This is the Hakurei Shrine, the most prosperous, bustling, glorious, and well-frequented place in all of Gensokyo. Whether human, yokai, or any other creature, trouble always drives them here seeking aid, because residing here is the most enthusiastic young girl in all of Gensokyo... Well, perhaps take those words with a grain of salt.

Yet, one thing remained undeniable: as the shrine maiden of Hakurei, Reimu Hakurei did indeed govern all of Gensokyo, for she managed the Great Hakurei Barrier, the very guardian of this realm. Should the barrier falter, Gensokyo itself would be implicated. Therefore, for the current state of peace in Gensokyo to be maintained, the Hakurei Shrine Maiden was necessary.

Despite this heavy responsibility, Reimu Hakurei was not, in truth, a particularly conscientious person. That might sound harsh, but she was genuinely quite lazy. Take the present moment: the weather was fine, yet cleaning the shrine, or even engaging in some necessary cultivation, tasks befitting a shrine maiden, were entirely ignored. Instead, this black-haired girl, clad in her signature red-and-white miko attire, sat at the shrine entrance, leisurely sipping tea while listening to some battered radio she’d picked up from somewhere.

“Ah, truly, this is how one should relax. Being bothered by those yokai all day makes one truly spiritless. And the number of visitors seeking blessings is dwindling—honestly, what about the donation money?” After taking a shallow sip, the girl sighed languidly, her tone thick with complaint.

After several more sips, she realized the teapot was empty. She lifted her cup, a slight frown creasing her brow. The thought of brewing another pot crossed her mind—this rare moment of tea appreciation shouldn't be cut short. But after careful consideration, reheating the water seemed too much effort, and she wasn't that thirsty right now. “Forget it. I’ll just take a nap later.”

With that declaration, the girl collected her tea set and began walking toward the inner sanctuary. Yet, the moment she turned, a resounding, authoritative voice boomed from behind her.

“Yo, Reimu, I’ve come to see you.”

Without needing to think, Reimu Hakurei knew exactly who it was. She paused just briefly, then walked straight into the shrine without looking back, slamming the door shut with a decisive thud.

Left outside was a blonde girl dressed in black attire, a black-and-white maid skirt, and topped with a large black hat. Since she had flown in on a broomstick, the sudden, firm closing of the door left her utterly stranded and slightly dazed.

Her name was Marisa Kirisame, a magical girl. Though human, she lived far from the crowds. While intellectually sharp, she was rather hopeless when it came to domestic matters, meaning her living space usually resembled nothing less than a scrap heap—though, perhaps the only difference was that her ‘scrap heap’ occasionally yielded genuine treasures.

Marisa was also one of Reimu Hakurei’s few friends. She frequently popped by the Hakurei Shrine for no particular reason other than to hang out. The reason? Among all the things she cherished, Reimu was perhaps her most favored. In a way, the two shared a deeply ambiguous connection... but let's just take that as gospel for now.

After standing frozen for three full seconds, Marisa finally snapped back to reality. She rushed forward and yanked the door open with force, only to find the girl inside already settled beneath the kotatsu, only her head and shoulders visible, eyes closed... asleep.

“Heh heh...” Marisa forced a dry chuckle, then delivered a heavy slap onto the kotatsu surface, shouting loudly, “I say, when a rare friend comes to visit, is that your attitude? That’s awfully cold, isn’t it?”

Reimu opened her eyes, cast a calm glance toward the intruder, and drawled, “Didn’t you just come over last night? Hardly rare. Besides, this has always been my attitude. Didn't you know that?”

“...Fine.” Marisa realized arguing with this lazy shrine maiden was pointless. She ignored the previous exchange, settled down beside the kotatsu, and leaned in with a grin. “Hey, Reimu, I worked out a brand new spell last night. Let’s test it out! It’s guaranteed to be spectacular.”

“Not interested. I need to rest,” Reimu dismissed instantly.

“It’s not even lunchtime yet...” Marisa glanced out the window and noted the sun was still climbing in the east, feeling thoroughly exasperated. She tried again, “Seriously, you’re the Hakurei Shrine Maiden, how can you have absolutely no shrine maiden demeanor? You don’t cultivate, you don’t worship. I think I should take your job, hahaha!”

By the end, she seemed genuinely delighted by the notion, erupting into loud laughter.

Reimu merely gave her a look, saying nothing. In her view, it was often best not to engage with much of what Marisa said, as the girl’s topic of interest changed rapidly anyway.

“Reimu, the weather’s great, let’s have a match! I swear, this time I won't lose to you.” Just as Reimu predicted, Marisa switched topics within three seconds, though...

“You already said that. I refused already,” Reimu replied with weary resignation.

