Maidens of the Kaleidoscope
~Hakurei Shrine~ => Patchouli's Scarlet Library => Topic started by: Blackraptor on August 04, 2009, 04:50:14 AM
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Because I HAD to get this out of my head...here is the prologue to my very first Touhou fic: Touhou Rider Reimu!
I was standing in the middle of a large field.
I look around and find nothing but grass.
I gaze at my attire, a simple white night gown, I do note even have any slippers on.
I wonder why I am here when suddenly a loud explosion rocked from behind me and made me double over. From the distance I can see the shapes of several people running towards me, I was?
Afraid
Awed
Curious
All those things but, mostly, I was Compelled?
Compelled to stay and witness this?until the end.
?
The people that were headed towards me, as they came closer I see that they were all women. The one leading the charge could be no more that twelve years old but the striking thing about her was that she had wings just like a bat and was wielding a blood-red spear. The rest of the ones there also carried similarly dangerous weapons and abilities from knives to swords to the ability to control fire and ice. The majority of them were actually made up of girls that seem to have rabbit ears on their heads while the rest were unique by themselves.
The powers of the women that were charging towards me were all quite impressive and I had not doubt that they could conquer the whole world if they wanted to. But as I dared to admire their strength, a sudden red beam of swirling light rushed past me from behind and impacted right in the middle of a charging swarm of rabbit girls sending them flying in all directions. I could see a girl with long silvery-blue hair with a strange hat that looks like some kind of building with a red ribbon on top; she was wearing a dark blue dress. She was on a large boulder and it seemed that she was coordinating the rabbit girls who were injured to get to safety. She was calling out to someone else in the distance before being caught in another wave of swirling red light. The smoke cleared but the girl in blue and the boulder she was standing on were nowhere to be seen.
The beams of light started to become more numerous as time passed, everywhere I looked, rabbit girls were caught in explosions and the screams could be heard from all directions. I cover my ears to preserve my sanity from the suffering around me. I look to the sky and I saw two figures flying in the sky. One of them had silver hair and was wearing a brown shirt and red baggy pants that was held by suspenders, beside her was a girl with long black hair and was wearing a pink shirt with many white bows, and a long, dark burgundy skirt. The silver haired girl had wings of fire on her back while the black haired girl had several objects floating around her, five to be exact. The two of them fired a combination of flame and multi-colored beams of light toward the source of the red swirling light. Their attack was returned on kind with several beams of red light with large orbs of red and white. The two of them managed to dodge most of the projectiles but the silver haired girl got hit on her right shoulder with an orb and it detonated. The silver haired girl screamed as her right arm was completely blown off but she still stayed airborne. She gave one more scream, more or a roar before the wings of fire on her back became even bigger and she dived straight to the source of the projectiles but it was all for naught as she was caught in a combined swirl or red light that detonated in front of her?nothing remained. The black haired girl called out to her companion in vain, tears could be seen flowing freeing from her eyes before she let out an angry scream and started her barrage again but was quickly silenced as she was surrounded by the large red and white orbs. The black haired girl gave a sad smile before she shared the fate of her companion.
I then noticed that there were others who were flying as well. Most notable were girls who had bird wings. One of them looked like she had a canon for an arm which she aimed at the source of the hostile projectiles before letting loose a powerful dark red beam. The beam was suddenly blocked by a large red square that appeared out of nowhere. Once the beam from the winged girl dissipated, the red square that blocked her attack gave way to several beams and orbs that made quick work of the winged girl. All over the sky, the same story, there was a winged girl who was trying to sing a song in the middle of this chaos and was backed by three other girls with instruments that were floating around them. Whatever they were trying to do was never realized as they were caught in an explosion as well. Only two bodies could be seen dropping from the sky.
I suddenly caught sight of a large rock that was flying across the sky. It had an ornate rope wrapped around it and there are three figures that can be seen riding it. There was a blue haired girl that was wearing a black hat with a peach on it and red blouse with a blue skirt; she was wielding a sword that glowed red. One who was with her and was in the front part of the boulder was a girl with short silver hair that had a black ribbon on it and she was wearing a green a white dress, she was wielding two katanas of different length. The third person there had violet blue hair with a black hat that had a red ribbon on it and she was wearing a white and red shirt, a long black skirt, and a hat with a red bow and two long ribbons extending out and has a white and red shawl entwined along her arms and blouse.
The three of them seemed intent on ramming that large rock into whoever was causing all this destruction but their mode of transport was a large target and was quickly intercepted by several orbs that detonated the rock. The three girls managed to jump off in time and landed on the ground with no injuries and continued to charge in the direction they had intended to go to. They ran past me and I tried to keep my gaze to those three brave girls when I caught something in the corner of my eye. There I saw a little girl who had horns and was carrying a large gourd. The girl opened up the gourd and drank from it and she suddenly started growing. She finally stopped growing at around three stories high and gave a drunken laugh before walking on, behind her I could see the main force charging in as well led by that girl with the bat wings.
My vision started to blur as the girls charged past me and towards whatever was causing all of this, all the while explosions from beams and orbs could be seen flying everywhere. I saw a group of girls flying in the air led by one with blue hair and a blue dress that seemed to have ice for wings. They tried their best to get as far as they could but the orbs eventually overwhelmed them and then they were gone. Around me, the same scene was witnessed. I saw a girl that looked like a black cat with two tails knelt in front of a lying body of a woman with blonde hair who seemed to have fox ears and nine tails. The girl was yelling at the lying woman but there was no response from her, a poll of blood could be seen starting to form around her. Another explosion could be heard and I saw a girl with long red hair who was wearing a green china dress get flung across the field along with a purple haired girl who was wearing a baggy purple nightgown, she was clinging to a book as she was thrown across the sky. I saw another explosion and saw a girl with long green hair who was wearing a shrine maiden?s outfit but with the part that connects the shoulder to the sleeves gone. She was in front of two others a small girl who was blonde and had a large tan hat with eyes on it she was wearing a short simple purple dress with white sleeves. Beside her was a woman with poofy blue hair and had an elaborate red shirt with long white sleeves and a round mirror over the center of her chest and wearing a long black skirt with a red flower print hem, behind her was a large twisting rope circle with hanging paper from it. They had their hands on the back of the girl with green hair who was holding her hands in front of her as a large magic circle appeared before her which started to charge a large amount of energy. Several red beams headed their way but it did not reach them before they let loose what they were building up, a thick green beam, towards the cause of the chaos. That was the last thing they ever did.
I was having enough of all of this. Everywhere I turned was death, despair, why was I witnessing this? I saw a girl with short blonde hair who was clutching a book and had several dolls floating around her who tried to counter the barrage of orbs and beams with her own barrage of beams that were made up of several colors, seven if I?m not mistaken. Unfortunately, her attack was inferior and she was soon dispatched along with her dolls. I once again saw the bat winged girl who suddenly got hit with a large orb that exploded on impact. When the dust cleared I saw that the girl was unharmed but only because there were others who caught the blast for her. One of them was a woman with silver hair who was wearing a blue maid uniform with a white apron. The other was a blonde girl who looked liked the bat winged girl but seemed younger, her wings were like a pair of twisted iron bars with small crystals of different colors hanging from them. The two girls were no longer able to support their own weight and crumbled in front of the bat winged girl who held them both and started crying. I also saw the horned girl that grew into a giant be subdued by a large barrage of orbs and beams and suddenly shrank back to her original size before falling to the ground. I had it! I dropped to my knees, closed my eyes, and held my ears and prayed for this massacre to be over. What felt like an eternity of explosions, screaming, war cries, and impacts later, it all suddenly stopped. I opened my eyes and found that all of them, every last one of the girls that charged into this field were now lying motionless around me. I could not take it anymore and I started sobbing. I knew nothing of them but no one deserved this kind of death.
After several minutes of crying to myself, I noticed that there was a faint glow from behind me. I slowly turned around and saw the on who caused all of this to happen. Her face was obscured from view by a dark shadow but I could clearly see that she was wearing a red and white dress remotely similar to a shrine maiden's outfit with detached sleeves leaving her shoulders uncovered. On her waist I could see something that looked like a large white belt buckle that seemed pretty out of place with her outfit. I notice that the buckle had metallic looking handles on either side which had green, red, and blue yinyang orbs in the middle of each. The buckle itself was white with a round clear glass center; nine icons that I could not recognize were arranged around the center of it. The most striking thing I saw about that buckle was that there was an engraving at the top of it in English. I strained my eyes to see what it was and finally managed to read it out loud.
Hakurei?
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Best rendition of the Rider War I've ever seen since the original one.
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Here's chapter 1 of Touhou Rider Reimu!
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I woke up in a cold sweat and sat up from my bed. I took a few deep breaths, trying to recover from the shock that had just happened. I put a hand over my mouth as I quietly sobbed when I recalled what happened.
What the hell was that? I asked myself. I could vaguely recognize some of the girls there but I couldn?t remember from where. Is shook my head as I remembered more of the dream.
Why did I have that dream? What does it have to do with me? I thought. Those girls and the place they fought in seemed to be set in some weird fantasy story or something. I looked at the clock beside my bed and saw that it was five in the morning laid awake for another hour, too mentally exhausted to do anything right now.
My mother eventually started knocking on my door thinking that I was still asleep. I sat up and called out to her to tell her that I was awake. I stood up and started making my bed. By the way, in case anyone is wondering, my name is Aozaki Tama. I am nineteen years old but currently a ronin as I wasn?t able to pass the entrance exam of the university I wanted to go to. I currently have a job at a local store that sells videogames and anime as a clerk though I really never had any interest in those kinds of things. I stepped out of my room after I fixed my bed and headed to the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror found that my hair was a mess. I have shoulder length brown hair and my bangs were parted on the right side. I have brown eyes and a pretty ordinary face which was probably why I never had a boyfriend before. I sigh at my own misfortune and started brushing my teeth, got changed into a shirt and jeans and headed downstairs for some breakfast.
I got downstairs and headed straight to the dining room where I found my father. He was sitting beside my uncle who was talking to my father about another one of his games. Apparently, my uncle has become quite the cultural because of the games he makes. He?s an independent game developer that only goes by ZUN in the public. Pretty weird name if you ask me.
?Mornin? dad, uncle.? I greeted the two of them.
?Well, you?re up early for once!? My dad joked. I just laughed along to humor him.
?Good morning Tama! Great news! I?m almost done with my current game!? My uncle said proudly.
?Oh really? That?s great uncle.? I said while sitting down in front of the table.
?Seriously though. You should find a job as a composer. You have a real talent in making music; don?t waste it in making silly games about flying girls.? My dad tried to convince my uncle who just laughed it off.
?Sorry but I love my work. Hakurei Reimu, Kirisame Marisa and the rest of the denizens of Gensokyo as my greatest pride right now and I do not plan to stop as long as there are people that want my games.? My uncle said in a tone akin to a father talking about his child.
Wait?Hakurei? It was the same name as in my dream. I shook my head.
?No way?? I muttered to myself. I looked up and saw that my dad and uncle were looking at me like I grew a second head or something.
?No?don?t worry about me. Just remembering a dream I had last night.? I said. I wasn?t really lying either. But the likelihood of that dream being related to my uncle?s games is idiotic. I haven?t even played any of his games; I just have an elementary knowledge about them since he always talks about them when he visits.
?Aahhh?dreams. You should pay attention to them when you can. Especially those that you can remember as you never know when you will need that knowledge in the future. I remember when I started working on Embodiment of Scarlet Devil the morning after I had a dream about a twelve year old girl with bat wings and had a red spear.? My uncle?s words made my blood freeze.
?Hey now?that?s a bit of a weird dream you know.? My father said as he and my uncle started another debate on how he should lead his life. I didn?t hear any of it as I recalled my dream again. That girl that my uncle was talking about matched the description of that girl in my dream as well. I slapped myself with both hands to get the thought out of my head, once again getting the attention of my uncle and father and my mom who just walked in from the kitchen.
?Oh?hehe?don?t mind me?? I said.
?
I was walking along the streets of Akihabara where I worked trying to get my mind off what my uncle said earlier.
There was no way that the two could be related. I tried to convince myself. I was scared because if one of uncle?s creations was really in that dream I had then there was a good chance that every last one of those girls I saw came from a game he made. I stood in front of the game shop that I work at and sighed.
I have to get this out of my head. I thought before walking inside.
The rest of the day seemed to run by me without me realizing it until a girl around my age walked up to me. She had short messy black hair that was covered up by a baseball cap. She had black eyes and had a pretty mischievous look and feel to her. She was wearing a shirt under a jacket and had her hands in the pockets of the jacket and was also wearing ratty old jeans and a pair of old sneakers.
?Hey!? She called to get my attention.
?Yes?how can I help you?? I replied. She gave me a stupid grin and leaned close to me, to which I responded by pulling back.
?I?m looking for a copy of Phantasmagoria of Flower View, you got one here?? She asked, keeping the same grin.
?Phantasma?wha?? I didn?t think I?ve ever heard of such a difficult sounding name for a game before. The girl pouted and backed away from me.
?Fine?it?s the name of the ninth Touhou game by ZUN, I need another copy because I busted my last one from playing for too long on my computer.? The girl?s words made me blink a few times.
ZUN? One of uncle?s games? In that case?I straightened myself up and smiled.
?If that is the case then please follow me. All of ZUN?s games are in a separate section which is probably why you weren?t able to find it.? I explained as I led her to another part of the store where the independently developed or Doujin Games were kept. The girl?s eyes immediately lit up and ran to the copies of the games. I sighed and made my way back. No one really knows that I was ZUN?s niece which was pretty good since I wouldn?t want to be stalked by any of his fans just because I was related to him.
After a while the girl that talked to her before came back with a handful of games, around four. She grinned at me again as if she expected me to react in some way.
?I decided to snatch some extra copies of other Touhou games in case my current ones decided to crap out too.? She said before walking off to the cash register.
Wow?some people really love uncle?s games?I thought as I watched the girl pay for the games she wanted with a credit card.
?
I got off work just past five in the afternoon and was walking back home. I had since forgotten about my scary dream and was in a bit of high spirits. Was it because of that fan of my uncle?s?
She seemed pretty knowledgeable about uncle?s games. Maybe she could have helped me identify some of those girls? I quickly banished the thought from my head.
?She might think I?m crazy or something if I told her about that dream.? I said to myself as I continued walking. I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I didn?t notice that someone bumped into me and fell down. I looked at him and he looked like a salary man no older than my father.
?Hey?are you--? I was cut off when the man suddenly screamed and ran away. I was surprised at his reaction since I really didn?t think of myself as intimidating. I turned back to the direction where I was heading to and found that a lot of people were running to the opposite direction as well.
Why does everyone keep running towards me? In my dreams AND in real li?I never got to finish my thoughts as I saw why. In the distance there were flying human-like shapes with bird wings just like in my dream but this time they were attacking people, carrying them off and dropping them from the sky.
?No?This is?? I started to say before getting hit by another person and getting dropped. I shook my head to get my bearings back and saw that there were more people barreling towards me; the winged people were right behind them. I quickly stood up and headed into one of the alleyways where there were no people and those flying?things couldn?t get to me.
I kept running but sticking to the alleyways to be safe. I stopped behind a dumpster and sat down to catch my breath.
?What is?what is going on? Mom! Dad!? I suddenly thought of my parents and how they were during all this. Tears were forming in my eyes as I started to think that I might not make it out of this alive. I then felt something bump against the dumpster. I stood up and saw a girl with rabbit ears, like the ones in my dream.
?Hi?there?? I tried to communicate in hopes of getting to a safe place. My hopes were suddenly dashed as the rabbit girl?s eyes glowed bright red and she smiled like a lunatic, behind her there were three other rabbit girls with the same expressions.
?No?No?Help!? I yelled as I ran in the opposite direction just before they gave chase. I winded through the alleyways and threw around random objects around me in hopes of slowing down the pursuit but the rabbit girls just leaped in order to avoid the debris and they started to close in on me. I rounded a corner but I quickly fell to my knees when I saw that my running led me right to a dead end.
?Dead?end?? I said out loud to emphasize the irony. I heard the rabbit girls approach and looked around for anything to defend myself with or a place to hide in I then saw something on the ground in the corner of my eye. I ran up to it and picked it up. I eyes grew wide as I recognized the object.
It was that belt buckle in my dream.
?
?What is this doing here?!? I yelled. The buckle looked like it was thrown away and left to gather up dust for years now but after I brushed my hand across it the buckle suddenly glowed and it seemed to become good as new. I looked at the place where the buckle was and saw a brown booklet with a yinyang designed on it. I opened it and found cards. Mostly cards of girls, some I recognize from my dream and the very one on top made me gasp. It was named?A loud crash could be heard behind me.
?It?s them!? I looked at the buckle and the cards, wondering what to do. The rabbit girls were starting to become visible and I panicked but remembered my dream and my uncle?s words.
You should pay attention to them when you can.
Especially those that you can remember as you never know when you will need that knowledge in the future.
?For the love of!? I yelled and placed the buckle in front of my waist?nothing.
?Isn?t something supposed to happen at this point?!? I yelled out and looked back up the rabbit girls were already here and were posturing up as if stalking their next meal. I looked back at the buckle and hit it a couple of times with my other hand that still had the booklet with the cards then I noticed the icons that encircled the clear glass center of the buckle.
?Oh?it?s upside down?? I said so I turned it around and suddenly, a belt came out one end of the buckle and connected to the other end, holding it in place on my waist.
?Great?now what?? I asked as I looked at the belt. The handles on the sides seemed to be calling out to me so I grabbed hold of them and pulled them away from the belt. As I pulled, the center part rotated and stopped as the handles locked up after a few inches. I looked down and saw that there was some sort of a slot in the middle. I put two and two together and I took out the top card. The card itself was about the size of a trading card and designed like those game cards in the arcade with its red on black design and the top of the card looked like a barcode but the center of the card was covered with a picture of a girl. One that I seem to recognize but the words on the card were pretty odd as well.
?Touhou Ride?Hakurei?? That name was on the buckle in my dream and what I was currently wearing. I shook my head again.
?Worry later! Live now!? I said to myself as I looked back up to the rabbit girls who seem to be arguing to themselves on who gets first bite. I didn?t have any plans on letting that happen. I turned the card over and saw the same kind of design as in the front but the words Touhou Ride were written across the edge of the card. The center of the card had a yinyang symbol that looked like it had gone through a shredder because of the black lines running from top to bottom of it but I paid it no mind.
?I hope I put it in right. I might not get another chance.? I said as I put the card in the slot, the yinyang symbol facing outwards.
TOUHOU RIDE!
?Wha!? I was surprised at the sudden deep-robotic voice that came from the belt. I noticed that there was something that looked like a projection in red that read like what the belt just said.
?Touhou?Ride?? I murmured before I took a deep breath and pushed the handles back together, making the buckle rotate back to it?s original position.
HAKUREI REIMU!
The belt called out in a deep but not so robotic voice. It was like a voice of an announcer or something. I never really minded as I felt sudden warmth envelop me. I saw that my clothes changed into what I saw in my dream, a shrine maiden?s outfit with detached sleeves there were also nine monochrome copies of myself that formed a semi-circle behind me before converging all at once into me. I held my breath until the light dissipated. I looked at my attire.
?It?s her?that one from my dream. I?m?her?? I asked myself.
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I read a bit of this yesterday, I will edit this comment to tell you more later on how I felt about it.
and yes, actually I was gonna write a Gensokyo no Sekai spinoff myself.
just can't get the heck out of my head as well, but yeah, whatever.
edit
I like it
I can tell you to keep writing this. You can clearly tell I am bias because it is a rider story, and that is just not wrong at all, because this story is an interesting read.
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SUDDENLY! CHAPTER 2!
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I was utterly shocked at my own appearance that I didn?t realize that the rabbit girls have already pounced. I looked up just in time to see the middle rabbit girl come down upon me with a maddened expression and tried to swipe a clawed hand at my face. I instinctively put up my hand to block the blow when I felt something forming in my right hand, my eyes were still closed but it felt like a stick or something. I then heard a shriek and noticed something like a flash of light from my closed eyes. I opened my eyes and saw that there was indeed something in my right hand. It was a stick with some fancy streams of paper at the top end. I looked at the rabbit girl that had tried to jump me and saw that the hand she tried to strike me with was now burnt to a crisp.
Is it because of this? I recalled that some shrine maidens use this to banish evil spirits or something; it?s called a gohei I think. I put up as good a fighting stance as I could while pointing the gohei at the rabbit girls who started to slowly back away after they saw what it did to their comrade.
?Please give up?Please give up?Please give up?? I chanted softly, hoping that they would just leave so I can escape and find my family. They backed away even more, the one with the injured hand as well, so I thought that I was going to be in the clear but then they just stopped several feet away from me. I wondered why and tried to poke the gohei in their direction, trying to spook them, but they held their ground and I soon saw why. Another FIVE rabbit girls appeared from behind the three that were chasing me and were forming up along with the others. I swallowed at the thought of having to fend off all of them at once. I tightened my grip on the gohei as all eight of the rabbit girls screeched and charged at me at once.
?Yaaaaaaaaah!? I yelled as I charged at them as well, swinging my gohei all the while. I managed to hit a couple of them on the head making them tumble away, cringe in pain and disintegrate into a pool of green goo but the rest of them wised up and jumped over me and one of them landed a kick on my back that made be fall over on my hands and knees. I stood up and spun around, ready to defend myself when I saw that they weren?t on the ground anymore but hopping around on the walls like a bunch of ninjas. I got confused at their movements that I didn?t notice one of them lunge at me and clawed me at the chest which made me slam to the wall. I looked at my chest, expecting blood but the shrine maiden outfit remained intact. It managed to protect me from a direct hit but it still hurt like hell. I then realized that I was clutching my chest with my right hand, the hand that was holding my gohei. I looked around and found it a few feet from me, flung away from the previous impact.
?Great! Now what?!? I asked myself before remembering that there were other cards as well in that booklet. I took it out from the pocket of my now skirt, opened it quickly and saw another Touhou Ride card with a picture of a woman that I couldn?t recognize. I didn?t think that I saw her in my dream but I thought that I may have just missed her somewhere during all that chaos. I dismissed the thought and pulled at the handles to get access to that slot in the middle of the buckle.
?Please be someone useful!? I said before putting the card into the slot like I did with the Hakurei card, noticing that the symbol that this card had was different since it had a bunch of points that were connected together by a line, like a constellation or something.
TOUHOU RIDE!
I heard the same robotic voice so I guessed I did it right. I pushed the handles together to find out who I?d turn into this time.
YAGOKORO EIRIN!
I was swallowed again when that announcer voice told me the name of who I just picked and I closed my eyes as a light enveloped me but quickly dissipated as well. I opened my eyes and looked at myself. I was shocked to find that I was taller and was wearing a weird looking oriental dress that was completely red on one side and completely blue on the other side. I felt something on my head and touched it with my hand, it felt like a cap or something but I really didn?t pay attention as I also noticed that my hair was longer now and was white! Not only that but it was also tied into one long braid at the back. The biggest surprise for me though was when I looked at my chest.
Huge! I thought as I saw that my breasts were not a full three cup sizes bigger than what I really am. The sound of jumping around pulled me back to reality as I looked up and saw that those bunny girls were still there, probably looking for another chance to attack. I didn?t see any kind of weapon appear when I transformed again so I opened up the booklet again but it seemed to automatically flip to a set of cards different from the Touhou Ride cards. These cards just had that constellation logo at the front instead of a picture of the girl that I?m transformed as and the writing was different too. Instead of Touhou Ride, the card says?
?Attack?Ride?? I said out loud. Well, if it?s an attack then it should be useful! I pulled at the handles again, I?d better get used to doing that a lot I guess, and put the card in like I did the others.
ATTACK RIDE!
The belt said out in that robotic voice again before I closed the handles almost on instinct now.
MEMORIES OF THE LEGENDARY AGE!
The belt declared in the same robotic voice. I guessed that the announcer voice was only for transformations. I then noticed a bow forming in my left hand but no arrow with it. I decided to go with the flow and pointed the bow upwards, not really aiming since all of the rabbit girls were moving too fast, and pulled the bowstring back. As I did that, a ball of energy started to form at the end of the bow.
?Whatever this is, it?d better work!? I declared before releasing the bowstring. The ball of energy shot up a few feet before releasing smaller balls of energy that darted around randomly but none of them hit any of the rabbit girls which made me groan. I was thinking of pulling the bowstring back again when I noticed that the smaller orbs that the big one released before stopped in midair. I wondered why when the big orb suddenly dispersed into several lasers that bounced around the smaller orbs making a sort of honeycomb design and completely frying all the rabbit girls that were up there. The attack soon ended and a bunch of fried bodies dropped from the sky and disintegrated just like the other two. I was thinking about how disgusting that was when the buckle suddenly popped open and ejected the Touhou Ride card I had put in. I barely managed to catch the card at it was thrown up in front of my face and I saw that I had changed back into Hakurei Reimu. I looked at the card when the picture of Yagokoro Eirin suddenly became blurry and disappeared.
?What the? Why?? I wondered before I heard more screaming from the streets. I decided to hightail it out of here before anything else decides to attack me.
?
I ran through the alleyways again until I managed to get to a construction site of a building that just got started. I went through the fence and sat down on a pile of wooden planks. I looked around and the place seemed to be abandoned but I could still see those flying things in the distance.
?What the hell is going on in this world?? I asked to no one in particular. I stood up to continue on. I had to get home to check up on everyone. I started walking when I heard a moaning sound coming from deep in the construction area.
?Oh what now?!? I whined and my shoulders slumped in despair. Shuffling out of the building were a bunch of slow moving, moaning, translucent zombies.
?What the hell are those?!? They looked like the zombies from those horror movies but they seemed to be more spiritual than anything. I considered attacking them with my gohei but I saw that their numbers were just too great. If they managed to disarm me or surround me I?m dead. I took out that booklet again and opened it up. I picked up the top card; I put the now erased Touhou Ride Card at the bottom of the pile and put the booklet back in my pocket. The new card had a picture of another girl that I didn?t recognize. I turned the card over and saw that her logo was a flower, a cherry blossom to be exact.
?Well, so far the transformations seemed to be pretty useful so?? I said before pulling at the handles again and inserting the card. I was starting to really get used to this for some reason.
TOUHOU RIDE!
That was my cue so I closed the handles again to see what I turn into next.
SAIGYOUJI YUYUKO!
The belt declared as I saw that I was being caught up in a tornado of cherry blossoms. The storm dissipated and I took at look at what I turned into this time. I looked at my clothing and saw that it was a light blue and white kimono with dark blue trim. It looked like I have a hat again and it felt pretty poofy and I have pink hair?yeah?short, wavy, PINK hair. I looked at my chest and saw that they were as big, if not bigger than Eirin?s.
?Does EVERYONE have a huge rack?!? I asked myself before turning to the moaning ghost zombies again. I saw that I had a folded fan in my left hand so I opened it up and saw that it had a pink and purple design with butterflies on it. It was only then that I noticed that a few swirling, transparent, spirit things were floating around me like there were on orbit or something. I didn?t mind them and looked back at the problem at hand. There was really no way I could beat them off with a fan so I took out the booklet again to try to find another one of those attack thingies. I pulled out a card that was like Eirin?s attack ride card but with the cherry blossom logo instead of the constellation on it. I opened up the handles and put the card in.
ATTACK RIDE!
So far so good, so I closed up the handles again to see what I?ll be doing next.
LOST SOUL?S VILLAGE! WANDERING SOUL!
The buckle declared as bright lights suddenly appeared on the fan in my left hand as well as my right hand.
?Okay! Here goes! Haaaaaaaaah!? I yelled out as I threw out the light in my right hand that turned into a large number of multi-colored arrowhead shapes that seemed to snake around to the side of the group of zombie ghosts before heading into the swarm like a wave which started to cut up the zombie ghosts into ribbons. I smiled and opened up the fan where five laser beams extended from it.
?Oh cool!? I said before swinging the fan into the zombie ghost swarm. The beams made short work of what was left of the zombie ghosts that the arrow wave didn?t get. The attack ended in an overwhelming victory for me.
?Yeeeees!? I jumped up, adrenaline still running high, when the belt snapped open again and spat out the Yuyuko card like the Eirin card. I looked at the card in shock as Yuyuko?s face disappeared like what happened before and I turned back into Reimu.
?Why do they keep disappearing?? I started to ask but then I heard screeching from behind me.
?Oh please no?? I said in disgust before turning around. And sure enough, the bird people saw my earlier display and decided to check it out. There were swarms of them and I sighed at the thought that I had to fight again.
?Oh screw this!? I decided to transform again since it?s been working pretty well for me so far. I took out the booklet and grabbed at Touhou Ride Card. This one I recognized from my dream. I turned the card over and saw that her logo was the outline of a maple leaf with a cross in the center. I opened up the handles again and put the card in.
TOUHOU RIDE!
At the cue, I closed the handles.
YASAKA KANAKO!
I looked at myself and just like in my dream?
She had an elaborate red shirt with long white sleeves and a round mirror over the center of her chest and was wearing a long black skirt with a red flower print hem. She also had poofy intense blue hair and dark red eyes. Behind her is a large twisting rope circle with hanging papers.
I also noticed that, yeah, still big boobs. I sighed at the odd similarities.
Why is Reimu the only one with small ones huh? I asked arbitrarily as I tried to move but the huge rope thing at my back was making things difficult.
?I guess I should end this quickly then?? I said as I opened up the booklet and it automatically turned to the part with the attack cards. I took one out and opened up the handles and put the card in.
ATTACK RIDE!
?Please be something cool like last time?? I said before closing the handles.
GOD?S RICE PORRIDGE!
?The hell kind of attack name is that?!? I complained before four pillar things appeared from behind me and were floating around the rope thing on my back and pointed to the bird people. The pillars looked like cannons from the way they were positioned and surely enough, energy started to form from the ends that were pointing at the bird people. When the charging stopped I took at deep breath and braced myself.
?FIRE!? I yelled as four gigantic orbs fired from the pillars and towards the bird people who started to disperse to try to dodge but the four orbs suddenly broke off into countless smaller ones that quickly spread out all around the bird people and detonated like those old World War II carpet bombing reels. Not one of the bird people survived.
?Whoa?? Was all I could say before Kanako?s card popped up like the others and her face disappeared and I turned back into Reimu.
?Dammit! Why do the useful ones disappear?!? I complained before deciding to leave before anything else appeared.
?
I was walking through the, now abandoned, streets of my neighborhood. I guess everyone decided to leave which made me wonder if mom, dad, or uncle left as well. I took out the booklet again to see what else I had and, to my horror, ALL the cards were erased.
?What? Why? I haven?t used these yet? Why is the power gone?!? I said while stopping several yards from my house.
?It is because of the distortion?? A voice called said from behind me. Turned around and saw a little girl that was like ten or something who had purple hair and eyes and had a light pink flower-shaped ornament in her hair. I also noticed that she was wearing a pretty fancy looking kimono too and was holding a scroll or something under her right arm.
?Who are you? And what do you mean distortion?? I asked and shifted to a fighting stance, the gohei materializing in my right hand again. The little girl said nothing and pointed to something behind me instead. I turned around and saw my parents and my uncle running out of the house. My relief for their safety suddenly became horror as I saw a large red ball of fire descend from the sky and impacted the ground causing a large explosion that was headed for my family.
?NOOOOOO!? I screamed as I ran towards them but the explosion stopped short of my family and I realized that it was frozen along with my family and everything else around me except for myself?and the little girl that was walking up to me.
?What is the world is going on?? I asked her while embracing my mom who was frozen in fear while gazing at the fireball that was only a few feet from her.
?A nice choice of words. Indeed, something about the worlds is the cause of this.? The little girl said.
?Worlds? As in, more than one?? I said while turning around to face her. She nodded in response.
?My name is Hidea no Akyu?a chronicler.? He pointed to my uncle.
?Have you not heard of me from your uncle?s work?? She asked. I shook my head.
?No?I really haven?t paid much attention to uncle?s work aside from what he tells the family about. Are you telling me that you were part of the stuff he came up with?? I asked. Akuy shook her head.
?The man known as ZUN did not create. He only dreamt and interpreted. What he had seen through his dream were memories of a realm known as Gensokyo.? The space around Akyu suddenly became black and enveloped me as well. I looked around and saw that my neighborhood, my family, the fireball, everything was gone?replaced with a view of outer space.
?There is a realm known as Gensokyo where a shrine maiden named Hakurei Reimu and a witch named Kirisame Marisa saved their realm several times from several threats ranging from a vampire, to a ghost, to gods.? Akyu explained as a projection of earth, mine I assume, appeared below our feet.
?And that is what uncle based his games on?? I asked, Akyu nodded.
?Yes. But there was a distortion that disturbed that and now nine alternate worlds have appeared.? Akyu said and on cue, nine other earths appeared around mine and looked exactly the same.
?What do the other worlds have to do with the chaos in mine?? I asked again. Things were starting to make sense but not in the way that I had hoped.
?I was getting to that?? Akyu said in a bit of an irritated tone and pointed to the other worlds around mine.
?Nine worlds. Nine Gensokyos. Nine instances that Reimu Hakurei and Kirisame Marisa did not exist. Nine times, the world fell to chaos and despair.? She said in a sad tone.
?What? Why didn?t they exist?? I asked but Akyu shook her head.
?I do not know but you are the key to fixing it.? She pointed to me. I backed away while shaking my head.
?No way?why me?!? I yelled while clutching my chest.
?Because for all intents and purposes?you ARE Hakurei Reimu now?? Akyu said in a tone that didn?t give room for argument.
?What if I didn?t want to fix it?? I said in a serious tone.
?Then all will end. The nine worlds?and yours.? She said and I saw, to my horror, the ten worlds started to hit each other until they combined into one mass and exploded.
?No?? I whispered as I fell to my knees. Akyu approached me and put a hand on my shoulder. I looked at her with tears in my eyes and I saw that she was saddened as well.
?There are those who choose to be great and those who have greatness thrust upon them. I?m sorry?but please, save us?save us?? She pleaded and started crying as well. I wrapped my arms around her and we both cried.
After we both calmed down, I helped Akyu to her feet and tidied myself up, she did the same.
?So how am I supposed to do this? I don?t even know what to do or even where to start.? I said and Akyu looked at me in complete surprise.
?I want to save my family?and if that means that I have to save everyone else to do it then so be it.? I said with a sigh. Akyu?s eyes lit up and she hugged me.
?Tama! Thank you! Thank you!? She said.
?Alright! Alright! So I?m guessing you know how I need to do this right?? I told her and she nodded excitedly. She picked up the scroll that was on the floor, the same one she was carrying around before and handed it to me.
?This will give you a way into the nine Gensokyos and give you information about them. After that?you have to figure out what to do from there.? She said.
?Oh?okay?? I said as I opened up the scroll and a bright light suddenly appeared from it.
?A-Akyu?!? A called to her. She stood in the distance and waved to me.
?Good Luck?? Was all I heard before my entire vision was taken by the light.
?
I woke up and found that I wasn?t in that shrine maiden outfit anymore and the belt was gone. I stood up and saw that I was wearing what looked like a female ninja?s outfit.
?From shrine maiden to ninja huh?? I said deadpanned. I looked around to find the belt buckle but all I found was Akyu?s scroll.
?Great! Where is that buckle when I need it?!? I said in irritation then a bright light appeared in both my hands and suddenly the buckle was in my right hand and the booklet with the cards was in my left hand.
?Well?that?s convenient I guess?? I said as the buckle and booklet disappeared again and I picked up the scroll and opened it, trying to read the contents under the red glow of the moo?RED?!
I looked up in surprise and saw that the entire sky was covered in a red mist. Everything was tinted in a blood red color and I suddenly felt like I had bit off more that what I could chew. I looked back at the scroll and saw a synopsis of this world, at the very top was what I would guess is the name of this place.
?The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil??
?
-
CHAPTER 3 TIME!
...
I walked through the freaky red tinted world Gensokyo I was in?well I GUESS I was in Gensokyo at this point. I looked around saw that the trees, the grass, every last plant looked like it was dead. I sat on a nearby boulder and opened up Akyu?s scroll.
?This place is depressing?? I said as I read through Akyu?s synopsis of the world?The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil.
Turned out that during a peaceful summer in Gensokyo, an unnatural scarlet mist appeared without warning and covered much of the land. It was strong enough to block out the sun, causing the affected areas to become dark and cold. Hakurei Reimu, a shrine maiden working at the Hakurei Shrine, felt that it was a shrine maiden's duty to find the cause of this unnatural weather. Kirisame Marisa, a black-clothed magician, hoped that the person casting the spell would have some interesting items to collect.
?Reimu doesn?t seem to be a bad person but that Marisa seems like a greedy prick?? I said after she read the respective motives of the two heroines. I read through the rest and found that the reason for the mist is so Remilia Scarlet, the big bad, could take a walk during the day.
?What?! She sends this world into a near death state so she can take walks?!? I was outraged at the reason for all this suffering and made a mental note to smash up Remilia for that. I stood up and put the scroll away. I had to find some civilization to get a lead on what I should do next so I started walking?aimlessly since I had no freaking idea where I was or where I was supposed to go. I assumed that I was supposed to beat Remilia in this world to get it back to normal like in Uncle?s game so at least I had a goal.
I had walked for a couple of hours now and finally reached a house, it was a western-style house with just one floor. I approached it and knocked on the door. No answer so I tried again.
?Hello? Is anyone home?? I called out while knocking a bit harder?a bit too hard as the door suddenly fell over and hit the floor with a crash.
?Oops?? was all I could say before looking around if anyone?or anything noticed that. I sighed when nothing happened. I slowly entered the dilapidated house, tiptoeing to prevent any further noise.
?Hello? Sorry about the door!? I called out and effectively defeated the purpose for tiptoeing in the first place! I then heard something moving from further in the house. I slowly made my way there and saw a man standing in front of an empty fireplace. He had his back turned to me so I couldn?t tell what he was doing or if he was still alive.
?Hello? Mister? Are you okay?? I asked the stupid question considering his situation and the current state of the world in general. I walked closer and reached out to tap his shoulder.
?Don?t touch that!? A voice yelled out from behind me.
?Huh?? I turned to see who it was when that ?man? suddenly turned around and gave something of a roar. I barely managed to turn back and see that his face was full of cuts and boils and his eyes were completely black, and I don?t just mean the pupils, I mean the entire freaking eyes were black. He lunged at me and pushed me down on the floor so I got a real close up of his horrible face. His mouth was full of blood and broken teeth and he tried to bite me. I pushed at his shoulders, trying to keep him away from me but he was too heavy. I didn?t have any chance to take out my buckle either.
I knew I should have transformed first before I went in! I though since I was sure I was dead meat when the man?s movements suddenly stopped and dropped limp on me.
?Gah!? I yelped as I pushed him away and started to squirm away from his body. I saw that there was a knife currently lodged in his head that wasn?t there before. I stared at the body for a few seconds before I felt someone pull me up from behind and violently turn me around. I was met with cold blue eyes.
?What is your name and where is your unit?!? The same voice from before yelled at me, a female voice in fact. I replied to her question by blinking a few times.
?Uhh?unit?? I stupidly asked. The eyes I was looking into narrowed and I was pushed away and tripped over the body of that man that just tried to eat me.
?Ow!? I said as I sat up and rubbed my back. I looked up and got a good long look at the woman who just saved me a few moments ago. She had long unkempt hair that went down to her waist and her bangs fell all over her face. She was wearing the same thing I was, a Kunoichi outfit, but was in dark blue and she had a long red scarf that covered her nose and mouth. I was too busy staring at her and before I knew it, a knife few by the right side of my head, narrowly missing my ear and embedding itself in the wooden wall behind me with a thump.
?Hey! What was that for?!? I yelled out to her while I put my hand over my right ear to make sure that it was still there. The woman walked up and knelt down on one knee next to me, pulled a knife from her back, holding it between her middle and ring finger and pointed it at me. I froze as the knife slowly came closer and closer.
?Who are you? Speak!? The woman demanded. I shut my eyes in surprise.
?Aozaki Tama!? I blurted out, my eyes still shut in fear.
?Why are you here?!? The woman continued the interrogation. I still had my eyes closed since staring straight into a very sharp knife isn?t something I?d like to be doing.
?I got lost and found this place! I thought I could find help!? I blurted out again.
?Did you eat any mushrooms?!? The woman asked again, I was starting to get a feeling that she?d do this all?
?Mushrooms?? I suddenly said in a confused voice, opening my right eye but quickly shutting it again when I saw the tip of the knife.
?Yes! The mushrooms on the ground! Have you eaten any?!? She asked again, her voice was between irritation and worry.
?What? No! I haven?t even SEEN any mushrooms!? I yelled back at her. Really I didn?t since I was too awestruck at the world I dropped into I didn?t have time to actually notice any fungi growing out of the dirt. I then heard her sigh, in relief I dared to hope, and stand up. I slowly opened my eyes and saw that she was standing over me and held out a hand to me, her knife was already gone.
?Th-thank you?? I said before taking her hand and standing up.
?Sorry about that?I thought you had already given up and started eating the mushrooms which was why you were here.? She said in a neutral voice which was reflected by her eyes.
?I don?t get it?what does eating mushrooms have to do with me being here?? I asked, making her blink a couple of times in confusion. She quickly recomposed herself, cleared her throat and pointed to the dead man.
?Because you turn into that if you do?? She said in a solemn voice. I gulped when I realized her motive for aggressively asking me about those mushrooms. I turned back to her when I heard footsteps and saw that she was already headed outside.
?Hey wait for me!? I called out to her before starting after her, giving the corpse one last look. I did so because I was worried. The mist indicated that this WAS The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil?s world but I didn?t hear anything from Uncle?s stories or read anything from Akyu?s scroll that said anything about mushroom induced insane cannibalistic tendencies.
I got out of the house and saw the woman with a small group of people wearing the same ninja outfit. They were armed with crude swords and spears and, except for the silver haired woman, looked really weary. I could see that the woman was giving out orders to the other people there, who were mostly middle aged men, and they all started to move away.
?Hey! I?m coming with you!? I yelled out and was met with another knife that narrowly missed my head again, making me stop cold. The woman gave me a nasty glare before motioning for the others to keep going. I guess they didn?t want me around. I stood there in place, mostly in fear, until they were out of sight in the distance. I sighed and looked around for a place to sit, finding none, I decided to go back inside the house thinking that the threat was already gone. While I was walking back I saw a small glowing mushroom. I knelt down to get a better look. It seemed like a regular mushroom except for that fact that it was glowing as red as the sky was.
?So this is what that woman was talking about?? I said before standing up and heading into the house, making a mental note to stay away from glowing mushrooms or anything that glows red in general.
?
I sat down on a chair in the house and opened up Akyu?s scroll again, hoping to get some more clues about this messed up world. I read through Akyu?s scroll and found out about the enemies that Reimu and Marisa faced here, namely the bosses I guess. There was a Youkai girl named Rumia, an Ice Fairy named Cirno, a gatekeeper called Hong Meiling, a mage named Patchouli Knowledge, a maid and knife expert Izayoi Sakuya?
Wait! Knife expert?! I thought when I read that part. I continued to read and the description for Sakuya matched perfectly with that woman who saved me before except that her hair was longer and she wasn?t a maid or one of the bad buys as far as I could tell.
?This makes no sense?this world is nothing like the one described in the scroll or Uncle?s game!? I complained at the inaccuracy of the information provided to me. My irritation to the whole situation was abruptly put to a halt when I heard screams. I put the scroll away and ran out of the house. The screams seemed to have come from the direction where this world?s Sakuya and her followers went.
?Maybe they?re under attack?? I asked the obvious question. I closed my eyes and concentrated and the buckle appeared in my right hand and the booklet in my left. I placed the buckle on and the belt came out one end and locked in place in the other.
?This time, I?m going in prepared!? I declared to myself before opening up the booklet. I saw that all the cards were still blank except for Reimu?s. I sighed at the lack of choices but decided that it was better than nothing. I took out Reimu?s card and pulled at the handles. I then remembered some old TV shows about guys who did this sort of thing, transforming and fighting monsters and stuff.
?Henshin! I guess?? I said with a bit of a pose like in those TV shows, which made me feel like a freak, before putting the card in, the yinyang facing out.
TOUHOU RIDE!
It felt like forever since I last heard that robotic voice. I closed the handles to get it over with.
HAKUREI REIMU!
My outfit changed into that shrine maiden outfit with those detached sleeves but was all grey and those nine monochrome copies of me spread out before going back into me, my miko outfit got it?s red and white coloring back afterwards. I felt my gohei materialize in my right hand again and nodded.
?Alright! Ready!? I cheered myself on before running to the direction of the screams.
?
I reached Sakuya?s group and saw that most of them were already lying motionless on the ground, Sakuya was currently throwing knives at something that looked like a swirling globe of darkness.
Darkness? I recalled Akyu?s scroll and remembered that the one that can control darkness was the Youkai Rumia. I tightened my grip on the gohei and charged in. I extended my left hand because I read that Reimu was supposed to be able to fire sealing amulets, needles and stuff from my Uncle?s games and I hoped that I could do the same. It paid off as my left hand glowed and five, four inch long needles at the dark globe. That caught Sakuya by surprise as she jumped back, away from the globe of darkness and my firing line, and quickly turned to me.
?Who are you?!? She yelled. No surprise there.
?Not now!? I yelled back as a loud scream could be heard from within the globe of darkness which made both of us go on a defensive stance. The darkness dissipated and revealed the source of the scream and the darkness?Rumia.
She mostly matched the description in the scroll: Red eyes, short blond hair with a red ribbon, wearing a black vest and skirt, and a white blouse. I said mostly because her face was covered in boils and scars, her eyes were all black, and black puss was coming out of her mouth.
Must be those mushrooms again?I thought while gritting my teeth. Rumia screamed again and tendrils of darkness came out from behind her and headed straight for us. Sakuya expertly dodged the tendrils while I was less successful and had to block a couple of them with my gohei. The tendrils looked formless but they felt like fully swung swords against my gohei which thankfully held up to the stress. More tendrils of darkness came out of Rumia, which were aimed at me, before she charged at Sakuya who was waiting.
?Gaaaah!? I yelled as I batted away the tendrils with my gohei and saw that Sakuya was expertly throwing knives at Rumia and hit her in the chest, the shoulder, and the side of her head but it didn?t even slow down the fierce assault as Rumia swiped a claw at Sakuya who barely managed to back away. The Youkai swiped at her a few more times before sending out more tendrils at Sakuya who bobbed and weaved through them but got hit in the right side, making her clutch her wound with her left hand to try to stop the bleeding.
?Sakuya!? I yelled out after she got hit and took out my booklet. I opened it up and it went directly to Reimu?s attacks. I was about to take out one but I noticed the card under it. It looked like the attack ride cards but the red parts were in gold, including the yinyang logo in the middle. I read the label on the card?
?Final?Attack?Ride?? I said then I heard Sakuya yell out again, making me look back at the fight several feet away. Sakuya was swinging a knife at Rumia with her right hand. The darkness Youkai was getting hit at the arms but was completely ignoring the damage as she swiped at Sakuya with her claws and tendrils. No matter how you look at it, Sakuya was loosing.
?This had better be strong enough!? I said as I pulled at the handles of the buckle and put the card in.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
The belt declared before I pushed the handles back together.
RE-RE-REIMU!
The announcer voice said, the first part seemed like a skipping CD or something. That took a back seat in my mind when I saw that my whole body started glowing. Almost on its own, my body crouched down and placed my hands on my knees. What happened next was suddenly a haze as if I wasn?t in control of my body anymore. Six orbs of different colors suddenly appeared around me and I dashed towards Rumia with the orbs tailing me, noticed that I was actually hovering a few inches above the ground as I zoomed towards the Youkai before jumping up. I leaped up a good two stories and descended towards Rumia in a flying kick with my right leg extended and my left tucked up behind it, the orbs of light spiraled to my right foot fused to it in a bright white glow. Rumia turned to me too late and the bright light from my kick blinded her, making me hit her dead center in the chest. I blasted through the darkness Youkai who was engulfed in an explosion during impact. I skidded a few feet before stopping, my breath labored from what I had just done. I turned back and saw that there was no more Rumia left or her darkness. I then saw Sakuya lean against a tree, still clutching her wound.
?Sakuya!? I yelled out before running to her. But I was stopped when she pointed a knife at me; her glare at me was just as sharp.
?Don?t come near me! Demon!? She yelled out.
?Demon? What are you talking about Sakuya?? I said with my voice shaky.
?Stop calling me that! My name is not Sakuya! I HAVE NO NAME!? She screamed before throwing the knife in her hand at me. I managed to deflect it with my gohei but Sakuya ran towards me and pulled out more knives, her wound seemingly nothing to her anymore. She threw some more knives at me and I blocked again but there were too many and a few grazed my left cheek and arm.
?Wait! Stop! Why are you attacking me?!? I yelled out to her while still going on the defensive. I thought of firing some needles at her but I didn?t want to hurt her more than she already was. She saved my life once afterall.
?You! I was warned about you! You are Hakurei Reimu! And you are here to destroy this world!? Sakuya said in a rage and pressed on her attack.
?Demon?! What?? I was completely confused now. Who could have told her that? Hakurei Reimu isn?t even supposed to exist in this world!
?
As the fight raged on, a girl with long light green hair and yellow eyes and was wearing a blue and white outfit similar to a shrine maiden's with detached sleeves and light blue polka dots and stripes covering the blue areas was standing several yards away observing the battle.
?Hakurei?you do not belong in this world! You must be erased!? She declared before raising her right hand towards Tama and Sakuya, a green magic circle forming from it.
?Be erased!?
?
I jumped back, away from Sakuya when she leapt up and threw four more knives at me. I was breathing heavily from all the fighting and felt like I wasn?t going to last much longer. Sakuya looked like she was really tired too and was heaving as well.
?Please! Let me explain! I?m not here to--? I was interrupted when a grey swirling screen came up from the ground and swept across us. I covered my face and so did Sakuya in fear of any ill effects. I blinked a few times when nothing happened.
?There she is! There she is!? A voice came from behind me, making me turn to it. I saw three girls who were floating in the air and had instruments floating with them. The one in the middle who the voice came from had gold eyes, short blond hair, and had a violin floating nearby. She was wearing something that looked like a band uniform which was black, with white and red trim. Her matching hat had a Red Crescent moon decoration at the peak.
?So?all we have to do it beat her right?? The girl on the right said. She had brown eyes, short brown hair and had a winged keyboard floating nearby. Her band uniform was red, with pink and black trim. Her hat has a green shooting star decoration at the peak.
?No way! We have to kill her! Kill! Kill! Kill!? The one on the left said. She had blue eyes, wavy light-blue hair and had a trumpet floating nearby. Her band uniform is pink, with blue and black trim. Her hat has a blue sun decoration at the peak.
?Who the hell are you guys?!? Sakuya yelled out at the new comers.
?Hey! Screw you!? The one in pink yelled back and flipped the bird at Sakuya, though I doubted that she understood the gesture.
?I am Lunasa!? The middle one declared.
?I am Lyrica!? The one on the right continued.
?And I am Merlin you whores!? The one on the left finished.
?We are! The Prismriver Sisters! The Phantom Ensemble!? They all said at once before they flew at me, intent on doing what the one called Merlin said. I braced myself for another battle?and this time, I was fighting four on one.
?
-
Chapter 4!
...
?Are you serious?!? I yelled out as the Phantom?whatever started their attack. The one in pink and the one in red zoomed ahead of the one in black while playing their instruments, resulting in a strangely appropriate melody for a battle. I never managed to appreciate their musical talent because I saw that trailing behind them were purple orbs the size of basketballs. They zoomed past me; crossing each other?s path before they got to me and making the orbs close in on me in a crossfire wave. I held up my gohei, ready to bat away the orbs as they were pretty big targets but, just as they were a couple of feet away from me, each of the purple orbs split off into three white tennis ball sized each. I still tried to bat the smaller orbs away but there were just too many and I got hit by a large number of them.
?Augh!? I grunted as I felt the orbs hit me all over my body, one after the other. The miko outfit managed to keep me alive through the whole attack but I can see smoke suddenly rise up from my now smoldering clothes. I was already weak from using Reimu?s strongest attack on Rumia and defending against Sakuya that I knew I couldn?t last much longer.
?Yaaaah!? Screamed the one in black as she lunged at me, using her Violin Bow as a sword that I barely managed to block with my gohei.
?Hey come on! You gotta be better than that if you plan to fight The Phantom Ensemble!? She said before using her strength to push me away, making me skid a few feet backwards. I dropped to one knee after stopping and looked at my surroundings. The three of them were still up in the air, surrounding me. Sakuya was farther away and was looking at the fight but I couldn?t tell what her expression was as her hair and scarf was covering her face.
?Sakuya!? I called out before getting hit by a blast of energy from behind and doubling over. It came from the one in pink. She was holding her trumpet while giving a big smirk.
?Eyes on the fight missy! I hate being ignored during a performance!? She said before blowing into her trumpet again and sending another beam of energy at me. I forced myself up and ran, the beam barely missing me but I could feel the heat from it as it grazed my back.
?Please don?t fight back anymore!? The one in red said before playing her winged keyboard and sending a wave of arrowhead shaped projectiles at me that crisscrossed, making it difficult to dodge. I got hit again and I started to taste my own blood from the back of my throat. I dropped my gohei and held my stomach, coughing out blood and dropping to my knees.
?Looks like it?s already over.? The one in black declared. I looked back at Sakuya who was still motionless.
?Sakuya! Please! I?m not here to destroy this world!? I called out, blood in my mouth and tears streaming down my eyes. I heard someone starting to laugh. I turned and saw that it was the one in pink. She and the one in red had already joined with the one in black, to finish me off no doubt.
?Destroy the world?! She can?t even defend herself! What a joke!? The one in pink yelled out to me.
?Enough! Let?s finish this!? The one in black said. The other two looked back and nodded. The three of them positioned themselves next to each other, holding each other?s hands, forming a triangle.
?Ghostly Wheel Concerto Grosso!? They all said at once before moving back, away from each other. Their hands separated but the remained connected by a beam that connected their hands, keeping their triangle formation.
So?I get killed at the very first stage huh? I thought, bitterly laughing that I even considered that I could save this world. I guessed that this was my punishment for thinking so arrogantly about all this. I looked at the ground and started crying.
?I?m sorry?Mom?Dad?Uncle?I?m so sorry?I?won?t?be able to?save you?anymore?? I said between sobs while shutting my eyes, preparing myself for the worse. I then heard a scream?but not mine.
?YOU BITCH!? I heard the voice of the one in pink yell out. I opened my eyes to see what happened and saw Sakuya had her right hand outstretched, her steely eyes locked at the three floating girls. I turned to them and saw that she had hit the one in pink dead center of the back of her left hand which she was now clutching.
?Sa..ku..ya?? I managed to say out to her. I didn?t even look at me and just pulled out a few more knives from who knows where and charged at the three girls.
?You?ll pay for that!? The one on pink declared before separating from the other two and making a beeline towards Sakuya.
?Merilin! Get back in formation! We can finish her off with the Concerto!? The one in black yelled out but was ignored by the one in pink who lifted up her trumpet and sent a blast of energy at Sakuya who jumped away at the last moment. Her scarf got singed but she was otherwise unharmed. She proved it by throwing handfuls of knives, one wave after the other, so quickly that some of the knives were actually bouncing from others and changing directions. The one in pink got hit several times by the knives but wasn?t bleeding at all.
?Merlin!? The one in black called out to the one in pink and she zoomed towards Sakuya along with the one in red, their laser link was still in effect.
?I?have?to?help?? I said as I reached into my pocket and pulled out the booklet. I opened it and it went to Reimu?s attacks. I pulled out a card with my trembling hand and put the booklet back in my pocket. I forced myself to stand up, barely being able to do so, and pulled at the handles which felt like they were several times heavier than they usually are. I eventually managed to get it open so I put the card in the slot.
ATTACK RIDE!
I took a labored breath and pushed the handles together.
YOUKAI BUSTER!
The belt declared as I saw both my arms glow and they started to rise by themselves and made my palms point at the two girls headed for the third one. My palms glowed bright before several talismans shot out like machine gun fire at the girl in red and the girl in black. They stopped in their tracks when they saw my barrage and sent their own attacks at me. Several shards of black and red came from their hands and the laser between them and managed to take out a lot of my talismans but some managed to hit home and their like was severed because of it. Bad news was that some of those shards managed to hit me as well and flew back from the impact and landed on my back. My vision darkened before I blacked out.
?
?What are those fools doing?!? The woman with green hair said while biting the nail of her right thumb.
?Enough!? She declared before raising her left hand, the same magic circle appearing from it. In the distance, the clash between Sakuya and the Prismrivers was sudden stopped because of another screen of swirling grey that passed over the combatants. Sakuya covered her eyes again until it ended and found that the Prismrivers were gone. She ran to Tama?s unconscious form that had already transformed back to normal, the belt and buckle were gone and she was back to wearing that Kunoichi outfit.
?Hakurei?you will be destroyed?this I swear!? The green haired woman said before she too disappeared when a screen of swirling gray passed over her.
?
I regained consciousness after who knows how long. I slowly opened my eyes and saw that there was a ceiling. I tried to move my body and got greeted by pain, which was good since that meant that I was still alive. I realized that I was lying on a ragged sack cloth mat and tried to pull myself up, barely being able to sit up.
?Don?t force yourself?you are still injured.? Sakuya?s voice echoed in the room. I looked in the direction of the source and saw her standing there with a bowl in hand.
?Saku?sorry!? I covered my mouth with my right hand when I realized I was going to call her Sakuya again.
I HAVE NO NAME!
I was so caught up in remembering that scene that I had forgotten that I had already changed back from Reimu.
Oh jeez?How am I going to explain this? I thought as Sakuya sat down cross-legged beside me with a bowl of what I think was stew or something. Sakuya stirred the contents of the bowl for a bit before looking back up at me, making be flinch.
?Are you okay now?? She asked me. I just nodded in confusion.
?Good?now, open wide.? She said before taking a spoonful of the stew and guiding it to my mouth. I had second thoughts about eating something from a world with almost no sources of ingredients when I remembered that I hadn?t eaten anything since the start of this whole mess back in my world. I gulped and opened my mouth to take in the stew and?it wasn?t that bad. Sure it was pretty strong but edible nonetheless.
Sakuya fed me slowly, allowing me to go by my own pace, the stew seemingly rejuvenating me like a strange elixir. She put the bowl down after I had finished the whole thing and looked at me with a serious expression.
?Why are you here? You claim that you are not here to destroy the world but you are not from this world either?and your power?? She said as her eyes dropped in the last part.
?Yeah?I kinda just got thrown into this mess myself?You see?? I started to explain the events leading up to my arrival here, making sure to leave out the parts about other Gensokyos existing, the worlds going boom if I fail, and Akyu?s scroll.
??I see?you came here to end the red mist in the sky?? Sakuya asked, her eyes widening.
?Well?that seemed to be the most obvious thing for me to do here since there isn?t much else?where are we anyway?? I asked as I checked our surroundings again. I had thought that she had brought me back to the old house that I went to when I first got here but this place seemed to be more eastern in construction than that house.
?This is an ancient abandoned shrine?I think it had the same name as the person you turn into.? She said as if trying to remember something that was told to her a long time ago.
?Wait?do you mean the Hakurei Shrine?!? I asked with a start. My previous pain and fatigue replaced with a sudden shot of adrenaline.
?Yes?when I had first come across this place a few years ago, not long after the mist started, it was already broken down and abandoned. It seemed that the bloodline had already ended long ago.? Sakuya explained.
So that is why Hakurei Reimu didn?t exist in this world?she wasn?t even born. Is it the same for the other worlds? I thought before looking back up at Sakuya.
?Those people who were with you?are they?? I didn?t have the heart to finish the question. Sakuya stared at the floor and nodded.
?There are very few humans and Youkai left in this realm that isn?t dead or infected by the mushrooms?most of which have sought refuge here.? Sakuya said while balling her hands into fists.
?About those?how did those mushrooms even exist?? I asked because there was never any mention about them in my Uncle?s game or the scroll. Sakuya shook her head in response.
?I do not know?they started showing up a few months ago for some reason. At first, people thought it was nature just being nature and finding a way to survive even here but?well, you know?? She said with a sad smile.
?I see?we have to stop it?? I suddenly said. Even I was surprised at the sudden declaration but even I could tell that there wouldn?t be anyone left to save if this went on any longer. Sakuya gave me a serious look like I didn?t know what I was talking about?she was part right.
?You must be joking?we don?t even know where the mist came from! It just?happened!? Sakuya said in frustration and despair. I shook my head and gave her a determined smile.
?I do?come with me?? I said before standing up, with great effort at first and Sakuya had to help me up.
?Thanks Sakuy--? I stopped my words cold. I looked at her and she was looking at me, confused.
?Why do you keep referring to me as Sakuya?? she finally asked me.
?Umm?well?You see?you?remind me of someone?yeah! She was pretty good with knives and had silver hair too!? I said, not really making it up since I was referring to the Sakuya from Uncle?s games.
?I see?and I remind you of her?? Sakuya asked me again.
?Yeah?you two are more alike than you might expect. Anyway, let?s go outside?I?ll show you the place where we can end this whole thing.? I said, mainly to avoid any further questions. Sakuya nodded and led me outside.
I saw that the place I was in was one of the side buildings of the shrine. Crude encampments were set up everywhere with several people and Youkai alike who looked like that had all but given up on this world. It was depressing to say the least. Sakuya led me to the entrance of the shrine and I saw that it had a bird?s eye view of nearly the whole of Gensokyo which was why I quickly spotted what I was looking for?the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
?There! That mansion is where the mist came from and where we can end it.? I pointed at the solitary island in the middle of the lake. There was an ominous looking castle on the island which was the home of the Scarlet Devil herself?and one of the erased cards I had?Remilia Scarlet.
?That place?I have sent scouts there before but none returned. I?ve since designated that place as a restricted area. So the cause of all this was there all along?? Sakuya double checked.
?Yes. Positive?and we have to stop this mist before there isn?t anyone left to save anymore.? I looked back at the shrine where the people and Youkai were as did Sakuya. We both looked at each other and nodded.
?So be it?we end this?? She said in a grim voice before walking back into the shrine.
?Where are you going? The mansion is that way!? I called out to her. She stopped and looked back.
?I need to make preparations for the shrine?s defense. Blindly traveling there is stupid and could cost us our lives and the lives of everyone here.? Sakuya said before walking off.
Ouch? I thought as that statement hit me dead center.
I just sat at the shrine steps waiting for Sakuya to come back and trying to review everything that happened so far. Rumia has already been defeated and Sakuya isn?t an enemy.
?That leaves Cirno, Meiling, Patchouli, and Remilia?? I said as I ran through the boss list I read before?I then thought of the Prismrivers. They weren?t part of this world as far as I could tell since beings of their power should have been mentioned in the scroll.
?Are you ready?? I suddenly stood up in surprise at Sakuya?s question. I turned to her with a stupid grin.
?Are you alright? We can leave later you you?re still feeling bad.? Sakuya asked me.
?No! No! I?m fine! Let?s go!? I said pumping a fist in the air. Sakuya just looked at me like I was a weirdo and I was getting looks from the residents of the shrine as well. I rubbed the back of my head in embarrassment.
?
It was a long walk?a really long walk from the shrine to the edge of the lake but nothing attacked us on the way in fact, we didn?t encounter ANYTHING on the way?not really sure how I should feel about that. I nervously looked around since it was high time that Cirno attack us but nothing happened. We circled the lake and found a land bridge that connected the forest to the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Again, there wasn?t anything around so Sakuya and I walked across the land bridge.
?Be careful?we are vulnerable to and ambush here.? Sakuya cautioned me as we continued on; I swallowed and nodded at the warning even though we had yet to encounter anything on the way. After a while, we managed to get to the island and got a good long look at the mansion from the outside. It was huge and pretty much fit the description of Bad Guy Lair with the whole medieval castle thing.
?Wow?it?s a lot bigger up close?? I commented, Sakuya simply narrowed her eyes at the sight.
?I can sense and immense evil aura from this place?I can?t believe that I hadn?t noticed it before!? Sakuya said in frustration.
?Well?what?s important right now is to stop the one responsible for all this once and for all.? I said, changing the subject and making sure Sakuya didn?t blame herself for this. She merely grunted in response but then her eyes went wide and she shoved me to the side, just in time before an explosion occurred where we were standing. Sakuya and I were flung in the air away from each other a short distance.
?What the hell was that?!? I said as I stood up, a bit shaky from the impact. I looked at epicenter of the explosion and saw the cause when the dust settled. She had bright red eyes and matching long, scarlet hair that looked more like a mane that extended to her back than regular hair. She was wearing a black dress resembling traditional Chinese clothing but was made of hard leather.
Hong?Meiling?? I thought as I gulped and backed away. Just where did she come from?
?Haaaaaaaaaah?.? Meiling breathed out slowly as she balled her hands into fists, tensing up.
?Prepare to defend yourself!? Sakuya yelled out to me and I immediately summoned the buckle and belt and prepared to transform. I saw Meiling turn to Sakuya and crouch, preparing to attack. Sakuya pulled out her knives and went in her own stance. I put the buckle on, opened the booklet, pulled on the handles, put Reimu?s card in, and?
TOUHOU RIDE!
The belt said just as Meiling lunged at Sakuya and threw a punch that the silver haired girl barely managed to dodge. The two began their duel as I quickly pushed the handles back together to help Sakuya.
HAKUREI REIMU!
I went through my transformation sequence and fired needles at Meiling who was relentlessly trying to crush Sakuya with brute force. My attack hits home but all I managed to do was to get Meiling?s attention and she quickly changed her target to me.
?Uh-oh?? I said as the black Meiling charged at me. I knew that I was nowhere near as mobile as Sakuya was so I took out my gohei and swung at Meiling who simply blocked my strike with her left forearm. The gohei crackled in contact with the Meiling?s arm but the black gate guard simply growled at me and shoved the gohei away, nearly breaking my shoulder in the process and prepared to punch me with her other hand.
?Tama!? I heard Sakuya cry out as I saw Meiling stop momentarily as several of Sakuya?s knives embedded at the guard?s back.
?Ghaaaaaaaah!? Meiling roared as she turned her attention back to Sakuya. It seemed that she was only interested in fighting whoever tries to attack her. I took advantage of the distraction and took out my booklet and it turned to the attack cards. I considered using the Final Attack but decided against it, I might need it even more later on. I took out a regular attack card and put the booklet back in my pocket.
?Dammit!? I heard Sakuya curse. I looked at the battle and saw that Sakuya tried to jump away from Meiling but her leg was caught be the black guard and she was slammed to the ground with great force.
?Sakuyaaa!? I screamed before pulling at the handles and putting the attack card in.
ATTACK RIDE!
?You?ll pay for that!? I yelled at Meiling who was already turning to face me as I pushed the handles together. I wasn?t afraid anymore?no?I was MAD!
THOUSANDFOLD FIST!
The belt declared as my whole body glowed white while my hands glowed yellow. I felt something forming around my hands and I saw that they were?Torii Gates?! They were! In each of my hands there was a small red Torii gate like the ones at the entrance to a Shinto shrine. The topmost rail, the kasagi, was covering my knuckles while railing below it, the nuki, served as a grip that my hands held. The columns for the Toriis extended from the rails to the side of my hands. It was like a having Torii boxing gloves. The light around me dissipated just in time for me to see Meiling charge. I braced myself, gripping the nuki handles as tight as possible. The black guard jumped up and prepared to make a diving punch as she dropped towards me. I pulled back my right fist and prepared to counter her.
?Now!? I heard Sakuya yell out in the distance and I put all my strength into my punch, hitting Meiling?s fist. The ground around us shook as we clashed. My Torii fist crackled with energy as it struggled to overpower Meiling?s attack.
?I! WON?T! LOSE!? I yelled out as I pushed my fist into Meiling?s. A yinyang symbol formed at the end of the kasagi and I felt more power surge into me so I decided to turn the tables on Meiling.
?Yaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!? I cried out as I pushed my fist into hers one more time, finally overpowering her and sending her flying to the wall and making a pretty decent crater. The Torii fists disappeared afterwards, ending the attack ride and I dropped down to the ground and sat there while taking deep breaths. Sakuya walked up to me with a smile but I saw that she was favoring her other leg, seemed that the one that Meiling grabbed had been hurt.
?I think I beat her?? I said softly?and prematurely as I heard movement from the rubble that was the wall where I sent Meiling flying.
?No way?? I said in dread as I saw Meiling stand up and stare at us like nothing happened.
?Get inside the mansion?I?ll take care of her.? Sakuya said before taking our some knives.
?No way! We can?t even beat her together! How can you defeat her alone?!? I reasoned. Sakuya looked back to me and smiled.
?You are here to end the mist?I believe that now?and I will do everything I can to make sure you get that chance to!? Sakuya declared before throwing some knives at Meiling and charging.
?Dammit!? I yelled before getting up and running past the gate and into the mansion grounds.
Please don?t die Sakuya!
?
I entered the mansion and saw that the inside looked even creepier than the outside. There wasn?t any lighting and the red glow coming from the outside wasn?t helping either. It felt like I was in some sort of horror videogame or something that I expected something to suddenly appear and?
?Gah!? I suddenly felt like I got hit by a hammer on my left shoulder. I held my injury and looked for the cause of it. I saw something move in the darkness of the hallway to my left.
?Why you!? I didn?t give whatever hurt me another chance to as I held out my right hand and fired some needles into the hallway. I heard them impact something soft then I heard something drop to the ground like a slab of meat. I walked up to it and saw that it was a fairy?a freakishly ugly one. It was naked and it?s skin was black, the wings looked all brown and moldy and the green blood coming out of the impact points of my needles didn?t help any either.
?Eww?? I said in a natural reaction to seeing something like that. I looked up into the hallway where the fairy came from and saw nothing in the pitch black corridor. I then heard something hissing from within the blackness?that was when I saw about a hundred pairs of small eyes open up in a red glow.
?Oh shi--!? I said before making a run for it as a wave of infected fairies poured out of the hallway and came flying at me. I ran further into the mansion, not really sure where I was going and really didn?t care as long as it was away from those?things! I rounded a corner and saw that one of the doors in the hallway was slightly ajar. I went inside and closed the door, making sure to lock it?whatever good that might do. I heard the swarm fly past?then, nothing. I slumped down and sat against the door and took at look at my surroundings, I was awestruck at what I saw.
?A library??? I said out loud at the sight of rows and rows of bookcases. I found that I was on the second level of the library and there were even more books in the lower level. I stood up and saw that the lower level of the library looked like a battlefield.
Wait?Patchouli Knowledge should be here?I thought, recalling the boss entries in Akyu?s scroll. I looked at the damage and saw that there were straight blast and burn marks of the floor, walls and bookshelves?like laser fire. A lot of the books were burned and bookcases were toppled over and there were scattered pages everywhere. Whoever did this managed to take out Patchouli before I could. I looked around and saw another door at the end of the walkway I was on.
?Better than staying here I guess?? I convinced myself before walking to the door and checking the knob, it was open so I went in and found?another hallway, how original. I then noticed that this one didn?t have other doors but led straight to something. What that something was is still unknown but?
?There?s one way to find out?.? I steeled myself before walking to wherever the corridor led me.
?
After a while, the corridor finally ended with a single door. I tried to get it open but it was locked. I looked around and didn?t find any keys or any alternate route, going back was sure not an option with those fairy things lurking the main halls. I looked at the door once again before slamming my hand on my forehead.
?What am I doing?!? I complained to myself before holding my palm out to the doorknob and firing some needles at it, effectively destroying the lock. The door slowly swung open and I went inside. I saw that I was in a huge room with nothing but another door to the side, the large windows gave some light?red eerie glowing light but light nonetheless. I then noticed that there was a chair on the other side of the room, it was against the wall and facing the door on the other end. But that wasn?t the problem; the problem was that there was someone sitting on that chair?someone I recognize pretty well from my dream.
?Remilia?Scarlet?? I said when I saw her. She was staring blankly at the door on the other end and didn?t seem to mind me at all.
?Umm?Hello?? I knew I shouldn?t have called out but I couldn?t help it either?Remilia was supposed to be an arrogant, cunning, and powerful vampire?the girl I saw sitting on the chair looked nothing like that. I swallowed and approached the Scarlet Devil making sure to be ready to pull out my gohei or fire some needles at her if she suddenly attacks.
?I?have a sister you know?? Remilia suddenly said which made me summon my gohei and hold it in front of me.
Wait?sister?! I was surprised at the revelation since I haven?t read anything about a sister in the boss entries and Remilia was supposed to be the final boss.
??she is like me?a vampire?she is like me but?she?is sick?? Remilia said while still staring at the door across her, not even looking in my direction even once.
??she could not control her power?her hunger?and her anger?? Remilia continued on with her explanation. I lowered my gohei since she seemed intent on telling me about her sister.
??one day?someone told me that I could help her?cure her?if I was somehow able to remove her immense power from her?? Remilia said with a sad smile.
??I was so happy?I immediately had my magician research a way to do that?and we found it?? Remilia suddenly frowned again.
??but she wasn?t cured?so we extracted more power from her?more and more?but we found that we had nothing to contain all of that power so?we let it outside?? Remilia said while looking at the window.
The mist?! I suddenly realized. The mist was Remilia?s sister?s power?! Then it all came together. The reason why anything that ate the mushrooms that grew because of the mist went insane?they were ingesting a vampire?s power and rage?if Remilia?s story was correct.
??it came to a point that we couldn?t extract anymore power from her?but she was still out of control?so we decided to lock her up and wait for her to calm down?? Remilia said before looking back at the door.
??we waited?and waited?and waited?and I still wait?for the day that I can embrace my beloved sister again?? Remilia said as she reached out to the door with her arms, I could see that she was crying. I grit my teeth at her words. They got it wrong again! Remilia wasn?t just trying to take a walk outside! She wanted to be able to be with her sister without having to fight her!
??dammit?? I uttered under my breath. I came in, sure as hell that beating Remilia will end this, then I get blindsided by the real reason for the mist.
?Hey?? I started to say when I suddenly saw a figure from outside the window, it was just a shadow bit I could clearly see the red eyes from it. It came in through the window with a crash. I gasped when I realized who it was, Remilia was still crying and reaching out to the door.
?Sa-Sa-Saku--? I started to say when Sakuya suddenly dashed to the chair where Remilia was and kicked the vampire at the back of the head, sending the smaller girl flying towards the ground. She then slowly turned to me and I covered my mouth with my hands when I saw her. Her scarf was gone, her Kunoichi outfit was battered and torn, blood was on her arms and face. Whether that was her blood, Meiling?s, or a combination of both?I wasn?t sure. What I was sure of though was that her eyes were red?not like the red of Meiling?s eyes or the fairies? but like her eye color really changed to red.
?What happened to you?? I asked her but she gave no response and just stared at me. I then heard Remilia starting to get back up I turned to her but as soon as I did Sakuya was already there and gave Remilia a swift kick in the side.
?Stop it!? I yelled out to her. She obviously wasn?t acting normally anymore and I had to stop her. I pulled out my gohei and prepared to attack.
?Don?t make me do this Sakuya!? I yelled to her again, trying to get through to her but she answered my plea by stomping on Remilia?s prone form.
?Stop it!? I yelled as I ran at her and swung my gohei at her, I hit nothing. Sakuya casually leaned back and avoided my strike by a centimeter. I tried to hit her again but I still hit nothing but air. It was insane! She?s even faster than before! I looked around but I could find her, then I noticed something behind me and I whirled around and moved to strike with my gohei but Sakuya managed to intercept me and grabbed my wrist. This was the second time I was this close to her, and this time I was looking into red instead of blue.
?Why do you stop me?? The blood covered Sakuya asked.
?Why?! Because you?re gonna kill her!? I yelled out to her while trying to pull away but she held be fast as I continued to try get out of her grip.
?Isn?t that why you are here? To kill the Scarlet Devil and end the mist?? Sakuya said in her old neutral tone while tilting her head to the side. I stopped my struggling and looked down.
?I did?but?I was wrong about her?about everything?she didn?t cause the mist because of something selfish?she did it to help her sister!? I said to Sakuya, tears forming in my eyes now while I looked back at Remilia who slowly got up and turned to us.
??what I did?I regret?? Remilia said, Sakuya narrowed her eyes at her.
?Regret will not make up for the death you and your blood have caused?? Sakuya rebuked in her neutral tone, still holding my wrist.
?I will repent?and pay for my sins?but?? Remilia turned to the door?
??only when she is cured?? Remilia finished and looked back her eyes glowed red with determination.
?Sakuya! Please! You have to listen to me!? I called out, Sakuya looking at me in response.
?I?m here to stop the mist?I?m sure of that now?but not by killing Remilia?we can stop it by saving her sister?? I pleaded to Sakuya while looking back at Remilia who was staring at me in disbelief.
?How?? Sakuya asked me. It was a simple question but I didn?t know how we could save Remilia?s sister either.
?I?don?t know?but we have to figure it out together!? I said, my determination not wavering. Sakuya looked at me unconvinced, then back at Remilia. She let go of my wrist and pulled out a single knife?making me thing that this might be her last one.
?I will kill her?then her sister?to end the suffering in this world?? Sakuya said while preparing to attack.
?I will not allow you to kill me?or my sister?human?? Remilia said as she flexed her wings and prepared to attack as well. I was looking back and forth at them, not sure which side, if any, I should pick. I then noticed something strange with the door.
?Hey?the door is glowing?? I said while pointing at the door. Remilia suddenly turned to the door and started to back away.
?No?this cannot be?.PATCHOULI! PATCHOULI!? Remilia suddenly started calling out to the hallway where I came from. I then remembered the scene at the library.
?She?s not at the library!? I said to Remilia.
?What? Why? She?s always at the library! PATCHOULI!? Remilia screamed out again.
?She?s not! When I got there it looked like a warzone! She must have already fought someone else and?? My voice trailed off as I had feared the worse.
?No?then there?ll be no one to contain her?? Remilia said as beads of sweat formed on her face.
?Contain? Wait?don?t tell me?? I started to say but I already knew what.
??Flandre?? Remilia said before the door suddenly flew out of its hinges. Then there seemed like a giant vacuum coming from within the room where the door led to.
?What?s going on?!? I yelled out to Remilia as all three of us struggled to maintain our balance in the face of the ripping wind.
?She?s reclaiming her power!? Remilia replied when suddenly, the room became filled with the red mist and it all started flowing into the room that led to where Flanders was. It was like that for nearly half an hour then it all stopped. I was breathing heavily and my hair was a mess. I looked at Remilia and Sakuya and they were in just as bad a shape, then I looked at the window and saw?
?Moonlight?? I voiced out. The two of them looked at the window as well and gasped.
?The mist?it?s gone?? Remilia said.
?Then?is it over??? Sakuya asked in her mono-tone. I then felt the ground rumble and a strong red glow came out of the dark room where all the mist went to. Then?something came out?
?Flandre?? Remilia asked the figure that walked out. It was in the shape of a young girl with wings that seemed to have crystals hanging from it but I really couldn?t tell because the entire thing was layered with a deep red swirling color, as if the mist combined and gave form. The figure then looked up at us; its face could not be seen because of the red swirling layer of mist that acted like a cover. Then it formed eyes and a mouth, smiled?and attacked.
She first went after the closest target, her sister. Remilia tried to block a punch from her but she was much too powerful and the Scarlet Devil was thrown back to the wall. Sakuya made her move and dashed at Flandre and swung her knife?which shattered on contact with the mist screen that layered Flandre?s body. Flandre took that chance and grabbed Sakuya by the neck and lifted her off the floor.
?Sakuya!? I yelled out at her and fired some needles at Flandre but, like Sakuya?s knife, shattered as soon as they made contact.
?This isn?t working!? I said before gripping my gohei and charging. I hit Flandre right in the face but even my gohei was destroyed as soon as it hit her. Flandre retaliated by jumping back and throwing Sakuya at me.
?Augh!? I grunted as both Sakuya and I got sent back to the wall where Remilia was.
?She?s?too?strong?? Sakuya said while trying to get back up. I got up after Sakuya and saw that Remilia was already standing and looking at her sister, who was twitching from all the power she had suddenly received, with a pained expression.
?It?s too late?nothing can stop her now?she will destroy everything?? Remilia said while giving a bitter chuckle. Sakuya walked up to her and grabbed her by the collar, Sakuya?s crimson eyes looking into Remilia?s scarlet ones.
??so you will give up?!? Sakuya yelled at Remilia while glaring at her.
??yes?as she is now?no single force can stop her?? Remilia said in a sad tone.
?If a single force won?t do it?then we just have to make more than a single force!? I yelled out to both of them, making them look at me with puzzled expressions.
?There are things in this world that you cannot do on your own?no matter how much you want to! That is when you must ask for help!? I said while looking at Remilia.
?If you cannot save your sister on your own?then ask for help?? I said to her with a soft smile.
??help her?please?help my sister?? Remilia said with tears in her eyes. Sakuya saw Remilia and loosened her grip on the girl. I walked up to Sakuya and put my hand on her shoulder.
?Let?s help her sister then yeah?? I said and Sakuya simply nodded. I then felt something moving in my pocket and then three cards flew out. I held out my hand and all three cards settled there. They flashed for a moment before turning back to normal. I looked at the cards and saw that they were Remilia?s cards. There was her Touhou Ride, Final Attack Ride cards. The third one was new to me and I looked at it carefully.
Final Form Ride?I read in my mind.
?Sis?ter?? We all turned to the source of the voice.
?Flandre!? Remilia replied to her sister.
?He?lp?? Flandre barely managed to say. I looked at the cards again then back at Remilia.
?Remilia!? I called out and she turned to me. I gave her a confident smile.
?Let?s help her!? I declared before pulling at the handles of my buckle.
?Yes?Yes!? Remilia replied to me. I nodded and put the new card in the slot.
FINAL FORM RIDE!
The belt declared as I walked up to Remilia and pushed the handles together.
RE-RE-REMILIA!
?This might tickle a bit?? I said while walking up behind Remilia and touching her back.
?Wha--? Remilia was taken by surprise as she was suddenly covered in bright red light and she suddenly reformed into something that looked like a giant spear with a wide tip.
?Wow?? Sakuya said in awe due to the fact that I just turned a vampire into a spear made of red energy. I took out the other card that was like Reimu?s final attack ride but, instead of having a yinyang symbol; it had the outline of a bat with its wings spread out?which makes sense. I pulled at the handles again and put the card in.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
I quickly closed the handles after hearing that.
RE-RE-REMILIA!
The spear that was Remilia suddenly started glowing even brighter and came to my hand. I picked it up and aimed at Flandre.
?This?has all you sister?s love for you! Take it!? I yelled out before throwing the spear at Flandre. It hit home and the two energies clashed for a while, seemingly a match for each other until the red layer wrapped around Flandre started to crack.
?Damn! It needs more power!? Sakuya yelled out.
?Then let?s give it more power!? I replied as I took out my final attack card and opened up the handles one more time.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
I took a deep breath before pushing the handles back together.
RE-RE-REIMU!
I was on autopilot again as my body glowed and I crouched again, the six orbs of energy coming out of the ground as well. I jumped up and aimed my kick at the other end of the spear. The six orbs spiraled to my right foot and fused it with power and I hit the other end of the spear with the kick, driving the spear forward and finally shattering the red energy and revealed a naked Flandre underneath. A bright flash suddenly consumed the entire room.
?
Sakuya and I walked out of the Scarlet Devil Mansion together?just in time for sunrise. I had since turned back to my normal self and I smiled as soon as I felt the warming rays of the sun.
?Sakuya! Sakuya! Look!? I pointed at the sun like a little kid. Sakuya walked up to me and smiled, her eyes returning to their original blue color.
?Yes?it?s finally over?? She said before looking back at me.
?What are you going to do now?? I asked her. Sakuya looked at the sunlight reflecting on the surface of the lake and sighed.
?There is still much to do before our world recovers?? She said before looking back at the mansion. Flandre had been set free from the curse of her power but still as not woken up. Remilia wanted to sit beside her sister and be the very first one she sees when se woke up.
?She had waited for her sister for so long?but now?? I said, looking back at the mansion as well.
?Remilia Scarlet had spent years waiting?she can wait a little longer?? Sakuya replied.
?Thank you?? She said, facing me with a smile. The gesture made me blush as I wasn?t really used to something like that.
?Oh?uhh?no problem Sa--? I stopped when I remembered that her name wasn?t Sakuya in this world.
??kuya?? She completed the name. I blinked a few times when she did that.
??I?like that name?I will continue to use it from now on?? Sakuya said with a smile.
?Yeah?? I smiled back.
?This whole thing started because Remilia Scarlet did not ask others for help. No?it was more like she couldn?t ask anyone for help?I will watch over them to make sure that this never happens again, and to let them know that someone will always be there to help them.? Sakuya declared. I could see the resolve in her eyes.
?That?s good?? I then saw something glowing in my other pocket, Akyu?s scroll. I took it out and showed it to Sakuya.
?Does this mean that your journey is over?? Sakuya asked. I shook my head.
?My journey has just started?but I won?t give up!? I said in true determination.
?Make sure you don?t. I look forward to the day when we meet again Tama.? Sakuya said, knowing that it was time to say goodbye.
?Yeah?take care?Sakuya?? I said before opening up the scroll, the light blinding me again.
?
I opened my eyes and saw that I was in a cave?I guess. I looked around and saw that there were stained glass windows around and something that looked like an altar. I looked at my attire and saw that I was wearing a heavy leather coat and leather pants.
Where am I? I thought.
?You are in the temple of the earth spirits.? A voice called out from behind me. I turned and saw a girl with short, pink hair with a black hairband and dark pink eyes. She was wearing a blue shirt with yellow heart buttons and pink collar, she also a pink skirt with faint flowery pattern and red shoes.
Who is that? I thought again.
?I am Satori Komeiji?? The girl replied on cue, which made me blink a few times.
Can she read my mind or something?!
?Yes?I can read your mind?Aozaki Tama?? The girl said in a bored tone.
?
-
Chapter 5!
...
?Wha! You can read my mind?!? I said while covering up my forehead with my hands, which was really stupid when I think about it. Satori just tilted her head at the gesture, she probably thinks that it was stupid too.
?What are you doing with you hands Aozaki Tama? Is this some sort of greeting?? Satori asked me.
?What? Oh?no! It?s not! I was surprised that you can read my mind?hehehe. Oh! And Tama is just fine.? I said, putting my hands down. Satori nodded as if to acknowledge my suggestion.
?Very well Tama. Are you here in my sister?s behalf again? Perhaps to coax or threaten me to follow her to the surface world?? Satori said while spreading her arms out and spinning around slowly while standing on one leg like a ballerina doll.
Another sister problem? Wait?Surface World?! I thought as my mouth dropped at Satori?s words. The pink haired girl stopped spinning around and lowered her arms looking at me.
?You?are not from around here?are you?? Satori asked. Damn! I forgot she can read my mind! I started to back away slowly in case she decides to attack me.
?I will not harm you human. Especially now that I know that you are not under the influence of my sister. I shall prepare some tea. Please wait here.? Satori said while walking away to another room?or hole in the wall as the case seemed to be. I took a better look around after Satori left and found that I was in some kind of underground shrine?no?it actually looked more like the inside of a Christian church. There were rows of pews facing a very large stained glass window. The design on the window looked like a giant purple sphere with an eye in the middle and green vines with thorns wrapped around the sphere and spread out beyond it, as if keeping it prisoner. I sat down on one of the pews and took out Akyu?s scroll. I needed to know where I was and what I had to do there. I just hoped that the information will be accurate this time. I opened up the scroll and read the top entry.
Subterranean Animism?I guess that?s the world I?m in this time, which explains why it seems like I?m in a cave. I started to read what this whole thing was supposed to be about. It seemed that there was once a geyser that erupted from the Hakurei Shrine which turned out to be a breach from the realm of the Youkai of the Underground. Since there was an agreement that the Youkai of the surface and the Youkai of the underground should have nothing to do with each other, Hakurei Reimu and Kirisame Marisa were sent to investigate the cause of the geyser and the earthly spirits that came along with it.
?Those two really like doing this kind of thing huh?? I commented about the heroines? activeness when it came to various incidents in their world and continued reading about the bosses. Like the previous world, there were six major enemies that Reimu and Marisa encountered. A spider Youkai named Yamame, an oddly jealous Youkai Parsee, an Oni named Yuugi?Satori?! I immediately looked at the direction where my host went to after reading about that.
?Satori?s an enemy? It doesn?t seem so?? I said to myself as I remembered the situation with Sakuya before. I read on and saw that there was also a cat named Orin who was left in charge of the Hell of Blazing Fires, and the final boss was a hell raven named Utsuho who had acquired the power of Nuclear Fusion.
?NUCLEAR FUSION?!? I yelled out after reading Utsuho?s entry, with good reason since I knew very well what nuclear power can do in the worse case. I began to wonder if the surface world may be suffering from a nuclear winter or just become an irradiated wasteland of nothingness and?
Wait! I can?t jump to conclusions like last time! I thought to myself. I wasn?t able to get any information about Flandre because I got caught up in Sakuya?s profile. No matter what the surface world was right now, I had to get more information about it. I continued reading past Utsuho?s entry and found that there was one more boss after her, an extra boss. Her name was Koishi Komeiji and is Satori?s sister. Apparently, she can control people?s hearts with her power while Satori can read people?s minds.
?So that was why Satori asked if I was under her sister?s control?? I swallowed at the thought of the possible ramifications of that kind of power. I closed the scroll and put it away and waited for Satori to return. If there were any differences form Uncle?s game and the scroll?s story to this world I might as well learn about it from one of the residents.
Satori came back after a few more minutes with a tray, two cups and a tea kettle on it. She motioned to me to join her at the front pews and I stood to walk there. I sat with Satori on one of the pews with the tea set between us. She poured the tea into a cup, which seemed to be regular green tea from the looks of it, and offered it to me.
?I apologize if this was all I could arrange. I?m not exactly used to having guests?especially recently.? Satori said as I took the cup from her and she started to pour some tea for herself. I blew on the steam coming out of the tea and took a sip. It was green tea, a nice gentle blend as well.
?Not a problem. I should be the one apologizing to you, suddenly appearing out of nowhere like that. You?re probably wondering why I?m here right?? I said before taking other sip of the tea. I looked at her for a response but she just sat there with her eyes closed while drinking her tea.
?Umm?Satori?? I leaned closer after the lack of response from the girl. She stopped drinking her tea, opened her eyes and looked straight at me.
?You come from a world where our realm of Gensokyo is nothing more than the musings of a drunken man, your uncle, and is treated as fiction. For some unexplained reason, your world is in the verge of collapse and you attained the power to transform into notable Gensokyo residents and use their abilities. You then found out that the cause is that nine different Gensokyos have appeared and threatened to destroy each other because their balance had gone awry. You had to take it upon yourself to save you own world by saving the nine Gensokyos in the process. And this?is your second Gensokyo.? Satori said before turning back to her tea and taking another sip.
?You read my mind didn?t you?? I deadpanned, Satori merely nodded in response.
?That?s pretty rude you know?? I mumbled while taking another sip of my tea and looking at the large stained glass window in front of us.
?I apologize?I sometimes do that unconsciously as if the person whose mind I am reading was talking to me. And your thoughts were actually almost shouting at me so I had no real choice either.? Satori reasoned, I merely sighed since an argument won?t solve anything.
?So?why are you alone here? Where is everyone else? Don?t you have a cat and a raven?? I asked Satori for the odd lack of?anyone in the supposed temple of the earth spirits.
?Do you not know? I thought you already had pre-determined knowledge of the world that you enter?? Satori asked me, probably not bothering to read my mind anymore.
?Yeah?about that, I do get information about the world I?m in and the denizens but the last world I was in had very little to do with the information provided to me and I don?t really want to go through this whole thing blind, deaf, and dumb again.? I admitted as I recalled the many times I was almost killed in the world of the Scarlet Devil. Satori stared at me for a few moments, probably wondering what I meant before nodding.
?Fair enough. You probably already know that I have a sister as well as my two pets correct?? She asked me.
?Yeah?her name is Koishi and she can control people?s hearts right?? I replied, and Satori nodded in acknowledgement.
?Yes. Koishi?s ability to do that stemmed from her refusal to use her natural power to read people?s mind because of fear that others would reject her?as they did me.? Satori explained in a melancholic tone.
?She closed her third eye?? Satori pointed to the small purple badge on her shirt that looked like the purple sphere on the stained glass window, including the eye.
??which in turn, closed her heart. At first, I did not realize the full effects of that because she always seemed so cheerful. Little did I know that this was just her front?she could no longer feel any kind of emotion because her heart can no longer feel anything. Not joy, not sadness, not love, not hate?nothing?? Satori continued. I mentally sighed at another ?sister causing another sister grief? kind of problem.
??this also unlocked a more potent power from within her, the power to control hearts. She could not feel any emotion so she tried to observe what those emotions would do to others by making them feel the emotion she wanted them to. That was when the real problem started?? Satori said with a sigh. She turned to me and saw that I had already finished my cup of tea and offered to refill it. I liked the tea so I obliged.
??she grew fond of making others feel the emotion called love?so much so that she wanted to feel it herself, which was naturally impossible for her in her state?? Satori said before giving me the fresh cup of tea.
