Be careful what you wish for [ZnT/Touhou]

[Blackraptor]

...

"So..." Louise muttered as she zipped up her skirt.

"So..." I repeated as I leaned against the door with my arms folded.

"So..." Derf also repeated after partially coming out of its scabbard, the sword seemingly going along with it simply for the sake of doing so.

"Where'd Matilda and Ruukoto run off to so early in the morning anyway?" Louise asked as she went to work in securing her mantle on her person. By the time I walked back and Louise woke up, Matilda and Ruukoto were already gone. I assumed that the gynoid was still at the highest point of the academy because of the vigil it was holding throughout the night...something I need to ask it about later. As for Matilda...

"Ruukoto should be at the highest tower in the academy for reasons I've yet to inquire about. I have no idea where Matilda is though." I responded. I had thought about the usual places where the woman would have gone but I didn't discern any good reasons why she would be in any of those places.

"She left a note under the Founder's Prayer Book before she left. She was wearing traveling clothes so I think she went out on a trip when no one was looking." Derf stated, providing another piece of the puzzle. Matilda left? Was she trying to escape? No, she would have no reason to do so. I put further speculation on hold as Louise lifted up the Founder's Prayer Book, which was on her desk, and picked up the note that Derf spoke of. I waited for Louise to read the letter out loud since I have yet to learn this realm's written language, something to add on my to-do list for later.

--Louise and Yuka,

Firstly, I apologize if this letter finds you in a mildly confused, worried, possibly displeased state. I had recently acquired information from some of my old contacts during my treasure hunting days that requires my immediate personal attention. I cannot go into the specifics for this until I am certain of what I am dealing with. Know that I am not doing this to run away from my obligation to Louise for sparing my life during that incident. This is simply a...personal matter I need to get closure in.

I promise to return once I'm done.

Matilda--

"Now that letter is all sorts of vague." Derf commented, still partially out of its scabbard.

"Yes, all that letter gave us is that Matilda left for some personal matters and will return once she accomplishes whatever goal she set off for." I stated as I rubbed my chin with my right hand.

"So Matilda's gone and we don't even know where she went?" Louise asked in a disblieving and worried voice. I thought about that for a moment before giving a thoughful hum and smiling.

"Not exactly. There should be at least one who would have seen her leave last night." I said as I walked up to Louise's desk before picking up my parasol. Yes, there was one being that should have had complete surveillance coverage over the entire academy last night.

"Where are you going? I'm coming with you!" Louise demanded as she secured her hidden spare wand inside her clothes before putting the Founder's Prayer Book on her head and putting her hat on.

"I'd advise against that. This is the first day of the new term for your school. I don't think that the teaching staff would appreaciate you cutting classes so soon into the new term, regardless of your previous accomplishments." I pointed out, earning an all too familiar 'urk' from Louise that indicated that she connected the dots.

"Go to your classes and focus on your studies. I will try to see if I can find out more about what drove Matilda to leave in such a clandestine manner in the meantime." I laid out to Louise who reluctantly nodded after several grumbles about the situation not being fair. Satisfied with my master's response, I left the room and started down the halls. A woman as sharp as Matilda should have realized that Louise and I would likely look for her regardless of what her letter said. Additionally, she should have known that Ruukoto was something that would notice her leave Louise's room in the middle of the night...not to mention the academy.

Yet she still left despite all of that. Whatever drove Matilda to leave was serious enough for her to forego what should have been her better judgement. That meant one thing...trouble. Was it something concerning her half-sister and their hidden orphanage? Did Cromwell's organization find out about her not being dead? Was this something else entirely? I shook my head to shake off such unfounded worries. All were simply speculation until I get more information about it. I bitterly smiled at the situation. It was times like this when I wished I had a Hakurei's godly sense of intuition.

"Fuga." Ruukoto's voice snapped me from my thoughts. I had just exited the dormitory tower and was about to make my way to the highest tower of the academy. The gynoid saved me the trouble of doing so as it was already approaching me in a polite but casual manner.

"You have something to report? Is it about Matilda leaving the academy in the middle of the night without our knowledge?" I asked the gynoid. It tilted its head to the side in a slow and deliberate manner before nodding.

"Fuga." It responded. I narrowed my eyes at the robot maid. There was more?

"What do you mean by Matilda's departure is only part of what you wanted to report?" I asked the gynoid with a raised brow before raising my right hand to stop it from responding. It was then that I noticed that there were humans and familiars who were starting their day, too many for my tastes for this kind of conversation.

"Not here. Follow me." I curtly said before walking away, ignoring the familiar voice of Guiche in the distance. I led the gynoid to the academy garden and made sure that no humans were there or were going to approach. About the only person who would have any reason to be at the garden at that time would be Siesta...I trusted the maid enough to be able to keep a secret if she should ever stumble onto this conversation. After all, whatever Ruukoto had to say couldn't possibly have been anything too serious or would have affected Siesta in any way.

"Now then, please begin." I told Ruukoto with a nod. A few streams of light ran across the gynoid's eyes before it nodded and began its report.

"Fuga, Fuga. Fuga." Ruukoto started with the topic I was most concerned about. It seemed that Matilda had left as soon as she confirmed that Louise was fast asleep and I was already gone. The woman had already known about Louise's training and she should have been able to infer that I was in Mugenkan during the evenings. She left the academy just before midnight on a horse and Ruukoto confirmed that she was indeed wearing traveling clothes and even had a pack on her.

Realizing that Matilda was leaving in the middle of the night, likely in secret, Ruukoto took the liberty of keeping track of the former thief as long as it could using the long range sensors it had while in 'White Noise' mode. After Matilda finally got out of range of Ruukoto's sensors, the gynoid calculated the most likely destination of the woman based on the geographic information it had about the country of Tristain and the way Matilda was moving. Ruukoto's conclusion gave me a sudden sickening feeling at the pit of my stomach. I tried to think of the reason why as I took a few breaths to calm myself down. I wasn't sure what was wrong with me, such news shouldn't be something that could unsettle me so easily. I closed my eyes and calmed myself down. Whatever the reason was, the bottom line was Matilda was apparently headed to the port city of La Rochelle according to Ruukoto's calculations...the city we went to in order to get to the floating country of Albion.

"And? You said this was only part of you report." I stated as I used my parasol as a walking stick while waiting for Ruukoto to respond. I wanted to hear what else it wanted to say before I started considering any actions on what to do about Matilda.

"Fuga." Ruukoto immediately responded. An anomaly coming from the passive sensors of its home base?

"Wait, what do you mean by 'home base'?" I inquired with a raised brow.

"Fuga." Ah, I see. So Ruukoto's 'home base' was that strange not-aircraft hangar we found it in.

"And you say that this facility, your 'home base', still has power and even has a variety of long range sensors?" I asked for verification, earning a nod from the gynoid.

"Why would such a place even need such things?" I followed up, interested as to why Ruukoto's hangar had such capabilities.

"Fuga Fuga." The gynoid responded matter-of-factly. So the reason why that hangar was currently still active and why it had long range senors was because Ruukoto was originally intended to be the guardian of Tarbes...the 'Steel Goddess' as it were...after she and her Siesta's great grandfather found themselves stranded in Halkeginia.

"I understand. Now, what did you mean by anomalies?" I went to the next point.

"Fuga." Ruukoto responded immediately. I narrowed my eyes at her answer.

Ruukoto's sensors back at Tarbes detected large scale magical distortion.

A large scale magical distortion that was moving.

A large scale magical distortion that was moving and was headed right toward Tarbes.

"Define...'large scale'." I said as I once again started to have a very annoyed feeling about this whole thing.

"Fuga Fuga." The gynoid answered. It was of a scale that could easily wipe Tarbes off the face of the planet if it was a hostile spell. Ruukoto theorized that it could either be caused by a very large number of mages and magical creatures and constructs or it could be a very powerful magical being.

I wondered why any of those things could cause any magical distortions to occur when I remembered how magic here works. Aside from the Void element, every other magical element used in this world is cast by a magician that was compatible with those elements. In order to harness their element and cast their spells, the magicians of this world draw power from the ambient magic already available in the air using their own willpower. It was a somewhat roundabout and wasteful way of casting magic, they could easily just use their willpower as the fuel for their spells instead, but it works for them I guess. Because they used that method of casting spells, the magic in the air around them changes and distorts depending on what spells they cast. In that case, Ruukoto's theory was spot-on.

Now comes the question...what was causing that distortion and why was it headed to Tarbes?

"Can you tell if the cause of the distortion is hostile?" I asked the gynoid.

"Fuga." Inconclusive with the equipment and data samples available, huh? Ruukoto can't draw any conclusive results until the distortion gets closer. By that time, if it was hostile, it would have already been too late.

"It would seem that yet another incident is upon us. How far is the distortion from Tarbes?" I asked, trying to gather as much information about this as possible. If it was something that would threaten Tristain then Princess Henrietta might call upon Louise again to deal with it. If that happens, my master would jump at the chance to do something for the sake of her country and her dear friend. After that, it could snowball and turn into just about anything.

"Fuga." I almost didn't catch Ruukoto's response. Seventy-two hours until it was right on top of Tarbes...sixty hours until Ruukoto could accurately analyze it. I was suddenly snapped from my thoughts on the matter by the sound of something metalic that hit the stone walkway that led to the garden. I knew I forgot something...

"Wh-wh-what do you mean something is headed towards Tarbes...?" Siesta's trembling voice asked from the distance. I suddenly remembered telling myself that it was okay for Siesta to overhear our conversation since it likely wouldn't have affected her. Somehow, some way, I knew that Shikieiki had a hand in this.

Irony always did turn her on.

"Siesta, I would like to ask you to please calm down for a moment." I said as evenly as I could in the face of the pale young woman. I simply hoped that she would somehow force herself to calm down before she...

"What is approaching Tarbes?! Why did you ask if it was hostile?! What is happening?!" ...does something like that. Siesta frantically asked as she stomped toward me before grabbing my shoulders and apparently trying to shake the answers out of me.

"Siesta. Calm. Down." I firmly stated as I stabbed my parasol into the ground before taking hold of both the maid's hands.

"How can I calm down?! My entire family is in Tarbes! There are children there! Now what is approaching my home town?!" Siesta yelled out with fear and fervor that I have never seen from her before. It was evident that she was one who took the safety of her family very seriously.

"Fuga." Ruukoto interjected.

"What do you mean 'unknown'? You said that something large and powerful was approaching my home town! How could you not know what it is?!" Siesta yelled at the gynoid, letting me go and grabbing Ruukoto's shoulders instead.

"Exactly what it said. Ruukoto managed to pick up some sort of large scale magical distortion a good distance away from Tarbes. The problem is that the distortion was moving...and it is currently headed toward your home town. We don't know what is causing it nor why it is headed to Tarbes, all we know is that it is." I explained as concisely as I could in an effort to calm the frantic young woman down. Of course, the instincts and experiences I've accumulated over the centuries did not have any delusions that the distortion that Ruukoto detected were harmless. Anything that can cause a magical anomaly that large so constantly had to be something of significant power. I've yet to hear of anything in this realm that can cause such a thing so I immediately thought of the worse case.

If nothing is done and if that distortion maintained its course, then Tarbes will be destroyed in seventy-two hours.

"I...I...I need to tell my family!" Siesta declared before trying to run off. I managed to intercept her by grabbing her arm as gently as I could, preventing her from escaping.

"Let me go! I need to warn my family! Please Mister Yuka! Let me go!" The maid tried very hard to shake her arm free from my grasp. I made sure to take note of the strain she was putting her arm under so she doesn't accidentally dislocate her shoulder or something.

"Siesta. Think." I stated as I pulled her closer to me, making her stop struggling against my grip.

"Even if you leave, you won't be able to get to Tarbes before that anomaly does. Even if you do, you wouldn't have enough time to convince your family to leave and guarantee everyone's safety. Even then, what about the rest of the townspeople? Do you plan on simply taking your family and leaving the rest of the humans there to their fates?" I argued, making sure not to leave any room for argument from the maid.

"Then...what should I do?" Siesta asked me weakly with tears in her eyes. I let her arm go, confident that she wouldn't try to escape anymore. What indeed...

I could easily reach Tarbes in a few hours if needed, I'm sure that Ruukoto could also keep up with my speed. However, until we knew what was heading to Tarbes...there wasn't any real reason to. However, such words would do little to sate the worry of the young woman in front of me so I decided to take a page from Hijiri Byakuren.

"Pray..." I softly said while putting my left arm on her shoulder. Siesta backed away from me before running away.

"Fuga?" Ruukoto asked me with a tilted head.

"She won't tell anyone, I doubt anyone would believe her even if she did." I replied as I looked in the direction where Siesta ran off to. I sighed before turning back to Ruukoto.

"Don't tell Louise about that anomaly headed to Tarbes." I told the gynoid who tilted her head in confusion at the sudden order.

"Knowing her, she would probably immediately tell us to go to Tarbes to investigate it. I'd rather not have to deal with that if possible, especially after we've finally started to have a sense of normalcy around here." I reasoned. Incidents and the like were fine, I've dealt with and caused my fair share back in Gensokyo. However, the number and frequency of the incidents Louise and I have been involved in was bordering on idiotic. It was like she was a magnet for trouble or that she was naturally drawn to trouble. If things like this kept happening in the pace they have been, Louise would likely burn out very quickly regardless of how much support she gets.

"Fuga." Ruukoto said with a nod, complying with my order. I nodded back and headed to where Louise was taking her classes, the gynoid trailing a few steps behind me.

...

"So, what happened to you earlier Mister Yuka?" Guiche asked me as he poured Monmon some tea. It would seem that he was steadily starting to regain the young woman's trust and were back on speaking terms. Although, I believed that it would still be a while before Monmon would be willing to open her heart to him again. The rest of Louise's little circle of friends were there as well, save for Matilda and Derf, for our usual routine of afternoon tea and snacks. Ruukoto was the one who served said tea and snacks to our table because Siesta had locked herself in her room after our talk earlier. I just hoped that the maid wouldn't do anything drastic.

"I had something I needed to discuss with Ruukoto in private that couldn't wait." I replied before sipping some tea. Louise sighed from her seat next to me while Ruukoto decided to take up position behind her like some sort of stone sentinel...of the maid variety.

"What about?" Monmon asked with a raised brow from her seat to the other side of Louise, Kirche was seated next to Guiche and next to her was Tabitha, who was seated next to me thus completing the circle.

"Matilda is gone." Louise responded in a dejected voice as she stared at her tea.

"Missing?" Tabitha asked in a surprising show of interest in the conversation at hand. Louise shook her head before taking a small sip of her tea. I chose to remain silent for the time being and so did Ruukoto...but that was probably because of its programing.

"She...left." Louise answered in the same dejected tone as before. Everyone at the table suddenly froze and stared at my master in disbelief.

"What...so, she escaped or something?" Kirche asked before taking a bite from a piece of cake that the Germanian had been working on. Louise visibly flinched and grimaced at the comment, she didn't like the idea that she was someone who one would actively try to get away from as quickly as they could. I heard a soft thud under the table and noticed the redhead scowl at her blue-haired counterpart who simply gave her a sideward glance. It seemed that Tabitha didn't like the lack of tact in the way Kirche chose to talk about the subject.

"Matilda is not missing nor did she escape, she certainly isn't simply hiding somewhere in the academy either." I stated, drawing everyone's attention to me and away from my master...aside from Monmon who had her hand on Louise's shoulder and was looking at my master with concern.

"She left a letter addressed to Louise and I. It stated that she had personal matters to attend to and would return once she was done." I stated, earning varying looks from the other occupants of the table.

"And you trust her? Need I remind you that she was once the most infamous thief in the country?" Kirche skeptically asked with a raised brow. I blinked once when I suddenly felt Louise's magic spike at the Germanian's words.

"Matilda isn't like that anymore!" Louise suddenly shouted at Kirche, who flinched back at the sudden outburst. I was thankful that Louise had the self-control not to pull out her wand after her statement.

"Matilda is...Matilda is..." Louise muttered while hanging her head low.

"Louise..." Kirche called out to my master, finally understanding how hard Matilda's sudden exodus had hit her.

"According to Ruukoto, Miss Matilda is presumably headed to La Rochelle." The sudden words from a familiar voice that I did not expect to hear so soon caught everyone's attention. We all turned to Siesta who was standing a few feet away from our table. I narrowed my eyes at the young woman when I noticed her hardened expression. I seemed that she had yet to let our talk this morning go.

"What do you mean by that? Is that true?" Louise asked Siesta and Ruukoto in turn. The gynoid had no choice but to answer truthfully to its new master. It gave me a small, almost apologetic, glance before nodding. Louise had caught that and turned her attention toward me.

"And you knew this?" She asked me with anger that was barely being held back. I stared at my master for a few moments, hoping that letting the question hang in the air for a while would cool her head. I sighed when no such thing happened. In fact, my silence only made her more irritable instead.

"Yes...it was what I talked to Ruukoto about while you were attending your classes." I finally admitted since I did not have any room to wiggle out of this anymore.

"And you didn't tell me because..." Louise trailed off as she seethed in her seat next to me.

"...you never asked." I responded with a shrug, even though I already knew what that particular response would do. Louise looked at me slack jawed before she clenched her teeth and slowly brought both her shaking hands up as if she was about to strangle me. I raised a brow when she lowered them and gave an audible sigh.

"You know what, I don't care anymore. We're heading for La Rochelle immediately!" Louise declared and immediately stood up, much to the surprise of everyone except myself, Ruukoto, Tabitha, and Siesta.

"Louise, you can't be serious!" Monmon stated in surprise and worry at the sudden declaration of her friend.

"Of course I'm serious! Matilda needs my help!" Louise replied with the same kind of fire in her eyes that she had back when I challenged her devotion to her Princess Henrietta.

"No, she doesn't." I calmly said before grabbing Louise wrist to prevent her from escaping.

"Yuka! Let me go! I need to help Matilda!" My master yelled at me as she tried to struggle free from my grip. The whole thing reminded me of what Siesta and I went through earlier in the day. When Louise realized that I wasn't going to let her go any time soon, she decided to employ a different method.

"Ruukoto! Make Yuka release me! Use deadly force if you have to!" She ordered the gynoid. Ruukoto looked between the two of us and tilted its head to the side. On one hand, it was a direct order from Louise. On the other hand, Ruukoto clearly knows what I'm capable of and would likely not be able to accomplish its master's order.

"What are you waiting for? The power of Louise compels you! The power of Louise compels you!" My master stated as she looked at Ruukoto right in the eyes, seemingly trying to hypnotize the gynoid.

"Fuga." Ruukoto responded with a shake of its head. I was about to translate the gynoid's words when Siesta took the liberty of doing so instead.

"I deeply apologize, Mistress Louise. I will not be able to accomplish that order. Yuka Kazami is too powerful for me to defeat in my current state. To continue to try could likely mean my destruction and would violate one of my prime directives." Siesta said as she walked to our table.

"What do you mean prime directives?" Louise asked Ruukoto, her tension easing up somewhat after what the gynoid said. As usual, Louise's desire to know more about those she cared about outweighed her anger.

"Fuga. Fuga." Ruukoto immediately answered. Louise then turned to Siesta for a translation. The maid, the human one, blinked at the other maid, the robot one, before shaking her head and began her translation.

"My three prime directives are orders imprinted into my core functions by Professor S. Uzuki when I was remodeled to this Version Four frame. The directives are as follows..." Siesta trailed off before taking a deep breath.

"First Directive: To put the well being and safety of my master as my utmost priority. This directive can override all other directives if my master's life is in great enough danger.

Second Directive: To obey all orders from my master to the best of my ability. This directive may be overridden if it violates other directives or if the command made is simply impossible to accomplish at my current capacity.

Third Directive: To preserve my own survival and ensure my continued existence. This may override or may be overridden by other directives depending on the situation." Siesta nodded toward Louise to indicate that she was done.

"Why? Why did someone need to put those rules inside you in the first place?" Louise asked Ruukoto, her previous hostility toward me already forgotten in the face of her servant's revalation.

"I believe that it has something to do with what happened to your Version Two and Version Three frames, yes?" I postulated as I released Louise from my grasp after I was certain that the young woman wouldn't try to escape anymore.

"Fuga. Fuga Fuga Fuga." Ruukoto answered and I couldn't help but chuckle. Yes, I suppose that if that was what happened, it was understandable that someone would have imposed such rules on the gynoid.

"Well? What's so funny?" Louise asked me in a deadpan manner after she noticed my amusement at Ruukoto's answer.

"You see, when Ruukoto first dropped off the map back in Gensokyo, it was still using its original frame. It turns out that its original frame was all but destroyed during transit from within Gensokyo to whatever realm it found itself in afterward. By sheer luck or some manner of fate, it was picked up by this Uzuki woman and was rebuilt and improved. Ruukoto repaid the woman's kindness by becoming her maid and bodyyguard. There was just one problem..." I trailed off with a shake of my head at how absurd Ruukoto's situation was back than.

"It seemed that the realm that Ruukoto found itself in was in the middle of a war against a race of extra-dimensional beings known only as the Gnosis. A war that humanity was steadily losing." I stated with a smile before sipping some tea. Everyone else stared between me and Ruukoto in turn. Ruukoto for the absurdity of its story and me because I didn't seem surprised by it.

"Continue." Tabitha prompted. I raised a brow at the normally stoic girl's sudden enthusiasm. She had put her book down and was looking at me with as much interest as she could likely muster, I guess she liked those kinds of stories.

"Of course. The woman who picked up Ruukoto was apparently a very important person in that realm, humanity's hope of victory as it were. Unfortunately, because of her status, she often found herself in several dangerous situations...situations that ended up breaking Ruukoto more than once. I would elaborate more but I don't think that this is the kind of thing I should talk about while you are all eating. All I will say is that I wouldn't have minded being sent there myself. Quite the exciting place at the time I'd imagine." I stated with the same smile. Humanity's backs were against the wall when Ruukoto arrived and were becoming desparate. That Uzuki woman was brilliant for a human, likely able to hold her own in an intellectual debate against Eirin or Patchouli. However, even her brilliance and her work on Ruukoto and other artificially created fighting androids were not enough to turn the tide...it was simply too little and too late.

"Did...did they win?" Guiche asked hesitantly on behalf of the others there.

"No. They were eventually all wiped out save for a few that escaped to the sea of stars. Ruukoto is one of the few things left that proves that civilization once existed and what it was capable of. It is one of their final legacies, an artifact of a courageous but doomed people." I answered before looking at Tabitha.

"Not all stories have a happy ending as you probably already know." I said to the blue-haired girl. She merely stared at me for a few moments before picking up the book she had and continued reading it.

"Now that we have Ruukoto's second origin story out of the way, I believe that we were discussing on how were are not going after Matilda." I steered the conversation back to what we were supposed to be talking about.

"That's right! Why don't you want me to help Matilda? Are you just going to abandon her? I thought that she was one of us now! I thought that you actually cared for her!" Louise's previous fire was immediately rekindled after I mentioned that and began on her offense once more.

"I do...despite what you may think and despite what I show, I do care about Matilda..." I stated evenly before raising my right hand up to prevent any retorts.

"I have come to care for her as I care for you, Louise. I care for Matilda like I would Cirno. She is someone I already respected even back when she was not our ally yet, and someone I have come to trust...someone I have come to wish to protect when needed...which is exactly why I do not wish to go after her." I added. Louise looked at me with a complex expression that likely mirrored her emotions. I could sense that her magic was saying more than her expression possibly could, a maelstrom of conflicting emotions.

"Explain yourself Yuka..." Louise said in a tone of voice that suggested that it was more of a command than a request.

"I trust her judgement and her skill. Matilda is not some damsel in distress and she most certainly isn't a fool. She is a skilled adventurer and thief as well as being a Square-Class Earth Magician. She could take all of you on and win. She was able to hold her own against me. She asked us to wait for her return and I will abide by her request...even though I wish to get answers from her myself." I explained before putting my hands on Louise's shoulders.

"Louise, just think about who you are talking about. Just who do you think she is?" I asked her with a knowing smile. I know that Matilda wasn't the most powerful magician here, Colbert and Osmond could likely defeat her, but she was far from being helpless. I wanted Louise to remember just who that woman was and what she was capable of. Louise was silent for a while, her gaze dropped down to the ground as I removed my hands from her shoulders.

"I just...don't want her to get hurt." Louise muttered.

"Louise, Miss Matilda has been through more things than most people have their whole lives. I'm sure she has a very good reason for doing what she did. And, as Mister Yuka has already stated, she isn't exactly someone that can easily be brought down." Guiche reasoned. As a fellow Earth Magician, he would know better than most at how good Matilda was at her craft.

"Wait for return." Tabitha added without having the need to pry herself away from her book again.

"They're right you know. It would be insulting for her to think that she's viewed as someone who couldn't take care of herself after all she has accomplished." Kirche stated with a sagely nod. Louise looked at Kirche like she was debating on whether to agree with the Germainian or blast her for annoying her again.

"Louise, let's believe in Miss Matilda for now, okay? At least we roughly know where she went, right? If anything happens, we can always send Mister Yuka out to help her." Monmon joined in on the consensus of trusting the former thief's judgement, at least for now.

"Fine...I'll wait." Louise finally agreed, much to the relief of Monmon.

"But the second that we find out that she's in trouble..." My master trailed of as she stared at me right in the eyes.

"I'll take you to her myself." I responded with a smile, one that Louise finally returned. I gave a sideward glance to Siesta who was quietly walking back to the main academy building. I did not know then why she raised the topic about Matilda's departure out of nowhere, I simply hoped for her sake that she did not try anything else.

...

[Blackraptor]

Trance Mode makes 10 Desires too easy...

...

"I feel an odd sense of deja vu right now..." Louise said as the two of us walked the halls of the academy. It was the day after Louise and the rest found out about Matilda's sudden departure and her reason for doing so. It was also a little over forty-eight hours until that magical anomaly arrives at Tarbes, thirty-six hours until Ruukoto can get a good enough reading on what it actually was. I wanted to make sure that Louise did not find out about that anomaly until the gynoid can provide conclusive information about it. Louise's comment stemmed from the fact that I was currently following her to her morning classes again.

"Well, we never actually got any training done last night because you didn't arrive in Mugenkan. I figured that I might as well have a change of pace today so...here we are." I stated, which was true. I did want a change of pace but I also wanted to keep an eye on Louise to make sure that Siesta didn't tell her anything she didn't need to know yet. The young woman's worry and concern was justified since she could likely end up alone if whatever was headed to her hometown decided to wipe it off the map. I tried to look for her earlier this morning in an effort to tell her that I would be more than happy to rip apart that anomaly with my bare hands if it turned out to be hostile, but only once we knew for certain what it actually was. Unfortunately, Siesta seemed to be exerting superhuman effort to avoid me at all costs. Needless to say, I didn't find her. Ruukoto was still at the highest tower to try to get any additional information from its hangar back in Tarbes. I made sure to ask the gynoid to bring Siesta to me if it managed to find her.

"You do realize that, since we have confirmed you to be a Void Magician, there is no longer any reason for you to even learn anything from these classes anymore right? Everything you need to cast proper Void Element spells is inside that book you keep under your hat." I pointed out as I once again used my parasol as a walking stick. Louise gave me a sideward glance before scowling at me.

"Weren't you the one that told me to attend my classes?" Louise asked me crossly. I glanced at her before smiling and giving a small shrug.

"I only said that to ensure that I would be able to talk to Ruukoto alone and get information on what happened to Matilda. Having you there would have made the whole process take longer than it did." I shamelessly admitted. I didn't feel the need to keep hiding it from my master since I felt that there was no longer any reason to. Louise thought otherwise as she walked ahead of me before turning around and pointing both of her wands, her regular one and her hidden spare one, at me.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't cast explosion in your face." Louise said dangerously. If she had done that to anyone else, I was sure that they'd start cowering and begging her for mercy. Obviously, the effect was minimized since she was doing it to me. Although, I was impressed at how fast she could draw both her wands now. Perhaps I could add that to her training regiment once Cirno comes back.

"Because we are in the middle of a hallway currently being used as a thoroughfare by students and academy staff. I doubt that they would appreciate a show of force from you so early in the morning." I plainly stated while folding my arms and leaning back. Louise narrowed her eyes at me before glancing around. Sure enough, there were students, teachers, and maids that all stopped in their tracks when they saw Louise suddenly whip out a pair of wands. My master's old reputation once again made itself known as everyone else either slowly backed away from her, hid behind a staff member, or simply ran away in terror.

After all, if Louise was able to do so much damage with her broken spells with a single wand...just think of what she could do with two wands.

"Fine...but this isn't over." Louise looked sharply at me before putting away both wands in a smooth, likely practiced, manner. I guessed that Matilda has been giving her lessons in being able to access her magic as quickly as possible. Smart.

Matilda...

I idly wondered if she was safe and if she was able to find what she set out for...and if she liked what she found out.

"Yuka! Hey! I'm still talking to you! Space out on your own time!" Louise yelled at me with her arms folded while tapping her foot on the floor repeatedly.

"I apologize. Shall we head on over to your class?" I asked with a smile. Louise sighed before turning around and walking off, much to the relief of the other people there. I shook my head to free myself of my previous thoughts. I had decided to believe in Matilda and wait. Unless something drastic happens in the meantime, I planned on abiding by that belief.

"Louise, over here!" Monmon's voice broke me from a trance I didn't even realize I was in. The two of us had already arrived at the classroom with Louise's friends already seated and waiting for her. Thankfully, there were no more repeats of what happened the first time I sat in on one of Louise's classes. Everyone still thinks that I was more dangerous than a dragon, but at least Louise had me on a leash. I momentarily wondered why they didn't seem to be afraid of the fact that Louise had someone like me under her control considering her reputation. I simply shrugged the odd thought away before following Louise to her seat.

