Chapter 13
Once Youmu knew what they had been taught, she was rather surprised. It had only been a day since she had seen them last, but Chelsea and Shannon had already learned to fly and utilize a useful amount of danmaku, and according to them Andy had already made his own spell card, something they were a bit irritated about. The most Youmu expected from the three was being able to make one or two bullets, maybe hover a foot or so off the ground. Their progress was simply amazing? and suspicious. She was certain Yukari had sped up their development somehow, but what did it matter? As long as they don?t spontaneously age to dust, she couldn?t see any problems. ?Well, I?m impressed with you two. Since you can use danmaku, I suppose we should work on doing that together as well.? They walked to a room in Yuyuko?s mansion, where strange music could be heard. Chelsea and Shannon didn?t really know what they thought about it, other than the fact it was confusing. It made them want to jump, scream, do anything but just stand still, but at the same time it calmed them, and it seemed? otherworldly. It was a melody that was filled with opposites, panic and calm, hope and dread. They didn?t seem to hear it through their ears. It was a song more spiritual than worldly, and it seemed to pass right into their souls. They would have stood there and listened to it till the end of time, but then Youmu knocked on the door and the music stopped abruptly. Three voices said in unison,
?Who is it??
?It?s Youmu. There?s someone I want you to meet. Humans.? A amused laugh cut Youmu off, and one of the players said,
?I?ll be out in minute. Humans? this should be funny.? Chelsea and Shannon stared resolutely at the door; they didn?t want to miss a single detail of these musicians. Someone tapped Chelsea on the shoulder.
?Whatcha doing?? Irritated, Chelsea said,
?I?m waiting for those musicians to come out.?
?Oh. Would you surprised to know they?re behind you?? Chelsea spun around, but no one was there.
?Where are you??
?I haven?t moved. I?m behind you?? She turned around again but to no avail.
?Stop it!?
?Aw, we?re just getting started! How long do you think you?ll last, human?? Finally losing her patience, Chelsea said,
?How long do think you?ll last when I get out my knife? Even if you?re some kind of ghost, I?ll just kill you again!?
?Is that so? Well, I?m not feeling like that kind of fight, so I guess I?ll come out.? A girl in white appeared in front of her with a amused smile. ?Merlin Prismriver, at your service.? She bowed mockingly and summoned a glowing trumpet. ?You seem like a excitable person, so I?ll ask again: How long do you think you?ll last, before you succumb to my musical mania?? She started to play, making Chelsea feel giddy. She didn?t have time to enjoy the feeling, though, because Merlin started firing lasers at her. Meanwhile, another girl appeared before Shannon, this one wearing red. She smiled, but her eyes had a lonely look to them.
?So, uh, I guess we?ll fight now?? Shannon said pityingly,
?We don?t have to if you don?t want to.? The girl?s eyes practically glowed with relief.
?Really??
?No, we don?t. But I have to wonder why your friend is attacking mine.? The girl watched the battle for a moment. Chelsea was using her perpetually huge danmaku to trap Merlin, but considering her enemy could fly through walls, this didn?t work. The girl looked at Shannon and shrugged.
?She?s just feeling excited, I guess.?
?But she?s not going to hurt Chelsea??
?No. Oh, I haven?t introduced myself, have I? I am Lyrica Prismriver. Pleased to meet you.?
?Likewise. I?m Shannon Yakumo.?
?Oh, you?re one of Yukari?s shikigami? I suppose we?ll see each other sometimes, then. Yukari one of our favorite employers, she makes things? interesting. But what?s your real last name??
?Why should I tell you??
?Well, I? I mean, if don?t want to tell me, that?s fine, I was just? you know??
?Wondering??
?Yes. I guess it?s not that important.? Another girl appeared next to Lyrica, this one wearing black. ?Oh, Lunasa?? Lunasa smiled.
?I see you?ve finally made a friend who isn?t that black-white magician, Lyrica. I don?t suppose you?ll get around to the fighting part, will you?? Lyrica shook her head, and her sister summoned a glowing violin. ?Then I guess I?ll be your opponent, Shannon.? Shannon backed away and her hands started glowing.
?Why are we fighting, exactly?? Lunasa looked surprised at the question, but ignored it in favor of shooting Shannon with danmaku orbs from her violin.
?Does there need to be a reason?? Shannon dodged the orbs nervously, but she didn?t shoot back.
?Yes, I think there has to be a reason! I?m not fighting you.?
?Well, that?s a pity. If you?re not going to fight back, you may as well stop dodging, since I?m not going to stop shooting.? Her violin floated away from her and fired another orb, but this one left a trail of dust-like danmaku behind it. Shannon dodged to her left, wondering what the dust was for. Lunasa fired another orb at her, and she was forced to dodge right. ?And now you trapped. You can?t go in either direction, so now what will you do??
?Well, I could just go around this dust, or whatever it is.? The dust glowed, and changed into a barrage of purple orbs, most of it aimed at Shannon. For a second, it seemed like she was completely submerged in danmaku, but once the bullets disappeared it was clear that that she had made a shield around herself. Lunasa was a bit surprised.
?How did you do that? I?m curious.?
?It?s a spell card Miss Yukari gave me, Shikigami Sign: Barrier.? It was the first time Shannon had ever used a spell card, and it was amazing. She could feel an incredible power flowing through her. With it, there was no telling what she could do, and here it was, being used to fuel a measly barrier. Shannon briefly considered putting it to a better use, like smashing Lunasa through a wall, but she quickly found out that she couldn?t do that. She tried to get it to do anything other than protect her, but it wouldn?t. Then she saw a gap open up next to her, and Yukari?s hand came out. She wagged her finger at her for a second, then vanished. Shannon got the message. This power wasn?t hers to use. It was Yukari?s, and Shannon was just the tool being used to channel it. Even more insulting was the fact that this, Shannon could tell, was a mere fraction of Yukari?s true strength. Deciding now wasn?t the time to worry about that, Shannon focused on Lunasa, and was surprised to see the musician had been firing danmaku at her while she was thinking. She could have at least waited for the shield to fall, but Shannon wasn?t one to turn down a advantage when she saw it. The shield wouldn?t hold much longer, but a few seconds was all that?s needed to memorize Lunasa?s danmaku. Once she was certain she could dodge it, Shannon started firing bullets of her own. She tried to mimic Lunasa?s danmaku, but apparently there was something special that made it work, because while her bullets left a trail of dust-maku, Shannon?s much smaller ones simply dissolved into dust-maku. All it did was irritate Lunasa.
?First you refuse to fight, and now you?re trying to mimic me? I suppose it?s time to finish you off, since your shield is gone.? She pulled out a spell card. ?String Performance: Guarneri Del Gesu!? The room darkened, and Shannon had a feeling she should have saved her spell card for this.
