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The Former Hell of Blood Pools. A sea of blood and oil hidden far away beneath the surface; hated by Hell’s own inhabitants. It’s a detestable sight… And yet, here I am.
I slightly lifted the bottom of my dress- as to not taint it with blood- and trudged through the viscous liquid. When I walked, however, some of the blood slowly moved out of my way, as if it was avoiding me. I had heard that this place is filled with the resentment and avarice of the dead, so perhaps the unusual movement was simply because of the spirits dwelling here. I payed it no mind and continued walking.
As I delved further, a burning smell intensified. ‘I must be getting close to the center,’ I thought.
Sure enough, as I finished that thought, I saw her. In the distance, a horned woman in blue and red, crouched knee-deep in the blood. She moved rhythmically, piercing the liquid with a large spork.
“Toutetsu.”
“Eh?” She turned around from her spot and faced me. After a moment, she grinned. Oil dripped from her mouth. “Ran! What brings you here?”
I approached her. “I simply wanted to pay you a visit.”
She stood up and stretched. “Oh yeah?”
“How is everything?”
“Eh, can’t complain,” she said, still stretching. After a moment, she stabbed her spork into the pool. Lifting it up, she offered its contents to me. “Want some?”
I took a step back. “No. No, thank you.”
“Your loss.”
I sighed as she proceeded to drink a large spoonful of the blood. She hasn’t changed at all. “I heard the incident’s been resolved.”
Toutetsu nodded. “Yeah, it’s whatever. With her behind it, there was no chance of us conquerin’ the surface anyways.”
“You just gave up? That’s quite unlike you.”
“Eh, maybe I’ve been eatin’ too healthy. Or maybe it’s cause you’re here.” She straightened her posture and leaned towards me with a wide grin on her face.
I returned the gesture with a faint smile. “Well, I’m not complaining. That’s less work for me later.”
“Come on, Ran, you’re a beast! You would do well with us controllin’ the surface,” she said. “Ever thought about joinin’ me? The Gouyoku Alliance always has room… or somethin’ like that.”
“No,” I shook my head.
“Huh.” She flung her spork over her shoulders and leaned against it. “Tell me, Ran, how’s it going with you? To think the nine-tailed fox I knew would be workin’ under someone!”
“The Animal Realm’s beastly ways have always disgusted me. Is it really a surprise?”
“‘Course it is! You’re one o’ the strongest ones I know. You could be rulin’ the biggest family in the Animal Realm if you wanted to! When you disappeared, I thought that’s what you were doing-”
“-And why would you think that?”
“Next thing I know,” she ignored me and continued, “I heard your name. But it wasn’t the one I knew. It was Yakumo.”
“If you had met her, you’d have done the same thing.”
“Would I, now? Is she strong?”
“Stronger than you can imagine.”
“Hm.”
The two of us went silent for a moment. I kind of figured that this would happen… It is Toutetsu, after all. I’ve always been against the way the beasts operate, but… I suppose it would be odd if she didn’t behave like this. Despite everything, I do respect her quite a lot. Strength means everything down here. Maybe it’s for a reason like that that I… Well, what does it matter, anyway?
Toutetsu broke the silence. “What is it that Yukari does, anyway?”
“Huh?” I was surprised to hear her ask that. It’s a reasonable question, of course, but… Knowing Toutetsu, I had expected her to just ask for a fight. That’s how conversations usually go with beasts, after all. “She manages the Great Barrier and oversees Gensokyo,” I answered.
“Hmm…” She hummed to herself, deep in thought. “Sure sounds pretty strong. What’s she like?”
Again, she asked another question that I didn’t expect. “Well… She’s… something else. Indescribable, really. Everything is in the palm of her hand.”
Toutetsu snickered. “Palm of her hand, huh? I know someone like that too. But I guess I can see it.”
“See what?”
“Why you went with her,” she replied.
Why I went with her...? I didn’t respond.
“Keh heh heh,” she laughed. “When it comes down to it, I guess there’s no escape from this truth. The strong eat the weak.”
“...Thank you, Toutetsu. I’ll be leaving now.” I turned around without giving her a chance to speak. I had a lot to think about.
I heard a noise from behind me. Something flying through the air- Coming directly at me. I quickly jumped to the side. A red bubble flew onto the ground (or blood, I suppose), barely missing me.
“Hold it.”
Figures. I turned around.
“You wouldn’t leave without playing with your old pal, would you, Ran?” Toutetsu grinned.
“That’s the Toutetsu I know,” I smiled involuntarily. “Didn’t you have enough last time we fought?”
“Heh heh… Can’t say I remember something like that. Guess we’ll just have to fight again, eh?”
“...Yeah, guess so.”
She stabbed her spork into the ground once more, this time she pulled it out towards me, throwing a mass of blood in my direction. I spun to the side, throwing knives at her. She dodged it with surprising speed.
