Loading User Commands:
[X] Don't trust Koakuma.

---

"You and Mistress," says Koakuma. "I'll save you both from this madness. This place shall be purified of sinners."

Grey slowly steps back, the gun still in his hand.

"But Koakuma, this is... why did... how..?" he mumbles in confusion.

The magician's familiar looks at him with gentle eyes.

"You must trust me," she whispers. "I've seen it all with my own eyes."

"But destroy the Mansion? Isn't that going too far?" replies Grey.

"It is difficult to explain," she says. "For now, just step through that portal and escape. Mistress and I will follow after we are finished here."

Grey shakes his head and frowns.

"I'm sorry, Koakuma," he says. "I can't just abandon everyone and walk away."

He looks straight into her eyes.

"I can't trust you," he continues. "Not like this."

Koakuma sighs deeply. For a few moments, she walks around the room thinking. She closes her eyes and shudders, as if remembering something painful.

"It had happened so quickly," mutters Koakuma. "I couldn't do anything to stop it. In the end, the other one was finally driven into madness. He lost his mind.. and his soul."

"The other one?" repeats Grey.

The little devil shakes her head quickly.

"I-I won't let that happen again!" cries Koakuma. "I won't let it happen to you! Even if it means that I have to fight as well!"

"I don't understand," he replies.

"They knew," whispers the bat-winged girl angrily. "All of them knew, but they did nothing to stop it. But I understand now. It was all part of their plan."

She looks at him with sadness and regret.

"They used the other one as a sacrifice," says Koakuma.

"A sacrifice?" repeats Grey. "Sorry, I still don't understand anything."

Suddenly, Koakuma runs up and embraces him tightly. Her delicate fingers shake nervously, but they hang on to him with determination. The little devil's wings tremble as he watches them. He can feel the little devil's tiny heartbeat as they stay together for a few moments longer.

"I will protect you," whispers Koakuma. A single tear drops down to the floor as she speaks.

The moment she says that, Grey realizes that she truly cares for him.

But something is wrong.

[ ] Return her embrace.
[ ] Push her away.
[ ] Use the portal.
[ ] Kill her now.
[ ] Talk to her. (Specify)
[ ] Use an item. (Specify)
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Custom

---

"This place is cursed," whispers Koakuma gravely.

Grey takes a moment to recall the different youkai attacks, as well as his own dreams. Somehow, the idea of a curse doesn't seem so far-fetched. As he collects his thoughts, Koakuma steps toward a nearby reading desk. She picks up a thick book and shows it to him.

"But I found a way out," she says. "This book gave me the original idea."

Grey's eyes widen as he recognizes the book. "Theoretical Boundary Binding and Intervention," the title reads. Wasn't this something Patchouli was looking for the first time he arrived in the Mansion?

"I couldn't control such high-level magic myself, of course," continues Koakuma. "But I was able to convince Mistress Patchouli to help out. Surprising what a cup of tea can do to convince a person."

Koakuma looks at him seriously.

"But I can explain the details later," she says. "For now, you must escape this cursed place. The Mistress and I will follow after we are finished here."

The little devil points at the sealing circle at the back of the chamber. Grey nods to her slowly before walking closer toward it. He must destroy or ruin the arrangement somehow, just as he did with the one at the clock tower. After a moment of thought, he draws out his weapon to fire at the engravings.

"W-wait! W-what are you doing!" cries Koakuma suddenly. Before he can reply, the little devil pushes his arm away from the circle.

"Huh? But I thought -"

"If you ruin the arrangement, the portal won't function properly!" she continues. "That stupid chief maid already destroyed the portal at the clock tower. We can't afford any more setbacks!"

"Wait... what?" mutters Grey, still confused.

Before he can reply, the circle begins glowing ominously. Koakuma pulls him back to the side and holds on to his arm tightly. She motions for him to stay silent and watch. The circle begins changing color as he observes.

"Koakuma?" he mutters, still unsure of the circumstances.

"I almost gave up on you, that time," whispers Koakuma. "But after yesterday, I knew that you weren't one of them."

The little devil gently lays her head on his shoulder.

"The other one showed me everything," she continues. "He sent me visions and clues. It took some time, but now I understand the truth. The truth about this Mansion, and why it must be destroyed."