"Mister Yuka, do you plan on sitting in again?" Guiche asked me from his seat behind Monmon. The blonde girl was seated at the end of the row with her side apparently reserved for Louise. Guiche was seated behind her while Tabitha and Kirche were seated beside him respectively. It seemed that Monmon was still wary of Guiche but he was still taking what he could get. That young man was persistent if nothing else.

"That was my intention. Doing things like this once in a while is nice as well." I replied as Louise took her seat beside Monmon while I sat at the other side of my master.

"Why hello there, da~rling~" Kirche greeted me by leaning forward and wrapping her arms around me like a pair of vines.

"Kirche, stop molesting Yuka." Louise said in an almost disinterested voice. Such events have become almost commonplace whenever I was within arm's length of the redhead, so much so that Louise and I have become...desensitized to it.

"I'm not molesting him. I'm merely taking full advantage of my positioning is all~" The Germanian retorted as she leaned in closer to me.

"Right, da~rling~?" Kirche whispered in my right ear. I sighed before leaning forward, pulling Kirche along in the process. Because of the way she was positioned, her upper body tried to follow me but her lower body was still securely against her desk...the action ultimately resulting in her yelping in pain as she overextended her back.

"Ow! Jeez da~rling~, no need to be rough~" Kirche barely still managed to maintain her teasing voice even while sitting back on her seat normally and rubbing her back.

"Obstinate." Tabitha commented while slightly shaking her head, but not enough to tear her eyes away from her current reading material. Kirche's retort was cut off when Professor Colbert entered the classroom while pushing along a cart with some sort of contraption on top of it.

"Good morning to you all. I hope this day finds all of you in good spirits." The man greeted his students before settling his gaze upon me. I gave him a curt nod, which he returned with a smile.

"Professor! What is that thing?" One of the students in the room asked the question everyone was probably thinking of at the time. Colbert nodded at his student enthusiastically before responding.

"This is an invention a colleague gave me plans for. I wanted to show you all this to demonstrate a certain concept that I hope would find your interest. Please observe." The professor explained before moving to one end of the contraption before pulling out his personal wand and casting a simple fire spell. As soon as the spell ignited, the contraption came to life.

Some of the metal and wooden parts of the contraption started moving in a deliberate pattern as steam started to leak out of various points. I raised a curious brow at the contraption that Colbert had. The constant and rythmic way that his contraption was moving, it reminded me of an engine, like one of those made by the Kappa. Of course, what the professor had was leagues behind the kind of engines that Nitori and her kin have been able to produce, the Hisoutensoku's engine being a prime example. Of course, for a magocratic civilization like the one in this realm, this kind of engine would probably be the first leap into technological advancement for them.

Nitori still would've probably laughed at it though.

"Argh! What is that thing, a torture device?!"

"We yield! We yield!"

"Whatever I did! I'm sorry!"

Various cries of anguish and despair echoed throughout the previously peaceful classroom. The combination of the grinding of wood and metal as well as the whistling on steam that came from Colbert's little invention was not painting a pretty picture as far as how it sounded went. Even Louise and her friends were feeling the pain. My master, Monmon, Guiche, and Kirche were all grimacing in pain while covering their ears in an effort to block out the noise...judging from their expressions, it wasn't working. Tabitha was still valiantly trying to read her book but even she was starting to furrow her eyebrows at the constant noise. I wasn't really all that bothered by it. I've had to hear worse...much worse back in Gensokyo. Have you ever wondered what Yuugi's, Suika's, and Ibara's singing voices sounds like when they sing together? It wasn't pretty, they were like the anti-thesis of the Prismriver Sisters. Parsee and Koishi were rendered deaf for several days after that one Hakurei Reitaisai. Everyone else made sure to never let that tragedy ever happen again.

At the end of the torturous noise caused by the professor's contraption, a sudden 'ding' could be heard. All movement from the device ceased and the front part of it, or what seemed to be the front part anyway, suddenly opened like double doors. From within a pair of small wodden dolls slid out via a small wooden floor for them. The two dolls mechanically bowed to each other before they started...dancing in tune with an orgel that was playing within the contraption. Professor Colbert effectively created a noisy, elaborately mechanical, music box dolls. I wasn't sure if I should impressed by the apparent creativity by which he achieved this rather simple result.

"That's it? You put us through all that for this?" One of the students cried out. Judging from the expressions of the other students there, they all shared the same sentiments...even Louise and her friends. The song the orgel played ended and the two wodden dolls bowed to each other before getting pulled back into the contraption. Professor Colbert merely gave a forced cough before laughing awkwardly.

"Well you see, I just wanted all of you to witness something that has been extremely underutilized in Tristain and throughout Halkeginia." The professor explained somewhat nervously under the disapproving stares of his students.

"And what would that be? Audible torture?" Monmon hissed as she rubbed the sides of her head with her hands.

"Well no...what I meant was...well..." It seemed that the proverbial cat had gotten the normally enthusiastic professor's tongue after he realized the kind of damage his contraption did on his students.

"Technology. The light that cuts through the darkness of ignorance and superstition." I stated in recollection of how Nitori once described what technology was to the Kappa. There was some truth in the statement but I found it somewhat ironic considering they lived in a realm where superstition was part of everyday life. Everyone in the room, save for Tabitha who was back to reading her book in earnest, turned their attention to me.

"Yes! Exactly! Thank you Mister Kazami!" The professor exclaimed with the same enthusiasm he did when he first started his class.

"That...thing...is supposed to cut through ignorance and superstition?! It's more likely to cause ignorance and superstition!" Another random member of the class exclaimed. The rest of the class displayed an excellent example of crowd mentality by all nodding at the words of their peer at the same time. I actually blinked once because they didn't seem to mind that one of them called me out on my previous statement. Normally, they'd all be scared stiff with the prospect of one of them contradicting my own words. I guess that Colbert's contraption was more of a perceived threat to them at the time than I was.

"To be fair, I would think that the technology that your civilization posesses is still in its infancy, certainly nowhere near the level of what Ruukoto has." I pointed out, everyone went silent at those words. Nearly the entire academy already knew of the gynoid and that it was rumored to be some sort of super-advanced golem created by a particularly brilliant individual based on the abilities it had displayed so far.

"Indeed! Meeting Ruukoto had rekindled my desire to learn about and develop more advanced technology. Of course, as you said, I still have a long way to go before I can match the brilliance of Professor Uzuki and her peers." Colbert admitted sheepishly.

"Do not sell yourself short, everything starts from somewhere. Even some of the most advanced and the most powerful had humble beginnings." I admonished the man. After all, I was a living example of that statement. The professor seemed mollified by my words and continued his lecture.

"Quite. Now, the reason why I demonstrated what his machine is capable of is because I wanted to show how much one can accomplish with machines that require only minimal effort." Colbert explained. It was a simple, logical, and practical concept. That was the way of thinking that made the Lunarian civilization as powerful as it was and that was what made the outside world advance as far as it did as well. Sad that his students did not share his view in that matter.

"Why do we need something like that when we can just use magic instead?" Kirche asked the predictable question. In their perspective, it was a pretty reasonable question. For those who have had the all-too-reliable crutch known as magic their entire lives, using devices and machines to do work that they could just as easly accomplish using their spells. 

"Because there will be times where simply using magic will not be enough to accomplish something. There will be times where you will need more than what each of your spells can offer. You cannot accomplish everything using magic Miss Zerbst. Isn't that why we have ships, carriages, tools and the like?" Colbert explained. It always was the tendency for humans to simply tune out and forget about certain aspects of their life that take for granted.

"Human ingenuity. The singleminded desire shared by all humans to go beyond the boundaries set by nature. A foolish mindset that helped humans seemingly dominate everything else around them. Take this as a word of caution though, civilizations have risen and fallen because of that mindset. When everything is said and done, mother nature will always take back what is rightfully hers. Of course, such words are likely biased coming from one such as I..." Especially with how I've dismissed humanity in general as weaklings, save for a few exceptions, for most of my life. Several of the things I said were things I've picked up from books that I acquired back in Gensokyo through several means. Humans may be weak, but they can write rather interesting stories.

"So you're saying that we should start relying on technology rather than magic?" Guiche inquired. I blinked and looked around and found that everyone was actually waiting for my response. I suddenly had a sense of deja vu at the situation. It was like how Cirno's little friends reacted when they stumbled in on me giving Cirno a lecture on Danmaku Battle concepts.

"Not at all, science and magic need not be mutually exclusive from one another. As quoted from a book I enjoyed reading back home: 'When Science and Magic meet, the Story shall begin.'" I responded as I recalled a certain novel series that I grew fond of a long time ago.

"Of course, such a concept might seem radical and outright strange for all of you right now." I added with a shrug. I did not expect them to simply accept such a concept. After all, most magicians, humans or otherwise, refused to rely on technology for anything. Those that manage to look beyond such a silly limitation, such as Marisa once did, managed to achieve some rather incredible things. With that particular note, Colbert continued his lecture like he normally did and without further need for his little contraption. Needless to say, the students were very grateful for that.

...

"You never told me that you liked to read books." Louise offhandedly commented as we walked through the academy halls. Classes were over and we were all headed to our usual spot for tea and snacks. Louise's statement barely registered with me because of what I saw out the window. Because of the location of the hallway they were walking through, the windows gave one a clear view of the main entrance to the academy. What I saw was someone on a horse who just stormed into the academy grounds like he was in a race. Normally something like that wouldn't really pique my interests, but this rider was different. It wasn't that he was anything special, aside from the fact that he was clad in what looked like a knight's armor. What got my attention was what I sensed from the rider.

Fear...lots of it. So much so that I could sense it all the way up from the fourth floor of the academy with other humans in close proximity.

Whatever it was that prompted the rider's urgency was enough to make him give off a particularly palpable aura of fear. I wondered the reason for the rider's distress as I watched him dismount his horse and break into a run into the academy. I narrowed my eyes when I heard a little voice at the back of my head, that curiously sounded like Reimu's adult voice, saying that the anomaly that was headed toward Tarbes had something to do with it.

"I've done a great many things in my life Louise. Reading books was simply one of the things I've done to pass the time when nothing else was happening." I responded, not missing a beat despite the distraction. The only one who gave any notice for that half-second pause I made before responding to Louise's comment was Tabitha, once again proving that she was much sharper than a girl her age should have been. Thankfully, she was also much more subtle than a girl her age should have been. Tabitha immediately went back to her book after she gave me a sideward glance, the only indication that she noticed that something was amiss. I trusted that she would not meddle unless she really had to since I didn't want Louise involved in this incident if at all possible.

Who was I kidding? I was almost certain at that point that some omnipotent being was actively using Louise and I as entertainment with all the incidents that we've been involved in. Whoever or whatever it was, it better hope I never get my hands on it.

"What kinds of books did you read?" Guiche piped up, taking interest in the subject of our conversation. I gave the question some thought, noticing that Tabitha had lifted her gaze from her own book to be able to look at me.

"I've read a lot of books over the course of my life. History, Science, Mythology, Magic, Fiction, and many more. Although, before Louise summoned me, I was going through a phase where I was most interested in the mystery genre...particularly the works of one human author named Agatha Christie." I responded, earning a few curious looks from my master and her friends.

"Mystery genre? What's that?" Kirche asked in genuine curiosity. I felt my eyebrow twitch. Did these humans not have any authors that catered to the mystery genre? What an absurd notion!

"Tabitha, have you ever read a mystery novel?" I asked the resident expert amongst Louise's friends when it came to anything involving books. I felt my eyebrow twitch again when the blue-haired girl shook her head.

"Elaborate." Tabitha responded. It would seem that even she did not know what a mystery novel even was. I was starting to understand what Cirno had felt when Louise admitted to not knowing anything when it came to the Laws of Physics. I gave an audible sigh before trying to gather my thoughts. The mystery rider, the strange magical anomaly, and the situation at Tarbes can wait. There were more important things that demanded my attention.

"The mystery genre is a branch of literature, fictional or otherwise, that deals with stories that have 'mystery' as a central theme. You do know the definition of mystery, right?" I asked them, hopeful that they would at least have some idea as to what the genre was supposed to represent.

"Unknown. Secret. Puzzle. Hidden." Tabitha listed out.

"Well, that's a start. To be more specific, the mytery genre deals with situations where the character or characters needs to unravel a crime that no one wanted to know about such as a murder or a theft. At times, it involves deviously clever tricks, misinformation, and ploys by the perpetrator of the crime." I explained. Tabitha tilted her head to the side and made a thoughtful hum. It was likely that she became interested in reading a story that had those elements.

"I can't really see how one would enjoy reading about things like that. It sounds more like something that someone from the Romalian Inquisition would have to deal with...and no one expects the Romalian Inquisition." Monmon pointed out. Louise and the rest of them, save for Tabitha, gave agreeing nods to Monmon's words. I felt my eyebrow twitch one more time before I walked away from all of them with a displeased expression.

Unrefined barbarians.

...

"What's going on?" Louise asked out loud as she saw a crowd of students gathered to the side of the dormitory entrance. Had Cirno or someone else from Gensokyo finally wandered into Halkeginia? I certainly hoped not. The last thing I needed was another incident on top of the possible incident that Louise and I could soon be involved in.

"It appears that several of your peers are crowding around something. Will you take a look...as...well..." My question died prematurely as I saw Louise, Guiche, Monmon, and Kirche already headed to the source of the commotion. I blinked when I noticed that Tabitha was still standing next to me and was still reading her current book.

"You are not going to join them?" I asked the smartest person in Louise's little circle of friends. The young magician merely responded with a light shrug without taking her eyes off her book. I supposed that she was just not interested...that and Kirche would probably tell her all about it anyway.

"Hm?" I turned when I heard footsteps approaching me and the young Gallian.

"Fuga." Ruukoto's emotionless voice broke the silence between me and Tabitha. The young Gallian glanced at me for a translation while I raised a brow at what the gynoid just said.

"What do you mean by we 'may' have a problem?" I asked the gynoid. I had a sinking feeling that it had something to do with whatever it was that the students were crowding around. Ruukoto was about to respond when Louise interrupted it.

"Yuka!" Louise called out to me as she and the others ran back to us.

"We have to go to the palace! Now! I need to speak to the Princess!" My master frantically yelled out while pulling on my plaid vest.

"What is going on?" Louise frowned upon the way I casually asked the question despite her obvious urgency.

"There's no time! Just take me to the palace already! Fly me there! Now!" Louise demanded, completely ignoring my question. I sighed and looked at the others there. Tabitha and Ruukoto still adopted their usual neutral expressions while the rest looked worried...very worried...even Kirche...

"Louise, calm down and tell me what happened." I stated in a calm tone that completely contrasted the way my master was speaking at that moment. Louise looked furious and started pounding my chest with her fists as if they would actually harm me.

"There's no time to explain! This is too important! Take me to the Princess! Now!" Louise demanded as she continued to try to inflict as much damage as her tiny hands could. I grumbled for a moment before holding onto Louise's wrists in order to prevent her from continuing her little panic attack.

"If this is as important as you frantically claim it to be, then all the more reason why I need to know the details. Louise, you should already be smarter than this!" I reprimanded my master. Louise struggled in my grasp for a few more moments before finally calming down...or at least that was how it seemed.

"I just...I just...I don't know what to do...the Princess should know what I should do...the Princess will tell me what I should do...yes...that's why...that's why..." Louise muttered weakly as she nearly collapsed in my grasp. I made a displeased face when I found the way Louise was thinking. It seemed that I had underestimated her worship and dependance on Princess Henrietta, it was almost as bad as Kaguya's dependence on Eirin...although for completely different reasons. I was about to tell her how unhealthy that way of thinking was when another interruption made itself known.

"Miss Valliere!" Siesta frantically called out to Louise from within the dormitory tower, compounding the bad feeling that I was having. This just keeps getting better and better.

"Si-Siesta...?" Louise asked, as if she was having trouble confirming if the maid was actually there and was calling for her. Siesta ran toward my master before kneeling before her and latching onto Louise's cape.

"Siesta?!"

"What's gotten into you?!"

"What happened?!"

The concerned cries of Louise's friends went unheard by the person in question. Siesta was completely focused on Louise and vice versa. My master was lost and didn't know what to do while Siesta didn't know who else to turn to. Ruukoto, Tabitha, and I exchanged glances before the bad feeling I was having before was confirmed.

"Please! For the love of the Founder, Miss Valliere! Please save Tarbes!"

...

[Blackraptor]

...

"Hurm..." I grumbled as I squinted at the notice that was posted on a newly placed bulletin board next to the dormitory tower's entrance. The crowd of students had already dispersed and it was only myself, Ruukoto, Siesta, Louise and the rest of her friends left there. The thing posted on the board was the cause of the earlier commotion and it looked like it was an official notice or declaration from the school itself...it even had Tristain's national seal on it...and seemed like something very important. There was just one problem...

"Is there something wrong, darling?" Kirche asked as she walked up beside me. I raised a brow at the Germanian. She still refused to call my anything else aside from 'darling' but the tone she had just used lacked any of the usual...heat...that it normally did. I knew better than to point it out though since this milder Kirche was a welcome improvement from her usual demeanor.

"I'm afraid I have yet had the time to learn this realm's written language. Do you mind?" Instead, I answered her question and tilted my head to the notice on the board. The redhead blinked at me a few times before raising a brow and giving me a small smile.

"It is a general notice for all the students here. It says that tensions between the countries of Tristain and Albion have come to a head which resulted in an incident happening within Tristain's borders. The students of the academy are forbidden from leaving the academy until further notice for our own safety." Kirche read the notice before turning back to face me, her eyes alight with a fire that was different from the usual kind she had.

"The staff and teachers are running all over the academy like a bunch of scared children." The young woman added before glancing back to the notice. I made a thoughtful hum at the new information provided by the notice. It pretty much confirmed that whatever was headed to Tarbes was probably related to whatever was happing between Tristain and Albion. The floating country's involvement means that Cromwell was involved as well. Did they find out that Prince Wales was in Tristain or were they really planning on starting something with this country regardless? More speculation without enough information. I was not a Hakurei so I couldn't simply keep going forward knowing that my intuition would eventually lead me to a way to solve whatever was happening., so I had to do it the way everyone else does...and I hated doing that. Even with all my experience, intellect and love for the mystery genre, I've never liked being personally involved in actual schemes or devilishly ingenious subterfuge. It was just too much of a...bother.

I glanced to where Louise and the others were. Monmon was trying to calm Louise down as she held onto her friend while practically begging her to take her to Princess Henrietta. Guiche had tried to do the same for Siesta but the maid didn't seem like she needed nor desired such comfort. She was still quited distressed, yes. She was shaking and there were tears in her eyes as if she was on the verge of simply breaking down. However, instead of curling up into a ball of helplessness like Louise did, Siesta simply opted to try to glare a hole into my head. She was angry, she was scared, she was desperate...it just happened that I was the one on the recieving end of those emotions. As usual, Tabitha and Ruukoto chose to simply observe what would happen next. I then realized that I was overthinking the situation. I need not have to unravel the entire web of lies and intrigue that had entangled this country. All I had to worry about was Louise's well being, and to an extent, the well being of those she cared about. I actively suppressed the desire to grimace when I realized that this line of thinking meant that I needed to take care of Henrietta as well. No...I'll worry about her only when Louise's own well being is compromised because of her in some way.

"She's gonna get herself wrapped up in something dangerous again, isn't she?" Kirche's inquiry snapped me from my thoughts. I looked back to the Germanian and was surprised that she had a genuinely concern expression as she looked at Louise in the distance.

"Possibly. Are you worried about her?" I asked the young woman. She turned back to me with a puzzled expression before shrugging.

?She?s my friend. Of course I?m worried about her.? Kirche plainly replied.

?Is she now? Have you not spent most of your time in this academy teasing Louise about her shortcomings? In addition, I distinctly remember that your families have some sort of blood feud going on. I could understand that you would consider her as an acquaintance through Tabitha?but not an actual friend.? I pointed out. Kirche gave me a coy smile before shaking her head and looking back to where Louise and the others were.

?I?ve been giving the little pink ball a hard time because, before you came along, I always thought that she came here simply because of her family?s influence. You should already know how she was like back then, no talent, no magic, no results, all boom. To someone who has been working her whole life to steadily become a better fire mage, it was a personal insult to have a no-talent hack in the same school as I did.? Kirche explained with a sardonic smile.

?So you believed that she didn?t deserve to be here because of her lack of talent?? I asked in confirmation and got a nod in response.

?This isn?t the only magic academy in the country, certainly not the only one in the continent. What makes this place special is that it is the best academy in the whole of Halkeginia. Louise could have gone to any other academy where she can spend her no-talent days but she still got into this one. Not only that, but she managed to get past her first year in the academy without once being able to cast a proper spell. A lot of students got kicked off the academy because of that reason. The fact that she still managed to stay here despite that meant that something else was compelling the academy to keep her.? The Germanian responded. I raised a brow at the surprisingly insightful new side of Kirche. If I didn?t know any better, I would have thought that this was a completely different person talking to me.

?I thought that she was using her family?s power to stay here, which was probably true anyway even if she didn?t realize it herself. Of course, recent events have shown that I was mistaken.? Kirche said with a sigh.

?To be fair, neither Louise nor I really expected for her to be what she is.? I stated, making sure not to mention Void specifically because of how many people were in the academy now.

?It?s kind of sad in a way. The only way she was able to properly cast magic will probably prevent her from living a normal life a noble would. I wonder what my mother and father would say? Me worrying about a Valliere of all people.? She said with a chuckle and a sigh. There was a hint of sadness in her words when she mentioned what would likely happen to Louise once her power becomes known to others.

?You know, I grew up being taught to hate Louise and her entire family. My parents and relatives engraved into my mind that the Valliere family were our enemies and should be treated as such. When I first met Louise and found out who she was, it was easy to treat her like someone I disliked. She was very?irritating to be around because she kept putting on airs and posture around whenever she could. When she failed, she immediately came up with excuses to try to save face. I?m not exactly the most honest and kind hearted person here, but even I couldn?t take something like that. But that was only her public self?? Kirche continued before sighing.

?If nothing else, she grows on you. She has changed thanks to you, but she is still the same person in her core. Once you get past all that, if you get past all that, then Louise is indeed someone I would consider as a friend. And for the record, I didn?t really care much about that blood feud between our families. Just imagine if Louise and I were the ones to finally end it? That would be something to see, right darling~?? Kirche concluded as she casually slipped back to her more usual self before sauntering off to where her friends were. I shook my head before smiling. Yes, Louise has gained good friends. However, there was still much we need to straighten out before doing anything else?

?

?So?? I said while leaning back against the wall inside Louise?s room.

?So?? Derf repeated as it peaked out of its scabbard, curious as to what was happening this time.

?So?? Siesta also repeated?but with much less enthusiasm than what she usually displays as she continued to relay her now cold but still impotent rage toward me by glaring at me.

?Fuga?? Ruukoto finally decided to repeat the word as well, though only I and Siesta could understand it. We, along with Louise, retreated back to her room to discuss certain topics that shouldn?t be discussed in the open. Monmon and the others offered to come with us but I politely turned them down on behalf of Louise. This was something that only we needed to discuss. If things go down the path they seem to be going, it would be best if I limit the people that Ruukoto and I would likely end up protecting until the end of this incident.

Listen to me?thinking about actively protecting and caring about the well-being of silly humans. If Mima ever heard about this, she would start rolling in her grave, or wherever she was, in laughter.

?So?? The final person in the room finally stated after several moments of silence. I had just finished explaining the reasons for Siesta?s sudden panicked outburst earlier as well as what Ruukoto detected back in its home base and how they could be linked to the notice that was posted outside the dormitory tower. Louise looked straight at me, obviously not pleased with all of this going under her nose.

?Why did you feel the need to withhold such information from me, familiar?? Louise asked me, making sure not to break eye contact as she reverted back to calling me ?familiar? instead of my name. She knew very well that she couldn?t hurt me, not in the way most would comprehend, but she still knew how to get a point across.

?I didn?t want to cause any undue panic. I wanted to confirm first what exactly was headed to Tarbes and if it was hostile, your breakdown earlier proved that it was the correct course of action. Of course...it was all for naught since certain elements that I did not expect or perceive as a threat to my precautions made the whole thing moot.? I explained as I glanced at Siesta when I was saying the last parts. The maid, the human one, shifted uncomfortably under my gaze and actively avoided meeting my eyes. I turned my eyes back to Louise and saw that she didn?t really find my explanation satisfactory.

?Don?t blame the maid for this. If the same thing was to happen to our family lands and you were within arm?s reach, I?d do the same thing.? Louise said, standing up for Siesta and making a valid point.

Pop quiz hot-shot: A big scary unknown mass of magic was headed for your home where the rest of your family resided in. You only have three days to do something about it before it gets right on top of your home. What do you do? What. Do. You. Do?

?I admit, I did not consider Siesta?s situation in this whole thing as seriously as I should have. However, I only acted as such because I was thinking of your well being.? I responded, giving Louise and Siesta that point but sticking to my original reasoning as to why I did not inform her of the magical anomaly.

?Well being? An unknown mass of magic is headed to Tarbes and it could very well be the whole Albion Armada for all we know! We don?t have time to worry about just my well being!? Louise finally snapped as she grabbed her pillow before throwing it in my face. I disregarded the attack and waited for my master to calm down. When she finally did, I held up my right hand to reveal all five of my fingers.

?Louise, you have been involved in capturing the most infamous thief in the country?? I ticked down a finger.

??lived in the capital as a commoner to expose underlying corruption in the nobility?? I ticked down another finger.

??got yourself exposed to some rather potent love potion?? Another finger down.

??went to Albion to save a displaced and hunted prince and got stabbed with a knife before nearly bleeding to death?? And another.

??got caught up in a treasure hunt that unearthed an ancient and powerful weapon made to battle monsters beyond your wildest imaginings and comprehension?? And another, rendering my right hand closed into a fist.

??and now you want to get involved in something that would likely be an incident that would extinguish a very large number of human lives?? I lowered my right hand and looked at my master dead in the eye.

??and it hasn?t been half a year since you summoned me. Just imagine dealing with all that if you had summoned some other magical beast that wouldn?t have been able to help you I have, or worse, some poor unexpecting human who was just minding their own business before getting hurled here by the summoning ritual.? I pointed out to her.

?Even with all the training we have been giving you. Even with Derflinger with you. Even with your friends with you. Even with Henrietta and Wales with you. Even with Ruukoto, Matilda and I with you?? I trailed off, not sure as to why I was saying all these things to her or why I was hesitating on finishing my point. I took a deep breath and said it anyway.

?If you keep doing this, Louise, then you will die?and where would that leave the rest of us?? I concluded with a rueful shake of my head.

?I did not tell you of those things because things are moving too quickly. You should realize after listening to Cirno?s lecture on inertia that if something is moving too quickly and suddenly found itself faced with something it cannot breach...? I trailed off once more, goading my master to finish the line of thought herself.

??it goes splat?? And she did. Louise sullenly stared at the floor for a few moments before plopping onto her bed. I picked up the pillow she threw at me and walked up to her bed where I heard her give out a tired sigh. She had her right arm covering her eyes and her previous emotions of anger, panic, and resolve all melted away to reveal a very tired young woman who has had to deal with too many things.

?Louise, you are not a hero, certainly not someone who should try to bare everything on your own shoulders. Reimu had once adopted that kind of thinking after her beloved died?after she recovered from her initial shock. Marisa, Sanae, Sakuya, and all of her friends tried to make her see that she did not have to take on every incident afterwards by herself. Her daughter, Reimi was starting to show her own unique talents in solving incidents and the actions of her mother often had the two of them at odds with each other.? I started. I wasn?t sure why I began telling Louise about the aftermath of the Lunarian Invasion five centuries ago but it just seemed to be the right thing to say.

?Why do you know all of that? Didn?t you say that you mostly kept to yourself in your garden?? Louise asked me as I sat down on the bed beside her.

?Marisa and Alice often visited my garden during that period. The Garden of the Sun was closer to the Hakurei Shrine than the Forest of Magic was, so they mostly ended up inviting themselves there for tea, cake and stories. They even asked me for any ideas on how to get Reimu back to normal. It just showed how desperate they were if they were asking me of all people for advice in that matter.? I explained with a shake of my head. Both Siesta and Derf stayed silent throughout all this, likely wondering what exactly Louise and I were talking about.

?What about Yukari? Where was she during all of this?? My master asked, wondering about the apparent absence of the border youkai during the Hakurei clan?s emotional crisis.

?Yukari was too busy being paranoid to be of any help. The invasion hit Gensokyo hard and she wasn?t about to take any more chances of any aftershocks so she performed a vigil to watch any movements from the Lunarians. If they even twitched, she would have known about it.? I explained. Yukari had just seen the Gensokyo that she loved so dearly be turned into a real battlefield, and it wasn?t like the Mystic Square incident where the perpetrators didn?t really have any hostile intent either. The Lunarians barged in with the full premeditated idea of reducing our realm to cinders. Needles to say, it unnerved the border youkai a great deal.

?So?what happened?? Louise said in a rather subdued voice. I made a thoughtful hum before looking up at the ceiling. Despite all the power and skill that Reimu had at her disposal, she was still very much human. That limitation made her?vulnerable to certain things. It wasn?t a secret that most of her friends were youkai -Marisa, Sanae, and Sakuya being the exceptions- and there was an invisible wall between her and her friends because of that fact. Despite everything that she had gone through, the incidents, the Reitaisais, the feasts, the random danmaku battles, at the end of the day, she couldn?t help but feel lonely. After all, she wasn?t like Sanae or Sakuya who were living with others nor was she like Marisa who was perfectly fine with living alone as long as she had her ?borrowed? possessions. Her only companion in her shrine was an oni who was dead drunk through most of the day in some corner of the grounds. That was why she became unusually happy and chipper after she met ?that man?. The rest became history but the result of his death just showed how much the strongest Shrine Maiden of Paradise relied on him.

