be a happy ending that satisfies everyone.

—That's how it should have been.

Those two Penglai maidens shouldn't have been trapped in that suddenly appearing, enclosed space, nor should they have faced Zheng Zha from the very beginning—their original fate should have been a smooth, casual progression, like playing a game. And this world shouldn't be a prosperous era spanning millennia, but rather, like the game Dark Souls III, its flames fading, spacetime in chaos, demons and monsters roaming freely, the entire world teetering on the brink of collapse!

If this were the chaotic era Alice envisioned, ending this calamity and ushering in a prosperous age would be a great achievement for the entire civilization. The so-called fusion of destiny can only occur under such circumstances. However, this is currently a golden age—if this golden age doesn't end, then chaos will not arrive. But to forcibly push this golden age into chaos would be a grave sin against civilization. And this would naturally incur a curse.

Reincarnators are generally not afraid of this kind of curse, because it takes effect very slowly, and a curse that can kill an ordinary person is nothing more than a sneeze to a powerful reincarnator. Even if it does have some effect, the main god will completely eliminate it when the reincarnator completes their mission and leaves the current world. Being disliked by human civilization at most will just make it a little more difficult to cast the corresponding spells, but in reality, it won't cause much trouble.

However, this only applies to those who reincarnate. For those alien immigrants—

"The time has come, Zheng Zha's body is free."

Zhao Yingkong's mind went blank for a moment. She checked the surrounding spatial traps one last time, making sure that no being below the fourth rank could have infiltrated the Firelink Shrine without her noticing before opening a spatial portal. Accompanied by the freezing air and snowflakes surging out of the portal, a magnificent and beautiful complex of buildings, like a castle from a fairy tale, appeared in her sight.

Icy Valley.

The assassin girl spoke softly, and the spatial teleportation ended in an instant, precisely moving her to this perpetually snowy religious metropolis. She arrived silently, and her landing point was precisely at the top of the city's largest cathedral.

If a fool can't figure something out, then let a wise person figure it out.

—If your muscles can't do it, then let your brain handle it.

Alice is already caught in their trap, so I can't go to her now. Patchouli has been in the game from the beginning, and now that it's a different game, it's even more troublesome. It's a pity Saito isn't here... Oh well, although I can't see through Chu Xuan at all right now, judging from his performance in the Ju-on world, he's very skilled at planning and scheming. And Zheng Zha said that he was resurrected before the last horror movie and set up a grand scheme in the Star River world that directly determined the outcome of the team battle. So... asking him to analyze the current situation should be feasible.

We need to find a way to awaken him from his memories first.

Zhao Yingkong's eyebrows twitched, and her spatial abilities were activated once more. By creating thousands upon thousands of slanted spatial fragments, resembling the compound eyes of insects, to scan various areas of the entire large city, she quickly discovered the area where Chu Xuan was most likely to appear.

It was a magnificent hall, the Pope's hall. Surprisingly, there were no guards at the entrance, and inside the hall, a life force that seemed completely out of place with its surroundings was clearly present.

[Is the easiest way to wake someone from a state of amnesia simply to beat them up?]

Zhao Yingkong withdrew her spatial perception and took a step, instantly transporting herself from the top of the cathedral to the outside of the papal hall by distorting space. Her senses swept over the area, and she immediately saw a familiar man, with the same physique as Chu Xuan in reality, sitting in the very center of the hall. He had his eyes closed, seemingly lost in meditation, while two longswords radiating magical energy lay casually on the ground at his feet.

Wow... He looks like a final boss. Looks like this is going to be a big battle. Well, I haven't really interacted with him much since I respawned, this is a good opportunity to get to know him better!

The assassin girl raised an eyebrow, her mind quickly focusing, her will coalescing into an invisible blade as she fixed her gaze on Chu Xuan in the center of the hall. The instant she took her first step, she merged into the spatial rift, ready to shatter Chu Xuan's glasses with this invisible blade!

[Use only a fraction of your strength to test the waters.]

Her form silently traversed the hundreds of meters from the outside of the hall to its interior. Then—

"Zhao Yingkong, report on Zheng Zha's situation," Chu Xuan asked suddenly with his eyes closed.

