Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 3, Part 2

[Oldmansour]

>Let me know if you notice anything different, then.
>Can Rin actually speak vocally in this form?

>Carry onward up the stairs

>Got it.
>Technically, yes, but she rarely does so. In general, whenever she has something to say, she does so in her humanoid form. She finds it comforting to separate her two forms'
existences like that.

>Grateful for the comparative shortness of the stone stairs, in short order, you found yourself atop the little hill before the shrine, with Rin tucked in at your left ankle. Despite being in the most 'developed' area of the four shrines, the Dragon shrine has hardly abandoned the idea of reflecting its element in its appearance. The path leading to the shrine appears to be a sort of ceramic clay, or tile, rather than brick, and is lined by trees. Each tree along the path is a different type from the one next to it, save the pair of cherry trees that stand outside the main entrance to the temple. From your past visit, you know that cherry trees surround the shrine. Though they are, of course, bare right now, the sight is remarkably beautiful in spring, when the trees are in bloom. The most notable tree is the giant oak tree growing up through the roof of the temple itself. It towers a good twenty feet, at least, over the building it grows out of. It is said that this tree was the first plant to grow in this area after the destruction of old Mayoiga, and the first sign of true hope that life would one day return to the land.

>A number of stalls appear to be in the process of being erected behind the line of tress on either side. Sure signs of a festival, or some sort of celebration at least, in the days to come. What the occasion is, however, you're not quite sure.
>Nor are you entirely sure why there is a crowd gathered off the left hand side of the path, but there is. A solid ring of shrine maidens and civilians seem to be surrounding something, and there is a general buzz of excitement in the air, albeit a hushed energy. There is a feel of anticipation around the crowd. Among the crowd, you note one of the members of the local police force, and an acquaintance of yours, Komachi Onozuka. She is, however, in her civilian clothes, and appears as engrossed by whatever's going on in the middle of the crowd as the rest.

[DracoOmega]

>Let's have a little mosey over ourselves and see if we can figure out what the fuss is about

[Oldmansour]

>Let's have a little mosey over ourselves and see if we can figure out what the fuss is about

>Passing between a needley pine tree and a tall elm, you and Rin alter course towards the gathering, to investigate the going's on.
>A closer look reveals that the crowd is surrounding the head miko, Tenshi, and one Reimu Hakurei. Coming up to stand behind a short, tawny haired shrine maiden at the edge of the crowd, you note, with some alarm, that Reimu and Tenshi are armed with swords, Reimu holding a curved Yamato-style blade, while Tenshi carries a straighter blade with a plume of red fuzzy material dangling from the hilt.
>Despite this, the crowd appears excited, really. Their eyes and expressions are like those of the fans at a sporting event, rather than at some kind of duel. And even more curiously, the edges of both women's weapons appear to be colored a shade of purple, almost like a shade of lipstick one of your fellow models wears all the time. Moreover, the weapons don't appear to gleam as much as you'd expect sharp weapons to do.
>Rin, coincidentally, echoes this thought as you ponder the coloration. Their weapons are dull, mistress. You look around for the cat, but she is not readily in evidence. A couple of seconds later, you spot her twin tails ahead of you in the crowd. Well, that's one advantage of being a cat, being able to sneak your way through a crowd like that. Think this is some kinda show?

[DracoOmega]

>Do we know of any traditions here involving ceremonial duels or other ceremonial use of swords that this could possibly be an example of?

[Oldmansour]

>Do we know of any traditions here involving ceremonial duels or other ceremonial use of swords that this could possibly be an example of?

>Thinking on it, you recall, vaguely, hearing mention that each of the four Heavenly Beasts had a particular weapon that was sacred to them, the last time you were here. If you recall correctly, the Dragon's weapon WAS the sword, but as to any kind of public display of said weapon, that would be new to you.

[DracoOmega]

>Perhaps? I recall that the sword is a sacred weapon of the Dragon, so perhaps this is some rite associated with that?
>Do we recall what the other sacred weapons were?

[Oldmansour]

>Perhaps? I recall that the sword is a sacred weapon of the Dragon, so perhaps this is some rite associated with that?
>Do we recall what the other sacred weapons were?

