The Book of Maiden Contract

No one knows how long Yakumo Zi has existed, or even if someone knows, that person is probably as old as hers or even older, and such a person generally does not reveal his secrets... Of course, Yakumo Zi himself is included.

The protagonists who are currently active in Gensokyo, except for a few, are actually rookies. Whether it is the Crimson Devil Mansion, Eternal Pavilion, Moriya Shrine, and even Star Lotus Ship, they are all in recent years. Or they only showed up in Gensokyo within a few decades. They had either stayed outside or closed the world before. It was obviously impossible for these people to know what happened in Gensokyo's history of more than five hundred years.

Although there are some people who have stayed in this land before there was Gensokyo, few of them and youkai will pay attention to Gensokyo’s bit by bit, really pay attention to Gensokyo and try to maintain the balance of Gensokyo. There are only two people...Yakumo Zi and Hakuri Miko!

Yakumolan is right in one sentence: what can human beings who have lived for more than ten years understand the monsters who have lived for countless years?

Marisa is a girl who has lived less than twenty years old. She obviously cannot know exactly what happened in Gensokyo’s 500-year history. With her carefree personality, coupled with occasional heartlessness, even more She doesn't take time to understand, so for Yakumozi's decision, she only feels angry and puzzled, and then confronts Yakumozi **** for tat.

She has never considered the past and the future, but only looks at the problem with the current eyes...Of course, in these short words, it can make people feel the gentleness and affection of mist and rain, even if there is nothing in normal times. Heartless, at the critical moment, she will still stand firmly on her friend's side and think about her friend.

Like Marisa, Lin Luo couldn't see the past and the future, but the difference was that he was able to know their existence. He had already thought about Yakumo Zi.

In Gensokyo’s 500-year history, including Reimu, there were a total of twelve Hakuri maidens. Except for the first generation who died at the moment when Gensokyo was established, the other ten maidens died one after another. And the death of each generation of witches...Yakumo Zi witnessed it personally.

The sorrow of the long-lived people is not only the loneliness and loneliness in the long rivers, but the greater sorrow is watching the people around them pass away one by one without being able to do anything.

No matter how you look at it, Yakumo Zi and Hakurei Miko are not only cooperating to maintain a simple relationship like Gensokyo, they are not only friends, but even confidants, but...every few decades, she will have A confidant died, irretrievable, irretrievable, how sad it is!

Yakumo Zi, in this mere five hundred years, has long been accustomed to life and death, what kind of pain is that? And for this painful habit, isn’t it another kind of sorrow?

At least in Lin Luo's view, this kind of sorrow is definitely not something normal people can tolerate. If he is changed, he will be Yakumo Zi. He will be depressed all day long, or he will try to prevent this tragedy from happening. But Yakumo Zi is here. After the sorrow, she still looks at the world indifferently... It's not that she is ruthless, but her tears are falling in places where others can't see.

At the same time, she never tried to stop it, because if you want to stop this tragedy, you must first destroy Gensokyo, but once Gensokyo is destroyed, then what is the sacrifice of the previous generations of maidens?

Reimu has been a shrine maiden of Hakurei Shrine since the time of Lori, but Yakumo Shi met her for the first time when Haruyuki changed. From the perspective of the relationship between the two, it is obviously abnormal, even if there is only a cooperative relationship. , Yakumo Zi should also meet Reimu the moment she became a witch.

What is the reason for not seeing you so late?

Isn't it because the unstoppable tragedy will come again sooner or later, so that she dare not put too much affection on the new witch?

Because the more feelings you put in, the more heart-piercing pain will be.

And at this moment, Reimu died, and Yakumo Zi did not show sadness, but this does not mean that there is no sadness in her heart, at least there is no usual smile on her face, does it?

She is eager to let Mingmeng become a new generation of witches at this time, and it is not just for Gensokyo's sake. Because Reimu’s death caused the foundation of Hakurei Shrine to become unstable, and this result also directly caused the Great Enchantment to become thinner, which is more serious than any time in history. If you don’t let the new maiden take office as soon as possible, it will be a big knot The disappearance of the world is also inevitable.

In this way, the sacrifices of the twelve generations of witches, including Reimu, weren't Fu Zhu Dongliu? !

The establishment of the Great Enchantment and the formation of Gensokyo are based on the principle of equivalent exchange. If the shattered Gensokyo wants to be established again, it must sacrifice a life... The last time it was the first maiden, if not in time this time Hold Gensokyo, then, who should sacrifice?

Lin Luo stood from Yakumozi’s perspective and considered countless issues, so he understood Yakumozi’s approach. From a rational point of view, Yakumozi’s choice was the most correct. If you give up saving Hakuri Reimu, you can immediately relieve it. The crisis in Gensokyo can also avoid any accidents...but!

