Stardew Valley of Gensokyo

Marisa's lips moved, but she still managed to ask, "Is Alice... alright too?"

"She's fine. I'm standing in front of her. She probably fainted because of the black energy."

Akina Ze also glanced at Alice, who was holding him with her eyes closed, and explained.

"This black aura can make people faint?" Marisa asked with some doubt as she looked at Reimu Hakurei.

"Perhaps." Reimu Hakurei's eyelids twitched, giving an ambiguous answer.

Not wanting to stand there idly any longer, Akina Ze said, "Let's not ask so many questions now. Let's go to your house first. That thing is still in your room."

Marisa bit her lip and suddenly said, "Master Akina, you must have gotten hurt when you fell to the ground. Why don't you let Alice sit on my broom first, and then we can go back together?"

"I told you it's just a superficial injury, Marisa, don't worry." Akina Ze waved his hand, his attitude firm.

If Marisa were to actually take over the unconscious Alice, wouldn't that be a veiled way of saying he's incompetent, pretending to be injured when he's actually incapable?

Finally, Marisa stopped talking and acquiesced.

On the way home, Marisa Kirisame walked ahead in a somber mood, followed by Sawa Akina carrying Alice in the middle, while Reimu Hakurei brought up the rear, her expression somewhat complicated. Of course, she knew whether she would faint after the black aura was dispelled...

.......

They walked in silence until they arrived at Marisa's hut.

Akina Ze placed the still unconscious Alice on the sofa and then turned his gaze back to the table.

The box, which was thirty centimeters long, wide, and high and had embroidered patterns on its surface, was placed there. Marisa Kirisame took it out again from the storage room.

"This is the Obsession Amplifier."

After taking a look, Akina Ze also turned his gaze to Marisa, who was behaving very obediently to the side.

"Marisa, how many items did you enchant with this box in total?" Akina Zeya's tone was slightly calm, without any sense of reproach or interrogation.

"Just a few! I saw they didn't work after I tried them on, so I threw them in the storage room," Marisa weakly explained.

"How many exactly?" Akina Ze pressed.

"It seems there are four items?"

Marisa Kirisame responded after counting on her fingers.

"Hmm, four items..."

After a moment's thought, Akina Ze nodded and looked at Hakurei Reimu.

Although he is the leader, the handling of this matter still has to be done by the Hakurei Shrine Maiden, after all, she is the true administrator of Gensokyo.

“Marisa…” Reimu Hakurei sighed, “Although it was unintentional, it still caused so much trouble. Fortunately, no one was hurt… no, Akina was hurt.”

"It's just a superficial injury, nothing serious," Akina Ze replied from the side.

After a pause, Reimu Hakurei continued, "Kaguya Houraisan of Eientei, Suzun of Suzunaan, myself, and Alice... we are all victims of this incident. Marisa, is there anything else you want to say?"

Akina Sawa also glanced at Reimu, hoping she wouldn't punish Marisa too severely.

While being discussed, Marisa suddenly had a bright smile and said, "I admit my mistake and accept the punishment, but I'm willing to go to Master Akina's fields to help with the farming. After the crops are harvested, I'll give them to the victims. Reimu, what do you think?"

"This..." Reimu Hakurei's face stiffened, seemingly not expecting Marisa to make such a suggestion. She paused for a moment and then asked Akina Sawa, "Akina, what do you think? After all, it's your family's land. Having another person here might be inconvenient for you, right?"

“I can go to the fields in the morning and go home to stay at night, it’s no problem,” Marisa Kirisame explained.

“Since you’ve put it that way, I have no reason to refuse. It just so happens that I need to plant a new crop in my greenhouse soon, and Marisa might be able to help.” Akina Sawa scratched his head and added, “But farming is no easy task, so don’t underestimate it, Marisa.”

"Hehe, Master Akina, you'll help me out then, right?" Marisa Kirisame chuckled.

Reimu Hakurei watched the interaction unfold before her, a bitter feeling creeping over her. Marisa had clearly done something wrong, yet it seemed she was being rewarded...

She interrupted the conversation, "Let's not talk about Marisa's problem anymore. What should we do with this box?"

“You must have taken this from the kappa, right?” Reimu said to Marisa.

Since they were in front of Akina Zeya, Kirisame Marisa was a little shy and touched her nose somewhat embarrassedly as she replied, "Okay, it seems so. Should I send the kappa back?"

