The afterlife blew up Gensokyo

The shadowy figure spoke with extreme gravity.

"As you all know, the apocalypse is becoming increasingly rampant. In recent years, all sorts of high-level apocalypses that we've never seen before have emerged one after another, and our resistance is becoming more and more difficult. And considering that man's unusual change, I think it's very likely that he's the one pulling the strings behind the scenes."

"Isn't it a bit much to pin all sorts of dirty things on him?"

When the second shadowy figure spoke again, his words clearly carried a hint of displeasure.

"Even if he was once the end of the world, that doesn't mean he is the end of the world. He was also once an evil god, does that mean he is an evil god?"

"Oh? Since you're speaking up for him, then why don't you explain the changes that have happened to him?"

The shadowy figure sneered.

"To fight external threats, we must first pacify internal strife. He has never been to the front lines... Oh, he did go once, but that time he caused us a great deal of casualties."

Do you know what dice are?

"Oh?"

"The number of times you roll a die will vary with each face, but as you keep rolling, the number of times each face appears will approach the same. That man is like that; he might become evil at some point, good at others, or transition between two or more personalities. But one day, these will merge and solidify. That personality won't be good, nor bad, nor simply good and evil. Since he's been gone for so long, there's no need for us to target him; why make ourselves miserable?"

"...Alright, but aren't you really curious about everything inside the [Gate]? He's the only one who came out of the [Gate] alive. What did he get inside the [Gate], and why did he disappear for so long? What was the real reason for the destruction of the [Gate]? Where did those sovereigns who were said to live inside the [Gate] go...? Aren't you really curious about these secrets?"

"...So, what are you planning to do?"

"So what if he's curious? There's nothing we can do about it."

"That's right, it's better for us to just let things be."

"I also want to know those secrets, but people who know too much often don't live long."

"I agree with my previous opinion."

“zzzZzzzz…”

"You're still sleeping? I've been putting up with you for ages!!!"

"...Have you noticed a problem?"

"Have it?"

"no?"

"Really?"

"Really not?"

"Is it really true?"

“zzzZzzzz”

"Drag that guy who disrupted the formation out of here!!!"

"...Seven of us came, but eight of us were talking."

"........."

"........."

"........."

"........."

"........."

“zzzZzzzz”

"Huh? Really? Really? Let's put that aside for now. Could you drag that sleeping guy out of here first?"

“…When did you come here?”

"What?! You actually found out... You truly are my destined enemy!!"

"........."

After a brief silence, the second shadowy figure found a human-shaped object under the table and placed it on the stone table.

"Regardless of how you found this place, you must have heard our conversation just now. Aren't you going to make a decent response? I don't care about the other things, but what's inside the [door]?"

"If you want to know, why don't you go inside the [door] and see for yourselves? Why are you sneaking around here like thieves, plotting against me?"

DaCiCi changed to a cocky pose on the table, lying down and picking his nose with his fingers, and then lazily opened his mouth.

"I will not speak of what happens inside the [gate]. You should know better than I do that some secrets cannot be spoken, so don't harbor any such thoughts, or something terrible will happen."

"........."

"Alright, the message has been delivered. Figure it out yourselves... But here's a warning for you first, okay?"

Suddenly sitting up from the rock, the humanoid figure stretched out its finger and shook it in front of it.

"You'd better not bother me again, or don't blame me for being impolite."

After he finished speaking, flames automatically ignited on the humanoid body, and it was burned to ashes in a short time.

"........."

“zzZzzzz”

In the ensuing silence, someone spoke up and made a suggestion.

"...Shall we beat up the one who's sleeping first?"

P.S.: Good morning!

Chapter Fifteen: Fairy Tales and Never Forget the Original Intention

"What did you do?"

Inside the moving carriage, looking at the Penglai doll in Shi Bai's hand that had silently burned out, Yakumo Yukari asked him a question with some curiosity.

They had already left that world and boarded the [Interdimensional Train]. As for Lin Mu, who was struggling with his wandering body in that world, and the five elite reincarnators who were trembling with fear and ready for battle... what did that have to do with them?

"Just going to catch up with a few old friends."

Watching the gray specks of light in his hand gradually dissipate into the air, Shi Bai turned to look at Yakumo Yukari.

"I have some personal business to attend to, and I should be back in about half a day. Would you like to wait in this car or come with me?"

"Is it to a new world?"

Yakumo Yukari guessed.

"Probably so. There was a world where I briefly stayed... "

Shi Bai took out a well-preserved fairy tale book from somewhere and tucked it under his arm. He then stood up from the sofa.

"I'm going to return a book. If you want to come with me, you can come too."

This is a world where a small number of mysterious beings exist.

Vampires, werewolves, monsters, ghosts... these beings exist widely in this world, but they belong to the inner layers of the world, are very rare, and are not known to those living on the surface of the world, but exist as a legend.

The kingdom that rules this region is called the Kingdom of Visilia. A beautiful and wise queen rules the country. Although the kingdom has a history of less than 300 years, its strength is evident to all.

