~Hakurei Shrine~ > Patchouli's Scarlet Library

The Oncoming Storm

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The Dratini Farmer:  Situation Room, White House, Washington, DC   ?Fletcher, this is Big Bird. Begin the launch of the weapon.? Xingun smiled. ?Unlock keys to the safes are being transmitted to you as we speak. Once you have them, maintain radio silence at all costs. We have reason to believe that enemy personnel have infiltrated your fellow ships.? As per his order, the National Military Command Center at the Pentagon was sending the Emergency Action Message.   ?Roger, Big Bird. Commencing launch.? On the bridge of the destroyer, a printer spat out two pieces of papers that were then given to the Captain and executive officer. They both left the bridge escorted by Marine security and headed for the safes that contained the launch keys. Once they retrieved the keys, they both bowed their heads and said a quick prayer. Then they returned to the bridge and placed both keys into the nuclear control console. With a nod, they both turned the keys at the same time and watched the control terminal come up.   With a motion, Xingun ordered a line opened to the USS Wisconsin. Once they were connected, he cleared his throat and adopted a panicked tone.   ?USS Wisconsin, this is your commander in chief. Come in!?   ?We read you, chief.?   ?Moles have infiltrated the Pentagon and the Fletcher! We?ve managed to get the ones in the Pentagon, but they already sent an EAM before we could stop them! They?ve sent it to the Fletcher and are planning a nuclear strike! Do not allow them to fire that missile!?   ?Chief, the whole crew are moles??   ?I don?t think so, but the ones that are still loyal to us are probably already dead or captured! Sink that destroyer before it launches!?   The line was silent as the communications officer handed the captain the headset.   ?Sir, you?re telling us to sink a friendly destroyer!?   ?It?s either that or a nuclear war!?   ?Yes, sir.? The captain stood back up. ?Main cannons, fire on the Fletcher! Have the Arkansas support us!?   As the main cannons turned to fire, a Tomahawk missile flew from the Fletcher. Tipped with a W80 nuclear warhead, the missile flew into a high arc towards the area it was targeted at. The crew of the destroyer were then blindsided by a hail of large caliber rounds from their fellow ship. The cruiser opened up with everything it had, leaving no one alive. The only thing that left evidence of the smaller ship was the flaming husk that slowly sank into the ocean.   Diet Building, Tokyo, Japan   The only sounds that were heard in the chambers were the alarm and the announcement repeating itself. Once the initial shock subsided, shouts filled the room. The speakers tried to restore order, but were shouted down by opposing parties. The Prime Minister had a blank look on his face and had to sit down. Putting his face in his hands, the Emperor stayed silent as images of a nuclear strike flooded his mind.   Lunarians and moon rabbits frantically worked to find where the missile was heading. Without a dedicated sensor suite, it was the equivalent of finding a needle in a haystack. To the best of their knowledge, there were three possible targets: the battle, the Diet Building in Tokyo, and Kyoto. The exhaust trail of the missile dissipated quickly and could only be seen by Lunarian sensors if the sun bounced off of it just right.   ?Do we have anything that can shoot it down?? Yukari asked Eirin.   ?They?re extremely short ranged compared to what?s on it,? the doctor replied. ?And that?s if we can find it in the first place.?   ?So air to air would be more effective,? Yukari paused as she realized something. ?If I remember right, lasers could shoot down nuclear missiles. We have someone that could reach it and use the right kind of magic to take it down.?   Eirin narrowed her eyes as she thought about who it could be. ?Marisa.?   ?If she can get eyes on it, we?re set. But the problem is getting there in time.?   ?She brags a lot about being the fastest in Gensokyo. Should be a good chance to prove it.?   Yukari nods, ?I know she?s got something that?ll give her a boost.?   Lunarian main line, Japan   The witch in question landed at the Lunarian command post when one of the moon rabbits flagged her down. Reimu had disappeared right after she had talked to Yuyuko the day before. For past few hours, the witch had been doing attack runs on targets that Alice had been having trouble with. It didn?t escape anyone?s notice that the targets that had actually fired at the puppeteer had been the ones hit the hardest.   One of the moon rabbits tosses her a spell card. Marisa looks it over, it was an upgraded communications spell that threw up information at eye level. Shrugging, she uses it on herself and then her cell phone goes off. Frowning, she sees Yukari?s number and groans.   ?Marisa, you need to get into the air, now.? Yukari was trying to keep her voice controlled. ?The Americans have launched a nuclear missile that might be heading for your location.?   ?A what??   ?Remember the Underground incident? That power that Utsuho had??   ?So I shoot it down like normal??   ?You have to use your lasers, or you might end up setting it off. If it goes off, you?re?gone.?   Marisa paused. ?Where is it??   ?We don?t know right now. We have where it started, but we?ve lost it as soon as it launched. There are three possible targets: the battle, Tokyo, and Kyoto. You need to get in the air now and head for the launch point. Hopefully, you?ll run into it before it hits.?   Marisa jumped on her broom and took off. ?Is there anything else I need to know about this thing??   ?Well, you need the launch location, which we?ll sending to you now.? Directly in front of Marisa?s eyes, a map of Japan appeared with a circle off the coast. ?Based on what we know about the Tomahawk, its usual speed is about 900 kilometers an hour and it favors a low altitude. The range is about 2,500 kilometers, which gives us the entire country to search.?   ?That last part isn?t helping.?   ?How do you think we feel? The Japanese government is in an uproar when they?ve learned about the launch. We?re just waiting for the fingers to get pointed at us.?   ?I don?t think I can make it all the way over there in time.?   ?Use that medallion to boost your jet thrust.?   Marisa took off the necklace that held the medallion and placed in the slot on the back of the mini-hakkero. As soon as it was in place, she felt a surge of power come from the furnace. She sticks the artifact at the end of her broom and puts on a pair of googles. Leaning forward, she ties the string that served to keep her hat on in high speeds and takes a deep breath. She pours her energy into the furnace and quickly breaks the sound barrier.   She keeps on pouring energy, surpassing Mach 4.5. The reflexive charm that she always used before high speed flight to deflect buffering from air resistance was struggling to keep up. In the back of her mind, she knew that going this fast should have been impossible. But she was used to doing the impossible.   ?The launch point is being sent to your hat,? Yukari said over the charm. ?The best case would be for you to run into it before it gets too close. Remember what I said about using your lasers.?   Marisa kept a death grip on her broom as she sped. The map that was project in front of her eyes kept updating as she scanned the sky in front of her. She was surprised at the energy reserve she had, since she had expected to be drained quickly at that speed. The fighters that were still in the air just watched her go, since they had no chance of catching her. Even missiles didn?t have the chance of getting her, even with the massive heat signature she was giving out.   On the ground, a massive sonic boom tried to catch up to her. It became worse when she decreased in altitude, a move made out of arrogance. Minutes later, she passed over the beach and saw the Pacific Ocean with her eyes for the first time. She stared at how the sun gleaned on the ocean blue water. A steady beeping started to sound, however it was faint.   ?We?re picking something up,? Yukari told her. ?Give us a minute before we can be sure.?   The beeping continued to grow in strength, and then a faint shape began to flash in the distance.   ?That?s it!? Yukari practically shouted. ?It?s the only one they?ve launched.?   Marisa immediately cut off her boost, waiting until she bled off enough speed to turn. She drops down to a little over Mach 1 but loses sight of the missile. A circle dancing on the edge of her vision shows her where it went. Sensing that it was over land, the guidance system moves the weapon to treetop level. Reducing her speed to avoid overshooting the target, Marisa recalls her Hakkero and charges up a laser.   She releases it and watches as it connects with the body of the missile. But instead of exploding, the laser is deflected off of a polished surface. A sensor takes note of the attack and activates the ramjet. The Tomahawk lurches forward, reaching Mach 3. By doing so, it reduces its range. The magician lets out a rare shout of frustration, as she?s forced to increase speed. But she notices that she can?t accelerate as fast. Watching the engine in front of her get further and further away, she can see the death of many she knows in her mind?s eye.   Pouring her anger into her broom, she feels it speed up. A mountain ridge up ahead forces the two of them to pull up. Using that to her advantage, she gains altitude and dives right down. With a kick, she tries to knock it off course, only for it correct automatically.   ?Marisa, we?ve found another alternative.? Yukari said. ?If you can separate the warhead from the rest of the missile, you?ll turn it into a normal missile. Or you might end up getting irradiated.?   Taking a minute to decide, she really didn?t want to handle something like that. But she thought of another alternative.   ?If I can disable it, can Sakuya freeze it??   Yukari was silent as she conferred with those around her and waited for an answer. Marisa fidgeted as she waited for an answer.   ?She can. But it?s highly risky. Just destroy the whole thing. We can capture another one later without risking you.?   The missile performs a snap roll, almost knocking Marisa off of her broom. Out of reflex, she fires back with her usual bullets and hits the engine. A bloom of fire comes from the point of impact, starting a chain reaction. Marisa?s stomach drops when the missile disappears in an explosion. Then a large canister falls from the explosion, twirling in the air.   ?That canister is the nuclear warhead!? Yukari shouted ?Sensor?s indicate that it?s still not activated. But if it hits the ground, it?ll go off for sure!?   Noticing where she was for the first time, she gains a renewed sense of urgency when she spots the battle winding down in the distance. Tracer rounds start to fill the air around her, for a second, she thought they were aiming for the canister. With three copies of her hakkero flying around her, she spams lasers towards the warhead. She makes the mistake of not leading the lasers, getting increasingly frustrated.   The canister gets closer and closer to the point where she would be forced to pull up. Recalling the three copies, she lets go of her broom and charges up her strongest attack. Boosted by her medallion, she crosses the line from a Master Spark into a high level Twilight Spark. As she tries her best to balance the power, she imagines it as keeping an overflowing glass from spilling.   With a roar, she releases the Twilight Spark. Her ears instantly start to hurt with a sharp, burning pain. The pain is quickly replaced by a loud ringing that subsides gradually. The amount of energy that she is launching immediately cancels her forward momentum, keeping her completely still in midair.   The bright blue super laser vaporizes the canister and its contents. But it keeps going and burns a massive hole in the ground. It goes until it reaches the middle of the asthenosphere. The close to molten material that made contact with the attack heated up and became fully molten. A massive shockwave traveled from the attack, knocking everyone within 30 miles.  Marisa kept the attack going, not wanting to waste the energy she had stored. She was worried that leaving any of the power unused could cause problems down the road.    As luck would have it, the retreating human forces had been retreating in that direction and had seen the whole thing. Many of the officers that had been pushing for a last stand quickly changed their position and magically decided that surrendering would be the best course of action. Even with general officers across the ocean ordering them to keep fighting, they stood firm with their new decision.   Finally using up the rest of that power, Marisa feels herself going weak. She tries to recall her broom, but can?t summon the energy that?s required. Then she realizes that she can?t keep herself up and starts to fall into the hole she had made. The heat from the Earth?s interior hits her in the face, forcing her to turn her head. The sheer heat makes it difficult for her to catch her breath. She starts to give up and begins to accept her fate when a shot of energy passes her.   The temperature in the hole instantly decreases, making it easier to breathe. Then she senses something dropping into the hole after her.   Patchouli had been the one that had casted a quick ice spell that saved Marisa from suffocation. Unable to catch up to Marisa in time, she had opted for the next best thing. Remiu had flown into the hole, not stopping to see if it was safe before the librarian had casted her spell. Increasing her speed, the miko grabs hold of Marisa and pulls up into a loop. The inertial forces Marisa?s stomach down hard on Remiu?s arm, almost forcing her to leave her lunch.   Back on the surface, Patchouli didn?t have to worry about being shot because Lunarian airborne forces had joined them. Quickly disarming the defeated forces, they prodded them away. Remiu zoomed out of the hole and landed right next to the other magician. Quickly setting Marisa down, she gives her a brief look over and embraces her. The witch is still too drained to raise her arms but rests her head on Reimu?s shoulder.   Diet Building, Tokyo, Japan   Yukari gave a sigh of relief as one of her eyes in the sky showed Marisa staggering back on her feet. Now that the incident was over, she had to turn her attention back to sealing the deal. The Americans would either try again or try to deflect responsibility, either decision had to backfire on them.   ?All of you have seen what the Americans are capable of,? she said. ?To launch another nuclear attack deep into your soil can be nothing but a declaration of war! Several of your forces were in range of that attack! Did the United States ever give you a warning about the attack? Did they ever ask you how you would feel about nuclear weapons being used against you?? She slammed her fist on the table for emphasis. ?If it wasn?t for the actions of one of our best fighters, a large section of your land would be a glass field. Imagine if there innocent people downrange of that explosion!?   ?American forces are surrendering in droves,? Eirin pointed at red squares that had white flags over them. ?Such a sad sight for a military that called itself the best in the world. They came looking for a fight and now they?re running with their tails between their legs. They should start to get used to it.?   ?The time for a decision has come,? Yukari stared the Emperor in the eyes. ?The battle has been decided with no doubt on either side. You?ve seen how they operate. American imperialism has returned with a vengeance. You are at a crossroads right now. Will you submit to the American overlords, or will you take out offer of freedom and stand on your own two legs? Think of your people when you make this decision.?   Yukari?s speech was mostly a formality since the nuclear launch had completely destroyed any support for the United States that had existed. The Prime Minister, who had been the last bastion of dissent, nodded his agreement to the Emperor.   ?Even though my mind tells me that I?m making the right decision, my heart still fells heavy,? the older man said.   ?That?s completely understandable,? Kaguya replied. ?A decision like this is never meant to be an easy one to make. The weight you feel on your heart is not your emotions, it?s the responsibility to your country.?   ?Very well. Based on the advice from the Prime Minister and the two Speakers, we renounce our alliance with the United States and wish to enter an alliance with Gensokyo and the Lunar Kingdom.? Even though the Emperor only had ceremonial powers, his announcement was important since it was made with the advice and consent of the Diet. The fine details would be worked out later between representatives of all three governments.   ?I can assure you that you made the right decision,? Yukari applauded. ?But now, we have a pressing issue. There are two American bases on your territory and a group of American forces surrounding this building. As of right now, we don?t know how they?ll react when they learn of your switch. Our suggestion is to move quickly and disarm them before they can bring their heavy weapons to bear. In order for this to have the best outcome, it has to be a joint operation.?   ?How do you suggest we proceed??   ?We can use the regiments that are guarding this building to force the nearby American forces to disarm while your police and military forces have them occupied.?   ?By fighting them??   ?By having them in a standoff until the Lunarians come up behind them.?   ?What about the bases??   ?We can capture them within the hour with your permission.?   ?I?ll ask the Minister of Defense and the Prime Minister to help you,? The Emperor stood up. ?My work here is done. I must return to my residence.?   Yukari nodded in acknowledgement. The monarch was escorted by his security detail out of the chambers and exited through a rear entrance. Once everyone had sat back down, the gap youkai opened another scroll that had just been handed to her.   ?Lunarian regiments are already surrounding the building. If the police and JDF units train their weapons on the token American troops, we can sneak up behind and disarm them. The timing of this will be absolutely critical since we don?t want any needless casualties.?   ?Very well.?   Outside the building, the gathered crowd was starting to buzz as speculation began to take hold. Then a radio message came over the police and JDF channels, making several of them frown. Several tense words were exchanged between officers but they had their orders.   