The morning sun never came.
Instead, a blood-red haze rolled across Gensokyo's sky — swallowing the forests, the mountains, and even the Hakurei Shrine in its glow.
Reimu Hakurei groaned as she stepped out of her shrine, squinting into the crimson light.
"What now…" she muttered, rubbing her eyes.
Dragging herself away from the faint warmth of her futon, she glanced toward the bed — where Chris was still sleeping peacefully, arms wrapped around the blanket like a cocoon.
Reimu sighed. "Lucky you."
Still, something in her gut told her this wasn't something she could just leave alone. The air was wrong — thick, humming, and heavy with magic.
She lifted Chris gently, cradling him close as she stepped outside.
Then she froze.
The sky was red — not the calm hue of dawn, but a burning scarlet, like blood had been spilled across the heavens. And then she saw it — chains.
Dark, jagged chains snaked through the clouds, glowing faintly as if they were forged from fire itself. They twisted and writhed like living things, locking the mist in place.
Reimu's expression hardened.
"This… isn't just mist. It's bound."
The shrine maiden took a deep breath, feeling the prickling of foreign magic against her skin. Whatever Remilia had done this time — it wasn't just a tantrum of power. Something else was mixed in, something angry.
In another corner of Gensokyo, the scarlet hue reflected off the trees of the Forest of Magic.
Marisa Kirisame leaned back on her broom, one hand shading her eyes as she stared at the sky.
"Damn," she muttered, whistling low. "That's somethin' else… the whole sky's gone tomato soup."
She twirled her mini-Hakkero in her hand, smirking. "I wonder who pulled that off. Gotta be one hell of a magician."
Then that grin of hers spread wide — the kind of grin that usually meant trouble for someone.
"Well, whatever the reason, there's bound to be good stuff behind it."
Without another thought, she kicked off the ground, broom roaring to life as she shot through the sky toward the Hakurei Shrine, streaking gold against the red haze.
Reimu stood outside the shrine, her eyes locked on the crimson sky as the faint shimmer of burning chains flickered overhead. The air felt heavy, almost suffocating — but what really weighed on her arms was the peacefully snoozing boy she carried.
Chris, somehow, was still asleep.
Even with the sky literally on fire.
Reimu sighed. "Seriously… how can he sleep through this?"
Just then, the faint hum of a broom echoed in the distance. Reimu didn't need to look up.
"Marisa…"
A golden blur zipped through the red haze before skidding to a halt a few feet away, dust swirling.
"Yo, Reimu!" Marisa called out, grinning wide. "You seein' the sky? Looks like somebody spilled wine all over the place!"
Reimu gave her a flat look. "You're surprisingly calm about the end of the world."
"Hey, it ain't the end of the world till I say it is," Marisa quipped, hopping off her broom. Then her eyes fell on the small figure in Reimu's arms.
"…Wait. Is that the same kid from yesterday?"
"Yeah. Chris," Reimu said simply. "He's still asleep."
Marisa blinked. "…Still? The sky's bleeding, Reimu."
"I noticed."
"Did ya teach him how to ignore reality in your lessons, or what?" Marisa asked with a smirk, peeking closer. "He looks like he's been through a cram school for monks."
Reimu gave her a side-eye. "If you're implying my lessons were boring—"
"I'm sayin' maybe the hiragana fried his brain a bit," Marisa chuckled. "What'd you teach him last night?"
"The A-row."
"…Oh, that explains it."
Marisa chuckled again but stopped when she saw Chris mumbling softly in his sleep — something faint in English.
"…he's dreamin'," Marisa whispered. "What's he sayin'?"
Reimu tilted her head, listening. "Something about… 'don't bite me'?"
She blinked. "Weird dream."
Marisa tried not to laugh, covering her mouth. "Yeesh. Maybe I'm the one dreamin'. Blood-red sky, ghost kid, you being motherly—Gensokyo's goin' nuts."
Reimu sighed, rubbing her temple. "And somehow, I'm the one who has to fix it."
Marisa grinned. "Then let's go fix it—with style."
In that of Hakugyokurou
Someone was looking in the sky, as her eyes narrowed.
