Scarlet Mist: Side History

Rin was sitting in the precious herb storage of the Hieda Household.

It has been multiple weeks since she holed herself up in the little side-building, brewing various potions with restless vigor.

Rin has been working tirelessly without a break. Every movement. Every step was carefully planned, carefully laid out in front of her.

She moved without a gap. Her hands were busy throughout the entire time, there wasn't a single second where she didn't have something in her hand, and there wasn't a single moment when her hand stopped moving.

Right now, if someone from the outside world were to look at her, they would be reminded of an industrial-grade mass-production machine.

Working without a break, churning out ridiculous quantities of potions.

Anyone unfortunate enough to enter the storage now would be assaulted by a dense smell of smoke and steam, a strong smell of the rare herbs permeating their clothes when they leave.

An ordinary person would have gone insane long ago.

Going through the movement of a redundant task for weeks without a single break.

Moving, measuring, and brewing.

Hundreds, thousands, millions of times.

Repeating the same process again and again, without a single mistake and without a change.

So, why did Rin do a brain-numbing task like this?

It was simple.

The first reason was so she could leave the village to investigate the incident without feeling guilty.

Finally, at this exact moment, Rin brewed enough potions to supply the village for a week.

The second reason was...

*ding*

[Comprehension Rate of Vitality Potion: 100%]

...this familiar voice rang in her ears.

"Finally!"

"My hard work..."

As I finally heard the familiar, female, yet mechanical voice ring in my ears, I could barely contain myself.

"My hard work finally paid off!"

These past few days...

These last two weeks, I have been working my as off and finally...

Finally, my efforts have been rewarded!

[Comprehension Rate:]

[Vitality Potion: 100%]

[Mana Potion: 27%]

[Nutrient Manjuu: 100%]

It might just have been 3 recipes. Hell, I have yet to fully comprehend one of the recipes! But I finally did it!

I reverse-engineered the potions I bought from the system, recreating them with ingredients that were readily available in this world.

Of course, that involved a deep understanding of why specific ingredients were used over others and why the human body reacts to them in the first place.

Having a deep understanding of a recipe was only natural for me.

After all, only when you fully understood something could you safely change and replace the ingredients in a recipe without endangering a patient's health more than necessary.

The last few weeks were an eventful period for me. So eventful, in fact, that I almost forgot the passage of time.

It's funny, the more busier a person is, the less about time they think in the moment.

A week has passed since the start of the incident.

Or was it two?

I know that a couple of weeks have passed, yet those few past weeks felt like a few hours to me.

As my long-deserved break finally arrived, I started to stumble back from exhaustion, falling on my butt.

Oh my. I guess the last few weeks only felt like a few hours mentally. My body certainly feels very exhausted right now.

Not that it really mattered. I am more interested in the progress I made in the last weeks.

"System open!"

The first thing to check was the skill tab, of course.

[Skills]

[Appraisal Lvl 1 (Over the level Cap)]

[Strong Vitality Lvl 2 (Over the level Cap)]

[Presence Detection Lvl 2 (Over the level Cap)]

[Dash Lvl 2 (Max Level)(+)]

[Alchemy Lvl 2 (+)]

[Body Enhancement Lvl 1 (+)]

[Six Senses Mental Lock (Introductory Level)]

Hm?

Where did all the Skill Points come from to upgrade my skill?

Silly.

We are in the middle of a quarantine. How many people did you think got sick?

Although it seems twisted to feel pleased about having numerous patients, I was grateful for the opportunity it gave me.

Thanks to it, a steady stream of 1-star missions was triggered with each consecutive patient. Not to mention the compensation I get from completing all those missions.

But ultimately, it felt pretty lackluster. Even the rewards from 2-star missions are more exciting than what I get from 1-star missions, let alone 3 or 4-star tasks!

In the end, it was only natural for there to be a gap this big. The more you risk things, the more compensation you shall receive.

Still, it gave me plenty of resources to use.

Hm? Do you still have questions? How many Skill Points and Systems Points I exactly earned?

Well, it was enough to level up my Dash to the Max Level. That's really about it.

As for the extra level of Alchemy...