“No need.” Reimu Hakurei shook her head. “Ultimately, it’s still the problem with the kappa. They’re always tinkering with strange things. If they were useful, that would be fine, but most of them are harmful to the human village.”

“Therefore, I have decided to destroy it,” the Hakurei Shrine Maiden said solemnly.

Akina Ze had no objection to this conclusion. He only started investigating the matter because of the attack on Xiaoling. As for Miss Kaguya... that's different. Xiaoling is an ordinary human after all, and this kind of thing is more dangerous to her. Destroying it is a good way to deal with it.

Marisa Kirisame seemed a little reluctant to part with it. Now that she knew the use of this novel gadget, she wanted to study it a little longer.

As for Alice? She's still in a 'sleepy' state; a sleeping person can't offer any advice.

Suddenly, a dark shadow flashed by, and the obsession amplifier on the table disappeared without a trace.

"Destroy it? That would be such a waste!"

The group looked up and saw Princess Kaguya Houraisan standing at the door, smiling softly, holding the box in her right hand.

......

Chapter 203 Hmm... Nothing happened

"What do you want to do, Kaguya Houraisan?" Reimu Hakurei asked first.

"Don't be so angry, I just want some compensation." Kaguya Houraisan said with a smile, holding the box in one hand.

Princess Eientei suddenly appeared and stole the Obsession Amplifier. The situation changed so rapidly that Akina Sawa was also confused for a moment.

But after hearing Reimu Hakurei's conversation with Kaguya Houraisan, he quickly reacted and said, "Miss Kaguya, the Hakurei Shrine Maiden has already discussed the compensation. Marisa will plant some crops in my yard to repay you. Besides, these things are actually kappa's tools."

Upon hearing this, Kaguya Houraisan glanced at Marisa Kirisame with slight surprise, her tone teasing, "Good idea."

Upon hearing this, Marisa Kirisame's face flushed red. Fearing that Akina Sawa might also notice something, she quickly shouted to Reimu, "Let's fight this guy together!"

Reimu Hakurei had the same idea. She said coldly, "Kaguya Houraisan, you'd better put this down now. This is not something you should be carrying."

"What if I don't?" Kaguya Houraisan's tone was gentle, but it was full of hostility.

"Sigh... why are they fighting every day?" Akina Ze sighed. He looked at the group of people who were about to start a fight at the slightest disagreement and felt a headache coming on.

"Miss Kaguya, may I ask what you intend to do with this item?" Akina Sawa also looked up and asked directly.

When asked the question, Kaguya Houraisan remained silent, her eyes darting around. She planned to use this tool to do something shady... She preferred being the one being pursued to pursuing someone, and this tool perfectly fulfilled her desire.

As Kaguya of Houraisan remained silent, a doll that had been slowly approaching suddenly snatched back the Obsession Amplifier in the blink of an eye.

"Alice, you're awake?" Marisa Kirisame turned around, her face showing surprise and delight.

Needless to say, it was Alice who was controlling the puppet. She stood up from the sofa, and through her pale fingers, one could vaguely see transparent threads. She softly responded, "Hmm..."

Reimu Hakurei didn't expose her; she had already figured out whether she was really asleep or just pretending, only the insensitive Marisa couldn't tell.

Alice woke up from her deep sleep, and Akina Ze naturally showed a happy expression on his face, but he suddenly felt a strange gaze.

Following the direction of my gaze, I saw it was Reimu Hakurei.

Huh? Why is Reimu looking at me like that? Akina Sawa was also puzzled and had no idea.

If you can't figure it out, then don't think about it anymore. Akina Ze turned to look at Kaguya Houraisan, who had a displeased expression, and said, "I'm sorry, Kaguya-san, I can't give you this item."

The response from Akina Sawaya was not Kaguya's cool and aloof voice, but rather a gradually building sense of oppression.

"Fighting is really bad..." Akina Ze also tried his best to persuade her.

But the effect doesn't seem to be good, and even Reimu Hakurei and the others have begun to prepare for battle.

Seeing that a battle was inevitable, Akina Ze silently extended his right hand and made a claw shape in front of Houraisan Kaguya, his five fingers grasping and closing.

The others couldn't tell what Akina Sawa was doing, but Houraisan Kaguya knew perfectly well. Recalling what had happened, her face flushed instantly, and she said with a hint of anger, "You're lewd!"

"Sorry, I didn't really want to either," Akina Ze shrugged, looking helpless.