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Andy and Hina stared at each other, waiting for one of them to make the first move. Andy figured it may as well be him, since he?s the one being tested. He started the battle by firing a few bullets at her, and as he expected, she dodged to the side. Then he focused and had the bullets swerve and come after her. She was a bit surprised, but simply flew over them. ?Ah, that was creative. But can you do better? A couple of bullets won?t win any battle, unless you plan to become some kind of fairy hunter, and even then you?re pushing your luck. Now, how will you do under pressure? Spirits of wrath, come to me!? The air seemed to distort for a minute, and a strange fuzzy looking creature appeared. It fired out a wave of danmaku at Andy and vanished, but soon dozens of them were showing up, all repeating the process. Soon there was so much danmaku flying past him that Andy couldn?t even see Hina, but even then the gaps between the attacks were easy to spot. He fired a few bullets every now and then, but he didn?t really expect to hit anything. ?Ah, I see the problem with your strategy.? Andy laughed.
?Strategy? I can?t even see you at this point, I?m just shooting and hoping I?ll get lucky!?
?That is a rather common strategy, yes. Your problem is that you?re not using enough bullets. Consider me, for instance. I know you?ll move out of the way if I shoot, so I use hundreds of bullets so you have less room to maneuver. Do you see what I mean?? Andy didn?t respond; he was wondering exactly how many bullets he could make at once. He focused, and fired about ten bullets in every direction, then had them fly back to him. Yesterday, that trick would have left him gasping for air, like he?d just run a race. Now it didn?t seem to take any effort at all. He tried to think of what to do next, and decided it was time to get rid of the fuzzy things Hina summoned. He had the orbs he made fly behind him, and changed from orbs to lasers. There was a odd popping sound, and most danmaku flying at him disappeared, along with the creatures he destroyed. ?Ah, there?s an improvement, but can you beat this?? The remaining creatures disappeared, and Hina pulled out a spell card. ?Flawed Sign: Broken Amulet!? A purple aura surrounded her, and a flurry of red danmaku flew in all directions. At first it seemed random, but then some of the bullets clumped together and flew at him, and most of them were constantly changing direction anyway. Up close, he could tell that the danmaku was actually real broken amulets, but he didn?t have time to wonder where she got them. He tried the laser trick again, but she simply moved between the lasers and kept firing. He fired a few more bullets, and had these curve at her at the last second. These did hit, but she didn?t seem to notice. Realizing he needed to cause more damage to stop the spell card, he kept firing the same bullets, but after a while she figured out how to dodge them and moved closer, putting more pressure on him and making all his bullets fly past her. Glancing at the Mystia doll, Andy said,
?Doll, do you think you could help me here?? The doll grinned and fired out a volley of seven-colored danmaku. ?Good. Now, keep shooting, and I?ll try to follow her when she moves.? Sure enough, Hina avoided the doll?s attack, only to get caught in constant barrage of Andy?s bullets. She tried to move out of the way, but with the doll shooting at her, there wasn?t anywhere she could go but in his line of fire. After a few seconds of this, there was a bright flash, a load clanging noise that sounded like a cross between a explosion and someone saying ?Spoon!?, and all the danmaku disappeared. Andy rubbed his eyes. ?Ow, that was bright? and what are you so smug for, doll?? The doll snickered.
?I don?t have eyes!?
?Nonsense. If I have to suffer, so do you. How could you see without eyes anyway??
?Not telling!?
?Ah, I?ll pry the answers you eventually!?
?Don?t you mean pry the answers out of me? Because I am you!?
?That doesn?t even begin to make sense? but if you?re me, does that mean I am you??
?Umm??
?I think we just confused ourselves?? While they were bickering, Hina got back up and flew over to them.
?Hmm, I didn?t really think you could beat me. You and your?? Andy and the doll looked at each other and shrugged. ?Well, whatever it is, it makes for a interesting fight. You may pass, but first I have a warning for you. Whatever monsters and enemies you face on the mountain are nothing compared to the monsters in your mind. I took your misfortune, but the seeds of new tragedy are always there. I sense much hate in you.?
?Really? I don?t.?
?Whither you know it or not is irrelevant. You have hate for a lot of things, but almost all of it is focused on Aya Shameimaru. It?s not that surprising, but however she humiliated you, or whatever slight she made against you, I must ask you not to tear her apart like a hungry wolf. She has enough problems as it is, and you?ll have a hard enough time climbing the mountain without making a enemy out of the tengu. If you see her, just stay away, for both of your sakes. Do you understand, human?? Andy bowed respectfully.
?Of course, Hina-sama. And my name is Andy.? Hina nodded and started spinning again.
?Then I?ll leave. Remember what I said, Andy, and good luck.?
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Meira watched as two glimmers of light appeared in the sky. Sariel and Elis, no doubt. ?Voice, they are almost here. Are you ready??
?Of course. Tenshi, Flandre, get ready! Do not underestimate these two! Oh, and Flandre? I order you to fight seriously! I don?t want you slacking off just because you don?t want to be here.? Deciding they needed some incentive, it added, ?You know, when all this is through, I?m going to take over Gensokyo, if not the whole world. If there is anything you want, anything at all, tell me now, and I?ll make sure you get it.? Tenshi frowned.
?Why should we believe you??
?Is there any reason not to?? Flandre glared at the rock.
?Of course there is! You?re a liar! A lying liar who lies about lying!? The voice chuckled.
?True enough, but there isn?t any reason for me to lie right now. If I wasn?t going to do anything for you two when all this is over, why would I tell you I would? You already have to work for me, so why would I bother trying to make you happy unless I genuinely wanted you to be?? They didn?t have anything to say to that. ?So? What do you want?? Flandre?s eyes flared with hate.
?Can you bring my sister and friends back!? Can you!?? The voice considered this.
?Weeeeell, I am going to take over the Netherworld at some point, but I?m not sure if resurrecting someone is possible. Reincarnating someone, sure that happens, but? Anyway, if I can bring them back, I?ll do that and let you go, but if not, I?m sure you could at least visit them or? live with them, for lack of a better word. My point is, you?ll see them again. Anything else?? Tenshi spoke up.
?Could you? you know, not take over Heaven??
?Hmm, well, I was planning on taking it over, but since you brought it up, I guess I could leave it alone, provided you don?t let anyone else reach it when they die. That way everyone will be under my rule, even after they die!? The voice?s glee was unmistakable, as was Tenshi?s relief.
?Well, we already keep people from getting in.?
?Really? I guess even the enlightened are still just greedy humans? What about you, Meira? I know you want Reimu?s power, anything I can add to that list?? Meira nodded.
?Yes. Promise me that you won?t harm the human village.?
?Since when did you care about that??
?You?re avoiding what I said.?
?You?re avoiding my question. You answer, then I?ll talk.?
??The humans are the reason I want Reimu?s power. I want to protect them from the youkai, and Reimu is doing it wrong. She invented the spell card rules, and ensured that there will always be youkai to terrorize humans. I plan to kill them all.? Silence followed her statement, as the voice wondered what to say to that.
?...How very interesting.?
?Well??
