The afterlife blew up Gensokyo

The fire burned all night long.

When dawn broke and the raging fire finally subsided, people discovered that the bamboo house that had been there had been completely destroyed in the fire, leaving no trace.

Just as the brother and sister arrived silently, they disappeared just as abruptly. Although there was no evidence, people spontaneously imagined the final fate of the brother and sister based on the huge iron unidentified flying object that appeared in the sky above the bamboo forest that night.

They were originally celestial beings, but were banished to earth to be punished for their mistakes. When their sentence was about to expire, the celestial beings solemnly welcomed them back.

How could there be such an exquisitely beautiful woman in this world?

Half a month later, when Hieda Arie returned to Fujiwara-kyo from another city, the bamboo forest, which had been half burned by a fire, had recovered and was even more lush after the fire.

In the thriving bamboo forest, Hieda Arie accurately located the original bamboo house using her memory, only to find that the original location had been replaced by a large patch of lush bamboo.

She had spent many unforgettable afternoons here, laughing and joking with everyone, but the past is like the wind, and now it's all gone.

Hieda no Rei did not stay there for long and left quickly. Although she was still sad, all good things must come to an end, and she did not regret wasting her youth.

At the same time, a small expectation still lingered in Hieda Rei's heart.

Will the other person really come to pick her up as promised on the day she dies?

...Perhaps it is. (laughs)

P.S.: I feel so nauseous from motion sickness! (T^T)

At the end of the book, the sky was high and the clouds were light.

This is an absolutely asymmetrical war.

Hidden in the shadows, watching the battle unfold before her, Yukari Yakumo silently pondered these words in her heart.

At the time of the full moon, she opened a passage on the lake to the Moon Capital, bringing those monsters with her to the moon.

To the demons, this was a surprise attack on the Moon Capital to steal the Elixir of Hourai, but to Yukari Yakumo, it was just part of her and Eirin Yagokoro's plan.

In fact, she was quite optimistic about the war of aggression at the beginning, but after the war actually started, she found that it was a one-sided massacre... or it can't be said to be one-sided, because the great monsters that she planned to eliminate still had the ability to resist.

...but it was completely useless.

Perhaps at the beginning, led by those great demons, the allied forces of demons blocked the attack of the strange weapon in the Moon Capital that could fire high-energy beams, but after the Moon Capital princess named Watatsuki Yorihime entered the fray, the battle situation quickly shifted.

The opponent seems to possess the ability to summon gods to possess them, and with just his own strength, he has managed to hold back almost all the great demons.

Yokai have had dealings with deities, or rather, with priestesses. After all, priestesses who serve deities borrow the power of their own gods.

However, the power possessed by the gods residing within them was unheard of, and was several levels stronger than the power of gods in their minds.

The Moon Princess had access to countless divine powers and did not need to go through any predetermined methods to summon gods. With her own formidable combat strength, combined with the unique weapons possessed by the Moon Capital, she single-handedly changed the course of the battlefield.

And most importantly...

Yakumo Shiki frowned as she looked toward the very center of that bustling city forged from steel, the core area of ​​the Lunar Capital, where the gods of the Lunar Capital resided.

In the face of this so-called war, the gods didn't even have the slightest intention of intervening.

Losing in a struggle isn't so bad; it's just admitting defeat because you're less skilled. What's truly painful is when the other side doesn't take you seriously at all and completely ignores you.

...This is how Yukari Yakumo feels right now.

She had her own pride, and even when she was repeatedly criticized in front of Yagokoro Eirin, that pride never diminished. But now, she felt a sense of defeat from the bottom of her heart.

(If I could get Matara Okina, and the oni clan members like Ibuki Suika, plus that guy...)

A strange thought suddenly flashed through Yukari Yakumo's mind.

Just as the monsters finally realized that the Lunar Capital was not a weak entity to be trifled with and prepared to retreat, Yukari Yakumo had already quietly left, completely cutting off their escape route and erasing their retreat.

Although the Lunar Capital's combat strength has only shown the tip of the iceberg, and those monsters still have the power to fight back, with their escape routes cut off, the final outcome is still predetermined.

