One-way traffic

A warm climate prevails here.

Although it's May, which is actually close to summer vacation, Gensokyo is still enveloped in the atmosphere of spring.

The scent of cherry blossoms enveloped the entire Gensokyo.

"You've fully recovered, haven't you?"

Gazing at the beautiful surroundings before him, Accelerator slowly extended his hand.

Cherry blossom raindrops fell on his fingertips.

This is the rich scent of spring, not the cold winter of May, but the true essence of spring.

This fantasy world has been restored to its original state.

People's lives thus returned to normal, no longer suffering from the harsh winter, nor enduring unwarranted pain and sorrow.

He personally salvaged everything.

Without Accelerator, the land known as Gensokyo could never return to such a beautiful spring.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter."

The first one listlessly flicked the cherry blossoms from his fingertips.

Ignoring the blooming cherry blossoms around him, Accelerator crossed the steps of the Hakurei Shrine and went directly to the area leading to the steps below.

A figure was standing in front of them.

With her back to the first person in line, she was bathed in a sea of ​​cherry blossoms. As she slightly raised her fingertips, cherry blossom raindrops fell between her fingers.

Faced with such a beautiful scene.

Accelerator, however, ruthlessly shattered this peaceful tranquility.

"It's amazing you still have the mind to continue admiring the flowers here."

"...Could you please not break this harmonious scene?"

The girl, whose beautiful atmosphere had been abruptly shattered, sighed helplessly and turned around abruptly.

Reimu Hakurei, the paradise shrine maiden of Hakurei Shrine.

As Gensokyo's top-notch anomaly resolver, she was now quietly enjoying the sea of ​​cherry blossoms.

Now that this pleasing scene had been suddenly shattered, the priestess looked over with great displeasure.

"So, your injury is completely healed?"

"It's obvious, isn't it? But then again, it's only that bad. There's no need to treat me like a patient."

"That's true. To wake up from that coma so quickly is something that no ordinary person could do... Ah, you certainly aren't an ordinary person either."

"What am I planning to do by suddenly saying this?"

"You're asking me what's going on? Wings! Wings! You've sprouted wings from your back!"

Recalling those black wings that were so awe-inspiring just to look at, Reimu's expression turned strange.

"First you displayed completely inhuman abilities, then I sensed a series of miscellaneous auras emanating from you, and finally you even sprouted wings from your back... Do you really still dare to call yourself human?"

"I've said this more than once already. That's just how it is in DNA physiology. If you're going to complain, you shouldn't be complaining to me, right?"

Realizing that continuing to argue with Accelerator would not lead to anything, Reimu had no choice but to swallow her various doubts and dissatisfaction.

"So, what are you planning to do now?"

Accelerator's expression changed.

He seemed to be looking somewhere, and then his eyes began to sharpen.

"It's nothing, I'm just planning to take care of some things."

"How do you say this?"

"Hmph, now that all these miscellaneous problems have been resolved, I no longer need to worry about them."

His expression gradually turned ruthless.

Ultimately, the reason the first person took action was never really to restore Gensokyo to its original state.

He believed, after listening to someone's advice, that something would inevitably exist at the end of this incident that would allow him to achieve his goal.

However, the matter has come to an end, and even at the end, he still hasn't found the goal he needs.

Accelerator remains trapped in Gensokyo, unable to find a way to leave.

He has to get an explanation.

Find the person who told him this in the first place.

"I see, so this is your own problem... But don't even think about coming to me, I can't help you with anything."

"Aren't you a shrine maiden from Gensokyo who helps people solve their problems? How come you're so direct as to say 'I can't help'?"

"Solving problems depends on the situation. For example, right now, if you're looking for that idle guy, I really can't help you."

Reimu waved her hand helplessly.

"Heaven knows where that youkai sage lives all year round? There are rumors that she lives on the border of the entire Gensokyo, but how could I possibly know where that place is?"

"That doesn't matter, I didn't expect you to be of any help anyway."

"Hey... what kind of talk is that? That's so hurtful!!"

After hearing the other party's merciless words, Reimu frowned and turned her head away.

There was no one behind her.

"It's already disappeared..."

This scene surprised the girl slightly, but she quickly calmed down.

"Forget it, it doesn't matter what that guy does. He's going to find Zi anyway, so let him deal with this mess himself."

The shrine maiden returned to her solitary state, contentedly remaining where she was, admiring the magnificent cherry blossom spectacle before her.

