The quiet in the room stretched. Nowa did not glance at her, nor did he move to stand. He simply lay there.
"Hey," he began, his voice rough as he wiped the lingering tears from his cheeks with the back of his hand. "Before you say anything... let me ask you something."
Yukari was calm. "Sure," she replied, her voice a soft murmur. She gracefully took a seat in the chair by the table, the very one he had occupied just now.
He paused, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. "Can…" he started. "Can a monster… still have a future?"
Yukari held his gaze, and there was no pity in her eyes. Only a quiet empathy. "We are all monsters of our own making, or of circumstance, Nowa," she said. "You simply happen to be one whose nature aligns perfectly with the work Gensokyo already requires."
He was silent for a moment, absorbing her words. Then, quietly, he asked, "Do you know why I gave you that three-day deadline to begin with?"
"May I know why?"
His hand gripped the sheet beneath his palm. "I'm pathetic… really. I'm so pathetic…"
"...Why is that?"
"The rumor of Flame Noah are starting to fade… all because of a deal that had to be made." He paused. "Did you know? This is the only time Flame Noah was rendered in a story. This story… isn't supposed to exist."
Yukari blinked. "You're speaking of the layer above the story."
He nodded. "Yeah. This fic. There are no surviving legends of 'me' anymore. Only in the notebooks my creator once made. The original timeline. They're probably in the trash…" His voice dropped. "I'm a branch of that original timeline… My friends too…"
He raised his palm into the air, as if reaching for something unseen.
"'Fire that burns cold' and 'Ice that cools hot'... What a stupid line. But that was the other me." He lowered his hand. "Now… I'm just a clone of that original timeline. The good one. Where all powers were made to be just us, as heroes. We're still that in this timeline. But…"
He fell silent.
"Nothing good came of it, I imagine," Yukari said, filling the space he couldn't.
"...Not surprising, is it? To add insult to injury, at age twenty-six, I saw my other selves… every version of my 'Nowa' I've seen is just pure suffering… and the watchers… It's creepy but… I just don't care about them anymore…"
His hand fell to his chest, pressing against the bandage beneath his shirt.
"That's the same age I traded all of 'Nowa' branches for power… To strengthen my runes… The balance required it. And now… all I've been fighting for… is done."
He paused.
"Thus, I have no branches of timeline. I'm no longer allowed in a story. No longer able to give offspring. If I stay in this story… after a year… death will come for me and scrub every memory of me. Everyone who came to know me… all of it gone if I stay any longer… And I fade… Neither heaven nor hell will take me. Let alone remember I ever existed."
He glanced at Yukari then.
"That's why I was about to pull the trigger in that desert. Because I asked myself… what's the point… what's the point of it, what's the point of any of it. What's the point of living if I'm gone regardless of it? That's why I gave you the three-day deadline, …Because what would be the point? There's no fate left in me. I'm dying at thirty-six either way… so what's the point in any of this? That… is the reason I've been giving you all such a hard time…"
He closed his eyes. A hollow and quiet laugh escaped him.
"I'm really… just a pathetic, crying, grown-ass man…"
Yukari was quiet for a long time.
"I see." She looked toward the night sky through the window. "I've lived long enough to see the beginning and the end of living."
"This isn't about that anymore," he clarified.
"...Hm?" She glanced back at him.
"Those will not help anyone… just because you know doesn't mean it would help…"
A pause.
"Because all of the things, all the choices I made… have already happened… 'It couldn't be helped' is what I would say to myself; 'You had to; otherwise you will be a small fry against a larger system' is what I would tell to keep going… keep going, keep going, keep going,"
He inhaled sharply. "The truth was that, deep down, I'm just a selfish bastard that WANTS to enforce my will on reality. 'It couldn't be helped' that again I would excuse. I hate it… I hate what I've become. I hate that I had to give up everything in the past; I hate that reality is built for cruel systems. I hate everything." He let a shuddering low hiss.
"But… the moment you brought up the completion… something about it resonates with me. A… a family. But as you can see… I couldn't last more than a year; I couldn't see things in a normal way, I couldn't see my hand as the gentle things you all saw; my hands are filthy dirty with the choices I've made, so I'm no longer allowed to…"
"You are allowed, Nowa."
He slowly opened his eyes, looking up at the ceiling. For a moment, he said nothing. Then, "I didn't think it through, that… that… an incompetent fool like me to get to reach here…" a pause. "So, if… I could… my choices will break the story's rules again."
She fully turned to him now. "...What do you mean by that, Nowa?"
"I don't know… last time I did it, I finished all my crusade in my home multiverse… And it felt like nothing." A pause. "I have no future and no past left in me… Can you all… just forget about me… please."
Yukari was silent for a moment. Then she spoke.
"The future and your past's consequences are irrelevant to what remains. And what remains, Nowa, is not nothing. It is the people who are beginning to trust you. To need you. To want to be with you." She paused. "I'm sorry. I did not know you were carrying the end. I felt you only as a wrongness. But now I understand why that is."