...it just advanced automatically after many sleepless nights of brewing potions.

"Yawn-..."

Sleepy...

I know we are in the middle of an incident, but...

A hard worker like me deserves a break. Just a few minutes.

Let me...

Close my eyes for a moment.

...

It was a sunny day. No, "sunny" would be an understatement.

The sun was high in the sky. It was noon. The rays of the sun scorched everything that it could illuminate.

Thanks to its position and intensity, the star perfectly aligned to eliminate any semblance of a shadow.

A zero-shadow day is when the sun stands at its Zenith and does not cast shadows on objects.

In short, it was hell for any mortal daring enough to be outside right now.

"Gah- this is such a pain in the ass! For the 197th time Hero, before you accept a quest, you should discuss it with us first! It's admirable that you want to help people, but think about us who follow you!"

In this scorching heat, a group of people was insane enough to be exposed to nature.

The one scolding the hero was the red-haired little sage.

The little sage was wearing a white mantle that was a little bit oversized for her. Wearing it, she resembled a daughter wearing their father's coat. It seemed that the cape was wearing her instead of her wearing the cape. Still, if you thought about it, the little sage was the least affected by the heat out of everyone.

Since white clothes reflected sunrays more than any other clothing and the sage's coat covered her entire body, her cloak should almost completely protect the sage from the relentless sun.

Yet, here she was. Complaining to Hiro, clinging to his arm and acting cute.

You know, the sensible thing to do would be to sigh and look past her actions, and in my benevolence, I would have done so.

If most of the girls in the party didn't do the same. Being the hero is one thing, but even the hero deserves a break.

Breaking away from the group, I ran ahead with all my might. Surprising everyone, pulling everyone's attention away from Hiro and onto me for a moment.

"Star! What are you doing?!"

I ignored the outcry from my party as I slowly started to disappear into the horizon.

Right before Dea disappeared from everyone's view, she stumbled and fell over.

Seeing that, I was worried, but before I could call out to her-

"Water! An oasis!"

Eanas, the green-haired elven archer, shouted from the top of her lungs.

"Scout!"

Before I could stop her, she also barreled towards where Dea fell.

This was the scorching desert. Moving together in a group was the logical choice, so when two party members detached from us, we had no choice but to run after them.

We all started to run under the harsh scorching sun. Each step drains more energy from us than the last. It took only a few moments for us to catch up with Eanas, as she was just affected as us by the sun.

This is why it's even more incredible that Dea could freely run as she did.

Standing on uneven ground, that gave in with each step. Under a sun that didn't cast any shadows. With water supplies running low.

Yet, under conditions like these, she ran as if it was soft ground.

In moments like these, I wondered if Dea was the same girl I grew up with in that tiny village.

Before I realized it, we arrived at the Oasis Eanas mentioned.

In the middle of the little lake, Rin was swimming in the clear waters of this little piece of heaven amidst the hell of this desert.

"Well, I'll be damned. There really was an Oasis."

Ragnvaldr, the berserker who hailed from the lands in the north, calmly analyzed.

As the news sank in, the party members' legs grew weak, and they collapsed under the weight of their bodies. Everyone realized that some relief from the intense heat was finally in front of them.

"What are you all waiting for? The water is cool and refreshing!"

That's all the words my party members needed to hear before jumping into the waters themselves.

Some took a swim, just like Rin. Others just submerged their heads in the water and took big gulps of the clear spring. And yet other people filled various containers with water while they still had the chance.

But in the end, the overall situation could be described in one word.

Elation.

Everyone was elated to finally see the spring of water they desperately wished for under the scorching sun of the desert.

Everyone, including Hiro.

"Enjoying the view?"

Hiro blushed when I asked him that question, not knowing where he should look.

This time, I gracefully decided to act oblivious about it.

"Man, this oasis is a lifesaver. I don't know what I would have done if it didn't appear."

Hiro just smiled wryly.

"The water is nice, but for some reason, I feel restless looking at it..."

This would be the part where I reassure him that it's all in his head. That he shouldn't worry too much. That he shouldn't look in the mouth of a gifted horse...

