Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm's Fantasy Rebirth Story
*pant* *pant* Th-This is really bad...!
I'm not gonna make it to the house...!
The enemies...!
They're gonna catch up to me!
???
Get down!
Eek!
*cough* *cough*
???
Hey! You all right?!
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
C'mon, stay with me!
Mmmph!
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Say something!
I-I can't... talk...! I c-can't breathe...!
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
You can't breathe?! Did you get hit in the chest?!
*muffled groans*
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
You can't even form words now! Yikes, you're in real bad shape!
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Hang in there, PLAYER! You're not dying on me now!
Urgh...!
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
PLAYER?!
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
PLAYER!
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Seriously?! If that was all it was, you could've just said so.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
I can't believe you were suffocating 'cause I squeezed too tight! I almost killed you by accident!
I can think of worse ways to die... I can think of worse ways to die...
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Now's not the time for dumb jokes!
Still, an oni saving a human!
It's a miracle! Haha!
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
What?! Y-Y-You idiot!
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
If something happened to you, she wouldn't just let it slide. And I don't need that kind of trouble, got it?!
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Anyway, oni don't have any beef with humans. You're just... something to play with.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
It's just harmless fun for us oni. If humans are too fragile and end up in pieces, that's hardly our fault.
Yeah well, I almost did end up in pieces, thanks.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Tch, stop giving me sass. But well, I guess that means you're really fine now.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
This whole Lost Word Incident... Whoever's behind it thinks they can do whatever they want.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
No way I'm letting that slide. I'm gonna crush 'em in the palm of my hand.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
...
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Later, PLAYER. Try not to get squashed next time.
Wait, what?! Where are you going?!
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
When I woke up earlier, she wasn't home. I'm gonna quickly track her down...
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Then fuse us back together by force.
W-Why would you do that?!
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
You're human, so you wouldn't get it, but we oni still have a ton of secrets.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
We're not just some run-of-the-mill youkai. We're much older, and our power is unfathomable.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Sure, I'm Ibaraki-Douji's oni essence... But I'll be way stronger with my full body.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
The oni way's about taking everything and turning it into strength. Even her hermithood is just more fuel for the fire.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Once we're back together, I'll crush this whole Lost Word Incident like a bug. No way we lose.
I mean, sure, you'll be stronger, but...
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
...
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
I get what you're thinking. Why go this far?
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Honestly... I don't know either.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
No. Who am I kidding? Let me drop the act.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
It's true that I never understood Gensokyo... the place Suika Ibuki loves, Yuugi Hoshiguma watches over...
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
And Kasen fights tooth and nail to protect... I just couldn't see what makes it so important.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Why go that far for it? Why treat it like it's something so special?
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
It made no sense to me, but...
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
That slowly started to change. I used to sneak off while she wasn't looking...
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
I'd throw on a disguise and wander all over. Not just Gensokyo―Hakugyokurou, Heaven, even the Animal Realm...
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
And every single time, no matter where I went, people thought I was her or her sister.
That must've been fun.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
...
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Yeah.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
It was actually a lot of fun.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Remember when we snuck into the Human Village together? Now that was comedy gold.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Everyone thought I was their beloved little hermit. They kept bowing and thanking me like I was some kind of saint.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
The kids went nuts, like I was a hero or something. Even the animals were getting all cuddly like I was their long-lost mom!
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
They were all over me. Whining, clinging, blubbering... They were so weak, so needy, so weirdly affectionate...
The sweets we had were amazing, though.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
...
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
...Yeah, they were.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
They even acted like I was one of their regular customers.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Guess that's the kind of stuff she has always been doing...
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
...
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
You know what? I like Gensokyo. And I'm not letting anyone mess with it.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
I wanna protect it. And if I fuse back with her... I'll be strong enough to do that.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
...
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
...
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Aren't you gonna try to stop me?
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
If we fuse together, the Kasen you know and love will be gone. She can't keep being a hermit after that.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
And now that I've powered up, even the shrine maiden can't seal me away again. No one would be able to stop me.
And after you end the incident, then what?
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Huh?
If you stay fused as one oni, what happens after that?
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
...
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
I don't know. The oni we'd become... would be neither me nor her. It'll be a whole new oni.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Probably the worst one Gensokyo's ever seen. And if it comes to that, forget sealing me away. Just take me down for good.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
No more games. It'll have to be a real oni extermination.
Is that... really what you want?
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
...
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Of course it's not what I want! I'll lose everything. She'll lose everything. ...Gensokyo will lose everything.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
But what am I supposed to do?! What choice do I even have?!
Here. I've been asked to give you this.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Is this from her?
There's a note, too. "Let's fight together. No fusing."
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
...!
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
...
So... will you fight for us? As her right arm?
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
Hell yeah, I will. You can count on me.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
I'm her arm, remember? If the great hermit has an itch she can't reach, I've got it covered.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
There are things only I can do.
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
And oh man, I am so ready for this.
Costume Presentation
Ibaraki-Douji's Arm
It was a warrior who cut off her arm. He was a weak and devious human. But it's because he cut off her arm that I... No, enough of that. Friendships with humans are frail. They fall apart at the slightest breeze. I'm sure our friendship is the same.
