Stardew Valley of Gensokyo

However, after taking that first step, and looking at the current situation, it seems like a pretty good solution.

......

While playfully fighting with the person in front of her, Marisa Kirisame suddenly remembered a summer when she and Reimu were also playing around in the shrine, covered in sweat. But why didn't she feel this way back then?

Before she could reach a conclusion, the scent emanating from Akina Zeya interrupted her thoughts.

It was a strong, heavy smell, not just a sour, foul odor, but also other scents, though Marisa couldn't quite put her finger on it; she didn't really dislike it.

But for now, she should still act more reserved. Marisa once heard Alice say that girls should be reserved and not tolerate rude behavior.

So she pinched her nose and forcefully pushed away Akina Sawa, who was approaching, saying:

"Ugh, it stinks! Master Akina, stay away from me!"

Akina Sawa naturally cooperated and walked away, since it was just a joke.

After a bit of playful fighting, the distance between the two narrowed considerably, at least Marisa no longer had any reservations.

The two stood very close together, examining the cave entrance that was only half a person's height.

"This is way too small."

Having reached a preliminary conclusion, Akina Ze also looked troubled as he spoke.

"It's alright, I just need to sit up there and I can go in."

As she spoke, Marisa, who was standing to the side, summoned a broom and sat down, hunching over and bringing her legs together, perfectly fitting the height of the opening.

"Have you considered my height...?" Akina Ze said speechlessly.

"Who told you to deliberately stink at me, Master Akina!" Marisa turned her head, pulled her eyelids with her fingers, stuck out her pink tongue, and made a face.

"You seem to have gotten more mischievous..."

"That's strange, why is that? I've always been like this," the blonde girl said with a smile.

Finally, Akina Sawa could only crouch down and move his feet to pass through the cave...

Chapter 84 'Grilled Fish'

After passing through the cave, the rumbling sound of the geyser disappeared, as if we had entered another world.

He reached out and brushed the dust off his shoulder from the narrow cave, and looked up. The scene that came into view made his pupils shrink slightly.

The sky was no longer blue sky and white clouds, but a top made up of a huge rock formation. There was no sun or moon, but instead unidentified luminous objects scattered all over the rock walls, emitting a faint blue light.

"Is this the old hell?" The scene before him greatly shocked Akina Sawa, who murmured to himself.

This is a vast subterranean world.

"Master Akina, don't you think this is beautiful!?"

Marisa, who had emerged from the cave before him, turned around and pointed excitedly at the sky above the rocky shell, saying, "If only my magic could produce so many stars! It would be so beautiful!"

Following Marisa's words, Akina Sawa also indulged in a little fantasy—countless, dazzling pentagrams falling from the sky? That would indeed be beautiful.

But it's not just the stars that are beautiful, is it?

Looking back at Marisa's long, golden hair, which appeared exceptionally radiant in the dim light, Akina Ze thought the same thing.

"Master Akina, come quick, come quick! That should be the old capital over there!"

Arriving in a new environment, Marisa was still excited. In the blink of an eye, she ran to the edge of the exit platform and called Akina Sawa over.

Following Marisa's cheerful steps, Akina also arrived at the edge and looked in the direction she was pointing.

By the faint starlight, he could vaguely see a cluster of dilapidated buildings nestled at the foot of a distant mountain. The buildings were indistinct, and a long ravine separated them from the mountain. Only a long bridge connected the two ends, and one had to cross the bridge to get in.

This layout with only one entrance and exit... is it really not a prison?

Gathering his scattered thoughts, Akina Ze shook his head and looked at Marisa, asking:

"Next, we should go to the Flame Ruins, right?"

"..."

Not receiving the response she expected, Marisa, who had been so lively just moments before, inexplicably fell silent.

An ominous premonition gripped Akina Zeya's heart once again, and he asked:

"Marisa...you don't know where the ruins are either, do you?"

"Hehe~" Turning around, Marisa Kirisame clasped her hands together into claws, shook them, and pretended to be a lucky cat, trying to get away with being cute.

