The afterlife blew up Gensokyo

"...I remember your magic should be very strong, right? Do you know any protective magic? Why didn't you put dozens of layers of protective shields on those 'brave' experimenters before the experiment?"

Shi Bai rolled his eyes, speechless.

"Uh……"

After hearing his words, Rikako Asakura was momentarily stunned.

"what happened again?"

"...I forgot I could do magic."

Rikako Asakura lowered her head, her face filled with shame.

Shi Bai: "..."

It's quite something that a mage would forget they possess magic.

"Didn't you want a mechanical armor? I happen to have one here, so you can just take it and study it."

After patting his head and taking a little time, Shi Bai rummaged through his storage ring and found a summoning device, which he then tossed over.

"I haven't collected all the Kamen Rider belts yet, so I can't give them to you for fear you'll break them. However, I've already collected all the Armor Hero summoners. Take this Earth Tiger Armor summoner and explore it yourself."

"Armor Hero? What's that?"

After taking the summoner and examining it in her hand, Rikako Asakura looked up at him with a curious expression.

"Flame Dragon Armor, Black Rhinoceros Armor, Snow Mastiff Armor, Wind Eagle Armor, Earth Tiger Armor, Emperor Armor, Xingtian Armor... and so on and so forth, you wouldn't understand anyway."

Shi Bai glanced at the other person and pursed his lips.

"But as a scientific researcher, curiosity is a very important quality. You may not understand if you tell me, and you may understand if you don't tell me, but how could I not understand if you don't tell me?"

Holding the summoner in one hand, Rikako Asakura pushed up her glasses.

"So, please satisfy my curiosity. For example, among these armors, which one is the strongest?"

"The Emperor..."

"what?"

"The Emperor Armor is definitely the best in the world!! It takes five Five Elements Armors to make one Emperor Armor, so tell me how powerful the Emperor Armor is."

Shi Bai stopped in his tracks, his face serious.

"Among these armors, the Flame Dragon Armor is the most balanced, the Black Rhino Armor has the highest defense, the Snow Mastiff Armor has the highest attack, the Wind Eagle Armor is the fastest, and the Earth Tiger Armor is made of high-grade synthetic materials and can be combined with other armors to form the Emperor Armor. I haven't seen the Xingtian Armor, so it doesn't count."

"Uh... that Earth Tiger Armor..."

"The Five Elements Armor is indispensable. Don't be fooled by the fact that the Earth Tiger Armor was a free gift with a phone top-up; it's actually very useful."

With a wave of his hand, Shi Bai turned and drifted away.

"For example, the Flame Dragon Armor provides Emperor Armor with energy, the Wind Eagle Armor provides Emperor Armor with speed, the Black Rhino Armor provides Emperor Armor with defense, the Snow Mastiff Armor provides Emperor Armor with power, and the Tiger Armor is quite powerful, it provides Emperor Armor with color..."

"???"

.........................................................

Leaving aside the series of events that happened on Asakura Rikako's side, on the other side, Shameimaru Aya, along with Himekaidou Inubashiri Momiji and the other two lolis, came knocking on the door.

"You want to go to hell? Why?"

After listening to Aya Shameimaru, who was clearly the one in front of him, explain his purpose, Shi Bai couldn't help but seem quite surprised.

"Because we wanted to intern at a newspaper in hell."

Aya Shameimaru nodded seriously.

"The ghosts say that Hell and the Underworld are the birthplace of newspapers and journalists. We lack too much experience and need to learn there how to become a qualified journalist."

"……What?"

"We originally made a serious joint request to the elders, but it was suppressed by the Great Tengu. So, we had no choice but to ask you for your help."

Himekaido Yutachi spoke after Shameimaru Aya, her face full of anticipation.

"Your words can definitely help us, right?"

"The three of you went to hell to intern at a newspaper? It would be strange if such a request wasn't suppressed."

Looking at the three little girls in front of him, whose faces were full of anticipation, Shi Bai's expression was rather subtle.

"You should know what Hell is, right? Although order has been restored there, none of the monsters living there are easy to deal with... And you two seem to be minors yet? Are you sure you want to go to a place like that?"

"Um!!!"

The three little girls looked at each other and then nodded resolutely.

"That's right, that's where we're going."

"Alright, I'll talk to Riluo... Da Tengu about this later. But it's definitely not enough for just the three of you to go. Your Tengu clan will probably also send some envoys to deepen the exchange with Hell."

Shi Bai reached out and gently pressed his forehead.

"You can go home now and pack some things. Also, explain this to your families in detail. If you want to intern at the newspaper in Hell, you need to be prepared to stay there for a long time. It's not possible to run back after only a few days because you're tired. If you don't have that kind of resolve, you should stay here on Monster Mountain. Of course, if your families don't agree, you can't go... Do you understand?"

"I understand!!"

His response was met with the three little girls' excited, synchronized reply.

"Also, minors are not allowed to drink alcohol. If you dare to drink alcohol in hell, I will go straight there, grab you, and make you reflect on your mistakes in seclusion."

As if he had thought of something, Shi Bai held up a finger in front of him with a serious expression.

“Cuixiang is an exception; you can’t allow that.”

"Oh……"

The voices that answered immediately became noticeably quieter.

"And one more thing."

Shi Bai took out a manuscript from his storage ring and handed it to Aya Shameimaru, who was standing at the front.

"When you go to hell, please give this manuscript of mine to the editor-in-chief of the newspaper."

"Is it the unreleased twentieth volume of 'The Rebellious Lu Zhishen'?"

Upon receiving the manuscript, the three little girls' eyes immediately lit up.

