One-way traffic

The main thing is.

Outside the shrine, countless delicacies of wine and meat were laid out.

"What the hell? Have these guys lost their minds?"

At such a critical juncture, they actually started a banquet without making a sound?

"Everyone, everyone in Gensokyo."

This should be the most formal performance a shrine maiden has ever given Reimu.

Although her clothes were no different from her usual red and white shrine maiden outfit, Reimu's demeanor was completely different from usual.

She no longer had that listless look.

The shrine maiden now seems to be possessed by a god, steadfast, solemn, and composed, with a radiance rarely seen in her usual demeanor now fully displayed on Reimu's body.

She stood on the high platform, speaking loudly before all the people and monsters.

"Perhaps recently, Gensokyo has indeed suffered unimaginable harm, causing huge changes to the lives of both humans and youkai. It is no exaggeration to say that it is the biggest anomaly in the history of Gensokyo."

"But it's alright, because... no matter what, we will definitely eradicate this mutation."

"Perhaps everyone in Gensokyo still has a great fear of this change, and is afraid that their future lives will never return... Therefore, as the shrine maiden of Hakurei Shrine, I must take on the real responsibility for everyone here."

She held the gohei (imperial coin) high in her hand, and a faint glow of spiritual energy surrounded the girl.

That seemed to perfectly capture her expression at that moment—solemn and dignified.

"Gensokyo will not be ended by this huge incident!"

"No matter how massive the change, we...we will fight for the safety of the entire Gensokyo. We will never give up and will definitely turn Gensokyo back into the Gensokyo that we humans and youkai are most familiar with!"

"Because I am the priestess of Hakurei, the guardian of this paradise far removed from the mortal world, and the one who guides the people!"

The speech, which combined enlightenment and solemnity, brought the atmosphere at the scene to its highest point.

Humans and monsters alike cheered for the priestess's speech.

Despite the unprecedented crisis Gensokyo is currently facing, and despite the fact that even they themselves are unaware of just how cruel and desperate their fate truly is.

They always believed in this witch.

And this shrine maiden always believed in fighting for Gensokyo, to protect these innocent people, and to defend this land far removed from the mortal world—the humans and youkai who fought for it.

Enlightenment and faith will become the greatest feast between these humans and monsters.

"…snort."

The first person who witnessed all of this chuckled to himself.

It was neither a sneer nor a mocking smile.

It was not a heartfelt, genuine expression.

"Think what you want."

The people and youkai of Gensokyo have their own beliefs and hopes, as well as their own unwavering determination to never give up.

Therefore, even if Accelerator is not there, even if Accelerator does not intend for them to participate, they will still fight for the future of Gensokyo.

It has nothing to do with the difference in strength; this is the power of belief and awareness.

and so.

Having witnessed all of this, Accelerator left this carnival that belonged to humans and monsters.

He returned to a dark world where he was all alone, a world without humans or monsters, only the white monster.

However, everything he did was to put an end to what was happening in front of him.

It's okay if I'm all alone.

He was going to accomplish something that only he could do.

The first person took a deep breath and then prepared to leave the scene.

--Then.

The light burst suddenly exploded beside him.

Ahead, others blocked his path.

"What…?"

"Even if I have to hide, I will never forget your scent."

Emerging from the smoke and dust was someone unexpected.

Accelerator stood there, stunned.

A blonde, Western-style doll-maker girl.

She was walking slowly towards him with an extremely indifferent expression.

"Alice...?"

Chapter 505 The Puppet Master's Revealed Feelings

Even Accelerator was stunned into silence.

In the eyes of the people of Gensokyo, he should now be considered dead in battle.

He also considered whether some perceptive person might realize that this was actually a fabrication, but that possibility was slim. To be precise, right now, the only person in Gensokyo who probably knows about this is Reimu Hakurei.

He had carefully considered the fact that many people had discovered their identities.

But I never imagined it would be this person in front of me.

"Alice..."

"That's exactly how I feel."

The blonde doll wielder approached him step by step, her petite figure becoming brighter in the moonlight.

This allowed Accelerator to clearly see the girl's expression at that moment.

"You, so you really didn't die, did you?"

Alice is now staring intently at him with an indescribable look.

Is it complex, or simply a matter of staring?

