~Hakurei Shrine~ > Patchouli's Scarlet Library
Apocalypse Awakening - A Touhou + Left4Dead zombie rush fic thing...
♛ Apher-Forte:
fixed lol.
Ergh, as all my Touhouverse fics... I added an OC(s), The Panther.
I probably draw it in a few days, just to illustrate what I think would be a cool idea to add to the next L4D game (Not L4D2 obviously)
The Panther has no eyes, only ears, nose, and a large mouth which has a tongue that looks to be a giant venus flytrap.
Compensating the clumsiness of a Smoker, it can run fast like the Witch and stalk like the Hunter. Low HP, but quite hard to kill if your mouse sensitivity is too high, and near impossible to snipe.
It makes wheezing noises and responds to gunfire.
The reason for this setting is so that in the next L4D game hopefully, the silly 'you disturbed the witch' nonsense when you are firing like... 10 feet across without a muffler will get changed. I really find it silly consider she hates noise and getting disturbed, you can still pull an all out frenzy war in front of her and she won't even respond!
Silly. Then of course... likewise an OC, I just want the game to get more difficulty, (as though the Tank is not enough... when 2 of them appear together during escapes lol)
♛ Apher-Forte:
Chapter 6:
________
(The forests, East of Great Suwa)
Night is coming and evening was quick to approach. Was it the sense of time or was it the cloudy skies above, she wondered, Alice questioned her dolls silently through telepathy. They each have a soul of their own, much like real humans, the dolls are capable of feeling emotions just as she can, but they have more control, and are generally her own ?slaves? to control as she wishes.
Occasionally, the dolls can stage a rebellion of sorts, when her magic is weak for example; like now. In a time and place when the air is not filled like Gensokyo: to the brim with magic, she finds it extra hard to control the dolls, despite their small frames. They have to be in constant contact, she has to order them to do things that are more complex, like turning ?45 degrees north? or ?retract blade? and ?left evade? as the Tank swung its arms at the small little dolls.
However, of all things that troubled her most is her intention to save her magic, it is not a feasible to choice to simply just fire off valuable magic when there is no source to replenish it in this world devoid of humans and their imaginations.
Imagination of mankind created the first youkai, the spirits, the souls, even Gods and demons and then even hell itself, was all made by man. Man?s mind is capable of coloring the lives of the non-existent; just as their fear is capable of feeding the rotten shadows that lurk precariously in the dark, seeking its prey which is man itself.
Alice pondered, but realized there is not much choice. To defeat an enemy that is as large, the only solution would be a weapon just as powerful.
?Do not tempt me? foul creature!? Alice commanded the dolls to strike, their oversized lances attached to their arms in a comically disproportionate scale stabbing clean and through the armored flesh of the Tank that engaged her.
In these forests, she sought to control the speed of battle and the tide in which the battle flows by using the surroundings. However, she can only see so many trees, their shadows which lurk menacingly with unknown things possible surrounding her. She heard horrible screams, howls, they seemed ready to pounce but has thus far be evaded by her as she scrambled around randomly, hiding behind logs and trunks and branches.
However, she already had a plan, she eyed her dolls carefully as they let go of their lances and began to fly quickly hovering and sliding in and out between shadowy trees around them. Small reflections of light from above could be seen in split seconds as they tightened the wires magically attached to their backs.
Although humans cannot see them, magic users like Marisa can view them clearly as the lines are purely made of magic thinly created through the usage of concentration. Concentrating energy into fine wires is no mere task for any magic user and had not she been trained to do so since young, the lines would break easily.
Quietly, she looked, the deafening sound of trees being knocked over, pounded against as the relentless Tank sought to pull her out from the labyrinth of the woods struggled hard to do so but to no avail except getting itself caught in a web.
The web was none other than the one Alice?s dolls, Shanghai and Hourai, her sword and shield weaved about the Tank craftily. As they whizzed in and out of the trees shadows, they tied the invisible wires to the trees with tungsten hold, and formed a web with their movements intricately.
The Tank stumbled, and tripped on a particular wire, strung just low enough to touch its shin, and off did it fell forward face first. The net woven was quick to set its use, with absolute hold, the creature entangled itself into a spidery web about itself. The wires glowed, and it struggled even more, feeling the intense magical heat of the wires cutting through its armored hide like heated serrated blades of such fineness it looked invisible to the naked eye. Within moments, blood shot out from the struggling, it puffed and huffed like mad, the damage to it barely but enough to cause panic as it raged even more.
Swinging hard its massive arms, it knocked down a few trees against its direction, only to cause an opposite effects as the trees falling down also pulled the wires tighter against its body. With the wires getting hotter and hotter with magical heat invested into it, it became clear to the Tank that there was no escape from this intricate web. With one command, ?Be silent, foul beast!? and lo, did the wires, sharp as the sharpest knives set upon a string, cut through the creature like it were a loaf of bread. The wires sliced with such precision within moments the skin was no more, and passed beyond is just fleshy muscle, easily sliced through and immediately sprayed out blood by gratuitous amounts as the forest clearing took it apart in all directions.
The last howl was met, and the creature silenced, no longer feelings torso.
?Whoa?that is a neat trick~ze!? Marisa, obviously finished her side of the problem earlier, approached.
Alice had to smile, it wasn?t normally that she feels so confident, though she normally is confident by nature. This is a new milestone. She has defeated countless creatures of such size before, but they were much more reliant on other means, such as shooting magical projectiles from a distance. However, something physical means she will need to get physical as well. While true that she could have fired things at it, in an expanse as wide as the Suwa region, and not having a point of replenishment of magic, that would have been a strategy of unwise choice.
She looked back, and said to Marisa smugly, ?Looks like I won the bet.?
?What bet?? Marisa asked.
?The one you said three days ago I can?t swipe a youkai three times larger than myself without relying on you.?
