4 The Scarlet Mist part 1 (2/2)

*ding*

[Quest Alert]

[5* The Red Mist Incident]

[Help the Incident Solver solve this incident]

And thus it begins. I've arrived at EoSD. I decided I'd check the SDM in few days before but the mist is being a dick and start spewing nonstop at my face. Ugh…nature…

”Alice-san, Is the Mist dangerous?” I ask Alice.

”Hang on, let me check.” She started approaching the mist.

She examines the mist with her magical heeby jeebies.

”Hm…it doesn't have effect on me but I think it probably will have bad effect to humans.” She explained.

”How bad is the effect?”

”I'll say whichever human unfortunate enough to inhale it will get a slight headache, or at worst they'll become nauseous.”

”I see. I'll be okay but I don't know about other human, I'm gonna take a look at the others. Thanks and stay healthy, Alice-san.” I said my goodbyes to Alice.

”Yes, stay safe on the road, Arah-san.”

I started jogging to the Human Village.

-On my way to Human Village-

I started running a few minutes after I left Alice's House.

The mist moved out of my way, as if it was avoiding me.

This is the effect of my Vector Change; I changed the direction of mist so that it gets the fuck away from me.

I looked at the sky.

The sky is filled with red mist, completely covering the sky.

This is absolutely the incident plot for EoSD(Embodiment of Scarlet Devil); scarlet mist enveloping Gensokyo, bloating the sun, covering Gensokyo from its rays. Remilia thought the sun was overrated, so she summoned red mist to be the new weather in Gensokyo.

The thing was, in the cannon they resolved the incident in little more than half a month. I bet Reimu spent all that time just to locate the source of it, so that mean my job is to speed up that process. The problem about how I know the source of the mist is covered, I think. The only thing left is check Misty Lake and then tell Reimu about it.

But first, I gotta check Akyuu first. I know she has my Lesser Vitality pill, but she's already fragile enough as it is and I don't want her to become sicker than she is now…

-Human Village, Akyuu's Mansion-

The mist is only at ground level, not as high when I was in the Forest of Magic. It's probably the Tengus' doing that the mist only at this level, when something happened that could harm Human in Gensokyo, the Youkai are obligated to protect them, albeit secretly, so that they won't lose out their only source of Fear, the source of their existence, and in Tengu's case, they lowered the mist height by controlling the flow of the wind.

I started searching there room where Akyuu usually hangs out and finally, I found it.

”Akyuu-chan! You okay?!”

I barged into the room.

The first thing I saw in the room was that, Akyuu sitting down, reading many scroll while being surround by many servants. All of their faces have surprised look on it, probably because of me suddenly barging into the room.

I was relieved after I saw that Akyuu was okay.

”Arah-san, you came back.” Akyuu said.

”Yeah, I just got back selling magic plant from Alice-san house.” I sat down on the floor.

”Alice Margatroid house, I see.”

She seems kinda down after I said that and the servants start whispering out of nowhere…freaking women, they probably gossiping about me going alone into a girl's house in the middle of forest or something. It's not like they are wrong or anything, it's just that, gossiping dude, what if they just started bad rumor about me, ugh…

”So, what are you doing right now?”

”A-ah, yes, right now, I'm going through Hiedaa family record.”

”Searching for this red mist?”

”Yes, at least I have to figure it out if it's safe or not, it's for the safety of everyone.”

”I see, then that mean I got the right information about the mist.”

”About the mist?” she looked at me.

Then I gave the explanation about the mist from Alice and told it to Akyuu.

”It will give you a light headed, and at worst, nausea.” She started processing the information I gave her.

”Yes, but sorry, I don't know where it came from.”

”Don't worry Arah-san, just knowing the effect of the red mist is enough help already.” Then she started giving order to the servants, ”Spread word about the effect of the mist, don't let anyone inhale the mist too long.”

The servants started filing out of the room, leaving just us alone in the room.

We looked at each other for several seconds.

”So, Arah-san, you'll start investigating where the mist came from starting tomorrow, right?” She suddenly asked me.

”Ahaha, well,” I gave a helpless smile to her, ”Even though we've only known each other for 2 weeks, you can really guess what I'm gonna do.”

”Of course, based on your personality and your word, Arah-san probably will investigate this incident, BUT!” Akyuu glared at me, ”Arah-san doesn't need to help, and Reimu-san probably got this incident figured out already.”

”But I'm gonna be okay, I only just gonna investigate it, really. I've lived in Gensokyo for 2 weeks; I can look for myself now.”

”But, there's still a possibility that you could get hurt out there.”

”Everyone can get hurt out there Akyuu-chan, it's not just me, even Reimu can get hurt too.”

”But Reimu-san is different, she's the Hakurei Miko, she will be okay no matter what in Gensokyo”

…dammit, I can't refute that statement, Reimu is practically invincible as long as she's in Gensokyo. What is this, since when this conversation become a mother refusing to release her son from being independent.

She looks as if releasing me is the last thing she will do in her life, what do I do…

”Akyuu-san, can I have your time? I need to inform you about something important.”

There was a voice at the entrance of the room.

We look at the direction of the voice.

A woman was standing at the entrance. She had brown eyes and long silver hair with blue highlights. She wore a hat that looks like some kind of building with a red ribbon on top and glyphs inscribed along its side. Her dress was dark blue with white short sleeves, and a red ribbon was tied to the bottom of the collar.

It was Keine.

[Lv.25 History Eater, Kamishirasawa Keine]

I did meet with her in my 2 weeks stay, but I only knew her as a teacher.