?Hmm? Fine, if that?s what you want, I?ll leave the village alone.? Privately, the voice was contemplating having Flandre kill the samurai. It supposed there were billions of other humans to kill in the outside world, but the human village was too tempting a target to pass up. Besides, it wouldn?t let anyone kill off all the youkai. The world would just be boring without them. Meira?s reasoning didn?t make sense, anyway. Most of the smart youkai didn?t kill humans these days, so what would be the point? Deciding to ignore the samurai?s stupidity for the moment, the voice turned it attention to Sariel and Ellis. The two were much closer, it?d probably take them about ten more minutes to reach them. ?Ok, here?s the plan. Flandre, I want you to destroy one of them as soon as you can.?
?I can?t see their ?eyes? from here.?
?Their what??
?Eyes. It?s the thing I crush when they blow up.?
?Huh, that?s a weird name for it? Well, destroy one of them as soon as you can. Tenshi, fire a few lasers at whichever one is left. Maybe we can end this before they get here.? A amused laugh filled the air, and a gap opened up. Yukari walked out, grinning.
?I?m sorry, but that?s a plan I won?t allow.? The voice seemed to hiss.
?You don?t have any say in this, Yakumo. Now stay out my way or Flandre will destroy you too.?
?You?re as confident as always, I see. The only reason I haven?t stopped you yet is because I?m interested in the coming battle.?
?You heard me. They?re as good as dead.?
?Not exactly.?
?Well, we?ll see, won?t we? How did you find me, anyway? I invented a spell specifically to hide from you.?
?You forgot that Shinki is watching you as well. She sees everything when she wants to, and no spell can conteract that. All I had to do was watch her watching you. Despite your efforts, I?ve been watching your every move since you can here. You were a surprisingly interesting foe, but now this little game ends.?
?So this is where you try to stop me?? Yukari laughed.
?Trying implies it?s possible for you to win. As soon as this battle is over, I?ll release your hold on that keystone, beat up Tenshi just because, and take Flandre back to her family, which is alive, by the way. My guess is Sakuya saved them.? Flandre stared at her, a desperate hope in her eyes.
?They?re? they?re alive?? Yukari nodded.
?Of course they are. I would take you to them right now, but that wouldn?t be as interesting. Right now, I?m just fondly regarding these shenanigans.?
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At Shinki?s palace, Remilia was shaking in rage. ?She could have brought her here at anytime! When she comes here, as soon as she lets go of Flandre, I?m going to kill her!? Sakuya stared at her.
?Mistress, are you sure that?s wise? She is the one who brings you humans to feed on, after all.?
?I don?t care! I?m going to kill her!? On the other side of the room, Meiling was trying to escape from the Meiling Yukkuri.
?Stay away from me, you stupid blobs!?
?But we have to guard you!? they chanted. They had finally backed Meiling into a corner, but before they could kill her with their? moeness, another Yukkuri landed in front of them. This one had Remilia?s face, hair and hat, but had wings sprouting from the back of it?s head. It glared at the other Yukkuri.
?Stay away from her, uuu!?
?But we have to-?
?No! Bad Meiling!? The Remilia Yukkuri chased them away, then bounced back to the real Meiling. The two stared at each other for a minute, and Meiling said,
?You saved my life.? The Yukkuri just stared at her and made ?uuu? sounds. ?Um, is there any way I can repay you?? The Yukkuri grinned.
?I want food,uuu! Take it easy!? Meiling shuddered; she still hadn?t gotten over the other Yukkuris screaming that at her.
?Do you want food or do you want me to??
?Take it easy!?
?So you don?t want food??
?I want food, uuu!? Meiling sighed and picked up the Yukkuri.
?Ok, just calm down. I?ll find you something, ok??
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Back at the Ruins of Vina? ?It?s nice of you to say that, Yakumo, but how are you going to take Flandre? She bound by magic to serve me!?
?That?s true. I?ll admit, your spell is going to be a bit tricker than most to undo.?
?What makes you think you?ll have the chance? Flandre, kill her!? Flandre started to cry as her hand rose aginst her will and started glowing. Yukari grinned, and the glow disappeared. Flandre stared at her hand for a second and said,
?I can?t kill her.?
?What are you talking about!? I ordered you to kill her!? Yukari laughed.
?Don?t you see? She can?t kill me, so she can?t carry out your order. All I had to do was alter the boundary between what she can destroy and what she can?t. As of this moment, me, the denizens of Makai, and the seal containing YuugenMagan are immune to her powers. I told you the game was over. Now, let?s watch the coming battle. One final spectacle before I end this, hmm??
?Heheheh. You think you?ve won? There are a few things you haven?t considered.?
?Oh? Such as??
?Flandre doesn?t need her powers to kill someone! Flandre, kill her! I want her head!? Flandre pounced on Yukari, screaming ?No!? the entire time. Yukari put up a barrier between them, but Flandre shattered it easily and smashed into her. The voice laughed for minute, but Tenshi interrupted her.
?While she?s fighting Yukari, what are we going to do about those two??
?Oh yeah, I forgot about them. Well, you started blasting them, and I?ll see what I can do.? Astonished, Tenshi said,
?You?re going to fight them??
?What? No, are you crazy? You?ll fight them, and I?ll help. I?ve made some spell cards just for this kind of occasion. Now, starting shooting at them, and I?ll join you if they land.? Tenshi started firing lasers at them, but Elis turned into a bat so she could blend in with the space behind her and give Tenshi a smaller target. Sariel had no such gift, so Tenshi aimed for him. Noticing that she seemed to be aiming for his wings, Sariel tucked his wings in and dove at her even faster. Meanwhile, Flandre kept trying to crush Yukari?s head between her hands, apologizing the whole time. So far she hadn?t been successful, mostly because Yukari disappeared into one of her gaps, but occasionally just because Yukari kept her at bay with her spike-tipped parasol.
?You need to stop apologizing, dear. It?s not your fault. Frankly, I?m impressed at how badly you?re fighting.?
?That?s kind of the idea.?
?I know that. I?m just glad there are loopholes in that spell.? Unfortunately for them, the voice was watching and was well versed in what Flandre was capable of.
?Flandre! Use Taboo: Four of a Kind!? Yukari groaned and Flandre pulled out a spell card. A red glow consumed her, and when it vanished, three more Flandres were standing behind her. ?Now use Taboo: L?vatein!? The Flandres each pulled out another spell card, and a huge sword appeared each in their hands. One of them slashed at Yukari, who jumped back. Another jumped behind her, and Yukari disappeared into a gap as the two stabbed at her and accidentally impaled each other. They stared at each other for a second, then vanished in a flash of light. Yukari reappeared, and one of them jumped at her while the final one charged at her from the side. Yukari flew up in the air, forcing the two to follow her, then pulled out a spell card.
?Spin Sign: Manji-Parasol of Yakumo!? Her parasol glowed for a second, and then she became a pink spinning blur. She flew at the vampires, and one of them flew at her, ready to run her through. She flew past the vampire, then rammed into her, slicing the clone in two. It disappeared, and Yukari flew at the real Flandre, who tried to block with her blade. The two weapons grinded against each other for a second, then Yukari stopped spinning and placed her hand on Flandre?s head. Her eyes glowed as she stared into Flandre?s own. ?Sleep now.? Flandre?s eyes closed, and her sword disappeared. Yukari landed and put Flandre on the softest looking ground she could find. She grinned at the keystone. ?It was a good attempt, but you still lost the battle, and now your strongest minion.?