When the demons reappeared, they naturally brought with them some special products from the underworld and hell, such as newspapers. Someone's manuscript, which was serialized in hell, was also widely circulated in the Demon Mountain.

"No, this is a different series."

With his hands back and standing with his hands behind his back, Shi Bai looked into the distance with a deep expression.

"The full name of this series is 'Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai. Because he was afraid of getting hurt, he maxed out his agility, but he was too fast and crashed into the shield of a bunny girl senior. He was transported to Sword Art Online and became the Black Butler. He started his life in another world from zero and had a strange adventure with JoJo. Then he discovered Konoha Village and vowed to become the Pirate King. But he accidentally became Kamen Rider Den-O: Rurouni Kenshin.'"

P.S.: Good morning!

Chapter Thirty-One: The Demons of the Journey to the West

While the Youkai Mountain was entering a period of vigorous technological revolution, a major event was taking place in Gensokyo.

In early February, the head of Saigyō-ji Temple, the monk Saigyō, returned with two of his friends.

Everyone knows the name of the monk Saigyō, but no one knows his secular name before he became a monk. Before he became a monk, his original name was Satō Yoshikiyo. He was a famous poet in the Kamakura period. One day, he saw through the illusions of the world and became a monk, taking the name Saigyō.

The return of the Saigyou monk was a momentous event in Gensokyo, and as if to welcome him, the cherry blossoms in the entire town bloomed overnight, a miracle that became the talk of the town.

"Father."

Following the most basic etiquette, Yuyuko Saigyouji knelt down before the table and looked at her father, who was almost always away on the road.

Although her father was away from home for almost 300 days a year since she could remember, Saigyouji Yuyuko had great respect for him because of the widely circulated stories about his deeds.

But as soon as her father spoke, Saigyouji Yuyuko froze in shock.

"Yuyuko, I am about to embark on my final journey in life."

Although he was recounting his own death, the expression on the monk's face was quite peaceful, even with a faint smile.

"...Father!?"

Suddenly raising her head, Saigyouji Yuyuko's words carried a hint of urgency, with a faint trace of fear mixed in.

"Birth, aging, sickness and death are the natural course of life, and there is no need to worry about them too much."

Shaking his head slightly, the monk turned to look at the cherry blossom tree in the courtyard outside the window, which he had planted himself, and began to sing a long, heartfelt song.

"Fifty years in the human world is but a tiny speck compared to the vastness of heaven and earth. The affairs of the world are like a dream, flowing water. Life is but a fleeting moment, and death is imminent. Looking across the world, within the seas and skies, is there anything that can live forever?"

"...My daughter understands."

After a moment of silence, Saigyouji Yuyuko answered in a low voice.

"All things are born and die in an illusion, so I should sing a song with a sigh."

Seemingly sensing his daughter's sadness, the monk Xixing smiled slightly, got up, walked into the courtyard, and looked up at the most beautiful cherry blossom tree in the courtyard.

"Flowers bloom and wither in their time, and so do people live and die. After I die, you may bury me under this cherry blossom tree."

"........."

Saigyouji Yuyuko opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she didn't say anything.

"Youth is like poetry, and life is like a song. How can we waste such a beautiful time and scenery?"

Looking at the cherry blossoms fluttering in the wind, the monk Saigyō suddenly burst into laughter.

"I wish to die beneath the spring blossoms, on the day of the full moon in February. I hope that after my death, those who mourn me will offer cherry blossoms as tribute."

Saigyouji Yuyuko looked up ahead, but suddenly couldn't find her father. All she could see was a sky full of blood-red cherry blossoms.

................................................

On the day of the full moon in February, the monk Saigyō passed away under a cherry blossom tree.

—It was a grand funeral.

At that time, Shiro was sending Aya Shameimaru and the other two to the underworld. Yuyuko Saigyouji, dressed in a white shrine maiden robe, presided over her father's funeral. She remained stern and unsmiling, but her expression was colder than ever before. Youki Konpaku accompanied her throughout the entire process.

Meanwhile, a man who wields the Three Sacred Treasures quietly approached the sage youkai, Yukari Yakumo, at this very moment.

"As you can see, he is finally dead, and now we can have a proper talk."

A white-haired man wearing glasses appeared before Yukari Yakumo with a smile.

"...When did you discover that I was hiding here?"

Turning her gaze away from the grand funeral, Yakumo Yukari looked coldly at the man in front of her.

"I knew it from the beginning, or rather, I guessed it from the beginning, but now I can finally confirm it."

The man wore his usual kind smile.

"Can we talk? I know your goal."

"Goal? What do you think my goal is?"

Yukari Yakumo wore a mocking expression.

"The three of you couldn't keep me here before, and now that he's dead, do you think you can keep me here all by yourself?"

"Let's make a rather interesting assumption."

The man reached up and pushed up his glasses, then smiled nonchalantly.

"The Sage of Yokai's abilities are indeed very troublesome. If you're determined to leave, none of us can stop you. But even after all this time, your injuries shouldn't have healed, right?"

"........."

Yukari Yakumo didn't reply, but her expression grew even colder.

"Well, it seems my guess was right after all."

Looking at Yakumo Yukari in front of him, a hint of mockery flashed in the man's golden eyes.

"Of course, if you're determined to hide, it'll be hard to find you. So why can't his funeral be a trap to catch you and eliminate any future trouble? You think he's dead, but maybe he's just faking it to lure you out."

"!!!"

"Unfortunately, he is indeed dead, so all of the above assumptions are invalid. I came to find you secretly by myself, and Yaoji didn't know about this either."