Both police and JDF forces raised their weapons and trained them on the American forces. The American forces were so shocked that they wasted valuable seconds trying to figure out what happened. Just as planned, the Lunarian regiments flew out of the Diet building and cut off any escape for the Americans. Knowing that they were in a hopeless situation, they lowered their weapons. Lunarian personnel stepped forward, taking their weapons. Even the M1 Abrams were captured intact with no loss of life.   From inside the Diet chamber, Yukari and Eirin stood up. Without exchanging words, they left the chamber. Most of the Lunarian personnel followed them, save for the few that would hammer out the finer details of the agreement. Since word of Japan?s switch to the magic side would spread quickly, time was critical. Fort Buckner in Okinawa and Yakota Air Base right in town would be the ones that would have to be capture extremely quickly.   ?Have two regiments go to Yakota Air Base, and three regiments to Okinawa,? Eirin spoke to an assistant. ?Make it clear that they should avoid any bloodshed, but if they are fired upon, they are to follow the usual rules.? She turned her attention to Yukari. ?I?m surprised that American planes weren?t flying over us.?   ?From what my sources tell me, the commander of Pacific Command has just been sacked. Nobody knows why, so many of the other commands are erring on the side of caution. Which gives us the advantage.? Yukari cracked her neck. ?As long as we capture those two bases, the battle will be won and final. Which reminds me, how did Sumireko do??   ?She did very well.? Eirin scratched her chin thoughtfully. ?She?s extremely rough around the edges, short on discipline and critical think. But she has great potential. If I could get her for a month or two, she could easily be worth a regiment or two. And it would make the war end much faster.?   ?What about Tenshi or Youmu??   ?They are much more polished then Sumireko, but could still use some work. Youmu may need some more time to get over what she saw the other day.?   ?Would you be willing to take them under your wing??   Eirin didn?t respond immediately. Absentmindedly, she tapped the pommel of her saber. ?I could.?   ?But would you??   ?If they agree to it. Yuyuko would also have to give me her blessing.?   ?I?m sure that it won?t be a problem.?   ?What about the fleet??   ?It?s almost ready for its baptism by fire. I?ve instructed your people to try to get them to allow our fleet to use Tokyo as a port. My gut is telling me that the American counterattack will come through that port.?   ?Hmm. I?ll be sure to be here for that. Have the kappas finalized a design for the Viscount and Rejuvenator classes??   ?They finished them last night. Now they?re working on the Atago class with full concentration. Construction should begin in a few weeks once we get the shipyards up to task.?   ?I wonder how long it would take the Americans to counter us.?   ?It might take a while, but we?ll be ready. If we can get those aircraft carriers, we could turn the tide right at the start.?   Eirin?s attention was diverted by an assistant handing a scroll to her. ?Causality list is starting to come in.?   ?How bad??   ?Projections show that the fairies took the most damage out of any units on our side. Especially the group that Cirno was leading at the Misty Lake. Some of my people say that she?s quieter than usual.?   Yukari gritted her teeth at that. ?That?s what I wanted to avoid. I don?t care that they respawn as soon as they die, I didn?t want them to get hurt like in the first place.?   ?We?ve lost three regiments, which was somewhat expected after what happened with that cavalry unit.?   ?And we lost the one person that could keep Tenshi under control.?   ?Have you recovered the bullet that killed her??   ?We couldn?t find it.? Yukari shook her head. ?A single bullet that can kill a youkai. We need to know what it is. We don?t need the Americans holding an advantage of that magnitude over us.?   ?Perhaps there are some in the captured equipment.?   Noise from a jet engine flying above them interrupted their conversation. Looking out of the window next to them, the pair can see an F-22 fly over the area and disappear behind the skyscrapers.   ?Looks like they were here for a look,? Yukari observed.   ?That airfield should be getting some unexpected visitors right about now,? Eirin looked at one of her assistants for confirmation, which she got. ?Good. We?ll be taking a short trip. Hopefully they have some good restaurants nearby.?   L3 Lagrangian point, Earth and Moon orbit   A lost and forgotten relic floating around in space, the Torifune Ruins represented a true midway point between the Earth and the Moon. By all appearances, the war that was heating up should never touch it. But appearances were incredibly deceiving. The animals that have been part of the original expedition had died off, but their descendants were still very much alive. Much inbreeding and mutation had taken place, creating entirely new species of animals found nowhere else in the solar system.   The sounds of soft footsteps was hidden by the sounds of the chimera all around. A tall blonde woman in a black dress and a red and yellow tabard with a phoenix crown moved her red eyes over what she saw. She kept her hands in her large sleeves in front of her. Keeping a slow pace, she moved with a natural yet precise walk. Her soft black shoes were perfectly clean, not even attracting any of the dirt on the ground.   A chimera poked his head out from behind a bush and began to sniff the air. When it sensed the woman, it scurried away while whimpering. Without even slowing down her walk, she used the tails of energy behind her to cut through the vegetation. Her eyes narrowed when she found just what she was looking for. It almost felt like it was being handed to her.   A computer console on standby glowed with a faint light. With a wave of her hand, it came back to life. For a second, she thought about disturbing the orbit and crashing the ruins into the moon. But she forced that thought out of her mind and waved her hand again. A projector in the console emits an image of a mountain. A section of it begins to flash quickly. She takes note of it and waves her hand to shut it off.   ?It is in the mountain,? Junko spoke to herself. ?My revenge on Chang?e may come earlier than I expected.?   ?Then I?ve should have seen it,? Hecatia?s voice came from behind her. ?Are you sure that this agreement is the best way??   ?I may have strong feelings of dislike and repulsion against that man, but he is the one that has inflicted damage on the Lunarians.?   ?He doesn?t have his title for show.?   ?He may be the god of disaster, but I doubt that betraying us would work out for him.?   ?I?m just worried about you. I?ve never seen you like this before. It?s almost like?Revan. Right when he was turning down that path and everything went straight to hell.?   ?I do not know who you speak of. But I can assure you that I am fully in control of this. Chang?e will be punished and I will finally avenge my son.?   ?You could?ve waited until the end of the war, when both sides would be exhausted.?   ?Is that outcome certain? I much rather make sure that things occur according to my design.?   ?But is this really the best way??   ?Of course. All we have to do is prolong the war as long as possible so we can maximize damage. Perhaps I can cross paths with that shrine maiden and that magician that defeated me recently. I am sure that they would be happy to see me.?   Hecatia stayed quiet as she looked up at the stars. She thought about how she liked visiting the ruins since they were so quiet and peaceful, even with all the mix and max animals walking around.   ?If it makes you feel better, take a look at this.? Junko hands her a small book.   Taking a look in the book, Hecatia smiles slightly. ?I?m sorry I doubted you.?   ?I did my best to keep it from you, so do not feel as bad.? Junko smiled. ?If it is one thing I learned, it is to always have a fall back option even if you are sure of success.?   ?So if he betrays you, you can seal him.?   ?That is the plan. But I still require a few more pieces.?   ?Just for my curiosity, what if the Lunarians have some of the pieces we need??   ?I may end up leaving it to you then.?   ?Never change.? The Goddess of Hell laughed. ?But that still leaves one question. About who was the one that released him in the first place and how.?   ?The records are too damaged for me to find out.? Junko shook her head. ?If they were still around, it would be much easier to find all that we need.?   ?Too bad things don?t work out like that.? Hecatia paused. ?I forgot to tell you, but Clownpiece found that sword that you were looking for.?   ?Where is it??   ?She left it in your library. I made sure that she didn?t make a mess while she was in there.?   ?I have some candy on my desk. She can have a few as long as she does not spoil her appetite.?   The pair laughs as they turn their back on the computer and walk away. The console dimmed, resigning itself to another few years of nothing to do but float through space. Unbeknownst to the pair, there was a figure watching them. It flickered as it stood and waited.   ?Personality check failed. Falsified map and data projected. Returning to hibernation. Hibernation canceled. Windows update installing. Please do not power off or unplug your machine. Installing update 5 of 37.? Even the most advanced computers and technology were no match for system updates at inopportune times.

The Dratini Farmer:  The Savory Hotel, London, United Kingdom   Maribel had to stop herself from staring at all the luxury around her. The Beaufort Bar was in a buzz, with the piano and lounge singer creating a graceful tune. The black walls were tastefully accented by gold trim, an extremely elegant choice of d?cor. Renko had a glass of Louis Roederer Brut, sipping from it occasionally. The psychologist had a small glass of Havana 7, 40%, but was more interested in swirling the liquid than drinking it.   The pair had a little bit of time before the gathering was to begin. Around the room, members of various militaries were already in groups discussing random subjects. With the weapons expo still in full swing, there were a large amount of dress uniforms walking around. Maribel?s phone began to vibrate with a message from Yukari. It was a long one, split up into multiple boxes. She had given then the condensed version, which was something the pair was grateful for.   ?So the battle?s over,? the blonde muttered.   ?The Americans are not happy about this,? Renko said. ?The government is trying to keep it under wraps but it?s being leaked by someone in the State Department. And some people are already buying up ammo in case of government going too far. It might become a warzone over there.?   ?Yukari said she?s worried about a counterattack by the American Navy in Tokyo Harbor.? Maribel nursed her drink. ?At least they got Japan to pull out of the war. The American bases went silent a few hours ago, and a lot of people have already noticed. Word is spreading that we are the best shot at challenging American global power.?   ?At least the violence hasn?t reached here yet.? Renko looked over her shoulder. ?The whole world is falling to pieces. I always thought something like this happened in books and movies. ?   Behind them at a table nearby, members of the Russian Army were speaking with a representative from the Constellis Group. Several representatives from South Korea were also speaking to a group from Lockheed Martin about quickly acquiring a few aircraft. There was a lot of winking and nudging going around, which was business as usual if the US Congress hadn?t approved of the deal beforehand.   ?How much longer do we have left?? Maribel looked at her cell phone.   ?About ten minutes, we should probably go ahead and start moving over there.? Renko downs the rest of her drink. Maribel stood up and left a few Pounds next to her drink. She steps off only to have a clerk from the front desk stop her with an envelope. She takes it with a sense of caution, at least until she sees the sender. She rips open the envelope and reads the first page. She hands it to Renko as she turns her attention to fishing out the event invitations from her purse.   The pair approached the door to the Lancaster Ballroom and handed the tickets to the staff member at the door. They were waved through and gazed in wonder at the room. Tables with snacks and drinks were arranged around the room, with a small group providing light music. Servers were weaving in and out of the groups, with high end drinks and snacks on their plates. A server walks up to the pair and offers them drinks, which they both accept with a nod.   ?I hope you?re not getting too drunk,? Mamizou popped up next to them.   ?A little drink here and there can?t be that bad,? Renko replied.   ?True, but if you?re going to be talking to the executives of DSEI, you might what to be at your best.?   Maribel sipped her drink to the side, smiling as Renko was shrugging. The lights then dimmed and everyone turned their attention to the stage. A spokesperson from Clarion Events took the stage.   ?I want to thank everyone for attending this reception. We at Clarion Events are always striving to spread the word about our events and ventures, so we hope that you can help us in that regard. So far, the expo has been a resounding success, in no small part to the cutting edge technology being showcased. We take pride in being the first to be able to show these technologies to the world. Our company is dedicated to the advancement of world peace, which is possible with the right weapons in the right hands. We also believe in the policy of inclusiveness. Any company that has the potential to change the defense industry is never turned away, no matter how small or new they are. This applies to any state that wishes to see and ask about the advancements here.? The crowd applauded at the declaration. ?With that being said, we from DSEI would like to welcome the delegation from the new state of Gensokyo!?   Maribel and Renko had to catch themselves before they dropped the glasses in their hands. Polite applause rang out as many in the crowd tried to hide the fact that they were trying to find the delegation in question. The letter that they had read earlier had told them that Yukari had arranged a meeting with the executives, but they never expected to be called out like this. They both had a feeling that the gap youkai was watching them and laughing at their reactions.   ?As some of you may just be hearing, the outcome of the battle in Northern Japan between NATO and Gensokyo is becoming clear. According to several of our sources, NATO forces have been forced out of the country with Japan withdrawing from the war. This is the first time in modern history that American led forces have been so thoroughly defeated in conventional combat. As a professional analysis, we can see a longer war due to this development. It would be in the best interests of many around the world to take note and prepare accordingly. Everyone here is familiar with the role that American power projection has on stabilization and the recent conflicts that have just broken out due to this perceived weakness. We have seen reports of strange new technologies used by the Gensokyo and Lunarian forces, which we hope to prompt research with.  But we would rather allow all of you to come to your own conclusions. And we just want to throw out a small reminder that this is an open event, so hostilities will not be tolerated. So with that said, enjoy the reception.?   The lights came on again, with many in the crowd breaking off into small groups. A careful look would show that the groups could be explained by current alliances and agreements on a global scale. Mamizou walked away to speak with a few others while Maribel and Renko slowly made their way across the floor.   ?So, this is the delegation from Gensokyo that I was told about,? said an older man in a double breasted, dark blue suit. ?I was told to expect you by Lady Yakumo. She said you had a profitable deal to make with me.?   ?You?re the one that we?re supposed to talk to?? Renko asked.   ?If you want to have vendors at the next event.? The man downed his drink in one gulp. ?I?m already putting my neck, and my company, out by letting you two wonder around like this. The neutral ground tradition can only protect us from certain parties. As we all know, global politics can be a cutthroat game where the rules are loose and fast. The Americans are some of my biggest customers and once they know you?re here, things might get ugly. Both of you should know how they operate by now.?   ?We can make it worth your while,? Maribel pulled out a spell card and held it in her palm. A 3D image of a triangular ship floated above her hand. ?The Lunarians have developed a new type of ship that can revolutionize war.?   ?Looks like a madman?s dream. Or something a teenager made by picking up CAD software and a 3D printer.?   ?Our engineers are sure that it?s possible, but they can?t make all of the parts by themselves. But it has the ability to work.? Renko cut in. ?Think of all the money that can be made if your next event has the proof of concept as a keystone event.?   ?That?s assuming that it?ll work.? He scoffed.   ?The other weapons and equipment we can showcase can cover for that if it doesn?t,? Renko countered. ?We also have some surprises that can bring in contracts and money. You could be the next Alfred Nobel.?   ?I like your idealism, but in the world of business, we need numbers. I can?t eat or sell empty promises.?   ?It?s hard to put a number on something like this,? Renko said slowly. ?It?s not every day that a groundbreaking technology is unveiled.?   ?Then tell me how this new ship is groundbreaking.?   Maribel brought the model to eye level. ?The Royal Assault Ship is the first ship that?s designed to overcome geography. A combination of Lunarian and Gensokyo magic, it can fly at any altitude and can be armed with the heaviest weapons available. It can hold up to a regiment once it reaches its full size. Defense is handled by a shield that puts the experimental one by Boeing to shame. Using the same principles as our flight capable infantry, it has basically unlimited range.?   