Death's Gatekeeper: Elly

[Neovereign]

> "No. It's just a matter of not letting such history repeat itself. I'm not going to seek them out to fight again like some form of payback. I just want to be better than the me I was before."

[Tashi]

> "No. It's just a matter of not letting such history repeat itself. I'm not going to seek them out to fight again like some form of payback. I just want to be better than the me I was before."

> "Hmm... Were such a situation to happen right now, would you say you could handle it better, Elizabeth? To the point where you could turn the tables, even?"
> It seems Yuuka was legitimately curious about this, if her wonder was anything to go by.

> _

[Neovereign]

> "...No. I need to grow more. Im sure they grew, too. Id just be beaten again, even if i mastered my trump card. I need to go beyond that."

[Tashi]

> "...No. I need to grow more. Im sure they grew, too. Id just be beaten again, even if i mastered my trump card. I need to go beyond that."

> "Well, isn't this a perfect opportunity for you, then." Yuuka looks back ahead. "Gensokyo will treat you with plenty of opportunities to test yourself. It is up to you to take advantage of what is presented before you. This is not a gate you have to look out for, Elly."
> "An entire land of hopes and dreams instead... is it?" Luciela speaks from behind you.

> _

[Philosopher]

>"One gate closes. . . Mayhap I may yet reclaim my lost honor."

>"Mistress did thou leave thy servants because of the disgrace that was brought upon thee?"

[Neovereign]

> "Erm... What should be done about Kurumi? Ah! D-Dont tell me... You're thinking of abandoning everything of our past life and making a new one? I-I'll respect your decision if you are, but mistress..."

[Tashi]

>"One gate closes. . . Mayhap I may yet reclaim my lost honor."

>"Mistress did thou leave thy servants because of the disgrace that was brought upon thee?"

> "Please. Do you take me for the kind that would consider such an issue in a long-term basis, let alone short-term? Don't delve too deep about it; I merely became interested in this land, and decided to move here. Nothing less, nothing more. Failing to stop skilled fighters like those two is nothing you should feel especially bad for."

> "Erm... What should be done about Kurumi? Ah! D-Dont tell me... You're thinking of abandoning everything of our past life and making a new one? I-I'll respect your decision if you are, but mistress..."

> "You could say I am. But, you are more than welcome to become part of it. It is why I am inviting you to my new home. Well, one of the reasons, anyway. We are going to witness the most immediate one shortly, and quite frankly the one with most urgency attached to it."
> Your footsteps have been lacking the distinctive sound of grass being, well, stepped on, now that you notice...
> "May you take a look around, Elizabeth?" Yuuka instructed.

> _

[Neovereign]

> "Eh?"
> Pause and do so.

[Tashi]

> "Eh?"
> Pause and do so.

> You take a moment, only to let you gaze wander around.
> Your senses become numb. Progressively, anyway, as you started to witness that which you noticed, even before Yuuka instructed you to do so. You were, after all, walking upon it. Your instincts were alarming you.
> In contrast with the previous scenery, which was a rather vivid flora so far for this land's soil, this... this was not it. Something was wrong.
> "I was greeted by this sight this very morning." Yuuka spoke, in a neutral tone. If you didn't knew any better about her, you would say she was rather disinterested about the sight, but...
> ... There is no way that Yuuka, of all people, will find the sight of withered flowers not worrying. The sight of an unkempt garden, drawn to its misery in such a horrendous way. Sunflowers... weren't meant to look this. Or, rather, what was left of them.

> "Welcome to the Garden of the Sun, Elizabeth."
> You can feel it.
> Lord Death has passed judgment over this soil.

> _

[Neovereign]

> "...Mistress, if you don't mind... may we save a proper greeting for after we remedy this situation?"

[Philosopher]

>Do we have any idea why Lord Death might judge the land?

[Tashi]

> "...Mistress, if you don't mind... may we save a proper greeting for after we remedy this situation?"

>Do we have any idea why Lord Death might judge the land?

> "How bad is it?" Yuuka questioned, which was strange. She, better than anyone, should know the state this garden is in. It could be she was perhaps attempting to find some form of spiritual comfort from it all, but-
> -but it's no use. This garden is done for. You don't even have to be an expert in this area like Yuuka is to realize that.
> While you are able to know when something is very close for Lord Death to pass judgment on it, or when it HAS already been judged, you aren't able to decipher more than that. It's not like you can see the past or the future. Your senses just... know that Death surrounds this area, for whatever reason it might have lead to such. A sixth sense that most wouldn't have, if you will.

> _

[Neovereign]

> "It's... very bad. What did this?"

[Philosopher]

>"Lord Death has judged the soil."

[Tashi]

> "It's... very bad. What did this?"