?She then manipulated everyone?s hearts to love only her?but it was no good as she cannot feel the love others were giving to her. She then decided that it was because there weren?t enough people who loved her and decided to go to the surface to make more love her?? Satori said while looking up to the stained glass window.
??I tried to convince her to do otherwise and to release the hold she had on the hearts of the Youkai here?Orin also tried to convince her but Koishi simply took control of her heart by force and made her see things her way.? Satori said as she gripped her cup tighter with her hands.
??This angered me so I decided to stay here alone?a self-imposed exile you could say. Naturally, Koishi tried to control my heart as well just like the others but she could not. It would seem that I am immune to her powers for some reason. So, she left with everyone to the surface world?She sends Youkai here every now and then to try to convince me to go to the surface world but I?ve always turned them down. I do not wish to see my sister in the state she is in.? Satori said in a bitter tone. I then realized that this world is different from the one described in the scroll and Uncle?s game. It made me think that this kind of thing would probably keep on going for the rest of the worlds I?ll be in as well.
?Wait?you said that Koishi forced control over Orin?s heart to follow her right? What about Utsuho?? I asked as I didn?t hear anything about the hell raven in Satori?s story.
?Okuu stayed alongside Koishi of her own volition. My sister needn?t use her power to control Okuu?s heart as it was with my sister?s from the very beginning. She had always been fond of my sister.? Satori said, smiling at the last part.
?Well?at least I know where I need to go now?? I said before chugging the last of the tea and standing up.
?What do you mean?? Satori asked, I turned to her with a smile.
?I have to get to the surface and see what I can do about your sister. That?s probably what I need to do in this world.? I said to Satori who put down her cup of tea to stand up as well.
?So?you are here to help afterall?? Satori said, returning my smile.
?Yep?I can?t really think of anything else to do anyway so?yeah?? I said while rubbing the back of my neck. I then looked around and realized that I didn?t even know HOW to get to the surface world from here.
?You are wondering how you can get to the surface correct?? Satori asked me before walking past me and across the rows of pews there.
?Lemme guess?you read my mind again huh?? I said in a slightly annoyed tone before following her.
?No?I simply guessed since you have never been here before.? Satori confidently said as she walked into another hole in the wall, with me in tow this time.
Satori lead me through the corridors of the Temple of the Earth Spirits, which looked more like a cavern than a hallway thought, a stark difference from what the Scarlet Devil Mansion was like. We eventually ended up in the front of a door at the end of the cavern, Satori waited for me to catch up before opening the door. Inside was a small circular room with an elevated platform made of stone in the middle.
?Please?enter.? Satori said as she held the door open for me. I did as she asked and went in the room. That was when I noticed that there was an engraving on the surface of the stone platform, like a magic circle.
?What is this place?? I asked while walking around the small chamber, my eyes glued to the strangely familiar magic circle.
I know I?ve seen this somewhere before?I thought before the sound of the door closing snapped me from my thoughts.
?This is known as the Yasaka Road. It was created and named after a goddess that descended here long ago and bestowed the power of the three legged crow to Okuu. I do not know where the goddess went or what has become of her after she left though?? Satori explained.
Yasaka? I?ve heard that name before?darn?why can?t I remember?! I thought, my face reflecting my frustration. I then saw Satori looking at me curiously.
?I?m sorry?do you need to use the toilet before you depart?? Satori asked, I just dropped my jaw in response.
?What?! No!? I immediately said while raising my hands and shaking my head.
?Hmmm?very well?Please step up on the platform.? Satori instructed. I did as she asked and stepped onto the platform. Nothing seemed to be happening so I looked at Satori who had her eyes closed and seemed to be chanting something quietly.
?Sato--? I started to say before a bright light enveloped all around me and then my vision was completely taken by the light.
?Take care?? Satori?s fading voice said before I couldn?t hear anything more.
?
My vision returned slowly and I could hear birds chirping long before I recognized where I was. I saw patches of green and brown everywhere I turned. I blinked a few times and rubbed my eyes and I finally clearly saw where I was, a forest?somewhere.
?I guess I?m out of the underground huh?? I said no one in particular. I looked around to see if I?m in any place I could recognize considering I HAD been in a Gensokyo before but I was out of luck. This world is too different from the one I had just come from?in that it?s not nearly dead.
?Well?I guess I?d better start walking.? I said to myself before I started my journey in the same way I did the last time, walking aimlessly and wait for something to happen. I hadn?t walked very far when something DID happen. There was a shadow that flew over me from the sky. I looked up and saw that there was someone?something there. It doubled back and headed towards me. Looks like it spotted me as well, I prepared to summon my buckle and booklet in case that the one approaching was hostile. I got my answer when I recognized who it was?a sense of doom not far behind. It was someone I recognize from my dream, and someone that I had recently finished reading about.
Long raven-black hair, she was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt with a red "eye" in the center, a short green skirt, and a green hair-ribbon. She also was wearing a cape that's white on the outside and a starry pattern on the inside; the cape is kept aloft by her black wings. Her right foot was encased in congealed matter. Her left foot was orbited by atoms. And most worrisome of all?On her right arm, she has a device known as the "Third Leg", which looks like a cannon and appears to regulate the power of the devices on her legs.
?Reiuji?Utsuho?? I softly muttered as the hell raven slowly descended in front of me. I swallowed at the sight of her. Utsuho touched down on the ground and was?smiling at me? I blinked a couple of times to make sure that my eyes weren?t playing tricks on me.
?Hey there!? Utsuho greeted me while waving with her left hand, the one that?s NOT a cannon. I dumbly waved back, too caught up in the surreal experience of exchanging pleasantries with a final boss.
?Hi?? was all I could say. Utsuho gave me a large grin while starting to look around excitedly then back to me.
?So?how?d it go?? Utsuho asked her eyes like a child?s in anticipation of a present.
?Huh? What do you mean?? I asked back while shrugging, the heavy leather coat making it a bit difficult?I was starting to wonder why I even had this thing on. Utsuho stared at me for a few seconds before she started laughing. I was becoming a bit agitated so I slowly started to back away from her.
?Aww! C?mon! I saw the light from up there?? Utsuho said while pointing up to the sky where she came from.
??it came from the Yasaka road and then I saw you walking away from that direction. And that only means that you came from the Temple of the Earth Spirits!? Utsuho declared, pointing to me with her left hand for emphasis seemingly proud of her deductive talent.
??ummm?yeah?I guess you could say that?hehehe?? I replied sheepishly to the hell ravens words, Utsuho seemingly nodded approvingly.
?Good! So?will Miss Satori finally come up to the surface with us?? Utsuho asked excitedly.
?Huh?? I blurted out, the hell raven blinked at me a few times before straightening herself out.
?We?re only allowed to go to the Temple of the Earth Spirits if we want to try to convince Miss Satori to come to the surface?don?t you know that?? Utsuho said, her previously cheerful demeanor suddenly disappearing.
?Oh?that?really?? I dumbly said, feigning ignorance. The hell raven?s eyes narrowed at what I just said.
?Yes?Miss Koishi gave strict orders to EVERYONE about that so why didn?t you know?? Utsuho said while starting to walk towards me, I started to back away in response?bad move.
?You?you didn?t go to the Temple of the Earth Spirits to talk to Miss Satori?You probably went there to hurt her DIDN?T YOU!!!? The hell raven suddenly exploded in anger and pointed her arm cannon at me and opened fire. I immediately ducked behind a nearby tree and nearly missed getting fried by a red beam that came from Utsuho?s cannon.
?What the hell?! Facing the final boss right out of the gate?!? I complained as I summoned my buckle and booklet.
?Come out here and face me!!!? Utsuho yelled as she fired another beam at the tree I was hiding behind. I jumped away before the tree got reduced to nothing more than ash. I got up quickly and put the buckle on and pulled out Reimu?s card.
?You could really hurt someone with that you know!? I said while pulling at the handles of the buckle and putting Reimu?s card in.
TOUHOU RIDE!
I had to jump away from another of Utsuho?s attacks and I closed the handles while I rolled away and standing back up.
HAKUREI REIMU!
I got up, fully transformed, and returned fire with some of my needles. Utsuho saw this and immediately took to the air and aimed her cannon at me.
?Hey! That?s not fair!? I yelled at her while trying to hit her with my needles but ultimately unsuccessful as the nimble hell raven simply weaved around them while laughing at me.
?Fool! I have attained the Ultimate Power of Nuclear Fusion! Your silly attacks won?t harm me! Take this!? Utsuho yelled before sweeping her arm cannon across the air while still aimed at my general direction. I found out why as a large number of small blue orbs rained down at me I scrambled to get away but then I saw that right behind those orbs were larger red orbs?a lot larger?I mean FREAKING HUGE!
?Aaaaaahhhhh!? I screamed as the blue orbs impacted around me and one of the large red ones hit the ground near me and detonated, the resulting explosion making me sail through the air for a short while before hitting the trunk of a burnt tree and finally settling on the ground.
?Dammit?? I muttered in frustration. I was outclassed by her as long as she could fly.
Wait?fly? I thought as I suddenly remembered the world I had just come from. I forced myself back up and took out my booklet. I opened it and took out the only other Touhou Ride card I had. I looked the picture of Remilia Scarlet on the card and smiled.
?Looks like I?ll need your help this time Remilia.? I said in full awareness of the irony that came with the statement. I pulled at the handles again and inserted the card in the slot, the bat outline logo facing out.
TOUHOU RIDE!
?Let?s go?Remilia?? I said before closing the handles.
REMILIA SCARLET!
A flash of red light enveloped me and large scarlet bat wings came out of my back and enveloped me before opening up again to reveal the transformation?s completion. I looked at myself and saw that I had a light red poofy hat and dress, with bright red trimming as well as short light-blue hair, pair of black bat-like wings on my back. I also noticed that I had become smaller which was understandable considering what Remilia looked like and most importantly?
My first transformation other than Reimu that DOESN?T have huge breast! I exclaimed in my mind while touching my now SMALLER chest. After my self groping, I crouched down and prepared to face Utsuho on even ground?or sky I guess. I leaped up and spread my wings and saw that Utsuho was looking around for any sign of life but was unaware of my presence.
?Gothca!? I yelled as I flew right at her and swiped her Remilia?s sharp clawed hand. Utsuho managed to turn to me before I struck and got her arm cannon up just in time to block by attack. I didn?t let up though as I kept slashing at her, if I could keep that arm in check then I can wear her down.
?Dammit! Who are you?! Are you an ally of that other one?!? Utsuho shouted at me, not realizing that I had just transformed. I gave her a nasty grin that would make the Scarlet Devil proud?hey?that gives me an idea.
?Me? I?m the Scarlet Devil! You bird brain!? I yelled back at her before kicking her away from me. I quickly took out my booklet and pulled out an attack card. It was the same as the others but with Remilia?s bat logo on it instead of something else. I opened up the handles and put the card in.
ATTACK RIDE!
I started to fly toward her, gaining speed before closing the handles.
DEMON KING CRADLE!
The belt declared as scarlet energy radiated around me and I increased my speed even more as I extended my arms forward, clawed hands pointed at Utsuho, as I braced for the impact.
?Dammit! Scarlet Devil?! The hell is that?!? Utsuho complained as she tried to get her bearings back, just in time to see me bearing down at me like a missile.
?What? Wait! STOP!? The hell raven screamed before I hit her dead on, resulting in a large scarlet explosion in the sky. The energy from the attack ride dissipated and I looked around for where Utsuho was and saw her?still airborne.
?No?way. I hit her perfectly?? I said in disbelief at her sheer tenacity. Utsuho was smoldering and bleeding but she was still in one piece, conscious, and mad.
?You?will?pay?for?that?? Utsuho struggled to say before flying away, seemingly having enough with the battle. I sighed in relief before lowering to the ground, the transformation ending when I pulled at the handles one more time.
?Thank goodness that?s over?for now at least?? I muttered while looking up at the sky where Utsuho and I clashed and starting to walk away before anything else showed up.
?
I walked through the wilderness for a few hours and into the sunset. I managed to pick some apples while I was walking along and decided to take a seat to get some rest and eat.
?I think I?ve hiked more today than I have all month?? I arbitrarily thought before taking out an apple from the leather coat, turned sack, and took a bite from it. I was wearing a black shirt and suspenders under the coat so it wasn?t really that big of a deal. I went through my second apple when I suddenly heard scuffling from the leaves on the treetops. I looked up out of reflex and was met with a falling?bucket?
?Augh!? I grunted as the wooden container hit my face and start to float up again. I held my nose in pain, it didn?t seem broken but it still hurt. I looked at the bucket that was slowly bobbing up and down and floating away from me, that was when I saw that there was green hair sticking out from the top of it.
?HEY!? I yelled and the bucket seemed to shudder in fear. It turned around and did what you might describe as a bow, though I?m not sure what constitutes to a bow for a bucket.
?I?m sorry! I didn?t mean to hit you! I?m sorry! I?m sorry!? A voice said from the bucket before a face came out of the top of it. There was a little girl?in a bucket?that was floating?and I wasn?t creeped out or anything.
I must be getting used to these kinds of things? I thought in conclusion. I stood up and approached the girl in the bucket.
?Please don?t hurt me! I didn?t mean to land on you! Please?I?I?? The pleas for forgiveness were eventually garbled into sobs as I saw when I looked inside the bucket. I saw that she had pale skin with sea-greenish hair tied up in pigtails by white hair beads?she was wearing a simple white kimono or something, I couldn?t tell with how she was wrapping herself in the bucket. I sighed at the pitiful sight and rubbed her hair.
?I won?t hurt you?don?t worry?what?s your name?? I asked the girl who slowly looked up at me with teary eyes and a worried expression?it was really cute to be honest.
?Ki-Kisume?? She replied before sniffling and wiping her tears with her sleeves. I took a step back and waited for her to straighten herself out. The stuck her head out of the bucket and looked at me.
?You?you?re not here to hurt Kisume?? She asked. I nodded and took out an apple and handed it to her.
?Yeah?I won?t hurt Kisume.? I said while motioning to her that she can take the apple in my hand she slowly floated closer to me and took the apple with her tiny hands.
?Thank you?Kisume is hungry from all that running?? Kisume said before taking a bite out of the apple.
?Running? Why?? I asked her and as I on cue, a Youkai dropped down from the treetop behind me. I whirled around and saw that it looked like a werewolf?no, it looked more like a stray dog than a wolf.
?Yaaaah! It?s that bad Youkai that is trying to eat Kisume!? Kisume yelled out before retreating into her bucket and dropping to the ground, the bucket shaking in fear. I turned back to the Youkai who just snarled at me.
?Just like a wild dog huh?? I said before summoning and putting on my buckle. The Youkai pounced but it was nothing compared to what I?ve already faced and I managed to dodge the attack easily. I pulled out Reimu?s card and pulled at the handles before sliding the card in.
TOUHOU RIDE!
I ducked away from another pounce from the Youkai and stepped back to get in between it and Kisume. I stared straight at the Youkai before closing the handles.
HAKUREI REIMU!
I transformed and charged, gohei in hand. The dog Youkai charged as well but was too slow as I managed to weave past his claws which barely grazed my clothes and slashed with my gohei upwards, sending the Youkai flying back. I took out my final attack card and opened the handle before putting the card in.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
?This is for trying to eat Kisume!? I said before closing the handles.
RE-RE-REIMU!
I automatically crouched down as the six orbs of light appeared around me as usual. I jumped up just as the Youkai was starting to get up and I aimed my kick at it, the six orbs fusing with my right foot and delivering the killing blow to the Youkai with an explosion. I stood back up after the attack was done and turned back to Kisume who was still cowering in her bucket.
?Kisume!? I called out while I jogged towards her.
?
A short distance away the same green haired girl from the world of the Scarlet Devil was observing Tama?s actions. The girl growled at the sight of Tama and raised her hand, a green magic circle appearing from it again.
?Hakurei?this will be the end of your journey. Be erased!? She said as the magic circle glowed brighter.
?
?Are you alright?? I asked while poking at Kisume?s head in the bucket. She slowly looked up at me and blinked a few times.
?Who are you?? She asked, I then remembered that I?m still transformed as Reimu.
?It?s me! The one who gave you that apple?I just changed a bit to make that bad Youkai go away.? I explained to her like I would a toddler.
?Really?? Kisume asked with sparkling eyes. I nodded, I then saw that same curtain of gray swirling color come out of the ground and head towards me and Kisume. I immediately stood up and came between Kisume and the curtain.
?Watch out!? I yelled out to her before the curtain passed over me. I covered my eyes as a bright light blinded me. I opened my eyes and saw that I wasn?t in the forest anymore. No, I was in the middle?of a football pitch?!
?What?? I looked around to confirm where I was and to look for Kisume but she wasn?t there.
?Ayayayayayayaya!? A high pitched voice caught my attention. I looked up and there was a girl that was wearing a white blouse, a black short skirt, and a weird looking hat that looked like a tiny circus tent. She was also carrying a small fan in her right hand that looked like a maple leaf and I saw that she had black bird wings on her back.
?Not another bird?? I said while shrugging at the observation. She pointed her fan at me and grinned.
?Headline! Intrepid Tengu Reporter brings an end to Shine Maiden?s Journey!? She declared before swooping down to attack me. I held up my gohei to prepare to defend myself, at least it?ll be one-on-one this time.
?
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With the end of Kamen Rider Decade I bring you Chapter 6!
...
The bird girl swooped down at me and I prepared to strike her as soon as she was close enough. I was about to wind up for the attack when she suddenly increased her speed tremendously and swiped her fan at me. I barely managed to get my gohei up in defense and the force of the attack made me spin around and lose my balance, the bird girl flying back up after her dive at me.
?Where the hell did that come from?!? I yelled as I struggled to regain my footing on the grass of the football pitch. I was starting to wonder why everyone wants to kill me all the time and that bird girl?she wasn?t in the boss list either, just like the Prismrivers. I looked back to the sky to see where that bird girl went but I couldn?t see her anywhere. I cautiously walked around while keeping my head on a swivel in case she decides to attack me again.
?Come out! Show yourself you?you?bird?THING!? I yelled out, trying to coax her out of hiding.
?Ayayayaya! How rude! My name is Aya Shameimaru! I?m gonna be the best reporter ever you know!? She yelled back, seemingly from everywhere. I grit my teeth as my initial plan had failed. Aya? I haven?t heard of that character yet. I then head a whistling sound from the sky.
?Wha?Ghaaah!? I blurted out as Aya hit me in the back with her fan which, at the speed where it was going, felt like a whip. I managed to keep my balance this time and I quickly spun to where Aya was still flying upwards like a fighter plane. I raised my left hand and fired burst after burst of needles at her but she just nimbly dodged all of them.
?Hey! You can really hurt me with those things you know!? Aya shouted at me while waving her fan. She then covered her face with the fan and she slowly?disappeared!
?Oh good?I have to fight a Stealth Fighter now?!? I complained at Aya?s sudden ability while firing needle bursts randomly in the air. I knew the gesture was futile since I couldn?t even hit her when I can see her?what chance do I have now that I can?t?
?Hahahaha! Where are you aiming at? You look so silly doing that you know!? Aya?s voice said, once again coming from all directions. I looked around but still could not find her. I then felt the wind blow around me, it was a strong one too.
?What now?!? I yelled as I covered my face with my right arm from the wind. The sudden gale eventually died down and I managed to take a look at what the wind was about. There was a large tornado of leaves in front of me, just a big cylindrical spinning mass of green. I fired some needles at it to see if it would do anything but they were just broken up due to the force of the tornado.
?Better be ready! You?re up against the power of the wind god!? Aya?s voice said coming from within the tornado. I took out my booklet to see what I can do to reverse the situation. I opened it and it turned to the attack cards. I eyed my final attack but changed my mind, instead going for an attack card I haven?t used before. I put the booklet away and pulled at the handles of my buckle and put the card in.
ATTACK RIDE!
The buckled declared just in time as the leaves that were swirling in the tornado suddenly shot out like machinegun fire in all directions. I managed to dodge the first few waves by moving as little as possible and anticipating the flow of the leaves but I still got grazed a few of them on my cheeks, sleeves and shoulders before being able to close the handles of the buckle.
DUPLEX BARRIER!
My left hand came up and started to glow before that large red square I saw in my dream that blocked Utsuho?s attack appeared?only there were two of them one in front of the other and they were rotating slowly. The leaves were hitting by barrier but weren?t making a dent on it. I kept my arm up like that and let the attack run its course, the barrier was more than enough protection. The attack eventually ended and so did my attack ride, the barrier fading into thin air. I looked up and saw Aya with a clearly surprised expression.
?Not bad?I guess I should treat you more seriously then?? She said covering her nose and mouth with her fan.
?So?you were just playing with me before?? I asked, my breathing getting a bit labored. Aya lowered her fan and smiled at me, but I could clearly see that she was starting to sweat.
?Of course! You will now see my true power!? She said while taking up a stance like someone about to start running in a relay. Then?nothing, Aya was gone.
Huh? I blinked, wondering if she did the same trick aga?
?Ghaaaaah!? I screamed as I was thrown backwards several feet before landing on my back. I struggled to get up and started to look around when I did.
Invisible Bullets? I wondered before getting hit again from behind, making me fall over.
?Augh!? I grunted as I hit the grass again. I could suddenly hear Aya start laughing. I looked up and saw that she was indeed laughing at me. One hand was on her hip while the other that held her fan was covering her mouth like a rich woman or something.
?See that?! This is my true power! I am the fastest in Gensokyo! None can stand against my true speed! Ahahahahahaha!? Aya started laughing again like an old lady. I stood up again and she just sneered at me.
?Oh please! Just give up! You don?t stand a chance against me you know!? Aya said before disappearing again. I quickly took out my booklet again and flipped to the attack cards. Took one out and put the booklet back in my pocket. I opened the handles to the buckle an?
?Gha!? I grunted as I got hit again by Aya?s attack. I quickly opened the handles again before getting hit with another attack.
?Whaah!? I yelled as I got hit on my right shoulder, making me drop my gohei. I fought through the pain and put the card in the slot.
ATTACK RIDE!
The belt declared just in time before I got hit again from behind, making me hit the grass face first again. I closed the handles of the buckle before trying to stand up again.
PERMANENT BORDER!
A near-invisible square field appeared in front of me, about 3 yards long and 3 yards wide. I blinked a few times wondering what this was supposed to do against an enemy. I got my answer when Aya passed the border into the field and was stopped cold by binds that wrapped her wrists and feet, making her unable to move at all.
?What?! Where the hell did this come from?!? Aya complained as she helplessly struggled to get free but was completely helpless in the field.
?Looks like all your speed can?t do you any good if you can?t move huh?? I said smugly as I wiped some blood from the corner of my mouth. I then took out my booklet one more time and looked at Aya as I opened it and picked out an attack card.
?He-Hey! Come on! I-I was?I was just kidding you know! Hehe!? Aya rambled as she continued to struggle against the binds, sweat was covering her face. I gave her my own nasty grin as I opened up the handles to my buckle and put the card in the slot.
ATTACK RIDE!
?Wait! What are you doing! You can?t be serious!? Aya yelled out in a panic. I gave her a sweet smile before closing the handles again.
THOUSANDFOLD FIST!
The Torii Gate Knuckle Dusters I used against Meiling appeared on my fists again. I slammed by fists together making them spark. Aya looked like all her blood drained from her face as I assumed a karate stance and pulled back my right fist and exhaled.
?W-Wa-Wa-Wait! WAIT!? Aya screamed at me as a yinyang symbol appeared on my right Torii Knuckle.
?Bye Bye Birdie!? I yelled out before putting all my power behind my right fist and punching Aya, I misjudged the distance and it came short of hitting her by a few inches but there was still enough force to blast her free from the binds and out of the border and kept on sailing after.
?Ayayayayayayayayayaaaaaa~!? Aya yelled out as she sailed across the football pitch and right into another grey curtain thing and disappeared. I then noticed that another one appeared right behind and passed over me again. I put my arms up to cover my face in reflex and the next thing I knew?I was back in the forest again.
?Oh no! Oh no! What will I do? What will I do?? I turned to the source of the voice and found Kisume floating back and forth in her bucket; she had her hands on the sides of her head and was looking at the ground. I slowly made my way to her but it seemed that she doesn?t notice that?s I?m here.
?Umm?Kisume?? I called out to her as soon as I was within arms reach of her.
?Not now! Kisume is wondering what she should do now that you disappeared! Kisume needs to find a way to rescue you fro--? She stopped mid sentence when she realized who she was talking to. She turned to me, put her hands on the edges of her bucket, leaned towards me and blinked a few times. I simply waved at her while giving a stupid grin.
?You?re baaaaaaaaaaaack!? The bucket girl suddenly yelled while giving me a hug, still in her bucket of course. I returned the gesture as much as I could considering more than half of her was in that thing. I pulled myself away from her so I can end my transformation. I pulled on the handles one more time and my Touhou Ride ended with the nine monochrome Reimu?s separating from me before vanishing into thin air, the buckle and booklet along with them. Kisume just stared at me through the whole thing.
?Wow?how did you do that?? She asked while slowly bobbing up and down in the air. I smiled at her cuteness while rubbing her hair with my hand.
?It?s a special power I got to help those in need I guess?? I said to the bucket girl.
?That?s right?I haven?t introduced myself yet because of all the excitement huh?? I said while tilting my head to the side. I walked a couple of steps back and bowed to her like a gentleman at a party.
?Nice to meet you Kisume?My name is Aozaki Tama.? I said before standing back upright. I saw Kisume give me a bright smile while clapping her hands.
?Wow! Are you here to declare your love as well?? Kisume asked while slightly leaning out of her bucket eager for my reply.
?Umm?Declare my love? What do you mean by that Kisume?? I asked the bucket girl on what she was talking about. Surely she didn?t mean that I would declare my love for her right? Said bucket girl simply giggled at my question whilst making her bucket sway from side to side.
?Don?t be silly! Of course you know! I?m headed to the shrine too!? Kisume said matter of factly. I was still confused as to her cryptic statement was?shrine? Did she mean the Hakurei Shrine?
?Please explain to me clearly Kisume?What shrine are you talking about and what?s all this about declaring your love?? I asked her while scratching the back of my head to emphasize my cluelessness. Kisume blinked a few times before floating closer to me.
?You reaaaaaaly don?t know?? Kisume asked me while pouting. I simply nodded and hoped that she wouldn?t attack me like Utsuho did before. Thankfully she just smiled and floated a short distance away.
?Okay then?I?m headed to the Komeiji Shrine to declare my love to lady Koishi! The most lovable being in aaaaaaaaaallof Gensokyo!? Kisume said while waving her arms at her side to emphasize her point.
Wait?did she just say Koishi? I thought before walking up to Kisume and grabbing her bucket.
?Wait?Koishi? Did you just say Koishi?? I asked Kisume while shaking her in her bucket.
?Y-Yes?Uahhh?Everyone needs?aaaahhh?? Kisume struggles to explain the situation while I was shaking her, so I stopped and allowed her to continue. She took a few breaths and pouted at me for what I just did, I simply looked away while sticking out my tongue like a kid.
?Ahem! Like I was saying! Everyone in Gensokyo has to declare their love to lady Koishi so...because?well?ummm?? Kisume suddenly stopped herself after thinking about why they need to declare their love to Koishi in the first place. Kisume hummed while rubbing her chin with her hand. I narrowed my eyes at the thought that the rest of this Gensokyo was the same way as Kisume, devotedly loving because their hearts were being controlled by a girl who couldn?t even feel love.
?Why?.do I want to declare my love for lady Koishi?I?don?t even know her?I...I?? Kisume had her eyes shut and was holding her head like she was having a headache.
?That?s enough Kisume!? I said to her as I saw that this was just hurting the poor girl. It took a couple of minutes for her to calm down; she looked up to me worriedly.
?What?s going on Tama? Why is this happening?? The bucket girl asked me. Of course I knew the reason why but I didn?t want her to get any more involved in this than she already is especially if I have to fight Utsuho again. I then thought back to what Reimu calls these kinds of event, when something inexplicable happens and she has to stand up to fix things.
?It?s?an incident Kisume?? I said to her with just a bit of uncertainty.
?An?incident?? Kisume repeated curiously?I guess she couldn?t quite understand what I had meant by that.
?Yes, an incident?one that I intend to resolve.? I said to her with a smile while pointing at myself with me thumb.
?Really? How?? Kisume asked again like a child, which was true I guess. Her question was valid though. I wasn?t really sure what to do when I meet Koishi. From the scroll Akyu gave, Koishi faced the heroines when they went to a certain mountain and her sealed eye started to move afterwards possibly indicating that she was opening up to them.
I guess that means I have to fight her too then? I though with a sigh as I knew that all of Gensokyo was on her side right now and I didn?t really know if I could win in that kind of fight. I couldn?t even take down Utsuho.
?Well?I?ll figure it out later?let?s start with meeting Koishi first. You know where right?? I said to Kisume, who nodded enthusiastically.
?Yep! Kisume knows where the Komeiji Shrine is! Follow Kisume!? She said before floating away, I followed soon afterwards.
?
On the way to the shrine, we met a bunch of other Youkai who were headed there as well. Most notably, I saw a couple of Youkai that I had read about in the scroll: The Oni Yuugi and the Youkai Parsee. They were traveling together for the same reason as we did as did others passing through the forest. I just played along and walked with the Youkai towards the shrine, the sun was already gone and the moon and stars were our only light source during the trip. We eventually got to the stairs that led to the shrine itself, which was up on a large hill. I looked up and I felt my jaw dropped when I realized where Kisume led me to.
I knew it?I just knew it? What I meant by that was that the Komeiji Shrine was actually none other than the Hakurei Shrine?that Koishi obviously hijacked. Some of the other Youkai were already heading up the stairs to the shrine while I was still staring at the stairs that led up to the shrine. Kisume was floating beside me and tugged at my sleeve to get my attention.
?What?s wrong Tama?? Kisume asked while still tugging at my sleeve. She looked at me with a worried expression but I just smiled at her and patted her head.
?Don?t worry about me?I was just?remembering something?? I said while looking back up to the shrine?s staircase.
?Remembering?? Kisume echoed my words and I nodded in acknowledgement.
??yeah?? Was all I said as I thought back to the world of the Scarlet Devil, Sakuya, Remilia, Flandre and the rest of that Gensokyo. I wondered about how they were doing now and how they intended to get their world back to normal.
?Tama?? Kisume called out to me as she probably noticed that I had an expression as if recalling something sad. I shook my head in response to her call.
?I said not to worry right? Now come on?we have someone to meet.? I said before walking up to the stairs and beginning my climb up to the shrine. I didn?t take long for me to realize just how taxing this really was as I was already heaving by the time I got around two-thirds up the stairs. I stopped, exhausted, and sat down on the steps. Kisume floated nearby as I tried to catch my breath.
?Are you alright Tama? You seem awfully tired?? Kisume asked out of honest concern for me. I took a few more deep breaths before answering her question.
?Well?let?s just say?at times like this?I?really envy your ability to float around?like that?? I said between breaths while pointing at her and her bucket. Kisume sunk lower into the bucket until to hide from me.
?I?m sorry?? She said, seemingly convinced that this was her fault in some way. I waved it off with my hand and gave a small chuckle.
?Don?t worry?It?s not really your fault. I personally blame the stairs?so many.? I complained while pointing at the stairs behind me with my thumb.
I don?t even know how Sakuya ever managed to get me up there before. I thought back when I woke up in the dilapidated shrine in the previous world. I gave a heavy sigh before standing back up and turning back to the rest of the stairs I had to overcome. I turned to Kisume and gave a nod before continuing my climb up to the Hakurei?Komeiji Shrine.
Kisume and I eventually managed to get to the top and into the main shrine grounds. There I saw something akin to a nighttime festival?or a cult gathering maybe. There were several torches dotted around the shrine grounds that lit the whole place in a soft eerie glow. The Youkai there were all gathered together in front of the main building of the shrine where the donation box was. I heard them yelling at something, waving their arms around and even singing. It was like a scene from the stock exchange I see on the news sometimes?minus the singing.
?What is going on? What has gotten into everyone?? Kisume worriedly asked me while looking at the frenzy happening before us. She was getting really scared of what the other Youkai were doing that she slowly backed away from it all, I unconsciously did the same and took a few steps back. Then I heard it. It was the only thing common with what all of them were rambling about. Three words?three words that kept repeating through all the maniacal words and gestures.
I love you
Again and again without fail, those three words kept coming up. I gave a pained expression as I already knew what?who was responsible for all of this. I?ve seen, read, and heard a good share of declarations of love from various media over the span of my life but this?what I was witnessing was nothing of the sort. Even though what everyone was declaring is love. Kisume and I could feel it. We didn?t need the ability to read minds or control hearts. We could feel it all the same?everyone?s hearts, they were crying.
?This is too much?too much?? I bitterly said while continuing to bear witness to the display of madness. I then noticed someone other than us who wasn?t going along with the craziness. It was a cloaked figure standing by itself in a corner and observing the happenings just like we were. I wondered about whom that cloaked figure could be but I was pulled away from my musings from what I heard?or didn?t.
?They all stopped?? Kisume pointed out while slowly peeking out of her bucket. I swallowed as I saw the rave that was happening before us a moment ago just suddenly stopped and everyone was just standing there looking at the main shrine building. It was really creeping me out to say the least.
?Not enough?? I heard a single voice from beyond the crowd. It was a slightly childish but lonely voice. It had both the quality of joy and regret. I tried to get a better look but all the Youkai were in the way so I decided to push my way through.
?Stay here Kisume. Run at the first sign of danger got it?? I said before running into the crowd and making my way to the source of the voice. I kept hearing her words as I pushed through.
?More?more Youkai are needed?yes?humans too?if enough were to gather?surely?? I heard the voice again but I did not slow down. The tone I heard from her was one of desperation, of someone who is realizing that all her efforts are not enough but refuses to give up on a stubborn idea.
?More?more?I need more to praise my name?to tell me that they love me?if I gather enough?I could....right?right Okuu?? I heard her call out the nickname that Satori used for the Hell Raven Utsuho.
?But?Miss Koishi?I don?t think--? Utsuho never managed to give her opinion as Koishi cut her off.
?That?s right Okuu?you don?t think?? Koishi said in a playful but subtly cruel tone.
?Y?Yes?Miss Koishi?I apologize for my?my?? Utsuho?s voice was starting to become less coherent. Was she crying? The thought of it just made me push my way through even further. I finally got through and saw the aftermath of what I had heard. Utsuho was standing there beside her mistress and was looking away while roughly rubbing her tear soaked eyes with her left arm. Beside her was a girl who had her back to everyone. The girl that was the cause of Utsuho?s tears, Satori?s sadness, the distortion n in this whole world. She had wavy, grey-greenish, short hair. She was wearing a black hat with a yellow ribbon around it, as well as an orange shirt with a dark greed collar. Her skirt was also green with a faint flowery pattern, but a lot lighter and her boots were brown. I lowered my head and grit my teeth; my hands were balled up into fists. I raised me head and glared at the girl who was standing in front of me and?
?KOMEIJI KOISHI!!!? I screamed at her, emotion running high for what she has done to everyone because of the consequence that she herself chose. Everyone?s gazes were on me as the crowd backed away a few steps from me after my display. Utsuho stopped rubbing her eyes and immediately turned to me?her eyes widening at the realization of who I was.
?YOU!? She yelled as she raised her ?third leg? and aimed the device at me and almost fired off a shot if Koishi hadn?t put her hand on the cannon and looked at Utsuho. The hell raven slowly lowered her right arm and was looking at Koishi in shocked. Koishi then turned around to face me. That was when I really saw her. Dark Green Eyes, her shirt had diamond-shaped buttons on it and she had the same eye badge thing on her like Satori did but the difference was that the eye on it was shut tight unlike her sister?s.
Is this what Satori said about Koishi sealing her third eye? I thought as I stared at her. She was looking at me with a neutral look like what her sister gives but she then broke into a big smile.
?I see?a devotee from the Temple!? Koishi cheerfully said as she tilted her head and placed a finger on her chin. Utsuho gasped in surprise and glared at me even more, I really didn?t understand what their reaction was about though.
?Devotee? What the hell are you talking about?? I asked Koishi what she meant by calling me that just now.
?Your clothes?they are the traditional garb of the followers of the Temple of the Earth Spirits, the ones who praised but feared the power of my sister and myself. They are the ones who forced me to seal my third eye because I was afraid of what they might do to me if I used my power to read minds.? Koishi said with her sweet smile intact, no malice or hatred or fear in her words. I guess that was probably because she couldn?t feel any kind of emotion would have had from before.
?But that?s impossible! There ARE no more followers of the Temple of the Earth Spirits! Miss Satori and Miss Koishi are the only ones left!? Utsuho yelled out after Koishi finished talking and pointed at me with her cannon.
?Miss Koishi! She was the one I was telling you about! The one who I saw coming from the Yasaka Road and the one who attacked me! She probably did something to Miss Satori!? Utsuho said to Koishi while burning holes through me with her glares.
?Attacked you?! You were the one who attacked me first because you jumped to conclusions! Satori ASKED me to come here to knock some sense into her sister! And believe me, after what I have seen, I really want to!? I spat back at the Hell Raven which was probably not the smartest thing I have ever done but I really didn?t care at this point. Utsuho immediately stepped between me and Koishi after I said that and looked like she was ready to attack, I responded by preparing to summon my buckle and booklet at a hair-trigger.
?Miss Koishi, please allow me to deal with this.? Utsuho asked her mistress who just gave her a warm smile which really looked genuine to those who didn?t know any better. The fact that I DID know that there was nothing behind that smile made me dislike it even more.
?Okay then Okuu! Since you?re so enthusiastic then I?ll leave it in your hands then. Just make sure you don?t hurt anyone else or wreck anything okay?? Koishi told Utsuho as if she was speaking to a child or something.
?Don?t worry Miss Koishi. I have a way of dealing with this one now.? Utsuho confidently said before waving her left hand out at the crowd who immediately backed away to give this little rematch some space. I backed away from Utsuho several steps and summoned my buckle and booklet. I put the buckle on and pulled at the handles.
?Why? Why do you put up with this?? I asked before putting Reimu?s card in the slot.
TOUHOU RIDE!
?I don?t need to answer a question from scum like you!? Utsuho replied while holding her cannon arm and charging energy into it.
?Fine?? Was all I said before I closed the handles. I knew for sure?no matter who wins this fight, it?ll leave a bad taste in my mouth.
HAKUREI REIMU!
I went through my transformation sequence and held up my gohei defensively. I heard several Youkai gasp and whispered amongst themselves after what they had just witnessed me do. I ignored them as I had more serious problems to worry about. Utsuho finished charging energy in her ?third leg? and pointed it at me.
Is she gonna shoot? She?ll hit other Youkai as well if she does! I thought while glancing back at the many Youkai behind me. Utsuho then did something I didn?t see coming, she charged right at me. She came in fast and tried to smash me with an overhead swing of her cannon arm which I barely managed to block with my gohei. The force was so great though that I was forced onto one knee as I held up my gohei with both my hands, energy was crackling from the contact of our weapons and I could feel an intense amount of heat from Utsuho?s cannon arm.
So this is why she charged up all that energy before. I thought while still struggling against the assault. I could see Utsuho?s twisted smile through the heat of her arm, she was sweating and her eyes was fixated on me with an intense hostile intent.
?What?s wrong huh?! This all you got?! You think I?d let you hurt Miss Koishi?! Ha! I?ll protect her! I?ll do anything for her! I?ll trample anyone who tries to harm her!? Utsuho yelled out at my face while pushing down onto me even harder. I could feel the gohei and my legs giving out from the stress, I had to get her off me!
?Don?t worry about that?? I stared straight into her eyes, the force and heat from her cannon arm was making me sweat a lot too.
??She?s harming herself pretty well even without me.? I said to Utsuho as a taunt and she took the bait as she lifted her cannon arm up high to smash it on me again. I blocked the hit with my gohei again but instead of pushing back, I let the arm go down on me while I rolled onto my back. I led her arm over my head and propped my feet on her stomach before pushing up with me legs and using the momentum from her strike to flip her over and away from me. She landed hard on her back as I scrambled to get back to my feet.
?You bitch! You?ll pay for that!? Utsuho said furiously while getting back up to her feet and turning to me and charging. She tried to impale me with her superheated cannon arm but I managed to sidestep it, letting it graze my sleeves and gohei before spinning around her to get behind her for a roundhouse kick that connected right below her left shoulder. I heard her grunt in pain but she kept her balance this time and quickly charged back at me. I weaved through her furious but random attacks which was so fast that I couldn?t get any openings to counter her. She was attacking at me with reckless abandon like a wild dog. I couldn?t read her movements so I had no choice but to stay on the defensive until I can make her slip up.
?Don?t you see it you bird brain?! Everything your mistress is doing is wrong!? I yelled at her while continuing to deflect and dodge her attacks. From the way she started to attack me a lot faster, I take it that she was listening.
?She wants to be loved? Even though she shut off her heart? That?s just stupid!? I continued to badmouth Koishi. That got to Utsuho as she tried to wind up for a powerful strike but it made her open so I took my chance and kicked her in the ribs and quickly backed away from her to get some distance between us.
?You love her right?! Then you should know that love isn?t always just about the happy stuff right?! You have to take the good along with the bad but Koishi is too much of a coward to face that!!!? I said while beginning my counter attack. I struck at Utsuho over and over again in almost the same fervor that that had before but I was quicker that the Hell Raven which gave an advantage in the attack as I managed to hit her on the arms, shoulders, and legs. She eventually tried out and was now on one knee and was barely managing to keep her arm cannon up in a defensive position.
?Koishi has no idea what it?s like to really love someone! To love someone so much that you would risk the very life of your world if it meant that you could hold that person again! Neither of you know that kind of love! That kind of pain! That kind of risk! Because neither of you want to be bear the pain of being rejected! Both of you are cowards!? I screamed at her as I kept trying to smash in her cannon arm with my gohei. I was of course talking about Remilia and Flandre in the world of the Scarlet Devil. Having to recall that memory was sad enough but to see someone long for the same thing but didn?t want to work for it, to suffer for it?it made me very angry. Eventually, I felt that I was getting tired too as my strikes were getting weaker and less frequent. I stopped attacking and backed away from her. I was sweating and breathing heavily but my steely gaze didn?t leave Utsuho for a second.
?If?you?really?love her?love Koishi?then?you should know?that what she?s doing?it?s wrong?and you have?to make her stop?? I said between breaths. I wiped the sweat on my face with my sleeve as Utsuho got back on her feet.
?I?I?can?t stop her because I love he--? Utsuho tried to arguer but I was having none of it and I shot some needles that hit in front of her. She backed away from my sudden attack and looked at me, seeing my furious expression.
?Don?t be stupid! You have to stop her BECAUSE you love her! Loving someone means that you have to always care about their well being even if it means having to go against them! Look! Is this--? I spread my arms around to indicate what Koishi had done to Gensokyo.
??something for her best interest?! Do you really believe that?!? I yelled at her again and she had an expression that showed that she knew that I was right and that Koishi was just making everyone else suffer for something that she couldn?t get.
?That is enough?Okuu?stop now?? A familiar voice suddenly called out to the Hell Raven, the cloaked figure from before suddenly stepped forward from the crowd and came to our view.
?That voice--? Utsuho started and I also knew who that voice came from as the one in the cloak removed it to reveal none other than the very first girl that I met here.
?Satori!? I exclaimed when I saw her again. She turned to me and smiled while waving to me.
?Hello again Tama. To answer your question, I have come to the surface to clean up my sister?s mess?I was convinced by someone that I shouldn?t run away from this.? Satori explained why she was here. I wondered who convinced her to come here before I suddenly realized that I hadn?t even asked her that yet.
?You read my mind again didn?t you?? I asked her deadpanned and she just stuck her tongue out at me. Utsuho was looking back and forth between us during our little exchange and was probably confused about what was happening.
?Okuu?do you believe that what Koishi is doing is right?? Satori asked her directly. The Hell Raven flinched at her words and looked like a kid that was being scolded by her mom.
?Well?I mean?Miss Koishi thought that--? Utsuho tried to explain while moving her arms around as if to make the explanation more reasonable, Satori was in no mood for that.
?I did not ask you what Koishi thought?I?m asking you what you yourself think Okuu. You saw what she did to the Underground Youkai and the Surface Youkai. You saw what she did to Orin, what she tried to do to me. Do you believe what she did was right?? Satori asked again, she did so in a calm and understanding voice that Utsuho could not do anything but lower her head in shame.
?No?I was scared of what this could mean to everyone, to have their hearts forcibly taken away by Miss Koishi. I was hurt when she had to do that to Orin and you. But I couldn?t leave her alone?I just?I just?? Utsuho said while covering the eyes with her left hand. Satori walked up to her and patted her head as it trying to console the girl.
?It?s alright Okuu?I understand why you did what you did?you are not at fault. You were just worried about Koishi which was why you went along with it?the real one at fault is none other than?? Satori?s voice trailed off when she gazed at Koishi and her expression was full of surprise. I wondered what was wrong so I looked at Koishi again and saw that her normally happy fa?ade was changed into something else, something that she shouldn?t have any emotional access to. There, looking right at Satori, was Koishi who had her hands balled into fists and she was glaring at Satori with a furious expression. I also noticed that her ?third eye?, which was normally shut tight, was quivering and was starting to open up a bit.
?Koishi?your eye?? Satori said while pointing at her sister. Utsuho looked at her mistress and gasped at the sudden change and the movement of the ?third eye?.
?I see?so?this was all it was eh Okuu?you never really loved me. You just said that so you can keep an eye on me for Satori. Yes?that?s it?that was your motive all along wasn?t it?? Koishi said with a voice that was trembling in anger, her posture and expression clearly showing an emotion Koishi shouldn?t have had.
?No! That?s not true Miss Koishi!? Utsuho denied the allegations that were being imposed on her by Koishi. I walked up to Satori who had a shocked and worried expression and I had to nudge her shoulder just to get her attention.
?Hey! What?s going on? Isn?t she supposed to be unable to feel any kind of emotion?? I asked in obvious confusion with the whole scenario that was unfolding. Satori winced and looked down on the floor.
?Yes?this should not bet happening if she had completely closed off her heart. But it would seem that your fight and conversation has stirred something within my sister?? Satori tired to explain what was happening as best as she could.
?Ghaaah!? We turned to Utsuho who yelled in pain and saw her fall on her back right in front of us.
?Okuu!? Satori called out to the Hell Raven as she dropped down to one knee to check on her pet. I turned to Koishi and found that there were a few Youkai who standing between us and her. Most of them were ordinary Youkai but there were two that I had recently known about. One of them had long, straight blonde hair, red eyes, and a single red horn was coming out of her forehead. She was wearing a white, short-sleeved shirt with red trim at the cuffs, neck, and bottom and a dark blue translucent skirt with red highlights and trim. Her wrists and ankles were manacled, with short, broken chains attached to the manacles.
The Oni?Yuugi?I thought as I recognized her from Akyu?s scroll. I then turned to the other Youkai that I knew about. She had black cat ears and dark red eyes, with fiery red hair styled into twin braids and adorned by black ribbons. She was wearing a black and green decorated dress. She was holding a bluish spirit thing in her hand as several more of those things surrounded her.
Satori?s other pet?Rin?I grit my teeth when I saw them as I knew that they weren?t enemies but were just being controlled by Koishi. I then noticed that Satori had helped Utsuho back up and the Hell Raven was still able to stand on her own without any help even after the fight we just had.
?Orin! Stop this! Please!? Utsuho called out to her close friend who simple sneered at her in contempt.
?A traitor like you has not right to speak to me, much less order me! You will pay for not loving Miss Koishi!? The Hell Cat said as she pointed at Utsuho as if condemning her. Utsuho lowered her head and her body was trembling. Satori took Utsuho?s left hand and held it in her own making the taller girl look at her.
?Don?t mind Orin?we?ll get her back to normal?won?t we?? Satori turned to me as she asked that question, seemingly posing it to both Utsuho and myself. I responded by looking at Utsuho, who seemed to be apprehensive about me, and shrugged while giving out a tired sigh.
?I can?t really bail out now that I?ve come this far. Especially since you pet there finally realized what she needs to do.? I said with a bit of sarcasm while pointing at Utsuho. The Hell Raven blushed in embarrassment and turned away from me making Satori giggle in amusement.
?ENOUGH!? Koishi?s furious voice put an immediate stop to our little banter and we saw her breathing heavily in anger, looks like suddenly being able to feel emotions that strong is starting to overwhelm her.
?If you will not love me?then you have no place in this world Okuu?sister?stranger?kill them all!? Koishi ordered the Youkai with her who charged at us immediately. Utsuho and I immediately went in front of Satori covering her from the charge.
?Looks like we?re on the same side for now eh?? I said to Utsuho who just grumbled in response.
?Whatever?I?ll do anything to get Miss Koishi back?whatever it takes?? The Hell Raven replied as she charged up energy in her cannon arm just like before.
?Good?now let?s go!? I declared as the two of us charged in to attack as well. The ones we faced first were pretty generic Youkai that looked more like monsters in the traditional sense, big, ugly, snarling, teeth, claws, and the whole nine yards. Strange thing was that those Youkai were actually pretty easy to dispatch for some reason, more bark than bite really. I let Utsuho charge ahead with her superheated cannon arm and I covered her with needle shot bursts from my hand. We were doing pretty well against the Youkai considering we just came from a pretty intense fight. My morale was pretty high as I kept sniping Youkai that were trying to take Utsuho by surprise but the Hell Raven suddenly whirled around her cannon arm at me. I immediately ducked and heard something behind me that was like a hot metal pipe hitting a side of beef then a loud scream afterwards. I turned and saw that there was a Youkai that was trying to get me by surprise and was intercepted by my impromptu ally.
?Tha--? I started to say but I saw Yuugi suddenly jump up from behind the crowd of Youkai and aimed a drop kick at Utsuho. I shoved Utsuho before jumping back myself and avoiding the impact from the Oni?s sudden attack. Yuugi smiled at what I did and charged at me and delivered a right straight at my stomach.
?Ghaaaah!? I blurted out in pain of the impact from the punch. I?ve heard before that Oni are supposed to be pretty strong but hearing about it and actually feeling it are two very different things as I have just learned. I flew back a few feet before slamming to the ground. I tried to get back up but I then saw Yuugi up in the air again and was diving at me with her left elbow aimed at me like a pro wrestler. I rolled to the side to avoid the hit but the impact from Yuugi?s attack made a shockwave that still blasted me a short distance away. I immediately pulled out my booklet for something I could use as fighting Yuugi in close quarters was not a good idea. I opened it and took out an attack card that I had used before against Aya. I opened up the handles and put the card in.
ATTACK RIDE!
Just as the robotic voice of the buckle said that, Yuugi was already charging at me and was about to give me another clean right straight, She was less than five feet away from me when I managed to close the handles.
DUPLEX BARRIER!
The twofold barrier came up and blocked Yuugi?s punch just at the last moment and sent the mighty Oni reeling backwards from the sudden unexpected resistance. I took this chance and pulled out another attack card. I pulled at the handles again and inserted the card.
ATTACK RIDE!
I quickly closed the handles again as the barrier vanished in front of my eyes and revealed a clearly upset Oni on the other side.
YOUKAI BUSTER!
Yuugi ran at me again but I was ready as both my hands glowed red and I pointed my open palms at her before several talismans continuously shot out of them like machineguns. Yuugi saw the attack and stopped in her tracks to put her arms up in defense but all the talismans I shot out hit her body for sure. I kept up my attack until the attack ride eventually ended. The smoke cleared and revealed the Oni lying unconscious on the ground. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that she finally gave out.
?Kyaaaaaaaaaah!? I suddenly turned to the screaming voice that I recognized as Kisume and saw that she was flung away by the Hell Cat Rin. I saw that Utsuho was just as surprised as I was and then turned to Rin and charged at her friend in anger.
?KISUMEEEE!? I yelled out as I ran to her bucket that was now on the ground from being flung away by Rin.
?
During the same time as the fight between Yuugi and Tama?
?Hey! What the--!? I was about to scream at that damn Shrine Maiden for shoving me out of the way when I saw the Oni crash right in the spot where I was standing and ran at the Shrine Maiden. I was about to go help her when a blue spirit appeared right in front of me. It looked like a translucent blue human skull that was engulfed on flames.
?Dammit!? I yelled before diving away right as the skull opened its jaws and a stream of blue fire came out of it nearly frying me. I quickly got back up and faced the one who was controlling the skull spirit.
?Orin!? I screamed at the back cat who was standing in front of me with her right hand covering her mouth and her other hand on her waist.
?Nya~hahahahahaha~!? I heard that annoying laugh she likes to make whenever she was extremely satisfied with something. I charged up energy in my arm cannon on reflex but I then remembered who the hell I was fighting against.
?Orin?knock it off! This isn?t funny anymore! I?m your friend aren?t I?!? I said to her. I really didn?t want to hurt her if I could avoid it. Orin was my very first friend other than Miss Koishi and Miss Satori. She was annoying as hell at times but she was one of the three who understood me best. I saw Orin put her hand down and she pointed at me.
?Friend? Nya~Ha~! I don?t need anyone but Milady Koishi!? She declared before pouncing at me like the cat that she was, her big dress wasn?t hindering her movement in the slightest. I blocked her initial claw attacks with my third leg and tried to swipe her away with it but she easily jumped away from it and leapt over me, landed on all fours facing me and pounced like a coiled spring.
?Gah!? I grunted as she used her entire body weight like a cannonball as she delivered a jumping kick at me. I one again used my third leg as a shield and blocked the kick with it, using my other arm as a brace. The impact was strong though as I skidded back a few feet but I retained my balance through it. I then noticed that Orin?s body weight was still on my third leg so I looked up and there was that cat grabbing on my arm as a sinister smile was on her face. She raised her left hand and was about to swipe her claw at my face?
?Look out!!? I heard a little girl?s voice coming from behind me. I looked back and saw that kid in a bucket that was with the shrine maiden flying at me and was trying to smash Orin with her bucket. Orin hissed at the bucket girl and jumped away from me. She met the bucket kid in mid air and slashed her claws at the bucket, swiping the kid away. I watched in shock as the bucket was flung away from Orin and could hear the kid in the bucket cry out in pain and fear.
No?No! No! No! No! No! No! I cried out in my head at what my best friend had just done to a little kid like that. I faced her and saw that she still had that freaking smile like she was proud of what she had just done.
?OOOOOORRRIIIIIINN!? I screamed before charging at her. Friend or not, I?m gonna knock her socks off!
?
I ran to Kisume who was on the ground but amazingly still in her bucket. I put the bucket up and looked at her. She was wobbling her head, obviously disoriented from her little trip.
?Whaaaaaaaoooooo! Kisume can see threeeeeeee Tamaaaaaaaaaas?heheheheeeeeee?? Kisume said and I breathed a sigh of relief that she was alright. Satori walked up to me and I gave her Kisume in her bucket. I stared at Satori and was hoping she would get the message, mind reading or no.
?I understand?I shall keep her safe.? Satori replied as I had expected. I gave her a nod in acknowledgement, looking at the still dizzy Kisume one last time before summoning my gohei again and quickly turning around and slashing it at a Youkai that tried to sneak up on me. I saw that there were still a number of generic Youkai monsters blocking my path to Koishi so I charged ahead and started to take them out one by one. It was so strange when I think about it?
When did I get so used to fighting that I can do this so naturally?
Where did I even learn all of these moves?
Was it really me who was fighting them?
Or was it Hakurei Reimu?
What the hell is happening to me? My mental musings ended as the very last Youkai that was standing in my way fell on its side and I saw Koishi who was staring at me with a displeased expression on her face.
?Looks like it?s just you and me huh?? I smugly said even though I felt like I had cement shoes on my feet from fighting so much. The younger Komeiji narrowed her eyes at me and smiled menacingly, it was then that I noticed that her third eye was a bit open now.
?I must thank you stranger?all this time, I had always thought that love was the greatest emotion someone could feel. So much so that I might even be able to feel it even in my state?but I was wrong! Hahahahahahahahaha!? Koishi ranted like a madman, tilting her head back and covering her eyes with her right hand.
?No?it isn?t love that is the greatest emotion to feel?it is hatred! Hatred forced me close my third eye and ironically?hatred also made it open again! Hahahahahahaha!? Koishi cackled at the cruel irony of her words. Even I understood what she had meant by that. She had used her power to ?convince? nearly every last intelligent life form in Gensokyo to love her and she still couldn?t feel it but seeing me and Utsuho fight and feeling our emotions in that fight was enough to make her feel an emotion. Bad news was that the emotion in question was anger and hatred.
?Allow me to thank you for making me feel emotions again! Let me show you my purest form of my feelings!? Koishi declared as she started to walk up to me. I held up my gohei and prepared to defend myself from her. I wasn?t really sure how she was supposed to attack me since she didn?t look li?
?Augh! Aaaahh!? I suddenly dropped my gohei and grabbed my head with both as I felt like my head was about to cave in. I looked up at Koishi and it seemed like my vision was fizzing out, like a TV with really bad reception. The pain became too great that I dropped to my knees and felt like throwing up my innards on the ground.
?How do you like it? My feelings are flowing into your mind and to your heart?I shall enjoy crushing them BOTH!? Koishi said to me but it sounded like her voice was coming from a walkie-talkie or something. I never managed to contemplate it any further as she grabbed my head and drove her knee in my face.
?Ghaaah!? I cried out as my head snapped backwards from the impact and I landed hard on my backside. I could hear Koishi?s garbled laugh and could barely make out her figure in my deteriorating vision. Then I suddenly saw a figure get in front of me, it looked like a white curtain suddenly came in front of me. I heard voices coming from it but I was too messed up to comprehend anything right now. I then noticed that my disorientation was slowly lifting and I could recognize the shapes in front of me as well as the cry of pain that came from it.
?U-Utsu-ho!? I called out as I saw the Hell Raven go through the same thing I did a few moments ago and had already dropped to her knees in front of her mistress.
?Stop it!? I yelled out at her and called my gohei back to my hand before jumping over Utsuho with the intention of smashing my gohei right on Koishi?s head. I then saw her maliciously smile at me and my whole body suddenly stopped in mid-air.
?Wha?? I was shocked at what was happening to me but I didn?t have long to think about it as I was violently hurled to the side by the force that stopped me. I hit the ground and rolled a short distance before stopping. I struggled to get back up and noticed that Koishi was laughing like a crazy person again.
?This is soooo much fun! To be able to crush someone?s heart, mind AND body! Simply delicious!? Koishi said before cackling again. The outline of her body started to glow light blue a blast of invisible energy suddenly came from her and formed a shockwave in the surrounding area and was headed my way. I put my arms up in a desperate but obviously futile gesture of defense and closed my eyes as I knew that this was gonna hurt a whole lot. I definitely heard the invisible blast impacting but I didn?t feel anything. Was it so powerful and so instantaneous that I didn?t even feel it?
?No?actually I blocked the blast?? I opened my eyes as I heard Satori?s voice and what she had just said to me. I saw her standing in front of me with both her hands in front of her, a purple glow outlining her body. She put her arms down as the purple light dissipated from her and she dropped down on her butt and started breathing heavily.
?Satori!? I called out as I went to her. She had her eyes closed and obviously looked exhausted from what she had just done.
?Koishi?s power is much more advanced than I had expected. I have expended myself by just blocking one full strike from her. I?m afraid that this is already my limit, I?m sorry.? She said apologetically to me. I shook my head and patted her shoulder.
?Don?t worry, this is more than enough Satori. Utsuho and I will figure something out.? I said to lift her spirits but I then heard Koishi cackling as if sneering at my words to her sister.
?Think of something? Hahahahahaha! Please! Stop! Hahahahaha! You?re killing me! Hahahahahaha!? Koishi kept cackling after saying those words. I then notice Utsuho walking up to me and Satori.
?Miss Satori! Are you alright?? The Hell Raven asked in genuine concern for her mistress.
?I?ll be fine Okuu, you and Tama are much worse for ware than I am.? Satori said in light of the current condition of me and Utsuho.
?Tama? You mean the shrine maiden?? Utsuho asked Satori for clarification while looking at me. I just gave her a silly smile to confirm her question.
?Yes?I know that your first meeting with her was less than pleasant but she is here to help us, make no mistake.? Satori explained to her pet to which Utsuho looked at me again and back at Satori and nodded.
?If you say so Miss Satori.? Utsuho said with a still uncertain voice, which was understandable since we were brawling a while ago.
?Are all of you quite done now? I want to finish this so I can show my feelings to aaaaaaaaaall of Gensokyo!? Koishi said while spreading her arms wide and spinning around once to emphasize her point. I got back up to my feet, Utsuho doing the same, and we both faced Koishi while covering Satori.
?And what kind of feelings are those huh? Hatred? Suffering?? I asked her with a bitter tone, Utsuho winced at my words but chose to stay quiet. Koishi smiled at us cheerfully at first then it twisted into a crazed kind of smile.
?Yes?exactly! Love is nothing more than a fleeting emotion! So hard to build up but so easily broken to pieces! Love is nothing more than a farce to breed hatred! I now understand this and I will make everyone understand it! Kyahahahahaha!? Koishi spoke her intentions on what she will do and with the kind of power she displayed, I doubt that anyone can stop her if she gets loose. I looked at Utsuho who had her eyes shut tight after hearing what her beloved mistress had just said. I gently put my hand on her shoulder and she looked at me with a defenceless look.
?Don?t worry?we?ll get her back ok?? I said in as calm a voice as I could, the Hell Raven just nodded with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. I stepped forward and got Koishi?s attention.
?Useless! It?s all useless!? I said out loud to her.
?Useless? Ah! Do you now realize how useless your struggling against me is? Yes! It is useless isn?t it?? Koishi responded while nodding her head happily. I responded by firing a needle that went past the left side of her head, making her look up at me a bit more seriously.
?Yeah?it?s all useless. What you are doing is useless! You say that love is fragile and pointless! Ha! Do you even have eyes?!? I said in a mocking tone, making Koishi even more agitated.
?If you say that love is weak then you don?t even see what is in front of you! Utsuho!? I yelled out at the younger Komeiju while pointing at Utsuho who was looking at me in disbelief.
?What the hell are you talking about?!? Koishi asked?demanded an explination for my actions, the fearsome blue outline appearing around her again.
?All this time! All this time Utsuho never stopped loving you! Even when your heart was sealed, when you decided to start this farce, when you even raised your hand against her and your sister! She still loved you! And I bet anything in this world?she still does?right?? I said the last part while looking at the Hell Raven and giving her a cute wink, making her flustered at what I had just said.
?Um..y-yeah! Yeah! I love her! I love Miss Koishi! Even back then! Even now! Forever and ever! I love Miss Koishi!? Utsuho declared out with all her might and with a bright red face in embarrassment.
?See that Koishi?love isn?t weak?you?d be amazed at what love can overcome if the one who holds it is serious enough about it!? I said while pointing right at Koishi who seethed in anger at what I was telling her. I then felt something warm in my skirt pocket and saw that it was the one where I was keeping my booklet in. Three cards suddenly flew out and landed in the grasp of my left hand, just like the time with Remilia. The cards glowed and revealed Utsuho?s cards. I checked the back and saw that her logo was an outline of a radiation warning symbol and the circle at the centre had an eye in the middle of it, appropriate really?
?You! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!? Koshi screamed as she gathered her power in front of her, getting ready to blast us to oblivion.
?Me?I guess you can just call me a Shrine Maiden who is passing through!? I declared before looking back at Satori then to Utsuho.
?Let?s finish this then?would be a shame if you don?t get a proper reply to your little confession?? I teased the Hell Raven who blushed like mad again.
?W-wh-wha-what?!? Utsuho replied as best as she could to me. I giggled while pulling at the handles of my buckle and putting in Utsuho?s form card.
FINAL FORM RIDE!
I walked up behind Utsuho before closing the handles.
U-U-UTSUHO!
Utsuho looked back at me at the mention of her name but I just grinned at her and touched her back.
?He--? Utsuho barely managed to say anything before a white light enveloped her and she transformed into a giant?well?gun thing?I guess. Utsuho?s ?third leg? was the barrel but was much larger than before and was colored silver now instead of tan. The ?leg that had fusion? was pointing upwards and the top part was leaning towards me. The same thing with the ?leg that had fission? but that one was pointing downwards so it looked like a giant bow from the way they are placed. The legs themselves didn?t look like legs but more like canisters of compressed air or something. The ?eye? was floating a little bit further in front and looked like it was acting as a targeting system for the whole thing.
?Well?I can?t say that I expected this.? Satori candidly said in surprise of what her pet just turned into.
?Oh you haven?t seen anything yet Satori!? I smugly said before opening up the handles again and putting in another gold card.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
I grabbed the handle of the Utsuho Blaster and put my finger on the trigger before closing the handles of my belt with my other hand.
U-U-UTSUHO!
?YOU THINK I?D LET YOU DO WHAT YOU WANT?!? Koishi screamed as she let loose her invisible blast of mental energy at us. The Utsuho Blaster?s barrel suddenly opened a bit and it extended out to make it longer while the canisters spun on their axis and stopped once they are on the horizontal sides of the blaster. I then heard warning claxons coming from the weapon as if warning about a nuclear meltdown. I took that as a sign that everything was ready and I aimed at Koishi and her blast of energy.
?I guess you didn?t hear quite clearly?here! Listen to this girl?s pure confession of love to you!!!? I yelled before I pulled the trigger and a massive red beam came out of the barrel making me skid back from the recoil of the weapon. The beam made contact with Koishi?s blast and seemingly stopped in mid air. I held fast and kept the beam aimed straight at Koishi who couldn?t believe what was happening.
?How?! How is this possible?!? She screamed as she saw that the beam from me and Utsuho was slowly gaining ground.
?You should watch more anime or read more manga! There?s practically nothing stronger than the power of love!!!? I declared as the beam from the Utsuho Blaster smashed through Koishi?s energy blast and hit the younger Komeiji who still couldn?t believe what was happening.
?
?Nothing is stronger than the power of love eh?? Satori said while the two of us were sitting together at the Hakurei/Komeiji Shrine and drinking Satori?s tea together.
?Well yeah?even I was amazed at what I said that time.? I sheepishly admitted before taking another sip of her tea.
?After what I have witnessed?I do not doubt this power either.? Satori said before looking behind us, Koishi could be seen sleeping on the floor with Utsuho and Rin also asleep and clinging to her shirt.
?Kisume is also amazed at what happened.? Kisume joined in the conversation while floating in her bucket. She had been the one to tend to the Youkai that were injured during the incident and sent them all home afterwards, not bad for a little girl in a bucket. I then noticed that the scroll in my pocket was glowing again. I took it out in view of Kisume and Satori.
?I guess this means I have to move on then?? I said in a slightly sad voice.
?I see?to the next world then?? Satori said before taking another sip of her tea.
?What? Next world? Tama is going away?? Kisume asked worriedly. I stood up and rubbed her hair.
?Yes?I still have a journey to finish. Now be a good girl okay? Can you look after her Satori?? I asked while standing up.
?Of course?you have my word.? Satori said in a serious but caring voice.
?Thank you?? I said before opening the scroll, a bright light blinding me again.
?
?Where am I now?? I asked while walking in a thick fog. From what I can tell, I was wearing something like a blue uniform with gold decorations and a blue and white hat with a gold emblem in front. I walked along a bit further and saw a shadow of someone there.
?Um?hello?? I called out.
?Judge?or?be judged?? A distant voice said that seemed to come from everywhere.
?Huh?? I wondered who that was and what it meant. The fog the cleared and I saw that the shadow in front of me was actually a girl. She had blue eyes, green hair and was wearing the same thing I was but she also had a gold tag in her right hand. The girl then looked at me and pointed the tag at me while giving me a sharp gaze.
?JUDGE OR BE JUDGED!?
?
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At first i thought bird girl referred to Mystia xD
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This is getting interesting, pray tell you won't end it like Decade did..
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This is getting interesting, pray tell you won't end it like Decade did..
Well...technically, Decade isn't over yet until the December movie so still have some hope for that. But for this, no...I have a solid idea on what to do with the main worlds and some stuff afterwards but I'm making this up mostly as I go along after the main worlds so yeah...even I don't know where this might lead.
inb4TamavsActualReimuEnd
Once again...
(http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/9752/1250746192758.jpg)
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(http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/9752/1250746192758.jpg)
YOUR JOURNEY ENDS HERE, DICKEDO!
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YOUR JOURNEY ENDS HERE, DICKEDO!
I already have a Narutaki...whose identity should be obvious at this point...>_>
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I've finally finished this chapter after nearly a month of getting stuck reading VNs...I blame Umineko and Ever17 but here is the new chapter for all of you! HUZZAH! Now to play Aoishiro...
...
I looked at the odd girl who just yelled something incomprehensible at me. She was wearing the same thing I was but is shorter that I am by a full head. Even so, she yelled out to me without any fear or hesitation.
?Well? What is your answer?!? The short girl narrowed her eyes at me and pressed her question again. I took a step back and blinked at few times in surprise.
Question? What was it again?
?Judge?or?be judged?? I repeated her question while looking upwards at the mist covered sky and humming. I looked back at the girl in front of me and found that she was wearing an irritated expression.
??What? Something on my face?? I asked her. She just sharply turned her back on me with a ?Hmph!? and started to walk away into the depths of the mist.
?H-Hey!? I started for her but then the mist mysteriously vanished and revealed not only that girl but other people there as well. I saw several characters there that I had knowledge of from before such as Cirno, the Prismriver sisters and Aya. There were also several there that I've never seen before. I backed away a few steps from seeing four girls who were gunning for my life not long ago. I felt my blood run cold when I made eye-contact with Aya?who just smiled and waved at me. I dumbly waved back while wondering why she didn?t attack me or something. I was still walking back when I bumped into someone.
?Oh! I?m sorry abo--? My apology stopped cold when I saw who it was I bumped into. Dark blue eyes, silver hair, and a long braid on each side of the face?wears a pink and dark blue French maid's outfit with long sleeves, and a white bonnet on her head. She was wearing different clothes and her hair was shorter but it was unmistakable to me who this person was.
??Sa?Sa?Sakuyaaaa!? I exclaimed before literally jumping at her while reaching out to her with both my arms and I?hit the ground afterwards.
?Augh!? I grunted as I felt the cold hard ground. I moaned at the sudden realization that Sakuya moved out of the way and let me fall on my face. I looked up and saw her with a dispassionate expression. I stood up and opened my mouth as to say something but the maid simply walked away from me as if it had nothing to do with her.
Just what is going on here? I thought in obvious confusion as all the enemies that I had previously fought in the other worlds are acting all friendly with me while the first ally I made in this journey acted like she didn't even know me. All of us were suddenly surprised by the extremely loud and reverberating sound of a gong. I covered my ears in a meager attempt to block out the noise but it did a whole lot of nothing to block the noise as I felt my whole body shake from the vibrations the gong made. I looked around and saw that the others are doing the same thing as well.
?What the hell kind of thing makes that kind of noise?!? I yelled out in complaint for the sudden and seemingly unnecessary auditory torture I was experiencing. Eventually, the noise faded and I was able to let go of my ears, though I still felt pretty woozy from what just happened.
?I told you we shouldn't have done that...? A sarcastic voice in the distance echoed through the silence that was left in the wake of the gong. I looked in the direction of the voice as did everyone else and saw a woman walking from the distance which was still covered in fog. She was tall and had short red hair, wore a white dress with a blue vest overtop and had a belt with a large Japanese coin tied in the center. She was also carrying a scythe shaped in a wavy pattern over her shoulder. She scanned the area and looked at us one by one before looking back in the direction she came from.
?Well...It seemed like a good idea at the time. Right Komachi?? Another voice called out from beyond the mist. A figure slowly walked forward from it and emerged to stand beside the red haired woman which was apparently named Komachi. It was another woman, no real surprise there since I have yet to see any males of any importance thus far in my journey, and was as tall as the red headed woman. She was wearing the same thing I was but more decorated. The sleeves on her uniform was blue instead of white and had gold trimmings at the ends. Same thing with her shirt and skirt as everything she was wearing was a much more decorated version of my current wardrobe. Upon closer inspection, I notice that she had long light golden brown hair which was tied back into a low ponytail save for a few strands of her bangs which were separated to either side of her face. She carried her hat, also like ours but seemed more classy, in her left arm. She also had a gold tag in the other hand like the one the green haired girl did but was much larger that you can almost mistake it for a short sword.
?Whatever you say...? Komachi deadpanned before giving out a heavy sigh.
Like the girl called Komachi, she looked at us one by one and I notice her deep blue eyes when she looked straight at me. It felt like she was looking straight at my soul and she could see everything that I have ever done in my life. She gave me a gentle smile and scanned the rest of the ones there.
?What was that about?? I said to myself as the creepy feeling I had when she looked at me passed. I looked around and saw that the other ones there also had nervous or strained expressions so I guess that they had the same feeling too.
?I'm guessing that you are all wondering what the hell you are all doing here right?!? Komachi yelled out in a rude voice that reminded me of a Drill Sargent from those war movies so it got everyone's attention, especially mine since I REALLY didn't know what I was supposed to do in this world anyway.
?Well! For the short end of it, you are all here for a very special selection process!? Komachi said again before the woman beside her tapped Komachi on the shoulder with that large golden tag in her hand.
?May I Komachi?? The other woman said to Komachi who looked at her and back at us a couple of times before taking a couple of steps back.
?Suit yourself...less work for me.? Komachi lazily said. The other woman smiled at her and then turned to us.
?As Komachi said, this is a very important selection process. It will determine who shall be my successor but...before we go any further, I would like to introduce myself.? The woman bowed to us before continuing.
?My name is Bellpeorth Yamaxanadu, the Yama that was assigned to this realm of Gensokyo for the past Millennium and a half.? The woman named Bellpeorth said while tapping her chest with the tag in her hand. Everyone there suddenly gave out surprised gasps, everyone except the green-haired girl and myself. Bellpeorth gave everyone a moment to calm down before resuming her explanation.
?As you may have already guessed, this will be a selection process to determine who will be the most worthy to become the next Yama of Gensokyo. As Yama, you will be given the power, the authority, and the responsibility of carefully sending the recently departed to either heaven, hell, or reincarnation.? Bellpeorth continued and I just stood there and was completely shocked at what she had just said. If she was to be believed, the one who is chosen from among us will be the next judge, jury and, if need be, executioner of the dead.
?Each of you have been selected completely at random from the denizens of the realm for a chance to become the next Yama. Why randomly you ask? It is because it will either be fate or luck or both that has let you become chosen to participate in this event and it will be the same factors that will determine if you will succeed. I too, was in your very situation so many, many centuries ago...? The Yama tilted her head and sighed as if reminiscing her career as the Yama of this realm and would have continued for who knows how long if not for Komachi nudging her back to reality.
?...boss...? Komachi whispered to Bellpeorth who almost jumped in surprise.
?Oh...I'm sorry! I seemed to have been lost in my thoughts! Fufufufu...?She said shyly, covering her embarrassed smile with her tag.
This is the almighty judge of the souls of all the beings in this realm? Wow... I thought absentmindedly while looking around to see what the others thought about it. As expected though, most of them became interested as soon as the Bellpeorth told everyone the job description for this gig. There were some who didn't seem interested like Sakuya and Cirno. There was also Aya who seemed to be jotting down what Bellpeorth was saying on a notebook, I guess she really is a reporter or something. I then saw the green haired girl, who was wearing the same uniform as I, scowling at the Yama and grasping her own tag with a trembling hand.
What's her problem? I started to wonder until Bellpeorth's voice caught my attention again.
?...and that is why the selection process for the next Yama will be a combat tournament. Each will fight another in single combat until one champion remains. The battles themselves will not be to the death of course. It will only go on until one can no longer continue or if one admits defeat and surrenders. You will each be sent away to a part of Gensokyo to face you opponent and the victor will be sent back here while the defeated shall be sent back to their home...simple yes?? Bellpeorth asked before putting on her large hat, albeit a bit off center. For a while everyone was just silently standing there, probably still soaking in what they found themselves caught up in. The sounds of footsteps broke the silence as a girl walked up in view of the Yama and the rest of us. She was a woman with lavender eyes and curly pink hair. She was wearing a blue and white dress, with a golden lapel resembling the alchemical symbol for silver. She also had a white cap and a nearly transparent cape.
?A question...? The woman asked Bellpeorth while raising her hand.
?Of course! Please, ask away!? The Yama said, allowing the query.
?Our opponents for the bouts...how are they selected?? The woman calmly asked, seemingly very interested in the coming contest. Bellpeorth raised her right hand and pointed her index finger upwards.
?Ra~n~do~m~! For the first selection only though~! The rest of the fights will follow a knockout tournament format so your initial random placing will be key on how you will do for the rest of the selection process~!? The fifteen-hundred year old force of this world playfully said like a giddy schoolgirl. The woman cupped her chin with her hand and gave a sly smile that was something between Remilia's evil grin and Koishi's overzealous smile...basically I found it creepy.
?I see...? The woman said before walking back into the group.
?As with the selections to get here, the opponents that you will face will be based on Luck and Fate...the reason for this odd scrutiny is because those two things are what are the most important to a Yama.? Bellpeorth explained. I couldn't really understand what luck and fate have to do with judging the souls of the dead but I could pretty much surmise what I needed to do here for now.
To fight in this tournament... I bitterly thought as I knew that I had to fight against some of the ones I have already fought against and the possibility of having to fight against Sakuya as well.
?That...is wrong...? I suddenly heard a faint voice. I turned to it and saw that it came from that green haired girl again. She seemed to be even more upset than before after Bellpeorth explained the rest of the rules. I slowly stepped away from her before I get caught up in anything unexpected.
?Are there any other questions?? Bellpeorth asked and was only met with silence. It seemed that everyone understood what they needed to do, beat any opponent that they faced.
?No one? Good! Well then! I declare the first round of the Yama Selection Tournament...Open!? Bellpeorth declared before raising her right hand up in the air which held her tag. Each of us suddenly had a magic circle under our feet and we disappeared one by one. I gulped before a bright white light consumed by vision as I was teleported to where the first round will be held.
?
The light eventually faded but it still took me several seconds to be able to see anything because of my eyes adjusting to the lower light. I did notice that I smelled something before seeing anything though. It was a strong fragrance of sunflower but I wasn't sure why it seemed that the fragrance was coming from all around me like I was in a flower shop that only sold sunflowers. I got my answer when I finally regained my normal vision.
?Whaaa...? Was all that came out of my mouth when I realized where I was. It was a field, a large field filled with nothing but sunflowers. The scene was so surreal that I felt that I was in a sea of flowers instead of on solid ground.
?Wow...I didn't know that there was such a place in Gensokyo.? I said to myself while soaking up the amazing view I was treated to. I was then reminded of why I was sent here by virtue of a whistling sound from behind me. I tuned around just in time to see a small doll flying at me at incredible speed. What worried me was the fact that said doll was carrying a small lance, a small but sharp lance. I immediately dived out of the way from the sneak attack and rolled away from the doll while summoning my buckle and booklet. I used the tall sunflowers for cover as I put on the buckle and took out Reimu's card. I opened the buckle and put the card in the slot in one smooth motion.
TOUHOU RIDE!
The voice of the buckle said before I stood up and saw the doll head towards me again and it was accompanied by two more dolls that were armed the same way. I clicked my tongue before closing the handles.
HAKUREI REIMU!
I transformed and fired some needles at the oncoming dolls. I managed to hit one of them and it went poof in a puff of purple smoke. I charged in and sidestepped the charge of the remaining two dolls and smacked them with my gohei, making them vanish the same way as the first one.
?Come out! You're my first opponent right?! Show yourself! Don't hide like a coward and make dolls do your work for you!? I yelled out at whoever was attacking me while bracing myself for another attack.
?I'm not hiding!? The voice of a young girl yelled back at me. I looked around the field and saw nothing.
?Yes you are! Otherwise I should be able to see you! What are you, invisible or something?!? I yelled back in no particular direction as I still didn't know where that voice came from. I looked around to check if the mystery attacker would show herself.
?I said I'm not hiding!? The same voice shot back at me. It was then that I noticed movement among the flowers a distance to my right. I turned towards that direction and lifted my left hand, ready to fire as many needles as I have to at the invisible enemy. Well, that was until I noticed that one of the flowers there was wearing a bow...which was impossible of course and the owner of that bow revealed herself by being lifted up by several of the same kinds of dolls that attack me before. She was a small girl who had silver-colored eyes, blond hair and was wearing a red dress. She also had a red ribbon in her hair, all of which made her look like an oversized version of the dolls around her...I meant that literally because I noticed something very different about her.
Dolljoints?! I thought while observing her arms and fingers. I started backing away from the now officially creepy girl in front of me, though she did look silly being lifted by several of her dolls like that.
?Um...Hi there...nice dolls...? I tried to communicate with her while still keeping my guard up for any attacks she might try. The doll girl narrowed her eyes at me, scrutinizing my appearance as I did transform afterall.
?Are you human?? She asked me. The question made me blink a few times but then I remembered that Gensokyo isn't just inhabited by humans but also by Youkai. I wondered if the doll girl was scared of Youkai which was why she asked me.
?Umm...yes...I am human. Don't worry, I won't hurt you.? I said while smiling, doing my best not to look intimidating.
?I see...then you will die here filthy human!? The girl suddenly yelled at me as a purple mist slowly started to spread from her.
?Wha...?? I dumbly said before the doll girl sent six of her dolls flying at me. The dolls were the same as the ones before but I saw that the same purple mist trailed in their wake. I've already had some experience with colored mist and I knew that this was bad news.
?I have a bad feeling about this...? I said to myself as the dolls came closer. I shot needle burst after needle burst hoping to shoot them down before they got too close. I managed to get one of them...which suddenly burst into a large cloud of purple mist.
?Oh come on!? I complained before I started running away from the oncoming dolls. If the rest of them were like that then I would end up getting caught in a cloud of mist if one of them got too close. I looked back and saw that the remaining dolls were still on my tail like a bunch of small missiles while the mist covering the doll girl was getting larger and larger.
Damn...the longer this fight lasts, the more screwed I get! I though before taking out my booklet again. The dolls managed to catch up to me but I managed to sidestep them again, making sure I avoided destroying them. It was my mistake that I didn't start running again as the mist trails from the dolls surrounded me and I managed to get a whiff of it...I then thought that my lungs were injected with acid. I covered my nose and mouth as I coughed violently while stumbling away from the mist that almost managed to overcome me. I fell on my hands and knees and coughed again and again, trying to get the awful burning feeling from my lungs out.
?..po...poison...? I managed to say before coughing again. Tears were in my eyes from the burning pain I felt in my chest. I then heard the distinct whistling noise from the distance and knew that the dolls were heading back to finish me off. I forced myself to stand despite the pain since I was good as dead if I didn't move out of there. I looked around and saw that the dolls were circling around me from a distance and spreading the poison mist around the field. Looks like that doll girl didn't want me escaping or anything. I looked back to where the doll girl was and saw that she hasn't moved an inch and for good reason. The mist coming from her was getting so thick that it had spread to nearly half the field and was still spreading out. I looked around and noticed that the flowers that were covered in the mist seemed alright despite being exposed to a deadly poison.
?Just great...I guess this stuff is only good against humans.? I said bitterly as I knew that if I didn't find a way out of this mess, it was game ove--
Humans? I blinked at the thought.
So I should be fine if I wasn't human then... I continued my line of thought for a few more moments before.
?That's it!!!? I exclaimed before opening the booklet in my hand and pulling out a card. I then saw the dolls ,which were circling around me moments before, make a charge at me with the poison mist trailing in their wake.
?Damn!? I cursed before pulling at the handles of the buckle and putting the card in.
TOUHOU RIDE!
?I hope this works!? I yelled out before closing the handles as the dolls came within five feet of me and self-detonated into clouds of poison that consumed me.
?
?Die...filthy human...? Medicine said as she saw Tama be consumed by the clouds of poison from the explosion of her dolls. It was a harsh way for her to use her dolls but she knew that she needed to do so if she wanted to win.
?I am the victor.? She said to herself as she let her dolls lower her to the ground. She straightened her skirt with her hand and paid no more mind to where Tama was before until...
REMILIA SCARLET!
Medicine immediately looked up at the source of the voice, the place where Tama was moments before.
?Impossible...? Medicine muttered as she recognized that name as well as the fact that there was a deep red glow coming from within the cloud of poison. The glow eventually died out but was replaced by two piercing scarlet orbs of light which looked like eyes, eyes that were staring straight at Medicine. The Doll-Youkai started to back away in fear of what could be looking at her and for good reason as the cloud of poison that was covering Tama suddenly blew away in all directions by a violent surge of wind from within. Medicine covered her face with her hands from the powerful wind that managed to blow away all the poison she released onto the field. She removed her hands and saw that the field of sunflowers were devoid of all her poison and was replaced by the visage of the scarlet devil herself who was floating above the sunflowers with her arms crossed over her chest. She stared down at Medicine and smiled as only Remilia can. The shock and fear made Medicine panic and she backed away from the new threat. She lost her footing and fell on her backside, disappearing into the field of sunflowers.
?
Thank goodness that I was right... I thought as I floated above the sea of sunflowers and smiled in relief that I was still alive. I then saw the doll girl back away from me and lose her balance, falling into the sea of flowers.
?Oh right...Remilia's smile is scary...? I said absentmindedly while scratching the back of my head. I was feeling pretty confident at my chances of winning as I knew that her poison won't work on me as long as I'm in this form...or so I thought.
?No...no...no...? I heard the doll girl's voice from within the field of flowers. I readied myself for another assault of dolls but I knew that Remilia would be more than capable of wasting anything she throws at me.
?Nonononononononononononononono....? I was starting to get freaked out at how the doll girl just kept repeating that word over and over again and I thought that she might have fallen over the deep end or could be broken, being a doll afterall.
?Get...away...FROM MEEEEEE!? The doll girl shrieked before a violent explosion of blue mist blew from where the doll girl should be. I backed away immediately as I noticed that this mist was different from before.
?And I'll bet on Remilia's hat that this stuff will be able to drop me like a fly...? I said to myself as I tried to get some distance between me and the rapidly expanding cloud of blue poison. I took out my booklet an opened it up for an attack. I considered using one of the attack rides when I noticed that I couldn't even see the doll girl anymore and if I missed my attack, I'm dead...lovely. I flipped through the attack cards until I came to Remilia's Final Attack card. I then remembered her Final Form which was a giant spear that I threw at her sister.
?If her final attack was the same then...maybe...? I thought as I took out the yellow card that had Remilia's bat insignia in gold at the front and had the words ?Final Attack Ride? written on it. I then looked back at the cloud of death that was barreling closer and closer and that gave me more than enough motivation to make my choice as I pulled on the handles of my buckle.
?All or nothing it is!? I yelled out as I put the card in.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
The belt declared before I closed the handles again, a sense of urgency obvious from my actions.
RE-RE-REMILIA!
The belt yelled out as I felt my body go on autopilot like during Reimu's final attack. My arms reached out in front of me as a small ball of scarlet energy formed there. My right hand came over it while my left went under, my palms still facing the orb of energy. I suddenly spread my arms out and the ball of energy seemed to follow my hands as it stretched out and formed into a spear made of scarlet energy.
?Alright!? I declared as I grabbed the spear with my right hand and I could hear the energy crackling from my touch but it didn't feel hot or anything, it was like I was really holding the shaft of a spear. I pulled my right arm back and readied to throw the spear like a javelin right at the cloud of blue which was less than ten yards away from me.
?Take this!!!? I yelled before throwing the spear into the cloud of death. It flew right into it and blew away the cloud like it was nothing and headed straight into the source of the poison before impacting into the ground and making a large explosion of red energy.
Spear the Gungnir...that was the name of Remilia's signature attack and like its namesake, Odin's magical spear, it always hits its mark. While it was not nearly as powerful as the original, it was more than enough to defeat a Youkai like Medicine Melancholy.
I landed on the ground soon after the energy dissipated and I transformed back into Reimu as well. The dust settled where Remilia's final attack impacted and I noticed that not a trace of the blue poison can be seen anywhere around the field. I swallowed as I approached the impact zone cautiously, hoping that my theory of the blue poison only affecting Youkai was correct. I covered my nose and mouth with my left hand while holding my gohei in my right hand as I got closer to where the spear hit. I saw that the area surrounding it looked like a small crater so I wondered if I ended up overdoing it a bit. I peered into the crater and saw the doll girl lying there motionless and singed but still in one piece, thankfully. I knew I had to fight but I didn't really want to have to kill anyone. I then noticed a soft glow coming from below me and saw that the same magic circle that brought me here was there again. I felt a strange sense of warmth as the light slowly became stronger and stronger. I closed my eyes in reflex because of the brightness but my vision still got flooded with white nonetheless.
?
My vision returned and saw that I was back in the place where this all started, except that the fog already lifted giving me a better view of the area. I looked around and saw that I was in a riverside, or I thought it was a riverside since the body of water I was looking at was so huge that I couldn't see the other side. I didn't say ocean or sea because of the lack of sand and palm trees in the immediate area, all that was there was grass then water. I looked behind me and saw a vast rolling plain as for as the eye can see. It was just grass...lots of grass...with only a few spots of trees that were few and far in between. A mountain range can be seen far off in the distance but it had to be several miles away from where I was standing at the moment.
?Wow...? I said out loud after being overwhelmed by the view. First it was a sea of sunflowers and now...a sea of lush grassland.
?Beautiful isn't it?? A gentle and familiar voice called out to me from behind and making me jump forward with a start. I whirled around and summoned my gohei to my hand, ready to go up against any ambush.
?Oh my...quite excitable aren't you?? Bellpeorth said with a slightly surprised tone but clearly holding her composure even in the face of me ready for a fight.
?Bell...peorth...? I said out dumbly, the tall woman in front of me simply nodded in response. I lowered my gohei and it dematerialized from my hand. I then realized that I was still transformed as Reimu. I panicked and quickly clawed at my brain for an excuse of why I could do this, by body frozen in place in the meantime. The Yama of Gensokyo stood before me in all her glory, aside from her hat which seemed to be always tilted to one side for some reason.
?That is quite an amazing ability you have...Aozaki Tama.? Bellpeorth knowingly said along with my name.
?Wha...how did you?!? I blurted out in complete surprise as I was hit with a sense of deja vu from when I first met Satori.
?Don't tell me you can read minds...? I said just to make sure. Bellpeorth stared at me wide eyed for a moment before going back to her usual smile.
?Of course not...I have something better than that.? Bellpeorth said matter of factly. I gave her a look that said 'What?' and she simply giggled softly at my confusion.
?I guess you don't know much about the Yama huh? But for now, would you mind facing me with your true self?? The Yama asked me. I suddenly remembered that I was still in Reimu's form so I quickly pulled on the handles of the buckle to end my transformation, Reimu's form dispersed into nine monochrome versions of herself and away from me. The buckle disappeared soon afterwards.
?Amazing indeed...? Bellpeorth whispered to herself as I faced her as I really am. She nodded to herself and started walking away from me.
?Walk with me won't you?? The tall woman called out to me before continuing to walk, I quickly ran up and started walking alongside her. We walked along the bank of the seemingly large river and I kept glancing over to the water to check if I could see the other side but all I saw was more water.
?Do you know where you are right now?? Bellpeorth suddenly asked me.
?Huh? Well...not really.? I admitted, I knew that I was in Gensokyo but I didn't know where in Gensokyo exactly.
?This...? She pointed at the water with her large gold tag.
?...is the Sanzu river...the river where souls cross to get to the afterlife. Do you understand?? Bellpeorth said, turning back to me. I meekly nodded in response. I knew what the Sanzu river was, though I always thought that it was nothing more than folklore. Then again, most of the stuff I've encountered so far qualifies as folklore anyway so I can't really say anything about it.
?After the souls cross over here with Komachi's help, she is the shinigami assigned to this realm and is responsible in ferrying souls here, I need to determine where they need to be sent. That is also how I was able to know who you are as well as everything about you.? She suddenly stopped and turned to face me, I swallowed in anticipation on what she was about to say.
?All Yama have the ability to see into the history of a soul and determine their actions as either good or evil. An indiscriminately fair and uncompromising ability that leaves no room for interpretation or debate. It sees everything in Black and White and nothing else.? Bellpeorth explained but I noticed that she had a sharp tone to her words when she described the Yama's ability.
?Truth be told, I do not like it...to mercilessly judge a soul for its actions with no room for explanations. Black and White...those are the colors of a Yama's justice and I hate it.? She said in a melancholic tone while looking over at the horizon of the Sanzu.
?That system of justice has an unmoving sense of certainty that is more oppressive than fair...do you know why?? She turned to me with the question.
?Umm...uuuhhh...? Was all I could say in the face of someone who I knew was a much higher being than myself. She sensed my unease and gently smiled at me.
?The reason for this is simple. It is because life...is never simply black and white...It is much, much more beautiful and unique than that two-tone color.? Bellpeorth explained. I was caught in the depth of what she meant by that statement. You can't really say that someone is good or evil simply by the deeds they have done. You need to go beyond the ends and the means and see the deed for what it was meant to be. You cannot condemn a person for stealing food in order to feed a starving family nor can you praise someone who does charity in order to look good in front of people while doing all sorts distasteful things behind the scenes. That was what Bellpeorth meant, there was more to life than simply good or evil.