The executive was silent as he eyeballed the design. Then he reared his head back and laughed extremely loud, making several of the closer groups turn around. ?I love it! You kids have big dreams, just like Gates and Jobs did in their day. I?m interested enough to want in. Tell Lady Yakumo that her manufacturers will have a good word from me when I talk to the Sheikh for IDEX and we?ll discuss terms at a later date. I?ll be watching from the front row when the time comes.?  With a nod, he walks away.   A man with the rank of Commander in the Royal Navy bumps into Maribel from behind, causing her to spill a little of her drink. He immediately stops and pulls out a handkerchief to offer to her.   ?I?m sorry, I wasn?t paying attention.? He motions to the nearest server. ?Let me get you another drink.?   ?No, it?s fine,? Maribel looks herself over. ?None of it got on me.?   ?Commander Ian Fleming, Her Majesty?s Naval Service,? he held out his hand.   The psychologist decided that she might as well come clean. ?Maribel Hearn, representative from Gensokyo.?   The nearest groups instantly quieted down and turned to look at her. Several of them had to move their heads to the side in order to get a good look, almost like seagulls.   ?You are aware that we?re technically at war at each other?? The British man carefully said.   ?The expo is considered neutral ground,? she replied.   ?True enough,? the Commander shrugged. ?As a professional, I can?t let little things like that get in the way. After all, they did allow China and Russia to attend, even after all they did. But I?m too tired to do anything about it. As long as we don?t get into any shootouts, everything should be fine.?   ?Then can I ask a favor,? She pulls out a letter from her purse. ?I was given this letter to deliver to Parliament, but I think that it would be better if you did it for me.?   ?I suppose I could, but it would require me to explain how I got.? He shrugged. ?I?ll figure something out. If you excuse me, I have other affairs to take care of.?   Watching him disappear into the crowd, Maribel felt that she made the right choice.   ?Are you sure that this?ll work out right?? Renko asked her.   ?I?m playing this by ear, but it still feels right.? Maribel fell silent for a bit. ?Even though we probably made ourselves targets for as long as we?re here.?   ?They already knew we were here, so it really didn?t matter in the end.?   ?But since we?re on neutral ground at the expo and the hotel, we?re better off.?   ?At least from overt action, but if an accident happens?? Renko trailed off.   ?If something does happen, Yukari would take it personally. She doesn?t seem the type to let things like that slide.?   ?That reminds me of how the Mafia got into power.?   Maribel rolled her eyes with a laugh. ?Don?t tell me you?re bringing up The Godfather now.?   ?It?s one of the best movies ever made! I don?t see why you don?t like it.?   ?It?s just not my taste.?   Renko shrugged. ?I guess it is what it is. So what now??   ?Well, we finished what we came here for. Maybe head back to the room and pick up tomorrow??   ?That sounds good. I never really liked social gatherings.?   The pair retreated to their shared room and ordered Pizza Margherita for room service. Since the Savory didn?t stock Sprite, they had to talk the front desk into getting a pack and sending it up. Normally, they wouldn?t have been able to afford all of this, but Yukari had given them a Dubai First Royale MasterCard. She had told them to not worry about overspending since she promised them that she had stores of funds that would never run out.   This was in addition to a good sized salary that Yukari had insisted on giving both of them. She had justified it by saying that they now worked for the new government of Gensokyo and that they would be well taken care of. In a way, they were part of the founding group of the Stratocratic Union of Gensokyo. It still hadn?t hit Maribel yet, but the Gensokyo that she had known and loved had come out of hiding and had changed to survive.   The television was set to the international news channels, trying to get some grasp on how the international community was taking things. Eastern Europe was trying to limit the Russian advance to Ukraine, willing to let the country fall as long as they were left alone. Israel had stopped surrounding advances and were now taking land in every direction. International condemnation was slow since the rest of the world had their own problems. Iran had already lost half of its territory to the American carrier group that had launched the first strike. On the northern part of the country, the Kurds had already beaten back an advance by the Revolutionary Guards.   Maribel?s phone went off again, surprising the pair. Yukari had sent them an update on the situation with Japan and an opportunity. The gap youkai had pulled some strings with the Lunarians to help her out and would be giving her more details once they were finalized. Stretching, the college student flops back on the couch and starts to fight off the drowsy monster. Eventually, she gives up and makes her way to her bed. As soon as her head hits the pillow, she?s out.   McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois, United States   A last minute change in the keynote speaker at the Pittsburgh Conference and Exposition triggered a massive interest in the lecture that was scheduled to begin shortly. The Arie Crown theater was packed to the gills and even more people were outside, glued to all the TVs in the building. Rumors were flying around, with stories of all stripes being flung around. Some said the cure for cancer was about to announced, others say that the original speaker had his accreditation challenged, a few were saying that a coup was taking place in the organization.   News of the change spread even faster when it reached the internet. International interest peaked up, with scientists from all over the world tuning into the live stream. The IT department had to scramble setting up another server for all of the interested parties.   The crowd in the theater was mostly silent, looking over programs for any clues about the replacement speaker. Patchouli walked out on the stage with a book under her arm, causing a wave of whispers to erupt. Many were questioning her choice of attire, since she had come to a professional event wearing pajamas. She reaches the podium and adjusts the small reading glasses she?s wearing. Then she adjusts the microphone in front of her and taps it to make sure it?s on.   ?I am Patchouli Knowledge, Chief of Development of the Gensokyo Defense Force.? She paused, expecting a reaction that never came. ?I?ve been asked to come speak here on a subject that I?ve devoted most of my life to understanding and utilizing. Some of you may call it the outdated science of alchemy, others may say that it?s the stuff of fairy tales. But I bring proof of it here today.?   A table had been set up next to her with various metals, rocks and liquids. ?To set the record straight, I am not an illusionist. I have written many books that detail the system that we magicians use in the pursuit of our knowledge. We magicians uses a system just like the scientific method, with heavy record keeping. Before I continue, I feel that I must make my views on the relationship between magic and science clear.? She adjusts her glasses yet again.   ?The essence of magic is to determine the root cause of all things. There?s no distinction between science and magic.? Patchouli laid down her book. ?The earliest forms of natural study were based on magic.? She leaves the podium and picks up a bar of lead on the table that was set up next to her. ?This is a bar of lead, I would pass it around but that would take too much time. For the ancient alchemists, the magnum opus of their research was to convert this into gold. What many history books don?t tell is that it was an easy transmutation, once you had enough skill.?   The block glows with a bright light and then turns into gold. ?Once the process is over, you have a genuine piece of gold. 24 karats of gold in my hand, ready to be introduced into the market or used as a resource. Take this bar anywhere in the world, and it would stand up to any of the legal requirements for being considered gold.?   As proof of the reaction, she takes a pipet of nitric acid and places a few drops on the bar. It doesn?t react at all, and to further prove her point, she drops it into the bucket of water next to her. It sinks to the bottom, leaving no doubt. Bubbles rose to the top, disturbing the surface of the water.   ?With such a foolproof method of creating virtually unlimited amounts of gold, why not use it to make themselves rich and powerful? It would be the most sensible thing to do if you wanted to increase your status. Or to make all of their wishes come true.?   Patchouli returns to stand behind the podium. ?As we all know, the reason gold is so valuable is because it?s so rare. A sudden influx of gold into any economy would cause its value to plummet. Since gold was the primary form of currency for many governments in earlier times, it would have devastated them the most. As a result, many of those in power sought to keep that knowledge hidden. It was also feared that with such wealth, an alchemist could potentially challenge an established monarch. So it was also based on political power. And we all know how political power can be an obstacle.?   Another wave of her hand returns the metal to its original composition. A murmur comes from the crowd when they see this. Flashes from the cameras scattered around the room lit up the table that she put the block back on. That drove the point home that everything she was doing now would be broadcast for the entire world to see, so she had to make sure she did everything right.   ?Many of the alchemists that had the chance to write down their findings were under the employ of the various monarchs. They were sworn to secrecy on the penalty of death. I must stop myself now, since I?m here to speak about the physical laws behind this. Should anyone wish to hear more about this history, I will be happy to speak about it after the presentation.?   She turns her palm up and creates a small flame that dances above it. ?Once of the most important facts about magic is that it cannot break the laws of nature. It can bend them to the point of almost breaking, but no farther. This should be no surprise since magic is part of nature. The overall power source for our magic is the natural energy around us. This energy binds us and goes through all of us. As long as someone is born with a spark of potential, they can learn how to harness this power. I personally know a magician that was born with a faint sliver and dragged herself up to be the second most powerful magic user I?ve ever known. Her only flaw would be that whenever she sees something that she likes, it ends up coming home with her.?   The room kept quiet as she began to pace. ?Magic may be concentrated in Gensokyo, but it is far from disappeared in the outside world. From my understanding, the main reason that Gensokyo was founded was that faith in youkai was dropping to a dangerous low. In order to counter that, it was required to create a land that time forgot. In this land, magic is extremely strong, since it is more abundant. With the recent failure of the barrier, that magic is leaking into the rest of the world at an accelerated pace.  I would go as far to say that all of you have had some experience with magic on this side. This experience is called religion. Every religious system known to humankind is in some form developed from magic.?   Patchouli was forced to pause as murmurs threated to overpower her speech. ?If you take your personal biases out of the equation and look at it as an uninvolved observer, you?ll find that I?m right. The stories behind many of the world?s religions have supernatural aspects, which some would call magic. The stories of calling down fire from the skies, of humans taking flight, of controlling water, they are all possible. Magic gives us the ability to influence and change the world around us. In this way, we can reconcile the differences between science and religion. This can end one of the biggest feuds in history and unite two separate bodies that have always been the same side of the coin.?   It was good that her words caused many in the audience to burst out in disbelief since she needed to drink some water at that very moment. She hadn?t had to talk so much in such a long time that she needed to get used to it again. If what Yukari had told her was right, she would have to get used it fast.   ?The Spear of Longinus that was said to piece Jesus as he hung from the cross can be replicated by a spell. This spell can also implant the attributes into the replication. The Philosopher?s stone that can bring riches to any that possess it can be summoned by my hand. The golems that were said to guard the Temple of Solomon can be created and controlled by anyone that can use magic with attributes of the Earth. It?s true. All of it.?   To demonstrate her point, she raises her hand above her head. A silver lance began to build itself as it lightly floated into her hand. ?One more point about using the religious side of magic is that it?s based on symbolism on a mental level. A much more disciplined user can use spells of this type without the aid of symbols, but we prefer to use the less troublesome method. In this case, a broom or a map can be used to focus the energy of the spell and take the needed attributes.?   She snaps her fingers and the spear disappears. ?In a way, a magician is equal parts chemist, physicist, historian, and theologian. Some magicians that specialize in other fields can embody other conventional disciplines. Even with the more knowledge they have, we magicians still cannot be experts in every single subject we study. My field of study is elemental magic, which is a subset of physical science. Using the knowledge that I have accumulated over the decades of my studies, I have found many ways to control the environment around myself. Others have specialized in heat and light magic, and are on the verge of discovering a sustainable energy source.?   The screen behind her turned on as she tapped on the podium. A picture showing a danmaku battle between Tenshi and Marisa was the focus. ?Everyone that can use magic in Gensokyo is specialized in one certain area, based on their abilities. This doesn?t mean that they can?t dab in other kinds of magic, but they won?t be as good as someone that?s naturally inclined or brought up in that field. It should only be considered natural. After all, would a doctor that specializes in sports medicine be the best choice for internal medicine??   Raising her hand yet again, she creates a mass that looks just like a galaxy. ?There are some among us that can bend the laws of reality. I know someone that can create wormholes in any location, another one can create a loop that isolates the Earth from the rest of the universal. You may ask why I bring those two examples up. The first one is to show the limitations of physics as understood by the international community. It is a widely held belief that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. There has been a fair amount of research into wormholes, but little progress. If she were willing to provide scientific data, I would bet that the field of physics would be advanced by at least thirty years. The second example happened in practice a few years ago. During an internal incident in Gensokyo, it was imperative that the Earth be removed from the universe for a short time. The details of the incident are still under review by many, so that is all that I can say for now.?   Closing her hand, Patchouli dispersed the tiny universe. ?But the spell that was used, I can discuss that at length easily. The spell?s purpose was to introduce a loop that would isolate the Earth from reality, for a short time. In order to buy time to find the caster, four teams of two each were sent. As a precaution, a spell that would extend the night was cast. But this spell was casted by someone with only a hastily familiarization of that type of magic. It came as no surprise to anyone when it was ripped apart with just a wave from the mastermind of the incident.?   Flipping the pages of her book until she reaches a certain passage, she pauses her speech. She sighs, since it was dealing with an area that she was weak in. ?This mastermind is also a medical expert that has devised numerous cures and treatments. Medical affairs are completely out of my expertise, which I hate to admit. In my short time experimenting in medical spells, I ended up burning my lab down multiple times.?   Patchouli pinches the bridge of her nose and closes her eyes as she fights back bad memories. ?As a result of my failures in mastering medical magic, I lost a number of friends and couldn?t help others. It was a needed lesson, one that taught me that pride was something that I could not afford. In our line of work, pride can blind us to answers that could solve the biggest problems that we face. I have seen it lead to foolish experiments that have cost researchers their lives.?   To emphasize her point, she creates a mini Royal Flare in her palm again. ?Just like this flame that dances around in my hand, magic is a living thing that can bare its fangs at any moment. It can provide warmth, or it can burn those that get too close. It is this warning that I give all of you. Now that magic will be recognized by the outside world, it can be turned into something that can bring more devastation than nuclear weapons. In order to counter this, we as the researchers that at the forefront of discovery must take care that we do not lead to more destruction. We are at the same crossroads that the researchers faced when the atomic bomb was developed to end the Second World War. They made the best decision that they could have at the time, but it still wasn?t enough. The world cannot afford another Cold War with the threat of global destruction. There are too many unstable elements in the world for a balance of power. That?s all I will say about politics that will affect our area of science.?   She closes the book that she?s holding. ?I hope that my presentation wasn?t too confusing. I understand that this may require some time to sink in. All of you will receive the chance to study and experiment with magic for yourself. I would ask that you think long and hard about what you will do about it. I will hope that all of you resist the lure of power that comes with a groundbreaking discovery. This is the underlying cause of the rapid descent into destruction that comes with new technology.?   With that, she nods in closing. ?Now that I have said what I wanted to, we have time for questions.?