After I landed, she turned to me and opened her mouth. As she did that, I could feel the blood at my feet move towards her. The air around me pushed me in her direction, but I stood strong. She was inhaling.
The knives that I had thrown also made their way towards her, all going into her mouth. She consumed it all without so much as a grimace.
“You’re… really something, huh?” I muttered under my breath.
She smiled. Suddenly, an overwhelming force sent me flying back. I felt myself rushing through the burning air. My body skimmed across the pool of blood, coming to a halt as I reached out my arm. I tried to look at myself, but my vision…
“Hate to see an old pal go weak.”
- - -
I awoke in an unfamiliar room, sitting at a small table. A lone window provided faint light. For some reason, my senses felt muddied. I rested my head on my palms and tried to grasp my situation. I had fought Toutetsu after a chat, as expected, but I must have lost. It’s… not unimaginable, as much as it pains me. A shikigami’s strength comes from their master. Alone, without orders, I’m a mere beast.
“Ey, you’re up!” Toutetsu entered the room and sat down across from me. She set down some food on the table and grinned. “Here, eat up. Some of the Animal Realm’s finest!”
I closed my eyes for a moment and thought. Realizing that I wouldn’t get any answers like that, I simply asked: “What happened?”
“I won.”
“Right, and after that?”
She crossed her arms. “I took you here. The Former Hell of Blood Pools ain’t for just anybody.”
“Right.” I looked down, hoping that my suspicions weren’t true If I wasn’t at the Blood Pools, then… “The Animal Realm?”
Toutetsu nodded. “Yeah. This is my old place.”
I stood up and looked out the window. An unfamiliar, bustling metropolis met me. I had been here recently, but it was just as strange now as it was then. I wanted to say something, but no meaningful words came to me. I simply sat back down.
“Hey,” Toutetsu frowned. “You went down a lot faster than last time.”
I took a deep breath. “Last time, I was investigating the incident under Yukari’s orders. This time, I came to see you of my own free will.”
“So what,” She made a confused face, “You’re weaker without ‘er?”
I shook my head. “I’m stronger with her.”
Toutetsu chuckled. She seemed to be thinking about something. “Well, whatever. Let’s eat!”
She shoved a two large plates filled to the edges with food in front of me. Their strong smell made me flinch at first, but as I realized what it was… I couldn’t stop my tails from moving. How did… No, that’s a stupid question.
“Fried tofu?” I asked, trying to conceal my excitement. I… don’t think it worked, judging by the smug smile on Toutetsu’s face. “Thank you for the food.”
Toutetsu also had some fried tofu. I was surprised at first, for some reason, but the truth is Toutetsu isn’t exactly known for being a picky eater... I’m glad. “So, Ran,” she said, her mouth full of food, “I kinda asked this already, but… What’ve you been up to these days?”
“Other than investigating the incident, nothing really,” I stated. “When Yukari’s asleep, there’s not much to be done, so I just find ways to kill time.”
“Huh.” She rested her head on her hand and- Huh? Her plate was empty already?! “Well alright then.”
“Hm?”
She shook her head. “Nah, it’s nothing.”
“Well…” I asked, “What about you?”
“Me? Ha! What do you think?” she laughed. “Other than the incident, all I really do is chill in the Blood Pools with Chiyari.”
“Ah, Chiyari was that Tenkajin, right? Or was it a chupacabra..? I ran into her while investigating,” I added.
She nodded, “Yeah, that’s ‘er.” She raised her arm and tugged at her horn, continuing with, “And when I’m not doin’ that, I’m probably dealin’ with Okina.”
My eyes widened. “Okina?! What do you two-”
“-You haven’t heard? Well, that makes sense.” She straightened up and grinned (somehow, even though she already was). “Okina and I are managing the Former Hell of Blood Pools together.” She pointed at herself smugly.
“I see… Why haven’t I heard of this?”
“Eh? Dunno. I think Okina likes keepin’ things secret.”
“Hm…” I put my hand to my chin. “I’ll have to ask Yukari next time I see her.”
Toutetsu dropped the smile and looked at me. “Speakin’ of,” she uttered, “You said you went with Yukari ‘cause you hate the ‘beastly ideology’ or whatever, right?”
I furrowed my brow and nodded cautiously.
Toutetsu started laughing. “Keh heh heh! Alright.”
“What?”
She shook her head. “Just checkin’.”
I sighed, knowing what she meant. Despite what I believe, despite my attempts to run away… It always brought me back to what I was. Why did I go with Yukari? I never answered that question. I never needed to, after all. But the truth is far too simple.
Strength. To a beast, strength is everything. The reason I went with her is simply because she was strong, and I am a beast. My hatred for the beasts’ ways is meaningless. Toutetsu would have done the same.