"I am just being stupid, aren't-"

"If you think about it, isn't this mega suspicious? We are in the middle of the cursed land, where hundreds of years ago, a fire giant cursed for time to stop on a zero-shadow day. This part of the country has not seen shade for hundreds of years. So, how did the water in this little oasis not evaporate yet?"

...but I wasn't for that. I voiced my suspicion without hesitation, and everyone realized this oasis was too good to be true.

Staring at me in shock, everyone immediately took a battle stance as they realized a giant bolder was falling towards us.

Barely reacting in time, Ragnvaldr split it in half with his legendary battle axe.

"Great job, Berserker!"

I cheered him on. He gave me a smile and a thumbs-up.

"Chahaha-! As expected of the hero party. I applaud you for seeing through my trap, but you won't be so-"

Interesting speech. Unfortunately, it was interrupted by a dropkick to his face.

He was shouting angry words at me, probably hurling insults at me, but I couldn't really bother to listen.

"Where is the dialogue skip option?"

That's when the fight between us and the fire giant started, and as expected, it ended with a victory for us, the hero party.

Still, like every other boss fight, it was a hard-earned victory.

"Thanks, Rin. If you didn't warn us, someone could have died."

"Aw~, that's sweet of you..."

For a second, I wondered...

...what did he just call me?

"...Hiro..."

"What's wrong, Rin?"

Rin? That isn't a name I carried until...

"Somebody help! Rin looks extremely pale!"

...this life.

"RIN!"

...

Waking up, I clutched my head as I still felt disorientated.

"Rin! Finally, you woke up! I had to scream right next to your ear before you showed any life signs!"

Looking up, I saw an expression of relief. I wondered what happened for Keine to show such an expression.

Especially since I advised everyone in the mansion to take the medicine from the crates whenever they needed it.

I couldn't have slept for an entire month, right?

"Ugh... what is it, Keine?"

"We don't have much time for idle chatter. Rin, hurry up and get ready."

Woah, things are happening a bit too fast! Even for my taste! Especially with Keine being all over me, trying to change me into clean clothes.

"Y-You don't have to do this for me, Keine. I can get changed myself! Seriously. First, you woke me up from my well-deserved rest, and now you are urging me along. I'd be rather upset if it isn't something important. We have enough medicine, don't we? What could have-"

"...Akyuu collapsed a little while ago."

. . . !

"We already tried your medicine, but Akyuu's condition didn't improve. Instead, it seems to worsen. Rin, I want you to help..."

At that point, my mind already went blank. Akyuu hired me as her physician, yet I neglected her health and prioritized the village.

I knew that Akyuu had poor health and that she needed special care. Yet, here I am, locking myself in the storage, mindlessly brewing potions. And for what?

So the villagers that were doing fine stayed healthy? No, that was just an excuse. What I really wanted was an excuse for me to go out and investigate the incident because that seemed more fun to me.

Yet, if I thought about it, Akyuu getting gravely sick was only a question of time. With each passing day, the scarlet mist got thicker and thicker. Akyuu might have quarantined herself, but even a tiny whiff of it would harm her.

The more I thought about it, the angrier I got at myself until...

"Rin!"

When I regained consciousness, I found myself kneeling in front of Akyuu. Measuring the girl's pulse, who struggled to even breathe right now.

"Rin, how is it? Is it as bad as I thought?"

Struggling to remain calm, I tried to focus. But to no avail. My thoughts were racing. Feeling like countless little ants that crawl over my entire brain. As my sight grew more and more unfocused...

*slap*

I gave myself a hearty slap on my face. Now wasn't the time to lose my cool. Now was the time to act before it was too late.

Keine still looked shocked at me for slapping myself out of nowhere, yet I paid it no mind as I gave her a nod to her previous question.

"Naturally, humans in good health have some resistance to the effects of the scarlet mist. That's why my medicine works but for those with a weak constitution, like Akyuu, the energy in the mist corrodes their body. In the worse case, it might even shorten her already short lifespan even more."

Hearing that, Kamishirasawa Keine bit her lip as if she tried holding herself back to not curse.

It seems that what I told her was as bad or even worse than what she concluded.