?Oh, that?? Marisa nodded, and had to admit it, it was a surprise even to her.
+++++++
?That was the last one.? The voice said, ?Incredibly confident aren?t they? Competent as well.?
?I will have them by the palms by tonight, they will pray for mercy, and when they do, we would win.? Hachisaka said from behind, she stood bowed down, head facing the ground.
? Make sure you do it well? I tolerate no failure on your part.? The other voice, belonging to a five feet tall little girl with even younger features and a smile across her darkened face; came out loud and clear, threatening even.
?I shall move, I will free them from their cages.?
?What are our chances??
?High.? Hachisaka answered, and departed into the shadows.
Soon, all this will be over.
++++++++
?Ahhhh? I hate small towns.? Reimu complained, loudly sighing as she placed her hands crossed behind her head of hair, rustling and tousled it about.
?Is there something you don?t hate?? Yukari answered sarcastically.
She stopped, eyeing at a corpse of one of the infected, a body already cold, rotting with flies about it festering upon its decayed flesh.
?Oh yes, I like donations.?
?Yeah, you do.? Yukari answered half-heartedly. She placed her hands onto one of the corpses, this one resembling the ugly one she had cut down earlier at the shrine, except it was bloated. The upper body remains, but the lower body is across the road, hanging limply and bloodily at a garbage collection site. She touched its remains, which were oozing out greenish vile liquid thick as glue and stank like the bile of a creature filled with indigestion before it died.
?Ewwww?.don?t let that stop you from smearing it all over yourself? ugh.? Reimu looked from behind with disgust.
Yukari however, seemed to understand what is going on, her eyes looked seriously at the gunk between her fingers. Slowly she stood up, and asked, ?What do you think is happening here??
Without warning and without waiting for an answer, she turned and smeared the gunk, stinking as hell should be, onto the top of Reimu?s breast, pressing it further as a flabbergasted Reimu looked slow to response from this offensive gesture and watched her smearing it clean off her own two fingers.
She quickly pushed her hands away, shouting, ?AWWWWWGGGHHH?what the fuck, Yukari?? Again, using her seemingly useless sleeves, she wiped the gunk off, offended, dirtied, embarrassed are among the few emotions written on her face as she turned to attention the question asked earlier, ?What??
?They are being manipulated? I don?t know how, but this gunk smelled different from the earlier ones we saw? this? is something else.?
?How would you know??
?My sense of smell isn?t as dull as yours, Reimu.? Yukari answered sarcastically.
?What else??
?I have a feeling someone is watching us? I don?t know why, but since coming here, I sensed another foreign presence, it is spiritual.?
?Could it be the shrine god earlier in that shrine that looks abandoned?? Reimu asked, she herself felt nothing.
?No, this one is evil, it smelled like that.?
They moved further, and into the deeper part of town. The stink was overpowering as they stepped to an opening. On a normal day, with people who are alive passing through this would have been a lively marketplace, where the locals would bargain their prices with the shopkeepers selling various fresh produce and food, among other things. This day, however, it was littered with decaying bodies, dismembered limbs and broken pipes as well as severed wires. Silent humming can be heard in the air as the shop generators continue their work to supply the non-functional stalls with electricity, there must be little fuel left; Yukari thought to herself, whoever was here could still be alive, somewhere, hiding.
?Is there anyone here??? Reimu yelled, the voice shook the silence into a shattered peace, and footsteps were heard, rushing.
?Damn it.? Yukari cursed, she is not angry with what Reimu did, it is just that she is frustrated. Footsteps, not belonging to people who are alive clearly. Anyone alive would have been cautious, and not run to the voice like flies attracted to dung.
?I will handle this.? Reimu offered, it is her voice which attracted them, surely she will be the solution to their problem.
At least 40 of them appeared, rushing like bats released for hell for the first time in years, hungry, angry faces that looked as grey as the dead, which they are and hands extended in clawed form; they are attacking from all sides.
Pulling out some yellow and rectangular paper about a 20 centimeters in length each and about 7-8 centimeters wide respectively, Reimu held them fanned out. With a muttering of the cryptic writings in Kanji calligraphy on the surface in blood red ink, she made the fanned out papers form into tungsten and weightless blades each as they each stacked upon one another to the width?s edge; gluing magically into a fanned blade as thick as only paper, but tougher than steel.
Putting some distance between her, she began to dance like a butterfly over the flowering fields, evading skillfully from the clumsy attacks of the hordes and their stinking grasp. None can even touch her as she floated her arms about with such finesse it seemed she was immaterial to begin with.
The steel-like talisman papers in her hands fanned out and did their work, swiftly cutting off limbs and chopping off heads gracefully with their specially toughened texture and sharpened edges like that of samurai blades. Within moments, the dead were sent spiraling in defeat, completely sliced off their limbs without any mercy, and cut from their suffering as they enter into a deep and forever sleep, covered by their own blood.
Reimu made sure to hold her breath, no way she will be caught smelling such foul blood. Each of the creatures when cut produce a distinctively rotten smell that is like the odor of dead bodies, with something else, possibly the mutated strain of virus and bacterial infection in their blood.
None of them are left alive as they all collapsed, and Reimu stopped her dance, holding her pose in such swan-like elegance as she looked at her handiwork. Seriously, Yukari thought, had she not been such a prude, narcissist above all else, she would have been a lovely lady. ?Is that all?? Reimu looked, she had been merciless, it is amazing to Yukari consider these look everything like humans save for their maddened eyes, and grey skin.
Her ability to turn her focused attention to divide between enemies and foes is something the kinder Marisa does not have. Her desire to destroy youkai, when invoked, even if the said youkai looks exactly like her mother; won?t stop driving her until it is dead, a dedication so strong and so focused that is the reason why she is good at what she does. Reimu is merciless, her body may be human, but she has a heart and mind like a celestial. She slays all that is against her, and those that dared to touch her is met with blades from her body. No? to be precise, Yukari thought to herself again, she is the very blade itself. If Yukari is the creator of Gensokyo, then Reimu and the Hakureis, would be the Blade of Gensokyo, the bane against all evil.
