— — — — — —
"I mean, I don't mind unlocking your Gene Lock for you," Veyron said casually, interrupting Yukari's mental spiral.
Yukari blinked. "...Huh?"
He made a small gesture with his hand. "You'd just have to do me a teeeeensy little favor."
Yukari instinctively covered her chest with her arms.
"…What the hell are you imagining?!" Veyron's face darkened.
Come on. He wasn't the type to pull that kind of stunt just to get his way, was he?
No, the "favor" he had in mind actually had a lot to do with why Yukari originally schemed against him in the first place.
See, in recent years, Yukari had been secretly planning a full-scale war—a desperate bid for Earth's yokai, ghosts, and demons to gain more living space by launching an invasion of the Moon.
Her reason for targeting Veyron back then? Most likely to use him as a bridge—to drag Kaguya Houraisan and Eirin Yagokoro, two key figures from the Moon, onto her side and boost her odds of success.
But from Veyron's point of view—as someone with partial knowledge of this world's "plot"—he had a hunch Yukari's goal wasn't actually conquest.
No, what she really wanted was to use the Moon War as a smokescreen. A way to eliminate the more rebellious voices among Earth's yokai factions… so she could lay the foundation for Gensokyo: her ultimate dream—an isolated paradise where supernatural beings could hide away once the human age truly arrived.
And why was he so sure she wasn't planning to actually conquer the Moon and build some fantasyland there?
Simple. If she'd figured out a way to reach Kaguya and Eirin through him, then Yukari definitely understood just how massive the power gap was between Earth's messy horde of monsters and the Lunar Capital's god-tier forces.
So yeah, her real target wasn't the Moon—it was the noisy rabble back home.
And now his beloved Princess Kaguya had been training nonstop these past few days, trying to master her Gene Lock and prep for her own goal—a flamboyant rebellion against the so-called Moon gods.
So when Veyron told her about Yukari's plan? Kaguya's reaction was simple:
"Oh, so Yukari is mobilizing a bunch of filthy Earthlings that the Moonfolk absolutely despise? Perfect. Let's use them to stir things up and mess with those high-and-mighty Moon nobles."
. . .
"…So you're telling me," Yukari said, eyes narrowed, "if I had just not attacked you back then, and instead sat down and had an honest conversation, we'd both be winning right now?"
Veyron finished explaining, and Yukari froze, the weight of her own scheming crashing down on her.
Not that she looked embarrassed her plan had been seen through—she just remembered something Yuuka had told her, not long ago among the sunflowers: 'You've been plotting and scheming for so long, you don't even know how to stop.'
"…Well, it's still a win-win," Veyron replied with a teasing grin. "I just happen to win twice."
He extended his hand. "So, what do you say? Wanna reconsider?"
Yukari stared at him for a moment—then reached out and shook his hand.
— — —
Half an hour later—
Inside the Pocket Dimension of Eientei
"…Eirin. You sure this thing's safe?"
Veyron stared long and hard at the vial Eirin Yagokoro had just handed him. The label readT-Virus, and although he wasn't the squeamish type, something about this version made him pause.
It wasn't that he didn't trust Eirin—far from it. The woman was practically a walking pharmaceutical genius.
It was just… well, previously, the "Gene Lock Activation Serum" had been mostly T-Virus with just a drop of his Semen mixed in.
This new vial? It was mostly his Semen and just a drop of the T-Virus.
"I don't think you quite understand the sheer chaos your own creations can cause," Veyron muttered.
Eirin just gave him a calm, matter-of-fact look. "You're overthinking it. Both potions serve the same core purpose—they're proof. Proof that qualifies someone for Gene Lock potential. As long as the total amount adds up to one full dose, the ratio really doesn't matter."
Veyron stared at her for a second longer, lips twitching.
So in the end… this whole modified T-Virus thing was just her having some twisted fun with Yukari, wasn't it?
He sighed, feeling like he had no room to talk. Of all people, he definitely couldn't call Eirin out for being a little messed up sometimes.
Still, he took the vial and opened a portal back to the Netherworld—specifically, Hakugyokurou.
It was Yukari's temporary residence there, the house of Yuyuko Saigyouji. She decided to call it Hakugyokurou—literally, "Tower of White Jade."
Stepping through the gate, Veyron casually tossed the vial toward the waiting Yukari, who had been practically vibrating with anticipation.
"You were there when I helped Yuyuko unlock her Gene Lock, remember?" he said. "So I'm assuming I don't need to explain anything again."
Yukari caught the vial effortlessly, her eyes gleaming. He didn't mind giving her early access to the Gene Lock potential—after all, if she ever stepped out of line, he could revoke her forged 'human registration' with the snap of his fingers.
He wasn't too worried about her pulling a fast one.
"No need," Yukari said, rolling up the sleeve of her flowing white dress. "I trust my memory."
Without hesitation, she jabbed the syringe into her forearm and injected it.
A few moments passed.
"So this… this is the Gene Lock?"
She closed her eyes, savoring the rush as combat instincts surged through her mind like a rising tide. She could feel it: the baseline stat boosts, the adrenaline, the reflexes. Even at just 30% of the First tier's full enhancement, the difference was undeniable.
Sure, she'd earned the title of "Sage" in recent years thanks to her cunning and manipulation…
But come on. Anyone who could grow into a millennia-old yokai had some kind of obsession with power.
Yukari opened her eyes, a sharp glint in them now. "If I remember right… that state of hyper-focus you get when you're facing life-or-death—that's the best time to trigger a lock, isn't it?"
She glanced at Veyron meaningfully.
"…Yeah," he said after a beat, already catching the implication.
He cracked his neck and stretched a little, preparing himself.
Apparently, it was time for the "Let Yukari Experience the Terror of Death" show—again.
.
.
.