"As you said, Keine-sensei. We don't have much time to waste. Help me carry the poor girl to the Hakurei-Shrine. The elevation there is higher, so the mist should be naturally thinner. Not to mention that it's sacred grounds. The Hakurei-Shrine might even be the only place in Gensokyo clear from this mist."

Keine gave me a nod, wiping her tears away.

"Certainly. It would be preferable to having Akyuu stay in the human village any day of the week."

As we both agreed on our next course of action, we didn't hesitate to take action instead of lingering around to see what would happen next.

""Let's make haste then.""

Keine left the room, giving the servants instructions on what to do for the next couple of days, while I took a piece of cloth and wrapped it around Akyuu's nose and mouth.

Of course, that wasn't nearly enough. So, I searched for anything that could help me inside the system's shop.

Until I came across the perfect item.

[Air Purification Pill]

I couldn't even believe the price when I saw it. It was one system point.

It was so cheap I couldn't believe it.

[Comment section unlocked]

How convenient. I immediately checked out the comment section.

[Why does nobody want to buy my product. T-T]

[Maybe it's because it's an air purifier in the form of a pill? What do you want us to do? Swallow it and purify our stomach? I could list countless reasons why that's a bad idea.]

[Oh... guess I am stupid.]

That was...

...informative.

Still, it was the perfect item for the situation. So, I didn't hesitate to buy and put it inside Akyuu's mouth.

And I started to panic when I saw that the barely conscious girl tried to swallow it.

Barely reacting in time, I managed to prevent it.

"Akyuu, this medicine is only effective when you hold it in your mouth. Do not swallow it. I repeat. Do. NOT. Swallow. It. Did you understand me, Akyuu?"

Akyuu gave me a nod, confirming that she was still conscious enough to listen to instructions, holding the pill in her mouth.

That was also the moment when Keine returned.

"I finished giving everyone instructions. Let's go."

I gave Keine a nod, lifting Akyuu up and carrying her on my back. We had nothing left to do in the village, so we started hurrying towards the Hakurei-Shrine.

"Rin, do you happen to be able to fly?"

This is a question that would make you wonder if the teacher asking would be fit for their job.

But for a teacher in Gensokyo, it would be a perfectly normal question. Since everyone and their mother in Gensokyo knew how to fly for some reason.

Sadly, I was the exception for now.

Leveling up my Dash skill allowed me to freely move on a two-dimensional plane, meaning that I could dash backward if I wanted to. Though, I found more use in sprinting sideways.

Still, that meant that the air was still out of my reach. There was hope that the next level of Dash might have allowed me to walk on air, but I doubted it. A lot.

So, I shook my head at Keine's question. No, I couldn't fly. Yet.

"I see. That's a pity."

Why did she look so disappointed? Not that it really mattered since we made quite the distance on foot.

"You know, I just realized, but the road to the shrine is in quite bad shape."

"That's because Youkais tend to lurk here. Additionally, the Hakurei-Shrine is quite off the beaten path. So, it's natural that the villagers don't use the path, let alone maintain it."

"Huh, the road must be pretty scary at night."

Keine chuckled.

"It's especially frightening when fairies attempt an ambush like they are doing now."

"Yeah!"

Came from a bush on the side of the road.

"Wait, what?"

Came from the same bush.

"What just happened?"

You blew your camouflage, idiots.

"H-hey, I heard that!"

"Come on, Charlie! Let's show those humans what we are capable of!"

...!

Shocked, I barely managed to dodge the bullets in time. Even though I was familiar with Touhou as a bullet hell game, it was my first time dodging Danmaku since I arrived in Gensokyo, so it caught me off-guard.

"Rin!"

Noticing the situation, Keine was startled. Seems like she didn't expect the fairies to be trigger-happy.

"Akyuu is fine! I made sure the bullets didn't even come near her!"

"But what about you!?"

I just flashed Keine my signature bright smile when she asked that.

"It just grazed me. It's nothing!"

Man, I just realized what "grazing" translated into in the real world. Since Touhou is a bullet hell, the hitbox is tinier than the sprite work of the character. A usual characteristic bullet hells had.

Thanks to that, the projectiles on the screen can hit your character portrait without hitting your character.

