One-way traffic

It's not just in the East; its reach extends to every corner of the world.

then.

When did it start?

The world is changing more and more, and human technology and wisdom are being awakened little by little.

Humans are inherently intelligent, and as time goes by, these talents are gradually being unleashed.

They discovered a world called "science".

As a result, human lifestyles have undergone significant changes.

It is no longer simply ancient, but strides towards a brand new world called science.

Humans cannot fly in the sky like monsters, so they invented flying machines that allow them to soar freely.

Humans cannot gain a favorable view in the dark like monsters, so they invented electric lights that can be spread throughout the world and dispel all darkness.

Humans cannot possess the physical strength of monsters, so they invented military weapons that can cause unparalleled destruction to life simply by pressing a button.

And so everything changed; the new came and the old went.

People gradually came to regard the existence of monsters and gods as absurd, completely discarding their history as mere stories, forgetting and denying their existence.

This won't work.

Monsters and gods both require a realm that can only be formed by parts provided by humans to survive.

Even after the establishment of Gensokyo, this problem remains difficult to solve.

If humans do not develop a fear of monsters, the monsters will become weaker and weaker. Similarly, if people increasingly disbelieve in the existence of gods, gods who have lost their faith will also face complete disappearance.

The power of science lies in its exclusivity; it denies everything that is unscientific.

If left unchecked, all the fantasies in this world will vanish under the weight of science.

then.

Five hundred years ago, the first barrier, the boundary between illusion and reality, was created by a being known as a sage among monsters.

It successfully severed the connection between the recruited non-human beings and the outside world.

But that's not enough.

Without finding a way to resolve the issue of common sense versus uncommon sense, even if they are physically separated, they still cannot be completely distinguished at the conceptual level.

So, the monsters came up with the final solution.

In the hundred years following the creation of the barrier between illusion and reality, the power of the supreme god, which surpassed all the gods seen before, was used.

The mere appearance of the enemy caused the sky to change drastically, the earth to shake violently, and torrential rain to pour down. The entire land called Gensokyo was shrouded in such dark fear.

The supreme beings among the demons all pledged their own existence as collateral to pray to the god before them.

If the opponent were to use their own power, they could completely destroy all the monsters and gods present in the blink of an eye. They would have no choice but to sadly abandon all their dignity and pray.

The prayers finally worked.

Starting from the shrine manifested by the gods, a vast barrier expands outwards, a massive barrier capable of overturning common sense and the uncommon sense, and completely altering concepts.

Hakurei Great Barrier.

Constructed by the power of the Dragon God, the supreme god of Gensokyo summoned from within the Hakurei Shrine, it possesses a vast power capable of completely altering Gensokyo itself.

Since then, the world known as Gensokyo has truly taken shape.

The barrier constructed by the sages of the youkai is responsible for separating the paths of the two realms, completely isolating the outside world from the inside. The barrier created by the supreme god is responsible for changing the realm at the conceptual level and for accepting everything that science has rejected or denied into Gensokyo.

This is a distant world completely isolated from the outside world.

This is a dreamlike place that exists only in fantasy.

It is unaffected by modern humans and unrejected by any scientific world.

And so it is.

Kamishirasawa Keine, who had closed the books in her hands at some point, suddenly looked up.

"...As for the history of Gensokyo itself, I think most people should know about it."

"Pretty much, though to me it felt more like listening to a boring storybook."

This is the official origin story of Gensokyo. Basically, Kamishirasawa Keine was speaking to Accelerator.

And the first person did indeed digest all of this content.

It is a world that can be described as being built by monsters and gods in a state of decline. It is completely isolated from the outside world. Although it is not so much a place with a low level of civilization, it is definitely not at the level of keeping pace with the outside world.

It gives people the feeling of a Japanese myth.

Accelerator didn't ask Shirazawa Keine questions just to hear a story.

"Since you claim to be in control of history, does that mean all of this content is absolutely 100% accurate?"

"At least for me, that's the situation based on the available historical records."

As a beast capable of devouring history itself, Kamishirasawa Keine naturally possesses knowledge of actual historical information.

While most people are not very familiar with the origins of Gensokyo, she could easily explain the general situation.

However, most of this knowledge was written in her temple school textbooks.

While the book could not possibly record things like sages of youkai and supreme gods, it at least lets people know that Gensokyo was once 'a place created by the original union of youkai and gods'.