It is said that about 300 years ago, powerful and tyrannical nobles ruled the upper echelons of this land, while the common people at the bottom struggled daily for survival. When even the most basic need for survival—filling their stomachs—could not be met, the people at the bottom rose up in rebellion… a rebellion that was almost a desperate act of defiance.

Faced with the vast, armored armies of the nobles, the hoes and sickles of the common people seemed utterly powerless. In order to intimidate these people, the nobles, having achieved a crushing victory, simply launched a massacre.

This should have been a declaration of victory, but a little girl from a commoner village took up the scepter. With magical powers, she led the common people to overthrow the rule of the nobles and establish a new country that lasted for three hundred years.

"So only 300 years have passed...?"

Shi Bai frowned slightly as he gazed at the faceless, black-haired swordsman statue standing in the central square of the kingdom.

"In the autobiography of that first princess, a powerful black-haired swordsman was mentioned, and a statue was specially erected for that black-haired swordsman. That statue is of you, isn't it?"

Holding a general history book about this country, Yakumo Yukari seemed a little surprised, vaguely guessing what was going on.

"That princess from the very beginning, it was with your help that she overthrew the rule of the nobles and established this country, wasn't it? How could you have the mind to do such a trivial thing back then?"

As she spoke, Yukari Yakumo looked at the giant statue in the central square.

"It was just a deal, and I think I warned her not to reveal anything about me, but she still broke the agreement? She got off easy, finding a loophole in the deal... If she dies, I can't just resurrect her and kill her again..."

Shi Bai waved the fairy tale book in his hand and turned to walk into the crowd.

"Do as you please, I'll go return the book."

"Trade, my foot! You don't even value a complete world? I don't believe that this mysterious world, which only came into existence because of your arrival, could possibly be of any interest to you..."

After muttering something to herself, Yakumo Yukari thought for a moment and then looked towards the direction of the royal palace.

......................................................

“My grandmother did often talk to me about the black-haired swordsman who helped her back then.”

Inside the palace, the newly enthroned young and beautiful queen showed the utmost respect to the mysterious guest who had traveled from afar.

Is this a transaction?

Yakumo Yukari guessed.

"Did your grandmother make a deal with that black-haired swordsman using her soul? Your grandmother must have had a very special soul, otherwise I really can't think of anything that could be used as a bargaining chip."

"Soul? No, no, no, how could there be such an evil deal? That black-haired swordsman isn't a demon."

After a slight pause, the Queen laughed.

“My grandmother made a deal with that black-haired swordsman using her favorite fairy tale book.”

"Fairy tale books?"

Yukari Yakumo thought of the well-preserved book in Shiro's hand.

"Actually, in my grandmother's time, there was a legend about a black-haired swordsman who lived deep in the Black Forest in an ancient ruin known as the Devil's Castle. However, everyone treated it as a rumor, and no one was willing to risk their life to explore it, because the Black Forest was too dangerous."

The Queen leaned back slightly against the backrest, seemingly lost in distant memories.

"It was an impending massacre, and the village where my grandmother lived was about to be destroyed. At that time, my grandmother took her most precious and beloved possessions and embarked on a dangerous journey to the Black Forest to seek help. The Black Forest was very dangerous, and my grandmother almost lost her life several times along the way, but in the end, she successfully reached the ruined castle known as the "Devil's Castle."

At this point, the Queen sighed softly and omitted much of what she was about to say.

“My grandmother met the legendary black-haired swordsman in the castle and made a deal with him by giving him her most cherished possession. With his help, she was finally able to establish this new country.”

"A deal made with an ordinary children's book?"

Yukari Yakumo appeared slightly surprised.

“That’s right. But my grandmother told me that she thought the black-haired swordsman would agree to the deal because she saw a smile on his face for the first time when he was looking through the fairy tale book she brought.”

The Queen seemed to shake her head almost imperceptibly.

"Although the deal was made, the black-haired swordsman warned my grandmother afterwards that she must not reveal any information about him or tell anyone about him, otherwise he would come back and kill my grandmother cruelly."

"But it seems your grandmother didn't keep her promise."

Yukari Yakumo looked thoughtful.

“Yes, my grandmother broke her promise… when she sensed that her life was coming to an end.”

The Queen appeared somewhat lost in thought as she spoke these words.

"Perhaps, my grandmother wanted to see him again, even if it meant being killed by him..."

At the same moment, in front of a grave, Shi Bai put down the fairy tale book in his hand and turned to leave.

............................................................

"It's just a very good deal."

Inside the train carriage, in a self-contained simulated space, Shi Bai, lying on the sofa reading a comic book, answered casually.

"The flow of time is different in different worlds. For people in that world, perhaps less than 300 years have passed, but for me, that is at least several thousand years ago."

"I don't really care about these things. I'm just curious why you suddenly thought of returning the books?"

Sitting on the sofa to the side, her body almost half-sunken into the soft fabric, Yukari Yakumo looked very curious.

"That story sounds like a romantic fairy tale, it's just a pity that the ending was a little tragic."

"The core essence of comedy is tragedy, but what is the core of tragedy? Fairy tales are always just fairy tales; don't mistake fairy tales for reality."

Shi Bai's voice remained languid.