”Oh, is this a bad time for it?” Keine probably feeling the atmosphere between us in the room.

”No, no, Keine-sensei, Sensei doesn't need to mind us, please tell us about this important thing, isn't RIGHT Arah-SAN?”

Uwaaaaah, what is this murderous aura coming from this loli.

”Y-yes, of course, our talk can be postponed, please tell us about this important thing.” I urged her.

”If you two say so then, it's about the red mist.”

Then she started talking about the red mist. She gave us information about the effect of the mist. That's it, seems like she didn't know that it's the work of Remilia or she didn't want to talk about the Vampire because I was here. Akyuu knews that Keine is a Youkai, but I technically didn't know anything about her...I want to tease her…

”…How did Keine-sensei know about the effect of the mist?” I asked her with my ”genuine” questioning look.

”I-uh observed the effect of the mist from the villager that inhaled it.”

”Observed a villager? But the mist only at ground level. How did he inhale the mist if it's that low?”

”I-He-Uh…” her eye went back and forth.

She's panicking, oh my god, this is beautiful…

”W-well, what were you guys talking about before I came in?” she did an emergency topic change.

…nice topic change, I absolutely didn't notice the flow change there.

Even Akyuu was face palming with what she said but I'd bite anyway.

”Well, sensei, we were talking about letting me investigating the mist origin.”

”No, you don't need to investigate it; we can just count on the Hakurei Miko to solve this incident.”

…and now there's one more person rejecting my idea, great…

To my left there's a Loli that's mad at me and to my right I got a women teacher that's mad at me as well. If this is fanfic, I should be happy about this situation right? RIGHT?!

”But I have to know where the mist comes from!”

”See Keine-sensei, he's pretty adamant about it, please help me convince him to drop the idea.”

…2 vs. 1, I want to see the GM, this is bullshit, and I don't want them to hate me because of this too.

”I see, then Arah, why do you want to know about it anyway?”

”Of course, it's for Akyuu-chan.”

”For Akyuu?” she tilted her head, Akyuu too was surprised that I mentioned her name.

”Yeah, this mist can weaken someone's health, so I intend to located where's it come from and then tell Reimu about it to get this mist to disappear.” Nice reason me!

Keine looked conflicted with the answer I gave her, and Akyuu somehow looked down. Is she mad at me? Whoops, she suddenly looking at me now.

”No! It's still too dangerous for you.”

”Akyuu-chan, please, I beg you, I do this with you in mind.”

”No means no!”

Ugh, what do I do with her now? She will get mad at me if I go and if I just go out without telling, she will get worried.

I looked at Keine.

She looks worried for us, not for me but for us now. Keine started thinking.

”Arah, do you have anything that will make you immune to the mist?” she inquired of me.

”Yes, I have my ability for it.”

”Your ability only Photographic Memory. How would that help you with the mist?” Akyuu joined the conversation.

”Did I ever tell you that I only have one ability?” I answered teasingly.

”You have more than one?”

”Yes.”

”What is it?” Keine asked.

”It's Vector Change, I can change the direction of an object surrounding me, and it will keep the mist away from my surroundings.”

”I see, then you're most certainly safe from the mist.” Keine nodded understandingly, ”How about it Akyuu, can you let him do as he please?” Keine asked Akyuu, ”He has lived in Gensokyo for two weeks and is still alive.” Keine added.

Akyuu considered Keine statement.

”…All right, BUT make sure you take your safety as priority, okay?” Akyuu ordered me.

”ALL RIGHT!”

I got up, walked up to Akyuu and hugged her when she entered into huggable range.

”Fueeeee?!” Akyuu did her cute noise.

”Don't worry Akyuu-chan, your nii-san will stop this mist as soon as possible.” I started patting her.

”W-who do you think you are?! You are not my ”nii-san” at all, y-you stupid Arah!”

I put her down.

”Yes, yes, I need to prepare for tomorrow. Good bye Akyuu-chan.” I turned toward Keine, ”Thanks you Keine-sensei for convincing Akyuu for me.” I bowed toward Keine.

”As long as you are safe when doing it, then it's okay.”

”Then, see ya.” I walked out of the room.

-Akyuu POV-

”Stupid Arah! Who does he think he is! He's just a boy, but he's acting tough about it!”

He's irritated me with the way he treated me.

”Even though he's just a boy, why is he acting like an adult, it's supposed to be my job.”

”Why don't you just let him be, Akyuu. His reason for helping is because he's worried about you, you know.”

My face suddenly started feeling hot.

”S-shut up Keine, it's still dangerous if he's going alone, more over why did you not stop him?! Aren't you the Guardian of the Human Village?!”

”Fufu, he's volunteering with his own free will and it also resulting in saving the Human Village in the process; for what reason do I need to stop him?”

She countered with sound argument.

”And beside, is this time finally a Child of Miare fall in love with someone?”

*BUFF*

”W-w-w-w-w-what are you talking about?!”

”Fufufu, I can't wait for the marriage to happen.”

”KEINEEEE!”

-My POV-

There's still loud noise at Akyuu room, dude, she and Keine are probably discussing the fuck out of the red mist.

Just as expected of them, they will make the villager worry-free in no time at all.

Author note:

Heyo, Author here. OH-EM-GE, I CAN'T BELIEVE I ACTUALLY MADE THAT CONVERSATION BETWEEN KEINEE AND AKYUU, holy shit, is that really me? Fuck it, it is me.

About the pairing that going on between Arah and Akyuu, uuuuuh I'll roll with it, from the first place, I didn't expect this kind of development, but holy shit, the power of imagination and author writing really brought this one out of nowhere, literally.