Loading User Commands:
[X] "Best guess? Probably someone who helped build that whole section of the Mansion."

---

Grey looks up at Sakuya. She isn't angry or suspicious. Instead, she looks genuinely concerned for him. He never thought that he would live to see the day that the chief maid would worry about him.

"Best guess?" he says. "Probably someone who helped build that whole section of the Mansion."

"Hmm," says Sakuya. "While I can understand why you would think that, I have to say that such possibility is next to impossible."

"Why?"

"That part of the Mansion is even older than Lady Remilia. Unless you are some kind of immortal or god, there is no way that you can be related to the Watchmaker. Patchouli would have detected traces of high-level magic on your person when you first arrived, if that was the case."

Sakuya closes her eyes to think for a few moments.

"Sorry, I really don't remember," Grey says.

"Forget about it. It isn't that important. After what you did, I would be a fool not to trust you," returns Sakuya. "Even if you don't trust yourself."

"..."

"Since you are well enough to argue, why don't you tell me what you found? I do hope we didn't go through all that for nothing."

Grey slowly describes everything he saw in the chamber, down to the last detail. He mentions examining the room carefully, and finally rearranging the devices (while wearing the gloves, of course) to change the symbol at the center of the circle. He makes emphasis of the feeling he had when the light changed color. Sakuya lets him finish without interruption.

"I see," she says. "That really is strange."

A minute passes as Sakuya ponders the situation in silence.

"Alright, I have a few guesses," she declares. "I will see what I can find out. You should just continue resting here until you feel better."

With that, she gives him one last smile for encouragement before leaving the room. Now alone, Grey stares at the ceiling as he thinks.

The incidents only started getting worse after he arrived. There is no other reasonable cause for this aside from him. But for some reason, he hasn't been labeled as the culprit, even when he admitted it himself. He half expected Patchouli or Sakuya to end him when he told them everything he saw, but instead, both of them now trust him.

What the hell is going on in this place? What is happening to everyone? And what the heck is he supposed to do next? Grey's eyes shut heavily as he falls asleep with these thoughts (and more) in mind.

...

He rests peacefully and dreamlessly, and by the time he wakes up, he feels refreshed. He quickly gets up from the bed and stretches a few times to make sure that his injuries have healed. Whatever medicine Sakuya gave him must be pretty strong stuff.

A quick glance tells him that Sakuya isn't in the room. For a moment, he thinks about searching the place for clues, but his better (and wiser) side reminds him that going through a lady's things is very much unlike a gentleman.

His stomach rumbles noisily, reminding him that it is lunch time. His other things seem to be lying on a nearby desk. As he collects his items, he thinks about what to do next.

[ ] Head to your room. Maybe you can organize your inventory.
[ ] Head to the kitchen. You should get something to eat.
[ ] Head to the garden. Is there someone working outside?
[ ] Head to the front gate. A chat with the gatekeeper is nice.
[ ] Head to the Flandre's room in the basement. She might be bored.
[ ] Head to the Voile Library. Is Patchouli feeling better now?
[ ] See if you can find the lower library chamber.
[ ] See if you can find another stairway down to the basement.
[ ] Custom

The first thing Grey notices is that he is lying on a bed. It feels soft and comfortable, much better than the one he used in his own room. Perhaps he should sleep a little bit longer. Nothing matters. He just wants to rest.

"Grey?" asks a distant voice.

He opens a single eye slowly to see who is disturbing him. His head aches, and his body feels like a mess. It takes him almost a full minute to recognize the person. Oh! It's just Sakuya. Slowly, he closes his eye to return to his peaceful slumber. Did he hear just hear an annoyed sigh? Must be his imagination.

"If you don't get up, I'll serve you as Remilia's dinner," says Sakuya sternly.

"W-w-what?" cries Grey as he forces himself into the waking world.

A glance tells him that he seems to be back in one of the rooms at the Mansion. He recognizes the place immediately, even if he has never entered it before. This is Sakuya's room. He realizes that he is lying on her bed. Grey immediately tries to get up from the bed, but a sudden pain at his side causes him to cringe back.

"Don't move! The medicine takes a few minutes to work," Sakuya says as she forces his shoulders back on the bed.

"Sakuya?" he asks uncertainly.

Sakuya silences him by putting her finger on his lips. Grey obediently complies. He doesn't feel like he can talk much yet, in any case. The next moment, the chief maid does something quite uncharacteristic of her. She starts stroking his hair fondly, a gentle smile upon her face as he looks at him.

"Thanks for saving me," she says.

"Anything for you," answers Grey automatically. Wait, what did he just say?

Suddenly, Sakuya pulls away, visibly blushing in embarrassment. For a moment, she looks like she is about to smack him hard on the head, or worse. Grey closes his eyes in reflex, and waits for the attack, but it never comes. By the time he opens his eyes and peeks at her, she has already composed herself. Was he just seeing things?

"Anyway, you should just rest her for now," she says.

She pauses for a moment before continuing.

"That skill you used earlier - I've never seen it before. And if you saw yourself using it in your dreams, perhaps they aren't just delusions. Who are you, really?" says Sakuya, a look of concern upon her face.

[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Command Sign, 「Master's Voice」

---

Sakuya can't possibly defeat the guardian on her own. Even with her unique combat abilities, the creature is simply too powerful. Without her time manipulation powers, she doesn't stand a chance. Her injuries are getting more serious as the battle continues. Despite blood flowing freely from her wounds, she keeps on fighting, without even a pause to bind them or rest. She must be pushing on using sheer willpower alone; if this continues, she is surely going to collapse. Against these odds, there is only one possible outcome.

Sakuya is going to die.

Grey forces himself to stand, supporting his body with a hand against the wall. He tries to cry out at the chief maid, but she doesn't seem to hear him. She is acting as if she is in some kind of deep trance. His desperate shouting doesn't reach her. Sakuya can only see and hear her monstrous opponent.

Sakuya is going to die.

He checks his pockets quickly, to see if there is anything he can use to help. Unfortunately, all he has are a few blank spell cards (he doesn't know how to use them), his now empty Mauser C96 (he can reload it, but the weapon is useless against the guardian), and the work gloves he found in the tower (also useless). The ground rumbles violently once more as the clockwork guardian tries to crush Sakuya with its weight. She barely dodges the blow.

Sakuya is going to die.

No! This can't be happening! This isn't supposed to happen! Sakuya is his friend. There is so much they haven't done together. There is so much he has to apologize for. There are so many things he has to tell her. This is...

"Sakuya!" cries Grey. He uses the last of his strength, praying that he can reach her.

For a moment, Sakuya turns to him. Her fiery red eyes slowly return to their normal color as she recognizes him. But this is a mistake - his cry distracts her for a split-second. The guardian attacks during the opening, throwing her across the room. She lands hard against a wall on the other side with a sickening, meaty thud.

Sakuya doesn't get up.

Grey feels himself shuddering uncontrollably. He knows he can't fight this monster. He knows he can't think of a way to escape. He knows he can't even stand up for much longer. But, as if in response to his desperation, his body is moving on its own, walking towards the creature.

"You fucking mongrel servant!" he cries loudly. "I'll kill you!"

The clockwork guardian pauses, as if amused by his gesture.

"Wait... your... turn..." it croaks mechanically. Slowly, it turns back to Sakuya to finish her off.

Grey feels himself burning. He feels like he is going to lose control of himself, but at the same time, find himself. But that doesn't matter now. Somehow, he knows exactly what to say. He pulls out a single blank spell card from his coat.

"Command Sign, 「Master's Voice」," returns Grey calmly.

Suddenly, everything is clear. This battle is finished.

"Face your Master, guardian of the fourth chamber," he says sternly.

The spider stops in its tracks. It shudders violently, as if trying to struggle against itself, before turning to face Grey.

"Master...?" it croaks slowly.

"You have done your duty well," Grey says. "I have one final task for you."

"Orders..." replies the guardian.

"Execute Procedure 22," he says with a grim smile.

The clockwork guardian raises two of its long, mechanical legs high into the air. It pauses for a single moment as it raises them above its head. Its faces Grey, looking at him almost remorsefully.

"Command... Confirmation...?" it asks.

"Isaac," says Grey with finality.

The creature crashes its two monstrous limbs straight into its head, effectively impaling itself with its own mechanical legs. Thousands of gears and springs fly off across the room with the impact. For a moment, the creature shakes violently, until finally, every part of it stops moving. The whole room rumbles as the creature crashes into the ground lifelessly.

"Now broken, guardian of the fourth chamber, you are of no use to me," he says. The guardian could have been useful if it wasn't already compromised. He has no use for useless servants. Such things don't even have the right to live.

Suddenly, his body is filled with excruciating pain. Grey crumples down on the ground, coughing blood on the ground. This is his limit. But this is just fine. He is finished now.

