Chapter 81

Kusa, Youmu, Reimu, and Marisa are just having a picnic in the area full of flowers

Marisa: Kusa, why are we resting in this kind of place?

Kusa: well you see... there's a guard here and she will be our guide to the next area

Reimu: a grim reaper?

Kusa: Nope...

Youmu: its the god of chickens

Marisa|Reimu: God of chickens?

Marisa and Reimu can't imagine how a chicken can become a god

Kusa: well typically, she is depicted as a god of agriculture, fertility, irrigation, and/or safe passage, and is at times associated with chickens, she also can cure throat diseases

Kusa: also it seemed Youmu's personality changed...

Kusa sighs and looks at the three

Kusa: should I just forcefully pull the spirits back to the reincarnation circle?

The three shuddered after hearing the remark of Kusa

She is seriously thinking about it and had a no hint of joking

Reimu: well... Kusa let's make it easy for now it's not permanent after all

Kusa: it's not permanent, yes... but...

Kusa: *sigh* I'm upset because I can't prevent the mix of personalities

Kusa: after all, I've seen spirits conquer the bodies of humans and rip their souls... not literally but the plants told me about it

Kusa: I feel like I'm allowing someone to put a knife in your neck so it made me uncomfortable

Reimu(Otter): I promise I won't hurt this human

Marisa(Eagle): You have my promise

Youmu(Wolf): M-Me too

Kusa: you better be! or the realm known as the animal realm will cease on this reality

The three nod in meekness when a girl has arrived

Kutaka: Kusa!!!

A girl decided to dive-bomb Kusa but she missed by a slight margin making her hit the ground

Kusa: I didn't even do anything yet you miss...

The girl wears a brown dress under a short white jacket. Her jacket has an orange Puritan collar, over which she wears a red ribbon that resembles a rooster's wattle. She wears long brown boots. She has fluffy yellow wings and a bushy, feathery tail. She has red eyes and a light tan. Her hair is cut short and light yellow. On top of her head is a red nest-like extension, which hosts a tiny chick

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▪︎Kutaka Niwatari - Healing throat illnesses▪︎

Kutaka: Kusa!!!

Kutaka hugs Kusa and she rubs her cheeks towards her as she ignores the three people that emit killing intent

Kusa: we just met a week ago

Kutaka: but!!!

Marisa: You chicken dares to touch my wife?!

Kusa sighs at another personality mix have occurred

Kutaka: I'm the god of chickens!

Marisa: I don't care if you are a god or not but to think you covet mine ill make sure you will be fried!

Kusa: That's enough, we need to hurry up and finish this

Kusa: Kutaka can you guide us towards the second circle?

Kutaka: yes!

Kusa beckons the rest to follow Kutaka until they arrived at a windy area of hell

Kutaka: unfortunately I can only guide you up to this point

Kusa: it's fine, thank you Kutaka

Kutaka: bye!

Kutaka flies away and she takes a final look at Marisa and taunts her and flies away

Making Marisa mad but Kusa just simply stop her

Kusa: well let's go

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Youmu: there's someone there!

Youmu points to the distance where there's a faint silhouette of a person

Kusa: *sigh* (a gang leader...)

Kusa: Let's follow her also Reimu

Reimu: yes?

Kusa: nothing...

Kusa: (this is the first time after a very long time that I feel stressed out... I'm also a bit of a paranoid)

Kusa: (my constant worry and overthink about their safety and the constant information I got from the  new plants overwhelms my brain and it started to hurt)

Kusa sighs and fastens her flight speed to catch up with the individual

The individual has stopped and looks at them

It's a girl that has red eyes and blonde short hair with yellow antler-like horns. She wears a light blue shirt and a turquoise pleated skirt. She has a green scaly shell on her back, the scales extend to her long tail with a segmented underside.

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▪︎Yachie Kicchou - Making people lose the will to fight back▪︎

Yachie: ohh... it seems four humans have arrived to help I wanted to test you all but four of you could easily defeat her

Yachie: I'm pretty sure there are only three but why there's an extra one...

Kusa: let's cut this chase and just guide us there

Yachie seemed surprised by the guts of this spirit to dare to talk back to her but she realized that there was no spirit inside of her

She wants to talk to her but she saw an anomaly in the girl and saw her hair becomes a bit redder as her pressure seemed to get stronger

And she realized that this individual has the same feelings as the demon enemy but is a bit gentler

Yachie: very well

Reimu (otter) is surprised to see her leader allows Kusa to cut her off

Youmu: Kusa, why does your hair become redder?

