Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was finally time for Yusei to take Hina on her journey for a cure.
Yusei was a fairly cautious person. At the very least, he never assumed the youkai of Gensokyo would definitely be friendly.
For this trip, he was fully prepared for a fight. In an unfamiliar place, who knew what might happen?
Within the clouds ten thousand meters high, a massive dragon body flew swiftly towards the northeast.
The clouds parted along its path, as if split into two white ribbons.
The dragon's eyes glanced slightly upwards towards Yusei, who sat atop her head.
Then, Tohru's clear, pleasant voice rang out.
"Yusei, how much longer until we arrive?"
Seated cross-legged on Tohru's head was Yusei, while Athena and Hina were on Tohru's back.
Protected by magic, even at Tohru's high speed, those riding on her back felt no strong wind resistance.
Yusei glanced at the map and their approximate location.
"Not long now. It's just ahead. Nana." Yusei called out towards the back.
Athena, sitting beside Hina, stood up. Her body abruptly vanished from the dragon's back. She was going ahead to scout and open the passage to the secret realm.
Through his contract with Athena, Yusei could naturally sense her situation.
Roughly ten minutes later, Yusei patted the dragon beneath him.
"Tohru, accelerate and fly directly into the sky ahead. Nana has already opened the passage."
"Okay!" Tohru responded excitedly.
As a dragon, she inherently possessed a destructive streak. The idea of 'invading' a secret realm with Yusei thrilled her.
The previously normal-looking sky suddenly rippled like water the moment Tohru made contact.
As Tohru's massive dragon body entered the 'water mirror', it vanished completely.
…
Inside the Gensokyo Secret Realm
In another sky, Tohru's body abruptly appeared within this secret realm.
"Groooar!" Tohru let out an excited roar. This place was about to become her new [Tohru Territory]!
'Hmm, let's start with a blast of fire!'
But before Tohru could excitedly breathe fire to claim the area, Yusei pressed down on her head.
"Tohru, calm down. The administrator of this place has already come to meet us."
Tohru paused, her gaze following where Yusei pointed, spotting a golden-haired girl in the distant sky.
The girl had fox ears on her head and behind her, reminding Tohru of the pet fox at home.
"The same species as Hong Hong? No, Hong Hong has fewer tails."
"They're not from the same tribe," Yusei chuckled, already knowing the other's identity in his mind.
Yakumo Ran!
Athena had already returned to Tohru's back. The barrier of Gensokyo... if she entered alone, it might go unnoticed, but maintaining an open portal for others to enter was impossible without alerting the administrators.
Otherwise, Gensokyo wouldn't have remained peaceful and tranquil until now, and it would have been discovered long ago.
Ran wore a soft Taoist robe, with several tails behind her. Yusei didn't count them carefully, as his attention wasn't focused on her tails.
To be precise, Yusei's attention was concentrated on her every move, wary of a sudden attack.
However, Yusei's worry seemed unnecessary. It appeared Ran had no intention of attacking.
A look of confusion appeared on her serene, pretty face, "Are you outsiders? Why have you broken in here?"
Hearing her speak, Yusei thought to himself, 'It seems the youkai here can be reasoned with.'
From Ran's words, he could tell this wasn't a place where everything was settled with fists, and communication through conversation was possible.
"I have come seeking a sage youkai named Yakumo Yukari. I have a matter on which I wish to request her assistance," Yusei stated.
Upon hearing this, a puzzled expression appeared on Yakumo Ran's face, 'An outsider looking for Yukari-sama? How did they know of Yukari-sama?'
Although curious, Ran would not agree. Besides her duty of managing the barrier, her most basic responsibility was to protect Yukari, as she was her Shikigami.
Therefore, no matter what, she would not let these strangers meet Yukari, even though Yukari was infinitely more powerful than her.
But just as she was about to say this, a familiar voice suddenly sounded in her mind.
"Ran, let them come see me."
'Yukari-sama?' Ran was surprised, 'Why had the sleeping Yukari-sama suddenly awakened, and her first order was to let them see her?'
But she would obey Yukari's command.
"Understood, Yukari-sama." The telepathic communication happened silently.
Swallowing the words asking them to leave, Ran rephrased, looking at Yusei, who seemed to be the leader.
"Very well. Yukari-sama has agreed to meet you. However, please refrain from any actions that could be perceived as dangerous."
Yusei nodded upon hearing this, "Of course."
Soon, under Ran's guidance, the group arrived at Yukari's residence, the House of Lost Ways.
On the plaque of a traditional Japanese-style house were the characters, [Yakumo Residence].
The plaque looked extremely ancient, full of the vicissitudes of time, as if it could crumble and scatter at any moment, yet it was also sustained by a peculiar power.
Yusei looked at the plaque with great interest. He could feel the powerful lightning energy contained within it.
"Using lightning energy to write the characters? The Youkai Sage is also proficient in the use of lightning," Yusei remarked lightly.
However, Yusei's words caused Ran to pause. Noticing her expression, Yusei asked curiously, "Is there something wrong with what I said?"
"No..." Ran shook her head, confused, and explained, "Yukari-sama is not proficient in lightning."
This wasn't some secret, as everyone in Gensokyo knew Yukari's power stemmed from Boundaries.
"Wasn't this plaque written by the Youkai Sage? Such vigorous and powerful brushstrokes must require mastery over lightning to achieve," Yusei said, pointing at the plaque.
"I don't know about that. This plaque has always been here." Ran didn't elaborate further. Seeing her reluctance to say more, Yusei didn't press the matter and followed her into the Yakumo Residence.