A/N: The story is over, but some reviewers asked for proper crystal-clear explanation of what happened behind the scenes… so here it is, improper and murky. Don't expect it to be in any way entertaining, unless you have a strange fetish for logs of ICQ conversations and beginner-level chess matches.
Extra Chapter: Unsigned letters
...]
Satori Komeiji.
I know you are surprised by the fact that a gap just opened on the floor next to wherever you might have been at the moment and this book just popped out from it. It is not an attack, it is not a joke and it is not an advertisement trick to sell you something obscure. It is a safe and secure way I'd like to communicate with you.
Please, write anything you like on the next page, put the book on the floor and press the opal gem embedded in the cover. The book will be sent back to me immediately.
[...
Yukari, no one finds your pranks funny. Leave me alone.
...]
I am glad you decided to answer. As I said before, this is not a prank, and I am not Yukari. She did lend me this book because I asked for it, but I am not her.
I'll be blunt and get to the point. I want Gensokyo changed, and I want this change to occur now, not in a hundred or a thousand years. I want it to prosper, I want to see its residents happy and productive. I want things to change for the better.
But I can not do this alone. There will always be naysayers, and those who cling to old ways. There are too many of them, so I need allies. Someone I can trust. Can I count on you in this matter?
[...
This is all way too vague. Change, trust, allies… empty words, be more specific. And who are you anyway? I can't trust someone who doesn't even give me her name.
...]
This was not entirely true, Satori. You can't trust anyone whose mind you can't read. What would my name give you? You can just call me "unknown benefactor to the cause of Gensokyo". You'll find out my identity eventually anyway, and for now I wouldn't like your judgment of me to be clouded by narrow-minded assumptions based on my name.
[...
Name, or I'll throw the book into the Hell of Blazing Fires next time it pops out. I'm serious.
...]
I have no choice but to reveal myself to you, then. My name is Cirno, and I'm the strongest and smartest being in all Gensokyo.
[...
Very funny.
...]
Was that sarcasm? I can't tell, but I can tell you didn't throw the book away. I sure hope we can continue our long-distance relationship.
I wouldn't like to make unreasonable demands of you. If you don't like all this, we can stop right now. But I have a proposition to make. Why don't we play a little game of chess? I know you can't play chess with the others because you can read their minds… but this is a perfect opportunity. So, what do you say?
[...
I say I don't know anything about chess. And how are we supposed to play it with the book?
...]
Well, it's a great opportunity for you to learn, then! You can take any time you want between moves, you record your moves in standard format, you send them to me, and I'll do the same. Let's start.
1. e2-e4
[...
Sorry for the long delay. Had to find a book about chess, and it is not the simplest task for when you live in hell. Anyway, I've got some ideas, so…
1. d7-d5
...]
So, you sacrifice your pawn hoping to get some advantage later. Well, I'll be frank with you – you have no chance against me in chess. But I'll try to make it fair by playing without thinking ahead. So, I'll pretend to fall into your trap:
2. e4xd5
[...
This is going to take a while, isn't it? I've been having second thoughts about this whole matter. After all, you still didn't give me your name and it is only a matter of time before you are going to make your first unreasonable demand. I am not able to read your thoughts, but I can tell by the tone of your "voice" so to speak.
2. Qd8xd5
...]
Isn't this how relationships work? You give something, you get something in return. A favor for a favor, a joke for a joke, a kiss for a kiss… Satori, will you kill someone for me?
3. Nb1-c3
[...
Will you turn hell into a lush beautiful landscape for me? Will you make people accept me for who I am? Will you make me the most powerful, wealthy and beautiful being in all Gensokyo?
3. Qd5-e5 check
...]
You don't really want any of this, and I don't need a third eye to see that. But will you do it anyway? Wouldn't you like to try something new? Killing a person is an experience you are never going to forget, that I assure you.
And you will have perfect justification for that. After all, a book that fell through the gap told you to. You can always blame it on the book. Always.
4. Bf1-e2
[...
Sure. Let's play pretend. So, who is this unfortunate person? A denizen of hell? A villager in Gensokyo? Or is it myself, oh wise and insightful book? Am I supposed to kill myself?
4. e7-e6
...]
It's Reimu Hakurei.
5. Ng1-f3
[...
Very funny. And stop chasing my queen, it is annoying.
5. Qe5-f6
...]
I see you still don't take me or my propositions seriously. Well, and you shouldn't be after all, it's just a murder of one absolutely irrelevant female human we are talking about. Just a name to erase. Just one spirit to get rid of.
Is that such a great price to pay for the future glory and golden age of Gensokyo?
6. d2-d4
[...
Look, Yukari, I know it's fun for you but stop provoking me. Gensokyo is Gensokyo, it has always been like this and is never going to change, for the better or worse. And the idea of killing Reimu is just plain stupid, even for a joke.