Her voice softened. "Your choices are now in the past. And I believe you still matter to the people around you. That is what completion aims to achieve, despite its vagueness. To give your best shot, no matter what the rules throw at you."
He was silenced for a very, very long moment.
'I tried… I tried… after everything… I tried with Ravid's small, poor family… I tried changing it… I tried…'
He faltered.
'...Wait. Did I really try? …Or was I so hollow before that… I never saw Ravid as a family…? But as a redemption I was chasing… Was it? I never tried to be truthful… I never tried being real… just jokes and armor, keeping them at arm's length. Am I… that dumb…?'
Another silence.
'But… this means… giving another hope… and… and…'
Another long silence fell over them. Then, a low, soft, hollow-chuckle escaped him.
"I see… I see it now…" A pause. "Well, maybe…"
He then pushed himself up, the movement was slow. He met her gaze.
"You may leave," he said, his voice firmer now. "And tell Reimu and Marisa these words from me." He paused. "There will be a council meeting here, at the Scarlet Devil Mansion, tomorrow at noon. I will announce my decision then. No more false hope; I will be brutally honest… That is all."
His expression softened. "And... I'm sorry… For our first encounter. For the cursing, the yelling. The attacking."
Yukari softened her gaze in return, a genuine, subtle warmth touching her smile. "Very well," she accepts. "An apology is not necessary," she stated, "but I accept it, and… appreciate it."
With a final, acknowledging nod, Yukari opened a silent rift and stepped back into the boundary, leaving Nowa alone.
Moments before Yukari had left.
A fancy service cart rolled down the hall, towards Nowa's room. Sakuya pushed with one hand, while staring at her right palm that slapped his cheeks.
'That… wasn't supposed to happen,' she thought. 'Why did I lose my control there? And… yells back at him… he's a stranger by all means… yet… he contradicts what he wants to what he acts…'
She closed and opened her palm. 'I felt like I just slapped a steel… a flesh steel…' her right hand now returned to the handling bar.
'He is more severe than Lady Flandre's self-inflicted destruction… But unlike her odd nature of being isolated for so long… He is—'
She stopped, sensing the spatial signature inside his room.
Then, a crisp knock sounded at the door.
Nowa stood, a strange calm settled over him. He already knew who it was. He opened the door to find Sakuya with dinner on the service cart tray. His expression, for the first time since his arrival, was soft, devoid of its defensive edge.
"Good evening, Time-Keeper," he said, his voice quiet but clear.
Sakuya was visibly taken aback. "Good evening... Beckitzer," she replied. She offered the tray. "Your dinner."
Nowa took it.
"I've detected a spatial signature," she stated, her eyes searching his. "I believe Lady Yukari paid you a visit. What did she say?"
Nowa let out a soft, genuine chuckle. "Don't worry. I told her that there will be a meeting tomorrow at noon, here in your mansion." He look slightly embarrassed. "Sorry… I didn't tell you about it first. She just... appeared." His confidence grew back. "But don't worry, I didn't let her speak to manipulate me. I know the difference between it. I've lived in the chaos for most of my life."
He paused, looking down at the tray of food she had given him. His free hand briefly went to his chest, feeling the bandage within, a simple, tangible act of care, then back up to meet her eyes.
"And... thank you."
Her response was a simple, deep nod. "...You are welcome."
And with that, she turned and departed, her footsteps and the service cart's wheels fading down the hall.
As she walked, the memory of his clear, unguarded 'thank you' settled in her chest, a strange, warm weight that felt nothing like the satisfaction of a duty fulfilled, and entirely like something she had no name for. Then she filed it away for now, categorizing it as 'unclear'.
Nowa stood in the doorway for a moment longer, watching her figure recede into the mansion's shadows. He did not see a copy of his mother, nor a jailer, nor a tactical opponent. He saw Sakuya, and the view was renewed, clear, and unburdened.
He quietly closed the door. He placed the tray on the table, sat down, and began to eat. There were no angry internal monologues, no scheming plans for escape, no ghosts at the table. For the first time in a decade, Nowa Beckitzer ate a meal in peace.
Meanwhile, in Remilia's private study, a single lamp cast a warm light onto the polished wood of her desk, leaving the rest of the room in deep shadow. Remilia sat within that light, a glass of crimson liquid held loosely in her hand. The door opened and closed without a sound.
Sakuya entered. She stood at a respectful distance before the desk and offered a deep bow. "Milady."
"Report."
"His psychological state has undergone a fundamental and rapid transformation," Sakuya began. "His suicidal turn was unexpected, but I was able to prevent it from escalating." She paused. "Words alone were insufficient. And when he began to reach for his own heart, I struck him to break the spiral. I am aware this exceeds standard guest interaction protocol. I accept responsibility for it."
Remilia's eyes slightly widened at the mention of his attempt, then a single, slow blink. "You struck him." She let the words hang in the air. "And he did not retaliate. That is more valuable than any report." She paused. "I will overlook it, Sakuya. But only because it served our interests. Do not make a habit of it."
