Chapter 5
The Scarlet Devil Mansion
The maid with grey hair shifted from one foot to the other, her short skirt swishing against the backs of her thighs. Behind her, sitting in a regal gold and red chair, was the Vampire. The maid was preparing tea in an ancient ritual that required her concentration. A rosy scent drifted across the room as she poured fresh well water into the teapot from the kettle.
?Almost done, m?lady.? She reached into her lace pocket and removed a crystalline phial. The bone stopper released with a snick. She tilted the phial to release a tiny red drop into the delicate teacup. She poured the tea over the blooming droplet and carried it over to the Vampire. The creature stopped leaning her cheek on her hand and took the cup from the maid.
After taking a whiff of the flowery aroma, she took a careful sip.
?The finest, as usual, Sakuya.? she said. Putting the cup on a small table next to her, she asked, ?But, do you realize there are some extra...ingredients? The guard doesn?t seem to be able to keep them out.? Her red eyes met the maid?s cold blue-grey ones, looking for an answer.
?I apologize, m?lady. I will deal with them immediately.? The Vampire blinked, and the maid was gone.
?That?s my girl.? the Vampire said, taking another sip of her tea.
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Meiling was shooting bursts of iridescent danmaku bullets in a fury. They spun around her in a pinwheel. When the bullets met a wall or a plant they would dodge over or around it, but when they encountered a human they would strike instantly. Reimu, who was attempting to get to the splintered mansion door, could only take a single step before being sliced by one. Covered in blood, she tried to throw some kind of spell, but it was no use. Her only option was to continue dodging until her opponent ran out of magic. Reimu saw Marisa fly from the balcony out of the corner of her eye. She was taking her hakkero out of her hat.
?Do it.? Reimu muttered to herself, avoiding another array of projectiles that had spun to meet her.
Marisa aimed carefully at her target, the small device in her hands ready to fire. A bullet whizzed past Reimu?s cheek slicing into it, cutting her, and then continued in its path toward Marisa. It struck the witch?s broom, sending her flying in circles all the way down and over a hedge wall. Reimu cried out, initially from pain, but also because that was her last chance at beating the Chinese guard. She couldn?t hope to beat Meiling now. The guard had too many spells, and it seemed like she would never tire.
Marisa picked herself up from the damp tiles. She stomped her feet in an outrage for being shot out of the air like that, and then crouched down to fix her broom. The straw twigs were bent, but she motioned her hands over them and they straightened out again. She moved her hands over the handle next, and where it had cracked, it was mended. She then hopped on her broom, laughing to herself at Meiling?s feeble attempt to de-broom her, and then rushed back into the battle. The bullets whizzed by her as she twisted in flight. She took aim with her hakkero once more, but this time, she didn?t take as much care and fired immediately.
?MASTER SPARK!? Marisa cried out, her blast rocketing past Reimu and the fountain. It slammed into Meiling?s side, catapulting her into the bush shaped like a bat, taking a few roses out with her.
Reimu heaved a sigh of relief at the guard?s defeat. She clapped her hands together in prayer, asking the gods to heal her wounds and grant her spiritual guidance. The gods responded. The wound on her cheek sealed itself shut, the blood drying and flaking away. Reimu picked herself up, patted the dirt off her recovered clothes, and walked toward Marisa, who was hovering on her broom, hakkero still out, breathing heavily.
?That was a bit too much. I don?t know if I would be able to handle another spell like that.? Reimu said.
?I agree. That guard is way too serious about her job.? Marisa said, putting her hakkero back in her hat. She floated down and hopped off her broom to join Reimu on the ground.
?Let?s get inside.? Before they could take another step though, they heard a rustling.
?Who said you could go inside?? Both girls replied with a loud groan, as Meiling appeared once again, floating toward them. Her hair contained twigs and leaves, and her face was covered in thorns from the roses. Plucking a thorn out of her face, she floated to the penguin statue and grabbed her hat from its head. She put it on, adjusted it, and said, ?I don?t think you understand how serious this job is to be taken.?