They continued to walk, and Reimu lowered her hands, allowing the bloodied papers return back to their paper form, and slip off from under her arms. They floated, and then dropped to the ground as though they are nothing.
?You said something earlier about a presence?? Reimu suddenly spoke, catching Yukari unawares.
?Ah? yes, I did.? Yukari paused, ?It reminded of a very old scent, something from very old youkai, a stink. I don?t know, but it smells like that and it means we are near the vicinity of a ?home? which houses and enshrines a youkai Kami.? Yukari explained.
?Youkai Kami? hmmm, haven?t heard about that since Mother?s time, I heard they are all but extinct since the new age dawned.?
?It is not strange, most Kami evolved from lowly beings, they attained enlightenment and thus stayed alive long enough to bear the mark of holy energy; and thus, grow from their original being to something greater. Some strayed from their path and became evil youkai, or became demons if they are strong willed and ate enough human fears. Others, attained Kami status through meditation and helping local gods and humans.? Yukari said in detail.
?Then some, from Kami, they devolved, fearing faith being lacking, they choose to follow the path of evil, and became rather estranged from their original path. They began to consume fear as well as faith, and corrupting themselves instead.? Reimu added, as a shrinemaiden it is only natural she should have such knowledge.
?Oh?I see then I have no need to introduce myself.? A voice suddenly boomed from nowhere, and like a freak wind, the air was filled with unnatural energy, both evil and divine at the same time.
?Who??? Reimu raised her awareness, once again, papers slipped out from under her sleeves, forming into hardened paper fans as she stood ready. The presence that spoke is everywhere, as if it were the air that she breathes that was suddenly speaking out to her.
?Show yourself!? Yukari commanded. ?This one is strong.? She thought to herself.
?Of course??
From nowhere, another hail of wind appeared, stirring up the dead bodies and casting them to the sides like they were thrash, and dust formed a tornado in the dead center of the marketplace. Once where was nothing but broken tiles and bent streetlamps, now stood a figure of small size and another one which had the looks of something entirely familiar to Yukari and Reimu.
?Wait?Suwako? And Kanako!? Reimu exclaimed.
How can this be? The two goddesses of Gensokyo, recent residents who moved in to the sealed dimension, staring back at them from behind a curtain of dust and wind so strong that it blurred all possible vision from the two.
The smaller one had on a similar hat, wears a black dress with long floppy sleeves and is the same size. The taller one had on a set of holy ropes and charcoal black pillars of what appears to be wood stemmed from the center of her back like holy edifices floating in thin air. Her eyes stared red and gold from the dusty storm and soon? the wind settled and vision was regained once more.
?You have that wrong?dear visitors of the Gensokyo realm.?
?You know us?? Yukari asked, she is certain the other voice did not belong to Kanako, it was too deep, it sounded almost masculine, except the husky bits sounded more to the female side.
?Greetings? I am Kanako Hachisaka, Mistress of the Suwa Mountains, and this?? Hachisaka stopped, seeing as the smaller one walked confidently up ahead and introduced herself, ?Kowasu Moriya, the God of the Moriya Shrine, at your service.? She said mockingly.
?Kowasu?? Hachisaka?? Reimu was troubled, aren?t they just the Goddesses of Gensokyo, disguised as someone else?
The smaller one wore black, even her hat was black and the eyes on each side of the tip is red and bloodshot. She looked exactly like Suwako, save for the sinister smile which seems to permeate evil from her character.
The taller one, the one called Hachisaka, which the name itself a play on Yasaka, written the same way but pronounced differently; looks exactly like Kanako. She had however, longer hair down to her back, and eyes that are white, with a black iris that stared eerily back in total silence as though she could stare into one?s soul and reap it straight from its mortal shell.
?You may be confusing us with the deserters.? Hachisaka said.
?Ah, yes, little sister, Suwako? I heard she has moved to Gensokyo.? Kowasu began, ?Thanks to that, we can finally be awaken from our thousand year slumber.?
?What is the meaning of this?? Yukari asked hastily.
?Patience, allow me first to explain? but we should not stand here and talk, how about we take a seat over there?? Kowasu offered, pointing to a deserted stall which probably sold tea and snacks when it was still in business. A parasol is still up, although the dark skies were making it unnecessary; but most importantly is a table and four chairs.
?Right?? Yukari agreed.
They moved warily to the stall.
The tension in the air is stifling.
+++++++++
(Eirin?s position)
?REISEN!? She searched, her trail of youkai energy has led her here, hidden in the shrubs ahead where the creatures, the screaming women with grey skin and sharp claws came from.
There is silence, the trail has gone cold.
No movement, not even the wind around her. It was as though time stopped, but she is breathing, so no way time could have stopped. ?Reisen??? She sounded, silently this time, like a whisper only she could hear.
There is an air of menacing death around her, the smell of decay, growing stronger and stronger?
?Who?s there? Show yourself!? Eirin commanded.
The bushes parted, and suddenly, like a torrid wave of green muck, a gurgle followed by a loud rush of foul steaming green liquid came bursting through it from the mouth of a bloated creature with beady little white eyes. It has skin that is nearly green, possibly from the stains of its vomit, and its bloated stomach so stuffed it couldn?t even keep its hands on vertical to the sides of its body, having it raised slightly as it fumbled its way to the opening.
Eirin tried to turn about, seeing the foul liquid reach for her the second. However, a stone stood in the way, taking a careless turn, her heel knocked against a small rock and down she did tripped. Her hands flailed a bit, but recovered as quickly as she pushed to the ground and did a single handed somersault.
