The Beginning of the Dream

"Suwako Moriya...?" I had heard that name before.

"You seem puzzled," Suwako giggled, her frog-like hat bobbing with her movements. "I'm the goddess of the Moriya Shrine."

"Goddess... huh." I bowed respectfully to her.

"Ahh, no need for formalities for now. Let's go to the shrine," she said with a smile.

I nodded as the two of us walked toward the shrine.

"By the way... Why did you suddenly host a festival?" I asked curiously.

She stayed silent, only smiling, as we entered the shrine. Inside, I noticed Sanae sitting down on the floor in a formal way.

"Shun?" Sanae looked at me with surprise.

"Good evening, Miss Sanae," I greeted her.

"G-Good evening," she replied nervously.

"Hm?" I tilted my head slightly, sensing something unusual.

"Welcome, Human." Another figure stepped forward, grinning while holding a sake cup. She had an elaborate red shirt with long white sleeves and a round mirror over the center of her chest.

Her long black skirt featured a red flower print hem. With poofy intense blue hair and dark red eyes, she had a striking presence. Behind her was a large twisting rope circle shimenawa with shide, the zigzag-shaped paper streamers often used in rituals.

Shimenawa, lengths of laid rice straw or hem rope, were used for ritual purification. I remembered the time when I was in the outside world, and my mistress and I had gone off to a shrine for the New Year.

Shide, zigzag-shaped paper streamers, were often seen attached to shimenawa used in rituals. They were usually attached to a wooden rod, or a gohei.

"I haven't introduced myself, have I? My name is Kanako Yasaka, the current deity of the Moriya Shrine," she said confidently.

I bowed again. "My name is Shun, the butler of the Scarlet Devil Mansion."

"Hoho~ So you have manners too, That's good... as expected," Kanako remarked, giving me an intrigued look.

I looked up at her, confused by her statement. What did she mean by 'as expected'?

"You seem confused."

"I am actually, I have a lot of questions to ask."

"Fufu~ It's okay... How about you drink with us? Sanae, go fetch him some sake."

Sanae stood up. "Is it that 'sake'?"

Kanako nodded.

Sanae looked at me worriedly and walked away.

"Sorry about that. I didn't mean for you to witness Sanae in her punishment."

Oh, so that's why she's sitting down in a formal manner.

"It's okay but why did you invite me here?"

"Oh? Get to the point, I see..." She sipped on her plate with a sake in it. "Ahh~" She then looked at me. "Shun, do you have someone you like?"

I slightly flushed, looking down and shaking my head.

"I see. How about... is there someone you're interested in?"

I shook my head again.

"Hm?~ How weird... Normally, a healthy boy like you would be interested, especially surrounded by women in the mansion." She sipped her plate again. "Are you gay?"

"Definitely not."

"That's a straight answer." She chuckled.

"What's with the sudden questions...?"

Just then, Sanae appeared with a bottle of sake placed on a plate and she knelt down before me. "H-Here you go."

I smiled and nodded as I took the bottle of sake.

"Drink up, Shun."

As I sniffed the sake, its strong scent caught me off guard. I hesitated for a moment, but then I decided to take a sip and slowly drank it down.

The taste was potent, and I felt a warmth spreading through me.

"Oho~ How was it?" Kanako asked with an amused smile.

I let out a sigh, feeling the effects of the sake starting to kick in. "I-It was... great."

Sanae looked at me with concern, "Are you feeling okay, Shun?"

"I'm fine, don't worry."

Despite my words, I could feel the alcohol starting to affect me.

As the effects of the sake intensified, I felt myself growing more and more dizzy. I tried to steady myself, but my legs gave way, and I found myself falling back down to the ground.

The world around me began to spin, and I could hear Sanae's concerned voice calling out to me.

"Shun! Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine..." I mumbled, though my words slurred slightly. I tried to sit up, but it was a struggle to maintain my balance.

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to clear my head. The room seemed to sway around me.

As I tried to clear my head, I found myself in a different place altogether. The surroundings looked familiar—it was the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

"Where am I?" I mumbled, trying to make sense of the situation. "This is... the mansion?"

Before I could gather my thoughts, Alice and Youmu suddenly appeared before me. They both looked slightly tipsy and had flushed cheeks.

"You two... Are you okay?!" I asked, concerned.

The two of them looked at me and smiled, their blushes becoming more evident.

"Oh~ Shun!~" Alice giggled as she hugged my arm.

"Hehe~ Shun..." Youmu chimed in, hugging my other arm and nuzzling it.

"Eh?! What's going on...!?" I felt my heart race as the two girls held onto me.

"Calm down, you two!"

"Hehehe~" Alice pulled me closer, her voice sounding somewhat drunk. "Now that I think about it, aren't you a cutie?" she said, giggling.

Before I could respond, Youmu grabbed my arm, pulling me toward her. "What do you mean~ Shun is mine! I already confessed!"