?No, I think we do.? The girls responded in unison.
Glaring, the Chinese guard lifted her arms once more. ?Nobody will ever leave this courtyard alive.? she said, obviously not caring what happened to herself or the other two girls anymore. ?Flower Imaginary Dream Vine!? she cried out.
The vine from the roses that lay on her shoulder floated into her hands and became a glowing orb. It shot from her hands, splitting into five orbs, and they each settled in various locations above the hedges. Both witch and shrine maiden turned to look at each other and then ran pell-mell for the hedge to their left. Marisa hid behind a bush shaped like an elephant, its large tusks in the air, while Reimu hid behind the hedge that used to be a giraffe.
Meiling began to spin on the ball of her foot. As the girls watched, she began spinning faster and faster, until she was a blur of green and white. Suddenly, the blur became a streak as she raced from one part of the garden to the next, throwing small blue danmaku orbs in random directions. The orbs started bouncing off the tiles and crashing into hedges, catching them on fire. Both girls stayed frozen in their hiding spots, unsure which direction to run.
Reimu was the first to come unstuck from her fear. She knew she should probably do something or they would end up catching on fire. Peering out from behind the dismembered giraffe, she saw an orb headed straight for her. Ducking, she dodged it, rolling from under the giraffe to land beside a leafy horse. The sad, headless giraffe began smoldering as little red sparks lit the leaves. Meiling was moving too fast to target and Reimu was still drained from the healing she had undergone earlier. It was up to Marisa, now.
Marisa took her hakkero out of her hat once more, thinking perhaps it would do her some good. She sagged back against the elephant when she saw the smoke rising from the hakkero. It was useless for now. Her last spell had drained its heat.
Both girls sat with their knees tucked under them, trying to be as small a target as possible. The bushes that were burning gave off a pungent odor, their leaves curling in the flames. Eventually, Meiling stopped, her breathing heavy. She coughed when the smoke from her attacks reached her lungs.
?I know you?re there somewhere...? she said, her eyes watering from the smoke. She began walking around to try and find the girls. She coughed deeply again, bending at the waist to get a good lungful of air. ?You had better not have gone into that mansion! I won?t allow it!? she taunted, her attempt at a laugh strangled by another thick cough.
Reimu took that opening and dashed out from her hiding spot. She threw a danmaku at Meiling and then slid under a cow-like hedge. Meiling, still struggling for a good breath took
the danmaku full in the face. She was sent flying backward, landing painfully on the tiles.
Marisa cheered, her fist raised upward as she peered out from her hiding spot. ?Yeah! Go Team!? She plucked a golden rose from the back of the elephant. ?I?ll just, uh, take this.? she said, putting it in her hat to go with the other things she had stolen. She walked over to Reimu, who had come to stand over Meiling.
?Is she done?? Marisa asked, worried.
?I don?t think so. Looks like she?s just asleep.? Reimu said, kicking the girl to show what she meant. The guard snorted.
?Well, let?s sneak into the place while we have the chance!? Marisa said, already on her way.
?No, don?t...in mansion...? the guard exclaimed, one hand in the air, her finger pointed out...as if to prove that she meant it, but it fell, showing that she was only sleeptalking.
Marisa, one foot in the air and the other foot already on tiptoe, looked at Reimu expectantly. Reimu followed the sneaking Marisa into the Mansion?s foyer, leaving the guard asleep in the smouldering garden. Above them hung a chandelier adorned with gold and silver. Below their feet, was red velvet carpet of the finest quality. Reimu?s mouth dropped open as she looked about her.
Marisa tapped her shoulder. ?Look.?