>Wouldn't they hold that sort of thing indoors?
>To the best of your recollection, the Bird holds the bow as sacred, while the Tortoise had the.... shield? A shield isn't usually used a weapon, but that's what's coming to your mind. You could be wrong, though, the memory is not strong. Nor can you recall what weapon the Tiger holds as sacred. Something to ask Kiku about, perhaps.

>Reimu, herself garbed in miko-style vestments, although her sleeves are detached from the trunk of her shirt, looks to her left and right. "Back up a bit, people." she calls.
>"You heard the lady." a lavender-haired woman standing behind Reimu in a fine suit calls. "Give miko-sama and Hakurei-sama some more room!" From the emblem of a red and white ying-yang orb emblazoned upon the white cloth band on her left arm, it's safe to assume she works for the Hakureis. Possibly one of Reimu's bodyguards. Her mother worries.

[DracoOmega]

>Well, if we're in the sweep of people asked to give them some more room, do so
>But try to remain in sight of what's going on

[Oldmansour]

>Well, if we're in the sweep of people asked to give them some more room, do so
>But try to remain in sight of what's going on

>The woman seemed fairly omnidirectional in her request, but as the people standing in front of you shuffle backwards a few steps, you don't have much of a choice but to follow suit. Rin, however, ends up closer to the action.
>Another finely suited individual, this one a handsome brown haired man standing to Reimu's right, glances up towards the sky and then back to Reimu. "You sure you want to finish out here? Smells like rain's coming."
>"Relax." Reimu says confidantly, belying her somewhat casual expression. "We'll be done in a minute."
>"Half that." Tenshi replies, brashly brandishing her weapon- you believe that style of sword is called a 'jian'-  before her. "Maybe." Her emphasis on the word broadcasts her arrogance across the field, drawing a fresh round of noise from the assembled people. The general consensus seems to boil down to "I hope Reimu wins", with varying degrees of severity.

>I didn't know Reimu-san could wield a sword. Rin muses as Reimu, almost casually, raises her blade in answer to Tenshi's boast.

[DracoOmega]

>Did we?

[Oldmansour]

>Did we?

>You did not. Though, thinking about it, the couple of occasions you've seen Reimu accompanied by her bodyguards, they were carrying swords- as are the two suited individuals wearing the Hakurei colors, now that you look- so it's not impossible to assume that, if they had training with blades, their charge might have picked up some lessons along the way herself.

[DracoOmega]

>Nor did I. To be honest, I mind myself curious how this will go.

[Oldmansour]

>Nor did I. To be honest, I mind myself curious how this will go.

>Tenshi opens the fray by dashing forward, thrusting out her jian in a lunging probe. A fancy-looking move, one which draws some impressed sounds from a handful of folks, but somehow sloppy. Reimu seems to have a similar opinion, and shakes her head once as she raises her curved blade backwards in front of her, catching the jian and turning it to her left even as she shifts her body to the right, sending Tenshi's strike wide. In the same fluid motion, Reimu turns her parry into a backhanded slash, forcing Tenshi to backpeddle quickly. At first glance she seems unharmed, but a closer look reveals a very faint purple line on the belly of her white shirt.
>Reimu shakes her head again as Tenshi scowls. "I must be getting rusty, too." Reimu muses, as she holds her blade out in front of her, holding it more like one would hold a fencing foil than a curved tachi blade. "Should have had you there."
>"I'll give you, 'too!'" Tenshi snarls as she lunges again, a more measured strike this time, you believe.

>As the women clash, Rin ponders telepathically, Y'know, Byakuren, there's a lotta people out here. Might mean that there ain't no one in the flame room right now. I could have a poke around, see if anything's not all right in there.

[DracoOmega]

>Hmmm... that might be a good idea. So long as you don't mind missing the show!

[Oldmansour]

>Hmmm... that might be a good idea. So long as you don't mind missing the show!