She appears as a slightly tall human maiden, do she was anything but Human, her short pink hair moved in her wind as her maroon eyes looked in the sky, she wears an ornate, light blue and white kimono, the specific designs and trim
[Insert image of Yuyuko Saigyouji]
Yuyuko looked in the sky as she spoke. "My~ My~ this is gonna be a problem, not just for the outside but also here, by the way the mist and change are going, it might even reach the human world".
"Do you wish for me to stop it lady Yuyuko?"
She turned her head too see the half Ghost.
She has short silver hair, dark blue eyes, and dual swords, the Roukanken (long katana) and Hakurouken (wakizashi). She wears a dark green and white dress with ghost insignia, a black ribbon, white socks, and Mary Jane shoes. A key visual feature is her "ghostly half," a separate phantom or wisp that follows her, which is roughly the same size as her human half.
[Inserts image of Youmu Konpaku]
Yuyuko smiled faintly, though her gaze didn't waver from the sky. The red haze above Hakugyokurou shimmered like bleeding silk, the fiery chains glinting between the mist. Even here — deep in the Netherworld — the light reached through the veil, staining everything a dark, unsettling crimson. The cherry blossoms that never bloomed shivered unnaturally in the still air.
"Oh, Youmu…" she sighed, her voice soft and lilting, but with an undertone rarely heard from her — unease. "It's not just mist. Look closely."
Youmu followed her gaze. When she focused, she could see them — the chains weren't only glowing red. They were dripping, burning with something between blood and flame, weaving like veins across the heavens.
"Those chains…" Youmu said, tightening her grip on Roukanken. "They don't just block light. They're feeding on it."
Yuyuko tilted her head, her fan opening with a quiet snap. "Feeding on the light of souls, perhaps~?"
"Lady Yuyuko!" Youmu scolded lightly, her phantom tail flicking in agitation. "That's not something to joke about!"
"Hmm? Who said I was joking?" Yuyuko smiled, her tone still sweet but her eyes sharp. "The boundary between life and death is trembling, Youmu. I can feel it. Whatever made this mist… it's not content with just hiding the sun."
Youmu glanced back at her, uneasy. "Then… should we act? If this spreads, even Hakugyokurou—"
Yuyuko gently closed her fan. "—Will no longer be untouched. Yes, I know."
Her expression softened. "But let's not rush. If the balance between the living and dead is being disturbed, the Hakurei Shrine will move first."
"And if they fail?"
Yuyuko smiled — too gently.
"Then, my dear Youmu, we'll prepare a proper funeral for Gensokyo."
Youmu looked at her mistress, brow furrowing slightly. "So… do you wish for me to go, Lady Yuyuko?"
Yuyuko sighed, tapping her fan lightly against her chin. "Yes, yes, of course. Go, Youmu. Honestly, is it that hard to understand my words, daughter?"
Youmu nearly tripped over her own step, her ghost half flickering in disbelief. "D-Daughter?! Lady Yuyuko, please don't say strange things so casually!"
Yuyuko giggled softly, waving her fan. "My, my, you're so serious. But if I were to have a daughter, she'd look just like you, wouldn't she? Always worrying, always swinging her swords at every problem~"
Youmu groaned quietly, tightening her grip on her blades. "Sometimes I wonder if you say these things just to make my life harder…"
Yuyuko smiled, turning her gaze skyward once more. "Oh, Youmu, life is hard. That's why it's such a treat to watch you live it~ Now go, before the chains reach this side of the veil."
With a reluctant nod, Youmu stepped onto the path leading out of Hakugyokurou, the crimson glow reflecting off her blades as she descended toward Gensokyo.
The deeper Youmu went into the mist, the heavier the air became. Crimson light shimmered like liquid through the trees, and the smell of burnt iron clung to every leaf.
"...This isn't natural," Youmu muttered, placing a hand on Roukanken's hilt. "Whoever caused this, they're powerful."
Then—
Whump!
A small, frantic figure crashed face-first into a tree beside her.
"GAAH—! My wings! My beautiful wings!"
Youmu blinked, tilting her head. Before her was a blonde-haired fairy dressed in red and white stripes, waving a torch like a lunatic and muttering about "crazy vampires" and "psychotic maids."
[Insert image of Clownpiece]
Youmu's expression sharpened. "A fairy? Here? In this kind of mist?"
Clownpiece froze mid-rant and slowly turned. "Uhh… hi! Totally not the one who made the creepy blood sky! Nope!"