The Dratini Farmer:  Royal Training Facility, Dark Side of the Moon   On a platform high above a chasm, Sumireko twirled her saber as she waited for a signal. She looks up at the control room, meeting Eirin?s gaze. Tenshi and Youmu were watching from the side, they had already gone and were waiting for the end. In a case next to her, a scoped Mosin Nagant, a Vepr chambered in 7.62x54r, an AR-15, and two Walther P-38s watched her.   The purpose of the exercise was to see where she stood before Eirin took her under her wing. All the girl had to do was take down as many of the familiars as she could, while her flight ability was suppressed. She shook her legs out, getting herself ready.   A buzzer goes off, with familiars dropping on the platform. Sumireko spins her sword as she turns to face them. As they step forward, the girl changes her mind and rips the Vepr out of the case. She rocks the twenty round magazine into the well and pulls the bolt back. With a soft, but firm telekinetic grip on the red dot sight?s power knob, she sets it to an automatic brightness setting.   The twenty three inch long barrel with a Panzer style muzzle break gave her the best combination of power and accuracy. But all that she was worried about at the moment was the power. She pulls the trigger and sees the muzzle blast directed to the top and sides. Her left ear starts to hurt something fierce and then a ringing replaces the pain. She knew the round that she had just fired was big, but she never expected it to be this bad. The round that she had fired hit one of the familiars in the chest and dropped him.   Quickly putting in ear plugs, she brings the rifle back up and fires again. The next familiar she drops gets knocked off of the platform by the soft point round that hits him. Each familiar that she takes out is replaced by two, stocking the odds against her. With an increasing number of enemies in front of her, she?s forced to start stepping back.   She pulls the trigger again, only to get a click from the rifle. Her hand slaps against her belt, only to find that she didn?t have any ammo pouches on. Now, the twelve pound rifle was nothing more than a heavy stick. The thought of using the rifle as a club crossed her mind, but she rejected it out of hand. Slinging the rifle, she pulls her saber out again. With a leap forward, she skewers the closest familiar and slams it into the ground.   Sumireko moves to the side, dodging a stomp. Since her saber was still stuck in the ground, she raises her hand towards the gun case. The two Walther P-38s, along with the gun belt, flew into her hand. She twirls the handguns, telekinetic loading them before they get done spinning. She disregards what she sees, relying on her gut to guide her hands.   Each pistol held eight shots each, for a total of sixteen before she had to reload. Both pistols had walnut grips, the right had a clear coat while the other had a natural feel. That way, she would know which one was which with only a touch. She fires a few shots, grateful for her hat to keep the shell cases from hitting her in the face. The Walther had the somewhat unique attribute of ejecting the cast to the left. This means that if she held the right one like normal, the shells would hit her in the forehead or her eyes.   Emptying her pistols into the familiars, she uses a repulse to buy herself more time. She spins them and reloads, getting them ready for a second volley. Concentrating on the one in her right hand, she holds her ground as she drops eight more familiars. Before she can bring the left pistol up, she gets jumped on. The wire frame tries to punch her in the face, only for her to duck and land an elbow into its throat. A hasty repulse knocks many of the closer ones off of the platform.   Sticking the right P-38 into its hostler, Sumireko draws her saber and throws it. It spins, opening a path for her to get away from the edge. Taking her chance, she positions herself to get the most amount of kills when the saber returns to her hand. With only one familiar blocking the path to the gun case, she launches a spinning kick that sends the wire frame male figure into the air.   Sumireko grabs the Mosin Nagant, noticing the stamp of ?1942? on the receiver. She leans forward with her feet apart and her knees bent. The first shot, surprising her with the noise and recoil, creates a dust cloud. The girl cycles the bolt, loading another round. The 203 grain soft point rounds were propelled through the barrel, making the rifle kick back hard against her shoulder. The steel plate on the buttstock didn?t help either.   With such a large muzzle blast, she was able to use it to disorientate the closest enemies. Each shot had the additional property of penetrating up to three familiars and to mess up five more. The extended magazine ran out, so she spun the rifle and grabbed it right behind the front sight post. Ignoring the heated barrel, she starts to spin. The heavy wooden stock worked wonders in clearing the space around her. As time went on, the familiars began to grow bolder with more of them jumping towards her. She wished that she had a bayonet, but the muzzle brake prevented the original bayonet from fitting the front sight post.   Dropping the Mosin carefully to avoid knocking the scope out of alignment, she grabs the AR-15. The thirty round magazine was filled with alternating soft point and open tip match rounds. She empties the weapon and drops it. The girl then charges up a punishing barrage of lighting that envelopes the platform. More familiars rise up, making Sumireko frown.   Back to her dual blades, she quickly finds herself surrounded. The girl launches an upward strike the throws her target into the air. Then she charges the body with lightning and slammed it into the floor. She double jumps over the rest of the crowd, landing with a downward strike. She starts an elegant dance, with long and sweeping movements that create a bubble around her.   A push here and there creates even more chaos as bodies fly in every direction. Just as she?s about to create a quake, she doubles over. Her hands fly to the sides of her head and she was frozen in place for a few seconds. Images began to flood her mind, making a cold sweat pour out. The image of a war torn city with a dark figure in the sky, a skyscraper being hurled at her, staring death itself in the eye, all of these images hit her. An icy grip took hold of her heart, she could swear that it slowed down a little. An intense wave of hopelessness washed over her, nothing like she had ever felt before.   The image of the dark figure in the sky made Sumireko?s perception of time screech to a halt. It seemed to cast everything in black and white, with the notable exception of white and blue flames dancing around it. In her gut, she knew that nothing she could harness would be able to make a dent or even a scratch in it. Her eyes go wide and she begins to shake uncontrollably as she understands. A name in a foreign language she didn?t recognize, which sounded somewhat like a harsher version of English, repeated itself.   Sumireko breaks from the paralysis by using a repulse that causes some of the consoles in the control room spark. She uses her sleeves to wipe the cold sweat off of her face along with the tears that she hadn?t notice until just now. The moon rabbits tending to them changed the settings to bring them back under control, avoiding overloads.   ?Start the earthquake module,? Eirin ordered. Yukari had warned her about his, so it wasn?t that much of a surprise. At least she would be able to get a better overall picture with this. The colonel tapped her temple, giving the medical officer an unspoken order. The Lunarian doctor nods and throws on her lab coat as she leaves the room.   Before Sumireko could recover, the platform began to shake. The familiars didn?t slow down, so she had to flail for a little bit. She?s on all fours when she realizes the pattern behind the shaking. The girl pushes herself to her feet and then begins to bend to knees and adjust her center of gravity. By following the pattern of the shaking she was able to stay upright.   But this came to a cost to her. With the every changing center of gravity, she wasn?t able to put as much force behind her blows. She punches the ground, sending the nearest familiars into the air. Then she throws lightning all around her. The images come back to her gain, making her angry. Her hands start to shake, and then flames are created by her blades.   She swings the sword, throwing flames everywhere. The familiars that get hit are burnt to ashes, and the heat counters the chill around her. Eirin frowns as she watches the flames get bigger and bigger. Sumireko stabs the floor with her blades and resorts to hand to hand attacks. The flames get lighter and lighter as she builds up more anger, increasing the heat.   A tornado kick creates a whirlwind of fire, creating an updraft that almost took her hat with her. She grabs her hat and stomps the ground. The impact from that stomp interfered with the module and forced it to restart. The platform began still, letting the girl focus more power on her blows. One unlucky familiar decided to charge her head on, only to be stopped by a punch. As it becomes stunned, she lands more hits on it before knocking it away.   With a roar, she creates a flame that begins to orbit her. She grabs the tail of the flame and brings it down in the middle of a group. Using the flame as a whip, she goes for low strikes. After slamming the flame too hard into the floor, it disappears in sparks. She unleashes a quick series of pushes that send familiars over the edge.   Blue flames with cores of white engulfed her hands, but didn?t burn her at all. She?s about to rear back for another punch when a siren goes off. The noise breaks her anger and she shakes her head to clear it. A walkway extends from the wall and connects to the platform. With a wave of her now shaky hand, the weapons that she had used flew back into their cases.   The board above the door flashed a number: 258. That was how many familiars she had taken down. She nods in accomplishment and looks at the window that Youmu and Tenshi were supposed to be looking out of. The pair were nowhere to be seen, which caused Sumireko to be confused. She kept walking, forcing her unsteady legs to keep moving. A few minutes later, she?s at her destination. Stopping before the door, she takes a few deep breaths and shakes her head to steady and calm herself down. The analysis room was full of holograms from the test, along with the data readouts.   Eirin was looking over a scroll and rubbing her chin in thought. As soon as Sumireko seats down at the table with Tenshi and Youmu, the Lunarian doctor pops into the room. The younger Lunarian swipes Sumireko?s hat off of her head, making it land perfectly in front of the twin tailed girl on the table. Then the newcomer drops what looks like a pasta strainer on the hatless head and hands Eirin a scroll.   ?Yukari told me about something like this happening.? Eirin?s frown becomes deeper when she sees the readouts. ?Something happened to you during that test, something big. Your vital signs still haven?t recovered from that. At the rate your heart is going, you should be having a heart attack right now. The scanner is picking up extremely high levels of norepinephrine, the chemical responsible for fear memory formation. What did you see??   Sumireko shuffled uncomfortably in her chair. She had been doing her damnest to hide the fact she wanted to crawl into a corner and cry her eyes out. Eirin places the scroll on the desk and crouches down to Sumireko?s eye level. With a hand gesture, she orders Tenshi and Youmu to leave them. The junior doctor grabs the scroll and opens it to take a look for herself.   ?Colonel,? the junior quietly interjects. ?If she could imagine it again, we could capture the image in this scroll.?   ?Are you up to it?? Eirin asks Sumireko. With a small, almost imperceptible nod, she agrees. Steeling herself, she brings up the image of the dark figure in the sky. As soon as the image become clear on the scroll, the doctor taps the paper. Eirin takes the scanner off of Sumireko?s head and pats her. ?That?s good. Take a few minutes to calm down.?   Eirin stands back up and walks behind the table with her assistant. The senior frowns and tilts her head as she tries to make sense of what she?s looking at. She regretted not making her wear the scanner during the test, but realized that all the lightning would have fried it. Reisen Udongein Inaba was already having a fun time replacing and zeroing the red dot scopes that were fried from the test. Eirin could almost hear the moon rabbit?s growls of frustration all the way from the armory. Earth made parts were hard to get on the moon, especially on the presently limited budget.   ?Colonel, take a look at the readouts from when I took the image,? the junior doctor with her hair in a tight bun pointed at the side of the scroll. ?Even imaging it caused her to break out in a cold sweat.?   ?I can?t tell what this is,? Eirin experienced a rare moment of frustration. ?It almost looks like a surreal painting.?   ?You mean that crazy art style from the Earth??   ?Yes.? Eirin narrowed her eyes. ?But what is this figure? But with the paintings that I?ve seen, it was easy to see what it was.?   ?I?m more concerned with why it?s black and white.?   Taking a magnifying glass from her pocket, Eirin looks for every single detail that could help.  She focuses on the dark figure, tracing over every line. ?For now, keep this between the three of us. I?ve got the feeling that we?re seeing something that we not supposed to.?   