rift in space opened right next to the group, revealing innumerable purple eyes floating in an endless sea of darkness, peering in all possible and impossible directions. Then, a blonde head, adorned with a white bonnet tied with a red bow, emerged from within. It belonged to Yakumo Yukari, who made a point of only emerging half-way and leaning onto the border of the portal as if it was a solid object, one hand holding up a silken fan to hide her lips behind. Her mysterious purple eyes were as unfathomable as always, while they displayed a wide arrange of emotions at the same time, of which the first and foremost seemed to be dissatisfaction. As she spoke up, her voice carried an undertone that served to reinforce that impression.

"This is a big mess," Yukari said, causing Reimu, Suika and Aya to spin around; they had not noticed her presence before she made herself audible. "Kyôma-kun, you seem to have brought an unbelievable existence to Gensôkyô with you."

"Yukari! That's some nice timing you got there," Reimu noted sarcastically. "Next time, try to appear before my shrine gets destroyed." The miko crossed her arms and tapped one foot on the ground, her whole demeanor radiating annoyance.

"That woman from earlier, O-hakuka... she is an existence that poses a great danger to all pure Yôkai," The blonde stated as she folded up the silken fan in one fell swoop. Reimu had been beautifully ignored. "This will likely turn into a full-blown incident."

"This already has turned into a full-blown incident!" The ignored miko exclaimed and pointed at the cinders that had been her shrine not too long ago. "Tell me everything you know about her, Yukari!"

"Hm... I don't know if I should," Yukari responded playfully. "It is not my policy to meddle in such things so much, you know?"

"But you are also a pure Yôkai. You just said that all pure Yôkai are in danger," Reimu stated, impatience quickly making way for anger at the Yôkai sage's apathy.

"I wonder if that is really true for me?" Was the mysterious response, an undefined smile adorning her lips. At those words, she disappeared into her portal, waving with one gloved hand as the rift closed again. "Just remember, I will be watching. If things get really ugly, I will step in. Maybe." As suddenly as she had appeared, Yukari disappeared again.

"Ugh, I just can't get along with her," Reimu said, her expression the example of irritation. "Either way..." She turned around to the Tengu. "We need to do something about this O-hakuka and her group."

"Actually..." Aya started, as she looked between Reimu, Suika and myself, wearing a troubled expression on her face. "... I have somewhere to be. Excuse me!" And in a gust of wind, she disappeared into the sky.

"Unbelievable!" Reimu shouted and stomped her foot in impotence; it appeared that nobody could catch up once the crow Tengu decided to run away. "Suika, do something!"

"What do you expect me to do? Should I gather her back here or what? You know that might attract something else as well," The Oni in question responded at the unreasonable order. "If you don't mind, I can do that though."

"No, never mind. I'll go to Yôkai Mountain and find her there," Reimu said as she waved her hand at the questionable offer. "Kagami-san, we will postpone the matter with the Spellcard Rules to another time. If we have Yôkai running around ignoring the rules, there is no point in learning them either way." As if whispering to herself, she added. "Although I'd really like to know how they can just simply ignore one of the integral laws of this world..."

"Well, then I'll accompany Kyôma back to the human village," Suika stated as she looked up to me with a wide grin. I was unsure of whether I should feel relieved or anxious at having an Oni escorting me alone. "I've been wanting to visit that Yôkai temple for a long time."

My anxiety was unfounded, as the little Oni seemed to be good company, her upbeat personality and aloof demeanor serving to dispel my uneasiness after what had happened. However, I could not simply forget it all, as I tightly clenched Mamizô's hat in my hands. This gesture did not go unnoticed by Suika, but she did not deem it necessary to talk about it at the moment, as she turned to look at the scenery while talking to me about meaningless things. I understood it as her kind-hearted attempt at alleviating the emotions building up within me; even if her words held no deeper meaning, as long as I was not left alone to my thoughts, I would not begin to spiral into the depths of despair.

"So, Kyôma, what brings you to Gensôkyô?" Suika finally asked, directing the topic from talk about the scenery to a more meaningful one. "People from the outside world rarely come here willingly. The majority accidentally stumbles through the border and are soon guided back out. I heard from Yukari that you decided to come here out of your own free will."

