"I'm actually asking for leave from the teacher, since the teacher was supposed to meet with you all yesterday." ... The Human Village. This was the place where all the ordinary humans of Gensokyo were gathered.

While not exactly bustling, it wasn't deserted either; whether day or night, one could always hear the clamor of voices, and occasionally, one might even spot a yōkai... or so it should have been. But at this moment, the place was utterly empty.

Not only were the residents gone, but even the houses had vanished, leaving only a vast, open clearing. Standing before this clearing, on the path that once led into the Human Village, was a single woman. She wore a bento cap, possessed long, blue-and-white hair, and was clad in respectable attire, featuring a prominent bosom...

This was Hakurei Reimu, and it was she who had caused the Human Village to disappear—the White Tiger hakutaku with the ability to consume and create history. "They've come after all. I must protect the humans on this inauspicious day!" Reimu stared ahead, her expression suddenly hardening.

She saw a dense, dark mass surging toward her—a mixture of humans and monsters, numerous and carrying a chilling, murderous aura. The Demon King's army certainly wouldn't launch a full-scale assault on ordinary humans, as it would serve no purpose. Living humans posed no threat, and dead ones offered no benefit; such an action would be a pure waste of time.

However, Gensokyo was only so large. As his army engaged the yōkai of Gensokyo, some inevitably strayed towards the Human Village. Given the merciless nature of the Demon King's forces, the consequences of them entering the village would certainly be a river of blood.

Reimu, having read Aya's news reports, understood this perfectly. That was why she had hidden the Human Village from the start and positioned herself to guard the only necessary path leading to it. The enemies on the opposite side rushed forward quickly.

Their bloodthirsty appearance startled Reimu somewhat. She sensed that among them were some tremendously powerful individuals, and protecting the village against such a large number made her feel somewhat inadequate. "Ah, look!" Just then, Reimu suddenly noticed a full moon appearing in the red sky!

"Wonderful!" Reimu cried out joyfully. Her form shifted in an instant; she sprouted horns and a tail, and even her skin and hair color changed... Normally human, she transformed into a hakutaku under the full moon—this was Reimu's inherent trait.

Although the false moon created by Eirin wasn't truly the moon, it was sufficient for Reimu's transformation. With this transformation, Reimu's confidence soared; the human state and the hakutaku state were on entirely different levels. "Initial Pyramid!" Reimu commanded sharply while beckoning forward.

A colossal pyramid suddenly descended from the sky. Before the charging enemies could comprehend what was happening, large numbers of them were crushed beneath it, letting out piercing screams. "Damn it, it's that woman!" Those who managed to escape instantly turned their gaze toward Reimu, their eyes burning with intense malice, and they attacked her with the utmost speed.

But Reimu merely smirked, her eyes brimming with confidence. Without the constraints of Spell Card rules, her abilities could be unleashed perfectly, allowing her to accomplish things no one else could... History was merely her plaything.

"Today, I shall use your histories to create a grand feast!" As she spoke, Reimu extended her hands before her and began to sway them slowly. Instantly, specks of white light appeared around her, and her figure became incredibly ethereal, oscillating between extreme distance and sudden closeness, as if she were skipping back and forth through the flow of time. "False History...

Gensokyo Legend!" As the words faded, the previously red sky abruptly vanished, replaced by an inky blackness. In the sky, a fierce tempest roared; on the ground, mountains of blades stood alongside seas of fire—the worst possible weather and environment, coupled with attacks that struck from unseen locations. No one knew where the attacks originated, nor could they discern their nature.

Simply evading the natural disasters was difficult enough... Countless enemies were swallowed whole. Even those who miraculously survived the utterly dreadful environment were instantly obliterated by the relentless barrage of danmaku that followed.

This was the false history that did not exist within Gensokyo. In the history Reimu sculpted, there was only catastrophe; they could not escape it, nor could they strike the real Reimu. They could only meet despair amidst the terrifying assault.

Without any Earth-rank experts present, they were powerless against the hakutaku. Watching the countless enemies vanish one by one in despair, Reimu felt a twinge of reluctance. Yet, as the wisest of hakutaku, she knew that if she did not strike the enemy down mercilessly, the things she sought to protect would suffer.

She could clearly distinguish the priority between the two. Therefore, no matter how unwilling she felt, she would show no mercy. Blessings and calamity exist together.

The blessings that bring harvest and prosperity to one's own side must be balanced by the calamity that brings despair unto death to the enemy. This... is history.

-"Don't get too reckless, you half-beast!" Just as Reimu was steeling herself to annihilate every enemy, a thunderous roar echoed from the opposing side. She jolted, and a noticeable lapse occurred in her control over her power. Her opponent seized the opportunity and charged forward like lightning.