The circle flashes brightly, and in the next moment, something steps out of it. Grey watches open-mouthed as several youkai beasts begin pouring out of a shining portal. One of them stops and snarls at him before it heads out of the room. Seems like this is the entry point of the crocodile-hound hybrids.

"Destroyed?" says Grey carefully. He can hardly believe what is happening.

"Don't worry about it," replies Koakuma. "You and Mistress, I'll save you both from this madness. This place shall be purified of sinners."

Grey slowly steps away from the little devil, barely able to hold on to his weapon.

"But Koakuma, this is... why did... how..." he mumbles in confusion.

The little devil looks at him with gentle eyes.

"You must trust me," she whispers in desperation.

[ ] Trust Koakuma.
[ ] Don't trust Koakuma.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Follow Koakuma discreetly. You need her help.

---

Grey turns to face Koakuma. The little devil is only a few shelves away. Upon her face is an expression of genuine concern. She slowly beckons for him to follow her. He takes only a moment to think before giving her a quick nod. Perhaps the magician's familiar can explain the circumstances of this bloody mess.

He quickly sneaks toward her, carefully avoiding stray knives and other projectiles coming from the battle above. While he can't stop the battle between the chief maid and the pink and purple wizard, perhaps he can find another way to help. As he approaches the Koakuma, she gives him a weak smile.

"Any idea what's happening?" asks Grey. "Patchouli doesn't seem to be herself."

"I can explain it all later," replies Koakuma. "For now, you must trust me."

The little devil places one soft small hand over Grey's own. She shyly takes firm hold of his hand.

"Hold on to me," she says.

He gives the little devil a nod. Before he can say anything more, he finds himself soaring quickly between the shelves. He can feel the wind in his face as they go deeper into the Voile Library. They seem to be flying together, but he can't feel Koakuma dragging him along. It's almost as if she is sharing her own power with him as they flee from the battlefield behind them.

"W-where?" Grey manages. "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere safe," Koakuma says simply.

A moment later, Grey finds himself hovering over a familiar staircase heading down into the Lower Library. Koakuma quickly dives down with him all the way to the bottom floor. It is only after they reach the very bottom does the little devil finally let go of his hand.

"What is this place?" asks Grey. For some reason, he feels like he has been here before.

Koakuma gives him an encouraging smile.

"This place is safe," replies the little devil.

She quickly leads him across the floor toward a room at the back. After they go through a pair of large double doors, they find themselves within a large chamber brightly lit with candles and magical runes. Somehow, this place seems familiar.

"I'm really glad," whispers Koakuma suddenly. "That time, I almost gave up on you."

"Huh?" replies Grey blankly.

The little devil turns around to face him.

"Don't worry," she says. "I will protect you."

Koakuma pulls up one of her sleeves, revealing an odd item. It takes Grey a few minutes to recognize and recall what it is. She seems to be wearing a digital watch. The LCD display shows that it is mid-morning. Something in the back of his mind seems to tell him that this is important.

"I've been preparing," replies Koakuma. "I've made all the arrangements to give us the opportunity to escape, you and I."

"What are you talking about?" asks Grey.

The little devil smiles gently at him.

"Still so naive, but that's just like you," she says carefully. "You must understand. Hope has no place in this Mansion. Escape is the only answer."

Suddenly, Grey recognizes something from the side of his eye. At the very back of the chamber lies a glowing sealing circle engraved on the floor itself. The pattern is exactly the same as the ones in his dream and at the clock tower. A single character is formed by the light. He shudders as he recalls it's meaning.

"This place is cursed," whispers Koakuma gravely.

Grey can't think of any obvious choices right now, but he must do something.
[ ] Custom

Something is wrong here.

"Sakuya, maybe we should try to -"

"Get down!"

Suddenly, a bright flash of light blinds Grey temporarily. By the time his eyes recover, Sakuya is standing in a defensive stance in front of him. The shattered remains of her knife lie on the floor nearby. As he looks over her shoulder, a single humanoid figure comes into view.

"So it was you!" cries Sakuya angrily. "What the hell are you planning?"

"P-Patchouli?" mumbles Grey disbelievingly.

"..."

The pink and purple magician looks up from her book and stares at them with complete disinterest.

"...It appears that rats have snuck in again. I'm sure the rat poison was... behind the bookshelves." says Patchouli slowly.

"What are you talking about?" returns Sakuya.

"What's going on?" cries Grey.