?Hey boss!? Komachi's voice broke me out of my thoughts as both Bellpeorth and I turned to the shinigami who had her large scythe over her shoulder.
?Coming~!? The Yama replied as she started walking towards Komachi but stopped after a distance and turned back to me.
?We shall arrange some food and drink while we wait for the other victors of the first round alright?? She said to me and, on cue, my stomach started growling indicating my current state. I covered my stomach in embarrassment while Bellpeorth simply giggled at my silly gesture.
?I do not know the purpose of your appearance on this world nor the reason why you were chosen for this selection process...but I know...it was Luck or Fate...Luck...Fate...? She said before walking away from me and disappearing into the distance, leaving me to my thoughts.
?
I was sitting on the riverside while chomping on a steamed bun that Komachi brought to me to sate my hunger. She came to me with a tray of buns and a kettle of tea, I thought that it was a bit much but I didn't complain since I really was hungry at that point. I took out Akyu's scroll after I finished my third bun and decided to learn more about this place...though I expected that most of the stuff written here won't match up what I'm experiencing. I opened up the scroll and read the first entry which told me what world I was in.
?Phantasmagoria of Flower View...? I read out loud before continuing. Turned out that a bunch on Gensokyo's residents suddenly noticed an outbreak of flowers and decided to investigate it on their own. They naturally ran into each other in the process and proceeded to...beat the crap out of each other. I sighed at the fact that most, if not all, arguments in Gensokyo end up in violence. I continued reading and found out that the whole mess was because of Komachi slacking off on the job. Turned out that the flowers were actually souls that got tired of waiting to be ferried to the other side of the Sanzu to be judged by...
?Shikieiki...Yamaxanadu...? I read out the name which was not the name of the current Yama. I thought about it for a moment when I remembered that I was in the middle of the selection process for the next Yama.
Then does that mean that the next Yama has to be this...Shikieiki person? I thought while reading Shikieiki's description and the more I read, the more I noticed someone who matches it perfectly. That girl from before who was wearing the same thing as I did.
?That was Shikieiki?? I asked to no one in particular. I kept on reading and sure enough, I saw the names of Hakurei Reimu and Kirisame Marisa written there. I also read a bunch of other entries there such as Aya, Sakuya, the Prismrivers, Cirno as well as names I have yet to encounter like Youmu, Reisen, Yuka, Medicine and Mysita. I then noticed that the woman who asked about the match orders was not listed...none that fit her description anyway. I brushed off the thought as nothing more than another error in the information I was provided...again.
?I'm getting tried of always getting the wrong info about the world I'm in...? I bitterly complained as I closed the scroll, not wanting to read anymore. I picked up the cup of tea that was cooling beside me and continued my meal.
Eventually, the other winners from the first round arrived as well. Other than myself, there was Sakuya, Shikieiki, Merlin, Cirno, Yuka and that mystery woman in blue and white dress. She allowed all of us to rest up for the next round and everyone just split off from each other for the rest of the day. I simply shrugged at the fact that nothing will happen till tomorrow so I walked away as well and stayed under a tree where I slept for the night.
...
?Alright~! I congratulate each of you for making it through the first round!? Bellpeorth happily said to us the following morning. I looked around an counted the remaining participants and was suddenly wondering about something.
?Seven...? I whispered to myself. There was supposed to be eight participants left but one was missing. I wondered if she backed or was disqualified or something when I suddenly remembered a name that was on the scroll that I have yet to account for.
Kirisame Marisa
Her name flashed in my head but I shook it away from my thoughts. The reason being was this was impossible since Reimu and Marisa didn't exist in this world or ANY world in my journey. That was the cause of this whole mess in the first place so there was no way for her to be here. I dismissed the notion of Marisa being here and listened in on what Bellpeorth was saying.
?Now then...we shall continue from where we left off. The next round of matches will begin momentarily and your opponents have already been decided so I wish you all luck! Now...? Bellpeorth continued her explanation as I looked around to each of the remaining contestants, all of which seemed pretty formidable though I wondered just how Cirno managed to win the first round. I shrugged at the thought and it was then that I noticed something at the corner of my eye.
A black cowboy hat...
Messy blond hair that reached her back ...
A black cape...
?It...can't be...? I barely managed to say. The next thing I knew, I was already walking towards that girl. A girl who shouldn't be here. A girl who wasn't supposed to exist in this world.
?...The second round of the Yama Selection Tournament begins...NOW~!? Bellpeorth said as that magic circle appeared at my feet again. I looked at the rapidly brightening circle at my feet then back up at the direction where I was walking to but white quickly filled my vision before I could see clearly who that girl was.
?...Marisa...?? I managed to say before my whole perception faded into white again.
?
My vision returned and I quickly realized where I was. If the first round sent me to a field of flowers, the second round dropped me in the middle of a bamboo forest. I looked up and saw that the bamboo here reached more than four or five stories easy. I looked around and saw nothing but bamboo, fallen bamboo leaves, rocks, bamboo and more bamboo. I then noticed a glint from the distance and saw that something shiny was headed my way really fast. I dropped to the ground and heard a dull thump behind me. I stood back up and looked at what that was. It was a throwing knife which was now embedded in a bamboo behind me, it was a knife a recognized very well and I swallowed at the truth of who my next opponent was. I heard footsteps coming from in front of me and I quickly put my buckle on and put Reimu's card in.
TOUHOU RIDE!
I was about to close the handles when I realized that I was suddenly surrounded by dozens of knives in midair. The knives all flew at me at once and I immediately closed the handles of the buckle.
HAKUREI REIMU!
I transformed and swatted most of the knives out of the air with my gohei but I got nicked on my cheek, arms and legs by the ones that I didn't manage to take out. I heard footsteps approach me again and I faced the direction where it was coming from, gohei at the ready for any attack that may come form that direction. Problem was that the attack didn't come from that direction as several knives suddenly appeared above me but didn't fly right at me. The knives were aimed at the bamboo but instead of sticking to the bamboo, they started bouncing around all over the place like pinballs.
?I have a bad feeling about this.? I said as more than a dozen knives were bouncing all around me at high speed but none of them seemed to be going after me which made me wonder why. I got my answer as four more knives suddenly flew at me from the direction where the footsteps came from. I jumped away from the threat only to go right into the path of the bouncing knives.
?Aaahhh!? I yelled out as I batted away some of them with my gohei before jumping back away from the killing zone. It was then I knew what the purpose of those knives were...to prevent me from escaping.
Don't think that this'll stop me! I thought before raising my left hand and firing needle bursts at the source of the second wave of knives. I heard sharp metallic sounds coming from that direction and I knew that I managed to aim properly. The sense of accomplishment I had was quickly changed into one of utter fear as my field of vision was suddenly covered by a white apron and the glint of a knife from above me which was quickly coming down. I raised my gohei just in time to block Sakuya's arm and the knife that was inches away from my face. I looked at her and saw that she was glaring at me and I saw the determination in her eyes...it was saying that she would do everything she can in order to win.
?Sa...Sak--? I barely managed to say while struggling against her.
?Surrender...? She flatly said. It was the same kind of voice that I heard from the 'other' her when she suddenly burst into Remilia's room. Yes, the voice that was devoid of all emotion. A voice like a machine.
?...No...? I replied as I steeled myself and slowly started to push her back.
This isn't Sakuya...
She is Sakuya but not the Sakuya I know...
She's different from my friend...
Even though her name is the same...
Even though her face and voice are the same...
Even though she IS the same...
?You are not that Sakuya...? I whispered to myself, too softly to be heard by Sakuya because of the constant clanking noise by the knives.
?Surrender and live...I give you this chance only once. Concede to me and I guarantee your life, by the name of my mistress Remilia Scarlet.? Sakuya confidently said. She was confident that she could defeat me but at the same time she didn't want to have to kill if she didn't have to. I smiled a bit when I heard her say that as I knew that she was still a person with a heart under that ice cold surface.
?Sorry...but I still have to keep winning.? I told her with a wink as my morale started rising again. Sakuya closed her eyes and sighed at my response. The opened them and narrowed her gaze right at me as if looking into my soul.
?So be it...? She calmly said as she jumped back, took out more knives and held them in her hands. I crouched low and held my gohei in a defensive position. I then noticed that the clanking sound from the knives above me suddenly stopped.
?Oh shi-!? I barely managed to say before jumping back and away from Sakuya, more than a dozen knives suddenly stuck themselves into the ground where I was standing a moment before. Sakuya then suddenly launched herself at me while tossing the knives she was holding. The knives flew past me and bounced around the bamboo before flying at me from different angles I pounce around to avoid them but that slowed me down and I once again found myself in melee against Sakuya. She swiped the knives in her hands at me which I barely kept parrying. I kept on the defense for a while longer but I knew that I was done for if I didn't get some distance between us so I jumped back again and fired needles at Sakuya before she could close the distance. She nimbly dodged the needles and threw some knives right up into the air. I wondered why she did that when she suddenly vanished from my view in the blink of an eye. I looked around and heard clanking noises coming from above me. I looked up and saw Sakuya in the air with the knives she threw up there and was about to rain down at me. The maid grinned as the rain of knives fell right for me at incredible speed.
?How does she do that?!? I yelled out while taking out my booklet and taking out an attack card, there was only one I can think of that can get me out of this mess. I pulled on the handles and put the card in.
ATTACK RIDE!
I quickly closed the handles as I heard the whistling sound of the knives coming closer and closer.
DUPLEX BARRIER!
I raised my left hand and the dual-layered barrier came out from it and blocked the knives with ease. I breathed a sigh of relief at my narrow escape but I quickly cursed my lax decision when I remembered who I was fighting against. Sakuya landed in front of me and quickly darted right at me with a knife in hand. I wanted to aim the barrier at her but there were still knives falling at me.
?Damn!? I cursed as I made a desperate attempt to avoid the attack but it was too late. The knife slashed right at my chest and...made a bright spark against my miko outfit. The force and the pain sent me sprawling back, the barrier finally disappearing. Sakuya jumped back in surprise at what happened as I clutched my chest where the slash should have it. There was no blood or anything, not even a tear at the clothing. I then remembered the same thing happening back when I first transformed and fought against those rabbit girls.
Well whatever...I'm alive and that's all that matters! I thought as I decided to leave the details for later. Sakuya kept her distance from me, probably trying to figure out what just happened. I took advantage of the moment of confusion as I took out my booklet and pulled out a card. I pulled at the handles and flipped the card over and put it in the slot, the logo of a radiation warning symbol with an eye in the center facing outwards.
TOUHOU RIDE!
?Lemme introduce you to a new friend of mine Sakuya!? I yelled out as I closed the handles again. Sakuya threw a few knives at me as soon as she saw me do that but...
REIUJI UTSUHO!
I was consumed in fireball that started spinning around in place, Sakuya's knives melted at contact. Meltdown klaxons started blaring before the fireball blew outwards and disappeared, the resulting heat burned nearby dead leaves. Sakuya was at a loss for words as I changed into none other than the scorching, troublesome divine flame.
?Eat this!? I aimed my arm cannon at Sakuya and fired a searing red laser at her. Sakuya managed to dodge it but the sheer heat from it singed her apron and she quickly had to remove it. The bamboo in my line of fire weren't so lucky as the laser burned a hole right through several of them, felling some bamboo in the process. I tried to aim at Sakuya again but Utsuho's wings hit the bamboo, preventing me from turning around.
?Having trouble are we?? Sakuya sneered, finally regaining her composure and she started throwing several knives in the air that stayed there spinning in place.
?What the...? I said in amazement and dread.
?I will finish this...for my mistress!? Sakuya yelled out as more and more knives appeared around her.
?Crap!? I yelled as I took out my booklet, I then realized that I can't use my right hand to open it. I was really regretting transforming into Utsuho until the booklet opened up on its own and an attack card slipped out. I used my teeth to take it out and placed the booklet back in my pocket. I pulled at the handle of the buckle with my left hand before taking the card out of my mouth and inserting it into the slot.
ATTACK RIDE!
?It's over!!!? Sakuya screamed and countless knives shot at me as I closed the handles of the buckle.
Please be something awesome!
GIGA FLARE!
My cannon arm suddenly glowed and my right arm suddenly pointed it upwards, the next thing I knew was that my vision and hearing was overwhelmed and I blacked out.
?
Yes...this chapter ends like that! cackle!
-
SUDDENLY! A new chapter! Huzzah!
...
I opened my eyes and expected to see the flattened, burned up, and completely devastated bamboo forest. What I got was stars, lots of stars...everywhere. I got up and found that I was wearing my old street clothes back when I was in my home world. I remembered that the last thing I saw before I blanked out were Sakuya's knives and Utsuho's attack ride.
"What the hell is all this?" I asked after I stood up. I the noticed that there was no ground, just more stars. It was like I was standing in the middle of outer space. It seemed very familiar to me though as I remembered that this was similar to the place where Akyu told me about the nine Gensokyos.
"I never expected for you to come back here." I heard the familiar voice of a young girl from behind me.
"I never expected to see you again either...Akyu." I said before turning around to greet the girl. The young girl bowed to me and I returned the gesture.
"I see that you have made quite some progress in your journey Tama...two worlds have already been saved." Akyu pointed to something below us and I saw two earths spinning on their respective axis.
"Those are..." I said before looking back up at Akyu who gave me a cute smile.
"The world of the Scarlet Devil and the world of the Nuclear Raven...both have regained their stability thanks to your efforts." Akyu said before the two worlds faded from view.
"Thank goodness..." I said while thinking about Sakuya, Satori, Kisume and the others. I then looked back up at Akyu.
"So...why am I here?" I asked the mysterious little girl. Akyu shook her head and walked a few steps towards me.
"Uncertainty...you are somehow having doubts about your journey. Please, voice them out." Akyu told me.
Doubts? What do I have to be dou? I then remembered a few things that did not make any sense so far.
"Well...actually, I have a few things I need clarifications with." I said to her and she nodded, intent on listening. I told Akyu about the inaccurate information in the scroll she gave me about the worlds I was visiting, those mysterious characters that keep attacking me that weren't supposed to be in that world I was in, the weird gray wavy curtain that brings in and takes away those characters, as well as my suspicions about Marisa being in the world I was currently in. After a long silence, Akyu finally cleared her throat and started to speak.
"Firstly, I apologize for the misinformation you have been getting from the scroll. Please understand that the records that you have in your possession are the canonical events that happened in Gensokyo when there was still one Gensokyo with Reimu and Marisa in it. I knew that the separate worlds would be different but I never expected that they would yield situations completely different from the source material. Forgive me..." Akyu said before bowing low to me. I got caught by surprise and put my arms up as if guilty about something.
"He-He-Hey! No need to apologize! Stand up! Stand up! You're making it awkward!" I said, completely flustered at Akyu's sudden humility. The girl stood up straight and looked at me with a curious expression.
"The information there wasn't a complete waste...I mean...uhhh...The characters! Yeah! The information about the bosses I would fight were pretty helpful though those weird ones that come out of nowhere were pretty random...I mean, it was like they were after me on purpose." I said, trying to change the subject. Akyu nodded at my words and furrowed her eyebrows.
"Indeed...from what you said...The Prismriver Sisters attacked you in Embodiment of Scarlet Devil while Aya attacked you in Subterranean Animism. The Prismrivers are not supposed to be in that world while Aya was supposed to have been Reimu's ally which means..." Akyu trailed off.
"...Which means that they must be from other worlds too..." I finished the trail of thought and Akyu nodded in agreement.
"But how did they get there? And why specifically attack me?" I asked the young girl.
"As far as how...I believe that the gray swirling curtain you see before encountering them could be the cause. I believe that those phenomenon are portals to other worlds where those attackers came from. But as to why they are doing that...I do not know. Perhaps someone sent them after you." Akyu voiced her suspicion without missing a beat.
"Someone sent them after me? Why? Someone doesn't like what I'm doing then?" I asked in increasing worry as, apparently, there was someone who wants to stop me...enough so that they sent Youkai after me.
"I do not know...I will try to gather more information about it later on. I too am disturbed by the thought of an enemy that can call on residents of Gensokyo to fight against you." Akyu agreed with my worry. Hopefully she'll be able to figure out who's causing that and how to stop them.
"So...about Marisa..." I brought up the final point I wanted to talk about.
"Ah yes...there is no possible way for Kirisame Marisa to exist on any of the worlds. I have previously confirmed the lack of her existence as well as Hakurei Reimu's ever since the nine worlds appeared. You may have mistaken when you thought you saw her." Akyu said, shooting down my hopes of getting an ally through the rest of the journey.
"I see...too bad. Would have been great to have someone else with me through this..." I said while sighing. I then noticed that our surroundings suddenly turned into a completely white room with one door behind Akyu.
"Wha--" I started to say until I heard the sound of the door unlocking. Akyu and I looked at the door and she then looked back at me.
"I guess this means your doubts have all been addressed. You may go through that door to continue your journey." Akyu said while stepping out of the way. I looked at the door then back at Akyu then I started walking towards the door. I put my hand on the door and looked back to where Akyu was.
"Hey...thanks a--" I said before noticing that she was gone.
"...lot..." I finished the sentence anyway and sighed before opening the door and walking through.
?
I opened my eyes and found myself lying on a grassy field. I surmised that I either won against Sakuya or that I was dead. I contemplated that for a moment, not bothering to get up or move in general, before Komachi came into my field of view and blocking the sun.
"Oh good...you're not dead!" She said in a upbeat voice. She then looked away and seemed to be calling out to someone.
"...where..." I said while trying to move, bad idea as I felt like my whole body was stabbed by thousands of knives. I then remembered my fight and was almost sure that this was what actually happened.
"Oh my~! Quite resilient aren't we?" I heard Bellpeorth's voice before she looked down at me.
"I...can't..." I struggled to speak as even breathing was starting to hurt.
"Move? Yes...that is usually what happens when your body experiences extreme trauma." Bellpeorth said nonchalantly.
"What...happened...?" I asked. The judge and the shinigami looked at each other then back at me.
"Well...you won Tama..." Bellpeorth simply said.
"While leveling half the bamboo forest in the process. You should be careful what you use to attack you know?" Komachi said. Leveled half of the bamboo forest? Did it have to do with Utsuho's attack ride? I tried to remember what it was...
Giga Flare!
I felt a sweat drop as I knew that anything with that kind of name would have to be pretty powerful. I then gasped when I suddenly wondered what happened to Sakuya after that blast.
"Sa...Sakuya...what..." I still struggled with my words but it seemed that Bellpeorth managed to get what I wanted to say.
"If you are worried about Sakuya then please rest at ease. She is still alive and is currently recuperating back in the Scarlet Devil Mansion. She will recover but I doubt if she can move for a few days." Bellpeorth said, much to my relief.
"Now...speaking of moving..." Bellpeorth said before nodding to Komachi. The shinigami nodded back and pulled out a small pouch. She opened it and fished out a small bean and crouched down towards me.
"Here...if you eat this, all of your injuries will instantly heal and your stamina will return in an instant." Komachi explained while holding out the bean towards me.
I feel like I've heard that somewhere before... I thought when I heard the effects of that bean but I just dismissed it as I can't really complain about an instant heal for me. I opened my mouth and Komachi popped the bean in. I chewed it for a bit and swallowed, immediately feeling the effects of the magical bean. I suddenly felt lightheaded as the world around me spun, so much so that I thought that I was going to black out or throw up...or both. Thankfully, that never happened as my vision and senses cleared up.
"Whoa..." I said while shaking off the rest of my dizziness and sitting upright. I was surprised at how fast it worked and I looked at my hands and arms an saw that everything was completely fine. Nothing hurt and I felt like I just came back from a long vacation. Basically...I felt awesome!
"That stuff really works..." I said before standing up. Bellpeorth and Komachi were standing in front of me and I bowed to them as low as Akyu did a while ago.
"Thank you very much!" I said in earnest gratitude from healing me from a vegetative state in a matter of seconds.
"No worries...just doing what the boss tells me." Komachi shrugged before walking away.
"Please do not worry about it Tama. You are a candidate for the next Yama. We need to make sure that everyone is at top shape to see that the selection is as fair as possible. You were not the only one who received the Sanzu Bean as the other victors of the second round also suffered injuries." Bellpeorth explained, putting me at ease.
"I see...that's good. So, who are left?" I asked as I wondered if Shikieiki, that Mystery Woman, and that girl I mistook as Marisa managed to win.
"The ones left are you, Shikieiki and Letty...the fourth victor backed out after the match, sadly..." Bellpeorth said.
"Letty? Wait! Someone backed out?! Who was it?" I asked as I had a very strong suspicion that it was 'Marisa'. I asked but Bellpeorth shook her head at my question.
"She made me promise that I would never reveal her identity after she leaves...unfortunately, I cannot tell you." Bellpeorth explained. Now things were getting really weird.
Just who was that person? I thought as there were even more questions than before.
"Now that one of the participants of the next round has backed out, there will be only one match tomorrow morning. And that will be You against Shikieiki." Bellpeorth said, changing the subject. It worked too as I recognized who my opponent was.
Shikieiki? She's the Yama of Gensokyo canonically...does that mean I have to lose to her? I wondered as I thought that I would be meeting her in the finals or something.
"I...see..." Was all I was able to say.
"Now...there will be food and drink served later on. Please relax until tomorrow." Bellpeorth said before walking away, I didn't feel like stopping her. I didn't see anyone else for the rest of the day since there were only three more participants left.
"I wonder what I should do tomorrow?" I said out loud while eating a bowl of fried rice that was served by Komachi, they really have a thing for Chinese food here for some reason. I finished my meal and spent the rest of the day bored, going to sleep under the same tree as yesterday.
...
The next day came on and the three of us were summoned before the Yama. I looked at the other two and saw the stark contrast between their expressions. Shikieiki had a serious look on her face that would pass for a scowl while the mystery woman named Letty just had a calm smile.
Letty...her name wasn't on the scroll for this world...is this another quirk of this world or was she sent to stop me just like all the others? I wondered about the origin of this woman as I was yet to be attacked by anyone outside the tournament like I was randomly attacked in the previous worlds.
"...Tama!" Bellpeorth's voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I saw that I was being stared at by everyone.
"Oh...ahh...sorry...ahahaha!" I apologized while trying to laugh it off. Bellpeorth, Komachi and Letty didn't seem to mind but Shikieiki glared at me so hard I thought the glare could hurt me.
"Like I explained before...the only match for today will be between Tama and Shikieiki. Since Letty's opponent backed out at the last minute, she will automatically advance to the finals by default..." She turned to look at Letty.
"...Luck and Fate it would seem..." She said to the other woman who just closed her eyes, her smile not leaving her face.
"...so it would seem..." Letty repeated.
"Now...if there is nothing else..." Bellpeorth said while looking at each of us.
"...I declare the third round of the Yama Selection Tournament...Open~!" Bellpeorth declared before the same light as before enveloped me before...to the next fight.
...
Again, my eyesight was the last to recover from my teleportation as I heard the chirping of birds long before I could see my hands that I put in front of me. Thankfully, my vision came back and looked around to see where I was going to fight Shikieiki.
"You have got to be kidding me..." I said as soon as I recognized where I was...the Hakurei Shrine, an empty one as usual. I looked around and saw that, even though the shrine should be abandoned, it was quite clean. I never managed to explore the place since Shikieiki walked into view from behind one of the buildings of the shrine. She saw me and narrowed her eyes before walking towards me, the golden tag in her hand shifted for a better grip.
"So...you're my opp--"
"Silence cur!" Shikieiki yelled out at me, effectively interrupting my small bid for a conversation.
"Hey! What's your problem huh?! You've been like that since this whole thing started!" I yelled back at the shorter girl. I was really getting angry at the attitude she's been giving through this whole thing and it all came out at once.
"I should ask you the same thing! You AND that poor excuse for a Yama! To think that fool was in charge of passing judgment for fifteen-hundred years...such idiocy!" Shikieiki said out in anger, I didn't know why she was upset about me and Bellpeorth though.
"What are you talking about? What's wrong with me and Bellpeorth huh? If you have something against us then say it to our face instead of bottling it up like a kid." I said, calming myself down with deep breaths.
"Enough...I have no more words for one who does not value the justice of the Yama...I shall win this tournament and fix this broken system myself!" Shikieiki declared before charging at me.
"If you want it that way then..." I said before putting on my buckle, pulling at the handles and putting Reimu's card in.
TOUHOU RIDE!
I closed the handles while holding my ground against the charging girl.
HAKUREI REIMU!
I transformed just in time as Shikieiki tried to hit me with her tag in an overhead smash. I blocked it with my gohei and pushed her back, she did not resist and jumped away instead. I held up my left hand and fired some needles while running up to Shikieiki. The short girl did not even move and merely narrowed her eyes at my sudden transformation and projectiles.
"So that is your power...even so, I have trained and dedicated my whole life to be the embodiment of justice! I shall not yield!" She said as she held up her tag high in the air and mumbled something I could not hear she then swept her tag in front of her and the space in front of her distorted as the needles I fired were sucked into the vortex.
"Behold...the power of my justice!" Shikieiki said before she pointed her tag at the vortex in front of her and the needles I fired came back at me...only twice as big and around fifty percent faster.
"Crap!" I cursed as I stopped in my tracks and jumped out of the way of the jumbo needles, I had no desire to see how much those things might hurt.
"This is true justice! I shall return all you use against me like how a Yama must show a soul all their actions and weigh them as right or wrong! That is how a true Yama must be like and not the half-hearted methods of Bellpeorth!" Shikieiki spoke as if she was lecturing me or something.
This girl has issues...I thought before resuming my attack.
"If ranged attacks were out of the question then..." I said to myself as I charged straight at Shikieiki without firing any needles, tightening my grip on my gohei. The shorter girl did not even try to move and simply glared at me. I paid no mind and jumped up, holding my gohei with both hands and swung it down with all my might.
"Rrraaaaaaaaahhhh!" I roared as I fell towards her. Shikieiki once again swung her tag between her and myself and I hit it as if I hit a wall. I cursed and tried to pull out but I was stuck, I couldn't move from my current position. Was this her power? She narrowed her eyes, stared right into mine and pointed her tag at the vortex that trapped me.
"You are not fit to be Yama..." She said in a cold voice before I suddenly felt a powerful impact hit my entire body, blasting me away from her and right into the tiled roof of one of the shrine buildings.
"Ghaaah!" I screamed as I felt the pain all over my body.
Is this the reason she got this far in the tournament? I thought as I slowly got on my feet, almost losing my balance on the broken roof. Shikieiki didn't really seem have any offensive ability to speak of but any attack that touches her vortex will be neutralized and sent back to the source with even greater damage. I immediately thought that using Remilia or Utsuho would be suicide on my part.
"What's wrong? What happened to all that bravado and bravery you showed before? Are so paralyzed in fear of being hit with your own attack that you cannot even move?" Shikieiki taunted me, wanting me to attack her since she can't deal any damage to me unless I make the first move. Naturally, I'm not dumb enough to blindly attack here if she can just throw it all back to be. I calmly brushed the dirt from my clothes and jumped down to the ground.
"So...your kind of justice is making someone face their actions head on with no other room for explanation or interpretation." I said to her after getting an idea from what her attack was like.
"Yes...a sin is a sin no matter what you do. The ends will never justify the means. If you break the rules then you should be ready for the consequences. No exceptions." Shikieiki proudly declared. There I saw it, the qualities of a Yama's justice that Bellpeorth hated the most.
"...and no good deed goes unpunished..." I added in the end. The short girl narrowed her eyes at me but did not speak, I decided to continue.
"That inflexible kind of justice...Bellpeorth told me about it. She said that she didn't like how it works." I told her what the current Yama of Gensokyo felt about the basic rules of judging a soul, how she wanted to change it.
"Such thinking will only lead to bias and imbalance! Justice must always be Black and White!" Shikieiki growled back at me. I simply sighed at her stubborn narrow-mindedness.
"That won't work either...because a person's life isn't black and white..." I said to her, not in anger or in pity or sadness. I simply told her what I thought of justice compared to a person's life.
"I don't really know much about justice but...I agree with Bellpeorth on that much." I declared before raising my gohei and taking a stance.
"So be it then...may the better justice prevail." Shikieiki replied while pointing her tag right at me. We stayed at that stalemate for a few minutes, I couldn't attack so she couldn't counterattack...silence enveloped the shrine save from the leaves rustling in the spring breeze.
Damn...I can't think of any way I can attack her without having it get blasted back at me... I racked my brain for a way to be able to deal any kind of damage against her without having to endure the backlash. I crouched down and decided to test a theory. I fired some needles at Shikieiki then suddenly dashed to the side as the needles flew at her. I fired some more needles as I ran, circling Shikieiki as I kept firing. She adeptly intercepted each needle burst in her vortices and kept them there. I stopped any further attempts to attack that way as it seemed that it wasn't going to do me any good. As soon as I stopped moving, Shikieiki spun around like in a dance and gathered the vortices that caught my needles at the tip of her tag. She combined all the vortices into one large vortex and smiled at me.
This won't end well... I thought as I scrambled to get my booklet out.
"Know futility and face your judgment!" Shikieiki declared before she unleashed by needles back at me, bigger and faster than before. I managed to take out an attack card and opened up my belt before putting the card in.
ATTACK RIDE!
I closed the handles as soon as I heard that voice, the needles getting closer and closer.
THOUSANDFOLD FIST!
"Wait what?!" I cried out in surprise and confusion as the Torii Knuckles appeared in my hands. I was surprised because I thought I pulled out Duplex Barrier to block the needles. I looked up and saw the oncoming projectiles, no more time to do anything else.
"Daaaaaaaammit!!!" I screamed as I pulled my right fist back in frustration, activating the Attack Ride. A magic circle appeared around my feet which had ancient Buddhist runes. As soon as the needles passed into that circle, my fists automatically intercepted them. Over and over again by fists pumped in blinding speeds, my body completely out of my own control. The barrage finally ended and so did the Attack Ride, the Torii Knuckles dissipating. I looked at my hands and back at Shikieiki, she shared my shock. I snapped out of my daze and pulled out my booklet again trying to see if there was anything there that can turn the tables on Shikieiki. I scanned through the attack rides and saw Reimu's final attack card.
This card...I feel like...this will...surely...I thought as I stared at the yellow card. I took a deep breath and pulled it out. I opened the handles on the buckle and put the card in.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
"You should realize that any and all attacks that you try is meaningless against me." Shikieiki calmly said as I put my hands on the handles of the buckle. I paused for a moment and sighed.
"Not like I have anything else that I can do...if I win, I win. If you win, then you win. Like you said...may the better justice prevail." I said, knowing that this will hurt a lot no matter what happens.
RE-RE-REIMU!
My body started to glow as I relinquished control of my body to the card. I crouched down as the six multi-colored orbs appeared around me before I dashed straight at Shikieiki, my feet leaving the ground as I zoomed towards her. The shorter girl prepared to counter by final attack as I jumped high in the air when I was around ten feet away from her and aimed my jump kick right at her. The orbs that trailed me in my dash and jump fused to my right foot just like all the other times and imbued my attack with immense magical power. Shikieiki was ready for it though as she pointed her tag at me and a vortex once again blocked the way between me and her. My kick hit the vortex and I was completely stuck there, I couldn't even pull out my foot to escape, it just like when I tried to strike her with my gohei.
"Fool..." Shikieiki somberly said as she pointed her tag at me again, preparing to blast back my attack right at me. That was when I gave a stupid grin.
"I knew it!" I proudly declared as I used my hands to open up my buckle. I then pulled out my booklet and took an attack card.
"What are you doing?!" Shikieiki suddenly asked in a surprised voice.
"My attack was neutralized by the vortex but that was my strongest attack in this form which means it should be pretty hard to stop...that being said!" I put the card in after my explanation.
ATTACK RIDE!
"I know it now! The reason why you don't move when you are attacked is because you can't leave the spot you are standing on as long as one of your vortices has an attack trapped in them! Since you can't move either..." I said as I closed the handles of my buckle.
YOUKAI BUSTER!
I raised both my hands and pointed them at Shikieiki. They glowed and prepared to blast her with talismans.
"You think I would let you?!" Shikieiki declared before releasing my final attack back at me. The amplified force of Reimu's final attack hit me square on and blasted me away but not before I was able to start firing talismans at Shikieiki. I used every drop of power I had left to keep my aim at her as I flew in the air. I slammed back on the ground hard and bounced away like a rag doll, that was the last straw as my transformation was forcefully ended and the nine monochrome Reimus separated from me. I was back to being regular self but I wasn't seriously injured as I knew from previous experiences that Reimu's miko outfit would take most of the damage. That didn't mean that the force of all those impacts didn't hurt as could only get back on one knee, my body wracked with pain. I looked at my handywork and saw the smoke and dust start to fade...revealing Shikieiki still standing. She was a bit dirty but she didn't look like she was out for the count.
"You have got to be kidding me..." I cursed my luck. I gambled on the attack ride as I couldn't think of anything else to do at the time. I knew that the attack ride wasn't as strong as the final attack but I had hoped that it would be enough to beat her.
"That was reckless and idiotic...risking life and limb on an attack that had little to no chance of success." Shikieiki said as if nothing happened to her. That was when she suddenly dropped to one knee like me.
"Was this because of reckless bravery or simply luck? I do not know but...well played." Shikieiki said as she failed to get back to her feet.
"I guess you're not so tough once I get past your defenses huh?" I said before snickering a bit. She smiled back at me as her hat dropped form her head, revealing her short, straight hair that almost glowed in a green sheen.
"Indeed...it would appear that I need more practice to perfect my system." She admitted, no more malice or anything in her words.
"So...still think that black and white is the correct kind of justice?" I asked her, wondering if she has had a change of heart. She shook her head and looked at me straight in the eyes.
"Yes...I still believe in my justice unconditionally but...you have shown me that there is more than my kind of justice. I wish to learn more about other kinds of justice to someday make a system that is fair in all accounts. After all, it would seem that our justices were a match for each other." She said with a small chuckle. I suddenly heard footsteps approaching us, we both turned to the source and I gasped in surprised at who it was.
Wearing a blue and white outfit similar to a shrine maiden's but has detached sleeves with light blue polka dots and stripes covering the blue areas. Has yellow eyes and long light green hair. A snake-shaped hair accessory wrapped around her hair on one side and a hair clip shaped like a frog's head on the other.
It was one of the girls that I saw in my dream. But something didn't seem right since I didn't read about her in the scroll nor did I see her in the tournament. She looked at me then at Shikieiki and clicked her tongue.
"To think that this was all that you can do. I expected better than this from Shikieiki Yamaxanadu." The green haired girl bitterly said as she looked at Shikieiki.
"Wha--what are you..." I started to say but a familiar gray curtain rose from the ground behind her. Then out came a girl I have never seen before. She had green eyes, long orange hair and has a pair of white feathered wings. She had a pointed hat and large dress with wide sleeves which were black, with a red wave pattern outlining the edges.
"Hakurei..." The green haired girl said as she looked at me, a scowl clearly on her face.
"You will not complete your journey...I, Kotiya Sanae, shall ensure it. Die miserably if you would...foul demon." She said with a sick smile before walking backwards into the gray curtain and disappearing.
"Wait!" I cried out but she was already gone.
Kotiya Sanae...she was the one who sent the Prismrivers and Aya after me? And...a demon? Me? I thought as flashes of my dream appeared in my head. Indeed, the one who slaughtered all of those girls seemed to be Hakurei Reimu but...it can't be...and it certainly couldn't be me sin--
"SPRING IS HERE~!" The girl in black playfully yelled out before she pointed her hands at me, the insides of the wide sleeves started to glow.
"I don't like the looks of this..." I mumbled before trying to stand, but failing miserably. The girl in black let loose a barrage of small blue and yellow orbs aimed in my general direction.
"Gyaaaaaaaahhh!" I screamed as I forced my body to move and barely managed to get out of the impact point of the orbs though I quickly fell back down to my knees after stumbling. I noticed that I still had my buckle on so I tried to open the handles but I quickly recoiled by hands as I almost burned them from how hot the buckle was.
Was it because of all the damage I took before? I thought as a possible reason why it suddenly overheated. The buckle quickly faded away after a few seconds which meant that I didn't have any way of defending myself anymore. The girl in black approached while floating a few feet in the air and pointed her glowing sleeves at me again.
"Oh come on!" I complained as I tried to get up again but this time I couldn't move anymore. The small orbs started firing out from inside the sleeved of the girl in black and I closed my eyes and prepared for the worse.
"Oh! Hey! What?! Owowowowowowowow!" I heard the voice of the girl in black as well as sounds of impacts in the air. I opened my eyes and was completely surprised at what I saw.
"Shikieiki..." I said as I saw he standing between me and the girl in black with her tag pointed at her. I got the long and short of it that she used her counterattacking ability on the girl in black. The scene reminiscent of when Sakuya helped me against the Prismrivers in the first world.
"...why?" I asked the obvious question and Shikieiki looked at me and offered a hand. I took it and manged to stand up.
"I do not believe in the words of one who ambushes a wounded person and mercilessly declares intentions of murder...you...are not a demon in my eyes...Tama..." Shikieiki said before quickly looking away from me, a slight hint of red in her cheeks as she said those words.
"...Eiki..." I said with a smile. She suddenly turned back to me, her face completely red now.
"Don't shorten people's names like that!" The embarrassed girl yelled out at me.
"Owowowow...Hey! That's not fair you know!" The girl in black complained at the sudden turn of events as she struggled to keep floating after getting hit with amplified versions of her attacks.
"What is the meaning of this herald of spring? Why do you align yourself to someone so wicked?" Shikieiki asked, trying to get some information out of the girl in black. The girl in question put her finger on her lips as if thinking about it then immediately smiled back at us.
"I was promised a world of endless spring if I destroyed the one who turns into the red and white shine maiden. I, Lily Black, can't ignore such a juicy proposition~!" She said before pointing her sleeves at us again, even though she had already been hit by her own attack.
"What?! Destroy me? Was...was it Sanae who--" I was once again interrupted when Eiki pulled me to the side and away from Lily Black's barrage.
"Does that one not learn?" Eiki asked, dumbfounded at Lily's complete recklessness in attacking us. Eiki pointed her tag at Lily Black, ready to produce a vortex to protect us from the indiscriminate attacks.
"Huuuuunnn~" Lily Black playfully made a silly sound as if knowing that it would be a bad idea to attack us head on. She then clapped her hands together and had a eureka expression.
"If a one sided attack won't work...then just attack from all directions~!" She playfully said as spread her arms out and fired blue and yellow arrowhead shaped projectiles flew out from them. The new projectiles flew outwards then some of them started to change directions and head straight for us. The rest of the projectiles did this as well in a staggered pattern until we found ourselves getting closed in from all sides.
"And now the finale~!" Lily Black playfully declared before pointing her sleeves at us again, her hands clasped together making the sleeves look like a double-barreled shotgun. The insides of the sleeves started glowing brightly, seemingly charging up power for a big attack.
"Fruitless..." Eiki defiantly said as she deployed votrices around us and intercepted all of Lily's projectiles.
.
"Wow~! You got them all! But can you take this too?" Lily said before a large red laser fired from within the combined sleeves. I screamed out in panic as the red beam headed straight for us but Eiki simply smiled at the oncoming threat.
"Gladly..." She said as she gathered up all the vortices into one large vortex, like what she did to my needles before, and aimed her tag at the oncoming beam and fired the amplified barrage that was aimed for us moments before. The two opposing energies collided and produced a dazzling light show that made you almost forget how dangerous they really are. The stalemate ended with a large explosion from the contact point of the two attacks. Eiki and I covered our eyes from the explosion and Lily Black backed away to avoid any damage. I saw my chance and acted...which was really reckless when I think about it now.
"There!" I yelled out before running right into the cloud of dust and right towards Lily Black.
"Tama you fool!" Eiki cried out before running after me. I burst out of the cloud of dust and right in front of a low flying Lily Black who was still slightly disoriented and barely floating off the ground.
"I got you!" I screamed out before jumping right at Lily Black and delivering a shoulder tackle right in her gut.
"Wha--uuugh!" Lily Black grunted as I hit her and the two of us hit the ground, I was on top of her of course. I straddled her and used by body weight to keep her arms apart and away from me.
"But...how?! You couldn't even move a while ago!" Lily yelled in protest as she struggled to get out of my grasp but she was a lot lighter then me and was pretty easy to physically subdue.
"Yeah...I don't really know why either but...bottom line is that I have you right where I want you!" I said as before applying more force on her arms.
"Ow! Oooooooohhh! That hurts! Stooooop!" Lily Black pleaded, seemed that she was physically weaker than I have thought.
"Tama!" I turned to Eiki who just came out of the cloud of dust and was staring in disbelief at what I just did.
"How...you were..." Eiki started to say but couldn't complete the sentence.
"Join the club..." I replied before turning my attention back to Lily Black. Honestly, I didn't know where all my energy came from or why my wounds didn't hurt as much but I didn't want to look at a gift horse in the mouth so I just decided to take the good fortune in stride.
"Now...why is Sanae trying to destroy me?! Why did she call me a demo--" My words froze in midair as I recalled something being said some time before.
You! I was warned about you! You are Hakurei Reimu! And you are here to destroy this world!
Sakuya's words from the Scarlet World echoed in my mind. Was it Sanae who told her that as well? I should have asked. My hindsight was interrupted by another attempt by Lily Black to escape, one that I easily subdued. She must be really out of shape if this was all it took to pin her down.
"Oh no you don't! You're telling me everything you know about Sanae and anything else that might be useful." I said to Lily Black who suddenly gave a pained smile.
"Sorry...but my time is up. Too bad, demon shrine maiden...hehehehe..." Lily Black said before a gray curtain appeared from the ground again and passed over us.
"No!" I yelled as I tried to hold down Lily Black as much as I can, earning a yell of pain from the girl, but it was all moot as she disappeared after the curtain passed.
"Dammit! Why?!" I yelled in frustration while pounding on the ground with my fists. Eiki quickly went up from behind me and grabbed by hands to prevent me from hurting myself.
"Stop it! This solves nothing! Calm yourself!" Eiki said, ever logical. I tried to pound the ground again but her hands held me fast so I simply crumpled on the ground, completely vexed.
"I think you need to tell me just who you are and what this is all about...for both our sakes..." Eiki calmly said.
...
"Well...I can't say I expected that..." Bellpeorth said in a troubled tone as she, Komachi and Letty witnessed the events at the shrine.
"Wait...doesn't this mean that they're both disqualified?" Komachi asked her employer. Letty remained silent but had a small smile creeping in her lips.
"But if they're both disqualified then..." Bellpeorth trailed off as she and the other two there knew what it already means. Letty's opponent for this round already backed out and if both Tama and Shikieiki were disqualified then that means that Letty was already the champion by default. Letty raised her hand for a question, Komachi and Bellpeorth turned to her immediately.
"A question...why are both participants disqualified? It was obvious enough that the one who interrupted the match was an outside force and the two of them even worked together to defeat the foe." Letty pointed out. Komachi and Bellpeorth looked at each other and back at Letty with displeased expressions.
"It was a rule placed by an ancient Yama. If an outside force is involved in a match then both participants of that match are immediately disqualified. That was to ensure that further interruptions, if the one who was the target was to advance, were prevented in future matches. Since only the Yama, the shinigami, and the participants should know about the tournament being held at that moment then it is logical to think that the cause of the interruption would be one of the participants or someone allied to them." Bellpeorth explained.
"Cutting the loses as they say..." Komachi added.
"I see...then that would mean that I...won..." Letty said in an uncertain tone.
"Yes...as odd a circumstance as it was...you indeed win the Yama Selection Tournament by default. I apologize if it was not a glorious victory." The current Yama said to the spirit of winter.
"Not at all...as you said...Luck or Fate...or a combination of the two which gave me my victory in this tournament." Letty said, not complaining about a victory won with no effort on her part.
"Indeed...well then...I guess we better get started then." Bellpeorth said before approaching Letty, Komachi standing beside her.
"As the Yama of Gensokyo...I hereby acknowledge Letty White as the victor of the Yama Selection Tournament and my successor. Onozuka Komachi, as the witness and shinigami of this realm, do you acknowledge this?" Bellpeorth said before turning to Komachi, Letty looked at the shinigami as well who just shrugged and sighed. She didn't seem thrilled about all this.
"I, Onozuka Komachi...shinigami of this realm and witness to the succession...acknowledge Letty White as the victor of the Yama Selection Tournament and the successor of Bellpeorth Yamaxanadu." Komachi said, Bellpeorth smiled and nodded at her shinigami and friend for fifteen-hundred years.
"It was nice working with you Komachi..." Bellpeorth said.
"Same here boss..." Komachi replied, eyes closed and turned her back from Bellpeorth and Letty.
"And with that...I hereby declare...Letty White as the new Yama of Gensokyo...and I bestow her the name Letty Yamaxanadu..." Bellpeorth said before offering her tag to Letty who carefully took it in her hands.
"Now...you will be the new Yama of Gensokyo...behold the power that comes with it." Bellpeorth said as a golden light wrapped around Letty, completely consuming her.
"So...warm...the power...its filling me completely..." Letty's voice echoed from within the light.
"Calm yourself and accept the power..." Bellpeorth instructed and Letty did so. The light soon faded and revealed the new Yama of Gensokyo.
Letty's hair and eyes became deep lavender while herwhite cap was replaced with the trademark blue and gold of a Yama, just like Bellpeorth's. The rest of her clothes was changed as well. Her dress and cape was no more and was replaced with a long blue tunic which passed her hips and almost looked like a skirt. It was covered with a blue jacket with a white collar and was zipped up the middle, a tiny snowman was hanging from the end of the zipper. The shoulders of the jacket were large and black, almost like shoulder guards, a large gold alchemic symbol of silver was on the left shoulder. The sleeves of the jacket was pure white and reached to her wrists, her hands covered in dark blue gloves. She also had white pants which were slightly frilled in the end just before her equally white boots. All the astethic changes were nice but the biggest change was the tag that Bellpeorth gave her. If Bellpeorth made the tag look like a short sword then Letty made it look like a full broad sword...no, it really WAS a broadsword. The tag turned into a large, golden, single-edged broadsword. The blade ran from the tip of the tag and passed the black handle of the sword and made a bladed tip at the other end of the handle, the runic symbols of the Yama's tag were etched on the broadsides of the blade. Letty looked at her new form and admired the craftsmanship of the blade she now held in her right hand. She could no longer contain her joy and started laughing in earnest, tilting her head back and covering her eyes with her left hand while laughing with all her might.
"I'm glad that you are happy about all this and I hope that you become an excellent Yama who--" Bellpeorth was saying before she was interrupted by Letty's words.
"Quiet you old hag!" Letty suddenly roared as she raised her left hand and pointed it at Bellpeorth. A blast of cold suddenly came from it and overcame the former Yama of Gensokyo.
"Boss!" Komachi yelled out after her former employer. The blast faded and Bellpeorth was now trapped in a large block of ice, her arms raised up in a futile attempt to block the sudden attack. Komachi turned to Letty in anger and held her scythe, ready to attack.
"You dare bare your fangs at the Yama of Gensokyo, mere dog!" Letty taunted Komachi who was shaking in anger.
"You biiiiiitch!" Komachi screamed as she charged at Letty. She pulled her scythe behind her and gave a quick horizontal swing but Letty was the quicker as she stepped inside the arc of the swing and blocked the shaft with her new golden sword. She quickly moved in closer and grabbed Komachi's throat but the shinigami jumped back right before Letty reached her. Komachi adjusted her grip in her scythe and swung it in Letty's direction, creating a blade made of air that headed straight for Letty. The new Yama smiled and swung her sword at the gust of wind and managed to deflect it. Komachi didn't let up as she made one air blade after another but all of them were adeptly intercepted by Letty with little effort.
"Is that it? Ufufufufu...is this all the mighty shinigami can do? Or is this because of the power I now possess?" Letty mockingly asked as she pointed her sword at Komachi.
"Shut up...you're no Yama...I, Onozuka Komachi, have evaluated that the current Yama is not fit for the position and will now relieve her of her duty..." Komachi said as she lowered her stance and narrowed her eyes at Letty who just shook her head and sighed.
"I guess I'll have to show the old dog that she has a new master then." Letty mocked. Komachi had enough of her talk and wound up her scythe and swung it with all her might at Letty. The result was nothing like the slicing gust of wind, this time it was a full-on tornado that was aimed straight at Letty.
"Oooohhhh...so the dog has an impressive bark. But..." Letty said as she held her sword with both her hands and raised the blade on her right shoulder and wound up her body for a strike, the sword starting to glow brighter and brighter.
"You know...I have a name for this now. I got the name from a book I read a long time ago about a sword that was represents victory and justice..." Letty calmly said as she gathered more golden energy on her sword, not even bothered in the least by Komachi's tornado which was roaring towards her.
"Let me show you...My sword of promised victory...Ex~calibur~!" Letty joyfully declared the new name of her sword, whose namesake was none other than the legendary sword of King Arthur, before swinging the sword straight down. A blast of golden light ran from the sword and across the ground, rending it apart, as it went straight towards Komachi's own attack. The two attacks met head on but Letty's easily tore through the powerful tornado like it was nothing more than a light breeze.
"...dammit..." Komachi bitterly said as the golden light approached her in astounding speed. The shinigami lowered her sycthe and looked back at the frozen Bellpeorth in the distance.
"Sorry boss..." She softly said before being being consumed by the immense light and resulting explosion. The dust settled and Komachi was lying motionless on the ground and was still smoldering from the intensity of the blast. Letty smiled at her handiwork and looked at her sword again.
"With this...I have enough power to turn all of Gensokyo into a permanent winter wonderland. Starting with The Sanzu River, then Hakugyokurou, The Hell of Blazing Fires, The Forest of Magic, The Youkai Mountain, The Garden of the Sun, The Bamboo Forest, The Human Village, ALL OF IT! FROZEN FOR ALL TIME!" Letty screamed out as she raised her sword and it gave a bright golden light. The light of justice was now about to be used to oppress the entire realm.
...
It was so long that I have to use 2 parts...>_>
-
Here's part 2!
...
"...and that's what's been happening till now..." I finished my story on what I have been doing and why I was doing it. Eiki listened intently to every word with her brows bunched up as if she was contemplating something important.
"I see...quite a serious dilemma...and to be given such a responsibility. I cannot even hope to comprehend the stakes involved in this quest. It is unbelievable to be able to shoulder such a responsibility on your own...and with such optimism while doing so...even against all the odds presented against you and a nemesis that is hell bent on ending your journey with extreme prejudice. Simply amazing..." Eiki said in...amazement as she looked at me, her eyes almost sparkling in admiration. I, on the other hand, did not share her optimism. This was the very first time that someone pointed out how much is at stake with my journey and how difficult it really is especially now that someone is officially after my head. The sudden realization of what I had already up against and what I have to go up against in the future made my brain stall and I just stared off into oblivion with my mouth hung open. This was usually when a gentle breeze or tumbleweed would pass if this was an anime or manga.
"Tama? Hey! Tama!" Eiki called out as she shook my by the shoulders, trying to get me back.
"....." I didn't respond so Eiki hit me on the head with her tag.
"Ow!" I crouched down and held my head when I felt the pain from the hit. It didn't seem like she hit me that hard but still...
"Get a hold of yourself! We have to tell the Yama about this at once..." Eiki said but trailed off in the end and had a distant look in her eyes.
"Eiki?" I called out to her, she immediately looked at me and glared while I held up my hands in apology.
"SHIKIeiki! Stop shortening my name at your own convenience!" Eiki yelled at me, she was blushing in embarrassment when I call her that. I didn't really know why she was so against being called Eiki but I decided not to dwell on it lest I wanted to get hit again.
"A-anyway...what...were you saying about the Yama again?" I said, trying to change the subject. Eiki saw right through it and huffed but did not bother with it any further since something might be more important than that right now.
"Yes...if you were sent here in order to do something important then we need to tell the Yama so you can get more information on what to do." Eiki said.
"So...I have to talk to Bellpeorth about this huh? Wait...isn't the tournament still going on? Our match isn't even decided yet!" I pointed out. Eiki simply shook her head and looked down.
"No...there should already be a new Yama by now. The two of us were disqualified as soon as that other shrine maiden appeared." Eiki said in a sad voice.
"What? What do you mean?" I asked. She proceeded to explain the rule about disqualifying both participants when something interrupts their match.
"No way...that means that...Letty is..." I trailed off but Eiki nodded in acknowledgment. Because of what happened, Letty White is now the new Yama of Gensokyo.
"There should still be a period of sixty years where the previous Yama will teach the new Yama all she needs in order to properly do her work so if we go there we will still be able to seek Bellpeorth's council about this matter." Eiki said matter-of-factly. I expected as much since I didn't really think that they would just dump all the work on the new Yama once one has been chosen.
"Yeah...I get that but we can't exactly walk there since the only ways we can get to the Sanzu is either by getting teleported by the Yama or...your know...being dead..." I pointed out the little dilemma. Eiki gave a sly smile and pointed her tag at her chest proudly while raising her chin.
"Who do you think you are talking to? I too, am a Yama...still in training but a Yama nonetheless!" She proudly declared.
"A Yama...in training?" I repeated what she said but in a more...confused manner.
"Well yes...all Yama who have yet to earn the right to be the judge of a realm are considered as trainees...normally, Yama are selected from within the ranks of trainees but Gensokyo's system is different as they use a tournament to choose the new Yama. You couldn't imagine my surprise when I came to this realm, expecting to be taken under the wing of Bellpeorth to be trained as the new Yama, only to find out that random residents of Gensokyo have the same chance as I...I who has trained and studied for so long just for this duty..." Eiki said bitterly her face contorting as she forced her anger from surfacing.
So that's why she was so upset when I first saw her...I thought back to when I ran into her in the mist of the Sanzu.
"Okay...so you're saying that you can take us directly to the Sanzu from here?" I asked her and she nodded.
"Of course...how else do you think I even got to this realm if I didn't have a means to do so?" She asked rhetorically.
"Right right...my bad. So what are we waiting for? Let's go!" I said with renewed vigor. Eiki nodded and raised her tag in the air, a golden magic circle appeared around us.
"Are you ready?" Eiki asked and I nodded of course. A blinding light, like the ones before, consumed my vision as the two of us were teleported back to the Sanzu.
...
The light faded after a while and I saw that we were back in the rolling plains of the Sanzu. I turned and saw that Eiki was beside me which was a relief since I was worried that we might have been separated or something. The sentiment quickly faded as I saw that Eiki was staring at something she saw in the distance, her expression was that of fear and shock. I looked in the direction she was and was utterly gobsmacked at what I saw. There, in the distance, is saw Bellpeorth...who was encased in a large block of ice with her hand raised in front of her as if trying to protect herself from whatever caused her current state.
"Bellpeorth!" I yelled out before running towards her, leaving Eiki behind who was still in shock. I reached the frozen Yama and pounded my right fist on the ice, which was an awful idea since I nearly burned by skin on the subzero temperature of the block.
"Ouch! Dammit!" I cursed as I blew on my right hand, which was almost suffering from hypothermia, trying to get the temperature back up. It was then that I noticed that Eiki had walked up beside me and was narrowed her eyes at Bellpeorth's frozen form but stayed silent.
"Who could have done such a thing...?" I asked Eiki as I looked up at Bellpeorth's frightened face in pity.
"Considering who are missing in this picture...it shouldn't be too hard to figure out who..." Eiki plainly said.
"Letty White...but...why?" I turned to her with that question, her expression already softened as she continued to stare at her fellow Yama. We suddenly felt a strong breeze coming from behind us and we turned to the source. There, appearing out of a large ball of light was Letty who looked a lot different from before. Most notable was her clothes, hair, eyes...and the large sword she was holding in her right hand which had the engravings of a Yama's tag. She wasn't alone though as I saw that Komachi was behind her and had her head hung low. I wondered why until I saw that there was a gold rope tied to her neck and the other end was held by Letty's left hand. The changed Letty noticed us and blinked a few times. Beads of sweat started to form on my forehead as I couldn't imagine what she can do if she can do those things to Komachi and Bellpeorth.
"Oh...it's just you two..." She said disappointedly before starting to walk towards us. Komachi didn't follow so the golden rope that linked them prevented Letty from advancing any further. She looked back at the shinigami with an annoyed look and violently pulled at the rope, making Komachi stumble forward and fall on her hands and knees.
"Useless mutt!" Letty yelled at Komachi before kicking her side and making her fall over. I had enough and summoned by buckle. It seemed to be okay now so I put in on and pulled on the handles and pulled out Reimu's card.
"STOP IT!" I shouted at Letty who just gave me a bored look.
"What? I'm just disciplining this dog. Isn't that what a master is supposed to do?" Letty said innocently but the words held a certain sense of sarcasm and cruelty.
"Onozuka Komachi is no dog...she is a proud shinigami who has served the Yama of Gensokyo for centuries." Eiki said, her voice trembled as she tried her best to keep her temper in check.
"Yes...and the Yama is now me..." Letty said as she tapped her chest with the flat of her sword.
"...Letty Yamaxanadu..." She declared while smiling smugly at us.
"Not for long..." I said as I put Reimu's card in.
TOUHOU RIDE!
"We'll stop you and free Bellpeorth and Komachi!" I declared before closing the handles.
HAKUREI REIMU!
"Oh? Is that so? Then I'll need to show you my power then...like how I showed Komachi, Saigyouji Yuyuko, Konpaku Youmu and Kazami Yuka...I'll make you feel it thoroughly...The Advent of Letty White!" Letty said as she pointed her sword at us after I transformed. She let go of the golden rope and it disappeared and seemingly freed Komachi. Such hopes were in vain though as Letty walked up to the fallen shinigami and gave her a swift kick in the gut, making Komachi grunt in pain and start coughing.
"Get up, dog! We have guests that need to be entertained!" Letty said as she turned back to us.
"Tama..." Eiki called out to me and I turned to her. Her face was calm but she was shivering in anger, holding onto her tag so tightly that her knuckles were turning white.
"Let me handle Letty...you keep Komachi busy..." She calmly said as best she could.
"Komachi? Why?" I wondered why I should have to fight against the shinigami.
"She is bound to the Yama and has to follow her orders no matter what. Letty will make her fight us, but I want to face her...for the honor of Bellpeorth and all the Yama...as well as Komachi's." Eiki explained. I looked back at Letty and Komachi, who was starting to stand back up with the help of her scythe for support.
"Alright...can you take her on your own?" I asked. She turned to me and I saw the intense fire in her eyes.
"Forget I asked..." I said as I took up a stance and got ready to fight.
"So...you really want to fight? And here I was, considering to let you go since you were essentially the ones who gave me the chance to be Yama by knocking each other out of the running...oh well...I'll show you the power of my justice then." Letty said, feigning regret. She adjusted her grip on her sword as Komachi stood beside her, none too pleases about what was about to happen.
"Justice?! That isn't justice! I don't know much about justice but even I can see that much!" I spat back at Letty who just laughed.
"Eiki...Bellpeorth...they have different views on justice but they do so in the hopes of giving all whom they judge a fair chance at the trial! But you...you're just using the Yama's power for your own ends!" I yelled at her.
"No kidding...I'm going to use this power to make Gensokyo into an everlasting winter...and let my justice reign supreme!" Letty said menacingly.
"Don't make me sick! Eiki is a hundred...no...a thousand more times the Yama you will ever be!" I retorted as I pointed my gohei at Letty, who just shook her head.
"Tama..." Eiki said as she looked at me in disbelief.
"Come on...let's take her down...for the honor of the Yama and shinigami...like you said." I told her and she nodded in response. My pocket glowed again and out came three cards. As I had suspected, they were Eiki's Touhou Ride, Final Form Ride and Final Attack Ride cards. I turned them over and saw that her symbol was an outline of her tag with the Yama's runes drawn within. I smiled and put the cards away for now.
"Those are..." Eiki said when she noticed the cards and I smiled at her.
"Our trump cards...but for now..." I said as I resumed by stance and looked at Komachi, who had a gloomy expression.
"He who strikes first!" I yelled before firing some needles at Komachi and dashing off to the side and away from Eiki, giving her room so she can use her fighting style to the fullest. The shinigami smacked away my needles and dashed after me, her face remaining expressionless.
"Why?! Why are you fighting for her? Isn't Bellpeorth your boss?! So why?!" I yelled at Komachi while firing needles at the shinigami who just intercepted them with the weapon. She quickly closed the gap between us and she made an overhead slash which I managed to block using my gohei. I was amazed that my gohei was still in one piece after taking the hit from the scythe but Komachi was taller and stronger than me so she used that to push me down to one knee.
"Sorry...I have to follow the orders of the current Yama...I tried to fight back before, believe me...but...nothing personal..." Komachi said in a regretful voice before releasing the pressure on me but quickly spinning her scythe around and slicing upwards which made a powerful gust of wind that blew me back.
"Ghaaaaaah!" I screamed as I was thrown to the ground yet again...curse my light body.
...
"My...aren't we brave...for someone of such small stature....Ufufufufu..." Letty mocked as she walked closed to Shikieiki. The trainee Yama held her ground in front of the frozen block which entrapped Bellpeorth.
"You are quite arrogant for someone who has to rely on the power of the Yama to be able to accomplish your goals." Shikieiki retorted calmly.
"Sticks and stones...let me show you something a bit more effective." Letty said before quickly running towards Shikieki and jumping upwards, going for an overhead slash.
"Nothing new there..." Shikieiki said as she pointed at Letty and a vortex appeared before her, ready to neutralize the attack. She caught Letty's sword and the Yama was taken by surprise by her inability to pull out her weapon from the vortex.
"Why you!" Letty angrily said but Shikieiki merely narrowed her eyes at her and pointed her tag at the vortex.
"You shall not find me easy prey..." Shikieiki said before she released the attack back at Letty. The force managed to blow Letty back some distance but Letty managed to land safely and had a smile on her face, a golden energy field shimmered in front of her which took the damage of the attack.
"...nor you shall find me as one..." Letty proudly said before she several large spheres of solid ice floated around her, orbiting Letty.
"Now...let's try this again shall we?" The new Yama said before charging at Shikieiki, who assumed a defensive stance.
...
DUPLEX BARRIER!
The belt declared just in the nick of time as I used the double-layered barrier to block another of Komachi's slashes. I jumped up and fired more needles at her while trying to get some distance between us, as I learned that fighting her at close-quarters was suicide. Komachi didn't pursue and simply settled for blocking my needles with her scythe. I was starting to think that she was half-hearted in this fight since she was just being forced by Letty to do so. I was proven wrong as she wound up her scythe and slashed at me. I wondered why she did that since I was yards away from her. I got my answer when I heard a whistling noise approach me from the front.
"Oh shi-augh!" I grunted as I barely managed to block the blast of wind. I staggered back and saw Komachi slice at the air three more times.
"I figured as much..." I bitterly said before jumping to the side and trying my best to avoid the invisible assault. I fired needles at her but Komachi's wind was pretty strong as it stopped the needles in midair, canceling out the attacks.
"Dammit...I need something with more punch!" I yelled as I opened up my booklet and took out an attack card. I opened up my buckle and put the card in.
ATTACK RIDE!
"I won't lose!" I declared before closing the handles.
YOUKAI BUSTER!
I raised both my hands and unleashed the storm of talismans from them. Komachi jumped back and wound up for another attack but something was different. Instead of slashing and making a blast of wind as before, she held her stance and wind started to swirl around her. I had a bad feeling about it but it didn't stop me from pressing my attack. I saw Komachi's lips move like she was saying something but I couldn't make it out because of my attack. Komachi released the energy she was charging up and swung the scythe at me, releasing a large tornado that headed straight at me.
"Aww nuts..." I said as I saw my talismans get deflected by the tornado and continued to advance towards me. The attack ride ended and I immediately held up my gohei with both my hands, for all the good that'll do me.
"This is gonna hurt!" I yelled before getting swallowed up by the tornado.
Sorry kid...
...
"Ghaah!" Shikieiki grunted as Letty pressed her attack. The new Yama slashed at Shikieiki but she was stopped by a vortex that caught her sword mid-swing however, one of the large spheres of ice quickly swung out from behind Letty and struck her in the face. Shikieiki spun in the air before toppling to the ground face down. She tried to get back up but she was kicked in the gut by Letty before getting hit by the spheres of ice again, there were four in all and each of them the size of bowling balls.
"What's wrong? Is that all you have?" Letty asked mockingly as she walked up to Shikieiki who barely managed to stand back up, her cap had already fallen off. She pointed her tag at Letty in order to make another vortex but Letty smacked the tag away with her sword and punched the shorter girl in the gut, making her cough and double over. Letty grabbed her by the throat and lifted her in the air, Shikieki's feet dangling in the air.
"Your power is pretty handy...unless someone can interrupt you or use an attack from a direction you don't expect. Once someone figures it out, you're practically defenseless." Letty said as she slowly squeezed her hand around Shikieiki's throat. She then turned to the sound of footsteps and saw Komachi dragging Tama's motionless body along, still transformed as Reimu.
"You certainly took your time..." Letty said before tossing Shikieiki away like a ragdoll.
"She was...persistent..." Komachi replied, not an ounce of goodwill in her voice. Letty simply shrugged as she knew that Komachi hates her guts.
"Well...whatever...toss her next to the short one. I want to finish them both off myself." Letty said as she pointed at Shikieiki while smiling wickedly.
"......" Komachi didn't respond but did what she was told and threw Tama's body next to Shikieiki's.
...
I lifted my head and saw Komachi walking away while Letty was looking at me with a smile.
Letty? What happened to Eiki? I thought before I heard the shuffling of grass next to me. I turned and saw a pretty beaten up Eiki. She looked up at me and saw that I wasn't having any better luck as she and sighed.
"I guess things didn't go as planned huh?" I asked the stupid question.
"No...they are...formidable..." Eiki replied. We then saw Letty walk up to us and raised her sword.
"Game over kids..." She said as she was about to slash it at us and finish us off...which would have been the case if she didn't suddenly look up and jump away from us. I was wondering what happened until a something smashed into the ground where Letty had been standing in moments before. I looked away and covered my eyes from the wind and dust but I looked back after it settled and saw what it was that made that impact...and I couldn't believe my eyes...
She had bright red eyes and matching long, scarlet hair that looked more like a mane that extended to her back than regular hair. She was wearing a black dress resembling traditional Chinese clothing but was made of hard leather.
Without a shadow of a doubt, the one standing in front of us right now...was the Scarlet World's Hong Meiling who was infected by the red mushrooms.
"...........................!" The Black Meiling said nothing before charging at Letty and Komachi and attacking them like she did me and Sakuya before.
"How? She...isn't supposed to be in this world..." I said as I started to get back to my feet, Eiki doing the same.
"What do you mean? Who is that?" Eiki asked as we saw the Black Meiling getting slashed by Komachi then by Letty but completely ignoring the damage done to her and pressing her attack.
"What the hell is this?!" Letty yelled out as she barely blocked the barrage of punches and kicks from the Black Meiling.
"Guh!" Komachi grunted in frustration as she missed slashing Black Meiling who jumped up and delivered a spinning kick at Letty, pushing her back. She was unharmed because of that golden energy field but she was angry that someone can hit her like that. She didn't have time to complain though as Black Meiling charged at her again, completely ignoring Komachi and solely targeting Letty.
"She's the Hong Meiling from a previous world I visited...but she shouldn't be in this world...so...why?" I racked my brain to come up with an explanation to the surprising turn of events.
"...reason matters not..." Eiki said while struggling for breath. She turned to me with a serious expression.
"What matters is that she is fighting them...we must not waste this chance..." Eiki said, her determination renewed.
"Right!" I acknowledged her wish and pulled out my booklet and took out her Final Form card.
"Eiki...this..." I opened the handles and showed her the card.
"Is our power!" I said before putting the card in.
FINAL FORM RIDE!
"Ready?" I asked her and she nodded. We heard a roar of pain and saw that Meiling was stabbed at the heart by Letty and was slashed at the side by Komachi. The Black Meiling suddenly turned grainy, like a bunch of pixels on a TV with bad reception, before dispersing and fading away. I wasted no time and closed the handles since I knew that we were going to be next.
SHI-SHI-SHIKIEKI!
"This might tickle a bit!" I said before touching Eiki's shoulder. She gasped as a white light consumed her. Seven streaks suddenly shot out from within the light and it disappeared, no Eiki in sight. The seven streaks cam back and settled in the air front of me, the streaks came from seven tags that looked like the one Eiki was holding but were slightly bigger. Each of them had different engravings but I couldn't read any of them. My mind was suddenly flooded by a sensation akin to cold water being poured down the back of my head, I then knew what those engravings meant.
"Castitas...Temperantia...Caritas...Industria...Patientia...Humanitas...Humilitas..." I said while looking at each of the tags, my voice strangely echoing as I said those words. The tags lit up one by one as I said their names, activating their hidden power. I then saw that Komachi already saw what was happening and frowned at me.
"Not out of tricks yet I see..." Letty said, putting up a front but she was clearly shaken by the sudden attack by Black Meiling.
"I don't like the looks of those tags..." Komachi said while eying the tags that were floating around me.
"Then take care of them already!" Letty screamed at her shinigami, not in the mood for smalltalk anymore. Komachi grunted in acknowledgment and charged at me. I raised my right hand and pointed at Komachi, the tags suddenly flipped over and were pointing at her as well.
"...Get 'em..." I said with a heavy heart as I knew that Komachi wasn't really a bad guy but I needed her out of the way to beat Letty. The tags glowed brightly before zipping towards Komachi in chaotically odd trajectories that I thought they went out of control or something. I was proven wrong, thankfully, as two of the tags stopped in midair and fired beams at Komachi.
"Shit!" The shinigami cursed as she blocked the beams with her scythe. She countered with a blast of wind but the tags had already left even before she finished her swing. The tags continued their hit and run attacks at Komachi, getting several solid hits and wearing her down, before they all stopped in the air around surrounding Komachi and firing all at once. I saw Komachi close her eyes and smile before getting hit by the beams and getting knocked out by the blast.
"Sorry..." I softly said as the tags came back around me. I looked at Letty who was snarling at me. I returned the gesture and waved my hand at her.
"GET HER!" I screamed and the tags immediately swarmed Letty and did the same hit and run tactics they used on Komachi. It was nowhere near as effective as Letty was being protected by a golden energy field that blocked the attacks.
"Don't think I'm as easy as that dog!" Letty screamed at me as she swung her sword in the air, making the tags wobble. I called them back and saw that Letty was winding up for an attack, her sword glowing brighter and brighter.
"I'll show you...the power of my justice! My sword of promised victory!" Letty roared as she gathered more energy in the sword.
"Fine...then it's your justice against ours...may the better justice prevail..." I echoed Eiki's words to me while pulling out a yellow card, Eiki's Final Attack card, and opening up the handles and putting the card in.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
The belt declared before I closed the handles again.
SHI-SHI-SHIKIEIKI!
The seven tags suddenly arranged themselves together and combined into one giant tag, as big as Letty's sword. I noticed that there was a handle at the bottom of it and I held the giant golden tag in my hands. The same feeling of cold water down the back of my head flooded my mind and I knew the name of this tag and I smiled warmly.
"I see...so that is your name..." I said as I pulled back the tag and got ready to unleash the power within, Letty was ready to do the same.
"EX~CALIBUR~!" Letty screamed out as she smashed the sword into the ground and a gold stream of energy tore the ground as it headed towards me. I took a deep breath and declared the name of the tag to unleash its power.
"JUSTITIAAAA!" I yelled as I swung the sword in an upwards slash that tore up the ground just like Letty's attack. The stream of energy was also golden but had a light tint of green and was just as large as the one Letty made. The two blasts collided and struggled for dominance.
"For Bellpeorth! For Komachi! For The Yama! For the Shinigami! For Gensokyo! For Justice!" I shouted, Eiki's voice echoing the words from within Justitia. Our combine will, determination, wish and power made the stream we made glow brighter and overpower Letty's and it managed to blast through and headed straight to her.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Letty screamed as she placed her sword between herself and the blast, hoping to block it. The blast hit her and made short work of the golden energy field that surrounded her. The blast hit her sword and shattered the tag into pieces before consuming Letty in the bright light.
...
"Me? As the new Yama?!" Eiki voiced her disbelief after the freed Bellpeorth and Komachi said that she would be the one to be the new Yama.
"Well...there really isn't any other choice...I mean, Letty's going to be judged for screwing around with the power of the Yama and I have to move on to the next world." I said plainly. Eiki looked at me and pouted.
"I don't really like the fact that it's because there wasn't any other choice." Eiki complained, the rest of us just giggled at her surprisingly cute side. I then noticed that my pocket started glowing again, which meant only one thing.
"I guess that this is goodbye then..." I said as I pulled out the glowing scroll.
"Tama...thank you...for everything..." Eiki said sincerely, I looked at Bellpeorth and Komachi who shared the same sentiment.
"Hey...I'm just a Miko passing through afterall..." I said while shrugging.
"Bye..." I finally said before opening the scroll and being consumed by light again.
...
I opened my eyes and saw that I was on top of a hill that was overlooking a village. I was wearing something surprisingly plain, like something a peasant girl might wear on one of those dramas about the Sengoku era. I looked around and saw that the bamboo forest was out in the distance and that the sun was just about to rise. I then heard several explosions in the distance.
"What the?!" I yelled out as I saw spouts of flame and multi-colored lasers getting fired at each other in the distance. I then turned to the sound of footsteps from behind me. I gasped as I recognized the girl who appeared.
A girl with long silvery-blue hair with a strange hat that looks like some kind of building with a red ribbon on top, she was wearing a dark blue dress.
It was one of the girls from my dream. She walked up next to me, looked at the exchange or fire and lights and sighed.
"Don't those two ever learn?" She said in a tired tone. I was about to say something when I heard something like a cry of an eagle. I looked at the source and saw something a little bit more impressive.
A bird of fire...
"A phoenix..." I absentmindedly said.
...
Just some random notes in case you didn't pick up some of the things in this chapter:
-The Sanzu Bean is a parody of the almighty Senzu Bean from Dragonball which can heal any damage on the body and replenish the stamina as well.
-The Letty shown in this chapter is based from the fanmade Advent Cirno doujin, Advent Letty, including her sword.
-Letty's Excalibur Attack is based from Saber's Excalibur from the popular Visual Novel/Anime/Manga: Fate/Stay Night. The way she uses it however is based on the way Black Saber uses ber Darkcalibur from the doujin game Battle Moon Wars.
-The names of the tags of Shikieiki's Final Form Ride are the Latin names of the Seven heavenly virtues of the Catholic Faith:
Chastity - Castitas
Temperance - Temperantia
Charity - Caritas
Diligence - Industria
Patience - Patientia
Kindness - Humanitas
Humility - Humilitas
-The Final Attack Ride is the Latin name of the eight virtue:
Justice - Justitia
-The way Tama used Justitia is similar to how Saber Lily uses Caliburn in the doujin game Battle Moon Wars.
-
Author's Note: Happy New Year! I bring in the new year with a new chapter to Touhou Rider Reimu. I apologize for the massive delay for the update but the sudden surge of Visual Novel translations caught me off guard and I couldn't get away from it all. Anyway, here is the new chapter! Enjoy!
...
I stood in awe as the phoenix in the early morning sky faded away before the exchange of fire and lights continued. I admired the volley until I noticed that the girl beside me was looking at me with narrow eyes, as if scrutinizing me. I took a step back from her gaze but she noticed by distress and smiled.
"Oh! Don't worry, I wasn't going to attack you or anything. I was just wondering what a girl is doing up so early." She said while waving her hand, gesturing that she was no threat to me. I calmed down and tried to laugh it off.
"Don't worry about it, actually...I just got here." I said while giving a weak laugh. The girl gave me a surprised gasp as she put her hand over her mouth.
"Oh really? But how? Why? This village is the only human village for a great many distance. The next village is weeks away from here." She said. I understood her surprise well since a lone girl traveled that distance alone and I was practically unscathed since I just got to this world.
"I traveled here to find...a new path. I have something important that I need to accomplish so I started a journey to do so. I haven't gotten far but I have met a lot of great people along the way. Even now, I'm still in the middle of my journey." I calmly replied since I wasn't lying anyway. The girl stared at me for a few moments before smiling again.
"I see...you must be tired from your travels then. Come, allow me to invite you to our humble village so you may rest." The girl said before starting to walk back in the direction she came from. She then stopped and looked back at me.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet. I am the village's school teacher. My name is Kamishirasawa Keine." She said, before giving me a curt bow.
"Ah! I'm Tama! Aozaki Tama! It's nice to meet you Keine." I said while returning the bow.
"It's a pleasure as well Tama. Now, shall we?" She said before holding out her hand, urging me to follow her. I started to walk there but quickly stopped when I heard a loud explosion behind me. I quickly turned around and instinctively summoned my buckle and booklet. The explosion happened at the same area as where I saw the volleys and phoenix but this time I saw a brilliant rainbow colored ball of light. I turned back to Keine who wore an annoyed expression.
"Oh...don't mind them. I just wish they'd keep it down, they've been at it since last night." Keine said before starting to walk away, completely dismissing the light show above the bamboo forest.
"They?" I wondered as I looked back at the early morning light show, which started up again, before walking after Keine. I was already having a bad feeling about this world but then again, that goes the same for all the others so far.
...
I was starting to understand why I was clothed like a common village girl in ancient Japan when Keine and I entered the village. It was a lot bigger than I expected for a supposedly isolated village. It reminded me of a village in a distant mountain in an old Japanese period piece drama, I was half-expecting a bunch of rowdy samurai to suddenly show up and harass some villagers.
Speaking of the villagers, they were actually quite kind. Keine introduced me as a girl on a pilgrimage and everyone seemed to be concerned and amazed at the apparent fact that a lone girl has traveled so far on her own. I gave them some silly excuse on how I was given a specific path and a somewhat reliable map to work with for my journey. When I was asked how I managed to deal with the dangerous Youkai that roam around the uninhabited wilderness I just replied...
"I'm a lot tougher than I look..."
Thankfully, they seemed to buy it and we exchanged greetings and farewells before Keine led me to her school which doubled as her home. I entered the house/school and saw that it was set up like an ordinary classroom, though with a much more country feel to it. There was at least a black board, I won't actually bother asking how she managed to get one of those, and low tables and cushions for the children to sit on. Keine led me past the classroom and into the main house part of her...house. I sat down in front of a round wooden table in her living room as Keine prepared some tea in the nearby kitchen.
I wonder how many times I've drank tea by now? I entertained the strange thought for a moment before Keine came back with a tray with tea, the scene made me reminisce about how I first met Satori and I unconsciously smiled at the memory.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Keine asked as she poured tea, snapping me from my apparent daze.
"Wha...oh! It's nothing. I was just remembering something from my travels. I had tea with a certain someone when I first came to another village back then and this made me kind of nostalgic." I explained as I remembered how Satori read my mind and completely understood my reasons for being there.
"I see...then may this meeting be a memorable one as well." Keine said with a smile as she handed me the cup of tea.
"Yeah. I'd like that as well." I replied before taking a sip of the tea.
...
Keine excused herself after a while because she needed to prepare for the day's lessons with the children of the village. It seemed that she gave the children of the village enough knowledge to properly be utilized by the village when they become older. Keine admitted that she would have liked to teach them more advanced topics but it would be all moot as the children will never be able to use the knowledge when they grow up. When Keine left, and I was sure that she won't be back for a while, I took out Akyu's scroll to read up on where I ended up now and hopefully some clues as to what I witnessed this morning.
"Imperishable Night..." I read out the heading of the scroll which gave the name of this particular world. It appeared that in the eve of the Harvest Moon Festival in Gensokyo, youkai suddenly sensed that something is wrong with the moon. Apparently the moon has been replaced by a fake moon so someone had to freeze time and find the real moon to ensure a full moon on the night of the festival.
"Wait...freeze time? To get the real moon back because someone replaced it?" I really couldn't believe what I was reading at the time since it seemed way to fantastical a situation even by the standards that I've already encountered up to this point. I decided to keep reading for now to get more information about all this.
A team of a Youkai and a Human was formed to solve this incident. The teams formed were The Border Team, The Magic Team, The Scarlet Team and The Ghost Team. Oddly, no other information about the teams were shown in the scroll. I shrugged it off and continued onto the boss list. There was a Firefly named Wriggle and a Night Sparrow named Mystia for the first two bosses who were simply unlucky enough to encounter the team during the incident and had their asses handed to them because of it. I was starting to wonder why the first two bosses that were listed have little or nothing to do with the incident itself.
It was like this for the other worlds too...I thought before continuing to read the rest of the entries.
Keine...I thought out as I read the name of the third boss. Seemed that Keine also noticed the strange moon and decided to protect the human village by...erasing the history of said village so it existed in a separate plane of existence from Gensokyo preventing the village from being affected with whatever is happening beyond the village borders...okay. Keine fought the team of your choice in the pretense that Youkai were part of the team and she didn't want any Youkai from invading the village and killing everyone therein. A fight ensued and Keine was soundly defeated, she then told the team that the perpetrator of this whole thing was hiding somewhere in the bamboo forest.
"Hmm..." This made me hum for a second as there was a bamboo forest near the village and I remembered fighting Sakuya in a bamboo forest in the previous world too. I read on and was shocked that the fourth boss was either Reimu or Marisa. Turned out that, depending on the team you chose, you will either have to fight Reimu or Marisa because they didn't know why you had to stop time and decided to ask you about it...by trying to beat the crap out of you, bad cop style...typical.
After the fight with Reimu or Marisa, the team reached a large Japanese-style mansion hidden deep in the bamboo forest. They entered and were immediately assaulted by the rabbit girls Tewi and Reisen.
"Rabbit girls huh...?" I shuddered when I remembered those crazy rabbit girls that attacked me in my world when this whole mess started. The defending rabbits were defeated and the team moved on to face the one causing all this mess.
"The princess of the moon...Houraisan Kaguya..." I read out. The team was challenged to five impossible requests (i.e. Five separate sets of attacks) in order to get the moon back to normal, which they naturally managed to overcome, finally ending the Imperishable Night.
The moon was restored and peace was back in Gensokyo...until the next night. Kaguya shows up and asks the team that beat her to kill her rival, Fujiwara no Mokou, who lives in the bamboo forest. For some strange reason, the team of your choice accepts the assassination request by Kaguya and quickly speeds off into the bamboo forest in the light of the full moon where they were first faced by...
"Keine? Again?!" I was surprised at the sudden rematch and more so at the fact that Keine transforms into something called a 'Hakutaku' on a full moon, making her even stronger and far more aggressive than before. The reason for the ferocious attack was because Keine was a friend of Mokou and wanted to stop the team from trying to kill her. How she found about the plan by Kaguya to dupe the heroines into killing Mokou was anyone's guess.
This is starting to give me a headache... I complained in my thoughts as I kept feeling smaller and smaller in the face of this particular event setup. The team eventually managed to defeat Keine and finally faced against Mokou herself. It was a long a grueling battle because of two things. First was that Mokou can freely create and control fire because of the phoenix inside her, she was quite creative in the way she wielded her fire too. Second was the fact that she was immortal like Kaguya which prevents her from permanently dying in the first place.
"I guess Kaguya forgot to disclose that little piece of information huh?" I flatly said. The battle became known as 'The Trial of Guts' as it went on and on indefinitely. Mokou kept on reviving, until the phoenix girl finally got sick of getting killed by you over and over and just gave up...ending the battle and the game. I breathed out a heavy sigh as I rolled up the scroll again and put it back in my pocket.
"Great...from super-powered berserkers and vampires to a nuclear-powered raven and a mind controller to corrupted embodiments of justice to immortals who can swap the moon and throw fire at you. This just keeps getting better and better..." I bitterly said, realizing that the bar won't be set any lower any time soon.
"..................." I suddely remained silent as I remembered Mokou and Kaguya's descriptions because I can clearly remember them from my dream before everything started to go crazy forcing me to take this incredible journey.
Deep red eyes with long silver hair. Wearing a browish-white long sleeve shirt and red baggy pants, with talismans randomly stitched on it, that was held by red suspenders. Beside her was a girl with dark brown eyes and long black hair. She was wearing a pink shirt with many white bows and sleeves like a kimono's, as well as a long, dark burgundy skirt with a bamboo motif.
Keine, Kaguya and Mokou were among the first ones in my dream that died in that massacre... I thought in melancholy. I knew that it was just a dream and all but it didn't really sit well with me that I've been relying on the very power that seemingly killed everyone.
Kotiya Sanae... I thought about the green haired shrine maiden that appeared in the previous world. She said that I was a demon who is out to destroy the different worlds and needed to be exterminated. Flip-side to that was Akyu saying that I'm the one who needs to save the worlds. Considering my track record so far, I'm inclined to agree with Akyu on this one. However, I wondered if Sanae also knew something about my dream or if she had a similar one. My stomach suddenly started to grumble and I noticed that the sun was already high up. I guess I was reading a lot longer than I had expected. I then heard footsteps behind me and turned around to greet Keine again, who should be done teaching the children by now.
"Oh! Hey! How was the class Kein--" My words stopped in its tracks and my blood froze at what I saw. I knew immediately who this was as I had just read about her a few moments before.
"Who the hell are you?" Mokou asked me as she stood before me with her hands in her pocket. Her voice was a rough teenage girl's voice, like someone who started smoking really early and never looked back. Her red eyes seemed to burn holes in me as she stared at me with a displeased look. I was frozen in place like a deer caught in the headlights. Every fiber of my being screamed at me that I'm as good as dead if I make even one wrong move with this girl.
"What are you standing around there for Mokou?" Keine's voice came from within the hallway connecting the living room to the classroom.
"Well...there's someone here. Sitting in my spot." Mokou said while turning to Keine who poked her head over the immortal's shoulder.
I'm gonna die...I'm gonna die...I'm gonna die...I repeated in my head as Mokou faced me again, as if looking down on me. Smack! I heard a sharp sound from behind Mokou as she slightly cocked her head forward and quickly spun back to Keine.
"The hell was that for?!" Mokou quickly growled at her friend who just narrowed her eyes at the phoenix, not showing any sign of fear.
"That...was for acting like a spoiled kid and threatening a guest. You haven't even introduced yourself yet. Now, do it!" Keine sai--commanded Mokou while putting one hand on her hip and pointing at Mokou with the other. I heard the silver haired girl grumbled something I couldn't hear then turned back to me and bowed low, making me even more uncomfortable.
"Hey...nice to meet you...umm...my name is Fujiwara no Mokou..." She said, completely monotone, before standing back up straight. The sudden show of manners startled me and I immediately stood up from me seat and returned the bow.
"I'm Aozaki Tama! It's nice to meet you too!" I said before quickly standing up straight. Mokou sharply sighed and walk past me and plopped down on the other side of the table and shut her eyes while furrowing her brows. I noticed Keine sit down beside me and lean in closer to me.
"Don't mind her, she's like this sometimes after a fight with Kaguya." Keine said before separating from me and leaning over towards Mokou and poking her head with her finger.
"You lost didn't you? Didn't you? Didn't you?" Keine said as she playfully poked Mokou's head with each successive 'didn't you'. I was amazed at how confident Keine was that the phoenix wouldn't fry her on the spot.
"One point...I lost by one point..." Mokou quietly said while pouting and looking away.
"Just one? That's not so bad isn't it?" I absentmindedly said. I regretted that comment as Mokou slammed her fist on the table, making me nearly jump out of my skin but Keine seemed fine with it.
"Don't you get it?! A loss by one point means more than a loss by a hundred because you had a chance! You had a chance of winning with a one point deficit but you didn't!" Mokou growled at me.
"Mokou! That's enough! You're scaring her!" Keine reprimanded her friend and Mokou just clicked her tongue and turned away from us.
"Don't worry about her, she'll cool down after a while. You're probably wondering about what is going on huh?" Keine asked me in a kind voice, to which I nodded. Even though I already knew that Mokou and Kaguya are supposed to be bitter enemies, I wanted to know why they hated each other so much...the scroll didn't say why, it just said that they did.
"Well you see...believe it or not...Mokou here is an immortal in that she always resurrects even after her body perishes." Keine explained as if something like that was completely normal.
"There is also another person who shares the same kind of immortality as her and her name is Houraisan Kaguya. The same Kaguya that Mokou lost to today." Keine said in a bit of a teasing tone but all Mokou did was give a low growl.
"About that, what was the points thing Mokou was talking about anyway?" I suddenly asked, this seemed to have startled Keine as she just gave a short 'eh!' and then started to look around the room as if trying to find the answer somewhere else.
"Kills..." We both suddenly heard Mokou say out loud.
"The amount of points you get is how many times you can kill your opponent...the score this time was fifteen to fourteen. We had to stop because the villagers started yelling at us." Mokou said in a displeased voice.
"Wait so...you and Kaguya..." I trailed off as I didn't have the stomach to finish that sentence, unfortunately, Mokou didn't have such problems.
"Yeah, we started killed each other from early last night and kept killing each other until mid morning." Mokou said in a dismissive voice. I guess dying a few times isn't such a big deal if you just come back anyway.
"So...why do the two of you fight anyway?" I asked, I wanted to know the reason behind their conflict as it might give me an idea on what I need to do in this world.
"It's a long story, seven hundred years long. Not like it has anything to do with you anyway." Mokou said while waving her hand at me like she was shooing me away.
"Mokou, will you stop being rude please. I know you're upset but that doesn't mean that you have to take it out on Tama." Keine said, standing up for me. These two are really starting to sound like an old married couple, like my parents sometimes are.
"Whatever...I'm going for a walk." Mokou said before standing up and walking out.
Yup...just like how my parents argue. I thought as I watched Keine walk after Mokou.
...
Keine wasn't able to get Mokou back inside the house so she settled to just make cook some lunch. It was pretty standard stuff, smoked fish, rice and some vegetables. Keine made sure to leave a portion for Mokou in case she comes back from her little tantrum. Keine excused herself after lunch as she had to grade some exercises that she had the children do earlier in the day. I decided to step out and take a look around the village since this is probably the most peaceful Gensokyo I've been in yet.
I quickly noticed a crowd gathering at the border of the village that was near the bamboo forest. I walked up to a man who was headed there as well and tapped his shoulder.
"Excuse me but, what's happening?" I asked. The villager just stared at me for a few moments as if I just suddenly grew a tail. His eyes then lit up and smiled at me.
"You must be that traveler that Keine was talking about before yes?" The man asked and I nodded.
"Yes I am. I'm just resting here for a while before I continue on my journey." I replied.
"That's why I was startled for a bit because I didn't recognize you. I apologize, that was rude of me." The man said before bowing to me. I was really starting to feel awkward with all the politeness this world has been giving me.
"No problems...anyway, what is going on over there?" I pointed at the crowd of people, changing the subject.
"Ah yes. That is the pharmacist of the Bamboo Forest, Lady Kaguya. She visits the village occasionally to sell medicine. We know when she will arrive because of last night's events." The villager said before giving a strained laugh.
Last night's events? Could it be... I thought of the death match marathon that Mokou talked about earlier. So that's supposed to be the signal to the village that Kaguya will be arriving soon huh? Wait....
"Pharmacist?" I asked him. Kaguya was supposed to be a princess of the moon and Yagokoro Eirin was the pharmacist of Gensokyo. If this was another quirk of the different worlds then I guess it would make sense. But what happened to Eirin? For that matter...what about the rest of the residents of the Eientei Mansion?
And he calls her Lady instead of Princess...
"Umm...excuse me..." I called out to the villager again, who turned to me of course.
"It must be a tough job for the...Lady Kaguya then right? Does she have any helpers?" I asked. I had to confirm who else was in this world.
"Oh, not at all. Lady Kaguya uses the amazing power of her five impossible items to make her work easier but I have never heard of her having any companions though." The man replied as if it was nothing strange at all. So Kaguya is alone in Eieintei, apparently, and has become the pharmacist of this realm instead of Eirin.
I guess I'll go take a look for myself then...I thought before walking towards the crowd of villagers.
I managed to get to the crowd but I had no luck in pushing through the mass of people. It looked like a fifty percent off sale at a mall or something. I waited for the crowd to thin out before trying to move in. I saw Mokou looking at the mass of people from a fair distance away. I waved to her but she just narrowed her eyes at me and walked away.
"What was that about?" I asked to no one in particular.
...
"Why? Why does she stay alive?! Don't they know they kind of threat she poses to all of us?!" Sanae seethed as she glared daggers at Tama from within the bamboo forest. Another person walked up beside the 'Deified Human of the Wind'. She had curly blond hair tied up in twin ponytails, green eyes and pointy elf-like ears though she was no elf. She was wearing an odd dress. The top is brown with purple borders and a pink sash, and the bottom is blue, purple and black with criss-crossed red strings hanging on the bottom edge. She touched her pink scarf which was wrapped around her neck as her green eyes started to give an eerie glow.
"Gaze upon her Mizuhashi Parsee, she is the one who has taken on the power of the Hakurei Maiden as well as the powers of several powerful residents of Gensokyo." Sanae said as she pointed at Tama. Parsee could be seen biting the nail of her thumb as her eyes glowed brighter and her body suddenly started to be covered by a green outline.
"How fortunate of her..." Parsee said in a quiet, bitter voice as she started to growl. Sanae smiled as she knew that Parsee was ready to fight.
