Hatate Quest Kaksi

[Hello Purvis]

>"What if they just don't like people?"

[Oldmansour]

>"What if they just don't like people?"

>"Then I can control them." Celes replies simply. "With one exception that I am aware of."

[Hello Purvis]

>"What's the exception? And do they like you in those circumstances?"

[Oldmansour]

>"What's the exception? And do they like you in those circumstances?"

>"I'll answer your second question first, Hatate, as a concession. I believe the story behind the first will cause some grief to... I'm sorry, we haven't been introduced." she says to Celia.
>"Celia Kishu, sometimes called 'Fairest Scion of Ixion.'"
>"Pleased to make your acquaintance." Celes answers with a proper bow. "I am Celes d'Arquien, steward of the Cobalt Keep. To answer your question, Hatate, yes, they do. Whatever I mount sees me as its trusted master. But the effect is temporary; it lasts only as long as I remain mounted. Then the beast- no offense intended, Celia- returns to normal."

[Hello Purvis]

>Wonder what that demon horse thinks when Celes away, then? Oh well, no need to give Celia ideas.
>"Well, if it's a hard story, we can set it aside and focus on the matter at hand."

[Oldmansour]

>Wonder what that demon horse thinks when Celes away, then? Oh well, no need to give Celia ideas.
>"Well, if it's a hard story, we can set it aside and focus on the matter at hand."

>Things were tense enough on their own for a minute there.
>The centaur nods in agreement. "Perhaps that would be for the best." To Celes, she says, "If you are from the Cobalt Keep, may I assume you are here to assist Hatate in her investigation?"
>"You assume correctly."

>"That's a relief." Renzu comments. "I don't know about you, Hatate, but I'm not too fond of shooting conflicts."

[O4rfish]

>"Most or all of the conflicts I've covered were friendly sporting matches, so I wouldn't know. Has Momiji not returned yet?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Most or all of the conflicts I've covered were friendly sporting matches, so I wouldn't know. Has Momiji not returned yet?"

>The photographer has to think for a minute before she replies, "Oh, the white wolf border guard? No. At least, I haven't seen her today."

[O4rfish]

>"She should be returning from the Scarlet Devil Mansion soon I think. Meanwhile, maybe we can get started."
>Turn to the Cobalt Keep contingent. "Go ahead and examine the barriers."

[Oldmansour]

>"She should be returning from the Scarlet Devil Mansion soon I think. Meanwhile, maybe we can get started."
>Turn to the Cobalt Keep contingent. "Go ahead and examine the barriers."

>"Indeed." says Celes as she puts her white glove back on. Then she says to Celia, "Perhaps you would care to attend to my steed? I would prefer he not cause the kind of mischief I know he can until I am finished."
>The cauchemar snorts indignantly as Celia nods. "I would be most content to."
>"Excuse me." Renzu calls out to the centaur. "Celes-san, was it? May I take some pictures of your rather unique horse? I've never seen anything quite like it."
>"As you wish." the steward answers as she removes her other glove. That hand also has five rings on it, one for each finger, but these have a bit more variety to them than the five silver bands on her left. She aims her fist at Marisa's house, and two white stones on a thin brassy band start to glow slightly. Celes frowns. "That's a mess." she mutters, before narrowing her eyes. "Several holes in this first layer, different residual energies.... Miss Hatate, I can't recall, did you mention earlier if you had penetrated this first energy field when you were here earlier?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah. And a couple others seem to have tried as well."

[Oldmansour]

>"Yeah. And a couple others seem to have tried as well."

>"Indeed. And succeeded as well. This shield is really very thin, weak." She lowers her ring. "Sabine, destroy it."
>"On it, chief." the martial artist replies, flexing her arms as she stomps forward.
>"Are you quite sure that is wise?" Celia asks her.
>"This shield is so weak, an energetic kedama could breach it as it sits right now." Celes explains. "It really serves no purpose other than disrupting my scans, and I need a clearer look at what lies beyond this. And if we determine its presence is necessary, I can create a shield of my own, and a much stronger one than this."
>"Hey, wings?" Sabine calls out to you. "Where'd you punch a hole in this thing?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"At the front door. Here, let me show you."
>Point out where Momiji stabbed it up.

[Oldmansour]

>"And the front door. Here, let me show you."
>Point out where Momiji stabbed it up.

>You guide Sabine to the correct location. The Keep resident sticks her arm experimentally through the gap created by Momiji's offense. "Cool." With a nod to you, she takes a few steps to the left, and raps her knuckles against Marisa's shield. "You might wanna back up a couple steps. Some of these magic walls make as much debris as a real one when I break 'em."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Sure thing."
>Try to capture the moment of breaking on film.

[Oldmansour]

>"Sure thing."
>Try to capture the moment of breaking on film.

>"And that goes for you, too." Sabine adds as she look up at Ranka, still sitting on air just above Marisa's shield. Sabine gives her one of her cocky grins. "Not like you've got a lot of clothes to get scratched up as it is."
>"That will do, Sabine." Celes chides her comrade.
>Ranka, however, merely giggles. "It's so rare that one sounds concerned with me keeping my clothes on." With another flirty little laugh, she 'stands', as it were, and puts a few feet between her and the top of the shield.

