/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>46269144 (4/4—p5)
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Mother's eyes are wide and, for lack of a better word, flabbergasted. I wasn't much behind; a dragon—K-Kasen-nee's?!—enslaved by Yukari? How powerful must one be to enslave a dragon…? Bloodshot eyes layering a world of darkness pierce my mind, cold sweat dripping down my nape, hands trembling… “Koutei… What did she do to Koutei?!” I look at Mother, expecting that same confusion and the fright that I know paints my face—

—But what I see is rage. Rage like that of the past.

Her eyes move to Ran, wide and burning, embers sizzling from her arms as if combusting on the inside. Pity exudes from Ran's golden eyes: “… It happened yesterday, Reimu, and I'd have told you after this meeting—please understand it.” That wasn't going to work. It never worked when Father did it; Mother would never calm—my eyes go even wider as I see Mother wince a bit, biting her lower lip, hands resting on the table trembling. H-Huh…?! “Yukari has… indeed enslaved Koutei to protect her sword after someone applied intricate magic to it—”

“HOW KASEN LET THAT HAPPEN?!” Mother yells as the trembling hands slams on the table, crushing it and the floor beneath it, and I found myself inching away from her, memories rushing back to the forefront—memories of unbearable pain and nights spent under my blankets, hoping everything would go away… “She loved Koutei! I didn't even know he had r-returned from his journey; I was there when he left! WHY HAS SHE LET HIM GET ENS—”

“Ms. Reimu, p-please calm down! You’re scaring me!” Yet, the cat stays by her, hugging her. Hugging the—human—monster. Ran approaches, ignoring the destroyed table and kneeling by Reimu, gently drawing circles on her back; Tetsu comes too, as does Aya, though they don't show affection the way the two Yakumos do… I stay behind, watching with incredulity. It's such a weird scenario, the many times I saw her wallowing in misery, screaming in rage—every one of those moments, she was alone, me and Father hurrying to Marisa's or Alice's house…

“Don't blame yourself, idiot,” a voice comes to my side, and I see that the satori is to my side, watching with placidity. “You're a victim.” Words of frustration about her reading my mind are about to come—her eyes on mine are full of seething rage. What the… “But that doesn't absolve you of your sins.” I'm immediately taken aback, Satori turning her eyes away the next moment.

W-What…?

“Don't get scared, little Hana~” Okina says to my other side, her smile dead, only a cold determination remaining—flanked by a goddess and a princess… The atmosphere feels oppressive. “Satori-chan saw a lot of things in Koutei's head—things Kasen told him… For all that I'll say, little Hana Hakurei, know it wasn't your fault. You didn't know, and you were played—”

“She willingly chose to work for that monster, Okina.” Satori said, calm and collected, her venomous rage shredding as if words shouted aloud—words that had gotten the others’ attention. “You’re a victim, Hana Hakurei, but you also chose to go to Yukari.” Frowns, as if reading something—I freeze. “You chose to give in to your earthly desires… You—” She not only looks at me but also towards Okina. “—are part of Kasen’s suffering.”

Suffering?! What does she… What does she mean by that?

Wide-eyed and with a guttural feeling heaving my stomach, I turn to Okina, who stared at Mother coming closer, her onyx eyes focused and rage commanded, stopping in front of the goddess with her scarlet flames steadily flicking. The cat gawked with awe while Ran seemed immensely curious, both flanking Mother. Aya whispered with Toutetsu, who held her spork with palpable confidence, ready for anything. “Explain. Now: I thought Kasen was on Yukari's side by choice, but… something seems off. What do I not know?” Only now do I notice Mother holds her gohei, wrist still as an iron column. Okina and Satori noticed too, the latter nervous and the former… Satisfied?

Tetsu and Aya approached me, the goat passing an incredibly heavy arm around my neck and the crow—trembling—stood by me, both acting like bodyguards.

The goddess sighed, faking hurt.

“A lot.” Mother's brow twitched; Okina didn't seem to mind. “Kasen is a slave to Yukari, who exploited a mistake you committed while sealing Douji to do so—” Mother was clearly shaken, though nothing came out of it, golden tails close and a tiny hand firmly holding hers… A surge of an ugly feeling resounded inside, and it was getting increasingly hard to just gulp it all down; give excuses… “—but that doesn't matter for now. What matters is that, unlike what we thought, it's unlikely Kasen will switch sides during the battle, not while Yukari has control of Koutei… That's why I want you, Hakurei miko, to go and kill him. That should free Kasen from the burden of choice when the time comes.”

Satori tsked, fists closed, and eyes narrowed.

… Heart pounding fast, a question popped into my mind: Why is Satori even here if Okina already has all that information…?