It has been a week since the battle of bullets ended inside the mansion, and I never thought I'd have to learn the rules of Gensokyo, Shun thinks to himself as he wipes the windows. "Remember, Shun, dodging is good, but you should also fight back," He looks up thinking what Sakuya said to him.
"That reminds me." Shun stops wiping the windows and reaches for a dagger on his waist. "I don't remember having such a nice dagger. Maybe I should leave it alone for now." He conceals the dagger by putting it back on his waist.
"Shun, I see that you're diligently tending to your chores as always," Remilia's voice echoed through the room as she slowly approached him. "Lady Remilia," he bowed in respect, "Have you perchance laid eyes on Sakuya today?" she inquired. "I'm afraid I haven't had the chance, my Lady," he replied. "Ah, how vexing," Remilia said, a hint of irritation in her tone as she put her hand on her chin. "Is there a specific matter that requires her attention?" Shun asked, setting aside the wet rag he had been using to clean the windows.
"My younger sister, Flandre, has expressed a craving for salmon," Remilia explained, "but the fairy maids who checked our larders reported that we're fresh out. I had planned to send Sakuya to the human village to procure some, but she seems to be preoccupied."
"Then why don't I go instead?" Shun offered with enthusiasm. "Are you certain that you're up to the task?" Remilia raised an eyebrow, her concern evident. "Of course, my Lady. I may not be skilled in combat, but I can handle this small errand with ease," Shun said, determination shining in his eyes. "Very well," Remilia acquiesced with a nod, "but do keep an eye out for Sakuya and inform her to return home if you happen to cross paths with her."
As Remilia left, Shun couldn't help but feel elated. "My first mission outside the mansion!" he exclaimed, a tear of joy rolling down his cheek. "Perhaps I'll finally have the chance to interact with others.
He quickly went to the cleaning storage room to return the cleaning tools and went back to his room to prepare himself. "I cannot disgrace myself as a butler," he muttered to himself. After getting ready, he stepped out of the mansion and spotted Meiling reading a newspaper.
"Miss Meiling, what are you reading?" he inquired as he approached her. "Ah, Shun! I'm reading the newspaper dropped by the tengu. It seems you're in the news today," she replied, showing him the article.
He saw his own face in the newspaper. "Does this mean I'm in trouble?" he asked worriedly. "Not exactly... Are you going out for an errand?" Meiling asked. "Yes, Lady Flandre wants some salmon, and I was tasked to buy some and also look for Miss Sakuya," he explained.
"I wish I could accompany you, but I'm not allowed to leave my post unless Lady Remilia orders me to go with you," Meiling said apologetically. "It's alright, Miss Meiling. Thank you," Shun replied with a smile."Take care then," Meiling bid him farewell as he walked away.
Shun continued walking through the forest, feeling a sense of excitement as he explored the world of Gensokyo. The trees were tall and lush, and the sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves filled the air.
Suddenly, Shun heard footsteps behind him as he walked through the forest. He quickly turned around to see a doll standing there. "Oh, a cute doll," he exclaimed as he walked towards it and picked it up. As he examined the doll, he noticed a girl standing in front of him, dressed in a pink and white dress with a blue apron. She also wore a matching headband with a ribbon on the side and white socks. The girl had long blonde hair and golden eyes. "Holy f- Why am I being creepy." He says to himself.
"Um, my name is Shun, and I'm a butler at the Scarlet Devil Mansion. This is my first time going outside, and I've been tasked with buying some salmon in town and finding Miss Sakuya," he explained, looking at her with a nervous yet calm expression.
"Huh? Do you mean the vampire's mansion? I can't believe a human is staying there," she exclaimed, eyeing the doll he was holding. "Oh, you found one of my dolls," she said as she slowly walked over to him and took the doll from his hand. "It's a cute doll," he remarked with a smile.
"Really? Thank you!" she smiled as she looked at him. "Do you know your way to the human village?" she asked. "Well, I just have to follow this path, right?" he pointed at the road. "Hmm, true... How about I join you? You don't mind, right? Plus, I can protect you with these dolls," she said, then pointed her palm at the nearby bushes, causing dolls to emerge, armed with a lance and a crossbow.