Everything fades to black.

Sakuya watches helplessly as Grey lays lifeless under the guardian's legs. Slowly, the creature turns around to face her. Its current ability is far beyond what she can deal with. It upgraded itself several times during the battle. There is no way for her to win. If anything, she should be thinking of a way to escape while she still can. But for some reason, her body refuses to take a single step back.

"Minor... threat... terminated..." croaks the guardian mechanically.

"..."

"Completing... duty..." it says as it faces the chief maid.

The creature takes a step forward toward Sakuya. The ground rumbles as it approaches her cautiously.

"Duty..?" mutters Sakuya.

Sakuya quickly dries her eyes. As she wipes off the last tear, she glares back at the clockwork guardian with fiery red eyes. She pulls out a knife from her dress and points it at the creature.

"Duty." she repeats calmly.

Suddenly, with a crazy smile upon her face, she looks up at the guardian.

"Aah, the cleaning never ends!" exclaims the chief maid. "And again, you're hindering the cleaning~"

...

He can feel it all over his arms and legs, like he is being torn apart and put back together again. This agony is excruciating; this is unbearable. This pain is too much for him. Can't this pain end already? He would much rather die than be in this kind of pain.

"..."

Grey struggles with himself to open a single eye. Slowly getting up, he cringes as his whole body feels bruised all over, from top to bottom. He barely manages to sit himself up.

Somehow, he is still alive.

His wonder at this unexpected discovery is suddenly interrupted by a loud crash. He turns his head, however painful his neck is, to observe the commotion.

With renewed vigor, Sakuya is fighting relentlessly against the clockwork guardian. She seems to be pushing it back, but as Grey looks closer, he realizes that the chief maid isn't any healthier. In fact, she seems to be pushing herself recklessly against the creature.

With her injuries, it is only a matter of time before she collapses from exhaustion. If this continues, Sakuya is going to die. There must be something else he can do.

There must be a way.

[ ] Vicious, 「Festival of Steel」
[ ] Command Sign, 「Master's Voice」
[ ] Valor Sign, 「Heroic Rescue」
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Try to distract the guardian with your weapon.
[X] Push Sakuya out of the way.

---

"Get away from her!" cries Grey as he draws his weapon.

Against this monstrosity, the gun looks pitifully small in his hand. The Mauser C96 is an early semi-automatic pistol, and while effective against infantry, he seriously doubts its effectiveness against the guardian. The clockwork spider might be better compared to tank, in this case, and small arms don't do much against tanks. Unfortunately, he doesn't have anything else with him, so he doesn't have much choice.

Suddenly, Grey remembers the violin in his room. For some reason, he felt like he should have brought it earlier. He doesn't understand why he recalls it now; it's not like he can play something to soothe this obviously savage beast.

The guardian turns its head slightly toward the newcomer. It pauses before silently observing Grey, perhaps in order to size him up. After a few seconds, the creature releases steam from its joints, as if relaxing itself. The spider clicks its mandibles lazily as a strange mechanical device pops out from its mouth.

"Threat... level... minor..." it says with a rasping, mechanical voice.

"You don't belong in this world!" cries Grey as he aims the pistol at the beast's head. "Die, monster!"

In a few seconds, he manages to empty his weapon at the abomination. Only a few shots hit the head directly; most of them hit the larger body or miss completely. He continues pressing the trigger, not realizing that it has no bullets left. Unfortunately, the bullets just bump harmlessly off the creature's head and body. The creature clicks its mandibles excitedly, as if amused by his futile attack.

"What are you doing?" says Sakuya weakly as she manages to stand herself up against the wall. Without warning, she throws a knife at Grey, narrowly missing his head.

"Just get out of here, you damn idiot!" she cries out, in desperation.

Escape from this place alone? For some reason, just the thought of that cowardly option causes Grey to wince. It was his fault that they were in this situation. He insisted that there was something they needed to find in this cursed place, even if it was dangerous. And even if Sakuya's powers don't work here, even if she had no reason to believe him, she had trusted him completely.

The guardian turns its head back toward Sakuya. It bends its legs as it prepares to finish her off. With her injuries, there is no way she can survive this attack.

Sakuya trusted him, and now she was going to die. Was he going to just stand and watch? Was he going to run away without looking back? Was there anything else he could do? Anything at all?

Grey smiles, despite himself. Right then and there, he really wished he could do a diving tackle to get Sakuya and himself safely out of harm's way. Using his sudden and unexplainable martial ability, he would save the day, maybe even kick the guardian's head in just for laughs. He would walk out of the tower, shirt torn and battle-damaged, carrying Sakuya in his arms, and just as he steps out, doves would scatter all around them.

Unfortunately, he knows that he was far from athletic, and such a feat is reserved for kickass movies. Therefore, what he is about to do could only be described as completely stupid.

Grey holsters his weapon as he breaks out into a run toward Sakuya. Her eyes widen as she realizes what he is doing. She opens her mouth, but before she can argue, he manages to shove her away from the wall. A large shadow suddenly falls upon him.

He manages to smile at Sakuya weakly, and at that single moment, he notices something odd about the chief maid's face. He curses himself quietly as he watches her eyes grow damp. Is she crying?

"I really am an idiot," he manages to mutter to himself. Not only is he going to die, but he did the unforgivable - he made this elegant and perfect maid shed tears.

The guardian lands heavily upon him, crushing a large portion of the wall and floor into pieces. For some reason, he doesn't feel as much pain as he expected. His vision blurs steadily, then everything turns to black.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Take a peek outside.
[X] Form another character using the devices. (Blessing)

---

These things - they don't belong here. While this clock tower might be full of strange mechanical parts and clockwork creatures, these devices are simply too modern to be a part of it. They are far too advanced for this tower, and even for Gensokyo as a whole. This technology should only exist in the Outside.

Where did they come from? Someone must have set up the circle of light only recently. There is hardly any dust on any of the mirrors and lenses, in contrast to the walls and floor.

Grey can't leave the circle arranged like this. Rearranging the devices can't be too dangerous, can it? The most he can lose is his life, in any case. As carefully as he can, he begins changing the angle and position of the mirrors and lenses.

He ignores the loud crashes outside as he focuses on his work. The blue light hits his hands a few times as he moves the devices, but it bounces harmlessly off his gloves. As the character for "Curse" is being changed, the blue light suddenly changes into white light.

Startled by the change, Grey steps back, but nothing else happens. He returns to his work, and after several minutes, he finally completes rearranging the mirrors and lenses, forming a new character at the center of the circle.

"Blessing," he reads aloud.

Somehow, the air suddenly feels lighter than before, as if some heavy burden was lifted. Most likely, it was enough to bend one or two of the devices out of place, as the light changed color as soon as he did so. However, since he rearranged the position and angle of several more, the circle's original pattern will be difficult to restore.

Satisfied with his work, he heads back to the door to check on Sakuya. She might be skilled, but by the sound of it, she must still be battling the clockwork guardian.

Grey steps by the entrance to peek outside, but the outer room is filled with dust and smoke. He can barely see a few yards in front of him, but he can hear several loud crashes from the right side of the room.

Without warning, something crashes hard against a nearby wall. Grey takes a glance at it and recognizes the figure instantly, to his dismay.

"Sakuya!" he cries out.

Sakuya groans weakly as she tries to get up. There are several cuts and bruises on her arms and legs; some of them look pretty deep. Her dress has been torn in several places. She holds a single knife tightly as she winces in pain. With such injuries, it is a wonder that the chief maid is still conscious.

A growing shadow suddenly looms over Sakuya. Grey looks up to see the guardian preparing to launch itself at her. If this attack hits, Sakuya might not stand up again.

Grey doesn't have much time...
[ ] Push Sakuya out of the way.
[ ] Try to distract the guardian with your weapon.
[ ] Plead with the guardian.
[ ] Escape from this place alone.
[ ] Custom

Extra: Her Visitor

Flandre Scarlet rarely had visitors. She stayed in a room deep in the basement of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Food and drink were brought down for her, as she rarely stepped out of her room. She was not a prisoner, however. In fact, there existed no prison that could contain her power.

Long ago, her sister told her to stay in her room. She said that it was not safe for her to step out. The maids would take care of her if she needed anything. She didn't need to worry; everything she wanted would be brought down for her - toys, books, clothes, and anything else that she might want.

Over the years, she grew accustomed to this kind of life. Her sister would come down to visit from time to time, and the maids took care of her needs. Patchouli would even come to teach her every so often, though her lessons were often tedious and difficult to understand. There was little reason to think of escaping, for while it was a little strange, she did understand that she led a pretty happy life.