?True, but she was useless anyway, thanks to you. Well, it was fun while it lasted.? ?And now you have two demons to deal with?? Even as she said it, Sariel landed, firing a laser at Tenshi, which she dodged, and Elis changed back to normal.
?Them? If I was actually here, I?d crush them like bugs. As things are? they are still weaker than me. Sit back and watch, Yakumo. I?ll show you the greatest magic show you?ll ever see, and as a finale, your death!?
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Chapter 14
Yukari grinned. The pieces were in place, and the last battle was about to begin. She watched bemusedly as Sariel summoned a staff, Elis and the voice started glowing with power, and just to complete the effect, Yukari pulled a pipe organ out of one of her gaps and started playing a eerie solo of Sariel?s theme: Now, Until the Moment You Die. Sariel himself ignored the music and glared at Tenshi. He started off the battle by firing lasers at her, while Elis shimmered and disappeared. Tenshi didn?t bother to dodge; she could tell the lasers weren?t aimed at her. The idea was that she would panic and accidentally run into them. She fired at Sariel, who flew up into the air and pointed his staff at Tenshi. At first nothing happened, but then the nearby rocks turned into blood-winged doves that swooped and pecked at Tenshi, firing danmaku the entire time. Irritated, Tenshi pulled out a spell card.
?Heaven and Earth: Faraway Lands, Gaze on This Earth!? She stabbed her sword into the ground, and rock pillars rose up, separating herself from the birds and putting her above the angel. Then she rained danmaku orbs on him. Sariel tried to dodge, but that was a skill he never really bothered to learn. The best he could do was use his wings as a shield. The voice watched with quiet satisfaction.
?Well, at least she isn?t losing. And I suppose you?re wondering when I?m going to do something. Right, demon? I?ll give you one chance. Run or attack, it?s your move.? Nothing happened. ?Too scared to fight? Or do you suspect a trap? Either way, you just wasted your turn, and even worse, my time.? A spell card appeared next to the keystone. ?Inferno Sign: Eternal Agony!? The rock glowed for a second, and a wave of fire scorched everything around it and unleashed a volley of fireballs. Elis appeared nearby and pulled out a wand, firing a burst of incredibly fast bullets at the keystone. The voice tried to dodge it, but most of the bullets hit their target. A few cracks appeared on the rock, but the damage repaired itself instantly. As for Elis, she teleported away, only to discover the fireballs homing in on her when she reappeared. Meanwhile, Sariel kept trying to blast Tenshi, but the celestial jumped from place to place. Everywhere she landed, a new pillar would spring up and she?d start firing. Realizing he simply couldn?t keep up with her, he pulled out a spell card.
?Wrath Sign: Holy Explosion!? He waved his staff at Tenshi, firing out what seemed to be a glowing speck. The second it touched Tenshi, it exploded, canceling her spell card and sending her flying. She landed feet first and charged at him. He fired more lasers at her, but she simply summoned keystones to absorb the blows. Once she was close enough, she fired the keystones at him and slashed. He brushed the stones away easily with his wings and blocked with his staff. As the two struggled, the voice was trying to find Elis. The fireballs had done some damage, but not enough to really hurt the demon. She reappeared, fired some lasers, and vanished again.
?You?re starting to get on my nerves. Are you even trying?? Elis reappeared and fired a giant blue orb of energy. The voice dodged it easily, but then it disintegrated into a wave of danmaku. Irritated, the voice simply waited for the next attack. The next time Elis appeared, the voice summoned a spell card.?Gravity Sign: Universal Crusher!? Elis suddenly crashed to the ground, unable to move. ?Well, that should be the end of you. No more teleporting, no more flying. In fact, if you try to get up, you?ll probably end up breaking your spine! I must say, I?m disappointed. I expected a challenge, not a fool who doesn?t even use spell cards. In fact, you haven?t said anything in this whole fight! Can you even talk?? Elis didn?t respond, but she did stop moving completely. ?Oh, did you die? Or are you just unconscious? Well, it doesn?t matter now. I wonder how Tenshi?s doing?? The voice canceled its spell card and floated off. As soon as it left, Elis got back up.
?A disappointment, am I? Fine, I?ll show you what real power is?? She flew off, pulling a spell card out of her pocket. The voice noticed immediately.
?Ah, you?ve been holding back? Fine, show me what you?re really made of! Surprise me, astonish me, even terrify me, anything would be better than the boredom you?ve shown me so far! Who knows, I might even have to try!?
?Horror Sign: Rain of Terror!? Elis changed into a bat and fired out a wave of dust-maku. The voice laughed and dodged it, criticizing her spell card the whole time.
?Horror Sign? What a boring name. You couldn?t have come up with anything better? Or is this supposed to literally horrify me? To quote a old friend of mine: Genocide is a game! There?s nothing you can do that I haven?t seen.? Elis ignored her commentary and fired two lasers, cutting off the voice?s escape routes. ?And this old trick? Can?t you be at least a little original?? Elis made a virtual flood of dust-maku and changed back to normal. She snapped her fingers and the danmaku hovered in midair. ?Hmm, I guess I did underestimate you. I can?t go too far left or right, and now I?m stuck on the ground. I?m trapped, so now what will you do?? Elis spread her wings, trembling. The wings glowed, then expanded until they were at least twice as big. They started to move, as though something was crawling inside them. The bulges seemed to grow, until they finally burst, firing lasers out of her wings. ?Wow. I?m genuinely impressed. So that?s were the horror comes in? Tenshi, why can?t you do that?? Tenshi was too busy fighting to respond. ?Eh, I?ll just go with laziness. As for you, demon, I can see you put a lot of work and effort into this. Very painful effort, obviously.? Elis screamed as the lasers came down even faster, but the voice had no trouble dodging them. ?It only seems fitting that I end this with your dignity intact, with some spell card I put a lot of work into making. Then again, you can?t even hit me, and the novelty of tearing yourself apart has worn off. I?ll just end this the quick and shameful way, then. Destruction Sign: Master Spark!? Energy seemed to build up in the keystone for a second, and a giant black laser fired out, destroying Elis?s danmaku and completely ripping through one of her wings. The voice floated over to the now unconscious demon, still glowing with power. ?I should just kill you now? but you did impress me, even if just for a second, so I?ll let you live. After that wing grows back and you?ve trained a bit, come find me for a rematch. I?ll be in the shrine dedicated to me sitting on the bloody remains of Youkai Mountain.? ______________________________________________________________
Meanwhile, at Youkai Mountain, Andy and Chen were flying in silence. Chen because she had nothing to say, and Andy because he was pondering what Hina said. Yes, he hated Aya, but he was sure he didn?t hate enough to kill her. Oh, and they were surrounded by fairies, but what else is new? After a while, the doll spoke up. ?Name me.? Andy looked at it, confused.
?Huh??
?I want a name!?
?Oh, ok?. name, name? how about Malice?? The doll glared him.
?That?s a dumb name!?