I was taken aback by the question, as the initial reason for coming here had been my thirst for knowledge and desire for adventure. To seek adventure despite the fact that I was - or had been - a member of a proper society, with a place in its complex structure, I had decided that not knowing and not experiencing was worse than being criticized for making such a hasty decision. However, I had found that in reality this world was just as harsh, if not harsher, than where I came from. A person with no standing like myself would have to rely on the goodwill of other people; in fact, I would not have survived for as long as I had without the kindness of the Akyû household or Mamizô's sacrifice. My childish yearnings had hit the wall called realization, namely the realization that one could not make life-changing decisions based on desire alone.

"What's so wrong about that?" The little Oni said with an unexpectedly mature expression when I gave voice to those thoughts. "Wouldn't it be sad if everyone were to make decisions based on what is best?" I was about to protest, as her statement seemed to contradict the recipe to a better world. "Because the best is not always what you yourself want. It may be the best for other people, it may even be the best course of action to make the world a better place in the long run. But if your dreams and wishes are sacrificed in the process, is that really for the best? Does the world truly become a better place that way?"

I was completely dumbfounded by the profoundness of her words; I certainly did not expect this little girl to be able to make an argument I was unable to respond to. Her words carried a weight different from a person simply arguing for the sake of arguing; to me, they seemed to be the words of somebody who had come to that conclusion from experience. Even more than what I had learned from my grandparents, Suika made an impression that she had seen ages come and go, and possessed wisdom a human could never match. In the end, there were points one could disagree on, depending on one's philosophy of the world, but when thinking on an individual basis, I could only agree with her.

She was, in a sense, denying the merits of absolute altruism, and while she may not even know the concept behind it in name, her point outlined the problem encountered in a world filled with individuals. As long as even a single member of that kind of system did not conform to its rules, it would crumble from within. The best decision only benefitted those who trod on the sacrifices of others. And the fact that I was even thinking of this problem meant that such a system was impossible; when even I could think of the possibility, I was sure there were those who would seek to exploit it.

"That was quite unexpected, Suika-san," I said and smiled at the little Oni.

"Suika is fine. And that's rude," She responded, acting like she was angry at my words. "Just so you know, I'm far older than you. Show some respect, brat." I had met so many otherworldly beings so it did not come as a surprise that her outwards appearance belied her true age. Before my thoughts could go in a dangerous direction revolving around the relationship between Yukari's appearance and her true age, I returned my attention to the conversation.

"Thank you, Suika. I was having doubts whether my decision to come here had been the right one or not," I began and looked up into the sky. Large clouds, like mountains, towered over the real mountain range in the distance, but above me was the clear blue sky and the dazzling sun. The unfamiliarly fresh air and the largely untouched nature surrounding me strengthened the faith in my decision to have come here. "Being able to meet with interesting people like you, being able to spend my time in a world like this... it's like a dream come true."

"You can say some nice things too, Kyôma!" The horned girl proclaimed and laughed, showing her sharp canines.

I smiled, one hand gripping Mamizô's hat tightly. She had been one of those interesting people, for whom I believed my decision to have been right, as well. Looking at it and back up into the sky, I wondered what happened to people who died in this world, considering the fact that vengeful spirits existed, the afterlife must be something more than a mere concept that could not be confirmed by the living, like in the outside world.

Before I could ask Suika, she motioned me to stop, as she pointed in the direction of the road ahead of us. It was where Mamizô and I had met the lumberjacks from earlier, but there was no sign of them, except for their tools strewn across the ground. Either they had fled from something in a hurry or...

"Something's not right," Suika commented and signaled me to stay where I was as she slowly approached the eerie scene. "I smell blood."

"That's because Rumia ate a human," A childish voice resounded through the unnatural silence. Only now that the oppressing soundlessness had been broken did I notice that all animals in the area had stopped their conversations; the birds that had been chirping away happily and the cicadas' cries that signaled summer had been gone for a while. Only the silent rustling of leaves in the wind was proof that time had not just stopped. "Rumia is not hungry right now, so you can pass."

Suika walked a few more steps and suddenly stopped; I assumed she had seen the owner of the voice behind some trees. I could not see her expression from behind, so I came closer to see what she was had found. "Stop, you don't want to see this," She whispered, her voice trembling slightly. However, this only served to increase my anxiety to see what had the little Oni on edge like this. When I finally came into visual range, a cold shiver ran over my back - the form my regret took at that moment.

