The Disillusioned Land

Chapter 25 - An Overture to Conflict

You know for how traditional this shrine appears and the residents inhabiting it I find it quite comical that Reimu is hoarding a stock of cup noodles of all things. It seems the wave of commercialism has hit even remote places like this, the brand is even one I used to frequently buy in the past. I feel as though I can understand Reimu just a little bit more from this information. The strange girl in front of me was wolfing down her food; my curiosity about her grows by the minute, how does someone like Reimu know such an individual?

"So uh, how did you get to know someone like Reimu?" I break the ice between us, she pauses her assault on the poor cup noodles in her hands and grins at me.

"Right back at ya ze. I don't recall Reimu ever being interested in men all too much, then all of a sudden I catch wind that she brought you home." She adopts a smug expression "so? How far have you two gone huh?" Her smile widens, I raise an eyebrow at her in response

"What? Who told you I was lodging here?"

"The shrine maidens like to gossip a lot more than you think, I heard a pair of them on patrol talking about you yesterday."

"There's nothing like that between us, I just met her the other day and started working for her. Nothing more than that"

"Interesting..."

"Well enough about me, what about you?"

"Me? Well, I've known her for a few years now, met her by chance when someone tried to block out the sun with some weird mist."

"Wait, someone did what?"

"Ze? You haven't heard that story? Hoho! You're in for a treat, allow me to tell you the story of my exploits and triumph that day..." She tells me of a time when the sky was covered with a thick scarlet mist and how the culprit was a vampire who lived in a large mansion. If it weren't for how absurd this place is I wouldn't have believed her.

"-and that's how I saved the day from that brat" she finishes her tale with a satisfied expression.

"Don't kid yourself Marisa, you and I both know it was me that did most of the work" a familiar voice chimes in, we turn to the source and see Reimu standing in the doorway.

"Oh come on Reimu, let me bask in my glory with the newcomer ze~" Marisa complains to her, Reimu lets out a sigh and looks at me.

"Don't hang around her too much Ryan, she's a bad influence"

"Hey now, I don't want be hearing that from a lazy slob like yourself"

"Oh hush you" Reimu crosses her arms and addresses the both of us "anyways, I need you two to come with me, there's something important we must discuss."

"Something like an incident?" Marisa leans forward excitedly.

"We can't discuss it here, come on you two" Reimu walks out and we follow after her, we move into the main shrine room where Kasen is sitting waiting for us.

"Ah good you got them, have you filled them in yet?" Kasen asks

"Not yet, I need to do it somewhere more private; make sure she isn't listening in on us" Reimu positions herself in front of an inconspicuous tatami mat on the far side of the room, she lifts it up, revealing a staircase. The rest of us are baffled at the revelation, Reimu shuts us up before we get a chance to speak. "I had it made last month due to recent events, now come on we don't have time to waste." The 4 of us descend down the steps leading into a featureless room, Reimu takes out the strange looking key from before and begins carving out a tall rectangle in the wall. The lines begin to glow until they're too bright to look at, we shield our eyes and wait for it to pass, when the light fades a white door is in place of the shape Reimu drew on the wall.

"What the hell just-" I try to say but Reimu interrupts me once more

"There's some people on the other side of this door I made a deal with, we shouldn't make them wait for us any longer"

"Hold on a minute, you didn't mention anything about this" Kasen gives Reimu a stern look "just what exactly are you planning here?"

"We're fighting a losing battle here Kasen, I had to look for other ways to even the odds"

"And just what are these 'other ways' you have in mind?" Reimu freezes up for a moment and sighs, we weren't ready for what she was about to say next.

"Lunarians"

"Wait what?" I let out "I thought they were all wiped out after-"

"Not all of them Ryan" Reimu cuts in "some of them were able to hide themselves away in the dream world" she points to the white door in the wall "and this will take us to them." She walks over to the door and places her hand on the knob then turns her head to us "I promise I'll explain everything in full on the way there." She opens the door and what appears to be outer space is revealed to be hiding behind it, the strange sight makes me apprehensive of following her in there. To my right I hear Kasen let out an exasperated sigh and begin walking towards the doorway

"I'm gonna give her an earful for this later..." I hear her mutter. Marisa pipes up to my left and begins approaching the door as well

"Hoho! Things are starting to get interesting ze~" she gives me a glance and asks "you coming Ryan?" Well, I suppose I don't have much of a choice here do I?

"Yeah" I reply and follow the other three into the strange, unknown world.