?No it?s not! You look like Mystia, and you were made by Alice, so Malice!?
?It?s stupid!?
?Ok, why don?t you think of one?? The doll fell silent. A few minutes later, Chen perked up.
?Andy, someone?s following us.?
?Oh, really? It?s about time, I haven?t seen anything lately but fairies! Who is it??
?I can?t tell. I saw something a second ago, but now there?s nothing there.?
?Well, I figure we have a invisible stalker named Nitori.?
?Who??
?You don?t know who Nitori is?? Chen laughed.
?Just because we all live in Gensokyo doesn?t mean we all know each other.?
?Hmm, I suppose that makes sense. Do you see her now??
?No, but the air seems to be shimmering.?
?That?s her. You know, she?s a reasonable person. Maybe we could just talk our way past her.?
?That hasn?t worked so far, has it??
?No, but it?s worth trying, and it?ll get her to be visible again so we can actually fight her, if we need to.? Turning around, he yelled, ?Hey, Miss Nitori? Before we start shooting at each other, can we try to talk things over?? There was silence for a minute, and the air shimmered, revealing a very surprised Nitori.
?So, you don?t want to fight??
?Yes.?
?You?ll get off the mountain??
?No.?
?Well see, now we have a problem, human.?
?Why do you want me to leave the mountain??
?Because it?s dangerous up there, and I don?t want you to get hurt!? Andy smiled.
?We made it this far, didn?t we? Besides, we didn?t come here to fight anyone, we?re here to pay Kanako for something she helped our master with.? Nitori considered this.
?Well, I guess I should yet you pass, then. I figured you were just more trigger-happy humans who wanted to fight for no reason, like those last two.?
?So? You?ll leave us alone? No fighting?? Nitori nodded, and Andy grinned smugly at Chen, who tried to ignore him.
?However??
?Oh no, we do have to fight you anyway, don?t we??
?What? No, no, I just thought you might be tired.?
?Well, we have been flying for? how long has it been, Chen?? Chen thought about it for a second, and replied,
?We?ve been flying for 8 hours straight, including the fights with the Aki sisters and Hina, but leaving out the bathroom breaks and when we stopped for lunch.?
?We didn?t stop for lunch.?
?Really? I remember eating something.?
?That was breakfast. Anyway, what were you saying, Nitori?? Nitori pulled some device out of her backpack and started tinkering with it, saying,
?I thought the two of you might be tired, so you can stay with me for a while and rest. When you?re ready to leave, I?ll show you a shortcut to the Moriya Shrine. Using that it would just take an hour, at most, to reach the shrine. What do you think?? Andy was too astonished to say anything at first, but finally he said,
?That sounds great to me. What do you think, Chen?? Chen looked a bit uneasy.
?This shortcut? does it involve water?? Nitori smiled.
?Possibly. Now, follow me!? She flew up the mountain, but stopped a few minutes later in front of a boulder. ?Well, here we are!? Irritated, Andy said,
?What do you mean, ?here we are?? All I see is a rock and-? He thought a about this and grinned. ?Oh, I get it! The rock is a illusion to hide your home, isn?t it?? Nitori laughed.
?You?re close, but no.? She knocked on the rock three times, kicked it twice, and then whispered something to it. Then she backed up and waited. Suddenly the rock fell into two pieces, revealing the gears and other machines that held it together, along with hole that it hid. Nitori jumped right in, and the other two followed. Inside was a rather large room. The entire left side was dominated by a large steel worktable, while the right side was covered in machines and blueprints. Andy thought he recognized a Game Boy among the devices, but Nitori led them into a tunnel, which opened up into a much smaller kitchen area with a beat-up looking stove. Once they sat down, Nitori got a frying pan out of her backpack and started cooking. ?So, I hope you two like cucumbers, because that?s all I have to eat.? Chen looked a bit nauseated at the thought of cucumbers, but Andy was interested.
?Really? I?ve never had cucumbers, what are they like?? Nitori twitched and stared at him.
?How could you have never had cucumbers? They?re wonderful! They?re delicious! They?re the greatest food ever!?
??Um.?
?Oh, I?m sorry for yelling. It?s just that I really like cucumbers??
?I could tell.?
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While Andy and Chen were preparing to eat, Shannon and Chelsea were listening to music, which would be nice if wasn?t trying to kill them. Lunasa?s spell card was actually less dangerous than Shannon thought, which was a relief. Lunasa let out musical notes, which then turned into danmaku. Shannon could even tell what kind of bullets it would make from the color; red would make arrow-shaped bullets that goes in four directions, blue makes orbs that drop on her. Shannon fired back, shooting a spread out burst of arrow danmaku to make sure she actually hit her target. Meanwhile, Chelsea was less fortunate. Her danmaku was huge, but as far as Merlin was concerned, that just made it obvious. Chelsea, on the other hand, was desperately trying to dodge Merlin?s curving lasers. The poltergeist would occasionally change her attack pattern, firing straight lasers, partially to throw Chelsea off balance, but mostly from boredom. ?Come on, human! I thought this would be fun?? Chelsea glared at her hatefully.
?Oh, you want fun? Then prepare to be amazed, because I?ve been holding back!? She pulled out a spell card, and Merlin?s eyes widened in relief.
?Good, I might have to actually pay attention. Well? Give me your best shot, human, and I?ll beat it a thousand-fold!?
?Rage Sign: Shattered Phantom!? Chelsea made two orb bullets next to her and built up power in them, while still firing more orbs at Merlin randomly, but a lot faster than before. Merlin didn?t have much trouble avoiding these, and kept firing at Chelsea, who for some reason didn?t bother to dodge. Merlin realized why when her lasers got near the human and suddenly curved and flew into the orbs she was making. The orbs doubled in size, and Chelsea threw them at the poltergeist. Merlin smiled.
?You had the perfect defense, and now you?re just throwing it away? When will you learn that no matter how big your bullets are, it won?t work? You need strategy!? She floated between the orbs as they flew past her. ?Now, where was I?? Before she could start firing again, one of the orbs suddenly came back down, smashing Merlin into the floor. Chelsea grinned down at her.
?Do you give up? I have another one waiting in case you don?t.?
?Ok, you win?? The orbs disappeared. ?That was kinda extreme, you know? The bullets are supposed to hurt, not grind people into the ground.?
?So? You?re fine, aren?t you??
?Yeah, I guess, but-? She was cut off by the sound of a spell card ending, and Lunasa fell to the ground. She grinned at Shannon, who floated down to her.
?You were more skilled than I thought, Shannon.? Shannon frowned.
?That?s great and all, but why did we have to fight to begin with?? Lunasa chuckled.
?To put it simply, we were hired to fight you. Youmu felt we could help with your training, so she told us to fight you if we?re still here when you show up for training.?
?So, you two weren?t really trying, were you??
?No, but you performed far better than we expected, even if the two of you had a shaky start to the fight. So, are you ready for you next test? It involves the three of us fighting both of you at once!?
?Um??
?Well, it doesn?t need to be now, of course. We could take a break while you two think of some strategies or something. Youmu, if you need us, we?ll be practicing for our performance. We?ll get back to training these two in a hour.?
