The morning sun rose on Gensokyo, THAT also abuzz with a single, sensational story. The Bunbunmaru Shinbun, delivered with Aya's exceptional speed, spread like wildfire, and with it, the news of a new stranger with many headlines throughout yesterday's story, but the one most viewed headline was, a carefully crafted narrative of Nowa Beckitzer;
"'In a shocking turn of events that defies all understanding, our proudest abilities faltered before an unimaginable foe!'"
"'The Chief Maid, Sakuya Izayoi, threw herself into the path of certain death to protect the Hakurei Maiden!'"
"'The outsider, Nowa Beckitzer, intervened at the last possible second, overcoming a foe that defied our reality to bring the Hakurei Maiden to safety!'"
"'His reasons are his own. But a protector doesn't need a reason to protect. They just do. That's the only truth that matters here.'"
In The Human Village, A Tea Shop.
The shopkeeper held the paper towards his customer, "Can you believe it? It says even the Chief Maid and Lady Hakurei were nearly defeated!"
His customer, a woman sipping her morning tea, gasped. "The Chief Head Maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion? But she's always so... unflappable."
"And then," the shopkeeper continued, "this outsider, this Nowa Beckitzer, intervened at the very last second. He overcame a foe that 'defied our very reality' to bring her to safety." He shook his head in wonder. "It says his reasons are his own, but that a protector doesn't need a reason. They just do."
The woman placed her cup down, a soft, hopeful look smoothing the worry from her face. "Seems all those earthquakes from yesterday came from that huh. Well then. Perhaps we've been fearing a ghost. It sounds like we have another guardian." Then she playfully added, "Who needs to learn the spell card rules of not destroying the place."
Somewhere in the streets of the Human Village. Youmu, The Half-Human, Half-Phantom Gardener of Hakugyokurou in the Netherworld. Her basket was nearly full of food preparations for Yuyuko's lunch: a small sack of rice and a jar of pickled plums, when the newspaper vendor's cry stopped.
"Extra! Extra! Outsider protector saves Hakurei Shrine Maiden!"
She bought a copy, reading as she walked. Her hand tightened on the basket handle at the mention of Sakuya Izayoi throwing herself into death's path.
"A protector without reason," Youmu murmured, troubled. She tucked the paper away and hurried home. "What kind of man is he?"
In the Myouren Temple, located near the Human Village, positioned directly above the Hall of Dreams' Great Mausoleum. The Main Hall.
Byakuren Hijiri, The Sealed Great Magician. her expression touched with sadness, she had finished the article and folded the paper with care. "To protect without the need for reason or reward... that is a will purer than any scripture I could preach."
She looked towards Shou Toramaru,The Disciple of Bishamonten, who stood nearby with her arms crossed.
"This 'Nowa' seems to carry a burden we cannot see," Byakuren continued. "To act so selflessly while being tormented... we must ensure he knows the Temple's doors are always open to him. Everyone, no matter how lost, deserves a place of peace."
Shou tilted her head slightly. "The thing is, how do we reach him? The SDM is pretty much closed off unless granted by that vampire."
Byakuren's smile remained gentle. "Then we have time. He will eventually come out." She glanced toward the temple's open doors. "When that time comes, and our paths collide, then we'll let him know."
Shou gave a small nod. "Then I'll keep an ear to the ground. If he appears in the village, I'll know."
"And I will be ready," Byakuren said. "Not with scripture. With tea."
Shou let her lips a faint smile at that. "Tea, then. A much better weapon than words there is."
Byakuren's smile widened slightly. "The best kind."
On the Moriya Shrine located near the top of Youkai Mountain, right next to a divine lake. In It's front porch.
Kanako Yasaka, The Avatar of Mountains and Lakes. Her eyes scanned the text. "The Hakurei girl and the Scarlet Devil are crafting a narrative," she mused, tapping a finger on her chin. "They're openly publicly anointing this outsider as a common asset. 'A protector doesn't need a reason'? A clever phrase. It neatly sidesteps all questions of motive and allegiance."
Suwako Moriya, The Highest of Indigenous Gods. Sat on the edge of the offering box, giggled. "Hehe, it's a good story, though! Saved that Hakurei Maiden and everything! Sounds like a real powerhouse. Maybe we should invite him for a feast!"
"A feast can come later," Kanako stated, her gaze turning toward the distant silhouette of the SDM. "First, we need to understand what he truly protects, and what he might ultimately cost. Faith is the true currency here, aside from yen, and this article… just significantly inflated his value."
Suwako kicked her legs idly. "So what's the move, then? We watching, or we moving?"
"We're sending Sanae," Kanako said. "She's approachable. A priestess, not a schemer. She can ask what needs asking without looking like an interrogation."
