Buldrokkas'tee was profoundly curious about the methods these newcomers had employed. In all his years witnessing the horrors of the northern front, he had never seen anyone successfully strip away the corruptive power of the Collapsals—the entities the common folk called "Demons"—without utterly destroying the victim's physical body or shattering their mind. To him, the erosion was a death sentence, a one-way trip into madness and ash.
However, after learning from the group that this feat was the result of Yukari Yakumo's unique "Originium Arts," Buldrokkas'tee couldn't help but feel a deep sense of regret. He was a commander first and foremost, and he understood all too well that Originium Arts of such an esoteric and specific nature were notoriously difficult, if not impossible, to imitate or replicate through standard training.
To take a power that relied on the very manipulation of boundaries and apply it to a continental military force was more than just difficult—it was fundamentally impossible. If such a technique could not be taught to his Shieldguards or applied on a large, industrial scale to protect the rank-and-file soldiers of the empire, then as a tactical research subject, it held little practical value. However, he was a pragmatic man. Having individuals present within the Reunion Movement who could effectively neutralize the Collapsal power, even if only for themselves and their immediate allies, was certainly not bad news.
A short while later, Aya Shameimaru began to stir on her cot. She woke slowly, her fingers instinctively clutching at her head as she groaned in discomfort.
"Ugh... where am I..."
Seeing the scout finally regain consciousness, Ibuki Suika subconsciously reached for her ibuki gourd, intending to offer a revitalizing swig of her strongest brew. But before she could even uncork it, her hand was sharply slapped away by Eirin Yagokoro.
"She just woke up and the first thing you think to give her is alcohol?" Eirin scolded, her eyes narrowed.
Ibuki Suika let out an awkward, sheepish laugh, rubbing the back of her hand. "Sorry, sorry... I'm just used to it being the best medicine for everything..."
Eirin Yagokoro didn't waste time arguing with the Oni. She turned and brought over a bowl of medicinal soup that had been brewing since the moment Aya had been brought in. The liquid was dark and gave off a sharp, revitalizing aroma.
"Drink up!" Eirin commanded.
Aya Shameimaru took the steaming bowl and drank the medicinal soup in one determined gulp. Almost immediately, a warmth spread through her chest, and she felt significantly more refreshed, the lingering cognitive fog finally lifting from her mind.
"I'm sorry... I've put you all through so much trouble!"
By this time, following Buldrokkas'tee's earlier orders, everyone except the core members of the Gensokyo group had already left the immediate area. Only after Aya had taken a few moments to pull herself together and steady her breathing did she begin to recount the harrowing details of what had happened to her.
She had followed their initial agreement to the letter, conducting a high-speed reconnaissance of the surrounding planetary terrain. The first few days had proceeded with remarkable smoothness. As the fastest entity in Gensokyo, Aya had managed to measure the approximate circumference of this entire planet in a single day of flight. After completing that feat, she had continued to push outward, scouting for information in all cardinal directions to understand the scope of the world they now inhabited.
There had been no issues in the other directions; the disaster had occurred only a day ago after she crossed the threshold into the Northern Tundra. Having entered the vast, frozen wastes, she had headed due north and quickly reached the deepest, most desolate part of the ice fields. She stated with a grim expression that there was a massive, unnatural pit located there. And in the very center of that pit, standing defiant against the snow, was a giant, ancient archway.
Driven by her natural curiosity and a dangerous level of confidence in her own legendary speed, Aya Shameimaru had approached the structure for a closer look. As a result, the moment she drew near, the archway had emitted a sudden, powerful force. She felt a terrifying, malevolent aura instantly wrap itself around her like a physical weight. Sensing that something was fundamentally wrong, Aya had made the decisive choice to retreat immediately.
But because she had been just a moment too close to the source, she couldn't completely shake off that clinging aura. On the long flight back south, she could feel that things weren't quite right. Using the boundary-tracking item Yukari Yakumo had given her to confirm the group's location, she had flown straight back to the mobile module. On the way, she could clearly feel that dark power constantly attempting to erode her very being. Fortunately, Aya Shameimaru was considered a powerful Great Youkai within Gensokyo; relying on the sheer density of her own demonic power, she managed to hold her own against the corruption. Dragging the power of the Collapsal along with her, she had arrived at the headquarters and left her physical treatment to Yukari, while she withdrew her consciousness deep within to stabilize the internal damage caused by the erosion.
