Tewi: Hey you, would you like to make a donation~?
Marisa: Ehh, donation collectors are popular now?
I'm selling a little bit of good fortune~.
Too bad, I've got plenty of that. Go bother someone else.
Let's not be too hasty! A single donation will ease stiff shoulders, let you find lost money, and you won't hit your head if you trip~!
That ain't exactly a good sales pitch.
It's cheap, and you'll have good fortune, so why not~.
This's the first time I've had "good fortune" pushed onto me. Fine, I'll bite: how much is it?
Half of whatever you have.
Whaaa!? That's a total ripoff, you're playing your pranks again!
Money isn't as important as happiness~.
That should be my line, ya know. Okay, what should I do...?
Hand over half your Ouki?
No!
I'm gonna pass. After all, I already know a place where donations have no special effects anyway.
That place is a really bad example~.
Can't say you're wrong there, that shrine ain't really worth a lot anyway. But that's how it is, so go try someone else.
That's too bad, I hope you don't regret your choice~. See you again~.
With a hop, skip and a jump, Tewi disappeared deeper into the forest.
Hmm, was I a bit hasty? Well, it'll be better than gettin' an earful from Reimu after.
**********
Our first attack on the Lost Bamboo Forest wasn't really anything of note. Blows were exchanged, rabbit hides were fried, yadda yadda yadda.
Eiki: Good afternoon, it has been quite a while.
Reisen: Wah, the Yama...?
It is quite unpleasant to be greeted by such a shocked face.
Ah, I'm sorry. It's just an unexpected meeting, at an unexpected place.
I suppose that is true. I certainly did not expect to see you again in this manner.
Then...
It has been a while since our previous talk. How have you been living since?
Asking me how I live is a bit...I'm not really sure how to answer...
Just answer truthfully. It seems you are aware of the sins you had committed as you go through day after day...If that is the case, what are you still doing here?
......
Fighting against others with your allies...Would that not be exactly like your past?
...It is. But I...
You may not want the same thing to occur again, but even if you possess that line of thought...It is clear that you are still horribly conflicted.
...Yes. When I think about how the current situation mirrors the past so much, I get a weird, but strong, feeling in my chest.
...If that is the case, then it appears that you still have now found your answer.
My...answer...?
But as long as you stand here on this battlefield, I shall test your ability to persevere!
**********
We strike the Lost Bamboo Forest again. Tewi doesn't seem to want to show up at all nowadays, for some reason. Coward.
Even though we managed to bring Eientei's control of the Bamboo Forest down to a meager 5 defense, our control was not to last long.
Eientei counterattacks the Bamboo Forest, and I let them through, taking their defense back up to 85. This was still enough for us to take it next turn, while we can still direct our 3rd team to a different threat. Namely, Hakugyokurou.
Marisa: ......Hey Reimu?
Reimu: .........What?
I kinda feel like doin' it again.
We already did that just a little while ago. That bunch didn't even stay back to help clean up.
You were eatin' a bunch of their food. They were practically openin' a shop there.
At the very least, they shouldn't have left the place in such a mess.
Bah, it went well in the end, didn't it? And you've still got some of that plum sake left over, right? I've brought some sweets as well, so let's finish 'em up!
...You were aiming for that from the start, weren't you? I suppose it's fine, though.
They laid a mat and set up the drinks and food under the shade of a tree, just like the last time. They had drunk up a lot of Reimu's plum sake the last time, but despite that, Reimu still had many bottles to spare.
Whoa, just how many of those do you have?
I always stock up lots of them every year when the season is right. These ones are from about ninety years ago.
Humans sure can be luxurious, drinkin' away so many years of history in one gulp. I've got some water this time, so just dilute it a li'l and...
???: I challenge you to a dueeeeeel!!
Yet another voice interrupted Marisa as she was seconds away from pouring the plum sake into the cup she had brought. The shout was loud enough to echo around the wide-open surroundings.
Whoa whoa whoa whoa! What's that all about!?
It's you all...!
The two people approaching them were quite unfitting of a shrine. It was the Hakugyokurou ghosts, Yuyuko Saigyouji and Youmu Konpaku.
Yuyuko: Youmu, that's not a proper greeting. We're not here to start a fight.
Youmu: I'm sorry, Lady Yuyuko.
This is how you should greet them...Give me all your moneeey, or I'll place a curse on you and your descendaaaants~.
......
It was just a joke. You don't have to be so quick with those charms.
You all should realize what you're doing. Why have you even come to this peaceful land of the living?
Oh~, our season's coming right up. The Higan flowers are looking even more brilliant than ever.
Ahh, it's their season now? Maybe I'll go pluck some of 'em later.
You've not even died yet, what do you need memorial flowers for? Anyway, why are you two here? ...I'm guessing I'd dread the answer, though.
You're absolutely correct. We followed the scent of Higan to popular places such as here~.
You're the ones who came from Higan! ...And I'm afraid to ask, but what's in that huge bag you're carrying?
Youmu, please let Reimu and Marisa see what's inside.
Yes, Lady Yuyuko...Uuuumph!
The sight of the tiny Youmu lifting the many heavy bags and placing them in front of Reimu was one to behold. There were many bottles of Japanese sake and boxes of different types of sweets all stacked up.
We've prepared plenty for everyone, so eat to your heart's content.
Lady Yuyuko, the shade here looks just right.
Then let's place the bags there. Help us out too, won't you?
Why you all...
???: That spot belongs to me!
Ehh...Wahhhhhh!?