Flandre trusted her sister. She loved her, and not once did she doubt her good intentions. Sometimes, she missed her sister's visits, which were growing rarer over the years, but she knew that Remilia was now the head of the Scarlet family. All she needed to do, as her little sister, was to believe in her.

Of course, that is not to say that she never stepped out. Every once in a while, she would climb the spiraling staircase and walk around the Mansion. She would often take a short walk in the garden, or have a chat with the gatekeeper, but she never left the grounds. Besides the shrine maiden and the black-white, she rarely spoke with her sister's guests. She never had guests of her own.

This is the reason why, on that fateful day, she was surprised when a stranger stepped into her room. He knocked before entering, of course, but Flandre noticed something right away when he entered - this person was a human. There was little that stood out from his manner of dress, but she did note that he wore a pair of silver-rimmed glasses upon his face.

He introduced himself cordially as one of Remilia's guests. There was nothing at all special about this person; nothing unusual or peculiar about the way he acted and spoke. But why was it that Flandre felt something different from him?

"Would you like to come with me upstairs?" he asked suddenly.

"E-eh?" she stammered.

"I thought you might enjoy some company, and some fresh air is always good," he said. "Are you busy with something?"

"Busy? No, not busy! I only have some books and toys as company," she said.

"Then come and spend time with this lonely stranger," he said, taking her hand deftly before she could argue.

As they climbed up the stairs, he continued to talk. He spoke of anything and everything - the blue sky, the warm weather, the lack of good tea in the kitchen, the latest spell card duel her sister fought - and Flandre could do little more than nod and smile in response. Something else was on her mind, keeping her distracted.

His hands were so warm.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Wear the gloves before you touch anything.
[X] Don't touch the devices.
[X] Custom

---

On the left, a single beam of light is being emitted from a strange electronic device embedded into the wall. From this source, the light collides with a carefully positioned set of mirrors, lenses, and prisms at the center of the room. The optical devices manipulate the light in a manner both flawless and calculated, forming several cryptic symbols and markings in a circular fashion. The blue light escapes to the right, where another electronic device, of a similar construct to the first, contains it.

Grey shudders as he recognizes the pattern formed by the light. It looks exactly the same, to the smallest detail, as the sealing circle he and Patchouli used to seal Koakuma in his dream. At the very center of the circle of light, he can see a single character. Even if it isn't in English, he can recognize it.

"Curse," he reads.

Without hesitation, he takes the gloves from his coat and puts them on his hands. Sakuya said that they are sturdy and perhaps even magically reinforced. While the blue rays of light seem harmless enough, he has no idea to their true nature. If he acts recklessly, he might just end up with a severed hand or foot.

Thankfully, the gloves seem only a little oversized. He can probably manipulate objects with only a little less finesse than normal. He also feels a little bit safer wearing these, for some reason.

Grey takes a single step forward.

But what is he supposed to do next? Should he try to dismantle the source of the blue light? Is he supposed to bend one of the mirrors or prisms out of place? Maybe he can let the blue light escape and hit something else inside the room? Or perhaps he can try to form another symbol at the center of the circle of light?

He shakes his head in frustration. He has no idea what could happen if he screwed something up. If someone took the time to set up these devices so carefully, he might just end up triggering a trap, or worse.

Grey walks around the outer rim of the room carefully, hoping to find a manual or some bit of instruction that could give him a clue of what to do next. He observes that there is only one entrance into the chamber - the door he came in from. There aren't any hidden staircases or doors along the walls, as far as he can tell. He doesn't find anything of interest at all by the time he returns to his starting point. Aside from the optical devices in the center of the chamber, the room is completely empty.

"..."

He did notice something strange though. The whole tower is constructed with antiquated parts, old gears and springs one would expect inside old clockwork. However, the devices at the center of the room are clearly of a more modern design, and they look like a more recent addition. They certainly do not fit with the whole theme of this place.

The ground rumbles once again. This time, the vibration rocks the room so badly that Grey almost loses his balance. For some reason, the devices at the center of the room remain undisturbed.

This doesn't look good. Sakuya must be having a hard time.

Grey needs to make a decision and a gamble. And quickly.

Sakuya...
[ ] Take a peek outside.
[ ] She can take care of herself.

The circle of light...
[ ] Leave the room. Don't touch anything.
[ ] Try to dismantle the source of the light.
[ ] Bend one of the devices out of place.
[ ] Let the light escape freely around the room.
[ ] Form another character at the center. (Specify)
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Sakuya will keep it occupied while you sneak into the room.

---

The mechanical monstrosity looms before her. Over twenty feet tall, and double that in length, it spans almost the whole width of the hallway. Thousands of gears and springs spin and turn to life as the creature stares at the intruder with its cold glass eyes. It clicks its mandibles audibly, as if to question the foolishness of its challenger.

"Greetings, fellow guardian," Sakuya says. "In the name of Lady Remilia, I seek passage to the chamber that has been entrusted to you."

The clockwork guardian takes a step forward to better observe its visitor. The room shakes as several of the larger gears begin to spin. Fire and steam begins to fill the room. As if in anger, the whole chamber rumbles at her presence. The guardian clicks its mandibles incessantly. A strange device pops out from within its mouth, and from it, a deep mechanical voice begins to speak.

"I... am... servant," it says.

The creature takes another step towards Sakuya. It clicks its mandibles faster.

"Watchmaker... is... master," it says.

It raises one of its gargantuan limbs. Sakuya readies her combat stance.

"Guests... not... invited..."

In one swift motion, the spider guardian lowers its leg, crushing the ground where Sakuya once stood. The room shakes violently with the impact. However, Sakuya is faster. Before the guardian can recover, she balances herself on top of the very leg it used to attack.

"Impressive. That would have easily finished a low level servant. As expected of the Watchmaker's guardian."

Sakuya pulls out a knife from her dress. She embeds the knife deep into the joints of the spider's leg. The knife deftly jams the gears and clockwork springs. The whole leg begins to shake violently. Steams begins to come out from the crack. A loud whirring noise. Metal grinding against metal. A sudden burst followed by hissing. Uncontrolled steam and pressure. Sakuya smiles at the guardian.

"Good thing that I am no ordinary servant," she says as she jumps off.

A loud explosion, then dust and ashes. The guardian's leg lays lifeless and broken on the ground.

"Is that all you have?" Sakuya asks mockingly.

As if in answer, guardian's eyes glow a fiery red. Suddenly, the broken leg completely detaches itself from the main body, dropping to the ground with a metallic crash. Its gears and springs begin spinning faster. The room rumbles with the vibrations. Slowly, another leg begins to take its place, as if being created from the heat and metal within the air itself.

"Threat... level... confirmed..."

Sakuya throws several knives at the guardian, but not a single one hits its mark. With remarkable speed, the spider guardian jumps on to the ceiling, dodging each attack easily. Its mandibles click continuously.

"Upgrade... complete..."

Sakuya smiles at this. Perhaps this will be an interesting battle, after all.

...

Grey turns to Sakuya.

"I have something to ask of you," he says. "I know this sounds dangerous but -"

"You want me to keep the creature distracted while you sneak into the room?"

"Eh?"

Sakuya turns to him, her expression unreadable.

"That would be the best course of action, considering the circumstances. You aren't experienced enough to face that guardian in combat."

He hesitates. They don't know if there is anything of value in this place. Whatever they find might not even be related to the incidents. But Sakuya looks confident; is Sakuya willing to risk her life for this? This might be too dangerous, even for her.

"But you said that your powers don't work in this place," he argues.

"They don't. But for something like this, I won't need them."

"What?"

"Just don't waste too much time in there. I'm not sure how long I can hold it off."

Sakuya steps forward toward the guardian.

"W-wait!"

She pauses, but she doesn't look back.

"Believe in me," she whispers.

...

Another loud crash shakes the room behind him. There is too much steam to see the details of the battle, but it sounds like Sakuya isn't having an easy time. He has to move quickly. There must be something important in this room. If he can't find it, then Sakuya's efforts will be for nothing.

Grey surveys the area. The room is bathed with an eerie blue light. Looking closer, he can see its source. A series of mirrors, lenses, and prisms at the center of the room guides the light from one end to the other. Dozens of optical devices are reflecting or refracting the beam of light forming a series of strange symbols and markings.

It takes Grey only a few moments to recognize it. The pattern is exactly the same as the sealing circle they used to contain Koakuma in his dream. At the very center, a single character is formed by the light. He knows that it isn't English, but somehow, he can recognize it.

"Curse," he reads.

[ ] Leave the room. Don't touch anything.
[ ] Wear the gloves before you touch anything.
[ ] Try to block the source of light with something. (Specify)
[ ] Disrupt the pattern created by the light somehow. (Specify)
[ ] Rearrange the devices to let the light escape freely around the room. (Specify)
[ ] Form another character using the devices. (Specify)
[ ] There must be something else you can do! (Custom)

Loading User Commands:
[X] "There is something in here that we need to find."