Suwako hummed. "And if he's as strong as the article says?"
"Then she'll see it firsthand." Kanako let her lips a thin smile. "And report back."
Suwako hopped off the offering box, grinning. "I'll go break the news to her. She's gonna hate this for sure."
"She'll survive," Kanako said. "Faith demands sacrifice."
Suwako laughed as she headed toward the inner shrine. "Now that's a line worth stealing."
In her own version of Senkai, a Taoist hermit realm, and at the Hall of Dreams' Great Mausoleum. The Taoist Compound, a lavish room.
Toyosatomimi no Miko, The Shoutoku Taoist. Finished the article. "Fufufu… A 'protector without a reason,' they claim?" Miko set the paper aside. "How very... pedestrian. True virtue is a conscious, disciplined choice, not a mere reflexive impulse." A smirk played on her lips.
"Still, for the Bunbunmaru to publish such a blatant piece of political shielding means the established powers are truly desperate. The chaos this introduces to our little ecosystem is... delectable."
From the doorway, Mononobe no Futo, The Shikaisen from Ancient Japan, entered. "Thou art amused, Crown Prince?"
"Entertained," Miko corrected. "There is a difference." She tapped the paper with one finger. "The Hakurei Shrine and the Scarlet Devil Mansion have publicly handed this outsider a title he assumingly did not ask for. Now every faction will scramble to claim or counter him."
Futo tilted her head. "And what shall we claim, then?"
Miko's smirk widened. "Nothing, Futo. We watch. Let the others scurry about, making noise and drawing attention." She leaned back. "The true victor in any game is the one who never had to play."
Futo considered this, then nodded. "A most Taoist approach, Crown Prince."
"Precisely." Miko's gaze drifted toward the window, toward the distant mansion. "Let them fight over their new hero. We will enjoy the spectacle from a comfortable distance."
In Eientei, located deep within the Bamboo Forest of the Lost.
Eirin Yagokoro, The Brain of the Moon. Her expression was disinterest as she scanned the text. "The informational payload of this piece is not in the alleged heroics, but in the admitted failures," she stated to Reisen, not looking up.
"'Abilities rendered useless.' 'A foe that defied our reality.' This confirms the new threats are operating on a model beyond Gensokyo's standard physics. The subject's ability to counter it is the only relevant news. The rest is sentimental chaff, designed for mass consumption."
She looked up finally at Reisen. "Reisen, you're tasked with getting information about this 'Nowa Beckitzer.' Understood?"
Reisen Udongein Inaba, The Lunar-Minded and Asynchronous Youkai Rabbit, who had been idling near the door, flinched. "M-Me? But Lady Eirin, if he's as dangerous as the article says—"
"Which is precisely why I am sending you," Eirin said, returning her gaze to the paper. "You are fast. You are cautious. And you are more attuned to shifts in wavelengths than most." She paused. "If this man is a threat, you will sense it before others."
Reisen swallowed. "And if I do sense something wrong?"
Eirin's expression didn't change. "Then you run."
Reisen blinked. "R-run?"
"Running is a tactical choice when facing an unknown variable of this magnitude," Eirin said. "Do not confuse it with cowardice." She set the paper down. "Gather what information you can. Keep your distance. And above all, do not provoke him."
Reisen gave a shaky nod. "I... I understand, Lady Eirin."
Eirin glanced toward the window, toward the dark trees of the Bamboo Forest. "The princess has already taken an interest in this outsider. Better we learn the shape of him now, before he stumbles into our home."
Reisen's ears drooped slightly. "The princess too...?"
"Especially the princess," Eirin said. Then, after a beat, she added, "Do not worry, Udonge. You will likely only need to observe."
Reisen let out a long, slow breath. "Only observe. Right. I can do that."
Eirin did not look up. "Then go."
Reisen bowed and slipped out of the room, her mind already spinning with worst-case scenarios.
At the edge of Misty Lake, in an igloo.
Cirno, Fairy of the Ice. Read the newspaper, her grip tightening on the paper. "SO THIS IS THE GUY THAT NEARLY DESTROYED MY HOME!!"
"R-relax, Cirno-chan…!" Daiyousei, Fairy Found in the Fog, said beside her at the table, her hand raised in a stop gesture. "And the destroyed part is a distance away from your home—"
Cirno slammed the newspaper onto the table. "EXACTLY!"
Daiyousei flinched. "E-exactly…?!"
"How dare he do this in our place! He's ruffling my turf while we were in school yesterday!" Cirno shot up, both hands on her hips. "I'll show him who's the strongest around here!!"