6. Bf8-b4
...]
I told you before that I am not Yukari. But I can understand your doubts, and you are now repeating nearly word for word what Yukari told me when I first made this proposition to her. Only there were also spell cards involved, and we shouted in between the blasts.
Look at this logically. Gensokyo is in stagnation. Technology, science, art, health care – everything is still somewhere there in the Earth's middle ages or renaissance. Life expectancy for an average peasant is around fifty years. The wilderness is untamed and there are still lethal accidents involving youkai.
Satori, you can't imagine how far the human world has progressed over the last two centuries. And here the progress is held back by stupid beliefs and rituals of the times long gone. A change must be made, a drastic change, and I am the leader that is capable of that. I am the leader that is capable of uniting Gensokyo and bringing it on par with the human world in three generations. And the dream of reaching lunarian level then becomes a quite real goal and possibility.
7. Bc1-g5
[...
You can't possibly make me believe that Yukari is willing to murder her friend over the promise of a technology advancement.
7. Bb4xc3
...]
Technology, no. Art, yes. As humanity progresses, more and more of the menial tasks of everyday life are simplified and automated. Without that much grueling, thankless work people become free to do whatever they want, and they use this free energy to create art. Paintings, literature, architecture… Yukari is willing to take the gamble. This is why she gave me this book as a symbol of trust.
And she got tired of all the uncertainty as of late. There have been way too many close calls that could have led to catastrophic devastations in the recent years. She wants stability and safety for Gensokyo and I am willing and able to provide her that when I get in charge.
8. b2xc3
[...
Can't she just ask Reimu to step down and give you the leadership over Gensokyo? I'm sure Reimu would not protest much, she's done her share of heroics already.
8. Qf6-f5
...]
Reimu's life is connected to her shrine and the Hakurei border. To truly make Gensokyo mine, to truly have the power to change the hearts and minds of people the power of the border must be transferred elsewhere. Reimu will not survive that, but Yukari is not willing to kill her with her own hands. That's why she puts this responsibility on me. And that's why I spread this responsibility around my allies.
No one wants to be guilty of murder, to stab someone with the knife. But if you ask your friend to make the blade, another one to make the handle, and your third friend builds an automatic stabbing apparatus… it becomes easier, it really does. That's why I need you, Satori.
9. Be2-d3
[...
Ah, I know now who you are. A transfer of power from shrine to shrine… I should have guessed sooner. But on the off chance Yukari reads this… I'm just kidding right now, write silly words in a book. I don't want Reimu to die.
So, what do you want me to do?
9. Qf5-d5
...]
Sorry for the long delay, I had some preparations to make.
What I need from you is someone among your subordinates who is capable of holding for a reasonable amount of time the power that would be enough to kill Reimu in a personal combat. Someone powerful, ambitious and stupid enough to be willing to swallow the sun and allow her body to become the embodiment of nuclear fusion. And it has to be someone expendable, someone you don't care about in the slightest.
It is going to work like this. I am going to pretend I'm bringing electricity to Gensokyo, and give this power to that expendable pawn. She is going to lose control and start burning everything around her, Reimu is going to challenge her in the duel and die heroically. There will be a short time window between Reimu's death and border collapse, and in this moment I'm going to use the power of the sun to complete a shrine energy transfer ritual.
Dangerous? Yes, but there are failsafe measures present, and I am not an idiot. I don't want to rule the blasted apocalyptic wasteland.
Also, castling.
10. 0-0
[...
Would Utsuho Reiuji do? She is evolving as of late, and I fear that soon I will be able to read her thoughts. She was my favorite hell raven once, but you know how it goes… feelings are not forever, especially friendship and sympathy.
I also have something to ask for in return. It's my sister, Koishi. She wants to explore the world and needs someone to look after her so she doesn't get into trouble. Can you ask Sanae to give her a tour around Gensokyo?
10. Qd5-c6
...]
Of course. The operation is going to commence soon, please contact me immediately after it is complete.
11. Ra1-b1
[...
Nothing happened yet, just wanted to make a move and check on how Koishi is doing.
11. Qc6xc3
...]
Please, have some patience. Rome was not built in a week. And Koishi… I think she likes Suwako's subconsciousness. I might be wrong.
12. Rb1-b3
[...
Writing with my left hand, because my right one is in a cast. Damn you and your stupid ideas.
Had a danmaku fight with Reimu. I expected her to move around and use gaps, and expected to use Yukari's spell cards against her… but she went in with Suika instead. My arm hurts, and I think that's not just a bruise.
Your plan has failed spectacularly. Reimu won, just like that. Beat Utsuho up in the end with her bare fists. I think she got her in the chest eye… I feel sorry for her. I read Utsuho's mind after the fight… so much rage. I can't stand her presence anymore.