Reimu followed Marisa?s finger with her eyes to a towering painting affixed above them. It took up the entire north wall. In the painting were three young girls dressed in fine clothes being served tea. Reimu started as she realized that some of the girls had wings. The first girl had an apathetic expression on her face. She was seated in a plush chair, her devil?s wings fanned out behind her. The second girl, her blonde hair seeming to glisten in the candlelight, was standing to the left of the chair, her right hand resting on its soft back. Her expression was one of playful happiness. Her wings were smaller and had colorful crystals hanging from them. Next to the blonde girl, but in the background, stood a third girl. She was dressed in purple and pink with a puffy hat. Her pale face was turned to the open book in her hands. Reimu took a step back, a chill running down her spine. She realized she would not be able to contact the gods from this place. Looking below the painting, she squinted at a gold encrusted plate.
The words on the plate read, ?The Scarlet Devil Mansion.?
Marisa?s voice shattered her thoughts, causing her to jump.
?Isn?t this amazing?? Marisa said. ?Think of all the riches they might have!? She smooshed her finger on the painting repeatedly, excitedly pointing out the gold objects surrounding the girls in the painting. Her finger lit upon a golden teapot. Reimu?s eyes drifted from the teapot where Marisa was pointing, to the woman holding it. She wore a maid?s outfit and seemed to be smiling at Reimu. Reimu blinked and shivered at the maid?s cold eyes.
?She looks...sharp.? Reimu replied, although not to anyone in particular.
?Who does?? Marisa asked, staring at Reimu. ?Me? You bet I am!?
Reimu shook her head, ?No...The maid in this picture. She looks...sharp.?
?So?? Marisa replied, her tone implying she didn?t care.
?I don?t know.? Reimu replied, not really caring what Marisa thought. ?It?s just...she seems to jump out of the picture.?
?Oh.? Marisa said, again, still not understanding. She continued pointing fingers at expensive objects in the painting.
?I don?t think we should stay here, Marisa. This doesn?t seem like a good idea. I?m going back to the shrine, maybe people will donate in their sleep...? Reimu started to back up.
?Wait, are you chickening out?? Marisa exclaimed, her voice echoing off the walls of the large room. ?Bawk, Bawk! Chiiicken! Reimu is a chicken!? She demonstrated this, by walking in a circle, her elbows stuck out, her figure leaning forward. She cocked her head at Reimu, playfully.
?I?m not a chicken, I just don?t think we should be here.? Reimu replied, offended by Marisa?s jeers.
?You?re just scared because you can?t use that spiritual stuff!? Marisa said. ?Watch!? She walked over to the painting and took her hat off. She pulled out a paintbrush and a jar of black paint.
?It?s perfectly safe.? She said as she unscrewed the jar?s lid. She lightly dabbed some paint onto the brush, and slowly began to put the brush to the Vampire?s lips.
?See? S-.? Before she could touch the canvas, Reimu blinked, and Marisa was gone.
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The maid walked down the hallways of the mansion. Peering out of the leaded windows, she watched as the girls fought in the garden.
?Hm, the shrine maiden seems to be proficient in some kind of spiritual magic. The other... is just an idiot, blasting at her foes without really thinking first.? She sunk back into the shadows to think of her next move.
?They seem to work pretty well as a team. Splitting them up would be wise.? She nodded to herself, checked her pocketwatch briefly, and then returned to her thoughts. ?I am quite sure Mistress Scarlet will soon grow bored of her tea and wish to have a battle of her own. Nonetheless, I cannot let that happen. M?lady?s safety is top priority.?
The maid turned a corner, disappearing into the heart of the mansion. Several twists and turns later, she appeared in a doorway to the foyer. She crept to a shadowed alcove and watched the two girls enter the mansion. The girls stared up at the painting on the wall, and then without warning, the witch began doing a strange dance, appearing to mock the shrine maiden. The shrine maiden took some steps back, and then the witch pulled her hat off, took out a paintbrush and began to slowly lean towards the painting. The maid gasped, her shock rapidly turning to fury. She whispered something to herself and disappeared.