Youmu unsheathed Roukanken with a clean, metallic sound. "So you admit you have something to do with it."
"WHAT?! NO!"
But Youmu was already floating upward, spirit half glowing beside her. "According to Gensokyo's boundary laws, any disturbance caused by magic must be settled by the Spell Card Rules. Prepare yourself, you crimson prankster!"
"Wait—what rules—?!"
The air around them shimmered with glowing talismans and symbols, forming a circular boundary.
[EXPLANATION – Spell Card Rules]
Spell Cards, or Danmaku Duels, are Gensokyo's way to solve fights without killing anyone.
Each combatant declares their attack pattern as a "Spell Card."
They must be beautiful, creative, and evasive, not simply destructive.
Victory is claimed when one side is forced to concede or hit by a direct shot.
Fatal blows are forbidden—grace, skill, and imagination are the true measures of power.
Clownpiece whimpered, raising her torch defensively. "C-Come on, I'm just a messenger! I didn't even make this mess!"
Youmu smirked faintly. "Then prove it. Survive this."
"Human Phantom—'Slash of the Eternal Soul!'"
Blades of ethereal light tore through the red mist, spiraling like cherry blossoms in a storm as Clownpiece yelped and dodged desperately, screaming, "THIS IS SO UNFAIR!!"
The forest shimmered red as Youmu's spirit half floated beside her. She raised her sword high, declaring:
"First Spell — Human Phantom: Slash of the Eternal Soul!"
Energy blades shot out like radiant moon petals, carving through the crimson haze.
"GYAAAAH!! STOP SLASHING THE AIR!!" Clownpiece screamed, twirling in a panic. Her torch spun wildly, sending bursts of chaotic flame in every direction as she zigzagged like a mad firefly.
"I told you, I didn't make this mist!"
"You expect me to believe that," Youmu said evenly, "when you literally carry a torch of Hellfire?"
Clownpiece ducked under a light slash, half-crying, half-snarling. "This is just a mood light! It's patriotic!!"
Boom! — A burst of danmaku stars exploded behind her.
Youmu blinked, unimpressed. "Patriotic? You're not even from Gensokyo."
"That's discrimination!!" Clownpiece wailed, barely dodging another slash. She tried waving her torch like a peace flag, which immediately made it worse when the flames burst into a chaotic pattern that looked like fireworks.
Youmu's brow twitched. "You mock me?"
"NO! I'M TRYING TO SURVIVE!!"
FWOOSH!
A massive energy wave blasted through the trees, sending leaves and fireflies scattering. Clownpiece flapped her wings frantically—until she smacked head-first into a branch and tumbled onto the grass, dizzy and smoking.
Youmu approached, calm as ever. "Your fighting style lacks focus."
"My fighting style lacks consent! I didn't want to fight in the first place!" Clownpiece whimpered, waving both hands. "The vampires! The mansion! The stupid blood machine thingy—they did it! I was just the delivery fairy!!"
Youmu froze mid-step. "…Blood machine?"
Clownpiece nodded desperately. "Yeah! Red-haired vampire girl! Super annoying maid! I nearly died, like, three times! Please don't cut me in half again!!"
There was a pause. The wind carried the faint scent of iron.
Youmu slowly sheathed Roukanken. "I see… you are merely an unfortunate messenger."
Clownpiece slumped with relief, muttering, "Finally someone who believes me…" before promptly collapsing face-first into the grass, twitching.
Youmu sighed. "Truly… Lady Yuyuko has a strange sense of humor, sending me to chase screaming fairies." She crouched down, picking up the unconscious Clownpiece by the collar. "Still, she may prove useful."
The spirit half nodded silently as Youmu looked to the crimson horizon.
"Now then… the vampire responsible for this Scarlet Mist will answer for it."
Then someone landed next to Youmu.
"So, I am not the only one investigating".
She turned her head to see someone.
A shrine maiden with long, light green hair, yellow eyes, and a shrine maiden outfit in blue and white. She wears a distinctive outfit with a white-and-blue top, a blue-and-white skirt, and a white collar, often accompanied by shide (paper streamers) and a gohei (a ritual staff).
[Insert image of Sanae Kochiya]
Youmu blinked, lowering her stance slightly as the newcomer dusted herself off from her landing.