"Hey, what are you talking about!"

Although it was cute, Akina Sawa still showed no mercy by giving Marisa a chop to the forehead.

The old hell was predictably vast, and now the environment was unfamiliar. In addition to not knowing the way, there were also mind-reading monsters. Just thinking about it gave him a headache.

"This is my first time here too, how would I know?" Marisa Kirisame said, closing her eyes and covering her forehead with her hands.

Seeing Marisa in this state, Akina Zeya simply patted her lightly and chuckled, "Let's go, Marisa. It seems we'll have to ask the locals for directions."

"Hehe, I knew Master Akina wouldn't hit me~" Marisa said smugly as she lowered her wrist.

"Hey, don't talk nonsense. I never hit anyone, I've never hit anyone."

Akina Ze also denied it outright. He recalled that he seemed to have spanked a naughty fairy's bottom before, but that could be called spanking; it was just a pat at most.

......

After descending the mountain path, a marble bridge came into view.

The bridge was deserted. Akina Sawa had thought there might be some spirits wandering on it, but there weren't any.

Once you cross this bridge, you'll reach the old capital.

Da Da Da~

Only the sound of Akina Sawa walking on the bridge could be heard, while Marisa remained seated on her broom, her feet not touching the ground, and even her boots were spotless.

"Master Akina, what are you looking at?"

Seemingly noticing Akina Zeya's gaze, Marisa shifted her legs somewhat uneasily, crossing her legs.

"It's nothing," Akina Ze shook his head and said, "I was just thinking, Marisa, it seems like you've been sitting on a broom the whole way here."

"Of course! A witch has to sit on a broom, that's what makes her a witch!"

With her legs drawn up, Marisa explained confidently, her little black leather boots standing out prominently.

"Hehe~ I can smell happiness~" A soft voice suddenly rang out.

Akina Ze, who had been chatting casually just moments before, walked up to Marisa and looked ahead warily.

Although I am a farmer, I still know the Farmer's Three Punches.

Marisa peeked out from under Akina Sawaya's broad shoulders, watching the girl slowly emerge from the shadows of the bridge.

Her shoulder-length blonde hair was slightly lighter than Marisa's hair color, but what was more eye-catching were her green eyes.

"Hello, how can I help you?" Akina Sawa asked politely.

"I just smelled something unpleasant," Mizuhashi Parcy said calmly. "And one more thing, you're not allowed to fly over the bridge."

Although Akina Zeya didn't know what she was talking about in the first sentence, she was obviously referring to Marisa sitting on the broom in the second sentence.

Upon hearing this, Akina Ze also sensed some rustling sounds from Marisa behind him, as if she was taking something out of her pocket, and there was a faint smell of gunpowder in the air.

In the spirit of prioritizing harmony, Akina Ze also turned his head to ask Marisa behind him, but before he could speak, Marisa spoke first.

"No."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it," Akina Sawa shrugged, turning to Mizuhashi Parcy and saying, "We're planning to go to the Flame Hell Ruins. I don't know what you do, but please don't block our way."

“This bridge is under my jurisdiction. If the person behind you doesn’t intend to cross the road, then don’t even think about getting through here.”

Since Mizuhashi Parse let Reimu Hakurei pass through easily last time, although no youkai have been interacting with her, she still heard rumors that she had caused a lot of trouble for Lord Kaku.

This is probably the punishment for going against the nature of a yokai. So, Mizuhashi Parcy has decided that she is no longer a lazy bum!

Riding on her broom, Marisa circled around Akina Zeya's back, gave him a reassuring smile, and then spoke to Mizuhashi Parcy ahead.

"Spell cards?"

“Of course,” replied Mizuhashi Parusie, her enthusiasm rekindled.

"Okay... the Love Charm 'Master Spark'!"

Before the words were even finished, a huge beam of light swept across, and under Akina Sawa's gaze, which was too painful to look at, Mizuhashi Parcy was flying through the air like a rag doll.

"How's it going? Does it look good?"

