Chapter 1
The sun was setting, forming a beautiful glow around Youkai Mountain. The samurai didn't care at all, not even bothering to look up. She just kept climbing. She had been climbing the entire day now, since dawn. Unlike most humans, she could have easily reached the top a long time ago by flying, but she chose to use the slow, hard route. Meira always had. Only through rigorous training could she become stronger, and only then would she be able to defeat Reimu Hakurei. She hated that shrine maiden with a passion, but the samurai knew that couldn't face her. Not yet. While she was lost in thought, fairies flew out of the nearby waterfall and attacked, but she cut them down before they could even fire danmaku. One of them, slightly smarter than the rest, had stayed in the water. Meira smirked. "Very wise of you, hiding like that." The fairy squeaked in fear.
"P-please don't hurt me, sword lady!"
"Ah, but why would pain matter to you? After all, you'll just heal from it, even if you die." Meira stabbed into the water, scaring the fairy into flying out. As soon as she did, Meira grabbed her by her arm.
"Let me go!"
"No, I don't see any reason to. You won't even remember me tomorrow, so I may as well have a little chat while I'm here. You know, I envy you fairies. A carefree existence, no worries, even death is just an inconvenience for you. Right?" The fairy nodded frantically. "You could do anything. You have all the time in the world, but you're too stupid to make real use of it. Now, how is that fair, that a foolish little sprite like you can live forever, but smarter creatures, like humans, have to die?"
"I-I don't know!"
"That was a rhetorical question. But since you spoke up, I'm sure you have some idea? come now, tell me." She squeezed the fairy's arm, making her whimper in pain.
"I? I don't know! Not everything dies, anyway!"
Meira raised an eyebrow in mock surprise.
"Is that so? So what doesn't die?"
"Umm, there's fairies, and gods, and kappa, and-" Meira cut her off with another squeeze.
"In short, youkai, right?"
"R-right! Please, let me go! Why are you hurting me, anyway?" The fairy was starting to cry, but Meira was unmoved.
"You want to know why? Alright, I'll tell you." She sighed. This was a speech she'd made many times before, to many other youkai. "I was once a normal human. I was a happy child, until one night a youkai walked into my house and ate my parents!" She squeezed so hard the fairy screamed. "I hid under the bed, watching the whole thing. The Hakurei shrine maiden back then eventually arrived and saved me, but it was too late for them. She killed the youkai, but I didn't feel any better knowing it was dead. Do you know why? Because it could happen again. As long as there are youkai, they will hunt humans. As long as monsters like you exist, there will never be peace."
"B-but I didn't do anything! I've never even seen a human before!"
Meira's expression softened somewhat.
"And that's why I'll let you go." She released the fairy, who started floating off uncertainly, afraid Meira would grab her again. "Go on, live your pathetic life. You aren't worth killing. But one day I will find a way to destroy every youkai, even fairies. And when I do, I might spare you then too? if you remember me." Meira turned and started climbing up the mountain, completely ignoring the fairy, who quickly flew back in to the waterfall, whimpering.
Meira had reached the top of the mountain, and she let herself take a short break. Not wanting to attract the nearby gods, she was on the far end of the lake, away from the Moriya Shrine. For the most part, she had accomplished what she wanted by coming here. She's climbed the supposedly unclimbable mountain, drawing only the bare minimum of attention.
As much as she wanted to cut the first Tengu she saw in half, she knew that they always work in sight of each other for just that possibility. And once the alarm is raised, she'd never escape. She'd kill many of them, of that she had no doubts, but sooner or later they would defeat her. She unsheathed her blade and stared at it. She'd gotten it from the shrine maiden that had saved her back then, who said that she should always keep it with her. Youkai could attack at anytime, after all. The sword had saved her many times in the past, and slain many youkai? and to her regret, even a few humans. Some were learning magic, trying to become magician youkai in their own right. Others simply sympathized with youkai, thinking that there could be peace with them. No matter what the case, Meira had decided they were no better than youkai themselves and had to be cut down. That never meant she enjoyed it.