>You ready your camera as Sabine assumes a fighting stance, raising her clenched fists in front of her face while bending her knees, a stance you don't immediately recognize. But she only stays in it for a couple of seconds before her knee flashes forward, faster even than your photographer's eye can follow, and strikes the barrier with the force of a runaway jet fighter. The impact generates a pressure wave that tousles your hair a bit. The shiled Marisa created shatters like a pane of glass struck by a thrown rock, a moment which you capture with your trusty camera.
>Sabine emits a satisfied chuckle. "Oh, I don't get to do that often enough." She tosses you a smirk. "You ever find a wall between you and a good picture, come get me."

[Hello Purvis]

>How does that rate on the Dogi scale?
>"If I ever need a wall crushed, I know who to call."
>See Aya, this is how you butter 'em up!

[Oldmansour]

>How does that rate on the Dogi scale?
>"If I ever need a wall crushed, I know who to call."
>See Aya, this is how you butter 'em up!

>About a 6.8. Pressure wave gets points, but you need to send more stuff flying to rank higher.
>"Yes, you've proven your manliness." Celes remarks wryly to her comrade.
>"Hey!"
>"Now, if can continue?" the steward continues, rather casually dismissing the fist Sabine is shaking at her. Ranka has a laugh at the martial artist's expense as Sabine powers up her ring again.
>"I'll give her 'manliness' when we get back." Sabine mutters as she stomps away to her right.

>After about fifteen seconds of scanning presumably the inner shield with her ring, Celes suddenly scowls. "Miss Hatate, when you were here earlier, did you happen to notice a well-dressed man with gold or silver hair? He would have been wearing very expensive looking clothing."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Uh, no. Didn't see anyone like that."
>Does such a person sound familiar at all?

[Oldmansour]

>Does such a person sound familiar at all?

>She could be referring to Rinnosuke, that half-youkai merchant from the human village. He's supposed to be a rather sharp dresser, and he does have grey hair. 'Silver' might be a bit generous, but it's close.

>"Uh, no. Didn't see anyone like that."

>"Would you mind throwing an attack at this shield for me, please? A burst of danmaku will do nicely, or a strong gust, if you prefer. I simply need to confirm my suspicion."
>"Wait a moment." Celia objects. "Himekaidou-san informed me that this shield carries an electrical charge when it is touched."
>"Attacking it from range should be safe, if I'm right."

[O4rfish]

>"All right. Here I go!"
>Hover and fire a three-round burst of danmaku at the barrier.

[Oldmansour]

>"All right. Here I go!"
>Hover and fire a three-round burst of danmaku at the barrier.

>Taking to the sky, you unleash a measured barrage of bullets against the charged shield. Orange sparks fly as your shots strike home, but Celes was correct in her assumption in that you'd be safe. The sturdy barrier does not yield to your assault, but it does you no harm, either.
>"Thank you, Miss Hatate." the steward says as she lowers her ring. "I have confirmed my suspicion. I now know for certain who created this barrier. It appears we have found the last of our errant Sin Spirits. This shield is the work of the Spirit of Greed."

[O4rfish]

>"Does that mean you know how to deal with it?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"And why'd he do this?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Does that mean you know how to deal with it?"

>"Possibly. Greed can be difficult to deal with, but his power is still limited when he's separated from Tsumiko. The real problem will be if he's possessed Marisa."
>"What do you mean, possessed Marisa?" Renzu asks.
>"The Sin Spirits have the ability to possess a living body, not entirely unlike a ghost. For all of her power, Marisa is still human. It is possible."

>"And why'd he do this?"

>"Based on what we've been told of Marisa, she has one of the largest collections of objects in all of Gensokyo, correct?"
>Celia nods. "She would describe herself as an 'avid collector of stuff.'"
>"It's a certainty that she'd have at least a few valuable items in that collection as well. Something like that would catch Greed's eye easily. I suspect that is why he created this barrier, to give himself time to sort through what he's found."

[O4rfish]

>"So what's our next step? Take down the barrier and beat him up?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Marisa vanished a little while ago, I think with Alice. How good is Greed at impersonating people?"

[Oldmansour]

>"So what's our next step? Take down the barrier and beat him up?"

>Celes chuckles wryly. "A very to the point plan, that. However, I think I agree."
>"All right." Sabine declares, cracking her knuckles in anticipation. "One barrier comin' down."
>"Not yet, Sabine." the steward stops her. "Doing it your way, you'd either break Marisa's house or hurt yourself, possibly both. And my way, I run the risk of breaking one of my rings." To you, she says, "I believe you mentioned earlier that Patchouli Knowledge was being informed of this situation by a partner of yours?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Marisa vanished a little while ago, I think with Alice. How good is Greed at impersonating people?"

>"Yeah, I think I saw them on their way."

[Oldmansour]

>"Yeah, I think I saw them on their way."

>"I would suggest we wait for them. Patchouli's more than familiar with the Sins and how their powers work. She and I could probably come up with a better way to bring this shield down than I think any of us presently here could."