It was, however, too late, the liquid touched her legs as it flipped upwards, scalding her skin as the acidic volatility took her by surprise. ?Shit!? She cursed, and quickly forced her focus to that part, healing it before it could reach her bones and tendons, which are necessary to support her weight.
Within a moment, the morbid creature came forward, fumbling quickly in unstable baby steps and reaching its menacing pudgy fingers for her hair. With one angry shove, Eirin used her bow to shove the creature back. It worked, naturally, and the fumbling blob of walking vileness broke its balance as it knocked itself against a tree and tripped over the bushes it came from.
?Die!? Shooting a precise arrow, Eirin used her medical knowledge and calculated the possibilities of shooting the best place. She took it as a sign and aimed for its stomach, which as the arrow shot and came in contact, immediately destroyed the creature into explosive skin and tissue.
Eirin made a ?yeck? sound, truly an offensive creature, she thought to herself. However, the back of her mind, she worried? it couldn?t be, such a simple creature, a surprise element perhaps, but no way Reisen could lose to this one!
Then? suddenly, from the sides of her eyes, as she wiped off the bile which is acidic no longer, perhaps from her neutralization with her regenerative ability as an immortal; she saw it. Hanging by a tree, a large something, possibly feminine in nature with its slender built? Reisen.
?Reisen!? She shot the thing hanging the rabbit girl?s neck, which is like a noose, and attached along to unseen things in the dark. Her eyes darkened, and closed to a slit as she took precise aim.
With one excellent shot, the thing acting as a noose snapped, and down did the girl fell to the bushes ahead, which are stained with blood, bile and dirt that smells as bad as an overturned grave.
?Reisen! Wake up, respond to me if you are alive!? Eirin shook her, and there was no response.
With her hands resting the bow she held by the side, Eirin checked for a pulse, pulling aside Reisen?s lush purplish hair and parting the semi-torn fabric that was once her blazer and inner white shirt; she saw what would surprise her.
?No?.oh no?? The gash was wide open, sunk down as deeply as to the collar bones, it wasn?t all that visible in the poor light and covered with Reisen?s deep blue blazer, but the gash was there. It was there probably for a good few minutes, enough time for Reisen to be infected. Is that why she didn?t respond? Eirin wondered, and she reached for her pockets, and pulled out a syringe with clear liquid, filled inside is a clearing Lunarian medicine, used to clear blood of any impure waste. It was no substitute for a blood serum however, but it should slow the virus down with its anti-viral properties.
She pushed the syringe tip to her neck, only to respond in revolting shock as Reisen suddenly open her eyes, its maddening vision which is her default ability stared at her straight. Snapping her eyelids shut, Eirin pushed her away as quickly as she can.
?Ugh, Reisen if you are alive then stop scaring me!? Eirin said, slowly opening her eyes, making sure to take a peek if Reisen has closed her eyes before she fully opened them; what she found was not that however, they were opened, and staring at her with such ferocious anger within it looked like she was ready to kill Eirin.
It doesn?t take a medical genius to guess what has happened: Reisen has been infected.
?Damn it, you have always been so careless?? Eirin readied her bow, magically now returned to her hand and took aim between Reisen?s eyebrows.
?Damn it all?? Eirin let go of the light arrow held in her hands.
++++++
(Back at the town market place)
?It seems we are ill prepared with any condiments.? Kowasu, the Suwako opposite, spoke in a gleeful tone, ?My apologies.?
?Enough with this play, what do you want??? Reimu asked, not withstanding is her anger as she gritted the words through her teeth.
?Don?t you want to know why there are now two Suwakos and two Kanakos?? Kowasu asked, obviously amused by the anger shown at her and to her.
?Speak, but don?t waste our time.? Yukari answered, reaching her hand and grabbing Reimu?s shoulders as she stood behind her, gripping it tight to give Reimu the message, ?don?t do anything rash? as clearly as she can.
?We can begin this in two ways.?
?Whichever is easier for you then.? Reimu said in answer.
?Then I will do this in relaxed fashion.? Kowasu said, smiling this time, again with her sinister tone of voice that seemed to resonate the air around her.
Yukari may not be a Kami, or a demon, but to the feeling of her senses, Kowasu resembled a great demon she fought once a long time ago, the fact she carries a scent like Ran, her divine fox turned shikigami servant, this Kowasu Moriya puts her at unease.
Of course, it is not like she is a divine fox, or divine for that matter, surely there is nothing up those long sleeves now that she couldn?t manage now, can?t she? After all, Yukari is Yukari, Yukari is a demon that transpires the boundaries of Gods and Demons, beyond time and dimension, breaking all rules and making her own.
When it comes to godly ranking, surely she ranks high above all the Kamis that ever existed, she herself has slain a fair number of them anyways? this Kowasu would be no different.
Or does she?
_______
Suprising turn of events! The enemies reveal themselves... a negative Suwako Moriya and Kanako... what is being held in store for Reimu and Yukari?
(Also, lol Bill and Francis moment)
Esifex:
--- Quote ---?Ahhhh? I hate small towns.? Reimu complained, loudly sighing as she placed her hands crossed behind her head of hair, rustling and tousled it about.
?Is there something you don?t hate?? Yukari answered sarcastically.
...
(Also, lol Bill and Francis moment)
--- End quote ---
I love you.
Please have my babies.
♛ Apher-Forte:
Chapter 7
________
?There?s nothing here!? Nitori yelled to no one in particular. The patch of ground was razed beyond any remembrance of its past glory, not even the temple grounds are safe, rather, entirely rooted from it.
?Are you sure this is where Reimu and Yukari wanted us to be, Marisa?? Alice asked, her tone suspicious, and hidden anger within. It is just not her day? First, she had to face off a large bulky creature that tried to smash her with limited magic, then she is taken on a flight journey she really could do without, hauling Setsu and Marisa with her dolls, which wasted even more magic. Finally, she is here, the ?promised land? that she was asked to follow.
