My personal opinion on Gensokyo

Having broken free from some of the constraints of "fate", I can protect the people in this village and prevent them from suffering the slaughter and death destined by the "script". However, my intention to protect them may bring even worse consequences to the people in this village.

Changing cause and effect, changing the strict "script" of this world, will have "backlash."

PS1: Let me tell you about something that happened a while ago. Some readers may have noticed that my account is now unavailable for follower and has been deactivated. This is due to a sudden bug in my account some time ago, not my active deactivation. I've been contacting customer service for a while now, and it's mostly resolved in the past few days. So, I'll resume updates starting today, and will continue to update daily thereafter.

PS2: As far as I know, I am not the only one who has encountered this website bug. Everyone should pay attention to it.

Volume 6: Thoughts Across Time and Space: Chapter 445: Kikyo's Worries

In this world, if you rashly rewrite the "script" and change the cause and effect of history, the counterattack of the "script" will immediately appear. Under the backlash of the power of cause and effect, those who have changed their "causal fate" will have all traces of their existence erased by the terrible power of the "script" and completely disappear in the flow of the long river of history.

Those who live in the monster-killing village have no power to resist "cause and effect fate".

Looking at the people living peacefully in the village, the witch understood.

At the moment, I also don't have the power to resist the backlash of this "fate", but... that person does have such power.

Slowly raising her bare hand, the witch looked hesitantly at the light-colored pendant tied around her snow-white wrist.

It was a small green jade lotus.

So...should I tell him now?

My lady, it’s a little difficult to decide.

It wasn't because seeing him now would have given her a slight sense of distance or some other kind of resistance. Although these feelings were real, if she compared her own insignificant sense of helplessness with the safety of the people in the distant village, the kindhearted miko wouldn't hesitate a moment, but would immediately use the pendant on her wrist to tell someone.

What worries the miko is someone's possible answer.

That person was not a weak, frail mortal with a short life, but a true inhuman being, an immortal.

He is an ancient monster who has lived in this land for thousands of years and is the real master of the monsters.

The idea of ​​him, the true master of the monsters, protecting this village and the people who earned a handsome reward for killing monsters and had made a living by exterminating monsters for generations seemed naive even to the miko herself, now a non-human being.

Although according to someone's recollection, he was also born and raised as an ordinary mortal youth thousands of years ago, but thousands of years have passed, and perhaps the long years as an ancient great monster have already crushed his short twenty years as a mortal.

The shrine maiden couldn't help but recall the memories of her time with someone fifty years ago.

Judging from the personality displayed by someone fifty years ago at that time, if I tell him now that I want to protect this village, even if he feels a little embarrassed, he will probably reluctantly and tolerantly agree to my "willfulness" and help me.

But...what about now?

Silently gazing at the light blue pendant tied around her snow-white wrist, the witch sighed again.

The witch certainly understood that her worries seemed unnecessary.

It’s just that due to many reasons in the past, the lack of security has continued to this day.

I'm just still worried that the reality I know now will become false again.

After calming down a little, the witch, who was dressed in simple red and white clothes and had long black hair tied up with plain white sandalwood paper, suppressed some of her worries, raised her other hand, and slowly grasped the light-colored pendant tied on her snow-white wrist.

...haven't grasped it yet.

"...Uh, that's the demon exorcist village, right?"

The gentle young voice slowly reached the witch's ears.

A young man with complicated gray and white clothes and gray hair stood beside the shrine maiden at some point. He looked at the village in the distance, which was built on the mountain and protected by solid wooden walls and was in a dangerous position. Then he turned his gaze to the shrine maiden beside him, and he didn't seem surprised.

"I probably guessed you'd find yourself here soon."

The witch stopped moving and turned her face slightly. There seemed to be a sense of alienation on her cold face, and there were some complicated emotions hidden in her tone.

“…I haven’t looked for you yet.”

"Uh, you misunderstood."

Looking at the witch who obviously misunderstood him, Shang Yang was stunned for a moment, but then he reacted and spread his hands helplessly.

"I only assumed you were here to protect the people in that village. I didn't deliberately follow you, nor did I rely on the Yuanshen Qinglian on your wrist to monitor your movements."

"...After all, I had various things to deal with in the past few days."