March 5, 1770, Boston, Massachusetts, British America   The lone sentry in front of the State House was hating life at the moment. A large crowd had gathered, intent on making his life miserable. All of this started when he had tried to get colonist to respect an officer. Then the butt of his musket had accidently found the side of that colonist?s head. A runner had been sent to the barracks to hopefully return with help. So, the sentry was just trying to hold out for now. Each second that passed made the situation look even more hopeless as the crowd began to grow.   Maribel was on the balcony, watching the crowd throw random items towards the building. A string of red moving towards the building catch the psychologist?s eye. A colonist moved to try to block them off, only to get a musket strike to the face and a few hits when he lands. Looking at the bright side, at least they didn?t go straight for the bayonet. Then the crowd would have really exploded.   A portly man runs next to one of the British soldiers, trying to ease tensions. The pair exchange words, but fail to defuse the situation. The portly man stops, trying to figure out the next course of action. Then he runs to a nearby bookstore and quickly locks up it. Even if a revolution started here, he wasn?t going to lose any books to looters.   A man wearing the insignia of a captain drew his saber and used it to force the mob away from the lone sentry. The look of relief on his face was a clear contrast to the current situation. The reinforcements numbered eight total and made a semicircle. The crowd presses against the soldiers, taunting and throwing things at them. Many of the Redcoats were fighting the urge to shoot.   Movement in the corner of Maribel?s eye diverts her attention to the building next to her. On the roof, Yukari was sitting there watching everything unfold. The gap youkai decided to partake in the tension by flicking a rock that hit one of the Redcoats in the arm. Before he could react, an angry colonist tries to grab the musket and take it from him.   A strike from a nearby soldier makes the colonist let go and sends him falling backward. Before he can hit the ground, the nearest members of the mob catch him and pull him back. The noise became louder and louder as word spread and the mob grew in size. Maribel looks up and sees that Yukari had disappeared. A shadow in the window next to her makes her turn.   The gap youkai had seven rifled muskets arranged in a half circle around her. She was waiting for the perfect moment to fire. The crowd began to push forward against the British troops, wanting a fight. Maribel jumps when a shoe hits the wall next to her. One of the Redcoats flinches from a brick that flies by him. He raises his rifle but hesitates to fire.   Another figure appears on the roof across the square. Maribel could only see that it held a musket, since it was wearing a cloak with the hood up. Yukari frowned when she saw it and redirected her muskets. Seeing this movement, the figure ducks down and disappears. With a spin, Yukari disappears into a gap along with her muskets.   Maribel felt that she needed a better view, so she ran towards the clock toward. She keeps running up the spiral staircase, with the crowd?s roar echoing around her. She reaches one of the windows and pokes her head out of it. Yukari and the cloaked figure were on the same roof circling each other with muskets at the ready. At a glance, it would seem that Yukari had the advantage, with multiple muskets floating around her, but the dark figure had a shotgun that evened the odds at this close range.   Yukari seemed unusually worried about the weapon pointed at her, countering her movements. Maribel just noticed that this version of Yukari was different than the one she personally knew. This one?s hair was shorter, reaching only to her shoulders and she missed some of the grace in her movements. It also seemed that she was uncomfortable with having so many muskets around her.   The cloaked figure took great care in keeping his face covered while walking. Shouting from the square diverted Maribel?s attention, making her look down. A colonist in the front the group raises his club towards one of the Redcoats. Before he can bring it down, a gunshot rings out. The standoff on the roof had turned into a shootout.   Yukari had jumped back and had dropped an iron door out of a gap that took the first round. Maribel could barely make out a small drop of sweat that rolled down the back of Yukari?s head. Her muskets fire one at a time, switching out after they get used. For the first time, Maribel saw Yukari run on the ground. The gap youkai jumps over the second blast and recalls one of her used muskets.   Flipping it over to grab the area behind the front sight post, she swings it towards the dark figure. The figure brings his double barrel shotgun up and blocks it. Deciding that this was a wash, the figure spins and runs towards the edge of the building. Summoning a new set of muskets, Yukari fires at the fleeing figure. The angle of the two meant that the missed shots went right into the mob. The first colonist had already hit the ground before the mob realized what was happening.   By the time the figure reached the ground, Yukari had missed him. But she had ended up shooting into the crowd. As soon as the second colonist fell, the mob dispersed in a frenzy. This spooked the British troops, making some of them fire into the retreating crowd. By the time they left, eleven bodies were laid out around the square. In front of the State House, the Redcoat captain sent a runner to the barracks for the rest of the regiment. Time was of the essence.   Yukari throws the last musket off the building and turns around. She rips open a gap and walks into it, barely containing her rage. Maribel looks down at the square, seeing a small group of colonists pick up and carry off the eleven bodies on the ground. Just because the crowd had dispersed from the square didn?t mean that they had dispersed completely. The area around the State House had turned into a powder keg.   Colonists had grabbed whatever they could get their hands on and had taken to the streets. The captain knew that the next few hours would be critical in restoring peace or starting a rebellion. He gives the order to reload, with the mistaken belief that they had been the ones that had shot the mob. Now all the Redcoats could think about was surviving the night.   Maribel leaves the clock tower and leaves the State House. Sneaking out of the back door, she tries to avoid bumping into anyone. But it didn?t matter since they couldn?t see or touch her anyway. A bar down the street seems empty, which would give her the chance to understand everything that was happening.   She opens the door, and steps in. The scent of pure tobacco reached her nose, covering up less agreeable smells. The bar was two floors, with tables under the walkway. Maribel takes a seat near the back, a habit that she had picked up in college.   ?She?s almost here.? Maribel almost jumped out of her skin when she heard a voice come from the bench behind her. She turns her head back and sees a drunk slouched over the table. The girl decides to dismiss the statement as some random mumbles but the man continues.   ?Time is a funny thing, isn?t it?? The man hiccups and takes a swig from the half full stein in front of him. ?People think that?s it straight and will always be like that. They don?t realize that it?s ever changing. It?s like a string made out of clay. All it needs is someone to grab ahold of it and bend it to their will. But would they make it better? Or would they break everything? I wonder, is this the original line, or something else??   The man straightens up and looks behind him. Maribel gets chills when she realizes that he?s staring straight at her with whited out eyes. The blind man was in rough shape, with a wild beard and tattered clothes. Even with blind eyes, he managed to look right at Maribel. The one thought that was going through her mind was that no one should be able to look her in the eye here.   ?She will turn all of fate?s misfortune to nothing. She will flood the earth with magic, And take all of humankind into her play. A moving stage construction. If everything is in a play, no unhappy things will exist. It may be a tragedy, but it?ll all be part of the script. The play stops on Walpurgisnacht, And the earth does not turn even once more. The story will not change. Tomorrow, and the day after, is the night of Walpurgis.?   With that being said, the man turns back and slumps back down. The stein gets knocked over and spills the remaining ale. Maribel staggers to her feet, waiting for more. But the man stays still and soon, the sounds of snoring could be heard. She looks around, but only the two of them were in the bar.   ?Walpurgis?nacht,? Maribel had trouble pronouncing it due to her rusty German. If her memory served her right, it was the name of a festival in Europe. She went over what the drunk had said, it still didn?t make sense. What would a festival have something to do with her? And why did the poem that she had just heard have such an ominous sound to it?   Shouting from outside the bar ripped her from that train of thought. She looks out of the window and sees a massive group of people with torches and pitchforks being waved around. In all of what had just happened, Maribel had forgotten about what was going on outside.   The shouting got even louder as Redcoats forced their way into the square. They helped to reinforce the positions that the small advance group was having trouble holding. Orders were to shoot anyone that tried to rush the line, making the crowd much more cautious. Runners had been sent to bring the Acting Governor and his Council to the State House. The commander of the British troops was also being brought to the building.   Maribel scanned the area, looking for Yukari. Her search turned up nothing, so she decided to go back to the State House. As she rounds the corner, a colonist slumps into the wall and falls face first. A flintlock pistol is knocked from his hand as a small pool of blood forms under him. Stepping back, she sees a hooded figure blending with the crowd and walking away.   With the unsteady light caused by the streetlamps. Maribel tries to follow the hooded man. He weaves through the crowd, always careful to avoid gathering attention. A few minutes pass before someone notices the dead body and panic sweeps the crowd. A lone tax collector had been hiding behind a bookshelf but was recognized by a random colonist. He was then dragged into the middle of the angry crowd.   Moving away from the crowd, Maribel had a faint idea of what was going to happen to him. It didn?t escape her notice that her attire would have been strangely at home in this time period. She stops when she sees something simmering in front of her. Reaching her hand out, she places it slowly on the area that was wavering. At first it seems to be solid, then her hand slowly went through it.   She takes a sharp breath as she sees images flood her mind. The girl staggers back, steadying herself with the wall next to her. Maribel raises her hand and concentrates on the space above it. She starts to see the makeup of reality above her palm. With concentration that was strong enough to bring sweat to her forehead, she creates a small opening in space.   But just opening it wasn?t the end of her struggle. She found that she had to keep focusing power on the rip in order to keep it from getting bigger or closing up. Releasing her concentration, Maribel watches the gap disappear into nothing. The wavering of the area disappeared a few seconds after that.   A voice cut over the noise that the mob was making. Maribel turned towards the source of the voice, seeing that it was the balcony of the State House. The Acting Governor was pleading with the mob to disperse before more violence erupted. A brick crashed through the window next to the balcony, prompting several constables to tackle the offender and drag him way.   Clergymen were in the crowd, doing their best to calm the tension. It was only due to the fact that they were recognized as men of the cloth that they weren?t accused of being loyalists. Maribel watches the scene in front of her, keeping an eye out for Yukari. A slight wind blew through the area, causing a chill to go down her spine.   She turns to look at the sky. A blood red moon was casting a sinister light all around. But something was off about the timing. Maribel?s gut was telling her that a lunar eclipse shouldn?t be happening. Deep down, Maribel was sure that the eclipse had something to do with the heighten aggression that she was feeling all around her.   Something in the corner of her eye grabs her attention and makes her focus on the rooftops. In the moonlight, a figure watched the chaos and then turned away. Maribel stood where she was, wondering what she should do now. She jumped when she heard someone shouting German close by.   A small detachment of Hessian troops were embedded were pushing colonists back from the British perimeter. Several of the colonists were trying to push them away, but ended up hurting themselves. An idea popped into Maribel?s head and she focused on a flintlock pistol hanging from a Redcoat?s belt. Two portals opened, one above the pistol and another below it.   Maribel sticks both hands into the portals right in front of her. She unhooks the pistol and grabs it. Once she pulls it out of the gap, she admires the craftsmanship of the weapon. The young woman brings it up, a little uncomfortable with the weight. She thinks about pulling the trigger, but decides not to after all. She had a feeling that she would be needing it sometime soon.