---

"Do you have any other suggestions?" Sakuya asks. "If not, we should start looking for the exit."

Grey sighs heavily. This place is dangerous, but he can't leave empty-handed. There must be something important in this place. There must be a reason to why he was drawn here. It might be a clue that he can't get anywhere else.

"There is something in here that we need to find," he says gravely.

"And what would that be?" the chief maid inquires.

"I am not exactly sure," he admits. "However, I'm sure that we'll recognize it once we find it."

Sakuya looks at him seriously.

"That sounds pretty vague," she says. "Are you sure you want to risk searching for it?"

Grey nods without hesitation. This might be his only chance to find it.

...

"Slow down, will you? I'm not exactly the most athletic type of person," Grey shouts.

"Come on! Hurry up! I can't keep waiting for you like this!" Sakuya shouts back.

"J-just give a minute. Damn it," he says, panting heavily.

He surveys the room in despair. For the last half hour, they have been searching the different parts of the clock tower. Thankfully, they haven't encountered anything hostile. Maybe the security measures are limited to only a few rooms.

"Just hop over the gears to get up here more quickly," she says at him.

"Curse this crazy girl," he mutters to himself.

Grey shakes his head as he continues along the footpath instead. He isn't confident enough to use spinning mechanical parts as stepping stones. After a few minutes, he manages to reach where Sakuya is standing. He looks up at her as he catches his breath.

"So, what did you see up here?"

"See for yourself."

In front of them lies a huge set of double doors. One of the doors is half-open. An eerie blue glow emanates from within. However, before he can observe further, something else walks into view. A creature not unlike the one he met earlier steps in front of the door. It seems to be slightly larger than the spider from before, and it has darker colored parts.

"A guardian," she whispers.

Sakuya looks at him, waiting for his decision.
[ ] Leave the clock tower. This is far too dangerous.
[ ] Attack the creature together. Maybe they can take it down.
[ ] Try to keep it occupied while Sakuya sneaks inside the room.
[ ] Sakuya will keep it occupied while you sneak into the room.
[ ] Custom

"So, what do you think?" Grey asks.

Sakuya looks at the items thoughtfully.

"Those gloves, I'm not sure what exactly they are used for," she says. "But they look pretty sturdy. Perhaps they have been magically reinforced."

"Reinforced?"

The chief maid nods slowly.

"You can probably use them to hold things that would normally be too dangerous to hold with bare hands."

She points at the cards.

"Those are spell cards, as I'm sure you have already guessed. Unfortunately, I can't show you how to inscribe spells until we are out of this place."

Grey nods as he pockets the items. He is sure that they will come in handy somehow.

"Earlier, you said that you can't use your powers here. What did you mean, exactly?"

"I mean it exactly as I said. I can't fly or manipulate time in this place," she explains. "This has been true ever since I first arrived in this mansion. Something seems to interfere with my abilities in this tower. Since Lady Remilia never sends anyone to this part of the mansion, I never gave it much thought."

"But doesn't that mean that you should be more careful?"

Sakuya smiles at him confidently as she pulls out several knives from within her dress.

"I can handle myself," she says. "This is just like the old days."

Grey remembers how tight and firm her legs and arms felt. The chief maid must be keeping herself physically fit. Even without her other skills, she seems only a little bit less dangerous.

"Anyway, we should look for the exit. That is, unless you have other suggestions?"

[ ] "Let's get out of here quickly."
[ ] "We should rest in here before heading out."
[ ] "Can we look around for a while?"
[ ] "There is something in here that we need to find."
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Tell her that you found out about this place through a dream. Tell her everything you saw in the last few nights.
[X] Show Sakuya the gloves.
[X] Show Sakuya the blank spell cards.

---

Sakuya folds her arms and looks at Grey thoughtfully.

"So, why did you come to this place?" she asks.

He pauses to think. Should he tell her everything? He isn't sure if she will take it as well as Patchouli did. For some reason, he feels that this decision is dangerous. If he isn't careful, she might actually kill him this time. He remembers a few times when one wrong word could've meant his death. While they were on the way to the Human Village yesterday, she threatened to kill him. He is already sure that the chief maid only wants to protect the mansion. Perhaps he shouldn't present himself as one of its possible threats.

"You can tell me," she says quietly.

Grey turns to her. It might just be his imagination, but maybe something changed. There is something about her eyes, or perhaps her facial expression. He isn't sure. He might be lying to himself. But maybe, just maybe...

"I know it sounds crazy, but I found this place in a dream," he begins. "It might take a while, but I'd like to tell you everything."

Sakuya nods gravely. She doesn't seem too surprised.

Grey begins to describe the events he saw last night. Sakuya takes in every detail in silence, expression unreadable. He recalls how he went down to the lower library with Patchouli. Koakuma was sealed and chained in the ritual chamber. He can remember the screams and the blood. Sakuya doesn't even flinch when he mentions the gruesome details of what they did to the little devil. He continues with the events of the previous night, when he left for Sakuya's room. At first, he hesitates, but Sakuya just nods at him to continue. He tells her everything, as if confessing to a priest. He overpowered her. He violated her. Then he...

"That's enough," she says sternly. "I think I'm starting to understand."

Grey lowers his head in shame. This sin, illusion or not, is too heavy to go unpunished. She must hate him for being such a horrible person. Perhaps he should leave the mansion. There isn't any place here for the likes of him.

"E-eh?" he mutters. He can feel something soft pressed against his cheek.

Sakuya wipes his face gently with a handkerchief. Her expression softens as she carefully cleans him up. There are no words as she continues her work. This moment feels like eternity. With every drop she wipes off, he feels like his sins are being washed away. But why? Shouldn't she be infuriated? Why isn't she isn't she cursing or spitting at his broken self? She isn't the type to care for weaklings. Why is she doing this? He doesn't deserve to be forgiven. If anything, he should be punished.

Grey fails to hold back his tears, but she doesn't say anything. She patiently wipes them off until he is finished. Why is she being so kind? He doesn't understand. He looks up at her, completely confused.

"Few things are clear," she admits, "But I know one thing for sure."

She puts a hand on his shoulder, as if to encourage him.

"You aren't our enemy."

Loading User Commands:
[x] Go back inside immediately and help her out.
[x] Check if she has any injuries.
[x] Offer to carry her.
[x] Ask if she was following you.

---

Grey can't leave a damsel in distress, even if said damsel is capable of manipulating time, flying in the sky and impaling her opponents with throwing knives. Such an act would be against his personal chivalric code. Helping the chief maid is not a choice. It is his duty - both as a butler and a man. He curses at himself for hesitating. Is this not like asking whether a real man drinks tea?

He immediately rushes back inside to assist Sakuya. She might be injured or uncomfortable. Leaving a lady in such a state is simply unacceptable!

"Are you alright?" he asks. "Let me see if you have any injuries."

"Grey? N-no, you don't have to! I'm alright!" she says as she gets up.

"Just let me check. Stop moving."

Sakuya opens her mouth to protest, but he silences her with his eyes. He carefully checks her body for injuries. The chief maid allows him to feel her arms and legs, but he senses a cold chill as he does so. All thoughts of fondling or copping a feel instantly vanish. He can't mess around with her right now. He finishes his work without raising any further suspicion. Aside from a few bruises, she seems fine.

"Thanks, but I said that I was fine," she says with a frown.

"I was just doing my duty," he answers carefully. "I can't let the chief maid walk around injured."

Sakuya smiles at him, clearly amused.

"You should know that a simple fall like that can't hurt me," she says with confidence.

"One never knows. In fact, I'm not sure if you have any internal injuries. Are you sure that you don't want me to carry you?"

Sakuya's smile widens. Before he can react, she steps dangerously close to him. From this distance, he can feel her body heat emanating from her chest. A strange sweet aroma comes up to his nose; it enthralls him completely.

"Close your eyes," she says sternly.

Grey obediently complies. For a few moments, he waits in anticipation.

"..."

Without warning, she flicks him hard on the forehead.

"Don't push your luck," she whispers.

Sakuya smiles brightly at him. She is clearly enjoying this. Grey nods slowly as he rubs his head. That tap on the head hurts far more than he expected. He better stay cool and avoid antagonizing the chief maid.

"So what brings you here?" he asks as innocently as possible.

"That should be my question," she answers. "You should know better than to wander aimlessly around the mansion."

"I suppose so," he manages.

"Anyway, we should find a way out of here. This place is pretty dangerous for me."

Grey blinks dumbly. Did he hear that right? The perfect and elegant maid hesitates against no one! She has faced otherworldly opponents and powerful beings. Sakuya looks at him seriously as she continues.

