Touhou: I Became a Butler of the Scarlet Devil Mansion

My True Feelings

As I wander through Hakugyokurou, the air feels unusually tense. Is it because of the rain that drizzles down from the sky? Today marks the day of my battle against Youmu, but something feels different about her.

Her usually serene face is etched with a seriousness I have never seen before.

Her eyes glare at me with an intensity that sends a shiver down my spine. Slowly, she tightens her grip on her Roukanken and Hakurouken.

"Shun, before we begin, I want you to know that I won't hold back. Because today is the day, I will cut to the truth and find out if these feelings are true." She pulls Roukanken and Hakurouken and then enters a stance.

"Feelings?"

"Here I go!" Youmu's determined voice echoes through the rain as she charges towards me, her footsteps resounding.

In response, I materialize my blood-crimson sword, gripping it tightly in one hand, while the steel blade emerges from my other arm.

I dash forward to meet her.

As we draw closer, our swords clash with a resounding clang, accompanied by the rhythmic pattern of raindrops.

We both stepped back, momentarily disengaging, before swiftly dashing back toward each other.

In an instant, we disappeared from our original positions and reappeared, our swords clashing once again.

"Youmu..." I dashed back and pointed my blood-crimson sword at her, summoning a barrage of red knives in the air, aimed at her.

However, Youmu displayed her skill and preparedness, swiftly parrying the incoming knives with her dual blades, Roukanken and Hakurouken. "Shun..."

Youmu sent her ghost-half flying towards me, I quickly evaded its reach, stepping back to create some distance between us then I closed in on Youmu once again.

With a swift swing of her Roukanken, Youmu produced bullets that materialized in the air, aiming at me. In response, I focused my energy and slashed through the air, generating pellets that collided with the incoming bullets.

The shockwave from the explosion reverberated through the area, causing the rain to intensify.

However, to my surprise, Youmu had silently maneuvered herself behind me, catching me off guard. With a swift and precise motion, she slashed my back, causing a sharp pain to shoot through my body.

Ack!

I instinctively backed away as the stinging pain hit me.

I locked eyes with Youmu once more, observing the unwavering gaze.

She was fully committed to this battle, and the sight of blood dripping from the blade of Roukanken only emphasized the seriousness of her intent.

As Youmu entered a stance, a magic circle materialized beneath her feet. Gripping Roukanken tightly. "Life-Cutting Sword: Slash of Nether Meditation." A massive blade of radiant energy surged forward, aimed directly at me.

Reacting swiftly, I raised my sword to block the attack, but to my surprise, Youmu's half-ghost appeared before me.

The ethereal figure emanated a luminous glow and launched its own strike, further complicating the situation.

As I hit the ground, pain shooting through my body, I pushed myself up, gritting my teeth against the ache in my back.

What does she mean by 'feelings'? There was something deeper at play here, a hidden meaning behind her serious demeanor.

Youmu charged forward, her Roukanken swinging through the air, creating a flurry of ethereal bullets.

Reacting swiftly, I focused on dodging the projectiles, each bullet a glimmer of light in the rain-soaked battlefield.