A tree had been hiding the little blonde girl, the owner of the voice, who was sitting on the ground next to what I thought was some animal's carcass. The area around the girl's mouth was covered in blood and some kind of bone, maybe a rib, was hanging loosely between her sharp teeth. Her innocent crimson eyes belied the gruesomeness of her feast; ripped meat, organs and pieces of bones were scattered all around her, staining her hands and bare feet in varying shades of red. She wore a pitch-black dress, which was surprisingly left untouched by all the gore, and a blood-red bow tied on the left side of her head.

Suddenly the little girl lifted a round object from behind her and turned around to us, its sight instantly churning my stomach, as I finally realized what - or whom - the flesh, blood and bones belonged to. Unable to control myself, I vomited on the spot, as the memory of the two lumberjacks reappeared before my mind's eyes vividly. The eyes of the man with the knotted white bandanna, which was now stained with blood, were staring at me lifelessly. His lower jaw had been ripped off and the tongue was barely hanging onto what remained of his severed head.

"This is one of the best pieces. Rumia kept it for last. Rumia is such a good kid," The girl said, as she showed us the lumberjack's head, before turning it over and chomping down on the tongue. For a split second my mind went blank, then a wave of nausea overcame me again like a tsunami. My stomach's content, already emptied from the previous assault, burned its way up my esophagus and forced itself out of my mouth. "Stop doing that, Rumia is eating!" The blonde girl, apparently named Rumia, complained with a childishly angry face, before she proceeded to chew on the tongue with a blissful expression.

"Kyôma, come, let's go," Suika said and grabbed my arm. I was unable to protest, even though this girl was eating the remains of a man I had been talking to only a little while ago. However, even if I had wanted to, I could not have stopped the little Oni, who was dragging me along with an iron grip.

"Come again tomorrow, then there will be room in Rumia's stomach, human!" The girl yelled in our direction, as we passed by her and walked away. I was compelled to turn around in anger, but Suika pulled me along with no chance for me to do anything against it; my perturbed mind cleared for a moment to see that the Oni was suppressing her emotions, biting her lower lip as she wordlessly put one foot before the other. I followed her example, unable to speak.

We had walked for a while, Suika holding onto my arms and half-pulling me along all the way, when she finally stopped and let go. She turned around with an expression of anger, looking in the direction we came from; the little girl and the gruesome scene surrounding her had disappeared behind the hilly terrain.

"I'll have to tell Reimu about this," Suika remarked, as her face showed resignation. Turning around to me, she explained herself. "I usually don't care what Yôkai do, but killing humans from the village is forbidden by the laws of this world. The fact that this low-level Yôkai was able to break those laws so easily shows that something bad is going on in Gensôkyô." Her initially cold words reminded me of the fact that she was not a human, much more clearly than her horns could ever do. As a non-human, her regard for the worth of a human life was fundamentally different from my own. "Don't fret, Kyôma, as long as I'm with you, nothing will happen to you. I'll make sure of that."

"That's quite reassuring," I said from the bottom of my heart. Clenching Mamizô's battered hat, I recalled the scene I had just witnessed, but instead a wave of emotions overcame me. Having seen proof of the death of a person I had merrily talked to a little earlier reminded me of the fact that the same applied to the Bake-danuki. From one moment to another, she had disappeared from my life, and even if I had not known her for long, she had certainly become my friend. However, even then a part of me detached itself from the emotions and observed everything that had happened with cold rationale; there was no point in crying, since it would change nothing. It just happened that the detached part was the one in control of my body. I would not cry.

"That doesn't mean I'm cold-hearted..." I whispered to myself, upon which Suika looked up at me questioningly. "Oh, never mind, just talking to myself."

"Let's go..." She said and turned to continue on our path back towards the human village.