"I'm already investigating." says Patchouli simply. "It's hopeless for the likes of you."

The magician begins chanting words he can't understand.

"Fire Metal Sign, 「Saint Elmo's Pillar」" she declares.

Before Grey can react, Sakuya grabs his arm and whispers something under her breath. In the next moment, he feels himself thrown across the room like some rag doll. Still in mid-air, he sees the chief maid throw something at Patchouli. He cringes as he lands hard against one of the bookcases. Something incredibly hot gusts around the air surrounding him. Then, silence.

By the time he opens his eyes, the shelves where he was standing have been reduced to blackened splinters and ash. Small fires burn here and there. A small crater on the floor itself serves as the center of the destruction. Somehow, the magician dealing such damage to the library seems extremely out of place.

It takes him a few moments to realize that the chief maid and the magician are no longer standing on the ground. They are hovering high above the shelves, facing each other.

"What are you doing!" cries Sakuya. "Are you seriously betraying Lady Remilia's trust?"

"...Rat poison, rat poison," mumbles Patchouli.

"Who cares about the damn rat poison!" the chief maid shouts. "Answer me!"

"People with bad manners have no sense of politeness, much less anything else," replies the magician dully.

As Grey looks closer, he notices something odd. The magician seems to be acting dazed, as if sleepwalking. She continues muttering strange things, ignoring Sakuya's questions and arguments. The chief maid only grows more furious at her ramblings.

"T-that's it! If you won't give yourself up, I'll have to take you down myself!" cries Sakuya. She pulls out something from her dress. Grey shudders as he realizes what it is. It looks like a spell card.

"Another trifle of time," mumbles Patchouli. She doesn't seem to be looking straight at Sakuya, but after coughing a few times, she also pulls out a spell card.

Grey stares with mouth agape as the two begin a spectacular danmaku battle. Knives, lasers, and all sorts of projectiles begin flying in all directions. He barely has time to duck behind the safety of one of the more sturdy bookshelves.

"D-damn it!" mutters Grey.

He can't possibly join that kind of fight. Spell card duels will only spell a quick death for him. First of all, he can't fly. Second, he can't survive getting hit by those spells. The only thing that he can tell is that the chief maid and the magician are a close match. Their duel looks like it will take some time to finish.

What the hell is he supposed to do now?

"Grey! I-is that you?" whispers a tiny voice toward the left.

He turns to see Koakuma looking at him with concern. She is only a few shelves away. The little devil beckons for him to follow her. Perhaps he can ask her to explain the circumstances of this bloody mess.

[ ] Follow Koakuma discreetly. You need her help.
[ ] Stay where you are. Spend a bit of time to figure things out.
[ ] Step out from behind the shelf. Maybe you can stop the battle somehow.
[ ] Try to flee from the library. Perhaps you can call for help.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Custom

---

"This is strange," Sakuya says. "It's almost as if the beast youkai are coming from inside the Voile Library, rather than breaking in from outside."

"That can't possibly mean anything good," replies Grey. "We better find the source before things get any worse."

The chief maid nods in agreement. She turns her head slightly in the direction of the fairy maids. They can't just leave the others like this. But they might be a hindrance if they come.

"Is there any place where the fairies can retreat to?" he asks quietly. "The injured need to recover, and most of the others don't look like good fighters."

Sakuya pauses for a moment before speaking.

"For some reason, there are hardly any attackers on the second floor," she says finally. "Perhaps they can stay in one of the larger rooms. I believe that they can defend themselves adequately upstairs."

Grey nods in agreement.

"The others should be able to move the wounded," he says. "They will also need an escort. The armed fairies should accompany them to minimize the risk."

Sakuya smiles at him thoughtfully.

"Strange that a normal human would be so concerned about fairies," she says. "Or anyone else but themselves, for that matter. You seem to be something else."

"Human or not, they are part of the staff too," he replies. "This is just part of my job here, after all."

"Or perhaps you have other reasons?" whispers Sakuya seductively. "Like making sure that we are alone together?"

The chief maid steps dangerously close to him. From this distance, he can feel the heat of her warm breath. Grey forces himself to maintain a poker face, though he is beginning to feel very nervous for some reason.

"E-er..."

Suddenly, Sakuya flicks him on the forehead. He gasps in surprise and irritation.

"D-damn it, Sakuya," he mutters. "That really isn't funny."