As for what kind of fighting power those monsters would unleash in their despair after discovering they had no way out, that was not something she needed to care about, because she had already achieved her goal.

Given the arrogance of the Moon People, those monsters wouldn't even be able to surrender. Without these troublemakers, it would be much easier for her to consolidate the monster forces.

...saying she's unworthy to be a sage of monsters?

What a joke.

Without these troublesome fellows hindering her, it won't be long before her name, the Sage of Yokai, Yakumo Yukari, spreads widely among the yokai community. Yakumo Yukari can foresee that scene.

—She will attain a transcendent status among the monsters.

By the lake under the moonlight, Yukari Yakumo, returning from her trip, looked up at the bright night sky and a cold smile appeared on her face.

"Whether it's Matara Okina, Yagokoro Eirin, or that guy, didn't you all have low hopes for me? It's okay, I'll prove you wrong one by one."

Turning around, she stepped into a purplish-red rift that appeared out of thin air in mid-air. Yakumo Yukari's voice sounded slightly cold.

"...In the name of the Youkai Sage—Yukari Yakumo."

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

It is no coincidence.

At the same time on the same night, in a deserted haunted temple outside Nara Prefecture.

“It’s definitely true. Judging from your description, the person who came that night was definitely my teacher.”

After listening to Soga no Toko's account, Huo Qing'e nodded with considerable certainty.

“My teacher had taken me to the heavens to see the immortals before. For him, going to the underworld to serve as the god of death was an extremely simple matter.”

"So he's the teacher you've been talking about all this time?"

After a moment of astonishment, Soga no Tokiko nodded thoughtfully.

"No wonder I always felt a strange sense of familiarity with him... It really was because of you, wasn't it?"

"Of course! See? I told you my teacher is very charming, didn't I?"

While continuing to reinforce the barrier formation with the collected materials, Huo Qing'e nodded quite proudly. However, as if she suddenly thought of something, her face immediately fell.

"It's a pity that my teacher has disappeared all these years. If he wants to travel the world, he should take me with him. I have already become an immortal and I will never embarrass him again."

"By the way, I've always had a question."

Drifting down to sit beside Huo Qing'e, Suwo Tu Zigu asked her questions with great curiosity.

"Qing'e, you're already an immortal, aren't you? But shouldn't immortals go to the Heavenly Realm?"

"No, strictly speaking, I should now belong to the category of evil immortals."

Keeping her hands busy, Huo Qing'e answered quite casually.

"An evil immortal? Because he helped me, a spirit of the dead, resist..."

"That's not the reason. The so-called evil immortals do not refer to evil immortals."

Seeing the expression on Suwotu Zigu's face, Huo Qing'e couldn't help but chuckle.

"Besides, I can't possibly watch my best friend go to hell to be punished for such a crime. I can't go to the underworld because I'm not dead. If you go there, I can't help you at all, so naturally I can't let you be taken away by those hell messengers."

"So, what does 'evil immortal' mean...?"

"The race is called 'Evil Immortal', which does not refer to 'evil immortals', but to immortals who have not attained immortality through the righteous path and are not accepted by the orthodox immortal path. In the teacher's words, they are unlicensed immortals. Corpse-dissolving immortals like Shenzi are similar to this type, and in fact, they also belong to the 'Evil Immortal' category."

Huo Qing'e explained patiently.

"As for me, I belong to the latter category, which refers to those who, after becoming immortals, neither renounced worldly affairs nor followed the basic code of conduct for immortals. Such immortals can also be called 'evil immortals' and are not accepted by the celestial realm. Since I am an evil immortal, I naturally do not need to go to the celestial realm."

"But the Celestial Realm... shouldn't it be a better place?"

After thinking for a moment, Soga no Toko still seemed somewhat hesitant.

"Why don't you want to go to the Heavenly Realm, Qing'e?"

"It's very simple. My teacher is temporarily unable to enter or leave the Heavenly Realm for some reason. If I go to the Heavenly Realm, won't he be unable to find me? I can't sever ties with the mortal world."

Huo Qing'e looked completely at ease.

