Mo Ming leaned on crutches and slowly climbed the steps of the shrine.

Will Reimu be at the shrine?

It took a long time to get from the Forest of Magic.

I could have asked someone else for help, or used the circle in my pocket to move, but I didn't have that choice.

In the days since I left, I have been thinking about what the little witch is doing more than once.

Only now, my heart is completely filled with the feeling of wanting to see her soon.

But he could only move up the stairs little by little.

I looked up at the sky.

Come back now, and still have a chance to cook dinner.

If you're lucky enough to see the little shrine maiden greeting you with a smile, cook red bean rice to celebrate.

If you're unlucky, the little witch blames herself, and if she loses her temper, let's make her favorite pork rib rice.

Before leaving the shrine, he went to the village to buy a pound of ribs and hung them on the well, but I don't know if there was any leftover, or if they were stolen by the goblins as usual.

Anyway, if it's not enough, go to the village and buy some back.

Stepping up to the last stone platform, the torii gate is in front of the familiar shrine.

There was no change of clothes on the bamboo pole on the side, and it was empty.

There was silence, no sound could be heard.

Although he also imagined in his mind that Reimu would have a premonition, he pushed open the door of the entrance and threw himself into his arms to welcome his return.

Nothing happened.

Isn't Reimu at home?Mo Ming sighed.

I heard from Alice that Reimu has been appearing all over Gensokyo for a few days, and now she must be running around outside, right?

It's okay to think so, but there's no escaping reality now.

Mo Ming couldn't help but quicken his pace, limping forward with a wooden cane.

Climb up to the entrance and open the door.

In the middle of the hall sat a white-haired girl, closing her eyes and recuperating.

The side of the face, neck, shoulders, and even the wrists resting on the knees have faint red markings.

Hearing the voice of the comer, he opened his blood-red eyes.

......

......

"Spiritual ......"

The voice did not fall, and the mutation was born.

The girl's figure suddenly disappeared, and appeared in front of Mo Ming in an instant, and three exorcism needles pierced Mo Ming's forehead, heart, and throat with an unstoppable momentum.

The sound of piercing bones and flesh came out, and in an instant, three long needles were pulled out, and Mo Ming fell on his back.

The girl seemed to have exhausted the power in her body after making this instantaneous attack. Got on his knees and gasped.

The moment the back of the head touched the ground, a strange change occurred.

Mo Ming's body began to shrink - and eventually turned into the appearance of a puppet.

On the side, Mo Ming's figure reappeared, standing aside, looking at the red and white girl who was kneeling at his feet, panting.

Mo Ming touched his forehead, neck, and heart to confirm that he was still alive.

Looking at the strange white-haired Reimu in front of him, he couldn't help but think about that time a year ago. Then he remembered what Yakumo had said, and then shook his head and took the things from his mind at that time.

"Who are you?"

"Mourning the family...... It is the embodiment of the god of the sun. ”

"Where's Reimu?"

“......”

"Where's Reimu?!"

"It took a long time for the mourners to silence the child's voice, but they couldn't kill you in the first place. ”

"Meaning, she's still alive, right?" Mo Ming squatted on the ground, looking into the eyes of the white-haired girl, as if intending to see the truth in her eyes.

The girl picked up the three exorcism needles on the ground and stood up.

Mo Ming also stood up, planning to take a few steps back quickly, leaning against the door, but his body was weak and his movements were extremely slow.

However, the girl just watched quietly as he finished his ridiculous act.

"The mourners give you the opportunity to say your last words. In exchange, you will die at the hands of mourners. ”

"Why do I have to die?" Mo Ming argued, "I originally thought that Reimu would lose herself after gaining divine power, but now it seems that this is not the case. Regardless of whether you are a god or not, since you can communicate normally, why don't you have a good talk, and if you have to meet, you will fight to the death?"

"You have two choices, one is to be killed immediately by the mourners, or the other is to say the last words and be killed by the mourners. ”

"I don't understand," Mo Ming shook her head, "why don't you just do it neatly, like you just did?...... Oh, is it because Reimu is holding you back? So that moment is the only chance you can get out?"

The girl shook her head.

"You don't understand anything at all. ”

"That child can't come back anyway, she hasn't regained the power of this body," the white-haired shrine maiden lamented, "and she voluntarily gave up the test of becoming a god, thinking that she would save you from suffering in this way." Thanks to this, the mourning family can come into the world. ”

"Therefore, the mourners have decided to give you a chance to say goodbye. ”

"Oh, so you're willing to let Reimu come out and talk to me?" Mo Ming tentatively.

"It's impossible, you say your last words, she can hear them," the white-haired girl didn't see any accompanying fluctuations of affection on her face, "so that the child can go with you in peace." ”

Mo Ming was silent for a while.

"I don't believe what you say," and sat down neatly against the door, "If you have the ability, you can kill me, or I'll have to talk to Reimu." ”

When the white-haired girl heard this, she couldn't help but sigh.

"In that case, I can only be sorry for her. ”

With that, hold the long needle between your fingertips.