"Ahh, I appreciate it then," he bowed to her with gratitude. "Gentleman, huh?" she giggled. "I am a butler, after all," he smiled at her. "Well then, shall we go?" he asked her. "Yes, let's go," she nodded and led the way.
"I forgot to introduce myself," Alice said as she elegantly bowed to him. "My name is Alice Margatroid."
"Nice to meet you, Miss Alice," Shun replied, returning the bow.
"Just call me Alice," she said with a smile.
"R-Right," Shun stammered slightly, feeling a bit overwhelmed by her graceful demeanor. He couldn't help but notice how pretty she was. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he said, "Hm? What's wrong, Shun?" Alice asked, noticing his momentary distraction. "I-I'm fine! Let's go, shall we?" Shun quickly led the way, still feeling a bit flustered, while Alice followed him, her expression slightly confused.
Suddenly, a swarm of fairies appeared, shooting a barrage of bullets at the duo. "Dodge!" Shun shouted, and the two quickly evaded the bullets. "Alice, are you okay?!" he asked with concern.
"I'm fine," Alice replied, flashing a smile. "I didn't expect your reflexes to be so fast."
With the fairies closing in, Alice raised her hand, and the strings of her dolls became visible to Shun. The dolls emerged from the bushes, some attacking with their crossbows and others with their lances, while Alice used her magic to control their movements.
Shun watched in awe as the dolls defeated the fairies, but then he found himself targeted by some of the remaining attackers. "Ack!" he exclaimed, dodging frantically.
"Alice, please let me be the bait!" Shun shouted as he began to run around the forest, drawing the fairies' attention away from Alice.
"Are you insane?!" Alice exclaimed, continuing to shoot at the fairies with her dolls. "I can't let you do that! You're a human!" She shouted. "Please! Trust me!" He kept dodging the bullets and using the trees as an advantage.
Alice was hesitant to let Shun become the bait but eventually gave in to his request. "I trust you..." she said, her surroundings glowing as she muttered a spell. "Puppeteer Sign "Maiden's Bunraku" she chanted, throwing a large bubble-like blue bullet to a random spot below her. The bubble quickly exploded into multiple blonde dolls with blue dresses that flew in random directions. Each of them shot straight lines of blue bullets in different directions, creating a burst of red bullets that fell down, and shooting a red laser downwards in a direction close to one of their lines of blue bullets.
The fairies were caught off guard by the sudden attack, and many of them were hit by bullets and lasers. Shun took the opportunity to run through the gaps in the fairy's formation and continue his escape. He sat down under a tree, panting heavily. "That was... awesome," he managed to say between breaths. "Give me... a moment to breathe." He leaned against the tree, trying to catch his breath.
Alice ran over to Shun and crouched down beside him, concern evident in her eyes. "That was really reckless!" she scolded him, her voice filled with worry. "Ahaha... But I'm fine! No worries!" He then looked up at the sky, his eyes widening in surprise. "Hey, is it just me, or do I see a blonde girl riding a broomstick heading towards us?"
Alice followed his gaze and squinted her eyes. "You're right. That looks like Marisa. She's a magician. She must have heard the explosions.
As Marisa approached closer, she maneuvered her broomstick to land gracefully in front of Shun and Alice. "Well, well, what do we have here?" she exclaimed, her voice filled with curiosity. "A human? Are you lost?"
Shun stood up, slightly taken aback by Marisa's presence. "Ah, no, I'm not lost. I'm Shun, the butler of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. I'm on an errand to buy something and find Miss Sakuya. We encountered some fairies along the way."
Marisa's eyes sparkled with interest as she listened to Shun's reply. "Fairies, huh? That's quite the predicament. But hold on a sec, did you just say you're a butler of the Scarlet Devil Mansion?"
Shun nodded, "Indeed, I am. My name is Shun, and I serve as a butler in the Scarlet Devil Mansion."
Marisa grinned mischievously, twirling her broomstick in her hand. "Well, well, Shun, it's not every day I meet a butler in Gensokyo. You've got some style! And as for me, I'm Kirisame Marisa, an ordinary magician you can find anywhere." She struck a confident pose, her eyes gleaming. "No matter who stands in my way, I'll trounce them with my bullets!"