"Now...you know what to do. Kill the demon and you are promised a world where you no longer need to be jealous of anyone else." Sanae said, further provoking Parsee. The blond girl glared at Sanae before smiling cruelly.
"Praise be to the gods." Parsee said before she started to walk towards the village.
"Praise be to the gods..." Sanae repeated before the gray curtain washed over her again and she disappeared completely.
...
"Oh...hello. I don't believe that we've met." The elegant young woman said to me. She gave off an aura of prim and proper maiden from ages past. I guess this was why the villagers keep calling her Lady Kaguya.
"Umm...yes. I'm a traveler passing by. I was curious on what was going on here so I decided to take a look." I explained.
"I see. Well, all is what you see. I'm selling medicine to the villagers, a small way of helping them with their lives." Kaguya said in an elegant, lady-like way. Kaguya was sitting on a small stool while a blanket was spread before her feet, packets of herbs and medicine can be seen, now barely having anything on it because of the villagers.
"It must be hard doing all this by yourself. One of the villagers told me that you live alone in the bamboo forest." I regretted what I said as I then saw Kaguya lower her head and her expression darkened.
"Yes...alone..." Kaguya said sadly. An awkward silence ensued between the two of us and I was feeling very uncomfortable about it. I then wondered why someone suddenly killed the lights. I looked up and saw that there was a rather large rock between us and the sun and it was getting closer very quickly.
"Look out!" I yelled before I shoved Kaguya to the side, seconds before the boulder crashed where Kaguya's little pharmacy was.
"Are you alright?" I asked, checking on Kaguya. She seemed a bit dazed but she didn't seem all that bothered about having boulders thrown at her as she calmly got up and even offered me a hand.
"I'm fine, don't worry. Even if that thing had hit me it would not have made a difference." Kaguya calmly said. I then remembered that she was, in fact, immortal and her fights with Mokou should have given her a lot worse to deal with than a boulder. Speaking off...
"Where did that come from anyway?" I turned to Kaguya who just shrugged.
"Who knows...it could just be Youkai trying their luck or it could just be her." Kaguya said nonchalantly while straightening out her dress.
Her? She must mean Mokou...I thought as Mokou would be the only one who would have a reason to try to kill Kaguya.
Reason...why are they killing each other all the time anyway?
"But this doesn't seem like her style, especially since I was selling medicine and talking to ordinary peop--Gaaah!" Kaguya's words were cut short as she was hit with a green laser and flew backwards several feet.
"Kaguya!" I yelled out to her in concern at first then I remembered.
Right, Immortal...I then turned my attention to the source of the beam. It was a blond girl with pointy ears, someone I had already encountered in Satori's world...Parsee.
"Demon Hakurei...time to die..." The girl said before an outline of green light came from her body and her eyes started glowing green.
"Lemme guess...Sanae sent you?" I asked while summoning my buckle and putting it on.
"Yes. I am Mizuhashi Parsee. Now die." Parsee said as she held up her hand and green light concentrated on it and formed itself into a bow. She started to pull back the bowstring made of light as I opened up the buckle and put Reimu's card in.
TOUHOU RIDE!
"Have at you!" Parsee yelled as she started firing arrows made of the same green energy as the bow.
HAKUREI REIMU!
"Not a chance!" I shot back as I deflected the first barrage with my gohei and dodged the next. Compared to what I've already faced, this was pretty easy to deal with. I nimbly dodged the arrows by sidestepping and jumping around.
"Stop shooting at me!" I protested as I fired needles at her. Parsee stopped her attack but a green shield suddenly formed in front of her and blocked my needles. The shield disappeared as soon as my attack ended and she continued to open fire at me. I still managed to dodge the arrows. No matter what, her aim isn't really impess--
"Augh!" I grunted as I hit something hard. I staggered back and saw that it was a wall made up of green energy.
"Okay, now I know I've seen a power like this somewhere before." I said as another green wall appeared behind me. Both walls suddenly had spikes on them and closed into each other at an incredible speed with me in the middle, sucks for me.
Divine Treasure "Buddhist Diamond"
I heard Kaguya's echoing voice say as if she was right beside me. I then realized that I was covered in a shining white light. The green walls slammed together but they crumbled before the white light. I looked back and saw the Princess of the Moon holding out her hand and looked quite upset for the cheap shot by Parsee earlier.
"I do not know who you are Youkai, but I do not take kindly to those who attack without due cause." Kaguya said as she reached into the sleeves of her dress and pulled out a small branch with what looked like round jewels hanging from it like fruits.
"Do not interfere!" Parsee yelled before charging at us. Kaguya swung the branch in an elegant arc above her head and a rainbow colored barrage of light came from it and flew at Parsee. I took the cue and pulled out one of Reimu's handy attack cards.
ATTACK RIDE!
Parsee threw out another shield made of green light to block Kaguya's attack but I wasn't letting her off so easy. The attack slowed her down but she was still bearing down on us, and the village.
YOUKAI BUSTER!
I aimed both my hands at the charging green eyed monster and let loose. The talismans peppered the shield in front of Parsee and she slowed down and eventually stopped. The shield was starting to splinter and crack a giant green spear suddenly formed above her and was pointing at me.
"Keep her there!" I heared Mokou's voice from behind us.
"Look out!" Kaguya called out to me and...embraced me?!
"W-w-w-w-what?!" I suddenly got flustered at the sudden contact from Kaguya that the attack ended before Parsee's shield broke. The green spear was about to be launched at us when I heard Kaguya's voice from behind me.
Divine Treasure "Salamander Shield"
A red light suddenly appeared in front of us before everything beyond that light burst into flames. I covered my eyes from the sudden flash of red light and fire.
"Stay calm, you are safe. All will be well." I heard Kaguya trying to calm me down. The fact that she still had her arms around me and I could feel her breathing on my ear didn't really help though. My eyesight managed to clear up and I saw what caused the sudden conflagration.
"Mokou..." The silver haired phoenix girl was standing in front of us, her wings of fire starting to wind down into nothing. I could see Parsee thrown back a fair distance, her clothes smoldering from the heat. I guess her damaged shield didn't protect her from Mokou's ambush.
"You don't belong in this village. Get out...NOW!" Mokou roared before she threw a large fireball at Parsee...who sliced it in half with a large green sword that suddenly materialized in front of her, sending the two halves of the fireball away from her.
...
"Such strong friends...how fortunate of you..how vexing..." Parsee muttered as she opened her eyes which turned into a deeper shade of green. Parsee draws her power from jealousy. She has the ability to weaponize her jealousy towards others in the form of green energy and create constructs from it. Seeing a girl who can turn into some of the strongest beings in Gensokyo and having two immortals with her was like stoking Parsee's furnace. A wicked smile formed on the Youkai's lips.
...
"Heh...not bad. You out here for a reaso--" Mokou never got an explanation as a giant warhammer materialized above Parsee and swung down at Mokou before she could react, crushing her into the ground.
"Mokou!" I yelled out in concern but I didn't have much time to worry about her as the warhammer that hit Mokou suddenly shattered and turned into dozens of daggers that flew at me and Kaguya.
"No!" Kaguya pushed me to the side and spread her arms out before getting hit with the green daggers. I was shocked at why she did that when I realized that we were fighting at the entrance of the village. Kaguya's body had knives sticking out of it as blood flowed free to the ground and made a puddle at her feet.
"You...shall...not...harm...the village..." Kaguya barely said as she staggered back from the attack and dropped to her knees from blood loss. I quickly pulled out a ride card and opened my buckle.
"I have to take this fight away from the village..." I said before putting the card into the slot. I knew exactly who to use against an opponent who can suddenly make weapons out of thin air.
TOUHOU RIDE!
Parsee had already stood back up and aimed her green bow at me. Only difference now was that there were about twenty other bows floating around her, ready to fire...good.
SHIKIEIKI YAMAXANADU!
I large translucent version of the Yama's tag flew out from my buckle and stood upright before passing through me, making me close my eyes in reflex. I opened them and found myself transformed into the Yama of Gensokyo, complete with her signature tag on my right hand which replaced my gohei.
"Ha! Even the power of the Yama! Simply spectacular!" Parsee said in joyous disgust, her eyes glowing brighter green. As if responding to her heightened jealousy, two giant green spears appeared above her and were aimed at me. I just smiled at her, provoking her to attack. Because I knew...Shikieiki's power can beat her. I pulled out an attack card, from Shikieiki's stack and opened up my buckle.
ATTACK RIDE!
"Die!" Parsee yelled out as she fired everything she had at me, including those two spears. But I was ready for it as I closed the handles.
CLEANSED CRYSTAL JUDGMENT!
I pointed the tag at the oncoming attack and the same vortex that game me so much trouble in the previous world appeared in front of it. It sucked up all of Parsee's arrows and spears as soon as the came too close until they were all gone.
"What?!" I could hear Parsee say in disbelief. I smirked and wound back my arm for something that will really surprise her.
"Here! You can have them back!" I yelled before hitting the vortex with the tag and sending all of Parsee's projectiles back at her. She reacted quickly though as she made green wings on her back and flew up to avoid getting hit. I guess she wasn't confident that a shield would save her from that. It was fine as I needed to buy time anyway. I ran towards Parsee, looking back at Kaguya and Mokou who have yet to revive.
"How long does it take for their immortality to kick in anyway?" I asked no one in particular as I ran across the road, away from the village. Parsee tried to snipe me with her bow but her aim kind of sucked and I involuntarily smiled because of it. I assumed that this pissed her off as she tried to smash a giant hammer at me again. I barely managed to duck out before it hit the ground, throwing me out a bit. I regained my balance but cursed my luck that Shikieiki didn't have much going on as far as mobility goes. It was like my fight with Sakuya all over again when I used Utsuho.
I looked up and saw Parsee diving in with a green longsword in hand, I wonder what that was for? I smiled bitterly as I barely managed to block the sword with the Yama's tag. I was pleasantly surprised at how tough it was. Then again, it can be used as anything like a short sword to a full broad sword depending on the user. Parsee used the chance to draw her face closer to mine, her eerie green eyes creeping me out immensely.
"How does it feel? Knowing that even the power of a Yama cannot protect you from me!" Parsee sneered at me before kicking be back, away from her.
"Struggle! Show me how a demon despairs! Ahahahahaha!" Parsee mocked as she created a battering ram from her hand, complete with a figure head that looked strikingly like the oni Yuugi. The sharp horn at the tip didn't bode well for me. I whined as she launched the oni battering ram straight for me. I couldn't possible block something that big with a Yama's tag.
"You talk too much!" I heard Mokou yell out before she dropped down, kicking the battering ram like some kung-fu master. She used the wings of fire on her back like boosters so she could break the construct with the force of impact. Mokou flipped in mid air and landed in front of me and facing Parsee.
"That was pretty sneaky you pointy eared bitch! Now I'll pay you back for killing me back there!" Mokou said as she cracked her knuckles. Mental Note: Never piss off an immortal who can kick a hole through you.
"Fool! I'll just kill you again and again until you completely die!" Parsee said in defiance. She was probably losing it because I didn't catch any sense in anything she just said. Parsee put her hands in front of her, one above the other and her palms facing each other.
Wait...where have I seen this before?! Thought as she spread her hands to the side and the green energy stretched out, forming into a spear. Not just any spear though, this was something special...it was...
"Remilia's Gungnir..." I said out in shock. I used the very same spear in my fight against Medicine Melancholy as a desperation move but to see someone else be able to copy it was just...nuts.
"Heh...you think a dinky spear can kill me again? I'll teach you not to underestimate me!" Mokou started up her flames again and gathered them in her hands.
"No! Mokou wait!" I called out but she wasn't listening and attacked Parsee. Mokou put her hands together and launched a bird of fire at Parsee like a cannon blast. She followed it up with a barrage of fireballs from her hands.
"Raaaaaaaaagggghhh!!!" Mokou roared as she kept throwing fireball after fireball before putting her hands together and launching three more fire birds at Parsee.
"Mokou! We have to get out of here! That spear is--agh!" I tried to say as I grabbed Mokou's arm but...
"Don't interfere! This bitch is gonna burn to the ground!" Mokou spat out as she elbowed me on the chest, making me stagger back.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!" Parsee cackled as she hurled the green Gungnir straight at Mokou's barrage, the spear flew at blinding speed as Parsee gave it a launching boost with her green energy. The Gungnir copy became nothing more than a green flash as it tore through everything that Mokou launched in an instant.
Mokou was going to be killed in an instant.
By a spear that was purpose made to never miss.
Thrown with a force that could crush giants.
One instant.
New Impossible Request
One instant...
...was all she needed.
"Lunar Ilmenite"
Clang! Shunk! Drip...drip...drip...
I was sure that the Gungnir copy would be able to impale anyone in an instant because of the sheer force Parsee put behind it. It certainly managed to impale but...
"Always...so...reckless..." Kaguya's hoarse voice mocked her nemesis who could only stare in shock. Kaguya had managed to somehow get in front of Mokou and throw out a shield made out of something she called 'Lunar Ilmenite' but the Gungnir copy still had enough force to pierce the shield and impale Kaguya in the chest.
"What?! How did you--" Parsee couldn't finish her shocked statement as Kaguya sent out a blast of multi-colored energy from her little jeweled branch, which the Youkai managed to deflect with a green sword.
"I control...the instantaneous and eternal..." Kaguya said before coughing out blood, the green spear still buried in her chest.
"...this much is...possible...for Houraisan...Kagu...ya..." Kaguya said before finally expiring again. She dropped to her knees then plopped to the ground on her side. She died before she even hit the ground, the green spear that killed her finally disappearing.
"Kaguya..." I called out to the lifeless body in front of us. I saw Mokou clench her fists as fresh spouts of flame burst from her back and gave her wings.
"A shield made out of a metal known as Lunar Titanium...something she developed over the centuries during our battles. To think someone like that managed to punch through it that easily...hehehe..." Mokou bitterly laughed before she sprang towards Parsee with incredible speed, her wings providing the necessary propulsion.
"I've had it with you immortals!" Parsee yelled out before she screamed out and created a giant green golem construct that encased her. She threw a punch at Mokou but--
"Everlasting Phoenix Tail!" Mokou declared as she did a spin kick to meet the oncoming fist of Parsee's golem. The moment they made contact, an intense and unrelenting blast of flame came from Mokou's leg and consumed the golem entirely. Mokou wasn't done as she followed through with her kick and deflected the golem's fist. Mokou spun around and flew straight at the golem's chest where Parsee was located and slammed right into it. Mokou's hands burned and her fingers dug into the golem's shell like plasma torches.
"I hope this thing is as tough as it looks!" Mokou menacingly said to Parsee.
"Get off meeeeee!!!" Parsee snapped and grabbed Mokou using the golem's hands, crushing Mokou's immortal body.
"Gaaaaaaaaahhh! You bitch!" Mokou screamed in pain and cursed Parsee before her entire body was consumed in flames.
Possessed by Phoenix!
Mokou's body suddenly turned into a phoenix made completely of flame. The legendary bird cried out before digging further into Parsee's golem.
"The power of a phoenix?! Ha! How vexing! How vexing! HOW VEXIIIIIIING!" Parsee drew on her jealousy once more as her golem suddenly shone brighter and its arms becoming larger, trying to smother Mokou's phoenix.
"No!" I cried out as I pulled out my booklet and took out Eiki's final attack card.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
A powerful explosion suddenly rocked the battlefield as Mokou used all her remaining power to do a point blank detonation at Parsee. Mokou's lifeless body could be seen being flung away from Parsee's golem before slamming into the ground.
"Mokou!" I called out to her but she didn't move. It seemed that she gave her life for that attack. I looked back when I heard loud creaking sounds coming from the cloud of smoke that resulted from Mokou's suicide attack. Then I saw green...
"That bitch! She hurt me! How vexing!" Parsee screamed as she struggled to keep her golem standing. She was bleeding from wounds all over her body even though her golem was still in one piece. The shock from the blast must have done that.
"Then the only thing left to do is..." I said before closing the handles of my buckle.
SHI-SHI-SHIKIEIKI!
I pointed my tag at Parsee and one large orb appeared from it surrounded by six smaller ones. Parsee saw this and charged at me. The six small orbs flew off and floated above Parsee's golem.
"It's over..." I declared and the large orb glowed bright red before firing a large red laser at Parsee. The smaller orbs that surrounded her also fired red beams, attacking the golem from all sides. Parsee managed to block the main beam with the golem's arms but the defense was moot as the six smaller beams managed to weaken the golem's structural integrity enough to give the main red beam the chance to blast through the golem's arms. The deep red light swallowed her and her golem construct whole.
The final attack ended and so did my transformation. I walked up to Parsee who lay unmoving on the ground. I heard her cough a few times so at least she was still alive.
"Why? Why do all of you keep attacking me? I don't want to destroy the worlds!" I yelled at Parsee who just made a barely noticeable laugh.
"Intention...is...irrelevant...demon...ha...haa...haha...hahahahaha!" Parsee laughed before half a dozen green swords materialized and floated above her body. I jumped back and put on my buckle to defend against the attac--
Shunk! Shunk! Shunk!
"But that's...."
Shunk! Shunk! Shunk!
"...insane..." I said as I watched Parsee pierce herself with the green swords she just made.
"Praise...be...to...the...gods..." Parsee wheezed out before her swords disappeared and the green glow that outlined her body faded. A gray swirling curtain suddenly appeared and swallowed up her body, completely vanishing with Parsee afterward.
...
I stared at the spot where Parsee finished herself off for several minutes, thinking about what just happened...how surreal it all was. The Parsee that attacked me was nothing like the one I encountered in Satori's world. This Parsee was a complete fanatic and her power was frightening, she would have been a match to anyone I had faced before. Shulffling sounds and rough coughs snapped me from my daze. I turned to the source of it and saw Mokou struggling to stand.
"Mokou! You're alive!" I called out in relief as I ran to her, barely managing to catch her when she staggered and nearly collapsed again.
"Haaaa...Did we get 'er...?" Mokou asked as she hung onto me for balance. Her legs didn't seem to work like they were supposed to. She was covered with deep wounds and was losing blood fast but...she was alive.
"How did you survive that? I mean...you...blew up...didn't you?" I asked hesitantly, still trying to wrap my brain around her miraculous survival.
"Believe me...it wasn't always the case..." Mokou said before coughing out more blood.
"Took me a few decades...to get the force of the blast just right...so it wouldn't kill me too...you should have seen Kaguya's face...the first time I used that move on her...haaah...ended in a draw though...hahaaa..." Mokou was still able to brag about her power even though she was at the verge of death. Then again, she's been through that over and over for a while now.
"Yeah...Kaguya..." I said while gazing at Kaguya's corpse. I knew that she's be back but she still died, doesn't that mean anything to them anymore?
"Mokou! Tama!" Keine's voice called out to us from the village. She ran up to us along with several other villagers who carried various medical tools with them.
"Hey there...you're late...party's already over..." The nearly-dead girl teased her friend.
"Sorry I couldn't help. I had to make sure the villagers were safe first." Keine apologized with a bow of her head. Interestingly, that strange hat of her's didn't fall off when she did that. A few of the villagers took Mokou from me and started to treat her wounds. She protested at first, saying that 'she was fine' but Keine made sure that her friend's injuries were treated. I took the chance to walk up to Kaguya's corpse, which was still lying on its side a distance away. I adjusted her body so she was lying on her back, and even placed her hands together on her chest making sure that her hands covered the wound that killed her.
"You really don't need to do that you know. She's immortal, remember?" Keine said as she walked up behind me, probably to check up on the condition of Kaguya's body. I didn't care if she was immortal or not. She was dead at my feet this very moment and I plan to give the dead their due respect.
"It's taking too long...shouldn't she have revived by now?" I asked without getting up.
"The time it takes for them to revive depends on how severe their death was. It seemed that this death was particularly hard on her body." Keine explained.
"Nhhn..." As if on cue, we heard Kaguya groan and her body start to stir. Her pained expression showed that she was still hurting from the wound but that also meant that she was alive. I was surprised at how calm I was despite the fact a dead person come back to life right before my eyes.
"Hey there. Welcome back..." I said to the revived girl who just started to open her eyes.
"My chest...ughh...it feels...tight...oh..." Kaguya said while feeling where her wound was moments ago, she looked around then back at me and Keine.
"Where is the Youkai?" Kaguya asked in concern while struggling to sit up, I quickly helped her with that. I gave a passing wonder why the normally courteous Keine didn't help struggling Kaguya sit up but I waved it off as something trivial.
"Don't worry about it anymore. Mokou and I beat her, she's gone now." I assured Kaguya. She then looked at Mokou who was being helped back to the village for further treatment. Since she didn't die, she had to wait for the wounds to regenerate after a while instead of being revived completely healed. She could commit suicide to eliminate the need to regenerate but that would be to disturbing to consider, it didn't look like Mokou was willing to do that either.
"So she managed to survive the battle. Good..." Kaguya said in a relieved tone. I then heard Keine huff before walking away, leaving me with Kaguya. I was having my doubts about what just happened but...I'd rather not think about that right now.
"Here...can you stand?" I said while holding my hand out to Kaguya. The immortal graciously accepted my hand and got to her feet. I noticed the patch of blood on her shirt and absentmindedly stared at it. Kaguya suddenly started giggling at me.
"Huh?" I blinked a few times at the sudden burst of giggles from a girl who was lying dead on the ground moments before.
"I didn't know you had 'that' kind of interest in women." Kaguya said while covering her chest with her sleeves and shyly turned sideways. I immediately burst red when I realized what she was implying.
"No! No! NONONONO! I was just thinking about what Parsee did to you! Nothing like what you think I was thinking about! I'm not like that I swear!" I vehemently denied what Kaguya was trying to make of my actions while frantically throwing my arms out in protest.
"Don't worry, I was simply joking you see?" Kaguya relented while covering her mouth with her hand, suppressing her laughter.
"I apologize if I startled you. I just hoped that it would relieve some of the tension that you had left over from the battle." Kaguya explained before her attitude returned to normal.
"Oh...I see...hehehe...right..." I apprehensively went along with it. Truth be told, it did shake me up enough that I felt a bit more relaxed now.
"Your power, It was quite the spectacle." Kaguya suddenly said nonchalantly. I tensed up when she suddenly mentioned that. I guess it was about time that she mentioned about it so I prepared to explain everything again. I started to think that I should make a script for that one of these days.
"Well...I shall need a change of clothes. Will you accompany me to my home? We can discuss things there." Kaguya extended the invitation to me before walking towards the bamboo forest. I followed her as I needed to ask my own questions about this world and about Kaguya and Mokou's relationship.
What was the cause of their seven hundred year feud?
Why haven't they reconciled?
What happened to the other residents of Einentei?
What do I need to do to help this world?
...
Yes...I turned Parsee into Green Lantern. Ahahahahaha! Also, a bit of a treat for those with Yuri Goggles in hand.
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Oh man, I haven't read this in a while, it is amazing still.
catching up latest chapter.
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Oh man, I haven't read this in a while, it is amazing still.
catching up latest chapter.
Whoa! Someone commented on my story?!
MarisaImpossible.jpg
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Okay, just did the follow up last night late, only one question: why can't I remember which episode the last chapter based on? Keep up the epic you.
ONORE DICKEDOOOOOO
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Okay, just did the follow up last night late, only one question: why can't I remember which episode the last chapter based on? Keep up the epic you.
ONORE DICKEDOOOOOO
This chapter is not really based on any episode of Decade. Up to this point, I followed the world pattern vaguely:
EoSD = Kuuga because it was the first of the series.
SA = Kiva because it was the latest up to the point. UFO hadn't been released yet when I came up with the plot.
PoFV = Ryuki because of the battle royale style.
IN = Was supposed to be my Blade but decided to do something completely different because I didn't really like Decade's Blade world.
So this will be completely original compared to the others but it still falls into my "A Certain Theme Per-World" setup for the story. If you're paying attention then you should be able to figure out what the themes for each of the past 3 worlds were.
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Which one is going to be Double/W?
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Which one is going to be Double/W?
Aaahhh yes...no indication at this time about that. A friend and I have been joking around with the idea of having Maribelle and Renko become Double because they fit so well with it. Problem was execution though. I have no plans on doing anything with that idea, interesting as it, is because I'm not even halfway done with this story yet...but who knows...I might do a one-shot about it once I get hit with some inspiration for it.
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To make up for the massive delay of the previous chapter. I present a SPEED UPDATE! You can thank the sudden leaking of the DVD version of Kamen Rider Decade Movie: All Rider vs Dai Shocker for giving me motivation to write! Please enjoy!
...
I followed the Princess of the Moon deep into the bamboo forest, it was just as dense as I remember it. It looked exactly the same no matter where I look. The deeper we went, the harder it was to keep track of our direction until all you can see was bamboo. Nothing but bamboo.
"Please stay close, it is rather easy to get lost here. But it is very difficult to find your way back to the right path." Kaguya said in all seriousness as she walked at a normal but deliberate pace. I followed her advice and stuck close to her through the rest of the walk.
We eventually made it to a clearing where I finally see the legendary Eientei mansion...it looked like a huge Japanese-style mansion that a leader of an old Yakuza family would have but it practically looked brand new. Kaguya walked up the steps that lead to the main door of the elevated mansion.
"Welcome to Eientei, Aozaki Tama." Kaguya graciously said before sliding the door open to the mansion, welcoming me.
"Pardon the intrusion then." I said before stepping inside. I walked through the mansion halls with Kaguya. It gave a different feel from the Scarlet Devil Mansion or the Temple of the Earth Spirits but, like them, it was quiet. Dead quiet. No other sound permeated aside from our muffled footsteps. Kaguya eventually lead me into a large room with wall to wall bookshelves filled to burst with books and several scientific instruments on tables lined up together in the middle.
"Wow..." I exclaimed as this completely blew away the science lab we had in highschool. Kaguya walked across the room and to the other end where she slid open another door. I walked up to her and saw that the room on the other end was a living room with a porch that led to a garden.
"Please, make yourself comfortable. I will prepare some snacks for our discussion." Kaguya said before disappearing into another sliding door. I had an impression that this place had a lot of those around.
I wonder if it will be tea again? I thought before I walked to the porch and out to the garden. It was just as impressive as everything else in this place. Pristine and elegant, just like the mistress of the mansion. There were cherry trees dotted throughout the garden and a large pond in the middle enclosed by stones. A bridge could be seen leading into the center of the pond where a platform with a low table was set, probably intended for formal tea ceremonies or whatnot.
"Well...she certainly fits the bill for a Princess of the Moon." I commented to no one in particular.
"Oh? And may I ask how you knew about my lineage?" I stiffened at the sound of Kaguya's voice. I turned around and saw her holding a tray with rice crackers, some sweets and of course...tea.
"Don't worry...I plan on explaining everything anyway." I said in a slightly defeated voice. Kaguya nodded, placed the tray on the table and poured some tea. I sat down across from her and watched her actions. Again, even the way she poured tea was elegant. Nothing like the casual way Keine or Satori poured tea. I wonder what she had to go through to learn to act that way?
"Please..." Kaguya said as she handed me a cup of tea. I took it in hand and was surprised that it wasn't hot. I stared at it for a while before taking a sip. It was had a quick spicy tingle then a really sweet aftertaste.
"Sweet..." I commented.
"Oh...do you dislike sweet things? I'm sorry." Kaguya started to apologize like a waitress with a displeased customer.
"No no. Nothing like that. I was just caught off guard that you would have sweet kind of tea that isn't hot." I explained.
"I see. I really like sweets but I cannot handle drinking anything hot so I've never really served hot tea." Kaguya said before pouring tea for herself. I found her dislike for drinking hot things ironic considering her relationship with Mokou.
"I've never had tea this sweet or fruity before. What is it?" I asked.
"Oh. That tea is called Darjeeling tea. It is made from a certain plant from a distant land. It is preferred to be served hot though." Kaguya explained before taking a sip of her own tea.
"Wait, if this was supposed to be served hot then why does it still taste good even though it's already cold?" I asked while staring at the light-orange colored liquid.
"Eternity Manipulation." Kaguya said before reaching out for a rice cracker.
"Excuse me?" I blurted out as I quickly looked back at her. Kaguya took a bite from the snack and did not speak until she swallowed it.
"You remember our battle from before? I was able to appear in front of you all in an instant yes?" Kaguya asked before taking another bite. I nodded in confirmation as I thought back to that scene.
"That is one part of my power. The manipulation of the instantaneous and eternal. Simply put, I can make anything as instant or as eternal as I want. I managed to appear between Mokou and that Youkai so quickly because I made the distance between us an mere 'instant' thing. That is also the reason why this mansion and the tea remain as they are, I made them 'eternal' in a sense because they will forever remain in the state of when I made them 'eternal'." Kaguya explained. She was probably trying to make it as simple an explanation as she could because even I was able to get the gist of it.
"I see...wow...that's amazing." I said before reaching out for a rice cracker myself and taking a bite from it.
"Yes, now I also wish to know about your power as well. In addition to why you seem to know who I am. A passerby does not usually discern that I am from royal descent, from the moon no less." Kaguya said in a rather serious tone while staring at me.
"Oh that...well...you see..." I started to explain what I have already explained in the past three Gensokyos before, with the addition of Sanae going from my head and sending residents of other Gensokyos after me.
"Hmmmm..." Kaguya leasurely hummed while drinking her tea. I had finished my explanation of what has happened up to now, it was just up to her to believe me or not. I was a bit nervous about this because the only reason why Sakuya, Satori and Bellpeorth probably believed me was because there was something important going on in their respective worlds that warranted them to believe in the possibility of something bigger at work. That doesn't hold true to this world though. There was no immediate threat, there was no premeditated incident, nor was there any important event happening. This Gensokyo was...at peace, which was why I had no idea why I was in this world.
"Quite the tale I must admit...Eirin would have had great interest in your explanations and your power." Kaguya said in a nostalgic way.
"Yagokoro...Eirin..." I said out loud, Kaguya nodded in response. I remember what Eirin looked like and what she could do because the was the second person I transformed into, though her card was still faded out right now.
"Yes...the fact that you even know of my teacher shows that you seem to have quite a bit of knowledge about us. Especially since there should be no way for anyone to know who she is other than myself and Mokou." Kaguya said.
"What do you mean? From the information I have, she should be living here in Eientei with you along with a pair of rabbits." I told her about the contents of the scroll. She shook her head in denial of that particular truth.
"No...as you have already said before, the worlds you have traveled to had little to do with the records you have about them. I assume that the same holds true for ours as well. Let me explain..." Kaguya said before telling her's and Mokou's story.
...
I was born Lunarian Royalty, the First Princess and daughter of Tsukiyomi the Eternal. I was one of many children of the then thriving civilization on the dark side of the moon. Our Empress Tsukiyomi led our ancestors to the moon ages ago after seeing that nothing will ever become of us if we allow ourselves to live with the filthy humans on the surface world. The means of how they were able to get to the moon was never revealed but it was thought that it was somehow facilitated by the brilliant mind of Yagokoro Eirin, the woman to be known as The Brain of the Moon. Regardless, I was raised in elegance as a princess naturally would. However, being the first princess warranted that I be raised in a higher standard to even those of royalty, to the point where Eirin was even appointed to be my personal teacher and guardian. Naturally, we developed a bond much like a mother and daughter would seeing as she practically raised me since I was small.
As I grew, I started to show my latent power...the ability to manipulate the instantaneous and eternal. It was minuscule and insignificant at first but Eirin noticed it and saw the possibilities in it. She had been working on a way to replicate the power of eternity that my mother had. It was what kept the empress from aging or dying, in turn she made Eirin the same for as long as she remained loyal to the throne. Eirin knew that the power to manipulate the eternal would eventually show in her offspring but maybe it was fate that it was me who attained it. Regardless, Eirin gave me the knowledge, skills, wisdom and love that would eventually make me worthy to stand by my mother's side. In gratitude, I helped Eirin with her research about my power. It was her goal to synthesize my eternity manipulation and create an elixir of immortality, to mass produce it, rendering our empire invincible. After several years, Eirin finally managed to perfect the elixir she was developing. It was condensed into the form of small tablets that it really didn't seem right to be called elixir. But despite what she had turned it into, she had achieved her goal of creating a medical way of achieving immortality.
However, her achievement was of little importance at the time. There was a large scale civil war on the moon, and all eyes were on the battlefield and not the laboratories. Several noble houses have banded together to overthrow my mother's rule as they knew that her's would be an eternal one and none of them would be able to ascend to anything higher that what they already have. Even on the paradise we have created on the moon, greed and envy still manage to overcome our people. It was a full scale conflict that lasted many years. Several royal born were either sent to the front lines to improve troop morale, only to die in the process, while others were assassinated one by one. I...was also one of those victims.
...
Eirin entered her lab after particularly strained council meeting with the loyalist houses and the empress herself. The situation was getting dire and everyone was starting to become far too tense for reasonable discussion to even be possible. Eirin herself was starting to feel the stress of it all, the only one who remained ever calm and ever confident was the empress herself. Her eternity could be the explanation to that, even through the most hopeless of causes.
"Eternal confidence and will, the power to overcome great fear in the face of oncoming doom. A quality needed of one to rule our empire..." Eirin mused as she walked to Kaguya's room, which was directly connected to her lab for convenience and security reasons. But even The Brain of the Moon was not infallible.
"Kaguya!" Eirin yelled as she saw the body of the first princess lying face down on the floor. Blood was pooling from under her. Eirin acted quickly and went back to her lab and took her medical kit and a communicator with her. She turned Kaguya over and saw that she had very nearly been disemboweled. Eirin cursed the one who caused this grave and horrid wound, though she knew that there was method in the madness. Creating such a chaotic wound makes it harder for one to mend it. For someone as well versed in medicine as Eirin was, the ones who perpetrated this act knew that they had to make sure that she wouldn't be able to save Kaguya.
"Security! This is Yagokoro! The First Princess has been attacked! Scour the palace and find the assassin at once!" Eirin gave her orders as she prepped Kaguya for the operation, turning off the communicator as soon as she had said her peace. She could hear the alarms blaring and the panicked footsteps of security officers outside their room as they tried to coordinate a search for the assassin.
"They will never find him. Anyone skilled enough to get past my own security can go to any place in this palace short of the Royal Chambers of the Empress." Eirin admitted to herself as she continued the operation on Kaguya. The girl was around the age of seventeen and was supposed to celebrate her eighteenth in a few months. Eirin cursed as she felt her charge slip away little by little. Kaguya had managed to stave off death this long because of her eternity manipulation, rendering her body in the initial state of injury up until now. Her power was still weak and has already waned, making her cough up blood violently from the sudden shock.
"No! Don't you give up on me!" Eirin cried out to the dying girl, tears were flowing freely from her cheeks as she desperately tried to stop the bleeding. But she knew that it was pointless. Kaguya's innards have been ravaged, several of her internal organs were either missing or beyond all hope of recovery. Eirin already knew this but she did not relent. She had to save this girl! She had to let Kaguya live! How can she be called the most knowledgeable woman in existence? How can she be called a miracle worker? How can she be called The Brain of the Moon? How can she allow herself to be called any of that if she couldn't even save the child she loves as her own daughter?!
An unorthodox and risky idea suddenly surfaced within the depths of her mind. An ironic twist in the development of her most prized creation. Eirin looked at the struggling Kaguya and back towards her lab where the 'Hourai Elixir' was stored. Kaguya came up with that, naming the drug after the legendary Eternal Hourai Tree she read in one of the folk records from earth. Eirin once scoffed at the idea of a tree that never withers and that bears jewels instead of fruit. Ironic that she still took on the name and now needs that very drug to save the girl who named it.
Not irony...Destiny...
The passing thought was of little importance to the scientist as she quickly went to the hidden safe where the elixir was stored in. She quickly went through all the strict security checks she had placed on the safe, cursing her over-preparedness for the first time in her entire career. She got the safe opened and took out the ilmenite box that contained the capsules. She ran back to where Kaguya was and saw that she had already stopped breathing.
"NO! Not yet!" Eirin screamed as she took out one of the capsules. She then gasped at her own panic-induced short sightedness.
Kaguya didn't have a way to digest the capsule anymore...
This was the very first time Eirin had ever felt scared and uncertain but her mind did not relent in computing a solution even when her heart was threatening to collapse from despair. She carefully lifted up Kaguya's body and carried her into the lab.
"It has not been fully tested yet...the chances are too slim to consider...there is no guarantee that this will work...this is too big a gamble...the risk to yield ratio is too lopsided..." Eirin kept murmuring as she placed Kaguya in a recovery pod she had recently been working on. It was supposed to be a quick-heal tank that could heal any physical injury by hyper-accelerating the body's regenerative properties. The preliminary results she has had with animal experiments were odd though. Instead of healing, it turned her test subjects into younger versions of themselves, reverse-aging instead of accelerated natural healing. It was temporary but they do become younger. But as a side effect, they age faster and die sooner than they naturally would.
"But if this gamble pays off...she won't have to." Eirin said as she placed the elixir capsule in the pod along with Kaguya. She had always relied more on certainty than miracles when it comes to her works, making sure that every aspect and every variable has been meticulously reviewed and the probabilities properly analyzed and dealt with over and over again. Trusting the survival of Kaguya on such a thing as a miracle did not sit well with Eirin.
But it's better than watching her die! Eirin thought as she closed the hatch and went through the steps to activate the pod. She could hear the machine come to life as it filled the pod with regenerative fluid. The elixir would liquefy and be absorbed into Kaguya's body, rendering her immortal...saving her life.
"For now..." Eirin said quietly as she allowed herself to relax for the moment. But she knew that this will not end. Once the news of the princess' attempted assassination and subsequent survival was made public, it will only invite more attacks.
"I need to hide her..." Eirin's tired voice echoed through her lab as she looked at one of her monitors, a view of earth from space was displayed on it.
...
"Are you familiar with the tale of the bamboo cutter?" Kaguya suddenly asked me in the middle of her story.
"What? You mean the old folk tale? The one about Kaguya...Hi...me..." I suddenly slapped my palm on my head at the realization. Kaguya giggled at my discovery.
"Yes, that story was indeed based on the time I had spent on earth. I was born and grew up for a second time. I did not have any recollection about my life on the moon until I stopped aging after seventeen years. That was when it all started..." Kaguya said with a deep sigh.
"What started?" I asked when she didn't say anything. Kaguya looked at me with a sullen face and stared back at her tea.
"Mokou..."
...
I had been invited to the capital by the emperor because they say that I had the peerless beauty that would be perfect for his highness. At the time, I was not sure about what that really meant. I just thought that I would be able to live a better life along with my 'parents' and be able to help impoverished people in the country. We arrived at the capital and the grand palace where we were greeted by several noblemen as well as the emperor himself. The days that followed were surreal, especially for a girl who grew up in the country and had a bamboo cutter for a 'father'. Everyday was lavishness after lavishness care of one nobleman or another. I was quite grateful for all the things they provided and offered me but it all eventually became far too much for me to take in. The stress of such grandeur was surprisingly taxing and eventually, I just wanted to be treated as I was before, an ordinary girl. And that was when I met her...
One day, I was taking a walk alone in the palace grounds after slipping away from another feast in my honor. There I saw a lone girl sleeping under a cherry tree in the garden. She was adorned in the garb of a noble so I believed that she was the daughter of some important leader here. I walked up to her, being careful not to wake her up. She had short black hair and seemed to be as old as I am, though a bit shorter. I was surprised when she suddenly spoke up, asking who it was that blocked the sunlight. I had a feeling that she was surprised as well when she opened her eyes and realized who I was. She kept apologizing over and over for the rudeness she showed and even prostrated herself in front of me. I quickly helped her up and explained that I had no intention of making myself seem more important that she was. I then asked for her name, though she was hesitant at first.
Mokou
Fujiwara no Mokou
Over the passing weeks, Mokou and I spent our days together playing in the palace gardens. I would escape from the nobles who wanted to give me more gifts, invite me to another feast or grand party to celebrate whatever they come up with just to be able to become a normal person with Mokou.We became the best of friends as we could rely on each other and reveal our true selves without having to put on the personae of noblewomen. It was a very fun time and one of my fondest memories from that era. But it all came to an end one day when I was summoned to the main imperial hall. There I saw all the noblemen who gave me all those grand gifts and feasts as well as the emperor who invited me to the capital in the first place. They were assembled around me and gave off an extremely tense atmosphere.
...
"I assume you have a grasp of what happened next?" Kaguya asked me before taking another bite from a rice cracker. I nodded and replied.
"The five impossible requests..." I answered.
"Yes...in hindsight, when I came up with that list of requests, it was both a beginning and an end." Kaguya mused before continuing.
...
The noblemen wanted me to choose who between all of them to wed. I was overwhelmed and frightened of what they were asking and what they meant by that. Then I knew, all those gifts, all those favors they gave...were a bid for my hand in marriage. They pressured me on and on to choose one of them to be my husband but I didn't want to marry any of them. It continued for a very long time and I couldn't take it anymore. The emperor proved to be my saving grace at that time. He asked me if there was any way for the selection of the groom to go smoother. He was buying me time to think and to make a decision, for that I was forever thankful.
I was sent away to think of how to be able to fairly choose my husband. Even though the emperor gave me time, it was only delaying the inevitable. I would still have to choose one of them and forever be bound to their family. I was thinking of a way for them to compete for me but making sure that there was no way for any of them to win. I took a walk to the palace gardens where Mokou and I spent so much time together. I sat under the very cherry tree where I first found her and stared up to the clear sky, it was a full moon. It was moments later that I had a severe headache. I clutched my head, trying to ride out the pain as if my mind was about to burst out of my head. Scenes that I had no recollection of suddenly poured into my mind relentlessly. They were my old memories flooding back. The moon, the empress, the civil war, Eirin, and my assassination.
I covered my mouth as the urge to vomit suddenly overcame me. I started breathing heavily as my mind tried to make sense of what I had just experienced. An entirely different life, and impossible life. Something that was only supposed to be in the realm of fiction and fantasy. I quickly got up and ran towards the palace chambers and to my parents. I slammed my fists on their door over and over again, crying out to my parents who quickly opened it. I ran to my mother and cried my heart out in her arms. They were both worried about me and continually asked me what was wrong. The memories that caused my sudden actions quickly reduced me to sobs. My mother realized this and waited for me to calm down before asking anything more.
I eventually calmed down and told them what I had experienced in the garden after looking up at the moon. My parents then looked at each other and back at me with worried faces. I had a feeling that I was not going to like what I was about to hear. My parents then carefully explained that I was not really their child...how they found me. One evening, my father had been out in the bamboo forest finishing up his work. He was about to head home when a bright light came from the sky and landed a distance away. From what he saw, it was like a golden robe that gracefully floated down to earth. Thinking that it might be a descending god, my father ran to the place where it landed to offer prayer to it. What he found was a woman of otherworldly beauty in strange clothing and in her arms was a baby wrapped in a fine emerald cloth. The woman saw my father and asked who he was. When he explained that he was a bamboo cutter from the nearby village, the woman smiled and introduced herself. She bowed to my father and gave her name...
Yagokoro Eirin
The woman explained that I was an innocent child in danger, that I had to be hidden away from forces that would take my life without a second though. Eirin asked my father to take me and raise me as her own daughter in order to protect me. My father was speechless. A woman who descended from the heavens using a golden robe was asking him to take care of a child that was obviously of high importance and raise her as his own. My father was about to refuse when he saw my sleeping face. He and mother were never able to have a child of their own and seeing me was like an blessing from the gods themselves. My father then graciously accepted the offer and took me from Eirin's arms. She told him that I would eventually become unable to age and regain my past memories but to make sure that they gave me the love and care of a normal child despite this. My father was unsure about how to interpret that but he understood that it was important and acknowledged it. He was instructed to hide the emerald cloth from me until my memories returned, to only show it to me when I regained my former self. Then she left for the heavens in the same way she came to earth, never to be seen again.
My father then took something out from under the bed, it was an ornate wooden box. He opened it in front of me and revealed the emerald cloth. It was actually a large shawl of unsurpassed quality. I took it in my hands and tears suddenly flowed from my eyes even though I did not have the urge to cry. I then understood, my mind was still unable to grasp it but my heart knew what this shawl was. A memento from from a woman I had thought of as my mother. I cried myself to sleep clutching the shawl, there I slept with my parents for the first time in years.
...
I was summoned back to the main imperial hall several days after I regained my memories. It had seemed that the emperor was no longer able to buy me any more time and I had to present the way in which I would choose my husband. I was unable to face Mokou again after the sudden recollection if my previous life. It pained me to distance myself from my friend but I had to sort out my feelings and come up with a way to make it impossible for anyone to have my hand in marriage. My memories from the moon facilitated the means for that. I stood before them all in full royal dress including the emerald shawl I had received from Eirin when I was reborn. I displayed my full imperial aura that I had gained by right of birth and by the teachings of my mentor. I will not cower before them. There, I made my stand. There, I proposed my impossible requests.
The stone begging bowl of the Buddha from India.
The jeweled branch from the island of Penglai.
The legendary robe of the fire-rat of China.
The colored jewel from a dragon's neck.
The cowrie shell which was born from swallows.
The nobles gathered burst into an uproar when I told them the items needed for my hand in marriage. The emperor quelled their cries and asked my reason for making such requests. I explained that if they found me worthy of spending so much wealth on up till now then my hand in marriage, which equaled eternal servitude to their family, demanded something even more. I restated my point and my requests and challenged that any of them who can bring any one of my requests will have me as their bride unconditionally. They demanded that I retract my requests and give them an easier way to have me but I did not yield, my Royal Lunarian blood giving me the courage I needed to do so. Again, the emperor became my shield and asked me if it was a guarantee that I would marry the one who would bring back one of the items I have listed out. I acknowledged it again and guaranteed that the one who can bring me one of the requests will be my husband.
The congregation ended and I was allowed to leave to let the nobles talk amongst themselves on what to do about my requests. I knew that it was impossible for any of them to accomplish any of them as the items I listed were some of the fabled items from the books I had read on the moon. Even Eirin was convinced that none of the items even existed so there was no possible way for them to retrieve even one. I was surprised to hear the news of several of the nobles were arranging expeditions to find the items I had asked for. I was amazed that any of them even considered the task possible but I knew that none of them would be successful no matter how hard they tried.
Several months passed and none of the nobles that went out in search of the items I requested ever returned, thus giving rise to the legend of the 'Impossible Requests of Kaguya Hime'. Over the course of those months, I was no longer able to meet with Mokou in the gardens anymore. For some reason, she would no longer appear there. I had wished to see her again after I made my stand in the imperial hall but she was no longer in the palace. I sat under the cherry tree where we met and sighed as I once again found myself alone. The days passed without end...
...
It was one spring evening when I took my parents out to the palace gardens to watch the blooming cheeryblossoms there. A gentle breeze made the falling petals dance in the air as I spent the evening with my parents in the garden. It then noticed that it was a full moon again and it made me wonder how Eirin was doing back in the Lunarian Capital. My father suddenly gasped and pointed to the sky. My mother and I looked in the direction where he was pointing at and my heart felt like it stopped completely. There, like it did years ago, a golden robe descended from the heavens and landed in the garden where we were. The robe opened up to reveal the user and my eyes watered.
I called out her name and she looked at me. Her beauty was no longer there, she looked like she had aged greatly since I last saw her back on the moon. She looked even older than my parents were. She gently smiled at me before collapsing.
My parents and I carried Eirin to my room, making sure that no one else knew about her presence here. We laid her on my bed and my parents went out to get some water for her and to give us our time alone. I squeezed her hand in mine and continuously called out her name. She eventually woke up and looked at me, her eyes very tired. She then proceeded to tell me what happened to our empire.
The separatists had won the civil war on the moon. They had eliminated every last loyalist house, all the royal born and eventually even the empress herself. Eirin did not say how they managed to kill the Eternal Empress but the effects were obvious enough. Eirin relied on my birth mother's power of eternity to keep her youth. Now that she is no more, Eirin's body had rapidly caught up with her actual age and she was quickly starting to wither away. She handed me a pouch and told me that inside was the very last capsule of the 'Hourai Elixir'. She had destroyed the rest of the samples and her research notes when the separatist army attacked the capital. I begged her to take the elixir to save her life but she refused. She said that she had lived a long enough life and to see me again was the only thing she wished for before she passed on. Her life ended a few minutes later.
...
I sought a private audience with the emperor and explained to him what happened as best as I could. He seemed hesitant to believe me at first but he eventually put his trust on me and my tale. I requested for Eirin to be given a proper burial, not a grand one but one that would be given to an ordinary citizen. I told the emperor my relationship with Eirin and he wholeheartedly agreed with the burial for her. I then presented him with the pouch containing the last Hourai Elixir and told him its power. I gave the elixir as a gift and requested that I be able to leave the capital and go back to my home in the country. The emperor took it a lot better than I had expected him to and he agreed to let me go in exchange for the elixir.
My parents and I were about to leave the palace when we were confronted by Mokou. I was overwhelmed with joy when I saw her and quickly ran to my dear friend and embraced her but I was suddenly pushed away by her and she suddenly slapped me. I was overcome with shock by her actions when she did that and asked her why. I was devastated at what she told me. Her beloved father was one of the nobles who took up the challenge to retrieve one of the items I had requested. The head of the Fujiwara house had chosen to find the fire rat robe in China and went on an expedition for it. He and his men were eventually overcome with disease and died in the wild. Mokou never saw her father again.
Mokou charged at me and pushed me down on the ground where she slapped me, pulled at my hair and cursed me. She screamed over and over again for me to giver her back her father. The tears falling on my face hurt far more than her physical abuse. She was eventually pulled away from me but I could still see the sadness and hatred in her eyes. She was taken away by the palace guards but not before she said something to me that completely crushed my heart.
I'll never forgive you...for all eternity.
For an immortal, something like that was one of the most painful things to hear. Especially from one who was my closest friend.
...
The years passed on in our country home and I studied medicine in honor of Eirin. I became the local physician of our small village and was treated as a genius doctor even though the knowledge I used was considered elementary compared to what Eirin used to teach me. Eventually my parents passed away and I was once again alone but I had already prepared my heart for that and saw my parents off to the afterlife with a smile.
I was returning from the mountain after gathering medicinal herbs when I saw someone standing in front of my house. It was a woman I had never met before. In her hand was the emerald shawl that Eirin gave to me. I demanded to know who she was and what she wanted from me. She responded by burning the shawl in her hand. She did not use a torch or anything, the shawl just suddenly started burning. The woman then gave a wicked smile before charging at me, her hands were on fire but she did not seem harmed. I was overcome with grief and anger after seeing Eirin's gift incinerated and pulled out a jeweled dagger I had received from the emperor as a parting gift. The woman stabbed my with her flaming hands and I did likewise with her using the dagger.
I asked who she was and why she was doing this. She coughed up blood and laughed. She then asked me if I will kill her like how I killed her father. I eyes widened at the realization. She told me that she stole that elixir that gave eternal life from a group of soldiers that where about to destroy it under the orders of the emperor. I felt my life slipping away from the wound she gave me and she looked like she was dying as well. Before I lost consciousness, I heard her say something I have not heard in years. Something I wished never to hear again.
I'll never forgive you...for all eternity.
...
This will be another two-part
-
Here is part deux!
...
The years passed on in our country home and I studied medicine in honor of Eirin. I became the local physician of our small village and was treated as a genius doctor even though the knowledge I used was considered elementary compared to what Eirin used to teach me. Eventually my parents passed away and I was once again alone but I had already prepared my heart for that and saw my parents off to the afterlife with a smile.
I was returning from the mountain after gathering medicinal herbs when I saw someone standing in front of my house. It was a woman I had never met before. In her hand was the emerald shawl that Eirin gave to me. I demanded to know who she was and what she wanted from me. She responded by burning the shawl in her hand. She did not use a torch or anything, the shawl just suddenly started burning. The woman then gave a wicked smile before charging at me, her hands were on fire but she did not seem harmed. I was overcome with grief and anger after seeing Eirin's gift incinerated and pulled out a jeweled dagger I had received from the emperor as a parting gift. The woman stabbed my with her flaming hands and I did likewise with her using the dagger.
I asked who she was and why she was doing this. She coughed up blood and laughed. She then asked me if I will kill her like how I killed her father. I eyes widened at the realization. She told me that she stole that elixir that gave eternal life from a group of soldiers that where about to destroy it under the orders of the emperor. I felt my life slipping away from the wound she gave me and she looked like she was dying as well. Before I lost consciousness, I heard her say something I have not heard in years. Something I wished never to hear again.
I'll never forgive you...for all eternity.
...
"After that, I revived and Mokou was no longer there." Kaguya said as she started to clean up. It was already evening when Kaguya's story ended.
"I left the village after that and started a journey. During my centuries of travel and conflict with Mokou, I gathered my own impossible requests one by one to counter Mokou's unrelenting assaults. Eventually we ended up here and were at a stalemate up till now. I then proposed the points rule to her and she accepted. It was the only way to somehow temporarily quell her undying anger against me." Kaguya said before exiting the room. I reflected on Kaguya and Mokou's story. In retrospect, both of them were victims in this matter. Neither of them were at fault for what happened but Mokou couldn't accept that and decided to place the blame entirely on Kaguya. From an outsider's standpoint, their feud sounds like a childish quarrel between close friends though I knew that there was something far deeper than that.
"So...why hasn't your feud ended yet?" I asked Kaguya after we ate dinner. We were sitting by the porch that overlooked her garden when I suddenly voiced my question.
"Naturally, I had tried to apologize for what I had done to her and her father. She was my closest friend afterall but...she wouldn't listen. I tried and tried but her anger would not allow her to forgive me." Kaguya said in melancholy. Sounded to me that Mokou was just being stubborn but as to why, I wasn't sure. I looked up and saw that it was a full moon. Kaguya followed my gaze and saw the moon as well.
"Tonight is the harvest festival you know. It was also in this time that Eirin handed me to my father in the bamboo forest." Kaguya mused at the fond memory.
"Wait that means that today is..." I said while looking at her.
"Yes...today is technically my birthday." Kaguya said with a childish smile. The good mood was suddenly interrupted by the appearance of a bird of fire that suddenly appeared and landed on the garden. The flames died down to reveal the Phoenix of Gensokyo.
"Mokou..." I said while standing up, Kaguya doing the same.
"It's full moon and I want a rematch." Mokou plainly said as she glared at Kaguya.
"I see..." She replied as she started to walk towards her former friend, Mokou clenching her fists in anticipation for their battle. I had other ideas though...
I had enough of this.
Why can't Mokou forgive Kaguya?
I know that she loved her father a lot but a seven hundred year grudge?
I know that somewhere in there, Mokou still loves Kaguya but how can I prove that? In any case...
This has to end...and maybe that's why I'm here.
"Tama?" Kaguya suddenly asked when I extended my hand to stop her from advancing. Mokou had an irritated look and growled at me.
"Stay out of this. This has nothing to do with you understand?!" Mokou demanded as the air around her started to heat up.
"No...This does have something to do with me. This is probably the reason why I'm even here." I said as I summoned my buckle, putting it on.
"Tama...what are you...?" Kaguya asked me in shock and confusion. I looked at her and smiled.
"You weren't able to get the reason why she couldn't forgive you but let's see if an outsider with a different perspective will be able to." I said as I looked back at Mokou while pulling at the handles and putting Reimu's card in.
TOUHOU RIDE!
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Mokou asked in a menacing voice.
"Doing a little therapy." I replied before closing the handles.
HAKUREI REIMU!
I transformed and started walking towards Mokou who sneered at me.
"Do you have any idea what you're about to do? Who you're picking a fight with!?" Mokou asked me again and again. It seemed that Mokou was reluctant in fighting anyone other than Kaguya or a threat to the village so she tried to make me back down with intimidation. Too bad I was already used to facing powerful beings by now.
"Yeah. I'm about you knock some sense into a stubborn little daddy's girl." I taunted, a bit too much as I saw Mokou's wings of fire suddenly appear on her back.
"You bitch! That's it! You're gonna burn!" She screamed as she took to the air and prepared to attack me.
"What are you doing?! You'll get killed!" Kaguya said as she walked up to me. I turned around and opened up the handles again, a card in my right hand.
"Don't worry, I've already been through a lot. I'll just take this in stride just like the rest." I said before putting the card in.
TOUHOU RIDE!
"Just who...are you?" Kaguya asked in disbelief in my confidence in fighting an immortal like Mokou.
"I'm just a Miko passing through. Don't forget it." I said before closing the handles.
REIUJI UTSUHO!
I was suddenly consumed in a miniature sun as I transformed into the Hell Raven. The nuclear klaxons blared before the miniature sun suddenly burst away revealing Utsuho's wings. I pointed upwards with my left hand as I floated up from the ground.
"Time to do some counseling!" I said before soaring towards where Mokou was.
...
"Wait! Tama!" Kaguya called out after Tama who was already on her way to meet Mokou in combat. Kaguya was about to go after her when she noticed a powerful presence nearby. She turned to the source and saw someone she hadn't expected.
Red eyes and long silver hair with green highlights. She had a long bushy tail that looked the same as her hair. She had two horns and the left one had a red bow tied to it. Her dress is dark green with white short sleeves, and a red ribbon is tied to the bottom of the collar.
"Keine..." Kaguya regarded the village teacher in her Hakutaku form.
"Greetings Kaguya. I see Mokou is a bit busy at the moment so I shall be your opponent for now." Keine plainly said as she threw her hair back.
"Wait...we don't have to fight. I don't want to fight either of you two anymore." Kaguya pleaded as she slowly backed away from Keine.
"Sorry, but I can't let you go so easily with just that!" Keine said before charging at Kaguya who quickly pulled out her jeweled branch to defend herself with.
...
"Heh...another one of your tricks eh?!" Mokou taunted as she started to throw fireballs at me. I dodged some of them but Utsuho wasn't very maneuverable so I had to block some of them using her cannon arm. I retaliated with the red lasers from the 'third leg' which to which Mokou laughed off before nimbly dodging them.
"Damn! She's good!" I said as the exchange continued between us. Well of course she was good, she has centuries of combat experience over me. I grunted as she faked me out and managed to land a flaming kick at my right shoulder. Good thing Utsuho was a lot tougher than Reimu is so I managed to shrug off that much damage and swung back with the cannon arm. Mokou managed to block it with her arms, quickly grabbing it afterwards. She smiled at me before introducing me to a shoulder throw into the the sky. It took me a few moments to get my bearings back but with I'd done it sooner as I saw three of her fire birds only a few feet away from me.
"Gaaaah!" I screamed as I tried to block them with just the cannon arm before they hit me.
...
"Stop running!" Keine demanded as she chased after Kaguya who was trying to avoid fighting the Hakutaku.
"No! I won't fight you Keine!" Kaguya replied as she flew around the garden. She was then overcome with pain in her stomach and she saw that Keine's fist was firmly embedded in it.
"I just rewrote history so that you would fly right at me." Keine calmly explained before using her other fist to punch Kaguya in the face. Keine's Hakutaku form has the ability to create or change history to a certain degree. She can use it like a brute force version Izayoi Sakuya's time manipulation and move from one place to another instantly. This coupled with her superhuman strength and aggressiveness made her a very formidable opponent.
"Haa...haaa...haa..." Kaguya heaved as she struggled to get back up. She had faced Keine's Hakutaku form before but she usually relented since she was mainly fighting Mokou at the time. This is the first time she had fought her seriously though and Kaguya knew that she can't keep running anymore.
"Fine...you want to fight me so much." Kaguya said as the jeweled branch she was holding started to glow.
...
HIGH TENSION BLADE!
The belt declared as a yellow beam of light enveloped Utsuho's cannon arm and extended a bit further out, turning it into a nuclear energy sword. Just in time as I swung it with full force to intercept Mokou's 'Possessed by Phoenix'. The air around us crackled as the two opposing energies vied for superiority.
"Hey. Did you forget this move's specialty?" Mokou's echoing voice said from within the phoenix. I cursed at knowing what it was. I quickly disengaged and flew backwards seconds before Mokou's phoenix started to glow brighter.
"Shit! It's gonna blow!" I raised up my arms to block the blast but it never came. Instead I doubled over from a kick in the gut.
"Gotcha! Everlasting Phoenix Tail!" Mokou declared as her other leg suddenly caught fire and she spin kicked me in the side with it. She faked me out again! I flew a fair distance away with Mokou in hot pursuit.
"I need to turn this around!" I yelled while using the momentum from Mokou's kick to gain some distance between us. I pulled out one of Utsuho's attack cards and put it in my mouth before pulling at the handle and putting the card in.
ATTACK RIDE!
I put on the breaks and turned around to face Mokou, who was quickly closing the gap, before closing the handle.
YATAGARASU DIVE!
"My turn!" I yelled at her before my whole body started glowing bright yellow. Mokou stopped in mid-air and started throwing fireballs at me while quickly backing away. Too bad for her that I wasn't planning on letting her go.
"Raaaaaagh!" I screamed as I flew towards Mokou, meaning to crash into her with Utsuho's energized body just like Remilia's Deamon King's Cradle. Mokou tried to duck away but the attack ride gave me a lot more mobility than what Utsuho normally has and I was able to run her down with ease.
"Damn you!" Mokou cursed before I crashed into her and swallowing both of us in a bright golden light like a small sun.
...
"Mokou!" Keine called out as the sky above Eientei was was suddenly bathed in golden light. She then had to jump away as a flaming whip burned the spot where she was standing on.
"You should pay attention to your own battles first Hakutaku." Kaguya said as she swung the flaming whip in her right hand and fired rainbow colored lasers from the large red orb in her left hand. They were the Fire Rat's Robe and the Dragon Jewel. Kaguya, through centuries of combat with Mokou, had developed creative ways to utilize her impossible requests as weapons. The fire rat robe can burn but can never harm its wielder so Kaguya uses it like a whip while the dragon jewel fired lasers at the foe to keep them off balance. This combination was one of many that she had used against Mokou before.
"Don't think that you can defeat me with just that!" Keine said as she uprooted a cherry tree near her and hurled it at Kaguya like a javelin. Kaguya easily managed to dodge it but Keine took her by surprise when she appeared behind the tree and sank her horns in Kaguya's shoulder.
"Why...you..." Kaguya said while bearing the pain. She placed the dragon jewel right at Keine's torso and prepared to fire but Keine suddenly disappeared and reappeared a fair distance away with another uprooted cherry tree.
"As long as I can rewrite history, you cannot defe--aaaahhhh!" Keine's words were cut short when a searing pain ran up her back. It was Kaguya's whip, with the wielder right behind Keine.
"Manipulation of the Instantaneous and Eternal...remember?" Kaguya smugly said before putting the dragon jewel right at Keine's face and firing.
...
"Did I get her?" I asked as I watched Mokou's body fall from the sky after the light from Utsuho's attack ride faded. Her body was still in midair when it was suddenly enveloped in flames, turning into a bird of fire.
"I knew it..." I complained as Mokou flew back at me in full force and with a angrier look.
"Round two!" She yelled out before delivering a flaming punch that I intercepted with the cannon arm, deflecting it away. Mokou was quick on the uptake as she sent a swift kick to my gut and started a barrage of fireballs. I quickly flew up and away from the fireballs and retaliated with red lasers from Utsuho's cannon arm which thankfully managed to shoot down some of the fireballs in the process.
"Why?!" I they yelled out. Mokou gave a confused look before pressing her attack again.
"Why? You're the one who wanted to fight me remember?!" Mokou replied, misunderstanding my question.
"Not that! I want to know why you can't forgive Kaguya! Even! After! All! This! Time!" I clarified my question as I shot down more fireballs with each word at the end of my sentence. Mokou zipped around my counter attack and dived in for another punch that I managed to block again. She realized this and quickly shifted herself and was about to give me a knee to the gut but I managed to fly backwards quick enough to avoid it.
"That's none of your business! I won't ever forgive Kaguya for what she did to my father! She tricked him into trying to find something an ordinary person couldn't possibly find!" Mokou said, steeling herself before gathering her energy above her into a large fireball.
"Do you really even believe that anymore?!" I shot back as I took out another attack card and putting it in the slot.
ATTACK RIDE!
"Kaguya just wants you apologize to you! Don't you realize that?! Even after all your battles she still wants to go back to being your friend!" I said, my emotion running high as well, before closing the handle.
MEGA FLARE!
I raised Utsuho's cannon arm upwards as a large fireball materialized on it, matching what Mokou had. I was about to let it loose when I saw Mokou's face in the light of the two miniature suns.
She's crying?
"SHUT UP!" Mokou screamed as she threw her fireball at me. I did the same and the two massive orbs of fire fused together and exploded, blowing us both away from the sheer force.
...
"Yield Keine..." Kaguya said in a calm voice as she pointed the dragon jewel at the now wounded Hakutaku who was lying on her back.
"Well played...abusing the instant and eternity to completely outclass my own power. I lose..." Keine said in respect as she closed her eyes and resigned from combat. Kaguya sighed and lowered the dragon jewel, sending it away to an instantaneously eternal plane of existence along with the fire rat robe.
"Tell me Keine...do you know why she can't forgive me?" Kaguya asked the school teacher who opened her eyes and sat up.
"I don't know. I heard Mokou's side of your story but I can't really see why she would still hold a grudge. With her personality, it seemed like something she can easily forgive given the time to understand and I'm pretty sure that she would have had enough time by now." Keine admitted to Kaguya who turned away and lowered her head.
"This feud of yours. I don't like it either. But only you and Mokou can truly put an end to it. Neither me nor Tama can do it for you." Keine said before standing up and brushing off the dust on her dress. Kaguya quickly spun around and grabbed Keine by the shoulders with a desperate look on her face which surprised Keine a bit.
"Then tell me how!! How can I earn her forgiveness?! Please!!! Tell me! I just want to be her friend again!!! Answer me!!! Keine!" Kaguya pleaded out loud as she shook Keine's shoulders. This was her true feelings, her one true wish for the past seven hundred years. Keine took Kaguya's hands in her own and slowly shook her head sadly.
"I...don't...know. Only Mokou can tell you for sure. I'm sorry." Keine said as she watched Kaguya slowly break down in front of her. A loud explosion and a bright light, brighter than what had appeared before, shook both of them and they turned to the source just in time to see someone falling towards them.
...
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!" I screamed as I careened towards the Eientei's garden before painfully crashing into the ground. The impact was so strong that it canceled out Utsuho's Touhou Ride and I reverted back to Reimu's form.
"Tama! Tama! Are you alright?" I heard Kaguya and Keine call out to me but I couldn't respond. That blast hit me a lot harder than I expected and I could barely register anything properly anymore. I could somewhat sense that I was being lifted up and gently set back on the ground but the shapes and sounds were very washed out.
Divine Treasure "Life Spring Infinity"
Kaguya's voice rang clearly in my mind and my body was wrapped in a gentle warmth that washed away all the pain I didn't even realize I was feeling. My eyes gained their clarity again and I saw Kaguya looking down on me along with a woman who looks like Keine but with different clothes and hair color and has horns.
Must be her Hakutaku form... I though as I sat up. Amazingly, I felt completely refreshed like I never had my ass handed to me by Mokou moments ago.
"Wow...whatever you did, thanks." I said to Kaguya as I stood back up.
"Not a problem. I must say that I'm impressed that you managed to force Mokou into a draw in an aerial battle." Kaguya commented as she looked back to the sky where the large explosion occurred.
"Are you kidding? She destroyed me! If she hadn't hesitated before I was able to fully charge my last attack she would have--" I quickly shut up as I recalled Mokou's expression before our final exchange. She was clearly crying at the time, and it sure wasn't because of her wounds. Does she regret something? Or deep down, she wanted what Kaguya wanted afterall?
"What's wrong?" Keine asked.
"What? Oh no...thing..." My voice trailed off as I stared at her tail that was slowly swaying side to side. Keine saw me staring and looked back to find that it was her tail that had my attention so she quickly grabbed her tail and turned away from me.
"Please don't mind it!" Keine suddenly said in a fluster, which made me blink a few times.
"Don't mind her. She gets embarrassed easily when other people see her Hakutaku form. Keine is a bit sensitive about being a half-Youkai. Rather cute really." Kaguya explained as Keine kept her back to me, probably to hide the embarrassment. The feel-good atmosphere between the three of us was cut short when we heard the cry of an eagle in the distance coupled with a large bird of fire spreading its wings.
"Well duh..." I sarcastically said as we watched Mokou's 'Resurrection'. I saw Kaguya out her hands on her chest and look down on the ground all depressed.
"Hey! Stay with me. If we're going to end this, it has to be tonight. And you're the one to have to do it." I said while holding onto Kaguya's shoulder.
"She's right Kaguya. If what you told me before is what you truly feel then you must do everything you can to see it through. For your sake and for Mokou's." Keine said, her previous embarrassment completely absent.
"I shall...do my best..." Kaguya meekly responded. This was going to be a bit harder than I thought. We all turned to a loud whining noise, like a jet engine, in the direction where Mokou was and saw her flying full tilt towards us before enveloping herself in another Possessed by Phoenix.
"She's gonna blow the whole mansion up!" I said in panic and Kaguya looked equally worried about it as we both backed away. Keine on the other hand didn't look phased and stepped forward.
"Keine! What are you doing?!" I called out but she didn't respond and instead took out a scroll from a pocket of her dress and spread it out. The unrolled scroll suddenly started to glow while it floated in midair around Keine. She closed her eyes and put her hand forward, barely touching the scroll with her fingertips.
New History of Phantasm
The space around Keine suddenly distorted and quickly spread outwards, completely turning the area around the mansion and beyond.
"What is this?!" I said out of panic while looking at Kaguya who stood there calmly looking at Keine.
"Future: Next History...Keine's strongest ability. It rewrites the history of a certain area to Keine's own liking." Kaguya said before the distortion softened and finally ended. I looked at Keine who was rolling the scroll like nothing happened. In front of her stood Mokou dumbfounded and what her friend just did, her previous attempt at an attack was overwritten and changed.
"Keine...why?" Mokou asked her friend. Keine tied the scroll and put it back in her pocket.
"It's high time for you and for Kaguya to put an end to this." Keine plainly said before walking back to where we were.
"What just happened?" I asked Keine who just smiled and pointed her index finger upwards.
"I made it so that Mokou's attack never happened and she was standing in front of me. Now, I'm pretty tired after using that power so the rest is up to you two." The Hakutaku said before walking back to the mansion and sitting on the porch.
"O...kay..." I barely managed to say before looking back at Mokou and Kaguya who were just staring at each other.
"Mokou...I...I'm...So--"
"DON'T SAY IT!" Kaguya's words were interrupted by Mokou's scream and subsequent creation of her wings of flame.
"Knock it off already! Kaguya just wants to end the hatred between you two! She wants to be your friend again! And I know you want that too!" I screamed at Mokou as Kaguya looked at me and back at Mokou in shock.
"Mokou...you..." Kaguya said before Mokou leapt up and flew upwards.
"Hey!" I called out to Kaguya who slowly looked at me.
"She won't listen to you as long as that fire is still burning. I'll help you stop it so you can properly talk to her but I need to know for sure that this is what you truly want!" I said to Kaguya as an ultimatum. The reason why Mokou couldn't forgive Kaguya, as far as I could tell, was because she thought that Kaguya gave those impossible requests to run away from the responsibility of marrying one of the nobles. She didn't know about Kaguya's past. It's the same with Kaguya, she wasn't able to understand why Mokou felt that way so her apologies rang hollow to Mokou and only made her angrier. They couldn't understand each other which was why forgiveness was impossible. But...
"Yes...I want to properly explain to Mokou what really happened. The reasons for my actions. And...I want to properly apologize for what I did." Kaguya said in noble, confident tone befitting a Lunarian Princess. I nodded in approval as my pocket glowed and Kaguya's cards flew to my hand. I looked at the back and saw that her logo was an outline of a full moon with the silhouette of bamboo in the middle.
"Umm...Tama...what are those?" Kaguya asked curiously as I pulled at the handles and put her Final Form Card in.
FINAL FORM RIDE!
"The way we'll get Mokou to listen." I said before closing the handles.
KA-KA-KAGUYA!
The Princess of the Moon was a bit surprised to hear her name uttered by the buckle and turned back to be when I went behind her.
"Don't worry, this will just tickle a bit." I said before touching Kaguya's back. She suddenly gasped as she was bathed in white light. I suddenly gasped as well when said light suddenly attached itself to me. The brightness dissipated and I suddenly felt my movements a lot more restricted than normal.
"What the hell?!" I yelled out as I saw myself, still in Reimu's Touhou Ride, wearing a full royal kimono. I put my hands on my head and found that my hair was tied with a hairpin that felt like it had some complicated engravings on it. I wore a dark blue kimono which had a detailed design depicting the full moon on my left chest and sleeve and the bamboo forest below my waist, the buckle was attached to the Kimono's obi. It was like I was wearing a painting rather than a kimono. The most distinct feature was the emerald sash wrapped around me.
Well, this is certainly a new experience. I heared Kaguya's voice echoing in my mind.
"Kaguya?! Where are you?" I called out to her while looking around, making me notice the wooden sandals that I now wore. Great, this will make moving around even harder!
What do you mean? I'm right here. You're wearing me aren't you? Kaguya said in a far too relaxed voice. I looked back at the kimono and pulled at one of the sleeves.
Ow! Hey! Be careful! Fine fabric can be delicate you know! Kaguya complained.
"I guess this is your final form huh?" I said, still a bit confused about it. That was understandable considering that Remilia, Utsuho and Eiki had Final Forms that were clearly weapons.
Yes. Now how do you plan to make Mokou listen now that I'm your wardrobe? Kaguya asked the obvious question.
"With this..." I said while pulling out her Final Attack Card.
"We'll need to get closer to Mokou though." I said while putting the yellow card away for later use.
Leave that to me then. Kaguya said before I started to float up.
"Whoa! Hey!" I said in surprise at the sudden loss of footing.
"The two of you better hurry up. It looks like Mokou's about to attack with her Last Word." Keine said from the porch as she pointed at the bird of fire in the distance growing larger and larger.
"Right! Let's go then! I'll leave the maneuvering to Mokou up to you." I said as I relaxed and put my trust in Kaguya.
And I will trust in your trump card when the time comes for it. Kaguya replied as we zoomed off towards Mokou.
...
We were getting closer to Mokou when were assaulted by dozens of Mokou's fire birds. Kaguya's Salamander Shield suddenly appeared in front of us and easily blocked the attacks with no problems.
"Wow...you can do that in this form?" I asked as we plowed through the constant rain of fire.
Yes. It seems that it is easier to use the Divine Treasures in this state and I feel no stress in doing so either. It seems that our fusion is to thank for that. Kaguya said as the barrier in front of us stayed strong. We eventually managed to get closer to Mokou who looked really scary. Her silver hair was now made of fire and her eyes glowed bright red. The red wings weren't just spouts of fire anymore, they had turned into actual wings made of fire. Mokou literally looked like a Phoenix Girl.
"Ka...gu...yaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAA!!!!" Mokou roared out as she let out a shock wave that threw us backwards. Kaguya managed to keep us leveled but Mokou's wings had become larger and was just about ready to unleash her strongest attack.
I believe it is time for us to use our trump card as well. Kaguya suggested and I pulled out her Final Attack card in agreement.
"Make sure you tell her everything she needs to know, everything you want her to know. We won't have another chance." I reminded Kaguya as I put the card in.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
Yes...I understand. I have waited centuries for this chance... Kaguya said in complete resolution.
"Okay then...good luck!" I said before closing the handles.
KA-KA-KAGUYA!
We were suddenly wrapped in a bright white light and formed into a Grand Chinese Dragon made of white energy. We flew right at Mokou who did likewise. The Full Powered Phoenix and the White Mysterium Dragon clashed and fell into stalemate. Both energies were in balance and prevented the other from gaining any ground and lit up the night sky of the bamboo forest in flashes of white, red and orange.
"Kaguya! I'll nab the phoenix! You're on your own afterwards!" I yelled out in the midst of the chaos while pulling out a card.
I understand...I...will do my best! Kaguya said, a bit uncertain though that could have been just the stress from meeting a phoenix head on. I pulled on the handles and put the card in.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
"Mokou! If you can hear me! You have to listen to Kaguya! Please! If you really want this to come to an end! Giver her a chance! Fujiwara no Mokou!" I yelled before closing the handles.
RE-RE-REIMU!
The belt declared and I targeted the phoenix itself as the one affected by the card. I summoned my gohei that quickly fused with the energy orbs that usually fuse with my kick during my final attack. I wound up my right arm and swung the gohei at Mokou with all my might. Another flash overcame me and I felt myself in free fall. I looked at myself and saw that I was no longer fused with Kaguya and was back to being Reimu again, which means that I can't fly anymore.
"I should have thought this through better!" I complained before taking out another card and quickly putting it in the buckle.
TOUHOU RIDE!
"Fly!" I yelled out before closing the handles.
REMILIA SCARLET!
The gigantic pair of bat wings enveloped me and I was swallowed in a red glow. The wings opened up to reveal me fully transformed into Remilia. I quickly stopped my descent and flew up to get some altitude and a better view of what happened. I saw a streak of white headed towards Eientei and figured that it was probably those two. I gave chase and headed back to the mansion.
...
Falling...
Falling...
Fujiwara no Mokou felt a sense of falling when she regained consciousness but she couldn't open her eyes. Instead, she saw scenes happening in front of her like a play. They depict a little girl who was born as a princess. About the scientist that raised her. About the civil war that ravaged their peaceful empire. About her assassination. About her rebirth. About her arrival to the capital. About her first meeting with another girl who was of noble birth. About the final meeting and parting between teacher and student. About the emerald sash. About the impossible requests. About the pain the girl felt when her closest friend said that she hated her. About the first time the two friends killed each other. About the seven hundred years of sadness and death that followed.
Mokou started crying. She didn't care who saw her anymore. She finally realized the truth. After all this time, she saw Kaguya. She clearly saw what her dear friend had gone through. She saw what Kaguya truly wished from the bottom of her heart.
And so...Mokou wept.
...
Falling...
Falling...
Houraisan Kaguya felt a sense of falling when she regained consciousness but she couldn't open her eyes.Instead, she saw scenes happening in front of her like one of the display monitors from Eirin's lab. They depict a girl who was born into a large noble family. About they way that she was mostly ignored by her family. About the doubts she had about the meaning of her birth. About the kind father who was the only one to truly love her. About her trip to the capital. About her first meeting with a girl whom her father had expressed interest in. About her father's final goodbye to her to go on a journey he will never return from. About the collapse of their family because of it. About the pain she felt when she realized that her closest friend caused it. About how she took the secret elixir to become immortal to seek revenge. About the time she sought and gained the power of a phoenix. About the first time the two friends killed each other. About the seven hundred years of sadness and death that followed.
Kaguya had long since wept for her friend. She wasn't aware about the depth of her friend's sadness, how important her father really was to her. Kaguya finally understood what her dear friend went through. What Mokou had wished for all those centuries before. Truly, Mokou had wanted one thing from the start...it was the same thing she had wanted now.
I want to be with this person forever...
...
The two of them opened their eyes and saw each other clearly for the first time in over seven centuries. It brought a sense of nostalgia that came from the time when they first met under that cherry tree. They reached out for each other and, without any words uttered, embraced each other and wept. They wept for what their friend had gone through and their own inability to understand the meaning behind each other's actions. For the first time in a very long time...they understood each other. One cannot properly see something with just one eye. One cannot properly hear something with just one ear. One cannot understand another if they close their heart. The two of them finally understood that they had to see each other in another light, from each other's light. Afterall...
Without love...the truth cannot be seen.
...
I just stared at Keine who was still sitting on the porch and was giving out that speech as she recorded it in her scroll. Mokou and Kaguya had spent the last while crying in each other's arms and Keine and I really didn't want to get between them while their like that. I kept Reimu's Touhou Ride active just in case something else happens.
"That last line...it was really cheesy you know. How'd you come up with it?" I asked Keine who was starting to roll up the scroll again.
"There was once a strange woman bathed in golden light that told me a certain story about a certain promise. A love story, and the central theme was that statement." Keine said while looking back at the two friends.
"Hmmm..." I acknowledged as I looked back at Mokou and Kaguya again. I then noticed that Kaguya's Dragon Jewel was on the ground some distance away. I walked over to pick it up when...
ATTACK RIDE!
"Wha--what?!" I immediately looked at my belt when I heard that but it wasn't the source of the voice. Something then dropped from the sky and landed where the Dragon Jewel was, I was gobsmacked.
A black cowboy hat...Messy blond hair that reached her back ...A white on black short-sleeved dress with a wide skirt...A black cape that also covered her shoulders...black fingerless gloves...brown boots...and in her right hand that was raised up in the air...
It was a gun pointed to the sky, a strange looking one for sure. It had two barrels, one above the other, the gun itself having a greater width because of it. The side of the gun had white and gold lining with two blue lines crisscrossing across the middle. There was also small silver cylinder under the barrel that looked more like a grip. What really shocked me was that the side of the gun had a display that showed a bar code looking logo like Reimu's but this was a five-point star instead. The display also showed words that I only knew that my buckle can use.
"Attack ride?" I repeated the words before the person in front of me squeezed the trigger.
MILKY WAY!
The gun declared before a stream of multi-colored stars quickly spiraled outwards from the gun and knocked me down.
"Gaaagh!" I grunted as I tried to get back up. I looked around and saw that the others got caught by surprise too and were knocked back.
"Impossible request get!...ze..." I heard the girl in front of me say as she stood straight up and put the Dragon Jewel in a leather bag on her waist.
"You...who..." I barely managed to say to her.
"Me? Just an ordinary magician...ze..." She said while looking at me and tipping her hat with her left hand.
"Kirisame...Marisa..." I finally said in full realization. Marisa gave a wide grin before a gray swirling curtain appeared behind her and she quickly turned around and ran to it, disappearing.
"Wait!" I said before running after her, into the gray curtain. I didn't even catch what Keine and the others were yelling out to me.
...
I opened my eyes and started to shiver. It was freezing. I saw that I was in a different part of Gensokyo in what seemed to be in the dead of winter. I looked around but I couldn't find any traces of Marisa anywhere. Whatever happened, I was already in another world.
This is crazy! Akyu said that Marisa doesn't exist! And what was with that gun?! I had the same power as my buckle?! I thought as the sun started to rise. Everything was white all around me.
It was a cold and snowy day.
...
Marisa FINALLY makes her debut with and I TROLL U!
I also made my own version of Kaguya and Mokou's story. I have read a lot of interpretations about Mokou's past life but very rarely have I read something about Kaguya's back story on the moon so I decided to write one about it.
-
IT'S ALIIIIIIIIIIVE! Yes. You are reading correctly! I finally managed to finish the new chapter of Touhou Rider Reimu. I was swamped with work and games that I could barely get 2 lines a day for this one but it has finally come together! Please enjoy!
...
My transformation ended with my buckle disappearing in a flash of light. I was glad that it did as my attire for this world was a warm winter coat and pants with snow boots and warm gloves. I looked around the immediate area but I couldn't find anything aside from snow, rocks, a gloomy gray overcast, dead trees and more snow.
Letty would have liked this place...I thought before starting to walk around to see if I can find some shelter and figure out where I was. I soon found a conveniently placed cave that was carved into a cliff face, it was still cold inside but it protected me from the unrelenting snowfall outside. It was like Sapporo in the dead of winter out there. I took out Akyu's scroll to see if it can give me any information about the world I just ended up in.
"Perfect Cherry Blossom?" I read out the title on the scroll that shows what this world is known as. I looked outside and saw the heavy snowfall that showed no sign of stopping.
Kind of an ironic name for this world when you look at its current state... I thought of the biting cold outside before I started reading about what happened in this incident.
Gensokyo had been experiencing a winter far longer than usual, I say far longer because there were snow storms in the middle of May. Because of this, three heroines decided to investigate the mysterious events on their own. Reimu went out because she was simply tired of being cold for so damn long. Marisa went out because she found a cherry blossom petal near her house she she figured that spring was happening somewhere else instead. The third heroine to go out and investigate was none other than the Scarlet Devil Mansion's Head Maid: Izayoi Sakuya. She went out because the mansion's supplies were running low and she wanted to end winter before they go empty.
"So Sakuya joins in on this one huh?" I said as I wondered if I would meet her here too, and if she'll be an ally or a foe. I sighed as I continued to read the boss list of this world. I was surprised that the first fight was against the Ice Fairy Cirno and Letty Whiterock. The heroine you picked manages to defeat both of them in short order but it was speculated that Letty was holding back or was weakened at the time.
I can believe that. I know full well what she's capable of if she goes all out. I thought back to Eiki's world and the Letty that we fought there. I shook my head and focused on the rest of the entries. The heroine of your choice then wanders to a Youkai village called Mayohiga where she encounters and fights the Nekomata, Chen. The heroine moves on and runs into a puppeteer named Alice who was also looking around for leads to what happened to Gensokyo's spring. Instead of working together, the heroine and Alice decide to duke it out instead, with the heroine winning of course.
A sudden cloud of cherry blossom petals blowing in the same direction leads the heroine to the cause of the problem but not before being confronted by Lily White who announces the arrival of spring by firing danmaku at the heroine.
Lily...White? Wasn't she the one I fought before? I though back once again to Eiki's world where I fought Lily Black. Were they the same person or not? I decided to leave it at that for now and continued reading. The next ones to face the heroine were the Prismriver Sisters, them I know very well already. They were guarding the gateway to the Netherworld, which was where all the cherry blossom petals blew into. Using advanced deductive skills, the heroine concluded that the missing spring was in the netherworld and thereby began to throw down the gauntlet, defeating The Phantom Ensemble and entering the boundary to the afterlife. After climbing an impossibly long staircase, defeating hostile specters along the way, the heroine is confronted by the Half-Ghost Youmu who was the one who stole the essence of spring in the first place under the orders of her mistress. Apparently, they were trying to make a giant cherry blossom tree bloom completely for some reason and they think that stealing Gensokyo's spring would do the trick. Naturally, this pissed off the chosen heroine and she proceeds to teach Youmu the value of manners towards the other residents of the realm.
At the end of the long trail, the heroine ends up in front of the gigantic cherry blossom tree which was named Saigyou Ayakashi. She quickly encounters the one who started this whole thing, Yuyuko, who was the administrator of the afterlife. Yuyuko explains that she wanted to free a certain soul that was trapped under the tree which was why she needed the essence of spring. At this point, the heroine has had enough of all this and just figures that defeating Yuyuko will end this whole ordeal. She does so but, after defeating Yuyuko, the Saigyou Ayakashi starts to die and temporarily unleashes the trapped soul inside...which was Yuyuko's all along. The heroine had to endure a sudden uncontrollable blitz by the possessed Yuyuko before the soul was resealed back in the tree.
"Well...can't say I'm surprised." I said as I found such a fantastical tale to be standard by now, I must be building up a tolerance to this sort of thing. I saw that there were still some things left on the scroll and I started to read the remaining entries.
After a few days, the heroine receives a request from Yuyuko who had just finished restoring spring back to Gensokyo. Apparently, to facilitate the whole spring stealing fiasco, the boundary between Gensokyo and the Netherworld was weakened by the powerful Border Youkai Yukari. Yuyuko asks that the heroine to talk to Yukari and get the boundary back to normal before anything else happens. The heroine agrees of course and sets off to the location that Yuyuko specified. She was once again confronted by Chen who suddenly decides to try to kick the heroine's ass again...and fails. However, this draws out a very angry and particularly powerful Kitsune named Ran. Turns out that Chen was her Shikigami and she was none too pleased to see that you just laid the smackdown on her. A fierce battle raged between the heroine and Ran but the heroine eventually prevailed and asks Ran about Yukari. The Kitsune explains that she herself was actually the Shikigami of Yukari and promises to talk to her mistress about Yuyuko's request and goes off to their home where Yukari was.
"So that pretty much covers it huh?" I asked to no one in particular as I reached the end of this world's entry. I put the scroll back in my pocket and went out to the entrance of the cave. The snowfall finally let up and it wasn't as cold as before so I decided to suck it up and went out into the unknown to see what I can find. As always, there was no way that this world would follow what the scroll said but at least I know who I'm likely to encounter here.
"Plus, I need to find that sneaky thief and get some answers!" I adamantly said while walking in the snow, the thought of kicking Marisa's ass for that cheap shot in Imperishable Night's world motivating me even further.
...
After the longest walk I have ever had in snow, I found myself in front of a very familiar set of stairs. It was the uphill stairway leading to the Hakurei Shrine. I wasn't able to go to the Hakurei Shrine in the previous world because of the rather hectic events that transpired so it was nice to see some semblance of consistency again. I started climbing the stairs, which was a lot harder than when I did it in Satori's world because of the cold and snow. I was around two-thirds of the way up when I heard the sharp noise of metal clashing over and over again followed by low rumbling noises which seemed to be caused by an impact.
"A fight already? And just when I was getting really tired too..." I said before sighing and summoning by buckle and booklet. I quickly put the buckle on and took out Reimu's card when I heard the clashing sounds start to pick up in higher frequency.
TOUHOU RIDE!
I started to run up the stairs before closing the handles, I had to see who's fighting up there!
HAKUREI REIMU!
I started to leap over the stairs to get to the top faster, gohei in hand in case things turn ugly. I made my final jump and cleared the last of the stairs and beyond, making my landing on the shrine's main Torii Gate. I quickly looked around and clouds of steam moving around the shrine, evaporated snow most likely. Two figures suddenly jumped up at each other and started to trade slashes from sword and claw. The girl with the swords was someone I already read about and vaguely recognize from my dream.
A girl with short silver hair that had a black ribbon on it and she was wearing a green a white dress, she was wielding two swords of different length. The swords were a standard Katana and a Wakizashi in her right and left hand respectively. Something I didn't notice before in my dream was that there was something floating around her. It was a giant translucent white...blob thing, like a ghost or something.
Youmu was trading furious but well placed blows with someone I just read about as well...and one I wouldn't be able to forget from my dream too.
A blond haired woman wearing a two-pointed hat, which covered her fox ears. She was wearing a blue and white dress, blue was covering the front with intricate symbols on it. She had long puffy sleeves that hid her sharp clawed hands. The most eye-catching thing about her were her nine, large, white-tipped yellow tails. The power of a Kitsune is defined by how many tails it has, with nine as the limit. That means that this Kitsune is one who has achieved the highest form and power her kind can attain.
Ran and Youmu continued their flurry of attacks in mid-air, the former managing to somehow pressure the smaller girl into a defensive exchange. I didn't know why they were fighting or who was in the good and in the bad in this situation so I decided to jump in neutral and figure things out from there. What's the worse that could happen?
I took out my booklet and took out an attack card. I jumped down from the Torii Gate and headed into the shrine grounds while putting the card in the buckle.
ATTACK RIDE!
I jumped up to the tiled rooftop of the shrine, nearly slipping off because of my sandals on the snow, and scoped out the situation. Looked like Ran was winning as Youmu's katana was currently stuck to the ground and was barely able to stand while pointing her wakizashi at the kitsune who was smiling and flexing her claws. I still had no idea which side I should take so I figured that I should keep them both alive for now until further developments. With that mindset, I closed the handles and crouched down.
THOUSANDFOLD FIST!
The buckle's manly voice managed to get both their attentions as they immediately turned to where I was. I said 'was' because I was already in mid air, torii gate knuckles materializing in my hands, and winding back for a right straight aimed at Ran's face. The ancient youkai expertly took my right fist into her right palm and pulled me closer as she sidestepped away from the attack and gave me a left handed backhand to the face from under my right arm. The force of the backhand was like a brick wall getting smashed in my face. It stopped me cold and left me hanging in mid-air for half a second, which was more than enough time for Ran to adjust her positioning and give me a heel kick right in the sternum, which sent me sailing into a wall. The whole thing lasted less than five seconds from my jump to my subsequent crash.
"Well...that could have gone better..." I said as I pushed the rubble off me. I made a mental note to never try an attack that simple against Ran ever again. I saw that the kitsune had turned her attention back to Youmu who used my attack as a chance to strike at her foe. It was the right thing to do as far as combat sense goes, striking the moment your opponent lowers their guard, but the enemy was just too skilled to be able to defeat with just a wakizashi and a tired body. Ran was easily managing to avoid and parry Youmu's weakened but focused attacks. The youkai ended the exchange by grabbing the short sword with her large left hand, blood dripping from the wound that it caused her, and pulling Youmu closer to her like what she did to me.
"You will never have her back!" Ran told the half-ghost with a tone of finality before giving her a headbutt. The force made Youmu release her otherwise vice-like grip on her weapon. Ran used the recoil on the younger girl's head to easily grab her neck and lift her off the ground. She tossed the, now useless, wakizashi away and focused on the prey she had just caught. I raised my left hand and fired some needles at Ran, in a naive attempt at getting a lucky shot in, who just swiped them away with her left claw.
"I don't know who you are or why you are interfering, but try to do so again and I will kill you." Ran stated plain and simple without even looking at me.
Great...finally someone in this world who can calmly think in the middle of a fight and she's an enemy. I thought as I finally freed myself from the rubble. I managed to get back on my feet and summoned my gohei and took up a stance. Ran was still ignored me while smiling at Youmu and whispering things I couldn't hear at this distance. I guess she still doesn't see me as a threat, I should change that. I pulled out Reimu's final attack card and pulled at the handles while slowly moving behind Ran. I put the card in and dashed at her.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
The buckle said as I jumped up in the air. The voice from the buckle made Ran turn back to be and look up as I closed the handles.