>Ain't gonna be much of a show if the shrine maiden doesn't step up her game. Rin drawl as Reimu parries another thrust, then takes a step backwards as Tenshi follows with a sweeping slash. Rin turns away from the dueling women and begins her approach to the shrine. I've seen enough fights ta know an even one when I see one. Reimu's got her beat, unless the miko's holding back.
>Though you're no expert on swordplay, Rin appears to have a point. Although she maintains her offense, forcing Reimu back and on the defensive, Reimu's movements and strikes are much more measured than Tenshi's. Reimu appears to be 'dueling' while Tenshi swings could almost be considered 'flailing.'
>A raven winged tengu in a brown cap, standing to your right, remarks to those around him, "Three to one odds on Reimu." Instantly the marker carries through the crowd, and with a number of shouts, people surge towards him to place their bets.

[DracoOmega]

>This is certainly not going to do anything for Tenshi's sunny disposition...
>And frankly, one has to wonder if it's a bit in poor taste, taking bets on sacred ground about the crushing defeat of the resident head priestess
>Still, let's see how things unfold

[Oldmansour]

>This is certainly not going to do anything for Tenshi's sunny disposition...
>And frankly, one has to wonder if it's a bit in poor taste, taking bets on sacred ground about the crushing defeat of the resident head priestess
>Still, let's see how things unfold

>From what you know of her, she doesn't seem to be the type to take losing in stride.
>It may very well be in poor taste. At the very least, something about it rubs you the wrong way. None of the shrine maidens present, however, seem to complain about it- you even note a dark green haired shrine maiden placing a bet, accepting the gambling token in return marking her wager. Still, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

>Reimu holds the flat of her blade in front of her, catching another of Tenshi's thrusts. Despite the jian being an edged weapon, Tenshi's fighting style seems to rely heavily on stabs and thrusts. Which does seem to match the straight construction, and the impression you get, of the weapon, but it appears as though Reimu is very skilled at handling such a technique.
>With a shriek of metal, Tenshi slides her jian down and below Reimu's sword, and thrusts forward again, a surprisingly quick move. Reimu dodges to her left with a harsh hiss of air, but Tenshi's sword still leaves a faint purple mark on Reimu's shirt. Tenshi, clearly sweating, points her sword at Reimu as the Hakurei heir brings her blade up in defense again. "I can be sick and still beat you." she asserts, the confidence in her voice belying the slight labor in her breath.
>Reimu glances over at the lavender haired woman who spoke before. The suit looks analytically at the mark Tenshi made, and announces, "Graze." The ruling draws a half-hearted cheer from some of the crowd, but also sparks another flurry of betting. For her part, Reimu touches the paint on her shirt and holds her hand up to get a better look at it.
>"Good move." is all Reimu says, before Tenshi attacks again, this time slashing her sword forehand instead of going for a stab. The arc of her sword is a bit shallow, and Reimu steps to her left to get around the strike and slashes diagonally down, which Tenshi is barely able to ward off with her blade, backing up a step. Reimu presses her attack, her tachi flashing forward in shallow thrusts and slashes, but Tenshi's defense proves to be superior to her attack. Her blocks and parries are not as clumsy to your eyes as her lunges and stabs. Unfortunately for her, Reimu is better on the attack than she was on defense, and though Tenshi does a remarkable job at keeping Reimu's colored blade away from her, she is unable to mount any serious offense of her own as Reimu chases her around the circle they duel in.

>As the fight wears on, the sound of blunt metal on blunt metal making your ears ring slightly, you note that Tenshi sweats more and more. While you know Reimu's fighting hard, and it shows, the effect of the fight shows on Tenshi much more profoundly. But she shows no sign whatsoever of giving up. You hear people talking next to you, "Only a matter of time now.". Despite neither woman attacking with any intent to injure, and wielding blunted weapons, you find yourself slightly worried about the head miko. Her stubbornness is plain to see, and the way she fights, she might fall over before Reimu satisfies the conditions of winning, which you would guess to be a strike more solid than the one Tenshi landed on her.

>Rin's voice interrupts your musing, I'm inside the flame room, Byakuren.

[DracoOmega]

>Does everything seem normal there to you?

[Oldmansour]

>Does everything seem normal there to you?

>Well, it ain't like the last one. There's a big tree in here.

[DracoOmega]

>Presumably that is normal here?
>We have actually been to this one before, yes?

[Oldmansour]

>Presumably that is normal here?
>We have actually been to this one before, yes?

