22 The Mountain Encounter, the Sequel (2/2)
After I can't sense her anymore, I close my eyes and start thinking again.
'Well, I need to get away from her now, if they actually searching for the misfortune then that mean they will meet the real Hina, so now I just need to get away from here.' I think.
I reach in to my waist pouch.
'Cane of Guidance.' I think the item name as I reach inside.
I feel some item thrust into me from the pouch, I grip it and pull it out.
I feel the item that I pull out.
It's the cane.
'Guide me toward the Human Village.' I said inwardly.
The cane tugged my hand toward a direction.
I believe where the cane take me so I obediently follow it.
Since I need to get away from here fast, I start using Telekinesis.
I encase my whole body and start hovering from the ground.
'Fly low and caution with the trees, don't fly too high or all of the Tengu that observing from the mountain start noticing me…who am I kidding, they probably already know about it, that Tengu title from before have a scout in it, just like its name, she's scouting me if I'm hostile or not. Seems like it's about time to drop the guise from today onward, but I need to get away from here first.' I deduct.
I start flying past the trees, toward the direction the cane pull me.
'But there's also a possibility that I was wrong and she probably genuinely worried about the 'missing' misfortune, after all, Hina actually giving them to other God to empower themselves by it, I don't know if she process the misfortune first before she gave it away to other god or not, there's no info since ZUN doesn't gave more information about it, fuck you ZUN, either way, the Tengu right about the misfortune being a bad news even if it's still raw or already processed.' I deduct further.
After I fly for a few minute, passing many random Youkai that hurriedly scatter after they saw me, I sense a big one ahead.
I opened my eyes.
'…Fuck my life.' I curse inwardly.
[Lv.53 Misfortune Goddess, Kagiyama Hina]
'It's the real one.' I slowly landed on the ground as I think that.
I half-raised my hand, ”Good Afternoon.” I greet her with a small smile.
”…Good Afternoon, to you too.” she greet back. ”…If I may ask, who are you? And why do you look like me?” she ask with suspicion in her tone.
I drop my Telekinesis and start using Vector Change to redirect the misfortune that creeping toward me.
I sense a bunch of magical signature appearing surrounding us a meter at higher height from my location.
I move my neck slowly to look at all of them.
[Lv.35 White Wolf Tengu Scout]
[Lv.30 White Wolf Tengu Scout]
[Lv.32 White Wolf Tengu Scout]
[Lv.36 White Wolf Tengu Scout]
[Lv.32 White Wolf Tengu Scout]
[Lv.38 White Wolf Tengu Captain]
[Lv.31 White Wolf Tengu Scout]
[Lv.31 White Wolf Tengu Scout]
[Lv.40 White Wolf Tengu Captain]
[Lv.32 White Wolf Tengu Scout]
[Lv.35 White Wolf Tengu Scout]
[Lv.41 White Wolf Tengu Captain]
[Lv.36 White Wolf Tengu Scout]
[Lv.37 White Wolf Tengu Scout]
'…Look at all those doggies.' I think.
I sense Hina also looking around, probably trying to locate what I'm looking at.
Based on her power that started growing, she probably noticed that there's something going on.
”…Are they here for you?” she asked.
”…Yes.” I reply.
”…Your voice also similar to me, for what reason they are after you?” she asked once again while her power keep growing.
I slowly moved toward my neck.
I can sense the tense atmosphere as I finally touch my choker.
'Voice Function, off.' I order inwardly.
[Voice: Kagiyama Hina, off]
I make a barrier that doesn't let both of our voice get out from reaching all the Tengu.
”Let me say it properly this time, Good Afternoon, Hina-san.” I greet her again using my own voice. 'Before anyone ask, yes, Hina did ask me to call her with -san instead of –sama, In our previous encounter.' I think.
”…Wait, Arah-san? Is that you?” Hina asked.
”Yes, it's me, Hina-san.” I reply.
As I answer her, I sense her power dying down.
I sense she look up and down, evaluating my guise that looks like her.
”Your appearance, how?” she asked.
”It's only an Image, you can try to grab one of my ribbons, and your hand will only go through them instead.” I explained.
”…Really?” she said with disbelieved tone.
”Yeah, come closer, you don't need to worry about the misfortune, it still can't touch me.” I said.
”…So it really is you.” she said with a relief.
I sense she walked toward me.
I sense she moved her hand near my side.
”My hand passes through the ribbon, so how did you change into me?” she asked.
”I have a magic item that can change my voice and image into someone else.” I said. 'I sense some of the Tengu suddenly fall to the ground, what's going on over there?' I think.
