The afterlife blew up Gensokyo

After a moment of silence, the girl spoke in a low voice.

"If you want to address me, just use my race name... call me a succubus."

"Hmm... a succubus, right? Come on, please smile at the camera~"

"Varied……"

Looking up with some surprise, the girl discovered that the person sitting in front of her had somehow acquired a square, flat black box in their hand.

"Alright, let's get down to business."

Satisfied, Shi Bai put his phone back into his storage ring, and as if by magic, three more red envelopes appeared in his hand.

"Here, today is New Year's Eve, and giving red envelopes on New Year's Eve is a tradition. I only prepared one, but since you're here, it's quite a coincidence... Here, these are two red envelopes for you, one for each of you."

"Thank you, brother~"

Although she didn't know what a red envelope was, the little girl still obediently accepted it.

"...A red envelope? This is..."

Looking at the items in her hand and sensing the subtle aura emanating from her red envelope, the girl froze in place.

P.S.: My area has also started lockdown...

Chapter Thirty-Four: Happy New Year!

Although he didn't know much about the situation, Shi Bai was already able to vaguely deduce something from the few words the succubus spoke.

In later generations, the succubus became a spirit unwilling to go through reincarnation and kept claiming that she was not dead... But was she unwilling to go through reincarnation, or did she not want to go to the underworld to see her former sister?

The living must stay here; the dead belong here. This is the place of the Yellow Springs, the underworld.

If a world does not have an effective cycle, then the development of this world is destined to be short-lived. The succubus's sister is the one chosen by the world to be the key to open the underworld, that is, the chosen one.

In the distant future, she will become Yama, the King of Hell, the Supreme Judge of Hell, and the Lord of the Hall of Right and Wrong, wielding absolute authority as a deity of Hell.

But being in this position also means that she will sever all ties with her past and forget everything that happened.

At that time, her name was Shiki Eiki Amazanado.

At this moment, however, she is merely a nameless monster.

Some things are really hard to explain.

Deliberately lagging behind them by half a step, Shi Bai raised his head and squinted at the sky.

At this moment, the sky had quietly darkened. At his insistence, the barrier set up by Yagokoro Eirin in the bamboo forest allowed the snowflakes to enter. The snowflakes fluttered down, just like the scene of him lying alone on the mountaintop looking up at the night sky that year.

I estimate that by daybreak, the bamboo forest will be covered with a large expanse of snow.

On this New Year's Eve, which seemed no different from any other year, Shi Bai looked up at the snow-covered night sky and suddenly smiled silently.

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

Although it was already dark, the feeling in this brightly lit bamboo forest was completely different from that during the day.

"Hmm... I see. So the lanterns look this beautiful at night after they're hung up?"

Looking at the bamboo forest, which had changed almost completely compared to those years before, Yagokoro Eirin nodded thoughtfully, her arms crossed.

At first, she couldn't understand why her teacher would go to such lengths to decorate the bamboo forest for the so-called New Year, even building a pavilion in the bamboo forest clearing and decorating it with colorful lights... But now she understood.

To be honest, she was quite shocked when she saw this scene that night.

Although I have lived alone in the bamboo forest for so long, when I think back, compared with the changes in the bamboo forest and the passage of time in the past few months, all the long years I spent alone before seem to pale in comparison and have quietly faded away.

"Is this what Chinese New Year is like...?"

After whispering something to herself, Yagokoro Eirin turned around, and as she turned her head, she saw two succubi who were also staring blankly at the bamboo forest scene in front of them.

Compared to their disheveled state at the beginning, the two of them are now in much better shape. Not only have their injuries been effectively treated, but after taking a good shower, they have also changed into new clothes, and they look completely refreshed.

"Alright, stop standing there like idiots, let's all come and have our New Year's Eve dinner!"

Shi Bai clapped his hands, and before anyone knew it, he had already entered the pavilion, drawing the attention of the other three.

"Let me tell you, eating hot pot on a snowy day is an absolute treat!!"

The succubus didn't quite understand what the so-called New Year's Eve dinner was, and her sister didn't understand it either, but soon they both came to like it.

Delicious food they had never eaten before, and drinks and juices they could drink freely... All of this was something they had never enjoyed before, or even dared to dream of.

...It was like a wonderful dream.

The two sisters were initially a little reserved at the dinner table. After all, they had never imagined that one day they would be able to eat at the same table as a god who was many times more powerful than them.

However, when the fireworks were lit and the colorful patterns painted the night sky above the bamboo forest, their initially reserved hearts gradually relaxed under the moonlight.

"Teacher, is this for me...?"

Amidst the revelry of fireworks, Yagokoro Eirin was slightly taken aback when she saw the red envelope handed to her by her teacher.

"That's right, everyone gets a New Year's red envelope, I can't show favoritism to anyone."

Stretching, Shi Bai leaned back comfortably in his chair.

"Starting tomorrow, I will officially begin teaching you medicine... I hope you won't disappoint me then."

"Medical skills..."

Holding the red envelope handed to her by her teacher, Yagokoro Eirin took a deep breath and solemnly asked her teacher a question.

"Teacher, what is the highest level that medical skills can achieve?"