I think our relationship ends here, but I'll make one last move since you threaten my Queen.
12. Qc3-a5
...]
I'm glad you are taking it so well, someone more emotional would just destroy the book on the spot.
Yes, it was a failure, but my plan is still in effect. And don't worry, you wouldn't have to actively participate, at least for now. Your sister is also well, despite her also getting into the fight with Reimu. I think our miko has successfully connected the dots and blamed me, but she still didn't find out the whole truth. Our secret is safe.
Utsuho has to be disposed of, quietly. She knows too much.
13. Qd1-b1
[...
Utsuho is stupid and not a threat. She babbles a lot and became something of a local celebrity freak, but no one takes her seriously. And what do you mean "disposed of?" Do I have to lure her in the palace and poison her? I might be a bitter and lonely person, but I am not an insane maniac or a cold-blooded contract killer. She suffers enough as it is. I think she got sick after all that nuclear fusion business.
13. f7-f6
...]
It's called "radiation sickness", but it would be more correct to call it poisoning. She has now billions of tiny invisible holes in her, just like Reimu does. Eirin treats her, and I don't know the extent of the damage, but it looks like she won't make it after all.
14. Rb3xb7
[...
So, can I congratulate you already? How is my sister by the way?
14. Bc8xb7
...]
Sorry for the long delay. The move to make was obvious, but other business distracted me.
Unfortunately, the plan didn't work out again. Reimu recovered, and we'll have to start anew. It's okay, I can be patient when I have to.
Your sister… she left the shrine, roams the land, talks to people. I can send Aya to check on her if you like.
15. Qb1xb7
[...
No, it's fine, I'm sure she can take care of herself. I was surprised to hear that Aya is working for you now though, I thought she was all about freedom of speech and all that nonsense.
15. Qa5-d5
...]
Everything has its price. Sometimes it is money, sometimes it is something else. I give her a sizeable sum every month, and she selectively does not take interviews from Utsuho. I'll put more pressure on her later if I have to. She is not the hardest person to coerce if needed.
16. Qb7-c8 check
[...
Everything has its price, eh? Then what about me? What was my price? I sure am not doing this for a chance to play chess or for you to entertain my sister. You bought me too, didn't you? So tell me, would I be easy to coerce if things turn ugly? Will I be easy to be disposed of?
16. Ke8-e7
...]
It is funny how a youkai that can read the minds of others perfectly can't figure out what her own feelings are.
Satori, you are lonely and I am sure you wait for every my next message with great anticipation and excitement. It's an only chance for you to speak to someone openly, and still you restrain yourself every time you do so.
I know you are having second thoughts all the time, about what you did or what you might still have to do. You beat yourself over Utsuho's fate and feel guilty about not burning the book right after you opened it for the very first time.
But I am not a monster, Satori, and neither are you. I prefer to do everything civil, but sometimes sacrifices just have to be made. I would prefer so much better if you worked for me willingly, like Komachi does.
17. Rf1-e1
[...
What do you need the shinigami for? Isn't she something that cannot be controlled in any way, a force of nature so to speak?
17. Nb8-d7
...]
Ah, a common misconception about death. No, she is not a force of nature, she is just a youkai like you. She is lazy, and she is bored, and she has a harsh mistress.
And she destroys spirits of the dead just for kicks. When they don't give her enough money. When they sing silly songs while being transported or when they annoy her in any other way. To destroy something forever, even if it is ugly, annoying or stupid is a truly evil act, and she enjoys it. I didn't tell you this, but she really enjoys it, their screams, their helpless flopping on the surface.
All I had to do was just ask her. I didn't even have to pay or coerce, or offer anything. I just asked, and she agreed. It just means for her that she can hear the screams some more. I don't know, maybe she collects them and wanted Reimu's screams too.
18. Qc8xc7
[...
Isn't it excessive? Spirits of the dead rarely become a lasting threat or a powerful force, Yuyuko notwithstanding.
18. f6xg5
...]
Excessive? Hardly. She has a very powerful soul, and is capable of challenging me openly. To show mercy in such a case would be naïve and stupid, and I am neither of that. I am starting to build something, and I can't risk spending hundreds of years of my time and energy on a beautiful building for it to be destroyed in a single day by some insane spirit with a box of explosives and a personal grudge in her heart.
19. Bd3-e4
[...
… I see.
In other news, Koishi returned from her trip and it looks like it did her good. She is considering staying for a while and then going away again. Thanks for taking care of her.
19. Ra8-f8
...]
Don't mention it, it was nothing.
20. Be4xd5
[...
20. Rf8-f6
...]
21. Nf3xg5
[...