"Umm…" Daiyousei interjected. "We still have yesterday's homework from teacher Keine, and…" She glanced at the stacked papers of unfinished assignments beside the table. "Teacher Keine will be really mad if you don't complete your assignments…" She managed a nervous chuckle.
Cirno deflated. She stomped three times. "DAMN THESE PAPER WORKS!!"
Daiyousei smiled weakly. "You can challenge him after school tomorrow?"
Cirno perked up again. "That's it! I'll finish the homework, then find him, then freeze him solid! It's a perfect plan!"
"That's not what I—"
But Cirno was already grabbing a pencil, her earlier fury redirected into the unfinished papers with the same intensity. "The strongest doesn't back down from homework either!"
Daiyousei let out a small, tired sigh. But she was smiling.
"That's true, Cirno-chan. The strongest does their homework."
Cirno paused, squinting at the first problem. "77 plus 33… The answer is 100 then."
Daiyousei's smile froze.
In The Palace of the Earth Spirits, Chireiden. Located in the center of Former Hell (Old Hell) within the Underworld of Gensokyo.
Satori Komeiji, The Girl Even the Vengeful Spirits Fear. Stroked her cat, Orin, known as Rin Kaenbyou, The Hell's Traffic Accident, as she read. Her third eye seemed to peer straight through the newspaper. "The dissonance between this public image and his internal state must be a chasm," she murmured.
" 'His reasons are his own.' What a poignant way to hide a bottomless well of pain." She looked toward the surface, a knowing curiosity lit in her eyes.
"A protector without reason," she murmured. She set the paper aside and looked toward the darkened corridor where she sensed her sister's presence. "You can come out, Koishi. I know you've been listening."
A long silence. Then, soft footsteps. Koishi Komeiji, The Closed Eyes of Love. Emerged from the shadows, her third eye closed, her expression unreadable. She didn't sit. She simply stood near the wall, one hand trailing along the stone.
"He sounds nice," Koishi said. "The protector. He saves people."
Satori watched her. "He may carries a great deal of pain."
"Everyone does." Koishi's gaze drifted to the newspaper, then away. "But he still saves them. Even when it hurts."
A long pause stretched between them, filled with all the things Satori could not say.
"I wonder if he would see me," Koishi whispered. "If I stood right in front of him. Would he look at me, or through me?"
'...It's impossible… No one can see you other than me… and you're acting strange lately…' Satori thought. '...Maybe it's just my imagination.'
Koishi turned and walked back toward the shadows. "Maybe someday," she said, her voice already fading. "Maybe someday."
In a dojo hidden within a private, climate-controlled realm called a Senkai located deep within Youkai Mountain.
Kasen Ibaraki, The One-Armed, Horned Hermit. Set down her tea, the newspaper in her other hand. "Finally, that lazy shrine maiden has a new model she could actually follow now," she murmured, a wry smile touching her lips. "But still... this is an unforeseen new incident."
She read the article again, her expression sobering. "An outsider this strong already. The foe that beats our current maiden, huh? So our enemies are much more than what she can handle... This is a true incident. I figured he's been recruited." Her gaze drifted toward the distant mountains. "Power like this arriving so suddenly is... ominous."
She folded the paper and set it aside, returning to her calligraphy. But her brush hesitated. "Nowa Beckitzer, huh... Gensokyo has survived many incidents, but this one... felt different."
Her hand stayed still for a long moment. Then, slowly, she set the brush down.
"'A protector without a reason,'" she repeated quietly to the empty room. "That is what the article calls him. But no one protects without a reason. Everyone has something they want to defend, or something they fear to lose. Even if they do not name it."
She picked up her tea, her expression thoughtful. "The paper dresses him as a hero. But a title given by others is not the same as a truth lived by the man."
She took a slow sip, her eyes on the folded paper.
"I will not interfere. Not yet. But I will watch." She set the cup down. "An outsider this strong, wrapped in a story this convenient... that is not a sign of peace. That is the shape of a coming storm."
She picked up her brush again, dipping it into the ink.
"Whether he brings destruction or salvation... that remains to be seen."
In Land of the Back Door.
Okina Matara, The Ultimate, Absolute Secret God, read the newspaper in silence. 'The dimensional tear I had sensed, the one that made Yukari's boundaries flicker, was now being wrapped in ribbon and presented as a heroic rescue.'
she set the paper down.
'I felt that wrongness. The null-space that shouldn't exist. The severance of connections that should have been absolute. And now, this. A story so polished it gleamed.' Her fingers traced the edge of her armchair as she frowned. 'Yukari was playing a deep game… Of course she is, but she was also absent during the worst of it. The article didn't mention that.'