Nitori had it easy, she thought to herself. She relied on another contraption: her bag. It was surprising what an agile scientific mind can do; when the backpack grew short mechanical rickety legs she could hardly believe her eyes. It looked like a walking platform, which indeed it is when unfolded. It had a cushion, and even a cup holder and some tea making facilities. It skittered along the way quickly, like a deformed bug it was quick and didn?t have much trouble keeping up with Alice flying overhead, as both the eyes in the skies and as carrier of the other two cumbersome humans she took on upon.
She didn?t ask for any, seeing that Nitori has set it back to its original shape which was a backpack. She opened it from the back, which had a small pocket, and revealed what appears to be a grappler of sorts, with two massive fingers, and the other end a tong.
The fingers opened, revealing even smaller fingers that looked almost like thickened hair which moved in eerily bio-mechanical movements, as though they were alive. They reached for the ground, which is covered in dark ash, like the surrounding forests, which were burned beyond recognition save for a few charred stumps of roots and burned barks. Still, it was relatively easy to tell this is the work of a youkai? a rather powerful one, quite recent in fact, Alice noted.
The magma, molten rock which when cooled will become, covers the entire ground like a blanket of soft bulges and liquid surfaces. The air is rich with sodium and calcium deposits, and electricity seemed to charge the air. Whatever happened was an act of revenge, perhaps, or perhaps not and just an act of destruction. However, why choose this shrine site?
There it was, a few standing pillars of wood, formerly a great shrine. It must have stood majestically in this empty path for a few hundred years. It was one of the 3 former old shrines of Great Suwa. Beyond this, Greater Suwa is an advancing little town, growing to become a big town which had tens of thousands of in population. Great Suwa is abandoned by man as it becomes overgrown by old legends and myths, talks of lake monsters and demons and ghosts didn?t exactly help its popularity campaign either.
When the day rose, the people of the village would go to the paddy fields, and work themselves to endless tire for the good of their people. The shopkeepers would take the goods from their storehouses and peddle to the town. The butchers would slay their animals and trim them to suitable cuts for sale at the wet market. The women would accompany their children and play in the evening? the peaceful, simple, everyday repetitive comfort; it was bliss that the townspeople didn?t appreciate.
It is only true of course, townspeople wanted convenience, the sustenance of electricity which the village did not have, the comfort of reading material, books, markets that are installed with air condition, schools with classrooms giving out modern and much needed knowledge. The village had but old traditions passed down from hundreds of years of Great Suwa?s history. It is an outdated world, negotiating its place in the world lead by modern sciences and fashion? it was so bare, too bare.
The people who lost their faith didn?t need to fear Gods, to them, they didn?t exist. The old Gods have left them first, like they did in the beginning of time. The shrines then in Great Suwa, the great 3 which was once the place of holy worship by all the people became abandoned, only visited by old timers who didn?t have anything better to do except take long strolls in the evenings in obscure under-maintained parks, and stare hazily into a distance with whatever subject that must dominate their thoughts in all focus; even if it is just looking at what shapes the cloud formed in the distant skies.
This is the sad route of modernization, even Suwa is not exempted from it.
The pace it goes just transverse beyond the walls of Suwa, and yet, with some semblance of tradition, the old ones kept the Suwa lake and the town in total order, seeking some measure of peace away from the fast moving world around them. It was, of course, to no use, for when they grow old, so do their faith dwindle as their minds are clouded with death, loneliness and most of all senility. Soon, time passed, and did the Great Suwa grew with wondrous trees as old and overgrown with grass as tall as man, the sun gets blocked in its shadowy path. Where once a path existed for villagers and townsmen to travel was replaced with another, a paved road of tarmac, with streetlights and the convenience of a sleepy looking police hut with an officer inside at all times overseeing the peace and safety. The village path, made of mud, and covered with grass, that sinks into a muddy heap when rained; is no more.
No one comes to Suwa after that, Greater Suwa is the new place to be. The children grew up there, and moved on, to other places greater than Greater Suwa, where abundance of cars, trains, jobs, education existed.
This shrine, one of the great three that existed in the past, tells that tale truthfully. Though it lines in ruins now, it was a clear and without lies.
Alice looked, placing her hand on the magma ground, picking up some ash in her hands.
?Well?? Alice asked, there was no answer from Marisa the first time she asked her question.
?Yes, it has to be? this is where Suwako was housed. This is HER shrine.?
?WHAT?? Alice and Nitori jumped up, how did Marisa failed to explain this on the way?
?I didn?t tell you guys?? Marisa questioned.
?No, you didn?t.?
?Well, now you know, to the West is the Shrine of the Heavenly Serpent, Kanako?s shrine. To the East is Suwako?s the Divine Frog; and then finally to the South is the Fire Worm Shrine, the resident Goddess that started the village.? Marisa explained.
?And how did you managed to avoid telling us this?? Nitori asked. She looked at her sample of the molten rock she pinched about earlier.
?It is not my fault you didn?t ask~ze!? Marisa pouted.
?Nonetheless, what is all this now? What is our situation?? Nitori asked.
?We already confirmed it, it is gone now, whatever along with the energy it contained and the shrine itself. No point staying any longer, we should move to the town, and rendezvous with Reimu and Yukari.? Marisa said in answer.
?You are right? but look at this!? Nitori pointed to the rock she is holding, which is now cracked into four pieces of distinctive sizes. It was glowing with black shine, and the minerals inside felt like crystals sparkling back in the poor light.
?It is shiny?? Alice whispered.
?Oh, it is? you know why?? Nitori asked smugly.