Exchanging moves like that just feels hollow. I have nothing to report, just wanted to break the silence. How is your plan? It's been a few months, so…
21. Rf6-g6
...]
Working on it. Satori, do you know what a python is? It's a snake that is not poisonous, but strangles its victims instead.
These snakes are large, slow and can't chase prey. But they have something other species don't have – patience. They can sit in one place for hours, days, weeks… Leaves cover them, they get hungry, and still they wait, absolutely still.
And then, when an unsuspecting prey comes near they attack, without warning and lightning-fast. One untraceable movement, one perfect kill. All that waiting pays off, it always does.
Reimu is ill. It looks nothing serious, but I suspect it is a direct result of her irradiation last autumn. I am not getting my hopes up, because to hope is stupid. I plan and make arrangements. Marisa bothers me as of late.
Our game enters its final phase. It's time to exchange figures, and see who has a better position for the endgame.
22. Re1xe6
[...
Marisa? What about her? I read about her a few times in Bunbunmaru, but she looks like no one important. She steals things, and gets into spell card fights sometimes… even wins some of them, but how is she different from Alice for example? Other than being friends with Reimu I don't see anything special about her.
22 Rg6xe6
...]
Alice? Hardly. Marisa is a wildcard, she is a free spirit. And most of all she is human. You see, youkai are nothing like humans. They are the creatures of the land, they embody fixed concepts, they are predictable. Even Yukari is, in all her false randomness of action and thought.
Humans are not. They burn from within, they can overcome impossible odds, they are capable of miracles. I am a god, and I can't create anything that is not in my portfolio. Wind, air pressure, sky… and that's it. Sanae can channel my power to do absolutely anything. Marisa can use her meager resources to do absolutely anything, and she is not tied with obligations like Sakuya or Youmu are. She is free, and she is a threat.
She will have to be removed.
23. Bd5xe6
[...
And who else will have to be removed? How many more will have to be sacrificed on your bloody altars? You throw your figures to me, like you don't care in the slightest for their fate.
23. Ng8-f6
...]
"Bloody altars"? How theatrical. I may be a snake, but I am not Quetzalcoatl, and even to him human sacrifices were rare. In this day and age demanding human blood and life is percieved as bad form among the gods.
And of course I don't care. The ends justify the means, especially in chess. It doesn't matter how many of my figures survive in the end as long as I am able to write "checkmate".
How many will be sacrificed? Not that many. You see, the theory "all life is sacred" works only when you deal with small numbers of said life. Five, ten people, maybe fifty. How do you punish a serial killer who killed a hundred people in his life? Can you kill him a hundred times?
And it all becomes really impossible to compare when we start to think in terms of thousands, tens of thousands and millions. Is it acceptable to kill ten thousand so a million would survive? Is it acceptable kill a hundred, so each and every one in the next thousand will live for twenty more years?
Is it acceptable to kill and permanently destroy the souls of Reimu Hakurei, Marisa Kirisame and maybe a hundred more so Gensokyo becomes like a modern human world? The ecology will suffer, youkai will have to be brought on a leash, the world overall will become plain and boring… but the people will live better and longer. Thousands, millions of them will be born, bringing into the world new art, technology, beauty.
Is it such a great price to pay?
24. Qc7xd7
[...
If it works, yes. If it doesn't, then no. And you'll have to pay this bloody price in advance.
24. Nf6xd7
...]
Satori, I'm not stupid. I know what I'm doing, I have plans for the next two generations already laid out. A perfect theocratic state, everyone worshiping me from the earliest age. Each and every one will know his or her place in life. Each and every one will contribute to the unstoppable advance.
And I will have absolute power. Through me, Sanae will prevent natural disasters, floods and droughts. I won't allow for something like a Scarlet Devil mist accident to occur ever again. I will destroy everything that will plot to slower and halt our progress. For the greater good, and for the ultimate prosperity of Gensokyo.
And one day, I will expand my influence. I will indeed turn hell into a lush and beautiful landscape. I will teach people tolerance, and they will accept you and your sister for what you really are. You will work in a most privileged and effective mental hospital in Gensokyo, turning powers all your life you thought were disgusting for good.
And it is only a matter of time now. It is obvious Reimu is not going to recover.
25. Be6xd7
[...
So, everything goes smoothly, then? I'd like to participate. Last exchange, and we are in the endgame. You have an advantage in pawns, I have a rook… But you probably have won already. Let's play till the end anyway.
25. Ke7xd7
...]
Smoothly? Far from it. I had to seriously and even physically push Aya to get her compliance. Eirin is trying to wake up Yukari, and Marisa is running around like a chicken without a head.