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Yukari decided a theme change was in order. Elis was beaten, and now the voice and Tenshi were both fighting Sariel. But what to play? She considered her options, and finally decided on her own theme, Necrofantasia. After all, she would be the ultimate victor. As she started to play, Sariel was getting more and more desperate. He fired random danmaku and lasers to surprise his enemies, but they dodged it easily. He summoned more doves to distract Tenshi, but the voice simply knocked them away with a gust of wind. ?Huh, I thought a angel would put up a better fight?? Realizing he was out of options, Sariel focused his power, and the ground started to shake. The air shimmered for a second, and where Sariel was floating was a giant orb of energy. It crackled with power, and only some magical runes Sariel had set up beforehand kept this power from obliterating the entire Ruins. The only resemblance the orb had to Sariel was a odd silhouette behind the orb that was shaped like him. Tenshi stared at the new Sariel in fear, but the voice only had a vague curiosity. ?So, this is the angel?s true power? this should be interesting.? Abandoning any kind of pattern or strategy, Sariel simply fired wave after wave of danmaku at them, which seemed to explode when it hit the ground. The two flew up, but the silhouette?s wings flapped, firing dagger-like feathers at them. After a few seconds of frantic dodging and weaving, Tenshi pulled out a spell card.
?Scarlet Weather Rapture!? She fired a gigantic laser at Sariel, who simply flapped his wings a few times and charged straight at her. The laser held him back, but it didn?t seem to do much else. The voice watched silently, and Tenshi glared at it. ?Can?t you help me? I can?t hold off this thing much longer!? The voice laughed.
?You can?t? What a surprise? I knew you weren?t very smart, but I never thought of you as weak, not until now.?
?I?m not weak! He?s just too strong!?
?Excuses, I say. I thought you would be at least smart enough to realize you can?t become stronger until you know you?re too weak. And that?s what you are.?
?I am not!?
?You are too weak to fight this angel, too weak to really be of any use to me. Do you even have any power of your own? There is your keystones and sword, but you simply inherited those. If someone took away your fancy toys, you?d be so weak a fairy could kill you! Don?t say it?s not true, that lake fairy nearly beat you. If it hadn?t been for me, you wouldn?t have stood a chance!?
?That?s a lie!? The voice chuckled.
?Is that so? Then prove it to me! Show me the real power of Tenshi Hinanawi!? Tenshi seemed to glow, and the laser doubled in size. Sariel kept pushing forward. Tenshi screamed in frustration.
?I won?t lose! Not now, not ever!? Her laser grew once more, and Sariel was completely consumed by it. When Tenshi finally stopped firing, the angel was gone. The voice laughed.
?Ha! See Tenshi? You didn?t need my help after all.?
?I? I didn?t, did I??
?Nope! I don?t mind saying that I?m proud of you.?
?Thanks, I- Wait.?
?What?s wrong??
?I just killed an angel!?
?So??
?An angel, don?t you see? Shikieki will probably throw me into Hell for this??
?Eh, been there, done that. It?s not so bad down there once you get used to the neverending, burning pain. Of course, that only applies to the damned?? Yukari laughed and walked over to them.
?You don?t have to worry about that, Tenshi.? Tenshi looked at her with hope.
?Really? Why not??
?Because Sariel isn?t dead. He isn?t really a angel, anyway; he just looks like one. However, now you have something else to worry about. Shinki isn?t going to take the near-death of her children well. I?m surprised she isn?t here right now.? Tenshi looked around nervously. ?But again, she isn?t the problem I meant.?
?T-Then what is??
?It?s me, of course. You two are a bit stronger than I expected, but it won?t help you.?
?Is that so??
?Yes. I?m not really in the mood to fight both of you, so I?ll make this quick, for Tenshi?s sake.? She pulled out a spell card. ?Prepare yourself? Hax Sign: Collapsing Boundary!? At first, nothing happened. Then Tenshi realized it suddenly seemed darker, and looked up. She didn?t even have time to scream before a steamroller fell on top of her. Yukari laughed at the wreckage, and the voice seemed amused.
?Well, at least you didn?t kill her. Where do boundaries come into that card??
?They don?t.?
?Ah, I see. It?s a joke.?
?Yes, and now it?s just you and me.?
?Is it though? I think you?re forgetting someone.?
?Who, Meira? She won?t help you after this defeat.?
?She might, but that?s not who I meant.?
?Then who-?? Her eyes widened in horror. ?No, I beat Flandre, you can?t possibly??
?Release YuugenMagan? It would have been easier with Flandre, I?ll admit, but you underestimate me, Yakumo. It?s bound to these ruins, and I am controlling a keystone.? The keystone started to glow, and soon became too bright to look at. The glow abruptly vanished, and the ground started shaking. It was a minor trembling at first, but in seconds it grew until the ground tearing itself to pieces. The buildings collapsed, and behind Meira something seemed to glow, and soon it became obvious that it was some kind of seal. Chains of energy seemed to hold something down, and a various barriers surrounded those. Meira realized she was being watched, and flew off before the thing inside could really notice her. Inside the barriers was something with immense power. None of them could really see what the thing was, but it seemed to be a glowing person made of lightning. Five tendrils of lightning came out of the person, each ending in a giant eye. Meira couldn?t help but notice that the eyes were very similar to the ones in Yukari?s gaps, but there was one difference. These eyes glared with a horrible wrath. It wasn?t hate, or even madness, simply a desire to destroy until there is nothing left. The ground kept shaking, and soon the entire Ruins of Vina was split by fissures, and then the entire place fell apart, falling into the abyss of Makai. With nothing left to support it, the seal faded away, and YuugenMagan was free again. It?s eyes quickly focused on its jailer. Yukari stared back into them, with something akin to pity.
?We meet again, YuugenMagan. Do you remember me? Even your hate would be better than how you were last time I saw you.? The monster didn?t respond, other than to fire lasers at her. Yukari blocked them with a barrier, then tried to make another barrier around YuugenMagan. It easily destroyed it, and started firing at her again. Yukari dodged the attacks and wiped a tear from her eye. ?You really don?t remember anything, except that I was the last thing you saw. I was hoping that your memories would return with time, but? I see now that that?s never going to happen.? She smiled sadly. ?If you did remember me, then I suppose you?d call me a sentimental fool. You always did think I was too emotional, didn?t you? Father??
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Chapter 15
The voice carried the unconscious Tenshi and Flandre, with Meira?s help. ?It?s not exactly the way I wanted it, but now I can get YuugenMagan?s power. I?ll just suck out his life force, and then we?ll get out of Makai.? Meira frowned.
?Do you really think it will be that simple? What about Shinki??
?Don?t worry, I?ve planned for her. I suppose this means you?ll be helping me??
?I don?t have much choice. I can?t exactly say I stopped you when you destroyed the ruins, so my contract with Shinki is broken. Of course, you still haven?t fulfilled my second condition.?
?And that is??
?I want to know who you are.?
??Well, there?s no one to hear it but you, so I guess I can tell you.? The keystone moved closer, and the voice whispered something in Meira?s ear. Her eyes widened.