Mo Ming looked at her expression seriously at every moment of her move, and suddenly shouted loudly:

"Wait!"

“......”

"I see, you can do it, it is enough to suppress Reimeng's will for a moment and kill me in an instant, right?" Mo Ming put his left hand behind his back with a sad expression, "I promise you, give me some time." ”

The girl put down the exorcism needle and admitted, "Just suppressing that child's consciousness for a moment is enough for me." ”

"Before that, why do you have to die? I can't escape, I always let me die, can I?"

After hesitating, the white-haired witch lady nodded.

"Because you are the hope of this child. ”

Mo Ming pondered the meaning of her words.

"Maybe your death will bring her back to consciousness, but at the same time, it will also make the child disheartened and lose all hope of survival—"

"Therefore only your death can exchange eternal life for your mourners. ”

"You mean, you need to make this kid desperate? Do you want to kill Reimu?"

"Now that the mourning family has come, everything is doomed. ”

"Is there any other way...... Like I can die, but I can keep Reimu alive?"

The girl shook her head and sighed: "The incarnation of the god of calamity will be affected by the character of the main body, and the concubine body can promise you that there will be no calamity here after your death...... This is the greatest concession that the mourners can make. ”

After being silent for a long time, Mo Ming sat cross-legged.

"Okay, okay, I see. He raised his right hand to signal that he had given up and sighed.

"Reimu, listen to me. ”

"The cherry blossoms are about to bloom. ”

"The last time I saw the cherry blossoms, I don't remember anything about us. ”

"This year, I was going to bring everyone together for a big banquet. ”

"How so...... Don't forget to toast me when the time comes. ”

“...... You guy!" The white-haired shrine maiden immediately sensed that something was wrong, and that this was not the "desperate" goodbye she had hoped.

"Every year when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, if you want to have a banquet, don't forget it," Mo Ming said with a smile, "If you dare not toast, I will be angry." ”

A magic sealing needle was thrown out and flew towards Mo Ming.

The rune paper that had been left in place was pinned to the ground.

"Reimu," Mo Ming's voice continued from the other corner of the room, "you can feel sorry for me, if you want to cry, just cry...... But remember, it's not anyone's fault. ”

The Sealing Needle was thrown out again.

Mo Ming, who appeared on the other side, was holding a dagger in his hand, but he couldn't move quickly because of his weak body.

This time, the third Sealing Needle has already flown in advance.

The palm is pierced, and the dagger falls to the ground.

"Reimeng, my last wish, I have memorized it for Lao Tzu!" Mo Ming shouted.

"Kill this damn god of evil!"

"If you are defeated so easily, you dare to lose your fighting spirit like this, and I will not be able to rest in peace in the spirit of heaven!"

"Damn!" the headache was getting stronger at the moment, and the human could not be given any more chance to continue.

The white-haired witch in front of him rushed towards him, and on the other side, Mo Ming was trembling and groping for the remaining rune paper on his body with his other uninjured hand.

Time freezes in this moment.

......

......

A gorgeous figure with black hair crossed the hallway and slowly walked into the room.

He dragged a sharp sword in his long sleeve and dragged it to the ground.

The blade slashed and clicked across the wooden floor.

Neither Mo Ming nor Lingmeng at this time froze in place without the slightest reaction.

Until Penglai Mountain Kazuya raised the Kusanagi Sword in her hand and put it on Mo Ming's neck.

It took him less than a second to figure out what was going on.

Without hesitation, he spoke:

"Kaguya, save Reimu!"

"Don't move, or you'll be forever bound by a moment. ”

The witch beside her has the power of a god, and only through the medium can Mo Ming be pulled into her own time alone.

"Miss Reimu's heart is occupied by the will of the embodied gods. ”

"I know this, is there a way to solve it?" The pain from the palm made Mo Ming keep gasping, "The power of the gods, can you withdraw it?"

"Just now, private has already retrieved all the power that belongs to the moonlit night. ”

"Does that mean that she has already ...... Rei Meng" Mo Ming took a deep breath, showing some joy on her face.

"The truth is far from being as rosy as you might think, and that's still not enough to sober her up. ”

"Why?!"

"The amount of faith you brought to the shrine maiden did save her from her early death, but it also planted the seeds of calamity - the demigod drive is growing, and when it breaks through the ground, everything will be destroyed. ”

"You mean ......"

"Yes, what is happening today is not accidental...... It's meant to be. ”

"If, after three or five years, the power of the shrine maiden's gods is fully awakened, she will turn into a merciless god of calamity that will bring calamity to the world. ”

Now, inspired by the power of the gods and "awakened" in advance, he is still immature, so his words and deeds are influenced by Miss Shrine Maiden, giving birth to a human-like mind. ”

It is precisely because of this that we can find an opportunity to stifle it. ”

"Please tell me," Mo Ming looked at Kaguya, "how can I get Reimu back?"

Penglai Mountain Huiye also looked at Mo Ming and was silent for a long time.

"What's wrong?"

"I've been waiting for you to ask for help. ”

The topic of "......" suddenly jumped so that Mo Ming didn't react.