And on top of it all, I had to go for another, much more unstable and unreliable ritual for a shrine power transfer. There might be minor environmental effects, but more importantly the spell card system is going to malfunction, and it does already. Please refrain from picking unnecessary fights for a while.
Time to turn these pawns into queens.
26. c2-c4
[...
As you said I had no chance from the start.
26. Rh8-b8
...]
Did you really think I would fall for such an obvious trap? Really, even if I don't think ahead I can't possibly make such a beginner's mistake.
27. g2-g3
[...
You can't blame me for trying.
27. Rb8-b1 check
...]
I guess I really can't.
Anyway, I have to ask something of you again. It looks like Eirin is starting to figure out my plan, and Marisa is close too. There is a possibility that one of both of them will enter hell and try to talk to Utsuho, and I let her disappear from my field of vision so to speak. Tell me what's with her.
Also, if Marisa tries to talk to you, use what you read in her mind to harm her. Then report what you find to me. Do not under any circumstance get into a spell card duel with her, the system is very unstable right now.
28. Kg1-g2
[...
Utsuho annoys me. She comes around every week, begs and cries. I think begging has become natural for her, but I can't take her back. She is disgusting, both mentally and physically. Maybe I should've disposed of her earlier, she would surely suffer less this way.
28. Kd7-c8
...]
Eirin attacked me today. I think she is taking it way more personally than she should have. She spewed profanities, threatened me and in the end I had no choice but to fight her. She also turned out to be a much more skilled opponent than I expected.
If she comes for you, run.
29. Ng5xh7
[...
I'll keep that in mind. Dying for the cause is not something I would prefer to do just yet, or ever for that matter. Keep me updated.
29. Rb1-e1
...]
I'm reinforcing the shrine right now, and expect a full-scale attack soon. Had some time to write on a break.
If you can contact your sister, keep her close. It is unlikely that you will be attacked, but if I were you I'd put her first as a buffer. You are a valuable ally and I wouldn't like to lose you because of a stupid accident.
30. f2-f4
[...
Oh, how highly you think of me, I'm so flattered. This was sarcasm by the way, but it's too late for me to be offended at this point. I made my own conscious decision to follow you, and I will follow you till the very end. Especially after what I did this morning.
Marisa came to the palace, and I read her thoughts. I did what you instructed me to and I think I succeeded, finding a right spot to stick a knife in, so to speak.
She is afraid, she is confused, and she is really unstable. Deep inside her heart, she truly loves Reimu, to the point she would sacrifice her own life for her. I can't even imagine in what this feeling will change when Reimu dies.
30. Re1-a1
p.s. Just when I was about to send you the book, Aya arrived. She said Marisa has killed Utsuho, by accident or otherwise. I dug from Marisa's memories that she did want to kill her at first, but decided not to after talking to Reimu… it's complicated, really. Anyway, I signed a testimony that she intended a murder, and it is really… a quarter truth? I don't know.
Also, about Aya. She is so deathly afraid of you I fear she might do something unreasonable. Please, take it to heart and treat her more kindly. And no, murdering her would not be the easiest or most logical solution, trust me on that.
...]
Thank you for your help, Satori. Thanks to you, Marisa will no longer bother you or anyone else any longer. Sanae did everything correctly, I had to help her a little but it was still her own success. She has really grown as a person and the priestess.
I'm going to take your advice on Aya. I don't really need followers that quiver in fear and fall on their knees at my approach. She would have to keep silent about lots of things of course, and I'll have to close her newspaper but I think I'll let her go. She is much better landscape photographer than a news reporter anyway.
31. g3-g4
[...
Glad to be of help. Say, would you want followers in hell? I could easily arrange for the hell ravens to worship you, they don't really care.
Also, look at me eating your pawns. Heh-heh, you really weren't paying attention to the game with your plans at all.
31. Ra1xa2
...]
Thank you for your offer, I'll think about it in a while. Reimu died yesterday, and the last week has been very intense.
Anyway, everything is over now. Moriya shrine supports the border, and with the spell cards stabilized I can start my first campaign on converting Gensokyo to my faith. Hell… I'll think of it as a side project. There are very specific difficulties there to overcome, and I don't want to put into my mouth more than I can chew at a time. Small, confident steps.
We will continue being in contact and playing chess. Your sister is free to visit at any time, and so are you.
32. Kg2-g3
[...
Kanako, you sick fuck.
I found the book and read everything.
What the fuck is wrong with you? What golden future? Don't you get it, there are laws in Gensokyo, the laws that can't be changed no matter how hard you try. The laws that are part of the land.
Do you think you are the first one who tried to bring here technology and failed? Ask Keine if you want. You did this, all of this absolutely for nothing. You killed Reimu and Marisa for nothing.
