The afterlife blew up Gensokyo

Saint Lotus countered with a question.

"Bishamonten."

“He cannot be called a Buddha, but a demon.”

"If you were in his shoes, how would you act as a Buddha?"

"It should be for the salvation of all living beings."

What does it mean to save all living beings?

"I do this to save all living beings."

Why save all living beings?

"To save all living beings is for her sake."

Who is she?

"Sacred White Lotus".

"........."

Listening to the seemingly meaningless, rapid-fire conversation beside her, Yueye turned her head with a rather subtle expression. Although it sounded like a jumble of words, she managed to understand some of it.

—According to someone's idea, they want Seimei Ren to replace Bishamonten and become the new Bishamonten.

To be honest, she doesn't care about these things; she's more concerned about other things right now.

Yueye looked to the side as if she had something on her mind.

Beside Shi Bai, a blonde girl who looked about seven or eight years old was sitting there very obediently.

Compared to being controllable, the uncontrollable is clearly the most terrifying. Although the uncontrollable monster has transformed into a harmless little girl, it still feels somewhat unacceptable to her.

Furthermore, the other party was born from darkness, possessing a dark heart from birth. It's hard to imagine what they might do later, and that one glance at that time...

Suddenly, Yueye frowned deeply.

Shi Bai had no shortage of things like tents; four tents were just enough to surround the campfire.

Lying atop Mount Fuji, which is almost entirely destroyed, and gazing at the stars overhead has a unique charm. However, tonight there are no stars, which is a sad fact, and the sky is terribly gloomy, as if a torrential downpour is about to begin.

All around was quiet, with only a faint glow remaining from the bonfire in the middle; the night was deep.

In the dead of night, a dark shadow silently crept up from the ground into the last glimmer of light. In an instant, the last source of light vanished, and the place was plunged into primordial darkness.

The tent zipper was silently slid open, and a petite figure silently stepped into the darkness. A moment later, in the tent belonging to Shi Bai, darkness silently seeped into it.

Inside the not-so-small tent, the girl's figure appeared silently. Just as she was about to walk towards the dark figure lying on the ground in front of her, a dazzling, intense light suddenly shone on, followed by a sound.

"Hmph, you dare to show off your petty skills before an expert? I can tell you're not human at first glance! Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon! World Honored Ksitigarbha! Great Luo Dharma Mantra! Prajna Buddhas! Prajna Paramita! Flying Dragon in the Sky! Go!!"

With a "thud," something rolled down to her feet.

"........."

Looking down at the [Treasure Hammer] at her feet, the girl remained silent for a moment before raising her head and looking at the person in front of her in the light of the powerful flashlight. Her tone was mature beyond her years.

"Are you really willing to give this to me?"

"Tch, it's nothing special. You can have it if you want it~"

Lying on the ground with one hand supporting his head, Shi Bai yawned listlessly, suddenly missing the role of the吐槽 (tu cao, meaning to roast or criticize).

Things didn't go quite as he expected. He thought the other party was newly born, but judging from the information he obtained from that giant black cocoon, it was clear that the other party had already developed its own consciousness a long time ago.

That giant black cocoon was essentially using the power of the Yamata no Orochi to reconstruct its body. Perhaps because he used his own blood on the other, he briefly saw the other's past at that time, a dark and obscure period of time...

Originally, she was just a mass of darkness that appeared because of the power of the [Treasure Hammer], but after devouring countless gods and monsters, she miraculously developed her own consciousness.

Although she was born from darkness, her self-awareness was inevitably tainted with a trace of darkness. However, in the beginning, she was completely ignorant about everything in the world... until she was sealed inside the [Treasure Hammer].

"But are you really sure you want to leave? If you choose to stay by my side, you might gain even more, right?"

"More? Have you ever experienced that feeling?"

The girl's voice suddenly turned cold.

"No sound, no light, no touch, nothing at all. Not even pain. Only a heart sealed in endless darkness, and a consciousness imprisoned within it, yet I am so clear-headed, able to clearly perceive my own existence... Why should I suffer this kind of treatment?"

"When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a person, it will first test their will, strain their muscles and bones, and starve their body..." or something like that?

Shi Bai pressed his forehead with his hand and sat up from the ground.

"You should know better than me what you were like back then. To be able to develop self-awareness from a state of confusion and endless darkness is a miracle, but you turned that miracle into a mistake."

"But isn't it natural to eat when you're hungry?"

The little girl had a blank expression.

"Once I gained my own consciousness, those guys went crazy trying to kill me. Are they allowed to kill me, but I'm not allowed to kill them? After killing them, it's only natural that I'd eat them if I suddenly got hungry, right?"

"Hey, hey, hey, everything has a cause and effect, a first come, first served, right? What about the things you did before you developed self-awareness? Why don't you consider that?"

Shi Bai rolled his eyes, speechless.

"Every cause has its effect, and karma is a cycle; retribution is inevitable. A considerable amount of time has passed since that time, and it's time for you to let go of some pointless hatred. You killed so many of them, and they sealed you away for so many years; the score is even now."

"Let go of hatred? It's fine, anyway, I've basically already eaten all the guys I hated the most."

The little girl bent down and picked up the "treasure hammer" that was next to her feet.

"I have another question. My original appearance wasn't like this. What did you do to me back then? My body has shrunk so much, and that's one thing, but why do I still feel like I have some kind of blood connection with you?"

"I don't know? Who would know about such things? It's probably just my imagination."

Shi Bai changed the subject, pretending to be looking at the scenery.

"So, why don't you stay? Where can you go alone looking like this?"