Even with this level of information, the man in front of him, who had the same hair color as him, seemed unaware of it.

"That's good. For me, there's only one thing left to confirm."

"what is it then?"

As Shirasawa Keine asked her question, Alice, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but become interested as well.

Accelerator casually cleared his throat.

"That so-called Hakurei Great Barrier is the area that is responsible for managing the situation inside and outside Gensokyo... Is that right?"

"Indeed it is."

"The person in charge of this barrier is that guy called the Demon Sage? That makes things much simpler; we can just find him directly."

If you want to leave this world, you must first be prepared to leave Gensokyo.

But Kamishirasawa Keine shook her head directly.

"She's not the only one in charge of this kind of thing."

"what?"

"To be precise, the Great Barrier is located at the Hakurei Shrine, so if you want to deal with matters related to the Great Barrier, you have to face another person in the shrine."

That is the one who has always protected the shrine and this Gensokyo.

"The current shrine maiden of Hakurei Shrine, Reimu Hakurei."

She is not some kind of exaggerated monster.

He was merely a human being.

"If we want to confirm information about the Great Barrier, it is absolutely impossible without meeting that shrine maiden."

"...It means I have to compromise with another person."

What a troublesome thing.

Accelerator snorted unhappily, causing Kamishirasawa Keine and Alice to exchange glances.

"I'd really like to know, what exactly is your purpose?"

"According to what she said, the Hakurei Barrier is the place that can control the situation inside and outside Gensokyo. As long as you come into contact with it, you can at least enter and leave the outside world, right?"

"That's what you say... So, your goal is to leave Gensokyo directly?"

"This shouldn't be a problem that's hard to spot."

He held nothing back from sharing his thoughts.

The situation in the other world is still unclear, and Accelerator has no time to slack off in this godforsaken place any longer.

If he could find a way to leave, he would never have remained indifferent in the same place.

"I think that would be quite difficult to do."

Accelerator couldn't help but widen his eyes and look at Alice, who had just said those words.

"You don't need to look at me like that. After all, if you had suddenly fallen into this Gensokyo from the outside world, I don't think the chances of leaving would have been very high."

"From what you're saying, it's as if someone has already experienced this situation?"

Accelerator couldn't help but wonder if someone else, like him, had suddenly fallen into this Gensokyo.

"If you've ever heard of terms like 'disappearing into the shadows,' I think you can at least understand this principle."

"Tsk, I've heard similar urban legends before, so what? What's the point?"

"Once you enter the realm of Gensokyo, it will be very difficult to return to the realm of common sense in the outside world."

Kamishirasawa Keine's voice was utterly calm.

But that directly made Accelerator feel a little uneasy.

"To date, quite a few people have ended up inside Gensokyo."

"And most of them ultimately chose to remain in this fantasy world."

"...That's just their own choice. I can choose other content too, right?"

"This is where the problem lies."

The knowledgeable white-haired woman seemed to sound somewhat helpless.

"Even if someone wants to leave, they always reappear in this Gensokyo after a period of time."

"To be precise, their common sense has been completely transformed by the extraordinary world of Gensokyo. Having had their common sense transformed, they can no longer be accepted by the outside world."

The Hakurei Great Barrier is capable of automatically accepting things that are rejected by science.

Those who have entered Gensokyo once already possess the common sense of Gensokyo. This so-called common sense is completely different from the common sense of the outside world, that is, it is something that would be rejected by the outside world.

Even if they return to the outside world, the final result will still be that they will be sent back to Gensokyo.

In other words, there are virtually no ways to leave.

The only person who could ignore this point is probably the founder of Gensokyo.

That sage-like monster.

"Although this might not be a good outcome for you, if you really intend to leave Gensokyo..."

The other person did not continue speaking.

Even without her saying it, Accelerator could guess what she was planning to say.

"...Is that all?"

"Eh?"

"You guys don't think this is enough to make me lose my fighting spirit, do you?"

The first person's words caused the other person to show an even more astonished expression.

"Why...?"

"Common sense and reality? We don't need to worry about those things for now. Anyway, all I need to know is that there is a way to leave here and get to the outside world. Knowing this method is enough."

Accelerator never intended to rely solely on existing methods from the beginning.

correct.

For this person in first place, what he planned was not so simple at all.

Regardless of the outcome, there is only one thing he needs to know.

That was something only he could accomplish.

"All I need to know is that it is possible, and that is enough."

It's like an incredibly difficult math problem.