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"That air-headed ghost princess must have run off somewhere," Remilia says.

The vampire cracks her knuckles as she takes slow, deliberate steps toward her. This is the worst possible situation. If what the vampire said is true, then Lady Yuyuko isn't even within the grounds. That would mean that she is alone.

Youmu grits her teeth. Calm down! She can't let Remilia intimidate her. The vampire's power is certainly above her own, and it even rivals that of Lady Yuyuko. In a head-on battle, it would only be a matter of time before she would be taken down.

"Guess that I'll have to take my frustrations out on you, instead."

She swallows nervously. This looks really bad! But the half-ghost still has one advantage. Even if it is against her principles, she doesn't have a choice. Slowly, she shifts her position so she can see both the vampire and her hostage. Then, she lowers her blade directly at the young man's neck.

"Y-your 'property' is trespassing on Hakugyokurou grounds!" she cries out.

The vampire stops walking. Youmu puts on her best menacing face as she continues.

"And so are you," says half-ghost. "E-even if it is the Scarlet Devil herself, I won't back down! What is your business here?"

Lady Remilia doesn't say anything in reply. Instead, she only watches them, as if she is waiting for something. The three of them stand still in a stalemate. The silence is excruciating. Youmu glances at the young man. He seems to be looking at her sadly.

Then, without minding her weapon at all, he slowly raises his hand and puts it on her shoulder. She shivers involuntarily in surprise. I-is he crazy? Doesn't he understand his situation? She could end his life in a split-second right now. Yet this man is looking at her with an expression full of pity. And kindness.

"You aren't this kind of person, Youmu," he whispers.

How? How does he know her name? Has she met this person before?

"W-what are you talking about?" she says.

"You don't really want to hurt anyone."

Suddenly, the young man smiles at her. For some reason, she starts blushing. She doesn't understand this at all! She has no idea who this person is, but why? Why is he smiling at her so kindly? This just doesn't make any sense! But if he looks at her like this, she can't -

"Y-you... stupid idiot!" she cries out.

Before he can react, she grabs him by the neck and tosses him at Lady Remilia. The vampire's eyes widen in surprise.

"N-nyu!"

For a moment, everything stands still. The young man landed right on top of the Lady Remilia, almost blocking her completely from sight. The vampire really is quite small, she notes. Then, Youmu watches in shock as the young man receives a kick to the groin. Seems like his hands landed somewhere sensitive. As he crumples in pain, the vampire shoves him away with one hand. Then, Lady Remilia turns back to her, her eyes full of fury.

"Stupid half-ghost," she says. "Now I'm really going to have to teach you some manners!"

The vampire stands up, stretching her wings slightly. She raises her hand, muttering some words under her breath. In the next moment, a dangerous looking spear materializes before her. With this weapon in hand, she starts walking forward. In response, Youmu draws both of her swords and stands her ground in a defensive stance. Even if it's futile, she won't back down from this fight. Her pride won't let her.

But before either of them could attack.

"Command Sign, 「Seal Movement」"

Youmu instinctively tries to dodge, but something is wrong. She blinks a few times as she realizes it. She can't move her arms and legs!

"W-what the -"

"Nice work, Grey," says Lady Remilia darkly. "Even though I don't really need help, this will make things much easier for me."

She glances at the young man. His face is still full of pain. However, he is holding a spell card in his hand.

"Now all I have to do is -"

Suddenly, the vampire stops talking. She grunts for a moment, as if having great difficulty moving. In fact, she doesn't seem to be moving at all. Eh? Seems like Remilia can't move either.

"That really hurt, Remilia," says the young man.

Slowly, he stands himself up. He dusts off his pants carefully, as if that was a more important concern. Lady Remilia stares at him in shock. Then, after a few moments, the vampire finally speaks.

"H-how dare you!" she cries. "How dare you do this to your Master!"

"Don't misunderstand," replies the young man. "I'm doing this to protect your interests. You need Youmu alive, don't you? We will need her help later."

He glares back at the vampire, as if silently adding, 'that really hurt'. Then, he turns toward the half-ghost.

"Besides," he says. "I don't think we have the time for this. If we don't hurry, something really bad is going to happen."

The young man points toward something in the distance. Through the mist, the silhoutte of the great cherry tree Saigyou Ayakashi can be clearly seen. Bright purple energy is swirling around it, and even from this far, she can see thousands of spirits gathering toward the light. For some reason, the scene reminds her of -

"Lady Yuyuko," she whispers.

The young man nods solemnly.

"For now, why don't we call a truce?"

The vampire stares angrily at him.

"Don't worry," he adds. "This will benefit our side as well. If I'm not mistaken, that light will lead us to the source of both our troubles."

Youmu pauses to think. She doesn't have much choice.

[ ] Refuse the offer. You can't trust them.
[ ] Refuse the offer. You don't need their help.
[ ] Agree to the truce. Leave for the Saigyou Ayakashi immediately.
[ ] Agree to the truce. But there is something you need to do first... (Specify)
[ ] Custom