He forced himself to explain, and when the witch in front of him seemed to think that he was a little too sensitive after hearing his explanation and put down her raised hand, Shang Yang breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at the monster-extermination village in the distance.

Just like that, after the two of them looked at the monster-extermination village in the distance for a while, the shrine maiden opened her cherry lips and asked softly.

"...Can you protect those people?"

"can."

Shang Yang understood what Kikyo was asking, so he didn't hesitate and agreed.

"Although there are some risks, this 'plot' is not a key clue and is not difficult."

After hearing Shang Yang's answer, Kikyo's gaze turned to the bright face of the young man with gray and white hair. The witch's heart was a little uneasy, and she asked again in a low voice.

"...Is it okay? The people in that village have made a living by exterminating monsters for generations..."

"That? It's nothing."

When Shang Yang heard the question raised by Kikyo again, he didn't care and answered casually.

"Instead, the people in that village are good at exterminating the little monsters in the mountains and forests. I think this will be very useful. It will be beneficial to protect them."

Hearing this, Kikyo still asked softly.

"What are you going to do?"

"If you're worried, let's go together. You'll see. I won't avoid you when it comes to arranging this monster-removing village."

Seeing Kikyo's attitude, Shang Yang smiled casually and made an invitation.

"If you don't have anything else to do these few days, can you come with me? I have something I want to show you."

"……it is good."

After a slight hesitation, the witch softly agreed to the young man's request.

The village where monsters were exterminated, and the village's shrine.

On the wooden steps of the shrine, a middle-aged man wearing armor and fully armed held a jade fragment emitting a dim glow and handed it to the village chief of the monster extermination village in front of him and reported.

"Village Chief, the young men I led on a monster-hunting expedition have found a fragment of the Four Souls Jade."

"Oh, well done."

The middle-aged village chief seemed very happy when he took the fragment of the Four Souls Jade handed over by the leader who went out to fight monsters. He patted the man on the shoulder and encouraged him.

"I've had the villagers prepare fine wine and a sumptuous feast. This time, you not only earned a generous reward for defeating the monster, but also found the fragments of the Four Souls Jade. You've worked so hard! You must enjoy yourself at the banquet."

"Hahaha, that's great, Village Chief."

Hearing what the chief of the monster extermination village said, the middle-aged male leader of the monster-suppression team laughed proudly.

"I will first lead the young people to dispose of the monster bones we brought back and make new weapons. The young people in the village should also learn how to make their own weapons using monster bones."

PS1: I agreed to update on the recovery day.

Volume 6: Yearning Across Time and Space: Chapter 446: The Visitor

After the middle-aged man who went out to exorcise the monster left the shrine, the middle-aged village chief turned back and walked into the village shrine, placed the Four Souls Jade fragment in his palm on the shrine's altar, and worshipped it together with the other Four Souls Jade fragments.

Putting his hands together and praying to the shrine's main deity, Hakusan Daigongen, for the protection of Hakusan Bodhisattva, the middle-aged village chief sighed and prepared to leave the shrine.

"Father?"

At this moment, the slightly childish voice of a boy reached the ears of the middle-aged village chief.

"Has my sister returned from her trip to fight monsters?"

"Oh, it's Amber..."

Looking back at his eldest son who was only 11 years old, the middle-aged village chief spoke in a gentle tone.

"Your sister Coral hasn't returned yet. The other monster-extermination teams in the village have returned, and they found the fragments of the Shikon Jewel."

"Hey... the people in this village are so amazing..."

Hearing his father's gentle answer, the young boy Amber looked curiously at the fragments of the Four Souls Jade enshrined on the altar.

"Sister, you can now accept requests to exterminate monsters on your own... However, Father, it seems like several days have passed since Sister left home to accept a request to exterminate monsters a few days ago..."

The younger brother Amber seems a little worried about his older sister Coral.

"That's right..."

The middle-aged village chief, who is the siblings' father, was also somewhat puzzled by his son's concerns.

"Coral should be back by now... Well, Amber, don't worry too much. Your sister is very skilled, so nothing will happen to her. She must have been delayed by something else."

"I understand, Father."

Hearing his father's comfort, the younger brother Amber also felt relieved.

"My sister is already one of the best monster exorcists in the village. She'll be fine."

"Yeah, so Amber, you have to get ready too."