“Zheng Zha’s body is currently in the Fire Prevention Ritual Grounds, sealed in the forecourt of the ritual grounds by a spacetime barrier.” Zhao Yingkong’s steps came to an abrupt halt. She answered subconsciously—then suddenly realized that something was amiss.

"...Are you awake?"

"You arrived here seventeen minutes and forty-four seconds later than I expected. I guess you wasted a lot of time at the Firelink Shrine after suppressing Zheng Zha's body. But you came here alone, so I guess you dumped the 'protagonist' that Alice chose on Patchouli, and you even took the time to set up a base at the Firelink Shrine?"

"...How did you know?"

“Think about it and you’ll know.” Chu Xuan opened his eyes, his tone as indifferent as ever. “When I woke up as ‘Sullivan,’ I felt that my memories and cognition were abnormal. It took me forty milliseconds to correct them and regain myself. From Sullivan’s memories, I learned that a certain ancient man surnamed Zheng had passed on the fire for a thousand years. In addition, along with some other details that are easy to see, I roughly understand what the current situation is.”

"Alice's script has gone awry; a third party has intervened. She should be out of contact now, and others should also be misled. Your identity as Felene should remain unchanged, since the Ring City itself is a prison. Your presence here is likely because Alice had a backup plan—probably triggered by the specific states of those two 'protagonists'."

“I thought you wouldn’t waste too much time on unnecessary things, but you’re too late. So, the dominant one in your merged personality must be the original personality. Because it’s been dormant for too long, it’s become too active, which is why I’ve been waiting here for seventeen minutes?” Chu Xuan asked, but he used a statement of certainty.

Zhao Yingkong opened her mouth slightly, then pressed her chin to close it.

“What you’ve said… is all correct. Then…” She hesitated for half a second, deciding not to waste any more words: “What should I do? Should I continue to awaken others?”

“I’ve already dispatched all the White Cult’s direct knights. These knights have teleportation spells, and I also know what identities the others have been given. So you don’t need to make any moves.” Chu Xuan adjusted his glasses. “We have limited time. You’ll need to launch an attack soon. The enemy is Alice, who is in a daze, and an unknown life form whose upper limit combat power is unknown, but it certainly won’t unleash power above the fourth tier. Be prepared.”

“…What?” Zhao Yingkong was stunned by the series of bombs.

“I don’t want to repeat myself.” Chu Xuan glanced at her coldly and stood up from the ground. “But if you need a little motivation, I can give it to you—haven’t you noticed that we haven’t heard a single notification from the Supreme God so far? Even that indestructible wristwatch is gone?”

"You think we have plenty of time? Let me tell you, this world has very serious problems, and if we don't deal with Alice's matter quickly, there's a good chance we'll be stuck here forever. Forever."

Transformation, Section 18: Analyzing the Current Situation

“I’m currently using an avatar summoned by magic, so I can’t see my wristwatch.” Zhao Yingkong lowered her eyes. Her true form was still asleep in the top temple of the Ringed City as Filianor, the last goddess of the sun. This temporary body was already in the nameless graveyard outside the sacrificial site when she regained consciousness. “But I believe your deduction. I have indeed not heard any hints from the main god in this world so far.”

She flexed her fingers.

"What should I do? I remember Alice said she would cover up Elfried, so she should be in the painting world now?"

“She has emerged from the world of paintings.” Chu Xuan snapped his fingers, and a wall beside him, etched with magnificent murals, instantly shed its disguise, transforming into a clear topographical map. A continent roughly half the size of Asia, according to the marked scale, appeared in Zhao Yingkong’s field of vision, and a small dot of light flashed to indicate the location of Cold Valley.

“Here.” Chu Xuan pointed to a small town about four hundred kilometers away from the Cold Valley. “The body’s predecessor, Sallyvan, was a native of the Painting World. According to his memories, there are only two ways to leave the Painting World: one is to go through the main gate and leave through the original entrance and exit of the Painting World, and the other is to find a painter in the Painting World and have him paint a new exit.”