Our journey back had seemingly taken much longer than when I had walked to the Hakurei Shrine with Mamizô. Maybe because Suika had become less talkative - it did not come as a surprise after all that had happened - or maybe because I was thinking about everything so far much more seriously than I had before. Reimu had said that I had an aptitude for the spiritual, so I would have to ask someone to teach me how to defend myself. I did not want to end up like the lumberjack out in the wild, and I could not always rely on somebody to accompany me either. Knowing that as a human, I could never hope to overcome beings like Oni or vengeful spirits, I at least did not want to be completely powerless. Then again, I remembered the spirit-seeing incident at the Myôren temple, when a power had awakened inside me that was certainly not something a human could accomplish. Although being able to see the truth behind any and all existences did not add much to my fighting potential.

When we finally arrived in front of the gate to the human village, a crowd of people awaited our arrival. At first I did not notice the atmosphere pervading the group, but Suika seemed to be aware of the tension hanging in the air. Only when I saw her shrugging did I realize that the crowd was clearly hostile towards the little Oni.

"Don't come any closer, monster!"

"Stay away!"

"Keep out of our village you monster!"

Voices from the crowd became more and more distinct, as they pointed at her and hurled insults at her.

"My friend was killed!""

"You're just a monster!"

I looked at Suika, who did not seem to be bothered, and even appeared to be used to such treatment. However, we could not enter the village without forcing our way through this hostile environment. Shrugging, she took a step forward, when from within the crowd an object flew towards the little Oni and landed in front of her feet. My gaze was instinctively drawn towards it to see that it was a rock. In the next moment, another rock hit Suika on the forehead. She did not even flinch, the projectile bouncing off her skin as if it was made of cotton; her face was expressionless, as she looked down at the projectile.

I took a step forward to stand between the assault, opening my mouth to protest against this unjust treatment, but surprisingly, the little Oni was the one to stop me. "Go along, Kyôma, don't lose your place here for me," Suika whispered, before walking forward, causing the mob to instinctively shy away. "You lot are quite courageous to dare and stand up to someone you call a monster!" Her voice boomed over the gathering of people, her face revealing an evil grin. "Then, who dares to fight this monster? Come forth!"

"Leave us alone!"

"We only want to live in peace!"

Individuals hidden within the crowd gained the courage through anonymity to shout in response. Seeing the scared and frantic faces of the villagers I once more realized into what kind of world I had stumbled; this was the reality I had only ever seen in films, an unforgiving place that still followed the rule of the strong preying on the weak. People with less power would obviously be terrified by those who possessed a seemingly untouchable amount thereof, and an Oni was clearly at the very top. Even then, drunk on the feeble security that a mob granted, somebody dared to throw a rock again. It hit the little Oni square on the head, but did not seem to cause any harm. As if encouraged by her initially unresponsive attitude towards such mistreatment, others started to do the same.

I could not watch the public stoning of a little girl and decided that upholding my personal morals was more important than comfort. I stepped up for her, knowing that she did not require my help.

"Stop this! How can you do something so awful to a little girl like this?" I yelled and took the moment of surprise within the villagers that caused them to stop throwing their improvised projectiles, to step between Suika and the mob. "She is not a bad person and she has nothing to do with the Yôkai that killed a human earlier." I realized that my choice of words must have sounded very strange; even I did not know why I had used 'person' to refer to Suika, while using the word 'human' for the lumberjack. However, I realized too late that it had been an irredeemable mistake.

"Who are you?"

"He's a Yôkai, too! Just look at his hair!"

The mob grew agitated again, this time directing their hostility towards me. I understood what Suika had meant in stopping me from helping her; my appearance must have been strange enough, but the fact that I was helping someone clearly inhuman had been oil to the embers of suspicion within the people. They would not tolerate my presence within the village anymore.

"No, I'm a human!" I argued, knowing that it was a futile attempt that only sounded like a bold-faced lie in the eyes of the people present. The chance that my monochrome hair would bring me into some sort of trouble had crossed my mind before, but never had I expected it to come in this fashion. Once again somebody decided to let actions speak instead of words, and a rock emerged from the crowd. When I noticed it, it was already too late, and it hit me in the forehead, pain exploding out in an instant as I reflexively brought a hand up.

"How dare you!" Suika yelled and stepped forward, causing the crowd to shirk away again. The situation appeared to explode and if an Oni started to run wild, there would be corpses, I feared.

"I'm alright, I'm just a little surprised," I said, in an attempt to calm the little Oni, but I could feel something wet under my fingers. Looking at my hand, I unsurprisingly saw blood, and must have made an expression that agitated Suika, who turned to the humans in anger. I was unsure of how I could stop both sides from tearing each other apart - or rather, the situation ending in a one-sided massacre - but help arrived from an unexpected direction.