After hearing her finish her report, everyone turned their gaze toward Eirin Yagokoro and Patchouli Knowledge, who were standing nearby. The two of them had been constantly studying the sample of the Collapsal aura they had captured and sealed within the gourd while Aya was telling her story.
"This thing is indeed very strange," Patchouli spoke first, her tone analytical. "Any investigation—any attempt to observe it—will activate it. It follows the traces of the investigation almost instantly to track the target and begin the process of erosion. We just tried several different methods of containment and observation, and none could avoid this outcome."
After she finished, Eirin Yagokoro also nodded, looking down at the sealed gourd in her hand with a solemn expression.
"This thing is incredibly sinister. I feel that they do not act based on a traditional consciousness, but rather sense where mental fluctuations and cognitive activity are strongest and move toward them. Fortunately, dealing with it isn't too troublesome once the source is isolated."
As she spoke, the gourd in her hand began to glow with a brilliant, purifying fire. A few minutes later, she uncapped the gourd; the Collapsal energy inside had been refined into absolute nothingness.
"Currently, it seems that purification-type Magic and high-mystery Magic have excellent effects on it," Eirin explained. "Extreme elemental power can also cause significant damage. This makes me feel very strange. After all, if these things called Collapsals can infect enemies through consciousness and perception, they should be conceptual in nature. Yet, they are easily harmed by the most basic of elemental forces. It is not logical."
"But it's a good thing, isn't it?" Yukari Yakumo said faintly, a small smile playing on her lips. "If destroying them required attacking them on a purely conscious or conceptual level, I'm afraid we'd have to return home early and ask that person from the Palace of the Earth Spirits (Satori Komeiji) for help. As it stands, we can manage."
"So for now, it seems there is something very troublesome and dangerous lurking in the north!" Ibuki Suika summarized, her tone uncharacteristically blunt.
"We can ask Buldrokkas'tee again," Remilia said, looking up at the group. "Since he could name these 'Collapsals' in one go, it's clear the locals here know quite a bit about them. I can also ask that Mr. Logos when I come into contact with Rhodes Island; he should also have some understanding of what they are."
She quickly finalized the plan. Although Aya Shameimaru was functionally cured, in order not to shock the outsiders of the Reunion Movement too much with the speed of her recovery, Yukari Yakumo announced—after consulting with the group and Aya herself—that the scout would need to lie down for two full days to "recover" from her injuries.
Meanwhile, Ibuki Suika stated that since Aya Shameimaru was back and out of danger, she was also prepared to set off for the east to find her own fun.
"Then pay attention yourself," Remilia warned. "Especially since Higashi is also a country near the northern borders; there might be Collapsals there as well, so be extremely careful."
Ibuki Suika laughed, indicating she wasn't an idiot; if she encountered something that felt wrong, she would certainly know when to run.
"Then when do you plan to leave?" Flandre asked curiously.
"Tomorrow morning!" Suika replied with a grin.
"Aren't you going to stay and play for a while longer?" Flandre asked, her voice tinged with a bit of disappointment.
"No, there isn't even any wine here. Playing isn't fun without a drink," Suika finished, waving her hand as she walked out of the apartment.
After she left, Flandre was taken by Remilia to see Buldrokkas'tee once more. They wanted to know more about the Collapsals. However, Buldrokkas'tee remained hesitant, stating that the Collapsals were far too dangerous and it was better for the people of the Reunion Movement to know as little as possible; after all, the more one knew about them, the stronger and more tangible the Collapsals would become to that person.
"Our companion was harmed by what you call a Collapsal in the north, and we must return this grudge," Remilia said, her voice dropping into a cold, imperial tone. "Tell us what you know, and perhaps we can research a solution in advance."
Buldrokkas'tee was silent for several long seconds before finally asking, "I wonder how your 'Originium Arts' truly are; may I see them?"
In his view, if Flandre's destructive level was already so high, her sister's strength was likely even greater. He didn't mind providing the classified information, but he had to know for certain if Flandre's family had the actual ability to deal with the Collapsals. Telling such secrets to someone without the ability to solve the problem would be an act of gross irresponsibility.
Remilia understood his meaning perfectly. She looked around the small room and then back at the commander. "Is there anywhere around here where I can actually stretch my legs?"
"Let's go to the training camp outside the city!" Buldrokkas'tee replied. He had heard the reports of her and Flandre taking out an entire Ursus army unit during their journey, and he knew she was likely skilled in the same kind of large-scale Magic as her sister. He wanted to see it with his own eyes.