>It is. You've never been inside the flame chamber before, but a big tree would almost have to be the giant oak growing out of the roof of the shrine. Assuming that tree is also sacred somehow, it would make a sort of sense for it to be rooted in the flame room.

[DracoOmega]

>Well, that would make sense for here. Can you see the flame also?

[Oldmansour]

>Well, that would make sense for here. Can you see the flame also?

>Uh huh. Turns out I was wrong, though, not every miko's outside. Got a feline in here with another girl 'bout our age. But the flame's normal, if you're wonderin'.

>Tenshi's guard slips just a touch, and Reimu thrusts her tachi forward towards Tenshi's pectoral. But the miko wrenches her upper body backwards and desperately swings her sword upwards, deflecting Reimu's sword just enough to scratch Tenshi's shoulder.
>"Graze!" the suited woman calls again, and the crowd cheers for Reimu.

[DracoOmega]

>That is good. I trust nothing else there feels amiss to your senses?
>Does this seem to have only been of comparable effect as the last strike?

[Oldmansour]

>That is good. I trust nothing else there feels amiss to your senses?
>Does this seem to have only been of comparable effect as the last strike?

>Well, I haven't really looked yet. Yknow, opened my senses, or however ya call it. Just figured that I oughta report that, to normal eyes, place looks normal at first look. If ya don't count the big ass tree in the end of the room.
>Oh, and there's no stage, either. Not sure if that's abnormal or not.

>Reimu's strike has left a purple mark on Tenshi's shoulder, much as Tenshi's thrust did to Reimu earlier. But based on the slash thrown by Tenshi in response, and the riposte by Reimu, this graze wasn't enough to end the fight any more than the first one was. You don't think the sword made contact with Tenshi's shoulder, or if it did it was only barely, but her arm doesn't appear to be damaged.

[DracoOmega]

>I suspect that if the flame is fine and wholesome, and the space is open to the public, then the other details are of little importance. Let me know if you notice anything else that strikes you as unusual, though.

[Oldmansour]

>I suspect that if the flame is fine and wholesome, and the space is open to the public, then the other details are of little importance. Let me know if you notice anything else that strikes you as unusual, though.

>Understood.

>Reimu manages to sneak another thrust past Tenshi's jian, but the miko is once more able to avoid taking a solid blow, deflecting Reimu's sword just enough to leave a faint purple mark on her dark green belt, drawing another announcement of "Graze!" from the purple-haired suit, and another cheer from the crowd. Tenshi merely snarls.
>"One more touch and it's over." a woman's voice remarks from your left.
>"Tenshi'll hit her once more." a young man answers. "She's too stubborn NOT to."
>The tawny haired miko with the hooded shirt standing just to your left seems to sigh. "Reimu better hurry." you hear her mutter.

[DracoOmega]

>Continue to watch

[Oldmansour]

>Continue to watch

>Spurred on by the second point scored by Reimu, Tenshi returns to the offensive, making a grand two handed swipe low, at Reimu's thighs. The Hakurei parries the slash, but her defensive gesture leaves her sword in an awkward place, allowing Tenshi to strike again before she can recover, forcing Remiu to back up a step. A strong gust of cold air slashes across the temple grounds as the two pause for a moment. Tenshi appears to be sweating profusely now, and she mops the sweat from her eyes with a harsh swipe. Reimu, for her part, merely lets out a small puff of air and brushes a couple of stray strands of her hair back behind her ear.
>With a defiant cry, Tenshi charges again. As she does, a blue winged youkai in front you lifts off from the ground in excitement, obscuring your view for a moment. You take a step to your left as steel clashes with steel again. Tenshi has again gone low, but this time Reimu seemed to have been ready, and counters Tenshi's strike with one of her own. In a somewhat surprising display of dexterity, Tenshi tucks and rolls to her left, the Hakurei in pursuit, stopping and turning in time to parry Reimu's downward slash with her raised jian, though you note a buckle in her right leg.

>Rin's voice interrupts the action with an update. I am sensin' something in here, Mistress. Sorta like the feelin' back at the Shell Shrine, but a bit different.

[DracoOmega]

>A protective feeling?