”And you because of that item, you feel that you can just turn into me?” she sound offended.
”Not in normal circumstance, I have my reason why I do it.” I said.
”Enlighten me then.” she said with daring tone.
”You probably can't see it right now because of the Tengus are all watching, but I'm currently blinded for one month from my failed experiment, and because I still need to collect magical ingredient, I think about a way for me to gather them safely in the mountain.” I explained.
”And that's where you choose to have my appearance?” she ask.
”Yes, I'm very sorry.” I bowed apologetically. ”My plan is to randomly encountering you while I walk randomly to gather the ingredient, but unexpectedly I haven't encountered you until right now.” I further explained.
”…” she stayed silent.
Since she doesn't say anything, I decided to just stay silence too.
'…I sense almost all the Tengu dropping to ground, are they preparing to ambush me or something?' I think.
”…I allowed it.” she suddenly said.
”What?” I ask.
”I said, I will allow you turned into me for one condition.” she said.
”You actually believed with what I said?” I surprised.
”Yes, I already talk to you before, you actually not that bad of a kid, I believed you wouldn't do something bad for no reason.” she explained.
”…Thank you for believing in me, Hina-san.” I smiled.
”You're welcome, but like I said, you can turn into me until your blind is cured only with one condition.” she said.
”All right, tell me about it.” I said confidently.
”It's simple, just give me your misfortune.” she said.
”Easy, simple, I don't mind to do it….how do I do that, exactly?” I ask.
”*giggle* Just give me your hand.” she ordered.
I comply.
She grabbed it with both of her hand.
”Just so you know, I only doing this because this is a punishment for using my image for personal gain and because this is the simplest and quickest method according to the situation.” she explained.
”Whuh? What are-?!” I suddenly felt something from my arm.
'She's draining! She's definitely draining something out from me!' I said internally.
After a few more second, she let go of my hand.
”Fufufufu, how is your feeling?” she asked cheerily.
”…I feel drained…no pun intended.” I said tiredly.
”I directly suck out your misfortune away and not using the proper ritual to do it, of course your spiritual health gonna feel tired from It.” she explained.
”…I…see…” I reply.
*Kreak-krk-krk-krk-BAM* I hear something breaking from a tree and fall loudly to the ground.
I sense me and Hina turned toward that sound.
”Ops, I forgot there's still Tengu near us, I need to go for everybody health, good bye now, Arah-san.” she said her good bye.
”…Good bye too…” I replied to her good bye, albeit tiredly.
She floated away from my location.
Now that she's gone, I also planned to come back to the village too.
I activated my Telekinesis now that Hina gone.
I float toward Human Village direction, but before I left the area, I overheard what the Tengus doing.
”Ow, my back.”
”…I think I sprained my ankle.”
'I already said to Captain that following after TWO Misfortune Goddess is a bad idea, but now look what states we're in.”
”Shut up, I also think it's a bad idea, but this is an order from the Tenma itself, I can't back away from it.”
That were the final sentence that I hear before I leave the area.
'…So tired.' I think while floating lazily.
-The Next Day-
-Hakurei Shrine-
”APPEREANCE OF ANOTHER MISFORTUNE GODDESS IN THE GREAT YOUKAI MOUNTAIN”
”Is Gensokyo really that unlucky of a place that these places need more than one Misfortune Goddess to take away all the misfortune away?”
Reimu read loudly what her newspaper said.
”Is this what the Misfortune Goddess looks like in the picture? Why the two of them looks so identical?” ask Reimu to nobody.
'Knew it, Aya sees me and Hina from the sky, and I never sense anyone above me all day yesterday.' I think.
”This…This is the opportunity to promote the shrine. Arah! It's time to pay all of the tea you drank! Help me make many lucky charms!” ordered Reimu.
”…Reimu, you do realize that you ordered a blind man to craft something, right?” I ask.
”I don't care, come help me!” she replied.
”*sigh* Yes, boss.” I sigh in defeat.
Author note:
Heyo, author here. I've got some bad and good news to all of you guys. The bad news is I'm gonna be busy for the next 2-3 weeks, so there will be no more update since then, unless there's unexpectedly free time that I can use to write, finger crossed. As for the good news, my editor is back, he will continue to edit my previous chapter to look more...'palatable' to read…
As for Human Village rule, ZUN ambiguity strikes again in Forbidden Scrollery, nothing left to be said.
About the skill price, if the skills following physical law then the price is not that high but when it's not, I'm gonna try to ramp it based on their effect.