The chief maid laughs at him lightly. Several moments pass before the two of them realize that they aren't alone in the hallway. Some of the fairy maids are whispering animatedly to each other. A few of them glare at Grey angrily.

"Ahahaha.."

Sakuya clears her throat before giving out orders. After making sure that the fairy maids understand the instructions, she turns back to Grey.

"Let's go," she says.

...

The two of them encountered several more beast youkai on their way to the Voile Library, but for some reason, the number of enemies decreased as they approached. But nonetheless, they were most certainly coming from the direction of the library. Sakuya said nothing as they pushed forward and dispatched the youkai.

"Shouldn't there be more of them around?" asks Grey as he reloads his weapon.

"Perhaps Patchouli took care of them already," says Sakuya. "These youkai shouldn't pose much trouble for her."

Grey nods slowly as he follows. However, her words feel uncertain, as if she suspects something else.

When they arrive at the library, the shelves near the entrance are completely destroyed. Books and broken wood can be seen all over the area. However, there are no beast youkai to be seen. They continue forward, carefully examining the debris as they pass. While there are clear signs of battle, they find no corpses or dead bodies. The area looks as if something stampeded through, but the fighting didn't occur here.

After several minutes of walking, they find themselves at the undamaged portion of the Voile Library. For some reason, Grey feels more and more uneasy as they continue forward. He draws his weapon and checks the safety as they walk. Sakuya draws out a single knife in her hand as well. She must feel it too.

Something is wrong here.

"Sakuya, maybe we should try to -"

"Get down!"

Suddenly, a bright flash of light blinds him. By the time he is able to open his eyes, Sakuya is standing in a defensive stance in front of him. The shattered remains of her knife lie on the floor nearby.

He looks over the chief maid's shoulder to see a single humanoid figure walking toward them.

"So it was you!" cries Sakuya angrily. "What the hell are you planning?

Loading User Commands:
[X] Custom

---

"Help the others," says Remilia. "That's an order."

Before they can reply, the vampire strikes the walls with her fists. He can feel the ground rumble as the ceiling over the door begins to crash down. As the dust settles, Grey realizes that she effectively sealed the entrance to the basement chamber. They won't be able to enter the basement from this way anymore.

He struggles to his feet and takes a glance at Sakuya. She still seems to be in shock. He gently places a hand on the chief maid's shoulder to reassure her.

"I'm sure that Remilia knows what she is doing," he says. In any case, the elder Scarlet has Flandre with her. There are few forces in Gensokyo that can cause either of them permanent damage.

"..."

Sakuya stands herself up, but says nothing.

"You mentioned that beast youkai are coming into the mansion from somewhere?" he asks in an attempt to change the subject.

"Huh? O-oh, of course," mumbles the chief maid. "They seem to be coming from somewhere around the Voile Library area. The fairy maids formed a barricade at the library entrance."

Grey reloads his weapon as he begins walking back toward the staircase.

"I believe we should get going," he says. "Orders are orders."

Sakuya sighs heavily as she follows.

"The cleaning never ends..."

...

The rest of the walk was uneventful. They didn't meet any other beast youkai, though they could hear a loud racket coming from the direction of the library. As they approached, they could hear loud crashes, explosions, and an occasional high-pitched scream.

"I'm going ahead," says Sakuya. Grey turns to face her, but she had already vanished from sight. He blinks stupidly for a few seconds before running forward.

The sound of battle grows louder as he reaches the corner. Without warning, one of Sakuya's knives flies past him, missing his neck by only a few inches.

"W-what the?" cries Grey. "Be careful with those!"

"Sorry about that," returns Sakuya, not sounding sorry at all.

Strewn carelessly along the hallway are over a dozen dead youkai beasts. While most of them are impaled with the chief maid's knives, a few seem to be badly burnt or stabbed with other types of weapons. Grey pulls out the knife from the wall before running toward Sakuya.

"If I didn't know any better," says Grey as he hands Sakuya the knife back. "I'd say that you were trying to kill me by accident, Sakuya".

"Eh? Now why would I want to do that?" asks Sakuya. She fails to hide a tiny smile on her almost neutral face.

Suddenly, a door on their left opens. A single fairy maid peeks out of the crack.

"S-Sakuya?" she whispers uncertainly.

The chief maid gives the nervous figure a single nod.

