One-way traffic

After picking up the fallen parasol, Yukari Yakumo regained her previous elegant and graceful demeanor.

"This anomaly, the entire series of events from beginning to end, seems to have absolutely nothing to do with what concerns you... But is that really all there is to it?"

“An anomaly has occurred in this Gensokyo, but the anomaly I’m referring to is not caused by the people within Gensokyo itself. If it’s only this level, both Reimu and I can easily deal with it.”

"But what if this so-called anomaly comes from external factors?"

Nonsensical words.

Accelerator racked his brains, trying to understand the meaning behind Yakumo Yukari's words.

"…etc."

mutation.

There are some things that could never exist in Gensokyo.

That kind of thing must be an anomaly brought about by some factor outside of Gensokyo itself.

Think about it.

Aside from Accelerator, what other factor is completely outside of this land?

That factor was hidden within this anomaly.

The strange occurrence of spring snow, the spirits of the underworld, and the demonic tree that lures death.

--as well as.

An anomaly who completely controlled that demonic tree and participated in the entire mutation.

Those kinds of black and red monsters.

"Wait a minute."

Accelerator suddenly considered a possibility that even he himself could hardly imagine.

Although, he should have made that connection long ago.

The black and red monster, whether in its appearance, its characteristics, or the strange aura it exudes.

All of them felt incredibly "familiar" to him.

Think about it.

Is it really possible for him to eliminate the demons of the abyss so simply and clearly?

"Are you kidding...?"

He suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

That was a possibility that even Accelerator himself found hard to accept.

In other words.

"Just as you thought."

The sage demon also wore the same grim expression.

"The so-called meteorite that fell with you... was that kind of black and red creature. This can't possibly be just a simple coincidence."

"You and that black and red creature both came from the same place, together."

There is only one key point that I can think of.

"DO Apis...that guy is still alive?"

Chapter 447 The Meaning of the Strong

Previously, among the countless enemies that Accelerator faced, there was one very special one.

It not only possesses immense power, but also has a reason for its actions that no one can understand. No one knows why it attempted to attack the top of Academy City. Even according to Advisari, the only conclusion is that this demon probably sought out Accelerator for some purpose.

That's how it was; the powerful and mysterious demon, representing the abyss, unleashed an unprecedented surge of power at the very end.

The power was enough to destroy the entire world. If no one had stopped it, let alone a planet, the sheer scale of the explosion would have completely destroyed the entire universe countless times in an instant.

And this explosion was finally stopped by Accelerator.

He exhausted the strongest power he could muster at the moment, forcibly resisting all the power unleashed by the demon's explosion and preventing the destruction of the entire world.

Thus, the price he paid was that, due to the powerful and unique nature of that power, he himself was directly brought to Gensokyo.

But now, this series of events has begun to shake his resolve.

It was the sage-like monster before him who reminded him.

This is something he should have considered long ago.

What if the demon that brought a deadly nightmare to the world itself is not completely dead?

He couldn't believe that such a thing had actually happened.

"...It does feel a bit off."

But when the first person recalled those red and black monsters, a sense of disharmony and incongruity came to mind.

Those monsters appeared in this Gensokyo for no apparent reason, and their appearance occurred almost simultaneously with the world he descended into.

If the demon in that abyss never truly met its complete demise.

So these monsters might be closely related to this matter.

If that's really the case—

"How about it."

Coming to his senses, he realized that the boundary monster in front of him had been staring at him like that for quite some time.

Have you calmed down a bit?

Staying calm... that's really hard to do.

Accelerator couldn't help but mutter to himself.

If what he's considering comes true, then it will be absolutely impossible for him to calm down.

Ultimately, all of these ideas were just his own speculations.

There is no evidence to suggest that those red and black monsters are the incarnation of DO Apis. In the end, their power is too weak. Although they can corrode a demon tree like Saigyou Ayakashi, the power of a single individual is not like that of the demon.

Even if it were one ten-thousandth of DO Apis's power, it shouldn't be that weak.

How did you come to these conclusions?

"Oh dear, I have no idea what you're thinking. The only guess I have is that those monsters are related to you... You'll have to find out the specifics yourself."

"You bastard, are you clearly trying to get me involved in this mess?"

