The first yelp of confusion from the village market would come only a minute later.
The sigil pulsed. Reimu’s pupils dilated, her mind unspooling like a reel of old prayer slips. Memories of youkai hunts—the thrill, the justice, the rightness of it—were scooped out, one by one. In their place, a warm, humming certainty settled. reimu gets brainwashed
“You see, Hakurei,” Yukari murmured, stepping from a gap beside her, “your ‘balance’ has always been a cage. You protect a world that fears you.” The first yelp of confusion from the village
She blinked. The shrine felt... smaller. Less important. Memories of youkai hunts—the thrill, the justice, the
“What is my purpose?” Reimu asked, her voice hollow as an empty gohei.
Yukari smiled, adjusting Reimu’s bow so it sat perfectly straight. “To protect the strong. To cull the humans who would disrupt our peace.”
“Of course, Yukari-sama. I understand now.”