Marisa Kirisame, returning victorious, blew out a puff of smoke from the miniature octagonal furnace and smiled as she spoke to Sawa Akina.

"It looks pretty good..." Akina Ze nodded as well. Such a dazzling pillar of light was indeed very magnificent and spectacular.

The interrupted journey continued, and when the two passed the water bridge Parcy, who was still lying on the bridge surface and smelling burnt, Akina Sawa's soft-hearted nature resurfaced.

He walked to Parusie on the water bridge, picked her up, and moved her to a clean spot on the bridge railing to sit down.

After putting it down, he looked back and then walked towards Marisa, who was still waiting for him.

"Are you pitying me?" Mizuhashi Parcy's voice still rang out from behind.

"A little bit, actually." Akina Ze scratched his nose and replied honestly. It was normal to feel a little pity seeing how badly he had been beaten.

"Heh, everyone hates me, but you pity me."

"Why?" Akina Ze asked in confusion. He felt that the monster in front of him was quite beautiful, so he shouldn't be disliked.

"Heh." She shook her head without responding. How could a monster that manipulates jealousy be popular? If he knew, he would immediately despise it and run away.

Just as Akina Sawa was about to leave, Mizuhashi Parcy spoke up from behind, saying, "To get to the Flame Ruins Hell, you can only follow a vehicle burning with flames into the room. Also, be careful of the guards there; they won't listen to reason."

Upon hearing this, Akina Sawa paused for a moment, noted down the words, and then turned back to Mizuhashi Parshi, who was leaning against the bridge railing, and said sincerely, "Thank you."

Mizuhashi Parcy did not respond. She lowered her head and closed her eyes as if she were asleep. From an angle where it was not visible, her temples were flushed.

Seeing that Akina Sawa had also spoken briefly with the monster before coming over, Marisa asked curiously, "What did you say to her?"

"It's nothing serious, she just told us how to get to the Flame Ruins Hell," Akina Ze replied.

"Really? Well, she's quite nice. After I beat her up, she actually told us." Marisa Kirisame laughed.

"Then go easy on me next time." Akina Ze also rubbed Marisa's hat.

"That won't do; firepower is the most important factor!"

The two voices faded into the distance, and Mizuhashi Parusi sat alone in the same spot, continuing to guard the bridge that few people ever came across.

......

Chapter 85 Extremely High Fat Content

After crossing the bridge, you enter this somewhat dilapidated group of buildings.

The collapsed houses, the loose bricks scattered along the roadside, and the uneven, potholed bluestone pavement all looked like they had been abandoned for a long time.

No wonder it's called the Old Capital, it's in such a dilapidated state. But since it's old, there must also be a place called the New Capital, right? Is it another subterranean world? Akina Sawa thought to himself.

Although you can reach the Ruins of Hellfire simply by following the burning vehicle, here's the problem... where do you find this vehicle?

This is a troublesome problem.

Just as he was about to ask Marisa to fly into the air to investigate, a strong smell of alcohol suddenly wafted from the street.

It was pungent and spicy, completely different in strength from the liquor on the ground.

"Why does it smell like alcohol?" Akina Sawa, unable to stand the smell, pinched his nose and asked.

"It is said that after the old capital was abandoned, all the demons that originally lived on Youkai Mountain gathered here. Demons like Suika Ibuki, who lived on the ground, were only a minority."

Marisa Kirisame, also pinching her nose, answered Sawaya Akina's question.

With Suika's loli image flashing through his mind, Akina Sawa stroked his chin and asked curiously, "So, are all demons lolis under 1.5 meters tall?"

"...How could that be? Are you an idiot?" Marisa rolled her eyes at Akina Sawa and explained, "The Oni clan is the embodiment of power. They are all big and strong. Otherwise, where would they get their strength? People like Suika are really rare!"

Finally, as if still not satisfied, Marisa Kirisame added, "Also, not all races are like fairies, so don't even think about lifting them up high!"

"Haha, you're right." Startled by being called a "fairy," Qiu Mingze panicked a little. To avoid being misunderstood as a loli-obsessed person, he quickly changed the subject: