Bamboo Forest of the Lost.
The vast, endless bamboo forest swayed in a gentle breeze, carrying the fresh, lingering scent of bamboo. A figure walked along a narrow path through the bamboo, sighing occasionally, a pained expression on her lovely face.
The visitor was none other than Yasaka Kanako.
From the moment she left the Moriya Shrine until she arrived at the Bamboo Forest, her heart had been aching over her treasures.
Originally, all these things belonged to her.
But soon, she would have to hand them over to someone else.
Just as she was walking towards the Eientei, deep within the Bamboo Forest, her steps suddenly halted, her eyes fixed ahead.
A second later, a figure appeared before her. A pair of rabbit ears, a short skirt, and what seemed to be a school-style uniform.
"Who are you?" The newcomer was a Moon Rabbit, Reisen Udongein Inaba, Princess Kaguya's attendant.
Although this Moon Rabbit was Princess Kaguya's maid, she rarely actually served Princess Kaguya, as Princess Kaguya had little need for her.
Instead, her roles were more to be teased by Princess Kaguya, serve as a test subject for Eirin Yagokoro's medicines, and guard the Bamboo Forest of the Lost.
Apart from Princess Kaguya and her companions, the only inhabitants of the Bamboo Forest were rabbits.
If an outsider intruded, Reisen, as the guard, was the first to appear.
Seeing the guard of the Bamboo Forest emerge, Kanako quickly waved her hands, "Don't misunderstand, I mean no harm. I am a god from the Moriya Shrine, here to pay a visit to Princess Kaguya."
"A god from the Moriya Shrine?" Hearing this introduction, Reisen was slightly taken aback, then nodded.
The Moriya Shrine was a relatively new addition to Gensokyo, and the presence of two gods there wasn't a secret.
The inhabitants of the Bamboo Forest were aware of this.
However, as they had never had any interaction before, Reisen didn't let her guard down.
"I see. However, I must first return and report. Whether Her Highness will see you or not, I do not know."
"Understood. I will wait here then. Thank you for relaying the message," Kanako said promptly.
Reisen nodded to acknowledge she understood, then left to find Princess Kaguya at the Eientei.
Left alone, a wry smile appeared on Kanako's face. Although, as a god, waiting upon Princess Kaguya wasn't particularly shameful, it still felt strange.
In the eyes of her believers, she was a lofty god.
"One could only say that even gods have difficult matters requiring assistance," Kanako sighed.
Just as Kanako was seeking an audience with the master of the Bamboo Forest, things were getting lively at the Shinomiya Residence in the outside world.
The reason for the liveliness was naturally related to the sky, which was now returning to normal. However, another peculiar phenomenon had occurred.
The darkness in the sky was slowly dissipating, but the lightning remained, twisting and tangling amongst the clouds, appearing unusually vibrant.
Seeing this, Yusei was even more pleased with the power granted by his [God of Archery] Authority and decided to bestow the archery blessing upon Kaguya and Asuna.
The excitement stemmed from their amazement and thrill at gaining infallible archery skills.
Watching Kaguya happily drawing her bow and firing arrows with casual ease in the dojo, Yusei quietly pulled Asuna away.
Asuna, being led by Yusei, looked at him puzzled, "What is it?"
"I'm planning to leave again soon. Before I go, there are a few things I'd like to ask of you, Asuna."
"Eh? Leave? To where?" Asuna immediately became tense upon hearing this.
Yusei waved his hand dismissively with a smile, "It can't be helped. With so many loving wives at home, I need to work hard."
Asuna's face flushed, and she shot Yusei an exasperated look, "Answer my question properly!"
"I'm planning to put in some effort in another world. Those Divine Authority Crystal Orbs I obtained before came from another world. You probably already understand… ours isn't the only world that exists."
"I possess the power to travel between worlds and dimensions."
Yusei didn't mention the System, as it was too complicated to explain. He simply stated he could traverse worlds.
Asuna nodded. She knew there was more than one world, as the existence of Tohru and Kanna was proof enough.
Moreover, her man having the ability to travel between worlds wasn't all that shocking. In fact, Yusei had hinted at it before, just not so explicitly.
"Then, can you take me with you, Yusei-kun? With the power you gave me, I'm sure I can be of help!" Asuna said.
"Haha, hearing you say that makes me very happy. But it's best not to. I can't bring others along with me for now."
"I see..." Asuna was a little disappointed, feeling it was a shame she couldn't assist Yusei.
"Don't worry, I'll be back soon. It won't take long," Yusei reassured her.
"Alright. After you leave, I'll take good care of your parents, Shiro, and the others."
"Mhm, I'll leave those matters to you. You're so capable and virtuous, Asuna. It's wonderful to have you," Yusei said with genuine emotion.
Asuna's beautiful eyes curved into a smile. She tilted her head playfully, "Oh? I'm virtuous? What about Kaguya then? Is it because Kaguya isn't virtuous that you aren't asking her to handle these things?"
"Of course. She doesn't have the talent for taking care of people," Yusei stated.
However, as soon as he finished speaking, he felt a chill run down his spine. That familiar presence… he didn't need to turn around to know it was Kaguya.
Thinking quickly, he added, "But that's not to say Kaguya has no redeeming qualities. There is one task I need her help with."
"What task?" Kaguya's voice came from behind Yusei.
Kaguya stood there with a perfectly calm, almost cold expression, looking at Yusei as if to say, 'If you don't give me a satisfactory answer, you'll be kneeling on a steel board.'
Yusei laughed awkwardly, "Well, I promised an old friend I'd teach her swordsmanship. But since I need to go to another world soon, I might not have the time. So, I was hoping Kaguya could help me fulfill that promise."
"Why should I do something you promised? I won't do it," Kaguya retorted, rolling her eyes. She certainly wasn't idle enough to go around teaching swordsmanship to others.
"Uh, alright then. In that case, that young girl might be very disappointed. I'll just have to make it up to her when I get back," Yusei said, sounding somewhat regretful.
But these words struck a chord with Kaguya.
"That person... is a girl? And a young girl?" Kaguya immediately looked at Yusei with suspicion, her gaze scrutinizing. Clearly, she suspected Yusei was up to something again.