A voice from above was shortly followed by something being thrown from the air at the spot where Youmu was unraveling her mat. The item exploded on impact with the ground, blowing Youmu away.
Oooh...W-Who would commit such a foul deed!?
My, this is...a doll?
A worn out, pitiful-looking doll rolled to Yuyuko's feet. It was apparently the cause of the explosion. Yuyuko was about to pick it up, when it suddenly stood up and returned to where it came from.
...The heck're you tryin' to do?
Marisa straightened her hat, which was blown to the side from the explosion, and looked up to the sky, amazed. Alice was there, welcoming the worn-out doll with a bright and innocent expression on her face.
Alice: Good afternoon. The weather's good today, huh?
Are explosive greetings natural at the Margatroid residence?
My, you were expecting any less? The claiming of positions is akin to war.
There's so many empty spots you could choose from...And why would a dollmaster be using explosive dolls in the first place?
Explosive? The doll is merely releasing the magical energy stored within. The difference is that unlike explosions, these dolls are ecological and reusable.
Reusable? They look awfully worn-out.
It is a sad, but necessary result of a war.
That's just all messed up...Ahhh!? Lady Yuyuko, that explosion just now hit the sake and sweets! There's cracks in the bottles!
What!? That's quite worrying! Let's drink the sake now before it starts to flow out.
Youmu hurriedly took out the boxes of sweets and bottles of sake, pouring the cracked ones into cups as quickly as possible. But even after doing that a while, the bags were still half full.
Ah, I'm not very good with sake...
My, we brought them all the way here, and you expect your master to finish it all?
Ahh, I've got plum sake, so I'm fine.
That's mine!
.........
Reimu, Marisa, Yuyuko, and Youmu glanced witheringly at Alice.
...It's Alice's fault that they're all broken in the first place.
...Yep.
W-What...You're saying I'm to blame? Fine, whatever! I'll drink all this up in a jiffy!
Alice grabbed one of the filled cups in desperation, and drank it all in one gulp.
See? This is no...thing...
Hey, you alright?!
I'm fiiine...I drink this for breakfast every daaaay, briiing it ooooon~!
Alice wobbled as she reached out to grab another cup, and once again downed it in one shot. Her face was getting so red, it could probably have been seen from space.
Ahahahahahaha, c'mon, more! Mooooore!
...Yuyuko, what kind of sake did you bring?
Hm...It isn't suppose to be as strong as you're thinking.
She just doesn't know how to hold her alcohol, huh?
Ahh, maybe that's why she hates the mushrooms in the forest?
Ehehe...What are you all doooing? There's still plenty leeeeft, so quit jabberiiing and c'meeeere. Or eeeelse...Come oooon!
Wha!? Wait don't pull my slee...*ulp!?*
Hey, stop messin' aro...Uwah!?
You drink up toooo, c'mooooon!
...Lady Yuyuko, what should we do?
Mm...Well, we might as well enjoy ourselves too. Now now, you should drink some too for good health.
But like I said before, I'm not...Uwahhhhh!
*cough cough*...Ahh, who cares about anything! Bring it all on! And all of you better drink like there's no tomorrow!
It's heaaaating up noooow! Ahahahahahaaaa!!
T-This is hell...
...At the shrine that no one could possibly think was sacred, the drinking party went on well into the night. When Marisa and Reimu regained consciousness at the middle of the night, the only thing left was a mess.
...Oh man. Guess I'll head back.
You better hel...I mean, please help out...
...Sorry.
**********
Turn: 59
Ouki: 11159
Ryumaku: 88/115
Actions Available: 3
Our Territories:
Hakurei Shrine
Defense: 250/250
Cost to Develop: 27 RES
Night-Blind Road
Defense: 160/160
Cost to Develop: 33 RES
Faintly Dark Path
Defense: 175/175
Cost to Develop: 33 RES
Magic Forest Entrance
Defense: 180/180
Cost to Develop: 33 RES
Magic Forest Border
Defense: 160/160
Cost to Develop: 33 RES
Magic Forest Interior
Defense: 210/210
cost to Develop: 9 RES
Road of Reconsideration
Defense: 190/190
Cost to Develop: 30 RES
Muenzuka
Defense: 215/215
Cost to Develop: 6 RES
Human Village
Defense: 150/310
Cost to Develop: 30 RES
Garden of the Sun
Defense: 175/175
Cost to Develop: 24
Nameless Hill
Defense: 205/205
Cost to Develop: 9
Misty Lake
Defense: 225/225
Cost to Develop: 9
SDM Gate
Defense: 230/230
Cost to Develop: 9
Great Library
Defense: 195/195
Cost to Develop: 12
Clock Tower
Defense: 210/210
Cost to Develop: 9
SDM Top Floor
Defense: 225/225
Cost to Develop: 9
Enemy Territories:
Lost Bamboo Forest
Army: Eientei Forest
General: Reisen Udongein Inaba
Defense: 85/205
Eientei
Army: Eientei Forest
General: Kaguya Houraisan (leader)
Defense: 230/230
Blossoms Barrier
Army: Hakugyokurou Hades
General: Prismriver Sisters
Defense: 220/220
Hakugyokurou Stairs
Army: Hakugyokurou Hades
General: Youmu Konpaku
Defense: 200/200
Hakugyokurou
Army: Hakugyokurou Hades
General: Yuyuko Saigyouji (leader)
Defense: 235/235
Yakumo Residence
Army: Yakumo Clan
General: Yukari Yakumo (leader)
Defense: 310/310
Special Events:
War Declaration: Yakumo Clan
Costs 10 NEG to declare war.
Medicine's Melancholy
(No cost)