Seeing that his eldest son understood what he said, the middle-aged village chief smiled, raised his hand and gently patted his son's right shoulder, encouraging him patiently.

"You should also participate in the next monster extermination commission."

Upon hearing his father's arrangement, the young eldest son exclaimed with some uneasiness.

"Eh! Me?!"

"That's right. Exterminating monsters is the duty of everyone living in this village. You're eleven years old now, so it's almost time for you to participate in actual monster extermination."

Faced with his father's gentle request, the young boy Amber nodded hesitantly.

"Um……"

Watching his son, who looked hesitant and seemed to have a lot on his mind, leave the shrine and go to a distant training ground to continue honing his skills in exterminating monsters, the middle-aged village chief sighed slowly without being noticed.

Although the evil spirits in the contaminated fragments of the Four Souls Jade can be slightly purified by the remaining barrier from hundreds of years ago in this village and the Bodhisattva Hakusan enshrined in the shrine, as the villagers retrieve the fragments of the Four Souls Jade, the evil spirits have gradually become uncontrollable. The safest way now is to find a shrine maiden who has the spiritual power to purify the evil spirits in the Four Souls Jade to protect the fragments of the Four Souls Jade.

However, it is really difficult to find a shrine maiden who possesses such profound spiritual power. Probably there is no shrine maiden with such profound spiritual power in the entire East Country. Now, we can only ask the people in the village to strengthen their vigilance to protect the village. Amber also needs to get involved in the work of exorcising monsters as soon as possible to hone her ability to protect herself. Alas... May the Great Bodhisattva of Baishan bless this village.

"Master Village Chief! Lord Village Chief!"

Just when the middle-aged village chief was worried about the monster's expulsion from the village, a villager wearing armor and holding a blade made of monster bones, who was responsible for guarding the wooden wall outside the village, came running over and reported breathlessly.

"A miko and an onmyoji have arrived from outside the village. It's said that they came to visit our village specifically after learning about the fragments of the Shikon Jade."

"Oh? It's really rare that a miko-sama and an onmyoji would come to visit our village."

The middle-aged village chief was very surprised to hear the report from the villagers who were on guard outside the village.

While the village where youkai were exterminated was quite famous in the surrounding area, even to some prominent figures in the East, few knew exactly where it was located deep in the mountains. It was also rare for wandering monks and merchants to visit. Furthermore, while a miko was not uncommon, a visit from an onmyoji was extremely rare.

As far as the middle-aged village chief knew, most of the Onmyoji in this land had lived in Kyoto for generations, protecting the nobles of Kyoto from the threats of terrible monsters. It was rare to see an Onmyoji appear in this remote eastern countryside.

"Have you confirmed it?"

Thinking of this, the middle-aged village chief cautiously asked the villagers who came to report, who were panting, and had some doubts.

"Is this really a miko and an onmyoji? Or are they the tanuki from the nearby mountains, disguised as something to toy with the villagers?"

"I have carefully confirmed that they are indeed a respected miko and a distinguished onmyoji."

The panting villager reported in a firm tone.

"When the shrine maiden and the onmyoji arrived, several nearby monsters were trying to take advantage of the chaos and attack the villagers. I and others witnessed them using their magic to eliminate the monsters. They are truly two masters with unfathomable magical powers."

"Is that really the case?"

Hearing what the villagers said, the middle-aged village chief was extremely surprised and spoke immediately.

"Then let's go quickly and welcome the Miko-sama and Onmyoji who are visiting our village."

Monsters retreat outside the village.

With a painful wail, an ugly and ferocious monster emitting evil spirit was pierced by a soft and shining arrow. Its body was torn and purified by the arrow's magic power and disappeared.

After casually killing the attacking monster with the Demon-Destroying Arrow, the cold-looking witch glanced at the gray-haired young man beside her with a little surprise.

Shang Yang, who had changed into a gray hunting suit at some point, pinched a piece of purple talisman paper between the index and middle fingers of his right hand, closed his eyes, and chanted softly.

"...Those who are about to fight, all march forward in formation. Command."

As the gray-haired "Onmyoji" recited the true nine-word mantra that was introduced to this land from the Tang Dynasty, the purple talisman flashed with dazzling purple light, crossed the air, and fell into the middle of several monsters with ferocious expressions and evil spirits in the distance.