"After being locked up for so long, what I want is freedom."

The little girl's voice sounded slightly cold.

"Stay by your side? If I get hungry, will you let me get something to eat? I think those two guys outside are pretty good. If you're willing to give them to me as food, then staying by your side isn't out of the question."

"If you want something to eat, I can give it to you."

Shi Bai generously extended his hand to the little girl in front of him.

"Since you feed on the darkness within others, why don't you try tasting the darkness within me?"

"You really want me to eat this?"

Raising her head, the little girl's eyes already held a hint of ferocity.

“I know very well that I can’t beat you, but you can’t kill me either. The only thing that can restrain me is this [Treasure Hammer] that gave birth to me. You don’t have any means to subdue me now.”

"Why don't you give it a try? I promise I won't resist."

Shi Bai reached out and pulled his sleeve all the way up to his elbow, speaking in a nonchalant manner.

"As long as you don't eat yourself to death, it's fine."

"Overeat? You overestimate yourself."

The blood-red color in her eyes grew stronger and stronger. Ignoring the arm that was stretched out in front of her, the little girl rushed forward and hugged the other person tightly, then eagerly buried her head in the other person's neck.

From the very beginning, she had a strong urge to devour him; the attraction emanating from him was almost fatal to her… but she managed to suppress it.

However, since the other party is now completely unguarded, she naturally doesn't need to be polite anymore.

But just as her teeth bit into the other person's neck, in that instant, she felt as if her consciousness had fallen into a bottomless abyss...

P.S.: Good morning!

Chapter Eighteen quietly concludes, the bet of the Lotus of Fate.

Pale blue and light gold light intertwined, creating a hazy, dreamlike space. In the light, the girl, whose body was falling continuously, suddenly opened her eyes, and her body touched solid ground.

Upon seeing the surrounding scenery, she was momentarily stunned.

"here……"

As a monster born from darkness, she explores the dark side of other people's hearts. She has seen the inner world of many people, but she has never seen a place as strange as the one before her.

The grassland is lush and green, with a winding river flowing into the distance. Wildflowers bloom along the roadside, butterflies flutter among the grass, and the blue sky and white clouds drift lazily by. The soft sunlight shines on this grassland.

"It's really lively here... 10? Wait, shouldn't it be EX 10?"

A voice came from the side, and when she looked in the direction of the voice, she saw a man sitting with his arms crossed and legs crossed behind her.

"Let me introduce myself. I am the warden here. Are you here by invitation to tour the place?"

"...You look delicious."

She narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at the man not far away.

"tasty?"

The man shifted his sitting posture, resting his chin on his hand, and looked thoughtful.

"I see. I was wondering why he was so kind... Do you want to eat me? If you want, you can have all of me. Besides my portion, there are more than a dozen delicious grains here. You can eat as much as you like."

"Is that so? In that case..."

As her figure vanished from the spot, she silently reappeared in the shadows behind the other person, reaching out to grab him.

"...Then I will gladly accept it."

Meanwhile, inside a tent in the real world.

Shi Bai placed Rumia, who was lying on top of him, onto the blanket, and started counting on his watch listlessly.

"One, two, three... fifty-six, fifty-seven, fifty-eight... Hmm, you're awake?"

Looking at the little girl who suddenly opened her eyes, Shi Bai gave her a very kind smile. However, with just this simple action, the little girl seemed to be greatly frightened and quickly retreated.

"Uh……"

"........."

After a long while, the monster born from the darkness finally came to her senses from the panic, but when she looked at the person in front of her, her eyes were filled with obvious fear and apprehension.

"What kind of being are you...!?"

"Me? I am a delicate flower of the motherland, a successor of communism, and a peace dove who wholeheartedly prays for world peace."

Shi Bai turned off the powerful flashlight in his hand and reached out to turn on the desk lamp.

"So, in the less than a minute you were inside, did you try to eat it?"

"...I feed on darkness, and the denser the darkness, the happier I am. But I never imagined that one day I would almost be eaten by my own food."

After a moment of silence, the girl in front of him looked at him.

"What exactly did you experience in the past? Why did such a terrifying being arise in your heart? It was... a complete monster."

"A true hero doesn't dwell on past glories; those are things of the past. People should always learn to look forward."

He tossed a bottle of cola to the other person, his face filled with a bittersweet expression, as if recalling unbearable memories.

"My past deeds are enough to write an epic. I once slaughtered a thoroughly rotten imperial capital and was relentlessly pursued by a certain queen. I once went to the surface of a black hole and returned from the deepest hell. I once killed tens of millions of humans and established a nation led by lolis. I became sworn brothers with Grandpa 682, had a pleasant conversation with Cthulhu-chan, established a regime in the deep sea kingdom, and erected a tombstone in the vast and boundless deep space. I am crowned with infinite glory and power, and countless subjects are waiting for their king to return... But I have long since seen through the mortal world and stepped into a quiet, secluded life, which is why I have the opportunity to sit here and brag to you now."

“...My name is Lumia.”

Rumia glanced at the cola in her hand and tossed it back without expression.

"Also, I want to drink."

“Underage demons are not allowed to drink alcohol. Go and drink your beverage properly.”

Rolling his eyes, Shi Bai tossed the bottle of cola back.

"Who do you think is responsible for my body shape? Don't you know how inconvenient it is to have shrunk so much?"

With a cold expression, Rumia slapped the bottle of cola back down.

"Although this is your personal matter (censored), please don't attribute that kind of thing to me, thank you."

"Cough cough cough... Which bastard told you that!?"

He almost choked to death, and Shi Bai hurriedly took the bottle of cola.