The afterlife blew up Gensokyo

If it weren't for the fact that the monsters living in the Monster Mountain didn't seem to want to kill people, none of them could have escaped from there.

Among the monsters of the mountain, the most famous are the so-called Tengu clan. They do not attack humans proactively, but they also never show mercy to humans. Instead, they record things from an observer's perspective.

Even if they see humans being attacked and eaten by monsters outside the Monster Mountain, they remain indifferent. Unless those monsters are foolish enough to provoke them, they are just emotionless bystanders and recorders.

Furthermore, except in certain exceptional cases, other monsters are forbidden from entering the Monster Mountain. Those who violate this rule will suffer the same fate as the strong humans who have ventured into the Monster Mountain.

However, not all the monsters are fools. Since the Monster Mountain does not allow them to enter, they have settled down in groups near the Monster Mountain. Over time, the number of monsters gathered around the Monster Heart has been increasing.

A vast and harsh primeval forest near the Monster Mountain became the new home of these monsters. Every day, battles for territory and fights between monsters quietly took place somewhere in the forest.

Over time, this area around the Monster Mountain has become a rather special region. Due to its extreme danger, humans have designated it as a forbidden area. The region centered around the Monster Mountain is therefore known as "the borderland of the Eastern Country, far from human settlements."

Although it is a forbidden area, some people still live here to fight against these monsters, and it has even formed a sizable town.

On this day, the town welcomed a weary traveler.

"If nothing unexpected happens, this place will likely become the human village in Gensokyo in the future, and that unnamed, dangerous forest over there should be the so-called Forest of Magic..."

Squinting at the surrounding buildings, Shi Bai, after a moment's thought, found a place to stay in the town.

It's dangerous here.

When he set off to this place, he was attacked by a large group of monsters along the way.

It has to be said, that monster's chest was really big, but it still paled in comparison to that red-haired Grim Reaper...

Since the plan is to establish a Hakurei Shrine, it is natural to choose a good location, preferably one that can also attract a lot of faith. This place is the best choice, as it is also the place where the faith of the gods in Takamagahara is the weakest.

The gods knew the power of the monsters on Monster Mountain, so naturally they wouldn't bother coming to such a place to collect faith. It just so happened to benefit him.

While it's possible to build the Hakurei Shrine elsewhere, he doesn't have the time or inclination to compete with the gods for faith. In any case, Matara Okina only needs one shrine to worship her.

As for whether this shrine is Hakurei Shrine or Ruri Shrine or something... does that matter? Anyway, Shi Bai doesn't think it matters.

The current human village is not complete. Although there are ordinary people living here, most of them are powerful Onmyoji or monks. Shi Bai doesn't know what kind of mentality they have for choosing to live in such a dangerous place.

However, this matter had nothing to do with him, so he didn't care much about it and instead prepared to start working on the construction of the Hakurei Shrine.

What is the first step in building a shrine?

—There must be a priestess.

Shi Bai originally thought this would be a fairly simple matter, but after searching for two months without finding a suitable candidate, he fell into silence.

That's right, he's stuck.

Not just anyone can become a shrine maiden, especially a shrine maiden who worships the ultimate absolute god, Matara Okina. Her power is not something just anyone can withstand.

Unless he abandons his moral principles and kidnaps a little girl to raise from a young age, he feels the chances of finding a qualified shrine maiden for the Hakurei Shrine are slim.

After sitting under the eaves for three days, deep in thought, and watching the snowflakes falling from the sky outside, Shi Bai had an epiphany.

No one has ever said that a shrine maiden must worship the deity enshrined in her shrine, right? And similarly, no one has ever said that a shrine maiden must be human, right? Even a yokai can become a shrine maiden!

Since there is no need to worship the deity enshrined in one's own shrine, there is no need to deliberately seek out beings who can accept the power of Matara Okina. Since it is not necessary for the shrine maiden to be human, it is also acceptable to have a yokai serve as the shrine maiden of the Hakurei Shrine.

Shi Bai gave himself 120 thumbs up for his wit.

However, as the old problems were solved, new problems also emerged.

While not absolute, most of the shrine maidens' power comes from the gods they worship, so he must find a new source of power for the shrine maidens of the Hakurei Shrine.

"Hmm... The Yin-Yang Jewel made by Shinki can be passed down as the greatest treasure of the Hakurei Shrine. However, just in case, we still need to add some safeguards to the Yin-Yang Jewel, such as allowing only the shrine maidens of the Hakurei Shrine to use it... Although the shrine maidens of other shrines are all ranged mages, how can the shrine maidens of the Hakurei Shrine follow the crowd? They must be all-rounders. They can use ranged AOE skills, and in melee combat, they can use their fists to crush anyone who dares to challenge them. The Yin-Yang Jewel can also be used as a brick, since it's hard enough. Therefore, their physical skills must also be improved. Hakurei's physical skills are invincible... Let's strengthen the Yin-Yang Jewel first, add some other functions, and make sure it's fast, accurate, and ruthless when hitting people. Give it all the Super Divine Water and stuff, and maximize its output first... Oh right, barriers are of paramount importance, and their defense must be maximized as well. But for defense, why not just give each Hakurei shrine maiden a substitute? So we need to hide the arrows in the shrine first, and add all the Devil Fruits and stuff as well..."

Creating a powerful figure from scratch might seem difficult to others, but it's incredibly easy for him. Even if someone wants to go for the tech-focused path, he can provide them with an Iron Man suit and countless high-tech devices for free, not to mention plenty of highly lethal items like miniature nuclear bombs.

With his mind opened up, the person's enthusiasm was extremely high, and he quickly took out paper and pen and began to list things on the paper.

Just as he was writing halfway through, amidst the gathering of snowflakes, a snow-white figure quietly appeared in the courtyard in front of him.

The other person had snow-white hair and light-colored eyes. Her blue and white dress accentuated her figure perfectly. As her figure appeared in the courtyard, the surrounding temperature dropped noticeably by more than ten degrees.

"Hmm? Mom? Is there anything I can help you with?"

Looking up at the girl emerging from the snow, Shi Bai couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

Lady Horvatlock is a Yuki-onna (snow woman) of the Yuki-onna race. She possesses power at the level of a Great Yuki-onna, which is quite rare among the Yuki-onna race. Currently, she exists as a Yuki-onna lord who governs the area around the Misty Lake.

He had excitedly gone to the Lake of Mist to see if he could find Cirno, but he didn't find her. Instead, he accidentally got into a conflict with Lady, the lord of the Lake of Mist.

The two of them could actually be described as having become friends after a fight.

"Can't I come to see you if there's nothing wrong? You're such a powerful being, yet you've come to live among humans... I've finished all that Sprite, give me a few dozen more cases."

Since it was her first time here, after looking around the small courtyard with a bit of curiosity, Lady readily extended her hand to him.

"Also, there's a festival going on among the yokai that's about to start, and I've come here specifically to invite you to go with me."

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm a human. Inviting a human to a monster's festival? Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

Shi Bai put down the pen and paper in his hand and pouted.

"Also, is it really appropriate to just swagger in here like this? Aren't you afraid of being discovered?"

"Humans? Humans can't do what you do."

Lady's gaze at him clearly revealed a hint of disdain.

"I am strongest in winter, and I represent winter, especially in the snow."

"Is your attack power increased because of the environment card?... Hmm, Mom, how about we make a deal?"

After stroking his chin and pondering for a moment, Shi Bai made a suggestion to the girl in front of him.

"Sprite."

Without any intention of answering his words, the other person firmly extended their hand towards him.

"Also, the banquet is in three days. I will come to pick you up then."

"Alright. Here, this is your drink."

With a somewhat regretful sigh, Shi Bai casually tossed a box over.

"It's best to drink less carbonated beverages, as they can cause bloating."

She took the box without hesitation, showing no intention of lingering. After uttering a harsh remark, Lady's figure suddenly became blurred in the wind and snow.

"You're not allowed to call me that nickname again!!"

pa：Good morningヽ(ー_ー)ノ

Chapter Four: Lady Horvatlock

"Uh...you mean the festival is being held inside the Monster Mountain?"

Looking at the mountain peak in front of him, Shi Bai's expression became slightly strange.

"Of course, this is a celebration initiated by the Tengu clan, the overlords of the Youkai Mountain. Only great youkai of my caliber can be invited. Do you think just anyone can go?"

Lady's words carried a clear hint of pride.

"You've always stayed with the humans, so you probably have no idea what's going on here, right?"

"so so."

After thinking for a moment, Shi Bai nodded in approval.

"To be honest, I don't really know much about this place. Could you tell me about it? For example, are there any sunflower fields or anything like that around here?"

"Sunflower fields?"

Lady gave him a slightly strange look and shook her head.

"I've never heard of this place before. But I can tell you about the Tengu clan, for example, the strongest Tengu, Tenma, who rules the entire Youkai Mountain..."

Shi Bai subconsciously thought of a certain long-haired black loli.

He would never forget such a cute creature as a loli... Speaking of which, it seems that she gave him some kind of jade pendant back then?

While listening to Lady's story, Shi Bai probed his consciousness into the storage ring on his hand to search for the jade pendant that he had somehow lost.

Tenma, a member of the Tengu clan, can be considered a legendary figure on the Youkai Mountain and is widely recognized as the strongest being there.

The Mountain of Yokai was large enough that the Tengu clan later accepted other yokai races, to the point that the yokai even formed a small society within the Mountain of Yokai.

However, what is quite strange is that the Heavenly Demon who actually rules the Monster Mountain has issued an order that is difficult for others to accept: it forbids anyone from entering or leaving the Monster Mountain without cause to invade human territory; those who violate this order will be driven away without mercy.

However, the Tengu clan is a rather isolated and xenophobic race, so it's not surprising that they would issue such an order.

"So what's the banquet about? You great demons were specially invited, so it can't just be a simple drinking party, right?"

Finally, he found the jade pendant in a corner. As he took it out and examined it, Shi Bai casually asked a question.

He hadn't really looked at the jade pendant before; after receiving it, he casually tossed it aside in a corner and ignored it. Now, after a long time, he took it out to examine it again and discovered that there was a line of small characters engraved in a corner of the maple leaf-shaped jade pendant.

-Nichirain-bo-

“This kind of gathering happens every few decades. It’s a carnival for great monsters. You just happened to be there this time.”

Lady's gaze swept over the jade pendant in someone's hand, and she let out a soft hum.

"You must be very happy to be able to attend a party of this caliber after only a few months here, right?"

Are there any little girls at the party?

He turned and put the jade pendant into his hand, his face serious.

"Loli...?"

"I mean, petite, cute, soft to the touch, and with a comforting quality... Do you have any like that?"

Someone looked on with anticipation.

"...A fox demon?"

After thinking for a moment, Lady nodded.

"Before I moved here, I heard about a very powerful nine-tailed fox spirit in a certain place. Are you looking for her?"

"I'm looking for a loli..."

Shi Bai sighed in disappointment.

Judging from the other person's behavior, he knew that his idea of ​​finding a loli at this gathering of great monsters was doomed.

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

Just as Lady said, this is just a carnival among great yokai. Anyone whose strength level reaches the level of a great yokai can choose to come to Yokai Mountain to participate in the banquet.

Whether it was luck or not, Shi Bai didn't encounter any familiar faces along the way. He and Lady arrived relatively late, and by the time they reached the gathering place, a large number of monsters had already gathered there.

Upon seeing their arrival, the monsters all turned their heads.

Struggle and conflict do not only occur among humans. In the world of monsters, competition is far more cruel and intense than among humans. Survival of the fittest and natural selection mean that the only way for the weak to survive is to become subservient to the stronger.

The scheming and intrigue among yokai is far darker than that among humans, which is why, although the Tengu clan provides a venue for these great yokai on Yokai Mountain, not a single Tengu is present.

Over the years, many yokai have tried to join the Yokai Mountain, but only a very few have actually been granted residency rights.

"One who stays near vermilion gets stained red, and one who stays near ink gets stained black." The Heavenly Demon does not want the Heavenly Dog Clan to be corrupted by filth.

However, some things cannot be avoided simply by wanting to. There have been times when audacious monsters tried to challenge the Tengu clan's leadership on the Monster Mountain, but in the face of absolute power, it was all just empty talk.

However, as the saying goes, it's better to guide than to block, and the current form of gathering has gradually evolved under these circumstances.

"...Why do I feel like I've been subtly tricked by you?"

Noticing the unfriendly gazes from some of the monsters, Shi Bai turned to look at Lady with a slightly speechless expression.

"I only extended an invitation to you, and you agreed to come, right? It's your fault for keeping calling me that weird nickname..."

She pursed her lips, took a step forward to stand beside him, and lowered her voice slightly.

"See those guys gathered over there? They're planning to force themselves on me. They're not that strong and can't beat me, but they're a real nuisance, always bothering me. If you can help me get rid of them, I might consider it..."

"Promise yourself?"

As he looked in the direction the other person indicated, Shi Bai casually added a sentence.

"Several of them want to marry you, looks like they're quite the player... Hmm, is it really necessary to be so ruthless?"

Feeling the icy cold hand resting on his arm, Shi Bai couldn't help but gasp.