The Dratini Farmer:  Celestial Governor?s Palace, Bhava Agra, Gensokyo   Reimu was the first human to be allowed into the building that housed the head of the Celestial in over a thousand years. She admired the beauty of the interior, but wished that she had been able to come at a better time. As the much more experienced Shinto miko in Gensokyo, she had been the one that was to oversee Iku?s funeral. Sanae had been helping her, but the girl had little to no experience in funeral arrangements.                                    Lord Nai had not left his study ever since the battle, leading to wild rumors spreading far and wide. The only communication that anyone had with him was the orders that he wrote down and sent through his butler. Tenshi had returned from the moon and had been the one that had served as the family member that took part in the preparations. Word had gotten around that she was in one of her moods again, striking a bit of fear into the nobles that had considered Iku an enemy.   For the first step, matsugo no mizu, the Celestial had been the one that had wet Iku?s lips in accordance with tradition. She had also been the one to wash the body and had stayed in front of the family shrine for hours to announce Iku?s death to the spirits. Iku?s body had been placed in the casket with her head pointed north. Even with Reimu and Sanae keeping watch over the casket, Tenshi had insisted on keeping watch until the funeral ceremony.   A few days into Tenshi?s watch, Reimu and Sanae were purifying the ground where the burial was supposed to happen. As a joint effort, Sanae was the one throwing the water while Reimu was praying. Once the pair were satisfied, they began the slow flight back to the Palace. Before the pair could speak, one of Reimu?s Ying Yang orbs began to shake.   The Red-White miko held out her hand as the orb spat out a scroll. Reimu made sure that the seal was from the Ministry of Right and Wrong before she opened it. As requested by both Lord Nai and Tenshi, she had been negotiating with several of the judges in order to make sure Iku?s spirit was given a fair shake. Normally, this wouldn?t be an issue, but since the local Ministry of Right and Wrong was at odds with the other branches, she had to make sure whoever had this case was impartial.   Reimu frowned as she read the letter, she did not want to have to make an appearance in front of the court. But as her duty as a shrine maiden, she really had no other choice. Even if it wasn?t her duty, she still felt that she owed that much to the messenger since she had done her best to keep Tenshi in line during her rebellious phase.   The pair knew that tomorrow was the day of the funeral ceremony and would be a long one for them both. They landed in front of the palace and stopped when they saw all of the activity. Sanae kept looking back and forth while Reimu grabbed a messenger and interrogated him. It wasn?t until she threatened to break his skull open with her goehi that he spilled the beans.   Lord Nai had called an emergency meeting of the families and had made it mandatory to attend. As soon as the last person had walked in, the door was sealed. Tenshi had been exempt from the meeting since it was obvious that she wouldn?t leave her spot.   Sitting next to the casket, Tenshi didn?t notice that Reimu had taken a seat next to her. Tenshi had deep bags under her eyes, giving her eyes a sunken look. Without a word, the shrine maiden grabbed her by the back of the collar and dragged her into the next room.   ?Sleep.? Reimu?s voice left no room for argument. ?It?s the shrine maiden?s duty to keep watch over the body. Take a bath and sleep. The funeral is tomorrow and it?ll be the last time you?ll be able to see her. She wouldn?t want you to be like this.?   Tenshi nodded in agreement, knowing that she was outmatched. Once the Celestial was out of the room, Reimu sat down in front of the coffin and bowed her head. Instead of praying, she started to think about what she would have to say when she went in front of the Yama. If the war kept on going on, this would start to become a regular thing. That realization almost moved her to tears.   ?I never wanted to put you in this spot,? Yukari?s voice came from beside her. The miko had been so deep in thought that she didn?t notice when the gap youkai had sat down next to her. ?I hope I?m not interrupting anything.?   ?I didn?t expect to see you here.?   ?Lord Nai has called an emergency meeting and has requested that I attend. Since I?m not going to gap myself in there, I can say that I was late due to walking.?   ?Is something happening??   ?There is always something happening,? Yukari paused. ?I didn?t want you to be surprised when you hear about the announcement that he?s making in the funeral.?   ?What announcement??   Yukari leaned in and whispered it into Reimu?s ears. The younger girl?s eyes widen when she realized what she had heard. She turned to focus her gaze on Yukari, who returned it.   ?But, she?s not ready for it.?   ?No one really is. But she?s the best chance they have, and Lord Nai isn?t hearing anything else. That?s what the meeting is for, he?s going to convince the Ruling Families to support his decision.?   ?What if they don?t??   ?They will, Lord Nai will see to it. He assured me that he has a few ways to get them to see things from his point of view.?   Reimu pauses as she organized her thoughts. ?Then what about her being placed under Eirin??   ?That?s one of the main problems. The Ruling Families don?t want to seem like they?re allowing themselves to be placed under Lunarian control. Even though they are our allies, I still don?t want to give them a foothold in Gensokyo. They can have the Outside World, but nothing inside the barrier.?   ?What if that?s what the Lunarians are really after??   Yukari bowed her head. ?With their regiments, I highly doubt that we would be in a positon to counter them. Having both Tenshi and Sumireko trained by Colonel Yagokoro would be a good start to closing the power gap. I would rather not have to worry about the Lunarians turning on us. They?ll think twice when they know that we?ve got too aces hidden in our sleeves. Especially after we premier our new fleets and new transportation method.?   ?You mentioned the fleet for a reason.?   ?I?ll need you to bless the ships. That way they?ll be able to hold their own in battle better.?   ?How many are there??   ?50 capital ships, with assorted support ships.?   Reimu?s head whipped around. ?You want me to bless 50 ships!?! Don?t you know how long it takes to bless one??   ?I know, and I?ll help you. We?ll have five fleets with ten capital ships each.? Yukari stood up. ?I made them wait long enough. The funeral service is scheduled for tomorrow, isn?t it?? She gave Reimu a head pat that she hope wouldn?t betray her wariness. ?Try to get some rest soon, you look almost as rough as Tenshi does.?   With one last look at the shrine maiden, Yukari left the room and walked out of the mansion. Down the mountainside, the Council Chamber was surrounded by a small crowd. When they saw Yukari getting closer, they parted to allow her to enter.   She enters the building, walking up the stairs to the chamber itself. The sound of arguments could be heard through the closed doors, increasing in volume. Yukari enters the chamber, triggering an even bigger explosion of shouts. This time, Lord Nai gave the offenders a stern glance and silenced them.   Yukari takes a seat next to the leader and leans her head in.   ?I didn?t expect it to get this bad,? Yukari sighed.   ?As soon as they found out that Tenshi was training under a Lunarian, it all went downhill. The opposing Families are trying to say that we?re selling out to them and threatening our sovereignty.?   ?Even if she?s your official liaison??   ?They practically called me a liar when I brought that up.?   ?Isn?t that grounds for a duel??   ?That?s why they stopped before they crossed the line.? Lord Nai shook his head. ?But with the way Tenshi?s been acting, she might fight them in my stead if she had heard.?   ?Then there would be a few less Ruling Families,? Yukari allowed herself a small smile. ?It would make it a lot easier to get things done.?   ?Or it might open us up to accusations of tyranny, which we, as Celestials, are not supposed to engage in again.?   ?I see.? Yukari moved her gaze around the chamber. ?Are you still wanting to go through with this??   ?There?s no other way,? he rested his head on his hands. ?The current leadership isn?t suited to the way this war is going to happen. And, it?s time for us older folk to step aside for the new generation.?   ?I hope you?re not calling me old.?   ?You don?t look a day over 21, so I hope you understand why I was hesitant to trust you when we first met.?   ?I appreciate the compliment,? Yukari smiled. ?I?m much more concerned with changing horses when we?re halfway across the river.?   ?Peace has made me lazy and unsuitable for war footing. And I?ve got a feeling that something will happen tomorrow that?ll cement her right to the spot.?   ?I look forward to it.?   Lord Nai nodded and then stood up. ?ORDER! THERE WILL BE ORDER!?   His shout silenced the room so fast and commanded so much attention that one noble didn?t realize that a shoe was heading towards him until it hit him in the side of the head. The loud noise it made as it impacted and then slide to the floor was ignored by the rest of the occupants.   ?It has come to my attention that several of you have doubts about my daughter?s loyalty ever since she agreed to place herself under the tutorage of a Lunarian. I am here to assure all of you that those doubts are unfounded. I am also going to warn all of you to watch your tongues whenever you speak to her. The recent battle has done much to change her and I fear that her self-control has actually gotten worse. She may go straight to trading blows if she feels slighted now. So, as a gesture of goodwill, I will now ask this. Who here has a problem with my decision? Speak now.?   The room became quiet as no one stepped forward. Lord Nai swept his gaze through the room, challenging anyone to answer. Yukari studied the faces of everyone present, cataloging the information for future use. Even though politics wasn?t something she was fond of, she still had a good amount of experience in it.   ?Now that this is settled,? Lord Nai paused. ?I wish to bring a matter to the attention of this body. According to the reports that I?ve been receiving from the latest battle. Lady Yakumo has advocated for the creation of a fleet that?ll help to create a buffer zone. This concerns us due to one ship in that new fleet. This new ship has a proposed name that will need our blessing. The name that has been proposed is Nagae.?   He waited and was not disappointed by several shouts of objection. Taking a deep breath and looking up to the ceiling in an attempt to keep himself composed. The head Celestial allowed the shouts to die down, and then pulled himself to his full height. Even with the wrinkles and white hair, he still created a formidable atmosphere.   ?As one of the most important birthrights earned by being born into the linage of the head of the Celestial government, I hereby use my singular veto for this matter.? The expected shouts were louder this time, but were cut off by him summoning a keystone and slamming it down on the desk in front of him. He used enough force to break the keystone and create a small earthquake that was felt throughout Gensokyo.   This was the first time in a long while that he had used such a move to restore order. For the older members of the governing body, it brought back memories of keystones being thrown out windows and through walls. Some of them still couldn?t get over the time that Lord Nai had thrown someone out of a window by mistake. The families that had used the beautiful grounds around the building for picnics had their peaceful outing interrupted by that nobleman falling three floors.   ?The matter is settled. Lady Yakumo,? he turned to face Yukari. ?You have our blessing to use Iku?s family name for that ship. All we ask is that you lead that ship to live like she did.?   ?Since you gave the Nagae your blessing, I think it?s only fair if you decide who the captain is.? Yukari opened her fan. ?   ?Would Tenshi be suitable??   ?I have no problem with it.?   With a nod, Yukari takes her leave. Since her business was done, she really had no more reason to watch this anymore. If she wanted to see a circus, she could find better entertainment watching the kappas with their science experiments. She makes her way out of the chamber and leaves the building. The crowd was still focused on what little they could hear coming from inside. She kept going, past the front gate and onto the road that lead to another part of the mountain. This road was surround by a heavily wooded area, extending as far as the eye could see. A fair distance down the road, she steps off of the road and goes into the woods.   The gap youkai leans back on a tree deep in the forest surrounding the chamber and bows her head down. The emotions that she had been holding back for the longest time had reached the breaking point and she knew it. The tears that flooded from her eyes created a path that resembled waterfalls. Her shoulders began to tremor, shaking a few leaves off of the tree.   Yukari looked up, her golden eyes distorted by the tears streaming out of them. The sky was blurred, all that she could see was the light blue above her.   ?I know my wish was selfish. But God, if you?re there, let her have a happy ending this time. I?m fine with my life being broken. Just please don?t let all of my sacrifices be for nothing and please don?t let her be alone.?   Hakurei Shrine, Youkai Mountain Branch, Bhava Agra, Gensokyo   Virtually all of Gensokyo was present at the funeral ceremony of Iku Nagae. Even the Lunarians had sent representatives in the form of Toyohime and Yorihime. Iku?s body was on a slab of the purest marble available that was placed on a pyre. Everyone was dressed in their finest funeral garb, with the exception of Reimu and Sanae, who had worn their traditional garments.   Iku was clothed in her usual outfit, with her hat on her chest. The magician that was entrusted to prepare the body under Reimu?s eye had completely healed the bullet wound that had killed her. He had done such a good job that she looked like she was asleep instead of dead.   Tenshi had worn her finest robe for the procession, the handle of her blade hanging off of her belt. Her hair was in a bun, reflecting the seriousness of the situation. She had her hands hidden in her sleeves in front of while she knelt in front of the funeral pyre. Under her robe, she wore a pair of pants and boots in case of one of the nobles decided to make a power play and she needed to put them in line.   Marisa sat next to Alice and Patchouli, a sinking feeling in her heart. During the last battle, she had lost count of how many times it could?ve been her in that casket. Sumireko sat a few rows back, next to Reisen and Youmu, feeling the same way. Even though the thought of being killed was always bothering her, this drove the point home more than anything else.   Reimu had her back facing the procession, adding more purified wood to the fire that would be used to set the pyre alight. She turns around and raises her gohei as she recites a funeral prayer. Out of respect, everyone in the room bows their heads. Once the miko is done, she motions for everyone to stand. Under her direction, everyone files past the casket in a single file line.   Marisa left a Chocolate Cosmos cutting, one that she found in the Forest of Magic earlier that day. Alice left a cutting of marigolds and Patchouli left an Agave plant. The librarian had shared a few drinks with the messenger, and Patchouli always had a bottle of mezcal on hand in case Tenshi had been frustrating that day.   Remilia left a peach color rose on her trip by and Sakuya left one of her best red velvet cupcakes. Sumireko left a boquet of flowers, she felt bad that she never had the chance to know her. Youmu left a small dagger and Yuyuko left a chocolate butterfly. Yukari left a bouquet of hyacinth, with the meaning behind them clear.   Reisen left a Houri plant, in full bloom while Eirin left a yellow ribbon tied into a knot. Kanako left a cutting of wisteria and Suwako left an iron ring. Staori left a kyber crystal and Koishi left an emerald. Byakuren left a set of prayer beads, Nazrin left a small wheel of the best cheese she had found and Shou left a lantern.   Tenshi was one of the last to pass by and she left a necklace with a keystone on it. She returns to her place in front of the casket and watches as her father is motion by Reimu to speak.   ?I wish for everyone here to know how grateful I am for your attendance. Iku was a valued member of our government and someone we considered family. She had a large role in Tenshi?s upbringing, and deserves more of my gratitude than I can ever show. It is a devastating blow to the war effort to lose Iku. This occurrence has also shown me that I am not suitable for leadership in a time like this. With a heavy heart, I?m announcing that I?m stepping down as head of the Celestials.?   Murmurs swept through those in attendance, mostly concentrated on the Celestial nobles. One of them began to sneer as he conferred with his cronies.   ?In my stead, I appoint-? Lord Nai was interrupted by the sneering noble.   ?Old man, you?re not appointing anyone.? He stood up. ?The Centralist party is taking over now, and I?m in charge. I move for a vote of no confidence in your leadership and I demand that the vote be conducted now!?   Tenshi stood up and turned around to face the man. She drew her blade, but was stopped before she could bring up. Reimu had used her gohei to stop the movement and held a spellcard ready. Yukari had trapped the noble?s sword draw with a gap, drawing on her deep reserve to keep from striking him.   ?This is a funeral,? her red eyes betrayed barely contained anger. ?I will not have a fight on holy ground.?   