"What are you hiding, old friend?" she whispered as she folded the paper slowly and tucked it into her sleeve. "After gathering enough evidence. It's time to pay this outsider a visit later at night, where no one sees. Power like these left uncheck are hazard to Gensokyo."
In the Hakurei Shrine's Porch.
Reimu and Marisa sat in exhausted silence, dark circles under their eyes, sharing a pot of strong, bitter tea. Marisa finished the article with a massive yawn, setting her tea aside. "Well, it's out there. Looks like Aya kept her word. Didn't change a thing."
Reimu, leaning heavily against a post, simply nodded. Her eyes were half-closed with fatigue. She took a sip before speaking. "...Good. Let them think what they want. It's less troublesome this way."
" 'A protector doesn't need a reason,' " Marisa quoted, nudging Reimu with her elbow. "Pretty sappy line, Reimu."
Reimu just swirled her tea. "It's just the truth. Now maybe people will stop asking questions like yesterday and we can actually focus on the problem trying to break our peace."
"Right, right." Marisa stretched, her bones popping. "Let's head to the mansion. Time to see what the old-timer's decided. Chen said he's better now." She grinned, a flicker of her usual energy returning.
Reimu's gaze lingered on the empty path for a moment. "Do you think he actually is?"
Marisa paused mid-stretch. "Huh?"
"Better." Reimu's voice was quieter now. "Chen said it. But Chen's... young. She believes things easily." She set her tea down. "I don't want to get my hopes up over a rumor."
Marisa's grin softened. "Yeah, well. Even if he's not better, he's still here. That's gotta count for something, right?"
Reimu didn't answer. She just stared at the path a moment longer, then pushed herself up. "...Yeah. Let's go."
Marisa hopped to her feet, grabbing her broom. "Hey." She waited until Reimu looked at her. "Whatever he's decided, we'll handle it. We always do."
Reimu met her gaze, and after a long moment, the faintest hint of a smile crossed her tired face. "Right."
And together, they flew toward the mansion where Nowa was.
In the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Dining Hall.
Remilia, Patchouli, and Sakuya were at breakfast. Remilia was gleefully reading the article aloud.
"'The Chief Maid, Sakuya Izayoi, threw herself into the path of certain death!'" Remilia recited with a theatrical flourish. "Oh, they've made you quite the tragic heroine, Sakuya! And listen to this part about our guest! They've wrapped him in a lovely little bow and presented him to the public."
Sakuya's expression did not change, but her reply was a half-second too quick. "My actions were a logical extension of my duties, Milady. The article's embellishment was unnecessary. Also, didn't you know this before hand?"
"Seeing it at the highlights of the news is way better," Remilia's grin then turned wicked. "But, 'Only your duty'? My dear Sakuya, if all my servants performed their 'duty' with such tragically heroic flair, I'd be out of a mansion from the insurance claims. No, no, you've earned your headline. Now, about that raise..."
Patchouli, who was nibbling on a piece of toast, sighed in exasperation. "It's a gross oversimplification that ignores all the fascinating metaphysical implications he has. 'Overcame a foe' tells them nothing about the mechanics of his reality-altering capabilities."
"Details, details," Remilia waved a dismissive hand, her eyes gleamed with triumph. "The narrative is what matters. They have publicly declared him a protector, and by extension, a protector associated with us. Reimu Hakurei has, perhaps unintentionally, handed us a tremendous advantage."
She took a victorious sip of her tea. "The stage is perfectly set for today's meeting. Now, let's see our 'protector' live up to his new title."
Sakuya remained standing, her hands folded neatly before her. "Milady."
Remilia glanced up. "Yes, Sakuya?"
There was a pause. Then, quietly, Sakuya said, "He did not ask for this title. The article has made him a figure before he has chosen what he wishes to be." Another pause. "I do not know how he will react."
Remilia set her cup down slowly. "You have spent time with him, Sakuya. You've seen more than the rest of us. Tell me. Is he the kind of man who would embrace this? Or the kind who would resent it?"
Sakuya was silent for a long moment. Finally, she said, "I think he is the kind of man who would rather disappear quietly than be seen."
The dining hall fell quiet. Even Patchouli paused mid-bite, her eyes shifting toward Sakuya.
Remilia's smile softened slightly. "I see." She looked toward the window. "Then perhaps we should be careful. The stage may be set, but the leading man is not yet certain he wishes to perform."
Sakuya inclined her head. "I believe that is accurate, Milady."
Remilia tapped a finger on the table. "Then we will not pressure him. But we will be present." She picked up her tea again. "If he chooses to step into the light, we will ensure the mansion stands beside him."
Patchouli said nothing. She just returned to her toast, her expression thoughtful.