"I can't use my powers in the clock tower."

Sakuya folds her arms and looks at him thoughtfully.

"So, why did you come here?"

[ ] Tell her that you got lost and wandered here by accident.
[ ] Tell her that you want to investigate the different areas of the mansion.
[ ] Tell her that you found out about this place through a vision. Don't mention the other details.
[ ] Tell her that you found out about this place through a dream. Tell her everything you saw in the last few nights.
[ ] Custom

Optional:
[ ] Show Sakuya the gloves.
[ ] Show Sakuya the blank spell cards.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Make a break for the door.

---

This is too dangerous. While that clockwork abomination can't possibly fit through the vent, something equally dangerous might be coming down after him. Grey can't assume that it will be friendly; this is the Scarlet Devil Mansion, after all. He looks around one more time to consider his options.

"Alright," he mutters to himself.

Firing his weapon into the vent seems risky. While the pistol has proven itself effective against youkai, he isn't sure if it will work against strange mechanical lifeforms. For a moment, he considers hiding in one of the closets. He shakes his head in refusal - if he gets discovered, he will have no place to run. That leaves only one choice.

Grey decides to make a break for the door. The next room might open more options. He rushes toward it at full speed. He can hear something crawling down the vent. He doesn't bother turning around. In a few moments, he makes it to the door. The noises from the vent are getting louder. He swings it open and steps out of the room. He turns around to close the door. The thing in the vent is almost in the room. He pauses for a moment to watch. Perhaps he can take a peek at his pursuer before running.

"Kyaaah~"

A familiar figure falls down the vent, landing hard on the storage room floor. She cringes in pain for a moment as she sits herself up. Her eyes are slightly damp as she gets herself reoriented. Her silky silver hair is disheveled. Her french maid styled uniform is a bit loose, but otherwise undamaged. Strangely enough, the frilly white bonnet on her head hasn't come off.

What is Sakuya doing here?
[ ] Go back inside immediately and help her out.
[ ] Wait for her to compose herself before coming in.

Optional (up to three selections):
[ ] Check if she has any injuries.
[ ] Offer to carry her.
[ ] Tell her to rest.
[ ] Point the pistol at her.
[ ] Ask her something. (Specify)
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Take the workgloves. It might be useful.
[X] Custom

---

Grey quickly pockets the workgloves. He isn't sure about their usefulness, but the poster did mention something about them. Hopefully, he won't need to find replacements anytime soon. They can probably come in handy, sooner or later.

The locked box is pretty heavy. It will probably be difficult to haul around. He leaves it beside the pile of parts. He can probably come back for it once he finds something he can use to open it. One usually brings the key to the lock, not the lock to the key.

"Clank!"

Grey looks up. The movement and noises of the countless gears in the room are confusing, but he is sure that he heard something else. He carefully looks at his surroundings.

The cranks seem to be untouched. The lever is still at its original position. The exit is still open, just as he left it. The other door in the corner is closed. From what he can tell, nothing has changed. But what made that sound?

"Thunk!"

Grey stands up and readies a hand to draw his pistol. This time, he is sure that something else is in the room. He looks up at the hundreds of gears and tries to see if there is anything out of place. Someone, or something is in the room with him. It probably isn't very friendly.

"Sakuya?" he asks loudly. "Is that you?"

Suddenly, the room is filled with a high-pitched whirring. Something lands heavily on the ground. He turns his head to face the newcomer.

"Oh shit."

A strange mechanical abomination stands before him. It is over fifteen feet tall and double that in length. It seems to be made up of gears, springs, and other mechanical parts, not unlike those that fill up the room. However, the creature has a clearly defined shape - a large spider.

The creature opens and closes its steel mandibles several times, as if trying to speak. Somehow, he feels that the movements aren't random. The pauses between clicks vary from two deliberate lengths - long and short. It almost seems like a code of some sort.

Grey clears his throat. Perhaps he can talk to the creature.

"Good morning to you," he manages. "Do you live here?"

The clockwork spider takes a step forward. It clicks its mandibles loudly in response.

"I am from downstairs. I work as a butler to Lady Remilia. Pleased to meet you."

It takes another step. It clicks its mandibles faster.

"I don't suppose you'd like to talk over a couple of beers?"

It pauses, bending its legs. It stops clicking its mandibles with finality.

"W-why can't we be frie -"

The monstrosity launches itself from the ground toward Grey. He ducks down quickly on the ground. The cacophony that follows tells him that the creature crashed against some of the gears. He doesn't have much time to think.

Grey spots the metal grille beside him. The opening looks too small for the creature to enter. He quickly lifts it up and sets it aside. He takes one parting glance at the clockwork spider. The creature has tangled one of its legs against a set of gears. It clicks its mandibles angrily at him as it struggles to get free. By the looks of it, the creature will easily recover in a few minutes.

He jumps into the opening and carefully starts climbing down. Anywhere is better than here right now. As long as he doesn't slip, he should be fine.

"Can't get much worse," he mutters.

Without warning, the whole room rumbles.

Grey mutters several vulgarities as he loses his grip.

...

He opens his eyes. A glance tells him that he is inside some kind of storage room. Over a dozen shelves are lined up, each holding a different type of gear or sprocket. There are a few storage closets lying against the wall on the left. A few of them are open and empty. On the right, he can see several engineer tools hanging from a rack. He doesn't recognize their names, nor their use. Directly in front of him, there is a closed steel door. It doesn't seem locked.

"Thunk!"

Grey looks up. The sound seems to be coming from an open vent. By the looks of it, that is the same way he came in.

"..."

He gets up quickly, despite the pain.

[ ] Fire your pistol into the vent.
[ ] Hide in one of the closets.
[ ] Make a break for the door.
[ ] Custom

Attention: All Engineers
1. Security measures are now installed. Complaints will be duly noted and ignored.
2. Always carry Manual No. 34. This is your bible.
3. Re-engineered parts must be approved before incorporation.
4. Workgloves will no longer be replaced. Stop losing them.
5. Report lost limbs and accidental deaths to your supervisor at the end of your shift.
- The Watchmaker

---

Grey stares at the poster blankly. He can't explain it, but something seems off.

He reads it line by line again. What kind of "security measures" were installed that could warrant complaints from the engineers? What is Manual No. 34? Re-engineered parts? Workgloves? Accidental deaths? What does this all mean?

"Hmm," he manages. He doesn't really understand, but this place seems to be very different from the rest of the mansion.

Grey takes another glance at the room. While possibly entertaining, fooling around randomly with the mechanical controls in the room seems dangerous.The pile of parts on the far left seems to be much safer to examine compared to the cranks and the lever.

After several minutes of searching, he realizes that most of the parts in the pile are broken and useless. However, he does find a couple of interesting items. He sets them aside to examine them closely. The first is a small metal box. It seems to be locked, so perhaps he needs to find its matching key. The second is a pair of strange-looking workgloves. While they are primarily made of heavy canvas, the tips of the gloves are plated with steel. Some unusual markings are engraved on the steel parts.

"Eh?" he mutters as he hits something metal with his shoes.

There seems to be a metal grate under the pile of parts. It is covering an opening large enough to fit an adult. He can probably remove the grille and climb down, but he can't see how far down it goes.

"..."

Grey senses a foreign presence in the room.

The items:
[ ] Take the locked box. It's a bit heavy though.
[ ] Take the workgloves. It might be useful.

His position:
[ ] Stay where you are.
[ ] Remove the grille and climb down.
[ ] Head for the door on the far right corner.
[ ] Rush toward the exit.

The presence:
[ ] Ignore it.
[ ] Call out loudly for it.
[ ] Custom

"What the... hell?"

Grey can feel his head spin as he surveys the room. Like the other rooms in the mansion, the inside of the clock tower is disproportionately large compared to what he saw outside. However, it isn't the size of the place that confuses him.

From top to bottom, the room is filled with weights, gears, springs, and countless other mechanical parts. Several of the gears seem to span over ten feet; the smaller ones are about the size of his head. Some of them seem to be turning at regular intervals, while others are completely stopped. It's like being inside a giant clock designed by either a madman, or a genius.

There are far too many parts in this place to assume that they are only used for the clock visible outside. They must serve another purpose. But what can such a strange set of machinery be used for?

"Let's see," Grey mutters to himself. "That gear spins the one on the right, which turns the leftmost gear clockwise and the smaller one counterclockwise. The leftmost gear seems to be winding a spring that is connected somewhere behind that huge gear. The smaller one seems to be spinning in time with the one above it. Then..."

He takes a few minutes to try to analyze the machines, but everything just seems far too complicated.

"And... I lost track," he says aloud in frustration. Grey shakes his head.

It'll take hours for a genius to figure this out, and he isn't a genius.