RE-RE-REIMU!
The multi-colored orbs infused themselves in my right foot as I dived down at Ran at an amazing velocity. I was certain that I had her...until she sighed and rolled her eyes. She then did something I never expected, ever!
"She just threw Youmu at me..." I muttered as the unconscious half-ghost hurtled straight at my final attack.
"Crap!" I said, immediately dispelling Reimu's final attack, just in time to catch Youmu in my arms. I suddenly felt an intense amount of bloodlust from behind me before I suddenly felt like the whole world fell on my back. Youmu and I quickly crashed back to the ground, making a small crater on impact.
The world was spinning...
I couldn't figure out what was up from down...
All I could understand was that I just got hit hard...
I couldn't see...
Everything looked like a washed out painting...
I heard footsteps coming closer...
A garbled voice...Ran's I think...
Then I felt a sharp pain on my stomach before I had a sense of weightlessness, which was abruptly replaced with more pain on my body...
Then...darkness...
...
I opened my eyes and was greeted with pain wracking by whole body. Good, that means I was still alive. I tried to get up but found that I couldn't even move anymore. I did notice a few things though:
My transformation was gone.
I was in a room and not dying in the middle of the Hakurei Shrine.
I was lying on something that feels like a really old sofa instead of the ground, being buried in a pile of snow.
It was dark but there was some light flickering.
I could feel the heat from a fireplace nearby.
I noticed the scent of old books.
I can hear a girl humming a tune that was...somewhat familiar to me.
I know I've heard it from one of uncle's games a few years ago...a mix of haunting creepiness and solemn melancholy.
What did he call it again? Doll...something...
Doll Maker? Doll Maker of...Bucre-
"Ah...you're awake." A soft, feminine voice broke my train of thought. It was the same voice that was humming that tune a moment ago. I couldn't see her though, too weak to even turn my head huh?
The girl's face suddenly peered above my face. The lighting was dim but I could still make out her face and I noticed a small...fairy? It was too dark to make it out clearly but it was wearing a red dress, with a red ribbon in her hair and was floating near the girl's head. Said girl blinked a few times before touching my head with her hand, making face come closer to mine.
"Aaaahhh...!" I gasped...well, as much a gasp as I could in my current state. I recognized this girl. It took me a while to remember but she was in the closing stages of my dream. I only saw her for a few seconds but I was certain of it.
Upon closer inspection, she had dark blue eyes and blond hair that had a red ribbon. She pulled away so I could see that she was wearing a blue and white short sleeved dress with pink ribbons, she also held a black book that was wrapped in red leather straps with a brass lock in front.
"Well, your fever is gone at the very least. Shanghai, fetch the spellbook on my desk please." The girl said to the floating fairy who bowed and went off to wherever it needed to go.
"Can you speak?" The girl said to me while standing up. The fairy came back with a large hardbound book she held over her head with her tiny arms. It looked quite heavy so I wondered how it managed to stay airborne while carrying such a thing.
"Who...ah...wha...nghh..." I was trying to ask her who she was and what I was doing here but that was all that came out of my mouth. The girl nodded to me and took the book the fairy was carrying, replacing it with the locked book she was holding.
"Considerable frame damage and shock along with prolonged exposure to extreme cold rendered most functions -aside from basic life support and comprehension- completely impaired. Even speech is...challenging for the subject." The girl muttered to herself while she flipped through the pages of the large book in her hands, occasionally stopping to read a full page while humming.
"Ah...this will do nicely." The girl said with a faint smile before back at me with a serious expression.
"Now, I'm about to do some fairly complex recovery magic. Try not to move...not that you could anyway." The girl said as she held out a hand at me and a small magic circle appeared. My body was suddenly wrapped in a warm green glow. For a few moments nothing happened and I thought that I was being given some sort of healing magic...then I was assaulted with so much pain that I almost passed out. My back arched as every inch of my body suddenly started hurting more than I though was ever possible. I opened my mouth wide as I tried to scream but no sound came out. The girl noticed this and blinked a few times in wonder.
"Oh right, forcing nerves to re-fuse together would be quite the painful experience wouldn't it?" She said nonchalantly before I finally blacked out from the amount of pain I was subjected to.
...
I awoke to a sense of deja vu when I opened my eyes, the same scene but much brighter. The glow and warmth from the fireplace was gone, replaced by gentle rays of sunlight coming from a window. I slowly sat up to see if that girl from before was still he-wait.
"I can...move?" I said as I adjusted my sitting position and looked at my hands, making sure that my fingers still work. I looked down and noticed that I'm...
"Completely naked..." I muttered to myself as I looked at my exposed form.
"Very astute observational skills you have there." The same girl from last night said as she came into the room with a tray of food in her hands. I immediately covered up my chest with my arms as she walked towards me.
"Please...you don't have anything to hide from me anymore. Why do you think you're in that state in the first place?" The girl said as she walked towards me. I finally realized who she was after getting a better look at her.
"Alice Margatroid..." I said, Alice suddenly stopped as soon as I spoke her name.
"Curiouser and curiouser..." She said as she put the tray down in the nearby table. The little fairy who was with her last night flew next to her and gave the strapped book back. The 'fairy' was actually a small doll that only looked like a fairy, I guess it fits with the whole puppet master deal.
"I trust that you have recovered enough, yes?" Alice asked me as she handed me a plate that had a loaf of buttered bread.
"Yes, thank you very much for helping me." I said as I took the plate and started eating, not really minding my lack of clothing anymore. The room was completely silent as I consumed the bread. Alice was just watching me while the doll, Shanghai, carried a cup of warm tea to me.
It just had to be tea again huh? I thought, as this was becoming quite the standard drink for me throughout my journey. I finished eating and Alice had her other dolls fly in and help Shanghai with the cleanup. The other dolls were wearing a blue version of what Shanghai was wearing but seemed less detailed and a bit smaller too.
"So I'm guessing that you want some answers huh?" I initiated the conversation to get the explanations over with but Alice suddenly stood up and started walking away.
"The bath should be ready now. I'd rather have a detailed discussion with you after you have cleaned up and are...clothed." Alice said before walking out of the room, my face flushed because of her words.
...
After I had my bath and got my clothes back on, I walked into a room where Alice was busy reading from a large book. I noticed that there were parchments on the walls with detailed designs for several kinds of dolls and accessories for them. There were also several unfinished dolls scattered around the room atop tables and shelves, making this place her workshop I guess.
"Please, be seated. I will be with you shortly." Alice said as she continued reading from a really big book. I grabbed a nearby stool and sat down next to her. I took a glance on what she was reading but it was written in some form of gibberish that I couldn't hope to understand. The only think I could recognize was that there was a detailed diagram of the human body on the page she was reading.
"What is..." I started when Alice suddenly closed the book and set it aside. She seemed to be the type who would always want to do things at her own pace.
"A living doll. My ultimate goal..." She said as she fixed up her ribbon and dress before facing me again.
"Now then, as you seem to already know, my name is Alice Margatroid." Alice formally introduced herself while holding out her hand to me.
"Umm...yes. My name is Aozaki Tama. It's nice to meet you." I returned the introduction and took her hand.
"With formalities over with, I would like a detailed explanation of what you were doing at the abandoned shrine, that seemed to have been the site of a recent battle, and the reasons why you seem to know my identity." Said my interrogator for the day.
"Right. Well, it's kind of a long story..." I started to say but I stopped as I saw Alice glaring at me.
"...but it should answer all of your questions about me so..." I said as I started my explanation of who I was, what I was doing here, and what was happening to the different worlds.
...
"Quite the interesting hypothesis on why winter has yet to give way to spring. And the concept of parallel worlds, different versions of Gensokyo...most intriguing." Alice muttered as she mulled over my story up to this point.
"And the reason why you were so severely injured when I found you was because you interfered with a battle between a guardian of the netherworld and the shikigami of the border youkai at the abandoned shrine." She said to confirm her comprehension of what I had said.
"Yeah...about that. Why were you in the vicinity of the Hakurei Shrine at that time anyway?" I asked as The Forest of Magic where she lives in is a bit far from the shrine. It couldn't have been just a coincidence.
"The shrine's guardians were called the Hakurei huh...and yes, there was a reason why I was there at the time." Alice said as she stood up and walked over to a nearby desk. She took out a sheet of paper that was hidden under another book and showed it to me. There was something written on it but, as usual, it looked like gibberish to me.
"Sorry, but I can't understand the language on this paper." I admitted while handing back the sheet of paper to Alice. She took it back and read the message written on it.
Go to the abandoned shrine on the hill to the west.
There, you will find a clue to the truth about the winter...and about this world.
And hurry! Your clue might end up dead if you take too long.
-An Ordinary Magician
"Ordinary...Magician..." I repeated in growing irritation. Even I knew who that was. 'An Ordinary Magician' is what uncle used to call Marisa Kirisame. Just what is that girl planning?
"Tama? Are you alright? So you still feel ill?" Alice asked me in slight concern when I froze after she told me the contents of the letter.
"Wha-no...it's nothing. What's with that letter anyway?" I moved the subject back to the letter.
"Yes. I just came back from trying to find what food there was left in the forest and I saw that letter nailed to my front door." Alice said while shaking her head.
"Must have been a pretty weird occurrence..." I said and she nodded in agreement.
"I honestly thought that someone was just so bored in this winter that they would resort to something so...juvenile." Alice said, her voice growing sharper as she went on.
"That was what I thought at first. But the contents of the letter was to specific to be a silly prank. Something at the back of my mind kept telling me that I should at least see what for myself whether this was a prank or not." She said before putting the letter back on the table.
"And that's where you found me and here we are..." I wrapped up the summary of events.
"Yes. From what you explained, the battle between the half-ghost and the kitsune resulted in the loss of the half-ghost. However, the original point of this world was that spring could not happen because the essence needed for it was being absorbed into the netherworld. If we follow that logic..." Alice said as she stood up and walked out of the room.
Going to the netherworld would be out best bet to figure things out since the essence of spring wouldn't have anywhere else to go. I thought as I stood up and followed Alice to the main living room.
"Shanghai, fetch my cloak and gather the other dolls. We're going out on a little excursion." The puppet master said to her doll who gave a small bow before moving on to a different part of the house. Their interactions make me wonder if the dolls can actually communicate with Alice or if it was just an act and she was just essentially talking to herself. I decided to leave that alone since it might make her mad if I try to point it out.
...
We stepped outside after having lunch and saw that it was around midday. We started walking towards the direction where the gate to the netherworld was supposed to be. Hopefully, we'd make it before dark or at least find some shelter on the way there. We came out of the forest of magic which was at the top of a slope that overlooked a good portion of Gensokyo.
"Wow..." I exclaimed. Dead frozen or not, seeing the scenery covered in a blanket of white was something to behold.
"Come. We must not waste any time." Alice beckoned me from my admiration while walking away, seven dolls floating around her like bodyguards.
We managed to get to a clearing when I saw a lone figure standing in the distance. My eyes grew wide when I saw what that person was wearing. It was a red hooded windbreaker and blue winter pants. It looked like that person was also wearing gloves and boots too. I couldn't make out the face since he or she was wearing a baseball cap that was tilted down to cover the eyes.
Even Alice knew that this person wasn't any ordinary resident of Gensokyo. The odd clothes and the fact that he or she was now standing in our way. Her dolls moved into defensive positions to cover their master and myself. I made sure that I was ready to put on my buckle in a heartbeat in case that this was another of Sanae's attacks.
"Well, it's good to see you didn't freeze to death...ze..." A somewhat rough female voice came from the person in front of us.
That voice...
That verbal tic...
It can't be...
"Marisa...?" I hesitantly asked the figure before us. The girl in front of us took off her cap and broke into a wide grin.
"Yes...and no. Don't you remember me~?" The girl playfully asked. She looked like she was around my age. She had short messy black hair, black eyes and a stupid grin that made her look like she was out to cause some trouble.
"Nope. Sorry. Never seen you before in my life." I said while shrugging.
"What? You're kidding me right? That can't be true!" The girl said in shock. Not that it bothered me or Alice a lot though.
"Don't you remember! Gamers! I asked you for a copy of Phantasmagoria or Flower View before this whole freaking mess started!" She exclaimed while waving her arms around.
"Ah..." I suddenly remembered who she was. Yeah, we did meet the day when my whole life suddenly spiraled out of control.
"So you remember now right? Right?" The girl asked expectantly. I nodded in response and she broke into a big smile.
"Yeah. Sorry I didn't recognize you. I was thinking about something when we first met and well...things happened." I explained why I forgot her halfheartedly.
"Hey! Don't worry about it~! By the way, we never got each others' names right? I'm Kawazoe Aoko~" She said while pointing to herself.
"Aozaki Tama." I replied. I then noticed that Alice was with me so I decided to introduce her too.
"Oh...and this is-"
"Alice Margatroid, I know." Aoko cut me off as she slowly started walking towards us.
"Does everyone know who I am?" Alice said in mild annoyance while her dolls maneuvered to a more open formation.
"Probably just the two of us. I was the one who gave you that letter...and the fact that I'm a really big Touhou fan." Aoko said proudly.
"Right...but why such the roundabout method. You could have just told her where I was...or you could have even helped me!" I said as I remembered the state I was when I blacked out before.
"Sorry..." Aoko said while putting her right hand behind her. I suddenly had a very bad feeling about this.
"...it was the only way to get Alice out in the open like this." Aoko confirmed my fear as she revealed that gun in her hand. I suddenly remembered that this was the same girl that ambushed me and stole Kaguya's Dragon Jewel. Aoko flicked her left hand and produced a card similar to the ones I have but that one had the five-point star symbol.
"Looks like your friend isn't here to help us on our quest." Alice said as she placed he dolls back into defensive formation. Their small swords, lances and shields at the ready.
"She's not my friend..." I clarified as I summoned my buckle and put it on, taking out Reimu's card as well.
"You know...I would have liked it better if I was the one chosen to be Reimu but..." Aoko placed the card she was holding into a slot at the side of her gun and pulled at the handle on the underside.
TOUHOU RIDE!
"...I don't mind being the one with the best offensive shot type in most of the games." Aoko said as she pointed her gun skyward. I clicked my tongue before opening up the handles and placing Reimu's card in.
TOUHOU RIDE!
"This should be fun." Aoko said smiling before squeezing the trigger and me closing the handles at the same time.
KIRISAME MARISA!
HAKUREI REIMU!
It was kind of weird hearing the same voice saying two different things at the same time. Aoko's transformation was different from mine. Instead of ten monochrome version of herself, there were three silhouettes of her that were colored red, blue and green respectively. The silhouettes darted around her before converging all at once at her and she was bathed in light. Our transformations took around the same time to finish.
"I nearly forgot. You're a thief. Give back Kaguya's Dragon Jewel!" I said as I pointed my gohei at her.
"How rude! I'm not a thief! I'm an avid collector! ~ze." Aoko said while pouting...her 'ze' felt a bit forced though.
"Whatever the case, you are outnumbered. You should realize where you stand, Kawazoe Aoko!" Alice said as she was at her limit as well.
"Outnumbered? I don't know about that. ~ze" Aoko said nonchalantly as she lowered her gun, the black cape she was wearing slightly covered her hands. She then put her hands together and I heard a very familiar clicking sound.
Crap! What's she going to do? I thought as I prepared for a transformation, an Attach Ride or even a Final Attack Ride. Aoko finally pulled at the handle so I can at least find out what she's up to.
TOUHOU RIDE!
"A transformation!" I yelled before Marisa looked up to me before blinking a few times.
"Transformation? Silly Reimu~! Marisa can't transform! ~ze." She said cheerfully, much to my confusion. If it wasn't a transformation then...
PATCHOULI KNOWLEDGE!
Patchouli? I wondered. Then came yet another surprise from this world.
KAMISHIRASAWA KEINE!
"What?" I yellled out as Aoko pointed her gun at us.
"Get 'em! ~ze." Aoko yelled before pulling the trigger. The same three-colored silhouettes came out of the gun but this time, there were two of them. They finally converged together to form none other than the people the gun declared beforehand. Standing between us and Aoko were Patchouli and Keine. They opened their eyes but it didn't seem like they were conscious. It was like their eyes were empty...soulless. Just like...
"Meiling..." I said out loud.
"Ding dong~! I was wondering when you would notice who bailed you out at the end of Phantasmagoria of Flower View. ~ze." Aoko said smugly.
"Why are you doing all of this?" I asked. If she had that kind of power. If she was watching me all along. Why the hell didn't she ever show herself? Why didn't she help me?
"Why? Simple! I'm in Gensokyo...Gen! So! Kyo! As Kirisame f-ing Marisa! I can use all of her trademark moves AND I can summon copies of characters too...~ze!" Aoko yelled out. Her fangasm nearly making her forget that annoying verbal tic.
"And what does Marisa do? She creatively 'borrows'! And why not do the original proud and start snagging stuff too? ~ze." She said proudly. That's some really freaky logic. Then again, I'm not a fan girl.
"Enough talk! Let's dance! ~ze!" Aoko said as she pointed her gun at...Alice?
"Look ou-" I was cut off by a sudden white laser that nearly grazed me. I looked back to the source and saw that it was the Keine copy's. The Patchouli copy suddenly started to levitate while five large stones orbited around her. Looks like I'll have to deal with these two before I can get to Aoko.
I dashed towards the copies. I had to end this fast and help Alice. I decided to go after Keine first since she seemed to be the biggest threat. I struck her with my gohei, which she blocked with her arm. I was expecting that as I dematerialized the gohei and grabbed onto the arm that blocked it. I adjusted myself and gave the copy Keine a good old shoulder throw. She landed on her back with a dull thud before I followed up with a swift kick to her head, sending her flying a short distance.
"They're not so tough afterall." I said in a mix of disappointment and relief.
ATTACK RIDE!
The sudden declaration made me look back to where Alice and Marisa were fighting...big mistake.
NON-DIRECTIONAL LASER!
I was suddenly struck in the back with a sweeping laser. I was hit a few more times, knocking me to the ground. Looks like it wasn't a single beam that hit me too. I looked up and saw the copy Patchouli hovering above me, the stones that were orbiting her gave off faint glows from the attack she did.
I knew I forgot something.
...
Alice sent out three of her dolls, the ones with lances, to intercept the charging Aoko who suddenly stopped in her tracks and fired at the oncoming dolls. The three small dolls scattered to avoid the attack and resumed their charge at Aoko but from different directions this time. The black-clad magician didn't miss a beat as she centered herself and started barely dodging the dolls that kept darting at her like angry hornets. Aoko was expertly dancing around to avoid any real contact but the dolls were getting closer and closer to hitting the mark. It would only be a matter of time before Alice could find just the right timing to be able to hit her.
"Can't have that! ~ze!" Aoko said, flicking her left wrist to produce another card. She literally had to hold on to her hat to prevent it from being skewered by a doll that zipped above her head. She spun around another attack and put the card she had in the slot on the side of her gun.
ATTACK RIDE!
"Think fast! ~ze!" Aoko said as she pointed her gun straight at Alice and pulled the trigger.
ORRERY'S SUN!
Four small orbs suddenly appeared around the barrel of the gun. The orbs, along with both barrels of the gun, started glowing before six laser beams screamed towards the puppeteer. Alice remained calm and called out her four remaining dolls to block the beams. Shanghai was in the middle with a shield in its left hand and a sword on its right. The other three dolls had larger shields that were held with both hands. The dolls formed a phalanx in front of their master and blocked the beams, giving Alice enough time to move out of the way.
"Such a naive attack won't be able to harm m-Ahhh!" Alice's rebuttal was cut short as she was hit on her left arm with one of the beams from Aoko's attack which came from an odd angle. The orbs that the attack ride summoned were freely floating around the battlefield. Confuse and attack at full power, standard Kirisame Marisa tactics...if this was a regular danmaku battle of course.
The real aim of Aoko was not to beat Alice in a duel. It was to steal her grimoire, the book said to have Alice's true power sealed within. It is doubtful that Aoko was after it to wreak havoc though, much like her motivation to steal an impossible request. The grimoire came loose from Alice's grasp during the last attack and Aoko made sure that she was at the right place at the right time to snatch it away.
"Too easy! ~ze!" Aoko yelled as she dove towards the book on the snow.
"SHANGHAI!" Alice yelled out as she kept dodging the beams that came from Marisa's attack ride. The red doll immediately came between Aoko and the grimoire and brandished its sword and shield.
"Out of the way! ~ze!" Aoko said as she tried to smack away the small doll with her gun. Much to her surprise, Shanghai managed to not only block the haphazard attack, it also stopped Aoko's forward momentum entirely. The red doll was protecting itself with its sword and shield as it struggled to keep The Ordinary Magician at bay.
"You shall not have that grimoire...not while I still breathe." Alice's voice could be heard coming from Shanghai, which creeped out Aoko a bit. She then felt a chill coming from Alice's direction and noticed that she couldn't hear the beams coming from her orbs anymore. The attack ride had already ended and Aoko was starting to have a bad feeling about her opponent.
War Command ~Doll's War~
Alice's voice echoed in the field. Aoko looked back to where the puppeteer was but her vision was blocked by dolls a lot of dolls...no less than fifty of the blue dolls. Each of them carried either a sword, a shield, or a lance.
"Aww nuts...~ze..." Aoko said as she looked at the massive wall of dolls. She then saw Shanghai fly into the mass, the grimoire in its hands. It then came out soon afterwards and floated at the very front and center of the little legion.
Fool me once...shame on me...
Fool me twice...
Alice's voice was coming from each and every one of the dolls, making the whole thing even more intimidating. Aoko jumped back to gain some distance and pulled out another card before...
...Never again...
...The dolls attack.
...
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
My buckle declared as I dodged another combination of lasers by copy Keine and fire, earth, water, wind and lighting from copy Patchouli. It was pretty obvious that the sleepy looking magician was the bigger threat as I leaped over gouts of flame. I saw copy Keine trying to flank me so I fired needles at her to keep the copy in check. She dodged the attack but was slow to recover like the first time I attacked her with my gohei. I took the chance and closed the handles while still running towards the copy Patchouli.
RE-RE-REIMU!
I immediately left the ground as the multi-colored orbs appeared around me. I aimed a kick right at the copy Patchouli and dived in, the orbs fusing to my right foot for the attack. I was about four meters away from the copy Patchouli when copy Keine suddenly appeared in front of me and fired lasers from her hands right at me.
"That won't stop me!" I yelled out as my kick broke through the beams and hit copy Keine, the final attack causing an explosion. I covered my eyes as I broke out of the subsequent cloud of smoke and fire?right into a jet of water by the copy Patchouli.
"Ghaaaah!" I screamed as I was thrown back by the pressure of the water. I hit the ground hard and rolled a few feet but I managed to recover fast enough and got back on my feet...just in time to see copy Patchouli flying towards me at an incredible speed.
Must be a wind spell! I thought as I opened the handles and put in the card I just pulled out. I had to dance my way around a crisscrossing stream of fire and water from my flanks before a bolt of lightning grazed my right ear.
"Stop that!" I yelled out at the copy Patchouli who just kept up its attack without a care in the world and was still closing in on me. I dashed to the side to get some distance between us before putting the card in.
ATTACK RIDE!
I had to stop the onslaught brought on by copy Patchouli's elemental attacks and I knew that Duplex Barrier wouldn't be enough to stop everything so with that in mind, I kept baiting the copy to come closer as I close the handles.
PERMANENT BORDER!
The copy Patchouli showed an expression that could barely be considered as surprise as she fell into the same trap as the speedy Aya did. The bounded field froze all movement of the one trapped inside, leaving the occupant completely helpless. I took out a card and looked at the copy. It showed a calm and uncaring expression, like it wasn't even feeling anything from being bounded like that.
"An emotionless copy huh?" I said in while giving the copy Patchouli a bitter smile.
ATTACK RIDE!
"I'm getting my answers after this." I steeled myself before closing the handles.
YOUKAI BUSTER!
I lifted my hands up and aimed my palms right at the copy. I grit my teeth before letting the attack run its course. Talismans fired from both my hands like machine guns and peppered the defenseless copy who didn't even flinch or cry out as the attack ride destroyed her.
I breathed a sigh of relief as the bounded field disappeared without a trace now that its occupant was no more.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
"What? No!" I immediately looked towards the source of the declaration. There was only one other person who can do that and it was Aoko?who was currently Marisa. I saw an unbelievable number of dolls moments away from swallowing the black magician in a wave of swords, shields and lances. Alice was behind the mass with her left hand extended towards the dolls while her right was holding onto her grimoire which was glowing ice blue. I also noticed that Alice's eyes were glowing blue and her face was contorted in anger. Whatever Aoko did, it was enough to really piss Alice off.
Said perpetrator was bending backwards while aiming her gun right in the middle of the wave of death a few centimeters in front of her. What's more?she was smiling.
MA-MA-MARISA!
"Nooooo! Aliiiice!" I screamed but it was too late. Even someone like me, who was rather unfamiliar with Touhou, has heard what Kirisame Marisa's strongest attack was. I started running towards the two of them as Aoko was finally engulfed by the wave.
One second, a bright light came from gaps within the mass of dolls.
Two seconds, the light became exponentially brighter.
Three seconds, the dolls were gone.
Four seconds, Alice was swallowed in a gigantic beam of light with an expression of shock despite her ice blue glowing eyes.
Five seconds, the beam was still there.
Six?
Seven?
Eight?
Nine?
Ten seconds, the beam finally dissipates. Alice was lying unconscious in the snow, her dolls either vaporized or torn to shreds from the force of the blast. Shanghai was the only doll intact but was missing both her arms and one of her legs.
"Master?Spark?~ze..." I barely heard Aoko say as she lowered her gun and straightened out herself. I noticed that she was heaving after that attack. It must have taken a lot out of her or she was just freaked out because of the close call she just had.
Wait! This isn't the time to worry about that! I thought before running straight to where Alice was.
"Alice! Alice! Wake up!" I yelled at her while wiping the soot from her face. She looked like she was sleeping but her battered clothes and a graveyard of dolls surrounding her say otherwise.
"Don't worry~! Alice won't die from just that, she's a youkai after all. Though she probably won't wake up for a while?~ze." Aoko said while calmly walking towards us.
"Don't?don't come?any?closer." I barely managed to say without looking while I pointed my gohei at her. I was still looking at Alice's face but I was about to burst into tears. I didn't make it. I couldn't even protect the person that nursed me back to health.
"Heey~! Take it easy! ~ze!" Aoko casually said as she kept walking towards us. I finally turned to her, making her stop in her tracks. Her smile was gone, probably because of what my own expression looked like.
"You?I won't let you get away with this." I said as I look straight at Aoko's eyes while standing back up.
"Oh? And do you think that you can even stop me? ~ze." Aoko said in the most serious tone I have heard her use. The two of us just stood there, unmoving as a light snowfall started. The gloomy sky, the dead trees and cold of the snow surrounding us was a stark contrast to what I was feeling in me. I was on fire. I was mad. I wasn't about to take any more either. We both took out cards at the same time and put them in place.
ATTACK RIDE!
ATTACK RIDE!
I dashed straight at Aoko before closing the handles. She tried to raise her gun towards me for her attack but she walked too close before this exchange started so I was able to get my attack off first.
THOUSANDFOLD FIST!
The Torii Gate Knuckle Dusters materialized on my hands immediately after the attack ride was declared, just in time to smack Aoko's gun to the side as she pulled the trigger.
STARDUST FALL!
An incredible number of rainbow-colored star bullets suddenly started firing from Aoko's gun. It was lucky that I managed to deflect the attack before it started or I would be having a hard time now. The attack looked like my Youkai Buster but was more spread out instead of a concentrated stream. Aoko's attack was just a passing thought as I focused back on her.
"Why you..! ZE-aagh!" Aoko's yell was cut short when I grabbed her should to pull her closer and gave her a head butt right in the face. Looks like the simple attack I saw Ran do to Youmu was pretty effective. I kept my rhythm by pulling my right fist back as Aoko was still reeling from the head butt.
"This?is for Alice!" I said before putting all my weight into a right straight, a small magic circle appearing on the knuckle. I was sure that I had her right in her chest when she suddenly blocked the knuckle out of nowhere with a broom. The impromptu shield managed to take the brunt of the attack but the force was still enough to make Aoko fly across the clearing and crash into the trees in the distance.
"Haaa..haa..haa..haa.." I was getting tired from all the sudden fighting and the calm after sending Aoko flying made my fatigue catch up to me. I was about to go back to check on Alice when bursts of star bullets suddenly shot out from the direction where Aoko crashed to.
"I knew it wasn't going to be that easy!" I said in frustration as I narrowly dodged the accurate projectiles, some I even had to block using the Torii Knuckles. I suddenly heard a noise comparable to a zooming rocket in the distance and there I saw Aoko riding on the broom she whipped out of nowhere.
"We're not done yet! ~ze!" Aoko said as she rode the flying broom like some sort of hover board. She was crouched down, her left hand holding onto the tip of the broom's handle while aiming her gun at me with her right hand and taking burst shots.
She was coming at me fast and gun blazing. I tightened my grip on the Torii Knuckles as I charged at her. I can finish this in one shot if I can get a clean punch in. I shrugged off the star bullets with the knuckles as the two of us came closer and closer.
"There!" I yelled as I hopped a short distance to get both my feet together on the ground. I crouched with my right fist wound back, and then I leaped forward like a spring. I closed the gap between us in an instant and pushed my fist forward for a clean hit at?nothing.
"Wha??" I said in surprise as Aoko managed to perform a barrel roll at the last moment to avoid my attack. I looked up to see her directly above me, upside down but still crouched on her broom?and her gun aimed right at me.
"Check. ~ze." Aoko quietly said as she pulls the trigger, then?
"Aaahh!"
"Augh!"
A green explosion suddenly interrupted our duel, hitting us from up in the air while we were too busy fighting. I went sprawling on the snowy ground. That explosion hurt a lot more than the star bullets would have. I looked around and say Aoko some distance away, trying to get her bearings.
"I've had enough of this?" I heard a familiar voice coming from the sky. I looked up and saw none other than Kotiya Sanae.
"You?why do you keep attacking me?" I asked her while standing back up. I summoned my gohei since the attack ride already ended after I got hit with Sanae's attack.
"Why? You have the gall to ask me why?" Sanae screamed at me, her face showing immense anger, before holding out her hand towards me. A green magic circle appeared and something like a cannon shot came from it. A frog-shaped projectile came out of it, something the size of a soccer ball, careened towards me. I instinctively smacked it with my gohei, which was a bad move.
"Gaaaaaaah!" I screamed as the frog detonated like a bomb right in front of me. I got blasted backwards and landed close to where Aoko was. She was on one knee and was having a hard time trying to stand up. I was kind of amazed that her hat was still in place. I looked back at Sanae, who was glaring at Aoko.
"To think that I would get a chance to kill the demon and the thieving black witch. The gods certainly smile on me this day." Sanae said with a sickening smile. I was still on my back and couldn't even sit up while Aoko was trying to get a card in her gun but kept missing the slot because she was shaking so much.
"At last?the end." Sanae declared proudly as she spread her arms to the side and a large five-pointed star magic circle appeared behind her. Small ripples appeared from the circle as a very large number of frog projectiles surfaced from it. If all of those things hit as hard as the one before then?we're done for.
"Die!" Sanae declared as the frogs were launched at us. We had no escape.
...
One tiny tid-bit. The origins of Tama's and Aoko's names should be pretty obvious now. If you don't get it, try to mix up their names and see what comes up.
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I am absolutly LOVING this story! I don't get some of the things in here, like the themes, or the girls names, but then again, I have no idea what this is all based off of to begin with :V
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I am absolutly LOVING this story! I don't get some of the things in here, like the themes, or the girls names, but then again, I have no idea what this is all based off of to begin with :V
You can just Wikipedia Kamen Rider Decade or watch some YouTube vids of it. That should give you the jist of the whole thing.
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Ooh, finally, an update~
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After so f-ing long! It is DONE! The second part of the PCB arc is here and is the BIGGEST chapter ever!!! Seriously...I have to make 3 parts for this one...
Anyway! Part 1!!!
...
?Die!? Sanae declared with a proud sense of certainty as she launched the barrage of frog bombs at us. I was still on my back, unable to move because of the fight with Aoko and her summons so soon after recovering from my injuries. Aoko herself was pretty beaten up from our fight moments ago, before it was interrupted by Sanae, so she couldn?t even get an attack card in her gun anymore. Alice was still unconscious in the distance after taking a Master Spark head on. I didn?t want to admit it but?Sanae had us right where she wanted us.
Several explosions echoed through the quiet winter afternoon as Sanae?s frog bombs detonated. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the excruciating pain that came with getting blasted to pieces but?
?What??? I said as I opened my eyes to see the frog bombs detonate a few feet away from where we were. A thick wall of ice prevented the projectiles from coming any closer. I looked at Aoko who was staring at the wall of ice with her mouth agape. She looked at me and quickly shook her head, probably saying that it wasn?t her.
?Well it?s not me so--? My words were interrupted by the loud collapse of the ice wall. The lack of oncoming projectiles indicated that it only crumbled after Sanae?s attack ended.
?Ice? ICE?! What gives you the right to interrupt the will of the gods?! You! Stupid! Ice Fairy!? Sanae screamed at someone behind her.
?Eye ?em not STUPID!!!? The scream of a little girl matched Sanae?s. I saw the green-haired shrine maiden create a magic circle on her right side a moment before a giant block of ice slammed into it, absorbing most of the impact. The impact was strong enough to fling Sanae a good distance to the left, away from us, revealing our unlikely savior.
A short girl, who looked like she was around nine years old and had aqua-colored eyes, hair and icicle-shaped wings. She was wearing a blue ribbon, light pink blouse and blue jumper dress.
?Cirno?? I muttered in amazement as the ice fairy was floating in the air with her left hand on her hip while her right hand was raised up, her index finger pointing to the heavens.
?EYE! 'EM! THE! STRONGEST!!!? Cirno declared proudly as she posed. The afternoon sun was behind her, making her ice wings glitter like beautiful sapphires. This was the very first time I had a good look at her and it was quite the sight.
?You certainly are dear.? A familiar voice came from behind me. I turned and saw a face I?ll never forget?
She had lavender eyes and curly pink hair. She was wearing a blue and white dress, with a golden lapel resembling the alchemical symbol for silver. She also had a white cap and a nearly transparent cape.
?Letty?Whiterock?? I said the name in both surprise and fear. This was the winter youkai, the very one that very nearly took down all of Gensokyo by herself using the power of the Yama in Eiki?s world.
?That?s me~!? Letty cheerfully declared as she helped me up. It was rather surreal that she was so kind after having to fight her in a previous world. Then again, this was a different world from Eiki?s.
ATTACK RIDE!
?Aoko?!? I suddenly turned to where Aoko was. She was barely standing and it seemed that her gun was getting too heavy for her to carry since it she needed both her hands to keep a grip on it. Basically, she looked really tired.
?This isn?t over?ze~? Aoko said with a tired smile before pulling the trigger.
OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE!
Aoko suddenly split into her three-colored silhouettes before vanishing without a trace.
?She?s gone?? I muttered in surprise as that attack ride seemed more like a teleport than an invisibility.
?Hey! Your friend?s gone!? Cirno pointed out the obvious as she landed near us.
?She?s not my friend?? I dryly replied to the small girl before turning back to Letty.
?Thank?Thank you.? I said, a bit hesitant.
?No need to thank us dear. Seeing someone outright attacking injured individuals was too much for Cirno and I to stand, so we did what we thought was right.? The Letty Whiterock of this world said in a gentle voice. It was more reminiscent of Bellpeorth, Eiki?s predecessor in Phantasmagoria of Flower View, rather than the overpoweringly ambitious ?Advent Letty? of the same world. I absentmindedly snickered at the stark differences between the two even though they were supposed to be the same person.
?Hey! Are you making fun of Letty?! If you are then eye?m gonna smash you too!? Cirno suddenly said, flying up a bit to get to my eye level. I have to say though?her saying ?Eye? instead of ?I? is pretty funny.
?Sorry. I wasn?t trying to--? My apology was cut short when I heard a whistling sound I had heard a few moments ago.
?Look out!? I yelled before jumping out of the way. Letty seemed to have noticed it as well and jumped away from where we were. Cirno wasn?t as fast on the uptake and was hit by a frog bomb.
?Cirno!? I called out to the ice fairy who was blown away from the force of the explosion.
?Onore?? I heard Sanae?s angry voice from where the frog bomb came from. I forgot about her?
?Why did you help her? Don?t you understand?! She?ll be the ruin of your world!!!? Sanae screamed out before firing more frog bombs at me and Letty. I managed to intercept the frog bombs with needles while Letty blocked the ones heading for her using a wall of ice.
?Not very convincing coming from a shrine maiden who?s trying to kill us.? Letty calmly retorted behind her barrier of frost. I danced around Sanae?s barrage, getting grazed all over because she was mostly aiming at me, and maneuvered to take cover behind Letty?s ice wall.
?That was some lovely dodging dear, quite the performance. Were you a dancer in your previous life?? Letty jokingly asked as loud explosions resounded in the other side of her wall, an ice wall a foot thick was separating us from getting blown to bits.
?Cirno! We have to help Cirno!? I frantically said while pointing at the smoldering ice fairy who was lying face down in the snow.
?Oh, she?ll be fine. She?s had far, far worse while she was being trained by Miss Kazami a while ago.? Letty explained as she touched the ice wall, making the blue crystal glow.
?Wait! What do you think you?re doing?!? I heard Sanae scream from the other side of the wall. I was wondering why she sounded?worried. I got my answer when the ice wall suddenly shattered and the ice reformed into icicles of varying sizes.
Icicle Fall ~Itano Carnival~
Letty?s echoing voice declared before the icicles spread out and closed in on Sanae. The icicles left a trail of steam behind them that made them look like a bunch of missiles fired from a giant robot.
?You dare?? Sanae muttered before putting her right hand forward, as if reaching for something. A flash of light came from her hand and there materialized a wand of some sort. It looked like my gohei but?different. Instead of several streamers of paper on the end, it has one large paper sticking out like an oar. Sanae wound her right arm back as a large, green five-point star magic circle appeared before her. She struck the magic circle with her wand and several serpent-like projectiles suddenly shot out of it, equaling the barrage that Letty made.
?No! Some will get through!? I yelled out as I saw Letty?s icicle missiles getting intercepted and slowly overwhelmed by Sanae?s serpent missiles. I pulled out a card in response, pulled at the handles and inserted the card.
ATTACK RIDE!
?Oh my! It talks~!? Letty said in childish surprise after my belt?s declaration. She was strangely calm about all of this despite that fact that Sanae was breaking through her attack. I had more immediate concerns though as I closed the handles.
DUPLEX BARRIER!
I extended both my hands forwards and the two overlapping barriers started slowly spinning in front me and Letty. The serpent missiles eventually got through Letty?s icicle missiles and started pounding the barrier I just made.
?Guh!? I grunted as the barrier kept getting assaulted. I was already pretty weak and I quickly forced to one knee because of the strain of Sanae?s attack. Thankfully, her attack ended moments before my barrier shattered from the stress. I ended up on my backside after having to endure all of that. I looked forward and saw Sanae put up a stance with her wand, ready for another round.
Isn?t all this fighting a bit too much lately?! I complained in my head before Letty stepped in between me and Sanae, her gentle smile still plastered on her face.
?Stand aside winter youkai, unless you too wish to feel the wrath of the gods.? Sanae threatened Letty, who didn?t even flinch one bit.
?I?m not sure about gods but?you?re right about one thing. I am the winter youkai?now?think about that for a moment, will you?? Letty calmly said.
?What in Gensokyo are you talking about?!? Sanae growled at Letty?s words. I was a bit confused about what she said as well.
?Look at it this way?? Letty said as she knelt down and made a snowball with her hands before standing back up with it.
?Gensokyo is currently in the middle of its longest winter ever. The entire realm is covered in snow and ice. Even Miss Kazami has opted to retreat in Mugenkan for some sleep until spring arrives, whenever that would be. Now?? Letty moved the snowball to her lips and kissed it. The snowball started glowing, as did the very snow we were on. Neither Sanae nor I could hide the surprise in our faces right now. The entire snow covered clearing was?glowing.
?You are facing the winter youkai?in the middle of the heaviest winter in the realm?s history. As of right now?fighting me would mean fighting against Gensokyo itself. Do you understand what would happen to you if I got serious?? Letty said with her kind smile as she let go of the snowball in the air and it started floating, orbiting around Letty.
?Onore?? Sanae growled again as she glared at me and Letty. A gray curtain suddenly materialized behind her. Looks like she?s backing off?
?I?ll remember this...winter youkai, you have just doomed your world.? Sanae said before backing away into the gray curtain and disappearing from this world.
?My?that girl has anger management issues.? Letty joked as she helped me up again.
?Thanks again. That was certainly?something.? I commented at Letty?s display.
?Oh! That was nothing! It was a nice change of pace from all the quiet we?ve been having here lately. You should have been here a few centuries ago, back when Miss Kazami and I were still enemies, all the havoc we wrought. Miss Yakumo had to intervene a few times since we were causing far too much damage to Gensokyo during our little skirmishes at the start and end of the winter season. Those were good times?? Letty reminisced about what I could interpret as a really violent period in Gensokyo?s history, as if she was talking about a picnic she had with an old childhood friend.
?Where is she?! Where is that sneaky green girl! Cirno smash puny green girl!!!? Cirno suddenly screamed out from behind us and started running around, looking for Sanae.
?I told you she was fine.? Letty said with a motherly smile.
?
?Alice?? I worriedly called out to the unconscious girl. She was still knocked out after taking a Master Spark in the face but at least she was alive.
?Hey! Lookie'! 'Eye found something!? Cirno excitedly said as she showed me a small pouch she found beside Alice. I opened it up and was surprised at the content.
?And what might those be?? Letty asked as she pointed at the two small beans that were in the pouch.
?Sanzu?beans?? I muttered as I recognized those beans from Eiki?s world. Komachi had me eat one to instantly recover from my fight against that world?s Sakuya.
But?what was this doing here? And why two? I thought before looking back at Alice.
?For me and?Alice?? I said at the realization since there was only one person who could have left this for us. I smiled bitterly at the thought that I actually owed that thieving witch one.
?Can ?eye eat one?? Cirno curiously asked as she eyed the beans in my hand.
?Sorry Cirno. But these are for the two of us.? I apologized to her before eating one of the beans. The effect was immediate as I felt my strength and stamina rapidly returning. I sighed slowly as the soothing effects of the bean coursed through my body. My transformation ended as well and I was back to wearing my coat.
?Wow! She trans--trans--trans--TRANSFIGUTORATED!!!? Cirno said out in surprise. Letty blinked a few times after my transformation but didn't really comment on it.
?It's 'transform' dear.? Letty corrected Cirno while patting her head.
?Right! That's what 'eye said!? The little ice fairy proudly responded. I looked back to Alice and lifted her head up.
?Now how should I get her to eat this?? I wondered. I would have been easy if it was liquid but the Sanzu Bean was like making an unconscious person swallow a pill.
?It should be easy enough. You can just give it to her mouth to mouth~? Letty happily said. I visibly blushed at her words and nearly panicked at the thought of having to kiss Alice to get her to ingest the bean.
?The-there has to be another way right? Right?? I bashfully asked as I looked at Letty, my face must have been on fire at that point.
?Of course there is dear. I was just teasing you...unless you re~ally wanted to do it.? Letty said before giggling again.
?That's not funny...Alice is really hurt and needs this you know.? I said while pouting at the winter youkai.
?I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself. Now, give the bean to me and I'll make that girl swallow it.? Letty said before kneeling down across me so she was on Alice's left side. I gave her the bean and she opened Alice's mouth and popped it in. She then held Alice's nostrils closed while tilting her head back. I could see Alice's neck moving, which probably indicated that she swallowed it successfully. I leaned in closer to check if she was breathing normally when she suddenly opened her eyes and breathed in sharply. Alice quickly sat up, but I was kind of in the way so...
Bam!
?Gah! My brain!? I yelled out before crumpling over to the side, clutching my head. I could hear Cirno laughing her head off nearby. I think it was Cirno...I couldn't be sure since my ears were kind of ringing.
?Ow! Ow! Ow! What was that attack?!? Alice yelled out in pain nearby. I turned to her to see the magician with a hand on her forehead. She had her eyes shut, probably because of the impact.
?That was me Alice. I was trying to check up on you when you kind of...woke up.? I replied while trying to stand back up. I was a lot less durable when I'm not transformed, so I was still a bit dizzy when I got back to my feet.
?Youkai have really tough skulls...? I offhandedly said.
?I resent that...? Alice shot back. She then noticed Letty and Cirno and frowned.
?What? Don't tell me that you two want to fight as well?? She dryly said. The Sanzu Bean should have completely healed her physically, but I guess she was still mentally exhausted from the fight.
?No, Letty and Cirno actually saved us. Aoko and I got ambushed after you got knocked out and they came in to our rescue.? I explained. I suddenly felt and intense killing intent oozing out of Alice after I mentioned Aoko.
?Aaaaah...yes...her.? Alice slowly says as she stood up and scanned her surroundings. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened when she saw the field of dolls that were obliterated by Marisa's Final Attack Ride. She started looking around frantically for something. I guess she found it when she knelt down and picked up something. It was a doll wearing a red dress.
?Ooh...Shanghai. My poor, poor Shanghai.? Alice muttered as she brushed the snow off the nearly-destroyed doll before embracing it.
?Alice...? I called out to her, in an attempt to console the poor girl. That was when I felt the same immense killing intent from a few moments ago.
?I'll kill her...I'll kill that thieving witch...? Alice muttered, unmoving.
?My, that girl has quite the killing aura.? Letty commented as she stood beside me. I saw Cirno peeking from behind her. I guess they could feel the intense pressure coming from Alice as well.
?She's scaring me Letty...? Cirno said from behind the winter youkai.
?Just stay behind me and you'll be fine dear.? Letty reassured her little friend.
?You think Alice will really snap at us?? I asked Letty. I didn't want to have to fight Alice of all people. But right now...she's really scaring me.
?I'm not sure dear. We'd best let her cool down for a bit. Just be ready for anything.? Letty said in a smooth, but cautious tone.
For the next few minutes, we all just stood there...frozen so to speak. Letty warned me against making any sudden movements, as that might be the fuse Alice was waiting for to explode. Alice herself was just standing there, stroking Shanghai's hair while repeating 'I'll kill that thieving witch' over and over again. It was very, very disturbing.
?A-Alice...?? I called out to her again after she finally stopped stroking Shanghai's hair and that creepy chant. Suddenly, the snow covered ground nearby was caught in an explosion.
?Another attack?!? I yelled out in surprise but it wasn't the case. The explosion was caused by something coming out from the ground. That 'something' was now floating in the air, surrounded by an eerie blue aura. It was Alice's Grimoire.
?It's a book! It's a book! It's a flying book!? Cirno happily said as she floated behind Letty while pointing at the grimoire. Letty remained silent but I can sense the tension coming from her. She knows that things could get very bad if Alice decides to turn on us.
The grimoire suddenly flew towards Alice like a bullet, she wasn't looking at it so I thought that it was going to blindside her. I was proven wrong when Alice suddenly held out her right hand towards her grimoire and cleanly caught it. She then turned to us and started walking. A very clear sense of purpose and anger were in her eyes as she approached us, the broken Shanghai doll still cradled in her chest by her left arm.
?Tama!? Alice suddenly yelled out before walking closer.
?Yes! What is it Alice?? I said in surprise, my buckle and booklet appeared in my hands out of reflex.
?A large number of my dolls are destroyed and Shanghai severely damaged. As it stands I will not be of much help to you the way I am.? Alice said clearly.
?Well...I wouldn't say that...? I tried to gloss over the statement. I knew she was right though. She was a puppet master, having dolls with her is the whole point of her style of magic. Without them, she can't fight effectively.
?No. I will just be a burden if I continue on with you like this. Especially, if we encounter more enemies that strong again.? Alice's expression became a bit darker when she said that, she must be talking about Aoko. Alice then turned to Letty and Cirno.
?I thank you for saving us and I ask you to help Tama to find the cause of this unending winter and finally stop it.? Alice said with a gracious bow to the winter youkai and ice fairy.
?What?! Stop winter?! If that happens, Letty will have to go to sleep until the next winter then!!! No way!? Cirno pointed out as she refused Alice's request.
?Now, now...be nice Cirno. The magician is correct. While this extended winter has been nice, it is very harmful to the balance of Gensokyo and will eventually kill everything if given the time. Besides...it's been a bit boring now that we're the only ones who are active all the time.? Letty remarked while rubbing Cirno's hair.
?Alright...if you say so Letty.? Cirno conceded.
?Thank you.? Alice bowed again before turning to me and holding her grimoire before me. A small piece of cardboard, a bookmark, popped up from within the many pages of the sealed book.
?Take it.? Alice said as she moved the grimoire closer to me.
?What? Why? What is that?? I asked. I didn't know what would happen if I took the bookmark so I was a bit apprehensive about it, especially after Alice's little episode earlier.
?Don't worry, it's nothing dangerous. It is a way for me to keep track of where you are. Take it.? Alice explained.
?Well...if it's nothing bad then...? I said before pulling out the bookmark. It glowed in a soft blue hue before settling down, you'd think it was a regular bookmark.
?Why would you need to keep track of me though?? I asked as I put the bookmark in my pocket.
?I may be unable to fight in my current state. But I refuse to end things like this. I will go back to my workshop and finish the new dolls I was working on and repair Shanghai. Once I am ready, I will come after you and help settle this once and for all. I'm sure that thieving witch will be there too, so I'll use that opportunity to settle the score with her.? Alice said with fierce determination.
?Wait, how are you sure that Aoko will show up again? We were both beaten up pretty badly a while ago.? I pointed out but Alice just shook her head.
?That witch. She wants my grimoire...? Alice said as she held up he book in her hand.
?She'll show up again, I'm sure of it.? Alice declared.
?Alright...don't take too long then.? I replied.
?Of course. Be well, all of you.? Alice said before walking back towards the magic forest.
?Bye~!? Cirno yelled after Alice while waving to her.
?So...where to then Tama-dear?? Letty asked after Alice was gone.
?You wouldn't happen to know where the gate to the netherworld is do you?? I asked back.
?Today is your lucky day, I know exactly where that is~!? Letty said with a smile.
?
?How did we find you?? Letty repeated my question. The three of us were currently walking to the gate of the netherworld, well two of us are walking...Cirno was happily floating after us without a care in the world.
?Yeah. Gensokyo was a pretty big place, so I was surprised that you came in to save us just in the nick of time.? I said.
?Indeed. It was quite the coincidence wasn't it? Cirno wanted to check up on the garden of the sun to see if Miss Kazami decided to come out and play. We were on our way there when we saw you getting your butts kicked badly~? Letty explained. Her cheery tone of voice when she mentioned how Sanae very nearly killed us was a bit disturbing. I guess she had a few things in common with her counterpart in Eiki's world afterall.
?Yeah! Letty and 'eye were just passing by when 'BOOM!' we heard a bunch of explosions! I thought it was Yuka so I headed there, but I saw you guys instead.? Cirno cut in and explained her side.
?Letty decided to help you guys out so she made that hu~ge wall of ice to block those boomies by the green girl!? Cirno explained while raising her hands up high to emphasize her point.
?Letty then told me to hit that green girl with something to get her away from you guys! So I hit her with a giant ice mallet!? Cirno declared proudly.
?An ice...mallet?? I repeated for clarification.
?Uh-huh! Yuka said that my bullets kind of...well...she said that they really, really suck so she told me 'when bullets fail, Cirno smash!'? Cirno said while pounding her right fist on her left palm.
?Miss Kazami was trying to teach Cirno to create better bullet patterns but after a while, she got tired of it and just told Cirno to smash everything that she couldn't defeat with projectiles.? Letty explained.
?Oh...that's...pretty straightforward.? I honestly said.
?Yep! It's perfect for me~!? Cirno declared proudly, both her hands on her hips.
?It certainly is dear~? Letty continued to encourage the 'Cirno Smash' style of fighting.
?That explains that I guess...? I said to conclude the conversation.
?Not quite...I explained why we were there but, why are you here?? Letty stopped walking as she said that. I turned back to where the two of them were and saw that Letty was wearing a very serious expression for once.
?You seem to know a lot about what is going on here. However, I have never heard of a human with your name. More so, anyone with your kind of power...very advanced transformation...human or youkai alike.? Letty said in an icy tone, fitting for the winter youkai.
?I...uhh...I'm just...a miko...a miko passing through...? I said haphazardly. A long moment of silence hung in the air. You could cut the tension with a knife.
?Oh~! Okay~!? Letty abruptly went back to her old bubbly self.
?O-okay?? I repeated, not really believing what I just heard.
?Yep~! Let's be on our way then, shall we~?? Letty said before continuing on the direction we were going.
?He~y! Hurry up!? Cirno yelled at me, snapping me from my thoughts.
?Hey wait!? I yelled back as I ran after the two.
?
??Are we there ye~t??? Cirno and I said at the same time. We have been walking for a good while now and we still haven't reached our destination. Well, Cirno was still just floating easy but still...
?Yes...actually, we are quite close.? Letty said as we walked over a frozen river.
?Finally...I thought that this trip was going to take forever. My legs are killing me.? I complained as sighed.
?Yeah...traveling this much is tiring...? Crino said in agreement.
?What? You've just been flying. You can't be tired.? I retorted.
?Not true! Staying up in the air this long takes effort you know! Eye'm just so good at it that eye can keep this up for a really long time.? Cirno shot back.
?Not as much effort as walking I'm sure.? I said, refusing to let her have the last word in this rather childish argument.
?That's not true either! Letty's been walking as much as you but she's just fine! You're just out of shape!? Cirno taunted.
?Out of?why you little! I'm not gonna back off now after that!? I yelled at the ice fairy.
?Oh yeah! 'Eye can beat you if eye wanted to you know! Right Letty? Letty?? Cirno's boasting was cut short when she saw Letty stopped walking.
?What's wrong?? I asked her after Cirno and I caught up.
?We are here.? Letty plainly said as she stood there looking up. Cirno and I followed her gaze and gasped.
?It's a door! A really big door! In the sk~y!? Cirno exclaimed while pointing at the giant gate that was...for the lack of a better description...floating in the sky. If she hadn't said all of that, I was pretty sure I would have.
?So that's the gate to the netherworld? Wow...? I said. Really, 'wow' was the only thing I could use to describe the sight before us.
?Be careful you two...? Letty suddenly said, interrupting our moment of awe.
?Huh? Why?? I asked.
?Because the gate is open. It's never open, the ghostly band makes sure of that.? Letty explained, a sense of uncertainty in her voice.
The ghostly band? The phantom ensemble! I thought. They were the ones that gave me a really hard time when I started out.
?Is it bad that the gate is open?? Cirno asked the obvious question.
?Yes. It means that the dead can simply walk out...and it also means that the living can wander in. It seems that your intuition was correct miko.? Letty said as she smiled at me.
Not really...I kind of already read the script. I thought while smiling back, if a bit stiffly.
?But I'm afraid that we have a different problem at the moment.? Letty continued, her expression was back to that serious one from before. It was then that I heard a faint whistling sound from the distance, I recognized that sound...
?Incoming!!!?I yelled before running to the right. Letty and Cirno took my cue and we all split up. Just in time since several red arrow-head bullets carpeted the ice we were walking on and exploded.
?Oh. Her.? Letty commented flatly as she seemed to know who the culprit was.
?Spring~is~he~re!? I heard the all-too-familiar voice of Lily Bla?what?!
?What's going on?!? I shouted in confusion. It was Lily alright. The way she shot her bullets, her clothes, that hat, the constant declaration of spring's arrival. It was her...but she wasn't black like in Eiki's world.
?Are you blind Lily White?! Spring isn't here you stupid fairy!? Cirno yelled out at the white-clad girl in the air, irony aside.
?Oh? I don't think so ice fairy...? Lily suddenly dropped down and floated a couple of feet off the ground. She looked at us and smiled like some crazy homeless person. She looked terrible. There were huge bags under her eyes, her cheeks have caved in, her face was starting to wrinkle in some places.
?Wow...what happened to you?? I commented at her appearance. She then glared at me before immediately smiling warmly then going back to that crazy wide-eyed, toothy smile.
?I was waiting...just like always. Just like always...waiting. I was waiting you see...just like always. You see? Just like always...waiting...? Lily repeated the same set of words but kept changing their order.
?Waiting? For what?? I said as I put my buckle on, taking out Reimu's card and pulling at the handles.
?Spring...? Letty grimly said. And just like a coiled spring...Lily sprung.
?SPRIIIIIIIING!!!!? Lily White roared as she pointed her sleeves at us and unleashed her barrage of arrow-head and round bullets.
?Aww nuts!? I gave my meager complaint before running clear of the barrage and putting Reimu's card in.
TOUHOU RIDE!
?QUIET!? Lily snapped at me and focused her barrage at me because of my belt's declaration.
?Hey! You're not supposed to attack while someone's transforming!!!? I yelled out as I closed the handles before the bullets hit me and exploded.
HAKUREI REIMU!
?Aaaaaggghh!? I got thrown back because of the explosion but I came out with minor scratches thanks to my transformation.
?Hey! You can't do that to Tama!? Cirno yelled out before firing icicles at Lily. They weren't nearly as numerous or as complicated at Lily's so the herald of spring simply danced around them and took to the sky.
?Spring! Spring! SPRIIIING!? Lily maniacally yelled as she fired her bullets at us in bunches. She wasn't even trying to make confusing patterns or overwhelm us with sheer volume like Lilly Black did. She was just throwing projectiles at us mindlessly like a lunatic. She was barely even aiming!
?What's going on?! It's like she's lost her mind!!!? I yelled out as explosions rang across the ice field we were on. Thankfully, the river was frozen solid so I didn't have to worry about falling into cold water.
?She has! The prolonged winter has destroyed the natural order of things! Lily white is the personification of this!? Letty answered through the mindless barrage. We barely even had to dodge now. Lily was so out of it that the worst we had to worry about were stray bullets.
?Both of you! Here! Now!? Letty yelled, using this chance to beckon me and Cirno to her. Cirno and I made our way to Letty, who made a makeshift roof of ice to protect us from Lily's attacks.
?What do we do~!? Cirno whined while covering her ears from the noise of the explosions.
?Cirno and I will stay here and face Lily White. Tama, go to the netherworld and see if you can do something to end this once and for all.? Letty said.
?What? I can't let you two fight while I run away!? I refused her proposed battle plan but Letty suddenly grabbed my shoulders and pulled me closer to her.
?Listen! You are not running away! We are giving you a chance to advance! That is all! If you are here for a purpose, then fulfill that purpose! Don't worry about us, Cirno and I were the ones that saved you remember!?? Letty explained through the noise before letting me go.
?Don't worry! I'll smash that stupid spring fairy and catch up to you in no time!? Cirno declared while seemingly flexing her biceps.
?Cirno...Letty...? I said while looking at both of them.
?Now go on dear...we'll catch up, I promise. And I'm sure Miss Margatroid will as well.? Letty said.
?Alright! Be careful you two.? I finally agreed before dashing away and headed towards the gates of the netherworld.
?Not~so~fa~st!? I could hear Lily White yelling from above.
She's gonna shoot me!
She's gonna shoot me!
She's gonna shoot me!
She's gonna shoot me!
She's gonna shoot me!
Slam!
?Gaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!? I heard Lily scream in pain as she seemingly hit something in the air.
?EYE! AM! THE! STRONGEST!?
Oh right...Cirno can fly... I thought as I ran faster.
?You! I'll kill you! You stupid ice?aaagghh!!!? Letty's anger was once again interrupted by something hitting her.
?Cirno smash puny fairy...? I muttered with a smile as I got out of the ice field and onto the edge of the forest, right below the gate. I looked up before taking out my booklet. I was about to take out Remilia's Touhou Ride card to get up there, when I noticed that there were still a few of Reimu's attack cards that I haven't looked over yet. I skimmed through what's left and found something that made me go...
?What the hell...? Just like that. I opened my buckle and put the card in.
ATTACK RIDE!
?That's what I get for never taking the time to look over what cards I had with each transformation...? I said in frustration before closing the handles.
FLYING MIKO!
Yes, I can fly now. Or should I say, I was always able to and I just never bothered to notice.
?All the grief that I could have avoided if I had noticed this card sooner...? I grumply said as Reimu's usual magic circle appeared under my feet. I suddenly felt weightless as the attack ride took effect.
?That works...? I said before looking up and flying up towards the entrance to the netherworld.
Well...on the bright side...I got used to transforming into other people on the fly... I thought.
?Fly...great choice of words Tama...? I mentally slapped myself while ascending towards the gate.
?
?Who put these stairs here?!? My yell echoed through the empty...corridor? Staircase? Anyway, there was indeed a staircase in front of me. A really big and long one. It was worse than the Hakurei Shrine's staircase. Complaints aside though, I did notice something else about this place.
?Cherry blossom trees...? I said, my voice echoing again. I looked up the stairs and sighed. Climbing up normally would take forever so I started running up. Soon, I had enough momentum that I was clearing eight or nine steps per-stride.
As I climbed the stairs, the scenery stayed the same. An endless flight of stairs in front of me and cherry blossom trees to my sides.
?Cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms everywhere! At least we know where Gensokyo's spring went.? I said to myself as I continued onwards and upwards...diagonally. My words made me wonder about a couple of things though.
Youmu was the one who stole the essence of spring in the original events of Perfect Cherry Blossom. But she was fighting Ran, Yakumo Yukari's shikigami, when I first got here. Why were they fighting anyway? Does it have anything to do with Saigyouji Yuyuko? She was supposed to be friends with Yukari so why is her shikigami attacking Yuyuko's gardener?
?Saigyouji Yuyuko...? I muttered. She was the third person I transformed into after I got my belt. That means that I have to help her this time.
Help her? With what? She's already won! The whole point of Perfect Cherry Blossom was that Reimu, Marisa and Sakuya had to STOP Yuyuko from draining spring from Gensokyo. I thought back to what the scroll said about the events that were supposed to have happened in this world.
Yuyuko's human soul is trapped under the Saigyou Ayakashi so do I have to free her? No...that should have already happened by now. Something is missing...and I bet Youmu and Ran are the keys. I thought as I advanced further towards the netherworld, Hakugyokurou.
?
?Almost...there...? I encouraged myself as I continued to stride up the stairs. They finally ended in the distance so I was very happy about that. I leaped up, over the last dozen steps, and landed on the grassy ground. I looked around and saw the same things I saw on the way up here...more cherry blossom trees.
?Whoa...? I said. It looked like a gigantic public park in the middle of the flower viewing season. Then I saw it...the Saigyou Ayakashi. It was nuts. Even though I was still far away, I could appreciate its sheer size. It was like looking at a skyscraper from a distance. There was something else about it that caught my attention though.
?It's blooming...? I voiced my concern. Yes. The gigantic cherry blossom tree, which was never ever supposed to bear any flowers and was larger than most buildings in Tokyo, had a head full of cherry blossoms.
?I'd hate to be the one to clean all of that up once this is over...? I commented offhandedly. It was then that I noticed brief flashes of light coming from the direction of the giant tree. I blinked a few times to make sure, small flashes appeared at seemingly random moments.
?Something is happening there...? I stated the obvious before running towards the Saigyou Ayakashi.
...
-
Here is Part 2!
...
?I won't...I won't...stop...I won't...If I kill you...spring will come...so I won't stop...? Lily White said despite herself being battered badly by Letty Whiterock and Cirno. The herald of spring was bleeding from her head, steady drops of blood came down from the sky and stained the blue ice beneath her red. Her hat was gone, her clothes tattered, her wings torn up in places and dirtied with her own blood, her right arm limping lifelessly. By all accounts, she has already been defeated but...
?Why...won't...she...go...down?!? Cirno heaved. She had used her glacier smash more times than she can remember. Nearly all of them hit the mark perfectly, hence Lily's arm. But the white fairy stayed airborne.
?Lily is simply running of sheer determination now...determination that spring will arrive...? Letty said sadly. It pained her to see Lily this way. More so, having to hurt her to this extent. But they had to stop Lily's rampage or else, who knows what might happen if she took it out somewhere else...like the human village.
?I can't imagine that you would possibly be having a hard time against this foe, winter youkai.? A familiar voice sarcastically commented behind Letty and Cirno.
?Miss Margatroid...? Letty regarded the puppeteer. Alice was back, Shanghai was floating beside her but she was equipped with a shield and lance this time, instead of a shield and sword. Not only that, Shanghai's had a large silver round shield instead of her usual blue badge shield. It was so large that the doll could easily cover her entire body with it just by facing sideways. The face of the shield was covered with engraved runes that Letty couldn't understand. The lance was the same. It was at least twice as tall as the doll herself and was covered with runes as well. Not only that, Shanghai was wearing a full knight's helmet even though she was still wearing her red dress. Letty also noticed at least a dozen other smaller dolls following Alice which were equipped similarly, albeit smaller than Shanghai of course.
?Whoa! Look at all of them~!? Cirno commented on the flight of dolls that Alice had with her.
?I guess you were serious when you said that you would come back.? Letty joked a bit.
?Of course. This time, that thieving witch won't catch me unawares.? Alice said in determination, before looking up at the battered Lily White.
?Should I finish this fight for you? I would gladly do so in gratitude for saving us earlier.? Alice offered as she folded her arms together, her grimoire was in her right hand but Letty noticed that it was shackled to Alice's wrist this time. The dolls tensed up and readied their weapons to finish off the fairy.
?I appreciate the offer, but no. Cirno and I will end this in our own way.? Letty calmly said. Alice sighed and her dolls relaxed behind her.
?You should catch up with Miss Tama instead. She should have already arrived at Hakugyokurou by now.? Letty pointed out.
?So be it, I would have liked the chance to combat test these dolls before advancing though. Will you come after us once you are done here or wash your hands of the whole thing and call it a day? You really don't have anything to gain from this anymore.? Alice noted and Letty nodded.
?Indeed. But being part of this...incident...it would certainly become quite the tale to tell over some tea, wouldn't it?? Letty replied with a smile.
?It certainly would...I'll see you both there then.? Alice said before running in the direction of the gate to the netherworld, her squadron of dolls close behind.
?Wow! She's fast!? Cirno commented at Alice's surprising athleticism.
?Well, a puppet master of that caliber needs to have an impressive amount of fitness and endurance -physical, mental and magical- to be able to control that many dolls so precisely all at once.? Letty explained.
?Now...to the matter at hand.? Letty said while looking back up to Lily.
?Should I smash her again?? Cirno asked.
?No...you fall back. I will face her alone.? Letty instructed.
?Awwww! I want to fight too Letty!? Cirno complained.
?You need to rest. You have used your mallet a number of times now but we still have yet to see the end of this. If Miss Tama and Miss Margatroid find themselves in trouble again, who will save them?? Letty asked her charge.
?EYE WILL!? Cirno declared with gusto before backing away from Letty.
?Go and enter the gate. I will meet you at the entrance to the netherworld, stay put until I get there okay dear?? Letty instructed the ice fairy.
?Got it! You better hurry up Letty~!? Cirno yelled before flying towards the gate to the netherworld. Letty sent off the young ice fairy with a smile and a wave before turning back to her opponent.
?Lily...please, stop this. You are in no condition to fight me, much less kill me.? Letty pleaded, though she knew that it was probably falling on deaf ears.
?Spri..Spriiing...is...here...? Lily muttered as she floated there, unmoving. She had been like that, saying the same thing over and over again during the exchange between Letty, Cirno and Alice. Her eyes look like they were glossed over. This wasn't Lily White anymore.
?Oh Lily...? Letty looked at her friend in sadness. If only she had realized that the prolonged winter would have this kind of effect on the fairy, she would have acted sooner. She could have avoided all of this.
?I'm sorry dear...I'm so sorry.? Letty apologized to the herald of spring before the ice field she was on started to glow. She wanted to end this as painlessly as possible for Lily. Naturally, she had no intention of ending Lily's life. She just had to make sure that she wouldn't cause any more trouble until this whole thing has been resolved.
?GIVE BACK OUR SPRIIIING!!!? Lily screamed before diving towards Letty. She pointed her left sleeve at the winter youkai and started firing bullets in an attempt at a suicide attack. However, the match had already been decided the moment Letty sent Tama, Cirno and Alice off the ice field. Letty spread out her arms to her side and looked at Lily right in the eye. The field glowed even brighter, tiny balls of white light started to rise up from the ground. It was like watching snow gently fall from the sky...in reverse.
?See you next spring...? Letty said with a sad smile and tears in her eyes as she and Lily were engulfed in a bright light.
~Perfect Freeze~
?
I look up as I ran closer and closer to the Saigyou Ayakashi. As I expected, the sparks were caused by fighting. No surprise, it was Youmu and Ran again. However, it wasn't just the two of them fighting this time. There were four other shapes doing battle as well, the three siding with Youmu I immediately recognized.
?The Prismriver Sisters...? I muttered. It was the Phantom Ensemble, the guardians of the gate to the netherworld. It made sense that they would fight alongside Youmu against Ran, but the kitsune wasn't alone either.
A young girl who had dark orange eyes, brown hair and wears a green mop hat. Has cat ears, with a gold earring in the left one, and two tails. Wears a red and light pink outfit with gold trimming and sports long red fingernails.
?Cheeeeeeen!!!? Ran yelled out her shikigami's name. The black cat behind her started to glow in yellow light and suddenly charged the Prismrivers with incredible speed.
~Flight of Idaten~
The three phantoms weren't able to react nearly fast enough to Chen's attack and the black cat of ill omen struck the three sisters one by one, over and over. The yellow magical energy trailing behind the speeding cat made her look like a shooting star or a laser beam bouncing randomly between three mirrors.
The assault ended when Chen zoomed back behind her master, the yellow light surrounding her dissipating. She brushed off some dust on her sleeves and put her hands on her hips like nothing happened. Contrary to that though, the three sisters dropped out of the sky at the same time, smoke trailing them as they fell. I could hear a dull thud in the distance where they crashed.
?No way...isn't Chen just the stage two boss in the game? How could she beat three stage four bosses just like that?? I asked to no one in particular as I continued on my way to the battlefield. Youmu quickly disengaged as well to check on her allies. Ran and Chen just let her go. They must be pretty sure of themselves if they don't mind Youmu going back for her friends.
?I'm still not sure who I'm supposed to help though so I'll see where this goes first...? I said to myself before slowing down. I carefully made my way to the clearing where they were all fighting in, using the cherry blossoms as cover. I just hope that none of them would notice me hiding.
...
?Lunasa! Lyrica! Merlin! Are you all alright!?? Youmu called to the three phantoms who were struggling to get back up after the sudden attack by Chen.
?Owwie! My head! It hu~rts!? Lyrica complained as she sat back up. Her sentient, flying keyboard was floating above her.
?That bitch! That sneaky little slut just got us by surprise, that's all!? Merlin yelled out as she struggled to get up.
?This battle will prove to be very...difficult Youmu-san.? Lunasa stated the fact as she helped Lyrica to her feet.
?Do not lose heart! We must defeat the nekomata and the kitsune in order to free Yuyuko-sama from imprisonment! I shall not allow them to defile her any longer because of their wretched trap! Even if I have to defeat them alone!? Youmu declared as she tightened her grip on her katana, Roukanken, and her wakizashi, Hakurouken.
?Oh? So says the little half-ghost who could barely defend against me.? Youmu sharply turned back to the source of the voice and glared daggers at Ran. The ancient kitsune simply smiled at the ghostly gardener, her shikigami landed behind her and returned Youmu's glare.
?I shall have you return Yuyuko-sama. Even if I have to perish with you in order to do so!? Youmu threatened as she pointed Roukanken at Ran, who simply started laughing.
?Oh dear! Ahahaha! You're serious too aren't you? Let me laugh harder~? And the kitsune did so, her laugh echoing in the empty clearing they were on. Youmu grit her teeth and tensed up her body. A breeze rolled in and displaced the cherry blossom petals on the ground and on the surrounding cherry blossom trees. A low growl can be heard from the Saigyou Ayakashi. It was probably just the wind, but it was like the gigantic tree was showing disapproval towards this fight. In the midst of the sound of the wind, a light footstep...
~Slash of the Present~
Youmu covered the 20 meter distance between her and Ran in an instant and slashed at her using her katana. It was instantaneous. Even the princess of the moon would have been impressed at the sheer speed Youmu showed in that one instant.
?Fool...? Ran said to the girl who was in shock. The fox had caught her sword with her bare left hand. Blood was flowing from the wound the blade caused but Ran didn't seem bothered by it at all. Youmu tried to pull her sword away but the grip of the kitsune was like steel, she could not get free. She glared at Ran and tried to stab her with Hakurouken but a sharp pain suddenly shot up from her left hand.
?Aaaaaaahhhh!!? Youmu screamed at the pain from her hand. She looked at it and saw Chen sinking her teeth into her flesh. Blood was flowing out from the bite and the pain was enough to make her let go of her wakizashi.
?A valiant effort, half-ghost. But that it all it is...effort. Futile effort.? Ran said in an insulting tone. All Youmu did was bare the pain of the girl biting through her hand, grit her teeth, and smile.
~Ghostly Wheel of Pain~
At that declaration. Youmu's formless ghost half that was floating harmlessly above them suddenly took shape and turned into a white, translucent Youmu, complete with her swords. The ghostly wheel of pain reproduces the last action that the user did after a certain delay. The last thing Youmu did...was the Slash of the Present.
?Die...? Youmu muttered as the phantom Youmu started glowing, ready to perform the instantaneous slash right from above Ran who was only a few feet below. The half-ghost looked at her victim in pained triumph to see if the kitsune finally showed an expression of surprise and fear. Youmu was frozen when she did. Instead of fear, anger, or surprise, Ran held a stone cold stare on Youmu's eyes. It was like a disappointed mother who caught her daughter stealing money from her purse.
The phantom launched itself at Ran. Its speed was comparable to what Youmu had when she attacked from a greater distance, so it should be able to slash Ran in half easily. But as the phantom closed in on its target, a powerful gust of wind blew right into the phantom and smashed it to pieces.
It wasn't a spell...
It wasn't a weapon...
It certainly wasn't the wind...
It was Ran...
It was the kitsune's right hand that destroyed the phantom Youmu created...
The phantom that was going at a nearly instantaneous speed was smashed by Ran's bare hand...
All the while, Ran never took her eyes off Youmu's...
?Gaaauugghhh!!!? Youmu coughed up blood after her phantom was destroyed. It was her ghost-half that was smashed and it was natural for her to feel the feedback from a direct strike like that. The phantom reformed its broken self back into the white, blob that was always with Youmu and started floating above her again. It was like the whole thing never happened. The only evidence of the second failed attack was the blood coming out of Youmu's mouth. The pain was so intense that she nearly lost her grip on Roukanken.
?You disappoint me half-ghost.? Ran said in calm a cold voice. Youmu looked up at the shikigami with a pained expression. She was still holding onto her katana, weakly trying to pry it from Ran's grip. Her other hand was still clamped in the jaws of the nekomata, Chen. It was a complete and miserable defeat.
?You were not match for me in your full fighting form. Did you honestly think that a phantom you created that was weaker than you are in all respects, and even had a delay in its action, could hurt me? Do you look down on me so much half-ghost?? Ran said in the same cold voice. Youmu was fading, she could no longer respond to Ran because of all the wounds she had received. The only thing that was keeping her conscious, the only thing left that was keeping her from letting go of her sword...
?Yu...yu...ko...sama...? Youmu muttered. Her eyes unfocused and she would surely crumple to the ground if Ran let go of her katana. Her loyalty and devotion to her mistress was the only thing keeping her up. Ran knew this and smiled. She used her right hand to pull something out from within the folds of her left sleeve, her left hand still holding onto Roukanken. It was a crystal ball, a little larger than a baseball. She held up the crystal ball and showed it to Youmu. The life came back into Youmu's eyes when she saw it. Ran used this moment to pull the younger girl closer and looked directly into her eyes, their faces were only a few centimeters apart.
?Drown in your loyalty and die.? Ran whispered before kicking Youmu in the gut, the force making Youmu let go of Roukanken. She was thrown backwards by Ran's kick but Chen was still clinging onto her left hand. Youmu saw this in wonder and surprise. The black cat smiled and released her bite, but not before kicking Youmu in the gut with both her feet. The added force flung Youmu even faster and she crashed into the cherry blossom trees at the edge of the clearing.
?Youmu-san!? Lunasa called out to the fallen samurai. She and her sisters would never be able to match up against Ran and Chen without Youmu. They couldn't even stand up anymore without supporting each other. Even the noisy Merlin was silent after witnessing the best warrior in the netherworld thrown away like a wet rag. Lyrica could only cling to her sisters and shut her eyes, wishing for the nightmare to end.
?..........? Chen smiled while flexing her back. She spat out what was left of Youmu's blood in her mouth and turned to her mistress who was smiling with satisfaction. With Youmu's fall, there was no one left that can stop her. The Saigyou Ayakashi is in full bloom. Gensokyo is frozen. And the only ones willing to face them have been defeated.
TOUHOU RIDE!
?Hmm?? Ran turned to the source of the odd words, as did Chen.
REMILIA SCARLET!
?What?!? Ran was surprised by the declaration of the scarlet devil's name. She saw a scarlet ball of energy that dispersed into countless bats and within them was Remilia herself...or so she thought.
?
?Rrraaaaaggh!? I roared as I launched straight at Chen like a cannonball. The black cat was completely caught by surprise as she put her hands up to try to protect herself from me. I was more than happy to test out her defenses delivered a right straight aimed at her face. At that kind of speed, with Remilia's strength, the light nekomata couldn't hope to block that strike and she flew back and crashed into a cherry blossom tree. I then quickly flew up and opened my buckle. I had to take Chen out of the picture as fast as I can if I hope to have any chance against Ran. I put in the card I was holding ready in my left hand.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
?Come on!? I yelled as I closed the handles.
RE-RE-REMILIA!
?
?Cheeeen!? Ran screamed as her beloved shikigami was ambushed by the scarlet devil. She saw the vampire fly up, ready to finish off Chen.
?I'll kill you!? Ran said in rage as she prepared to attack the intruder.
?Ho-hold it!? Lunasa yelled out as she launched thin red and blue laser beams at Ran who simply swiped them away with her hand. The kitsune glared at her for interrupting, making the youngest Prismriver yelp and hide behind her sisters.
?This is the only thing we can do...? Lunasa said, trying to give her and her sisters the resolve they needed.
?Merlin! Lyrica!? The eldest Prismriver called to her sisters, who stood beside her. They had to buy time. They just had to buy time until the vampire can defeat Ran's shikigami.
If she's really here to save us...then we'll do what we can to help her! Lunasa thought before she charged at Ran, her sisters close behind. They fired their dagger shaped bullets and red and blue lasers as they went closer to the kitsune who was smashing them away with her hands in a rage.
?Insects!!!? Ran roared as she used both her hands to do a cross swipe aimed at the phantom ensemble. The wave produced by the attack smashed through the sisters' final resistance and the three of them were blown away by Ran's power.
RE-RE-REMILIA!
?We...win...stupid bitch...? Merlin said with a tired smile as she saw the vampire in the sky forming a red spear made of energy before passing out.
?
?Take this!? I yelled as I launched the Gungnir at the nekomata. The spear aimed true and hit Chen, the crimson explosion and subsequent crater was evidence of it. I saw Chen lay battered and unconscious in the crater.
There goes one problem. Now the only thing left is-- My thoughts were interrupted when I saw yellow in the corner of my vision.
?Shi--?Again, I was interrupted when Ran pounded her right fist from above like an anvil being dropped from the sky. I put my hands up to try to block it but, just like what I did to Chen, Ran easily broke through my block and punched me in the face. The force quickly made me crash to the ground where I bounced back up a couple of feet. Ran was already there at my side, her face contorted in pure rage.
?You measly little bloodsucker!? Ran yelled out before winding her right fist back and delivering a right straight that was even stronger than what I did. I quickly got acquainted to a cherry blossom tree that broke and fell to the ground because of the power behind Ran's punch.
?Aahh...Ahh...Ooohh...? I heaved in pain as I got back up. Those two attacks hurt more than Sanae's frog bombs. I made a mental note to do my best to avoid getting hit like that again. I looked at Ran who was calmly walking towards me. I could feel the heat from the killing intent that she was emanating towards me.
That's not good... I thought as the kitsune continued forward.
?You should have stayed in your little brick house and rotted, vampire.? Ran said in contempt. I couldn't help but give a weak smile at that.
She really thinks that I'm Remilia huh? I thought. And just as I did, my body suddenly warped like static. I saw Ran suddenly stop in wonder of what was happening to me.
?Great...? I said as Remilia's Touhou Ride dispelled and I went back to being Reimu. I guess I took more damage than I thought.
?Transformation? What is the meaning of this faker?!? Ran growled. She was mad but she was also confused. I used that moment to quickly fire some needles at her and run to the side. Ran easily swiped away the needles I fired and started her pursuit. She was gaining. She was gaining fast!
?Dammit!? I cursed as I knew that this was going to turn into a brawl. I took out one of Reimu's last attack cards and opened the buckle.
?You're mine!? I heard Ran declare from behind me. I wasn't looking back but I could feel her breath at the back of my neck. I put the card in before summoning my gohei and swiping at the monster behind me.
ATTACK RIDE!
?Tch!? I grimaced when all I hit was air. Ran was high above me, she must have jumped when I summoned my gohei, and was about to perform a diving kick at me. I wasn't about to let that happen so I closed the handles on my buckle.
YIN-YANG ORBS!
The belt declared and a pair of yin-yang orbs appeared and floated beside me. Each was around the size of a beach ball and looked like they were really solid. I decided to test that out and kicked one of them towards the diving fox. Amazingly, the orb and Ran canceled each other out. Ran jumped away a good distance and the orb I kicked at her flew back to me and joined the other one. The two orbs orbited around me like a pair of moons.
?Saved by Reimu's balls...? I said in relief, the double meaning of the statement evading me until much later. I saw Ran making small hops in the distance and flexing her hands. She was getting ready for another attack. I gulped and tightened my grip on my gohei.
?Who are you?!? Ran yelled. She was...trying to talk to me? I ignored her question and maintained my guard.
?Answer me faker!? Ran yelled before rushing at me. She's probably calling me faker since I transformed into Remilia a while ago and nuked her pet. She tried to swipe at my face with her clawed left hand but one of the yin-yang orbs blocked it. Ran clicked her tongue and crouched down before doing a rising uppercut that would have taken my head off. I jumped back in the nick of time and fired needles at her. Ran made short work of them with a roundhouse kick but I launched both orbs at her with kicks of my own.
?Persistent!? Ran muttered as she ducked under one orb and deflected the other with her right forearm. I was already right in front of her when she deflected the second orb and delivered a roundhouse kick to the side of her head. Ran staggered to the side and put a hand on her head. She looked at her hand and saw blood.
?Not bad...? Ran said as a small trail of blood flowed down the right side of her face. She took off her cap and threw it away, revealing her fox ears.
?Hahh...Ha...Haaahh...? I was heaving. I'm barely able to put up a fight against Ran thanks to the yin-yang orbs and fighting with complete disregard for my safety but this wasn't going to work forever.
?You have good intuition...but you are not nearly as well trained as the half-ghost.? Ran plainly stated as she flexed her hands again and crouched down into a fighting stance. This is ridiculous. I did manage to land a hit on her head but Ran looks completely calm, ready for another bout. I wanted to give up and go home for some sleep. My body was aching like mad. How the hell am I supposed to beat her?
?Seek initiative against an opponent superior to yourself and be relentless.? Ran calmly said before launching herself at me again.
?Damn!? Those words were probably meant to lecture me. She knows that she's stronger than me, anyone could probably tell if they compared the two of us. I tried to do the same sequence as before. I fired needles at her before launching the orbs with swift kicks and running towards her. I shouldn't have done that as I saw Ran smirk. It was like a choreographed fight in some action movie with Jet Li. Ran swiped away the needles with her right hand and deflected the other with her left. She then jumped up and stepped on the other orb with her left foot, hopped off, and found herself right above me. I could only look up in shock and fear as the kitsune gave me a triumphant smile.
?Big mistake.? She said before returning the roundhouse kick I gave her before. Her foot hit my left shoulder like a sledgehammer.
?Gaaaaaaahhh!? I screamed out in pain as I flew a few meters to the side because of Ran's kick. I landed on the ground and rolled a few more feet before stopping. The world was spinning again. I couldn't tell up from down. All I could comprehend was the pain I was feeling. I had to get up. I had to get up and get away from her or else I was going to die! I knew that but my body wouldn't listen. Reimu's Touhou Ride has kept me alive through all that punishment but who knew when it was going to overload and dispel? What then?
?Well...that was pointless.? I could hear Ran's voice echoing nearby. I laid on my back and saw her shape amidst the blur of my vision. She raised what looks like her foot. This is it. She's going to crush my head now. Damn...that sucks.
?Sha--ai!? I suddenly heard a garbled voice I kind of recognized. I tried to focus to see who it was but all I saw was Ran's blurry figure disappearing from my sight. I then saw something red zoom past, followed by a bunch of other things zooming past too.
?--ma!? I could hear someone yelling. It didn't seem like Ran though. I felt footsteps quickly approaching me. Was it Ran? No. I could hear clanking sounds in the distance. Ran must me fighting against someone again. Was it Youmu?
?T--a!? It was that voice again and it was getting closer. I felt my back getting propped up. I was sitting up now and something came into my vision in front of me. It was a person. Someone with blond hair.
?Tama!? I clearly heard her voice this time right before she slapped my right cheek.
?Ow!? I yelled in pain as my eyes finally started focusing, allowing me to recognize my savior.
?Ali...ce...?? I said. And the person in front of me sighed in relief. It was indeed the seven-colored puppeteer, Alice Margatroid.
?Good, looks like I made it just in time.? Alice said as she helped me to my feet. I staggered for a bit but it wasn't as detrimental as I thought. I shook my head and slapped both my cheeks to get my bearings back.
?You dare send toys against me!!!? I heard Ran roar in anger and turned to where she was. I saw her defending against Shanghai and thirteen other dolls. They all seemed very well equipped. Helmets, round shields, lances. I don't know what Ran's definition of 'toy' was but those things didn't look like toys to me.
?Wow...you weren't kidding when you said you were coming back prepared.? I said as I saw the dolls performing hit and run tactics against the kitsune. One doll would dive in, lance pointed at Ran. The fox would swipe the lance aside and try to counter, only to be interrupted by another doll. It was simple but it was keeping her busy for the moment.
?Of course. If I'm going to dive into the jaws of the enemy, I'll make sure that I can carve my way out of its stomach.? Alice said as she crossed her arms. I heard a clinking sound and saw that there was a chain connecting her grimoire to her right wrist now. Looks like she doesn't want a repeat of what happened before.
?Wait. Where are Letty and Cirno?? I asked Alice.
?Hm? Oh...those two. They're currently tying up a couple of loose ends with the herald of spring.? Alice replied before looking intently back at her dolls.
?They're still fighting Lily?? I asked in wonder. Letty should have been plenty strong enough to defeat Lily White, so what was taking them so long that Alice even beat them here?
?Yes. The winter youkai was intent on finishing the battle in her own way so she let me go ahead. Rest assured, she gave me her word that she and the ice fairy would join us soon.? Alice explained, her eyes not leaving her dolls. Her eyes suddenly went wide and she quickly leaned forward and spread out her arms.
?Shields!? Alice yelled and her dolls obeyed, covering themselves with their round shields. I then saw Ran spin around, her clawed hands spread out creating a whirlwind that blew back the dolls.
?Tch! As expected of a nine-tailed...? Alice said in irritation while biting on the nail of her left thumb. Alice called back her dolls to regroup and prepare for Ran's counterattack.
?Looks like my declaration of victory was premature.? Ran said while glaring at me and Alice.
?Sorry. No victory for your today, shikigami.? I taunted. I expected her to get mad and charge or at least yell at me but all Ran did was raise an eyebrow.
?Shikigami? Me?? Ran said in wonder while pointing to herself.
?Well yeah...aren't you Yukari's shikigami?? I asked for clarification. Ran looked at me funny before bursting into laughter.
?Ahahaha~! That's a name I haven't heard in a while! I don't know how you got that information, faker, but you misunderstand.? Ran said while giving a sadistic smile.
?Yes, I was that whore's shikigami...for a time. But she was far too trusting and slept to often.? Ran explained, venom dripping with each word.
?It was too easy to tear her throat out while she's so defenseless like that.? Ran said while holding up her right hand before turning it into a fist.
?You...killed...Yukari...?? I said in absolute shock. I could hear Alice gritting her teeth beside me.
?As you said before Tama...what happens in these worlds and what documented information you had have always been different. It looks like this world gave you another difference.? Alice whispered. I could feel cold sweat forming on my back.
?I have been around for more than eight hundred years. I have reached the peak of power of my species. Do you think I would allow myself to remain subjugated by a spoiled child such as her?? Ran said haughtily.
?Murderer...? I coldly said. My fatigue and pain disappeared after I heard what Ran did to her mistress.
?What of it?? Ran asked plainly like it was nothing to her.
?Jeez, I knew something was missing ze~. I never thought that this Ran was so twisted ze~.? I familiar and annoying voice said from behind Ran.
?Just great...? I muttered in irritation. I then noticed the temperature drop beside me. I turned and saw Alice grinning. She was staring right at Aoko who had already transformed into Marisa.
?Oh boy...? I said as I felt a killing intent on par to what Ran showed earlier after I ambushed Chen.
?Thieving witch!? Alice yelled out as she dashed right at Aoko, completely ignoring Ran, with her dolls right behind her.
?Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Ze~!? Aoko yelled out in panic as she saw Alice running right at her. She must not have expected to get rushed the moment she showed up. The squadron of heavily armed dolls didn't help either.
?You shall pay for humiliating me!? Alice said as she kicked Aoko's gun to the side which she was trying to point at Alice. Aoko jumped back and fired a few shots at Alice but her dolls easily blocked the attack.
?Hey~! Now that's just not fair you know ze~? Aoko complained as Shanghai and the other dolls flew right at her.
?Ironic coming from you, witch!? Alice replied as commanded her dolls to use their lances at Aoko.
?Shall we dance again then ze~?? Aoko said while flicking her left wrist, a card appearing in her hand afterward. She put it in the slot and aimed up to the sky.
ATTACK RIDE!
?A waltz is preferred...? Alice said with a sadistic smile before lining up her dolls in front of her, shields at the ready with Shanghai holding the center.
NON-DIRECTIONAL LASER!
?
?More nuisances?? Ran said as she saw Alice and Aoko start fighting. She was looking away so I took that chance to dash at her. I jumped up to do an overhead swipe with my gohei...that she easily grabbed with her left hand.
?Don't think I've forgotten about you or what you did to my Chen, faker.? Ran said as she looked back to me. She wound her right fist back and got ready to punch me. I tried to pull the gohei out but her grip was way too strong. She was about to release her punch when...
?An what of me, villain?? A calm voice said from behind Ran. She quickly pushed me away and lifted up her arms in defense just as a sword struck down, wounding her forearms.
?Youmu!? I called out her name as Ran jumped back to get some distance between her and the young samurai.
?You're okay~!? I happily said as I ran to her. She eyed me for a moment before looking back to Ran.
?I don't know who you are stranger but...thank you.? Youmu calmly said.
?Huh? For what?? I asked.
?For fighting in my stead. Now stand aside, I shall fight from now on.? Youmu replied as she stepped forward.
?What? No way! I'm not letting you fight Ran on your own! I'm here to help.? I said as I stepped forwards beside her as well. Ran wasn't minding us and was busy licking her wounds.
?Why? I am grateful for your assistance and valor but this is none of your business.? Youmu sternly said as she looked at me.
?This is my business! This is why I'm here! To help this world! To help Yuyuko!? I yelled out in frustration. I wasn't about to let Youmu disregard me after everything I've gone through in this world. Youmu looked at me in puzzlement.
?Look, you can be a proud warrior on your own time. But right now, Ran is a better fighter than either of us. We need to work together to be able to beat her. The only thing we need to focus on is getting Yuyuko out of that crystal ball.? I said, trying to convince Youmu. Her eyes narrowed at my words.
?Truly...saving Yuyuko-sama takes priority over my pride. So be it...we shall fight together against the kitsune.? Youmu conceded and went into her fighting stance. Both of her swords at the ready. I nodded and took a stance of by own. Ran finally took notice of us and narrowed her eyes.
?Heh...you think that, just because the two of you will fight together against me, you can defeat me?? Ran said mockingly.
?I don't know about you...but I thought that we were doing pretty well, holding our own against you by ourselves. We should be able to beat you if we work together.? I shot back, Youmu grunting in approval.
?Hahahaha~! Interesting...then let us put it to the test. Whether or not your hastily made alliance will help you or kill you.? Ran said ominously as she charged at us.
?
?Shanghai!? Alice yelled out as she directed the movements of her dolls. Shanghai was the one mainly attacking Aoko while the rest of the dolls backed her up, preventing her opponent from gaining any advantage.
?A bit too enthused about this fight aren't we Alice ze~?? Aoko complained as she parried Shangai's lance with her gun before ducking away from a doll darting towards her.