Understanding does not mean that he will support it, and the most correct choice does not mean that he will do it. He can understand that Yakumo Zi gave up Hakurei Reimu for Gensokyo and for the hard work and perseverance of all Hakuryi maidens for more than five hundred years. Attitude, but he will not give up!

Even if there is only a silver lining, he will go for a fight!

At this moment, looking at Yakumo Zi's unchanging expression, Lin Luo said: "Time should be enough, let's go outside and talk alone."

"...Okay." Yakumo Zi hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

Lin Luo smiled slightly, then looked at the others in the room, and said, "Reimu will ask you to take care of it for the time being. Don't worry, there must be a way."

Then Lin Luo and Yakumo Zi left the room and walked outside.

After the two of them left, Marisa looked back and sat down on the side of the bed, her head downcast, "Am I doing something wrong? Although I also know that Zi is not the kind of heartless and unrighteous person, although she is often I like to tease people, but when you think about it, Gensokyo has always been so peaceful, basically because of purple and the maiden. Even if you choose a new maiden, it is only to continue to maintain the peace in Gensokyo. It is us, fundamentally. There is nothing to do. I just enjoy this peace every day. I just... Didn't I say too much?"

It’s rare that Marisa would think about this issue so seriously. If it were in normal times, everyone would definitely think that she was in the brain, and then it was either teasing or mocking. But at this moment, this issue is also a question in other people’s minds, who Nor will it make fun or ridicule.

Alice comforted: "Marisa, you are not wrong. In fact, everyone is the same. They all hope that Reimu can live. Zi must also hope so, but she thinks more questions, and because you are straightforward, you only I only considered saving Reimu."

"So, I really am an idiot who can't turn his head?" Marisa said with a mockery of herself, and then said, "Actually, it's not that Zi didn't want to save Reimu, but her coldness. Attitude, after all, everyone is trying so hard to find a way, and... Ming Meng is still so small, how can he withstand such a blow."

With a few sighs in the room, everyone fell silent. After a while, You Yuzi said, "It doesn't make sense to think about this now. Don't worry about it anymore. We will decide what to do after Lin Luo and Zi discuss it. Well. In addition, Reimu’s current state does not require too many people to take care of. The air is too dull for everyone to squeeze here at the same time. I think everyone should go outside to relax before they return.

"It's good, the dull atmosphere in this room can become confusing even thinking."

You Yuzi's proposal was approved by everyone, and in the end, everyone withdrew from the room one after another. Of course, because he was still paying attention to whether Reimu's state would change, Suika, Sanae, and Marisa stayed in the room and continued to guard.

Holding Reimu’s hand, even the optimistic Ibuki Suixiang was sad, and muttered, "Reimu, don’t you know, because of you, everyone almost quarreled just now. This is an abnormal change. Why don’t you? Wake up to deal with? If you don’t wake up again, I will cause a bigger change. By the way, as long as you wake up, I will take the wine... Well, I will divide all my wine into half of you, OK? ?"

...

On a hillside not far from Hakurei Shrine, looking down from here, you can almost see the whole picture of Gensokyo, and at this moment, Lin Luo and Yakumo Zi are standing here.

"Zi, what is the most important thing to you?" Lin Luo asked, looking at Gensokyo.

Yakumo Shi looked down at the world with calm eyes and replied, "Gensokyo, and everything that exists in Gensokyo."

"In other words, what you want to protect is not only Gensokyo, but also the plants and trees in it, one person and one demon?" Lin Luo asked rhetorically.

"Balance." Faced with this problem, Yakumo Zi only said two words.

Flowers and trees, even people and monsters, Yakumo Zi does not deliberately protect one of them, but to protect the balance of the two, because only by maintaining a relative balance, the peace of Gensokyo will not be broken.

Lin Luo nodded and continued: "If I guess right, the balance of Gensokyo should come from Hakuri Shrine. In other words, Hakuri Shrine is the foundation of Gensokyo, and Hakuri Shrine is Gensokyo. His soul, with soul and foundation, formed the vibrant world of Gensokyo. It is precisely because shrines and witches are so important that Hakuri maidens are invincible in Gensokyo. Am I right?"

"Yeah." Yakumo nodded, "Gensokyo was established based on the principle of equivalent exchange. The price for making Hakuri maiden the soul of this world is the life of the first maiden. Then, each of the following Hakuri maidens After taking office, you will get Gensokyo's soul. This power can make the witch immune to all external damage in Gensokyo... Of course, the witch can also refuse to accept this soul with her own consciousness, but this is not a big deal, because Gathering all the fighting luck in Gensokyo, Hakuri Miko can suppress almost all the monsters even without relying on that invincible power."

"Including you?"