He takes a few steps closer to look around. While he doesn't understand how the machinery works, there seem to be a few things he can play around in the room.

To the left, there seems to be a set of cranks that are within reach. He can see four cranks of varying size and length. To the right, there seems to be a large lever. There is an aged poster on the wall beside it. On the far left corner, there is a pile of broken mechanical parts. The pile is high enough to cover something behind or underneath it. On the far right corner, there seems to be a door that you didn't notice earlier.

Grey pauses.

[ ] Mess around with the cranks on the left. Maybe something will change?
[ ] Pull the lever on the right. Maybe something new will happen.
[ ] Search the pile of parts on the far left. Could find something unusual.
[ ] Check out the door on the far right corner. Where does it go?
[ ] Continue walking around the room. Don't touch anything.
[ ] Leave the room. This is a waste of time.
[ ] Examine something closely. (Specify)
[ ] Custom

"Today seems so peaceful," she says.

Sakuya relaxes as she watches the fluffy white clouds soar across the deep blue sky. After finishing the morning chores, she always makes a little time for herself - literally. Of course, she can't let the fairy maids and the others know about it. Especially that lazy China.

"..."

The chief maid lies on her back as she continues watching the clouds. There are still several chores to finish, but a few minutes on the rooftop won't hurt. She can always make more time for new tasks, in any case.

...

"Isn't your ability convenient?" he asks. "You have all the time in the world to do what you want."

Sakuya chuckles as she shakes her head.

"It does seem like that, doesn't it?" she says.

"Isn't it?"

Sakuya flicks him hard on the forehead.

"O-ow! What was that f-for?" he shouts.

"You aren't thinking, are you? Even if I can manipulate time, the amount of work that actually needs to be done stays the same. I still have to do everything myself, you know?"

"Well, you didn't have to hit me..."

"Don't misunderstand it. Even with my ability, everything I do still comes down to hard work. I feel that the others think that it's an easy job taking care of the mansion."

He pushes his silver-rimmed glasses up his nose with a smile.

"Then why don't you give yourself breaks once in a while? I'm sure you can 'make time' for them."

...

Sakuya continues staring at the clouds. She watches them idly as she collects her thoughts.

"Clunk!"

The chief maid quickly gets to her feet and pulls knives from her dress. If anyone saw her slacking off like this, she'd have to eliminate the witnesses.

"Pardon the intrusion," a voice says.

Sakuya peeks toward the sound. She can see someone standing outside of the side entrance to the clock tower.

"Grey?" she thinks. "What is he doing up here?"

He seems to be peering into the side entrance. Maybe he thought that someone was staying inside it. Is he wandering aimlessly around the mansion? This guy seems more reckless than she thought.

The clock tower is part of the "old mansion", as Lady Remilia liked to call it. Whenever Sakuya asked about the "old mansion", she would dismiss it as something unimportant.

"It's just a boring old place," the vampire would say. "Sometimes, I even forget that it's still there."

"..."

Looks like Grey went inside the clock tower alone.

Sakuya folds her arms and pouts at no one in particular.

"Hmmph," she says. "It's not like I care about what happens to him..."

Loading User Commands:
[X] See if you can find a way to the clock tower.

---

Grey gives Koakuma a final wave before leaving the library.

"If you need anything, you know where to find me," the bat-winged girl says with a smile.

"Appreciate it. I'll try to pass by a little later when Patchouli's recovered," he says.

Koakuma's little bat wings perk up visibly.

"T-Thank you very much!" she says.

Grey resists the urge to ruffle Koakuma's hair. She just seems so cute like this. He gives her a final wave before heading outside of the library.

"Stay focused," he tells himself sternly.

The little devil girl is right, after all. He needs to focus on the task Remilia gave him; he has to discover more clues and solve the mystery behind the incidents. For some reason, he feels that something horrible will happen if things continue as they are.

"All right then," he mumbles to himself.

As he takes a step into the hallways, an unsettling silence fills his ears. The lack of movement and noise makes him a little nervous. The mansion seems barren and abandoned.

The fairy maids are probably busy at some other part of the mansion. Sakuya did say that they were heavily understaffed. Perhaps there are some complications to reincarnation that he doesn't know about. Either way, walking down the hallways alone gives him a slight chill, even if it is daytime.

Grey checks his pockets. Seems like he is only carrying a few items at the moment.

In his left coat pocket, he can feel the blank spell cards that Patchouli gave him before breakfast. He reminds himself to ask the pink and purple wizard more about these later, or perhaps he can ask one of the others instead. After all, everyone in the mansion should be familiar with spell cards and danmaku.

He can feel the weight of the semi-automatic pistol hidden under his coat. The Mauser C96 isn't exactly an anti-youkai weapon, but clearly it has enough history in it to deal with weaker youkai. He can probably use it against stronger beasts as well, though he doubts that he can handle opponents of those level alone.

"..."

He scratches his head. Somehow, he feels like he is forgetting something important. Maybe there is something else he should be bringing? He pauses and tries to recall, but to no avail.

"Probably nothing," he says to himself as he starts walking down the hallways. He can come back for whatever he forgot anyway.

Maybe.

Extra: For Remilia

"By the time you read this, it should be over.

The curse will end with this sacrifice.

Words are not enough to explain this.

I deserve neither pity, nor forgiveness.

Thank you for everything.

I have no regrets."

---

Remilia sighs heavily as she pockets the letter. Someone gently knocks on her bedroom door.

"Come in, Sakuya," she says.

"Good evening, my Lady," the chief maid replies as she bows.

"Good evening, Sakuya."

"Is your injury healing well?" she asks with concern.

"Don't worry about it. More importantly, about that errand I asked of you..."

Sakuya shakes her head.

"I found no trace of him. He just vanished," she says with a trace of anger.

"So he left no other clues?"

"Patchouli and Meiling are sweeping the mansion right now, but so far we have found nothing."

"I see."

"..."

"I know what you are thinking."

Remilia turns to the chief maid.

"I didn't find anything in his room," the vampire says.

[X] Inventory
A Mauser C96. Early semi-automatic pistol. You have two unused magazines for reloading.

[X] Storage
A small note. It reads "To use, aim and throw hard."
A few pieces of blank stationary. You'll need something to write with, first.
A map of the East Wing of the Voile library. Nothing special is marked on it.
A catalogue listing books in the East Wing. It isn't very thick, but the print is small and hard to read.
A broken door knob handle. It seems pretty useless.
A blindfold. It seems to be part of a magician's set.
A cloth gag. Not very funny, in your opinion.
A pair of police handcuffs and keys. Heavy-duty.
A bicycle chain. You can't remember what you were thinking when you took it.
Three small candles. You'll need some matches.
A length of silk rope. It probably won't leave marks.
A Stradivarius violin. It seems to have a life of its own.
A violin case. Self explanatory.
A letter from Remilia. You already read it.
An ammo crate. Holds ammo clips for the Mauser C96.
A short pamphlet. "A Draft of Spell Card Rules"
A small pink envelope. It is empty.
A book from the Voile Library. It reads "Invoking Spirits for Beginners".

Extra: Handmade Buns

The gate guard sighs heavily.

"Another slow day, this is so boring," she mutters.

The Scarlet Devil Mansion rarely has visitors, so the past weeks have been pretty peaceful. Aside from the occasional delivery, she hardly has any work to do. Not that she is complaining, of course. Thanks to the idle times, she has time to practice her Tai Chi. When she has the chance, she even takes a short nap after lunch.

Suddenly, she hears some rustling from the bushes along the path. She confidently walks forward and prepares her combat stance.

"I knew it. Humans are useless," she says aloud.

A rabbit jumps out of the bushes. It looks at her for a few seconds before scurrying away.

"That line doesn't really fit you. Also, I don't think you should say that around Sakuya."

She turns around to look at the owner of the voice. She smiles when she recognizes him. He is one of Lady Remilia's guests in the mansion. He is a human, not unlike Sakuya. His silver-rimmed glasses glint brightly in the morning sun. He gives her a gentle smile.

"Just trying it out," she says as she folds her arms. "Stop following me already~"

"You wouldn't run to some place with nothing there, right?"

"Well, actually, I think I would..."

After a moment, they both burst out laughing.

"Y-you really should come up with better lines, Ms. Gate Guard," he says.

"And you should find something else to do besides bothering people at work," she retorts.

"I suppose I should," he replies.

She doesn't understand why, but she easily opens up to this person. She doesn't have to pretend to be hardworking or strong. She can just be herself and take it easy.

"Oh yeah, I brought something for you," he says. He gives her a small bag.

The gate guard opens the bag. A delicious aroma wafts into her nostrils. She recognizes it immediately.

"Sakuya said that you like sweet buns," he says.