In any case, their conversation confirmed one thing.

Those black and red monsters are anything but simple.

It's easy to guess that ordinary power simply cannot directly invade a demon tree of the Saigyou-you level, let alone spread its power throughout the entire underworld, or even control Saigyouji Yuyuko.

Furthermore, according to what Yukari Yakumo said, these monsters arrived around the same time as Accelerator.

Even if Accelerator doesn't want to care, he can't help but care.

And the area where these monsters appear must be within this Gensokyo.

That means one thing.

"Make me target those monster bastards again, and keep me stuck in this Gensokyo... You've got some ideas, haven't you?"

Since he wanted to track down the monsters, Accelerator had no choice but to stay in Gensokyo.

Looking at it this way, it's clear that they've once again gone along with Yukari Yakumo's wishes.

"It's more accurate to say that it's just a coincidence that we share the same goal."

"What kind of 'collecting' is this?"

"Of course it counts. It's a very simple thing to figure out."

Ignoring the white figure's wide-eyed stare, the blonde woman smiled alluringly.

"For the entire Gensokyo, the existence of those monsters is definitely a threat. And you're also very curious about the true nature of those monsters. Doesn't this mean that our goals are directly aligned?"

"You don't need to do anything extra. Just act according to your current will, directly trace the monsters' tracks, and then do your best to solve their problems. Isn't that what you were planning to do anyway?"

Tracing the true nature of those monsters has become a new goal for Accelerator, and in doing so, he will inevitably eliminate the threat posed by those monsters.

In this way, the safety of Gensokyo is protected in a roundabout way, and Accelerator can stay in Gensokyo for a period of time.

Several things seem illogical, but in fact they are very closely connected.

The one who manipulates the gaps between these events is the demon of that realm.

'...With just a few words, he's already steered everything in her direction. That damned bastard, calling him a sage wouldn't be an exaggeration at all.'

With just a few words, she turned the situation into an action that benefited the entire Gensokyo; this is the wisdom of Yukari Yakumo.

The only person who could rival this wisdom was probably the chairman himself, who entrusted everything about his life to his own plan.

"How about it? Thinking about these things is just a very simple question. I don't think there's anything difficult about it."

"Tsk, it's all good for you, so of course there won't be any difficulties."

He was naturally annoyed by this guy who seemed to have everything under control, and he really wanted to rush up and beat her up right now.

But Yukari Yakumo's considerations were not wrong.

For him at this moment, confirming the identities of those monsters is another extremely high priority.

Although it's only a possibility, what if those monsters really are connected to the demons of the abyss?

Accelerator couldn't believe that such a monster could have survived that terrifying battle.

If that's really the case, with DO Apis's strength, he will surely be able to fully recover one day.

And by then, the world it will reside in will be the same world where Gensokyo is located.

It will inevitably face an unprecedented day of destruction.

So, what to do?

Should we just ignore all of this or prioritize leaving Gensokyo?

Or should we take on this task and do our best to investigate the true nature of those monsters to prevent future troubles?

"How's your consideration going? I think for someone like you, the answer should be obvious, right?"

"What a long-winded guy, wasn't that the obvious result?"

That's right.

Anyone can see which side is truly worth choosing in this kind of problem.

This feeling is like being on a cargo ship that is about to collide with an iceberg in the distance, but at the same time having a small boat to escape to. Everyone knows which option is safer.

Accelerator is also human, so of course he will prioritize his own needs.

and so.

"Yukari Yakumo, I need you to do something for me."

"Oh?"

The sage among the demons listened attentively to this.

So, the first person took a breath and made the choice he would make without hesitation.

"Find out the whereabouts of those monsters for me. I will go to those places myself and investigate information about them."

"Oh...? That's an unexpected conclusion. I thought you would prioritize leaving Gensokyo."

"You're so annoying! Listen up, if you say another word, I'll rip your lousy tongue out!"

He made that conclusion without hesitation.

Without giving a second thought to his own situation, Accelerator waved his hand and prioritized dealing with the monsters.

My past self would never have made such a foolish choice.

Accelerator shook his head and stopped thinking about it. He turned around and walked into the depths of the cherry blossom grove.

Where are you planning to go?