Alice's hands were still tightly clutching the book she never let go of, just as always. Several small dolls surrounded her, but the expressions of those dolls were quite eerie.

It looked as if he had no expression at all.

That's almost identical to Alice's own expression.

"Since there have been no sacrifices, what is the point of being alone in a place like this now?"

She suddenly burst into laughter.

That smile, however, looked quite strange at that moment.

"Since you're not dead, you should stay with everyone. You shouldn't wander around alone in other places. That could be dangerous."

"you…"

"Whether it's Reimu or Marisa, everyone is here. What can't we solve together? Besides, there's nothing waiting for you to solve."

The more he said this, the closer the girl slowly moved towards him.

Not only his expression, but his tone of voice also became extremely suppressed.

"The shrine is still holding a banquet, right? There are definitely a lot of people here, but you don't think that just because of that, I can't sense your presence, do you?"

"..."

"Hehe, I've been with you the whole time, you know. Do you think I wouldn't notice your presence? Ah, even though you haven't really stayed in the mansion properly for more than a few days, it's okay. From now on, we'll still work together to solve the anomalies in Gensokyo from time to time, and continue living here, right?"

She chuckled softly, but her eyes looked utterly dim.

"Then, shall we go back together?"

The girl who controlled the doll slowly reached out her hand towards the white-clad figure.

She moved closer and closer to Accelerator, trying to pull him back into the bright and clear world illuminated by the moonlight.

--boom! !

Then, the gale transformed into a spear, piercing directly through the area beside it.

A cloud of dust rose from the ground, blocking Alice from behind.

"You should know exactly what I'm going to do."

After the smoke cleared, Accelerator spoke to her in an extremely calm tone.

"Sometimes, I also fall into a self-deceptive world like you, because the contrast between the outside world and my thoughts is too great. Even I have thought about doing some impossible things."

"...But running away won't solve anything, right? Even if I enjoy the good times for a short time now, won't I still be attacked by an apocalypse that I can't stop no matter what? And it's not like I don't have the means to fight back. Since I can fight back, why should I stay in one place like an idiot and just fantasize?"

He had no idea what the girl in front of him was thinking.

Accelerator took a deep breath; all he could do was express his thoughts.

Because he knows.

"Because I know that you and I are actually on the same path."

"...Eh."

“I noticed it the first time I saw you. It’s not hard to tell. We both deliberately avoid contact with outsiders and have rather gloomy personalities. After spending so many days together, I’ve come to understand that completely.”

Even in just over a month, he had indeed figured out what Alice's true personality was like.

"But... no matter what your thoughts are or what my thoughts are, I have to do the things that follow."

Whatever his thoughts, nothing could stop Accelerator from moving forward.

His determination was unwavering.

“I’m going to personally crush that demonic bastard. Whether I can do it or not, I will do it. And only I can do it. No one else can. Even if I don’t say it, you know that very well.”

"..."

"So I can't go back to the interior of Gensokyo with you, and I can't continue to live the carefree life I used to, where I would occasionally solve minor incidents."

Accelerator, with a voice full of reassurance, completely negated Alice's expectations of him.

"I'm sorry, but this is enough."

The first person closed their eyes and walked past the girl who was standing there motionless without looking back.

then.

A new wave of light bursts descended upon him once more.

boom! ! !

A seven-colored light bombarded behind Accelerator, and at the same time, countless rocks hurled at him.

He didn't move an inch, nor did he make any defensive or evasive gestures.

He could withstand the bombardment of rocks and light without suffering the slightest damage.

"What do you mean, that this is enough...?"

The sound gradually began to distort.

Using the light reflected from a small patch of water on the ground, he saw the girl behind him turning around step by step to face him.

"Saying things like 'Only I can do it, no one else can,' 'I understand your personality well, we're on the same wavelength,' 'I know this very well too,' etc..."

She slowly raised her head.

But on that beautiful face was an expression of disbelief.

"How could I possibly understand?! Don't just jump in and say whatever you want, okay?!"

Unimaginable light began to emanate from Alice's entire body.

"—!"

Even Accelerator was taken aback.

He quickly turned around, and the seven colors emanating from Alice's entire body... were no longer at the level of power she could usually achieve.