?Magic??? Marisa half-heartedly answered. The night is coming, evening is getting darker now and it seemed unwise to hang about. They must have started late, it should be around 5 hours after the midday when they took their first steps to the area of Suwa Plains.
?Oh yes, that is the case, these molten surfaces are not natural, there are no volcanoes, whatever that happened here is however? something divine. It is a natural mineral that exists in all things, but sharpened with enough density that it glows, one can say? diamond.? Nitori explained.
?Diamond? On surface ground??
?Oh yes, it is pure undiluted diamond, formed from the oozing of molten rock from deep earth, or in this case, oozing molten rock from nowhere, fascinating isn?t it??
?What does that tell us??
?We are facing an enemy, all those creatures that attacked us? They have something to do with this? their bodies are filled with so much poison and changed strains, there can be nothing else than some kind of connection. When the earth moved, in the beginning when heaven and hell was divided and humans came, thus creating the subsequent youkai and Kamis, this is what it was? the fundamental building blocks of life. There existed then the same inner creatures that live inside on such microscopic levels, altering all forms of life on earth, yes? inside my hands now.? Nitori looked at the rock with fascinated eyes in undivided attention as she explained.
?I believe that is called bacteria.? Marisa added.
?Yes, you have done your homework.? Nitori paused, and throwing the black pieces out of the way, she looked at Alice and Marisa, ?They are the first sign of life on earth, believe or not, if mankind is made from light then this is the essence of said light? this is a fundamental power that exist in nature. The deep sea heat that warmed the oceans, the sunlight the covers the land, the earth from which trees grew on, the erupting mountains that created lands through molten rocks for thousands of years? it was all an evolutionary process, a progress chart can always be traced to its roots: this is it.? Nitori stopped.
?You are saying we are facing a God, a God that created man??
?Not precisely, but an avatar of it maybe. It has the same powers as the fundamental element of Earth, and the control of it to an extension that it can control what sort of other minerals, ores, and such flow from it. It is a walking factory of ?creation essence? if I may imply crudely.? Nitori ended.
?You are implying also that it is directly responsible for the creatures that attacked us??? Alice got around to asking.
?I don?t know the answer to that, but think about it, if you can alter the food that people eat for hundreds of years, the grass that the cows graze upon, the minerals that flow in the waterfalls and down to the rivers and then into the resource captures that mankind used to process other items they needed to consume? what can you NOT do?? Nitori?s deduction fiercely hit the point, and Alice?s eyes opened wide as she tried to comprehend.
?Then we must waste no time getting to Reimu and Yukari!? Marisa yelled.
?Can you call those things we rode here?? Alice asked, referring to the bikes that they left in a long distance behind, due to the noise they made.
?Unfortunately, the flying mechanism is for emergency purpose only, I am afraid we missed our opportunity to use that now and again.? Nitori looked and said, pointing to the bikes that still seemed visible down by the mountain plains, now surrounded by infected humans, groggily doing whatever it is they do.
?Look, they are moving!? Marisa pointed, some of them even began to run.
?They are heading? South!?
?Reimu!? Marisa yelled.
She hopped onto her broom, and placed her Hakkero at the back of the broom which floated magically at the sweeper?s tips.
?I thought you can?t fly?? Alice asked, bewildered.
?I can push for an injected path, Nitori, help me here!?
?Five degrees more to the your right?? Nitori said, looking at a compass of sorts. She knows exactly where the town is with the thing in her hands that has a needle pointing southwards.
Time is short? Alice had no time to complain. She hopped to Marisa?s back, and Nitori held on to Setsu?s hands, who remained unusually silent all this time as they talked about the rock samples and enemy?s true identity.
?Love Sign: Master Spark!? And off, did a great pillar of laser light went off like a rocket launching at ground zero, blasting whatever remains of the shrine into dust as they took off in the direction of Reimu and Yukari?s bearings.
A warning may already be too late?
++++++
(The Town)
?Do you know that Okami* don?t die?? Kowasu, the negative version of Suwako asked in a deep toned voice. (note: Okami is ?Elder God/Bigger God?)
?Yeah?? Reimu answered uncertainly, truth to be said, she hasn?t know one that did die either. Gods have no business dying.
?Then you should know my story.?
?Perhaps if you start talking?? Reimu mocked.
?As you know, I am Kowasu, and I am a God. God of the Moreya Lands, perhaps once a long time ago, when the Moreya Lands, this Suwa Region itself was known as the Kaminozawa, literally translating to God?s Stream.? Kowasu began, ?In many eons before I took this shape and form, I am a divine toad. I lived here and all my life I was the great hunter and I helped mankind achieve their peace in my own little world beneath the well that is Suwa.?
?You speak in such enigmatic circles? what are you, some book writing fool?? Reimu mocked again.
?Patience, listen to what I have to say? for only then you may know which God you truly wanted to worship? believe me, I have no ill will to turn you into one of those horrible gurgling mindless zombies, I want you to be my priest!?
?I am sorry, I already have a God I house, I house the Hakurei God, and it has been for that many generations I don?t think I am about to break that age old tradition.? Reimu said.
?Like I said, you should ponder only after listening to my tale.? Kowasu smiled.
+++++
?In the beginning, I was a toad, and did I become a youkai when I reached my 30th year as an old toad. I was ready to die at some point, fully feeling death in my veins and understood that I have served my great duty.?
?I knew I was different, I was self aware? but I also knew I was no different from all my brethren, who spend their days croaking and eating flies. Come the season when the bugs are most notorious, I would go to the fields and eat the crop destroyers that plagued the land and the humans who rely on farming to sustain their lives. During May, I would follow into the homes of people and consume their pests which lurk in their walls and torment their children. I am a heroic toad, I hate to boast, but I was.?