?Is it not natural to be enthused in a dance, witch?? Alice mocked Aoko as she pressed her attack. She knew that the ordinary magician can only defend herself against a relentless attack as she needed range to be an effective opponent.
?Yeah...but the waltz was meant to be done slowly ze~? Aoko shot back and spun around before putting in a yellow card in her gun.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
?Treacherous witch!? Alice said as she called back her dolls to block Marisa's Master Spark.
?I wouldn't be called a witch otherwise ze~? Aoko followed up and pointed her gun at the wall of shields before pulling the trigger.
MA-MA-MARISA!
Aoko fired the Master Spark right at Alice's dolls and sustained the blast for the same ten seconds as before. The final attack ended and Aoko blew the smoke off the tip of her gun and smiled smugly as she waited for the smoke to clear to reveal a defeated Alice. Easy pickings for her.
?Huh?? Marisa raised her eyebrow as she heard some clanking noise from within the smoke. She then saw some lights that formed into something that looks like two large purple wings with strange markings.
?Shinki?? Marisa absentmindedly said as she noticed the pattern on of the wings from Shinki's attacks in Mystic Square, though the goddess of Makai had six of them instead of just two.
Great Imitation ~Daughter's Recitation~
?That sounds bad...? Aoko said before the smoke was forcibly cleared by two crossing purple laser beams from the wings followed by a barrage of arrow-head bullets.
?Aaaaaahhhh!!!? Aoko screamed out in fear as she ducked away from the two lasers and shot at the arrow-head bullets to intercept them. She didn't get them all and had to graze past a number of them. Alice had her thirteen dolls formed up behind her, their shields facing forward. What was amazing was that, when they were lined up together, the strange runes on the shields formed into the patterns that made up the two wings that were now glowing behind Alice.
?You want my grimoire that badly?? Alice said, her voice echoing. Her eyes her glowing blue and she was smiling with grim intent. She held out her grimoire and Shanghai dropped down from the sky in front of it, her shield making up the last of the pattern.
?Then take it...? Alice said as a thick red laser came from Shanghai's shield, its intensity comparable to the Master Spark, and it was followed up by the purple laser beams and arrow-head bullets from Alice's 'wings'.
?In time ze~? Aoko calmly said as she crouched down and narrowed her eyes at the oncoming onslaught. You would think that sudden, rapid movements are what's needed to avoid all that. If you think so, then you haven't been playing Touhou. When it comes to complicated and dense bullet patterns, what you need most is...
?Focus...ze~? Marisa muttered as she slowly sidestepped the red laser from Shanghai. She then rolled under the purple lasers and quickly jumped up to avoid the first wave of bullets. She made herself as small as possible to the rest of the barrage facing Alice sideways and sidestepping everything that came at her. The purple laser beams came back for another pass but Aoko just rolled backwards to avoid them. She got back up and repeated that pattern until Alice ended the assault.
?I guess that's a capture huh? Ze~? Aoko smugly said at Alice who was completely shocked at what she just did. Sure, Aoko's clothes are a bit burnt by grazing her attacks but the girl herself was unharmed.
?Impossible...? Alice finally spoke. Her trump card had failed. She developed that spell to overwhelm anything it hits with sheer magical power. She accomplished that feat but Aoko simply...avoided getting hit by it.
?My turn ze~!? Marisa yelled as she put two cards in her gun.
TOUHOU RIDE!
?Tch! Regroup!? Alice yelled out and the dolls went back in front of Alice and readied for Aoko's counter.
HONG MEILING!
HOSHIGUMA YUUGI!
?Boosh! Ze~? Aoko yelled out as she shot out her summons. The two sets of red, green, and blue silhouettes darted around until they converged into what Aoko summoned. On the right is the Scarlet World's Meiling, her black hard leather outfit, mane-like crimson hair and glowing, empty red eyes made her an intimidating sight. Her companion was just as intimidating. Her long blonde hair, empty red eyes, red horn coming out of her forehead gave her the feel 'this is an oni'. Her manacled wrists and ankles made clanking sounds as she moved. The odd thing about her was that she was missing her signature sake dish that never spills. It seems that being a copy did not give her the same privilege as the original.
?The best way to beat a mage...is to beat a mage ze~! Get her ze~!? Aoko said before the copy Meiling and copy Yuugi launched themselves at Alice.
...
-
And the final part!
...
?Ahh! No! Gaaaaahh!? I screamed out as Ran smashed her right elbow to my stomach. I staggered back as Ran turned her attention back at Youmu who was hesitating to slash Ran with Roukanken. The fox smiled and took this chance to kick the samurai away. Youmu managed to use Hakurouken to block the kick but she was still sent back by the force.
?Just as expected...this is easier with both of you attacking me at once.? Ran mockingly said as she flexed her neck.
?What are you talking about?!? I yelled at her as I prepared to attack again.
?Exactly as I said. Your movements betray that you aren't used to fighting the same enemy alongside someone else. More so, you're not even used to fighting alongside each other at all...? Ran said before chuckling. I grit my teeth at her statement. But it was true that I was hesitating more because I was worried that I might hit Youmu by mistake, or she might hit me by mistake. I looked at Youmu and saw her gritting her teeth as well. Looks like she was thinking the same thing.
?Together or apart. The two of you cannot defeat me.? Ran stated in full confidence.
?Shut up...shut up...SHUT UP!? Youmu screamed as she charged at Ran with reckless abandon.
?Running towards the jaws of death? How admirable!? Ran yelled out as she charged at Youmu as well.
?There has to be something! Something I can do to give Youmu a chance to get a solid hit on Ran! I have to stop her movements somehow!? I yelled to myself as I wracked my brain for an answer. Ran's speed and strength made her impossibly difficult to fight on even terms.
Wait...stop her...of course! What the hell was I doing?! I thought in irritation when I realized I had a card that could completely stop Ran. I was just so concerned about attacking her that I forgot about it.
?Worth a shot!? I said as I formed my plan in my head. I just hope Youmu can act on it fast enough. I opened up my buckle and put a card in.
ATTACK RIDE!
?Here goes!? I yelled as I ran towards the two of them who were dueling before closing the handles.
THOUSANDFOLD FIST!
?Yaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!? I screamed as I jumped at Ran, Torii Gate Knuckles equipped. I dove in for a straight punch which she managed to block with her left arm but...
?Hmmph?!? Ran grunted in surprise as my fist kept going. This wasn't just a regular punch. The empowered fist didn't break the fox's defense but it had enough force to drive her back.
?Take that!? I said in triumph. That was quickly changed to worry when Youmu pursued Ran, screaming.
?Hey! Youmu! Wait!? I yelled after the gardener who kept charging at Ran without a care.
?She's nuts.? I said as I ran to her to back her up. I still had that one card to turn this around as well as Reimu's final attack card. I just hope I can calm down Youmu enough to be able to utilize them.
?
?No!? Alice yelled out as another one of her dolls was crushed by copy Meiling's fist. She had tried to fight back with her dolls against her new foes but the gate guardian and the oni were far stronger than her dolls her, shields or no.
?Five left. Just give me the grimoire and you don't have to watch all of your dolls get smashed.? Aoko said confidently as she advanced towards Alice, her summons walking in front of her.
?I'd sooner die, witch!? Alice shot back. She only had Shanghai and four other dolls with her. She needed to get rid of the summons that Aoko made if she hoped to have a chance against her. Right now, there was only one thing she could think of that can do just that.
I hate using my dolls like this but... Alice thought as she pointed her left hand at the approaching enemies, she held her grimoire to her chest and sighed.
~Seeker Dolls~
?Shit!? Aoko cursed when she heard the declaration of the spell. Other than Shanghai, Alice's dolls started to glow white. Aoko suddenly jumped back, away from what she knew was about to happen.
?Destroy them.? Alice ordered her four dolls. The glowing dolls charged straight at the copies and crashed into them. All sound was gone in their immediate area and was consumed by a bright white light. Alice poured a massive amount of energy into her dolls, which was why they glowed white. She then shot them at the copies like missiles and detonated them like bombs. Simple, costly, but effective.
?Are you alright Shanghai?? Alice asked her favorite doll who held up her shield to protect her mistress from the blast. The red doll bowed before moving away to show Alice the aftermath. The blast points were covered with smoke but she could hear Aoko coughing in the distance.
?Jeez! Haahh...haah...talk about...haaah...talk about reckless ze~!? Aoko complained from the other side of the smoke. Alice couldn't help but smile to that.
?Persistent witch...? She said with a faint smile that no one can see, none of her previous anger or viciousness was showing. She realized that and shook her head.
?What am I thinking?? She said to herself as wiped her face with her left hand, her cheeks still baring a light tinge of pink. Her self-embarrassment was quickly quelled when she saw two silhouettes from within the smoke.
?No...? Alice said as she saw the smoke clear to reveal the copy Meiling and copy Yuugi still intact.
?Don't think that these two are as easy to destroy as Patchy and Keine were.? Aoko said with a pained smile, her face covered in soot from the blast.
Alice was in deep trouble. Shanghai was her only doll left. She was far stronger than the other dolls were but even her best doll can't possibly defend her against three enemies by itself.
?This is bad...? Alice quietly said.
?It sure is! The only way you can destroy these two is my smashing them with sheer force that they can't withstand.? Aoko proudly said, her hands on her hips.
?Well, you heard her dear. Smash away~? A motherly voice said from within the shadow of the cherry blossom trees. Suddenly, something shot up into the sky and started diving towards the copies.
?CIRNO SMAAASH!!!? Cirno roared as she formed her Glacier Smasher in her hands. It was huge, more than enough to crush Aoko, copy Meiling, copy Yuugi and Alice in one strike.
?Shanghai!!!? Alice screamed as she ran away from the impact zone of the fairy's attack, her doll following her.
?Dammit!? Aoko cursed as she did the same. Her summons tried to do the same but then she noticed that they were struggling to move.
Their legs! Aoko thought as she saw the legs of her summons frozen. She looked back towards the cherry blossom trees and saw Letty. The winter youkai looked at Aoko, tilted her head, stuck out her tongue, and smiled.
?YYEEEEAAAAHHHH!!!? Cirno yelled out as she swung down her large blunt object at the copies. A loud...smashing sound was heard as Cirno's hammer completely smashed Aoko's summons with a sheer force that they couldn't withstand. The hammer shattered into countless pieces afterwards and disappeared. If you had just gotten there, you wouldn't have thought that an Ice Fairy had just defeated the Gate Guardian of the Scarlet Devil Mansion and one of the Four Devas. Well, it was an ice fairy trained by Kazami Yuka but still...
?Amazing...? Alice couldn't help but be in awe of the raw power that Cirno displayed against the things Aoko summoned.
?Hehehe...that didn't go so well...I'd better leave now ze~? Aoko quietly said as she slowly backed from everyone.
?So soon~?? Aoko yelped at the voice from behind her. She turned and saw Letty smiling at her.
?How did you...?? Aoko was stunned at Letty's speed. No, she wasn't fast at all. She just snuck her way there while everyone was too preoccupied by Cirno's attack.
?Now...may I have this dance?? Letty said with her gentle smile but Aoko could feel the frozen killing intent coming from her. She then felt the same thing coming from behind her. She slowly turned around and saw Alice with that malicious grin on her face, Shanghai was floating above her. Cirno was there too, pouting at her...anyway...
?Wait! I give! I give up! I won't go after Alice's grimoire anymore!? Aoko frantically said as she was being surrounded by Letty, Alice and Cirno.
?Of course you won't dear...? Letty said.
?...Because we're going to make sure that you never will...? Alice continued.
?...ze~? Cirno concluded.
?Hiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!? Aoko was such in a panic that she even forgot to add 'ze~' at the end of that. However, just as she was about to meet her fate...
?ENOUGH GAMES!!!? Ran's billowing roar stopped everyone in their tracks.
?That's not good...? Aoko said. The other three girls remained silent at the sight before them.
?
?Youmu! Stop it!? I yelled as ran towards Youmu and Ran who were still engaged in combat. It's been like this since Youmu snapped. I shoved Youmu to the side and blocked Ran's claw with my Torii Knuckle before using the other to punch the fox away from us. Youmu got her balance again and tried to go after Ran yet again but I tackled her down before she could.
?Snap out of it!? I yelled at the struggling Youmu, I was very worried that I might get cut by her swords.
?No! She will die! After everything Yuyuko-sama has done for her! After she forgave that traitor for killing Yuyuko-sama's closest friend! She tricked Yuyuko-sama and trapped her in that crystal ball! I've had enough! She dies! Now!? Youmu screamed out. She must have been holding everything in up 'till now but...it finally blew out.
?Yes. That glutton was just as naive as her whore friend.? Ran mocked Yuyuko and Yukari as she reached in the folds of her sleeve and took out the crystal ball that held the princess of the netherworld trapped. Youmu's anger flared when she saw that and tried to escape my grasp. Luckily, my strength was augmented because of the attack ride and I managed to keep her in place.
?Listen!? I said before slapping Youmu with my left hand. Not really the smartest thing I did since my strength was currently increased. Youmu spat out the blood in her mouth and glared at me.
?Sorry...but come on! You think Yuyuko wants you acting like this? She already has to deal with her best friend getting murdered and having to forgive the one who did it. You think she needs your death to deal with too?!? I yelled, trying to reason with Youmu.
?No! She will be the one to die and I will rescue Yuyuko-sama!? Youmu countered.
?No...you'll die and Yuyuko will be sadder than she ever was and no one will be there to console her this time.? I said. Youmu stopped struggling when she realized what I just told her.
?You have to live. You have to live and save her. Dying to save her won't count. You have to live through this and save Yuyuko.? I clearly said, I could feel Youmu finally starting to relax.
?But how? As she said, we cannot fight effectively together.? Youmu spat out in dejection.
?You're right...but I still have something I can do. I have a way to stop her from moving. After that, it's all up to you.? I said with a confident smile.
?You can stop her from parrying our attacks?? Youmu asked wide-eyed.
?Yeah. Now the question is, do you have something that can defeat Ran in one attack?? I asked her.
?Of course...? Youmu firmly said. I nodded and stood back up. We both faced Ran who was smirking at us and tossing around the crystal in her hand.
?So...have you two resolved each other for your inevitable deaths?? Ran said with full confidence.
?No...we have resolved to defeat you and save Yuyuko-sama.? Youmu stated, tightening her grip on her swords. A heavy silence settled between the three of us. Then, it started.
?Yaaaaahhh!!!? I was the one who charged at Ran this time. The fox smiled and readied herself for me, the crystal ball on her left hand. I threw punch after punch at her and she expertly blocked them all with her right hand.
?One hand is more than enough...? Ran said as she continued to block my punches. Good. I smiled as I enacted my plan.
?What?!? Ran suddenly yelled out as I held onto her right arm with my right hand. I faked my last punch and grabbed her hand which was ready to block the supposed strike. Ran was strong, really strong. She was so strong that, when she tried to pull her arm away from me, she nearly got free. Even with my increased strength, Ran still showed her power.
But that's fine... I thought as I stared right at her and put a card in my buckle. I had already opened it before I stood up with Youmu. Thankfully, Ran never payed attention to it so she didn't realize that I was up to something.
ATTACK RIDE!
?Whatever you are trying, you cannot hope to harm me.? Ran said in defiance.
?Yeah...well, I'm not the one who will.? I replied before closing the handles.
PERMANENT BORDER!
The border spell quickly stopped Ran's movements completely and a pained expression was now finally shown by the powerful youkai.
?Trechery!? Ran cursed at me as I let her arm go and jumped back, my other attack ride finally fading.
?And you should know all about that huh? Youmu!!!? I yelled out and just like a lightning strike.
~Slash of Eternity~
I had to cover my eyes from the bright light caused by Youmu's attack. If you look at a distance, it looked like countless laser beams were being fired at Ran. But no, those weren't lasers. They were slashes. Slashes so fast that they warped the space around their target and produced light from the friction of the impact. The slash of eternity...Youmu's strongest attack that demanded every last drop of energy from her.
?All for the sake of Yuyuko...? I muttered as the flashes subsided with Youmu skidding beside me.
?Wow...that was awesome!? I said in congratulations to her but Youmu didn't hear me as she fell to her knees and collapsed.
?Youmu!? I yelled out as I held her up. I could hear Ran collapsing in the distance as well but I was more worried about Youmu right now.
?Please...save...Yuyuko...sama...I...have done...what I...? Youmu didn't manage to finish as she passed out in my arms. It seemed that the last attack took more out of her than I thought.
I have done what I could... I thought as I considered what Youmu was trying to say. I laid her back down and stood up. I saw Ran on her back, smoldering from the aftermath of Youmu's final strike. I saw the crystal ball that held Yuyuko on the ground a distance away from Ran. I quickly dashed to it an picked it up. I didn't want to take my chances with Aoko around, regardless if she was fighting Alice right now. I looked at the content and saw a tiny Yuyuko curled up like a ball. She looked like a sleeping little girl in there.
?I wonder how I can get her out?? I wondered as I started tapping the ball with my gohei...then a cracked appeared on it.
?Ha?! Hawawawawa~!? I started to panic when that happened and dispelled my gohei immediately. I was worried that forcibly breaking the crystal will harm Yuyuko but I never thought that it was so fragile! Pink light started to leak out from the crack and I tried to cover it with my hand.
?Oh jeez! Oh jeez! Youmu's gonna kill me!? I said in panic as I looked around to see if I could do anything else. My vision turned to the giant cherry blossom tree.
Well...what's the worse that could happen? I thought as I started running towards the Saigyou Ayakashi.
I had almost gotten to the tree when I felt something bad coming from behind me. I turned but there was nothing there.
?Was it just my imagination?? I asked as I looked around, I then noticed the light coming from the ball getting brighter.
?Yaaaaaaahhh!? I yelled out as I started running towards the tree again. I wasn't sure what was going to happen if this crystal breaks but on the off-chance that it's bad...I don't really want to think about it right now.
?Okay! Now what?? I said as I got to the base of the tree. I looked around and saw a pedestal in the distance that looked important.
?That works...? I said as I walked towards it. Suddenly! I felt the same strange chill on my back as before.
?Really! What is that?!? I screamed out. My situation was stressful enough as it is, what else is going to happen?
?ENOUGH GAMES!!!? I heared Ran's billowing voice in the distance. It was Ran's voice alright but...it sounded...big. I then realized why that is...
?Can I take back what I said earlier?? I asked as I saw the awe inspiring sight before me. It was a gigantic yellow nine-tailed fox. It looked kind of long and flat but...yeah...Fox. Nine-tails. Very angry.
I know I've seen this in some anime once before... I thought as I saw the giant fox moving its head left and right.
?WHERE ARE YOU TWO?!? I heard Ran's crazy loud voice.
?Oh jeez! She's looking for us!? I quickly ran to that pedestal I saw and found that there was a space on top of it that looked like it would fit the crystal ball in my hands perfectly.
?This is...way too convenient.? I said as I hesitated to put the crystal in.
?AAAHH! THE LITTLE HALF-GHOST!? Ran said as she looked down on the ground.
Crap! I just left Youmu there didn't I?! I thought in panic as I saw the giant fox lower her head towards the ground.
?Convenient is fine!? I yelled as I put the crystal in the slot on the pedestal before turning to the fox.
?GAAAAAAHHH!!!? Ran screamed as small star-shaped bullets hit her face.
?Aoko!? I called out the name of that annoying thief in joy as I saw the trademark projectiles from her gun hitting Ran. I then noticed a very bright pink light coming from behind me. I turned to it and sighed and relief.
?
?That is a really big fox...ze~? Aoko said in awe of what she and the others were seeing at the moment.
?WHERE ARE YOU TWO?!? Ran roared.
?She's too noisy~!? Cirno complained as she covered her ears.
?She must be looking for Tama and the Half-Ghost.? Alice said as they saw the giant fox scanning the area. The puppeteer then noticed that Aoko was looking over her gun with a serious expression.
?Please don't tell me that you're planning on stealing that giant youkai.? Alice sarcastically said. The ordinary magician normally would have shot back with an equally sarcastically retort but Aoko continued to inspect her gun for any damage.
?H-hey...if you're all serious like that...? Alice worriedly said, not used to seeing her annoying foe like this.
?Tama and Youmu were just fighting her. She transformed and now she's looking for them ze~? Aoko said as she flicked her wrist to check on the cards she had.
?They must have damaged her enough to force her into that form. The problem is...is she looking for her because they hid? Or is it because they collapsed from their efforts and are currently unseen by the giant fox ze~?? Aoko asked as she looked at the other three girls.
?AAAHH! THE LITTLE HALF-GHOST!? Ran answered Aoko's question and made the black-white witch scowl.
?Looks like we got our answer ze~!? She firmly said before running towards the giant fox who was lowering its head.
?Hey! Wait!? Alice yelled after Aoko who started shooting at the fox as soon as she got close enough.
?GAAAAAAHHH!!!? Ran roared in pain as Aoko's bullets hit her eye. The witch knew that just shooting her randomly won't work. Right now, the only thing that can beat this monster would be Yuyuko's final form. She saw Youmu collapsed on the ground and ran up to her while she kept firing at Ran.
No Tama and no crystal with Yuyuko in it. She thought before looking towards the Saigyou Ayakashi.
?Please be thinking what I am thinking...ze~? Aoko said as she saw a bright pink light coming from the base of the tree.
?'Atta girl ze~!? Aoko cheered when she saw that but then turned back to the direction of the giant fox and its open maw.
?Shanghai!? Alice yelled out as her doll zoomed towards the giant fox and used its lance to stab Ran's snout. The sharp pain made the fox pull its head back and snort in irritation from the tiny pricking of the doll.
?Hey~! You saved me! Thanks ze~!? Aoko said to Alice in honest gratitude.
?Wha--no! The half-ghost was about to be eaten to so I had to save her! Saving you was just an effect of that action!!!? Alice emphatically denied Aoko's claim, her cheeks were bright red.
?You know...now that I actually see it for myself. You're actually cuter this way ze~? Aoko commented as she pondered between the canonical depiction of Alice as a cold and loathsome person as opposed to the fan depiction of her as being prone to embarrassment by Marisa and generally a Tsundere. Needless to say, the statement made Alice blush even more.
?Y-you!!!? Alice yelled at Aoko, she was ready to slap her with the grimoire she wanted to steal so much when Letty ran up to them.
?Save the lover's quarrel for later you two.? Letty stated as she looked up to the fox that was now glaring at them.
?Lo-lo-lo-lo-!!!? Alice stuttered as she looked at Letty who just ignored her and swept her right hand upwards. A large pillar of ice rose up from the ground and hit Ran on her lower jaw, making her head recoil upwards.
?Cirno!? Letty yelled out for her charge.
?CIRNO SMAAAASH!? Cirno yelled out her war cry as she dived towards the fox, Glacier Smasher in hand. She swung it down right at Ran's head but...
?ENOUGH!? Ran roared as she caught the mallet in her jaws and crushed it in one bite.
?Aaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!? Cirno screamed as she was blasted away by the force of Ran's bite.
?Cirno!? Alice yelled out as she saw the ice fairy sailing through the air and towards the forest of cherry blossom trees.
?Hey Letty! Can't you match up to her? You have the entire winter on your side right ze~?? Aoko asked in increasing worry.
?I'm sorry. I need to be in Gensokyo to be able to draw on the power of winter. I am in my default power in the netherworld. Sadly, I don't think it will be enough to defeat this beast.? Letty said as she shook her head.
?So that's it huh ze~?? Aoko said as she knelt down next to the unconscious gardener.
?No way...so we can't do anything anymore?? Alice said as she stared up at the giant fox who was coughing out the ice that she bit through. Alice unconsciously held onto Aoko's shoulder and the other girl felt her hand trembling.
?We can't...but Tama still can ze~.? Aoko said as she up her hand on Alice's. The puppeteer finally noticed where her hand was and quickly pulled it away, her face completely red.
?Don't worry, you can yell at me all you want afterwards ze~? Aoko joked. Alice simply pouted and turned away.
?TIME TO END THIS FARCE!? Ran roared as she crouched down, getting ready to attack Aoko and the others.
?I agree!!!? Tama's voice could be heard coming from the direction of the Saigyou Ayakashi.
?Well what do you know ze~?? Aoko said in relief.
?
?Yuyuko!? I called out to the girl who was the source of the bright light.
She had maroon eyes and short wavy pink hair. She was also surrounded by several small formless ghosts, one carrying a cherry blossom twig. She was wearing a light blue and white kimono with dark blue trim with a cherry blossom motif. She was also wearing a blue mop hat with a red ghost insignia on the front.
Wait...that's the logo for the Sega Dreamcast isn't it? I thought as I stared at Yuyuko's hat.
?Wha...what happened?? Yuyuko groggily said as she held her head. I guess she was still disoriented.
?A lot of things. Right now, we have problems.? I said as I walked up to her. The ghost girl looked at me and blinked a few times.
?Oh...a Miko~! That's rare. What happened to your sleeves?? Yuyuko asked as she pointed at my exposed armpits.
?Let's not talk about that right now. We have more immediate problems.? I said flatly.
?Problems? Like what?? Yuyuko asked me. She seriously asked me.
?Like that...? I pointed to the blooming Saigyou Ayakashi, Yuyuko's gaze following my finger.
?...and that.? I then pointed to the giant nine-tailed fox in the distance.
?Oh dear...so that wasn't a dream then?? Yuyuko asked as she tilted her head and put her right index finger to her lips.
?If you meant everything that happened to you when you were in that crystal ball...then no. Youmu's currently completely spent trying to get you back! She's had to fight so much and get hurt so much tha--? My heated explanation was halted when Yuyuko walked towards me and put her finger on my lips.
?I know...I know what that girl would go through for me, especially after what happened to Yukari.? Yuyuko said as she put her hand down.
?And if that dream is true. I also know everything you have done for us as well, even though you are not from here. I thank you for risking your life for us.? Yuyuko said while bowing to me.
?No! Don't bow to me...I was just...doing what I thought was right I guess. If you want to thank anyone, thank Youmu.? I said and Yuyuko nodded in agreement.
?That I shall. But for now...as you say, we have pressing matters to attend to.? Yuyuko said as she looked at Ran.
?Yeah...a few others are holding her at bay but we need your help on this.? I said.
?Of course. I will do what I can to help the little heroine.? Yuyuko said with a smile. Three cards then shot out of my pocket and onto my right hand. They were Yuyuko's cards. I turned them over and they showed a cherry blossom flower as the logo.
?Okay! Let's not waste any time!? I declared as I opened my buckle and put a card in while moving behind Yuyuko.
FINAL FORM RIDE!
?Oh dear! Was that you?? Yuyuko asked flustered at my belt's declaration.
?No Yuyuko...that wasn't me. Now this will tickle a bit.? I replied, a bit irritated that she would even think that would be my voice. I sighed before closing the handles.
YU-YU-YUYUKO!
?Yes! That's me~!? Yuyuko said before I put my hand on her back. The ghost princess yelped in surprise before floating up and getting consumed in light. What came out of it was something as inexplicable as Kaguya's final form.
?A giant fan huh?? I said as I scratched the back of my head while staring at it. It was a very beautiful fan to say the least. The design looked like an ancient Japanese painting. The left side had a royal carriage drawn on it while the right side had cherry blossom flowers on it. The background was a pair of large clouds and everything had a pink/purple tint to it.
?Oh dear~! This is a strange feeling!? Yuyuko exclaimed as the open fan wiggled a bit in the air. My attention was suddenly caught by the sound of something shattering. I looked in the direction of the noise and saw Cirno's ice mallet chomped to pieces by Ran, with Cirno getting sent into the forest of cherry blossoms.
?Cirno! Yuyuko! We have to stop Ran! Now!? I yelled at the fan next to me. Yes, I was aware at how crazy that sounded just now.
?Yes, well hop on then.? Yuyuko said as she lowered her fan self in front of me.
?Hop...on?? I asked.
?Yes. Now hurry!? Yuyuko urged me further so I jumped on her and crouched down.
?Ready!? I said and Yuyuko started to ascend to the sky.
?Hang on!? Yuyuko said as we zoomed towards the giant fox. I pulled out Reimu's final attack card. I opened the buckle and put the card in.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
?Oh! There it is again!? Yuyuko wiggled a bit after hearing my belt.
?Just ignore it. Anyway, can you crash into her?? I asked her.
?Of course!? Yuyuko eagerly replied.
?Go for it then!? I said as I readied to close the handles.
?TIME TO END THIS FARCE!? I heard Ran roar as she prepared to finish everyone off.
?I agree!!!? I yelled before closing the handles.
RE-RE-REIMU!
I jumped off Yuyuko as the multi-colored orbs appeared and fused to my right foot. I dive kicked towards Ran while Yuyuko accelerated towards the fox, the edge of the fan getting covered with pink energy.
?IMPOSSIBLE!? Was all Ran could say as Yuyuko and I hit her on the side at the same time. A huge explosion followed our impact and it felled the beast before us.
?GAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH---!!!? Ran roared in pain as she fell to her side, crushing cherry blossom trees in the process.
?Everyone okay?!? I yelled out as I landed in front of the others, Yuyuko floating behind me.
?Yes. Thank you Tama.? Alice said in gratitude.
?That was beautifully done dear~? Letty said as she clapped her hand.
?I hope you didn't expect it to be that easy ze~? Aoko said as she looked to the fallen fox behind me.
?Of course I know that.? I said as I took out Yuyuko's yellow card. Aoko was proven right when the beast got back up. It struggled to its feet but...it was up.
?Yuyuko! We need to end this!? I said as I put the last card in.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
?Yes. This will end it once and for all...? Yuyuko solemnly said. I nodded and closed the handles.
YU-YU-YUYUKO!
Yuyuko floated towards me and offered the fan's handle to me. I took it with both hands and it started to glow brighter than before. Ran shook her head to get her bearings back and growled at us.
?I...WILL NEVER...BE...SUBJUGATED!? Ran roared at us.
?No one ever tried to. Even Yukari. All she wanted...was a companion like you.? Yuyuko said sadly. We all remained silent as I wound my arms back along with the fan, ready to unleash Yuyuko's fury.
?YOU...LIE!? Ran roared as she darted at us. I was faster though. I swung the fan at Ran and a massive wave of pink energy blasted towards Ran. The surrounding cherry blossoms were picked up by the wave and it looked like the nine-tailed fox was being consumed by an all powerful tsunami of flowers.
?
?Ngh!? Youmu opened her eyes, greeted with the face of her beloved mistress.
?Yuyuko...sama...? She weakly said. Her head rested on Yuyuko's lap and the ghost princess was stroking her hair.
?Good morning Youmu. How do you feel?? Yuyuko asked her servant.
?Better...now that you have returned...? Youmu replied with a tired smile.
?That's nice. You can go back to sleep if you want. I'm fine like this.? Yuyuko fondly said as she continued to stroke Youmu's hair.
?Yes...I think...I will rest a bit more...? Youmu said before closing her eyes and going back to sleep. Yuyuko leaned forward and kissed the young girl on the forehead after she went back to sleep.
?Thank you my dear Youmu...?
?
?That was faaaar more stressful than I had ever imagined...? Alice said as she tiredly walked alongside us. The Prismrivers got better and saw us out of the netherworld before closing up the gate. Yuyuko said that Ran's soul has already crossed over and is awaiting judgement. Gensokyo was still covered with snow but Yuyuko said that it will recover quickly as she releases the essence of spring back from within the Saigyou Ayakashi.
?But it was really fun! I can't wait to tell Yuka about this!? Cirno happily said as she floated above us.
?She would probably just get angry at you for not telling her about such a fun battle~? Letty jokingly said.
?Fun? Are you kidding? I lost my new dolls and that thief ran away the second she got the chance to!? Alice grumbled.
?Oh? Miss me already ze~?? Aoko came out from behind a tree.
?Aoko!? I called out to her. Alice called Shanghai to guard her front but Aoko put both her hands up, showing that she didn't have her gun in her hand. She was still in Marisa's form though. I guess she just likes being Marisa.
?And what do you want, thief?? Alice said as she made Shanghai back off.
?I'm just here to apologize for everything. I took out a whole bunch of your dolls and I kinda feel bad about it.? Marisa said while scratching her head through her cowboy hat, unable to look at Alice in the eye.
?Well...you will certainly need to compensate me for it. Those dolls were expensive and difficult to make.? Alice said while facing away from Aoko. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that she was blushing.
?Don't worry, you can have this thing I picked up as compensation.? Aoko said as she walked up to Alice while fiddling around with a pouch on her belt. She then quickly grabbed Alice and did something I never thought possible. She kissed her...
?Mmmhhphhh!!!? Alice tried to get away but Aoko pulled away from her and jumped back.
?A stolen kiss is better than nothing ze~? Aoko said as a gray curtain appeared behind her.
?Aaaaaaaaahhhhh!!! SHANGHAI!!!!? Alice screamed out in rage and embarrassment, her face completely red. The doll darted at Aoko but she quickly backed up into the gray curtain and disappeared.
?That...that...that...THAT THIEVING WITCH!!!!? Alice was beside herself with anger after what Aoko did. I am reminded of that really annoying song I heard once about Marisa stealing something from Alice. My thoughts were halted as I felt the scroll in my pocket become warm.
?I guess it's time to move on.? I said as I pulled out the scroll.
?Move on?? Cirno asked as she looked at the scroll.
?I see...then this is farewell then.? Letty said and I nodded to her.
?If you ever see that witch again...destroy her! Utterly destroy her you hear me!!!? Alice yelled while shaking my shoulders.
?Okay! Okay! Just let me go already!? I yelled out before Alice finally relented.
?Well...it's been fun everyone...? I said while looking at my three new friends.
?Take care Tama.? Letty calmly said.
?Make sure to make that witch pay for what she did to me...? Alice grumbled.
?Remember! If you can't hit anyone with bullets! Smash them!? Cirno dispensed her words of wisdom.
?Yeah...see you guys...? I said before finally opening up the scroll and to the next world.
?
?What...the...hell?? I was flabbergasted at what I was seeing. It was something like the ruins of a grand ancient city from Rome or Egypt. The problem was...it looked like it was turned into ruins a few minutes ago. There were fires everywhere and solid stone buildings were crumbling like wet crackers.
?Ugh!? I turned to the struggling voice. I saw a girl that was trapped under some rubble. I somehow got her out of it after a few minutes. It was weird but I was wearing clothes that looked like they're from ancient Greece, or so movies have shown me. I lifted the girl up and finally got a good look at her as she opened her eyes.
She had dark red eyes and long blue hair. She was wearing a white shirt with a blue skirt and blue shoes. She also had an apron on her dress. There was a black hat decorated with peaches next to her.
?Hey! Are you okay?!? I asked the girl who weakly grabbed me.
?We must...protect...the Hisou...sword...? The girl said before passing out again.
?Hey! Don't pass out on me!? I yelled at her. I then looked up after I heard the sky rumbling.
?The clouds...they're...red...? I said in astonishment. This wasn't a mist like in Embodiment of Scarlet Devil. The clouds themselves are completely red.
?I have a bad feeling about this...? I said as the scarlet sky continued to grumble.
...
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I almost feared that the series had been cancelled, and then you come and slap me in the face with a three-post update. You sir, are MADE of awesome.
-
Hooray! A new chapter! I had to get this out before Etrian Odyssey III is released because that game will distract me to no end, I'm sure of it!
...
?Oohh...jeez...? I cringed as heard the buildings around us collapse. Whoever or whatever did this wasn't very nice, but it was thorough. I wasn't sure where in Gensokyo I was or which world this was supposed to be but...
?No use staying here any longer.? I said as I checked on the unconscious blue-haired girl next to me. She was saying something about protecting some sword. I hope she can explain it in detail later. Right now, we have to leave in case whatever caused this catastrophe decides to come back and check for survivors.
?Hey! Wake up! We have to get out of here! He~y!? I yelled out while shaking her shoulders. Nothing. I tried pulling her up to carry her but I wasn't nearly strong enough to do so plus she was taller that I was.
?Well I can't leave her here...so...? I decided to transform into Reimu and get her out of here. I put on my buckle and put Reimu's card in.
TOUHOU RIDE!
?Who's there?!? I heard someone yell out from behind the corner of a building. I wasn't able to close the handles on my buckle when I saw who it was.
She had red eyes and short blue-ish purple hair. She was wearing a white and red shirt, a long black skirt, and a hat with a red bow and two long ribbons extending out. She had a white and red shawl entwined along her arms and blouse. Both her shawl and her shirt gave a soft scarlet glow.
?Who are yo?I see...? The purple haired girl looks at me and the unconscious girl near me.
?Oh, thank goodness. I needed some help to get her out of here. Can you give me a hand? Umm...miss...? I asked the girl for help and her name. I only remember her and the unconscious blue haired girl from my dream. They were the ones who rode that giant rock along with Youmu during that massive battle but I didn't know their names.
?Iku...Nagae Iku...? The girl stated her name with a cold voice as she narrowed her eyes at us.
?Uhh...is something wrong miss Iku?? I asked her. A tiny nagging voice at the back of my head keeps saying that I should have a bad feeling about this. Is this some sort of natural intuition to danger I've developed over the course of my journey?
Or am I just being paranoid? I thought as I debated over closing the handles and facing Iku as Reimu or trying to talk it over with her, at the risk of getting attacked by the girl in front of me.
Biri~biri~ I heard crackling of electricity coming from Iku, her glare at me answering my previous question.
?Can we talk this over?? I gave out my last ditch plea.
Biri~biri~ Iku responded with more electricity, I could see sparks arcing from her body to the ground.
?A demon who is destined to destroy our world, sporting a strange talking belt that allows her to take the forms of powerful youkai. The messenger of the gods was not mistaken.? Iku said as she lowered her stance. I cringed when I heard her say that, it looked like Sanae had already been here.
?And to see her trying to aid the treacherous First Daughter...I should have taken her warning more seriously. However....? Like lightning, Iku launched herself at me the after she spoke. Good news was that I was able to close the handles of my buckle before she got to me.
HAKUREI REIMU!
?Ghaaaaaaaahh!!? Bad news was that transforming was the only thing I was able to do before she got to me and delivered an electrified palm strike to my sternum. I was sent flying back and I landed near the blue haired girl.
?Why do I keep getting beat up so soon whenever I arrive in a new world!?? I grumbled as I got up. It was a bit of a struggle since I felt completely numb after taking a shock right in the center of my body. I bet my heart would have stopped from the electricity if I hadn't transformed.
?...so you even steal the guise of a maiden of the gods? You truly have no shame, demon!? Iku said as she prepared to attack me again. I could barely move...well, I can move, I just can't perceive my movements well because my body is so numb.
?Demon huh? Let me guess, you think I was the one that did all this huh?? I asked Iku while summoning my gohei. I had to look at my hand to confirm that I was holding it since I can't feel it in my hand. Getting electrified was more troublesome than I thought.
?Nonsense! It was clear that the First Daughter conspired with the Border Youkai to steal the Hisou Sword and attack Bhava-Agra!? Iku said before removing her shawl and wrapping part of it around her left hand while letting rest drop down to the ground. The shawl crackled with electricity as Iku held it. I didn't like the looks of it so I considered transforming into Remilia or Utsuho to counter her weapon.
Wait...aren't flying types weak against electricity? I thought for a moment. Iku used my brief lapse in concentration to strike as she flicked her shawl at me like a whip. The attack was as fast as lightning and the shawl completely straightened out but was short by a few inches from reaching me. Those few inches weren't enough to stop the lightning bolt that came out of the end though.
?Ugh!? I grunted as I was sent flying back yet again. I was flung back a good ways away but I managed to stay conscious. I got back to my feet and noticed that the electricity wasn't bothering me as much as before. I looked at where Iku was and saw her standing in front of that unconscious girl. It was pretty obvious what she was planning to do as she charged up more electricity into her shawl.
?Stop!? I yelled out as I shot needles at Iku. She used her electrified shawl to block my attack but I kept firing while advancing towards her. Iku kept defending, confident that my needles can't get through her shawl.
?If this is all you have, then that other miko was overestimating your power, demon.? Iku mocked confidently as the sparks from her shawl stopped my needles in mid-air, making them drop harmlessly on the ground.
I wonder if it can take something a bit bigger? I thought as I picked up a piece of rubble, around the size of a basketball, and hurled it at the purple-haired girl. She gasped before sidestepping the rock I threw at her, making her nearly trip over the debris at her feet.
?Kch! Barbarian! You threw a rock at me!? Iku was outraged and just gave me a new title. I let the insult slide as I used her confusion to dash in close and do a backhand swing my gohei to the right side of her head. Iku managed to pull her head back far enough to avoid the hit, the gohei nearly grazed her nose though. I used the momentum of the follow through to deliver a left straight to her face. She barely managed to block the punch with her arm.
?Not yet!? I yelled as I kept up my attack. Iku was quickly wearing out from a combination of gohei strikes and punches. I switched around the gohei between my hands to keep Iku from reading my movements. I guess she was more suited for mid-ranged combat since this has been the easiest close-range fight I ever had. Maybe getting beaten up by so many great fighters gave me a better combat sense...
Or are these Reimu's movements again? I thought as I remembered how easily I fought against the random Youkai in the Komeji Shrine in Subterranean Animism. The sensation of someone else's movements flowing through my body wasn't as strong as that time but it was still an uncomfortable experience. I wasn't even sure what triggers those moments since I still get beaten up a lot anyway.
?Pesky demon!? Iku cursed at me as she blocked my gohei with her shawl before trying to jump back to get some distance between us. I was about to fire some needles at her when a burst of star-shaped bullets hit her on the side, making her fall over.
?Bull's eye ze~!? I was wondering where she was...
?Who in blazes?!? Iku struggled back to her feet and glared at Aoko who was transformed into Marisa.
?Just an ordinary magician, Miss Oarfish ze~? Aoko responded while taking off her hat and bowing like a gentleman before walking up to me, putting her hat back on in the process.
?So, what have you been up to ze~?? Aoko asks me in a friendly tone. I respond by slapping her with my left hand. She looks back at me with a look of complete disbelief with only the word...
?...Why?...ze~?
?Alice...? I responded.
?Aaaahhh...? She immediately understood the meaning behind my sudden act of aggression and turned back to Iku.
?So...what's the deal here ze~?? Aoko asks while rubbing her reddened cheek and looking at Iku who was slowly backing away..
?So...the demon has allies huh? I will need to rethink my strategy...? Iku muttered before jumping back and running away.
?We're not allies!? I yelled after her. I turned to Aoko and saw that she was pouting at me.
?Well, we're not...? I plainly said. I wasn't just going to forget what she did in Imperishable Night and her wanton need to steal things in the different worlds. Sounds of movement and groaning pulled me out of my thoughts. I turned back to the blue haired girl who was sitting up while clutching her head in pain.
?Hey, it's Tenshi ze~? Aoko said, still rubbing her cheek.
?Tenshi?? I asked for clarification.
?You know...Hinanai Tenshi ze~?? Aoko answered, trying to get me realize who the blue-haired girl was. I nodded a few times before shaking my head a few more times. This made Aoko give a very audible sigh.
?Eldest daughter of the governing celestial house in heaven? Mooched the weather-controlling Hisou Sword? Smashed the Hakurei Shrine with an earthquake for kicks? Was the cause of the whole Scarlet Weather Rhapsody incident ze~?? Aoko said a bunch of seemingly disjointed things, trying to clue me in on who this Tenshi person was.
?Scarlet what now? Is she related to Remilia and Flandre?? My uneducated response earned me a facepalm from Aoko.
?You really have no background knowledge about Touhou, do you ze~?? Marisa deadpanned.
?Nice of you to notice...? I shot back.
?I'm starting to wonder again why you become Reimu...ze~?? Marisa grumbled before walking off to check up on Tenshi.
?It's not like I intended to become her...? I grumbled back before doing the same. We walked up to Tenshi who still didn't feel like getting up even after our banter. She looked up at us, obviously confused as to what had transpired while she was knocked out.
?Who...are...? Tenshi said while shaking her head, she looked like she was still only half-conscious.
?Clueless Miko...Ordinary Magician.?
?Thieving Witch...Miko Passing Through.? Aoko and I said at the same time while pointing at each other then to ourselves.
??Hey!?? We yelled at each other at the same time after we heard what the other said.
?Wha?what?? Tenshi asked before picking up her hat and standing up.
?Tama...? I pointed at myself.
?...Aoko...? I pointed at Aoko.
?...and...Tenshi...right?? I asked while pointing at her, Tenshi nodded in response.
?Yes, I am she. Where am I?? She asked before gasping when she took a look at her surroundings.
?Bhava-Agra, or what's left of it anyway.? Aoko said in a surprisingly somber voice.
?No...? Tenshi quietly said as she dropped to her knees and started crying. Aoko looked away while scratching the back of her head. It looked like she didn't like seeing that kind of thing. I approached Tenshi and got down to one knee.
?What happened?? I asked her straight. She looked at me for a moment, dumbfounded. Then her eyes widened and she quickly stood up.
?I...need to go. My family...the Hisou Sword. I have to tell them.? She said before trying to leave. I grabbed her hand before she could go and pulled her back.
?Wait! Someone named Iku attacked us earlier! She said that you had something to do with this!? I said to the panicking girl.
?No! Iku...attacked you?? She asked, as if pleading that it was a mistake.
?Yeah, she did. She said that you and the border youkai were the cause of this disaster.? I repeated Iku's words.
?No! She can't! There's no way that she could have!? Tenshi screamed as she pulled her hand free, she was a lot stronger than I thought, before running away.
?Hey! What if someone else...attacks...you...she's gone.? I said, failing to reason with Tenshi before she could leave.
?So Yukari stole it this time huh? This is gonna be tough then.? Aoko muttered to herself.
?Yukari? As in Yakumo Yukari?? I asked in surprise.
?Yeah, freaky huh? She's supposed to be dead in the previous world but she's alive and well in this one. In any case, I'd better come up with something else then.? Aoko said before casually walking away.
?Something else? To stop Yukari?? I asked for clarification, hoping that she'd work with me this time instead of acting on her own agenda.
?What? No way. I wanted to steal the Hisou Sword, if at all possible.? Aoko honestly said with a smile before running away herself.
?Damn thief...? I said before sighing. Here I was, in a new Gensokyo. Starting out like I always do, alone and confused.
?
I managed to walk all the way to the outskirts of the ruined city. My transformation wore off on the way so I was getting tired. I decided to take a break at the top of a grassy hill I found and try to sort things out. I sat down and took in the sight before me. It was like the a scene in some disaster movie. Only, it really happened this time. Strangely, I never found anyone else as I walked through the city, other than Tenshi, Aoko and Iku. The recently ruined city was devoid of anyone, living, injured, or dead.
?I'll worry about that later.? I said to myself as I sat down on the cool grass and took Akyu's scroll out. It was early morning so it was still a bit cold. I shrugged off the minor discomfort and opened the scroll.
?Scarlet Weather Rhapsody.? Said the title at the top of the scroll, making me look up at the foreboding red clouds above the ruined city of Bhava-Agra, appropriate. I shook my head and started reading up on what this whole mess was supposed to be about.
The celestial, Hinanai Tenshi, found her life in heaven insanely boring and monotonous. Apparently, there was nothing to do up there except hang around and have feasts all the time. Nothing really exciting or productive in Tenshi's eyes. From above the clouds, she enviously witnessed the youkai of Gensokyo stirring up many interesting incidents, much to the chagrin of a certain miko. It all seemed like a fun thing to do down there, start up an incident and do battle with a bunch of powerful youkai and the red-white shrine maiden. So, wielding the power to control the earth and the divine Sword of Hisou, the jaded celestial decided to instigate a catastrophe of her own.
?So that's what Aoko was talking about, that Tenshi was the cause of Scarlet Weather Rhapsody.? I muttered as I remembered what she told me earlier.
It was then that a bizarre phenomenon started occurring in Gensokyo. In the middle of summer, untimely rain and hail storms fell upon the Forest of Magic, deep snow blanketed Hakugyokurou, the Scarlet Devil Mansion was enveloped in a cloudy, dense haze, and the Hakurei Shrine was leveled by a sudden earthquake. Throughout the incident, Reimu and other protagonists set out to investigate the source of the strange occurrences.
?Other protagonists?? I asked to no one in particular. I wondered if this was like what happened in Phantasmagoria of Flower View where a bunch of people tried to get to the bottom of that incident...by beating the crap out of each other. I read on and found that...I was entirely correct. A surprisingly large and varied cast of Gensokyo's finest tried to find the cause of the incident but it mostly turned into a brawl whenever they encountered any of the other protagonists.
Reimu and Marisa being involved was a given. Sakuya, Youmu and Alice also got into the fray as they tried to get rid of the freaky weather that was pestering their homes. After that, the list becomes...intimidating. Remilia, Aya, Komachi, Yukari, Yuyuko, there were a lot of seriously strong youkai gunning for whoever caused this mess. The thing was, instead of working together to solve the problem, everyone just fought each other until the last one standing finally faced off against Tenshi.
I read a bit more and found that some of the heroines end up fighting Iku before Tenshi. She was sent to Gensokyo as a messenger of the dragons to warn the residents about Tenshi and to stop the celestial from causing any more harm. Needless to say, it didn't pan out as well as she had planned.
?Fight...huh?? I repeated the word. It seemed that everyone really fought with each other instead of doing danmaku exhibitions. Obviously, no one was really fighting seriously. If they did, no one would be walking away when they lost.
?Since Tenshi was the cause of the original incident, I guess she's the one I'm supposed to help in this world.? I said to myself as I recalled the usual flow of my journey from the previous worlds.
?Reimu, Marisa, Tenshi, Iku, Yukari...? I said the names of those who were involved in the original events that I have encountered. There will obviously be differences from the intended events but I wondered if I was going to encounter anyone else in this Gensokyo.
Sanae is also in this world, so I have to watch out for her too. I reminded myself of the other miko as I stood up. I looked around to see if I could find any leads to what to do next. I noticed a particularly important looking stone building in the distance that wasn't damaged at all. It was situated on a cliff and looked like a Greek temple of worship from some movie. Just as I was thinking of going there to check it out, a red lightning bolt struck the building...it just had to happen huh?
?Well, a lead is a lead.? I muttered as I put on my buckle and put Reimu's card in.
TOUHOU RIDE!
?I wonder what it is this time...? I said to myself before closing the handles and setting out to the temple-like structure.
?
I have to say, using Reimu's Flying Miko attack card was a lot more convenient than having to transform into someone else that could fly naturally like Remilia. I wasn't flying as fast as I was when transformed into the Scarlet Devil or the Hell Raven but it was really comfortable at least. It also opened up the option for me to transform into someone else or use one of Reimu's attack cards while in the air, should the need arise. I also noted the breezy feeling in my blouse as the wind got in the gap made by my detached sleeves an--
?This isn't the time to think about that!? I yelled as I shook my head. I was getting close when two more red lightning bolts struck at the temple (assumed).
And they said that lightning never struck in the same place twice. I thought as I closed in. I had a tiny voice at the back of my head nagging at me to slow down and lay low. I assumed that this was Reimu's famed 'intuition' kicking in again so I decided to do what it says. I landed a bit further away from the temple than I'd like but it was better then getting shot down by whatever was slinging around those lightning bolts.
?Now then...? I started to slowly make my way to the temple, making use of whatever scattered rubble that were large enough for me to use as cover. I took out Yuyuko's Touhou Ride card in case this turns into a straight up power game.
I peered at the entrance of the temple from behind a fallen pillar a fair distance away. There, I saw Tenshi on one knee. She was seemingly losing to someone holding a longsword that was glowing red. Tenshi was facing away from me since the one she was fighting was standing on the stone steps that lead up to the temple entrance. That gave me a clear view of who that other person was.
She had endlessly deep and beautiful dark golden eyes, beautiful fair skin and beautifully long wavy blond hair. She was holding the red sword in her right hand while her left hand was holding an open pink parasol. She was wearing a pink and purple dress and had a pink mob cap with a thin red ribbon tied in the front. Red ribbons could also be found liberally, but stylishly, displaced on her dress.
?Whoa...? I said as I admired the woman in front of Tenshi. It was Yakumo Yukari, the border youkai. She was Ran's mistress, Yuyuko's best friend, and easily one of the strongest denizens of Gensokyo. But wow...and here I thought Kaguya was beautiful. The border youkai brought along something completely different from the princess of the moon. While Kaguya held a certain kind of 'Cute Elegant Beauty' to her, Yukari was entirely more of an 'Overwhelmingly Intimidating Beauty'. She's the kind you'd be too scared to approach if you were a man, and probably even if you were a woman, because she seemed so perfect. It takes a lot to get a woman to admit that another woman is very beautiful because of her own pride, so it says a lot about Yukari when I admit it the second I saw her.
I shook my head to get myself focused again. The sword she was holding looked way out of place with the way she looks and carries herself so it seemed that this was the Hisou Sword that Tenshi and Akyu's scroll were talking about.
?So she really did take it...? I muttered as I opened up my buckle to make it easier to use the card in my left hand. I laid low for now to see where this little encounter of theirs goes.
...
?Why are you doing this?! This wasn't supposed to happen!? Tenshi yelled out to Yukari.
?.............? The border youkai gave no reply, she simply smiled warmly at the celestial. Yukari turned away and started to climb to the top of the staircase leading to the temple entrance.
?Yukari...? Tenshi called out once again to the ascending woman as she tried, and failed, to get back to her feet.
?This is your life. Decide for yourself, here and now. If you want to protect everything with your own hands, then do so. If you want to abandon everything and forget, then do so. What do you yourself want to do right now?? Yukari said as she turned back to Tenshi, her previous smile giving way to a cold hard glare.
?Rejoice, Hinanai Tenshi! You will finally have a chance to enact your greatest desire! The one wish you have sought for, after the countless stagnant years of living in heaven! The one dream that you confided with me so many times!? The sword started to glow brighter as Yukari raised it up, pointing it to the sky.
?You finally get to play 'hero'...? Yukari coldly said before countless lightning bolts struck the temple one after another. Thunder echoed in staccato because of the numerous lightning strikes, like a roaring beast of destruction. It didn't take long before the temple crumbled like everything else in the central city of heaven.
?Stop...stop...no more...please...? Tenshi pleaded to Yukari as she unsteadily stood back up.
?What's wrong little Tenshi? The grand city of Bhava-Agra, the center of heaven itself, is in terrible danger...? Yukari said in a very convincingly worried voice as she slowly made her way down the steps toward Tenshi, leaving the smoldering ruins of the stone temple behind her.
?...countless celestials are suffering...? She continued with that same voice.
?...a terrible villain has stolen heaven's treasured Hisou Sword and is using it to reap destruction...? She got to the bottom of the stairs and approached Tenshi.
?...and only YOU can stop her.? Yukari whispered in her ear.
?NO!? Tenshi screamed as she tried to push Yukari away. But the border youkai wasn't about let the 'hero' get the 'villain' this easily. A ripping sound could be heard and Tenshi's hands that were intending to push Yukari away were drawn into a 'gap'. The gap looked like someone took a knife and cut a line in the middle of space and pulled it apart. The ends were held together with red ribbons as countless eyes peered from within the purple emptiness on the other side. An identical gap appeared behind Tenshi and her missing hands came out of it. The entire motion resulted with Tenshi 'pushing herself in the back'.
?Aahh!? The surprised celestial could only stumble forward and yelp as she experienced the strange sensation of pushing herself in the back. She pulled her hands back in reflex and stared at them, unsure of what just happened. All she could do was look at Yukari in fear and shock as the blonde woman once again raised the sword in her hand.
?A 'hero' is nothing more than a convenient farce. A 'hero' sacrifices its own being for the sake of the faceless masses. A 'hero' requires someone or something to make innocents suffer in order to give it purpose.? Yukari said as the Hisou Sword started to glow in a deeper shade of red.
?A defective existence! Doomed to save everyone except the ones it truly holds dear. Doomed to carry the sins and guilt of all it does and witnesses. Forever haunted by the words 'Please save me'. A 'hero' is a a tool to be used, discarded, and forgotten. That is the truth behind the 'hero' you want to be Hinanai Tenshi. It requires the hero itself. The villain to defeat. Most importantly, the innocent. The suffering. The dying. And the dead innocents. Now the question becomes, can you save anyone at all?? Yukari asked as she swung the sword down at Tenshi's defenseless head. All Tenshi could do was close her eyes and wait for the end.
Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank! Tenshi opened her eyes because of the strange sound. She sees Yukari using the Hisou Sword to deflect...needles?
TOUHOU RIDE!
?
?Tenshi!? I yelled out as I jumped over the fallen pillar I was using for cover. I fired needles at Yukari to stop her from killing Tenshi and it worked.
All that's left is to see how well I match up against the border youkai. I thought as I closed the handles of my buckle while running towards Yukari.
SAIGYOUJI YUYUKO!
Just like the first time I transformed into her, a tornado of cherry blossoms enveloped me before dispersing to reveal my latest transformation. As soon as I finished my transformation, I continued to run at Yukari and prepared to pull out one of Yuyuko's attack ca--
?Yaah!? I yelled as I tripped over Yuyuko's loose kimono and fell face first on the ground.
?Oww...? I said as I got back up, Yuyuko's hat falling off my head in the process. I wasn't really worried about that right now though.
?How the hell does she fight while wearing this!?? I said to myself while covering my nose and mouth with my right hand. I looked at Tenshi, who was staring at me with her mouth agape as if I grew out a second head. Yukari on the other hand looked...shocked. Her eyes were widened, her lips were trembling, she dropped the umbrella that she was holding in her left hand, and she was slowly backing away. All in all, it looked like she had seen a ghost...which is ironic if you've been paying attention.
?You should get away from her Tenshi...? I said as I got myself together. My mobility is completely compromised because of what I'm wearing but I should still be able to fight Yukari to a degree like this. After all, Yuyuko is supposed to be someone on par with Yukari in terms of power.
?Why?? Yukari finally spoke and she didn't look happy. Her previous expression of shock had changed to one of pained anger. The Hisou Sword was trembling in her hand as it slowly started glowing red again.
?Why? Why her?? Yukari muttered as her expression smoothly darkened. I immediately felt that something was off. I was proven right when I could faintly hear a lot of tearing sounds.
?Above you!? Tenshi yelled to me while pointing to something above me. I looked up and saw a large number of Yukari's gaps open up and they were larger than the one she used on Tenshi. From those gaps, debris started pouring down on me like hail. I jumped to the side on instinct and narrowly avoided getting crushed by a piece of stone architecture.
?Huh?? I said in surprise as I just kept moving in the direction I jumped to without my feet touching the ground. I was literally hovering a foot off the ground!
Of course! Yuyuko's a ghost! That's how I can fight as her! I finally figured out the trick to getting around the ghost princess' lack of bipedal mobility. I started to weave around the falling debris, slowly trying to get to where Yukari and Tenshi were. It was like grazing across an endless rain of masonry of varying sizes.
?Why?! WHY DO YOU LOOK LIKE HER?!? Yukari's anger suddenly exploded but it didn't look like she did anything except scream at me--
?The temple!? Tenshi suddenly yelled out. I looked to where the ruined temple was and saw that what was left of it was sinking into the ground.
?I don't like the looks of that...? I said. Sure enough, a very loud ripping sound came from above me as a massive gap appeared. The entire temple suddenly dropped out of the sky directly above me. I had no way to dodge it but...
?I'm a ghost! Yeah...this will work right...? Right?!? I yelled to gather whatever courage I could muster before the stone temple crashed on me.
?
?Ta?Tama?? Tenshi quietly called out to the girl who bravely stood up to the border youkai and was crushed under tons of rubble soon afterward.
?Foolish faker, taking on that face...? Yukari bitterly said as she narrowed her eyes at the temple she just dropped on Tama.
?That...face?? Tenshi said in confusion at what Yukari meant by that. The blond woman merely glared at her for speaking, making the celestial look away.
That's it...it's over...no more hope...no more heroes... Tenshi thought as she grit her teeth and tried to hold back her tears.
ATTACK RIDE!
?Huh?? Tenshi suddenly looked in the direction of the strange voice.
?Tch!? Yukari clicked her tongue when she heard that. The normally calm and calculating youkai was expressing an emotion she very rarely did. Yakumo Yukari...was agitated.
PASSAGE TO THE NETHERWORLD!
At that declaration, a large number of pink energy blobs came out from within the mountain of rubble and headed straight for Yukari. The youkai put her left hand up and formed a barrier akin to Reimu's Duplex Barrier. The difference was that there were four layers instead of two and it looked...rougher.
?Show yourself faker!? Yukari said in a commanding tone as her Quadruple Barrier easily blocked the attack. Then, a ghostly figure phased out from within the rubble.
?
?If you knew how ironic that statement was just now...? I said while hovering out from within the rubble. I was honestly glad that I transformed into Yuyuko when I did. Anyone else, including Reimu, probably would have been flattened by that temple.
Though I wonder if I could have resurrected if I went in as Kaguya? I entertained the thought for a moment before seeing Yukari narrow her eyes at me. Wow, I must really have struck a nerve when I transformed into the ghost princess if she was this upset.
?I have never encountered anyone with the kind of power that you have. Talk! Who are you and why are you here?!? The border youkai said in a powerfully commanding tone like before. I unconsciously hovered backwards a bit because of her presence, the glowing red sword in her hand that can chuck lighting at you didn't help either.
?Well...I'm...you know...aaahhh...? Cat got my tongue for a moment. I wasn't sure why, but the pressure coming from Yukari was different from what I felt against Ran in the previous world when she asked me who I was. Yukari's hate felt a lot more...personal.
?A miko...? I turned to Tenshi to meekly said that.
?Miko?? Yukari repeated, wanting Tenshi to explain further. The celestial meekly nodded before lowering her head.
What the hell? She was the cause of Scarlet Weather Rhapsody? The one who demolished the Hakurei Shrine for shits and giggles? I thought as I looked at the girl cowering in the presence of Yukari. Admittedly, I wasn't expecting this world to go the same way as what the scroll said but...it looks like I won't be getting any help from her anytime soon.
?Yes...she said that...she was a miko...? Tenshi looked straight at me with pleading eyes.
She didn't want to fight Yukari...
?A miko passing through...? Tenshi repeated my words when we first met.
She wanted me to do it instead...
?She came here for...a reason...? Tenshi said the last part with the same pleading eyes before lowering her head again.
She wanted me to play the hero... I thought as I grew irritated at Tenshi. She was the very first one I had to help who didn't want to do anything about what was happening in her world. Remilia, Utsuho, Shikieiki, Kaguya, Yuyuko. All of them stepped up when the chance to change their own worlds for the better appeared before them!
Even those who weren't even supposed to be involved in the main battle showed far more courage than what Tenshi was showing right now! I thought of Sakuya, Satori, Kisume, Medicine, Keine, Cirno, Letty, and Alice.
I'm not even supposed to be doing any of this and I'm fighting!!! I was about ready to give Tenshi a piece of my mind when...
?A miko...passing through eh?? Yukari suddenly broke into a provocative smile, immediately cooling down my head...I didn't like that smile. Yukari suddenly raised the sword in her hand and a red lightning bolt suddenly crashed onto me.
?Aaaaaahhh!!!!!? I screamed as the red bolt hit a foot away from where I was. I may be a ghost in this form but I could still feel the arcing electricity burn my immaterial skin. Yep...I didn't like that smile of her's at all! A few more red bolts came down at me and I was forced backward, into the large pile of debris that Yukari made. I guess being a ghost only helps against physical attacks since those bolts still hurt. I took a mental note about it before phasing back into the temple debris, but not before opening my buckle and taking out another attack card. I put the card in before readying to come back out.
ATTACK RIDE!
?My turn!? I said to whoever might be listening before willing myself forwards, I could feel Yuyuko's hovering get faster and faster. I closed the handles as soon as I came out and charged at where I thought Yukari was. Then a heard a ripping sound...
NETHERWORLD GE--
I never heard the end of my belt's declaration as my vision was suddenly consumed by purple darkness. Then that was all I could see. A pulsing world that looked like flowing blood...and eyes...countless, countless eyes staring at me from everywhere. My senses suddenly disappeared except for my sight.
...
I couldn't feel my limbs!
I couldn't feel myself breathe!
I couldn't hear anything!
I couldn't smell anything!
I tried to scream but I wasn't even sure I even opened my mouth!
The only things that worked were my eyes!
All I could do was see!
I could see!
I could see!
All I could see were those eyes!
Those eyes! Those eyes! Those eyes! Those eyes! Those eyes! Those eyes!
Those countless eyes!
All they did was stare back at me!
I could see them!
I closed my eyes!
I could still see them!!
I know I closed my eyes!
I see them!!!
I closed my eyes dammit!!!!!!
I still see them!!!!
So why?!
I see ALL of them!!!!!!
Why can I still see them?!
WHY ARE THEY STILL STARING AT ME?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
?
?AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!? I screamed out as I suddenly got thrown into a bright light. I was suddenly able to hear myself again! I could feel myself again! I could perceive my surroundings again! Most of all, no more of those freaking eyes stari--
?Whooaaah!!!? I suddenly felt myself tumbling in the air. I could see cobblestones and I was tumbling forwards so I wasn't falling. I finally realized that I was still transformed as Yuyuko. I took a few moments to get myself back upright. I looked at my hands and touched my face and kicked with my feet. Anything to confirm that everything was still there.
Wait! That doesn't make any sense! Yuyuko's--even Reimu's--transformation should have worn off while I was in there! I was in there for so long that I was about to lose my mind! I suddenly came to a realization. I didn't want to admit it...but...
?I...wasn't in there for long...was I?? I asked myself. So far, all of the entrance and exits of Yukari's gaps have been instantaneous. Tenshi's hands, the falling debris, the temple that she dropped on me. All of them reappeared as soon as they disappeared. Which means I was actually in that horrible world for only a few seconds at most! I shook my head to clear my thoughts. As soon as I started to calm down, my transformation finally ended and I was unceremoniously dropped on my butt.
?Oww! Gee...thanks a lot...? I said as I glared at my vanishing buckle. I stood up, looked around, and was...surprised. I was at the Hakurei Shrine...staring right at the dusty old donation box.
?Why am I...why did Yukari...?? I was about to start walking around when I suddenly felt my stomach turn inside out. I vomited nothing but gastric juices since I didn't eat anything since the previous world.
?Ooohh...that's just nasty...? I said as I wiped the drool on my mouth. I took a few deep breaths before sitting down on the donation box.
Well...that could have gone better... I thought as I wiped the tears forming in my eyes.
?What the hell...I'm just a regular girl. Why...why the hell do I have to go through something like that?!? I asked the empty shrine. I couldn't stop my tears from falling anymore.
?Just because you're not here...someone else had to do your job for you...and it just had to be me!? I screamed at the girl that didn't exist in this world.
?It?s ridiculous that someone like me, who couldn't even get into a university, has to save NINE worlds just to save my own!! No matter how you think about it, something must have been wrong!!!? I screamed at the girl who didn't exist in any of the nine worlds.
?Why do I have to do all these things?! If you had just existed, then something like this messed up position wouldn?t have happened! No one would have suffered like they did in any of the previous worlds!!!? I screamed at the girl who should have lived in this shrine. I screamed at all the trials and hardships she would have gone through if she was here...without a choice...without any complaints...without bearing any grudge...
?Just...what...were...you...?? I said as slouched over and covered my face with my hands. This was the first time that I actually felt the full weight of the responsibility that was forced on me. Even the ever unyielding and hard working Yama admitted that this was a very daunting task. Sure, I was clearly...slightly bothered...when she pointed it out, but I never really took her words seriously.
?Remilia Scarlet and Flandre Scarlet...?
Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
?Reiuji Utsuho and Komeji Koishi...?
Subterranean Animism
?Shikieiki Yamaxanadu and Advent Letty Whiterock...?
Phantasmagoria of Flower View
?Houraisan Kaguya and Fujiwara no Mokou...?
Imperishable Night
?Saigyouji Yuyuko and Yakumo Ran...?
Perfect Cherry Blossom
?Five...? I muttered as I recalled the worlds I have already been in. Everything that I have already gone through. Who I had to fight alongside with and who I had to fight against. I chuckled dryly when I realized that I was already more than halfway done already.
?Sure...I was close to dying a bunch of times. But at the back of my head...I just kept saying that it'll work out somehow. That it will always work out...? I said to myself. I was never really scared of anything the other worlds threw at me. It was like I was the heroine in some anime and I was always supposed to win in the end and save the day. The sixth world finally made it painfully obvious that it wasn't necessarily the case. I was going up against the strongest foe I have ever faced, someone who can freely control that terrifying world. What's worse was that the one I was supposed to defeat Yukari together with had no desire to do so. This was the most hopeless case in my whole journey...unless I could somehow get some help...this world will...
I heard footsteps approaching so I weakly looked up. There, I saw someone I didn't really want to see right now.
?Not now...? I said to Aoko before burying my face in my hands again. She was probably the only one who was enjoying this whole mess. Getting to live her fantasy of being in Gensokyo. Becoming Kirisame Marisa, stealing precious things and having shootouts with youkai and whatnot. She would have been the perfect one to have become Reimu.
?So why wasn't it you...?? I muttered. I didn't really care if she heard me or understood what I meant.
?Because Gensokyo thinks that you'd make a better Reimu.? Aoko responded, making me look up. Seemed that she heard me after all. She wasn't transformed into Marisa right now, which was a shock considering the last time I saw her in her normal appearance was back when she introduced herself as Marisa in the previous world. She was wearing a white baseball cap covering her short black hair. She was also wearing a plain blue hoodie, black jeans and black sneakers. Oh, and she's supposed to be a girl too, I guess.
?Please...you're the fan girl. You said it yourself, I don't know anything about Touhou. There was no reason why it should be me sent out on this journey. I don't even know what's happening and what's supposed to happen in these worlds since I never even played any of the games.? I said as I sat up straight and looked away. I could hear Aoko walk closer.
?But you did it anyway. Even though you came in blind, deaf, and dumb...you still managed to save five Gensokyo's already. Besides, you have that scroll thing that gives you the synopsis of the world you're on based on what happened in the games. Like it or not, you're doing a good job so far.? Aoko said before stopping shy of the donation box. At least she had the decency of giving me my personal space.
?So far...? I repeated, remembering what happened earlier. It was just for a few moments in reality, but it felt like a lot longer to me. It was honestly the most horrible experience I have ever had. I was...scared. I was genuinely scared of Yukari and what she can do. Up until now, things either moved so fast that I had no choice but to run along with it or I had someone to guide me through everything.
?Wow...you're really blue screening huh? Whatever happened to you, it was enough for you to start doubting yourself.? Aoko said as she braced her hands at the back of her head.
?Blue screening? Whatever...I don't really care anymore.? I waved off Aoko's strange comment.
?Are you sure? Hey! Hey! Are you sure? Are you really really really sure you don't care~?? Aoko suddenly kept saying as she leaned it really close to my face. I got really uncomfortable fast so I hopped off the donation box and started to walk off.
?Little Tama got gapped and lost her nerve~! It must have been horrible~! All those eyes looking at you~! Losing all you senses~! Losing you mind~! How did it feel~!? Hey~! Hey~! How did it feel~!? Tell me~? Aoko kept badgering me, taunting me about my experience inside one of Yukari's gaps.
?Shut up...? I muttered, my hands turning into fists.
?I refuse. Not until you tell me how much you hated it in there. Not until you tell me how scared you were in there. Not until you tell me why you suddenly felt like giving up after you went in there.? Aoko said in a slightly more serious tone.
?Or else what?? I spat back before continuing on my wa--
Bang!
I stopped walking when I heard Aoko's gun fire. I looked down and saw the cobblestone near my right foot smoldering from the shot.
?Or else I won't be playing good cop anymore...? Aoko responded. I then heard a sharp flicking sound followed by some clicking sounds.
TOUHOU RIDE!
I grit my teeth and summoned my buckle and booklet. I put the buckle on and opened the handles before taking Reimu's card out. It was all done in a smooth motion that I've performed many times before, like second nature now. I turned around to face Aoko before putting Reimu's card in.
TOUHOU RIDE!
?Round two then huh?? I said as I narrowed my eyes at Aoko.
?What are you talking about? We never finished round one. And last time I checked, I was winning...ze~!? Aoko said before pointing her gun to the sky and pulling the trigger while I closed the handles on my buckle at the same time.
KIRISAME MARISA!
HAKUREI REIMU!
I didn't wait for my transformation to finish. I started running toward Aoko, my monochrome copies following me like afterimages before merging with me to complete the transformation. Closing the distance between us was my main priority since she was a ranged fighter and I had to keep her from using any of her summons. I took out my gohei at once, held it with both my hands and jumped up to do an overhead smash on Aoko who was still transforming. It was a good thing that her transformation took longer than mine. This match has already been settled!
?Oh no you don't ze~!? Aoko declared as she held up her left hand. Her transformation phase distorted the space there and I wasn't able to see what she was up to...until I heard my gohei hit something like a bokken, a wooden sword.
?Say hello to an old friend ~ze!? Aoko's transformation finally finished and I saw what blocked my gohei.
Marisa's broom! Alarms rang out in my head as soon as I saw it. Reimu's intuition was screaming at me to get clear of that broom now! Aoko slashed with her make-shift bokken, pushing me back into the air a bit. While I was in the air, I saw the reason why my head kept saying that I should get away from Aoko. She had a red card between the fingers of her left hand, one with a star-shaped logo. Aoko stood her broom up and put the card in her gun. I immediately pulled out a card with my right hand while opening my buckle with my left.
ATTACK RIDE!
?SHORYU~BROOM~KEN~ZE~!?Aoko yelled out as she grabbed her broom with her left hand before pulling the trigger.
RISING COMET!
?Shi-!? I didn't even get to finish as the broom immediately glowed white. I put the card in as fast as I could.
ATTACK RIDE!
?Too slow ze~!? Aoko said as she did an uppercut motion with her broom and it was launched with an incredible amount of speed and power. I was about to get hit when I finally managed to close the handles.
DUPLEX BARRIER!
?Gaaaaahhhh!!!? The barrier didn't have time to completely take form before shattering from the pillar of white light that was Marisa's broom getting launched into outer space. It was enough to keep me from getting killed though, the barrier held on enough for it to deflect the impact away from me. The force of the attack pushed me away from Aoko and it took a few seconds before I was able to get up. I shook my head before looking at where Aoko was, expecting to fight two of her summons again...but it was still one-on-one.
?What's the meaning of this? That was tons of time to pull out a couple of your summons.? I pointed out as I summoned my gohei in my right hand again.
?The way you are right now, I don't need anyone else to kick your sweet ass ze~? Aoko said with a smug smile. Now that really ticked me off. I raised my left hand to fire some needles at her but Aoko was a lot quicker than me. I wasn't even able to get any needles off when I saw five star-shaped bullets heading towards me. I sidestepped them and fired back but Aoko already changed her position and all I hit was a tree in the distance. Aoko countered with more shots from her gun and I was quickly forced into a defensive battle as I dodged and deflected her shots.
Definitely a bad idea to get into a shootout with her. I noted as I took cover behind a tree. I doubt that even Youkai Buster would be enough to pin down someone who can move around as smoothly as Aoko.
?Then I need to make sure I hit her then.? I said to myself as I took out the only attack card available for Reimu that I haven't used yet. I noticed that it was suddenly a lot more quiet at the Hakurei Shrine grounds, there was nothing but the rustling of leaves in the trees as a breeze rolled in. That was until I heard the words...
ATTACK RIDE!
?Damn...? I cursed as I knew that Aoko was just waiting for me to come out and she was ready to hit me with...something! I swallowed as I put Reimu's only unused attack card in my buckle as a response.
ATTACK RIDE!
That was it. She knows that I have something and I knew likewise. All that's left was to see which one of us used the right card for this situation. I took a few deep breaths before running clear of the tree I was hiding behind and closing my buckle.
HOMING AMULET!
ORRERY'S SUN!
Crap! It's the card she used on Alice! I thought moments before four laser beams were fired at me, nearly making me fall over. My own attack card gave me two very thick bundles of shinto talismans in each hand. The problem was that they were all stuck together, so I didn't know how they were used. I ducked on reflex and I felt a white laser graze the top of my head, a hissing sound could be heard from Reimu's burnt ribbon.
?Aaaahhh!!! Screw it!? I decided to bet all or nothing as I threw the two bundles of talismans in my hands in the direction where Aoko shot me from. I thought I was hearing things when I heard the ordinary magician say something along the lines of 'Oh Shit!'
I was proven that I heard right when I saw the talismans glow and cleanly separate from each other before turning into an enveloping wave of red paper with gold writings. Each of those thick bundles probably had four to five hundred talismans, all of them flew at Aoko like...
Homing...amulets... Well duh! I heard Aoko scream out in panic as she tried to shoot down the talismans with her own attack but there was just too many. I couldn't even see Aoko anymore as the talismans swallowed her.
ATTACK RIDE!
?She's gonna try something?!? I said in slight worry as I thought that she was going to use a large scale attack to counter the wave.
OPTI--
The declaration of her gun was drowned out by the noise of the crashing talismans. The chaos ended and I saw the ground where Aoko was standing on was riddled with the hundreds of talismans I threw. Only, they were all buried in the cobblestone as if they were a rain of swords.
Rain of...swords? I raised an eyebrow at the strange analogy I came up with. Working at a video game store must have infected my mind somehow, though being savy about those kinds of thing might have been a plus in my journey. I mean, just look at Ao--
Click!
?Optical...Camouflage...? I muttered the rest of the declaration of her gun. I should have known! The sight of the damage that the homing amulets did distracted me from the simple fact that Aoko wasn't even in the impact zone!
?Looks like I win ze~? Aoko said from behind me as she poked the back of my head with her gun. I raised up my hands and lowered my head, indicating that I didn't have any intention of continuing. I felt her gun move away from my head so I turned around to look at her.
?Marisa, one. Reimu, zero ze~? She said with a wry smile as her transformation ended.
?Yeah...? All I could do was respond with that as my own transformation ended. The continuation of the duel we had in Perfect Cherry Blossom ended with my loss at the very last moment.
?
-
Here's the second part of the first half of the arc! Silly character limits...
?
?So why are we doing this again?? I said as I poured tea in the cup Aoko was using. We were currently on the porch of the Hakurei Shrine having a midday snack. The shrine was amazingly well stocked with goods, almost as if someone was living here.
Well...someone was supposed to be living here anyway... I thought as took a bite from one of the rice crackers that Aoko...liberated...from the pantry.
?What? It's standard Windows Touhou for the ending to be everyone sitting around and having tea and snacks! Of course, there's an unspoken agreement to never tell the specifics of the endings though.? The fan girl stated as she took her cup and sipped some tea.
Uncle did say that he never wanted anyone to spoil the end of the games he made... I recalled one time my uncle came over and discussed something like that with my dad.
?But wow! Imagine me, having tea and eating rice crackers at THE Hakurei Shrine!? Aoko was acting like a kid as she said that. I was half-expecting her to start squeeing actually.
?It's not like you haven't been here before. I mean, this wasn't the only world you've been in right?? I asked, getting just a bit irritated at her cheeriness.
?Scarlet's shrine was decrepit and filled with refugees. Animism's shrine was hijacked by youkai. Phantasmagoria's shrine was used as a battlefield in the semi-finals. Imperishable's shrine was...perfectly fine actually, but it was boring there by myself and I didn't know how to prepare the tea the place had. And Cherry Blossom's shrine was...well, you know...snowed-in and half-destroyed after Youmu and Ran were done with it.? Aoko explained before taking a rice cracker.
?Wait...? I said as I put down my cup after I realized something. I reached out at Aoko before exploding.
?...so you have been here...since DAY ONE?!? I yelled at her while pinching her cheeks.
?Shcop~! Ish hursh!? Aoko barely managed to say as I continued to pull at her cheeks.
?You've been in this mess just as long as I have but you never even helped me?! You didn't even have the decency to say 'Hi! I'm in the same boat as you are, why don't we work together?'? I continued before pinching her cheeks a bit harder.
?Chama~! Shake ish ishee!? Aoko said as she took my hands and tried to pry them off her reddened cheeks.
?Do you have any idea how hard it was?! Having to figure out everything by myself?! Having to leave behind all the friends I made in the last world to start over all alone in the next?!? I vented my frustrations at Aoko. My hands already lost their strength and I was starting to tear up again. I bit my bottom lip to hold them back.
?Yeah...I know. Like you said, I was there remember?? Aoko said with a smile. Her cheeks were red from my pinching but I could clearly see an honest smile she made. She squeezed my hands with hers before continuing.
?Who do you think trashed the Voile Magic Library in Embodiment? Who do you think convinced Satori to come to the surface world and face her sister in Animism? Who do you think backed out of the tournament in Phantasmagoria and sent out Scarlet Meiling to buy you and Eiki time against Komachi and Advent Letty? Sure, I didn't do much in Imperishable but I made up for it in Cherry Blossom, yeah?? Aoko said, making me realize the little things that helped me during my journey. I didn't even think about why the library in the Scarlet Devil Mansion had laser burns all over. Satori even said that someone convinced her to come to the surface but I didn't think anything of it.
?But...why? Why didn't you say anything when you were right there?? I coldly said as I pulled my hands out of her's.
?Because I wanted to see what kind of girl Gensokyo chose. I wanted to see what the new shine maiden of paradise was capable of.? Aoko calmly stated.
?Honestly, I was jealous. Sure, I was happy that I was chosen to become Marisa. I was really happy for sure, but...I kept wondering why I wasn't the one who was chosen as Reimu. I mean, like you said, I'm the fan girl.? Aoko said while rubbing her cheeks.
?So...did you ever figure it out? Why it was me and not you?? I asked, curious of what she had to say about this matter.
?Yeah. I was sure of it after Phantasmagoria. The reason why you were Reimu was because you had a purposeful drive to help others.? Aoko stated.
?What? What are you talking about?? I asked for clarification.
?Think about it. Sure, you were sent on this journey, instructed to help each of the worlds. Sure, you were given an outline of what incident the world you were in went through and who you might encounter. But nothing really happened in the way you were told it would right?? Aoko explained, I nodded at her question.
?Even so, you still did what you thought was right. You still helped others, even those who were on the boss list! Sure, you made mistakes and struggled but you still pulled through each time. After what you were willing to do to get Kaguya and Mokou to reconcile, I knew...I wouldn't have been able to do that. It was then that I understood why Marisa was perfect for me. That was why I decided to make my appearance.? Aoko stated proudly.
?So you decided to jump in, blast me, and pilfer one of Kaguya's Impossible Requests?!? I flatly said while narrowing my eyes at her.
?Hey! You were still transformed as Reimu so I knew that you'd be fine after that! Besides, I had to make sure I came in with flare! Dynamic Entry is one of Marisa's finer points!? Aoko once again stated matter-of-factly.
?I'd dynamic entry you, thief...? I muttered before biting on the rice cracker I had.
?Ohoo~! What's this? Is Tama finally coming onto me~!? Aoko said while leaning in closer, making me stand up.
?Please...? I scoffed at her words.
?I dunno. The Reimu and Marisa pairing is pretty popular in the fandom~? Aoko teased before putting her right index finger on her lips and smiling as seductively as someone like her could. Needless to say, it didn't work.
?Drop it. Why do you have to steal something in every world anyway? It can't just be because you're 'in character' when you do.? I asked her about her tendencies.
?That's right. Just like how you need to help the final bosses in each world to get their cards, I need to steal 'something of value' in the world I'm in to get the cards for my summons. I can't summon anyone from a game...a world...that I haven't stolen anything from yet. Funky huh?? Aoko explained her circumstance.
?So that's why you stole Kaguya's Dragon Jewel?? I said, Aoko nodding in confirmation.
?That's right. Patchy's Philosopher Stones, Yuugi's Sake Dish that does not spill, Shikieiki's and Bellpeorth's Yama caps, and Kaguya's Dragon Jewel. Each of them gave me access to the characters I could summon that came from their worlds.? Aoko stated.
?And you're telling me that stealing a kiss from Alice was the 'something of value' of Perfect Cherry Blossom?? I inquired about her actions in the last world.
?Of course! Marisa stole my precious thing ze~!? Aoko said in a cutesy manner while making an equally cutesy pose that an idol might make during a fan photo event.
?Please don't do that...it's beyond creepy.? I deadpanned.
?Aww...you're no fun. Seriously though, I just snatched Yuyuko's fan when everyone left her and Youmu alone. I was sure that she noticed me but she didn't seem to mind it.? Aoko said, going back to normal.
?And what you're after this time is...? I trailed off as I recalled what happened earlier.
?...The Sword of Hisou...or that's what I had hoped after I saw Tenshi. Then I found out that Yukari has it and well...I aborted that plan and headed here...and found you...? Aoko trailed off as well.
?...you fought her, didn't you? Yukari, I mean...? Aoko asked and I nodded.
?Everything was there. I was there. The one I had to help in this world was there. The one we had to beat together was there. It was all set up but...? I said before sighing and sitting back down.
?...Tenshi didn't want to fight Yukari. All she did was cower in a corner and watched me get my ass kicked. Then Yukari...she...? I couldn't finish my sentence.
?You got gapped right? What happened in there?? Aoko asked, genuine concern was evident from her words. She really wanted to know what happened to me.
?................? I wanted to tell her about it. I wanted to spill my guts about how horrifying it was, that I never wanted to go through that again. I wanted to tell her all that but...I couldn't speak.
?That bad huh?? Aoko noticed my distress and just settled for that question, I nodded to answer.
?I...can't be Reimu...not the one that was supposed to be here anyway.? I admitted.
?Well, she's the shrine maiden of paradise. The perfect and infallible youkai exterminator and creator of the spell card rules that prevented youkai and anyone else from doing any major harm to Gensokyo. The last of the Hakurei line that maintained the Hakurei Barrier. Hell, her profile says that her intuition was so good it was almost like precognition. Silent Sinner in Blue even gave her the power to call on the powers of gods. Let's not even get into her natural power of flight...? Aoko laid out every reason, every part of Reimu that made her the perfect miko. The perfect guardian of Gensokyo.
?I get it! I'm not like her! I'm not perfect! I knew that a long time ago okay!? I yelled out after I couldn't take it anymore.
?That's right. You are not Hakurei Reimu, so you don't have to try to be.? Aoko said while standing up.
?Just be Tama. Even if you struggle, even if you stumble, even if your own intuition fails you sometimes. Just be Aozaki Tama, the miko passing through. Helping anyone she can just like how Hakurei Reimu would...in her own way of course.? Aoko said before smiling back at me.
?...thanks...? That was all I could say. All it took were those words of encouragement from someone and all the weight on my shoulders went away. I couldn't believe how relieved I was that I slouched over and put my face in my hands again. I couldn't see her but I thought I heard Aoko gasp.
?What's this now~? Tama-chan is blushing? Could this be the 'encouragement flag' where Tama-chan starts to realize that she's falling in love with me~?? Aoko teased. I was blushing? Whatever...I felt better because of her, so I'll let this one slide.
?Don't push your luck...? I said as I peeked at her from my hand. It was then that I saw Aoko start to walk away.
?Where are you going?? I asked her.
?I have to find something else to steal in this world. And you...? Aoko said before turning around.
?...you need to figure out how to beat Yukari. Good luck ze~? Aoko said before leaving.
?Yeah...? I said back to her. If she's still out on the hunt to steal something, then I'll still see her in this world.
?
I cleaned up the snacks we ate before setting back out. I bid farewell to this world's Hakurei Shrine and made my way past the giant lake surrounding the Scarlet Devil Mansion. It was a long walk but I felt a bit more upbeat than usual. However, the situation still stands with Bhava-Agra in ruins and Yukari in full control. Tenshi's a coward so I'll need to do something about that. Most of all, I need some more allies if I have to fight Yukari again, Tenshi or no Tenshi.
?Anything else I may have forgotten?? Just as I said that, a streak of electricity passed right in front of me. I turned to who it was and saw Iku, but she wasn't alone.
?Greetings demon. I had hoped that the border youkai would have finished you off. It seems that I had hoped too much for that lazy hag to finish the job.? Sanae said from behind Iku.
?Oh yeah...? I said as I remembered that Sanae was in this world too, and she recruited Iku.
?Time to cleanse this world of your filth!? Iku declared as she pulled out her shawl and used it like a whip again. Sanae pulled out her wand and created a white whip made out of magic.
?What is with you people and whips?!? I yelled out before running away. I put on my buckle and pulled out Reimu's card.
?If you have any shred of good in you, you would face your end honorably!? Iku yelled as she tried to strike me with her electrified whip.
?Shouldn't you be worrying about Yukari instead?!? I yelled back. There was no way that a messenger of the dragons like Iku would have ignored such an obvious threat like Yukari.
?She shall be dealt with, along with the first daughter! After we deal with you!? Iku said as she threw a lightning bolt at me. The bolt hit a tree nearby but it was close enough for me to start running faster. I saw light at the end of the dense forest and bee-lined there.
?This is...? I said as I saw what was on the other side, Sunflowers. Hundreds, if not thousands of sunflowers that were taller than a person. It was like a lake of radiant and fragrant yellow that stretched for who knows how far. It was The Garden of the Sun, the place where I fought Medicine Melancholy in during the first round of the tournament in Phantasmagoria of Flower View.
?Come back here demon!? Sanae's yells knocked me out of my thoughts as I made my way to the sunflower field before putting Reimu's card in.
TOUHOU RIDE!
?Gah! These stupid sunflowers keep getting in my way!? Iku yelled out as she and Sanae started cutting down the sunflowers behind me, I could see a few of them get thrown up along with some white energy and arcing electricity.
?Not very environmentally friendly, are they?? I said to the sunflowers before closing my buckle and turning around.
HAKUREI REIMU!
?There you are demon!? Iku declared as my transformation ended. I was getting ticked off with all the 'demon' this and 'demon' that.
?Stop calling me that! I'm human dammit!? I yelled out as I raised my left hand to fire needles at them and summoned my gohei to my right hand. Sanae and Iku braced themselves for the start of the battle. There was about twenty feet between us so I should be able to--
My thoughts were cut off when my vision was covered with bright white light. A loud noise, like a jet engine, deafened me. I tried to peak at what caused the overwhelming sensation and saw that it was a massive white laser.
?Master Spark?? I said, as it was the only thing I knew that can do something like that.
Aoko's here!? I immediately thought. When the laser finally dissipated, I saw that the beam took up about seventeen feet of the twenty that separated me from Sanae and Iku. The strange thing was that the sunflowers that were in the way of the beam were fine. They were completely flattened on the ground but they didn't seem damaged by the beam at all. It was almost as if they ducked when the Master Spark was fired. I was wondering about what could have caused this when I heard footsteps from where the beam originated from. I immediately dashed to greet Aoko.
?Aok--? My words were cut off when Aoko wasn't the one that I saw.
She had red eyes and long wavy green hair up to her waist. She was wearing a red plaid skirt and a waistcoat of the same color and pattern over a plain white shirt. In her hands was an open white parasol slung over her right shoulder. She was standing behind the sun so it looked like she was being bathed in golden light and she had her parasol facing it like a sunflower would.
?What is a man?? The woman said in a mature, silky voice as she slowly walked toward me.
No way... I started to get nervous when I remembered what Letty and Cirno talked to me about in the previous world.
?A miserable pile of flesh and bone. Content to live its short existence consuming whatever it can, without a care for anything else that might be coexisting with it. Such a pitiful life really. Completely unfair for everything around it.? The woman said as she tilted her head to the right side.
...this is bad...this is very bad! About a youkai that regularly battled with the full-powered Letty Whiterock and caused great destruction to Gensokyo during the start of winter and the start of spring. About a youkai that trained Cirno.
?Now, which one of you harmed my precious sunflowers?? The woman said as she gave a warm smile befitting the beauty of the garden of the sun. But I knew better...this woman was anything but nice and warm...this woman was...
?Kazami...Yuka...?
?
Youkai MOE~! The chapter ends with Yuka's introduction. I put her in this arc because she was the one character that I thought should really have been included in SWR since...well, Yuka and fighting!
This was an emotional chapter to say the least. I used this chance to flesh out Tama and Aoko a bit more. Tama's breakdown on the donation box was done to remind everyone that she was just a regular teenager, chosen seemingly out of thin air to do all this. The tea scene on the Hakurei Shrine in as well. I put the two heroines in a situation that has become familiar with fans when it came with Reimu and Marisa. I used it to show the similarities and differences between them and the original heroines and to drive home the fact that Reimu and Marisa are not in this story. They don't exist. Instead, you get Tama and Aoko doing the incident-busting.
The theme for this world should be obvious as I've tried to deconstruct it a bit.
-
Remember when I said that Cherry Blossom Phantom II was the longest chapter I have ever written? I was gravely mistaken! Please enjoy the longest chapter I have ever written.
?
"Kazami...Yuka..." I muttered as I felt my blood freeze. The emerald-haired woman was slowly making her way towards me with graceful steps and a sweet smile. She careful not to step on the flowers that were still 'ducking'. Despite her elegance, the presence she had was very different and was making me slowly back away.
"I have you now, demon!" Iku declared as she flicked her shawl at me and caught my right arm. It was like the giant laser moments ago and the appearance of Yuka didn't even happen as far as she was concerned.
"No! GHAAAAAAAAH!" I screamed as Iku sent a powerful jolt of electricity through her shawl and right into my arm.