"It's her! It's her!" cries the fairy as she runs out of the door. She rushes toward the chief maid teary-eyed, as if to hug her, but she manages to stop herself and settles for a simple curtsey. At that moment, Grey feels that Sakuya had glared at the fairy maid, but he couldn't bring himself to check.

Several other maids come out of the room, some of them carrying weapons. A few look injured, with make-shift bandages wrapped around their wounds.

"What happened to the barricade?" asks Sakuya sternly.

One of the taller maids steps forward. Carrying a heavy halberd in one hand, she salutes to the chief maid before speaking.

"We held the position as long as we could," the fairy says. "But in the end, we were forced to retreat. I'm s-sorry, chief."

The fairy maid lowers her head in shame. Grey notices that this one has the same insignia embroidered on her dress as the other maid he met outside. Unfortunately, he can't seem to recall her name. Did it start with an "E"?

Sakuya takes a glance at the remaining fairy maids. While there are over a dozen standing with them, several are badly injured. Most of the others look tired and scared, and only three or four seem to be experienced enough for combat.

The chief maid takes a few minutes to ask the fairies some questions. For the most part, she seems to be asking about the status of the battle. However, Grey catches a few strange terms that he doesn't recognize. They almost sound like magical terms. Is Sakuya a magician of some sort?

Sakuya nods at the fairies one more time before walking back to Grey.

"This is strange," Sakuya says. "It's almost as if the beast youkai are coming from inside the Voile Library itself."

"That can't mean anything good," replies Grey. "But I suppose that we better find the source of the youkai before things get any worse."

Sakuya nods in agreement. She turns her head slightly in the direction of the fairy maids.
[ ] Take them all with you. Deserters will be executed.
[ ] Take only the uninjured faires. The others should lick their wounds.
[ ] Take only the armed and experienced fairies. You only need soldiers.
[ ] Order them all to retreat. Sakuya and yourself will be enough.
[ ] Custom

"Lady Remilia! Are you alright?" cries Sakuya.

"Sakuya? Grey?" replies Remilia. "What are you two doing here?"

"We came to help," says Grey. "Where is -"

Without warning, a wave of fire comes upon them. The two humans crumple down on the ground. They can feel the searing heat approaching. This power will kill them for sure, Grey thinks.

But after a few moments, the heat subsides. Sakuya and Grey open their eyes to find Remilia standing in front of them, her wings and arms raised to shield them from the attack. The vampire's body seems to be badly burned. Both of her hands are little more than black charred stumps.

"Lady Remilia!" cries Sakuya in despair.

Grey watches open-mouthed as the vampire starts regenerating before his eyes. In mere seconds, her injuries are completely healed. The only sign of damage are the few burnt parts of her dress, which seem to be made of some damage-resistant material. But that isn't the reason he froze. Her eyes are filled with fury as she looks straight at him.

"You useless fools! You'll both be killed down here!" she shouts angrily.

Before he can reply, Remilia grabs him by the neck and throws him back into the hallway outside. He flinches in pain as his back hits the ground. Grey lies on the ground, unmoving, as he waits for his body to recover.

"But Lady Remilia, we just came to-"

Suddenly, Remilia slaps her on the face. The sound of the blow echoes along the hallways, somehow silencing the noisy battle inside. For a single moment, Grey watches Sakuya stand in shock in front of the vampire. Then in the next, Sakuya is kneeling over him, her long silver hair hiding her face.

"We should go," she whispers quietly.

Grey sits up and looks over her shoulders. From the air thick with ashes and fire comes a small figure. It flaps it's strange wings of gems and metal a few times to shake off some dust before speaking.

"Big sister! The smelly things stopped moving," says Flandre. "And there's a weird guy coming our way!"

Another humanoid figure walks from the shadows. Wrapped completely in bandages from head to toe, the shadowy man walks towards the vampires, carrying something long in his hand. Even the man's eyes are wrapped in bandages, as if he could see without using his eyes.

Remilia has a strange smile on her face, as if recognizing the person. She turns back at the humans for a moment.

"Help the others," she says sternly. "That's an order."

Before they can reply, Remilia strikes upon the walls with her fists. The ceiling begins to crash down, sealing the entrance to the basement chamber with rocks and debris. It will take them hours to dig their way through it.

Grey struggles to his feet and puts a hand on Sakuya's shoulder. She still seems to be in shock.

Where should they go next?
[ ] Custom