?It was exactly 2100 years ago, in this Suwa itself, a light descended upon me upon taking my surely last breath. I was again reborn, and my self-consciousness elevated to a level completely anew, with which I was born into a giant toad, a youkai toad with a stomach that can fill all the pests that the seasons bring. I had no other specialties of course, at the time, I was young. I learned much later, nearly a year after, that I have become a youkai, and my duty was the same as when I am a normal toad.?
?So I lurked in the shadows of old Suwa, encountering troubling humans in the dark forests, and they learned of me. It took several years, but as my influence grew and my contributions greater, and the humans who have their houses free of any infecting diseases and common pests, I was worshipped.?
?The older generation was most respectful, and the shrine priests, a Shinto priest from the region of Kyuushu, travelled all the way to build a shrine here for me. It was located in the center of the Suwa Lake, which is rightfully my place. I was enshrined as a Jizou, and that I did become, a Toad Jizou, similar or equal to that of a Kami.?
?In the beginning, it was horrible, I wasn?t used to feeding on the faith of mankind, but they did worship me anyway. I was before this just a toad after all, I fed myself with bugs and pests, I wasn?t used to eating faith alone as sustenance and my hunger has more than a few times turned me violent. However, the locals were faithful, their children as well, and the Priest, who built my shrine was patient. Not only did he enshrine me, he gave me a name, called me Kowasu, and gave a family called Moreya, the local village head?s own child my reign. They became my immediate family and the shrine was theirs to care for, as is my life and I became their pet God.?
?Faith soon became my only sustenance, and besides keeping the pests and bugs away from the crops before harvest, I was a nature God, and was blessed with the ability to control Earth. Yes, everything is earth related; the soil for which plants must grew from, the soil from which humans harvest their paddies, the water which flows over to irrigate the fields, and the mountain stream from which humans took water from as the cornerstone of each and every civilization? It was all within my control. I regulated it so that mankind would have the clearest liquid to drink, I moderated so that the irrigated fields would have so many minerals the paddies would grow healthy and robust, so that when comes harvest; man would have a surplus to feed his family in winter cold. I am the God of wellbeing; I cared for every soul that comes to me.?
?Even the children, occasionally they would come to me to pray for good fortune, they wished for toys, and I would talk with the village head and ask that he talk to the parents in my steed. I feel fulfilled as I was both protector and helper. I was doing the work of the Gods, as one myself, I am proud of what I am.?
?However, like all Jizou, I am a mere local God. Time and again, the foreign ones would come and attack me, because this is the time of being the Brightened Age, a time when Youkai Kami, Kamis of the Yamato* whom are jealous of me and even the Okamis would come for me, they wanted abundance, which I have in my guard. I protected the villagers as best as I can? and occasionally, despite being a Kami, I am capable of mistakes. I have lost a fair share of believers because of my existence alone.?
(*Yamato Kami: the name given to the 8 billion different gods.)
?Faith is fickle, but yet it is strong? while the old ones kept their faith, it was clear the newer generation didn?t feel the same, they are threatened by my fearsome look, I was a giant red eyed deep grey skinned toad after all, it wasn?t all that surprising that they feel fear for me. In my mind however, I am certain my image has nothing to do with it, they fear me cause the turmoil the Gods bring to the peaceful lands, they fear when I lose, they will have to submit to foreign deities that didn?t care for them. ?
?I soon found myself tired, the fighting was too much, a hundred years have passed and they still kept on coming.?
?I am losing the struggle, and a foreign God, the Fire Worm, came to aid me. However, it was benign that such a help would come at a price. That God?s name, the Fire Worm, is none other than Kanako here, whom you see.?
?Yes, she invaded my ground, but together, a compromise between us now that the Priest who named me has died of old age and became a Jizou himself in Kyuushu, sitting in meditation forever in gold embalming in a temple, I knew he would approve of my actions. We became allies, when I am tired, she would defend Suwa with her might.?
?However, with that, it also means I must give my once stand-alone Suwa to her in half, her contributions however, were much greater. The people began to worship her more, and the fear for me grew ever stronger. I was forced to a corner as my powers dwindled and as she planned, eventually she turned her fiery wrath to me, and I was forced back. You must understand, Kanako at the time wasn?t satisfied to be one among the Eight Billion Gods, why should she??
?It took 7 years, and then? it was in the year of 1341, when the then Emperor took his steps to visit this Suwa Region, that he decided to enshrine Kanako as the local god without consulting me first with his fine group of elite monks. I was desperate, what could I do? I don?t want to have to become a homeless Jizou, and if I become that, I am no more than a fool forced out of her last refuge. I have grown up here; this is my home, am I to be forced out of my home because some foreign God?s warlike prowess that drove away the others? I will never stoop so low as to beg but I was desperate, I am a Jizou, and that will never change. So I took a path normally frowned upon, and by myself I took that journey that corrupted me.?
?I began to consume fear, far and wide as I travelled all the way to Kyuushu, wreaking havoc and because of my Jizou status and natural powers to manipulate Earth, I was fearless. I have only one creature to fear, and that is my Priest, my Father, whom named me Kowasu. I was on my way to Kyuushu to seek advice from him, abandoning my home when it is most desperate and in balance upon a thin thread??
?I consumed fear so much my body became blacker, and blacker? until I was ash like color, and from there, I gained a new identity. They called me ?Omoriomoero?, which had another meaning ?Great Forest Immolator? as I uplifted all the roots upon the mountains I travelled. I destroyed homes and eliminated villages of other similar but weaker Jizous of the land, and soon? I have finally reached my Priest, but my face has changed, where once a toad with a wide smile across its face, I am now wearing a frown, an angry snarl that I cannot wipe away no matter how I try. My expression was changed, my heart darkened as the burned charcoal. When I entered his temple, he didn?t recognize me, but he heard of a toad that terrorized the villages and nature.?