?Reimu continued going through that path until one particular incident nearly cost her the life of her one and only daughter.? I said, receiving gasps of surprise from not only Louise but from Siesta and Derf as well. Even though they didn?t know the exact context of our conversation or my story, they could still piece together that it wasn?t a particularly happy point in someone?s life.

??and?? Louise hesitantly asked for me to continue.

?Even I don?t know what happened that day. The only ones who did were Reimu, Reimi, Keine, and Aya. None of them would reveal what happened to any one else. It just shows how important that hidden incident was if even Aya chose to keep quiet about it. In the end, the only thing I was certain of was that Reimi was rendered unable to perform her duties as a Hakurei Maiden for several weeks. When she recovered, she and her mother had a relationship that was very much like what they had back when ?that man? was still alive.? I explained and made sure to hint that there was nothing more to this story that I could reveal. The room returned to silence afterward.

?Why? Why did you even share that story? It happened five-hundred years ago in a completely different world! How could that have any relation to the situation at hand?!? Siesta finally spoke up after the silence in the room became unbearable for her. I couldn?t give her an answer because I still wasn?t sure why I said all of those things.

?Because people never change, little missy.? As if to pick up the slack in the conversation, Derf decided to speak up instead. All of us turned to the sword that did its best impression of a wise old man.

?I?ve been around a long time, longer that Yuka over there, and I know first hand that the story he just mentioned has parallels to what the little miss is going through. No, it would probably be more accurate to say that it is a preview to what Louise might end up going through if she wasn?t careful.? Derf continued. It was times like this when I remembered that the sword has been around for more than six-millennia and that it has seen more of this realm than most.

?People?humans, elves, or whatever else?like to say that the only constant thing in this world is change. I disagree. I?ve been through enough to know first hand that, even though the ones involved usually interchange roles, the situations they find themselves in are usually the same. It?s sometimes so irritating that I wished that I had a better body than this so I can point out that they were doing the same things all over again.? The sword stated with an edge that I have not heard from it before.

?The more things change, the more they stay the same.? I added with a wry smile. The sword responded with a hearty laugh while shaking slightly in its scabbard.

?Those are clear, concise words that pretty much sums up my point. Listen, Louise?? Derf caught everyone off guard by both shifting from its usual light-hearted tone to a more serious one as well as using my master?s actual name instead of just calling her ?little miss?.

?I agree with Yuka over there. Helping others who can?t help themselves is all well and good, but at the rate you?re going, you?ll end up losing everything you have been fighting for in the first place. I?m not telling you to stop doing what you?re doing. I just want you to slow down and take a good long look at yourself and your surroundings and ask yourself: How will my actions affect me and those around me? What will happen to those I care about the most if I go through with this? Those were questions that Brimir and Sasha never asked and it ended up destroying them both. I don?t want you to repeat what happened to them, I?m sick of having to watch my wielder and his or her master going through that.? The sword stated before going silent and returning back into the depths of its scabbard. Its words and wisdom hung in the air like a veil that waited to judge the occupants. Louise was not the only one who was affected by the sword?s words. Siesta sat down on a chair and covered her face with her hands, likely reflecting on her own actions and what she had been trying to throw Louise into. Ruukoto was as stoic as ever but I saw faint streams of light run across its eyes. Whatever it was thinking off, it had likely something to do with what Derf said. And me? The sword?s words once again reminded me of that ?sin? I committed a long time ago. I was wondering if I will ever find the heart to tell Louise about that incident when I notice my master stand up and place herself in front of me.

?I will go to Tarbes.? Louise stated with that all too familiar fire in her eyes. Siesta rose from her seat with a start and a gasp at my master?s words. She probably expected that Louise would see reason after the talking to she got from both myself and Derf.

?I will not accompany you to fight a war between two nations.? I responded while folding my arms and leaning back. Louise closed her eyes and shook her head before opening them again. Within those eyes was a light that was and still is a trademark of the Hakurei clan whenever incidents happen.

?I?m not going to fight a war. I thought about it and asked myself the questions that Derflinger said. Between doing something and doing nothing for the people of Tarbes, I think that doing nothing would be something that I can never live with. I?m going there because something is threatening the home and family of one of the people I care about and I?m not going to take that lying down. I?m going there to protect Tarbes. If that means taking down the entire Albion Armada?then so be it. But?I can?t?I won?t?do it alone.? Louise stated with so much resolve that she was practically a completely different person from who she was when I first arrived here. Perhaps Kirche was right when she said that I had helped change Louise. I could only hope that whatever I was changing Louise into, it was not something like me. Louise continued displaying her resolve by kneeling on front of me and taking my hands into her own before looking right into my eyes.

?I need your help, Yuka.? Louise said. I would like to dare anyone. Anyone. To try to refuse Louise while she looks at you as she did to me at the moment. She squeezed my hands and I sighed before squeezing back.

?We will defend Tarbes from any and all hostile enemies but only that. I refuse to go any further than that.? I gave my answer, much to the relief of both Louise and Siesta. The maid, the human one, broke down and started sobbing and muttering thanks and apologies to both of us. I walked up to Ruukoto just as the gynoid blinked away the streaming lights in its eyes.

?Fuga. Fuga?? Ruukoto stated with a tilted head. It was still worried that we were moving too quickly and suggested to observe the situation before deploying.

?I disagree.? I answered, making Louise and Siesta turn to me. I?m sure that Siesta could hear and understand what Ruukoto said, but she was likely too busy to comprehend what it meant.

?We have enough circumstantial evidence that links Albion to the anomaly. If it turns out to be their Armada, then they would already be within spitting distance of Tarbes by the time you confirm it. If we go there, we can prepare and deploy the second you confirm what the anomaly is. There is also the bonus of you being near your base so you can pick up whatever goodies you might deem useful if this turns into a battle.? I reasoned. The gynoid stared at me for several moments before nodding.

?Fuga.? The gynoid agreed to our plan. I nodded and turned back to the two young women.

?I can carry Louise to Tarbes while Ruukoto can carry Siesta. You still have flight capabilities, yes?? I said before asking the gynoid.

?Fuga.? Ruukoto affirmed while suggesting that going back to its base to recover the special equipment ?G-Wing Type-Zero? which would improve her airborne capabilities significantly.

?Very well?it seems that we are once again headed to Tarbes. I pity the fools who decided that this was a good time to invade that town.? I said with a shake of my head.

?But what about the Princess and Prince Wales? They could end up mixed in with what might happen. Besides, if the Albion Armada really is headed to Tarbes, our own fleet should be headed there to intercept them.? Louise pointed out. I sighed when I realized that she was correct. If it ends up as a battle between the two fleets then Ruukoto and I couldn?t just simply blow everything out of the sky. That would make protecting a village filled with frightened and likely panicking humans much more difficult.

?Tell me, if the Tristain and Albion fleets were to do battle, who do you think would win?? I asked but only got pained and confused looks from the two young women. I guess they did not know. That was when I heard the door open.

?Albion.? Tabitha?s distinct voice drew all attention to the entrance to Louise?s door which revealed the Gallian along with Louise?s other friends.

?Somehow, I should have expected this?? I muttered while rubbing my head with my hand.

?Don?t say that, darling~! We can?t always have you and Louise have all the fun right~?? Kirche responded as she sauntered toward me and gave me a wink.

?Ruukoto and I can?t bring all of you there.? I pointed out.

?We?ll manage, right Tabitha?? The Germanian said before turning to her good friend. The blue-haired girl nodded before entering the room along with Monmon and Guiche.

?Sylphid. We will catch up.? The young but powerful magician stated.

?We will not go there to fight a war, only to protect Tarbes. You don?t have to go with us.? Louise clearly stated as she looked at each of her friends, Derf?s words likely still very fresh in her mind.

?Which is exactly why we will be going with you, silly~? Kirche responded with a dismissive wave. The Germanian then did something no one ever expected?she walked up to Louise and gave her a hug.

?K-K-Kirche?! What the founder to you think you?re-? Louise?s complaints were cut off by Kirche?s next words.

?You?re not alone?? The redhead stated in a very un-Kirche like voice, making Louise freeze up and wonder if it was really happening.

?You don?t have to face this alone. Having more of us with you will help in protecting Siesta?s village. Besides?? The redhead in question continued before putting Louise at arm?s length and smiling at her.

?Isn?t that what friends are for?? Kirche asked Louise with a smile before engulfing her in another hug. Louise flailed her arms in protest and once again enforcing her tendency of becoming the object of affection of other woment?except Tabitha. Speaking of?

?I would like to know why you believe that the Albion Armada would best Tristain?s.? I told the blue-haired girl who nodded in turn. There was no more going back. I simply hoped that everyone here was ready for what was to come.

?

[Blackraptor]

LIGHTSPEED UPDATE OUT OF NOWHERE?! THIS IS MAAAAAADNEEEEESSSSSS!!!

...

"Yuka! Good timing. I was wondering if Ran had set the time dilations wrong when she sent me here." Surprisingly, it was the familiar voice of a young man that greeted me when I entered Mugenkan. I eyed the young man who I determined was slightly older than Louise with narrowed eyes before approaching him.

He had slightly messy shoulder-length black hair and chestnut colored eyes as and also had the confident half-smirk he has become known for. He wore a much simpler version of a shinto priest's garb, elbow length sleeves and foregoing the sash as well as exchanging the standard slippers with durable sandals instead. He did not carry a priest's staff nor a gohei, instead he chose consecrated knuckle dusters that kind of look like tiny torii gates as his main means to protect the peace. He hides them along with the family yin-yang balls in a pouch of holding that was handed down in their family since Reimi's time. Naturally, everything he had was patterned in the standard Hakurei red and white color scheme...except he had the white as the dominant color instead of the red.

"Touya Hakurei..." I regarded the current representative of the Hakurei clan, the Shield of the Eastern Wonderland, and the most talented member of the family since Reimu. Incidentally, one of the handful of Hakurei that did not have a hat or some sort of head or hair accessory.

There actually was once a rumor that he really was Reimu's reincarnation which was why he seemed to similar to her in some ways. Shikieiki refused to comment on this matter on the grounds that it was 'none of your business' if it turned out to be true or not. That being said, Touya has had a more odd childhood than most thanks to certain individuals that I will not name -but one of whom was living inside the Scarlet Devil Mansion- who wanted to see if they could 're-awaken' Reimu's personality that supposedly slept in her descendant's body. That being said, repeats of certain incidents from Reimu's time was commonplace for a while until Yukari made them all stop because even she thought that it was stupid...and this was Yukari we were talking about.

"It has been five-hundred years since I instigated the rule, but you should already know that I do not allow humans inside my border of dreams easily after what your ancestor and her friend did long ago." I reminded the Hakurei of the rule I imposed after Reimu and Marisa raided Mugenkan back then. Touya was strong, I admit that much, but he is even lazier than Reimu was when she was his age so he hasn't been keeping up with his training as he should. If it wasn't for Yukari, he probably would train at all. I punctuated my statement by narrowing my eyes at him even more as I folded my arms and leaned back.

"I know, I know...jeez, ease up will you? It's nice to see that you haven't changed even with the gender switch." Touya responded while putting both his hands in front of him, both as a gesture that he did not mean any harm and as a precaution so he can put up a barrier if I attack in order to buy him time to pull out his knuckle dusters.

"Yuka? Is that you?" I blinked as I heard Louise's voice come from behind me. Touya and I turned to see my master walk out of the mass of sunflowers that covered most of Mugenkan. Louise confirmed my presence before she saw Touya and the two of them proceeded to dumbly stare at each other. I had not anticipated this development...

"Humans aren't allowed inside Mugenkan, eh?" Touya recovered first as he mocked my earlier statement before lowering his hands. He had also made a showing that the Hakurei clan's skill at differentiating between humans and youkai was alive and well.

"Louise is my master as you may or may not already know so she's an exception. Now, you mentioned Ran a moment ago. Why did Yukari send you instead of Ran herself or someone else?" I answered. If Yukari sent him here then he should at least have been told about my situation here. After all, he already seemed to know about the change in my gender. Touya's response was interrupted as Louise walked up to me before tugging at my vest in the way she does when she felt like she had something she needed to know.

"Who is it this time?" My master asked me as she nodded in Touya's direction. The young Hakurei wasn't sure what to make of the scene of me being manhandled by a little girl. He knew first hand how strong and ruthless I can be at Danmaku Battles and the current situation must be rather surreal for him. I sighed and gently released Louise's hands from my vest.

"I might as well get the introductions finished..." I muttered to no one in particular before I gestured toward the young Hakurei Priest.

"Louise, I introduce to you another of the inhabitants of Gensokyo. This is the current representative of the Hakurei clan, Touya Hakurei, who is more infamously known as the 'Shield of the Eastern Wonderland'." I introduced Touya and Louise's eyes went wide after the introduction.

"Hi there, I'm Touya Hakurei. I'm just some guy who got caught up in all this but it's still nice to meet you." Touya, on his part, still obliged to introduce himself to Louise with a polite bow. He maintained the distance between us since he still wasn't sure how I would have reacted if he approached Louise. Quite honestly, I was thankful for his consideration since I wasn't sure what I would have done if he approached Louise at that time either. My master blinked at the young man a few times before giving him a timid bow in return. She was probably unsure as how to properly respond to such a greeting from a member of the Hakurei clan after everything she has heard from us about them.

"Wait...what is he doing here anyway?" Louise asked as he turned back to me.

"That is something I wish to inquire to him as well. I'm certain that he is more than happy to explain why he is here but not before you introduce yourself first. It is only polite to do so, yes?" I answered. My master gave one of her trademark 'urks' of understanding before turning back to Touya who looked like he was still unsure of what to make of my relationship with Louise. My master finally broke off from me before standing some distance in front of Touya and giving him a perfect curtsy.

"I am Louise Fran輟ise le Blanc de la Valli鑽e. I'm just some girl who got Yuka caught up in all this but it's still nice to meet you." Louise mirrored Touya's introduction with a smirk that came as a surprise for me. The young Hakurei stared at Louise for a few moments before he started laughing.

"Okay, I like you already. Anyway, you're both probably wondering why I'm here instead of Yukari or Cirno-nee." Touya stated with a friendly smile. I walked up to stand beside Louise and saw her head tilted to the side in wonder.

"You call her Cirno-nee too?" Louise asked Touya. I decided to answer her question for her instead of waiting for him to respond.

"Touya was trained for a time by certain members of Cirno's team, Seventh Heaven. In particular, Hong Meiling and Wriggle Nightbug helped him develop his own unique way of dealing with incidents." I explained and the Hakurei in question nodded at my words before picking up the conversation himself.

"Obviously, being trained by those two as well as being a Hakurei kid, I would inevitably end up meeting the rest of them including but not limited to Cirno-nee. Of course, I didn't meet Miss Letty until that winter because of obvious reasons." Touya elaborated and Louise made nods of understanding at his words. I had assumed that Yukari had already told my master about the Perfect Cherry Blossom incident, or at least certain incidents that the Embodiment of Winter was involved in.

"Now then, if there is nothing else..." I trailed off as I nodded at the Hakurei to indicate that I wanted to go back to the main topic at hand.

"Of course, Yukari wanted to make sure that you were the only one to find out about this but I guess having Miss Valliere here wouldn't be much of an issue." Touya started as she nodded to me and Louise in turn. My master glanced away and her cheeks colored a bit when she heard him call her 'Miss Valliere'. I wondered why but decided that it wasn't important at the time.

"Yukari asked me to go here because she had things she needed to take care of in Hakugyokurou as a favor for Yuyuko and Kanako. Of course, whenever those three get together, you can be sure that something is gonna happen soon so I've started stepping up my workouts just in case." The young Hakurei continued with a tired sigh. Yukari, Yuyuko, and Kanako meeting together? That could have meant anything from a simple gathering of old friends to a plan to make sure that Touya was always 'on his toes' when it came to incidents. To that end, the young man's apprehension and precaution was understandable.

"Cirno-nee couldn't go because she said that she and Chen were keeping an eye on the Kappa because of something-or-other under your instructions. Yukari wouldn't trust anyone else with this so she had Ran ask me to come here instead. I agreed because it has been a pretty slow week and I wanted a change of pace." Touya concluded before reaching into his pouch of holding and pulling out a sealed envelope.

"Ran asked me to give this to you personally and to not read any of the contents. I don't know what's going on but my intuition has been going nuts about what's inside that thing ever since I got it." Touya stated as he walked up to me and handed me the envelope. I took the envelope and felt that it roughly had ten or so sheets of paper inside it. It was also magically sealed to prevent anything from harming of tampering with the contents but Yukari apparently made sure that it was a seal that I knew how to remove. I removed the magic seal with a wave of my hand before opening the envelop and confirming its contents. I shoved it in my pocket before looking back at the young Hakurei.

"You did not think of opening the letter and checking the contents? You should already be skilled enough to remove and re-apply the seal Yukari placed on it without much trouble." I inquired, ignoring the surprised look from Louise. She must have been surprised that someone as young as Touya could remove and re-apply a magic seal that was made by Yukari. She didn't realize that the seal was something that anyone with the skill equivalent to her realm's triangle-class mage could handle. It was simply placed to make sure that the contents weren't damaged. Why such a rather lax way of sealing the envelope? Well, Touya answered that question for me.

"And have you, Yukari, Ran, and possibly Cirno-nee get angry at me for sticking my nose in something that didn't really involve me? No thanks. The reason why my intuition went bonkers was because whatever was in that envelope has some serious stuff in it." Touya explained as he placed his right hand on his hip while gesturing  a dismissive wave with his left hand. I once again felt Louise tugging, on my sleeve this time, so I turned to her to be greeted by her unamused expression.

"What does he mean by that? You should already know, so out with it." Louise stated in a way that indicated that she wasn't going to allow me to dance around the issue.

"Yuka, has anyone ever told you how absolutely surreal this looks right now." Touya stated with a tone that was borderline awe. Louise and I looked at him then at each other then back at him.

"Yes, I suppose that this kind of scene is not what one would normally associate with me." I admitted with a shrug. I once again removed Louise's grabby hands before pulling out the envelope in question.

"In a way, Touya is correct when he said that he felt that the contents of this envelope were serious. Then again, the lauded intuition of the Hakurei is rarely wrong." I stated as I pulled out the contents and skimmed through them. I made a thoughtful hum when I confirmed what the contents actually were before turning to Louise who looked like she was about ready to snatch away the paper so she could take a look herself.

"Well?" Louise asked me impatiently. Touya looked just as interested as Louise was to find out what the contents of the envelope were but he was much more composed about it.

"This is a report that details Nitori's progress in analyzing Ruukoto's current capabilities and how we can maximize them." I stated as I read through another page.

"Ruukoto?" Touya asked in confusion. Ah, yes. It was understandable that he wouldn't know anything about the gynoid since his own ancestor didn't even bother to look for it after it disappeared.

"The long and short of it is that Ruukoto was a gynoid that was once in the employ of Reimu Hakurei, your ancestor...and potentially your original." I stated the last part with a sly smile. Louise gave me a look of pure confusion while Touya gave me an irritated look before he roughly scratched his head with high right hand.

"Please don't bring that up again. My early years of dealing with incidents was a complete mess thanks to that stupid rumor." Touya weakly complained.

"What are you two talking about?" Louise inquired, those imaginary question marks over her head once again making their appearance.

"There was once a rumor that Touya was the reincarnation of the Strongest Shrine Maiden of Paradise, Hakurei Reimu. Thanks to that rumor, which was never proved or disproved because the Yama is extremely tight-lipped, Touya has had to relive a number of incidents that his ancestor once did." I explained, earning a groan from Touya while earning a 'what' from Louise. My master turned to the 'Shield' with a stunned expression.

"Really?" Was the only thing she could say after finding out about it.

"Seriously..." Touya confirmed with a feeble nod.

"I don't think that I'm the reincarnation of the honored Lady Reimu...at least I hope I'm not." Touya added while rubbing his chin with his right hand.

"Why not? I thought that you would be happy to find out that you were a legendary member of your family reborn." Louise asked Touya while mirroring his gesture of rubbing her chin with her hand.

"Because it feels weird! How would you feel if you found out that you could be the reincarnation of a man?" Touya posed the question to Louise. My master gave him a quizzical expression before humming thoughtfully. She then quickly grimaced and shook her head.

"I think I understand your apprehension to the concept." Louise responded with great effort as she and Touya shared nods of understanding. I sighed at how well the two of them seemed to be getting along with each other. I grinned and decided to take a page from Kirche and Yukari's books.

"Would the two of you like to know the contents of the report or are you two already content with whispering sweet nothings to each other?" I said before chuckling. The two young humans blinked at me before looking back at each other and predictably, especially when it comes to Louise, they both went crimson before stammering their own denials in the matter.

"Wh-wh-wh-what are you talking about, cheeky familiar?! We're not giving any kind of nothings to each other!" Louise was the faster of the two when it came to denying it.

"That's right! We've only known each other for less than an hour! No way that we'd develop feelings for each other that fast!" Touya followed up with a more reasonable and logical denial, one that Louise agreed with if her enthused nods were to indicate.

"Relax, it was merely in jest." I responded with a dismissive wave of my hand. They both gave me irate looks but I merely ignored them in favor of reading Nitori's report.

"It seems that this report that Nitori provided details the weapons and abilities that Ruukoto currently has access to." I started before moving on to read another page.

"How does that help us? If it's things that Ruukoto can already use, can't she just tell us how they work?" Louise asked. I glanced at her and raised a brow when she referred to Ruukoto as a 'she' instead of an 'it'. It appears that my master was starting to humanize the gynoid like Reimu once did. The thought made me give out a ghost of a smile.

"While you statement is true, it also helps to have documentation of those things on hand. Ruukoto will not always be able to explain exactly what its capabilites are capable of and there is also the possibility that we might not understand its explanations in the way it intended. If it helps, you can simply think of this as a primer, or a guide to your gynoid's capabilites." I explained before lightly tapping the sheets of paper in my right hand with the back of my left hand.

"And? I'm assuming since you're saying it like that, then all that stuff must be really good." Touya was the one that spoke this time as he walked up to stand at Louise's side before they both stared at me in anticipation.

"That goes without saying since Nitori herself was the one who made this report. Of course, your profound grasp of the obvious is also most appreciated." I snarked a bit more than I should have. If Touya took offence to it, he didn't let it show. I decided to continue with the explanation after I determined that there wouldn't be any further comments.

"To elaborate my answer to your question, the report gives insights on how each of Ruukoto's available weapons, equipment, and abilities work. In addition it gives suggestions on how to best utilize them on their own or in tandem with other weapons or abilities. Also, and likely most importantly, it provides specifics on the limitations of each of them." I explained while flipping through a few more pages. I glanced at my master when she made a rather displeased sound and saw that she had an equally displeased expression.

"Hm? Is something wrong?" I inquired and it seemed that Touya was wondering the same thing.

"You're going to make me read through and memorize every bit of of that report so I can be a more effective master for Ruukoto, aren't you?" Louise grimly postulated as she took my assessment of Nitori's report to its logical conclusion. I gave her line of thinking a thoughtful hum before pursing my lips and responding.

"Normally, that would be the most ideal course of action. Unfortunately, as you should be well aware of, we do not have the leisure of time for you to learn everything in this report. Instead I will simply provide the most important bits of information that would be needed for you to be able to effectively command Ruukoto. We can wait until the defense of Tarbes is over before you need to go over the fine details of this report, hopefully Matilda would have returned by then." I answered. Louise nodded in understanding but it was Touya who gave me a shocked expression this time.

"Wait...what do you mean by the defense of Tarbes?" The Shield asked with a steadily worried tone, his intuition at work I assumed. Of course he wouldn't know anything about that. I was about to give him vague hints about the situation and gently tell him that it wasn't any of his business but Louise answered first.

"There is a very large and very dense magical anomaly that is moving towards a village where the family of a friend is residing in. We believe that the anomaly is being caused by a large invasion force made up of an armada of magical flying battleships and the like. We are going there soon to try to defend that place and to try to repel the invaders if possible." Louise answered in a grave voice that carried the full weight of what was about to happen and what it could mean to a lot of people. Touya's eyes went wide before giving an angered growl and balling his hands into fists and giving me a determined look. This could be a problem if I don't deal with it now...

"Yuka Kazami! I-" Touya started but I cut him off with a raised hand and a firm voice.

"Stay your hand Shield of the Eastern Wonderland!" My voice bellowed, stopping Touya's declaration before it got any steam. That was close. Any more and he could have declared a magical oath to either me or Louise. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what for.

"But I-" I once again cut off Touya's words before it got anywhere by firing tiny energy bullet from my left index finger. It missed of course but it was close enough for the young man to feel it pass by the side of his head. Touya set his jaw and glared at me for what I did and Louise didn't look any happier either.

"Yuka! What the founder do you think you're doing?!" Louise screamed at me as she tried to use her body weight to pull down my left arm which was still outstretched since I was still aiming my finger at Touya.

"Making sure that the young man over there doesn't make any rash decisions that he might end up regretting later." I stated as I ignored Louise's labored attempts to pull my arm down while Touya narrowed his eyes at my words.

"Why? There are people who need help! If I-" I once again stopped his words with another energy bullet, one that was aimed between his eyes this time. Touya managed to deflect it with one of his knuckle dusters which he quickly equipped after my first shot.

"Stop it Yuka!" Louise screamed out of desperation as she continued her futile attempts to make me cease my actions.

"This is an incident in Louise's realm, not Gensokyo. Therefore, this is something that only we can deal with." I clearly and coldly stated to both of them. Louise stopped her attempts to pull my arm down and merely looked at me in confusion.

"Even so..." Touya weakly muttered as he looked down on the ground, finally understanding why I didn't want him involved.

"Gensokyo needs you more than Halkeginia does, Shield of the Eastern Wonderland. Stay with the realm you are meant to protect." I told him solemnly before finally lowering my left arm. Touya looked at me as if he wanted to protest but shook his head instead.

"I understand..." Touya finally relented before looking at my master with a helpless expression.

"I...I wish there was a way I could help...I always hated this feeling..." He said with a sad smile while shaking his head.

"Wha-what are you talking about?" Louise asked worriedly as she watched Touya remove his knuckle dusters and put them in his pouch of holding. I chose to remain silent to allow him to let it out of his system.

"To have the power to help but being unable to..." Touya answered with a sigh. And that was one of the reasons why others think that Touya could be Reimu's reincarnation. They held similar values and beliefs...even though Touya manifested that way of thinking much earlier than Reimu did. I thought about the Shield's words and hummed when an idea struck.

"That...might not be the case, Touya Hakurei." I muttered loud enough to catch the attention of both humans.

"Would you be willing to indulge me with a few rounds of Danmaku?" I asked with a grin.

"A Danmaku Battle? At a time like this?" The Shield asked skeptically at the sudden request for a duel.

"Yes. I want to show Louise what a real Danmaku Battle is like as an example. Cirno and I had an impromptu one when she tested to see if I really was who I claimed to be. However, it wasn't set up to the standard rules and so Louise never got the opportunity to appreciate it." I explained with a warm smile.

"Okay...but why?" Louise was the one who asked this time.

"Think of it as part of your training. We have already covered everything that Cirno left behind as homework while she is gone and we don't have time to teach you anything new. Lacking any other options I thought it would be nice for you to witness a Danmaku Battle between me and Touya. After all, it's not every day that the two of us get a chance to duel." I answered, enticing Louise at the prospect of witnessing a magic battle unlike anything she has ever witnessed before, and enticing Touya with a chance to test his skill against someone who has dueled with his family for generations and pushed each and every one of them to the limits of their abilities. I smiled when I saw Touya look at me with a familiar glint in his eye.

"Okay, I'm game." The Shield of the Eastern Wonderland confidently stated as he fished out his knuckle dusters from his pouch along with the Hakurei Yin-Yang Balls. Louise didn't realize it then since she still looked apprehensive at the idea, but she was in for a show of a lifetime.

...

"So..." Louise muttered as she clung to me. We were headed to Tarbes at reasonable speeds with Ruukoto and Siesta trailing behind us. I say reasonable because it was the fastest speed we could go that was safe for Louise and Siesta, even with the very minor and very basic protection spell I put on them before we left.

What can I say, I've never had any use for protection spells so I never really bothered to learn stronger ones.

Tabitha and the rest will be catching up but I don't expect them to arrive until right before the sparks start flying.

"So..." I replied, not really bothering to add anything because there was little else to say until we reach Ruukoto's hangar.

"So...what's the plan again?" Derf repeated and tacked on a question from where it was strapped on Louise's back. I thought about it for a moment before piecing together a rough outline on what we plan to do.

"We will first head to Ruukoto's hangar. It has equipment that it wants to retrieve which it believes would be very useful in the upcoming battle. That done, we will head to Tarbes and assess the situation before forming a defensive perimiter. The size and scope will depend on what Ruukoto finds out about that anomaly. It is possible that I may end up engaging the anomaly directly but I will refrain from doing so until it becomes a clear and present danger to Tarbes and its people." I outlined our current strategy. The sword laughed before sighing.

"Wow...that's acutally a pretty solid strategy. How did you come up with it?" The sword asked me. I chuckled at the insinuation that I was the one who came up with the idea before shaking my head.

"I didn't come up with it, Tabitha did." I admitted without shame. I wasn't really a stickler for strategy and tactics and the like considering my primary style at fighting. The only stratagems that I knew of were from what I read in books and what I saw in movies and I highly doubt that any of them would be effective in a real battle with our current layout. That being said, Tabitha and Ruukoto put their heads together and came up with a number to plans to deal with the eventualities that we were most likely to deal with. The sword made a thoughtful hum but didn't say anything more so I guessed that its curiosity was already sated.

"How is that even possible...?" Louise muttered under her breath. I raised a brow at her words and glanced at her. Her expression was serious and she looked like she was thinking about something intently.

"Louise?" I called out to my master in curiosity as to what she could be thinking about. Louise knitted her brows a bit before pursing her lips and responding.

"How was he able to get past that pattern? There weren't any visible gaps so how did he know that a hole would open up in the place that it did?" Louise asked more to herself than to anyone else. So she was still thinking about that exhibition that Touya and I did in Mugenkan. It was actually a pretty standard duel. Five Spell-Card and Five Non-Spell-Card patterns each. The first to run out or the first to get his loses. It ended up as my victory on our fourth Spell-Card patterns but Touya wasn't really taking it as seriously as he could. He kept glancing at where Louise was, protected by one of his Dual-Barriers, and was making sure that no stray shots were getting close to her. In hindsight, he was asking for it after doing something as silly as that in the middle of a Danmaku Battle with me of all people.

"It was actually a skill that anyone with enough experience with Danmaku Battles can learn. In fact, Cirno and I have been trying to teach you that skill little by little." I pointed out to my master and she looked at me with a raised brow.

"What do you mean by that?" Louise asked me.

"It can be called spatial awareness or more commonly known as 'focus'. It is the concept of observing the Danmaku Field at large instead of only looking at the nearest ones that are about to hit you. By looking at the field at large you get an idea of how the pattern is formed and a general idea on how the projectiles will move. It is incredibly useful when facing dense patterns because it gives you precious seconds to decide where you need to go to avoid getting hit." I explained the most tried and tested method of being able to dodge danmaku back in Gensokyo.

"That does sound useful...and I've started to do that too?" Louise inquired with keen interest in her eyes.

"Yes, the fact that you detected and intercepted the knife that Wardes threw at Prince Wales was all the proof you need. You still need more practice and experience but you're getting there." I said with a smile before tilting my head to the side and glancing up...I had forgotten something.

"Yuka?" Louise called out to me when she noticed what I was doing. I shook my head and sighed when I remembered what it was.

"I was just remembering a limitation that the focus system had." I answered, which earned a few blinks of confusion from my master.

"You see, the more you use focus, the more you get used to dealing with large quantities of projectiles. However, those masses of projectiles usually all travel in a straight line. They might be aimed or angled differently from each other, but they all travel in a straight line or at the most...a gentle arc. Do it enough and your body tends to respond to any projectile the same way...even if it doesn't end up behaving the way you anticipated."  I started to explain.

"What do you mean by 'not behaving the way you anticipated'?" Louise voiced her confusion.

"There was once a time where a certain monk who was sealed for a long long time and her followers started an incident. As per-usual, Reimu and two others went off to deal with them, however...they had a little surprise waiting for them." I started telling Louise about the Unidentified Fantastic Object incident...well, the battles that ensued anyway.

"The monk and her followers took advantage of the focus system and made projectiles that completely messed with the way that Reimu and her companions usually deal with Danmaku Battles. They used those damnable curving beams." I stated with mild amusement. I actually lauded the way Hijiri and her followers managed to give Reimu, Marisa, and Sanae such a hard time simply by changing the way their danmaku behaved. It was brilliant in its simplicity.

"Curving beams?" Louise repeated in question form.

"Think about it this way...a beam of light was headed right at you in diagonally down from the right, what would you do to avoid it?" I asked my master, who considered it for a few moments before replying.

"Go up and left?" She answered hesitantly.

"Normally, that would be correct and would have been your automatic reaction if you have been using focus. However, the monk played this to her advantage. Instead of heading in a straight line, the beam of light would curve up and left instead of maintaining its initial course of down and left." The revelation of this concept made Louise gasp for good reason.

"But that means that it would hit you!" Louise stated the obvious.

"Indeed. Reimu and her companions had a particularly hard time dealing with the monk because of that little adjustment in her patterns. Do you know how they managed to overcome it?" I asked Louise considered the question before squinting and nodding to herself.

"Through brute force?" She postulated and I couldn't help but laugh a bit.

"That was part of how Marisa dealt with it but it wasn't the whole thing. Instead of relying on focus, they were forced to start doing something that they have been avoiding through most of their time doing Danmaku Battles. They did it by focusing on only a very small portion of the field, usually only the immediate area around them. It made it harder for them to deal with regular patterns but it was extremely effective against the curving beams." I explained tha breakthrough that Reimu came up with, partly thanks to her uncanny intuition again.

"So which method is better?" Louise asked the logical question.

"Both are useful in their own way. The trick is to be able to know when to use which method of dodging the patterns." I answered with a smile. Louise looked up to the clear blue sky to consider my words before nodding in agreement.

"I have a long way to go..." She said with a wry smile and a shake of her head.

"That you do...but you will have me and Cirno right there with you. Additionally, you probably won't have to deal with foes that could do what that monk was able to." I admonished her with a chuckle that she went along with.

...

[Blackraptor]

...

"This reminds me..." I muttered as Ruukoto and I touched down in front of its hangar. I let the gynoid take the lead in the final leg of the flight because of the simple fact that it knew the exact location of its home base from the air and I didn't. I put Louise down and she, along with Ruukoto and Siesta, looked at me curiously...well, as curiously as Ruukoto could look anyway. I ran the thought in my head one more time to make sure that I wasn't about to say something stupid.

"...is it wise for you to leave your hangar like this now that it no longer has that protection enchantment on it? Someone might be able to open it and take all the goodies inside if they stumble here." I pointed out as I walked past them and opened the hangar door wide enough for us to enter. I turned back to where they were and saw that Ruukoto had its head tilted to the side while streams of light ran across its eyes. Siesta seemed to have taken this chance for another visit to her great grandfather's grave and Louise joined her when she offered a prayer to the grave.

"Fuga. Fuga." Ruukoto finally stated with a shake of its head. So it's not worried about any new intruders because there are extensive automatic defense systems, lethal and non-lethal, set up all over the place starting from halfway into the cave network we went in from. I made a thoughtful hum at the gynoid's words before raising a brow.

"Hang on. If this place has automated defense systems, why didn't they activate when we arrived here?" I asked it while folding my arms and leaning back.

"Fuga." They gynoid responded with a shrug that lacked any feeling.

"That makes sense..." I heard Siesta comment from a distance. Ruukoto and I turned to where she was and saw her approaching us along with Louise.

"What makes sense?" My master asked Siesta as the two of them stood in front of us.

"Mister Yuka was asking Ruukoto why the defenses here didn't start when we made our way here. Ruukoto responded by pointing out that there was no reason to activate them because the protection enchantment on her hangar was in place." Siesta provided. I idly wondered if it was simply easier for her and Louise to humanize Ruukoto instead of treating it as an object since even she was starting to give it a female pronoun.

"And you didn't think that someone who could break the enchantment would come along?" I asked a follow-up question. The fact that Louise was able to use dispell to break the protection enchantment proved that it was possible to get past it.

"Fuga." Ruukoto disagreed with a shake of her head, its words held some weight of certainty in them as well.

"What did Ruukoto say?" The only one in our current party who can't understand the gynoid asked me. I turned to my master and scratched the side of my head before answering.

"Ruukoto said that there was no way for anyone to be able to get past its hangar's protection spell because there was no terrestrial magic active at the time that can do so." I told Louise before turning back to the gynoid with narrowed eyes.

"Now the question becomes, how were you so sure about that point? In fact I have a better question, who placed the enchantment on the hangar in the first place?" I asked the gynoid, one of the questions I managed to overlook because of everything else that was happening at the time.

"What are you getting at, Yuka?" Louise asked me in a slightly worried tone while Siesta stayed quiet but started to look uncomfortable. I assumed that they both asked themselves the same questions I did and didn't like the answer they got...or the lack thereof.

"Something that I should have considered when we first got here. Ruukoto could not have set up that protection enchantment since it should have already been sealed up and frozen. Even if it was frozen after the enchantment was set up, the kind of magic that made up that enchantment is not part of Ruukoto's repertoire. It couldn't have been Siesta's great grandfather because, if it was, then her bloodline should have active magicians and I can assure you that Siesta herself does not have any potential for magic and by extention, her family as well." I laid out the various components of the point I was trying to make.

"Whoever set up that enchantment should have also known that there wasn't any kind of magic that could break it...other than Void. If he or she or it was certain of that, then it would have been a magician of substantial power and knowledge. So? Who was it?" I continued with the million kanmon question while narrowing my eyes at the gynoid. Louise and Siesta stared between me and Ruukoto. To everyone's surprise, even me, Ruukoto's body shimmered white again before it blinked to reveal the telltale blue eyes of its 'White Noise' mode. I wondered why it thought it neccessary for it to use one of its special abilities when it gave me a ghost of a smile before placing its right index finger in front of its lips.

"Classified Information." Was all it said before it reverted back to its regular mode. Well, that was certainly unexpected. The three of us merely looked at the gynoid as it casually walked into its hangar.

"What was that all about?" Louise asked as she and Siesta walked up to me.

"I'm not sure. However, it seems that Ruukoto is bent on keeping that information a secret." I answered before glancing between the interior of the hangar and Louise.

"Although, if you order it to reveal what it knows, there is a chance that it might tell you since you are its master now." I pointed out as we walked into Ruukoto's hangar. I looked around for the gynoid and saw that it had its hand pressed against some sort of control panel as holographic screens flickered on an off in front of it.

"No...whoever did it probably had a good reason for wanting it to be kept a secret. If it was someone who was able to wield such magic, then we'd better leave it alone...we don't really need any more people for you to fight." Louise reasoned. I smiled and nodded in agreement. At least she didn't have a penchant for actively looking for incidents to get herself involved it. On the flip-side, it just meant that trouble has a way of finding her instead.

"As you wish. After all, we have more pressing matters to deal with anyway. Have you found what you needed?" I asked the gynoid as we walked up to it. Ruukoto didn't turn to regard our presence as it continued whatever it was doing. I head Louise make a thoughtful hum when Ruukoto did not respond to us.

"What are you doing Ruukoto?" She asked the gynoid directly. The flashing displays paused for a moment before resuming again.

"Fuga. Fuga." The gynoid responded after another few seconds. Well, I believe that we established that Ruukoto likes Louise more than it does me. Louise glanced at both me and Siesta as she waited for someone to translate for her. The maid and I looked at each other for a moment before I smiled and gestured for her to translate.

"Ruukoto seems to be checking the sensors she has here for any more information about that anomaly before we leave this place. She's also preparing the 'G-Wing Type-Zero' and 'Arondight' for equipping and is also preparing something for us as well. She says that it will make things easier once everything starts." Siesta translated Ruukoto's explanation. Whatever it was preparing, it was doing it thoroughly so I trusted its judgement and waited.

We all turned when we heard the whine of moving machinery and the hiss of compressed gas being expelled. Part of the floor some distance behind us rose up to reveal some sort of storage device roughly the size of a large bookcase. A smaller, but similar looking device, rose up beside it but only went up to half the height of the first one, making it look more like a large table instead.

"Fuga." Ruukoto said, requesting us to follow it, as it walked up to the newly revealed devices.

"She's asking us to follow her." Siesta whispered to Louise. My master nodded before glancing at me and walking a few steps behind her gynoid. Ruukoto stopped in front of the smaller device first before placing its hand a few inches above it. A holographic display appeared in front of it before disappearing. The device made another whining noise as it opened up to reveal several small tan-colored devices. The gynoid picked up one of the things with its fingers before showing it to us.

"Fuga. Fuga." Ruukoto explained, earning a gasp from Siesta and a smile from me. I maintained my smile as I turned to Louise who was eagerly anticipating a translation.

"What Ruukoto has there is a very small and very powerful dimensional transceiver, affectionately known as the 'Hey-Listen'." I decided to elaborate on the definition of the device after seeing the imaginary question marks on my master's head again.

"A transceiver is a device that allows people to communicate over long distances as if they were right next to each other. Ruukoto says that these ones have a maximum range of twenty-five hundred feet and uses the same technology as the nano-machines that your blood stream has. That means that the possibility of their transmissions being interrupted is very near impossible." I explained as Louise gazed at the device in Ruukoto's fingertips, likely wondering how such things were possible and what it could mean for us.

"How do they work?" Louise asked Ruukoto. I decided that it was easier to simply show her instead of giving a lecture about it.

"Ruukoto, could you hand me one of those and help Louise put on the one in your hand?" I asked Ruukoto and it obliged by tossing me one of the 'Hey-Listen'. I placed the device inside my left ear and walked away from the three of them. Once I was at a far corner of the hangar and once I saw that Ruukoto managed to get Louise to put on the 'Hey-Listen' without hurting her, I tapped on the device in my ear and thought of Louise.

'Louise? Louise? Can you hear me?' I called out and fought down the urge to snicker when Louise jumped in surprise. She looked around and Ruukoto had to explain what was going on and how to use the tranceiver, with Siesta acting as its translator. After a while, she finally got around to pressing on the device, which was in her right ear. I raised a brow when Louise suddenly crouched down while looking around suspiciously.

'This is Snake...' Louise finally responded in a raspy voice. Snake? Where have I heard that name before? I shook the thought away and tapped the device again.

'Snake? Louise, are you alright?' I asked her. My question made Louise jump up in surprise before she hesitantly tapped the 'Hey-Listen'.

'Wha! I can hear you so clearly! But you're so far away!' She said in awe as she looked at me from where she, Siesta, and Ruukoto were.

'Yes, this is what the device is for. To provide a means of communicating in long distances. It should prove useful if we ever have to split up our forces.' I told her as I started walking back to where they were.

'Ruukoto said that there was enough of these things available for all of us.' Louise pointed out through the 'Hey-Listen' even though I was already standing in front of her.

"Louise, I'm right in front of you. There's no need to use that thing if we are within speaking distance." I pointed out while folding my arms and leaning back. Louise blinked at me before staring at her right hand and putting it down.

"Sorry, I'm not used to this yet. How did you know how to use it anyway? Ruukoto never gave you any instructions for it." Louise asked me as she idly rubbed the 'Hey-Listen' that was still in her right ear.

"That goes back to the time when the Lunarians invaded. Yukari set up the defenses so that everyone can communicate with one another through magic. Unfortunately, the Lunarians anticipated that and sent out devices designed to interfere with magic-based communications. Fortunately, Sanae anticipated that and had Nitori and the Kappa distribute devices similar to these so we could all still communicate with one another through long distances. I simply hoped that these ones worked in a similar manner." I explained while tapping on my ear piece. Although, the fact that the Moriya Shrine managed to commission the Kappa to make so many of those things suggested that they have been making those for some time...likely for some sort of Moriya Shrine Conspiracy that never got off the ground. Or did it?

"Now then, I assume that the rest of the equipment you came here for is stored there?" I asked the gynoid as I pointed at the larger storage device. Ruukoto nodded and walked over to the other storage device after storing the rest of the 'Hey-Listen' in the pockets of its maid uniform. It placed its hand in front of the storage device and it displayed its own holographic display before opening. Ruukoto reached in and pulled out a green orb roughly the size of a basketball before pressing it against its chest. The orb glowed bright green before getting absorbed into the gynoid's body.

"Fuga." It declared before reaching back into the storage device. Siesta was explaining to Louise that the emerald orb was the main component for its 'G-Wing Type-Zero' when Ruukoto pulled out something that looked like a sword...one that was folded in the middle.

"Fuga." Ruukoto said, it wanted us to step back. Siesta and I obliged while pulling Louise back as well. The gynoid held the sword's grip, that had a simple handguard on it, before flicking it in its hand slightly that made the sword unfold which made it twice as long as it already was.

The sword was made out of some blue metal substance that I did not recognize. The whole thing was around three-and-a-half meters long once unfolded and it looked single-edged. I say 'looked' because, aside from the tip that had a distinct metal edge that extended down from the tip for about two feet before it stopped. The rest of what the single-edge should have been was just empty space, the other side was just the blue metal that did not have an edge and looked more like it was there to support the rest of the construct. The empty space extended from the hand grip all the way up to where the metal tip started. I was about to ask Ruukoto what purpose that blade was supposed to have when the sword gave of a soft pink glow. I blinked a few times when the empty space was suddenly filled with that same pink energy. I see...it wasn't that the sword did not have an edge, it was just that its edge was an energy blade.

"Fuga." Ruukoto said as it introduced us to its Anti-Material Sword 'Arondight'. It did a couple of practice swings with it, the sword making a low humming sound as it cut through the air.

"Watch where you're swinging that thing!" Louise yelled out from behind me. I turned to her and saw that she and Siesta took several steps back after they saw Ruukoto activate its weapon.

"Fuga." Ruukoto pointed out. It assured us that it knew exactly where its sword was in three-dimensional space at any given time it was synchronized with the rest of its systems while it held it. The gynoid gave its weapon one more look before dismissing the energy blade that made up the sword's edge and folding it up again. It hefted the sword onto its back where it vanished into its body like the green orb did.

"Fuga." Ruukoto declared as it assured us that all its preparations for battle were complete, excellent I nodded before turning to Louise and Siesta.

"Ruukoto's preparations are complete and we are ready to head to Tarbes itself. I hope the others arrive before we have to fight so we can teach them how to use the 'Hey-Listen' and go over our strategies one more time." I told them as Ruukoto allowed the storage devices to sink back into the floor.

"The Steel Goddess has returned to once again protect Tarbes..." Siesta muttered in a voice of awe. She was correct, I suppose.

"Then we'd better make sure that Ruukoto lives up to her reputation!" Louise declared as she pumped her right fist in the air, psyching herself up for what was to come.

...

I took a deep breath as I stood at the edge of Tarbes in the direction where the anomaly was coming from. I could smell it. It was faint and almost unnoticeable because of the relative distance and the wind...but it was there.

Death was in the air.

"Can you sense it, buddy?" Derf asked from where it was strapped on Louise's back, piping up for the first time since it asked me about our strategy on Tarbes' defense.

Speaking of Tarbes, the good news was that Princess Henrietta already released an official order for the people to evacuate until further notice. The new governor of Tarbes, a man that went by the name 'Michaelo Strum de la Constantine', was quick to act upon it and evacuations were quickly facilitated by the local government.

The bad news was that Lord Constantine only recieved the order to evacuate ten hours ago and, despite the speed that the local officials displayed in trying to enact the order, most of the residents of Tarbes were still here. Apparently, the natives didn't really appreciate being told to leave the homes and go to a refugee camp a very long distance away with 'Official Royal Edict' as the only reason.

Siesta left our party as soon as we arrived and was helping her family evacuate, hopefully she would be able to convince them to leave with little trouble. Ruukoto was above Tarbes, roughly around fifteen-thousand feet in the air to be able to better track the anomaly and to immediately spot any new developments from it. The G-Wing Type-Zero equipment was apparently a nano-machine-based flight system that took the form of two large white feathered wings. Siesta's and Louise's jaws dropped when they first saw it...the fact that individual feathers flew out on occassion -only to dissolve into nothingness a second later- whenever it flapped its wings added to the effect. I was starting to understand why the locals called Ruukoto 'The Steel Goddess'. That aside, the new equipment let Ruukoto's flight potential match mine which made its flight range, speed, and mobility comparable to that of a highly trained Tengu's.

"Sense what? The anomaly?" Louise asked as she turned her head to the sword on her back. The six-thousand year old sword have a bark of a laugh before answering.

"Little missy, if Yuka over there can sense what I can...then that anomaly is the least of our worries." Derf criptically said. It did nothing to ease Louise's worry and she turned to me with an expression that showed it. I glanced at her then back out to the distance.

"You can sense it too?" I asked the sword. I almost felt sorry for ignoring my master but I was curious as to why Derf seemed to have been able to sense something out there.

"There's some majorly baaad juju out there, Brudda'..." The sword replied. 'Bad Juju'? That was a rather odd term.

"Please. Someone. Make sense. That is all I ask." Louise bit out in sentence fragments that reflected her frustration in being left out of the loop again. I pointed out to the distance in the direction where the anomaly was coming from.

"There be dragons. And death. And hostile magic. And bad juju, as Derf put it." I said in same sentence fragment format that Louise did. My master hit my other arm with the back of her hand and gave me a scowl.

"That's not funny." Louise stated in a voice that clearly showed that she was scared. She has been in life threatening situations more than once in this realm and has even felt what death would likely feel like in Mugenkan. Louise has a strong will and a determined mind, but she is still prone to worrying about the prospect of death when it was still looming at a distance. If she ever gets used to that feeling...then I was doing something wrong if she was still facing those situations regularly.

"No...for humans, I guess it isn't." I responded and the two of us, plus Derf, stood in silence until I heard the flapping of a familiar pair of wings.

'Fuga.' Ruukoto spoke to me from the 'Hey-Listen' that was still in my ear. I smiled when the gynoid confirmed what I thought I heard. Ruukoto didn't tell Louise because my master wouldn't have understood what it said anyway.

"It appears that reinforcements have arrived." I idly said as I turned around and saw the approaching silhouette of Tabitha's drake, Sylphid. Louise squinted, as if the act would allow her sight range to increase. It took her about another minute to finally see them using her human vision but the Ruukoto decided to report in another bit of news.

'Fuga. Fuga.' Ruukoto apparently detected a detachment of ground forces coming from within Tristain and was quickly making their way to Tarbes, Estimated Time of Arrival was tee-minus seventy minutes. In addition, one of the lead units was female was a riding a white Unicorn.

Princess Henrietta...

That was a complication that should have been expected. The fact that she let out an evacuation order proves that they knew about the magical anomaly that was approaching and it all but proved that it was the Albion Armada. I watched Louise as she ran to where Sylphid was touching down and made sure that she was out of earshot before contacting Ruukoto.

'Ruukoto, please get down here. Louise's friends have arrived and I want them to have their own dimensional tranceivers and be able to use them effectively.' I said before walking to where Louise was being hugged to oblivion by Kirche again. The sudden shift from hostility to affection between them, or at least from Kirche's side, reminded me of Kaguya's relationship with Mokou after they finally got over that childish feud of theirs.

"Lemme go Kirche! I can't breathe!" Louise protested as she valiantly failed to get the larger Germanian girl to release her.

"Only if you say please~" Kirche playfully said as she continued to smother Louise between her large tracts of land.

"Please!" Louise immediately yelled out, foregoing her personal pride of saying the word 'please' to her long-time rival in favor of being able to breathe normally again.

"Too late~! Changed my mind~! Too bad~! So sad~!" Kirche happily said as she continued her full-blown assault on my master. The whole situation reminded me of that time when Yuyuko became obsessively affectionate towards Mystia. To this day, I still don't get how or why that whole thing even happened.

Everyone froze when a sudden gust of wind blew into them from above. They all looked up to the source and various degrees of gaping in shock occurred. Guiche and Monmon instinctively held onto one another at the sight. Kirche slacked her grip of Louise just enough for the poor girl to be able to breathe again but she still didn稚 let go of my master. Tabitha blinked several times before tilting her head to the side and blinking a few more times, Sylphid very carefully moved behind her master and crouched as if doing so would conceal herself. Ruukoto dismissed their shock altogether and simply did a graceful landing in front of us, dispersing some nano-machine feathers in the process, before deactivating its wings in a flash of white light and absorbing it into its body. Predictably, it was Monmon who reacted first.

"What the founder was that?!" Louise's closest friend yelled out, still clinging onto Guiche.

"I believe that it was Ruukoto who had pure white wings...I remember her talking about it when we first found her but..." Guiche muttered. I was unsure if his awe was caused by the act of Ruukoto landing in front of them or if it was because of the surprising grace by which the gynoid excecuted the maneuver. A short moment passed before the two of them blinked before looking at each other and their current position relative to each other. Monmon pushed away from Guiche and turned away from him, her cheeks as red as Louise's gets whenever she gets really embarrassed. I decided to blow through the awkward silence between the couple that still won't get back together because Monmon was still cautious of Guiche and answer the girl's question.

"Ruukoto picked up some equipment back in its hangar that it believes would help in the upcoming confrontation, as per our rough plan for dealing with this." I explained for the benefit of those who just showed up and to give Monmon and Guiche time to recompose themselves.

"We have a plan?" Kirche asked me, proving that she wasn't really listening to the plan when we all met in Louise's room before leaving for Tarbes.

"Yes. We. Have. A. Plan!" Louise bit out before she finally managed to get free of Kirche's grasp. My master quickly trotted to where I was and securely put me between her and the Germanian.

"Awww~! Don't be like that my little Louise~" Kirche teased but her demeanor, along with the silly atmosphere, dissolved when I felt a massive magic spike along with hostile intent coming from my master.

"Don't you dare call me that...no one calls me that..." Louise stated in a very cold tone which did little to mask the promise of violence if her warning went unheeded.

"Lou-" I cut off Kirche's words with a shake of my head. I turned to my master and knelt in front of her to be able to look straight into her eyes. There, I saw it as clear as day...what she kept buried within her...she hasn't completely recovered from what happened in Albion.

"Louise. Louise. Louise. Come back to us, Louise." I calmly and clearly called out to Louise. I repeated her name and the request for her to come back to us because her cognative mind was somewhere far away inside her head at that time...likely replaying the events of that incident. I learned how to do this from Undonge after she accidentally mind blasted Cirno during a danmaku battle between the two of us. My former student was observing our duel and wandered way too close to be able to figure out the trick behind the moon rabbit's vanishing bullets.

"Lou-" My continuous call to my master was cut off when she practially jumped me and wrapped her arms around my neck as she clung onto me like a vice.

"Help me...help me...it hurts...it hurts...Chii-nee-sama...I'm scared...save me...Chii-nee-sama..." Louise whispered against my ear as she continued to cling to me. I blinked and narrowed my eyes when I noticed that her entire body was shaking.

"Fuga!" Ruukoto exclaimed in the very first instance when I saw the gynoid sound genuinely alarmed. It was concerned that Louise's heart rate, blood pressure, and brain waves were starting to match those of a human who was suffering from severe emotional shock. Considering how my master looked at the moment, it didn't really take much for anyone to draw similar conclusions.

"Wh-wh-what happened to Louise?" Guiche worriedly asked as he started to walk toward us. He was stopped in his tracks when Tabitha used her staff to block his advance. The blue-haired girl had put her book away and looked hard at Guiche before shaking her head.

"If anyone has any idea on how to deal with this, please voice your suggestion now." I stated since Louise wasn't showing any signs of recovering on her own and I had no idea how to help someone with emotional damage. I suppressed a grimace when no one responded to my words, even Ruukoto did not have anything.

"Stay there, put your arms around her, tell her that she's safe here and that everything will be alright." Our resident talking magical sword suddenly suggested when it partially came out of its scabbard on Louise's back.

"Will such a thing work?" I asked the blade as the current positioning made us face each other. My words carried uncertainty and a sense of concern that would not have normally been associated with me.

"It worked when Sasha had to do it for Brimir. It was at a time when the guy was a complete mess after being forced to lose one of his familiars to accomplish a certain something. I'll tell you two about it later. For now, try it on the little miss there...it won't hurt to try." Derf explained after giving one of its sword shrugs. I wasn't particularly interested in the events of the life of Brimir, but knowing more about the originator of Void magic could unravel more Void spells for Louise to use. I tucked that little tidbit away for a later time, Matilda might be able to glean things off of a history lesson about Brimir from Derf. I decided to follow the sword's advice due to the lack of any others and held Louise in an embrace, ignoring the fact that Derf was still strapped to her back.

I took a deep breath before I started saying more things that I have never said to a human before.

"It will be alright, Louise..." I whispered as I gently stroked her strawberry-blonde hair with my right hand.

"You are safe here. No one will harm you so long as I am here. Everything will be fine..." I whispered with much less effort than I had originally expected. I had originally assumed that I had to put significant conscious effort in telling Louise those things because I was not someone who says such words for the sake of another.

Kurumi, Elly, Yukari, Reika, Reimu, Marisa, Cirno, and everyone else who has come and gone or come and stayed in my life in Gensokyo...none have heard such words from me. I mentally sighed when I realized that I was thinking about this too much. I chalked it up to simply another one of those changes in my life that I had originally desired  before I came to this realm...before this girl called me here and changed my life. There was a brief flash of realization when I idly thought about leaving Louise and going back to Gensokyo.

It was then that I finally understood that thing that was nagging me before...that compulsion for me to do whatever was needed for Louise's sake. There was magic coming from the 'Gandalfr' runes that was trying to change my mindset into that of one who would be utterly loyal to my master. I mentally snorted at the attempt by the ancient magic before squashing it with my own magical power. Everything happened internally so the only visible sign of what happened was a soft glow from my left hand before it died down. The runes were still there and I was still bound to Louise, but that annoying compulsion spell that Brimir put had been obliterated completely.

That was why I was curious as to why the feeling I had did not change. The compulsion spell had already been destroyed and there were no lingering traces of it to affect me in any way...but I still had that overwhelming desire to take care of this little human. Curious. Most curious.

"Yu-Yuka...?" Louise hesitantly whispered without moving from her position. I was thankful that she stopped shaking though.

"I'm here...you are safe, Louise." I replied with my own whisper. I felt her arms weakly try to tighten her grip around my neck after I said that.

"I'm still a failure...even something as silly as that was able to break me..." Louise bitterly stated to me as she buried her face in the crook of my neck. I ignored the wetness I felt on my neck, likely from Louise's tears, when I sensed her friends approaching.

"You are not a failure. This is simply one of those things that we need to overcome." I responded and Louise tightened her grip on me.

"Louise?" Monmon called out to her friend. I turned to them and saw that everyone, even Ruukoto and Sylphid, were upon us with worried expressions...which was quite the feat for Tabitha and Ruukoto.

"Viscount Wardes...he used to call me his 'Little Louise' all the time..." My master suddenly stated in a subdued voice. The statement both explained the reasoning for her earlier reaction to Kirche as well as earning gasps of surprise from her friends.

"Oh Louise! I'm sorry!" Kirche suddenly exclaimed as she knelt next to Louise and pressed her head against my master in a gesture of affection. It seemed that the Germanian's earlier words of wanting to truly become friends with my master were genuine. Louise did not move but she did not reject the redhead's words and gesture either. It did not take long for her other friends to join in for an impromptu group hug...even Ruukoto and Sylphid joined in too, which was why we were covered in darkness thanks to the blue drake's wings for the next while.

If this moment did not convince Louise that she was no longer alone...nothing would have.

...

'Kirche! Stop doing that!'

'I was just making sure that it works~'

'Then talk instead of moaning my name!!!'

I sighed and scratched my head as Louise and Kirche continued to test the limits of the 'Hey-Listen'. Ruukoto gave each of them one and I helped teach them how to use the tiny devices, all of them managed to grasp the concept on how to use the devices in short order. There was just one problem...

'My dear Montmorency~! Please! I implore you! Give me what trials you wish! I would move the twin moons themselves in order to earn your heart back! Plaese my Montmorency!'

'Stop hawking me, Guiche! This isn't the time for your hollow declarations!'

'It is all true! Please believe me! I have seen the light of truth and found only you would complete me!'

Aside from me, Ruukoto, and Tabitha, everyone only had the focus to use the 'Hey-Listen' in one way...Open Broadcast to all Channels. It also didn't help that they were all standing within a twenty feet from one another so there was no real need to use the 'Hey-Listen' at all. Ruukoto had resumed its vigil up in high-altitude to monitor the situation so no one could get the jump on us. Tabitha was beside me and Sylphid was taking a nap under a tree nearby. The noise generated by her friends didn't seem to bother Tabitha as she continued to read her current book. I supposed that the young Gallian was simply used to such disturbances from her friends. I, on the other hand, was not as patient.

'Ruukoto, is there any way for you to filter out broadcasts from the tranceivers that were not meant for those who were hearing them aside from the intended recipient?' I asked Ruukoto via my own transceiver. I got a response a few seconds later, just not from Ruukoto.

'Seconding request.' Tabitha stated curtly before cutting off her transmission. It would appear that Tabitha was not as patient as I thought, she was only better at hiding her displeasure than I was.

'Fuga Fuga. Fuga Fuga.' Ruukoto replied about a minute later. It was quickly followed up by a transmission from Tabitha to me personally. We were right next to each other so there was no real need, but I supposed that it was just her practicing to use the 'Hey-Listen' properly.

'Halkeginian.' Tabitha told me through her transceiver before turning a page on her book. She didn't even glance at me and simply waited for my response. Such a calm but focused sense of self was rare for one her age but it was why she was the strongest member of Louise's little circle of friends when it came to conventional magic. I wondered for a moment what circumstances made Tabitha turn out in such a way before translating Ruukoto's answer.

"Ruukoto stated that it is possible to fine tune the transmission protocols for the 'Hey-Listen' that we are using. It is currently working on remotely setting them so they will only broadcast to the person who the source wanted to speak to the most. It will make trying to broadcast messages to everyone at once more difficult but it will try to balance out the settings. It says that it will be done in fifteen minutes. Also, it seems that we will have visual contact of Princess Henrietta and two battalions of Tristain's knights coming in that direction in the next five minutes." I translated Ruukoto's report in normal speech while pointing to the horizon where Henrietta and her troops will be coming from. Ruukoto stated that additional ground forces are mobilizing but will take several hours to arrive. It also pointed out the complete lack of aerial units from any of the forces being deployed to Tarbes. That was strange considering that our standing theory was that whatever was headed here was airborne. I glanced back at Tabitha and saw that the girl had put her book away for now and was looking right at me.

"Yes?" I asked Tabitha after a few moments of silence. Tabitha narrowed her eyes at me before answering.

"Tell Louise about Princess?" The Gallian asked me. Ah...that was what she was concerned about. I thought about it for a second before shrugging.

"As much as I would like to keep Louise away from Henrietta, I doubt that my master will be able to miss an approaching army. Even if she did, Kirche or someone else will point it out. And I'm sure that Henrietta would come after Louise as soon as she sees her old friend. That reminds me..." I trailed off before tapping on my 'Hey-Listen'.

'Ruukoto, make an effort to avoid revealing yourself to any member of the Tristain Armed Forces unless absolutely neccessary. You are still largely a legend and I want to keep it that way lest we want Louise to end up in the front line of every conflict this country finds itself in simply because of what we are and what she can do.' I told the gynoid. I don't even want to know what the Princess would end up asking of Louise if she ever found out that my master had somehow bound the local pagan goddess -even if it really wasn't a divine being at all- to her service.

'Maintain your altitude and continue to provide overwatch surveillance for us.' I added. I couldn't believe that I would end up using those military lingos that I picked up from watching those action movies that Elly liked so much.

'Fuga?' Ruukoto asked me what it should do if and when hostilities commenced between us and the oncoming anomaly. I turned back to Tabitha, who had listened in on my instructions to the gynoid.

"Ruukoto is asking what it should do when the fun starts since it won't be able to simply fly in as my number two for reasons you should have overheard. Any suggestions?" I asked the Gallian. Tabitha rubbed her chin for a few moments and squinted, the only indications that she was thinking the issue through.

"Long range support and logistics only. Emergency surprise element in case of worse case scenario." Tabitha concluded with a nod. I agreed with her suggestion and tapped on my 'Hey-Listen'.

'We still want you up there even after the fireworks start. If you have any long range weapons, use them to provide fire support and provide logistics for us in case we get any surprises. Only come in to intercept if either Louise or I specifically command you to or if you determine from above that the situation is no longer salvagable.' I relayed Tabitha's suggestion to the gynoid.

'Fuga?' Ruukoto followed up with a question that made me unconsciously give one of 'those' smiles.

'If the worse case happens, all weapons free. Louise and her friends will be our priority. Flatten everyone else to tries to stop us from getting them to safety.' I answered before looking back in the direction where Henrietta's army finally became visible to the naked eye. The young woman's pure white Unicorn in contrast to her regular officers' more bland looking steeds made the Princess stick out like a sore thumb. Someone needs to tell her something about common sense on the battlefield.

'Fuga. Fuga.' The gynoid acknowledged the revision of its objectives. It suggested that it can convert its R-Cannon for accurate long-range artillery purposes in exchange for some raw damage and firing rate.

'Do it. I doubt we will face anything here that will be as tough as what that weapon was originally designed to kill.' I stated and got a 'Fuga' of acknowledgement. I looked back to the oncoming Tristain army and sighed.

"Bad Juju..." Tabitha muttered the odd term that Derf previously used. Nonetheless, it voiced the bad feeling I was starting to have as well.

?

[Blackraptor]

...

"Would it be prudent to assume that we are both here for the same reasons?" I shamelessly asked the surprised crown princess of the kingdom of Tristain. Henrietta and her little army marched in formation towards Tarbes and somehow decided to choose the spot where Tabitha and I were at to arrive in. Henrietta looked at me and Tabitha in turn and looked like she was in a state that one would call 'speechless'. For my part, I merely raised a brow at what she was wearing. It was white-steel plate armor with a blue cape and a tiara on her head to signify her royal station. I was merely mildly confused as to why her armor revealed so much skin, particularly in the chest area and her legs. I mean...what kind of armor could effectively protect a woman if it leaves her cleavage exposed?

"What are you doing in this place, Sir Kazami?" The princess finally managed to let out as she stared at me from atop her Unicorn. Interestingly, some of the beasts and small animals that her little army brought with them were starting to panic...likely familiars of some of the knights. Too bad they haven't had the chance to get used to my presence like Sylphid had.

"As I have told you before, Henrietta, Yuka is fi-" My hand-waved retort was cut off when another horse trotted up between the princess and myself. I raised a brow at the interruption and glanced at the rider. It was a short haired blonde woman in the garb of a knight...and she was currently pointing a primitive pistol at me, the woman's sharp emerald eyes burned with strength and deep seated hatred as she glared at me.

"You dare speak to Princess Henrietta de Tristain in such a flippant manner?! Do you know such a thing is grounds for treason you cur?!" The blonde roared, her voice carrying power one would not expect from a woman of her stature. I did not dignify her question with a response, Tabitha thought similarly and went back to reading a book as if the whole thing wasn't worth her full attention.

"Stand down, Agnes." Henrietta calmly stated from behind the woman apparently named Agnes.

"But your Highness..." Agnes stated as her face tightened, her eyes and her pistol still pointed at me.

"Stand down, my knight." The princess repeated and the blonde finally relented. She returned her pistol to its rightful place in a bandolier strapped across her chest that held two other identical looking weapons. She gave one more scathing glare at me before backing off and returning to her place at Henrietta's side. The princess gave Agnes a thankful smile before turning back to me.

"I apologize if Agnes offended you. She takes her knightly duty very seriously." Henrietta said with an apologetic smile.

"Not at all, she was simply doing her job as dutifully as you stated. Besides, nothing she could have done would have hurt me anyway. Now if only you had sent her instead of Wardes with us to Albion, things wouldn't have been so annoying during that little trip." I couldn't help but pull that remark on the princess, reminding her of what Louise had gone through because of the betrayal of one Viscount Wardes...the man she handpicked to go with us to save her secret lover, Prince Wales Tudor. Henrietta winced before looking away from me, regret and sadness marred her face. Before anything else could be said and done though...

"Princess!" Louise's voice broke through the short awkward period and made most eyes turn to her, Tabitha was still knee deep in her book, as she ran to where we were...the rest of her friends close behind.

"Louise Francoise!" Henrietta called out, seemingly in both joy in surprise that her friend would be here. The young woman very nearly jumped off her Unicorn causing Agnes and the rest of the nearby knights to gasp in shock of what their liege had just done.

""What are you doing here?"" Both young women said at the same time as they ran up to each other before holding each other by the shoulders as if to check if it was all real. If one didn't know any better, you'd think that there were sisters or something. I shook my head at the sight of Henrietta once again opting to embrace Louise, like she always does whenever they reunite, before turning back to the female knight.

"I believe that Princess Henrietta and my master have things they need to discuss. I would advise you to tell that to the rest of your comrades so they can act accordingly." I said to the woman, who was staring at her princess like she didn't know what to think of the scene before her. My words snapped her out of her trance but I was already walking back to where Louise and the others were when I faintly heard her say that I didn't have the right to give her orders.

Honestly...the things I put up with for Louise.

...

'Any changes at all from the anomaly?' I discreetly asked Ruukoto, making sure that no one noticed me tapping my ear before talking. Henrietta, along with the female knight Agnes who was acting as her bodyguard, was comparing notes with Louise on what they knew of what was coming to Tarbes. I was too far away to make out what they were discussing because of the ambient noise of the knights and common soldiers that the princess brought along with her. Said soldiers and knights were currently helping what's left of the locals to get out of the village before the bad things happen. Having the princess come here in person, in battle attire, and with troops was enough for everyone to figure out that something was indeed very clearly wrong and that they should follow instructions.

'Fuga.' The gynoid from on high replied. No changes aside from minor fluctuations on magical energy, it wasn't even moving anymore. That in itself was strange though because the scent of death I was getting was actually getting stronger as time went on.

'Come here. You need to hear this.' Tabitha's voice broke through my conversation with the gynoid. I conferenced the communiqu? between me, Ruukoto, and Tabitha to save time.

'Understood. Ruukoto, continue to monitor the situation. Notify me at once if there are any changes. It appears that Tabitha has something of interest for me so I'll be going now.' I stated and got a 'Fuga' of acknowledgement from Ruukoto.

'So, anything I should know before I arrive?' I asked the young Gallian. The young woman was silent for a few moments before replying.

'Albion.' Was all she said. That's just wonderful...

"Yuka! Get over here!" Louise called out to me as soon as I got close enough to their little congregation. Louise and her friends were a given, as was Henrietta. I wondered why Sylphid was not present but I just chalked it up to Tabitha being sharper than anyone her age should normally be. The princess was also accompanied by her own entourage of a dozen knights with the one called Agnes closest to the princess. I gave the princess a curt bow before turning to my master and getting the ball rolling.

"What did you learn?" I asked her. I felt a burst of killing intent coming from the princess' side, likely from her knights for the way I've been treating their sovereign. I glanced at them and idly noted that the entire composition of the knights that accompanied Henrietta were all female...and they didn't have a drop of magic in them. An entire knight detachment made up of female commoners? Must have been what the firearms were for.

"The anomaly that Ruukoto has been sensing! It's the Albion Armada! The entire Albion Armada!" Louise frantically told me. So the ones headed this way are Cromwell's forces eh?

"In addition, it seems that they have some sort of super powered undead monster on their side." Monmon added with a shudder. An undead? The word made me remember my promise to this realm's Embodiment of Water. Interesting. So Cromwell used the Ring of Advari for necromancy? Yuyuko and Shikieiki would have had choice words with him for doing such a thing to the dead.

"Define ' Super Powered Undead Monster'." I inquired as I folded my arms and leaned back. It was Princess Henrietta who answered this time.

"There were unconfirmed reports from a squadron that was guarding the border where the Albion Armada broke through that they encountered an undead monster that wielded magic beyond those possible by any human mage." The princess supplied.

"It was never confirmed? I would think that you would have liked to take a closer look at something such as that." I inquired while scratching my head with my left hand while using my parasol as a walking stick before tapping the 'Hey-Listen'.

'Undead signature in the anomaly field. Look for it.' I whispered to the gynoid before turning to Agnes who had decided to answer my question.

"We weren't able to confirm it because every last scouting team we sent out never returned." The woman bit out, still not happy about the way I act around their princess. She had a good point though. I decided to ask a little something while waiting for Ruukoto's analysis.

"All your personal knights are female and have no magic. I am curious as to this course of action." I said as a statement instead of a question to the princess. Henrietta set her jaw and looked at me dead in the eyes. It seemed that she has had to answer this kind of inquiry before.

"Agnes and the rest of the Musketeer Squadron are all loyal and skilled knights of Tristain. Their gender and lack of magical ability have no bearing on their ability to serve their counrty." Princess Henrietta de Tristain stated with conviction. The fire in her eyes were not as intense as Louise's were whenever she does that, but conviction was conviction.

"You continue to confuse me Henrietta de Tristain. I am unsure what your motives are for doing the things you do but I'm not that interested in them either. Just keep in mind that I won't be as...lenient as I was during the Albion incident if you ever decide to have my master clean up after you again." I stated with a flat stare at the princess. Agnes once again displayed her loyalty to the crown by placing herself firmly between me and her princess.

"Yuka...I'll decide what to do with my life." Louise suddenly cut in with her own glare at me. I was about to rebuke her, but she took a page from my book and raised her right hand to prevent me from responding. She took a deep breath before continuing.

"But I've learned my lesson. I'll make sure to take a good look around me before doing anything big." She stated with a wry smile. I chuckled and nodded to her. It would appear that Louise was starting to truly grow up. The welling feeling I had whenever I was getting proud of Cirno was interrupted when Ruukoto finally decided to give its analysis.

'Fuga. Fuga.' I felt my brow twitch and my smile fade when I heard that. Ruukoto had managed to confirm an undead presence within the anomaly...even going so far as hypothesizing that it was the origin of the anomaly, whatever it was. Additionally it seemed that the anomaly has finally resumed its advance, if a bit slower than before...as if something was slowing it down or holding it back.

"Yuka! Are you listening?" Louise's voice broke me from my thoughts. I saw that she, as well as Agnes, were looking at me with annoyance.

"No, I wasn't. I apologize. I assume that you have devised a strategy against the oncoming Albion forces?" I said while folding my arms and leaning back.

"Yes, but that's not the problem! Prince Wales is there right now!" Louise practically yelled out as she pointed to the direction where the anomaly...the Albion Armada and the Undead Monster...were coming from.

"What?" I asked while rubbing my eyes with my left hand.

"When we first realized that the Albion Armada had breached our borders, Admiral Sidney Meier la Highwind immediately gathered our own fleet to intercept them. They currently should be battling the Albion forces right now." Princess Henrietta stated uncomfortably. At least I now knew what it was that was slowing the anomaly down. However, the fact that it was moving again did not bode well for Tristain's fleet.

"Let me guess...the good Prince decided to go with your ships to try something silly like convince the other side to cease hostilities?" I postulated, earning surprised looks from everyone there...aside from Tabitha. One as well-read as her should have at least anticipated such a clich? situation...or she simply didn't care for it considering that she was once again reading another book.

"H-h-how did you know?" Henrietta asked me in a somewhat flustered state. I raised a brow at her and shrugged.

"I didn't. I simply anticipated such a move from the Prince considering what he was willing to do for his country before." I replied before looking at my master and sighing.

"And let me guess...you want us to do something silly and go to Prince Wales' rescue. Again." I flatly stated and was rewarded with one of Louise's trademark 'urks'.

"B-b-b-but weren't you the one that kept saying that getting Prince Wales killed would be a bad thing?" Louise asked my in an attempt to trap me using logic and my previous words. However, Shikieiki Yamaxanadu she is not.

"Indeed I did. But that was then and this is now. Back then, there was only a 'threat' of the Prince getting killed. Now, it is no longer a threat and is only a matter of time...assuming that he is still alive." I reasoned out but was still met with one of 'those' looks from Louise. It seemed that she wasn't about to back out on this so I decided to pull the one card that could stop her from doing anything stupid.

"I only swore to defend Tarbes. You only swore to defend Tarbes. Are you planning on backing out on your word?" I pointed out to Louise with a raised brow. Louise grimaced when she realized what I had just said. Obviously, the current situation wasn't exactly what we had anticipated when we first set out to this village but the point still stood.

"This isn't a game, Louise. You should know this by now and we've already had this conversation. I'm sure that Princess Henrietta would agree with me on this point considering that she brought an army with her, hmmm?" I reminded my master before sparing a glance at the aforementioned Princess.

"Louise Francoise, please listen to me." Henrietta called out to my master, who immediately gave the Princess her undivided attention like the devoted subject and friend that she was.

"Sir Kaza-umm...Mister Yuka is correct. You have already done more than any one noble should for my sake and I am forever grateful for it..." Henrietta started to try to reason Louise out of trying to do another suicide mission in her name after tripping on how she should address me. I was not able to pay attention to the rest of it because something else caught my attention.

'Fuga! Fuga Fuga!' Ruukoto briskly reported with a certain sense of urgency. I tapped my ear piece and turned away from everyone.

'Once they come in range, try to thin them out. No, belay that order. Henrietta stated that Tristain's Fleet was deployed to intercept the anomaly. We can confirm that the anomaly is composed of the Albion Armada and the unknown Undead you reported earlier. Is there any way for you to identify which ships are from which fleet?' I asked the gynoid. There was silence on the line for a few moments and I idly glanced at everyone there. Henrietta was still speaking with Louise but the two seemed to have reached an understanding between themselves. Kirche, Monmon, and Guiche seemed to be content with the scene if their smiles were anything to go by. Agnes and her fellow knights remained vigilant around their Princess but they didn't seem as tense as they initially were. Tabitha...she was looking intently at me as I expected. I sighed and mouthed the words 'Bad Juju' to covey the current situation. She barely noticeably narrowed her eyes at me before nodding. Having her here was a great windfall due to Matilda's absence and I was grateful for it.

'Fuga. Fuga?' Ruukoto finally replied stating that it had no way of identifying friend or foe at the moment. It needed more information about both sides to come up with an IFF system for it to use. It already had a ship in its sights and was waiting for orders.

'Stand by...I'll need to consult the others for this.' I stated before turning back to the others and walking right up to Louise and the Princess.

"Louise. Princess. There has been a change in the situation."

...

'Tabitha! How's the evacuation looking?' I heard Louise ask the blue-haired girl via her 'Hey-Listen'. I was still with Louise and Henrietta but everyone else were busy doing one thing or another. Kirche, Guiche, and Monmon were helping Agnes and her fellow knights in the evacuation. The rest of Henrietta's little army was busy forming defenses throughout Tarbes in anticipation of the coming battle. Tabitha was riding Sylphid and was currently overseeing everything from up in the sky. Their relative altitude was nowhere near Ruukoto's own, but it was more than enough for the young Gallian to call in anything worth our attention. Ruukoto was still monitoring the Albion Armada's approach and noted that it was still slower than it initially was. If the Tristain Fleet still had active units, then they might be causing the slowdown. I was idly wondering if Prince Wales had already gotten himself killed -which would have been a waste considering the trouble Louise and I went through to save him the first time- when Tabitha responded.

'No problemo.' Tabitha replied to both Louise and myself, probably thinking that I should hear it as well.

"Louise Francoise, if I may ask...who are you talking to?" Henrietta asked my master. Louise blinked at her for a few moments before adopting a look of realization. She glanced at me and gave an 'urk' when she saw my flat stare, realizing too late that she had just absentmindedly used one of our secrets in front of the Princess.

"Umm...well...that was..." Louise's stammering was suddenly interrupted by the sudden blaring of an alarm in my ear. Judging from my master's wince, she got the same alert too.

'FUGA!' Ruukoto suddenly yelled out in my ear. My eyes went wide at the gynoid's words.

Long range magic attack incoming!

"Both of you get down!" I yelled out before pushing Henrietta and Louise together and using my body to shield them. From behind me, I heard the sound of something impacting the ground. A moment later the horrible howl of a point-blank hurricane drowned out all sound save for the screams of men and women.

'Fuga! Fuga Fuga!' Ruukoto alerted me that the source of the sudden attack was the center of the anomaly...and it was currently headed straight for us at high speeds. It also warned that the long range attack that hit us was a super-compressed wind bomb that had the yield that approached a Category-One Hurricane...whatever that meant.

"What happened?!" Louise yelled out over the dying wails of the wind bomb. She and Henrietta were currently holding onto each other for dear life.

"Albion sent out its gambit. Get somewhere safe, both of you." I stated to my master before pulling both of them up to their feet.

"Wait! What are you going to do?!" Louise asked me before looking up and noticing that the sky was darkening. I looked up as well and chalked it up as a byproduct of the attack.

"Something is headed here, something that used that magic attack just now. I'll go and greet it so I want you to get somewhere safe." I told Louise before tapping my 'Hey-Listen' without waiting for her reply.

'Attention everyone. Something very powerful by your world's standards is headed this way. I'm going to intercept it so I want all of you to get to safety. Louise has Henrietta. Tabitha, lead them somewhere safe or pick them up along with the rest. Ruukoto, keep track of Louise and try to see if you can shoot down whatever is headed this way.' I briskly gave instructions to everyone.

'Alright.' Tabitha was the first to respond and Louise quickly tapped her 'Hey-Listen' as she started speaking with the young Gallian.

'Fuga.' Ruukoto was next and I noticed tiny traces of light coming from the sky headed into the distance.

'We still have a lot of people left. What do we do about them?' Kirche inquired.

'Do what you have to.' I stated before letting my wings appear. I turned back to Louise, who was still speaking with Tabitha, and to a very shocked Henrietta.

"Try to get to your knights and get out of here. You and your soldiers will only get in the way and pile up more bodies. Derf." I told the Princess plainly before calling out to the sword.

"Stay with Louise and keep her safe?" The six-thousand year old sword asked me after it partially emerged from its scabbard. I nodded to the sword before hefting my parasol on my right shoulder and ascending into the sky. I idly looked at the damage caused by the sudden attack and saw that it managed to kill or disable the majority of the knights and soldiers that Henrietta brought along with her. It even broke a small chunk of the village too. If I recalled correctly, the Princess' personal Musketeer Squadron was working within Tarbes so it should be relatively intact.

'Fuga.' Ruukoto reported. It wasn't able to hit the target for effect because it was either dodging the gynoid's shots or deflecting them with with some sort of powerful wind barrier. Interesting. I smiled despite myself at the prospect of fighting something from this realm that was a few steps up from Matilda's own magical prowess.

'Fuga.' Ruukoto followed up as it detected several individual contacts coming from the point where the anomaly came from.

'Do you have any records on what the national emblem of Albion is?' I asked the gynoid even as I started to smell a powerful scent of death approach.

'Fuga, Fuga.' The gynoid replied. It didn't know what Albion's emblem was but it knows what Tristain's was thanks to Henrietta and her army.

'Then shoot down any ships that don't have that emblem. I'll deal with whatever is headed here.' I ordered and got a 'Fuga' of approval. I took a deep breath when I noticed the scent of death get stronger and stronger. I closed my eyes and focused on where the scent was coming from. I slowly exhaled through my lips and pointed my parasol in the direction where it was coming from. I gathered power in my parasol until I had enough for one shot, my parasol opening in response to the building energy. Once I had enough, I opened my eyes wide and gave one of 'those' smiles before firing a Master Spark at the source of the scent of death.

'Fuga. Fuga.' Ruukoto reported. It detected a high-yield energy attack that originated from my position and was headed to the oncoming hostile. Estimated time of contact? Right...about...no-

"Hm?" I hummed and raised a brow at the odd sensation. I lowered my parasol and closed it after the Master Spark ended and recalled that sensation. For a split-second, I thought I felt something 'stop' my Master Spark before it continued its course. I tilted my head to the side in wonder before narrowing my eyes when I noticed something.

The scent of death was still there...and it was still coming closer.

'Fuga.' Ruukoto reported from on high. The target took a direct hit but was still active?

'Explain.' I ordered, more curious how it managed to survive one of my sparks -that wasn't a regular spell card for Danmaku Battles- than angry that it actually happened.

'Fuga Fuga.' I see...at the moment of contact, the Mystery Undead managed to get off a particularly powerful wind spell that severed as a buffer between it and my spark. It only lasted for a fraction of a second before being overwhelmed by my spell, but it was enough for the creature to veer itself away from getting hit in the face by my attack. Not bad. Not bad at all. I couldn't help but laugh at that point. Because I knew...I knew that I was going to enjoy what was about to happen.

No Louise.

No Matilda.

No Monmon.

No Guiche.

No Kirche.

No Tabitha.

No Colbert.

No Henrietta.

No Wales.

No little humans to get in my way.

Just me and my foe...most importantly~

"No Spell Card Rules..." I muttered just when I finally got a visual on my foe. I blinked a few times and rubbed my eyes with my left hand.

'Fuga.' Ruukoto warned of the proximity between me and the 'Mystery Undead', who wasn't really a mystery anymore.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" I asked to no one in particular while having a genuine smile on my face. Oh, this was the cause of that anomaly? This was what threw that little Hurricane at Henrietta's army? This was what managed to block my Master Spark for a split second? This was...this was...

"Hehe...hehe...hahaha...hahahaha...HAHAHAHAHAHA! OH! THIS! THIS IS JUST PRECIOUS!" I cackled with my left hand on my face after the piece of meat got close enough for its identity to be undeniable.

It was a complete slapdash attempt on reassembling and restoring someone who was already dead. I was actually impressed that whoever did this was determined enough to have been able to piece together as much as they did. I stared at the abomination and couldn't stop smiling.

"Felicitations and a job well done on coming back from beyond the grave, Viscount Jean-Jacques Francis de Wardes~" I greeted the undead abomination with a demented smile and a sweeping bow. The creature did not move nor did it seem to register my greeting.

The long and short of it was that the Viscount's upper torso was now latched onto the body of its griffin using metal clasps. Both he and his mount had various stitches all over their bodies that went over their flesh and the Viscount's clothing. He was carrying two runed lances that coursed with magical power, a pair of heavy duty foci for magic spells I supposed. Wardes' hair color and complexion reflected his now 'Undead' status, garishly pale to the point of becoming white. His mount's plumage changed from copper to a shade of grey that mirrored its rider's hair. Both their eyes glowed red for added effect.

Considering the lack of any previous proof of any practically applied use of Necromancy in this realm thus far, I was assuming that the good undead Viscount was the product of the stolen Ring of Advari...the magical item that the Embodiment of Water believed to be in Cromwell's possession. I took a good long look at the abomination before me and noted that its latent magical power was far greater that what Wardes had when he was still alive. I guess they did more than just bring him and his mount back.

"So you're their ace in the hole? I can't really say that I expected this, though it is not unwelcome." I stated while cracking the bones in my neck.

"My other half was the one responsible for the original deaths of you and your mount~! It will be my personal pleasure to pick up where she left off and grind the both of you to dust before vaporizing you into nothingness~! Prepare yourself, undead abomination~! For you now face the strongest youkai in Gensokyo~! Ahahahahahahaha~" I gleefully stated before charging at the former Viscount as I cackled with joy.

...

[CrowCakes]

Sidney Meier la Highwind

All this little references make me giggle.

By the way, I have a question. Should I imagine Yuuka narrating with a female voice or a male voice?

[Blackraptor]

Regular narrations should be male, always had Treize Khushrenda's english voice in my head when I write them. Third person narration was always Dame Judi Dench in my mind.

[Zelinko]

Ahh David Kaye does have a great narration voice. A pity they didn't get him for Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3...

[Blackraptor]

...

"Louise!" The youngest child of the noble house of Valliere turned to the call of her name. Louise was leading Henrietta by the hand through the panicking villagers and soldiers who were trying to regroup and restore order. She was planning on going deeper within Tarbes and away from whatever Yuka decided to fight against. The young Void Mage saw Kirche, along with Guiche and Montmorency, a distance away.

"All of you!" Louise called out in joy for seeing her friends. She picked through the flood of people, cursing the fact that there were still so many of them left, until she finally managed to reach her friends along with her princess.

"Thank the founder that you're safe!" Montmorency exclaimed before enveloping the shorter girl in a hug.

"Where's Tabitha?" Louise asked as she looked around for the young Gallian from within her friend's grasp.

'Look up. All of you.' Tabitha's voice resonated within their individual 'Hey-Listen'. Like good little students, they all instinctively looked up and saw Sylphid circling around in the sky.

'Follow the villagers. The Musketeer Squadron is at the village square. Hurry.' The Gallian instructed and before Sylphid flew off to the direction where Tabitha asked them to go.

"Well don't just stand there looking at each other like a bunch of goblins, let's go!" Kirche's words snapped everyone out of their short moment of inactivity.

"Louise Fran?oise, what are you all talking about?" Princess Henrietta asked her friend in growing panic. From her perspective, Louise and her friends seemed to have been talking to some spirit or invisible entity.

"We don't have time to explain, your Highness. Right now, we need to get the village square, your Musketeer Knights should be there helping the villagers." Louise stated as calmly as she could even though she was getting very worried as well.

'Get to the village square. Go. Go now.' Tabitha repeated her instructions, her seeminly urgent request sounding odd because of her usual monotone voice. Louise's expression tightened at the words of her friend but chose to wait for Henrietta's response.

"Alright, I will trust you Louise Francoise." Princess Henrietta said with a smile as she squeezed Louise's hand, which was still haning onto hers.

"Thank you." Louise responded with her own smile before they started heading to the square.

...

'Fuga. Fuga.' I ignored Ruukoto's advisory that I was chasing Wardes too far. I ignored its request for me to return as the abomination was likely leading me to a trap.

"As if there was any trap a human in this realm could take me down~" I said to myself with a sinister smile as I tailed Wardes in the distance. The abomination tested my mettle by casting a triple-tornado spell right at me after I started my charge at it. I met it head on by virtue of slamming my left fist right into the spell. Not only did the spell not break after I hit it, the ripping winds of the three fused tornadoes actually managed to shred the left sleeve of my trademark white shirt. My smile grew even wider when I started to feel pain. Yes...at last! Something in this realm that could finally HURT ME! Finally! Something I could REALLY sink my teeth into!

"Haha! Hahahahahaha!" The memory of that moment only fueled my gleeful desire to fight the abomination. I couldn't resist the bubbling urge within me any longer so I pointed my parasol at the former Viscount and fired another Master Spark. The abomination displayed the aerial agility that one would expect from something being part griffin now by doing a barrel roll to twist away from my line of fire. The dodge it did allowed it to avoid a direct hit and ended up making it face me. It then unleashed a barrage of wind spells that were nearly invisible to the naked eye. Magic that warps the atmosphere around it to produce razor winds to tear the opponent to shreds.

"Not so fast~!" I yelled out playfully as I swung my spark at the former Viscount like a massive sword made of light.

'Fuga! Fuga!' I ignored Ruukoto's pleas for me to cease my actions. I didn't care that my spark was getting too close to the mass of ships up ahead. I didn't care that there were friendly forces there. All I cared about was that my opponent was there...and it was still moving~

The razor wind spells that Wardes unloaded finally hit me and managed to jar me enought to kick my aim off until my spell finished. Good~

"Yes! This is what I have been missing~" I muttered as I gazed upon my form. The razor winds managed to form slash marks all over my clothing, making it look like I was subjected to a Slash of Eternity. I savored the feeling of being cut apart repeatedly, to actually be truly wounded. The last time I experienced this was back during the Lunarian Invasion when those damn rabbits decided that the Garden of the Sun needed some landscaping done to it. I relished the felling even as my body regenerated. I made sure to make the most of what wounds I recieved before they all closed up like nothing happened, my clothes being the only indication of my healed injuries. I looked back to where Wardes was last and saw that it was nothing more than a speck in the distance. The fool actually ran without me. I pouted at the thought for a moment before once again putting my 'game face~' on.

"Hey there~! Wait for Yuka~! Ahahahahahaha~!" I yelled out as I resumed the chase. The smell of death was growing and was further fueling my own bloodlust.

This was the best day ever~

...

"Your Highness!" Agn?s called out as soon as she saw her liege being escorted by Louise and her friends. Princess Henrietta looked around for the source of the voice and spotted her loyal knight.

"Louise Francoise, over there." Henrietta pointed to where her knight was already marching up toward them.

"It is good that you are alright, your Highness. Please come this way, we need to get you to a safe place first." Agn?s firmly stated immediately after she reached Louise's group. The Muskateer Squadron Captain offered her hand to the Princess but Henrietta shook her head in refusal.

"I will not leave this place until I confirm with my own eyes that my people are safe. This means that we will need to coordinate defenses to facilitate the rest of the evacuation. I need status reports from all our remaining forces and someone needs to get ahold of Count Constantine so we could..." Henrietta immediately started issuing order after order for her knights and the rest of her forces, proving that the heir to the throne of Tristain was not simply some pretty face. Louise was once again staring in awe at her Princess, this being the very first time she had seen the young woman this serious, until Kirche shook her shoulders enough to catch her attention.

"Where's Yuka?" The redheaded Germanian asked her friend. Louise blinked a couple of times before grimacing.

"Yuka told me to get to safety with the Princess. Something threw a very powerful wind spell from a ridiculous distance and Yuka went off to intercept it before it could do more damage." Louise explained, just in time for all of them to hear a familiar crackle in their ears.

'Ships stating to be visible in the distance. Still very far away but seem to be in the middle of combat.' Tabitha stated. Everyone instinctively looked up and saw the tiny silhouette of Sylphid circling above them.

"This is bad...they're getting closer." Guiche grimly pointed out the obvious, his nerves finally catching up to him as he remembered the events in Albion. I reflexively reached out and held Montmorency's hand since the young woman was standing next to him. Montmorency Margarita la Fere de Montmorency flinched at the sudden contact and turned to glare at the young man.

"Guiche, what the foun-" The young woman's words died in her throat when she saw Guiche's expression. It was pained, worried, scared, determined...a side of Guiche de Gramont that Montmorency will admit that she had never seen before.

"Ruukoto? Ruukoto! Can you hear me?" Louise's words snapped Montmorency from her thoughts. She looked at her closest friend as she seemingly tried to contact her gynoid. Montmorency wondered why if she couldn't even understand the thing, all the while not letting go of Guiche's hand.

'Fuga. Fuga. Fuga Fuga.' Louise grimaced when the gynoid replied in the manner she always did. Unfortunately, the absence of Yuka and Siesta meant that she was without any means to be able to understand Ruukoto in the regular sense.

'In a way I can understand please...you have something that can make us understand you, right? Explain it in Halkeginian and make sure that everyone else can hear it too.' Louise said with thinly veiled frustration. There was silence on the other end of their communication before Ruukoto repeated its earlier statement in the same motherly voice it used when it first made its lifetime contract with the strawberry-blonde haired girl.

'Yuka is currently engaging the source of the previously detected Magical Anomaly. The target is an undead with an unusual amount of magical power. This Ruukoto unit was providing long range support for Yuka but he suddenly ordered my to cease as he wanted to neutralize the threat by himself. The ships that are currently engaged in combat with each other are within this Ruukoto unit's effective firing range however this Ruukoto unit has no means to identify friend from foe. Yuka suggested to use the emblems on the sails but the fog of war and the general chaos of the battle prevents me from effectively utilizing them for positive identification. This Ruukoto unit is currently unable to engage at this time because of this, awaiting further orders.' Ruukoto gave an overview of what was currently happening beyond their own perceptions.

Louise furrowed her brows and made a low growl in her throat. Unfortunately, despite the vast and practically legendary military prowess that both her parents were known for, Louise didn't understand half of what her gynoid explained to her. It all sounded precise and 'by the book' but it simply didn't click with her.

'Umm...did anyone understand anything that Ruukoto explained just now?' Louise asked through her 'Hey-Listen' to make sure that Tabitha heard her as well. She glanced at her friends and they all looked about as confused as she was.

'Yuka is fighting the unknown enemy alone. Albion and Tristain fleets are still fighting each other. Ruukoto is unable to attack from afar, unable to determine friend from foe. Ruukoto is awaiting further instructions because it cannot do anything else right now.' Thankfully, Tabitha provided the much needed abriged version of Ruukoto's report. Louise went through the information in her head a few times before conferencing with everyone again.

'I can order Ruukoto to help Yuka and the Tristain fleet but I want your opinions first.' Louise stated.

'I don't think that you should do that.' Kirche stated after a few moments.

'Agreed.' Tabitha also voiced her opinion.

'Why not? With both of them out there, they should be able to wrap up the battle pretty quickly.' Montmorency asked as she pointed out the fact that both Yuka and Ruukoto have abilities that surpass any human, noble or otherwise.

'Yes. Ruukoto and Mister Yuka can end the conflict right now if we let them both out there.' Guiche added, supporting Montmorency's statement. It was two-against-two when it came to the decision. Louise made a thoughtful hum before remembering that she had someone else that she can ask.

"Derflinger." Louise called out as she turned to the sword strapped on her back.

"What do you need, Litte Miss?" The Devourer of Magi asked its current owner after partially coming out of its scabbard.

"Yuka is going nuts against whatever threw that wind bomb. Ruukoto is up in the sky but can't really support Yuka because she can't differentiate enemy from ally due to the lack of anything distinct between them. I'm currently debating whether or not to send her in to fight alongside Yuka. Kirche and Tabitha say that she should stay put but Guiche and Monmon say that she should go help Yuka. What do you think?" Louise explained the situation to Derflinger and pointed out her current dilemma regarding what she should do about Ruukoto.

"Hmmm...if you can't decide because of how complicated the situation seems to be, then think about something simpler that will allow you to get an answer to that question anyway." The six-thousand year old magical sword finally said after a few moments.

"Elaborate..." Louise said, getting more and more annoyed at the fact that everyone seems to be saying many meaningful things that seem to sail right over her head. Things that would likely be understood by Yuka or Tabitha or the Princess but she simply couldn't comprehend at face value.

"Tell me...why are we all even here? What is our objective for coming to Tarbes?" Derflinger posed the question.

"To protect Tarbes of course!" Louise nearly yelled out in growing frustration since no one seems to think that she deserves a straight answer.

"Exactly. Because of that objective, you have to ask yourself: 'Will this action help protect Tarbes?' Use that question as the starting point for your actions. Now, ask yourself that question. Will sending Ruukoto away from Tarbes help in protecting it?" The sword explained before posing the question to Louise. It was then that Louise understood it all and began to rethink the consequences of sending her gynoid out or not.

Sending Ruukoto into the battle between the two fleets to support Yuka will add much needed offensive power to their forces. However, it will leave Tarbes without the protection of its Steel Goddess.

Keeping Ruukoto where she was will leave Yuka and the Tristain fleet to fend for themselves. However, it will allow Ruukoto to intercept anything that tries to attack Tarbes directly.

Both had vaild pros and cons so Louise couldn't really decide within a moment.

'Keep Ruukoto here. Yuka can take care of himself.' Tabitha voiced her opinion once again and partially elaborated on it.

'Tabitha's right. Darling isn't squishy like us, quite the opposite in fact. Unfortunately, no one here shares his firm and rugged durability aside from Ruukoto herself.' Kirche agreed with her best friend and elaborated her own point.

'Well, if you all put it that way, it's hard to disagree. I retract my initial opinion.' Montmorency piped up.

'I agree with them as well. Miss Ruukoto can act as a failsafe in case anything gets past Mister Yuka and our fleet.' Guiche finally agreed with the rest of them as well. It was unnecessary though since Louise had already decided on what to do based on the question Derflinger posed to her.

"Thanks Derf...you're a pretty smart sword, you know that?" Louise said with a smirk. Derflinger rattled in its scabbard a bit before laughing.

"I'm the smartest sword around, Little Miss~" The Devourer of Magi replied. Louise nodded at the sword before tapping on her 'Hey-Listen'.

'Ruukoto, here are my orders. Stay there and maintain your guard. Our main objective here is to protect Tarbes, not defeat the Albion Armada. However, if anything that is hostile to this village attacks, defeat them immediately. It doesn't matter if you end up revealing yourself, we'll protect Tarbes no matter what!' Louise ordered her gynoid with newfound determination and purpose that cleared the doubt that was slowly building within her after Yuka left to fight the unknown enemy.

'Understood. Maintaining overwatch position. Weapons free to neutralize all hostile entities that target the village of Tarbes directly or indirectly.' Ruukoto responded to the approval of its mistress.

"Louise Francoise, why are you all still here?" Louise turned to the worried looking Princess Henrietta. Louise wasn't able to respond immediately because she was momentarily mesmerized by the fire within the eyes of a person she had looked up to for years.

"It is no longer safe here, my friend. Please evacuate with the villagers immediately. Agn?s has already confirmed that your maid, Siesta, has already been evacuated with her family. There is no more need for you to be here." Princess Henrietta adamantly stated. Behind her, Agn?s along with two more members of the Musketeer Squadron stood at the ready...likely to escort Louise and her friends to a safer location.

Louise's heart swelled at the concern that the crown princess of her country was showing her. However, Louise quickly remembered the many a thing that compelled her to stay despite the fact that Siesta and her family were already safe from immidiate harm. Also, it seemed that the princess had already forgotten that her familiar had spontaneously sprouted wings and flew off to fight whatever attacked them earlier. It was then that Louise had a sudden epiphany. She didn't want to leave even though her beloved Princess Henrietta has insisted her to do so, even going as far as getting her personal knights to escort her and her friends away from the village. For the first time since she has known the crown princess of the kingdom of Tristain, Louise wanted to disobey her...it felt odd.

"Louise Francoise, please hurry. The Musketeer Squadron will ensure safe passage for you and your companions." Henrietta's concerned voice snapped Louise from her thoughts. Louise stared at the princess, considered her words, asked the question that Derflinger posed to her earlier, and made her decision.

"No..." Louise said in a voice that sounded too quiet even for her.

"Louise Francoise?" Thankfully, the princess seemed to have heard her just fine.

"I will stay here to protect this village. I...want to protect this place...I think that you will find that my friends share my opinion." Louise said. Despite the uncertain tone she used, the princess recoiled all the same as if struck by what her old friend had just said.

"But...Louise Francoise...its too dangerous here. I've put you in too many dangerous situations before, I don't want to add to that anymore." Henrietta tried to reason to her friend, her voice filled with worry and pain. It rended Louise's heart to think that she had caused such a reaction to someone she looks up to so much...but she had made her choice.

"I'm sorry, your Highness...but I won't abandon this village." Louise responded, slowly regaining the fire in her eyes. Henrietta looked at her old friend as if she had just grown a second head made out of solid gold, completely unable to respond to the rejection.

"And I'm sure that my friends will give you the same answer too..." Louise added with an uncertain smile before turning to where Kirche, Montmorency, and Guiche were. Each and every one of them gave her their nods of approval as they all shared their friend's determination to protect the village. Louise could not see Tabitha, and doubted if the Gallian had heard what she had just said to Princess Henrietta, but she knew that her quiet friend would agree with her.

"But...why...?" Was all Princess Henrietta de Tristain was able to say.

"Because this is Siesta's home...even though she is a commoner, she is my friend so I want to protect it. Please don't say that I am not capable of this, your Highness." Louise responded and added before her old friend could say anything else. The youngest daughter of 'The Heavy Wind' took a deep breath before doing something she never thought she would ever do, talk back to her beloved princess and point the faults in her reasoning. Yes...this felt more like something that Yuka would do.

"I have accomplished every mission you have requested of me, your highness. Every task. Every request. Despite the council of my tutor and my familiar to do otherwise, I did them anyway. I have gone through things that I have never thought I would ever have to go through in my life. I have lost things because of it. I have endured things because of it. I have grown stronger because of it. I've had a lot of help, I know...but I still set out with the desire to succeed make you proud." Louise took another breath before shaking her head slowly. Princess Henrietta could do nothing but listen to her friend as she said 'No' to her and pointed out every vaild reason as to why.

"It is strange. The first time I wanted to accomplish something like this through my own volition...is also the first time that I have to defy you. Please your Highness...let me and my friends do this." Louise concluded and Henrietta knew...she stood no chance against her friend when she becomes like this.

...

"Death~!" I roared out as I swatted away another tornado spell that the abomination threw out using my parasol. I had found myself lured to where the battle between the Albion Armada and the Tristain Royal Fleet was still going on. I only briefly took notice of that fact since I was still chasing down my prey~

"Death! Death! Death!" I repeated the word three more times as I flew after the former Viscount through the throngs of ships that made up this airborne melee between two countries. Men fell from the ships as both sides tried to board and neutralize the ships from the opposing side. Griffin Knights engaged Red Dragon Knights in aerial or simply ganged up on an enemy unlucky enough to be caught on their own.

"Death! Death! Death! Death! Death! Death!" I continued to repeath the word like a mantra. The scent of lives being ended. The sweet smell of fresh blood being spilled. The satisfying sound of men screaming to whatever heavenly being they prostated themselves to as they burned to death.

It was absolutely intoxicating~!

"Death! Death! Death!" I repeated the word three more times as I saw Wardes try to use the bulk of a passing ship as a barrier between us. I smiled dementedly at the utterly impotent way the abomination tried to protect itself. I did not slow down as I approached the ship and simply crashed into it, using the tip of my parasol like a spear. I broke through the hull of the unsuspecting ship, my smile growing a bit larger when I heard the panicked screams of the crew after 'something' just busted through the hull of their ship before exiting in the same manner.

"Die the Death!" I stated as I reacquired my target. Wardes was waiting for me on the other side with three Red Dragon Knights in front of him. The three knights charged at me, their mounts breathing fireballs at me as they came closer. I swatted their pedestrian attempt at an attack before charging at them as well. The middle one tried to get his mount to bite my head off. I stopped the offensive gesture by slamming the tip of my parasol under the beast's lower jaw and pushing upwards. The action effectively slammed the lizard's jaw shut, breaking several of its teeth and most of its skull in the process.

"The Sentence is Death!" I said as I casually flicked the dragon away with my parasol, its rider screaming in terror as he and his mount fell to their doom.

"The Great Equalizer is~!" I continued as I backhanded the dragon to my left with my left hand when it tried the trick the first one did. The force applied was more than I had initiallty intended so the creature's head popped clean off. The now dead dragon pulled its rider to his death as I turned to the only interruption left. I spun around the maw of the remaining Red Dragon, the action moving me to the beast's side where its rider tried to strike me down with his sword. I blocked the offending piece of metal with my parasol before putting my face directly in front of the rider's.

"THE DEATH!" I yelled as I grabbed the man's head, pulled him clean off his mount, and proceeded to pummel the Red Dragon using its rider. The beast roared in pain as I bludgeoned it with its former master. I swung the now dead rider at the dragon's face, causing it to finally fall to its death.

"You forgot something~!" I playfully said as I wound up my left hand and threw the dead man at the falling dragon. I chortled when I saw them bounce off each other after the impact. I turned back to the former Viscount and saw that the abomination did not move from its postion. I blinked and glanced around and saw that I was surrounded by no more than twenty more Red Dragon Knights. I laughed some more when I thought that they seriously expected that this was enough to put me down.

"OkAy~! NoW~! FoR My NeXt TriCK~!" My voice distorted as I said those words. I saw the humans give out looks of horror when they saw how my other half emerged from my back. She cracked her neck before hefting her own parasol on her right shoulder and smiling.

"Fighty Tiiiii~iime~!" She declared and we unleashed hell upon the silly Red Dragon Knights.

...

[Blackraptor]

?
 
?We seem to have encountered a new complication.? Griffin Knight Lyner Alec la Pyrean, Red to his squadmates, reported to the rest of the team via a modified wind spell that Viscount Wardes and Trombe learned from ?The Heavy Wind?. The young man was currently having the longest day of his life as he watched two mysterious and rather terrifying winged people, a man and a woman, tear through the Red Dragon Knights that stood between them and his squadron?s main objective...literally tear through them. The sixty-sixth continued to carry their stigma even through the massive battle that was taking place between the Tristain and Albion fleets as they were ordered by command to keep the creature that was once their Captain in check while the rest of their forces deal with the Albion Armada. It was six-on-one but was still very risky when you consider what they were fighting. Their squadron leader demanded to know why they wouldn?t be allowed to request or even seek out any reinforcements against the abomination if the need arose. All he got was a sneer and the statement that the sixty-sixth should clean up their own mess. Even in a situation where their priority should have been to destroy the greatest threat in the battlefield, the brass still managed to show how much contempt they had for the formerly prized unit.
 
?Elaborate please.?  Scarface, current Captain and Squadron Leader of the sixty-sixth inquired using the same wind spell. Red was about to respond when someone else beat him to it.
 
?By the founder?s metaphysical beard! What the hell are those things?!? The panicked voice of one Charles Casval la Fontaine or 'Char' was heard as he pulled up next to Red.
 
"Answer the question, boys." Scarface reminded.
 
"Two unknowns are currently ripping the Albion Dragon Knight Corps a new one, sir." Char answered the inquiry.
 
"Unknowns? Not ours? What are their emblems and mounts?" Second-in-Command, James Terrance la Raynore or 'Trombe' asked for more details.
 
"They don't seem to have any mounts, sir. They have wings on their backs and they are wearing civilian clothing." Stephan Alexander de Morris or 'Stephan' answered the question as he descended to match the altitude of his squadronmates. They were currently split up into two teams due to the dwindling number of Tristain forces in the battlefield. Char, Red, and Stephan were charged with keeping the Dragon Knights busy and keep them off friendly ships as well as the rest of their squadron. Meanwhile, Scarface, Trombe, and Lawrence Masters de Foulke or 'Larry' would keep the abomination that was once their Captain in check.
 
Unfortunately, few plans survive first encounter with the enemy. The First Encounter Assault Run by the sixty-sixth managed to get Wardes away from the rest of the Albion Forces. The bad news came when the trio that was supposed to have been responsible with harassing the abomination got bogged down by Red Dragon Knights. Char's team tried to sort them out but they were kept at bay by ship cannons and the onboard mages that Albion brought along with them. It pretty much degraded into a battle of attrition for the Albion Armada and a battle for survival for the Tristain Fleet. For whatever stroke of luck, debatable if it was good or bad, Char, Red, and Stephan all ended up finding Wardes while their seniors were trying to keep their ship losses from increasing due to the Red Dragon Knights.
 
"Also, they seem to be fighting off everything using umbrellas...I kid you not." Red added with a shake of his head.
 
"Are they attacking any of ours?" Scarface asked his subbordinates.
 
"No, only the Albion units. In fact, they look like they're gunning for Captain Wardes too." Stephan pointed out.
 
"What do we do boss? Do we jump in and help those two or do we attack Captain Wardes and leave the knights to them?" Char anxiously waited for his Captain to respond. In all honesty, he wanted to stay the nine hells away from those two monsters. He'd rather just have those monsters kill each other instead.
 
"Rendezvous with us at the Raddish. We're using the ship as a buffer between the Albion forces and the flagship. It's holding up pretty well so far but we're not sure for how much longer. If it goes down, then we'll be one of the squadrons left that can defend our flagship." Scarface gave the order, much to Char's relief.
 
"But what about Captain Wardes and the unknowns?" Red inquired.
 
"Leave the monsters alone for now. If we ever come to a situation where he have to fight all three, then we'd all be dead by then." Their Captain responded with a hard tone. The three knights looked at each other before glancing back at the monsters that were still being assaulted by more and more Red Dragon Knights. Char shook the question of where the opposing knights kept coming from and turned to his team.
 
"You heard boss, let's move out!" Char ordered and all three knights flew off to reinforce their remaining ships.
 
...
 
"Guh!" I grunted as I got hit with a concentrated blast of fire from four Red Dragons.  I was finally able to get control of myself from my bloodlust earlier thanks to all the knights I have already killed and the fact that I made my other half appear. When I realized just where I was and what I was doing -I was in the middle of ripping the head off a Red Dragon Knight- I clicked my tongue and sighed at my actions. Really, I was disappointed at my lack of control when faced with a prey I really, really, really wanted to kill.
 
I scanned around the area some more to take stock of the current situation as I tossed the decapitated head of the Dragon Knight at my other half. She gleefully caught it before proceeding to play dodge ball with the rest of her targets. I noted that a few ships have already started to crash to the ground with the men onboard screaming their death throes as the battle continued. I wasn't sure who was winning because of all the fire, smoke, and screaming but I was sure of one thing: The Scent of Death was palpable. I then narrowed my eyes when I noticed something. I gave out a low growl in my throat when I realized it and tapped my 'Hey-Listen' with my left index finger as I smacked away another attempt by the Red Dragons at a combined fire blast with my closed parasol.
 
'Ruukoto. Viscount Wardes is the undead anomaly we were detecting earlier. I'm currently engaged alongside my double with what I believe is the bulk of the Albion Red Dragon Knight forces. Can you confirm the situation?' I asked the gynoid who should still be on overwatch over Tarbes. I sighed and swept my closed parasol at the Red Dragons that were still hawking me, scattering several sunflower petals in the air. I decided to try out that trick I learned from Guiche de Gramont during our little duel a few months ago.
 
It was a simple experiment to prove the concept that the casting method he used was compatible with my own magic. Lace the petals with my spell and see if it will trigger. The concept proved sound as the individual petals glowed bright before being converted into marble-sized teardrop bullets that launched at the annoyances with extreme prejudice.
 
'Fuga. Fuga Fuga?' Ruukoto responded to me as I watched the lifeless beasts and their riders plummet to the ground. So Wardes slipped away as I was in the throes of my bloodlu--
 
"Hooo~waaaahhh~!" The somewhat muffled but delighted scream of my other half interrupted my thoughts. I looked in her direction and saw her holding a pair of Red Dragon corpses by their tails in each hand and using them as flails. Her parasol was firmly clutched in her teeth by the handle which was why her voice was muffled.
 
"Hm..." Was the only thing I did to acknowledge the sight before turning my attention back to the matter of a sneaky undead Viscount. Wardes used the chaos of the initial bloodbath my other half and I caused to sneak away and make another attack run at Tarbes. Ruukoto was asking me if it should directly engage the offending abomination since it was unable to effectively hit it at long range. I considered the question before realizing that I needed to confirm something first.
 
'How are Louise and her friends? Have you advised them of the situation?' I asked Ruukoto.
 
'Fuga Fuga. Fuga.' So my master and her friends were working with what was left with Princess Henrietta's little army to evacuate the remaining residents of the village. Ruukoto didn't bother to tell them about the situation because none of them would have been able to understand the gynoid anyway. I closed my eyes and opened up another channel.
 
'Louise...can you hear me?' I tried to raise my master as I started to evade cannon fire from one of the burning ships...an Albion one it seemed.
 
...
 
'Louise...can you hear me?' The young Void mage visibly flinched when she suddenly heard her familiar's voice. The old woman, whom she was helping onto a wagon which will take her and her family away from the village, noticed this and placed a hand on her arm.
 
"Are you alright milady?" The old woman asked Louise. She was currently isolated from the rest of her friends but she was still being accompanied by a three members of Agnes' Musketeer Squadron.
 
"I-I'm fine. Please hurry so they can take you and your family to a safer location." Louise responded with a smile. The young woman sighed as she watched the family be carted off and saw the looks that they were all giving as they were taken away from their home.
 
"Are you alright Dame Valliere?" A firm female voice called out from behind Louise. She turned around and saw that it was one of the knights that accompanied her. Helgarose was her name, Helgarose Chevalier de La Falkenmayer. She was a rather serious looking woman with short dark blue hair and eyes. She was as tall as Princess Henrietta was and the way she carried herself in her armor showed her professionalism, just like their Captain Agnes.
 
"I am fine Dame Falkenmayer." Louise nodded to the knight after her response. It was still odd for Louise to be called by a proper title like 'Dame'. It was true that she was knighted as a Chevalier by Princess Henrietta, but she didn't really care for those kinds of titles. She cared for her knightly title about as much as Tabitha or Matilda did for theirs.
 
"Helga~! Are you two already done there~?" The rather friendly voice of Ilfriede Chevalier de La Feulner caught both of their attentions. Ilfriede was walking toward them along side the remaining knight that was assigned to accompany Louise, Lunateresia Chevalier de La Wizleben.
 
Ilfriede was blonde and had green eyes but was a bit shorter than Helgarose. Her hair reached her shoulders but was mostly tied up into a short ponytail. Considering her appearance and attitude, it was like Louise was looking at the opposite of Agnes.
 
Lunateresia had evergreen colored wavy hair and matching eyes and was the shortest of the three knights, but not by much. With the limited interaction she has had with the third knight, Louise concluded that she qualified as the 'Team Mom' as Cirno put it one time.
 
"Ilfriede! What did I tell you about speaking with respect?" Helgarose scolded her fellow knight, who deftly used Lunateresia as a shield. Considering the smoothness of the movement that the blonde haired knight did, Louise inferred that this sort of thing has happened before.
 
'Louise? Are you there?' Yuka's voice pulled Louise out of her thoughts and she quickly tapped her ear piece to respond while the knights were...distracted.
 
'This is Snake.' Louise grimaced after she unconsciously used that strange code name again. She didn't really intend to do so but it somehow simply felt...right...to do that.
 
'......did you hit your head at some point? Ruukoto never reported that you were hurt though.' Louise growled and effectively facepalmed at her familiar's words.
 
'I'm fine, Yuka. We're helping with the evacuations and are currently split up. The Princess assigned members of the Musketeer Squadron to protect us just in case. There are three with me right now but they're currently...preoccupied.' Louise explained her current situation as she watched Lunateresia calmly tried to facilitate peace between her two fellow knights.
 
'Very well. Just so you know, the source of the anomaly turns out to be the undead reconstructed corpse of your former fianc? and his mount. They were literally attached together by the hip and were likely revived by the Ring of Advari and were magically augmented to be able to use spells far more powerful than what Wardes was originally supposed to be capable of. By the way, he's headed there right now and Ruukoto is asking if it can intercept it directly since sniping it isn't really working.' Yuka's sudden, unexpected, and downright absurd information dump caught Louise so off guard that there was only one way she could respond coherently.
 
'What?' Was her response.
 