"The Lost Bamboo Forest has blocked the location of the Forever Pavilion, but the private is still waiting for you. ”

"I ......"

"If you ask, no matter where the conspiracy or the calculation, there will be nothing to hide. ”

"But, didn't you just say that this is a calamity that Reimu will have to endure sooner or later? In that case, I have nothing to complain about, although I don't know why Yakumo Zi is hiding it from me, but now as long as I can get Reimu back, I will ...... it all."

"You don't know what you're talking about. ”

Penglai Mountain Kaguya shook his head slowly.

"Whether it's the crisis that shrouds the god of misfortune, or the hidden danger lurking in the shrine maiden, what's the point of these things?" Kaguya looked at Mo Ming's side face, as if full of pain and love, "It's not for anyone else, but for the person who has to die for it...... He wouldn't have been like that. ”

It seemed that Kaguya didn't expect to say this, and Mo Ming didn't know how to answer for a while.

But only now, he has no power to be silent.

Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, he turned his head back and his gaze fell on the "Kusanagi Sword" that connected him to Kaguya.

"We have to do something for the people we love, don't we?" Mo Ming smiled bitterly, "Although my statement is too cunning, even if the process is very painful, as long as you think of the ending, you will definitely be able to get through it." ”

"I privately agree with your statement, I hope you have come to your senses about this," Penglai Shan Kaguya tightened the hilt of the sword in his hand and asked, "Do you have any last words?"

"Nothing, I want to say. Mo Ming's voice was low.

"Kaguya, I owe you nothing in this life. ”

Hearing this, a smile finally appeared on the solemn ground of Penglai Mountain.

The hilt of the sword seemed to loosen a little.

"For a long time, private has been plagued by a problem. ”

"Human beings, whose lives are fleeting, give themselves the rarest 'meaning' of all things in the world. Whether it's time, money, or life, you can give it to your loved ones. ”

"But for private people, the gods, or the people of Penglai have no value. ”

"If a treasure in the eyes of the world is not worth mentioning to a private person, what face should there be to be ashamed of offering to a private beloved? In the face of eternal time and life, there is nothing precious enough to speak of, and there is no gift that the private can give his hand to. ”

"Ridiculous, isn't it? Wanderers who have nothing fall in love and can't tell the unprovable lie that 'I'm willing to give everything for you.'" ”

"But today, maybe there's a turnaround. ”

"The wanderer has nothing, but 'love' is genuine. ”

"Although it is impossible to prove ......"

"But they can testify against themselves. ”

A sword seals the throat.

A sword pierces the heart.

Penglai Mountain Huiye took a step forward.

The gushing blood soaked into the ends of her hair and the hem of her skirt.

Grabbing the hilt of the sword with both hands, it stabbed downward, and the dying man who fell to the ground stopped struggling.

......

......

Time starts flowing again.

Miss Miko, who calls herself "woe", saw the scene in front of her and burst into tears uncontrollably.

"Ah, what a trouble...... "The white-haired shrine maiden threw all the remaining exorcism needles on the ground as if she were deflated.

The original plan was to let this person be killed by her own hands, although the child named Reimu would also regain consciousness due to the huge impact, but at the same time, she would also fall into self-blame and despair because of the teacher who died in her hands, and finally go to destruction.

Unfortunately, it backfired. Now the sadness and anger that seemed to break through her consciousness were no longer in her plans.

Or maybe it wasn't in my plan in the first place, which is ridiculous to think about.

It is no longer possible to dominate the actions of this body.

Inside the room, a gap suddenly opened.

Looking at the monster sage who came out of the gap, the white-haired girl seemed to understand something.

"But what is it, this world does not tolerate the mourning family, and why let the mourning family come here...... In the end, it is just a dream bubble, fleeting. With that, he closed his eyes and fell to the side.

Yakumo Shishi holds the girl who is out of balance.

Looking at the fading red markings on her body, she slowly lowered Reimu's body.

Reimu, who looked tired, struggled hard, and tried to support himself with both hands in Yakumo Zi's arms, and said in an extremely weak voice, "It's Zi...... Killed...... Teacher?"

"Reimu, you need to rest now. ”

"Who did it, I ...... Be sure to ......."

The dust has settled, and only hatred is still supporting the crumbling little witch.

"You've done a great job, even better than I thought it would be. ”

A purple glow shrouded in it, and Reimu lost consciousness.

The futon prepared in advance was taken out from the gap, and the sleeping little witch was helped to lie down.

"It's all over. ”

......

......

Forever Pavilion.

Penglai Mountain Kazuya walked forward slowly, and the blood on the blade of the Kusanagi sword that dragged on the ground had dried up.

Push open the door, another door.

It seemed that there was a greeting from Reisen in his ears, and he continued walking.

In the main hall, Bayi Yonglin was kneeling there.

"Congratulations on the moonlit night and respecting the power of the gods. ”

Walking by myself, it was as if no one was there.

Step into the atrium and return to your room.

Close the door.

Not far away, Bayi Yonglin was still kneeling in place, and he didn't get up for a long time.