Crap! Reimu's expression changed. Although her ability excelled at fighting many opponents at once and she feared no equal-level opponent, her close-combat skills were lacking.

If a speed-type enemy managed to close the distance, the consequences would be dire. "Mirror of the Three Sacred Treasures!" As Reimu shouted this, a mirror materialized before her, emitting a dazzling light. When this light shone upon the charging enemy, the invisible beam unleashed terrifying offensive power, blasting the foe backward with a tremendous boom.

Judging by the scream, the opponent seemed seriously injured. This was one of the legendary Three Sacred Treasures... the Yata no Kagami.

This didn't mean Reimu possessed all three treasures, but rather that by manipulating history, she had temporarily brought the non-belonging Treasure into her grasp. Its power could not match that of the true artifact, but its destructive capability should not be underestimated. In a sense, Reimu was truly omnipotent.

Swish! Swish! She had barely managed to repel the enemy with the Mirror of the Three Sacred Treasures, but before Reimu could recover, two sharp whistling sounds ripped through the air beside her ears...

This group of enemies, driven forward by some unknown force, lacked Earth-rank experts, but they boasted several peak Spirit-rank foes. Reimu’s use of the Sacred Treasure had inevitably caused a slight flaw in her manipulation of the false history. This minute loophole might escape the notice of ordinary people, but for peak Spirit-rank experts, it was enough to break free from the illusory history.

Setting aside other aspects of the Demon King's forces, their decisiveness in action was unmatched. As soon as they broke free, two peak Spirit-rank experts unleashed a hundred percent of their power toward Reimu, closing the distance in the blink of an eye, their fists imbued with explosive force. It's over!

Reimu's eyes widened sharply. The two massive fists were clearly reflected in her vision. If the previous situation was merely critical, this one was an absolute desperate plight.

Even in her transformed state, Reimu was only at the peak of the Spirit rank. How could she possibly defend against the simultaneous attacks of two experts of the same rank at such close quarters! "Phoenix Wing Skyward Soar!" "Gensokyo Charm!" Just then, two clear voices rang out from the side.

A plume of fire resembling a phoenix and a white tornado surged in from different directions. Although the two peak Spirit-rank experts attacking Reimu were fast, they were far slower compared to this fire and wind. Before they could strike Reimu, one was completely engulfed in phoenix fire, collapsing to the ground, screaming in agony, while the other was swept away by the tornado.

"Mokou! And... a Tengu!" The sudden turn of events stunned Reimu.

She instinctively looked over, seeing the person she knew best running in from the left, and the reporter from Youkai Mountain flying in from the right—it was Fujiwara no Mokou and Akyuu Toramaru. "Why are you here?" "Just passing through. Are you pulling one of your senseless stunts again?" Mokou stated expressionlessly, a subtle hint of reprimand in her tone.

"I must protect the humans..." Normally, Reimu would have lectured Mokou for speaking like that, but this was clearly not the time. As she spoke, the false history surged anew. "Oh my, that move is quite impressive.

I didn't realize an intellectual could wield such terrifying power." Watching countless enemies being swept into the false history, Akyuu Toramaru made no attempt to hide her admiration. Then, meeting Reimu's questioning gaze, she chuckled, "The news has been filed. Of course, I had to join in such an exciting event!

And it's not just me; the patrol team from the mountain is coming down too." "The Tengu descending the mountain?" Reimu exclaimed, not unreasonably surprised, as almost none of the Tengu from Youkai Mountain ever came down, save for the one before her. Akyuu shrugged with a wry smile. "Because two troublesome individuals insisted that the Human Village cannot be destroyed, or their faith would diminish.

So, they asked Lord Tenma for help. Conversely, those two troublesome individuals will be holding down Youkai Mountain." As she spoke, Akyuu pointed toward Youkai Mountain. Reimu and Mokou instinctively looked.

They saw the heavens trembling and the earth roaring over Youkai Mountain; an overwhelming pressure descended like divine judgment... They knew that only two beings in Gensokyo could cause such a phenomenon: the two gods residing in the Moriya Shrine—Kanako Yasaka, the god who created heaven, and Suwako Moriya, the god who created the earth. "Since the Tengu forces are coming, I'll be leaving first," Mokou stated calmly after a glance.

She had come to help Reimu, but now it seemed unnecessary. "Where are you going?" Reimu couldn't help but ask. "The Bamboo Forest of the Lost," Mokou replied casually.

She then grabbed the peak Spirit-rank expert who had been knocked unconscious by the fire, dragged him by his foot, and started running forward while muttering to herself. "Only I can kill that guy. Whoever gets ahead of me, I’ll kill them!"