In the Hakurai Shrine.
Chris was seating on Ran Lap, as she was explaining another power systems
"Unlike humans," she said, ignoring Whisper's offended gasp, "we Yokai do not rely solely on formulas, rituals, or demonic mana. We don't chant for our power, and we aren't born with a natural energy core like Devils."
She flicked her wrist; the lotus flame split into petals that floated gently around Nate before fading.
"We draw from the world itself—breath, soil, tree, river.
Nature's rhythm, nature's pulse."
Her voice softened, almost reverent.
"This bond with the world is called Spirit Bond.
It is woven into our existence.
Into our bodies, our emotions… even our instincts."
"Spirit Bond lets us shape nature's power into spells, enhance objects, strengthen our forms, or communicate with the world around us."
She continues. "It's not something you train. It's something you feel."
Then she stopped and looked at Chris. "But this Power is used by seers and people outside of Gensokyo".
Ran's ears twitched as she finished speaking, the shrine quiet except for the wind moving through the trees.
Chris sat very still on her lap, blue eyes focused, wings tucked in close as if he were afraid of disturbing the air itself.
Ran studied him for a moment, then reached down and gently placed his small hand against the wooden floor of the shrine.
"Close your eyes," she said softly.
Chris did, trusting her without hesitation.
"Don't think," Ran continued. "Don't copy. Don't pull. Just… listen."
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then the shrine responded.
Not with light, or chains, or golden glow—but with warmth. The faint creak of old wood. The steady breath of the earth beneath the foundation. The trees outside swaying in slow agreement, leaves whispering like a quiet crowd.
Chris's fingers curled slightly.
"…It's loud," he said, Japanese halting but clear.
Ran smiled. "Yes. The world always is."
She glanced toward Reimu, who was watching from the doorway with crossed arms and narrowed eyes.
"That's why most humans can't hear it. Civilization teaches them to ignore it."
Her gaze returned to Chris. "But some people—seers, shrine children, outsiders who fall through cracks they were never meant to see—never lose that sensitivity."
She paused.
"And some," she added carefully, "die before they can."
The air shifted.
Chris's grip tightened just a little.
Reimu felt it immediately. "Ran."
"I know," Ran said calmly. "I'm not pushing."
She turned back to Chris, lowering her voice. "Spirit Bond isn't magic you cast. It's a relationship. You don't command it."
She gently pressed his hand to the floor again. "You ask."
Chris swallowed.
In his mind, Nidhogg stirred, curious but restrained.
'This power is not stolen,' it observed. 'It is granted.'
Chris didn't answer it.
Instead, very quietly, he whispered, "Hello."
The shrine answered.
A faint pulse ran through the floor, not visible, not violent—just acknowledgment.
Ran's eyes widened slightly.
"…Well," she murmured. "That's rare."
Reimu frowned. "What did he do?"
Ran lifted Chris into her arms, holding him a little more protectively now. "He didn't take Spirit Bond."
She looked at Reimu directly. "Gensokyo accepted him."
Silence fell.
Marisa, leaning against a pillar, blinked. "That… normal?"
Ran shook her head. "Not even a little."
Chris opened his eyes, looking confused. "Did I do something wrong?"
Reimu immediately stepped forward, placing a hand on his head. "No. You did fine."
Ran nodded. "More than fine."
She brushed his hair back gently. "This is why this power is used by people outside Gensokyo. Seers. Mediums. Children who slip between worlds."
Her gaze lingered on his wings, his soul-signature she could now feel clearly.
"You don't belong to nature," Ran said softly. "But nature doesn't reject you either."
Chris tilted his head. "So… I can use this?"
Ran hesitated.
"…Yes," she said. "But carefully. Spirit Bond reacts to emotion. Fear, sorrow, attachment."
Her eyes flicked briefly to the Grimoire resting nearby.
"And with what's inside you," she added, "you'll need anchors. Strong ones."
Reimu's hand tightened slightly on Chris's head.
"He's got one," she said flatly.
Ran smiled.
Chris, unaware of the weight of the moment, just leaned back against Ran's chest and yawned.
"…The floor said hi back."
Marisa snorted.
Reimu sighed, already resigned. "Great. My shrine's talking to him now."
The wind laughed softly through the trees.
Chris looked at her as he spoke. "I don't think.... This power is for me"
Ran sighed as she gently Pinch his cheek. "Thats a Same, you had a good nack for it, almost like Adam's Family".
Reimu looked at her as she spoke. "The seer family from Kyoto? He has potential like there current heir?".
Ran blinked at Reimu's words.
"…You know about that family?" she asked, clearly surprised.
Reimu shrugged, one hand still resting on Chris's head. "Shrine maiden. Records. Old headaches from Kyoto. Kind of comes with the job."
Chris, meanwhile, looked mildly offended as Ran pinched his cheek, puffing it out a little.
"I'm serious," he said, carefully choosing his words. "It listens to me… but it feels wrong. Like I'm standing in someone else's house."
Ran's expression softened immediately.
She stopped teasing and cupped his cheek properly this time. "That's not weakness, Chris. That's awareness."
She straightened and addressed Reimu. "Yes. The Adam—Abe-no family. Seers who never forced Spirit Bond, only interpreted it. Their current heir is talented… but even they still pull on the world."
Ran looked back down at Chris. "You don't pull. You wait for permission."
Reimu frowned. "And that's better?"
Ran shook her head. "It's different. And dangerous, in its own way."
She tapped the floor with her foot. "Spirit Bond is intimacy. The closer you are to the world, the more it feels your emotions. Grief, fear, rage—"
Her eyes flicked, just for a second, to Chris's Grimoire.
"—and with what you carry, that could get ugly fast."
Chris nodded slowly. "That's why I don't want it."
Reimu exhaled through her nose. "…Figures."
Ran smiled faintly. "Most people want every power they can get. You're the first I've seen who stepped back because it wasn't yours."
She ruffled his hair. "That alone tells me you'd surpass the Abe family if you ever chose to walk that path."
Chris looked up at her. "But I won't."
Ran chuckled. "No. You won't."
She glanced at Reimu. "And honestly? Good."
Reimu raised an eyebrow. "Good?"
Ran's smile turned knowing. "Because Spirit Bond ties you to the land."
Her gaze sharpened slightly. "And this boy doesn't belong to any one land. Not yet."
Chris leaned back against Reimu, wings shifting unconsciously.
"…I belong here," he said, quieter.
Reimu's hand stilled on his head, then patted it once. "Yeah. For now."
Ran watched them for a moment, then stood, brushing off her sleeves.
"Then let it be settled," she said. "Chris won't train Spirit Bond. Not unless he asks for it someday."
She looked at him one last time, eyes warm but serious. "And if that day comes… I'll teach you properly."
Chris smiled a little. "Okay."
The shrine creaked softly, as if in agreement.
Reimu groaned. "Great. Even the building likes him."
To be continued
Hope people like this ch and give me power stones and enjoy and happy new year's