In Touhou, that's called grazing, and you'd try to graze a lot since grazing bullets gave you extra score points.

Now, as for what that translates to in real life...

To avoid taking damage, I need to avoid getting hit in the stomach area, which is where my hitbox would be located if the sprite represents my body.

That means it counts as grazing as long as the bullets don't hit the area where my lower dantian would be located, for all you Wuxia novel freaks!

...

Did I mention that Danmaku hurt yet?

As much as getting hit on my limbs or face won't leave me in danger, it doesn't sound fun getting hit there...

Not to mention that I don't know if gameplay mechanics would get carried over.

"Keine! These fairies are probably getting affected by the lunacy of the Scarlet Mist! There is no use talking to them!"

"If you say so, Rin. You are the doctor. You should know more about this than me."

I could only laugh wryly. How often do I need to say that I am not a doctor!

"Nevermind. So, what's the plan, Keine-sensei?"

By the time we got our bearings back, we got surrounded in a pincer attack.

"This is troublesome. We need to protect Akyuu, but if we focus on one side, we'll get attacked on the other. There is not much you can do since you are carrying the person we need to protect, so our only hope would be for me to somehow pierce through their formation while you try your best to defend."

"Saying it out loud, but I don't like the chances of that plan."

Keine pouted.

"Then how do you think the person who said the plan out loud feels?"

Touché. Keine probably was the person who wanted to avoid this situation the most. Since she suggested it, it must be that hopeless.

"..."

"Please let me get off, Rin."

...!

"What are you saying, Akyuu? I am doing just fine. I have no problems carrying someone as light as you!"

Akyuu shook her head.

"No, the mist has grown thicker and made the fairies even more powerful. If you keep trying to protect me, all of us will get defeated..."

"..."

"..."

"Predicting the enemy and striking them at the right time. That is the first theory of youkai extermination. If you divide your work, it should be easier to get out of this predicament."

...

"But what about your condition, Akyuu?"

The little, sick girl just gave me a thumbs-up.

"I am not so weak that breathing in a bit of mist would completely incapacitate me. Don't worry. I trust you, your medicine, and your capabilities, Rin. Worst case, I dodge some Danmaku. How difficult could it be?"

Hearing that, I reluctantly gave Akyuu a nod.

"I understand. Don't push yourself, and under every circumstance, keep yourself safe. Have you understood me?"

Now it was Akyuu's turn to give me a nod.

I placed Akyuu on the ground and prepared myself for the incoming attack.

"Rin! Why did you put Akyuu down?"

"She is going for a walk while we take care of the fairies."

Shocked, it seemed that Keine was about to veto the idea.

"Under any other circumstances, I would have denied that idea, but seeing the situation..."

Keine sighed.

"I guess we need to defeat the enemy as fast as possible. Alternatively, we could protect her until she is far away enough from the battlefield."

I looked at Akyuu, who was barely managing to stay upright. So did Keine.

Yeah, that's not an option.

"You cover the back, and I'll secure the way to the shrine!"

I made sure to follow Keine's command without fault.

"Alright, Akyuu! How long do you think you can hold out?"

I could hear how much she pushed herself right now.

"Maybe 7 minutes... I don't think I can hold out longer than that."

That means we needed to finish this in less than 7.

""Alright! We won't let them lay a finger on Akyuu!""

And so, our escort mission started.

That is to say...

[Lvl. 32 History Eater, Keine Kamishirasawa]

How did Keine level up so much already? Is that the power of a character? How unfair.

"Now might be a bad time to ask, but..."

As we were being attacked by six fairies, I glanced over at Keine and wondered what she could possibly have to say in this situation.

"What do you know about Spellcards?"

Finally, I can actually explain what a Spellcard actually is.

I mean...

How funny, now that I think about it, the others didn't know I already knew about it.

As the duels between the Hakurei Shrine Maiden of the last generation and youkai threatened Gensokyo's destruction, the three sages and everyone who had any saying power here agreed that it couldn't continue like this.

But as the Youkai felt that their meanings of existence gradually faded, as they felt that they could neither beat the Hakurei-Shrine Maiden nor duel with their might, a set of rules was written in a contract to permit duels.