Lowering her blade, Tenshi left the shrine. The noble followed her out, then the rest filed out. Reimu and Sanae were the last to leave, but only went as far as the offering box. In the front of the shrine, the crowd was on the edge of the square. At one end, Tenshi had taken a knee and placed the handle of her sword in front of her. Lord Nai, Yukari and Eirin stood in front of her, listening to what she had to say. On the other end, the noble had done the same, with his cohorts listening.   A neutral party was needed to oversee the contest, so Alice was dragged into it. The puppeteer was familiar with how much damage Tenshi could cause, so she was ready to take to the sky at a moment?s notice. The two combatants stood and then faced each other. Alice looks at both parties and then steps back, signaling the start. With a strong kick off, Tenshi goes for an overhead strike. That strike gets blocked, so she goes into a spinning kick that connects. Then a headbutt sends him reeling back.   He jumps back and twirls his blade. Tenshi steps to the left and blocks the weak blow with her blade. With a twirl, she traps his blade and punches him in the face. He?s spun around, and fight the urge to end the fight right then and there. Instead, she kicks down and watches as he face plants. With a stomp, she brings up a pillar that sends him into the air.   The noble tries to flip to his feet, only for Tenshi to join him and grab him by the neck. With an effort, she slams him into the ground. A crater gets left in the ground and Tenshi lands softly on her feet. She twirls her blade and begins to pace again.   He rolls to the side, dodging a blow that never came. Tenshi watched as he got up and went into a low stance. In sheer contempt, the younger Celestial abandons all of her established fighting styles. She lures him to attack first, and steps back.  He takes the bait and goes for a stab. Tenshi ducks the stab and drives the pommel into his stomach with enough force to crack ribs.   Before the noble could recover, Tenshi planted her fist in his face. Then she uses the handle of her blade as a knuckleduster to hit the same place again. To help him find his way to the ground, she dug her knee into his stomach. With the noble on the ground, trying to catch his breath again, Tenshi began to pace in front of him. She twirls her blade as she waits for him to get up.   As soon as he struggles to his feet, Tenshi grabs him by the face and slams the back of his head into the ground. Then she grabs him by the front of his robe and throws him. Before he gets far, she stomps up a pillar that stops the noble?s flight. Three steps bring her in front of him and she spins him to face her.   Tenshi cuts power to her sword, leaving just the handle. With a level of savagery unseen before, she continues to beat the noble with everything she can. Alice felt that she should step in, but with the force that the Celestial was putting into her blows, she hesitated. Yukari watched, not willing to step into internal affairs in this case. Lord Nai was sure that Tenshi wasn?t going to listen in her fury.   Several of the victim?s supporters made moves to step in, only to stop when Sumireko and Youmu reached for their weapons. Eirin kept quiet, watching as Tenshi whaled on the poor man. The noble started to slide down, balancing on the border of consciousness. Blood was splattered all over his expensive robe, which was the least of his worries.   With one last punch, Tenshi lets go of him and lets him fall to the ground. With a twirl of her blade, she attaches the handle to her belt and turns back to go into the temple. Once she?s in front of Iku?s coffin, she hides her hands in her sleeves and kneels. She bows her head and loses herself in her thoughts.   The beaten noble was rolled onto his back by his comrades, saving him from choking on his own blood. With their champion beaten like that in front of everyone, the Centralist party was done in the Ruling Council. Lord Nai knew that this was the best possible outcome in the current situation. With the way power has shifted, Tenshi would have overwhelming support.   In most other situations, having this played out in front of outsiders would have weaken Celestial power. But now, everyone knew that Tenshi wouldn?t back down anymore. Yukari felt a sense of pride for the young woman, she was shaping up to be a leader with a decent head on her shoulders. She looks inside the shrine, watching as Reimu and Sanae sit next to her.    Eirin was the first to leave the crowd and bow to Iku?s coffin as she took her leave. Instead of the chatter that some expected from the crowd, everyone stayed quiet as they followed Eirin?s lead. After a few minutes, the front was empty. Lord Nai bowed to Iku?s coffin and then went off to walk in the forest. Yukari watched him go, debating whether she should have another word with him.   Sumireko took one last look and took to the sky. Eirin had given them the rest of the day to take care of what they needed to before going back to the Moon. The memory of her vision weighed on her mind, she had to find something to counter it. A few minutes away, she was at the entrance of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. If her gut was right, she would have her best chance here.   The pig tailed girl takes her hat off and hangs it on the hat tree next to the desk in the deepest part of the library. Patchouli had promised her that she would be back to help and gave her free run to look for what she needed. A card catalog sat off to the side, she hadn?t seen one in a while. She pulls open a drawer and pokes through a few of the cards.   She slams it shut, knowing that just jumping in would get her nowhere. Taking a seat in Patchouli?s overstuffed chair, she rests her chin in her hand. She knew little about actual magic, so she decided to get a basic textbook first. A few minutes later, she?s in front of a fireplace reading.   The Magical Treatise of Solomon had a section on summoning demons, which seemed like a logical place to start. She scans the pages, looking for the shape she saw in her mind. None of them match, causing her to throw the book on the table next to her.   Taking a pause, she closes her eyes and rubs them. On the table under the book she had just cast off, a map of the library captured her attention. In the back of the library, a section peaked her interest. It was labeled as ?Phantasm?.   A few minutes later, she?s in front of the labeled bookshelf. She tilts her head as her eyes scan the books. One of them seems promising and she reaches out to grab it.   ?I wouldn?t get that, if I were you,? Patchouli?s voice rang out.   Sumireko turns around and sees the librarian with a stack of books under her arm. ?There?s a reason why this bookcase is separate from the rest. Phantasm level spells have the power to cause unimaginable damage if not properly used. Remember the Black Death or the Tunguska event? I would wait until Eirin says you?re ready since I doubt a college student would be able to control the power needed.? She places the books on a nearby table. ?These books are the most basic that I could find about what you told me. If you find any leads here, you have free run of any section of this library.?   ?And if I don?t??   ?You have other matters to attend to, right? Eirin will keep you too busy to come back here for a while. But, I?m not too much of a grouch to let you leave empty handed.? She pulls a small book from the pile. ?One of my many works was to compile all of the books in this library into a single volume. It took until last week, but I did it. This book is what that is.?   ?Then what about the other books you brought??   ?Sometimes having the actual books in front of you can help,? Patchouli shrugged. ?But having this complete library can help keep you from ripping pages out of my original books. If you have a chance to see Marisa, tell her I have one to give her. Hopefully that can stop her from having to steal books every so often.?   Sumireko took the offered book. ?Are you sure that you want me to have this??   ?You?ll find a way to put it to good use. All I ask is that if you find new books, put this one on top of it to copy the contents.?   ?Anything else??   ?Not really. I?ll see you again before you find what you?re looking for. Try not to get in over your head before you bring me some new books.? With that, the librarian left to take a nap before continuing her research.   Before she could focus on her own research, her phone vibrates. A glance shows her that it?s a message from Reisen, concerning an upgrade for one of her rifles. She would deal with that the next time she went to the range. The more pressing matter was to find out as much as she could about the figure haunting her.

The Dratini Farmer:  Tokyo, Japan   With a good amount of negotiation, Yukari had helped Yuyuko with her wish of opening an orphanage and sitting out the rest of the war. The ghost princess was extremely happy with the new building that would be serving as her new home. A somewhat large yard with a small playground was surrounded by a brick wall, which gave the area a welcoming atmosphere.   Along with a small staff experienced in childcare, Yuyuko and Youmu were watching the arrival of their first group of wards. Officials from the government had already arrived and signed off on everything. Yukari was in the office on the second floor, watching through the window. Thanks to her transferring several of her bank accounts, the orphanage would never have to worry about funding.   Even with how happy Yuyuko was, Yukari still had bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. It started since she heard about how Global Arms, Limited had started ramping up operations in Japan. On the surface, it wasn?t anything to really worry about. But she knew that it was a shell company for the CIA that specialized in the arms trade. The CIA had a long and dark history of doing whatever they wanted to achieve their goals. This did not bode well for the next step of her long reaching strategy.   Marisa would be meeting with her first customers in a few days, Yukari remembered. The young witch would be trying to unload some of the M4s and M249s that had been left behind after the battles. Several interested parties, which include the New Irish Republican Army, the Ukrainian Ground Forces, and resurrected Panamanian Dignity Battalions, were drooling at the prospect of getting these weapons.   The chosen clients had a twofold purpose. The first was to sow confusion and more problems for the Americans, and the second was to create new targets. One of the aspects that Yukari had made clear to them when she had granted them the meeting was that any form of disrespect would not be tolerated. No one really knew, but Yukari had made arrangements for a long range strike against any target she choose. The problem was that it wasn?t really just yet.   The Americans were still steaming about the two back to back losses they had just been dealt, which encouraged several of their oversea agents to forget a few rules. If they manage to grab hold of Marisa, they would be put into a really bad spot. Especially since Reimu would move heaven and earth to get her back and Yukari would have to come along to make sure she didn?t do anything too reckless.   The American House of Representatives had just passed an emergency measure for more funding for Homeland Security with a rider for CIA contractors. According to her sources, the bill was set to be fast tracked through the Senate and would be greeted by the President?s signature as soon as it landed in the Oval Office. There was also a rumor that it had an immunity clause hidden in it.   Just a few days ago, the United Nations had been sealed off due to a confidential emergency meeting of the Security Council. Only the members of the Security Council were allowed in the building, sending shockwaves through the international community. Yukari had a feeling that the organization would soon be entering its death throes and would fade into history. Once that happened, she expected NATO to pick up the slack and expand. The Warsaw Pact was also rumored to be brought back, which would give the west a major headache.   The Kalashnikov Concern had just picked up a major set of contracts from both Russia and numerous other nations, giving Yukari a target for some embezzlement. This money would go towards buying more weapons that could be turned around for a profit. She might even have a few modified to create a thirst for magical weapons once humans saw how effective they are.   Yukari knew that Marisa would need more than a kitchen gun shop to counter CIA shell companies. Maybe something on the scale of Heckler and Koch or FNH. That would mean Marisa would have learn a few languages, like English and maybe Russian. The gap youkai would have to make some time to give her some lessons.   She sips some tea and opens a newspaper. The Mainichi Shimbun had a front page article about the developing partnership between Gensokyo and Japan. Yukari had sent a message to Finland, since she knew their history in stopping larger opponents. With the aggressive brown bear of the new Soviet Russia to the east hungrily grabbing land and the increasing aggressive NATO forces to the west, many of the northern European nations were being pressured into joining either one. But some of them would rather have a third option.   The Finnish government had jumped at the chance to have a powerful ally and had signed an agreement with her. They had even sent a few crates of weapons as a trade for some of the magical ones. Encouraged by her success, Yukari had sent messages to other nations and was waiting for responses from a few of the more isolated ones.   South Africa had responded to her feelers by giving her a small gift. They had sent thirty MK 1 Centurions, which were obviously mothballed since they smelled pretty bad. The small nation had recently examined their power and were wanting to get out from China?s influence. Having Chinese corporations try to force themselves on natural resources would wear out anyone?s welcome quick. Egypt was also wanting to leave the shadow of the United States and didn?t like the other alternatives.   The arms expo in London had been a complete success. With Maribel leaking the designs for the Royal Assault Ship to select corporations at the event, naval design had been put on its head. Hopefully this would delay the refitting of the Iowa and the reorder of the Montana class that was in the works. If the Rejuvenator could be brought out of the shipyards, they would be a match for those two classes.   With the success of the retrofitted fighters and bombers, Yukari had ordered full scale production of more P-47s, P-51s, B-25s, Spitfires, Typhoons, Shindens, and Zeros. A design flaw with the Rejuvenator class would be the lack of an onboard hanger, which meant that they would have to keep the restored carriers for the foreseeable future. Thinking about the available options, she reminds herself of something she had to do.   Typing off a quick text to Reisen, she sends it and lays back in her chair. Yukari was expecting noise later on, once the children became used to their new home. A wee little Welsh Corgi waddled next to and started to sniff her. She picks up the dog and sets him in her lap. His fur was soft and he stretched out to get comfortable.   ?I?ve always wanted a dog,? Yukari began to scratch him behind the ears. ?But I don?t think Yuyuko would like if I took you with me.?   The gap youkai took a doggie treat and held it in front of the pup. He began to hop a little, trying to get the outreached treat. She had thought about getting a platypus, but then she remembered how sensitive they were to environmental changes. The gap youkai had even picked out a brown hat for him to wear. She even thought about teaching it martial arts if the chance ever came up.   A tap on the window pulls her out of her thoughts. A crow had a small scroll and was waiting to be let in. Yukari opened the window and allowed the crow to fly away. The small scroll had a list of crime families that were rumored to be open to working with CIA shell companies. In other words, it was a hit list for Yukari?s people since the ICPO was wary with accepting her information.   Eirin had sent her a message earlier about Sumireko?s progress, which gave her high hopes. She had exceled in learning Northern Shaolin and Hung Ga kung fu, was progressing in tai chi, and getting the hang of Baguazhang. If the pigtailed girl kept up the progress, she could be the one carrying out the hits. Once that was done, she would have more time to devote to her research and watching over her younger sister and Maribel. At least until the foreign crime organizations got CIA backing to undermine the new partnership.   Yukari sits back down and opens another scroll laying on the desk. It was the proposed ship names for the new Rejuvenator class cruisers. Each of the five fleets would have a flagship, a backup for the flag, and a communications ship. They would have at least ten capital ships assigned to each fleet at any given time. The First Fleet, or the Home Fleet, would be commanded by Atago, with Kongou serving as backup and Haruna as signal.   The Second Fleet would be under the Kiyama, with support from Sphinx and Uiharu. The Third Fleet would be headed by the Furukawa? and have Otosaki and Ibuki. The Fourth Fleet would have Gensokyo, Courusant, and Gallifrey. The Fifth Fleet, or the Reserve Fleet, would contain Akemi, Kaname, and Shimada.   The rest of the ships in their respective fleets would follow the same theme as the command team. The prototype of the class, the Rejuvenator, would be allowed to float about from fleet to fleet instead of being tied down. Since it was the testbed for new technology, it also had to be kept out of enemy hands. Yukari believed that having it more mobile would be better than surrounding it.   The most important part of the new ship design was the ability to have the main cannons go into sustainable overdrive. The normal firing rate was limited to a little less than three rounds a minute, which was somewhat decent for a large caliber cannon, and faster than the cannons on the USS Iowa. Activating the overdrive for the cannons would boost the firing rate to fifteen rounds per minute.   