CH.2: Mission

/Pls Enjoy/

-3rd POV-

[Hey! C-Calm down Sakuya...]

Sakuya was currently on her knees and forearms on the floor, recounting everything in her mind. She has recently discovered that she's a character made for entertainment. She may be a cool and collected maid, but after discovering that, she couldn't keep her breathing in check.

'Then... what was everything for? What is the point of everything I am doing? Why am I even trying? Was my actions just then part of a story? I...' Her thoughts slowly spiraled out of control.

[SAKUYA!]

The loud System broke her out of her thoughts. Cold sweat was visible on her face and her silver hair was slightly messy. "What." Her voice was a bit haggard and she sounded like a person without water in a desert.

[Calm down...]

The System tried reassuring her, but she broke out in a frustrated tangent. "How? How am I suppose to calm down after finding out about why or who I've been made!?" Her voice started quiet and increased in volume as she expressed herself.

[I... I don't see you as a character right now.]

The caused Sakuya to go quiet as she stared at the floating screen with text in front of her.

[I may not know you personally, heck, in actuality we just met. But that doesn't change what I see right now. In the past all I saw was a character made for entertainment, but what I see right now is a person who is experiencing an existential crisis because they "Think" their existence is a lie. Your memories, your entire being is what you are. Right now, you aren't the character Sakuya Izayoi, your the person "Sakuya Izayoi".]

The System made a speech that made it cringe a little. As advent of the window slowly turning pink as it continued speaking. But it continued on in attempt to console it's user.

[I used to be a human that saw you as a character, but now, I am a System that is attached to the person instead. Make use of me and find yourself Sakuya. :)]

The small smiley face at the end brought a long silence along with it.

Suddenly, with a sniffle, Sakuya silently stood up and fixed her haggard appearance. "Thanks..." The window then angled up and down to simulate a nod.

[No problem Sakuya. Also, call my Sys. System is one syllable to many for my liking.]

'This thing is pretty silly.' Sakuya thought while nodding.

[I know I'm pretty funny haha~]

The Sys was flattered and then Sakuya was a bit flustered. 'You can hear my thoughts?' The window once again angled up and down as a nod.

[I found the setting when you were having "that" moment.]

'Ah... Please do try and not intrude to much then...' Sakuya, the cool headed and cold maid, was blushing at not a person, but something that used to be a person.

[I'll try not to, I won't intrude on moments when you want quiet. We're partners now, I'll help you since I am basically attached to your life.]

Sakuya then nodded and after cleaning herself up one last time, she stood in front of Patchouli and resumed time.

To Patchouli Knowledge, the librarian of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, it looked as though Sakuya has just appeared out of thin air. She's already used to it.

Patchouli Knowledge, the librarian of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. She isn't particularly human, but is instead a magician. The difference is that magicians lived longer and potentially forever.

Patchouli wore a long purple dress that had long sleeves and went all the way down to her ankles. She wore a cap that adorned a similar color, her hair was a darker shade of purple and her eyes were like amethysts.

"Mistress wants to read a fairytale. Something she hasn't read." Sakuya stood in front of Patchouli's desk waiting.

"I see Remi wants something strange again. I'll check the catalogue real quick. Koakuma?" She referred to Remilia as Remi, as they have been together for a long time. She also called upon her familiar, Koakuma.

Koakuma was originally a devil without a name that appeared as midboss in, "Embodiment of a Scarlet Devil". The community gave Koakuma her name as it means "Little Devil".

She wore a black dress that went up towards her upper body, had long sleeves that were white and a red necktie to match it all up. Her hair was a dark shade of red with little bat wings protruding out that matched the ones on her back, her eyes matched her hair and to finish it all off, she even wore some nice tights.

"Yes?" She tilted her head and it was quite cute. Patchouli and Sakuya were used to it, however, Sys was not used to it.

[*Cough Cough*]

Sakuya just heard Sys coughing roughly and decided to ask. 'Why're you coughing like you swallowed something wrong?'

[I have never seen such cuteness in my previous life other than anime. Seeing it in person truly is deadly.]

Sakuya's expression didn't change as she continued to look towards the conversing Patchouli and Koakuma. Internally however, she did grin a little at how Sys acted. 'Your confident nobody else can see you?'

[Yes, have you seen the two react to the so-called floating window beside you anyway?]

Sakuya just internally sighed and decided to check out the shop while waiting for Koakuma to get the book. She could get it herself but was feeling a bit out of it after the moment she had in her stopped time. The shop however, had different options from last time.

[Patchouli Knowledge L1]

[Patchouli Knowledge (Scarlet) A6]

[Patchouli Knowledge (Loyal Elemental Magician) E1]

[Patchouli Knowledge (Great Library at the Hieda Residence) L1]

[...]

'Why's it different this time?' She said shop while looking at Patchouli, so she was brainstorming. Sys then confirmed it by speaking up with another window.

[Well, It's because you looked at another person within Gensokyo while opening the Shop.]

'That means I could Adapt to Others?' Sakuya posed a question to which Sys already had the answer to.

[Yes, it's another stat within the Status. But since you didn't exactly tell me to list all the functions when first opening it, I decided to show what you may need to know at that moment.]

A sweat drop appeared at the top right of the window causing a slight grin to appear on Sakuya's face. She had been more emotional ever since truly becoming herself.

"Sakuya." Patchouli called out towards the maid, to which Sakuya redirected her focus back onto the librarian. She then saw the girl holding out a book towards her.

"This is probably one of the only few Remi hasn't read. We got it recently from the last trip outside of Gensokyo." Sakuya then took the book gently and nodded a thank you before disappearing with her time stop.

Before Sakuya could exit the library however, Sys popped up.

[Sakuya, before you leave through that door. An option was updated, say Quest or Mission.]

Sakuya put her hand down and summoned forth the window. 'Mission.'

The window appeared and it was strange.

[A Walk With Time]

[Difficulty: E-]

[Condition: Give the book to Remilia without using your time or space manipulation skills. Condition begins after leaving the library.]

[Reward: System Currency.]

Sakuya stared at the window and then began conversing with words in her World. "Did you make this?" It was quite ridiculous.

[Nope. I just manage this thing, I don't even know how it works. The Quests and some other things are all out of my control.]

Sys let out a sigh and Sakuya sighed as well before putting her stoic face back on. She walked back to the place she began her time stop and the resumed time, as if nothing ever happened.

"Have a good afternoon." Sakuya said as she began walking towards the door.

Naturally, both Koakuma and Patchouli were a bit confused as to why Sakuya didn't just leave as she usually did. So, Patchouli decided to question her a bit.

"Sakuya, why aren't you using your powers to get to Remi faster?" It was a simple question.

Sakuya then looked over her shoulder with the door open to the point where light shone through. "Sometimes even I want a normal walk in the mansion." She then proceeded to walk out of the library.

As the door closed behind her, she let out a breath and continued her way down the hall.

[This place is almost as big as the games and anime showed.]

Sys marveled at the size of everything. Which made sense considering that people and fairies basically fly through here and shoot spellcards.

'Well, the Mansion does accommodate quite a lot of workers' Sakuya is referring to the mass amount of fairies. Although, most of the rooms still aren't used despite that.

The sunlight shone through the giants panes of glass and brightened the hall. Each step was accompanied by an echo of the previous. The sounds being made were peaceful and enough to make one wish they were here forever.

'Maybe a walk without using my powers is okay once in awhile.'