"Time to cleanse this world of yo?uggh!" Iku's declaration of victory was suddenly halted with a dull sound, ending the electric current that assaulted me. I fell to my hands and knees because of the obvious pain that comes with getting electrocuted. I noticed Iku dropping her shawl on the ground, I looked up on reflex to see why.
"..." I couldn't utter a word, all I could do was hang my mouth open. It was Yuka! She had Iku's neck in her left hand and was lifting the purple-haired girl off the ground, all while keeping the same warm smile she had earlier.
"It was you, wasn't it? The one who carelessly cut down my sunflowers and called them...stupid." Yuka calmly said as she squeezed a bit harder on Iku's throat, making the girl choke for air.
"Unhand her flower youkai! Do it at once or face the wrath of the gods!" Sanae threatened Yuka and postured to attack her. The flower youkai didn't seem to see the threat as anything substantial as she looked at the other miko.
"Gods? I don't know who you are or why you are here in my field but...do you think I care? All I care is that this woman...and you as well, cut down my defenseless flowers." Yuka replied, still with the warmth of her smile and still strangling Iku. The messenger of the dragons put her hands on the arm that was choking her and forced a lightning bolt's worth of electricity through it, lighting up Yuka like a light bulb.
"H-how..do...you...like...that...? M-monster..." Iku managed to say with substantial effort. I could see Yuka's entire body smoldering from the attack but I also saw that Iku suddenly had the expression of pure fear. Yuka wasn't even phased by the attack and just gave Iku an annoyed look. Although, from what Iku was expressing, it was probably a lot more than just annoyance.
"Here, you can have your friend back." The still smoldering Yuka said as she casually threw Iku at Sanae. The green-haired miko was caught by surprise and barely managed to brace herself to catch her comrade. It wasn't enough though, as the force Yuka used to throw Iku was enough to knock down Sanae with Iku on top of her.
"Now, how should I punish these two girls who had the guts to cut down my flowers, tell me what to do, and even try to harm me?" Yuka pondered as she put her left hand back on the handle of her parasol as if nothing happened, the trails of smoke from Iku's attack dissipating.
"Gahh...you...monster...don't think you can...get away with harming me...or my associate." Sanae cursed as she struggled to push Iku off her. The miko of the serpent and the frog stood up and prepared to face the flower youkai.
No! I immediately thought.
"Monster? Me? Well, there are those who have called me that. But is that really true? It's not my fault that everything else is so easy to kill. It's not my fault that I have this much power at my disposal. Isn't that right? They should all just blame the misfortune of their births for being so weak. I am merely using the gifts that the world itself bestowed on me. Now, is that so wrong~?" Yuka gave her twisted logic with a confident smile. It was like...that was what she honestly believes in.
She does what she does because she can...because it was what the world gave her the ability to do. I thought about the meaning behind Yuka's words. Sanae wasn't looking happy about that logic as her green magic circle appeared before her.
"Oh? You're really going to fight? How admirable~!" Yuka beamed at Sanae's decision.
Stop! The thought screamed in my head.
"Most humans and youkai usually run screaming when they wander here and find me. There are those few brave enough to actually try to attack me but...their confidence died rather quickly, pardon the pun. It's refreshing to have someone actually come out and challenge me again after so long~" Yuka said all that in a cheerful voice, like a child that has found a new playmate.
Don't! My screaming mind giving me the power to struggle back to my feet.
"I so love your green hair. I do hope you don't break as easily as everyone else did~" Yuka said as she gracefully bowed at Sanae as if she was her dance partner.
"Let us put your pride to the test, foolish youkai!" Sanae shot back as she launched a myriad of serpent missiles at Yuka, just like what she did against Letty.
"Sanae!" I finally managed to yell out to her, but it was too late. It happened so fast. Yuka blocked Sanae's projectiles with her open parasol like they were nothing. The serpent missiles should have ripped the umbrella to shreds but it, and Yuka, didn't budge.
"Please don't tell me that this is all you have..." Yuka said in a bored tone, her eyes rolling in disappointment. I had to stop Sanae before she gets herself killed!
"Then what of this, monster?" Sanae flew up and created two green magic circles in each hand and fused them together. The combined magic circle was much larger than anything she had made before, it reminded me of the one she made in my dream. From within, Sanae's frog bombs and serpent missiles emerged together en mass.
"Pay for your sins, monster! The power of the gods will cleanse this world of you and all the murders you have committed!" Sanae declared in an echoing voice as she prepared to unleash her onslaught.
"Genocide is just a game~! Humans, youkai, demons, even gods. It's all the same when you kill them all. The only thing you have to worry about is keeping score~" Yuka calmly said as she closed her parasol and...pointed it at Sanae.
Thump! My head suddenly felt like lead. It was Reimu's intuition again, but it never reacted this much before. I looked back to Yuka's parasol, it was starting to glow white. I then remembered the powerful beam of light-the Master Spark-that interrupted my initial encounter with Sanae and Iku. I put two and two together and started running towards Yuka and Sanae.
"Sanae! Get away from her!" I screamed out as I pulled out Reimu's final attack card and opened my buckle. I was too late though, Sanae unleashed her barrage. At the same time, Yuka opened her parasol and unleashed the sleeping terror within. It wasn't even a contest...the massive ray of light obliterated the frog bombs and serpent missiles that Sanae fired at Yuka. I cursed and put Reimu's card in, I had to stop this!
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
"Aaahhhggg!" With Sanae's projectiles quickly taken care of, the miko was forced to convert her magic circle into a shield as she received the full brunt of Yuka's Master Spark.
"Where is all that beautiful confidence you had before, young girl? Please don't tell me that you're just a liar like the others! Tell me that you're stronger than this~! Tell me that you have more to offer~! Tell me that you can fight me to the brink and back and quench my soul~!" Yuka was starting to act more and more like the monster that Iku and Sanae were accusing her of being. The light from the Master Spark was getting brighter and Sanae looked like she was just about to give out. I quickly closed my buckle and jumped up.
RE-RE-REIMU!
The multicolored orbs appeared and fused to my right foot just as I was starting to descend onto Yuka. My kick was aimed squarely on her head. That should be enough to knock her out at the very least! I made contact and an explosion followed underneath my right foot, it was a bull's eye! Yuka stopped her Master Spark and Sanae managed to gingerly float down to the ground but...
"Mmmm...not bad. That hurt ju~st a bit you know..." Yuka said as she looked at her burnt left hand, the hand she used to block Reimu's final attack with.
"Uh-oh..." I said before aiming my left hand at Yuka's face and firing needl-
"Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!" Yuka said as she casually slammed my body onto the ground. My vision blacked out for a second and my ears started ringing. The impact completely forced all the air in my lungs out so I couldn't even scream in pain.
"Well...a miko is a miko. If you can put up a better fight than the green one, I don't really mind playing with you instead, red-white miko." Yuka said as she 'tossed' me a short distance away. It took me a good twenty seconds to figure out which way was up, another ten to get back to my feet, five more to finally focus my eyes onto Yuka who was patiently waiting for me.
"Hmmm?" Yuka turned to Sanae who was trying to help Iku up.
"You're still here? You and your friend were disappointments, you can leave. I've found a much more interesting one here and I don't want either of you spoiling my fun." Yuka said as she waved at Sanae and Iku without looking at them, as if shooing them away.
"How...dare you...speak to us like that...monster..." Iku stubbornly said back to Yuka as she tried to stand on her own. Electricity was weakly sparking out of her shirt and shawl as she said that, glaring at the flower youkai as best she could.
"Don't ignore a free pass out of hell when it is offered to you, little girl." Yuka said in a serious tone before giving a sideways glance towards the two. Her words and action giving off a subtle yet deep sense of hostility.
"Unless you really want to die that is, I can easily arrange that for you if you want...ten seconds at the most~" Yuka continued in her old cheerful tone. I then saw Sanae narrow her eyes at me, as if trying to tell me something. I never understood what she was trying to convey before she slowly stepped back, a gray curtain appearing behind her.
"Come, let us leave this place." Sanae said to her companion.
"You would run away when our quarry is right in front of us, shrine maiden!" Iku said back, almost yelling.
"Let the monsters kill each other..." Was all Sanae replied with before backing away into the curtain and disappearing. Iku glared at me and Yuka before quietly following after her.
"Good riddance...now then, shall we begin?" Yuka said as she turned back to me. I gulped as I thought of running away like Sanae and Iku did. Duplex Barrier and Permanent Border should give me enough time to escape if I sequence them togethe-
"Oh, and don't even try to run away. I sent those two on their way so they wouldn't hinder us. There was a reason why I didn't kill them on the spot. After all, carelessly strewn corpses on the ground sometimes causes one to stumble in the heat of battle~" Yuka easily shot down my plan to escape with a veiled threat and a warm smile.
"Before we begin, I'd like to know your name first." Yuka politely requested out of nowhere, making me blink a few times.
"My...name...?" I repeated just to make sure that I wasn't hearing things. Yuka responded with a nod and a radiant smile.
"Yes, you seem to already know mine. I don't think it would be nice to just call you red-white miko, unless that's your actual name~" Yuka joked as she put her left index finger on her left cheek in mock contemplation. She patiently waited for my response as she twirled her open parasol, once again slung over her right shoulder, with her right hand.
"Tama...Aozaki Tama..." I finally responded to her while making a curt bow, it was only polite to do so I guess.
"Tama...Tama...Tama...Tama...Tama-chan~" Yuka happily repeated my name, I wasn't too sure what I felt about that 'chan' part though.
"I'm glad you like the name..." I absentmindedly said, pulling Yuka out of her musing. The flower youkai returned my bow before closing her parasol and holding it like a walking stick with her right hand.
"I want to remember you. Your name, your face, your form, your skill, your power, everything~! All the gifts that the world has given you. I want to look back to this someday and recall that I fought against a red-white miko named Aozaki Tama-chan once. I want to be able to reminisce about how fun it was to face you." Yuka explained as her smile betrayed a very different kind of excitement. I gulped at how quickly this woman can switch gears like that. I also remembered that Reimu's final attack did nothing except burn her left hand. Did I mention that she didn't seem like she was bothered by it?
If Reimu's doesn't work, then... I thought as I took out a card and opened my buckle.
"Ohh...ready now, are we?" Yuka asked as she moved so her right side was facing me, her parasol pointing at me like a fencing saber. I wondered about the effectiveness of a fencing stance while wearing a skirt as I put the card my buckle.
TOUHOU RIDE!
This is it! If it's raw strength, then I don't have anyone better than her! I thought as I saw Yuka lick her lips in anticipation of what I was about to do. I closed the handles, hoped for the best and prepared for the worst. I was pretty sure that this fight was going to hurt a lot regardless of what happens...
REMILIA SCARLET!
A pair of large scarlet bat wings came out from my back and enveloped me as a swarm of red bats engulfed me and lifted me a couple of feet of the ground. The transformation ended with the bats dispersing and the wings opening up to revealed me transformed into the Scarlet Devil.
"Hahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaa~! I knew you were special~! But to think that you can actually transform into someone else? This is just precious! Oh! Oh~! Oooh~! Please tell me that you're at least as strong as the original~!" Yuka no longer bothered to contain her emotion after she saw my little presentation. She was acting like an excited little kid that saw her friend show off a new toy. It was a little strange, even a little scary though. The way she reacts, it was like fighting, even killing, were things that anyone should be doing if they're strong enough. Like it was no different from...
Genocide is just a game~! I thought back to what Yuka said to Sanae before. Just a game...all this to her is like a game because she has never had to fight for her life before. Because she was so powerful, she never considered fighting or killing to be anything more serious than that. It was because there were so few beings strong enough to even fight her on equal terms...even fewer who would actually bother to do so.
"No sense of right or wrong. Simply acting on what action she feels should be taken...without regret, without hesitation, without remorse." I muttered to myself as I saw Yuka continue to get excited by herself. If you get attacked, return the action with everything you have. No reason to hold back because the opponent is weaker than you. After all, if the enemy knew that they didn't have a chance to defeat you, then they wouldn't have attacked in the first place, right? Simple logic. Twisted, but not necessarily wrong from Yuka's perspective.
Man...Eiki would have had a field day with you... I thought for a moment before I noticed Yuka start to finally calm down.
"Whew~! Sorry about that...I haven't been this excited to fight anyone in a very long time." Yuka said as she wiped the tears of joy in her eyes while trying to catch her breath. I flexed my fingers as I waited for Yuka to get ready. Mentally preparing myself for this fight. I traded off Reimu's intuition and balanced offense for pure speed and power. After Yuka blocked Reimu's final attack, I really didn't have a choice.
But what if it ends up like my fight with Ran? I shook the memory from my head. That was a different time! A different opponent! A different world! I can't doubt myself like this! I took a few breaths to calm myself down and flapped my wings once to make sure that I had full control over this transformation.
I can still fly! I have speed! I have strength! Most of all, I have Remilia's cards! I forced myself to remember what advantages I had with this transformation. Remilia's Spear the Gungnir had a lot more power behind it than Reimu's Fantasy Seal Break. Even Yuka shouldn't be able to shrug it off. I was starting to breathe a bit heavier as I tried to convince myself that I had a chance of beating her. After all, I still have to go back to heaven...to Bhava-Agra and face Yukari again...
"Yukari..." My lips trembled as I said the border youkai's name. I immediately remembered my experience inside one of her gaps. I started to breathe even heaver, my heart was pounding, and I even felt my hands shaking.
Calm down dammit! I screamed in my head while forcing my eyes shut. I can't fight anyone if that memory alone was enough to make me collapse like this. I knew that I can't get over something like that in just one afternoon but I didn't want to get affected by it in front of someone like Yuka.
Just be Tama.
My eyes opened at once when I recalled those words.
Even if you struggle, even if you stumble, even if your own intuition fails you sometimes.
The words that lifted the weight off my shoulders.
Just be Aozaki Tama, the miko passing through.
I started to calm down after that. My eyes regained clarity, my heart rate slowed down, my breathing went back to normal. I became calm enough to notice that I was actually sweating now.
"Whoa..." I said as I wiped the sweat off my face. I looked at Yuka who was blankly staring at me.
"Well, I hope you don't self-destruct before the fight even starts." Yuka plainly said. I wasn't sure if it was a joke or not. I was just glad that she didn't attack me while I was starting to break down like that.
"Sorry...just working through a few things. I'm okay now." I replied while wiping some sweat off my chin.
"I sure hope so. You were making all sorts of weird faces until just now. It was funny at first, but I really thought that you were going to keel over on me." Yuka said in a slightly annoyed tone.
"I'm fine...I'm fine now, so no need to hold back." I said it, the words that will start this match between me and Yuka.
"Oh, don't worry. I wasn't planning on holding back at all~! Not~! One~! Bit~!" Yuka replied with a smile as she assumed her earlier fencing stance. A moment of silence passed between us, neither willing to move. There was about ten feet between us, it might as well have been just one or two. Yuka smiled and I immediately jumped back! Just in time to see Yuka drive her parasol into the ground where I was standing a second ago. She drove it into the ground with both hands and created a small crater with it because of the force behind it.
"That isn't anything like fencing at all!" I complained at Yuka's sudden attack, which had nothing to do with the stance she made prior to it. I have to admit though, that is one tough umbrella. I landed, maintaining the original distance we had, and quickly sprang forward and slashed at Yuka with my clawed right hand. The flower youkai didn't even try to dodge it and simply took the hit with her left arm. Yuka gave me a seething grin as Remilia's nails dug into her flesh.
"First blood goes to you, Tama-chan~!" Yuka happily told me while giving me the kind of crazy smile that I haven't seen since Lily White. The massive change in Yuka's facial expression caught me off guard and gave her the opening she needed to stab the tip her parasol into my gut.
"Uagh!" I blurted out as the air inside me was forced out once again. The impact from the parasol was blunt, certainly nothing that would cause lasting damage to a vampire like Remilia, but I quickly pulled out my right hand from Yuka's left arm and flew backward. Had I been a second slower, Yuka's opening parasol would have gotten me caught in a point-blank Master Spark. Now that would have left lasting damage no matter who you were. The ray of light faded and the flower youkai once again closed her umbrella, not caring about the blood flowing freely from her left arm.
Burnt left hand. Lacerated left arm. Doesn't she feel any pain? And what is up with all the Master Sparks? I thought with growing concern. Yuka has freely fired a total of three Master Sparks without hesitation. Three! And she didn't look like she was even starting to get tired. It was obvious that a battle of attrition won't work so...
"Let's see what a final attack can do!" I yelled out as I flew upwards and pulled out Remilia's yellow card, the flower youkai's maddened gaze glued on me.
"Ahahahahahahahaha~! You don't disappoint Tama-chan~! I love it! I loooove iiit~! Keep attacking~! Go on~! Hit me with everything you've got~!" Yuka happily yelled after me as she pointed her parasol at me. That's just great...
"Another one? That's just nuts!" I screamed back as I opened my buckle and put Remilia's card in.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
"That's right! Keep attacking! Fight me like you want to kill me~! Attack~! Attack~! Attack~! Tama-chaaaan~!" Yuka was completely drunk in the heat of battle as her parasol glowed white to release yet another Master Spark. I wasn't about to let her keep shooting at me with that thing so I quickly closed the handles of my buckle.
RE-RE-REMILIA!
"Taaaaammaaaa-chaaaaaaaaaan~!" Yuka roared in maddened joy as her parasol opened and fired another massive beam of white light straight at me. The scarlet spear quickly formed in my hands and I wound back my right hand, ready to meet Yuka's challenge head-on.
"Yukaaaaa!" I called back to the flower youkai as I threw the crimson spear of energy right at the oncoming laser. The two attacks met and clashed, neither giving way and neither gaining ground. However, the stalemate only went on for another five seconds. I gasped when I saw the red light from the Gungnir slowly getting swallowed up by the limitless white of Yuka's laser.
"Oh, come on!" I complained as I saw the crimson energy spear I threw suddenly get swallowed by the Master Spark. I flew backwards to evade the oncoming beam and waited for it to disappear like before. There wasn't any problem with power. Spear the Gungnir was easily on par with Master Spark when it came to raw power.
"The problem is duration! I need the final attack to last longer to stand a chance against her!" I muttered to myself as I stayed in the air to catch my breath. I simply watched the white light shrink into nothing before sighing in reli-
"What's wrong Tama-chaaaan~? Attack!" Yuka sadistically said as she appeared right in front of me...in mid-air!
"Aahh..aaaahh..." Was all I could say from the shock before the emerald-haired woman hit me with an overhead smash with her parasol. I crashed into the ground below but quickly struggled to get back up. Yuka wasn't the kind of opponent you'd live against if you stayed down after taking a hit. Remilia's form quickly started to fade from the stress. Taking damage like that won't do me any favors but I let myself revert back to Reimu for now. I got back up and was immediately assaulted by the Hakurei miko's panicking intuition.
RUN!
RUN!
RUN!
RUN!
RUN!
"Gaaah! Shut up!" I yelled at the repeating voice at the back of my head screaming at me to run away from this battle. I knew it was Reimu's intuition telling me the best action in order to stay alive but I really didn't have a choice! Yuka's going to kill me if I run away so I had to fight her! I quickly pulled out another card and put it in my open buckle.
TOUHOU RIDE!
STOP!
Don't fight her!
You can't defeat her!
Not here!
Run! Run! R-
"I said shut up!" I screamed before closing the handles.
REIUJI UTSUHO!
The panicked voice in my head was replaced by loud klaxons that accompanied the nuclear reaction that happened with this transformation. My body floated up and was forced into a fetal position before it was consumed in a miniature orange sun. The small star got larger and larger until it finally burst with the opening black wings of my transformation. This was my transformation with the most large-scale attacks. The Nuclear Hell Raven, Utsuho!
I looked down upon Yuka from above the flower line. There was no way that I was going to be able to move around on the ground with the size of Okuu's wings, so I had to stay airborne while I'm transformed as her.
I don't want a repeat of my fight against Sakuya in the Bamboo Forest of the Lost. I thought back to the second round of the tournament in Phantasmagoria of Flower View. I was forced to blast away half the bamboo forest in panic because I wasn't able to move during the final moments of that match.
"Yeeesss~! Nice~! Veery Niiice~! I can literally feel the power radiating from you~! This one has spirit alright~!" Yuka's ecstatic voice pulled me from my thoughts. She never seems to get intimidated. No, it's the exact opposite. The more damage the enemy can do, the happier she was.
I might even be forced to nuke the whole Garden of the Sun if this keeps up... I thought as I watched Yuka start to calm down again. Why didn't I attack her when she was cackling away like that? Because she didn't attack me when I was having my breakdown earlier. She wants this fair and square, no funny stuff. A pure test of all our powers.
"And she's probably fast enough to counter a sneak attack with another Master Spark..." I muttered to myself in light of her seemingly limitless energy to throw around such a large attack and her surprising speed.
"Round two then huh?" I said to the flower youkai. Yuka looked at me with a slightly surprised expression before showing the happiest smile she probably had.
"Yeah~!" Was her reply. It really was just a game for her...and this was probably the first time she had an opponent who upped and offered a second round. It was almost cute...almost. I wasn't about to let my guard down against all that...smiling...
"Taaamaaa-chaaaan~! Here! I! Cooome~!" Yuka happily yelled at me and I felt the air freeze. The feel-good atmosphere suddenly got swept with a massive amount of killing intent...that all came from the emerald-haired woman on the ground. It was nearly enough to paralyze me.
"Can't let her get the first hit!" I yelled through my fear and aimed Okuu's arm cannon at Yuka and fired a series of red lasers at her.
"Always going after first blood~! I like it! I love it Tama-chan~!" Yuka yelled out as she opened her parasol and used it to smack aside the lasers I fired. The flower youkai was almost prancing around as she smashed volley after volley of red lasers from my arm cannon.
"What is that umbrella made of?" I yelled out in sheer shock and annoyance of what it has been able to do. Yuka blinked at me a few times before smiling, smacking away another of my lasers as she did.
"I'd tell you...but then I'd have to kill you~" Yuka replied in a happy voice.
"You've been trying to do that this whole time!" I shot back because of the irony of her statement.
"Trying, Tama-chan~" She clarified before closing her parasol and pointing it at me again. It glowed white again before opening up to unload her fifth Master Spark. I was far enough away from her that I was able to easily dodge it.
Is she even really trying? I thought. That last one was too sloppy for Yuka. I was too far from her usual range of...in-your-face. I shook off the thought and pulled out one of Okuu's cards. I didn't want to use her final attack if at all possible so...
"Let's test this one out first!" I said as I put the card in my mouth and opened the handles with my left hand.
"Ooohh~! Another one of your special attacks? Hurry~! Hurry~!" Yuka egged me on as she closed her parasol, pretty obvious what she was going to do. I obliged and put the red card in.
ATTACK RIDE!
"Yes! Bring it Tama-chan! Hit me with your best~! Hurry!" She was getting way too excited about our fight and it has been worrying me. Who knows what else she might do in the heat of the moment? Didn't really have time to worry about that so I closed the handles and pointed my arm cannon at Yuka.
GIGA FLARE!
The arm cannon pointed at Yuka started to glow bright red before the front part opened and separated into five different sections. A large amount of energy accumulated at the tip.
So that's how it worked... I arbitrarily thought since I was knocked unconscious when I used this attack ride the first time. The gathering of energy was finished in the span of my thought and I quickly aimed it at Yuka, who was likewise pointing her glowing umbrella at me.
"Don't think it'll be as easy as last time!" I yelled out before firing. A steady stream of miniature orange suns, each the size of a basketball, fired out of my arm cannon like a machine gun. I got worried because of the small size of the projectiles but that was quickly silenced as I saw each and every one of them suddenly expand into massive red orbs of energy, at least ten times their original size.
"More~! More~! Mooore~! You need more than that Tama-chaaaaan~!" Yuka replied to my yell as she fired number six at the oncoming rain of suns. The beam of light met the red spheres and was stopped for a second before tearing through all of them with little trouble.
Figures... I thought as I flew away from the firing line. I guess it has to be a final attack or else her Master Spark just breaks right through. The beam dissipated faster than usual and it quickly faded after it broke through all the red orbs I fired.
"Is she finally getting tired from firing all of that?" I said as I looked down to where she was. I noticed that I was really high up now and I could see just how vast the golden sea of sunflowers really was. I admired the view for a second before I could hear the faint noise that the Master Spark makes. I braced myself for number seven but the beam of light never came. I looked down and saw something worse, a lot worse. It was Yuka! She was ascending toward me at a very fast rate. She had her parasol open and the top was pointing downward. She was standing on the open parasol like a platform. She was riding number seven in order to get to me!
"You're crazy!" I yelled at her for using her seventh Master Spark as a booster in order to fly up and reach me.
"Am not~!" Yuka casually replied, her vicious smile wasn't really convincing me though. Okuu was obviously more maneuverable than Yuka in the air so I used that to avoid a direct hit from her. Yuka shot past me and just kept going up. The beam finally dissipated and I saw Yuka in the far distance above me, she was free falling. Master Spark or no, this was the best chance for me to attack!
"Yuka!" I yelled as I fired another volley of lasers at her. I saw the beams hit but they were all parried by Yuka's open parasol. I expected as much so I flew back and opened my buckle.
"Time for something bigger then!" I called out before pulling out Okuu's yellow card and putting it in my buckle.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
Yuka was still descending towards me, she was probably yelling at me but I couldn't hear her. I grit my teeth and closed the handle.
U-U-UTSUHO!
My body went on autopilot like every other time I first use a final attack. My left index finger pointed to the heavens and a small black sun, the size of a baseball, appeared at the tip. I put the black sun in my hand and lightly kissed it. The action made the black sphere turn red and start to expand. The black sun turned into a red star and kept on getting larger and lager, much larger than the red orbs from Giga Flare. I pulled my arm cannon back and stabbed it into the red sun. The giant fireball split in two and arced towards Yuka from the sides.
"Great! Even if she manages to shoot one down, the other should be able to make a clean hit!" I said in great hope that this final attack manages to damage Yuka. I looked up towards the flower youkai and I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing things. I looked back up and squinted at the rapidly descending body. I was seeing double...
""Two can play that game, Tama-chaaan~!"" I heard Yuka's voice twice. It wasn't my imagination! There was another Yuka, she had her right arm wrapped around the left arm of the first! She was exactly like the original except her hair looked a lot messier and part of it was covering her left eye. Other than that...she was also Yuka, complete with her own parasol too...
"No...way..." I muttered in despair as I saw the two Yukas point their parasols at the red suns I fired and unleashed two Master Sparks, number eight and nine. I was surprised that the suns were taking the lasers and were still closing in. I was starting to think that they might be able to make it when I noticed the white light from the other end of the orbs. The Master Sparks eventually managed to burn through Okuu's final attack and the red suns disappeared without a trace.
"Is it...impossible...really impossible...?" I muttered in absolute shock. The flower youkai managed to overcome three final attacks and was still going strong.
""No time to be daydreaming~!"" The two Yukas yelled at me in unison and I looked at them to see that the Master Sparks were still active...and were moving toward me. The two of them were swinging their sparks at me, probably a payback for Okuu's final attack.
"Dammit!" I yelled as I flew down to avoid the lasers. The sparks converged and turned into a single giant Master Spark.
""Noooot~! Yeeeeeeeeet~!"" The Yukas yelled at me, arm in arm, as they swung the Dual Spark down at me. The action was so fast that I won't be able to avoid it by dodging to the side, the laser was that big!
"Don't you have limits?" I screamed in panic at the sheer absurdity of what I was witnessing. I quickly opened my buckle and put a red card in before that thing reached me.
ATTACK RIDE!
""Of course I do~! Which is why I want you to take me there~! To the brink and back, Tama-chan~! To the brink and baaaaaack~! Ahahahahahahahahahaha~!"" Both of them said and cackled as the massive pillar of light swung down like a sword from heaven itself.
"Heaven huh?" I said as I remembered that I still have a lot to do in this world. I can't afford to lose at this point! Not after everything I have already been through! I closed the handles after psyching myself up.
HIGH TENSION BLADE!
Okuu's cannon arm turned into a yellow super-heated blade which I used as a shield between me and the Dual Spark. I could feel the searing heat of the yellow blade combined with the white laser. Sparks formed and flew out from where the two opposing forces met. The downward swinging action of the Dual Spark was much faster than my rate of descent by myself. As a result, I was getting sent down to the ground at a rate that I couldn't recover from.
"This will hurt! So! Much!" I yelled out before the ground finally broke my fall with a loud and abrupt crash, the light from the Dual Spark faded soon afterward. My blurry vision was cutting on and off and I couldn't breathe no matter how hard I try to force air into my lungs. My ears were ringing so I couldn't hear anything after the crash...anything except...
Get up!
Get up!
You have to get up!
You have to get back up or else you're going to die!
It was that familiar voice at the back of my head, the Hakurei Miko's intuition. I was assuming that I reverted back into Reimu because I could hear it again. Not surprising considering the amount of damage Okuu's Touhou Ride would have sustained from that impact. My vision was still fading in and out but my body still stood back up. I wasn't sure if I was conscious or not but, as far as I can tell, I was up. I then saw two figures with emerald hair land in front of me. I wasn't sure what I looked like but I must be a mess by now.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
I could hear a steady thumping noise in my head. Was it Reimu's intuition giving out a warning? Was it my heartbeat reverberating through my body? Was it a countdown to my own doom? I didn't know. All I could see was the two figures in front of me. They were side by side, like they had their arms linked together. They were each holding something...umbrellas? My head was so messed up that I couldn't remember clearly.
TOUHOU RIDE!
I suddenly heard my belt's declaration as clear as day. I don't remember taking out a card or even opening the handles of my buckle. Is this...Reimu moving? Was she using my body now that I was in no condition to? I wasn't sure. I still couldn't see clearly. My ears won't work. I wasn't even sure if I was still breathing. Other than the belt's declaration and the voice at the back of my head, all I could hear was static noise.
SHIKIEIKI YAMAXANADU!
Eiki? I was transforming into Eiki? That's right...her final attack is a giant laser just like Yuka's Master Spark. Why didn't I think of that? I saw the translucent Yama tag approach me and consume me with light. Again, my belt's declaration was the only thing I could hear clearly. I then saw what seemed to be my right arm...it was holding up a yellow card and showing it to the two figures in the distance. I wasn't too sure about it but...the hand that was holding the card...it was completely covered in blood...wasn't it? My vision faded to black for just a second and I couldn't see my hand anymore.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
I put the card in then? I inferred with what little information I had. Again, the declaration was the only thing I could hear. I looked forward and the hazy figures looked like they were pointing their umbrellas at me. Why did they do that? I know why but I couldn't put my finger on it right now.
SHI-SHI-SHIKIEIKI!
Ah! The final attack started! I could see my bloody right hand again, it was holding Eiki's tag this time. A red orb came out the end of it and six smaller orbs orbited the red one. My vision blacked out, it was for around...a few seconds? Whatever the case, all I could see after I came back to my senses was a clash of red and white flashes of light. It was Shikieiki's Last Judgment against Yuka's Master Spark...no...there were two Yukas. Last Judgment versus Dual Spark then.
Am I going to die? Yuka has managed to blast through every other final attack I've thrown at her with a Master Spark and Eiki's final attack was facing two of them. There was no way that I could win this, not on my own. I stood back up. I used one last transformation and one last final attack but it won't be enough...will it? My vision started blacking out again. It faded in an out of darkness more frequently now. The red light was getting smaller in the face of the limitless white. Reimu's intuition was right, I can't beat Yuka. I should have just run away, though Yuka probably would have killed on the spot if I tried. The last of the faint red light finally faded. This was it...
"I'm going to die..." I heard myself say a few moments before I completely lost consciousness. Before I faded out...I swore I heard someone else yell at me. Was it a figment of my imagination?
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
?...Huh?
?
Flowing water...
I could hear flowing water...
Was it a stream? A fountain?
Wait...what was happening earlier?
I was fighting Yuka who split into two people...
They tore through Utsuho's final attack and nearly killed me...
Then I transformed into Eiki and used her final attack...
A final clash of powers...
Deafening noise...
Overwhelming brightness...
An indomitable opponent...
And another declaration of a final attack just before I...
"!" My eyes shot open with a start. I immediately saw that I wasn't in the Garden of the Sun anymore. I was in a traditional Japanese tea room, a beautiful garden could be seen beyond the open sliding door. I looked at myself and saw that I was back to being me. I was still wearing the Greek-looking clothes, but still. I didn't seem injured either. I was sitting down on my knees on a green cushion. Was I waiting for someone?
"Is this heaven?" I heard my echoing voice ask through the empty room. It was late afternoon, as far as I could tell, and the inside of the tea room looked lonely and somewhat foreboding.
"I would think that a number of people would find it offensive if heaven really was configured as a contemporary Japanese home." The familiar voice of a young girl answered my question as she entered the room from somewhere within the house with a Japanese tea set.
"Akyu..." I said a name I haven't uttered a quite a while. The purple-haired young girl sat across me and started preparing tea. An awkward silence permeated afterward. Only the mixing brush that Akyu was expertly wielding was making any kind of sound.
"So...I guess I'm out cold again huh?" I commented to break the silence. Akyu stopped her tea preparations and regarded me for a moment before continuing.
"Indeed. The only other time when we met this way was when you were knocked unconscious during the flower incident." Akyu replied, acknowledging my earlier claim. I then remembered the last moments before I lost consciousness.
"I didn't...die...did I?" I hesitantly asked. The last thing I recalled was that Eiki's final attack was fading and Yuka's Dual Spark was clearly overwhelming it then...nothing.
"No, if you did die then we wouldn't be talking right now." The young girl clarified as she poured hot tea into a pair of cups.
"Think of this...as a continue point of sorts." Akyu said as she handed me a cup. I took it and felt the warmth from the clay cup and inhaled the aroma of fine green tea. At least I wasn't dead...though I wondered for a moment about Akyu's knowledge about video gaming.
"Girls do their best now and are preparing. Please wait warmly until it is ready." My companion in this place suddenly said to herself before savoring the aroma of her tea.
"Excuse me?" I did a double take from the seemingly random words.
"Don't mind it. Now, I see your journey was going well until you got sent here again." Akyu changed the subject before taking a sip from her tea. It was still too hot for my tastes so I decided to drink it a bit later.
"How can you tell? Are you spying on me?" I asked as I took a small tentative sip from my cup, the hot tea nearly burning my tongue. How could she drink something this hot without flinching?
"I would be ever so grateful if I could keep track of your journey's progress. I wouldn't have to worry about you so much." She replied as she put her left hand on her cheek and sighed like a worrying mother.
"Hehehe...right. So how do you know that I've been doing well?" I asked her again.
"Firstly, you're still alive aren't you?" Akyu plainly said, I nodded in response. You can't really argue with that kind of direct logic.
"Secondly, is the state of the realm we are in right now." The younger girl regarded the house we were in and she looked out to the garden.
"This...realm?" I asked the obvious question.
"Yes, remember when you first came here? It was blank white." Akyu explained, making me recall what happened before.
"Yeah, it was just a giant white room." I affirmed.
"Back then, your only confirmed accomplishment was Embodiment of Scarlet Devil and your victory in Subterranean Animism had yet to register here at the time." Akyu continued before taking another sip of her tea.
"I won't lie...you lost me..." I admitted before taking a sip from my cooling cup of green tea.
"This realm reflects your efforts. The more worlds that you have saved, the more this one is restored. The state it is in right now showcases your triumph in Imperishable Night and is showing signs of recovery because of your efforts in Perfect Cherry Blossom." Akyu replied.
"...no...still not there..." I said with a sour face. Akyu narrowed her eyes at me as if she couldn't believe that I was still incapable of understanding her explanation.
"...sorry?" I took a stab at an apology, earning an audible sigh from my little host.
"Tama...what have you been fighting for up to now? What is the reason for this journey you are undertaking?" Akyu asked me with a slightly annoyed tone.
"To save the nine Gensokyos to restore the origina?oh..." I said as I finally understood.
"That is correct. You are currently standing...sitting...in the original realm of Gensokyo, if a bit disorganized and fragmented." Akyu confirmed my realization.
"Wow...so why did I ended up here?" I asked.
"I don't know." Akyu plainly answered, at least she was honest.
"Okay...wait! I have a lot of things I need to clear up with you while I'm here!" I suddenly blurted out, very nearly spilling my tea.
"Such...as...?" Akyu replied, visibly taken aback by my sudden outburst. Her expression made me think that she was contemplating on backing away from me.
"Marisa! You said that Kirisame Marisa didn't exist but she's here! And she's a damn thief!" I voiced my irritation over that little detail.
"That's impossible. Kirisame Marisa does not exist. Do you want me to say it in red or something?" Akyu flatly denied my words.
"Red? What are you talking about? No! She's here! I've fought against her and along side her! She has the same powers I do but she summons other characters instead of transforming into them. And she has a lot more options than I do..." I leaned over the table as I said the last part, making Akyu visibly lean back in an attempt to save what personal space she had left.
"As I have said..." The small girl said as she put her left hand on my shoulder and gave me a soft nudge back. I noticed that I nearly had my entire body over the table and it looked like I was about to assault a little girl, not a very nice image to walk in on. She waited for me to sit back down before she continued.
"Marisa Kirisame does not exists in any of the Gensokyos. I know not who this person is but she is not the original." Akyu clearly stated.
Not the original... I thought as I mulled through her words.
"So you don't know who that girl is and how she got those powers?" I asked for clarification.
"No. If I did, I would have told you. I do not know who this person posing as Marisa is." Akyu said, a strange sound echoed in the room as she said the last sentence as if affirming it.
"What was that sound just now?" I asked her as I looked around the room.
"Don't mind it. You should go. I'm sure that you have still a lot of things to do." Akyu said after she noticed that I had finished my tea.
"Yeah...I have a really tough fight ahead of me." I replied. I was still scared but I knew that it was all the more reason to keep moving forward. I don't like it...but I won't stop either. Not anymore.
"I wish you luck Tama. I look forward to your success and please try not to make these visits become a habit." Akyu said with a smile before my vision was consumed in a bright white light.
?
-
Part 2!
?
"Nggh!" I groaned while opening my eyes. My vision was still blurry but I could tell. I was laying on a bed...a really comfy one. I even had a blanket over me.
"What?" I asked myself as I sat up and took in my surroundings. From a contemporary Japanese tea room to a European-style bedroom.
What's next? A tipi? I thought before looking at what I was wearing. I was wearing pink pajamas and I felt something on my head too. I touched it and saw that I was wearing a pink nightcap, weird. I took a better look around and saw that the room was like an old British home I sometimes see on TV or in movies except...the theme...
"Plaid..." I said as I looked at the wallpaper and the design of the sheets on the bed. Everything was in plaid. Something has been nagging me at the back of my head that I should know something about this roo-
"Wait...plaid?" I suddenly felt butterflies in my stomach, and not in the good way like in romance stories. The door opened with an old creak and confirmed my suspicions.
"Tama-chan~! You're up~!" Yuka lit up like a bulb when she saw me.
"Yuka? What...why am I..." I was seriously confused about what was going on but I wasn't able to finish my question because of a sudden migraine.
"Why are you alive? Funny story about that~" Yuka happily said before going outside the room again.
"Hey~! She's up~!" Yuka yelled out in the hallway.
Someone else is here? I thought. I wondered who else could have been waiting for me to wake up when Yuka came back in the room together with someone I didn't expect.
"Aoko!" I called out to Marisa's proxy and she waved at me.
"Jeez, you're tougher than nails you know that?" Aoko said before approaching me and sitting on a chair nearby.
"Why are you here? Why am I here? Why is Yuka here? Where are we anyway?" I suddenly belted out question after question at the two of them.
"I'm here because I saved you from getting vaporized by Yuka's Double Master Spark." Aoko said while pointing to herself.
"Master Spark...you know, you're right. It does have a nice ring to it." Yuka nodded to herself as she thought over the name of her attack.
"It does, doesn't it?" Aoko happily agreed with Yuka before turning back to me.
"You're here because you were a complete mess after the fight. I've seen you get beaten up before but never like that. Yuka told me what happened and I still can't believe that you survived fighting her toe to toe." Aoko explained while shaking her head, as if denying the plausibility of the whole thing.
"What are you talking about? I fought Yuka, yeah, but what do you mean by me not supposed to be able to survive it?" I asked Aoko who gave me one of her 'I can't believe it' looks.
"You fought Kazami Yuka! In and all out power slug-fest! Without even taking note of where you were fighting her!" Aoko said with passion before looking at the flower youkai.
"I fought her in the Garden of the Sun, what does that have to do with anything." I said, not seeing the point.
"It has to do with everything! The Garden of the Sun is Yuka's turf! She can't be beaten as long as she's there!" Aoko explained before giving an exasperated sigh.
"Ah!" I exclaimed as I remembered what Reimu's intuition kept trying to tell me before.
Don't fight her!
You can't defeat her!
Not here!
So that's what it meant... I thought before looking at Yuka who gave me a warm smile, completely devoid of any hostile intention.
"That's right~! I can draw out power from flowers and use them as my own. Since the Garden of the Sun has thousands of giant sunflowers I have nearly limitless power while I'm in there. Even gods and demons would die by my hands if we fought in my garden." Yuka said with the same warm smile.
"Wait...that's why you kept shooting Master Sparks at me like it was water?" I exclaimed my disbelief in the revelation.
"Uh-huh! If it were anywhere else, I'd probably only be able to get off three of them at most before I get tired but I can shoot them till the end of time if I'm in my garden." Yuka answered. All I could do was cover my face with my hands in shame.
"So it really was impossible to beat her!" I yelled out in frustration.
"Just be glad you survived. Not a lot of people can say that they fought The Flower Master of the Four Seasons in her own garden and survive." Aoko said as a token consolation.
"Flower Master of the Four Seasons...I like that...though if you're friend hadn't jump in during the last part, you would have died anyway." Yuka pointed out. I looked at Aoko who avoided my gaze.
"I heard a final attack declaration before I passed out. So that really was you." I said and Aoko nodded.
"I wasn't about to let you die in the middle of your journey you know..." Aoko sheepishly said while looking away.
"Thanks..." I thanked her as sincerely as I could. Aoko coughed before deciding to change the subject.
"Anyway...Yuka's here because this is her house. She brought you here to get treated after your fight." Aoko said, answering one of my remaining questions.
"Really? Why? Wait...you have a house?" I asked the flower youkai, tilting my head to the side at the oddity.
"Of course I have a house. You didn't really think that I sleep out in the wilds did you? How rude..." Yuka said while pouting at me like a moping kid which gave me very mixed feelings.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you but I didn't see a house when we fought. Besides, I had other things to worry about at the time other than your standard of living." I said while shrugging.
"Fair enough. My house isn't located in the garden. It is inside Mugenkan." Yuka explained.
"Mugenkan..." I repeated. I had heard Letty and Cirno talk about Yuka retreating to a place called Mugenkan during the winter incident.
"Mugenkan is a pocket dimension made by Yuka that houses her actual home, among other things. It's supposed to be some sort of tangible dream world that allows her to shape it as she wills." Aoko explained.
"My, you're quite informed aren't you?" Yuka pointed out Aoko's knowledge about her realm, to which the other girl simply shrugged.
"Unlike Tama here, I actually did my homework before engaging in potentially life-ending situations." Aoko sent me a sidewards glance as she said that. I stuck my tongue out at her for that taunt but she just gave a soft chuckle before continuing.
"However, even I don't know the origin or specifics of such an ability. Sure, there are rumors and theories about it but nothing definite." Aoko admitted while scratching the back of her head.
"Really? Well I could tell you two how to make your own Mugenkan...but..." Yuka said with a mischievous smile.
""You'll kill us as soon as you do."" Aoko and I deadpanned.
"I'm happy to see that the two of you catch on so quickly~" Yuka jokingly said...no, she was probably completely serious about killing us if we ever found out the secret to Mugenkan's existence.
"A-anyway...how long was I out? A couple of hours?" I immediately changed the subject before Yuka started getting ideas.
"Two days." Aoko stated while holding up to fingers.
"..." I stared at her in hopes that she was just kidding like she usually does but...
"I'm not kidding." Aoko flatly said as she lowered her hand. I turned to Yuka to see if Aoko was really serious. All I got was a cutesy smile from the flower youkai as if she didn't have anything to do with it. I just stared at the two of them in disbelief.
?
"Thanks again for not killing me Yuka." I said as I stepped off the edge of the Garden of the Sun. I swear, if Yuka wasn't there to guide me, I would have walked in the wrong direction and gotten myself lost in a sea of yellow. The place was every bit as bad as the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, and no Eientei to stumble into or Mokou to guide you back to the entrance.
"It was the least I could do after you fought so well against me. I must say though, your friend was rather rude for suddenly disappearing like that after you were able to walk again. Are all human friendships like that?" Yuka commented while slowly twirling her open parasol in her hands. Aoko said her farewells to us as soon as I was well enough to go out on my own, which was in the morning of my fourth day here thanks to the healing herbs provided by Yuka, and left Mugenkan. I guess she still hadn't managed to pilfer anything of considerable value from this world yet.
"She has things she needs to work on. Plus, I'm still very apprehensive to consider her as a friend. Annoying acquaintance? Definitely. Friend? Not really." I said while shrugging. Aoko had been pretty helpful in the past, whether I was aware of it or not, but she was still a thieving witch and I'm not really keen on trusting thieves.
"Really? You two seem like you would work well together though. Oh well, I'm not that keen on the concept of friendship anyway. Take care out there Tama-chan~" Yuka said with her trademark 'warm-friendly-smile-meant-to-make-you-let-your-guard-down-so-you-won't-realize-just-how-dangerous-and-terrifying-she-really-was'.
"Yeah, you take care too Yuka." I replied before walking off to see if I can find a way back to Bhava-Agra and set Tenshi straight.
?
"Hmm~hmm~hmm~" I had been walking for about half an hour in the direction Aoko told me before she left.
There is a small youkai village to the northeast of the Garden of the Sun called Mayohiga. It's a village that was established by Yukari's shikigami Ran and Chen. They should be able to lead you back to Bhava-Agra if you manage to talk or beat the answer out of them.
Find Mayohiga. Find Ran and Chen. Make them bring me back to heaven so I can fight their mistress again. It should be easy enough... I thought sarcastically as I knew that I would probably end up fighting them before they'd listen to my request.
"Hmmm~hm~hm~"
At they very least, I can use Yuyuko to as an edge against Ran considering how effective she was against the kitsune in the previous world.
"Hm~hmmmm~hmmm~"
I wonder how I can get Tenshi to my side and have her help me fight Yukari though? She was already as good as dead before, was she already dead?
"La~lala~"
"Okay, that's it..." I said as I turned back to the person who was happily humming a tune behind me.
"What's wrong Tama-chan~?" Yuka coyly asked..
"Didn't we already say goodbye to each other earlier?" I clarified with the flower youkai.
"Yes, it was quite the scene. It warms my heart whenever I recall it." Yuka fondly said as she put her left hand on her cheek, her parasol in her right hand.
"So why are you following me?" I followed up.
"What do you mean?" Yuka happily answered with another question, feigning ignorance.
"Saying goodbye to someone usually constitutes that you won't see that person again for an extended period of time. You're not supposed to follow the person that left after you said your goodbyes." I explained, trying to get some sense into Yuka.
"That and this are different. I'm not following you. I'm just having a stroll and it just so happens that I'm heading in the same direction as you~" Yuka pathetically tried to confuse me with her simple logic.
"You just want a shot at whoever it is I'm going off to fight against aren't you?" I flatly accused her. She just looked away with an embarrassed wry smile and a slight blush on her cheeks.
"Figures...we'll I could definitely use some help anyway so I'll be counting on your support then." I said to Yuka while holding out my left hand to her for a handshake.
"Don't worry Tama-chan, just make sure not to get in my way and we should do just fine~" Yuka casually replied as she took my hand and...kissed the back of it like a gentleman.
"Not exactly the gesture I was looking for, but whatever." I shrugged before continuing on my way, Yuka close behind.
I'd better make sure to keep a wide breadth between me and Yuka during fights. I made a mental note just in case. Hopefully, Reimu's intuition will yell at me to get away from Yuka if she's about to do something crazy while I'm in the blast zone.
?
"Is that the place?" I asked as I looked down from the top of a ridge. There was a small run down looking village a distance away. It consisted of a little over a dozen shacks that have seen better days and there were cats walking all over the place. No indication of people down there, which made sense since this was supposed to be a youkai village.
"My, what a shabby looking settlement. Terrible location too. Who in Gensokyo would be stupid enough to put a village all the way out here?" Yuka asked as she gave her brutally honest opinion about Mayohiga.
"The village was supposedly established by Yakumo Ran and Yakumo Chen, a nine-tailed kitsune and a nekomata. I doubt that they'd have a hard time traveling here." I explained to the flower youkai who suddenly gave a sly grin.
"A nine-tailed...that's rare..." Yuka muttered, probably planning on fighting Ran if we run into her.
"Yeah, she's pretty powerful but I'm not sure about her sensibilities when it comes to home making." I said as I looked back towards the youkai village.
"Well then, let's go ahead and say a friendly hello Tama-chan~" Yuka happily said before making her way down to the village.
"Remember! We need them alive!" I yelled after the flower youkai before making my way down as well. Yuka never acknowledged that she'd keep them alive though...
"Who goes there?" The voice of a young girl yelled out from within the village as soon as Yuka and I entered it. I looked at Yuka before answering, the flower youkai held the open parasol that was slung on her right shoulder with both her hands. Her expression was calm but alert to her surroundings.
"Florists!" I yelled back to whoever was in the village. Yuka gave me a curious stare for a moment before she went back to her stoic stance when a familiar figure walked out into view.
"Florists? What's that, a new kind of food?" Chen asked as she eyed me and Yuka curiously.
I didn't know she could talk... I thought as I recalled that she never uttered a word in Perfect Cherry Blossom. Then again, I blindsided her with a Gungnir so I guess she never really had the chance to be vocally open to me.
"No...it's not food. We heard that this was Mayohiga, the village made by the Yakumos for youkai. Am I right?" I asked, trying to see if I can go with a diplomatic route.
"That is correct. Though it is unheard of for a human to come here...in the company of a youkai no less." A mature feminine voice said from behind us. Yuka and I immediately whipped around and saw Ran cautiously eying the two of us, her hands in her sleeves. The two shikigamis looked identical to their counterparts in the previous world but their presence was different. The lack of blood lust from the two of them was a good thing. Yuka on the other hand...
"A nine-tailed kitsune..." Yuka said softly while she stared at Ran with a seductive smile as if she was speaking to a lover, killing intent slowly oozing out of her.
"What of it? Are you merely here to fight, youkai?" Ran said in a much sterner tone than before after sensing Yuka's killing intent. She still kept her hands on her sleeves but I'm sure that she was ready to attack us at the drop of a hat if she had to.
"That depends...can you live long enough to figure out?" Yuka said in the same sultry voice as she took a step towards Ran.
"Yuka! Don't!" I yelled out before grabbing her arm.
"Yuka? Kazami Yuka, the flower youkai?" Ran asked, her hands on her sides now in full guard after the revelation of who it was she was facing.
"Looks like your reputation precedes you..." I muttered before looking back at Yuka who had a stone cold glare at me.
"Tama-chan...what did I say about getting in my way when I'm about to kill someone?" Yuka quietly said with an ice cold voice.
"Ummm...don't?" I replied, realizing that grabbing Yuka by her arm when I haven't even transformed yet wasn't exactly the smartest thing to do.
"That's right...and what are you doing right now?" Yuka asked again. I remained silent for a few moments as I considered my options.
"No killing our only lead to getting to Bhava-Agra and finding Yukari." I replied as I let Yuka go, making sure that she can sense that I had no intention of fighting her.
"You're after the mistress?" Ran growled at us as she began to tense up.
"We're not here to fight!" I immediately yelled out, stepping in front of Yuka and spreading my arms out.
"Tama-chan..." Yuka muttered, confused by my actions.
"We're not here to fight...right, Yuka?" I said as I looked back to the flower youkai.
Please don't kill anyone! Please don't kill anyone! Please don't kill anyone! Please don't kill anyone! I chanted in my head as I stared at Yuka who had a blank expression, hoping that she'd take a hint.
"Not yet..." Yuka replied before turning her back to me.
"Thanks Yuka." I said before turning back to Ran, who wasn't sure about what to think after our little exchange.
"Yukari's raising all sorts of hell up in heaven and I just want to make sure that everyone is alright up there. Yuka's here...because she thought it would be fun to see what heaven looked like." I explained to the shikigami as best I could.
"That's impossible. Miss Yukari went up to heaven to visit her friend, Miss Tenshi, for a few days. She had no reason to raise arms against heaven. We have made sure that Gensokyo and Bhava-Agra were always in good terms." Ran explained, maintaining her combat readiness.
"That wasn't what it looked like...I was there until your mistress gapped me." I immediately replied to the kitsune.
"You lie..." She accused, having complete faith in Yukari.
"Why don't we go there and find out?" I proposed. This was probably the only way we'll be able to get Ran to bring us there after she found out that we were going after Yukari. A tense silence followed my question. No one moved and no one spoke. It was then that I noticed that there wasn't anyone here aside from Ran, Chen, and a bunch of cats.
Where are all the youkai? I wondered. It was the same as what I encountered on the way here. Aside from Yuka, I hadn't encountered any youkai at all.
It's like what happened in Bhava-Agra... I recalled back when I didn't run into anyone in the city other than Iku, Aoko, Tenshi, and Yukari.
Where the hell is everyone? I thought as I realized that there was more to this incident than just the border youkai declaring war on heaven.
"Chen, bring me the mirror that Miss Yukari left to us." Ran told her shikigami, breaking the silence.
"O~kay!" Chen happily said as she trotted off to get the item Ran was asking for, completely oblivious to how close we all were to fighting each other.
"Make no mistake. I am merely doing this to prove you wrong. You better be prepared to face the consequences for slandering my mistress, human." Ran said, her anger at me painfully obvious.
"Is that a threat?" Yuka replied before turning around to face Ran, a smile on her face, ready to rain death upon the nine-tailed kitsune.
"Yuka..." I called out to the flower youkai who pouted at me.
"I know, I know..." She replied before looking away from us. At least she can hold back when she has to.
"My name is Tama by the way." I gave my name to Ran before she makes it a habit to keep calling me 'human'.
"A curious human you are, Tama. Befriending one of the most dangerous youkai in existence and openly accusing my mistress with such a grievous crime. Just who are you?" Ran asked me in genuine confusion and curiosity while narrowing her eyes at me. She was ancient enough to know that humans don't just pick up youkai and become their friends and I had one of the strongest tagging along with me. She was probably wondering if I really was human or not.
"I'm just a miko passing through." I answered with a wry smile as I wondered how many times I'm going to have to give that catch phrase for the remainder of my journey.
"Miss Ra~n! I got it!" Chen called out to her mistress as she carried a large ornate mirror above her head, about as big as manhole cover. It was a round mirror that was nestled in a gold frame that was shaped into leaves and served as handles for it. There were also small precious gems embedded in the gold. Sapphires, rubies, emeralds, and diamonds lined the border of the mirror like stars in the sky.
"Miss Yukari received this mirror as a gift from the celestials as a gesture of lasting friendship between her and the eldest daughter of the Hinanai clan, the ruling family of heaven. It allows one to travel from Gensokyo to an identical mirror in the Hinanai main house at Bhava-Agra instantly." Ran explained before thanking Chen for bringing her the mirror and telling her to hold it in place.
"It was never used for its intended purpose as Miss Yukari can simply create a gap to travel to Bhava-Agra instead of relying on the mirror. It became more of a symbolic item instead, a sign of peace." Ran continued before she instructed Chen to keep an eye on the mirror and Mayohiga while we checked out the city of heaven to prove or disprove my claim. The more she explained it, the less I understood. If Ran was right, Yukari really never had a reason to attack heaven. If so...what the hell was she doing ripping it to pieces in front of Tenshi?
What am I missing here? I thought while mulling over what happened before and what Ran was saying now.
You finally get to play hero...
Hero...Yukari said that Tenshi wanted to be a hero before she destroyed that temple. That's why she did all that? So that Tenshi would stop her and become a hero? I considered until I noticed Yuka tapping my shoulder with a worried expression.
"Tama-chan...constipation?" Yuka suddenly asked me in the most sincere way she could.
"What? No!" I yelled back in embarrassment. I curse my inability to realize that my face gradually contorts whenever I'm seriously thinking about something.
"We have a bathroom if you-" Ran politely offered but...
"It's not like that! Let's just go already!" I enthusiastically refused while stomping my foot on the ground for emphasis.
"I didn't know that a human's face can become that red without bleeding." Yuka commented in honest surprise as she put her hand on her mouth to emphasize. Great! Now I'm blushing!
"Yes. Apparently, that typically happens when humans become embarrassed in front of others such as friends, family, or lovers." Ran explained to Yuka who nodded as she absorbed the new information.
"Enough already!" I yelled out again, my face probably red enough to be a Christmas ornament.
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"And I thought that Mayohiga was a mess." Yuka offhandedly commented as she walked off to survey the remains of the main house of the Hinanai clan. The chamber where the counterpart of the celestial mirror was stored in was in the first floor of what seemed to be a side building. It was a large and empty but well decorated room. It was probably meant to receive guests from Gensokyo as soon as they arrive from the other side of the mirror. I was certain that the room was in the first floor because the ceiling and everything else that might have been above it was...gone. It was like something ripped out the rest of the building.
"I don't want to say I told you so..." I said as I walked passed the thoroughly shocked shikigami and went outside after Yuka.
"Ooohh~! I definitely want to meet the one who did this~" Yuka excitedly said as she looked at the ruins of the once magnificent city. It had already been a few days since I got here so there weren't any fires or crumbling buildings anymore. However, the lack of anyone here just made it look like the whole place was completely dead. No, there weren't any corpses either. It was all purely structural destruction.
"You will, once we find her." I said as I summoned my buckle and put Reimu's card in.
TOUHOU RIDE!
"You know where we can find her?" Yuka asked before I closed the handles and transformed.
HAKUREI REIMU!
"No, but that's why we brought Ran along." I explained before turning back to the ruined building where Ran was just exiting from.
"Can you lead us to where Yukari is?" I asked the kitsune who just blinked at me a few times before looking at Yuka.
"And this is?" The confused shikigami asked while pointing at my transformed self.
"That's Tama-chan. It's her power, very unique and fun to fight against~! You should have seen our battle in my garden a few days ago~" Yuka chirped in reply. I wasn't as happy as her when I recalled our fight.
"You fought the flower youkai in her field and lived?" Ran exclaimed in surprise before staring at me with wide eyes.
"Believe me, it was a tooth and nail struggle for my survival every step of the way." I waved it off before Ran gets any ideas and starts overestimating me.
"Chit-chat time ends here. I want to see who it was that did all this, now." Yuka interjected, she was getting eager to find Yukari.
She'd probably say hi with a Master Spark as soon as we meet Yukari. I wonder what I should do with Ran if that happens? I thought as I glanced at the kitsune. Fighting her might be unavoidable if she's loyal to Yukari but...
That means I'll have to go through all of that again...I bitterly thought as I recalled the collective struggle against the Ran of Perfect Cherry Blossom.
"So be it. I have things I want to clarify with Miss Yukari as well, follow me." Ran seriously said, snapping me from my thoughts, narrowing her eyes in the distance before walking off.
"Well then~! Shall we~?" Yuka said to me with a beautiful smile before skipping after Ran. Yes, she was skipping as she went. That's how happy she was to have the opportunity to fight someone like Yukari.
"Glad to have her on my side now..." I muttered to myself before following the two women.
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"So that's why you have that power and why you are here? Incredible..." Ran said in admiration after I explained my journey. Turns out, this Ran was much easier to get along with than the previous one. Very cordial, this Ran was.
"Isn't it~? You should try fighting her once, it'll be a blast~!" Yuka happily said as she walked alongside me with Ran leading. At least she wasn't skipping anymore.
"Quite. A friendly spar would be nice. Waiting on Miss Yukari, caring for Chen, and managing Mayohiga had me wondering if I've slowed down over the centuries." Ran nodded thoughtfully to herself as she cupped her chin her with her right hand.
"I'd rather not fight anyone unless I absolutely have too. Meaningless battle only bring about meaningless pain for everyone involved..." I deadpanned as an excuse, partly because of my earlier fight with Yuka and partly because...
I already had more than my fill of fighting Ran. I don't want to fight her again. I thought while grimacing.
"Are you sure you don't need to go to the bathroom Tama-chan?" Yuka asked worriedly when she saw my face.
"Drop it or you don't get to fight Yukari." I replied to the flower youkai, who pouted like a girl who was scolded by her parent. I knew that there was no way I could hope to stop Yuka if she wanted to raise hell against Yukari, she knew it too. The fact that she played along with me just now shows that she's at least comfortable enough with me to do that. I then noticed that Ran was glancing back at us after that short exchange.
"Something wrong?" I asked the kitsune, I noticed that Yuka was smirking at Ran.
"Not very happy that we're talking about beating your mistress to a pulp?" Yuka deliberately asked in provocation.
"Yuka!" I immediately yelled out to the flower youkai who stuck her tongue out at me.
"I'll deal with that when the time comes. Depending on what exactly Miss Yukari actually hoped to accomplish when she instigated all this, I may become your ally or enemy or I may simply retain neutrality." Ran answered before starting to walk towards where Yukari apparently was.
"I was simply...curious..." Ran added as she walked. The rest of the trip was kept in silence.
?
In the past five worlds, I've seen the main antagonists try to do some pretty crazy stuff. Flandre went completely berserk and probably would have destroyed everything in the Scarlet Devil's Gensokyo. Koishi had nearly everyone's hearts locked in an iron grip in Animism's Gensokyo. Advent Letty was close to freezing the entire Flower View Gensokyo using the power of the Yama. Mokou...Mokou just had some issues to work through in that seven hundred year quarrel with Kaguya in the Imperishable Gensokyo. Ran? Also almost froze Cherry Blossom Gensokyo. In addition, she killed Yukari, sealed Yuyuko, and happily plowed through anyone who tried to stop her. Very troublesome.
And Yukari? I had no idea what Yukari was really up to. She stole the Hisou Sword, leveled Bhava-Agra, and tormented Tenshi with the destruction of her home.
But that's what's strange about it. I thought as we continued to make our way to where Yukari seemed to be. Yuka had stayed quiet for a while now, opting to admire Yukari's handiwork. She was probably anxious about getting to fight someone who was capable of doing all this. Ran was quiet as well but who knows what was going through the shikigami's mind right now.
For all the destruction Yukari has done...I never saw even one dead body. I continued my train of thought.
Why is that? What is Yukari after? Ran said that she and Tenshi were good friends plus Gensokyo and Bhava-Agra were in good terms so what the hell happened? I wracked my brain to try to comprehend what motivated Yukari to go on this warpath.
"There..." Ran's voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked at where the kitsune was pointing. In the distance, I could see a massive Colosseum that was easily five times larger than any other building I've seen up here, and it looked brand new. I suddenly had a bad feeling at the back of my head.
"Was that there before?" I asked Ran who shook her head. That bad feeling I was having was because I never noticed this thing when I first got here.
"I don't know. I've never been in heaven before. Only Miss Yukari ever came here, and it was almost always to visit Miss Tenshi." The kitsune explained. I glanced at Yuka who was trying her best to keep a straight face. I was assuming that she was using every ounce of self-control she had to not blast the structure just to provoke Yukari into fighting us.
"Well...let's see if she's there or not. We might even be able to find Tenshi there too." I said before making my way towards the Colosseum, Ran and Yuka close behind. If worse comes to worse, I really hope Aoko jumps in to back us up.
"So...do we use door number one or..." Yuka said as she scanned the many entrances of the giant structure.
"...maybe door number thirty four? I have a good feeling about thirty four." The flower youkai casually suggested.
"I don't believe it would matter. I can sense Miss Yukari within and I think all these entrances lead to the center of the complex." Ran reasoned as she took stock of how tall the structure was. I looked up and found the reason why this thing was so big and why it seemingly came out of nowhere.
"It's made out of other buildings..." I muttered as I studied the walls. From afar, it looked like a single building. Up close though, it was clear that there were mismatches in the construction. Contours, color, composition, building method used. Each part betrayed a uniqueness in each patch of stone on the face of the Colosseum.
"A patchwork Colosseum? That does seem like something only Miss Yukari would be capable of." Ran agreed, making a troubled face.
"What will you do? We'll probably end up fighting against your mistress." I honestly asked.
"I don't know. I would like to get Miss Yukari's side in this matter befo?" Ran's voice was suddenly cut out when she...fell through the ground.
"Ran!" I yelled out after the kitsune suddenly fell into a gap in the ground. The gap quickly closed, preventing any hope of Ran coming back.
"Well, looks like someone doesn't want that fox to be here." Yuka plainly said, a sinister smile creeping on her lips. I grimaced for a moment before sighing.
"No use worrying about it now. At least we know for sure that Yukari's here.." I stated before entering the Colosseum.
"Let's go say hi then. Hehehehe~" Yuka stated as she followed me. A cold chill came from behind me as her killing intent started seeping out.
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-
Part 3
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"Welcome faker! Welcome murderous flower youkai!" Yukari's voice boomed throughout the massive empty complex as soon as we managed to get through the halls leading to the center. Yuka and I looked towards the source of the voice. There, on an elevated stone platform the size of a football pitch, stood Yakumo Yukari holding the Hisou Sword in her right hand.
"Welcome to the Rapiecage!" The border youkai said before raising the red sword and sending a red lightning bolt towards us.
"Move!" I screamed before jumping to the side to avoid the sudden attack. Yuka on the other hand didn't even flinch.
"Yuka?" I called out to the flower youkai who stood there smiling with her parasol open and used it to block the red bolt. A thunderclap followed the impact and caused a a small explosion. I covered by eyes with my arms to keep myself from getting blinded by debris.
She's gonna be fine and have a murderous smile on her face once the dust settles... I thought to myself as I saw Yuka's silhouette in the dissipating dust cloud. My suspicions were confirmed when the remainder of the dust cloud was blown back by a Master Spark from Yuka's parasol. The white beam of light screamed towards Yukari. The border youkai smiled at us before slashing the beam of light with the Hisou Sword, cutting Yuka's spark in half and away from her.
"Ooohh~! That's quite the sword you have there~" Yuka playfully said, in contrast with her murderous smile.
"Uhh...Yuka..." I cautiously called out to my companion wh-
"Let's see what color your blood is~!" I never managed to finish when Yuka suddenly leaped towards Yukari in a fit of blood lust.
"Geez...now what?" I asked to no one in particular. I then turned back to the hallway where we walked from when I heard footsteps.
"Why did you return?" I raised an eyebrow when I recognized that voice. Sure enough, Tenshi came into view...completely unscathed.
"Why don't you seem harmed? At all?" I asked back to her. This is making less and less sense. Tenshi's here. Walking around freely without so much as a scratch.
"What do you fight for Tama? Is it for justice? To protect someone? To be a hero? Why?" The blue haired girl looked at me with an expression betraying anxiety, fear, hope.
"What are you talking about?" I wanted her to clarify this. Reimu's intuition was warning me that Tenshi might not be on my side anymore. But I wanted to know why.
"Yukari told me...she made me realize...there's no point to having heroes." Tenshi said in resignation before taking off her hat and charging at me, tears flowing freely from her eyes.
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"Well, I never thought I'd see the day that I'd be fighting you." Yukari calmly said as Yuka climbed to the stone platform. The border youkai tossed away her umbrella and pointed the Hisou Sword at the flower youkai who smiled and pointed her parasol at Yukari.
"I always wondered how strong you were. I've heard rumors from the ones who were dumb enough to try to kill me but...I want to see for myself. Tell me Yakumo Yukari...can you quench my soul~?" Yuka yelled out before opening her parasol and firing her second Master Spark.
"Sorry old lady, I don't swing that way." Yukari taunted before a gap opened in front of her, taking in Yuka's laser. Yuka's eye twitched just for a second before jumping backwards. Another gap appeared above where Yuka was standing a moment ago and released the Master Spark that she previously fired. The blast destroyed a portion of the platform and left a crater seven feet wide. Yuka used her parasol to block residual energy from her attack as well as whatever debris got blasted from the impact point.
"Old lady eh? That's a laugh coming from a hag that's as old as Gensokyo itself!" Yuka shot back before closing her parasol. Her previous cheery tone gone from her voice as she wore a completely serious expression. Yukari, upon hearing Yuka's taunt, twitched an eyebrow as well. Her smile faded and was replaced with a placid scowl. It wasn't any secret that both of them were really, really, really old. Even the eight hundred year old Ran was younger than the two of them by at least two hundred years. That being said, being women, neither of them liked being called out on their real ages.
"You'll pay for that, flower girl." Yukari coldly said as she glared daggers at Yuka.
"I'd like to see you try, you. Old. Hag." Yuka taunted again, making the border youkai go into a fit of rage and unleashing the power of the Hisou Sword. Scarlet clouds gathered above the Colosseum as the battle between two of Gensokyo's strongest began in earnest.
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Fast. For all the whining and complaints that Tenshi made when I first met her, she was really good at fighting. I called out my gohei as soon as I saw her run at me and started blocking a series of punches and kicks from the celestial. Even through the intensity of her attack, I noticed that she was always aiming for my vital areas. Ducking a punch meant to hit me between the eyes. Jumping away from a kick aimed at my liver. Blocking an iron grip with my gohei meant for my throat.
Who then hell taught her how to fight? I mentally complained as I made my gohei disappear before spinning away from a roundhouse aimed at the back of my head.
"And we're fighting because?" I finally had enough time to try to talk to the sole survivor of heaven's destruction. Tenshi didn't reply and simply opted to take up a stance...what is that? Kung-fu? Tenshi knows Kung-fu?
"Think about it for a bit Tama. What would it be like, not being able to choose how you live your own life?" Tenshi said before closing the distance between us in a sudden burst of speed and launching a palm strike aimed at my sternum. I barely managed to sidestep it but she used the same hand to hit me with a backhand strike to my face.
"Ghaah!" I grunted when the attack hit its mark. Mental note: Keep moving. Close range doesn't work while I'm like this.
"What if your family died? How about your friends? How about the person you love?" Tenshi continued as she heel kicked me on the shoulder. I managed to minimize the damage my jumping back at the same time as the kick hit but I still felt it.
"Start making sense Tenshi!" I yelled out to her as I opened my buckle and put a card it.
ATTACK RIDE!
"No one ever wants that to happen to them. Even so, the world...the powers that be...freely hand out that sorrow for no reason, laughing all the way." Tenshi ignored my words and decided to continue with her tirade. I looked at her and saw that her eyes were empty like a dolls, her dried up tears marked her cheeks. What the hell did Yukari do to her? I grit my teeth before closing the handles.
THOUSANDFOLD FIST!
The torii gate knuckle dusters formed around my hands with a flash of light. There was no way I was winning against her in a straight up close range brawl without using any cards. Tenshi was a celestial and was probably just as strong as any oni. I didn't have the room to draw this fight out into medium or long range since Yukari and Yuka's rather explosive fight is taking up the center. Transforming is an option but I didn't have a pure close range brawler aside from Remilia, and her final attack is a medium to long ranged spear throw. Like it or not, Reimu's my only option.
"Everyone already knows how to get a happy ending. Everyone knows how to give others that happy ending...but no one ever pursues it!" Tenshi continued, interrupting my train of thought. I took a deep breath and thought of the best way to fight her. I didn't have any training in fighting before this whole mess started, I was just a regular teenager. Everything I've done so far have been either improvisations, using up attack and final attack cards to overwhelm, or simply taking advantage of the natural abilities of my transformations. Even so...I still had a couple of things that might surprise my current opponent. I put my dukes up close to my face and started doing short hops in place, deciding on my course of action. There wasn't any talking to her in her current state. Fine, I'll take a page from Cirno's book.
"Tama smash puny celestial..." I quietly muttered to myself before dashing towards Tenshi. Despite her ranting, she still managed to deflect my right straight.
Don't let up! Smash through it!
I grimaced when I heard Reimu's intuition at the back of my head. Was it telling me that I could win? Or was it telling me that I'll lose if I didn't keep up the pressure on Tenshi?
"Why? I'll tell you why! It's because we are compelled to make others suffer for our own gains even though we know that it's something that should never be done! Even though we grew up being taught that we should treat each other with kindness and respect!" Tenshi started yelling at me with her argument, a rather one sided one really. I neither had the time nor desire for a philosophical debate about the self-destructive nature of humanity. I weaved through her counterstrike and retaliated with three left jabs and a right straight. She dodged through the jabs and blocked the straight with her arms. Damn! Even Meiling didn't react this fast!
"That's the kind of things we are! That's the kind of world we live in! What use is a hero if the ones that should have been saved are already dead and the only ones left don't even deserve to be saved? Answer me!" Tenshi screamed at me, her anger boiling over and making her drop her guard for half a second. I took that chance and tagged her in face with a flicker jab care of my right fist. Her head coiled back from the impact and I saw my string. I continued flicking my right fist into her face at at steady beat. All that time reading Ippo when I was in high school finally paid off. Hitman style for the win. After three more hits, I drew my right hand back and took in the range with my left hand. I put all my weight into one smooth motion and delivered a right straight into Tenshi's face. The impact threw the celestial off her feet and she flew several meters in before crashing into the ground. I took a few moments to catch my breath, ignoring the noise and lights coming from the platform. Yukari was probably having one hell of a fight with Yuka. Been there, done that. I let the attack ride end before walking up to where Tenshi was.
"Listen..." I called out to her, my breathing still ragged from that impromptu boxing exhibition.
"I've never...called myself a hero...I never...wanted any of this to happen to me..." I continued before cringing at the sound of thunder in the distance I looked towards the stone platform where Yuka and Yukari were fighting and saw that it was riddled with craters and debris of varying sizes. Reimu's intuition was screaming at me not to get myself mixed up in that fight, I was inclined to agree.
"I'm just an ordinary girl who got swept up into a mess...way larger than I am..." I stated, looking back to Tenshi who was still on her back.
"Then...what are you fighting for...?" Tenshi asked me. I knelt beside her to check how she was doing. She looked exhausted physically and mentally, like she hadn't slept in days. All things considered, she probably hasn't.
"My family..." I answered honestly, the thought of the state that I left them in when I started my journey made me wince.
"...to make sure that they're still there when I go home. I didn't get into this thinking that I can save everyone. I just kept going with the thought that what I'm doing will keep my family safe." I explained. Tenshi turned to meet my eyes, she looked so lost. I gave a passing thought as to why her hat was still in place even after our fight but that wasn't important right now.
"But still..." The celestial hesitated for a few moments to continue speaking.
"...you're a hero, whether or not you see yourself as one. Unlike me, you have what it takes to save people. I'm not a hero. All I can do is give up and despair. I know that I have to save everyone but..." Tenshi trailed off. I could hear low thumping sounds in the distance. Impact noises of whatever Yukari and Yuka were throwing at each other in their fight. I was surprised that there hasn't been any stray debris that flew from the platform yet, but I digress. I sighed at Tenshi's words. She's nearly the exact opposite of the devil-may-care Tenshi I read about in Akyu's scroll.
"Does a person like me really seem that incredible?" I started. I looked back to everything I've done so far. Everything went well in the end but it could all have been ruined at so many instances with the slightest misstep or a missed opportunity.
"Hero? Villain? Don't give that excuse, Tenshi. Can't you save someone if you're not standing in that spot?" I stated as calmly as I could. I had a seething desire to slap the cowardice out of her but...I already punched her a lot of times and that didn't really help with her attitude.
"Look around you. What do you see? Your home is in ruins. Everyone is gone. Your friends, your family, your fellow celestials. At that temple before...in front of your eyes was the one that caused everything." I continued. Tenshi turned back to me, her eyes slowly regaining their former luster...if only a little.
"You don't need special positions or reasons to step forward. With just these, you can stand up and be a shield for them. If only this once, you can be their hero." Looking back on it, it was an incredibly naive speech. Although sometimes, a certain amount of naivete helps when facing problems. That kind of naivete is called optimism...hope to some, like Tenshi.
A little more. If I can just convince her to stand up and fight for Bhava-Agra...
"You don't have to be some omniscient and infallible guardian! Just this one time! To take back everything you've lost! Stand up and fight for everyone!" I declared to her with a bit more force.
"..." Tenshi said nothing and simply stared at me, hopefully considering my little pep talk. If this keeps up, I might seriously consider a career in therapy and motivational speaking.
"I knew I was expecting too much when I thought that you would actually finish her off, demon." Damn...of all the times. I looked towards one of the tunnel entrances and saw Sanae and Iku.
I'm surprised that they didn't jump me this time. I arbitrarily thought as I stood back up and got between them and Tenshi.
"Is this really the best time? Yukari is sort of omnipotent and we could use the help against her." I flatly pointed out to the duo. Maybe just this one time, Sanae can forget about her vendetta against me and-
"You have the gall to demand out assistance, demon?" Iku yelled, obviously offended at my offer of teaming up. So much for that idea...
"Really, stop it with the demon thing." I casually waved off the insult. They've been using it so much that its lost all meaning now.
"Silence! We will deal with the border youkai after we dispose of you and the first daughter!" Iku continued her rant, small sparks of electricity arcing out from her shawl. I winced at the thought of having to fight Iku and Sanae at once right after fighting Tenshi and before fighting Yukari. I swallowed the unsettling feeling and took a deep breath. Might as well get it over with.
Nuke them with Okuu? Or invoke mass death with Yuyuko? I could counter everything with Eiki... I thought over my options. I was in no condition to fight them both as Reimu anymore, so I had to figure out a way to beat them using my other transformations.
TOUHOU RIDE!
"Huh?" I blinked in surprise before looking at my buckle. Nothing. That means...
RIN KAENBYOU!
MOMIJI INUBASHIRI!
Two sets of tri-colored silhouettes darted around on front of me before converging to form the copies of the characters that were declared.
To my right was a copy of Satori's pet cat, Orin. Black cat ears and dark red eyes. Fiery red hair styled into twin braids and adorned by black ribbons. Black and green decorated dress. She didn't have a wheelbarrow but the blue flaming skulls were still floating around her. Yep, that's Orin alright.
To my left was someone new to me. She was wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt and a large black skirt. She had short white hair and her head was adorned with a red Tokin. Most distinctive was that she had a large scimitar-like sword that looked like it was made out of ivory. She also had a large white, round shield with a red maple leaf print on it...kind of like Captain America but autumn themed. I was assuming that this was Momiji.
"So the witch is here as well? No matter, we will cleanse you all!" Sanae declared before she formed her green magic circle, ready to start throwing projectiles at us. I was wondering why she never learns though. Why? Well...
ATTACK RIDE!
That's why. I thought as I watched Sanae and Iku look around in growing distress. I learned the hard way when I fought her at the Hakurei Shrine. If you fight Aoko, find her and don't let her out of your sight. She will cheat to win if you let her.
STARDUST FALL!
Sanae and Iku immediately looked up, expecting the attack to come from above because of the name. Contrary to their expectation, the stream of star-shaped bullets sprayed from behind them and managed to catch both of them off guard.
"Get 'em ze~!" Aoko's voice came from within the tunnel entrance as her optical camo faded. Sanae doubled over from the hits but quickly got back up. Iku was hit harder and took a bit longer to recover. Still, Aoko's appearance shifted the momentum completely from a two-on-one battle to a four-on-two battle.
"Nice save!" I gave credit to Aoko's ambush before summoning my gohei. I was about to dash at Sanae when the Copy Momiji beat me to the punch. The copy wolf-tengu did a horizontal slash with her scimitar mid-stride, intending to smash through the other miko while she was still dazed from the backstab by Aoko. Sanae wasn't a slouch though, she quickly formed a magic circle that served as her shield and blocked the attack. Copy Momiji followed through with the slash and pushing her opponent back. Bad move. Sanae smiled and used the distance to fire a frog bomb at Momiji. She didn't pelt her with bombs because of the close range though. The frog bomb hit its mark and detonated. Sanae used the lull to pull herself together and kept a keen eye on the cloud of smoke. From within, Copy Momiji appeared with her shield raised. Obviously, she managed to block the attack and came off it with nothing worse than a singed skirt.
"Persistent dog!" Sanae spat before backing up and preparing another barrage. I decided to take advantage of her focus on Copy Momiji.
"Boo!" I yelled out from behind Copy Momiji and closed the distance to Sanae before taking a swing with my gohei. Sanae clicked her tongue before blocking with her own gohei.
"We should really stop meeting like this..." I sarcastically quipped as the two of us exchanged and parried blows, Copy Momiji sneaking in a few stabs with her scimitar that Sanae managed to dodge.
"We could avoid all of this if you would just shrivel up and die!" Sanae angrily shot back as she weaved past a combined stab from my gohei and Copy Momiji's scimitar before closing in fast and giving me a solid headbutt to the face.
"Ghaaah!" I grunted as my head recoiled from the impact. A headbutt? Really?
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"Treacherous witch!" Iku cursed as she got back up. She narrowed her eyes when she saw the copy of the hell cat.
"You know...I liked you better when you were Tenshi's worrywart babysitter. All this vindictive vengeance kind of turns me off ze~" Aoko flatly said from behind Iku. The messenger of the dragons turned around and glared at the ordinary magician before pulling out her shawl and cracked it like a whip, sending surges of electricity through it. Aoko smirked at Iku's fierce display and calmly pointed at her, more specifically, behind her.
"NO!" Iku, fast as lightning, parried the flaming skulls that Copy Orin launched at her with her shawl. She wasn't as fast but Aoko took full advantage of the oarfish's distraction and dashed into close range. Aoko watched Iku and Tama's fight a few days ago and noted that the oarfish youkai's optimum range was short and medium range. Close and long range would be her keys to victory. Iku used her momentum to turn back to Aoko to counter any projectiles that the ordinary magician might launch at her. She was completely caught by surprise when Aoko was right at her face at close range.
ATTACK RIDE!
"SHORYU~BROOM~KEN~ZE~!"Aoko yelled out as she summoned her broom and gripped it with her left hand before pulling the trigger.
RISING COMET!
Aoko launched her broom upwards in an uppercut motion. Iku barely managed to tilt her body back to avoid getting sent to the upper atmosphere by the broom. The pillar of light that resulted from the attack ride blinded Iku for a moment, forcing her to look away and shield her eyes with her hands. She immediately regretted that action as her back seared in pain. It was Copy Orin sinking her cat-like nails into Iku's flesh.
"Abomination!" Iku cursed at the sudden attack by the hell cat. She was about to counterattack when she felt something press on her abdomen. She looked at the source and saw Aoko's gun at point-blank range.
"Tama was right you know ze~" Aoko said as she looked up at the shocked oarfish, her cowboy hat barely revealing her eyes.
"I cheat ze~" The ordinary magician declared with a smirk before pulling the trigger.
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I faintly noticed the sound of fighting a short distance away, along with the distinctive sound of attack ride declarations. I was assuming that she has the upper hand in the fight agai-
"Hold still, demon!" Sanae interrupted my train of thought for the umpteenth time as she nimbly danced around mine and Copy Momiji's attacks. We were having the same problems that Youmu and I had when we double-teamed Ran. Problem being that I still don't have enough practical experience fighting in tandem with someone else. Making it worse was that I have never even fought alongside Momiji, copy or otherwise. I didn't even know about her until Aoko summoned her!
Ran was right! Double-teaming is pointless if you keep worrying about hitting and getting hit by your partner by accident! As if to punctuate my point, I nearly tripped when Copy Momiji cut me off and tried to do a diagonal slash at Sanae a second before I was about to make the same move. Sanae jumped back to avoid Copy Momiji's slash and noticed my momentary loss of balance.
"Fall!" Sanae declared as she fired five serpent missiles at me. I could dodge two. I could probably weave through three. I'll need to parry and block four. I got nothing against five. I put my arms up in a feeble attempt to protect myself before the projectiles hit.
"Aaaaagh!" I screamed as I was launched back when Sanae's projectiles detonated on impact. They didn't hurt as much as her frog bombs did but five of them still stung pretty bad. I struggled back up and saw Copy Momiji continuing her fight against the other miko without even a moment of worry for me.
"Mindless copies, Tama...they're just mindless copies..." I reminded myself of the nature of Aoko's summons as I recovered from Sanae's attack.
Mindless...copies... I thought as I looked at Copy Momiji block a burst of serpent missiles from Sanae with her maple shield. I then remembered Copy Keine and Copy Patchouli that Aoko used against me in the previous world. Copies that I subsequently destroyed. I released the breath that I was subconsciously holding as I thought of the way to beat Sanae. I took out my booklet and hesitantly picked out the card I needed before opening my buckle and putting the chosen card in.
ATTACK RIDE!
"Mindless copies, Tama...Just mindless copies..." I repeated the statement like a mantra before closing the handles.
HOMING AMULET!
The two large bundles of talismans appeared in my hands, a good hundred individual sleeves of magic-imbued paper in total. I stared at them for a moment as I recalled the kind of damage that these things were capable of. I swallowed before double checking the range between me and the two combatants. I took a deep breath before throwing up the two bundles of talismans and letting the attack ride run its course. The bundles glowed red before the individual talismans separated and kept equidistantly apart. They floated above me for a couple of seconds before they all launched at Sanae and Copy Momiji at the same time. They made the same impression on me as the first time I used them:
A rain of swords
I wondered for a moment why it was that I kept comparing the homing amulets to a rain of swords. Regardless, they all hit at the target zone at the same time. Sanae made an attempt at a shield at the last moment but the effort was moot. One hundred talismans, having the same damage output as a hundred swords launched with the same force, smashed through her defenses in short order. I saw her body shimmer in green light half a second before the wave hit her body. The combined force made by the talismans tore the impact zone apart like the tiled walkways of the Hakurei Shrine. I suddenly felt a sick, sinking feeling in my gut when I saw the talismans cut Copy Momiji to pieces when they hit. Yeah...I used her as a sacrifice to make sure I hit Sanae. There was no blood, as expected of a copy. A cloud of smoke and dust kicked up because of the attack, preventing me from seeing Copy Momiji disappear into static nothingness.
"She's just a copy...just...a..." I couldn't finish as I suddenly felt like throwing up. Fighting against them was one thing. But sacrificing one of them when they're on my side...it just felt wrong. Aoko would probably treat it like a video game and say that it was a necessary sacrifice to get a solid hit in, she was probably right too.
Doesn't mean that I have to like it... I thought. It takes a lot for someone to consciously take someone else's life. Seriously, movies and TV shows don't give the actual act any justice. Getting Copy Momiji caught in the impact zone was an impromptu and desperate action. But, now that I have time to think about what I just did, it made me sick.
"I guess that means that I'm still a decent human being if the thought of killing someone makes me this sick." I consoled myself, no one else will.
"Human? Don't...make me laugh..." Sanae's voice snapped me back to reality. The messenger of the gods slowly stood back up as the talismans that were embedded in the ground faded due to the end of that attack ride. A soft green sheen glazed her body for a moment before fading. An armor spell? No, she was still hit with the talismans. The several cuts on her body and her torn outfit betrayed that much.
"Make no mistake, demon. You are destined to destroy all these worlds. And I will erase you before you get a chance to. Mark my words." Sanae declared with ironclad conviction as a gray swirling curtain appeared behind her.
"And I'll make sure to prove you wrong..." I replied, narrowing my eyes at her. She glared at me for a few more moments before backing away into the curtain and disappearing.
"I swear...I'll prove you wrong, Sanae..." I repeated as I continued to stare at the spot where Sanae was standing before.
"Ghaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" A sudden scream got my attention and I saw something crash into the ground nearby. It came from within the combat zone of Yukari and Yuka, that means that...
"No..." I muttered as I saw the dust settle, revealing who it was that got sent flying.
"Yuka!"
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"Too slow, witch!" Iku's electricity was faster than Aoko pulling the trigger of her gun. Arcs of electricity came from the oarfish's body and into the gun, electrocuting Aoko in the process.
"Yaaaaaahh!" Aoko screamed as she felt the voltage course through her. Iku then used her left hand to grab Aoko's face.
"Time to die, witch!" Iku declared. She was about to fry Aoko when she suddenly turned around and snapped her shawl at Copy Orin.
"Mmmmpppphh!" Aoko's muffled yell was all she could manage when she saw her summon get wrapped in Iku's shawl.
"Don't think I've forgotten what you did to me, abomination!" Iku angrily said before electrocuting the copy. Aoko could only stare as she saw her summon turn to static and fade away because of the amount of damage it took.
"Now..." Iku started as she turned back to Aoko who slightly lowered her head, making her hat cover her eyes.
"...Where were we? Oh right, I was about to kill you..." Iku said smugly as she prepared to finish off Aok-
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
"Hm?" Iku tilted her head in mild confusion by the voice. Then her confusion turned to fear when she realized what made that declaration. Aoko raised her face and stared at her opponent, her eyes showing silent anger. Iku wasn't fast enough this time as her previous confusion gave Aoko enough time to plant the barrel on Iku's abdomen and pull the trigger.
MA-MA-MARISA!
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"Yuka!" I ran towards the fallen flower youkai.
Yukari beat Yuka? No way! I couldn't believe it. This was Yuka! The same Yuka that tore through every last Final Attack I threw at her! And now she was lying unconscious in a crater. Her parasol was torn up and broken. Her plaid dress was scorched and torn in several places. Yuka herself was bleeding profusely from several wounds all over her body.
"Finally...I was almost thinking of pulling out all the stops for this." Yukari's voice came from the platform. I turned to her and saw that she didn't get out of this fight unscathed either. Her hat was gone. Her golden hair was messed up considerably. Her pristine dress was torn and scorched as badly as Yuka's. She was bleeding from several wounds all over her body as well. But what she held firmly in her right hand was probably the reason why she won.
The Hisou Sword glowed ominously crimson as blood trickled from the blade.
What the hell happened in their fight?
?
Intense scarlet fire wrapped the treasured Sword of Hisou like a second blade as Yukari swung the weapon at Yuka. The flower youkai winced at the heat generated by the suddenly flaming sword as she dodged the blow.
"Hey hey~! That sword didn't do that before~" Yuka still managed to maintain her playful tone and her smile despite her earlier reaction to Yukari's second wind.
"Ooh? Didn't you know? The Hisou Sword was deliberately made to use the weakness of whoever it faces regardless of circumstance. It just needed time to comprehend your nature and figure out the best way to fight you." Yukari calmly explained. Her previous anger washed away by the confidence given by her weapon.
"So fire against the flower youkai~? You honestly think that I haven't found a way around that little weakness~?" Yuka asked back as she gave Yukari one of her slasher smiles.
"And do you honestly think that I only have this sword to use against you?" Yukari continued the chain of questions as a gap appeared before her before quickly thrusting the flaming sword into the hole in space. Yuka kept her smile as tilted her head to the side as the flaming blade of the Hisou Sword came out of an identical gap that appeared behind her head. The intense heat from the blade made her hair and skin sizzle but Yuka was used to pain. She has dealt with a lot worse than a little fire.
"Nice try~" Yuka said before snapping her fingers. The stone slabs behind Yukari suddenly cracked and burst apart as a giant Venus Flytrap sprouted and snapped its jaws at the border youkai. Yukari couldn't move fast enough to avoid it and the flytrap bit down and seemingly ate her in one chomp.
"My power is manipulation of flowers, old hag! I can make any flower grow anywhere at any time without any restrictions to size, number, or species! I don't care about your flaming stick! I'M THE STRONGEST YOUKAI IN GENSOKYO BITCH! AHAHAHAHA~!" Yuka yelled at the recently eaten Yukari. This was something that she never used on Tama. Her actual power to manipulate flowers. All she did in that fight was unload Master Spark after Master Spark at the miko but she never did anything to do justice to her title as 'The Flower Master of the Four Seasons'. Lacking the nigh-infinite amount of energy provided by the Garden of the Sun, Yuka only has the energy to use Master Spark two more times. Because of the limitation, she had to rely on the very power that originally made her such a terrifying opponent.
"And mine is manipulation of borders..." Yukari's voice suddenly silenced the cackling woman as it seemed to come from thin air. Without any warning, the flytrap that Yuka summoned burst into flames and turned into ash. At the same time a large gap appeared above Yuka and debris from the ruined city rained down on her.
"Ahahaha~! How amusing~!" Yuka gleefully said as she ran around to avoid most of the debris. The ones she couldn't avoid, she just punched though with little effort. The rain of stone eventually let up and Yuka was alone on the platform.
"Oh~! Yuka~ri~! Where are you~? How am I supposed to kill you if you disappear on me like this~?" Yuka called out as she looked around, trying to draw in Yukari. She noticed Tama and Aoko fighting the same two girls that encroached on her garden before. She wanted to walk over there and finish them off for what they did to her sunflowers but her intention was interrupted by a ripping sound from behind her.
"That trick gets really old Yukari~! Just like you~!" She taunted as she whirled around and pointed her parasol at the source of the sound before unleashing her second Master Spark. The laser screamed towards the gap that Yukari appeared from.
"Your jokes are what's getting old!" Yukari yelled back as she used the Hisou Sword to slash the spark in half.
"What's wrong Yuka~ri~? Getting upset~?" Yuka further taunted her opponent as she snapped her fingers again. Yukari was on guard to counter any plant that Yuka might decide to use against her.