The green-haired shrine maiden smiled politely. "Looks like I'm late to the party. The sky turned red, my gods got restless, and I got told to 'go fix it.' You wouldn't happen to know what's going on, would you?"
Youmu eyed her carefully, her hand still resting on Roukanken's hilt. "You must be another shrine maiden… but you're not from the Hakurei Shrine."
Sanae chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. "Ahaha, you can tell? Yeah, I'm Sanae Kochiya—shrine maiden of the Moriya Shrine. We just… moved here a while ago. Still learning how things work in Gensokyo."
Her gaze drifted toward the still-smoking Clownpiece lying in the grass. "And, uh… what's that?"
Clownpiece twitched weakly. "Please tell her I'm already dead… save her the trouble…"
Youmu sighed. "A fairy from Hell. She claims she knows something about the mist."
"Hell, huh?" Sanae leaned closer, fascinated. "Wow! I've never met anyone from Hell before! Does she do tricks?"
Clownpiece groaned. "Lady, I'm traumatized, not trained…"
Youmu pinched her brow. "If you're here to help, then focus. The source of this Scarlet Mist is somewhere near the Scarlet Devil Mansion."
Sanae perked up immediately. "A mansion? Fancy! So that's where the culprit is?"
"Likely." Youmu nodded. "I was about to set out before you arrived."
Sanae smiled brightly, slapping her gohei against her palm. "Then let's go together! Two shrine maidens and one traumatized fairy—what could possibly go wrong?"
Clownpiece weakly raised a hand. "Everything. Everything could go wrong."
Youmu sighed again, already regretting this partnership. "Very well. But do try to avoid drawing unnecessary attention."
Sanae saluted. "Got it! I'll only cause necessary attention!"
As the trio started toward the crimson horizon, Clownpiece floated behind them, muttering in despair, "I miss Hell. Hell had rules…"
Meanwhile with the Main Trio
Raimu was showing Chris the spell card, as she was trying to explain them to him, in simple words, do to his still, low understanding of Japanese.
Marisa was over a few small fairy's they had defeated and one ice fairy
[Insert image of Chirno]
Marisa looked at the Ice Fairy as she said. "Ha, Idiot".
Reimu sighed from the porch, still holding up the ofuda for Chris. "Marisa, stop bullying the local fairies. They're harmless."
Marisa looked back, hands on her hips and a smug grin plastered across her face. "Harmless, yeah, but they attacked first! Besides, this one said she was the strongest."
Chris tilted his head, blinking. 'She looks… cold,' he thought, watching the small blue fairy puff up her cheeks in defiance.
"Hey! Don't ignore me, witch! I am the strongest!" Cirno shouted, flailing her tiny fists as frost started to form on her wings again.
Marisa chuckled. "Sure you are, kiddo. You're the strongest… at losing."
Reimu facepalmed as Chris stifled a quiet laugh. "Marisa, can you not provoke her?"
Marisa shrugged. "What? It's character development."
Reimu turned back to Chris, trying to refocus the lesson. She pointed at a set of spell cards laid out before them. "Okay, Ryusei, this is a spell card. People here use these in fights—it's kind of like… rules for duels. Instead of killing, we make it flashy."
Chris blinked and slowly nodded. "Danmaku… rules?" he said in broken Japanese.
Reimu smiled softly. "Exactly. Danmaku rules."
Cirno, now recovered from her brief meltdown, waddled over and pointed at Chris. "Hey! Why's that kid got wings too? Is he a fairy?"
Marisa raised an eyebrow. "Nah, I think he's something else. Fairies don't glow like a goldfish lamp when they sneeze."
Chris sneezed. A flicker of golden light erupted from him, scattering sparks across the air.
Cirno gasped. "Wha—he does magic too! Okay, I challenge you to a duel, weird boy!"
Reimu sighed, grabbing Cirno by the back of her collar before she could fly off again. "No duels. Not until he learns what 'hello' means without making the sky glow."
Marisa leaned toward Reimu with a smirk. "You're getting good at this mom thing, ya know?"
Reimu's face turned crimson. "I'm not his mother!"
Marisa chuckled as Cirno dangled in Reimu's grip.
Chris thought to himself, "Mother... she could be my mother… No, nobody can replace her. Nobody can ever replace my real mother… not even her. Sorry, Reimu."
To be continued
Hope people like this ch and give me power stones and enjoy