She gives him a bow before taking one of the buns. She opens her mouth to take a large bite. The delicately kneaded dough of the bun rubs smoothly against her tongue. Her mouth is in ecstasy as she feels the soft, sweet bean paste slide down her throat. This must be a glimpse of heaven.

"How is it?" he asks.

The gate guard gives him a thumbs-up as she swallows.

"T-that's great!" he says in relief. "I wasn't sure if I baked them properly..."

"You baked these yourself?" she asks.

"Yep, I thought that I would try something new," he answers softly. "I'm glad you liked them."

She finds herself staring deep into his kind eyes. She can feel herself blushing, but she can't look away. She opens her mouth, but she can't find any word to express herself.

"A-anyway, I'll be heading back inside now," he says.

He gives her a thumbs-up.

"Keep up the good work, Ms. Gate Guard!"

"E-eh?" she manages.

He walks back inside before she can say anything else.

...

"Ms. Gate Guard, eh?" she mutters aloud.

She takes another bite of the sweet bun. They really were well-made.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Take a seat beside her and continue watching. You're worried, and she looks pretty cute like this.

---

"There isn't anything wrong with looking out for the girl," Grey tells himself.

He takes a seat beside Patchouli and continues watching over her. When she wakes up, she might need something. He needs to be nearby in case she needs some help. Her sleeping face is quite a pleasant sight. He silently wishes he had a camera to capture this moment.

Grey leans lightly on a few books as he watches.

...

"How is it?" she asks.

He just stares at her with mouth agape. She looks simply stunning.

The lavender dress that Koakuma picked out contours her luscious curves perfectly. The dress itself is full of frills and trimming, reflecting the detailed touch of the dollmaker. She wears a short pearl necklace around her neck, a present that a friend "borrowed" from a jewelry store. A small silver tiara and a single gold crescent ornament adorns her head, accentuating her lovely purple hair.

"C-could you stop staring for a moment?" she whispers. "It's embarrassing."

Patchouli blushes brightly, further emphasizing her flawless ivory skin. Her deep purple eyes look awkwardly down at the floor. She manages a tiny smile as he continues looking.

"..."

Suddenly, she looks up, worried.

"Are you alright?" she asks.

He mumbles something incoherently.

...

"Are you alright?"

"... wonderful," Grey mumbles.

He feels something poking his shoulder. He raises his head sleepily to see Koakuma nearby. She gives him a gentle smile.

"Maybe you should get some rest," she says.

Grey sits up and looks around. Patchouli still seems to be asleep in her own chair.

"Just a dream," he mutters.

Koakuma unexpectedly takes a step backward. She manages to maintain a weak smile. He looks at the bat-winged girl thoughtfully.

"Sorry about earlier," he says. "I didn't mean to frighten you or anything. I guess I was just confused."

"..."

"I don't really understand, but I think I crossed the line somehow and -"

Suddenly, Koakuma embraces him. This close, he can easily feel the warmth from her body. He can't see the expression on her face. They stay like that for a little while.

"It's alright," she whispers.

She pulls away, smiling at him brightly.

"I'll take care of Mistress Patchouli," she says. "I believe that you should find some time to look around the mansion. Lady Remilia did leave you with that duty, after all."

Grey nods slowly.

[ ] Return to your room. You can take/leave some items (Specify)
[ ] Head to the changing room.
[ ] Head to the kitchen.
[ ] Head to the dining room.
[ ] Head to the garden.
[ ] Head to the front gate.
[ ] Head to Sakuya's room.
[ ] Head to the Flandre's room in the basement.
[ ] See if you can find a way to the clock tower.
[ ] See if you can find the lower library chamber.
[ ] See if you can find another stairway down to the basement.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Carry her to the library. Maybe you can find Koakuma.

---

Grey pauses to think.

Patchouli isn't exactly the healthiest inhabitant of Gensokyo. Casting that spell might have been too much for her body to take. This probably happens often in the mansion, so Koakuma should know how to deal with it. She is Patchouli's familiar, after all.

"Here we go," he mutters.

He easily carries the pink and purple wizard princess-style. She is surprisingly light, perhaps even too light. It is no wonder that she is in such poor health. She must find it difficult to even step out of the library for extended periods of time. Maybe she stays indoors not because she wants to, but because she needs to.

"..."

Grey takes a glance at her face. She looks extraordinarily cute at this angle. He finds it hard to believe that this frail girl is actually protecting him, and not the other way around.

"Hmmggh," she mutters weakly.

He uses all his will to resist the urge to kiss her.

Grey deftly carries her out of the room. He walks quickly along the hallways until he reaches the library. He hastily surveys the area. He seems to be in luck. Koakuma is carrying a few books near one of the shelves on the right.

"Koakuma!" he shouts at the bat-winged girl. "Patchouli needs help!"

"E-eh?"

...

He gently lays the anemic magician on a cushy looking chair. She seems to be sleeping more peacefully now. Maybe she just needs more rest.

"Are you sure this is enough?" he asks Koakuma. "Shouldn't we bring her into her room?"

Koakuma shakes her head.

"Mistress Patchouli said that she would rather be brought to her reading area when she has an attack. She insists that her anemia isn't anything to worry about. She would rather continue reading right after she recovers."

She sighs heavily.

"Though I agree that she pushes herself too much sometimes," she adds. "I was surprised that she insisted on having breakfast at the dining room. She wasn't feeling very well earlier."

"I see," Grey manages. Patchouli accepted his invitation without mentioning anything about her health. What was she thinking?

"A-anyway, I'll go and get some tea," she says. "Mistress enjoys something warm after recovering."

Koakuma gives him a gentle smile before turning to leave. Perhaps she is feeling better now?

Grey takes a long thoughtful look at the sleeping wizard.

[ ] Take a seat beside her and continue watching. She looks pretty cute like this.
[ ] Take a seat nearby and read something. This is a library, after all.
[ ] Follow after Koakuma and help her out. Maybe you can talk to her now.
[ ] Leave the library. Koakuma can take care of Patchouli.
[ ] Custom

[X] Inventory
Mauser C96. Early semi-automatic pistol. You have two unused magazines for reloading.

[X] Effects
Protective Barrier: Provides temporary defense against most attacks.

[X] Status
Patchouli - B
Koakuma - B
Remilia - C
Sakuya - B
Flandre - C
Meiling - D

Patchouli takes another book from inside her dress and quickly flips through it. She seems to be looking for something.

"Here it is," she mumbles.

"..."

She completely ignores him as she reads. She must be searching for something important. Perhaps she is looking for the best spell she can use to torture him. After everything he did, a swift death is far too merciful.

Maybe they are going to crucify him upside-down and leave him hanging outside of the mansion. Maybe they are going to slowly burn him alive inside a steel drum and leave him along some path in the mountains. Maybe they are going to disembowel him carefully and leave him impaled on a pike outside the village to be eaten by crows.

He shudders slightly as he continues picturing the different ways they can end him.

"Found it," she says.

Patchouli stands up and walks toward Grey. She raises one hand over his head as she holds the book up with the other hand. She starts chanting some words in an unintelligible language.

Grey closes his eyes as he braces himself.

A bright flash of light erupts from her hands.

...

A few moments later, Grey opens his eyes. He checks his body and finds himself uninjured. He looks up at Patchouli.

"This spell should protect you from most types of attacks," she says.

"W-what?"

"It isn't perfect, so don't expect it to last more than a few direct hits when in actual combat."

"I-I don't understand," he says.

"I think I can believe Remilia now," she says. "Maybe the tragedy can be averted after all."

"You lost me," Grey says as he shakes his head.

"If it's you, then maybe -"

Patchouli suddenly falls forward into his arms. Looks like she fell unconscious.

[ ] Stay in the room and wait for her to recover. Perhaps she just needs to rest.
[ ] Carry her to the library. Maybe you can find Koakuma.
[ ] Carry her to the kitchen. The fairy maids can help find Sakuya.
[ ] Carry her outside. Meiling might be able to help.
[ ] Carry her to your room. Maybe you can do something yourself.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Yourself.

---

"A traitor in the mansion," he repeats.

Patchouli watches him carefully.

"That would be me, wouldn't it?" Grey says slowly.

"..."

"The attacks on the mansion intensified only after I arrived. Sakuya said that up until two days ago, the incidents happened around the area of the mansion, but never inside its grounds."

She gives him a puzzled look.

"We don't have any evidence or any other clues. As a newcomer to the mansion, I must be the most likely suspect."

"I suppose that is all true," Patchouli says. "However, I can't see the person behind this admitting to the crime so easily."

She doesn't look convinced.

"While you may have some unusual ability, I fail to see you as being powerful enough to defeat any of us," she continues. "I doubt if you can even defeat Koakuma at your current level."

"..."

