The elevator stopped, and the cage door opens to the room with bookshelves. I rummaged through the books again, until I find another note.

A part of a journal.

"Day 30. Lady Patchouli still doesn't see what good comes from this hypothesis that I made. She continued to say that the Magus needs more insight so that they may ascend to Divine levels of magic usage. But this way is more quicker. The blood of the Moriya Miko is blessed by her miracles, to boost our livelihood and the magic cast by magicians. Tonight, I shall stand up, and pick my path even though the risk, like what Lady Patchouli said, is already calculated by her."

And again, it is by Okazaki Yumemi. If she found out about the blood of Sanae, could it be that the roots are at the Scarlet Devil Mansion, where Patchy and the others are?

And I have used that blood as well, does that mean that I too have been blessed and cursed?

I made my way back up to the shrine altar, and headed back out to the yard after putting my coat back on. Using my broom, I flew to the skies toward the Mansion. The towering structure becomes closer and larger, and I landed on the front gate as the walls were blocked off with a magic barrier. Patchy had never done this before, what happened inside?

I landed down onto the gate, and I heard a whisper from behind me. I turned around to see a tongue, sticking out from an umbrella.

"Over here, Good Magus."

I followed the voice, to meet a lilac haired girl with heterochromic eyes, sporting a playful grin.

"Kogasa! What are you doing at a place like this, and where's the gate guard?"

"Meiling? She's gone. The Maid took her in. As for me? I'm just a travelling smith by now, and I see that your broom has a blade attached to it, like a spear. That's... Creative, I never knew you could improvise with weaponry."

"Anything for me to survive, Youkai."

Kogasa chuckled.

"By the way, Kogasa. Can you have a look at this?"

I opened my magic storage, and the case that contained Hakuroken flew out. She opened the case, and made an intrigued whistling sound.

"Now this is a rare sight, the blade of Hakuroken itself. Where did you get this?"

"Beneath the Moriya Shrine."

"That's strange. That half phantom swordswoman would never leave that sword alone, as it's her secondary weapon alongside her Roukanken... Ah, we're getting sidetracked here! Let me fix it up real quick."

She then took the sword deeper into the woods behind her, where there lies a rectangular clay furnace.

"Is that a tatara?"

"Yes indeed. My namesake, used to smelt any metals I have come across. Let's see if I can re-smelt the metal of the blade, then unify it with the other broken half..."

I took a nap waiting for her to finish repairing the sword.

"Wakey wakey, Good Magus! Your sword is done!"

She handed me over the sword, stored safely inside it's scabbard. I pull it out, and stare in awe at the blade that shines, reflecting the moonlight.

"The scabbard comes with a bandolier, hang it over your shoulder."

I put it on, and I try to reach for the sword on my back. It took a little while for me to get used to it, until I finally did it.

I thanked Kogasa, and I walked over to the Mansion gates, and I slowly open the heavy, ornate gate that barely shielded the mansion previously, if not for the magic barrier.

I walked into the front gardens of the Mansion, and I spot a lamppost in the center. I took a seat on the ground beside it, and took the time to read more about the books that I've ransacked from that room beneath the shrine.

Most of them were journals and tomes for life improvement spells, until I stopped at one book. Youmu Konpaku's Journal.

Youmu is the half phantom swordswoman from Hakugyokuro, and the best warrior there ever is in Gensokyo, or even in the world currently.

I opened the book, and took a read. Most of them were related to her hanging out with Reisen Udongein Inaba, the Moon Rabbit of Eientei and even once, she had bedded that rabbit. I always know that they were close for a reason, and I crack a smile at the fact I read just now.

Until at one page, it is revealed that Youmu and Reisen were one of the many people who had taken Sanae's blood. Does this explain why her sword is broken? She succumbed into the bloodlust and turned into a monstrosity?

Now that I haven't seen Youmu nor Reisen anywhere, I hope that it wouldn't be scary as Makai, the realm where the Mystic City stands.

I touched the lamppost before sleep overcame me. I woke up beside Alice near my house.

"Welcome back, Marisa... Have you got more echoes to spare?"

"Yes, Alice. Please let me channel them to you."

She pulled me into an embrace and locked her lips onto mine, our tongues wrestled against each other as I can feel the echoes waning away, sucked away inside Alice's body.

"Now, how do you feel?"

"Better than ever, ze."

I entered my house afterwards to see Mima sitting in front of the dining table, sipping onto a cup of tea.

"Ah, You're back, Marisa."

"Master, do you know Okazaki Yumemi?"

"I am aware of that name. We have encountered once, you have as well. However it was so long that you have forgotten."

"Tell me about your experience with her."

"During that time, I wanted her to stop the moon so that eternal night may fall upon Gensokyo. However she refused and we never saw each other ever since that day."

"Master, one more question."

"Ask away, Marisa."

"What is my purpose? Why must I be the one to hunt and kill these beasts that were once people I know?"

"You'll know it, when you come home in the waking world. Both me and the doll are there as well. However your way home is being blocked by a very powerful sorcery, that you can only get here whenever you dreamt."

"I see. That's all for now, Master."

"Good luck, Marisa. Do come home alive, alright?"

I nodded, and headed back to Alice. I signalled her to wake me up, and she kissed me again.

- To Be Continued