Right now, I'm writing with my right hand. And with my left, I'm slowly choking Satori, and that's just a beginning. You know why? Because Yukari woke up yesterday and visited me. And she was fucking crying, that more than a millennia old girl. Because she overslept, and Reimu died.
Satori knows. She knows what I'm going to do to her, you, Aya, Komachi…
She just whispered something. A chess move. She still thinks this is some kind of a game. There, I killed her, snapped her fucking neck. She's dead. How does the victory feel to you now? Here, choke on her last words, you fuck.
32. Ra2-c2
...]
Eirin Yagokoro.
Sanae just created a miracle, and a chasm has appeared in Gensokyo. And the whole Eientei mansion has fallen into it, killing all the rabbits, rabbit fairies, Reisen, Tewi. Your dearest immortal princess Kaguya is now buried under around one and a half billion tons of loose rocks. How does the victory feel to you now?
No, wait, she didn't do any of that. But then again, neither did you.
You didn't kill Satori, because if you were capable of taking lives so easily you wouldn't even bother with Reimu and Marisa, and Yukari's tears would be nothing to you but drops of compound biological chemical solutions coming out from her tear ducts. So now please gently let Satori go and let's talk like civil people.
Also, if you think of using this book as evidence against me, know that I can destroy it at any time from anywhere and always use mindless fairies to do the writing for me.
33. c4-c5
[...
Fine, I just let her go. Still, it is beyond sickening. You are supposed to be a role model, for fuck's sake!
I have no words. I really have no words.
Satori came back. She is in tears because she didn't have the chance to finish the game with you and begs me to give the book back. You two fucking freaks, you conspired to KILL people, and she is upset about the game.
You know what? I'll finish it for her. And I'm going to win, just to piss you off.
33. Rc2-d2
...]
I'm glad you are calming down, Eirin.
I know why you are upset. It's not because your patient died, and it's not because her friend died. It's because you are disappointed in Gensokyo as a whole.
I know what you expected. A world where everything is in peace, where conflicts are solved in a safe and flashy way, a world of happiness and prosperity. After the ravages of war you were at, a breath of fresh air, a chance to start everything from a clean slate…
But then you scratched the surface, and found out that Gensokyo is just like everywhere else. No electricity. Food is cooked on wood the villagers must forage for themselves. Agriculture is primitive. Diseases are treated with herbs and fat poultices. Many villagers don't know how to read or write, and the only history teacher turns into a rabid beast when the full moon is out.
But you are upset the most about Yukari, because she is a symbol of Gensokyo. And this symbol betrayed her close friend for the idea of the better future. She may cry, but she willingly allowed this. And this is why this book still works and jumps between hell and Moriya shrine. And this is why I am still alive.
34. h2-h3
[...
This doesn't justify murder. Nothing justifies a murder. You didn't have to kill Reimu if you wanted to really help.
34. g7-g6
...]
Reimu was not a part of the problem, she was the problem in itself. Just look at the Imperishable Night incident. What would people of the Earth do if something like that happened?
They would study the phenomenon, scientists from all countries making theories, launching probes, doing research. Nations would unite, a single goal before them – to restore the Moon.
What people of Gensokyo did? Nothing. Then Reimu saved them. If she waited for at least a week longer, the crops would wither with catastrophic results. Famine and deaths of hundreds. People eating one another, eating their own children, eating grass…
35. g4-g5
[...
Shut up.
35. a7-a6
...]
Eirin, you know I am right. And Gensokyo is like this not because of some hard-wired obscure laws. It is like this because the people never had a definite and strong leader. It worked well in the past, but the times have changed. It is time to move forward.
You my think I am a megalomaniacal and raving villain, but I am not. There is no one else who is willing and able of uniting Gensokyo. There is no one else who is ambitious, smart and practical enough to see it till the end. No one.
36. Kg3-g4
[...
36. Rd2xd4
...]
37. Nh7-f6
[...
37. Rd4-c4
...]
38. h3-h4
[...
38. Rc4xc5
...]
You know, this way it's no fun at all. I thought you would protest more, call me names, swear revenge. Ready to give up?
39. Nf6-e4
[...
Endgames are rarely fun. Everything has been said already. But I can assure you I will never forgive you for what you've done.
39. Rc5-c6
...]
I don't need your forgiveness. I need you to work with me, Eirin. When we open the first factory that produces penicillin and morphine on industrial scale. When we open the first factory that will produce aspirin and insulin. When we open the first factory that will produce cancer medications.
Women must stop giving birth at home, in bent brass bathtubs. Gensokyo needs doctors, nurses, specialized clinics. How many people in Gensokyo still have more than half of their teeth after the age of forty-five?
40. h4-h5
[...
It's all for you to just get more faith and power for yourself. I don't believe in your altruism.
40. g6xh5 check
...]