Deep within the dungeons below the mansion, Sakuya reappeared. Marisa was in front of her, mouth open, a paintbrush and jar of black paint in her hands. The maid disappeared a second time, leaving Marisa in the darkness.
?-afe.? Marisa said. Her mouth closed with a snap.
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Reimu looked at the place where Marisa had been standing. Lightning flashed through the red mist outside as Reimu called out.
?Marisa! If this is some kind of stupid prank, it?s not a very good one!? She backed up, hesitating in her desire to leave the place, but worried about Marisa.
?What if they?ve taken her? What if they are sucking her blood right now, preparing to dine on her flesh and guts!? Reimu thought.
She cried out, as a sudden clap of thunder resounded, echoing throughout the foyer. She took a deep breath, carefully looking around her with wide eyes. ?Okay, Reimu. Get a hold of yourself. This isn?t some kind of horror movie. This is Gensokyo. There?s nothing to fear....just vampires, and evil spirits, youkai...okay this isn?t helping at all.? From over her left shoulder, she heard a door creak.
?...Marisa...is that you?? She peered through the door.
Inside the other room was a hallway ending in a flight of stairs. Reimu stared down this hallway. She could see the darkness drifting out of the stairwell.
?I wouldn?t dare go down there...? she said to herself, and walked back into the foyer. She saw another door at the other end of the room. Rushing over, she peered through this one too, but only saw the same thing, except this time the stairs led upward. She shrugged, deciding that was probably her best bet. She went through the wooden door and began ascending the stairway.
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Marisa stood in darkness, small puddles of light seeped into the corridor by candles mounted on the stone walls.
?Reimu?? Marisa asked the cold stone, as she picked a direction and started walking.
?Reiiimu...? She called out again, as if she expected a response from the forbidding darkness. As she walked, Marisa peeked through the bars of each door she passed, calling out Reimu?s name.
In one room, there stood a big furnace. It had a yawning mouth full of red coals. She covered her ears at the noise as it began to groan and tick. She didn?t see any sign of the person who fed this fire. The next room was full of dust-covered boxes. She noticed a locked chest pushed up against a far corner.
?Oh Reimu, why?d you have go lock yourself in a chest?? she wailed, wringing her hands together as if plotting something quite devilish. She walked up to the chest, putting her ear to it.
?Oh, don?t make those noises. You will soon be out...and in my pocket,? she said, lifting her knee and swinging her booted foot with grace to kick at the lock. ?and then...,? she heaved at the lid, ?I?ll be rich!? she exclaimed in a loud outburst, flinging open the chest, only to be disappointed as, instead of riches, she found books.
?Well...these might fetch a nice penny back at the Magic Shop...? she said, disgustedly. She began stuffing the books into her hat. With her hat full to the brim, she exited the room, shut the door, and resumed her search.
Finally, after a fairly confusing and long walk, Marisa came to a door that was much larger than the rest. ?Surely, this is where they keep the treasures. I will be the richest girl in Gensokyo!?
She pushed open the double doors, her mouth dropping open at what she saw. Books! Lots and lots of books! As far as she could see there were books. They were stuffed into cupboards, lining the walls, and stuck between floorboards. She heard a fluttering, and turned her head to see a flock of encyclopedias flap from one side of the room to the other.
They disappeared into a small space on the far wall, dislodging a tattered set of cookbooks. Marisa looked on, clenching her broom tightly, as wind blew through her hair from the open door. Marisa felt tiny.
?That...that?s a lot of books...? Marisa said, her mouth still gaping open. Her head tilted back, as she stared up as far as she could see. The bookshelves towered over her as she walked into the room. They seemed hundreds of feet tall, and the ceiling was lost in their tops. The library was a maze pressed in on all sides by the giant bookshelves, daunting and tricky. The room was lit by softly glowing candles that floated and bobbed throughout the space.
?This...this could definitely fetch a few pennies at the Magic Shop!? Marisa exclaimed.