The Spellcard Rules were introduced as a way to allow both parties to display their skill in a beautiful competition while at the same time:

1, Make it easier for Youkai to cause an incident.

2, Make it easier for humans to resolve an incident.

3, Rejecting a System where only the strongest have the right to rule.

And lastly...

4, That beauty and thoughtfulness stand above all.

As for what is written in the bill...

~~~~~~~

*Spell cards are techniques specially named by the individual, and they must be declared upon use./Combatants will give names and meanings to the duel for the benefit of beauty.

*The number of each party's spell cards must be determined in advance of a duel./Combatants will declare the number of named duels before beginning.

*The first party to have all of their spell cards beaten must admit defeat./Combatants may not repeat attacks by relying on stamina. Combatants may not deliver attacks that do not have meaning, as the meaning itself becomes the attack's power. In the case that a combatant loses a named duel, that combatant will admit defeat, even if he or she has strength remaining.

*The victor is entitled only to what was agreed upon before the duel. If they're not interested in what their opponent has to offer, they can refuse a duel.

*Winners should generally allow losers a rematch.

*Always prepare for the unexpected.

*No combatant may kill a human, even upon victory.

*Combatants will write the duel's name on paper in the format of a contract. By doing so, the above-mentioned rules become absolute.

~~~~~~~

That's what I gathered from the Spellcard Rule Draft and the actual Spellcard Rule Bill.

It's also what I retold Keine word for word when she asked me what I knew about Spellcards.

To say the least, as a teacher, she was very baffled that a new student of hers apparently already knew all there is to know about a subject.

"How did you learn all of that?"

"What do you think I did in my free time at the Hieda Household?"

Looking at me, Keine just shook her head.

"If you already knew, why are you still hesitating?"

She raised her hand, and a card suddenly materialized between her index and middle finger.

I, of course, followed suit.

The creation of a Spellcard was pretty simple once you understood its steps.

First was using your ability as a foundation. Everything counted. Even just throwing a stone could serve as the foundation for your Spellcard.

Then, once you have your foundation, give it meaning. Whether it is to protect or harm someone, put your ideals, yourself, into the card.

After completing the first two steps, the card should begin to take shape.

Then, once it took shape, it was time to determine the Spellcards pattern. After that, it was time to name your Spellcard.

Ability, meaning, pattern correction, and name.

That's the process of creating a Spellcard.

But despite its relatively simple process of creation, I failed countless times when I tried to create my first Spellcard.

Until I didn't. Exactly one.

That's the amount of Spellcards I created over the past weeks.

Only one. Nothing more.

And now, it was time for me to use it for the first time. Alongside Keine, of course.

"Spellcard! Spiritual Birth: [First Pyramid]!"

"Spellcard! Wind Sign: [Purifying Sound]!"

Activating both our Spellcards in tandem, a torrent of bullets was created.

Keine's Spellcard carried the power and symbolism of the first pyramid. The three bullets forming the foundation of the Spellcard embody the three gods of musubi, the three gods of creation in Japanese mythology. It was a harmonious symmetry, as expected from a history buff like Keine. Or maybe it's just a riceball.

The three bullets that formed the foundation of Keine's spellcard spun around, with her as the center point, shooting down everything that got a bit too close and didn't have enough skills to weave through its gaps.

My Spellcard, on the other hand, didn't have any fancy symbolism or meaning.

I merely imitated the soundwaves of the most harmonious sounds I knew and arranged them into a bullet pattern.

The end result of it was a pattern that resembled gentle waves flowing through the surrounding area.

However, it was still sufficient to deal with a group of no-name fairies without any difficulty.

Thanks to our Spellcards, we defeated the fairies in less than five minutes.

"It seems we removed the threat. For now."

As I stood there contemplating, Keine ran past me while carrying Akyuu on her back.

"Then what are we waiting for? The Shrine isn't going to reach itself."

Once again, I chuckled softly at the situation.

"Good work, Akyuu, Keine."

[2* Escort the Princess - Complete]

[Calculating additional rewards for excellent clear]

[Rewards: 7 Skill Points + Dismantling level (+1)]