"Hmm... life and death, or just bones?"

After thinking for a moment, Shi Bai replied with a smile.

"Of course, for you, that level is just child's play... it's probably like the Heaven-defying power of magic within a pot!"

"Can the magic within the pot defy the heavens...? I understand now."

After a moment of silence, Yagokoro Eirin nodded gently, her words filled with determination.

"If this is what the teacher expects of me, then I will definitely try my best to achieve it."

"Hey, hey, hey, don't take this so seriously during the New Year. Can't you just make a joke?"

With a slight chuckle, Shi Bai shook his head and turned his gaze to a future Yama, the King of Hell, who was standing outside the pavilion, looking up at the fireworks in the night sky. He spoke softly.

"I never have any expectations of others. Your future is something only you can control. What you want to do and what you want to be like in the future are all your own decisions. Don't live with the expectations of others, because that will make life very tiring... By the way, Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year..."

Turning her head, she also looked outside, and for a moment, it was unclear what Yagokoro Eirin was thinking.

The phoenix flute sounded, the jade pot turned light, and the fish and dragon danced overnight.

P.S.: Ah, prices are skyrocketing! I can't afford vegetables, and with the lockdown preventing me from going home, I stocked up on a ton of instant noodles for the Lunar New Year...

Chapter Thirty-Five: The So-Called Mission

The heavy snow that fell overnight quietly stopped at dawn.

After a whole night, the entire bamboo forest was covered in silver and white.

When Yagokoro Eirin got up, she saw her teacher standing in the courtyard, wearing a black feather robe, looking at a tall object made of snow with a deep expression.

"……teacher?"

Emerging from her room, Yagokoro Eirin walked to her teacher's side in the snow.

"Huh? Are you awake?"

Turning to look at the girl beside him, Shi Bai smiled.

Happy New Year, Yagokoro!

"Uh... Happy New Year."

After a slight pause, Yagokoro Eirin answered, then looked up at the object made of snow in front of her.

"Teacher, what is this...?"

"Transformers".

Someone answered without hesitation.

"……Eh?"

"Don't ask, it's Transformers."

Yawning, Shi Bai turned and walked into his house.

"I've already prepared breakfast. I'll call the succubi to eat together after they wake up... Oh, by the way, the medical training will officially begin after breakfast, so get ready in advance."

"I see."

Eirin Yagokoro nodded.

To make accommodation more convenient, yesterday Shiro not only built the gazebo, but also built an extra small house next to Yagokoro Eirin's house.

Because it was built with blocks, the overall time spent was not as long as I had imagined.

—After all, you can't just sleep inside and leave the two succubi outside in the cold wind. It's just something you do on the spur of the moment.

What Shi Bai didn't expect was that after breakfast, the first person to come looking for him was a succubus.

"What, what's the matter?"

Sitting at his desk, twirling the calligraphy brush in his hand, Shi Bai asked the girl in front of him with some confusion.

"...I want to talk to you about our situation."

After a moment of silence, the succubus spoke.

"Also, if it's possible, I'd like to ask you for a small favor."

"Please sit down first."

Shi Bai shook his head slightly, lowered his head, and continued writing on the blank page in front of him.

"If you don't mind, please tell me. However, I can't be sure if I can actually help you... Well, you should understand what I mean, right?"

"I know."

The succubus nodded silently and sat down on the sofa.

"So, this is a story about power struggles and betrayals, and about opening the underworld... with my sister as the 'key'."

In the war between gods and monsters, the most pitiful and humble beings are naturally those living at the very bottom of the war, and the succubus and her kind belong to this level.

In the world of monsters, survival of the fittest prevails, and weakness is the greatest original sin. Without strength and power, you can only fall into the most miserable state, where even filling your stomach becomes a luxury.

Even so, the succubus and her sister still managed to survive in this world, relying on each other for survival. Although life was tough, they were the lowest-ranking monsters without even a name, so they weren't even qualified to be cannon fodder, and their lives were not in danger.

...until that day comes.

Their tribe was completely wiped out.

What followed was an endless escape with her younger sister, running and running desperately. It was as if they suddenly had nowhere left to go in the world, with gods and monsters alike chasing after them.

During her endless escape, the succubus gradually learned the truth about certain things.

As the final piece of the puzzle to complete the world, the key to unlocking the underworld is none other than his own younger sister, who has possessed that unique ability since childhood.

When the world is completed and the underworld is opened, the concepts of life and death will no longer be as vague as before. Death will no longer be the end of everything, returning everything to heaven and earth. Instead, it will begin a new life in the afterlife in a unique and extraordinary way.

Faced with such a great temptation, both gods and monsters wanted to start with the "key" in order to gain control of the underworld.

Strictly speaking, the succubi didn't do much wrong, but their only mistake was that they were too weak.

"So, what exactly do you want me to help you with?"

Putting down his calligraphy brush, Shi Bai turned around in his chair and looked at the succubus sitting on the sofa with an ambiguous expression.

“I would never let my sister become the ‘key’. But I know very well that even if I give everything, what I give is insignificant in front of those great monsters and gods.”

The succubus gave a bitter smile.