"Yes, as long as I still admit that I am a member of Gensokyo." Yakumo Zi Danran said, "After all, when Gensokyo was established, I and the first generation held different jobs. She was in charge of fighting and suppressing, that is, solving. Change and maintain the balance of Gensokyo. And I am in charge of vitality and knowledge. Simply put, it is the stability of the Great Enchantment and all the secrets of Gensokyo. It can be regarded as one article and one military. It is because of this clear division of labor. , Gensokyo can always remain calm and not be affected by the external environment."

"In other words, do you know everything about Gensokyo better than anyone else?"

Yakumo Zi glanced at him suspiciously and didn't understand why he was talking about this topic. Originally, she thought Lin Luo would definitely talk about Reimu, but she didn't hide it, and said truthfully, "Yes."

"Then, you should also know why Reimu died, right?"

Hearing this, Yakumo Zi's heart jumped, and she was confused!

If it were the past, she would never simply put on the set, but at this moment, she didn't think so much when she was upset. This was Lin Luo's plan.

However, since she had already said it, she didn't intend to deny it, and nodded and said: "You are right, I do know the cause of Reimu's death."

"Then tell me."

"I can't say."

"why?"

Yakumo Zi did not answer.

In fact, there is no need for her to answer, because the answer to this question has already been available, the first sentence she said at the moment when Yakumo Zi appeared.

"Because Reimeng's death is not an effect, but a cause, right?" Lin Luo asked.

"Since you already know, then don't ask." Yakumo Zi sighed. She knew that the man next to her was not bad in wisdom. Anyway, for this purpose, it was useless to conceal it, so she had to say. "In fact, it is not difficult to save Reimu, it can even be said to be easy, but the key lies in the consequences of saving her. No one of us can afford it."

"Reimeng died of inverse causality!" Lin Luo said solemnly.

"Yes, but she is not the direct initiator of inverse causality, but an indirect victim."

"What do you mean?"

"The inverse causality that exists in Gensokyo is not her, but someone else. Because the inverse causality has not been unraveled, it has finally reached the moment of its eruption, so it must find a point of explosion. The point is the entire Gensokyo, but there are too many hosts in Gensokyo, the heart of the world instinctively resists, even if it is reverse causality, it cannot completely invade, so as a substitute, Reimu with the soul of Gensokyo is just Became a flashpoint... to be honest, her death was the most innocent, so she was the victim."

"It was us who killed her?" Lin Luo's expression changed.

"...You can say that." Yakumo Zi nodded sadly, "but we can't save her. You know, inverse causality generally does not erupt, and it will only occur when it is solved, but now, it has not been solved yet. Open, it will directly affect the host, causing unclear death, even a world heart cannot resist, then once it is unlocked, how strong will it be?"

Having said that, Yakumo Zi looked at Lin Luo with a serious face, and said with a deep voice: "Even if it is you and me, it will be wiped out in an instant!"

Lin Luo was taken aback, and said solemnly: "Then, do you accept that Reimu will die for us like this?"

Yakumo sighed secretly in her heart, avoiding talking about this question, but said: "Reverse causality will be silent after this outbreak, until it disappears somewhere in the unknown, and there will be no harm again. Gensokyo and us There will be no more threats, and even though Reimu’s world heart can’t keep her life, it can keep her body and existence, as long as...after we wait for our strength to improve and reach the third stage of the heavenly rank, It is not impossible to save her."

"You make a lot of sense. As long as we win the battle of God and take some time to become stronger, Reimu will still be able to come alive, but...forgive me for not agreeing."

"Why?" Yakumo Shizuo turned around and looked at Lin Luo puzzledly, even a little annoyed, "The inverse causal force that exists in Gensokyo is something we can't resist at all. Now it's just an indirect eruption. It caused the death of a host who was about to reach the quasi-celestial rank. If the inverse causality broke out directly, do you know what would happen? It is not only our death, but also the demise of Gensokyo and the entire world. People, even people in your world may not survive, do you know?!"

"More importantly, although Reimu is dead now, she is not without the hope of resurrection in the future. Be a little bit sensible, and don't exchange for greater grief because of temporary grief!"

Yakumo Zi tried his best to persuade.

Lin Luo had to admit that what she said was very reasonable, but her request was rather unconscionable, but he still couldn't accept such unreasonable things!

"Indeed, your sensible choice may be the most correct, but I still say that... The most correct choice is not the choice I want to make, Zi, are you willing to be threatened by reverse causality all the time? And what you are talking about is uncertain, why not go for it?"

Yakumo Zi smiled bitterly, "Struggle? How do you want to fight? Once the reverse causality is solved, the original sin will immediately break out. Can you imagine the power of the original sin? When the time comes, the world will be destroyed. Everyone can't escape death!"

Although Yakumo and Zi said everything, Lin Luo's choice remained the same. Looking at her eyes, he said with a serious face: "If saving Reimu will incur the original sin of reverse causality, then I will bear all the sins alone! "

Definite tone!

"You!" Yakumo Zi was shocked, unable to speak anymore.