"Please, everyone, calm down," A composed voice resounded from behind the mob. I identified it as the one belonging to Hijiri Byakuren, and felt relief at the prospect that this could be solved peacefully. Then I remembered what I was still gripping tightly in my other hand and surely, my facial complexion must have turned into a color that resulted in me becoming entirely monochrome. "Cease this meaningless fight." The crowd parted to let her through; she was being accompanied by Shô, whose expression was inscrutable as ever. At the presence of a deified existence, the villagers made way in awe and instantly assumed that the disciple of Bishamonten would help them chase away the intruders.

"If it isn't the Yôkai priestess," Suika stated as the woman with the purple-blonde gradient hair came to a halt before her. Shô only received a quick glance, as if she was not even worth paying attention to in the Oni's eyes.

"And you are one of the Four Devas of the Mountain, Ibuki Suika," Byakuren responded in kind, although her attitude was much more amiable . "You are known among the Yôkai as a troublemaker, you enjoy drinking and fighting, but you would not harm humans."

"Why, my reputation is unexpectedly good, isn't it now? And I was just about to do away with the last part," The little Oni responded with dripping sarcasm, before shooting the crowd a deadly glare. "They were doing their best in trying to piss me off, you know? I just wanted to give them what they bargained for."

"It is the duty of the powerful to overlook such trivial matters, is it not, Ibuki-san? They cannot harm you, after all."

"Oh, I would not be angered if they just threw some pebbles at me, I've experienced enough of such trivialities to be above them. However, I won't just sit by and see someone get hurt for my sake," Suika proclaimed and gestured in my direction, causing me to flinch as the attention was suddenly directed towards me. The tiger-patterned disciple of Bishamonten had already noted my presence with a long look into my eye, but Byakuren seemed to realize only after I had been pointed out that I was actually there.

"Kagami-san, I am sorry, I did not- oh my!" She finally noticed that I was bleeding from a shallow wound on my forehead, the blood slowly trickling down into my already closed eye. Her hand approached my forehead and I felt warmth seeping into my wound, upon which the pain subsided. Wiping away the blood on my face with a handkerchief, she looked at me apologetically before turning back to Suika. "I can fully understand your anger, Ibuki-san, but please do not let it control your actions."

"I'm alright now, Suika, don't worry about me," I said, aiding Byakuren's attempt at pacifying the horned girl. The crowd behind the head priestess had been soothed by her presence alone, although they still glanced in our direction with suspicion. I knew that I would not be accepted so easily anymore, now that the people witnessed me standing up for a non-human with my already ambiguous appearance. Remembering Yukari's words about how people from the outside world could make a temporary living by selling knowledge and stories from the other side, I guessed that this option had just disappeared.

"Kagami-san, where is Mamizô-san?" Finally, the question I had been afraid to hear ever since Byakuren had come to stand before me, was dropped on me. However, there was no point in hiding what had happened, as it would get out sooner or later; I had resolved to report the matter to the temple before coming back anyway, and would not shirk the task now.

"The Bake-danuki was killed," Suika responded in my stead, her eyes resting on me as the bombshell of a statement detonated.

Both Byakuren and Shô turned to look at the little Oni, their eyes unfathomable as their faces betrayed no expressions. The head priestess was the first to speak. "How?" Was all she asked, certainly not convinced about Mamizô's fate. "What happened?"

"Mima, a vengeful ghost who had been sealed at the Hakurei Shrine ignored the Spellcard Rules and killed her," Was Suika's definitive response, as she returned the ball to me. "Kyôma, you are still holding onto her hat, aren't you?" My being addressed shook me from the shock that overcame me at the ease at which the Oni had reported somebody's death.

"Yes, this is Mamizô's leaf-hat..." I said and gave the Bake-danuki's singed memento to Byakuren. "She sacrificed herself to save my life."