If this can avoid a fight, he can do it a few more times.

Seeing that he seemed to be going to do this a few more times, Kaguya Houraisan felt a slight pain in a certain part of her body. She gritted her teeth, glared at Zeya Akina, and turned away without saying a word, disappearing in an instant.

"What's wrong with her?"

Marisa and the others, who were ready for battle, looked puzzled. They had just been on the verge of fighting, so why did they stop?

Reimu Hakurei suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Zeya Akina, only to see him shrugging, whistling, and with his hands in his pockets.

Her intuition told her that Kaguya Houraisan's sudden departure was definitely related to Akina Sawa.

......

The enemy has left, and four people remain in Marisa's hut.

Alice stood in the living room, somewhat at a loss, looking at the three people sitting on the sofa.

"I'm sorry, Marisa, Reimu, and Akina-kun, I really didn't mean to attack you."

Marisa Kirisame replied with a smile, "This is all the fault of the dark energy, it has nothing to do with you, Alice."

Seeing Alice and Marisa turn their gazes to him after they finished speaking, Akina Ze's expression also stiffened.

Because he remembered what Alice said when he fell into the pit with her in his arms... Did he really want to repeat this scene again?

“Akina-kun.” Alice bowed deeply and said, “Thank you for saving me from my obsession, otherwise I might have caused irreparable harm.”

She paused for a moment and continued, "If possible, please stay at my house, which is Margot Lloyd's Residence. I will take good care of you until your back injury is fully healed."

Alice's words were very sincere. She lowered her head, and although Akina Ze could not see her expression, he could guess that she was very sincere.

Marisa Kirisame, who overheard these words, was dumbfounded; she hadn't expected that such a thing could be done.

"Ahem." Akina Ze coughed twice and said, "Let's forget it. I understand your feelings, Alice, but I'm really fine. If you still don't believe me, how about I show you my back?"

As Akina Ze was saying this, he made a move to take off his shirt, but then he thought to himself, "There's nothing to see on my back anyway, Reimu and the others will definitely make me stop."

But... Akina Ze waited for a long time without any word of persuasion from the others, and his fingers were sore from pinching the hem of his clothes.

"I...I really have to take it off?!"

Sensing something was wrong, Akina Ze reminded him again.

"Take it off, Marisa and I also want to see how badly you're injured."

The speaker was Reimu Hakurei, and Marisa nodded in agreement.

It's over! Akina Ze's vision went black. Now that things have come to this, it's too late for him to back out.

Taking off his clothes in front of several beautiful girls put too much psychological pressure on him.

"Could it be next time?" Akina Ze asked weakly. He really wasn't used to exposing his upper body, even his back, in front of others.

"No way!" they all said in unison.

"Never mind..." Akina Sawa sighed, turned around, and slowly lifted the corner of his clothes.

Marisa Kirisame stared intently, her face flushed.

Alice and Reimu were a little more reserved, though they also glanced at it quickly and frequently, their cheeks turning bright red.

Aya Shameimaru, who was huddled in the study of the Akina residence organizing materials on dark energy, suddenly dropped the pen she was holding. She paused, then bent down to pick it up, muttering to herself, "I must be overthinking it. How could this be..."

Even so, Aya Shameimaru inexplicably felt a thick shadow gradually enveloping her.

......

Chapter 204 The Silence Before Dawn

As dusk fell, fiery red clouds reflected near the setting sun.

Having escaped Marisa Kirisame and the others, Akina Sawa finally returned home. The box called the Obsession Amplifier was eventually taken away by the shrine maiden. He repeatedly refused Alice's invitation to have a meal together in order to go home as soon as possible.

After a long day of running around, Akina Ze was finally a little tired.

Looking at the quiet courtyard, Akina Ze hesitated for a moment before pushing open the gate and walking into the quiet inner room.

The living room was brightly lit; although it was still evening, the lights were already on.

Akina Ze also stood in front of the door, his right hand on the doorknob, but he didn't dare to push it open.

He could see that Ms. Wenwen was angry, and Akina Ze also felt that he would definitely be scolded when he went into the house. He couldn't explain either the matter of Ms. Kaguya or the matter of the Hakurei Shrine Maiden.

Fortunately, Aya Shameimaru didn't see Marisa and Alice next, otherwise he would have been completely defeated without even having to explain himself.

However, no matter how unwilling you are to face it, you will eventually have to.

Akina Sawa took a deep breath and pushed open the door.