'The revived undead abomination that was once your fianc? is headed to Tarbes. I'm a bit busy with all the ships and Red Dragon Knights shooting at me so I can't get there in time to prevent Wardes from reaching the village. Ruukoto is asking if it can intercept it even though it will reveal its existence to just about everyone there.' Yuka deadpanned and Louise could swear that she heard screaming from the other end of their communique.
 
'Umm...sure...Ruukoto!' Louise called out to her gynoid.
 
'Fuga.' Who responded immediately. Louise grimaced at the fact that she still couldn't understand a word the robot-maid says.
 
'Yuka...' Louise deadpanned as she prompted her familiar to translate.
 
'She's simply acknowledging your call.' Yuka responded. Louise was about to speak when she noticed that the knights with her were already done with their little argument.
 
'Hang on...' Louise whispered before tapping her 'Hey-Listen' and turning toward the three members of the Musketeer Squadron.
 
"Dame Valliere," Helgarose called out to Louise. The apparently most serious of the three knights called out to the young Void mage.
 
"Ilfriede and Lunateresia are finished with their assignments so we are all done in this area. What would you have us do now Dame Valliere?" Louise blinked a few times at the question. She stared at Helgarose for a few moments before glancing at the other two knights. Louise couldn't really believe it but...were they waiting on her orders?
 
"Umm...can you please clarify what you meant by that Dame Falkenmayer?" The young Void mage let the question roll out as calmly as she possibly could. Yuka has pointed out repeatedly that she tended to suddenly lose composure when put on a spot by other people and it was starting to show. Louise gulped unconsciously when she noticed Helgarose's eyebrow twitch. For some insane reason, Louise was starting to compare Helgarose with her elder sister Eleanor.
 
"Jeez~! Stop scaring the poor girl Helga~" Louise let out the breath she didn't know she was holding when Ilfriede spoke out. Helgarose glared at the blonde knight but she ignored it and walked up to Louise before taking her hands into her own.
 
"Don't worry about Helga. She's strict but she just wanted you to know that we're here to support you." The oddly cheery knight said to Louise with a smile that reminded her of her other elder sister Cattleya. Louise glanced back at Helgarose when the woman let out an audible sigh.
 
"Ilfriede is right. We saw what you did for the sake of the commoners of Tarbes, how you even stood up to Princess Henrietta just to be able to help with the evacuations. Now we understand why the Princess always speaks so highly of you." Louise could only shake her head weakly at the words that the green haired knight told her. Her hair and her mannerisms reminded her of her tutor Matilda and how much Louise missed and worried for the woman.
 
"It is rare for nobility to speak their minds like that, especially against the Princess and even more so if it is for the benefit of commoners. Although, I suppose that it is possible for a Valliere." Helgarose nonchalantly pointed out as she gave the young woman a sideward glance.
 
"You have our support, so please use us as you see fit Dame Valliere." Lunateresia added as if to assure Louise with her words.
 
"...Louise." The strawberry-blonde stated as she looked at each of them in the eye, a familiar kind of fire started burning in her eyes.
 
"Call me Louise, all my friends do." The young Void mage continued with a smile but she still had that fire in her eyes. She had already steeled herself to help protect the village of Tarbes ever since she said those words to Princess Henrietta. Although, actually being acknowledged for that gave her a strange feeling of accomplishment. A feeling she rarely had experienced in her life until recently, a rather novel feeling indeed!
 
That was when she heard Ilfiede go 'Kyaaaaa~' and gave her a big hug. Yep. Definitely like Chii-nee-sama...
 
"You're so adorable~! I wish I had a little sister like you~" The blonde knight exclaimed. Louise was struggling against the loving embrace of the older woman when she noticed the tell tale crackling of her ear piece before she heard Yuka's voice.
 
'Louise, are you still there? Ruukoto is asking to confirm its orders.' Yuka reminded her that she was still supposed to tell her gynoid her decision on what to do about the 'Magical Anomaly'. Louise managed to struggle enough out of Ilfriede's grip to get her arm free to be able to activate her 'Hey-Listen'. She didn't really know how she's going to talk her way out of this one but she had a very strange feeling that the three knights she was with could be trusted. With that in mind, she spoke.
 
'Ruukoto! Intercept and use whatever you have to stop Viscount Wardes! Protect your village of Tarbes, Steel Goddess!' Louise yelled out, surprising the three knights that were with her. Thankfully, that meant that she was finally able to free herself from the blonde knight's grasp.
 
"Ummm...is everything alright, Louise? Are you feeling sick?" Louise ignored Lunateresia's worried voice and focused of her gynoid's response. After a long moment the same strange but soothing sound of one of Ruukoto's abilities came into her ear.
 
'Understood. Commencing armed intervention.' Ruukoto calmly stated after activating her 'White Noise' ability.
 
"I'm preparing our defense." Louise absentmindedly answered Lunateresia's question.
 
"Defense? For what?" Helgarose asked sternly. That was when they all heard a high pitched noise coming from the sky. They all turned in the direction where it came from and was rewarded with a sound of an explosion from on high.
 
"...that." Louise answered simply as the three members of the Musketeer Squadron still had varied looks of shock.
 
...
 
Battle
 
That one word encompassed the reason for her existence.
 
Two times she was struck down by monsters that threatened to destroy all life on that world.
 
Three times she was rebuilt to continue the fight.
 
The first time was because her first body was too damaged to be repaired after she arrived in that world.
 
The second time was because her second body gave out from the constant fighting.
 
The third time was because her third body was destroyed after trying to accomplish something beyond her capabilities.
 
Only after she received her fourth and current body did Professor Uzuki impose her 'Prime Directives'. Those directives were the reason why she was nearly part of the annihilation of that world along with Professor Uzuki. Only by the overriding order of that woman was she able to escape her doom alongside everyone else.
 
'Live on after our end. This is your life now, so decide for yourself. You need to choose what you wish to protect with your own hands, what to discard, and what to take with you.'
 
Those were the last words that Professor Uzuki said to her before she was shut in her capsule. She still has that video of the professor's final order and farewell archived and backed up in multiple storage mediums. She would not forget. She would never forget. That woman...and that world.
 
She was sent off into a rift in space and time after all the people there left and ended up in the place where she would eventually call home for the next few decades. Unfortunately, something went wrong and the machine ended up taking a few more things along with her...like the hangar she was in at the time.
 
She was awakened by a man who would eventually become Siesta's grandfather and by 'that person'. She acted upon the final order of the woman that gave her a reason to continue her existence and offered her services to the man.
 
She was originally rather perplexed as to why both of them could understand her without the use of Professor Uzuki's complicated translation software that was installed on her 'White Noise' and 'Level Six Shift' systems. However, when the man and 'that person' explained, she stoically accepted their word and continued on to become the local legendary goddess.
 
And now...
 
'Understood. Commencing armed intervention.' Ruukoto acknowledged Louise's order and recalled her R-Cannon in favor of weapons more suited for short to medium range combat.
 
R-Blade
 
G-Revolver
 
Her left arm turned into the familiar blue double-edged blade that has ended threats large and small for those under her protection.
 
The empty space in her right hand flashed white before dissipating. In its place was a large white revolver that had six chambers. Each bullet was engineered and designed to be able to punch through steel like it was wet cardboard.
 
The gynoid flexed her wings and determined the most effective interception vector before launching herself at the threat.
 
Battle
 
That was once her reason for existing. However, one woman gave her an order that let her choose her own life. Now, there was one thing in her mind.
 
Once again, the Steel Goddess of Tarbes flew to protect those who needed her.
 
'Alert for Tabitha. Please remain out of combat airspace while this Ruukoto version four unit is engaged with the enemy.' Ruukoto noted to the young Chevalier who was still riding her Dragon above Tarbes.
 
'Done. Good luck.' The wind mage responded. Satisfied with the conditions, Ruukoto flew faster until it finally made contact that was punctuated with the sound of a concussive blast.
 
To say that Wardes really didn't expect this was an understatement...
 
...
 
"Really?" I asked in deadpan as yet another one of those silly Red Dragon Knights tried to have his mount bite my head off. I mean...after all the death my other half and I caused, you'd think that they would take a hint.
 
Apparently, logic was not their strong point as I backhanded another Red Dragon for what was the seventh time now. My other half was still having her fun when I noticed that some of the attacks that were being directed at me by the Albion ships were being redirected elsewhere. I gave a thoughtful hum before making my way in the direction where the cannon fire was being concentrated at. I raised a brow when I noticed a familiar magical aura coming from one of the larger ships. I raised the other brow when I finally saw who it was.
 
There, in the middle of the deck, surrounded by six griffin knights that had clothing similar to Wardes', was the exiled prince of Albion: Wales Tudor.
 
"Boss! We have a big problem!" One of the griffin knights suddenly yelled out while pointing at me with his sword. He looked young, around Jessica's age I assumed. The rest of them, as well as Wales, turned as one to where the young knight was at me.
 
"Sir Kazami! You...you were what the Sixty-Sixth reported?" The exiled Albion prince exclaimed in both surprise and horror. Surprise was understandable but I was wondering about the horror part. I blinked a few times and realized the cause of the prince's distress. I looked down at my current state of self and concluded that, yes, having splattered human and dragon blood on you could be considered intimidating to some. I gave out a tired sigh at the mess that I made of myself. Very messy. Although it was a small price to pay because of all the fun I had prior, and all the fun my other half was having still.
 
"The 'Sixty-Sixth' you speak off, I assume, are those knights who are with you right now, yes?" I asked casually while noticing that the red griffin of one of the knights was starting to get rather shaken. A familiar of its rider I supposed.
 
"Easy there Quattro..." The rider of the steadily panicking griffin tried to calm the beast down after sensing its distress. The rest of them looked fine so they must not be familiars and were just regular mounts.
 
"Yes, they reported of two unknowns who were constantly being attacked by the Albion Red Dragon Knight Corps. I never imagined that one of them would be you, Sir Kazami. What are you doing here?" Prince Wales explained warily before he asked his question, the six knights eyed me carefully as well. They were well disciplined. If they already knew what I was capable of, then they should already know that I was more than capable of ending their lives.
 
I opened my mouth to respond when I heard the whistling sound of a cannon ball streaking across the sky. I tightened the grip on my parasol before turning around and winding up like one of those players from that game...baseball was it? In any case, I saw the cannon ball head right for me and smiled before using my parasol to send it careening into one of the Albion ships. Probably not the one that fired it but, oh well. I turned back to the prince and his bodyguards and saw that they all had very shocked expressions.
 
I've been getting a lot of those lately...I just hoped that Louise hasn't been doing anything to draw too much attention to herself.
 
"I keep telling you that you can simply call me Yuka instead of something like 'Sir Kazami' or something equally as silly." I reminded the prince with a lazy wave of my hand. Honestly, I have no interest in meaningless titles such as that. Silly humans...
 
"To answer your question though," I continued while lowering myself to the ship's deck. I tried to flick away some of the blood that was on my hands and on my parasol but it seemed that the liquid once again continues to show how annoying it can be when you want to get rid of it.
 
"A certain member of my master's group detected a certain magical anomaly that was particularly large moving in the direction of the village of Tarbes. My master being the person that she is, insisted for us to do something about it...and here we ar--" My explanation was interrupted once again when a random soldier on the ship suddenly shouted...
 
"The Raddish is going down!" Said random soldier exclaimed.
 
"Shit! Time's up!" One of the knights that were accompanying Prince Wales barked out. The other five of them reacted immediately and took to the air on their mounts.
 
"Your Highness! We need to go! Now!" The same night exclaimed to Wales with an obvious tone of urgency.
 
"Sir Kazami...Yuka...I came here to try to convince my countrymen to stop this foolishness and cease all hostilities." The prince said grimly, ignoring the scar faced knight. I shook my head and gave him a sardonic smile before folding my arms and leaning back.
 
"Not as planned?" I asked the rhetorical question.
 
"Quite." The exiled prince responded while wincing.
 
"Prince Wales! We need to leave! Now!" The scar faced knight yelled out with more force than before, even going so far as to grab the prince's arm and try to pull him onto his griffin. As if to give him more incentive, the whole ship rocked after it was apparently hit with cannon fire from one of the many Albion warships that were still in the fight.
 
"Go. I'll do something about the Albion Armada." I stated before taking to the sky myself.
 
"Will you continue to kill my countrymen?" Prince Wales Tudor asked me seriously as he sat behind the scar faced knight on the griffin. I barked out a laugh as I noticed the tell tale sign of my other half continuing her rampage.
 
"My...our...objective in coming here was to protect Tarbes from whatever was approaching it. So long as the Albion Armada intends to mow down that village in their path to conquest of the country of Tristain...I will continue to keep killing them until none are left." I clearly stated before giving the prince and the knight the sadistic smile that I became legendary for.
 
"Look around~! Have a listen~! Take in the fragrance~! Man and beast killing each other ruthlessly for the sake of victory~! I kill to protect a helpless village from being wiped off the map~! Now tell me Prince Wales Tudor~" I pointed out gleefully while spreading my arms wide to gesture the massive fleet battle that was still going on.
 
"Who is the sane one in this situation~?" I asked him with a playful shrug. The young man didn't look like he had an answer to that.
 
...
 
"Hng!" Ruukoto grunted as she spun away from another tornado spell that was launched by the undead Viscount. She blinked as the tornado suddenly changed direction and once again tried to hit the gynoid.
 
"Homing properties of spells confirmed. Assume that all spells from target have the same potential." Ruukoto muttered to herself as she flipped in mid-air to avoid the oncoming tornado. Several feathers separated from her wings as she expertly grazed the spell. The gynoid twisted her body to be able to get a bead on her opponent using the G-Revolver. She fired a round as soon as she locked onto her target but the Viscount was already moving at that point and was barely able to avoid the high caliber round from hitting its shoulder.
 
Moving. Always moving. Never letting the opponent effectively track it.
 
Ruukoto begrudgingly admitted to herself that her foe knew how to fight aerial battles well. If she had all her equipment and abilities available, then this wouldn't even be a fight. Unforunately, that was not the case.
 
"Continuing to engage." The gynoid said to no one in particular as she flew in closer. She performed a barrel roll while firing from her G-Revolver to make herself a harder target and to force her for into defense. That tactic proved effective as the abomination was forced to rely on weaker spells to counter her attacks. Ruukoto was easily able to identify, lock on, and cut away the razor wind spells that were launched at her using her R-Blade.
 
The abomination finally realized that it was in danger and quickly started to perform evasive maneuvers. Ruukoto was on its tail in pursuit even as the Undead Viscount Wardes jinked left and right to try to shake her off.
 
The robot maid continued pursuit even while she was mechanically reloading her weapon. Locked and loaded, she raised the revolver before firing shots intended to corner her target and limit its maneuvering options.
 
"Hm!" Ruukoto suddenly lowered her revolver in favor of her arm blade when the Viscount suddenly tucked and rolled its lower half, forcing the griffin part of his body to face her. Normally, at the kind of speeds that they were going, such a move would have quickly killed the griffin and its rider.
 
'One of the advantages of being undead' Ruukoto mentally noted the maneuver for future reference even as the undead griffin opened its beak and let loose its own tornado spell.
 
"Note: Griffin head shows spell casting abilities. Assume it can cast other spells aside from tornado as well." Ruukoto muttered to herself as she used the R-Blade in her left arm as a fulcrum to spin away from the point of contact with the sudden magical attack. The half-second given by the unexpected distraction was enough for the undead abomination to perform a rolling dive straight down. Ruukoto quickly pursued her target and opened up a channel to everyone still at Tarbes when she noticed where her target was headed.
 
'Alert! Hostile is performing high-speed dive onto Tarbes immediate airspace! Miss Tabitha, perform evasive maneuvers at once. Mistress Louise, please brace for the sonic boom. Danger close.' Ruukoto yelled out as she continued to catch up to her foe.
 
'Understood.' Was Tabitha's only reply, which was enough of a response from the Gallian Chevalier. Louise on the other hand...
 
...
 
"Sonic boom? What the founder is that?!" Louise asked out loud, a bit worriedly when she considered the urgent tone that her gynoid was using.
 
"Louise?" Helgarose called out to the young Void mage when she noticed that she was seemingly talking to herself again. Louise and the three knights were making their way back to the village square, where Princess Henrietta had set up a temporary command center, when Ruukoto's sudden alert came. Louise's eyes went wide when a very bad feeling washed over her. It was one of the many things that she had eventually developed during her training in Mugenkan with both Yuka and Cirno. It was her awareness to things that could potentially do her harm...and Yuka had made sure that particular skill was as sharp as possible.
 
"Everyone get down!" Louise yelled out to the three knights. They looked at her in surprise but they haven't been in the personal service of Princess Henrietta for nothing.
 
"Down!" Lunarteresia repeated Louise's words and dropped down on the ground after she saw how grave the young woman's expression was. The rest of them followed suit just in time for Wardes and Ruukoto to fly overhead at rooftop level at ridiculous speeds, taking out a several roof tiles from nearby buildings in the process. All four of them raised their heads at the same time, only to duck back down when they all heard and felt a shockwave a few seconds later.
 
"By Brimir's beard! What was that?! Is it Albion?!" Ilfriede yelled out as she and her two comrades quickly stood up once the shockwaves ended. Despite the obvious panic in her voice, the blonde knight still maintained the discipline that befitted her status. All three of them instinctively formed a defensive perimeter around Louise with their respective pistols drawn and were already looking around for any possible threats.
 
"Only one of them, the other one is one of ours. We need to get to the princess!" Louise answered the Ilfriede's question while tugging on Helgarose's mantle.
 
"What are you talking about Louise?" The blue haired knight asked after glancing at the younger woman.
 
"I'll explain later! Please, just trust me!" Louise pleaded with Helgarose but not out of panic, but out of urgency. This was not lost on the knight and she placed her hand on Louise's shoulder.
 
"Alright, we'll trust you Louise. But just so you know, we get really uncomfortable whenever we're out of the loop. Doubly so if its something serious like this." Helgarose pointed out, to which Lunateresia and Ilfriede nooded along with. While their duty sometimes demanded them to follow orders without knowing the reasons why, it didn't mean that they liked those orders.
 
"Don't worry, you'll probably find out anyway." Louise said as she and the three knights made their way back to the village square. Helgarose took the lead while Ilfriede and Lunateresia flanked Louise. All three of them still had their pistols drawn and were on high alert as they walked.
 
"Are you sure about that little miss?" Derflinger piped up from Louise's back when it noticed that she was about to contact her friends. The three knights didn't seem too phased about the talking sword since Derflinger already made its sentience known while they were still evacuating the villagers in the area they were assigned to. Louise didn't give a second thought about keeping their communication system a secret anymore, she was worried about her friends. She ignored Derflinger and tapped on her ear piece.
 
'Is everyone okay?' Louise asked, earning glances from the three knights. Derflinger gave an audible sigh before doing another one of its sword-shrugs.
 
"We'll explain later." The six-thousand year old magic sword stated for the benefit of the knights before slipping back into its scabbard. Helgarose and the others looked at each other for a moment before nodding back to Louise and moving on.
 
'Sylphid is dizzy. Headed back to the village square.' Tabitha was the first to respond. Louse exhaled the breath that she didn't know she was holding when the young Gallian answered. She was particularly worried about Tabitha since she and her dragon, Sylphid, were in the sky when Ruukoto and the undead abomination that was once Viscount Wardes and his griffin passed by.
 
'Monmon and I are fine. A bit shaken from the sudden noise, but we are unharmed.' Guiche was the next one that answered. He insisted on accompanying Montmorency to another part of the village to help with the rest of the evacuations. The young woman was originally opposed to the idea but both Kirche and Louise made it a point that they really didn't have time to deal with the issue between the two lovers.
 
'What was that? Louise, are you alright? Are you hurt?' Speaking of Montmorency, Louise's closest friend asked her questions in quick succession. The young Void mage couldn't help but smile at her friend's words.
 
'I'm fine Monmon. Dame Falkenmayer and the others kept me safe. Viscount Wardes and Ruukoto were the one that caused that. I'll explain more later. Meet back at the village square, Tabitha is already on the way.' She replied and she could hear a sigh of relief coming from Montmorency.
 
"Hurgh..." Louise grunted after several moments of silence. There was still one more person that had yet to respond to her. She hated to admit it but...she was actually getting worried.
 
"By the nine hells!" Louise yelled out before tapping her ear piece one more time.
 
'Kirche! If you don't answer me, I swear I am going to cast Explosion on you until I can't speak anymore!' The petite strawberry-blonde haired girl roared out in a way that made the three knights with her take pause and stare.
 
"Is...is everything alright?" Lunateresia asked her tentatively. Louise gave her a quick glare that pretty much said 'not now'.
 
"Scary..." Ilfriede muttered before they continued on. Louise ignored them and waited for the Germanian to respond.
 
'I'm fine. Busy, really. If you were planning to confess your love to me, you should be more subtle about it Louise~! You can scream all you want once we get some time alone~' Kirche said in her trademark teasing tone, making Louise blush new shades of red.
 
'W-w-w-w-w-what?! No...I refuse to play this game, we don't have time for this. Why didn't you respond at once?!' Louise inquired with no small sense of annoyance.
 
'Ruukoto and Viscount Wardes took down a few parts of some buildings we were walking by and one of the people I'm with got hurt. We're on our way back but you guys will probably get there faster.' Kirche explained. Louise huffed, both in annoyance at Kirche and in relief to know that the red head was alright.
 
'Well don't do that again...' Louise muttered and she swore that she could hear Kirche smirk.
 
'Because you were worried about me~?' Louise decided to stop talking to Kirche at that point.
 
...
 
"Hm?" I raised a brow when I kept hearing a chirping sound in my ear. It took me a few more moments to realize that it was coming from the 'Hey-Listen'. That was...odd. If anyone wanted to reach me, they would usually just say what they wanted. I tossed away the severed arm of a magician that tried to cast some sort of ice magic at me a few moments ago before tapping on my ear piece.
 
'Yes? Who is this?' I answered the call as I leaned away from an oncoming cannonball.
 
'Hello? If this is a prank call, then it isn't a good one. You should have at least asked me to call out to someone with a name that would sound obscene like I.C. Weener or E. Jack-Yulation.' I noted when I recalled those old pranks that Rumia used to pull on the residents of Gensokyo whenever she was bored.
 
'You claim to fight for the sake of the village of Tarbes, do you not Sanctuary?' A distorted voice of undeterminable gender spoke out, it was like listening to thousands of people speaking at the same time. Additionally, it was a distorted voice of undeterminable gender that was referring me in the way that the Embodiment of Water did.
 
'Who are you? What do you mean when you refer to me as Sanctuary? What do you know of the situation?' I quickly asked the mystery speaker as I deflected another cannon ball using my closed parasol. I made an annoyed grunt before letting go of the 'Hey-Listen' for a bit.
 
"Come over here." I stated to the open sky. The command was intended for my other half and she quickly appeared behind me.
 
"Someone or something has contacted me. I'm trying to find out more about what it knows. Deal with any annoyances until I'm done." I stated while glancing back to my double who gave her usual demented smile before flicking her hair back and giving me a playful salute.
 
"My pleasure~" My other half stated. I nodded to her and handed her my parasol. She beamed at the gesture and gleefully took it and tested out a few swordsmanship moves while dual-wielding parasols. It seemed that the knowledge that I gained in terms of using a sword because of the Gandalfr runes also applied to my other half. I've never really had to use any real amount of skill in swordsmanship since it wasn't my style, but my double was always up to try new ways of inflicting violence. I nodded to her once more before turning my attention back to my mystery caller.
 
'I'm still waiting for an answer.' I pointed out to whoever it was that was contacting me.
 
'If you wish to keep the village of Tarbes safe, the lives of Prince Wales Tudor, Princess Charlotte Helene Orl?ans de Gallia and Princess Henrietta de Tristain must be preserved. This is the primary condition to be able to achieve the best outcome in this situation. The three heirs to the thrones must not die.' The mysterious voice gave me an answer, just not the answer to the question I was asking it.
 
Wait...
 
'Who is Charlotte Helene Orl?ans de Gallia? I know of no one with this name.' I asked the mystery voice. Was there yet another royal that was in hiding in Tarbes? Was this princess a political hostage of sorts? All was silent save for the sounds of battle and the joyous laughter of my other half whenever someone tried their luck and attacked us.
 
'Preserve the lives of the three heirs. Destroy the perverse mockery of life. Find a way for the prince of the floating country to speak with his people. Do these things and you will achieve the best outcome. We wish you luck, Sanctuary.' The voice stated before the line went dead.
 
'Wait! What are you?! What do you know?! Answer me!' I roared out but no further answers came. I snarled at the gall of whatever it was that spoke to me. Not because it refused to answer me, but because it clearly knew more than anyone else did...far more...
 
Mind games...I HATE mind games if I was directly involved in them. I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down.
 
"Still, the entity clearly wanted me to accomplish the defense of Tarbes." I muttered as I mulled over the information that was presented to me.
 
The entity...'The Voice' provided three objectives that needed to be accomplished in order to achieve the 'Best Outcome', whatever that meant.
 
I had originally planned on simply hanging above the village of Tarbes along with Ruukoto and kill everything that came close to becoming a threat. However, it seemed that the plan is no longer the best option.
 
-Preserve the lives of the three heirs.
 
-Destroy the perverse mockery of life.
 
-Find a way for the prince of the floating country to speak with his people.
 
Those were the things that needed to be done. 'The Voice' referred to the three heirs by name. Prince Wales Tudor, Princess Charlotte Helene Orl?ans de Gallia and Princess Henrietta de Tristain. Wales and Henrietta I already knew. However, I have never heard of anyone by the name of Charlotte Helene Orl?ans de Gallia...much less a princess. From her name though, I supposed that she was the princess of the country of Gallia. If so...what was she doing in Tristain?
 
The 'Perverse Mockery of Life' was obvious as well. 'The Voice' was clearly referring to the undead abomination that was Viscount Jean-Jacques Francis de Wardes. That was fine, I was going to destroy that thing regardless anyway. Besides, Ruukoto seemed to be fighting it right now.
 
The last objective was the strangest one. What would be accomplished if Wales spoke to the men of the Albion Armada? Then I remembered something that the prince said when we met earlier. He was there to try to convince his countrymen to stand down and cease the invasion of Tristain.
 
"How bothersome..." I muttered because of how absurd the whole thing was when you take a step back and look at things objectively. After all, I was effectively taking advice from something that I had no knowledge of. It could be a trap...or worse...if could be all true and there really is something out here that had intimate knowledge about this realm and could hack into Ruukoto's communication network.
 
Wait...what am I doing?
 
'I have a question...' I stated after opening up a communication link to Louise and the others.
 
'Does the name Charlotte Helene Orl?ans de Gallia sound familiar?' I asked. After all, if this person really was a princess, then someone must have heard of her. I was particularly waiting for Tabitha's response since the young magician was apparently from Gallia originally.
 
'Second daughter of the previous king of Gallia. Exiled and missing after the assassination of the king and the ascension of his brother to the throne. Current whereabouts are...unknown.' As expected, it was Tabitha who answered immediately. So it really was another exiled royal then? How clich?...
 
'I heard about that, but didn't official report say that the previous king died from an illness didn't he?' Monmon piped up after Tabitha finished.
 
'That's right. The Gallian royal family said that the previous king suffered heart failure and passed away after appointing his brother, Joseph de Gallia, as the new king. It was said that the reason why was because the previous king thought that his daughter, Princess Charlotte Helene Orl?ans de Gallia was too young to rule effectively and because his wife, the queen, suffered from emotional trauma from the previous king's passing.' Louise elaborated on Monmon's point.
 
'That...was rather detailed, Louise.' Guiche couldn't help but point that out after all the information my master just provided.
 
'My~! I didn't expect Louise to be quite the gossiper~' Kirche once more used the open opportunity to once again start teasing Louise.
 
'Quiet Kirche! It was an important foreign event! My family always made it a point for me to know about those things because we are nobility! We have to know those things!' Louise shot back and I was sure that this would devolve into another one of their rounds of bickering.
 
'No!' Tabitha suddenly cut into the conversation again with a very unusual show of emotion. In fact, I was pretty sure that she was angry right now.
 
'The previous king of Gallia was murdered. The queen was given a poison that caused her mind to break down, poison that was meant for her daughter. Princess Charlotte Helene Orl?ans de Gallia was sent into exile because she threatened the rule of the current king due to her bloodline. Joseph Gaul is not the rightful king of Gallia.' Tabitha bit out each sentence with as much vehemence and hate as Fujiwara no Mokou once did whenever she spoke of her old feud with the Lunarian Princess Kaguya Houraisan before they finally got over it a century ago.
 
'...Tabitha.' Kirche called out to her best friend. The redhead's voice was tinged with worry for the young Gallian.
 
'...are all royal families in this realm trying to kill each other? That isn't a particularly good way to govern a country. Although, I am intrigued as to how you can say such a thing for certain, Tabitha. Your words are quite dangerous if my knowledge of monarchical government is correct.' I flatly stated before pointing out what Tabitha had just said. Really, a Monarchy was bad enough...but a Magocratic Monarchy? Such a thing was just asking for trouble.
 
'I am Gallian.' Tabitha stated in a way that was...beyond doubt.
 
'Well, I can guarantee that the Tristain royal family isn't like that.' Louise proudly stated, no doubt speaking for the sake of Princess Henrietta once again. Of course, I was rather certain that Tristain had its fair share of skeletons in the closet.
 
'Why did you bring that up anyway, Darling~? How did you even know the name of a missing Gallian princess that no one has heard from for years anyway~?' Kirche brought up a serious question in her usual teasing manner.
 
'That is a very good question, Kirche. Rest assured that I will be more than happy to answer it once things calm down. On another note, where is Ruukoto right now? Can any of you see it? Tabitha?' I dodged the question and inquired about the member of our little party who was fighting Wardes.
 