The atmosphere in the temple's main hall was filled with an oppressing mixture of emotions ranging from overt sadness and disbelief to concealed anger. Everybody was sitting in a circle for the meeting that had been convened by the head priestess. I was not surprised to see Shô and Nazrin composed and their expressions not distorted by emotions, as they were taking the news calmly. However, it was surprising to find that the others, other than Kyôko, did not appear overly fazed at the demise of a colleague. I assumed it was because Yôkai were generally loners, but when I noticed Nue trembling next to me, I stood corrected. Before I could try and comfort her, she got up in an explosive motion and turned towards me.

"Because of you! Because of somebody like you, Mamizô..." She was genuinely angry, with tears in her eyes, as she pointed at me. I was taken aback at the outburst, but there was nothing I could say in my defense; I knew it was the truth. Mamizô had died protecting me, and surely, she could have gotten away if she did not have to help me escape first.

"Nue-chan! Do not blame Kagami-san, he-" Byakuren tried to appease the unidentifiable Yôkai girl. But the girl in black shot me another deadly glare before six appendages, three red, scythe-like ones on her right side and three wriggly blue ones on her left side, appeared on her back. However, instead of attacking me, she jumped and flew away in a gust of wind, out of the open front door of the temple hall and into the sky. I stood up but understood that I had no means to chase after her. Looking in the direction she had disappeared into, I shook my head and turned back to the gathering, sitting down on my seat with all the eyes on me now.

"I'm very sorry... Because she was protecting me-" I began, but was interrupted by the head priestess.

"No, you do not have to blame yourself, Kagami-san. Everything you told us leads me to believe that the arrival of this O-hakuka has disrupted the balance of this world," Byakuren stated and made a contemplative gesture. Remembering the Oiran's words, I was sure of the fact that my presence had caused the emergence of O-hakuka in the first place, meaning that no matter how it was turned, I was at the core of it all. Strangely enough, my current mental state would not turn that connection into a vortex of despair, into which my self-esteem would escape, as it would have done before. I was no longer mentally sound, considering the things I had experienced ever since arriving in Gensôkyô; there was only the option to move forward while bearing all the sins my existence gave birth to.

"I will train Kyôma," Suika suddenly stated and stood up from her position to my left.

"Wait, Ibuki-san, Kagami-san is... he is not a Yôkai. He will not be able to handle training from an Oni," Byakuren protested with a concerned expression. The fact that she about to say 'human' but corrected herself caused a slight sting in my chest. "He can remain at the temple and we can train him in the ways of Buddhism to deal with threats from supernatural beings." I was willing to believe that unlike Buddhist techniques in the present times of the outside world, those I could learn here would actually be of use. And even while Suika seemed to be the best choice to teach me in the physical department, I was unsure of whether I could survive an Oni's training or die in the process without ever amounting to anything.

However, the fact that Byakuren had a slip up like that had solidified my feeling that I was no longer welcome in the village; even if the Myôren temple accepted me, possibly as one of their kind, the humans would not. Staying here would only weight heavily on my mind and eventually cause me to become depressed.

"I'm sorry, Hijiri-san, but I believe that it would be better if I left the village for a while. I'll be with Suika, so you don't have to worry," I asserted my decision and reassured her, when her expression was clouding over in concern. "She won't let me die just like that... will she?" Turning around to her, I only saw a mischievous grin adorning the little Oni's lips as she looked up to me, her eyes sparkling. Her whole demeanor seemed to express that she had found a new plaything, one that she would play with to her heart's content. Sighing, I turned back to affirm my decision and assure Byakuren that I would be fine.

"If Kagami-san is saying so, there is nothing I can do then. But you really have to take care of yourself, promise me that, please," The head priestess implored me. I answered resolutely and turned to look around. The varying degrees of shock at the message of Mamizô's death were still clearly visible in those who showed any expressions at all. Even though the topic seemed to have been diverted momentarily, I knew it could not be forgotten so easily. Kyôko was doing her best to try and calm down, her effort appearing to be in vain in face of the dam of tears that had broken from the sadness. Kogasa was trying to hide her emotions, as she turned away from me, but her shoulders were trembling and her hands went up to her face to try and covertly wipe her eyes. Murasa's expression was a mixture of anger and sadness, contemplating the implications of Mamizô's death, but she was not crying. Ichirin, Nazrin and Shô remained as stoic as ever, their expressions not changing in the least as they stared at the floor before them, or at me, as they followed the conversation.