?So you are-?
?Yes.?
?I thought you were-?
?Shut up, I don?t want to talk about it. If you can help it, don?t call me by name. If anyone else knows who I am, then they can find me.? ?Then why did you tell me??
?I need your help. Besides, you can?t use that information against me, and you know it. We?ll meet in person eventually, once my plan is finished, and then we both get what we want. For now though, I need to drain this monster?s power. I need you to protect me until I?m done. Shinki is probably on her way here right now. I expect she?ll get here in a few minutes.?
?You expect me to fight her off on my own??
?No, I?m not a fool. Tenshi and Flandre will help you.? The keystone glowed, and a jolt of lighting coursed through the voice?s minions, shocking them awake. ?Flandre, help Meira fight.? Flandre looked around.
?There?s nothing here.?
?There will be. Tenshi, are you ok? I can heal you if you need it.? Tenshi brushed some dust off of her dress.
?No, I?m ok, but where did the ground go and what?s that thing Yukari?s fighting??
?I?ll explain later. For now, I need you three to hold off anyone who tries to stop me. Flandre, that means you fight them!? The keystone floated closer to the battle, and started glowing with power. ?Hmm, there?s more power to take than I expected. If you guys can buy me five minutes, that would probably be enough.?
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As Yukari expected, YuugenMagan?s danmaku had no coherence to it. With most enemies this would be a fatal flaw, but the monster simply fired so much danmaku that there was literally nowhere to dodge it. Yukari held off its attacks with her gaps, but they didn?t seem to be working properly due to the monster?s similar powers. She could make gaps, but she couldn?t really control where they led to. But she wouldn?t survive if she closed them, so she just hoped it wasn?t going anywhere important.
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Meanwhile above Youkai Mountain, Daiyousei and her fairy army had almost reached Heaven, when most of the fairies stopped. Daiyousei glared at them.
?Why are you stopping? We?re almost there!? Cirno spoke up.
?Everyone?s tired. They want to take a break.?
??Fine. You don?t seem tired, though.? Cirno grinned.
?Of course not! I?m the strongest! I could probably just take over Heaven by myself!? She made a sword out of ice. ?In fact, I think I will! Stand aside, boss!? Cirno flew past the fairy queen, laughing manically. Daiyousei shrugged.
?Well, she should be ok. Now, about being these morons moving?? She was about to yell at the fairies, but then something blocked out the sun. She turned around to see one of Yukari?s gaps, with countless eyes staring at her through it. Without any warning, a literal flood of danmaku surged out of the gap, obliterating most of the fairies. Daiyousei watched in horror as her army was destroyed, and the gap kept spitting out danmaku like some kind of deadly waterfall, killing any remaining fairies. ??Dammit Yukari! After I take over Heaven, I?ll come for you next!?
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With the gaps holding off the monster?s attacks, Yukari got ready to seal it away again. As she prepared, she sung a bit of half remembered music to help her focus.
?Who crossed the borders, at the ends of antiquity and eternity?? A new barrier sprung up around YuugenMagan, stronger than the last. ?Truly a multitude will be born and disappear?? She made more gaps, through which eyes fired danmaku at the monster. It tried to destroy them, completely ignoring Yukari. ?Is it my place to maintain this balance that must not be broken?? The barrier started closing in, and Yukari smiled sadly. ?You?ll be nowhere to be found after your bewildering, indolent spiriting away. My desire becomes to seek those who will not return! Dreams and reality become one and the same? To spin a dream is to decide the fate of the world.? YuugenMagan finally noticed the barrier, and started firing at that instead. Yukari started firing lasers at it in response. ?Within a all-encompassing labyrinth where light and darkness are distorted: The Border of Death. Intercept and scatter this despairing, transient life!? The barrier closed in completely, trapping YuugenMagan. Yukari thought for a second that the fight was over, but then the seal shattered, and the monster started firing at her again. Grimacing, Yukari summoned more gaps to protect her. ?I should have realized that wouldn?t work, there needs to be some kind of basis for the seal? where?s Shinki when I need her??
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Shinki, as it turned out, was fighting Tenshi, along with Remilia and her group. Remilia was about attack the celestial, but Flandre flew in front of her, holding her sword L?vatein. ?I?m really sorry about this.? Remilia sighed dismally and summoned a giant spear made of energy.
?Don?t be, Flandre. It?s not your fault. I?ll make this quick.? Remilia flew at her younger sister, trying to impale her, but Flandre knocked her spear aside easily and slashed at her. Remilia dodged the attack and threw her spear at Flandre, who barely managed to block it. Remilia backed up a bit and pulled out a spell card. ?Destiny: Miserable Fate!? She glowed red for a second, and chains made of red energy flew out of her, trapping Flandre. Remilia was about to leave with her sister, but then Meira flew past her, cutting the chains and freeing the vampire girl. Remilia summoned another spear, and Flandre started slashing at her again. As for Meira, she was trying to fend off the combined attacks of Sakuya and Yumeko. Generally, Sakuya just threw knives at her to distract her from Yumeko?s sword slashes, but more than once Sakuya simply disappeared, only to show up behind her with a knife in hand. Meira hadn?t given her any backstabbing opportunities, thanks to her spell cards.
?Divine Arts: Demon Binding Circle!? A blue barrier surrounded her, knocking her enemies away while she pulled out more spell cards. ?Spirit Sign: Dark Fantasy Orbs!? Black orbs of energy flew at the two maids, but Sakuya managed to dodge them. Looking worriedly at Yumeko, she said,
?Are you alright?? The demon nodded.
?Yes. This human is more powerful than I expected, though.?
?Then let me handle it. You should protect your master.?
?Are you sure??
?Yes. She fights exactly like Reimu, but she?s less powerful. This shouldn?t take very long.? Yumeko flew off, and Meira glared at Sakuya.
?How dare you underestimate me! I could beat Reimu easily! If it wasn?t for your demon friend, I would have killed you when this fight began!? Sakuya chuckled humorlessly, and her eyes glowed red.
?You?re lying, and you know it. I can tell by your attacks that you are simply a weaker, dark parody of Reimu. You don?t have any original techniques, and because of that, I know exactly how to fight you. If you surrender now, then you can get out of this situation alive. Or you can fight me, and put yourself in the same situation as the ones who kidnapped my mistress?s sister. So? What will you do?? Meira pulled out her sword and a spell card.
?I?ve been holding back, I?ll have you know. I?ve been mimicking the shrine maiden till now, but now you will know my real power! Sever Sign: End of an Age!? Meira slashed at Sakuya, firing a wave of danmaku at her. Sakuya dodged it, but Meira kept firing, flying closer to her with each slash. The samurai stopped attacking eventually, and at first Sakuya thought the spell card was over, but then the orbs floating next to Meira started glowing, and flew off in opposite directions, leaving behind a trail of danmaku. Meira started slashing again, and Sakuya stopped time. What little color there was in Makai faded into a dull grey as Sakuya calmly observed Meira?s spell card.