"So what if he's an evil immortal? I don't care about such things. I'd much rather stay by my teacher's side."

Turning her head, Huo Qing'e smiled at Suwo Tu Zigu beside her.

"If it weren't for my teacher's guidance, I would have no idea what path I would have taken. I can say that everything I am today is thanks to my teacher."

"I think your teacher must be a very great person."

Looking up at the full moon hanging in the night sky, Soga no Toru murmured softly.

"...Gensokyo? I'm suddenly starting to look forward to that place."

"I'm also looking forward to it. Maybe I'll finally be able to find my teacher in Gensokyo. But so far, there's been no news about Gensokyo... I guess it's a place that will be built in the future?"

After working for half an hour, Huo Qing'e finally finished her work and stood up from the ground.

"Alright, the reinforcement of the barrier is complete. The strengthened barrier should be able to deal with those hell messengers."

"...I'm sorry that because of me, you have to run around so much for my sake, but I can't help you at all."

Looking at Huo Qing'e, whose face clearly showed signs of fatigue, Suwo Tu Zigu's expression turned slightly somber.

"Actually, I should have chosen to go to the underworld from the very beginning... I was ultimately too willful."

"What are you talking about? This isn't your fault, it's that guy Budu's fault. If it weren't for her negligence, how would you have ended up like this?"

Sitting down on the steps under the eaves, Huo Qing'e pouted.

"Actually, you don't need to blame yourselves too much. Didn't my teacher tell you that Qin Hesheng has already gone into reincarnation? Maybe you'll meet him again in his reincarnation in the future. My divination is quite accurate... Don't worry, no matter what happens, as long as my teacher is there, everything will be fine!!"

"what……"

With a slight smile, Soga no Tokiko looked up at the bright moon in the night sky.

The bright moon shines, untouched by a speck of dust.

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

Outside the long pavilion, beside the ancient road, there are green grass and sky.

"Alright, that's enough. You should head back soon; your princess is not easy to take care of."

Looking up at the clear blue sky, Shi Bai stretched comfortably.

"After all this time, it's time for me to set off to find her. I don't want her to just blast me with a magic cannon the moment she sees me again..."

"...I will not help with the matter of Yukari Yakumo establishing Gensokyo."

After a moment of silence, Yagokoro Eirin spoke quietly.

"I still think that Yukari Yakumo is not suitable. Under her leadership, the Gensokyo she builds will become a second Moon Capital."

"As I said, this kind of thing is not something to be forced. If she comes to you again in the future, just refuse her directly. There's no need to worry about anything."

Shi Bai smiled.

"However, please trust your teacher a little. The Gensokyo in my heart is actually very suitable for you. If you really can't find a place to go in the future, you can consider moving to Gensokyo."

"...Teacher, are you setting off to find Youxiang?"

After a moment of silence, Yagokoro Eirin took the initiative to change the subject.

"In matters like this, we can actually help. How about I and the princesses accompany you, teacher?"

"Uh... if I take you guys with me, I'm afraid Yuuka will pull out her magic cannon and blast me the moment she sees me..."

Subconsciously scratching his hair, Shi Bai chuckled dryly a few times.

"It would seem more sincere if I did this myself... You probably have your own things to do, right?"

"After the turmoil on the Moon Capital ends, my two students, Watatsuki Yorihime and Watatsuki Toyohime, will choose to come down to Earth to find me. So what I need to do now is to hide until they give up on finding me and bringing me back to the Moon Capital."

Eirin Yagokoro seemed to let out a soft sigh.

"Because we need to completely conceal ourselves, the hiding places for the princess and the others will keep changing. How will I be able to find the teacher then? I doubt the teacher will be able to find us anyway. So, I actually suggest... this is it?"

Seeing the strange box handed to her by her teacher, Eirin Yagokoro was slightly taken aback.

"Location tool - [Schrödinger's Cat], as long as you have this, I will be able to find you whenever I want to."

With a casual wave of his hand, he turned around with an air of nonchalance.

"That's settled then. As for Mokou... I'll leave her in your care for now."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure had already floated several meters away.