"If there is anything I can do to repay your kindness, everyone, please just say so," I finally stated, directed at the members of the temple. I had eaten meals with them, caused them troubles and been in their care for many other things. Especially Mamizô had been the one to take care of me the most, and she had been a member of this temple after all.

"For Mamizô-san's sake, become stronger," Byakuren answered in everybody's stead, a smile of sadness on her face. Those words surprised me, but I ingrained them deeply into my memory, as I bowed down formally. "Thank you very much for everything up until now," I said and brought my head close to the floor in a prostration, a culmination of all my feelings of gratitude towards the people of the temple, an apology for my own powerlessness, and a promise that I would come back a stronger person.

Leaving Suika to wait outside the gate, I entered the Hieda estate to tell my host that I would be leaving the village. I hoped that the farewells would not take too long, as the little Oni's demeanor at my suggestion for her to stay behind without coming inside had been all but a favorable one. Of course, I ran into Yôko first, who was carrying a mountain of blankets along the corridor, working in the last rays of the setting sun.

"Welcome back, Kagami-sama. Will you be having dinner soon?" She asked me, adjusting her burden slightly to be able to talk to me. I approached her wordlessly and took more than half of her luggage, ignoring her protests that I was a guest and doing unnecessary things.

"Yôko-san, I wanted to tell you that I'll be leaving. I came here to take my luggage... somebody is waiting for me outside," I stated, interrupting the housekeeper's rant. "Please let me at least do something at the end." Yôko was taken aback by that statement and remained silent for a moment, her eyes scrutinizing mine as if to determine whether my words were a joke, the truth or words spoken while being coerced. After a moment, she seemed to be satisfied with what she saw, sighed and signaled me to follow her wordlessly, towards the destination for the stack of sheets.

"I can see that you have made up your mind, Kagami-sama. I will not stop you, but please speak to Akyû-sama first," She finally said, as we entered the room in which extra items for everyday life were stored. I saw a traditional Tanuki statue between piles of boxes filled with scrolls and was painfully reminded of Mamizô. However, I tried not to let it show on my face, as I followed Yôko out of the room again and down the corridor, towards Akyû's study. We passed by my room on the way, and I remembered that I still had a lot of scrolls and books regarding Gensôkyô's history, waiting to be read. I guessed that the past would have to rest for now, as I had to forge my future first.

"Akyû-sama, Kagami-sama is here to see you," Yôko announced from outside the sliding screen. The Hieda family head's bell-like voice resounded from inside the room and granted us entry. Opening the screen, I saw a room illuminated by several standing paper lanterns, with stacks of books and scrolls all over the floor, and a large pile next to the desk the young girl was sitting at. She was kneeling on her cushion, awaiting me to enter and do the same across the table. I noticed that a brush was leaning on the ink tray; she had been writing on a long scroll before my wish for a quick audience had interrupted her.

"Hieda-san-" I started, but was interrupted by Akyû.

"Call me Akyû, please. It makes me feel the burden of my family name," She said, a melancholic smile on her lips.

"Akyû-san. I came here to tell you that I will be moving out. I have decided to go and train with the Oni Ibuki Suika," I restarted. The young girl's expression was indiscernible to me, even though I had expected a more surprised reaction. She looked down at the scroll she had been working on before my disturbance and a long sigh escaped her slightly parted lips.

"I see. Take care of yourself then, Kagami-san," She responded and looked me in the eye, a light but very warm smile extending to her entire presence. I was stunned by the beauty of her countenance and the maturity behind her expression. Her appearance belied the age of her soul, and for a moment I felt like I was seeing behind the veil of her worldly presence. I beheld the spirit of somebody who had lived longer than I could imagine, as the room seemed to disappear around us and I lost myself in her eyes.

Then the moment passed, Akyû blinked and I was back in her study, with the little girl's face showing surprise at my expression. "Is something the matter, Kagami-san?" She inquired as I must have been making a strange face.

"No, everything is fine. I was just lost in thoughts for a moment," I reassured her. "You can call me Kyôma, too. It feels too formal." However, the next thing I did was exactly the opposite of what I had proclaimed with a smile; I sat in formal Seiza and bowed my head low in gratitude. "Thank you for everything so far. I will not forget your hospitality."

"It was a pleasure, Kyôma-san. You will always be welcome here," Akyû said and gave me a radiant smile.