?Yes, I see. Her slashing is supposed to be a distraction, so I don?t think about the orbs. She?ll keep attacking me, and then the orb?s danmaku will probably rain down on me.? Now that she knew what to expect, Sakuya flew behind Meira, threw out several knives, then restarted time. Color returned, and Meira slashed at nothing. She spun around just in time to avoid the knives, though one of them hit her in the shoulder. Pulling it out, she started slashing again, but with one arm, making the danmaku come even faster and more erratic. Finally, her orbs flew back to her, and the samurai stopped attacking.
?You?ve been a good opponent, but this is the end! Unless, of course, you join me. I don?t want to kill you if I don?t have to.? The danmaku her orbs made started closing in on them.
?I?m sorry to disappoint you, but I will never betray my mistress.? Meira sighed sadly.
?If that?s how it must be, then your sacrifice will pave the way for mankind?s future! Prepare to die!? Meira waved her hand dismissively, and the danmaku closed in completely. At the same time, Sakuya pulled out a spell card.
?Illusion Sign: Killer Doll!? Knives fired out in all directions, cutting through some of the bullets and giving Sakuya a escape route. She flew past the bullets, and was about to attack, but Meira seemed to have disappeared. ?I suppose she must have run away-? She was cut off when a sword suddenly plunged into her back. Meira whispered in her ear,
?Did you really think I hadn?t prepared for your escape?? Sakuya laughed weakly.
?Do you really think I hadn?t prepared for you to do that? Even in the end, you still lose.? Meira looked confused.
?What are you talking ab-? The samurai was suddenly cut off when hundreds of knives suddenly flew into her back. Sakuya smiled grimly and pulled herself off of Meira?s blade.
?I did tell you it would best to surrender. Unless you can stop time around your wounds as well, I don?t think you will live much longer.? Meira glared at her.
?Just who are you??
?Sakuya Izayoi, maid of the Scarlet Devil.?
?I see? Well, this isn?t over, Sakuya. The blessings of my goddess will heal me, and then I?ll come to finish this.? Meira flew off, and Sakuya could see that the knives were falling out, and her wounds were already starting to heal. Meanwhile, Yumeko and Tenshi were both hacking at each other. So far, neither had landed any real blows. Yumeko could tell that the celestial didn?t have much skill with her blade, but her sheer strength and speed made up for it. Realizing she couldn?t beat her in a actual sword fight, Yumeko backed up and summoned a swarm of blades. They circled the demon, protecting her from Tenshi?s attacks. Then she summoned more blades to distract Tenshi while she moved in to finish her off. Tenshi, however, simply started firing more lasers at her, keeping her at bay. Patchouli was trying to destroy the voice?s keystone, but the voice was getting more powerful by the second, and was easily able to counter her spells before they hit. As for Shinki, she was helping Yukari seal YuugenMagan.
?How exactly are you going to stop this thing, Yukari??
?By sealing it away again, of course. The problem is that I have nothing to seal it to. That?s what the ruins were for.? Shinki smiled.
?Oh, that?s easy enough to fix. My Ruins may be ruined, but I can always put it back together.? Shinki mumbled something under her breath, and snapped her fingers. Deep below them came as vauge rumbling sound as giant chucks of rock came flying out of the abyss. Instead of forming the Ruins of Vina, like Yukari expected, the rocks simply flung themselves at YuugenMagan, distracting the monster. Shinki giggled and snapped her fingers again, and a bright light enveloped the monster. It distracted Tenshi, allowing Yumeko to knock her blade into the abyss and hold her at sword point. The light vanished, revealing the newly rebuilt Ruins of Vina, with Sariel and Elis sleeping on it. ?It?s done, and it?s even better than before!?
?What do you mean? It looks exactly the same.?
?Of course it?s not! I added a playground.?
?That?s nice. I?m sure your children will be very grateful once we get rid of the monster hovering over it.?
?Oh yeah, I forgot about that!? Yukari rolled her eyes.
?Honestly, you?re worse than Yuyuko! At least she only pretends not to pay attention.?
?Do you need anything else? It?s just I?d like to get on with getting horrible, bloody, Yukkuri-filled revenge on Tenshi and her friend.? Yukari laughed.
?Well, you make more sense than Yuyuko, I?ll grant you that. Go on, I can handle this.? Shinki flew off, and Yukari pulled out a spell card. ?Shikigami: Ran Yakumo!? Ran appeared out of a gap and bowed.
?Did you call me, Miss Yukari??
?Yes. Do you see the monster with five eyes? I want you to distract it while I seal it away.? Ran was about do that, but then she frowned uncertainly.
?What is that thing? It?s power feels so much like yours, Miss Yukari?? Yukari glared at her.
?Do I not just give you a order, Ran? It?s not your place to question it or delay it?s execution. Now go!? Ran bowed fearfully and rushed at the monster. While she diverted it?s attention, Yukari prepared to seal it away again. The voice watched all this irritably.
?Well, there goes my power source. I guess we?d better leave while we can. Tenshi, Flandre, Meira, let?s go!? Tenshi resummoned her sword and flew toward the voice, who stopped Yumeko from following her with a magic barrier. Meira quickly flew into the barrier, barely escaping Sakuya and Meiling. Flandre tried to get into the barrier, but Remilia trapped her with the Destiny spell card again. The voice and it?s minions flew off, still protected by the barrier. Tenshi watched their enemies shrink away, relieved that they got away alive. Then she realized someone was following them. As they got closer, she realized it was Shinki. The goddess had a murderous gleam in her eye, and six purple wings sprouted from her back. All of Makai shook from her power, and the Ruins(except where her children were) instantly caught on fire.
?You invaded my home, hurt my children, kidnapped my friend?s sister, and unleashed a ancient abomination! Do you really expect to just leave my realm quietly??
??Would you be surprised if I said yes??
?Enough! Your plan ends here!? Shinki waved her hand, and a large chunk of the Ruins detached itself and flew at the trio. Instead of actually hitting them, the rock melted halfway there and formed a half-sphere around them. The only direction they could go in now was right at Shinki which, judging from her expression, was practically suicide.
?Ok, I get us out of this. I just need to do a teleportation spell.? Meira asked suspiciously,
?Do you know how? You don?t sound very confident.?
??No. To be honest, I?ve never needed one. But I?m sure I can figure it out.?
?Don?t bother. Teleporting someone, especially three people is incredibly difficult, especially if you don?t know how.?
?Then what would you suggest? Surrender??
?No, I?ll just teleport us all myself, with my goddess?s help.?
?What goddess? Shinki? She isn?t happy to see us, if you haven?t noticed!? Meira scowled in irritation.
?Of course it?s not her. Just watch.? She planted her blade in the rock, and her orbs started spinning around her. She started chanting, but the words were completely indecipherable. Realizing what she was up to, Shinki flew at them, but it was too late. Meira?s sword glowed, and her orb?s spinning became so fast it looked like a black circle. The circle expanded to include Tenshi and the voice, and Meira stopped chanting and shouted, ?In the name of the Silent Goddess, let us be gone from this place!? There was a implosion of sound, and the trio disappeared.