Kusa: nothing... just a natural occurrence

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Yachie: go towards that city and you will find the enemy

She then flies away without nothing much to say

They have arrived in the city

Kusa: (the animal spirits treat the human spirits so badly... it angers me but people in hell especially if they are here commits atrocious deeds)

They continued to fly towards the center but they have been stopped by a girl

The girl has yellow eyes and blonde hair. Her hair is tied into buns held by a white cloth. her sidelocks are shaped like an ancient helmet's cheek pieces. She wears a tiny handle on her neck and wields a longer one, it is unknown if the long haniwa is a scabbard for a sword. Her clothes consist of a white shirt and pants under yellow lamellar armor. Her armguards are purple and are secured with red ropes. Her boots are dark blue.

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▪︎Mayumi Joutougu - Directly turning her loyalty into strength▪︎

Mayumi: humans? You'd better get back to the Primate Spirit Garden post-haste,

or else you'll be captured by starving beasts

Kusa: I need to talk to your goddess

Mayumi: eh?

Kusa: there are many things to do to solve this conflict so let's do this quickly

Kusa: I'm a god too so let me talk to your god

Mayumi: a god?! then let me guide you

Kusa looks at the three people who stayed silent

Kusa: cause a ruckus and I will smite you all

She then flies with Mayumi while the rest follows a bit behind

Marisa(eagle): tsk... what is she doing we supposed to defeat her

Youmu(wolf): then how about we fight her?

Reimu(otter): if I were you let's not because I'm pretty sure she will eliminate us all, didn't you feel her danger at all wolf?

Youmu(wolf): thats...

Reimu(otter): You can go ahead...

The three decided to not take action and follow where Kusa and Mayumi heading to

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Later on, they saw a huge castle in the middle of the keyhole like a shaped central island

The castle looks very futuristic that made Kusa tilts her head while the three spirit animals are enraged but don't dare to do something because of Kusa

Kusa: (ahhh!!! It's about politics?! Why this incident is about politics?!)

Kusa: (from the tidbits of information I already got the full picture of this problem)

Kusa: so basically the humans can't take being in the lowest hierarchy

Kusa: so they Summons Keiki in the hopes that the animals won't enslave them again

Kusa: because of that the four groups can't touch the humans anymore because of her

Kusa: am I right you three?

The three are sweating after Kusa knowing their true intention and then they decided to attack her on impulse

Kusa: using someone I cherish to attack me... you animals are getting ahead of yourself!!!

Kusa snapped and the entire world has gone crimson and the entire hell become ablaze

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The next morning In the Hakurei Shrine

Reimu: Hmm?

Marisa: ngh...?

Youmu: mgh?

Reimu, Marisa, and Youmu awaken at the same time

Reimu: what happened?

Marisa: I can't remember...

Youmu: I thought we are just going to meet the perpetrator but why are we here in the shrine?

Marisa: that's strange...

Reimu: where is Kusa?

Kasen: you guys are awake!

Reimu: Kasen, do you know where is Kusa?

Kasen: Kusa?

Reimu: yes, do you know where she is?

Kasen: is that the name of a person?

Marisa: This isn't the time to be joking around Kasen we need to know where she is!

Kasen: geez... don't be angry to tell you the truth she still has not come home yet after she tucks you guys in

Youmu: but is she okay?!

Kasen: yes, though she seemed a bit angry what happened?

Marisa: well...

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Kasen: I see... even though I didn't know the whole picture but could say that you three are very reckless

Marisa: Yes, we know...

Kasen: normal possession is very dangerous unlike the yorigami sisters' perfect possession

Kasen: I could understand that you all want to help Kusa but-

Reimu: it's more harm than good...

Youmu: should listen to lady Yuyuko that ghosts and spirits are scary...

Mokou: the food is ready!

Mokou's voice can be heard from the kitchen

Kasen: well we should eat first I'm sure Kusa will come back eventually

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They eat at the dining table peacefully when the door suddenly opened revealing Kusa with two other people

Kusa: are you guys okay?!

Kusa walks toward them and makes sure they are fine

Reimu: We are fine Kusa

Kusa: are you sure?

Reimu: yes!

Kusa: how about you Marisa?

Marisa: I'm fine! I could beat Reimu if I want to

Reimu: ohh? Then let's see how would you perform later

Kusa: I'm glad... how about you Youmu?

Youmu: I'm fine!

Kusa: I'm glad...

Kasen: Kusa, who are the people with you?

Kusa: ah! I forgot, the yellow-haired girl is Mayumi and Keiki is the blue-haired one

Keiki wears a green headkerchief, similar to these commonly seen on the so-called "priestess" haniwa, and a dress and apron likely also based on haniwa outfits. The spiral decorations on her dress are similar to paintings from some of the ornamented kofun from the Fukuoka prefecture. Her necklace consists of several multicolored magatamas

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▪︎Keiki Haniyasushin - Ability to create idols▪︎

▪︎magatama - comma-shaped beads often used as a symbol of divinity, and described as a frequent offering for the gods in early Japanese chronicles.▪︎

Mokou: you two let's eat because we have many foods here

Keiki: thanks...

Mayumi: thank you

Kusa: I'm starving so let's eat!

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A/N: Did I disappoint you?