> "Your thought is just as close as mine." Yuuka responds, unamused.
> Luciela moves ahead of you two, stepping further onto this withered soil, and pick up the remnants of a sunflower.

>"Lord Death has judged the soil."

> "... You can imagine my wonder, seeing all the beauty that once decorated this garden to be gone this very morning. Needless to say, I am in the need to find a culprit."
> "... Are you sure that-"
> "That I took good care of it?" The Flower Youkai interrupts the 'scarecrow', who looked over to the former. "Now, I wouldn't be giving this enough importance if it didn't meant this much to me, would I?"
> Lucy goes silent, a drop of sweat lowering her temple.

> _

[Neovereign]

> "Hm... You awoke to this? Were things fine the previous night?"

[Tashi]

> "Hm... You awoke to this? Were things fine the previous night?"

> "Just like any day. The winged one you saw me talking to earlier, Mystia, was tasked by me to obtain some information on the matter. Whenever she could, anyway."
> Yuuka finally turns to face you.
> A chill. She looks the same, but she wasn't one to convey her emotions physically.
> "But, I have a much better ally to rely on for this."

> _

[Neovereign]

> Examine the scene laid before us. Does this feel freshly made? Does it feel like death came progressively, or instantly, or how much inbetween?

[Philosopher]

>If the soil died and not the flowers
->"My mistress, I am but a naive stranger to this land.  Dost thou knoweth of a soul willing to give thy land to Lord Death?"

[Tashi]

> Examine the scene laid before us. Does this feel freshly made? Does it feel like death came progressively, or instantly, or how much inbetween?

>If the soil died and not the flowers
->"My mistress, I am but a naive stranger to this land.  Dost thou knoweth of a soul willing to give thy land to Lord Death?"

> What you see is... strange. You can say that Yuuka's gardening skills are so up there that no one could hope to reach the same level. And yet, what you see here is equal to leaving this land's soil, and everything sprouting from it, to rot. It's like it... reached its natural end, despite not having any hint of such. It's like no one even attempted to prevent what happened here, in long-term. No flowers were saved from this, either.
> But, that in of itself is strange: if Yuuka said she found it like this today, and yesterday was just fine, then that immediately contradicts any sense of naturality; if it was left to rot or simply neglected, it couldn't have happened so fast.
> If you had to guess, you'd say it was... progressive. Definitely not instantly... But, that is what you feel, and yet what is before you contradicts that...

> _

[Neovereign]

> "At doesn't seem like this happened instantly, mistress. Do you suspect anyone?"

[Tashi]

> "At doesn't seem like this happened instantly, mistress. Do you suspect anyone?"

> "I might have my suspicions. What do you mean it didn't happened instantly?" Yuuka narrowed her eyes.

> _

[Neovereign]

> "I feel as if things were simply let to rot. Something like months worth of ignoring it, despite only being few hours or even minutes. So it wasn't something like... Someone uprooting then replacing every plant."

[Tashi]

> "I feel as if things were simply let to rot. Something like months worth of ignoring it, despite only being few hours or even minutes. So it wasn't something like... Someone uprooting then replacing every plant."

> "... That just means someone caused this, in one way or another." Fully closing her eyes, Yuuka takes a breathe... to calm down? "... Honestly, I would have preferred if it wasn't the case."

> _

[Neovereign]

> "Excuse me but really? A single suspect? With not only the intent to do such, but the means, too? If you could narrow it that much, why weren't you already investigating them?"

[Tashi]

> "Excuse me but really? A single suspect? With not only the intent to do such, but the means, too? If you could narrow it that much, why weren't you already investigating them?"

> "I am generalizing. Be that as it may, I find it hard to believe this was some random happenstance that the land decided, by itself, to let this garden die out first thing in the morning. I have no culprit, and much less so the possible reasoning for this, or even the means, though the latter might end up easier than one could expect in a land like this. However, that is up for debate until a hint is found." Yuuka opens her eyes afterwards.
> "You said you had your suspicions." Luciela spoke, turning to face you two.
> "There is someone who, while I don't believe would cause this, possibly knows something. My 'single suspect', if you will, though merely out of the possibility to have any viable lead."

> _

[Neovereign]

> "ah."

[Tashi]

> "ah."

> "I have priorities. Yes, finding the culprit is of great importance, but pales in comparison to how I will need to bring back this garden to its former glory. As such..." Yuuka shifts her gaze between you and Lucy, only to place it upon you with an unsettling smile. "... it is most fortuitous that you arrived, Elizabeth."

> _

[Philosopher]

>Give our lady a nervous smile
->"I live to serve thee."

[Neovereign]

> "But if the culprit returns and repeats this..."