41 The Missing Spring part 1? (2/2)

[Lv.1 Animal Phantom]

A soul-like thingy that floats around on the ground or just floating lazily in the sky. Even though there are different name like Animal Phantom and such, all of them look just like the other, floating soul thingy.

But enough talking about this place, let's talk about me now.

Right now, I'm sitting on the ground for a while.

After I went inside, I noticed that there's a slight problem.

I don't know the way of this place.

'It can't be helped since this is the first time I went to this place, even thought I knew the name of the place, it doesn't mean I know how to get there,…oh well, YOLO.'

I get up and walk toward the nearest Human Phantom.

”Um, excuse me.” I call out to the Phantom.

I think it heard me because it stopped floating around.

It facing toward me, I don't know why I could say that, but I definitely think it facing toward me.

”Sorry for taking your time, but can you help me with something?” I asked.

The Phantom flicker for a moment but it didn't go away from me.

'I guess that's a yes then?'

”Thank you, do you know the way to the Hakugyokurou?”

The Phantom thinking for a moment, again, don't ask me how I know that.

It suddenly flew toward a direction before coming back to me, it repeat that movement again for a second time.

”Is that the way to the Hakugyokurou?”

The Phantom bobs its body.

”I see, thank you.” I gratefully bow to it.

The Phantom bobs its body again before continuing floating around.

…Interacting with a WereLion is one thing, but interacting with a Soul Ball definitely feels stranger, but there's a saying in my country, 'If you're ashamed of asking question, you will astray from your path.', so kick away your pride and asked around for the way, you won't regret it.

I start flying toward the direction the Phantom shows me.

I fly over the tree to better viewing.

Not long after that, I found a stone pavement.

After that I follow the stone pavement until I found the stair.

'It's the Hakugyokurou's Stairway, a very long and wide stairway to the Hakugyokurou, the final stage of PCB.'

I start climbing the stair by flying.

Usually when a main character climbed up the stair to the final boss, they all hoping that they didn't get stopped to fight in the middle of the stairway to preserve their strength, but not in my case, I'm hoping for someone to stop me from going up.

'Please, for the love of god, please found me before I reach the top of the stairway, please do your job properly and found me already. I don't want to fight her at all.' I'm prayed in my mind.

Thankfully, my prayer has been answered.

”Hold it!”

A girl suddenly arrives from the sky and blocking my path.

[Lv.46 Konpaku Youmu, Phantom-Human Gardener]

'SHE DID IT! SHE STOPPED ME!! GOOD GIRL!! THANK YOU!!' I celebrate Youmu appearance in my heart.

Youmu is a half-human half-phantom. She has short silver hair worn in a bob cut, and dark blue eyes. She wears a dark green and white short-sleeve dress with several ghost insignias along the edges and a ghost insignia as well on her breast pocket, and a black ribbon tied off-center in her hair. She carries the Roukanken; a long katana with a cherry blossom insignia and a flower attached to it scabbard on her back, and the Hakurouken; a wakizashi (Short Japanese sword) behind her waist. Her ghostly half is a formless white phantom as large as her human self.

”Living being is forbidden from entering the Netherworld! State your business or you will be joining in with the dead!” she said with stern expression.

”If I said I come here because the spring didn't come, would that help?”I said with a smile.

”I see, the incident resolver are working faster than my master expected.” she slowly unsheathe her long katana from her back. ”But my master wish is my wishes too.” her Katana fully out from its scabbard. ”If killing you is what it takes to fulfill her wish.” She goes to her stance with her katana. ”Then I will end you right here.”

The trees are rustling from the wind, the leaves are scattered, making this situation looks quite dramatic.

But of course, I'll ruin it just because it will be funny for me.

I do my thinking pose.

”…Somehow I got a feeling that you're hoping to fight instead of using Danmaku or I'm the one who's mistaken.” I said still with a smile.

She flinched.

”W-well?! P-prepare yourself!!” she look flustered but still holding her stance.

A cute fellow.

I grab my katana with my left hand.

'I think it should be okay if I use Doujigiri Yasutsuna since she's not a Youkai or an Oni, plus she might be happier if I fight her with a named sword.'

”Then I better prepare myself.” I said.

I landed on the stair before I unsheathed my katana.

I erase my smile.

”My name is Arah and here's my katana, Doujigiri Yasutsuna, forged from lightning, killer of Oni and Youkai.” I said with serious expression while the katana creating a purple spark around itself.

Youmu landed on the stair as well.

”My name is Konpaku Youmu, Roukanken is my katana, forged by Youkai, ten Phantom will perish with a slice, and its sharpness is second to none!!” She tried to play it serious but her mouth threatening to break into a smile. …She looks happy.

The winds blows again, leave are scattered, we still standing with our sword in own stance.

'…Dammit, of course she wears bloomer, no one in Gensokyo wears any modern panties, all of them still wear bloomers.' I think without breaking my serious expression.

Since her position is higher than mine, and because she wears a dress, I could see her underwear, but just like I said, she wears bloomer.