?With his divine sanctity, he asked for divine intervention, and lo, a hail of Kamis and heavenly celestials descended from the heavens and banished me to my home once more? They stabbed me, hurt me, and I was no match. I am, after all, a Jizou. No matter how strong I am, I am not on par with Celestials whom are natural enemies to youkai Kamis, which I remain fundamentally as. However, thanks to the fear I consumed, I became stronger, the Celestials took much casualties before they finally did subdue me after 10 days and 10 nights of unending struggling.?
?In the end however, I alone no matter how strong am no match for Celestials by the dozens. I was defeated, and carted back by the Yamato no Kamis, whom are so fond of power over me that they allowed the Land of Suwa to be passed by without being conquered, and gave their blessings to the Holy Mountain, from which their fallen allies and Celestials gather to make the mountain a holy stream which flows to the East. I was sealed there, under the great shrine which people will later call the Moriya, changing from its name to ?Protector?s Arrow? instead of ?Hailing Arrows? which Moreya meant. ?
?Sitting above me is a great rock, which became a great top half of a grand mountain, which on top is further built the Moriya Shrine. Their God, Suwako, is a one of the new gods enshrined in my place, who took upon her responsibility to be the heavenly frog whom sat upon the unholy stone of sealing. Like the Tama no Ue, the Heavenly Fox before me, I am sealed eternally in that place.?
?The first 100 years were the most painful, I am awake and aware, my defeat caused me pain that being sealed in there I cannot heal. I am aware and I called for help, to my nearest former ally the Fire Worm Kanako Hachisaka, whom I learned was enshrined at the other end of the Moriya Village, which is now Suwa?s civilization cornerstone. In my place, is replaced an even kinder God, Suwako Moriya is kind, and powerful, blessing the land with rain and rich soil, the Yamato whom have refused to follow the trail and still come to attack us was driven by her diligently with the aid of the heavens above. Truly, she is a better God than I ever could be, despite my sincere efforts.?
?In my silent state, I witnessed time pass, and I slept eventually? becoming tired of being tired even, slept and awake the first 200 years, then awake after another 500 has passed? imagine long sleep that where you lose sight of all that yourself, disappearing but not dying? The agony of such boredom drove me insane, yet I am constantly in a state of drowsiness? I learned that much later? things happened. However, the world changes regardless, with or without me. In the end, I learned I was betrayed, I come to that conclusion myself. The humans I served abandoned me when I needed them, the father whom I trusted disowned me when I needed him. I am alone.?
?I awoke in the year of 1612, nearly 800 years have passed since then, and Suwa has changed very little. The world however, around me was filled with bloodshed. The smell I first caught whiff of inside my sealed place is blood, polluting the earth which I helped create, polluting the world I am in? I was angry, my conscious awoke, and I began to struggle once more, finding that my anger fuelling me as I tested the strength of the seal.?
?Time and again I shook the earth with my broadening of awakening, I wore thin the layers, slowly one by one while the priests and monks and nuns gather at the shrine?s doorstep to further strengthen Suwako?s powers to subdue me under her seat. I was desperate, but I didn?t stop trying? I wanted to see with my own eyes what has caused the far spread violence and bloodshed? I wanted to see what has happened to my people. Yet, they who claim to be good Gods and deities, whom by now have finally allied themselves to form a peaceful society in unity in the Brightened Age, disrupt my every effort.?
?Oh you have no idea? the pain I felt? the soul of my people, dying? I was Japan?s God, I was the God before even Japan was named as Japan, I had a name, I had a rank, yet? this.?
?With each passing decade I grew weary, I see the wars that mankind wields in the name of unity, in the name of their unifier. I heard their screams as families perished in fiery blazes, I heard the gurgle and drowning of children as they flood the fields by breaking dams built to withstand the test of time with cannon fire. I heard their cries as they beheaded the brothers and husbands of the now widows to single children, left alone to the mother whom have to work twice as hard to fulfill the stomach of the children. I feel their every angry emotion, their wants, their needs, their dissatisfaction? and I learned to feed them to myself, so that I can continue to exist, stronger and grow on in my sealed state, I realized it is the only way I can get out.?
?The agony that fed me became stronger, I grew on them just as the people who no longer care about me grew on in their children?s spoke about legacies. Their wars have spread far and wide, but of all things, even without wars, there was hate and anger. I was aware of its abundance??
?Then, one year so long ago, I felt lighter, and I broke free of my bondages, and I flew with such ferocity I disappeared before Suwako and another that I don?t know who it was who came to aid her can find me. I flew South. Without looking back I continued as far South as I can.?
?There, I settled, and I saw to me, the new world that has forgotten its place.?
?I was angry? but most of all? I am saddened.?
?Thus, I waited, and when I had an army, I invaded Suwa once more? to find what? Yes, you guessed it, Suwako is no longer here, the shrine which I left behind is gone, and there standing in their place, is my old ally and enemy, the Fire Worm Kanako herself. She challenged me and she lost, she has grown weak after her many years of sealing, which I am surprised. It seems, she followed my path despite our differences. It seems all old Gods do in fact follow the path of glory before mutual benefit.?
?Thus, I took hold of Suwa, and from here? I began my delicate plan.?
?The plan to pollute all the nature?s elements, everything that was once mine, I will destroy them so that no humans may ever be able to betray me again, I gave them a virus.?
?Oh yes, I am well aware of its knowledge, they used to call them divine punishment when a man dies from fever? I know better, when the conditions are right, you can make unique things happen.?
?Thus, I welcome you both and your group? to my Apocalypse??
?Rejoice? for the humans in all of Japan and beyond, are coming to get you??
?Unless, of course, you pledge loyalty to me.?
______
♛ Apher-Forte:
A miserable past... of a God that is the true face of Suwako.
A glorious past which was forgotten and betrayed, in its wake, those who are born later must carry their father's sin.
The sin shall be repaid in full?
Or shall the great fall once more from personal greed?