Yes, of course, more people, more healthy, happy people would give me more power. That's why we have to keep everyone miserable, ill and make them die young, right? Or even better at childbirth, both mothers and children.
And while we are at it, why not abolish the spell card system, make youkai kill humans right and left, eat them alive. Why not let Mystia lure travelers to their death with her song? Why not let Keine go on bloody rampages every full moon? Why not let Alice make dolls out of real human skin like she used to?
41. Kg4xh5
[...
Alice never did that.
41. a6-a5
...]
And that is a whole extent of your retort? "Alice never did that"? By the way, this medium does not translate sarcasm well, so just to clear things up I was being sarcastic in my previous message. I don't want to abolish the spell card system or for the people to suffer. I don't want to kill every single youkai, or destroy afterlife, or ban magic or anything. I only want to create, and restrict something that is obsolete and hinders progress.
42. g5-g6
[...
All of this to get more power.
42. Rc6-e6
...]
Of course. And take over the world. And stop people from dying at the age of fifty because of the lack of cholesterol screening.
43. Kh5-g5
[...
Fine. You have won, Kanako, you really did. You killed Reimu, Marisa and you are going to get away with it.
I will work with you. I will help you do your projects. I will help you make life for the people of Gensokyo better, at least in the fields of my expertise.
But know this. The moment you slip, you are dead. If there is no improvement in Gensokyo, you are dead. If you let your ambition cloud your judgment for one single second, you are dead.
And if you touch Eientei, if you try to convert even a single rabbit… let's say I've been experimenting with viruses, and have some vials that I carry on my person. They are very hard, nearly impossible to break if you don't know how. But if they do break you will soon have no worshipers, at all. And then you will die.
And if you touch Kaguya, there is going to be a true apocalypse.
43. Re6xe4
...]
Fair enough. I think you know that this all symmetrically applies to you, as with my power growing Sanae will become capable of more and more, including opening the before mentioned chasm.
The concept of inevitable mutual destruction if something goes wrong has worked well for nations of Earth. It led to some very productive results.
44. g6-g7
[...
Um… this is Satori again, but you can probably tell by looking at my writing.
Eirin left in a hurry. She scared me to death, I thought she was really going to kill me… but I'm fine, thanks to you.
I am so afraid right now. Will I still be useful to you? You won't throw me away, right? I know hell can't give you too much faith, but please, don't leave me. I don't want to be alone again.
44. Re4-e8
...]
This is pathetic. You get choked a little, and suddenly you become all little and vulnerable.
Get a hold of yourself. I will need your powers, and more than you might think. Interrogations, psychology, espionage… But only if I can trust you, Satori.
Every believer has doubts in his faith from time to time, it is only natural. That is why I am always here for you, to show you the right way. I'm not some obscure god who is unreachable in any way and doesn't even give his followers a clear proof of the existence of afterlife.
45. f4-f5
[...
Thank you, Kanako-sama.
45. a5-a4
...]
46. f5-f6
[...
Kanako-sama, you remembered! I knew you would remember me! All these years I hoped that you would remember…
I have so much to tell you. We are rebuilding the bridge to hell. It needed repairs for a long time, but we were finally able to gather the large enough workforce. The city is doing better too, we have now a proper shopping district opened, and we are thinking of launching a second school next year.
Koishi tells me a lot about what's happening on the surface. Churches, hospitals, schools… all for the glory of Kanako-sama. I'm sorry I couldn't visit, business, business…
So, will you be moving to the hell project soon? I know it's hard for you, but please, just a little help. We only need a little push to get things done…
46 a4-a3
...]
Hmm, and I wondered if this old thing still worked. I guess Yukari really did forget about it.
I am very pleased to hear you did all this improvement in hell all by yourself. I knew I could count on you for that. Unfortunately, the extended project will have to be delayed a little. Just a little, do not panic.
I also have some good news. Soon, I will establish a communication network between Gensokyo and its spiritual extensions. We are going to aim for the netherworld first, but hell is next, right after heaven. Then we will be able to talk at our leisure.
But let's finish this game properly. It was a long time ago, but I'm still inclined to win. Ready to give up?
047. Kg5-g6
[...
Never, Kanako-sama. I shall fight till the very end.
48. a3-a2
...]
48. f6-f7
[...
48. Re8-e6 check
...]
49. Kg6-h7
[...
Um… it really feels hollow again. Please, write me something. How is Sanae doing? I know she must be really old by now for a human… did you give her immortality?
We repaired the bridge over the last year. It doesn't look pretty, but I think Parsee likes the new pavement design. Sadly, we had to postpone the launch of the new school for another year.
49. Re6-h6
...]
Satori, you poor clueless ancient girl.