'Should I bring panties to Gensokyo? I don't think it will be popular because people probably still gonna prefer being warm over looking good, moreover people aesthetic is different between here and the modern world, Gensokyo people that look at a girl that showing her leg probably think that she's a-'

Youmu moved, seems like a slash to my body.

I took a step back as she swing.

I dodge it by a nick, I reply with a thrust.

She dodged it and countered with a slash to my head.

Moving my head not gonna do it so I jump to my left.

She follows with another slash, I dodge again.

She follows again with a thrust, too greedy.

I go forward as I dodge her thrust between my arm pit, punish.

Lock her arm between my arm pit and trip her leg.

”Uwah!” she fell.

I bring the blade to her neck.

”Looks like I won.” I said.

She look perplex.

”…Yuyuko-sama, I'm sorry.” she said with resigned tone.

”…Don't talk as if I'm gonna end you.” I frowned.

I sheathed my katana.

”I also never said anything about ending what your Master is doing.”

”…Wait, what?” she look shocked.

She got up her body to sitting position.

I opened up my palm.

I bring out the pink petal into my hand.

”That's!!”

”Here, take'em.” I offered them to Youmu.

”…” she looked confused.

”You want it or not?” I asked.

”Y-yes!” she finally takes it.

”I'll come back with the petal again tomorrow. Just meet me at the base of the stair.” I said before I turn around and leaving the ground with Flight.

”W-wait!”

I turned around.

”Why? Why did Arah-dono help us even though we're currently stealing the Gensokyo's spring?” confused Youmu.

I smile.

”Stealing the spring? I think not, you people only borrow the Spring.”

She looked surprised.

”I only want to see the cherry flower bloom. After all, I heard that it's a beautiful sight to see, so I want to help your master to fulfill her objective faster, to see the spring faster.” I smile as I sincerely say those words.

”Besides, I don't want to offend your master by ruining her plan.” I said that parting word before I start flying toward the exit.

Did I ever explain my method to stop this incident at the start? I think not.

If I just explained the source of this incident to Reimu then she's the one that probably gonna have the biggest contribution, and since the incident probably gonna end after that, my contribution probably not gonna be enough, resulting me getting the failure penalty.

So Gensokyo people, please endure just a little.

Endure the cold a little more for the sake of me not losing part of my power.

For me losing power means the death of me.

-The Missing Spring Interlude-

-The Maid–​

The Devil took a sip at her tea.

”Great job Sakuya, delicious as always.” she praised.

”Thank you for your praise, Mistress.” the maid bowed.

The Devil turned her head to look at the outside scenery.

”I've grown bored of this white scenery, how long would this winter overstay its welcomed?” the Devil irritated.

The Maid hesitated for a moment but she also knew that the issue needs to be addressed right now, or her Mistress will be in even more foul mood.

”Mistress, if I may, there's an issue that you have to know right away.” the Maid comes forward.

”Hm? Is the issue more important than the strange season outside?”

”Yes, it's about our food stock, it's almost empty.”

”How about the reserve?”

”It's already empty.”

”How about the reserve of the reserve?”

”It's almost empty, I've already calculated that if the winter stays this way for another month, we're gonna totally out of food.”

”I see, that is indeed more important that the winter outside.”

The Devil is thinking for a moment before turning back to the Maid.

”Sakuya, I order you to solve this incident, solved it before out food stock runs out.” the Devil ordered.

”Your wish is my command, Mistress. ” The Maid obeyed.

-The Magician-​

The Magician are standing in front of her house, she's looking at the piled snow around her house.

”*sigh* another day with another piled up snow. Let's cleaned it up-ze.” she bring out her shovel.

After she cleaned up the snow above her house and around her house, a pink petal falls in front of her.

”Hm? A Sakura Petal?”

She picked it up to take a closer look.

Based on her knowledge, this petal definitely looks like a Sakura Petal, a flower that bloomed in spring.

She looked around, searching for another petal, but she didn't find any.

This makes her think.

”If there's a Sakura Petal, which mean there's a spring somewhere in Gensokyo right-ze? If I found that place that mean I probably could get a clue to solve this incident right-ze?”

And so the Magician moved, she moved hoping that she'll be the first one who solved the incident first before her friend.

-The Shrine Maiden-​

The Shrine Maiden is lying around in her home.

”So peaceful, its a little cold but the trade off is that I don't have to do my work with this weather.”

Lazy Shrine Maiden is lazy.

”Time to eat my sweet~”

She opened the place where she put her sweet but unfortunately, the sweet are frozen solid.

”…”

She grabbed her Gohei and wears her muffler.

”It's time to end this incident!!” shouted the Shrine Maiden.

And then she flies, with vengeance.

Author note:

Heyo, Author here. For the people that haven't heard the news, the reason as to why I haven't post anything for months is that because work, preparing for my graduation ceremony, settling in my new house and I kinda binged reading 800+ chapter of a novel. So yeah, now I'm free now, the chapter gonna come out weekly like the usual.

For people that probably gonna whine that this is gonna be a harem story, fuck you, this is my story and this is gonna be a harem story.