But due to the extreme heat that was generated by the rapid fire, the cooling charms would not be able to keep up. To keep this feature from being abused, it would require two keys to be turned at the same time. The keys would be in the possession of the captain and the chief gunnery officer. And the pair would be required to help change out the barrels and calibrate them with the targeting computer. This was to make sure that they didn?t abuse the ability.   Looking around to make sure that no one was looking, she lets out a breath. She takes a scroll out from her tabard and spreads it out on the desk. It was the design for a ship that she was working on herself. Nobody outside of this room knew about these designs. That also meant that she had no one to crew it or even build it, which was somewhat of a roadblock.   But that was only true until she had perfected that one of the last research topics she had been working on. Full artificial intelligence had been beyond the grasp of the outside world, but Yukari had finally developed it for her own uses. Now she had someone that could build it and crew it without anyone else knowing. There was a reason she had ordered all of the tools and materials using untraceable accounts.   The keel was being laid in a deserted shipyard near the North Pole, away from the prying eyes of the world. Once it was completed, the shipyard would be made to disappear. Then the fleet that was still being constructed would be rendered obsolete and she would be able to end the war singlehanded. With the end of the war, the new Age of Magic would begin.   Twenty inch triple cannons in six turrets would surpass any armament in any ship in the world. Armor twenty five inches thick would also provide the best protection anywhere. An anti-aircraft complement of over 100 double 88mm autoloaded cannons would provide so much protection from aircraft that having onboard fighters would be a waste of space and materials. They would also provide double duty as secondaries. The projectile cannons would work until Yukari perfected the Lunarian laser magic that she had gotten her hands on.   If Eirin ever found out about Yuyuko sneaking out the laser technology from the Lunar Capital during the Second Genso-Lunar War, Yukari knew that their alliance would be over. Just a little bit more time and they would be able to blame the Americans since they were close to making a prototype. Once it was fielded for the first time, she could say she got it from them.   Yukari saw the current situation as a sunset of sorts. As the light began to disappear, the humans would see their power over the world go with it. Humans were never good in the dark to start with. Science was on its way out of the door, to be replaced by the clearly superior powers of magic. Youkai would be able to walk all over the world, free from the suppression of humans. A new balance of power would be created from the ashes of the old. Reimu would be able to enjoy the rest of her days in peace since she wouldn?t have to worry about the balance of power any longer.   The United States and NATO would be forced to step aside while Yukari?s new empire would spread over the planet. Even if she had already promised the Lunarians all the land past the barrier, she had no intention on sitting around while they surrounded her on all sides. She really liked Eirin and Reisen, but once the darkness fell, they would be fair targets. With limited interaction with Kaguya, Yukari was still reserving judgment on how she felt about her. The gap youkai was also trying to find out what to do about the two immortals if she had to get rid of them, just in case.   Just any night wouldn?t be enough for her. It had to be a special occasion, one that would be written down and echoed through the halls of history. It would also be a good luck token to name the ship after that night. German legends had the perfect name for the ship, just like usual. One that would strike fear into everyone that hears it and left no doubt about the power behind it.   Walpurgisnacht?Yukari repeated the name over and over in her mind. All we need now is that pure Kyber crystal. Once I have that, the night of the dancing witches will begin. A night that will go down in history as Walpurgisnacht and will bring world peace. Then the next phase of my plan can start.   Lunarian Defense Corps Armory, Lunar Capital, Dark Side of the Moon   Reisen frowned as she worked her way through the crate before her. This had 20 M39 Ukko-Pekka rifles, all in almost new condition. She took a look through the barrel with a light, not making a judgment until she had gone through them a second time. The moon rabbit had already promised Sumireko an upgrade, so she had to deliver.   Just to be clear, there was nothing wrong with the off the shelf 91/30 that she had scoped. But the Soviet made rifle could only dream about the accuracy of the Finn modified rifles. The Finns had installed a heavier barrel and shimmed the action to wring every last drip of accuracy. The stocks on them were much nicer than the mass produced stocks that had rough tool marks when they left the factory.   One of the M39s with a date of 1942 catches her eye. Sharp rifling and a smooth action even with all the cosmoline proved that she found a winner. Grabbing a small pellet of lead, she coats it in grease and sets it in the muzzle. With a hammer, she uses a dowel of bamboo to force it down. The lead pellet falls onto the bolt, with grooves cut into it.   The moon rabbit takes a caliper and measures the flat spots of the pellet. It comes out to .310 of an inch, which was outlined in the instruction manual. A bore in like new condition, Reisen knew that Sumireko would like it. But it would need some cleaning before she could turn it over. The Hornandy reloading manual had raised a question about .308 bullets being more accurate, but she would leave that for after she tried the .310 bullets.   She field strips it and throws the metal parts into a barrel of heated water. With another cleaning solution, she wipes down the wooden stock. Once she?s satisfied with the amount of time the metal parts have been swimming, she fishes them out with tongs. With a rag, she wipes down all of the water that didn?t evaporate. Once she?s done, she applies a light coat of gun oil.   Eirin had instructed Reisen to change out the sights to see if it was worth the trouble, replacing them with peep sights that were much more accurate than the standard. A few seconds of heating up the pin holding the rear sight and she was able to easily knock it out. Then it was a simple matter of putting the new one in and applying a little bit of silver to secure the pin.   Once that was done, she bring the rifle up to her shoulder and focuses on a target. She has trouble focusing on the small target and begins to double guess if she really has it centered. After a few minutes of trying to get it right, she gives up and reinstalls the original sights. With the ladder sights in their rightful place, she was confident the rifle would hit accurately at up to 1000 yards.   To insure that the ladder sights were really accurate, she would have to replicate the original D166 round used during the Continuation War. The notes that she had received called for Lapua brass in 7.62x53r with Vihtavuori N140 smokeless powder. Winchester large rifle primers would be suitable for the round as long as they weren?t defective.   But just because she had the materials didn?t mean that she was ready to load it. She still had to find the right powder charge so the rifle didn?t blow up in Sumireko?s face when she shot it while being strong enough to reach its maximum effective range. The Lapua reloading manual was a good place to start since it listed the D166 bullet with the N140 powder.   Now that she was done preparing the new rifle, she sat down in front of the ballistic manual and an alchemy textbook. What was happening was that she needed to find the sweet spot for explosive and penetrating rounds. The explosive rounds would come later. Minutes late, she has multiple charts and graphs in front of her. If she started with a 150 meter zero distance instead of the usual 100, she would be able to squeeze a few more dozen meters.   With the distance somewhat worked out, now she had to worry about the energy behind the round. The minimum amount of energy she was looking for was 1000 foot pounds. She superimposed charts over each other, comparing the curves. Once she finds a few that she likes, the moon rabbit opens up the machine next to her.   She punches in a few numbers and closes the lid. The machine creates a few rounds, which she picks up and puts on top of a spell card. Once it stops flashing, she puts the card on top of the rifle. The final step was putting the spell card on a paper target. A few seconds pass and dots appeared on the target, showing the point of impact at various ranges.   Nodding to herself, the moon rabbit cycles the bolt on the rifle one last time. Her phone vibrates in her pocket, letting her know that she had a text. Yukari had checked in with her to see how the rifles were. Reisen types back a quick reply and tosses the phone on the table. It slides to a stop right by the armorer?s wench and almost knocks a bottle of oil over.   She had given up on the red dot for the Vepr and decided to put a POSP 4-8x42 scope on it. With the spell cards next to her, zeroing was extremely simple and cost effective. With all the time she saved, she could either take a nap or disappear. The last weapon that she needed to work on was an FNH P-12 shotgun, but that was ready to go as soon as she pulled it out the box.   The double ought buckshot would be devastating out to fifty meters if she needed it to be. Reisen was happy that this was all that she had to do today. On the workbench at the far end of the room sat an M1 Garand that she had to get started on soon. But Eirin had said that this one could wait a little. She had even suggested that the moon rabbit use H4895 smokeless powder once a pallet of it came in.   A look down the barrel gave her hope that this old rifle would be capable of at least a minute of accuracy. The reloading manuals that she had reassured her that any of the loads in the chart would be suitable for what they needed. If she used what she knew about Sumireko as an indication, she could bet that the Garand would be her main weapon if the saber wasn?t practical.   Reisen had created a larger gas plug that would allow Sumireko to fire any .30-06 ammo without having to worry about bending the operating rod. The moon rabbit thought about playing a prank on her by making her close the bolt on an empty receiver. But she decided against it since the pigtailed girl would probably break her skull for it.   After sitting there for a while looking at the Garand, she decides to go to the hanger and see how the progress of the modifications to the newest group of fighters that the GDF had given them. Five Supermarine Spitfire Mk VIIIs and seven Focke Wulfe 190s sat as mechanics switched out parts. The British .303 machine guns were also being switched out, in favor of Lunarian designed .68 caliber cannons. The 190s were being outfitted with prototype laser cannons that would hopefully provide a bit more punch.   Realizing that she had nothing else to do here, she leaves the hanger and picks up a boxed lunch to take with her as she heads to a table on a balcony. She sets her box on a table and buys a drink from a vending machine nearby. A can of green tea dropped down, giving her second thoughts about her choice.   ?I hope you don?t mind if I join you,? Reisen II?s voice snapped her namesake out of her thoughts.   ?You can if you want, but don?t you have to deal with the supply chain??   ?My Chief of Staff is taking care of it. They know more about it than I do, so I got out of the way.? The pair sat down and unwrapped their boxes. ?Colonel Yagokoro wants to use the 4th as a testbed for the updated laser rifles.?   ?How much is a Royal Regiment??    ?Mine has about 3500 with a training cadre of 200.?   ?They have that many ready??   ?Last I heard, we should have them next week.?   ?Even the cannons??   ?They said those were the easiest ones to change over. At least we got off easier than the naval forces.?   ?I thought those didn?t exist anymore and that they just spent their time at the old folks home.?   ?Nobody?s really proud of it. The only reason they got any funding or respect was because of the Serene Insurrection. Now most people are forgetting about it.?   ?Isn?t one of the Royal Officers married to the daughter of the fleet commander??   ?I think so. She?s also the captain of the last remaining ship of the line.?   ?So that means that she commands a third of the fleet. Is it the one that?s falling apart??   ?She?s a good captain. I met her a few times and she knows what she?s doing.?   ?Then what?s happening to them??   ?A complete reorganization from the bottom up.? Reisen II took a moment to eat some of her ramen. ?This includes a modernization of the complete fleet.?   ?How? We haven?t done any research on ships since the insurrection.?   ?The new ships that Gensokyo is building. The princesses managed to get a few of the new Youkai Cruisers to add to our fleet.?   ?How many??   ?We?re starting out with a full fleet of ten. And there?s rumor of a name change.?   ?What kind of name change??   ?They want the naval forces to be brought under the authority of the Royal Family instead of the individual prefectures.?   ?I think I know where this is going.?   ?They want to rename it to the Royal Navy just to piss off the British.?   Reisen took a bite out of the chicken she?s been staring at, while the regimental commander drank her tea. ?I?m surprised that I haven?t heard any of this.?   The younger rabbit shrugged. ?You?ve been cooped up here for a while, so don?t feel bad. But since I have you right here, I wanted to ask you about that new girl that?s joined us.?   ?You?re talking about Sumireko.? Reisen eyeballed an oddly shaped piece of chicken. ?Master Yagokoro was so impressed with her progress that she gave her the rest of the week off.?   ?Is she around??   ?She?s doing research at the Scarlet Devil Mansion.?   A commotion came down from below the balcony, causing them to stop their conversation. Someone was being roasted because of a horse leaving a present on the front lawn. The horse in question was also being roasted by another officer, but kept a blank look on his face.   ?Where does she fall in the hierarchy around here?? Reisen II asked.   ?She?s not really in the LDC.? Now that she was done with her chicken, she opened up the container for her desert. ?She falls under Master Yagokoro for the time being, but she really belongs to Yukari.?   ?I heard some of the nobles talking about her and complaining about Colonel Yagokoro gaining too much power.?   ?Don?t they realize that she?s one of the writers of the Constitution and a founding member of our civilization? If she ever felt like it, she could easily take over the LDC.?   ?You know how the nobles are, they always have to complain about something.?   Reisen laughed. ?I?ve forgotten how this place is sometimes.?   ?I hate that I have to sit in on the staff meetings again.?   ?That?s something that I don?t miss.?   Reisen II frowned. ?You know that the other commanders don?t like moon rabbits.?   ?I know.? Reisen?s mood soured as she remembered the historical division between Lunarians and moon rabbits. ?I thought that with you being commander of a Royal Regiment, it wouldn?t be a problem. Guess I was wrong.?   The two sat in silence after that. A few minutes later, a wing of Lunarian airborne troops flew over the building, one of the usual patrols to keep order in the area. But the number of patrols were being reduced due to the festival that was being held in the nearby town later that night.   The monthly festival was a way for the moon people to forget about everything for a day. It was also a way for the LDC to make some money for rainy day funds. That was one of the reasons that Eirin had given her the half day. All that Reisen would do at the festival would tour the food stalls and watch the fireworks before turning in. But she liked it like that.   Down the hallway, the two moon rabbits could hear someone else being roasted. This time it was over not cooking the eggs right. It sounded like they were so raw the baby chicken was eyeballing the sizzling pan and that there were feathers everywhere.   ?I just remembered that I have to go to the Capital Art Gallery tomorrow,? Reisen checked her phone. She was trying to see if she had any more messages about other matters tomorrow.   ?I never took you for an art rabbit.?   ?Master Yagokoro wants to teach me about how art can give you an insight into your enemy?s thinking.? Reisen took a bit out of the last sugar donut. ?She hopes that I can get the hang of it enough to teach Sumireko later on.?   ?Didn?t some great admiral have that ability??   ?Yeah, it worked wonders until he was betrayed by his bodyguard. Stabbing him right in the middle of what was supposed to be his most important battle.?   Reisen II was biting into a chocolate chip bagel and thinking about getting some milk as she thought about what she was going to say next. ?That?s?depressing.?   ?Depends on which side of history you view it from.?   ?I always hated those kind of responses.?   ?Only because it?s true.?   ?Some of the nobles have been saying that it might be time for that to happen again.?   ?Why doesn?t anyone remember what happened during the Serene Insurrection and the Solar Festival??   Reisen II shakes her head. ?The sad thing is that talk like this doesn?t even bother me anymore.?   ?It has been like this since even before I left.?  With that the older moon rabbit stands up and collects her things. ?I have to tie up some loose strings in town before tonight.?

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