————————————————————————————————————————

Cherry blossoms fall everywhere, covering every corner of Gensokyo with pure cherry blossoms.

When spring arrives, the monsters of winter return to their slumber, while the monsters of spring are thus freed from their hibernation.

That figure, as beautiful as a woman, was the same.

She deeply felt the beauty of spring, standing alone under the sea of ​​flowers, looking up at the cherry blossoms falling all around her.

A beautiful scene was thus created.

Until the next instant.

"…how."

The blonde woman smiled and turned around.

"Didn't you even notify me before you came?"

boom--! ! !

The sea of ​​flowers burst open, and a figure that could travel at supersonic speed leaped over in an instant.

The white-clad, supremely powerful figure grabbed the other's neck in one swift motion.

The figure that was caught was instantly thrown backward, and then its entire body almost sank into the trunk of a huge cherry blossom tree.

A huge crack spread from the ground beneath her feet, countless cherry blossoms scattered, and even the tree itself was violently impacted.

The parasol in the girl's hand fell to the ground.

"Oh dear... are you in such a hurry to talk to me? Look, this beautiful sea of ​​flowers has been ruined in an instant."

She looked at the figure in front of her without any fear.

That ominous white shadow that easily grabbed his neck with just one hand.

"They're really in a bit too much of a hurry."

"I think you don't have time to gossip anymore."

Snap—the first person's two fingers clenched slightly, and the sound of something being crushed came from the inside.

It's probably something like bones.

The demon of the realm whose body parts could be crushed did not change its expression at all, and there was no contortion of pain.

She simply smiled quietly at the other person.

"Is it really okay to be so impatient? Young people, shouldn't you always communicate with others first before making decisions?"

"Ha, you think there's still that need between us?"

Accelerator said this with a mocking laugh.

"I was just too lazy to deal with you. You used me to solve the problems in Gensokyo, and I didn't take it seriously because I thought it would ultimately benefit me. But you ended up pulling this stunt on me, didn't you?"

"You mean the Saigyou Ayakashi? That's none of my business, and I think you know that yourself—"

"You really have the guts to mess with me, you monster bastard."

Boom! This time, an invisible aura exploded from his entire body in an instant.

It was an invisible pressure.

"Listen up, I don't care what the future holds for Gensokyo. Even if they use me to get rid of some guy there, I don't care. I have no desire to stay in this godforsaken place anyway."

"But don't push your luck."

His eyes widened, and he gripped the woman's hand even tighter.

Its blood-red pupils were even more ferocious than those of a wild beast.

"I'm not a charity official. Who told me that the source of this anomaly would definitely contain what I need? I haven't seen a single trace of it from beginning to end!"

If Accelerator has worked tirelessly all the way to the end and has indeed obtained information or intelligence that will enable him to achieve his own goal—that is, to leave Gensokyo—then he will not say a word more than necessary.

However, he did not find any relevant factors.

This was after the sage demon had personally spoken to him about it.

There's no such thing as free labor. Since Accelerator did the corresponding work, he must receive corresponding compensation to be satisfied.

What we're doing now is like spending hours painstakingly sculpting a work of art, only to end up with a superficial, perfunctory title, without even receiving a bonus.

So that's why you're angry.

"What, aren't you a sage among demons? You can't even guess something this trivial."

“Even a sage is not necessarily omnipotent, let alone someone like you whom I am facing.”

"That makes perfect sense. So, you've already decided how you're going to die?"

Of course, Accelerator wouldn't actually kill his opponent without hesitation for that reason. He did have the intention to kill, but it wasn't that intense.

However, if Yukari Yakumo cannot give him a perfect answer, she will inevitably have to endure an unimaginable torture.

Unfortunately, the number one in Academy City is not the kind of person who can be dealt with by women, so the torture that follows will definitely not be any level that can be easily passed.

That's why I said that.

even so.

The sage among the demons maintained his calm smile.

"Young people are too impatient. Why can't you ask me properly and then draw new conclusions based on my answers?"

"What else do you have to say?"

"Have I ever given an answer that I didn't explain?"

This abrupt scene caused Accelerator to pause slightly in surprise.

He squinted at Yakumo Yukari in front of him, then abruptly released his right hand.

Miraculously, when he pulled his fingers out of the other person's neck, not a single drop of blood flowed out.

They couldn't even find a single wound on Yukari Yakumo's neck.

"I think you should have realized it yourself by now."