"But," she muttered to herself, "does any of it amount to anything? I'm not strong enough to take on most youkai? or even that stupid Reimu, who just lets them do whatever they want." She had always admired the shrine maiden who saved her, but she never found out her name. She'd just taken to calling her Lady Hakurei. Meira wondered how she'd died? and how Reimu could have ended up being her exact opposite. "If she was still alive, maybe Reimu wouldn't have grown up to be such a fool. But there nothing to be done about it now, I suppose?" Her eyes widened. Maybe there was something she could do! She had tried to defeat Reimu when the girl was still young, but she had been brushed aside like a annoying fly. If Reimu's power came from being a shrine maiden? then maybe she should become one too. Meira looked across the lake, to the Moriya Shrine. Judging from the glow at it's entrance, Sanae was performing some miracle. If that girl could become one? Meira stood up, and started floating back down the mountain. She'd planned on climbing down, but now she had a better plan. Why train forever, when there is a far faster way to become stronger? She remembered how easily Reimu had beaten her, how careless she was about the entire fight?
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"Are you even listening to me!?"
Reimu waved her hand dismissively.
"Sure, sure. Fight, fight!"
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She remembered how, of all things, Reimu had flirted with her?
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"Uhhh? Do we have to fight? Cuz I'd rather not." She winked at Meira, making her back up nervously, her face turning bright red. "Huh? What's wrong?"
"Stupid girl! It's not you I want! Just your power!"
Reimu cocked her head to the side, looking confused and now blushing herself, as though Meira had made some innuendo.
"My power? I don't get it."
Meira growled in frustration, wishing they could fight already and get this over with.
"I'm a woman, you know! What's wrong with you?"
Reimu grinned creepily.
"Soooo, if I win? Well, let's just say that certain conditions will have to be met?"
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And even when Reimu had beaten her, and she didn't think it could get any worse?
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Meira fell into the lake, utterly beaten. She barely had the strength to move. But she clearly heard Reimu say,
"I did it! ?Huh?" Her flying turtle flew a bit closer. "Uh-oh? she's not moving. Oh well." She grinned as eerily as she had before. "Time for burial rites?" Seeing that grin and remembering what Reimu had said before, Meira quickly found the strength to run away before she found out what these 'burial rites' would be.
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Meira quickly reached the mountain's base, but she didn't stop until she'd flown through the Forest of Magic to the Hakurei Shrine. As she predicted, Reimu was nowhere in sight, but Mima was sleeping outside, floating in midair. She walked onto the shrine grounds, and Mima woke up instantly.
"Hey, samurai girl. What do you want?"
Meira got straight to the point, not waiting to waste any time in case Reimu woke up.
"I need you to tell me how you took over this shrine a while back."
Mima chuckled.
"Oh yeah, that was good times? well, it was easy. Evil spirits like me are a lot like the divine ones that get worshipped. I could float into any shrine and take over, provided I could beat the god who runs it. And the one here is pitiful."
Another voice, barely audible, cut in.
"That's not true! I would have won if-"
"Shut up, Shingyoku! No one cares!" The voice muttered to itself for a second before becoming quiet. "Anyway, where was I? Oh, right. It was easy for me. But that's not what you wanted to know, right? You have some kind of plan?"
Meira wondered whither or not to tell her. After all, she lived with Reimu. Then again, that was because Reimu had effectively chained her to the shrine. She had nothing to gain by backstabbing Meira.
"Well, if that's the case, why is Reimu so powerful?"
Mima shrugged.
"She's naturally talented, and her Yin-Yang Orbs, as you know, contain a lot of power, much more than her god. Let me guess, you thought becoming a shrine maiden would let you beat her?" Meira's embarrassed look told her everything. "I thought so. It's not a bad idea, in theory. It probably won't make you as strong as she is, but you will be stronger." Meira thanked her and started to leave. "Oh, and one more thing. Try going underground. There are lots of evil spirits who would love to help you if it meant they could leave Hell. And even if the shrine maiden thing doesn't work out, there is strong youkai for you to fight with." Meira considered this. Underground? it seemed perfect, no matter what she was going to do. She stared at the sleeping Reimu in the shrine. She looked so peaceful, so vulnerable? but any attack now would be futile. Meira thanked Mima once more, and stalked off into the woods.
