The car came to a halt in the parking lot of the Hololive HQ, a familiar building that triggered a recollection within Reimu's mind.
"I remember this building... it's where I first entered Gaia," she thought to herself, a touch of nostalgia coloring her expression.
As Iroha spoke about her upcoming stream, Reimu offered a playful comment, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "It's okay, you're already helping by letting me see your sleeping face."
However, before the situation could take a more flirtatious turn, Dante interjected with his characteristic nonchalance. "I'll stop you there! This is private property, so flirting isn't allowed. I'm sorry."
A hint of frustration tugged at Reimu's expression, accompanied by a dismissive sound. Meanwhile, Iroha chuckled at the playful exchange before bidding Reimu farewell.
But the shrine maiden wasn't content with a simple goodbye. As Iroha began to run off, Reimu seized her hand and pressed a kiss to her lips. "See you soon, Iroha~"
The samurai's flustered reaction and hasty departure only added to the amusement of the scene, while Vergil stood there, his silver hair gleaming, eyes widened by the bold display.
"There are cameras, you know?" Vergil remarked with a touch of wryness, a reminder of the not-so-private setting.
"I know," Reimu responded confidently to Dante's question, her expression unwavering.
"Then why do you still do it?" Dante inquired, a hint of curiosity in his tone.
"To assert dominance," Reimu replied matter-of-factly, a playful glint in her eyes.
Vergil and Dante exchanged a brief, bemused glance, momentarily taken aback by her bold response.
Just then, a voice chimed in, capturing their attention. A violet-haired girl wearing glasses had appeared on the scene.
"Hello, are you Hakurei Reimu-san?" the girl asked politely.
"Yes, I am..." Reimu confirmed.
"Perfect, please follow me," the girl instructed.
"Okay," Reimu agreed, her curiosity piqued.
"Vergil-kun and Dante-san, good work for today as well," the girl addressed the two men.
"I'm always good at work, A-chan," Vergil replied confidently, a touch of pride in his voice.
"Of course, you are one of the most reliable staff after all. And please take a rest because people are talking about how you didn't get much rest," A-chan advised.
"Of course! I will take a rest after this," Vergil assured.
"That is assuring," A-chan acknowledged with a nod.
With their brief exchange concluded, the purple-haired girl led the way into the building, and Reimu followed, her steps guided by curiosity and a sense of anticipation.
"I didn't think you liked glasses girls," Dante commented, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.
"Hmm? I don't. I am surpassing her," Vergil replied coolly, his expression unaffected.
"I see," Dante responded, though a skeptical thought crossed his mind.
--
Reimu's senses were on high alert as she felt another presence beside herself and A-chan. The violet-haired girl observed Reimu's composed demeanor as they entered the establishment.
"From what I've seen, you aren't nervous entering the establishment," A-chan noted.
Reimu maintained her calm facade, responding, "Because you won't do anything towards me that will upset your talents."
A-chan's gaze bore into Reimu as she got straight to the point, "Let me be blunt, what is your goal? Why did you approach the talents of Iroha and Ina specifically?"
As Reimu felt the lingering presence grow more hostile at the prospect of her lying, she chose honesty. "In all honesty, I didn't intend to become lovers with them," she confessed.
A-chan's curiosity piqued, "Why is that?"
Reimu continued, "I've always felt that having a relationship could be very troublesome. But when I tried to accept and understand them, I couldn't help but feel a warm connection."
A-chan remained silent, processing Reimu's words.
"Meeting Ina was coincidental," Reimu elaborated. "As a Shrine maiden, I'm sensitive to malevolent auras, and she possesses a book of an outer god. I initially approached her for reconnaissance."
"And you didn't attack her?" A-chan questioned, intrigued. "Isn't it the shrine maiden's duty to eliminate anything that threatens peace?"
Reimu shook her head. "I don't know where you heard that, but my philosophy is 'as long as you don't cause harm, you will be fine.'"
A-chan's expression remained unreadable as she absorbed Reimu's responses.
A-chan's curiosity flowed seamlessly as she continued her questions, "I see... What about Iroha?"