She narrows her eyes.

"Is there something you haven't told me?"

Grey pauses. He doesn't know why he is saying this. He may end up dead. But every time he looks back at those dreams, he can't help but feel like a monster.

"I've had some strange dreams the past two nights," he manages.

Patchouli's eyes glint with interest. She waits patiently for him to continue.

"They felt real," he says. "Like I was being another person, yet still myself."

"Another person?" she asks.

"I mean that I was sure that I was myself in the dreams. The sensations and thoughts racing through my mind were genuine. But I was doing things that I would never dream of doing."

"..."

Grey closes his eyes as he recalls his first dream. He shudders as he remembers how he enjoyed it with sadistic pleasure.

"In the first dream, I found myself walking around the mansion late at night," he says. "I entered Sakuya's room and used some sort of strange skill to overpower her. I did some..."

He cringes as he remembers.

"... horrible things."

Patchouli continues watching him, her expression unreadable.

"In the second dream, I found myself in the Voile Library with you," he says. "You led me to a chamber in the Lower Library where Koakuma was chained up. You assisted me as we conducted some kind of strange ritual..."

He feels a tear roll down his cheek.

"...Koakuma trusted us, but we betrayed her and did unforgivable things."

Grey wipes off the tear as he lowers his head.

"I'm a monster," he whispers.

For a few moments, Patchouli looks at him thoughtfully.

"Just as I suspected," she says.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Patchouli
[X] "You said you had some theories regarding how the youkai enter the mansion?"

---

"Go ahead to the library and see to it that the books are returned properly," Patchouli says.

Koakuma bows to her. She looks at Grey questioningly.

"I'll follow in a few minutes," Patchouli says lightly.

"I understand," Koakuma says. Grey can't read the expression on her face.

The bat-winged girl walks back inside dining room. Patchouli watches her until she is out of sight.

"You said that we need a place to talk?" Grey says quietly.

"Follow me," she answers.

As they walk along the corridors, Patchouli takes a book from her dress and starts reading. It looks different from the one she had during breakfast. Grey wonders idly about how many books she carries around in her dress.

They stop in front of a non-descript door. Patchouli mutters a few unintelligible words as they stand before it. Grey sees the door handle glow momentarily before returning to normal. She opens the door and beckons him inside.

"This place will do," she says simply.

Grey takes a look around. There is a large desk in the center of the room with several chairs around it. There are a few shelves full of books at the corners. A potted plant that doesn't go with the room can be seen on the left. The room has no windows.

He closes the door behind him as Patchouli takes a seat. She doesn't raise her head when he takes a seat beside her. The two of them sit silently for a few moments. Grey clears his throat.

"You mentioned earlier that you had some theories." he says. "The youkai can't break into the mansion on their own, can they?"

Patchouli nods slightly without taking her eyes of the book.

"The youkai themselves are only pawns in this game," she says as she flips a page. "They are quite powerful for beasts, but they are too weak to force their way through my barrier."

"But you said earlier that there is nothing wrong with the barrier," he says.

"There isn't. The barrier hasn't been forcefully attacked. I checked it myself."

"..."

Grey pauses as he thinks about the implications of this statement. The Scarlet Devil Mansion isn't a place that normal youkai can attack. It could be compared to a fortress if one considers the different layers of defense, not to mention the power level of its inhabitants. The obvious conclusion would be that...

He bites his lips and stays silent. Suddenly, Patchouli slams her book shut loudly. She puts it down and looks straight at him.

"You suspect as well, don't you?" she says.

Her eyes reflect a hint of sadness as she speaks.

"There is a traitor in the mansion."

Grey pauses to reflect on the events he witnessed.

The most likely suspect would be...
[ ] Yourself.
[ ] Remilia.
[ ] Sakuya.
[ ] Patchouli.
[ ] Koakuma.
[ ] Meiling.
[ ] Flandre
[ ] Don't say anything.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Tell her you won't mention it.
[X] Talk about the youkai attacks.
[X] Talk about the mansion defenses.

---

"I've heard that our new butler has been busy," Remilia says. "Doing your part in clearing the vermin from the mansion?"

"This is just part of a butler's duty, is it not?" Grey says.

"Yes, I believe that it was well within my expectations," Remilia says. "I have no doubt that you will continue to give excellent service."

"Of course, my Lady,"

He takes a sip from his tea as he surveys the room. Remilia is sitting at the head of the table. She looks both amused and impressed at his exploits. Sakuya is standing to her left, pouring tea for the vampire girl. She gently smiles at him as he watches. Patchouli is sitting opposite him, surrounded by her little fortress of books. She looks calm and cool as she reads a thick hardcover book. Koakuma stands behind Patchouli. She manages a weak smile when she notices his gaze.

He puts down his cup and looks at Remilia seriously.

"Do we know anything new about the youkai attacks?" he asks. "Yesterday's raid was pretty serious."

Remilia takes a glance at Patchouli. The pink and purple magician answers without raising her head.

"We don't know much, but I have some theories," she says. "Those creatures can't be acting on their own. I believe that there may be a magic user or similar being using them as pawns to test our defenses."

Sakuya clears her throat.

"If I may speak, Lady Remilia," the chief maid says. "The attacks have done significant damage to both the mansion and the staff. We can't rely on the barrier alone."

"A barrier?" Grey asks. He remembers hearing about a magical barrier around the mansion.

"Patchouli created a powerful defensive barrier around the mansion when we arrived in Gensokyo," Remilia says. "Until now, it was sufficient to keep out vermin of this level."

"Yet the recent attacks prove otherwise," Sakuya interrupts. "Perhaps it wasn't as reliable as we thought."

"There is nothing wrong with the barrier," Patchouli says. She looks straight at Sakuya without flinching.

"Then how are they getting through?" Sakuya challenges. "Yesterday's youkai hornets were seen flying right over the mansion walls, as if there wasn't a barrier at all!"

"I have theories," Patchouli says quietly. She returns to her reading.

Sakuya sighs heavily.

"Theories won't bring back the maids we lost. After yesterday's attack, the mansion is severely undermanned. Lady Remilia we need to -"

Remilia raises a hand to silence her.

"That's enough," she says. She turns her gaze toward Grey.

"You are to investigate the incidents," she decides. "I expect that everyone here will cooperate with your task."

"E-excuse me?" he asks.

Remilia smiles mischievously.

"Try to find a way to keep yourself alive if you have the time," she adds.

Grey thinks about who to approach after breakfast.
[ ] Sakuya
[ ] Patchouli
[ ] Koakuma
[ ] Talk to someone else. (Specify)
[ ] Custom.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Ask if they noticed anything strange last night.
[X] Ask if she would like to have breakfast in the dining room.

---

Grey pauses to think.

"Did either of you notice anything unusual last night?" he asks.

Patchouli yawns again.

"The library was nice and quiet," she says. "I stayed up a bit late to catch up on my reading."

She turns to Koakuma.

"Did you notice anything?" she asks her.

Koakuma shakes her head.

"Last night was peaceful," she says simply. Grey can't read her expression.

"I see," Grey says.

He is glad to see that both Koakuma and Patchouli are alright, but there is something strange going on. Koakuma seems to be hiding something, but Patchouli either hasn't noticed or isn't worried about it. He needs to find out more. Something is definitely off.

"Anyway, I was wondering if you would like to have breakfast in the dining room with us."

For a moment, he notices Patchouli's eyes glint with excitement.

"I suppose that it would be inappropriate to refuse your invitation," she says.

She turns to Koakuma.

"Could you ask the fairies to bring in a few books to the dining room? They can bring the ones around my desk."

"Y-yes! Of course!" she says.

The bat-winged girl quickly heads off to fetch the maids, leaving them alone together. Patchouli watches her carefully until she is out of sight. She turns to Grey seriously and pulls something from inside her dress.

"Take these," she says. She is holding a few strange looking cards. They have an ornate deck design, though the front sides are all blank. Grey recognizes them immediately.

"Spell cards," he says as he takes them.

"I don't suppose I need to explain much further," she says. "However, the details of spell card inscription will have to wait until later."

Patchouli starts walking toward the library exit. Grey follows beside her.

"Patchouli, I'm not sure if it is appropriate to say this, but I think that there is something strange happening in the mansion."

She pulls out a book and starts flipping through its pages. For a minute, the two walk along the shelves in silence.

"I know," she whispers.

She turns to Grey with a grave expression.

"Don't talk about it during breakfast."

Patchouli seems to be waiting for a response.
[ ] Tell her you won't mention it.
[ ] Tell her that you might mention it.
[ ] Tell her that you need to bring it up.

During breakfast...
[ ] Talk about the youkai attacks.
[ ] Talk about the mansion defenses.
[ ] Talk about your strange dreams.
[ ] Custom