She casually walked over to the wall, and reached out for a book lying on its side. The book rushed toward her, like a bird in flight, its pages flapping, and soared at the last moment over the witch?s head. Marisa took off running after the book in an attempt to catch it. A face appeared between a gap in the shelves above Marisa, causing the young witch to skid to a stop.
?No chasing books in the library!? she commanded. Her big brown eyes peered down at Marisa as the rest of her body emerged from behind the high shelf. She was smartly dressed in a black and white uniform. The errant book dropped into her smooth hands. ?Also, who are you? We rarely ever get visitors here.?
?I?m Marisa, and I really would like that book please...? the witch replied. She kept one eye fixed on the fluttering book.
The girl drifted downward, her little black heels clicking on the marble floor. Marisa could get a better look at her now, and she saw that the girl had small bat wings on her head, sprouting from her flaming red hair.
?I?m Koakuma, or at least that is what the master likes to call me.? she bowed to Marisa. ?If you wish to check out a book, you should first get a library card, although we stopped giving them out years ago...? she trailed off, thinking to herself.
?Nah, I don?t really care for ?borrowing? books.? Marisa said, her attention now focused on a candle and a book, which seemed to be having a battle in the distance. ?Is there anyone here who might know where the treasure is kept?? she asked, still distracted.
?Well, what kind of treasure? Pirate Treasure would be in section-P, which is located down aisle C, in quarter A.? she answered professionally.
?No, no, I mean...in a place this big, you?re sure to have some kind of treasure right?? Marisa asked, her gaze now focused back on the wings.
?I?m not sure if I know what you mean, but I?m sure if we did have any treasure it would be well protected by Madam Knowledge.? Koakuma said, her bat wings flapping a little.
Marisa became focused.
?Okay, well can you take me to this...Knowledge person?? Marisa inquired.
?...No. Madam Knowledge does not like visitors.?
?I see. Well, I suppose I?ll get going then.? Marisa said, turning around.
?Okay!? Koakuma replied, ?If you need anything let me know! I am here to help.? The little devil then floated off into the distance, a swarm of books trailing after her.
?Finally, now that the bookworm is gone, I can sneak around and find the treasure that Knowledge person is hiding.?
The witch began flying around the library, searching high and low. The library was gigantic though, and as she looked around, she wasn?t sure where she was anymore. Finally, she stopped in the very center of the library, close to the ceiling. She looked down, on the bookshelves below her, and noticed something...strange. The way the shelves were aligned, they formed a pentagram.
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Reimu quietly put her foot on the top stair. The velvet carpet didn?t stop here. The hall was lit by a glowing red mist. She turned to her left, and walked down the hall. Leaded windows spanned one side of the hallway. Reimu walked over to one and could see out into the courtyard. Meiling was dusting off her green skirt. The brave guard slowly walked back to her post, a tired look on her face. Reimu couldn?t help but laugh a little, but she stopped herself, afraid that making even the smallest sound would awake something evil in the mansion. There was a double door up ahead on the right. Reimu snuck up to it and opened one side carefully to peek inside.
A bed frame swallowed up one side of the room. It had red covers and red pillows, and next to it was a bedside table. The table had a picture frame on it, but it was too far away for her to make out any faces. She decided that going in there probably was not a good idea, but curiosity overwhelmed her better judgment, and so she walked in. She peered down at the luxurious coverings spilling over the sides of the bed as she picked up the photograph from the little table. Blood covered the faces of the adults in the picture, but in their arms were two adorable little girls. One had an icy blue tint to her hair and the other was a blonde. The blonde girl carried a little teddy bear, and the other girl was grabbing onto it, possessively. Reimu felt a shiver run down her spine, again. She turned around and jumped as she looked in front of her. The maid from the painting was standing in the doorway.
Instead of a smile, however, she wore a serious frown. She still managed to look as elegant as ever, and as Reimu opened her mouth to explain herself, a flash of lightning lit up the room, and the maid disappeared, as if she had never been there.