"!" An intense piercing pain suddenly came from her feet, like red hot stakes were driven into them. She looked down and saw why. To her horror, several red roses suddenly grew out of her feet and planted their roots securely on the ground. The thorns from the roses wrapped around her feet and ankles like floral manacles.
"No restrictions~" Yuka reminded her opponent about her power to make any kind of flower bloom at will no matter what. The flower youkai charged at Yukari to take advantage of the latter's lack of mobility.
"Monster!" Yukari yelled out in panic as she tried to use the Hisou Sword to slash at the oncoming youkai. Yuka parried the flaming sword with her parasol. Again, it was a lot more durable that it looked and it easily block the treasured sword without getting burned.
"Mirror~Mirror~" Yuka cryptically replied as she easily deflected the sword and headbutting Yukari in the face. She was physically stronger than her opponent and Yuka took full advantage of that. Yukari's head recoiled backwards before doubling over as Yuka stabbed her parasol into her gut.
"And here I thought you were tougher than this~! Tama-chan seemed to have overestimated you~" Yuka playfully said with a hint of disappointment as her parasol opened up and fired her last Master Spark at point-blank range. The searing beam of light swallowed Yukari whole as Yuka unloaded her remaining power at the border youkai. The beam dissipated, leaving only a smoldering trail.
"All gone~?" Yuka wondered if she had vaporized Yukari with that last attack as she closed her parasol. A ripping sound in the distance proved her wrong as Yukari dropped down from the gap in the air.
"Persistent~! I like that~! I hate it most when they keep dying so quickly before I had my fun~! I do hope that you last as least as long as Tama-chan did~!" Yuka gleefully taunted the border youkai. Her dress was worse for ware now and she seemed to have lost her hat because of that last attack. Even so, she still held the Hisou Sword on her right hand like it was fused to it. Yukari calmly stared at her opponent before smiling.
~Border of Entropy~
Yukari declared before stabbing the flaming sword into the ground. Several trails of fire immediately shot out from the sword and ran across the ground as if there were trails of oil there. There weren't. Yukari changed the way the most basic factor in the Law of Thermodynamics worked and used the modified Entropy to make the ground transfer heat more than it ever should. The streaks of flame tore through the ground towards Yuka at speeds that were comparable to her Master Spark.
"Full of surprises~" Yuka complimented as she snapped her fingers. Thick walls made up of hundreds of flowers burst out of the ground and surrounded her like a tower. The wall of flowers was easily a dozen meters tall by the time the flames hit. The result was what you would expect when fire hits a mass of flowers. The tower quickly ignited and was completely engulfed in flames in short order.
"Stupid flower youkai. No matter how polished your power is, a weakness perceived by this sword will forever be a weakness no matter how much you try to cover it up. Now, know fear as you burn..." Yukari stated with as much contempt against her fearsome opponent as she could. She watched the tower crumble into ash before her eyes before closing them, relishing her victory against Yuka.
"Did someone say fear~?" Yukari's eyes snapped open as she heard Yuka's voice.
"That's impossible!" The border youkai stated as she looked back to the flaming remains of the tower that Yuka made. She was about to think that it was just a trick when the ground in front of her burst open to reveal a massive closed lotus, large enough for someone to-
"Dammit!" Yukari cursed as the flower opened and revealed the flower youkai. Yuka's left hand darted forward as soon as the lotus opened and grabbed her opponent's head.
"Hey~? Did you hear it~?" Yuka ask the panicking border youkai with a vicious smile. Yukari swung her arm back to slash at Yuka but the Hisou Sword was blocked by the nigh-indestructible parasol.
"The screams of flowers! As you burned them they screamed! Did you hear? Even now I hear them! Can't you hear them! The screams that drowns out screams! The screams that echos screams! The screams that scream! They all scream one thing! 'I WANT TO LIVE!' AHAHAHAHAHAHA~!" Yuka tilted her head back and continued to cackle like the madwoman she was. Yukari understood that she was going to die if she did not fight Yuka seriously.
"Now~! I wonder what you sound like when you scream~?" Yuka asked her victim before she started to increase her grip on Yukari's head, intending to crush her skull.
~High-Speed Flying Object~
Yuka could only look at her opponent, dumbfounded. Her left hand that was holding onto Yukari's head was wrenched away and her left arm now looked like it was broken in several places.
"Oh my~" Yuka nonchalantly stated as she stared at her limping left arm. She moved her shoulder a few times and saw the limb, which was bent in ways it never should, dangle uselessly.
"Yuka~ri has some spunk left eh~?" Yuka playfully said, completely ignoring her useless left arm and quickly tried to stab the border youkai with her parasol.
~Quadruple Barrier~
The same four rough barriers that she used to block Tama's attacks before appeared between the combatants.
"Pierce~!" Yuka yelled as she thrust her parasol with all her strength. The tip of the parasol easily shattered the first layer and broke through the second after a few seconds. The third layer broke after a minute and the last one was cracking.
"Aren't you going to run away~?" Yuka taunted as she put more and more force behind her parasol, slowly making the final layer crack more and more. Yukari only stared at her with steeled eyes.
~Mesh of Light and Darkness~
Black and white orbs suddenly appeared all around Yuka but she was too preoccupied with breaking through Yukari's barrier that she never noticed them. The final layer finally shattered but Yuka's parasol never made it to its target as the orbs turned into beams and converged at the flower youkai.
"Eeehh...?" Yuka could only question what had happened. One minute, she had Yukari in her grasp. Literally seconds away from victory. Then, she felt pain...intense pain. Something she hadn't felt for a long time. For someone to hurt her that much, Yuka could only do one thing in her state of disbelief.
She smiles...
"Begone!" Yukari raised the treasured sword but it wasn't covered in flames anymore. Instead, it glowed bright crimson. The border youkai held the sword with both her hands and swung it down at Yuka.
~Meteorological Revelation~
The force of a tornado, a hurricane, a thunder storm, a monsoon, a massive gale, a hail storm, a heat wave, a cyclone, a snow storm. Every single force of that the weather was capable of hit Yuka all at once. The perfect storm hit the flower youkai, destroying her parasol and sending her flying into the distance until she finally crashed into the ground outside the platform they were fighting on.
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-
Part 4
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"Tama! Move ze~!" I turned to the screaming Aoko who was running towards me as she put a card in her gun.
ATTACK RIDE!
"Wait what are you-" I was cut off as Aoko raised her gun and pointed it at Yukari.
"I said move ze~!" Aoko repeated before pulling the trigger.
STARDUST FALL!
"Oh shi-!" I didn't even get to finish as I jumped back before a barrage of star-shaped bullets hit Yukari. Aoko peppered the border youkai for a few seconds before the attack ride finally ended. The cloud of dust caused by the barrage faded to reveal Yukari completely unhurt because of her quadruple barrier.
"Why is it that opening attacks against the big bad are always ineffective ze~?" Aoko complained as she ran up beside me.
"I'm assuming that you already realize how deep in crap we are in right now right ze~?" The ordinary magician asked me. I turned to her and saw that she looked...nervous. That's not good.
"...yeah...thanks for sticking around..." I said in gratitude. I knew that I didn't have a snowball's chance in hell against Yukari if I fought her alone. She was hurt pretty bad in her fight against Yuka but I wasn't about to take her lightly. Especially because she beat Yuka.
"Now then...let's end this once and for all, shall we?" Yukari tiredly said as she raised the sword and scarlet clouds loomed above the Colosseum we were in.
"Oh jeez! Oh jeez! Oh jeez! Ze~!" Aoko started to panic at the sight of Yukari's raised hand and the brightening glow of the sword.
"What? What is she trying to do?" I asked her while pulling out Reimu's final attack card. Aoko eyed my card before replying.
"What? No! Don't bother! She's going to use Scarlet Weather Rapture ze~! None of our final attacks can even phase it! It was a one-hit sure-kill spell card that covered nearly the entire screen in Scarlet Weather Rhapsody! It uses the energy of all living things under heaven and turns it into a directed energy weapon ze~!" Aoko frantically explained as she started to back away. A sure-kill attack that weaponized the energy of every living thing on earth? I didn't like the sound of that...
"Vanish, faker! Turn into nothing along with that witch and that monster of a flower youkai!" Yukari coldly declared as she prepared to hit us with Scarlet Weather Rapture.
"Nooo!" A scream pierced the air. I knew that voice...I recognized who that was. Yes! She finally decided to stand up!
"Tenshi!" I called out as a boulder wrapped in ornate rope hurtled towards Yukari. The border youkai blocked it with the Hisou Sword but she was still pushed back a few feet by the rock.
"A keystone? Tenshi..." Yukari deduced before she...smiled?
"Yukaaaaarrrriiiii!" Tenshi screamed as she hurtled towards the border youkai at an angle. The boulder she launched suddenly disappeared into thin air but was replaced by Tenshi's flying kick. The sword crackled at the contact between the first daughter and itself. Tenshi curled herself up before giving another kick and pushing Yukari away. Tenshi landed on the platform and readied herself to face her closest friend.
"Nice of you to join us ze!" Aoko said in relief as she climbed up the platform, I climbed up after her.
"Tenshi...you're really here..." I called out to the celestial who turned away from me.
"I...I'll try...just this once. I'll do everything I can to save everyone...to save Bhava-Agra. Just this one time...I'll be everyone's hero!" She replied, turning to me with a confident smile.
"What did I tell you about trying to be the hero, little Tenshi?" Yukari suddenly interrupted our conversation. She stood in front of us, sword in hand. There were three of us though...with Tenshi's power as a celestial, my transformations, and Aoko's summons, I'm sure that us three will-
"I'm out! Good luck ze~!" Aoko suddenly said.
ATTACK RIDE!
"What? Aoko you sneaky little!" I yelled at her as she pulled the trigger and stuck her tongue out at me.
OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE!
"You don't need me anymore ze~! Best of luck ze~!" She quickly stated as she vanished from the field. And just like that, it was just me and Tenshi against Yukari. Somehow, I knew it was too good to be true.
"Pay no mind, Tama. I swore that I'll save Bhava-Agra and I mean it." Tenshi said in lieu of Aoko's sudden exit. I stared at her speechless for a few moments. Did I hit her head too hard?
"Wow...who are you and what did you do to Hinanai Tenshi?" I asked in honest surprise. The celestial closed her eyes for a moment before turning to me.
"She's right here. She just needed time to remember what was worth fighting for..." Tenshi confidently replied.
"What's worth fighting for? Don't give me that, little Tenshi. You know my logic about the nature or heroism is true. Trying to become a hero is a pointless venture. One that I intend to rectify." Yukari said as she stood before the two of us.
"Oh? And how's that? By destroying heaven? Are you going to destroy Gensokyo and the outside world too? Lemme guess, you want to destroy this world and remake it into one where no one has to suffer? A world that doesn't need any heroes in the first place?" I cynically said as I took a page on one of the most overused motivations for bad guys in fiction and video games. Yukari stared at me for a few moments in slight surprise before smiling. Wait...
"It's nice that you understand. You're smarter than you look, faker." Yukari replied with no hostility. I could only gawk at the revelation.
"Wait? I was right? That's your grand plan? Blow everything up and start from scratch? That's crazy!" I yelled out in surprise, making Yukari frown slightly. Really though, that's just absurd!
"Is it so wrong for me to cause pain temporarily, so that I can create a world where pain does not exist? Does that justify you trying to stop the building a clean new world on the ruins of the tainted old one?" Yukari defiantly posed her logic while pointing the Hisou Sword at me. She's actually serious about it. And she just might be able to pull it off too.
"Yes,it is! And yes, it does!" I yelled at her while stomping my right foot on the ground. Yukari simply frowned at my reaction and narrowed her eyes at me.
"What is with you? What do you have against heroes anyway? They protect and save everyone they can, even if it's thankless! Is that such a bad thing?" I countered, pointing at her.
"You speak like you know what it is like. To sacrifice your own happiness to ensure the happiness of people you have never even met. To look up from above to make sure that nothing bad is happening to the people at large. To be so focused on the big picture that you eventually forget to protect the most important things to you." Yukari stated with contempt. What was she talking about? It's like...it's almost like...
"...like something you went through..." I muttered in realization.
"Why do you think that heaven and Gensokyo were in such good terms? Why do you think that I am the only one who was granted free visiting rights here? They trusted me, faker! Why? Because I earned it! I earned it with blood, sweat, and tears! I earned it by protecting Gensokyo from whatever was thrown at it for over a thousand years!" Yukari explained. I turned to Tenshi for clarification but she just turned away from my gaze.
"It was fine! I was fine with seeing to the well being of the denizens of my realm! But I was alone...even with Ran and Chen with me. They were my servants...nothing more. Then...I met her..." Yukari continued as she stared into my eyes. Her?
"Saigyouji Yuyuko..." I muttered the name of the ghost princess. Yukari's eyebrow twitched at the name.
"Her name...is Saigyouji Yuko, faker..." Yukari clarified.
That must have been her name while she was still alive. I thought as I noted the slight difference between names.
"She was only mortal, a human. But she became my friend. She didn't care about who or what I was. She didn't revere me. She didn't fear me. She didn't worship me. She didn't judge me. She accepted me as just Yakumo Yukari, some stranger she met and befriended. I knew that it wouldn't last. But those days were the happiest I've ever had. Then...I was shown just what kind of creatures I was protecting." Yukari bitterly said.
"Yuko...she had the power over death. She couldn't really control it but I was able to adjust the border of her power so she could live a mostly normal human life. My mistake was that I made the border strong enough to suppress her power when she was calm and collected. Not when she was stressed and scared, fearful for herself or others." Yukari continued her story. Tenshi could only look away in silence. Me? I couldn't really find any words at that moment.
"Yuko was a very beautiful young woman from the human village. She had many suitors even while she was still a teenager. One day, she went out to the bamboo forest to gather bamboo shoots. A man from the village followed her. Do you know what he tried to do to her?" Yukari asked the obvious question.
"He...raped her?" I stated the most likely answer.
"Tried to. Just when he was about to get his way with her, the border I placed on Yuko's power shattered and...she killed him. Yuko killed that man simply by thinking that he should die. That was the nature of her power. The power to bequeath death to others. Word spread to the village and she was persecuted by the very people she grew up with. They feared her power and wanted to make sure that she would never have the chance to use it against them. The angry mob of crazed humans hunted her down and killed her without even asking why she had killed that miserable man in the first place." Yukari recounted Yuyuko's last moments as she stabbed the Hisou Sword into the ground in anger.
"Wait! Where were you? Something like an angry mob running down a young woman should have been easy to spot with you kind of power, right?" I asked the border youkai. I felt Tenshi tense up beside me when I asked that question. I then saw Yukari with the most furious expression I have ever seen her show. An expression that I never thought such a beautiful woman could make.
"I was here, in heaven! With Tenshi! Attending a feast! The day when Yuko was murdered was the same day the Hinanai clan decided to establish the alliance between heaven and Gensokyo with me as the representative of my realm! I was so happy back then! Heaven had finally acknowledged Gensokyo as an equal! We feasted for days to celebrate! I was too drunk with my own accomplishments that I couldn't even hear her cries!" Yukari screamed at us.
"What hero! What guardian of the realms! I couldn't even save one girl! The one human who really meant anything to me! And all I got in exchange was that damn mirror! It had to change! This world had to change and I was going to change it!" Yukari furiously said before she pulled out the treasured sword and pointed it to the sky.
"Tenshi...is this all true?" I asked the celestial as the scarlet clouds in the sky started to swirl around.
"Yes...I did not know about Yukari's human friend until after the fact. By then, it was far too late to save her life. The girl had already crossed over, nothing could be done. My father even asked the Yama for a favor to recover the girl's soul but...it was too late." Tenshi sadly said with her fists clenched.
I don't believe it. I thought. It was another case where there were no real evil antagonists. Everything was another case of terrible circumstances that resulted in the current crisis. What the hell...who comes up with these messed up situations?
"Yukari...let me ask you one thing..." I said to the border youkai after giving her some time to calm down. There was one counter I know of against this kind of vengeful logic and it was known to be effective as long as it was used in time.
"State your question, faker." Yukari replied. I was really starting to get annoyed with being called 'faker' almost as much as I hated being called 'demon'. I shook off the uncomfortable feeling and faced Yukari.
"Would Yuko want any of this?" I asked her as seriously and as sincerely as I could. The border youkai's eyes widened for a moment before closing her eyes and shaking her head.
"Probably not. I wouldn't want this back then either. But like everything else in this twisted world...it's too late." Yukari replied with a sad smile.
So much for the conscience card. I thought in disappointment. Time for plan-B.
"Tenshi...you still with me?" I said to the girl beside me.
"Until heaven and Gensokyo are saved...I will shall not falter." Tenshi stated with as much conviction as Yukari. She still seemed a but nervous but I nodded to her words and determination.
"All of this is just bad luck and terrible timing. An honest difference in opinion. Even after all of this, I will still consider you as my friend." Tenshi added as she stared at the border youkai.
"You and Yuko would have gotten along very well..." Yukari said with another sad smile before making the crimson sword glowed brighter.
"One chance Tenshi! Tell me what you want! Right here! Right now!" I yelled at the celestial as the wind started to pick up.
"To save Bhava-Agra! To save all of heaven! To save Gensokyo! And to save my dear friend Yukari!" Tenshi replied without hesitation. My pocket glowed before three cards shot out of it. Tenshi's cards rested on my hand. I took the final form card and turned it over. Tenshi's logo was an outline of her keystone with the silhouette of the Hisou Sword in front of it pointing downward. I opened the handles and put the card in.
FINAL FORM RIDE!
"This might tickle a bit!" I yelled as I walked behind Tenshi before closing the handles.
TE-TE-TENSHI!
I placed by hands on her back and the celestial yelped in surprise as she was swallowed in white light. I had an inkling as to what her final form was...I was proven right when the light faded to reveal what it was.
It was a sword, naturally. A really big one too. It was comparable to the size of Eiki's final form Justitia. The grip was made of two streams of obsidian that wrapped around each other like a braid. The streams extended into a hand guard and partially wrapped around blade itself. The long blade was made of blue crystal, as blue as Tenshi's hair and was formed into a double-edge. The sword was about as tacky as any final weapon in any traditional fantasy RPG so I expected that I was strong enough to take on...
"...that..." I muttered as Yukari levitated, gathering energy from all life as she prepared the final strike. I can do that too. I pulled Tenshi's yellow card before opening my buckle and putting the card in.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
"Behold! The opening act in the rebuilding of this twisted world!" Yukari stated as the Hisou Sword's blade was wrapped in scarlet energy that extended the blade beyond the swirling clouds. I grit my teeth and closed the handles.
TE-TE-TENSHI!
The blue blade was wrapped in similar blue energy but its stayed around the blade rather than reaching out to the skies. Yukari narrowed her eyes at the sight.
"An interesting final stand, faker! Futile all the same! Vanish in the face of the Scarlet Weather Rapture of all Life!" Yukari yelled as she swung the sword down at me. The force of all life on the planet careened toward me but I wasn't really helpless either. I smiled as I remembered something like this from a video game that was featured in Gamers once. It felt...appropriate.
"Yeah, well...I'm not exactly alone either! Take this! Tenjou Tenga Ichigeki Hissatsu Muteki Giri!" I screamed as I swung the Celestial Slasher upwards at Yukari. The two energies battled and the Colosseum broke apart from the combined power of the two blades. My hands were numbing and were about to break when my vision went while and all sound suddenly cut out as everything was swallowed in an explosion from the two swords.
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"This...is the most absurd thing I have done in a while. And I've done a lot of absurd things lately..." I stated as I poured tea for four at the Hakurei shrine.
"I don't understand how serving tea at a shrine would be considered as absurd?" Tenshi asked as she took one of the cups and sipped some of the hot green tea.
"Well, Tama-chan finds a lot of things absurd~" Yuka replied as she took the other cup and savored the aroma before drinking the tea.
"You really need to relax more you know. Being too high strung is bad for your health." Yukari added as she took the third cup and a rice cracker. Yes...me, Tenshi, Yuka, and Yukari are having tea and snacks at the Hakurei shrine after the end of the battle in Bhava-Agra. Why? Let me explain, back during the aftermath of the final attacks that probably should have leveled all of heaven and then some.
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It was hot!
I couldn't see!
I couldn't move!
Everything was white!
My ears were ringing!
It felt like I was inside one of Utsuho's miniature suns!
I opened my mouth to try to scream but nothing came out. Wait...don't tell me I'm dead. That would suck but it would make sense after what happened.
"You look like a fish out of water you know..." Yukari's voice called out from somewhere within the brightness.
"Yukari?" I heard myself say.
Wait! I can talk? I'm not dead? I thought as my eyesight came back as well as my feeling in my body. The light faded and I saw a clear blue sky with Tenshi and Yukari looking down on me.
"You okay?" Tenshi asked with a crooked smile.
"No...and why are you two smiling?" I flatly asked, raising an eyebrow. They were about to vaporize each other a few moments ago and now they're acting like a couple of friends that just pulled a prank.
"It's...a long story. Here, let me help you up." Yukari said as she and Tenshi offered their hands.
Did that blast cause me to jump to an alternate version of this world or something? What the hell is happening? I started wracking my brain for any kind of logical explanation to what was happening as I hesitantly took the offered hands. The two women pulled me to my feet and I noticed that I couldn't sense Reimu's intuition anymore. I looked at my body and saw that I wasn't transformed anymore.
"Oh..." I absentmindedly said as looked back at the two of them.
"I must say..." Yukari started. Both she and Tenshi looked terrible, like they were caught in an explosion. Wait...they were.
"...turning little Tenshi into a sword was one thing. But being able to attack with as much force as Scarlet Weather Rapture...that was very impressive, fa?Tama...right?" Yukari caught herself before she called me 'faker' again.
"Umm...thanks. I'm assuming that you're not going to try to blow up the world anymore?" I asked the border youkai. The world around me suddenly flashed white for a second. I went wide eyed when I saw the two of them completely cleaned up, like none of this ever happened.
"Hmmm? Blow up the world? I don't know what you are talking about~" Yukari playfully said as she unfolded a fan in her hand and used it to cover her mouth.
"Wait...what are you-" The rest of the sentence never left my mouth as I saw where we were standing. It was in the middle of a pristine park in Bhava-Agra. What's more, none of the buildings looked like they were blown up. Most of all, there were people here! The very people that were completely absent throughout the whole incident were walking around, going about their business like nothing happened.
"Uumm..." I could only mutter in utter confusion on what the hell was going on.
"You!" I snapped my head towards the source of the voice.
"Yuka!" I called out to the flower youkai who looked like she made a complete recovery. Which also meant that she was probably very angry right now after being beaten by Yukari.
"Oh~! You're alive~" Yukari playfully said, not at all concerned about Yuka stomping toward her.
"You! You owe me a new umbrella! You have any idea how hard it was to make that-" Yuka was about to show Yukari the tattered remains of her parasol when she noticed that it was back, good as new.
"Okay, I'm good~" The flower youkai went back to her playful self as she opened her newly repaired parasol and used it for shade.
That was the only thing that really bothered her? I wondered before turning back to Yukari.
"So...explanation..." I trailed off, raising my hand like a student in a classroom.
"Ah yes~! You all recall how there was no one else in Bhava-Agra and Gensokyo aside from us and a few others, right?" The border youkai started, the three of us nodded in response.
"That, is of course, impossible. But it happened anyway. How? The border of heroes and villains..." She stated matter of factly.
"The border of what now?" Yuka asked.
"I made and utilized a border that only allowed those with the potential to become heroes and-or villains to remain. It was my intention to...educate those who remained, the ones with the potential to be either good or evil..." Yukari explained matter-of-factly.
"...or both..." She glanced at me and Yuka.
"Wait! You expect us to believe that you filtered out every other being in heaven and Gensokyo only to leave out those who can be heroes and-or villains so you can fight them?" I asked.
"That's exactly what I did~" Yukari happily admitted.
"Then why did you have to level Bhava-Agra?" I yelled out while throwing my hands up, earning me a few curious stares from passers by.
"Oh, that! It made it much more dramatic, didn't it?" Yukari playfully said.
"And you threw me into your gap and showed me all those horrible things because..." I added while shaking my head, I wasn't about to let her off that easy after the trauma I went through.
"That...was necessary." Yukari stated with much more seriousness than before, making me gulp unconsciously.
"You were an unknown. Someone who simply showed up and wielded the power to turn into powerful youkai at will. I had to make sure that you actually deserved that much power. If not, I would have needed to dispose of you because I couldn't let someone that dangerous to run around with that kind of power." Yukari grimly stated before smiling a few moments later.
"Thankfully, you proved to be worthy of that power and much more~!" She added, much to my relief.
"Umm...thanks...but, why did you do all of this in the first place?" I was really wondering about that.
"For little Tenshi..." Yukari replied with a warm smile.
"Me?" Tenshi yelped, pointing at herself.
"Yes..." The border youkai replied, putting her hand on Tenshi's shoulder.
"You revered me. You worshiped me. You idolized my deeds and accomplishments. You wanted to become me." Yukari stated with a sad smile. Normally, one would be happy that another is emulating them but...
"I...don't want you to become me. The thought of you going through what I did...it scared me." Yukari explained while putting her hand on Tenshi's cheek, making the celestial blush.
"For all the glory and praise I received for my deeds, the price that came with it was just as great. Yuko's loss was what finally made me realize that. When you started saying that you wanted to start becoming a hero like me, I had to stop it. Becoming a hero with naivete like that will only lead to disillusion and self-destruction." Yukari continued.
"I...I didn't...I'm sorry..." Tenshi meekly said after hearing Yukari's real motivation.
"It's fine, little Tenshi. Your heart was in the right place, but you are nowhere near ready. Maybe someday...but now, you just need to be yourself and leave the big stuff to me." The border youkai comforted Tenshi.
"So you were just kidding when you said that you were going to blow up the world? You were going to stop as soon as you realized that we couldn't beat you right?" I asked. If she was faking everything just to teach Tenshi a lesson then there was no reason for her to destroy everything.
"..." Yukari said nothing, averting her eyes from us while covering her mouth with her open fan.
"That was real..." Yuka spoke up.
"The bloodlust and the fury that came from her was very real. There's no way you can fake anger as primal as that. Isn't that right~?" Yuka, the expert in that subject, said while smirking at Yukari.
"True enough...after seeing who were left after I activated that border, coupled with being reminded of what happened to Yuko...I lost control..." Yukari quietly admitted.
"But you all came through in the end, like how real heroes do." She added.
"So...what now?" Yuka asked.
"Umm...I have an idea..." I raised my hand with my suggestion. Aoko told me of something that was supposed to happen after each incident was resolved by the heroines so...
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That's how we ended up here... I thought as I drank my tea.
"I wonder where Iku is though?" Tenshi suddenly quipped.
"I'm sure she's back at the palace of the dragons, trying to figure out what happened...or didn't happen. She'll probably pester your house with crazy allegations of the theft of the Hisou Sword and the utter destruction of Bhava-Agra." Yukari explained before giggling.
"You are evil..." I muttered before I felt Akyu's scroll glow. I guess that wraps it up here. I took out the scroll and looked at the others.
"What is that?" Tenshi asked.
"It means I need to move on, everything here has been cleared up." I explained with a sad smile.
"I see...It's not like I'll miss you or anything, don't think for a second that I will Tama-chan..." Yuka said while turning her back on me. Oh Yuka...
"Not quite..." Yukari suddenly said.
"Huh?" I said, blinking in surprise.
"If you find your witch friend, tell her that the parasol she stole was my favorite." Yukari said in annoyance.
So that's what she pilfered from this world... I thought when I remembered Aoko's condition for being able to summon new characters from each world she visits.
"I'll do that...well then...it's been wild." I said before drinking the rest of my tea and standing up.
"Wait!" Tenshi stood up after me.
"Tenshi?" I regarded the celestial.
"Thank you, Tama. Know that, if you ever find your way back here, you are known as a true hero...even if it is just by me." She said in gratitude.
"Yeah. Thanks Tenshi, and stay out of trouble." I jokingly said before opening the scroll, sending me to my next destination.
?
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Aaand the teaser for the next world.
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The light faded and I was greeted with clear blue skies and the sounds of birds singing. Nothing destroyed, nothing dying, nothing trying to kill me. So far, so good. I looked around and saw that I was in a shrine, not the Hakurei shrine but similar. I glanced at my attire for this world and was shocked.
"Wait...did I transform without realizing or..." I said to myself while examining my clothes. It was a traditional miko attire. Not like Reimu's where certain design liberties were taken. This was a classic, honest to goodness miko outfit.
"Hey~! A miko~! Hic!" A drunken voice of a young girl took me by surprise.
"I don't understand how a miko could come this high without us realizing it." Another voice said. I turned to them and saw who my first contacts in this world were.
The drunk-looking one had brown eyes and long, light-brown, hair done up in a low ponytail. She had two long not-so-straight horns on her head which was decorated with purple ribbons. She was wearing a tattered pink blouse and a long purple and pink skirt. She also had manacles on her wrists and on her right ankle. Most distinctive was she was carrying a purple gourd that has various talismans stuck on it.
The other one had red eyes and shoulder-length pink hair with was done in Chinese-style double buns. Her right arm was complete wrapped in, what looked like, bandages. She was wearing a white shirt and skirt. Over those, a red front panel that has a thorny vine motif and a large rose-shaped ornament on her chest. She also had a manacle on her left wrist.
"Umm...hello..." I meekly greeted the two. The smaller one definitely looked like an oni and the other was probably strong too.
"Hey there~! Hic! Who might you be~?" The oni girl asked, prompting my trademark response.
"Just a miko passing thro-" I was cut off when an explosion occurred in the distance.
"Not them again!" The taller girl said before turning to the smaller girl beside her.
"Suika! I told you to take care of them!" She berated her companion.
"Unya~! No need to be so stingy Ibara-chi~! Hic! They're just having some fun!" The oni named Suika replied.
"Stop this at once Rumia! We don't need to keep fighting!" A familiar but older sounding voice said from where the explosion occurred. The person jumped out and I could only gawk.
A confident looking girl, who looked like she was around nineteen years old and had aqua-colored eyes and hair. She was wearing a blue ribbon, light pink blouse and blue jumper dress. She was also wearing black leather gloves and matching boots. Her left shoulder and arm was covered with a black shoulder guard connected to a long black sleeve like a half-jacket. Her chest was covered by two straps held together by a badge that was shaped like a frog's face. She had a black leather belt connected to the straps which was holding up a black skirt that only covered her left side.
Most surprising was that she was carrying a weapon in her right hand that resembles an exaggerated two-handed double-edged sword in its shape and appearance. It consists of a long hilt wrapped in a red material, a distinctively large hand guard. It had a wide length of blade, and an equally long but thinner length ending in a point.
In addition to the sword she in her hand she also had other swords on her back and waist. On her back were two long swords, mirror images of each other, with one straight edge and one saw-toothed edge, with a long black hilt for each. The straight edge's blade extended to where the pommel was supposed to be and reminded me of Advent Letty's Excalibur. On her waist were a pair of mirror image dagger-like swords, though they are still quite long. They were single-edged, with a gear-like mechanism between the hilt and the blade.
"It's Cirno..." I muttered to myself, the I realized what she looked like. It was an older Cirno who looked like she stole Cloud Strife's gear from that Final Fantasy movie!
"Advent...Cirno..." I tacked on the name. Wait! She said something about Rumia...
"Is that so~? Not really fun otherwise Cirno-chan!" Another voice came out of the crater made by the explosion, revealing Rumia...or her version in this world.
She looked the same. Red eyes, short blond hair, wearing a black vest and skirt, and a white blouse. However, like Advent Cirno, she looked more mature. On top of that, she had wings made of swirling darkness, and was carrying a giant jet-black sword like the one that the guy from Berserk used. Strangely, the red ribbon that was normally tied to her hair was floating above her head like a halo.
"So much for a simple, quiet entrance..." I muttered at the sudden complication I was given in this new world.
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I apologize for the gratuitous Japanese in the last attack but I was compelled to use Ryuusei Date's naming method from Super Robo Wars Alpha for the name of the slash. Long story short, Tenjou Tenga Ichigeki Hissatsu Muteki Giri = Heaven and Earth One Hit Sure-Kill Invincible Slash.
Also, as you can see, the next world will be pretty crazy so look forward to it. Tell me how you think the story is going if you can.
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This is great, although I wish I knew what is going on with the demon thing...
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our favorite Reimu-standin is going to fix the fanfiction/printed works?!? this is going to be awesome (save for the new month-long wait). keep up the awesome work!
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our favorite Reimu-standin is going to fix the fanfiction/printed works?!? this is going to be awesome (save for the new month-long wait). keep up the awesome work!
Actually...the next one will be Immaterial and Missing Power. Of course, the inclusion of Ibaraki Kasen, Advent Cirno, and EX-Rumia complicates things.
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o.o Holy wow this is AWESOME!!!!
I laughed at the new world. I was seriously thinking it would be an Advent-fest once you started on Cirno. Sadly, I was wrong. ;-;
I wonder where Ran was gapped to... So Nanoka~
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Huzzah! A new chapter! I was really going for a November release for this chapter because Super Robot Taisen L for the DS comes out on the 25th and I won't be able to write much once I get my hands on a copy. So yeah...
Anyway, here's the first part of this world. Please enjoy!
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The incessant sound of clashing blades between Cirno and Rumia rhythmically echoed throughout the otherwise quiet shrine. I could only stare in disbelief as these two girls completely shattered my preconceived notions about them from the previous worlds. I turned to the oni, Suika, wondering if she had any desire to stop these two from tearing up her shrine.
I guess this is her shrine... I thought since she evidently lives here and the only other shrines I know of are the Hakurei Shrine and the Temple of the Earth Spirits, neither of which look like this.
?Shouldn't we like, stop them?? I asked the obvious question, earning a curious and very drunken gaze from the little oni.
?Nya~! Let them have their fun, I say~! Hic!? The drunk little oni said before taking another swig from her gourd.
It was still morning and she's already plastered? I thought while shaking my head. I turned to the other girl there for help.
?Sorry, this part of the mountain is Suika's territory. None of the other devas can do anything here without her approval.? Kasen shrugged. I sighed and looked back to the duel taking place in front of us.
?Come on Cirno-chan! Combine your swords already so we can really fight seriously!? The older version of Rumia, the youkai of darkness, taunted as she effortlessly swung around the the thick jet-black zweihander at Cirno. The heavily armed ice fairy, was struggling in the duel because she was fighting defensively and her current sword seemed comparatively lighter than her opponent's.
?Stop! I don't want to fight you Rumia! You're one of my best friends! This fight is meaningless!? The ice fairy pleaded with her friend as she blocked and parried strike after ruthless strike.
?Is that so~? Lies! No fight is meaningless! Now fight me, little ice fairy! Fighty time! Fighty time!? Rumia declared as she made her wings of swirling darkness larger. Cirno grunted and her left hand was creeping towards the saw-toothed longsword on her back.
?Dammit Suika! Just make them stop already!? Kasen yelled at her companion who frowned at the sudden aggression displayed by her friend.
?Oh fine~! Hic!? Suika said as she got up and walked toward the two young women. I was starting to get nervous about an oni getting into the mix between two skilled swordswomen. I've fought against another Deva of the Mountain, Yuugi, and I know from experience how strong they are. I gulped and made sure that my buckle would appear at a hair's-trigger if this gets out of hand.
?So...you really are serious...? Cirno grimly remarked as she pulled one of the longswords on her back, the saw-toothed one, and prepared for Rumia's attack.
?Oh yes I am! Are you ready Cirno-chan~?? Rumia asked as she held her zweihander above her head. Neither of the combatants noticed Suika walking towards them like a drunken salary man...it was a bit embarrassing to watch her approach them, really...
?Unya~! He~y! You two~!? The little oni called out to the two. Cirno and Rumia looked at her curiously as she pulled out a very large sake dish out of nowhere. She poured sake into the dish and held it towards the two of them.
?Here~! Have some~! Hic!? Suika said as she set down the dish in front of Rumia.
?Is she nuts?! She's offering sake to them! Rumia might just stab her for that!? I said in panic to Kasen who looked calm despite the seemingly stupid and very drunken move by Suika.
?Don't worry. This is how these fight always ends.? Kasen said in a bored tone while shrugging.
?And some for you too~! Have some~! Hic!? Suika drunkenly offered another large dish filled with sake to Cirno. The two youkai looked at her a second. Cirno put the saw-toothed sword on her back and her main broadsword in between the two long swords, making the broadsword point straight down. Rumia simply made her black zweihander disappear into thin air. I was wondering if the sword was made of pure darkness like her wings when both of them walked towards Suika, took their respective sake dishes, and started drinking.
?What the hell?!? Was all I could say. I looked at Kasen while pointing at the absurdity taking place.
?That is Suika's hidden power. It's legendary that no one can refuse a drink from Ibuki Suika. She even got the Yama herself completely drunk once because of that power.? The pink-haired girl explained while shrugging.
?I...I need to sit down...? I said while feeling like I was having a migraine after what I just witnessed.
?You're too stiff for a miko you know~! Here~!? Suika said while pouring some sake in yet another sake dish.
No! Noooo! I thought as I slowly backed away as soon as she finished filling the dish.
?Have some~!? Those words were the last thing I remember.
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?Uuurrrggghhh...? I groaned like a zombie when I regained consciousness. I was never able to hold my alcohol well so I never drink except during special occasions. I was a lightweight when it came to drinking and oni sake was really freaking strong! I was probably out like a light after a couple of sips.
?Brain...hurts...? I grunted as I clutched my head in pain. I hate hangovers. So. Much.
I sat up and my head started pounding even harder. Note to self: If Suika starts pouring sake and looks at you, RUN! Run hard! Run fast! Don't look back! FLY if you have to!
?Where am I now?? I said to myself while looking around. I was sleepi--passed out in a futon and the room I was in reminded me of the inside of the Hakurei Shrine. It was similar but something was off...
?You don't drink much, do you?? A familiar voice said from behind me. I turned around, earning another few thumps from my brain, and saw Kasen walking into the room.
?No. In fact, it's been nearly a year since I got drunk. I've completely forgotten how painful hangovers are. How does Suika keep drinking that stuff like it's water and not die from alcohol poisoning?? I said to her while massaging my temples.
?She's an oni. There'd be something wrong with you if you couldn't drink that much if you were an oni.? Kasen explained.
?Thank goodness that I'm not then. Where am I?? I repeated my original question while taking another glance around the room.
?My shrine. Suika would have left you and those two for dead after you all passed out, so I carried you all here.? Kasen said with yet another one of her shrugs.
?Those two? Cirno and Rumia are here too?? I inquired, standing up and stretching out. God, I was sore all over! Did Kasen stuff us all in a suitcase?
?Yes, they are. I made sure to keep them as far away from each other as possible. The stiffness should wear off after a few hours. Happens all the time to non-oni that drink Suika's sake.? The bandaged girl said. I nodded in acknowledgment before glancing at her right arm.
I wonder why she has her entire right arm bandaged like that? I wondered as I stared at her arm.
?It's a long story. One I'd rather not recount, especially to a stranger.? She stated while narrowing her eyes at me and putting her left hand on her right arm, as if trying to hide it. Looks like she doesn't like people prying.
?Sorry...and thanks for taking me in.? I bowed to her in thanks.
?No problem. It would have been heartless to let you three rot out in the middle of Suika's shrine. That would have made a very bad image for us devas.? Kasen explained just how helpless we were after we got plastered by Suika's alcoholic tendencies.
?Are you so sure? I mean fine, Suika looked a drunken bum, but I don't think she'd leave anyone to die on her front yard.? I skeptically retorted. Surely, the other deva was just being a bit mean towards the little oni.
?No. This is fact. Suika would never willingly do something for someone else. She's the laziest youkai in Gensokyo.? The deva pointedly insisted. Yes, again with the shrugging. I was starting to wonder if her shoulders might pop off if she kept doing that all the time.
?Fine, I'll take your word for it. I hope I wasn't out for more than a day though...? I changed the subject while scratching the back of my head. I was really praying that I wasn't knocked out as long as I was in the previous world.
That would mean that drinking Suika's sake has the same effect on me as an all-out battle with Yuka at the Garden of the Sun. I thought, a thought that disturbed me greatly.
?Don't worry. Since you only drank a couple of sips, you were only unconscious for a few hours. The ice fairy and the darkness youkai will take a bit longer to recover though.? Kasen explained.
?Good. At least we don't have to deal with them so soon. Any idea why they're fighting?? I asked.
?Not really. They've been like that since they arrived on the mountain months ago. One time, I stopped by to make sure that Suika wasn't drowning in her sleep and saw them swatting metal at each other in the premises. Every time that happens, Suika eventually gets them drunk in order to stop them from fighting. It takes a lot of coaxing to make her do that much though...? The pink-haried girl said, surprisingly without shrugging this time.
?Usually, either Yuugi or I take care of them while they were knocked out. Although, it has been just me lately since Yuugi has her hands full with that jealous troll, Parsee. I swear, just talk to your fellow deva once in a while and the next thing you know, you have a pointy eared, green eyed, blond bitch in your face yelling about how envious she was of you or whatnot.? She added, spoke too soon about the lack of shrugging too.
Parsee and Yuugi are in this world too huh? I thought, resisting the urge to shudder after remembering what the Parsee I encountered in Imperishable Night did.
?And you never had any chance to ask either of them about what was going on?? I wondered, I had the strangest feeling that was I turning into a private investigator with all the questioning I've been doing.
Tack that alongside life counselor and motivational speaker for possible future career choices after this is all over. I thought before I shook off the odd feeling and waited for her answer.
?I never had the chance to. They usually just sneak out or run away once they regain consciousness. Besides, their welfare isn't my responsibility. I just want to make sure they don't die like animals in one of the shrines of the four devas.? Kasen said, waving off any accountability in the matter. At least she didn't shrug.
?That makes sense. But why are you and Yuugi so insistent about making sure Cirno and Rumia don't die in the premises of Suika's shrine?? I asked the strange question while tilting my head.
?Would you want two dead youkai rotting on your front yard?? Kasen posed with a raised eyebrow.
?Point.? I nodded in understanding.
?Besides, this is our mountain. We don't like the dead littering the place but a healthy duel every now and then is nice to see. It assures us that the youkai beyond the mountain haven't gotten weak because of peace...Suika on the other hand...? She added for good measure. It was at that time that my stomach decided to greet Kasen. The bandaged girl gave me a curious look after my stomach growled before closing her eyes and nodding in understanding.
?I shall at least serve you a meal before sending you on your way. You are still a guest in my shrine after all.? Kasen said before walking off. I wanted to stop her but I was too hungry to turn away a free meal. I arbitrarily remembered that the intoxicating effect of alcohol kicks in faster if your stomach is empty, not that a full stomach helped against oni-grade sake.
?Might as well read up on what mess I'm supposed to be in this time.? I muttered to the empty room before taking out Akyu's scroll and sitting down. I opened it and started reading up on what kind of incident this mess originally was.
Greatest mesmeric mist of all time! This magic mist is missing power! The Immaterial and Missing Power!
?What the hell?!? I exclaimed as I read the overly exaggerated title of this world. Usually, it'd just be a strange combination of words but this...this is different. I shrugged and kept reading...I wonder if Kasen's shrugging is contagious?
After the longest winter in Gensokyo's history, Reimu decided to celebrate with a feast in her shrine. The extra donations wouldn't hurt.
?Wait...longest winter? Hmmm...I guess this game happened soon after Perfect Cherry Blossom then.? I noted before continuing.
While making preparations for the feast three days away, Reimu is distracted by a strange and powerful mist that is covering Gensokyo. She and many other inhabitants of Gensokyo, such as Alice, Marisa, Sakuya, Youmu and Patchouli, go to investigate.
?Oh great! This makes it the fifth time where Reimu and Marisa weren't the only ones who decided to find out the cause of the problem! I can only hope that they worked together like in Imperishable Night and Perfect Cherry Blossom instead of trying to beat the tar out of each other.? I sarcastically said while--dammit! Kasen's shrugging is contagious!
Suika Ibuki is an oni. Although legends say all the oni are gone, Suika has decided to reunite the humans and oni by attracting them through partying. Using her special ability to spread across the land, she causes the humans and youkai to have feasts and parties. The more drunk she gets, the stronger she becomes, and she carries a gourd treasured by the oni, which never empties of sake.
The protagonists took turns fighting Suika, while taking care of each other along the way, in order to bring an end to the partying incident.
?I knew it!? I yelled out as it turns out that I was right about everyone trying to beat the tar out of each other before facing the real cause of the problem. I also noticed that the number of participants this time was fewer than during Phantasmagoria of Flower View or Scarlet Weather Rhapsody, at least Tenshi and Iku weren't involved this time. I shook my head before continuing, only to see that there wasn't anything else.
?Wait...that's it?!? I said in surprise as I saw the end of the entry. I tried to make sure that I didn't miss anything by reading through the whole thing one more time.
?Well, that's straightforward. Not much of a back story though.? I commented before putting the scroll away.
Since Suika was the cause of the original incident, that means I have to help her this time. I thought. I then wondered what exactly it was that I was supposed to help her with. She didn't exactly have any obvious proble--
?Alcoholism intervention? Nah...she's an oni, they're supposed to be like that.? I hand waved my own reflexive inference.
?Advent Cirno and Rumia...? I moved on to the next likeliest culprits. They've been tearing up Suika's shrine and only her shrine whenever they fight, as far as I can tell. Plus, they don't seem to have a reason to fight...not one that would make sense anyway.
?I need to talk to them, or at least Cirno. Less likely to stab me with a big sword.? I muttered before my stomach started grumbling again when I caught a whiff of a meal getting cooked.
?As soon as I'm not starving to death anymore...?
?
?This is where she is?? I asked Kasen after lunch. She's a really good cook by the way. I can't imagine anyone turning frogs and mushrooms into something that tasty!
?She is. The darkness youkai is in a different room at the other end of the shrine.? The pink-haired girl said. Mandatory shrug? Check. I slid open the door and saw Cirno asleep in a futon similar to mine, her five swords were lying neatly next to each other a short distance away.
?She's a lot nicer to look at when she's not swinging around those swords...? I muttered before approaching the sleeping ice fairy. I smiled when I got a good look the older version of the ice fairy.
Jeez...this is what that little runt in Perfect Cherry Blossom will look like someday? I thought back to the smash-happy Cirno a couple of worlds back. She's gonna grow up into a pretty nice looking young woman...wait...
Youkai age over a period of hundreds of years so...how old is this Cirno exactly? I added to my thoughts while tilting my head to the side.
?I honestly hope that you are not planning on stabbing her in her sleep or anything.? Kasen spoke up sarcastically. She was behind me so I couldn't see if she shrugged after saying that, she probably did.
?Don't be silly. I'm just a miko passing through, I wouldn't do that.? I deadpanned at the deva.
?Mikos exterminate youkai for a living...? She deadpanned back. Damn! She had a point!
?I'm not gonna kill her okay! Or anyone else...unless they gave me no other choice and believe me, I have a lot of choices before considering that option.? I shot back irritably.
?Fair. Are you going to wait for her to wake up?? Kasen asked when she saw me sit down next to Cirno's futon.
?Yep. Like you said, they either run away or sneak away after they wake up. This is the best plan if I want to talk to either of them.? I explained, consciously repressing my urge to shrug. Kasen could very well be the goddess of shrugging or something.
?So be it. I have things I need to attend to, so I'll take my leave.? Kasen said before walking toward the door.
?Thanks.? I said as Kasen stepped out.
?If it means you can stop those two, it's no problem.? Kasen replied with yet another shrug before sliding the door close.
?I guess all I can do is wait then...? I said while looking at Cirno's sleeping face.
...
After what seemed like a good couple of hours, Advent Cirno still hasn't woken up. I chose to designate her as Advent Cirno in order to separate her with the other Cirno, it gets too confusing otherwise.
?I hate parallel worlds...? I muttered in irritation. Yesterday's enemy could be tomorrow's friend and vice versa. Sometimes friends stay as friends...just different versions, also applies to enemies.
I should just stop thinking about that... I thought after everything started to make less and less sense when I tried to make more sense of it.
I passed the time looking at Advent Cirno's swords. I emphasize the word 'look' because I'm not dumb enough to think that I can pick those things up without killing myself. Advent Cirno had five swords in total, each seemingly unique -aside from the twin short swords- and made for a specific purpose. Why she would need five swords is beyond me. Each blade looked like finely polished silver even though they've obviously seen a lot of action. I recognized each sword from the Final Fantasy movie but seeing each one up close was a whole different experience.
I thought there were six of them though? I wondered about my vague memories of the film while tilting my head to the side. A tired groan, reminiscent to my own when I woke up, and shuffling noise from the futon alerted me to Advent Cirno's awakening.
?Merede...what hit me?? Advent Cirno muttered with a groan as she sat up and clutched her head.
?A lot of things. But the last was Suika's sake.? I pointed out. The blue-haired girl slowly turned to me and stared at me curiously.
?Who...? She started by clutched her head again from the pain.
?Just a miko passing through. Hang overs are a killer huh?? I said catchphrase and changed the subject while walking toward the girl, earning a wince.
?Not so loud...? Advent Cirno replied while slowly shaking her head.
?Sorry...here...? I whispered before handing her a glass of water that Kasen left behind.
?Thank you, Miss Miko.? The ice fairy accepted the water and downed it in one swig. She must have been dehydrated after all of that.
?The name is Tama. And you're welcome, Cirno.? I said after she handed me back the empty glass.
?You know who I am?? She said, gazing at me questioningly.
?I know a lot of things, whether I want to or not. Who you are is one of those things. Don't worry, I'm not a bad guy.? I explained with a shrug -dammit Kasen!- and circumventing any assumptions that I'm a 'demon'. I am forever thankful that I was the first one Advent Cirno met and not Sanae. It would be hell trying to resolve everything without nearly killing me otherwise.
?I understand, Miss Tama. Being given extraordinary powers and responsibilities without your prior consent is something I'm well aware of.? Advent Cirno solemnly said. Wow, the way she's so collected and mature...
This can't be Cirno! Not the one I'm used to anyway! I thought while clutching my own head.
?Is something wrong Miss Tama?? Advent Cirno asked in genuine concern despite her own discomfort.
Yes, you're being way too mature. It creeps me out a bit... I thought before taking a deep breath and smiling.
?No worries, Cirno. So, any reason why you were fighting Rumia this morning?? I got to the point, one that made the ice fairy flinch. Advent Cirno sat in silence for a few moments, probably gathering her thoughts, before looking at me and speaking up..
?I don't know...? She plainly stated while shaking her head.
Somehow, I should have expected that. I thought as I knew from experience that these things are rarely so simple.
?For whatever reason, whenever the two of us meet, Rumia immediately starts attacking me without any provocation or warning. And inexplicably, we always end up at the shrine of that oni. I can't really explain it. It's like we're compelled to bring our battles to that shrine...? She continued while staring at her gloved hands.
?It doesn't matter where or when we start fighting. Even if we meet at the foot of Youkai Mountain, the middle of the Garden of the Sun, the outskirts of the Human Village, or deep within the Bamboo Forest of the Lost. It's useless...it's all useless. No matter what, we always end up in that shrine without realizing it.? Advent Cirno explained as she closed her hands into trembling fists.
?Something like that can't be coincidence. One way other another, someone or something is manipulating us...and I hate being manipulated.? She added as she narrowed her eyes to the distance, as if staring at some unseen foe. Her eyes then widened in sudden realization of something.
?Where is Rumia right now?!? Advent Cirno hurriedly asked. As if on cue, a loud explosion could be heard in the distance. I was assuming that Rumia has just woken up and was currently experiencing a nasty hang over.
?My swords!? The ice fairy quickly re-equipped herself with her five swords, keeping her favorite double-edged broadsword in hand and securing the rest in their respective sheaths. She quickly made a dash out the door and into the hallway, presumably in the direction of the earlier explosion.
Something is manipulating Advent Cirno and Rumia into fighting and they always end up in Suika's shrine for some strange reason. Mind control? Nah! Koishi already did that and this is far to vague. I wonder what was cau-- My thoughts were cut off by another explosion, one that was strong enough to cause the floor to rumble all the way out here.
?Okay, things are getting out of hand. I don't think that Kasen will appreciate them wreaking her shrine. I guess I get to try out Tenshi this time.? I said with a bit of a smile before running out the room and summoning my buckle.
?
?Too slow~!? EX-Rumia taunted as she made her zweihander disappear and reappear in her hands while dodging, keeping Advent Cirno off-balance.
?Why do you keep fighting me Rumia?!? The ice fairy yelled out as she parried an overhead slash with her broadsword.
?Is that so~? Last time I checked, you attacked me this time.? The darkness youkai said and used her sword to smash through the wall beside her and go outside. Advent Cirno gritted her teeth and followed her out to the shrine grounds.
She's right. When I came in the room, she was just thrashing around complaining about how much her head was aching. Then...then...I lunged at her and tried to run her through! When I saw her, I just had the unstoppable urge to strike her down! It was like fighting her was something I was supposed to do no matter what! What the hell is happening to us?! Advent Cirno's thoughts raged on as she continued to clash with her friend.
?
?Whaao!? I yelled out as I almost bumped into Kasen. The startled deva quickly backed away from me and quickly settled into a fighting stance, not realizing who I was because I was transformed into Reimu.
?Another miko?! Are you working with Tama or are you her to exterminate youkai?! Did you cause that explosion just now?! Depending on your answer, I may have to kick your ass!? Kasen started asking questions as she prepared to pummel me into mush. I immediately put my hands up and started backing away like a kid who was just caught with her hand in a cookie jar.
?No! No! Wait! It's me, Tama!? I immediately stated before she decided to start splattering me on the wall. Kasen narrowed her eyes at me before giving an amused chuckle.
?Don't think you're fooling anyone! You look nothing like her!? She responded while tensing up.
?No! It's my power! I transform into other people! It's what I do an--? My panicked explanation was interrupted by another explosion, coming from outside this time.
?...and I'm obviously not the one who caused that explosion just now. I'm assuming that Advent Cirno must have found Rumia.? I stated as I put my hands down.
?Advent Cirno?? Kasen gave me a curious look when I referred to Cirno with the extra word 'Advent'.
?I'll explain later...I'll explain a lot of things later. Right now, we have to stop those two.? I replied. I wasn't even going to try to stop myself from shrugging, damn Kasen and this world for forcing that habit onto me.
?So be it...? Kasen tentatively gave me her trust as the two of us made our way outside where we saw the two in question doing what they've been doing best, trying to kill each other while destroying private property.
?This is troublesome...? The deva muttered before giving me a sidewards glance.
?...I'm sorry to trouble you with this...Tama, but you don't have to fight. This is not your problem.? She stated as she tried to push me out of this whole thing. Not really a good thing since I'm here because I have to fix problems.
?Don't worry about it...I've had plenty of that. ? I retorted before shooting a few needles at Rumia. That managed to get their attention, particularly the darkness youkai.
?Don't interrupt! Lest you want to face my wrath, miko!? Rumia snarled at me, making her wings of darkness bigger and holding her jet-black zweihander above her head, trying to intimidate me.
?Don't come any closer! It's too dangerous here!? Advent Cirno yelled as she pulled out her straight-edged longsword from her back and attached it to her broadsword with a few clicks, creating a much more potent weapon. I stared at the two and sighed. One was threatening me. The other was trying to make sure I don't get hurt. If I hadn't already gone through what I did, I'd listen to them...I really would. The thing is...
?See, Kasen. I've been through a lot. Being caught up in absurd incidents one after another, I just flat out have a lot of problems.? I said to all three of them with a shrug. I pulled out Tenshi's card and opened my buckle before putting the card in.
TOUHOU RIDE!
?Luckily, I'm more than willing to share my problems.? I declared before closing the handles, ignoring the collective confusion brought about by my words and my belt's declaration.
HINANAI TENSHI!
All of a sudden, the clouds gathered above me before a very large crimson lightning bolt struck down and consumed me. The bolt dissipated to reveal me completely transformed into the blue-haired celestial. This has to be my fastest transformation to date!
?See? Now we all have problems...? I muttered with a smile and a tip of a hat, Tenshi's hat. I still had no idea now those two peaches stayed attached to it though.
?Don't think that little show impresses me!? Rumia yelled out before flying right at me, sword ready to chop me to pieces.
I wouldn't think so... I thought as I pulled out another card. Since Tenshi was the one who originally caused Scarlet Weather Rhapsody, not Yukari, I had imagined that she'd have this all along. I pulled at the handles one more time and put the card in.
ATTACK RIDE!
?Rumia! No!? Advent Cirno called out to her opponent who was speeding towards me. It was nice to see that this Cirno was still willing to jump in to save others, regardless of the world I was in, but I'm no slouch anymore either. I closed the handles to show them how much I've grown though my journey...
SWORD OF HISOU!
The scarlet sword appeared in my hands just in time to block Rumia's zweihander. The darkness youkai was startled for a moment and that was all I needed. In Yakumo Yukari's hands, this was the sword that defeated Kazami Yuka. Mine was just a copy, but still...
?Ggghhh!? I gritted my teeth as the Rumia tried to push me back. Her sword was still heavier than my Hisou Sword and was slowly gaining the advantage in our clash. That was when I noticed that her zweihander was starting to smolder. Rumia suddenly had a shocked expression and backed away from me like I was on fire or something. Her sudden retreat halted the advance of Kasen and Advent Cirno as well.
?You...? Rumia muttered as she continued to glare at me, her sword still smoldering from our clash.
What the? Why is her sword smoking? I wondered as I maintained my guard and pointed the Hisou Sword at her defensively. Rumia hissed and used her hand to block the red glow from the sword to her eyes.
?That's weird...? I muttered to myself before I saw Advent Cirno run up to Rumia and tried to chop her in half with an overhead slash.
?No! Cirno!? I yelled out to the ice fairy. Rumia managed to notice her foe's advance and block the combined broadsword-longsword strikes with her zweihander. I then noticed something while they were trying to overpower each other with their blades.
They were both grinning...the kind that Yuka would have when she's fighting someone strong...
?No way...why are they...? I muttered in disbelief as Kasen reached me and was saying something to me. I didn't notice what she was trying to say because I was too confused about what was going on.
One way other another, someone or something is manipulating us. Advent Cirno's words echoed in my mind as I watched their frenzied dueling. If this keeps up, they'll end up at Suika's shrine again.
?Tama!? Kasen finally got my attention as she stood in front of me, shaking my shoulders, and face inches away from my own.
?Ha? Whawawa! Too close Kasen!? I said in a fluster as grabbed one of her arms with my left hand, my other hand was still holding onto the Hisou Sword, and leaned back to get some space between us.
?Thank goodness! I thought you were being possessed by some otherworldly force as well.? The deva said with a sigh of relief before releasing me.
?What? Oh no! I was just wondering about those two. What could be causing them to go postal on each other like that?? I said while staring at the clashing youkai.
?I don't know, hey could simply be each others' natural enemies for all I know. But I'm not about to allow them to continue to do so in my home!? Kasen declared as she prepared to battle both youkai.
?I'll help. I'm not too fond about senseless fighting like this. Especially since I'm not sure if they really wanted to fight to the death in the first place.? I replied, tightening my grip on the treasured sword.
?They seem rather enthused about battling each other...? Kasen pointed out.
?Let's stop them first, we can worry about the rest later.? I said as I watched Rumia fling Advent Cirno into the distance. The ice fairy managed to land on her feet and wasted no time as she charged back at her foe.
?Agreed.? Kasen replied before we both went after the two youkai.
?
Good...
Advent Cirno could not comprehend what was causing her to fight against the girl in front of her. She couldn't even think anymore. Her last shred of rational thought eroded away like a mound of sand in the face of merciless waves. In the end, there was only one thing she knew for sure. Fighting Rumia. Trying to kill Rumia.
It felt good...
She had never felt like this before she started fighting against Rumia. It was like intoxication. Getting drunk with her own bloodlust! It wasn't premeditation. It was instinct! The desire to strike down your foe. It was pure! The need to draw blood. It was right!
Each sword swing. Each clash of steel. Each wound inflicted. Each wound endured. Each strike. Each counterstrike. Each block. Each parry. Each slash. Each thrust. Each attack. Each attack. Each attack. Each attack! Each Attack! Attack! Attack! Attack! Attack! Attack! Attack! Attack! Attack! Attack! Attack! Attack!
It felt really freaking good!
?
?Cirno! Knock it off! Gaah!? I screamed at Advent Cirno who was doing her best to try to cut me to ribbons using her fused swords and her saw-toothed longsword. Kasen and I intercepted them during a lull in their exchange and proceeded to try to stop any further fighting, it wasn't going as well as we'd hope. The problem was, she was going after me with as much fervor as she had when she was fighting Rumia. Her eyes looked glazed over. Her breathing was heavy. Her face was flushed. She was even smiling and licking her lips! Jeez! It was like she was drunk or something!
Drunk? I wondered about that comparison for a moment. A moment I wished I had back as Advent Cirno felt the sudden need to try to run me through with her saw-toothed longsword.
?Dammit!? I cursed as the Hisou Sword got caught in the blade's 'teeth' as I tried to deflect the thrust. I couldn't pull it out and Advent Cirno used that to yank me closer to her, well in range of her fused swords. The ice fairy raised her right hand, which was holding the fused swords, and swung it down right at my head.
?!? I immediately let go of the treasured sword and jumped back to avoid the slash. She didn't miss a beat as she flicked away the Hisou Sword that was caught in her saw-toothed and darted right at me. The Hisou Sword was still flipping around in mid-air so I was effectively unarmed against someone who had two swords and the single-minded desire to kill Rumia and everyone else in the way.
?
?Tell me darkness youkai. Do you still have any shred of rational thought left?? Kasen asked EX-Rumia, who was staring at her with the same flushed, drunken gaze that Advent Cirno had. The oni narrowed her eyes at the lack of response from the girl in front of her.
Intoxication? It can't be. The effects of Suika's sake should have already worn off by now. The deva thought before EX-Rumia smiled at her and charged. The youkai haphazardly swung her zweihander around, trying to keep Kasen off balance. The hardened veteran of countless battles was not about to allow herself to be drawn in by such parlor tricks though.
?Don't think I'd be as easy a prey as your counterpart!? She yelled as she caught the flat of the zweihander's blade between her right elbow and her right knee, her incredible strength as an oni, as a deva of the mountain, preventing EX-Rumia from pulling out her sword.
?Hmph!? The oni huffed before deflecting the blade away from her and simultaneously darting right towards her foe. The darkness youkai could only stare in disbelief as the deva of the mountain planted the same knee that caught her sword in between her eyes.
?
?Oh jeez!? I meagerly complained before I started trying to dodge Advent Cirno's attacks. I say trying because I was still getting nicked by her blades.
Dodging is a lot harder without Reimu's intuition screaming at me on when to dodge which attack. I noted as I put my right hand on Tenshi's hat to keep it in place as I ducked and danced around the flurry of strikes. I finally heard the sharp noise of the Hisou Sword landing and, to my relief, it was sticking out of the ground nearby. I quickly evaded a cross-slash from the two blades and made a dash to the scarlet sword. I felt Advent Cirno right behind me and I immediately jumped up after I got my hand on my sword, dislodging it from the ground and jumping away from a horizontal slash from the ice fairy.
I can barely match her toe-to-toe and that's because of Tenshi's natural talent as a celestial. I need a better edge. I thought while narrowing my eyes at irrational look of my opponent. I planted the Hisou Sword on the ground and pulled out a card. I opened my buckle and put the chosen card in.
ATTACK RIDE!
Advent Cirno charged at me as soon as she heard that and I pulled the sword out in response. She jumped up high and swung both her swords down at me. I closed the handles before she reached me.
AWAKENED CELESTIAL BLADE !
The treasured sword's blade immediately burst in flames just as I swung it upwards to intercept the ice fairy's swords. The raging flames suddenly grew much larger and drew an arc of fire at Advent Cirno. She was easily flung away by the attack and crashed on the ground some distance away. She managed to get back up but I was impressed at how the sword managed to do that. I glanced at the sword, blade still encased in flames, then back at the ice fairy. I couldn't help but smirk...
?Fire. Super Effective against Ice.? I muttered to myself while smiling at my childhood memories of playing those games. I then noticed something coming right at me from the corner of my vision...
?
Kasen noticed a change in tactics from her foe. Instead of wildly swinging her blade, EX-Rumia started making short, weaving slashes at Kasen. It was like she was trying carve out shapes from her opponent. Strange as the new attack style was, it neutralized her earlier countermeasure against the large blade.
Interesting...to adapt so quickly. The oni thought as she weaved through the carving slices and delivered an elbow to the sternum followed by a backhand to the forehead. EX-Rumia staggered back and shook her head, trying to get her orientation back. The darkness youkai's attention was suddenly taken by the sound of raging flames and a dull thud in the distance. Kasen turned to see what it was and saw Tama's transformed self wielding a scarlet sword encased in flames who just slashed away Advent Cirno.
Her momentary state of awe allowed her foe the time she needed to change her target and go after Tama. Kasen cursed herself for her lapse in judgment and ran to her comrade.
?
?Tama! Look out!? Kasen yelled at me. I just had enough time to turn my head and see Rumia flying right at me, her zweihander slung above her right shoulder and was about to be swung down at me. I instinctively put the Hisou Sword between me and the darkness youkai and was in for a surprise. The raging fires that wrapped around the blade of the treasured sword suddenly changed into white light and fused with the blade, turning it into a blade of light. Just like with Advent Cirno, Rumia struck the blade and the light shone even brighter. I swung the blade, pushing the darkness youkai back who had a frightened but still intoxicated expression.
I didn't know this sword can do that... Was all the thought I was able to afford as both Advent Cirno and Rumia charged at me. Wait! I thought they were supposed to be fighting each other!
?Ganging up on me?!? I complained as the three swords from the two youkai started swinging at me in tandem with amazing ease.
Have these two fought together before? I wondered as I noticed their impeccable timing when fighting alongside one another. That wasn't the only thing I noticed either. Whenever Advent Cirno swung either of her swords at me, the Hisou Sword erupted into flames. Likewise, the sword was suddenly wrapped in light whenever Rumia attacked me with her zweihander.
?Amazing! The Hisou Sword automatically adapts an element that would be the most effective way to defeat whoever it was going up against!? I said in honest surprise at the convenient ability of the weapon. I guess it wasn't called ?Heaven's Treasured Sword? for nothing! I wasn't given any more time to admire the celestial's sword as I saw the two youkai getting ready for another combination attack...until Kasen decided to make herself known by punching Advent Cirno in the face with her bandaged right fist.
?Don't forget whose shrine you are fighting in!? The angered deva of the mountain yelled out as she went after Advent Cirno who recovered from the sudden strike and was narrowing her eyes at her new foe. That leaves me with...
?Rumia...? I muttered as the darkness youkai floated up and prepared for another attack. I readied my sword just in time for her to fly at me and do a series of rapid thrusts. She was moving the sword so fast that I couldn't find time to parry every strike, only managing just enough to prevent myself from getting skewered by the zweihander. The attack ride still did its job and was wrapping the blade in light but Rumia continued with her assault regardless.
?
Kasen was almost surprised at how quickly Advent Cirno managed to recover from one of her right hand punches, almost. The ice fairy's sudden adeptness in close combat proves what she noticed with EX-Rumia.
?These two...they become more skilled the longer they fight...? The deva muttered to herself and wondered about the ramifications of such an ability. That was the reason why they never had a clear winner in their duels no matter how much or how long they fight each other. Their abilities merely kept escalating to keep up with each other and it kept them at a constant stalemate.
Until Suika gets them drunk again... Kasen thought as she nimbly dodged the now much larger blade that Advent Cirno was wielding. The ice fairy attached her saw-toothed to her fusion swords and created an even larger sword. The increased mass and girth of the weapon did little to hamper the ice fairy's ability to wield it. If anything, she became better at fighting the more swords she fused together.
?Troublesome...? The oni muttered as she leaped over her opponent and landed behind her, putting her left hand to the bandages that wrapped around her right arm. She was about to unwrap her bound right arm when something unexpected happened...
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
?
Dammit! Just when I thought I finally had the advantage! I thought in frustration as Rumia was starting to push me back. She suddenly stopped for a moment and floated back as she spun around and slashed the zweihander upwards, creating a wave of darkness that was barely able to block. I grunted as I skidded a few feet backwards because of the force. That wasn't very nice for me but it gave me a bit of distance so I can counterattack once I get my footing in p--
?Where?!? I cried out as the darkness youkai suddenly vanished from sight. I then had a sinking feeling as I was suddenly under some shade. I looked up and saw Rumia, up in the sky, diving straight at me with her wings of darkness spread wide. That was what was blocking the sun above me! I pulled out Tenshi's final attack card and opened my buckle but the descent of the darkness youkai was much faster.
No! I won't make it! I thought in panic as Rumia was almost right on top of me.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
My eyes widened as I realized the only way that declaration could have been made. I turned to the source of the voice and saw my suspicion realized.
Aoko! I thought as I saw her stupid smirk as she pointed her gun at Rumia and pulled the trigger.
MA-MA-MARISA!
The Master Spark caught Rumia in mid-air and blasted her in the direction where the laser was fired at. I turned to where she could have landed and saw Kasen leaning away from the line of fire with a troubled expression. Her left hand was clutching part of the bandages that covered her right arm.
?
MA-MA-MARISA!
Kasen wondered about the strange sound before she felt an intense amount of energy being expelled in the distance. She barely managed to lean away as a large laser beam swallowed Advent Cirno and blasted her away from the shrine.
?Hmm?? Kasen absentmindedly hummed as she thought she had heard EX-Rumia's voice as well. The deva shook her head and turned to whoever it was that did that attack.
?
?Howdy ze~!? Aoko greeted as she walked up to me. Okay! First thing's first!
?Yukari's pissed that you stole her favorite parasol. Better pray you don't end up back in Scarlet Weather Rhapsody any time soon.? I said with a shrug, earning a curious look from the thieving witch before she shrugged herself.
?The hazards that come with the job ze~? She casually replied.
?Job. Right...? I deadpanned before turning to Kasen who was walking towards us.
?You okay?? I asked the deva, who nodded and glanced at Aoko.
?Her name's Aoko. Don't worry about her, she's just a thief.? I joked, earning a sour look from Aoko.
?That is reason enough to worry about her by itself. Thanks all the same, thief.? Kasen replied with one of her shrugs.
?I'm just an ordinary magician, okay? Anyway, it's a bad idea to fight Advent Cirno and EX-Rumia for very long. Better to blast them away from you and run if you don't have anything that can beat them in one shot ze~? Aoko started explaining. EX-Rumia? That's a new one on me.
?How come? We were doing pretty well against them just now.? I replied...up until Rumia nearly sliced me to pieces that is.
?Because their combat potential keeps escalating the longer and the harder they fight. Their skill increases in proportion to their foe's as they exchange blows. How they managed to achieve such prowess is beyond my comprehension.? Surprisingly, Kasen was the one that explained why, not Aoko. I noticed her look away and sigh after the oni finished.
?What's wrong? Miffed that someone else managed to explain things before you did?? I teased the girl beside me, who suddenly narrowed her eyes at me while pouting.
?Shut up ze~? She muttered as my transformation ended, Aoko's still stayed.
?So that's why they suddenly got harder to fight against after a while.? I said while tilting my head, recalling my exchanges with the two youkai.
?Umm...yes...so you really can transform...? Kasen halfheartedly replied while staring at me.
?Oh right...I have to explain everything to you first.? I said to the rather confused deva who slowly nodded at my words.
?Indeed...a proper discussion about these current events is in order. Let us go back inside and I will prepare tea for us.? The oni said before going back inside the main shrine building. Aoko's transformation suddenly ended as well and she seemed to be wearing the same clothes as she always does.
I wonder why I'm the only one who gets a wardrobe change every time I hop worlds? I thought for a second before Aoko leaned in closer to me.
?So that's Ibara Kasen huh? Anything notable about her?? Aoko asked.
?Huh? Shouldn't you be the expert when it comes to Touhou?? I asked back with another shrug, confused at her actions.
?Kasen is a character from the new Touhou manga, Wild and Horned Hermit. Unfortunately, only the first chapter came out before this whole mess started. Because of that, I don't know anything about her except that she seems to know Suika, Reimu, and Marisa.? Aoko admitted while shaking her head.
?I see. Well, from what I gather so far, she's an oni and one of the four devas of the mountain alongside Yuugi and Suika. Anything beyond that, your guess is as good as mine.? I explained what little I knew about the pink-haired girl before shrugging again.
?So she is a deva huh? Score one for the internet...and what's with all the shrugging?? Aoko muttered while furrowing her eyebrows at me.
?Habit I picked up from Kasen. Be careful, it seems to be contagious.? I sarcastically answered. Aoko just looked at me funny, probably wondering if shrugging could even be contagious. You'll learn Aoko, you'll learn.
?Where are you two? We have much to talk about!? Kasen's voice echoed from within the building.
?Better not keep the super-powered oni waiting huh?? I muttered before walking inside, Aoko following close behind.
?
?What a troublesome responsibility...? Was all Kasen could say after I explained what was going on in the different Gensokyos and what I was doing about it.
?Tell me about it.? I said. I could only agree with what she said but I can't really stop either. Aoko was just sitting there throughout my explanation and drinking tea.
?Still, I wonder what could have caused a cataclysm such as ripping an entire realm apart into nine different ones? And simply because two individuals did not exist.? The deva mused before taking a sip of her tea.
?It was Magic. It was a Moriya Shrine Conspiracy. It was Eirin's shady new drug. Yukari did it. Pick one.? Aoko suddenly spoke up.
?What the hell are you talking about?? I asked, thoroughly confused at the girl's odd choice of suspects for the cause of this whole mess.
?Nothing. Just remembering that templates like that are forbidden.? Aoko answered with a shrug before grimacing at the realization of what she just did. I told you it was contagious.
?Whatever. What we need to worry about right now is how Advent Cirno and EX-Rumia keep getting stronger the more they fight. Wait, how'd you figure out their ability anyway?? I asked Aoko who simply chuckled.
?The hard way. I was exploring, trying to get a lay of the land. After a while I found EX-Rumia wandering around and saw an opportunity to meet my thieving quota for this world early.? Aoko started to explain.
?What were you planing on stealing from her? That giant sword?? I asked while raising an eyebrow.
?Nope. Zweihander was made out of condensed darkness just like her wings. No point trying to steal something I can't hold on to. I was gonna go after the red ribbon floating above her head.? She continued before pointing at the space above her head where EX-Rumia's 'halo' was located.
?EX-Rumia was a fan concept that worked under the premise that Rumia was, in fact, an extremely powerful youkai instead of just a measly little stage one boss who blinds herself with her own darkness. Theory was that her ribbon was sealing all her latent power away. Remove the ribbon from her hair, say hello to a youkai with enough power to match EX-bosses like Yakumo Ran or Fujiwara no Mokou. Hence the name EX-Rumia.? Aoko pointedly explained before taking another sip of her tea.
?Okay, so you tried to steal the ribbon of a youkai that can match Ran and Mokou in raw power. Are you an idiot?!? I almost yelled at her for trying to face off against EX-Rumia on her own like that.
?After what happened, I probably am. Anyway, I transformed and summoned Scarlet Meiling and Scarlet Sakuya and let them loose against the Unleashed Incarnation of Darkness. Guess what happened...? Aoko deadpanned with a crooked smile.
?You got your asses handed to you on a silver platter with a side of fries?? I jokingly asked with a smirk.
?Not at first. It was still three on one, and you know from experience how formidable the China and the maid from that version of Embodiment of Scarlet Devil were.? She continued, choosing to go on with her story rather than take my bait turn this into another sarcasm spat between us.
?China on close range with me and the maid on ranged support. It was a pretty nice and safe setup. My plan was to wear her down and snag the ribbon once she couldn't fight back anymore. That was when I noticed that she was starting to gain ground against China even through all the knives and bullets the maid and I were throwing at her. The rest, you should be able to figure out on your own. She eventually overpowered and cut down China and quickly dispatched the maid in the same manner. She almost got to me too. I was glad that I made it a point to always have my optical camo card in my sleeve at all times.? Aoko said, finishing her story and continuing on drinking her tea.
?Okay, Sakuya I can understand calling 'Maid' but 'China'? Really? I mean, her name is Chinese but calling Meiling 'China' is a bit much don't you think?? I pointed out.
?Blame the fandom. Meiling is more famous for being called China than her real name, more of a nickname really.? Replies the expert with a hand wave.
?Regardless, do you have any theories on why those two act that way or why they have such permeating abilities?? Kasen decided to speak up after hearing Aoko's encounter with EX-Rumia.
?No clue. I was just as surprised as you were when I first noticed it. I'm not even sure what world this is supposed to be because of all the characters that got thrown into the mix.? Aoko admitted, to my own surprise.
?It's supposed to be Immaterial and Missing Power...? I told her, putting down my empty cup.
?Seriously?? Aoko asked me, not believing what I just said.
?Seriously.? I flatly confirmed.
?Could have fooled me...? She said with a shrug before clearing her throat.
?Since this is Immaterial and Missing Power and those two are influenced into fighting each other and always ending up at Suika's shrine, I think you know the best place to go to try to end this right?? Aoko pointed out.
?Yeah. Suika's the clearest lead we have to get to the bottom of this mess.? I concurred with what Aoko was saying.
?Does this mean that Suika is the cause of her own problem?? Kasen asked as she started to understand the implications of our words.
?I'm not sure. It wouldn't make sense that Suika is the culprit since she's the one I'm supposed to help in this world in the first place. Maybe its something absurdly delicate and complicated like Tenshi's situation?? I inferred.
?I doubt it. Just because you need to help her doesn't mean that you have to just help her fight against some foe. Remember, you helped Kaguya by making her reconcile with Mokou.? Aoko pointed out.
?Yeah, by beating the crap out of Mokou. But I get what you're trying to say. What I don't understand is why Suika would even want the two of them to keep fighting each other and anyone else that crosses them. As Kasen already said, Suika is a really lazy oni. Why would she bother with all this if she's a bum?? I stated the conflict in the reasoning we currently have.
?Boredom.? Kasen answered solemnly.
?What?? I asked the standard question.
?Nothing has really happened much in the mountain in the past few decades. Suika is too lazy to go to other places to be able to find anything else interesting so...? Kasen trailed off, making a complex expression.
?So she decided to bring the excitement to her.? I picked up Kasen's trail of thought, to which the deva nodded in confirmation.
?That makes sense. The original incident was her influencing everyone around her to start partying until they passed out. It's not really impossible for her to influence them to do something else entirely but along the same lines.? Aoko knowingly said, nodding to herself.
?I guess we know where to go next then.? I stated, looking at Kasen who nodded in agreement. I turned to Aoko when I noticed her stand up.
?Yeah, you do that miss miko. I still have things to do.? She nonchalantly said as she made her way to the door.
?Off to steal something again, thief?? I flatly asked, knowing her answer already.
?Make sure not to steal anything from here. I know exactly where everything is supposed to be and if I find something missing...? Kasen plainly stated as a clear threat.
?Don't worry, I don't know you well enough to figure out what's valuable or not to you.? Aoko said before closing the door and leaving the shrine.
?Aren't you going to stop her?? The oni asked me.
?I won't bother. She won't stop until she gets something out of this, meaning we'll probably run into her eventually.? I replied, basing it from past experience.
?If you say so. I recommend that we set of in the morning though. Traveling through this mountain after dark is counterproductive. Besides, you never know if we suddenly run into those two again.? Kasen proposed.
?I see what you mean. Fighting Advent Cirno and-or EX-Rumia in the dead of the night sounds like a terrible bad idea.? I agreed and we decided to set out tomorrow morning and get some answers from the little oni.
...
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And part 2 because LOL! Character Limits!
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I drew ragged breaths.
My cold sweat making the soot-stained nightgown I was wearing cling uncomfortably to my skin.
My eyes felt like they were burning after all the tears I spent.
My heart was pounding so hard that I almost felt like it was about to explode in my chest.
I slowly and painfully looked around the scarred battlefield which was littered with the fallen forms of several girls.
Girls I fought against.
Girls I fought alongside with.
Girls that I befriended, whether they were friend of foe before.
Girls I haven't had the chance to meet yet.
I was back here again.
In the aftermath of that dream that started everything.
I turned around, nearly tripping on the body of Alice Margatroid who seemed to have been trying to reach out to a broken Shanghai in her last moments.
?A...lice...? I muttered to myself and all power left my legs, making me drop to my knees. I had wanted to cry right there but I didn't seem to have any tears left to shed. I had originally cried because I was scared senseless with what was happening all around me. Now I wanted to cry because all of the people that died in this massacre were people I now knew. I gazed up and saw her...
?Rei...mu...?? I asked, choking back tears that would never come. Just like before, her face was covered in a strange darkness but her outfit was more than indicative of who she was.
?Why? Why did you...? I started to say while struggling to my feet, getting another eyeful of the carnage that ended not long ago...as far as my dream seemed to go.
?Why? You're supposed to be the Shrine Maiden of Paradise right?! The perfect protector of Gensokyo! So why?! Why did you kill everyone?!? I screamed at the floating girl who remained silent. After a second visit to this horrible place, I was starting to understand why Sanae kept calling me a demon.
Sanae... I thought as I looked around for her. I saw her lying dead next to two other women who seemed to have tried to shield her from the attack that took all three of their lives.
Did Sanae...see the same dream? I thought for a moment before I cringed at the sight and looked back up to the motionless miko.
?Guh!? I clenched my teeth as my eyes drifted to that buckle, The Hakuredriver. I was angry. I was scared. I was mourning. I was confused. I had so many things swirling in my head and in my heart right now I thought I was about to hyperventilate. Suddenly, my thoughts cleared instantly and I gazed back at the shadow-covered face of the last Hakurei miko.
?I won't let this happen. I'll prove Sanae wrong.? I stated with labored breath as I felt my buckle and my booklet appear in my hands. Why they appeared, I didn't know. I didn't care. I put the buckle on and pulled out Reimu's card. In a motion I've done so many times before...
In times, to defend myself.
In times, to fight another.
In times, to save someone.
In times, to protect someone.
In times, to make others understand.
Always, to do what I thought was right.
I pulled at the handles of the buckle and put her card in.
TOUHOU RIDE!
?I'm not a demon. I won't let anyone die. I won't let this happen.? I coldly stated as the silent miko landed in front of me, a gohei appearing in her right hand. I let out a stuttered breath before closing the handles.
HAKUREI REIMU!
The nine translucent monochrome copies of Reimu surrounded me, each bearing the symbol of one of the nine girls that made up my gallery of transformations. They quickly converged and turned me into an exact copy of the person in front of me. I summoned my gohei to my right hand and glared at the girl in front of me. After several tense moments, we both wordlessly ran right at each other.
We both opened up with a diagonal strike with our goheis. The two ceremonial weapons hit each other at the same time. I quickly drew it back and spun around for a backhand strike to her side. The Hakurei miko jumped back to avoid the strike but quickly advanced again for a short thrust. I parried the blow with my gohei and closed in quickly, landing a headbutt on her forehead. It hurt, but I imagined that it hurt my opponent more than it did me.
The Hakurei miko stumbled back, part of the shadow covering her face lifted to reveal her mouth and nose, her eyes still obstructed by the darkness. She wordlessly pursed her lips and dashed at me. I centered myself and defended against a series of strikes. I knew these strikes. They were the same ones I used to subdue the youkai that were defending Koishi in Subterranean Animism. Needless to say, the thought disturbed me. The momentary lapse of concentration cost me as the Hakurei miko quickly delivered a spinning heel kick to my chest.
I coughed as I tried to get the airflow to my lungs clear again. I looked at my opponent who backed off and threw her gohei at me. I deflected it with my own, confused as to why she did that. I got my answer when she opened her buckle and put a red card in.
ATTACK RIDE!
?Dammit...? I muttered as I prepared myself for what she was about to do. The Hakurei miko maintained her stoic facade as she closed the handles.
THOUSANDFOLD FIST!
I grimaced as the torii gate knuckle dusters formed in her hands. I quickly pulled out my own card and opened my own buckle. She suddenly charged at me and tried to end the fight with a left jab followed by a right cross. I managed to dodge the first strike but had to sacrifice my gohei in order to block the cross. I put the card in my hand in my buckle as soon as my gohei dematerialized.
ATTACK RIDE!
The Hakurei miko quickly used her right hand, still following through from her cross, and backhanded my face with it. It hurt, a lot. My vision went black for a moment and I thought the whole world just did a back flip. I stumbled backward from the recoil but I still had enough sense to close the handles before my foe could capitalize.
YOUKAI BUSTER!
I grunted through the pain and jumped back before I pointed both my palms at the charging miko, a torrent of talismans fired from my hands. The Hakurei miko stopped her advance and proceeded to intercept my projectiles with her fists. I did the same when I accidentally chose this card instead of another during my duel with Eiki. I slowly started walking towards my foe, increasing the pressure from my attack ride on hers. It wasn't enough, neither would break. Both attacks dispelled at the same time and the two of us wordlessly closed the distance and started fighting in close quarters combat. I tried to do the hitman style jabs on her but she nimbly ducked and weaved through all of them. She started doing a series of punches and kicks at me, all of which I managed to parry and block. We continued the exchange of blows, neither gaining or losing ground.
I scored an left cross to her face, making her lower lip bleed.
She scored a right backhand to my face, making my nose bleed.
I drove a knee to her gut, making her cough up.
She payed it back with a left chop at my throat, making me choke.
A punch aimed between her eyes that she almost dodged, her left brow now had a cut.
A body blow to my left side that I leaned away from but was followed by a swift kick to my right side, I started having trouble breathing.
A solid left to her cheek.
A well-timed uppercut to my chin.
An elbow to her clavicle.
A heel to my knee.
A palm to the sternum.
A forearm to the shoulder.
A punch.
A kick.
A jab.
A cross.
A hit.
Another hit.
And another.
And another.
And another.
And another.
Neither gaining ground.
Neither losing ground.
?Haaaaahh...haaaahhh...haaahh...? I struggled for every last breath I took. I didn't know how long it lasted. We just kept pounding at each other until both of us just stopped at the same time. I don't know why we stopped. I was sure we would have kept going until we both collapsed. But, if we did that, there would be no clear winner.
Was that the reason? I winced as I thought that. Even thinking was painful now because of all the damage I took. I was amazed that I stayed transformed after that slugfest with the Hakurei miko. The two of us simply stood there, facing each other. The shadow still covered her eyes, but the rest of her face looked like Reimu's. No small wonder there. I looked up to the cloudy sky. Sounds of thunder echoed in the distance like groans from some divine entity.
I had expected it to start raining, a fitting setting to such a depressing occasion. However, mother nature decided to pull a fast one on me and the cloudy slowly broke up. Rays of light pierced through the darkness little by little as the gloomy skyline surrendered to the light of the sun. The clouds directly above us parted for whatever reason and bathed the Hakurei miko an myself in sunlight. I grinned, only to regret it because of the stinging pain all over my face. My foe didn't look any better as, she too, was riddled with cuts and bruises. I stared at her eyes as I fought for every labored breath, the feat made even more difficult because of the last part of the shadow that covered her face.
As before, in my dream...as I stared at the Hakurei miko...the girl that killed all those that lay dead around this battlefield. I felt many things. I was...
Afraid
Awed
Curious
All those things...but mostly, I was compelled?
Once compelled to witness the end...now compelled to end it.
The two of us, in perfect synchronization, pulled out a yellow card and opened out buckles. We stared at each other before wordlessly putting the cards in.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
FINAL ATTACK RIDE!
We then, with perfect synchronization, backed away from each other. We stopped after ten paces and wordlessly closed the handles.
RE-RE-REIMU!
RE-RE-REIMU!
The name of the Shrine Maiden of Paradise echoed twice, the only sound that permeated the broken battlefield. We ran right at each other before jumping in the air. Like mirror images, multicolored orbs flew around us and fused with our respective right foot before we clashed. Both hitting at the same time. I could feel my foot start to break apart as I struggled against a force equal to my own. We were then swallowed in a storming sphere of red and white. My vision faded as it was consumed by red and white light.
?
?Aaaahh!? I yelled as I awoke in a stupor, sitting upright from the futon I was occupying. I was breathing heavily and I was sweating. It was like I had just awoken from a horrible nightmare. In a sense, I did. A dream battle against the Shrine Maiden of Paradise.
Why? Why did I continue that dream? Why was I able to use my powers? Why couldn't I win against her? I thought as I got out of my futon and walked outside. I needed some fresh air.
It was still the dead of night. Nothing but the moon and the stars illuminated the shrine grounds of Ibara Kasen. It gave a kind of peace that I rarely had the privilege of experiencing throughout my journey. I sat of the porch and looked up to the sky. It was a bit strange. The moon always seemed to be at a different distance from earth with each world I visit. Sometimes it was small, like in Imperishable Night. Sometimes it was big, like in Embodiment of Scarlet Devil. I was thankful that this moon more or less resembled the one from home. I broke my gaze from the sky and noticed someone in the darkness. For whatever reason, the moonlight shone on this mysterious visitor. It was someone I didn't want to see...
?Greetings, demon.? The green-haired miko harply stated.
?Sanae...? I regarded her. The only times I encountered her was always when she had tried to kill me. At the back of my head, I had the feeling that she was probably here to try her luck again. I knew this was likely but I couldn't stand and transform. I was simply too mentally and emotionally exhausted from my dream to do so.
But she didn't attack, or summon someone to attack in her stead. She didn't taunt or curse me. She didn't even speak for who knows how long. She simply stared at me.
?Sanae...? I finally broke the deafening silence between us, the other miko did not react.
?I had a dream once...about nearly everyone in Gensokyo charging right at someone...? I said, explaining my dream.
?Earth rabbits, tengu, the were-hakutaku, the vampire, her servants, her sister, the two immortals, the hell raven, the border youkai's shikigami, the poltergeists, the night sparrow, the half-ghost, the celestial, the messenger of the dragons, the seven colored puppeteer, and more...? Sanae stated to none of my surprise.
?You forgot three...? I muttered, to which the green-haired girl winced. I was, of course, talking about her and the two women she was with.
?Nevertheless, they all fell. One by one or in groups. They all fell at the hands of one.? Sanae stated, growing anger seeping with each word.
?At the hands of the Hakurei miko...? I continued.
?At your hands, demon!? She quickly countered, no longer holding back.
?It wasn't me...? I said, narrowing my eyes at her. I know...I fought the real culprit to a standstill moments ago. Until the inconclusive finale, that is.
?Then why do you have that power?? Sanae stated the obvious question.
?...........? I couldn't answer her. I didn't know why I had this power. I didn't know what caused this whole thing. I didn't understand the true meaning of that dream, nor the continuation that I just awoke from. There was nothing I could say right now that would satisfy her and she knew it too.
?I will stop you, demon. I will ensure that the nightmare will never come to pass.? Sanae coldly stated with the same conviction as when she did in the previous world.
?And I'll make sure you never have to.? I stated with the same amount of conviction. Sanae stood there motionless for a few more minutes before a grey swirling curtain appeared behind her.
?Two sides of the same coin...? I offhandedly said. She narrowed her eyes at me before backing away into the curtain and disappearing.
Both of us had the same dream. Neither of us wanted it to happen. Both of us wanted to prevent it. Neither of us knew exactly how. Both of us would do it our own way.
?This sucks...? I muttered as I stared back into the starry sky. I recalled my battle with the Hakurei miko in my dream and noticed something that really bothered me.
During that entire fight, not once did I hear Reimu's intuition.
I wasn't able to go back to sleep until it was almost dawn...
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So yeah, a couple of fights and a bunch of references. Also, a first half that didn't end in some sort of cliffhanger. WalfasMarisaThatsImpossible.jpg
The last fight between Tama and the Hakurei miko was my parody of the dream battle between Ultimate Kuuga and Decade in episode 2 of Kamen Rider Decade. The fight which is also a parody of the final duel in Kamen Rider Kuuga, which is still the best final battle in all of Heisei Kamen Rider in my opinion.
Anyway, I hope you all liked this first part. I give my thanks to everyone who supports this story.
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Wouldn't "homage" be a better word than "parody"?
So, that was interesting. I still don't really know what's up with Evil!Reimu, but at least Sanae's motivations are clearer. Aren't some of Advent Cirno's weapons a watermelon sword and a popsicle blade?
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Wouldn't "homage" be a better word than "parody"?
So, that was interesting. I still don't really know what's up with Evil!Reimu, but at least Sanae's motivations are clearer. Aren't some of Advent Cirno's weapons a watermelon sword and a popsicle blade?
Advent Cirno's weapons are Watermelon Sword, Lucky Stick Sword, Chocolate Blades, and Wafer Swords. But those weapons would look absolutely silly in the face of EX-Rumia's zweihander so I decided to use Cloud's swords instead of Advent Cirno's original weapons.
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Holy wow, THIS is the stuff I strive for whenever I write! Time and time again, I check this hoping for updates, sometimes saddened, seeing no update, others happy, seeing an update or 4 :D
I had been getting a feeling that was why Sanae was so determined in what she did. I'm glad it's revealed. :D
Nice little joke towards the end "A dream battle against the Shrine Maiden of Paradise" with one of Reimu's themes being called Maidens Cappricio ~ Dream Battle :D
And I'm getting a feeling as to way Tama has those powers... not gonna share yet though, I wanna see if I'm right :3