>Zoom up the mountain.
>Armed with this last bit of info from Celia, you take a step back from the centaur and take flight, heading up out of the forest canopy, and setting course towards Youkai Mountain. Without having to slow yourself to the pace of another, the return flight won't take as long as the rest of your journeying so far today, but you still have a bit of time alone with your thoughts, pondering the events of the day thus far.
>The dominating thought is one of opportunity. Aya's caught up in this, you're sure of that. That wind power Celia mentioned could have been Aya's, now that you think about it. But wherever she is, she hasn't reported these events to anyone, so far as you know. You've been hoping for years to beat Aya to a big scoop, and lo and behold, one may have dropped right into your lap. Well, you might have been dropped into
it's lap, but no matter. Opportunity's come a-knocking, and you're more than ready to answer. Depending on what you find once that second barrier's taken down, and you're sure that's only a matter of time, you might even have to come to Aya's help with whatever it is she's got herself caught up in. The idea brings a big grin to your face. I mean, you'd never wish that sort of danger upon her, she is your friend after all. But if the situation demands, that'll be a rather sizable feather in your cap for sure.
>That being said, if this adventure does end up leading you into a spot of trouble, you're now more glad than you were before to have asked Momiji to accompany you. Traveling with a friend is a worthwhile venture in and of itself, but having some friendly muscle may be even better. Especially when said muscle is one of the strongest and most skilled White Wolves on the mountain.
>Since said Wolf is away at the moment, you remain a bit on guard on your way up the mountain. Most of the other residents of the mountain give lone tengu a wide berth, but every now and then a group of fairies get frisky, or a local God or Youkai gets belligerant. And the higher up you go, the more powerful they become. Sanae and Kanako usually do a good job at keeping them in line- at least the former group- and possibly as a result of this, you remain unmolested as you take the direct approach to the top of the mountain. Though you do adjust your course now and then to avoid clouds of fairies before they spot you. More trouble than it's worth.
>Neither sight nor sound of danmaku can be detected from the vicinity of the shrine, which given the somewhat confrontational attitude you observed earlier in Honoka, comes as something as a surprise. You can, however, hear the sounds of music coming from behind the Moriya temple.