It really feels weird to write to you from this side. When I picked this book up in the ruins of the shrine I felt nothing but disgust, and writing for the villain…
Kanako fucked us all. She brought in technology, mostly to boost up population growth. She gathered faith, mostly from children. And then she ran, taking Suwako with her, to find the new world to suck the power from. And the most disgusting thing is that we will probably have to maintain this illusion of faith, just to not let everything fall apart again.
This is the main problem with faith, Satori. The more educated people become, the more they know, the less they believe. The more they know, the less they hope. And this is why she abandoned us all, like a leech that have sucked enough blood.
Sanae is dead. She died peacefully in her sleep five days ago, and it would mean she lived to be one hundred and eight. Despite her god she remained a reasonably decent person until the end. I personally ensured that she got her afterlife. Heaven or hell, I don't know. Poke on the streets, maybe you'll meet her.
I'd like to finish this game, playing as a villain. I have no choice but to become the villain myself now, preserving the faith in a god that is no longer with us. In time, we will lessen the impact she made, and salvage at least the part of the old Gensokyo… but for now, it will have to remain this way. We are behind schedule on insulin production for the next month as it is.
Oh, and the Hakurei shrine has a new miko now. Yukari messed up during the reverse shrine power transfer, and the new guardian of Gensokyo is just an infant. I'm thinking of asking Yukari to name her Reimu.
50. Kh7xh6
[...
But… all we worked for… all we believed in, it just can't end like this! You are lying, Eirin! She couldn't abandon us all! You'll see, I will rebuild hell myself! In the name of Kanako-sama, I shall prove it to you! To everyone!
And I am going to win this game! I may have been a black pawn, but I reached the first row, and now I shall become a queen!
50. a2-a1=Q
...]
Satori, you can't win. I have two passed pawns, you have a king and a queen left. And don't hold on to the evil faith, it is not worth it. Kanako never regarded you as a pawn. You were even less, no more than a speck of dust to her. She forgot about you the moment she turned away.
51. g7-g8=Q check
[...
This is not an evil faith! Kanako-sama talked to me when no one else did! She took in my sister when no one else did! She promised me new future, and she promised me that I would get accepted! She can't just disappear like that!
51. Kc8-b7
...]
Satori, she lied to you all this time. She lied to all of us, lied without blinking or taking a breath. All her words, all that she did, it was all a lie.
052. f7-f8=Q
[...
But it worked, didn't it? You built hospitals, didn't you? And with faith in my heart, I managed to do so much, I repaired the bridge, I started to rebuild the Ancient City…
52. Qa1-h1 check
...]
Satori, you are just delaying the inevitable. Give up.
53. Kh6-g7
[...
Are you telling this to your every patient, Eirin? The ones you could save, but decided not to because it would require way too much effort on your part?
53. Qh1-g1 check
...]
I never did something like that, Satori. I know when the situation is hopeless. I always do.
54. Kg7-f7
[...
But of course. You always know. You are always sure. You do not have even the slightest doubt.
I read your mind, Eirin. You are a monster. You project a façade of emotions, you swear when you want others to think you are angry… but inside, there is only logic, like you are an intricate clockwork mechanism.
You just learned to hide it all so well over the years. And this is why Reimu had no chance. Because you gave up on her. Because you calculated her chances. Because you never believed.
But I will not give up even now. Even after she forgot about me for ninety years. I will believe that one day, Kanako-sama will return and fulfill all her promises. And till that day I am going to build my own future, a future filled with hope and faith.
Or does it sicken you? Will you enter my palace and kill me, like you wanted to all those years ago? Will you kill me because I dare to believe? Will you kill my sister too, just to make a complete set while you're at it? Will you win, just to prove a point?
54. Qg1-f2 check
...]
Satori, I am not a monster and I am not going to kill you. You just have to understand that Gensokyo is never going to change, no matter what I, you, Yukari or anyone does. You even believed it once, and wrote it in this book long ago, remember? Gensokyo has its own path, just as Earth and Moon civilizations have, and trying shoehorn a school into hell is pointless. I just don't want to see you wasting your life on something like that.
I think this chess match symbolizes what we all did over the course of this century. A string of mistakes that started with murder, a blind charge forward without thinking ahead. I think it would be unfair to end it with a victory of a villain.
In fact, nobody can win in a situation like this. People just get hurt, and nothing is resolved in the end. Unfair, depressing, and yet so life-like and realistic.
When this match ends, I'd like you to keep the book. Read sometimes from it, and learn from the mistakes all of us did. This is all I can ask for.
55. Kf7-g7
[...
55. Qf2-g1 check
...]
56. Kg7-f7
[...
56. Qg1-f2 check
...]
57. Kf7-g7
[...
57. Qf2-g1 check
...]
58. Kg7-f7
Perpetual check. Draw.
/ / /