Reimu recounted, "I encountered her while I was on my way to take a mercenary quest. We ended up forming a party and, eventually, I gained the approval of her family, allowing us to become a couple."
A-chan's surprise was evident, "You met Iroha's parents and gained their approval?"
Reimu nodded with a contented smile, "Yes, it was a very pleasant experience."
As they reached their destination, A-chan announced, "I see, here we are in front of the CEO's office."
The purple-haired girl opened the door to reveal a serious-looking man engrossed in his monitor.
Reimu's thoughts raced, "A human?!" not believing that the CEO of Hololive is an ordinary human.
A-chan inquired, "Yagoo? What's wrong?"
The man, known as Yagoo, glanced up and responded, "Oh, A-chan, you've arrived with the guest already."
A-chan pressed, "Why do you look so solemn?"
Yagoo sighed, "You know, it's just the usual Haato-related stuff..."
He turned his attention to Reimu and recognized her, "You must be Hakurei-san if I remember correctly?"
Reimu nodded, introducing herself, "Yes, the one and only."
Yagoo offered his appreciation, "Thanks for coming all the way here."
Yagoo extended his hand for a handshake, and Reimu graciously accepted the gesture.
"Thanks for inviting me," Reimu expressed her gratitude.
Yagoo motioned for her to take a seat, and she settled into the office chair in front of the desk.
A-chan apologized, "Sorry, this is the only thing I could grab."
Reimu reassured her, "It's okay, so don't worry about it."
A-chan then inquired, "Reimu-san, what do you want, coffee or tea?"
"Any kind of tea is fine," Reimu replied, her preference clear in her unspoken thought.
"Let me get some real quick," A-chan said before heading out to prepare the tea.
Turning his attention back to Reimu, Yagoo inquired, "Reimu-san, from what I see... are you an important member of your shrine?"
Reimu answered with a hint of reflection, "I'm the only member of my shrine. The clear reason for that is unknown to me."
Yagoo acknowledged, "I'm sorry for raising unpleasant memories."
"It's okay," Reimu reassured, "it doesn't bother me at all."
Yagoo then posed a question, his tone serious, "I have a question, so can you give me an honest answer?"
Reimu nodded affirmatively, "Of course."
From Yagoo's perspective, he found Reimu to be a person who wouldn't accidentally expose his talents, alleviating his concerns.
"Even when looking at you, I can see you're a trustworthy person, so my worries are unfounded at this point," Yagoo admitted.
He then asked a weighty question, "Do you know about the state of the two worlds?"
As the violet-haired girl returned with tea, Yagoo thanked her before offering cups to both himself and Reimu.
"Thank you, A-chan," Yagoo acknowledged.
"Thanks," Reimu replied politely, taking the offered tea.
Taking a sip, Yagoo continued, "Yes, the eventual fusion of the two worlds."
Reimu nodded, her smile gentle as she responded, "Yes, I am aware of it."
Yagoo's gaze remained focused on her, his tone serious, "I want to hear your opinion about it, especially since Iroha and Ina hold you in high regard."
Reimu took another sip of her tea, her expression thoughtful as she considered her response.
"Well," she began, "from what I've felt, the fusion could potentially lead to the destruction of Gaia or cause significant damage to it."
Yagoo's interest was piqued, and he questioned, "And why do you think that?"
Reimu explained, her tone calm and knowledgeable, "Alaya is a massive world with a highly volatile energy, while Gaia is comparatively much smaller and possesses a more serene energy."
She continued, "Given the vast difference in scale and the nature of their energies, there's a high chance that Alaya would resist harmonizing with Gaia and instead attempt to overpower it."
Reimu's words struck a chord, and Yagoo and A-chan were left in awe by her insights and the depth of knowledge she possessed.
Reimu's confident response came forth, "I could help with that issue if it were to eventually happen, but I'd like to hear your countermeasures for it."
Yagoo nodded in agreement, "Of course."
The conversation delved deep into the topic, and they discussed potential strategies and plans well into the evening, their exchange of ideas and insights flowing smoothly as they tackled the intricate challenge ahead.
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