"What took you so long?" Suika commented impatiently, when I emerged from the front gate of the Hieda estate, my bag of belongings over my shoulder. She looked me in the eye for a moment, then turned around as if she did not require an answer to her question. "Let's go, we have a long way to walk, since you can't fly yet."

"About that... can just anyone learn to fly in Gensôkyô?" I asked, still struggling to believe the fact that humanoid beings were soaring through the skies unaided by technology.

"No, only those who can rid themselves of the preconception that humans can't fly," Was Suika's response, grasping my doubts at their core. "If you think you can't fly for even a moment, you will fall. But for that, maybe you should consult a human who learned to fly. With me, you'll only learn to build up the strength required for it, and for surviving in this world. If you have the aptitude, you'll even be able to fight against some Yôkai on your own." Her eyes were saying 'but don't count on it' very clearly, and I wondered for the first time if it was all right to go with the little Oni after all. Then I pulled myself together, dispersing my doubts of whether it had been the right decision or not. Only time would tell.

"You said we're walking, but where to?" I spoke my thoughts out loud regarding the destination Suika had planned, when we left the village behind us. We had taken the western exit, which lead through the large fields surrounding the human bastion, in the direction of the tall, prominent peak of Yôkai Mountain. She seemed to ignore my question for a while, then turned around with a mischievous grin full of foreboding.

"We are going to a place best suited for the expression 'hellish training', Kyôma," She said in response and looked at me with a mischievous grin. I had a bad feeling about this, but did not dare to ask about the details any more. "Either way... strip!"

She crossed her arms over her chest to signify that the request was definite, meant as an order. My mouth hung open at the suddenness of this situation and silence followed for a few seconds.

"I said strip!"

"What." At the absurdity of it all, I had forgotten to even raise an eyebrow and utter a sarcastic remark. "Suika...san? I don't think this is the right place and time for..." I stated, knowing that any place was fine for a supernatural being. She was, despite all appearances, an Oni, and could force me to heed her order if she wished so, simply by doing it herself and ripping off my clothes.

"Do it already! If you don't do it now, I'll do it. I can't guarantee that your clothes will remain in one piece afterwards. So what will it be?" Suika remarked, echoing my thoughts. She cracked her knuckles and took a step forward, a serious grin on her face.

"That's enough."

She stopped me just before I was about to take off my underpants, and I felt relieved. The chance that somebody passed by this time of the day was unlikely, but I did not want a rumor about a white and black-haired man publicly exposing himself to a little girl in the middle of a field become spread throughout the lands. Well, I had already exposed myself enough at this point either way.

Suddenly, the presence of another person caught Suika's attention and I quickly spun around. A girl, wearing a black hat over her light green hair and eerily glowing green eyes that were completely devoid of emotion, was staring at the undoubtedly mistakable scene that was me standing in boxers in front of a teenage girl. She wore an empty smile while she looked between Suika and me, her countenance betraying no emotions. I suffered from an internal blue screen.

"This looks like fun, let me join you!" The girl named Koishi remarked and started to unbutton her shirt, when my mind finally completed the reboot.

"Stop! This isn't what it looks like!" I exclaimed and jumped at her, trying to stop her from stripping as well.

"What? You're not going to swim in the river?" She asked and I almost tripped over the obliviousness leading up to her question. From behind me I could hear Suika's laughter, as she discerned the cause of my distress.

"Kyôma, you're still so immature," Was all she said, as she laughed without a worry about her own stature and bodily features. I would be the last to dare and point that out to her, however, as I still liked my life very much. Koishi tilted her head questioningly. "In either case, I can see that your body is lacking in everything. You will not be able to survive even a second of my training like this," Suika added disapprovingly.

I knew that I was all but well-trained, and while I was certainly not fat, my body was not toned either. I was basically average, no more strength than required, and no more fat than what resulted from a typical city-dwellers' lifestyle, one who would sometimes take walks but mostly spent the time indoors reading. The expansion of my mental capacity, which at this point I started to doubt again, did not magically extend to my physical abilities. It would have been too good to be true.

"So, before we can train properly, you will have to build your body. I guess the hellish training will have to wait." I did not like Suika's expression, and I was right as she continued. "I'll give you nightmarish training first."