Sakuya bowed her head slightly. "Understood, Milady."
Remilia swirled the crimson liquid once. "Continue."
Sakuya straightened. "Following this, Yakumo Yukari infiltrated his quarters via boundary manipulation."
Remilia's expression hardened. A slight, cold smile touched her lips. "Of course she did. The vulture descends the moment she smells vulnerability. What was exchanged?"
"According to Beckitzer, he controlled the interaction. He informed her that he has called a formal council meeting to be held here tomorrow at noon, where he will announce his decision."
Remilia leaned back in her chair. A flicker of annoyance crossed her face and was suppressed. "He is taking control of the narrative. An interesting, if bold, move. Continue."
Sakuya continued. "The most significant data I've gathered is his current demeanor. When I delivered his dinner, his defensiveness and sarcasm had entirely vanished. He greeted me with respect and offered a voluntary expression of gratitude." She paused. "He also stated, and I quote, 'I didn't let her speak to manipulate me. I know the difference between it.'"
Remilia's eyes widened slightly, then gleamed with intense interest. "Oh? He said that, did he? So, our Mr. Beckitzer is not a pawn to be moved, but a player who has just decided to join the game. And so he considers our 'connection' genuine. Your assessment, Sakuya?"
"The changes are stable and appear to be a conscious choice, not temporary," Sakuya confirmed. "He is no longer an unstable asset but a resolved individual. However, this resolution makes him even more unpredictable in the long term. He is now acting on his own power, not merely reacting to ours."
"Unpredictable, but no longer suicidal. A trade I will gladly make," Remilia replied. "His decision to host the council here is a double-edged sword. It acknowledges our domain as the central stage for this drama, but it also forces us to share the spotlight with that meddling Shrine Maiden and the others."
"Shall I make preparations for the council?" Sakuya asked. "I assume the main drawing-room would be most suitable."
"Yes. Ensure it is impeccable," Remilia nodded, her gaze turning inward as she plotted. "We will host this little summit with the full grandeur and authority of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Let there be no doubt in anyone's mind, least of all Nowa's, where the true power of Gensokyo resides."
Suddenly the door opened, and Flandre burst into the room. "Can I join the meeting too, Onee-sama?! Can I finally meet that guy now? Don't tell me you forgot it already?"
Meiling ran in behind her, catching her breath after chasing Flandre. The gate guard's duty after gate guard duties is to keep the youngest Scarlet away from Nowa. "Sorry, Mistress!"
Remilia sighed, placing her glass on the table. "Flandre. The council is where adults discuss schedules, guest lists, and which tea service to use. Do you truly want to sit through that, or would you rather help Sakuya prepare the refreshments? I hear there's a new recipe—a Dough-omato-meat-Cheese Disc—that needs taste-testing."
Meiling perked up. "Look, Lady Flan, they're even experimenting with a new recipe…" She trailed off, the new recipe intriguing her. A small trail of drool escaped her lip. "Sounds tasty. I'm in, too!"
Flandre stood confused and frustrated. "Huh? I'm an adult too, you know!" But her frustration lasted only a moment before curiosity overtook her. "Dough-omato-meat-Cheese Disc…? What's that?"
Sakuya interjected smoothly. "It's a type of bread with many flavors, Lady Flandre. However, I have numerous tasks at the moment, so you two will have to wait for it, as well as wait for the council to end before meeting our guest."
Flandre huffed. "Hmph. That better be good." She turned and walked out, Meiling trailing behind while offering apologetic hand waves to Remilia and Sakuya. The door closed behind them with a click.
Remilia's gaze returned to Sakuya. "Well then." She picked up her glass again, swirling the contents thoughtfully. "And this 'thank you' he gave you... it was sincere?"
Sakuya met Remilia's gaze. "Without question, Milady."
A slow, triumphant smile on Remilia's expression. "Excellent. Then Yukari's interference has ultimately played into our hands. She provided the external pressure, but we provided the environment that facilitated his change. The garden, the food, the... stability." She stood, walking to the window to look out at the moonlit grounds. "He didn't thank her. He thanked you. That is a victory."
She turned back to Sakuya, her expression firm. "The goal remains the same: we must acquire him. But the method has changed. He will not be a kept weapon or a tamed pet. He will be a... retained consultant. A free agent who has freely chosen our banner." She returned to her desk, placing her palms flat on the surface. "Tomorrow, during this council, we will not pressure him. We will be the picture of gracious support. We will show him that this mansion is not a cage, but the strongest fortress and most comfortable home he could ever hope to find."
She looked directly at Sakuya, her eyes burning with conviction. "The game is no longer about preventing him from leaving. It is about making him not want to. And thanks to your work, Sakuya, we are already winning. You have done exceptionally well."
Sakuya bowed again, deeply, and with a sense of shared accomplishment, she allowed herself to smile. "Thank you, Milady. I live to serve."