“Oh, did I? Hmm...” Looking at the languid figure draped in the kotatsu, Marisa frowned, genuinely contemplating how to spark Reimu’s desire to fight.

Marisa was inherently competitive; a mage and a dedicated hard worker, her constant cultivation was driven by the desire to become stronger. However, in her win-loss record against Reimu, Reimu always held the lead—a fact that deeply annoyed her, considering her opponent never bothered to train seriously, preferring indolence...

Yet, she genuinely liked Reimu’s relaxed nature, as she disliked overly competitive people... though, of course, that didn't apply to herself.

Lost in thought, Marisa’s gaze snagged on an object nearby. She couldn't help but reach out and pick it up, examining it closely. “Reimu, where did you get this radio? Strange, it looks familiar to me for some reason?”

The Thief Marisa

Reimu, who had been in a near-catatonic state, suddenly’s eyes flew wide open at that question. She shot out of the kotatsu like lightning, snatched the radio from Marisa’s hand, clutched it protectively behind her back, and announced with stark vigilance, “This is mine!”

“Aiya, I’m not going to steal it, don't be so tense, hah hah hah,” Marisa quickly scratched her head and laughed, appearing quite awkward.

Believe her, I will, Reimu thought sourly. The Thief Marisa... Marisa’s habit of taking things (though she called it ‘borrowing’) was common knowledge throughout Gensokyo, making her the number one thief among both humans and yokai. This radio was a rare treasure she’d managed to find, perfect for warding off boredom. There was no way she'd let it fall into Marisa’s thieving gaze.

“I’m telling you, this...” Reimu started to warn Marisa away from her radio, but suddenly, a faint sensation stirred in her mind, and her expression subtly shifted.

This minute change was instantly caught by Marisa. Her familiarity with her friend told her something significant had occurred. Her eyes immediately lit up with excitement, and she leaned forward eagerly. “An incident is happening again, isn’t it? What is it this time? A vampire? A dweller from underground? Or maybe an alien? Or perhaps the tengu from the mountains?”

Seeing Marisa look as if she hoped the world was ending, Reimu couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “You look terribly bored. But you’ll be disappointed; it’s not an incident—someone just entered the Great Barrier.”

“Whoa, that’s no small matter, Reimu, let’s go!” Marisa’s eyes shone as she sprang up from her seat.

“Go?” Reimu looked at her skeptically. “Why would we go?”

Marisa glared back at her as if looking at a complete idiot, stating the obvious. “To deal with the intruder, of course! Someone entered the Great Barrier without permission; naturally, they need a good scolding. That’s your duty as the shrine maiden! I’m helping you out here out of sheer goodwill.”

“Not interested,” Reimu mumbled lazily, burrowing back into the kotatsu.

“This isn't about interest! What if it triggers an actual incident?”

“Then we’ll deal with it when it triggers an incident.”

“You...” Marisa was utterly speechless. This shrine maiden truly lacked any sense of responsibility. But if the other party refused to move, dragging her would be useless—and likely futile anyway. With a sudden, heavy movement, she yanked the door open and declared, “Fine! Then I’ll go alone! Just watch how I send this intruder packing back home... slam!”

With that, she slammed the door shut as if venting frustration, mounted her flying broomstick, and soared away into the distance.

In the room, Reimu remained settled, but a flicker of confusion crossed her eyes. The person who entered didn't affect the Great Barrier this time, yet I sensed them. Why could that be? Oh well, Marisa is already there. If she finds anything, she’ll probably come back and tell me. I’ll just go back to sleep.

And so, Reimu Hakurei closed her eyes once more.

...

Whether by fortune or misfortune, the place where the starlight landed was precisely the boundary intersection of the Great Hakurei Barrier, which gave Lin Luo a sense of unease. Not landing directly in front of the Scarlet Devil Mansion counted as fortunate, but appearing right at this barrier point was guaranteed to attract trouble. After all, outsiders were forbidden in Gensokyo. If his sudden appearance caused a ripple in the Great Barrier and drew out troublesome figures, the situation would become unnecessarily complicated.

“So this is Gensokyo. The spiritual energy is indeed abundant, but other than that, it doesn’t seem particularly special,” Lily remarked, looking around. She had expected a hostile, desolate landscape based on how dangerous Lin Luo had described Gensokyo.

“Well, the danger isn’t the environment itself, but the creatures living within it,” Lin Luo replied with a strained smile.

“After several months, finally returning to Gensokyo. This place truly settles my heart,” Sakuya smiled faintly, then gracefully turned to face Lin Luo. “I should head back to the Scarlet Devil Mansion first. What about you two?”

P: Gensokyo has arrived. Seeking monthly votes for the Black-and-White and Red-and-White combination!