'Unknown. I'm grounded at the village square with the others. Sylphid got dizzy after Ruukoto and Viscount Wardes passed above the village.' Tabitha stated. I made a thoughtful sound and was to ask something else when I heard the sound of an explosion in the distance.
 
'Never mind...I think I found them.' I stated before looking back to my other half, who was in the middle of skewering a pair of magicians with her two parasols.
 
...
 
"Hm!" Ruukoto grunted as she was forced back because of the undead Viscount's counterattack.
 
The gynoid was able to finally figure out the attack patterns that the former griffin knight was using and used it to her advantage. After a series of aerial acrobatics, she was able to get in close and try to a G-Revolver shot at point blank range. She was almost successful too. Unfortunately, she had underestimated the utility of having an undead griffin for the lower half of one's body.
 
She was about to fire the shot but the griffin part of Wardes got in the way and managed to take a swipe at Ruukoto with its claws. Ruukoto was still able to get the shot off but it missed Wardes' head and only managed to take out his wide brimmed hat. Wardes quickly reacted and used its runed lances to cast a pair of tornado spells...which he aimed directly between the two lances. The sudden explosion of wind magic that followed was a result of Wardes crossing the streams -the tornadoes- instead of simply casting a double tornado spell.
 
Ruukoto dismissed both of her weapons after judging them ineffective against her current foe in the current situation. Both the R-Blade and G-Revolver were more than powerful enough to destroy the abomination but it kept making clever use of positioning and combat prowess in order to prevent Ruukoto from landing a direct hit. So...Ruukoto decided to take a page from Yuka's book instead.
 
Arondight
 
The gynoid declared her new weapon of choice and reached over her right shoulder with her right hand. Flashes of light erupted from her back as she pulled something from her personal dimensional storage unit or 'Holding Bag' as Professor Uzuki once called it. Ruukoto pulled out the blue sword before flicking her wrist to unfold the weapon and activate the pink beam edge in one smooth motion.
 
"I am Ruukoto. Ruukoto Unit-One Version-Four. I am the sword that smites the foes of my mistress." She stated in her usual motherly voice whenever she uses 'White Noise' mode while pointing the Anti-Material Sword at the undead Viscount.
 
For several tense moments, neither combatant moved. Ruukoto simply kept pointing Arondight at the undead while the abomination glared at her from a distance. A slight flinch from Ruukoto's wings was enough to set them both off. They launched themselves at each other like a pair of knights who were about to joust. Ruukoto kept her sword leveled and pointing at Wardes while her foe had his arms held out wide which made his two lances point to the side.
 
The two of them were about to crash into one another when Ruukoto performed a barrel roll. The gynoid used the momentun from the spin in order to swing Arondight down at Wardes without slowing down. The massive blue great sword made a low humming noise as she swung the weapon.
 
The abomination reacted immediately and performed its counter-maneuver. Wardes leaned down onto its lower half and crossed his runed lances above him before casting a wind shield spell right before Ruukoto's sword hit. Wardes used the wind shield as a buffer in order to protect itself from any damage. It also used the force of the blow to help it perform its own spin to avoid any immediate follow up attacks from its foe. The whole thing lasted for only a couple of seconds.
 
The first strike ended up ineffective and both combatants were already flying away from one another to prepare for another charge. After a certain distance, both of them suddenly turned around to face each other. 
 
G-Revolver
 
Ruukoto quickly called out and her pistol materialized in her left hand. The gynoid grasped her weapon before locking onto Wardes and firing all six rounds successively at the abomination. Her foe had the same idea and had already cast six lances made of wind before launching them at Ruukoto at the same time. The rounds from the G-Revolver managed to take out four of the wind lances before the remaining projectiles continued to their respective targets.
 
Again, both of them were already charging at each other as soon as they were done with their attacks. Ruukoto easily managed to graze-dodge the remaining wind lances as she dismissed her pistol while speeding across the sky. Wardes simply avoided the oncoming rounds from the G-Revolver and continued its charge toward the gynoid. Ruukoto held Arondight's grip with both hands and kept the sword at the ready on her right side. Wardes was charging at her with the lance in its left hand extended right at her while the one on the right was pulled back for a follow up strike.
 
Another explosion in mid-air indicated their clash.
 
...
 
"How many of these guys are there?!" Stephan complained out loud after creating another wall of water in order to block the continued relentless attempts by the Albion Red Dragon Knight Corps to burn them to cinders.
 
"Guh!" Red grunted as he pulled his mount into another sudden jink to the left in order to avoid the claws of a Red Dragon that tried to ambush him from below.
 
The Sixty-Sixth were trying to get Prince Wales Tudor to one of their remaining large ships that was still in fighting form. Unfortunately, the battleship 'Challenger' was at the rear of the battlefield as one of the reserve ships Admiral Sidney Meier la Highwind intended to use for the 'Glorious Tristain Counter-Offensive'. Obviously, the battles did not go the way the commander of the Tristain fleet had anticipated because of the inexplicable numbers off the Red Dragon Knight Corps and the sudden appearance of the former captain of the Sixty-Sixth.
 
"Don't stop moving! Go! Go! Go!" Trombe barked out from the front of the formation. They were using a spearhead formation with Trombe at the front. Larry and Stephan formed the second tier while Red and Char formed the third tier. Scarface was in the center of the 'V' formation because he was the one carrying Prince Wales.
 
"We've got incoming! Low and right!" Char yelled out. When he saw something headed right for them at high speeds.
 
"Dragon Knight or Jaques?!" Scarface asked as he glanced in the direction where Char spotted the new contact.
 
"Neither! It's that crazy Unknown and one other!" Larry was the one who responded as he was at the same side of the formation as Char.
 
"What should we do boss?" The former 'Solo-Wing' asked his captain, who grit his teeth and looked like he didn't know how to answer that question.
 
Wales turned his head to the same direction when he heard what the knight said. The prince saw Yuka and someone who looked a lot like him fly in their direction.
 
"Your Highness!" Scarface called out to Wales while maintaining his gaze at the oncoming Unknowns.
 
"What is it Captain Falcone?" Wales responded. Scarface considered the question for a moment before finally asking it anyway.
 
"That one Unknown seemed like he knows you. Can we trust him or not?" Scarface asked the prince. The captain of the Sixty-Sixth wasn't really sure what the situation was between the prince and that green-haired man, but he doesn't want to fight anything he didn't have to. After all, he and his squadron still had Wardes to deal with.
 
"Yes. He and his master have saved my life once before and I can guarantee that he is an ally of Princess Henrietta as well." Prince Wales stated immediately. Despite the state he last saw Yuka, Wales still could never deny the man's actions back at Albion. Of course, saying that he was an ally of Henrietta might have been saying too much. After all, Yuka's loyalty seemed to lie soley with Dame Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Valliere.
 
Regardless, Wales' impression of Yuka was that he was a man who would not participate in acts of slaughter and genocide as if it was merely some form of entertainment for him. That there was a reason for him to have that much blood on him when they reunited earlier.
 
Yuka seemed too noble to be a monster.
 
...
 
It took a bit of flying around and killing everyone who got in our way to finally find Prince Wales in the middle of this battlefield in the sky. I had my other half return my parasol to me before we set off to look for the Albion prince. I originally tried to track him by sensing his magic signature since I remembered what his felt like when I saw him earlier. Unfortunately, there was so much magic and death everywhere that I couldn't get a decent reading for it. Thankfully, I was finally able to spot him and his escorts after rounding a burning Tristain vessel. My double and I flew right at the prince and the Griffin Knights protecting him as they struggled to shake off pursuers.
 
"Deal with them." I told my other half while pointing at the Red Dragon Knights, who were hot on the prince's tail, with my parasol. My other half didn't need to reply and simply flew right at the Red Dragon Knights to begin her fun. I flew closer to the griffin knight formation and raised a brow when they didn't attack me...they didn't even try to fly away, despite my earlier performance.
 
"Hello." I gave the closest knight a simple greeting with a wave of my hand. The young knight, the one with the red feathered mount, simply blinked at me a few times before waving back. I suddenly felt a strange enchantment cast upon me before I heard one of them speak.
 
"This is Captain Hans Solan Millennius de Falcone of the Sixty-Sixth Squadron of the Sixth Order of the Tristain Griffin Knights. I just cast a wind enchantment on you that will allow you to directly communicate with me, Prince Wales Tudor, and the rest of my squadron. The prince seems to trust you but forgive me if I find myself hesitant to do the same. You didn't exactly give a great first impression." The scar faced knight spoke out to me. I gave a laugh at his words since I agreed with him.
 
"Quite understandable, Sir Falcone. You said you were the Sixty-Sixth, yes? Then you know of Viscount Jean-Jacques Francis de Wardes?" I asked him and chuckled to myself when I saw him and the other knights flinch.
 
"Judging from your reactions, I also assume that you know what he and his mount have become." I added and smiled when I saw him glare at me.
 
"We know what Jaques tried to do in Albion...Prince Waless told us the truth. And from what you said, you seem to know quite a bit yourself...Sir..." The scar faced knight bitterly stated before pausing when he was about to address me.
 
"Yuka Kazami. Simply call me Yuka, I hate it when people address me with titles that mean nothing to me." I offered and the man nodded in understanding.
 
"If I may, Yuka." I heard Prince Wales speak.
 
"Yes?" I acknowledged with a raised brow.
 
&

[Blackraptor]

Again..the silly character limits..

...
 
"Who is that other person who is with you? Your sister perhaps?" The young man asked while glancing back to where my other half was dealing with the Red Dragon Knights with a smile.
 
"I am she. She is I. We are one. If it makes it easier for you, you can simply think of her as a representation of what I was before." I answered him with one of my malicious smiles. The exiled prince stared at me with a confused expression before looking back to where my other half was ripping off the head of an Albion knight before tossing the body at one of the other knights.
 
"I'm starting to question his highness' judge of character..." I heard one of the griffin knights mutter, the one with the red hair.
 
"Shut it, Red!" I heard the scar faced man reprimanded the younger knight.
 
"Moving on. I have recently been told of the best way to be able end this little conflict. It just so happened that the survival of Prince Wales and Princess Henrietta are required for this." I said before giving out a small sigh when I remembered that I trusted a disembodied voice of all things.

?Henrietta is here?! I asked her to stay at the capital for her own safety!? Wales suddenly yelled out at the knowledge that her beloved Henrietta was so close to danger.

?Obviously she did not listen to you?or she listened but went anyway. This is her country after all. Regardless, she came to Tarbes along with a small army to help with the evacuation. I assume that since everyone believes this an invasion, then the opposing force has troop carriers as well, yes?? I explained before confirming something that I had noticed while flying around the battle searching for Wales. So far, all I have seen were battleships and mounted knights. However, I have yet to see any land forces taking any action on either side.

?That is correct. The armada is the vanguard for the invasion. I believe that they plan to take out Tristain?s fleet before landing any foot soldiers to ensure that they are the sole owners of the sky.? Wales explained as we continued our way to wherever those griffin knights were taking him. I blinked when I noticed my double?s presence come closer. I glanced behind us and saw that she had a satisfied expression before she finally caught up and took her place at my side.

?Already done? What happened to our pursuers?? I asked my other half with a raised brow. Normally, she would do as I would in a situation like this. Kill everything that tries to harm her.

?What happened? ?I? happened~!? She responded with a sly grin and a wink. My other half seemed to have stopped after she took out the Red Dragon Knights that were in pursuit of Wales.

?Taking a break. This is nice and all, but I want to play with little Wardes and his pet again~? She further stated her intentions and I could not help but sigh.

?You?ve had your turn. Wardes has things I want him to suffer for personally and I wish to do so without any interference.? I clearly stated and my double pouted at me since she clearly did not find my words agreeable.

Yes, I was having an argument with myself on which one of us gets to kill Wardes.

?No chance. Jaques is ours to kill.? Both my double and I raised a brow each when the scar faced knight suddenly spoke up.

?I don?t know what your beef with Jaques is and I don?t really care. He?s our responsibility and we?ll be the ones to take him down.? The man stated while levelling a glare at me. I could sense the magic power of the knight and his subordinates spike up at that statement.

?I assume that you and Wardes have had some history?? I asked the man and heard him growl.

?The Sixty-Sixth was Captain Wardes? squadron, Yuka. They didn?t know about his intentions when he went to Albion and they certainly didn?t like what he did.? Wales was the one who answered in behalf of the seething men. I see, it seemed that Wardes? subordinates were carrying the burden of being once led by a traitor.

?I understand. However, you will not stop me, knight. Wardes is mine. He may have betrayed you. He may have spat on everything you and your fellow knights stood for. He may have turned his back on his country. However, he manipulated, harmed and broke the heart of my master. I will see that debt paid in full and crush all in my way.? I clearly said while letting my aura of terror slip through. I could hear my other half whistle and clap her hands at my words. The rest of them didn?t share my enthusiasm.

?Wait?? A new voice suddenly spoke up. I then saw the knight in the red griffin turn back to me with an expression that was close to confused and surprised.

?Does that mean that your master is?Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Valliere?? The knight asked me in a way where he seemed to doubt the question himself.

?And of what importance is that to you, knight?? I asked him with a raised brow. I didn?t think that someone outside of Louise?s family and her circle of friends knew about her previous relationship with Wardes.

?No?never mind?I just hope that she?s fine. The Captain?s betrayal hit us all pretty hard?I can?t even begin to imagine what it might have been like for his fianc?.? The knight said ruefully. It had been such a sincere statement that I was certain that he knew of Louise in some way. Perhaps Wardes spoke of his engagement with my master or something? Either way, I was not able to ask him about it as we seemed to have finally reached our destination.

?Looks like the Challenger is still good. We?ll bring the prince there and guard that ship with our lives.? The scarred knight said as we came closer to the battleship. It looked like it had sustained damage through the course of the battle but not nearly as much as the rest of the ships I?ve seen so far.

?Hans, what about Jaques?? I suddenly heard one of the knights ask. The scarred knight, Hans I supposed, remained silent for a few moments before looking at me and answering.

?Someone else will be taking care of that problem, right?? He said while narrowing his eyes at me.

?Of course. Just make sure you keep Prince Wales alive and on that ship. We?ll need him for the final act of this little battle and I?d appreciate it if I wouldn?t have to go looking for him in the middle of the fog of war again. Would that be alright, Hans?? I replied with a smile, using the knight?s name after hearing one of his subordinates use it.

?Scarface.? He suddenly stated in response.

?Call me Scarface, Yuka.? He clarified before giving me his own smile.

?Hahaha! Very well! I wish luck to you and to your knights, Scarface. May you be able to bring your squadron back to prominence after I clear the stain that is Viscount Wardes.? I acknowledged with a grin, to which my other half mirrored.

?Please be careful, Yuka.? Wales piped up and I saw that he had a very tired but determined expression.

?Hm?I?m not the one you should be saying that to, Prince Wales. Now if you?ll excuse me?? I trailed off before flying away and back to Tarbes with my other half close behind. Ruukoto should still be fighting Wardes. I?ll need it and Louise for the final part if ?The Voice? could be believed.

I just hope that this wasn?t some sort of Moriya Shrine Conspiracy or something?

?

[MoeIncubatorShea]

Templates like that are forbidden.

 :V

[Blackraptor]

...
 
There were many things that Ducthess Karin Desiree de la Valliere was known for:
 
A perfect example of nobility not only in Tristain but also in all of Halkeginia.
 
The wife of the mighty Duke Valliere who was famous for his political and military exploits.
 
A vision of beauty that persistently refused to be affected by the sands of time.
 
A devout follower of the rules established by the founder and enforced by the Tristain royal family.
 
A mother of three daughters, each having her beauty and strength of character.
 
There were also things that Ducthess Karin Desiree de la Valliere was not publicly known for:
 
A rebelious daughter who was once eager to prove herself to her family, her peers, her country, and to herself in military dicipline.
 
A Chevallier who was once mistaken for a man by the then Royal Princess of Tristain and was enamoured by her.
 
A knight who was once involved in a number of dangerous missions that risked her life and the lives of her comrades.
 
A Square-Class Wind Mage of the highest caliber.
 
A captain of the Manticore Knights which she rose to levels once thought impossible.
 
A brilliant tactician that could even give her husband a run for his money.
 
The greatest enforcer of 'Rule of Steel'.
 
The legendary 'Heavy Wind' of Tristain.
 
And...there were also things that Ducthess Karin Desiree de la Valliere wished people would just forget, regardless if no one knew that she was affected by those things or not:
 
A rumor that Dutchess Valliere was actually immortal because of a pact with a spirit.
 
The story where 'The Heavy Wind' managed to face and defeat an Elf Warrior in single magic combat.
 
The story where 'The Heavy Wind' was able to utterly destroy an entire Germanian Vanguard Battalion using never before seen 'Anti-Army' wind spells.
 
The story about that one time when 'The Heavy Wind' managed to move the floating country of Albion itself using only her magic.
 
The rumor that the mighty Manticore of 'The Heavy Wind' was not a familiar but a magical construct created from scratch by the legend for the sole purpose of destroying all foes.
 
As much as people knew her or did not know her or were just exaggerating everything beyond all redemption, Karin was purely one thing in her own mind.
 
Ducthess Karin Desiree de la Valliere, legendary Captain of the First Squadron of the First Order of Tristain Manticore Knights and once known as 'The Heavy Wind', is forever loyal to her country and to the crown.
 
...
 
"What are you thinking about, Karin?" A voice called out to the living legend as she stood frozen in a certain room one night. It was one of the most secure and most secret rooms in the entire Valliere estate. Why you ask? It was because this was the room...the armory...that held all that could link former Manticore Knight Captain to Ducthess Karin Desiree de la Valliere. The ducthess and former knight was wearing a fine white silk nightgown with a white shawl. Her strawberry-blonde hair, which was inherited by two of her daughters, was let down and flowed freely down her back. Indeed, at a single glance, she was not someone who looked like she had three daughters and once lived the life of a knight. The only indication of her previous life were her eyes. Eyes that were as hard as the finest steel.
 
"What is your opinion about the news that the Albion Armada is invading us and is only a day away from the village of Tarbes?" She asked as she tore her eyes away from the stand that held her armor. She leveled her ever stern gaze at the only man that she had ever considered her equal. The man that she loved. The man that fathered their three daughters. Duke Valliere made a thoughtful hum as he considered his wife's question. The man absentmindedly stroked his finely kept mustache as he thought about what Karin just asked him. Like his wife, Duke Valliere was in his eveningwear, a fine blue robe. Duke Valliere had also lived the life of a knight until he finally stepped down from his duties and took up politics instead. This was also around the time when he married Karin and when the legend of the 'Heavy Wind' finally ended. He ran a hand through his blonde hair, which their second daughter inherited from him, and almost tried to adjust the monocle that he wasn't even wearing.
 
"Admiral Highwind will not win. Our fleet is too small, our skilled mounted knights are too few. If only Jaques were there and the Sixty-Sixth not had been--" Louise's father never managed to finish his sentence as his wife cut him off.
 
"Jaques is a traitor and his subbordinates had to suffer for it!" Karin's voice was full of malice and disappointment at what her greatest student had done.
 
She had learned of the betrayal and what happened in the floating country of Albion when she made a personal inquiry to Princess Henrietta. It several days after Louise and Yuka came back with Prince Wales and Father Benedict so she did not see her daughter or her daughter's familiar when she went to the Royal Palace. Imagine her surprise when she saw none other than Prince Wales Tudor when she finally got her audience with Princess Henrietta.
 
It was a long conversation. A very long, very grueling conversation wherein both heirs to their respective countries' thrones did their best not to upset the ducthess any more than she already was. Henrietta and Wales explained everything over and over again without divulging the fact that the daughter of the woman in front of them was involved in the incident. All Karin knew was that Viscount Wardes was sent out on a secret mission to escort an emissary that was hand picked by Henrietta to Wales' safe house in Albion.
 
Withstand the wrath of the ducthess so they didn't have to deal with the wrath of Louise's familiar.
 
The whole ordeal took up the entire day and it was well into the evening when Karin begrudgingly accepted the fact that her prized student betrayed her country. To say that Karin had a bad day then was an understatement.
 
"And what do you think of all this, Karin?" Her husband's voice pulled her out of her recollection.  The man did not look at all startled or bothered by her wife's outburst, he had seen far worse a long time ago.
 
"The fall of Tarbes will doom all of Tristain." Louise's mother said without any hesitation and saw her husband nod in agreement. Karin had called Duke Valliere as soon as she returned from her trip to the capital and quickly led him into their private study and locked the door. She gave strict orders, very strict orders, to her Eleanor and Cattleya as well as to the servants not to disturb them until they willingly came out.
 
Karin then told everything she had learned to her husband and equal. Duke Valliere very nearly took up his own wand to go on a warpath against the Wardes family for what Jacques tried to do. He was the man that he and his wife hand picked to marry their youngest daughter! Karin let her husband calm down on his own before continuing. She knew that, as emotional as he can become when it came to anything involving their daughters, he was not as simple as to loose his composure over a man who was already reported dead.
 
"And you will do something about it, I assume? Otherwise you wouldn't be staring at your armor like that." The Duke gave his wife a knowing grin, he was the only person known in Halkeginia who could do that to her and live. Karin gave her husband a measured look before turning back to her armor. She reached out and touched the shuttlecock that adorned the wide-brimmed hat which was part of her armor, the most distinct symbol of her rank in the mounted knight corps.
 
"Prepare the army. Make a second, third, and final line of defense. You are the only one who can convince the rest of the generals." Karin stated matter-of-factly without turning back to her husband.
 
"Prepare for the worst...and protect our daughters should I fall in battle. Do not let those Albion dogs even catch sight of our--" Was all the legendary Manticore Knight Commander was able to say before she was swept up in a powerful embrace by her husband. Karin did not fight against the grasp of her love. Only here, in this heavily locked up room, in the presence of the man she loves, was where Karin showed that she was still like any other wife and mother.
 
Cattleya and Eleanor looked on worriedly as they watched their mother leave the next day in full combat gear while she rode on her manticore. Duke Valliere was already on his way to the capital to prepare what his wife requested. After all, even if he was not asked to by his beloved, he would not allow any invader to even gaze upon his daughters.
 
...
 
"I guess that takes care of the evacuations." Louise stated absentmindedly in relief as she looked around the town square which was mostly empty now. Henrietta's soldiers and Louise's party were the only ones left in the village.
 
"Yes, it is certainly a relief that Ruukoto and Yuka managed to buy us some time. I thought we were all done for after the surprise attack by Viscount Wardes." Guiche stated with equal relief, earning nods from the rest of his friends. They were all gathered in one spot save for Sylphid, whom Tabitha sent away to the relative safety of the mountainside in order to recover, and were all talking amongst themselves. If one didn't know any better, one would not think that there was a large battle happening not too far away.
 
"Dame Valliere." Louise heard Helgarose call out to her from behind. She and her friends turned to find the blue-haired knight walking toward them along with Agnes and Princess Henrietta. Louise glanced around for any sign of Ilfriede or Lunateresia but she did not find them.
 
"Lunateresia and Ilfriede are helping with fortifications for the village, they send their regards." The chevaliere provided after seeing Louise glancing around.
 
"Oh, okay..." The young void mage said with a smile and a nod. She then turned toward Princess Henrietta and saw that the monarch was giving her a measured look.
 
"I'm sorry for going against your wishes, your highness. I simply wanted to do what I believe is right. I will gladly accept any punishment you would deal to me because of my actions once this is all over but I beg of you to spare my friends the same fate." Louise pleaded to her princess with a bow, eliciting gasps from her friends and the princess herself.
 
"Raise...your head, Louise Francoise." Henrietta finally said after a few tense moments. Louise hesitantly did as she was told and was immediately engulfed in an embrace from her childhood friend.
 
"Y-y-y-y-your highness?" The strawberry-blonde girl stammered as she instinctively held onto Henrietta's arms to prevent the taller girl from completely smothering her.
 
"You need not worry yourself about that matter, my friend. I will not punish you or your companions for trying to protect your countrymen." Henrietta responded while stroking Louise's hair.
 
"But...I disobeyed a direct request from you." Louise pointed out in slight shock.
 
"You were doing what you had to do as my friend. I have very few who I can call that and I rely on you to set me straight when no one else will. Though I suppose that Mister Yuka would have done so if he was here." Henrietta countered before shifting the discussion to Louise's familiar. The young void mage gulped at the mention of Yuka's name as she had yet to explain anything about what they all already know. Henrietta separated herself from her friend and gave her a small smile.
 
"What happened with Mister Yuka after that sudden attack? Helgarose said that you and  know quite a bit about this battle and promised to explain more once things settled down." The Princess of Tristain asked her friend and Louise visibly stiffened at her words. She glanced over to Agnes and Helgarose and saw that they had matching expressions while looking at her expectantly.
 
"Louise..." Monmon called out to her friend as she put a hand on Louise's shoulder. The girl in question turned around and found her friends smiling at her with confidence.
 
"No point hiding things now right~? The only thing we have to worry about now is protecting this place and having an army to back us up doesn't sound too bad a deal~" Kirche pointed out with her usual sultry tone before winking at Louise. The strawberry-blonde silently complained as to why the redhead had to make so much sense before turning away from the Germanian and trying to hide her blush. Louise cleared her throat before turning back to Henrietta to start explaining what she knew of the situation when...
 
'I'm sending this message out to everyone. Please attention because I don't have time to repeat myself.' Yuka's voice made Louise stall her explanation. She turned to everyone else and saw that they were each touching their 'Hey-Listen' on reflex and were looking at her.
 
"Louise Francoise? What is wrong?" Henrietta called out to her friend when she noticed that Louise and her companions flinch at the same time before looking at each other.
 
"I don't know yet. Please give is a few moments your Highness." Louise said with a bow before tapping her 'Hey-Listen'.
 
'Go ahead Yuka. What is this about?' Louise asked her familiar, an uncertain feeling of foreboding builing up inside her.
 
...
 
'What I am about to tell you all may sound odd and crazy, but let me finish before you say anything else. Also, I want Ruukoto back with Louise and the others for this. Break off from Wardes on my mark...' I said as my double and I flew closer and closer to where Wardes and Ruukoto were still clashing.
 
'Three, two, one...mark.' I calmly said just as the two of them broke off from one another from what seemed to be a meele duel. The undead Viscount still had both of it runed lances while Ruukoto had its Anti-Material sword out and was wielding it with both hands. At my word, Ruukoto immediately broke off from battle and headed straight for Tarbes. Wardes was about to pursue the gynoid but I had other plans.
 
"Shoulder check." I commanded by other half and she gleefully followed my order with a salute before flying to intercept her target.
 
"Ramming speed!" She yelled out, getting her target's attention. I saw Wardes give what sounded like a frustrated roar right before it cast a hastily made wind shield just as my other half slammed her shoulder into it.
 
"Don't kill it yet, just keep it in check for now." I told my other half before turning my attention back to the others.
 
'Ruukoto is already there I presume?' I asked my master when I heard them voice their surprise at something.
 
'I have rendezvoused with the mistress and the others. Everyone is safe and accounted for.' The gynoid confirmed my question.
 
"Yes, she's here. Shocked everyone else here though, what's going on? What happened to keep as much of this a secret as possble?" Louise asked me from the other end of our contact.
 
'The endgame is already here. The Tristain Fleet will fall soon but we still have a way to win without me turning it into a genocide.' I explained even though I still considered genocide as another game for me to play. I decided to continue when I did not hear anyone else speak.
 
'Prince Wales is here and is currently on one of the few remaining Tristain vessels that are still in the air. He is here to try to convince the Albion Armada to cease its assault. I can't really see them changing their minds even with his words but possibility seems to be good enough for it to actually be effective.' I stated and glanced at my other half as she dodged or slapped away Wardes' attempts at shooting her down with tornadoes and razor wind spell combinations.
 
'Because of this, I need Ruukoto and Louise to rendezvous with Prince Wales for that plan to be completed.' I finished the layout for said plan.
 
'What? Why do Ruukoto and I need to be there?' My master asked the obvious question.
 
'Ruukoto, do you have any system that will allow a human to be heard over a very large area?' I decided to ignore my master's inquiry for now and confirmed if Ruukoto really was capable of what we needed for this little plan.
 
'Yes. White Noise and Level Six Shift both have a system that can allow one to ge heard by all sentients over a maximum area of one-thousand miles in all directions. Caution. Please be advised that this Ruukoto Unit One Version Four will be completely unable to defend itself while using that system as all power will be redirected to maintaining it.' Ruukoto responded and made me raise a brow.  One-thousand miles? What would prompt the gynoid to even have such a system on two of its special modes no less. I shook my head free of such trivial things. What mattered was that it had what we needed. The Viscount's former squadron should be capable of protecting Louise, Wales, and Ruukoto while the Prince is doing his business and while I make sure that all traces of Wardes is gone from existence.
 
'You haven't answered my question yet Yuka.' Louise reminded in a somewhat annoyed tone.
 
'Ah yes. I was planning on having Ruukoto help Prince Wales out in speaking to his fellow countrymen to try to convice them to stop trying to kill everyone. However, Louise is Ruukoto's master and the only one who can order it to do that, so I thought it prudent to bring you along for the ride as well.' I explained the reason for the plan and the need for Louise to be there.
 
'Are you crazy?! Are you seriously asking Louise to go to the middle of that battle so that Prince Wales can try to talk the Albion Armada out of an invasion they were already more than ready for?! How do you know that this will even work?!' Monmon screamed through my ear-piece, eliciting pained hisses and urks from the rest of thr group.
 
'Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for you all to hear that too!' The blonde girl profusely apologized after finally realizing that she had ended up yelling into everyone else's ears as well. The only voices I didn't comlain about the girl's outburst were Ruukoto and Tabitha, though that was to be expected.
 
'Well yes, according to Yuka--well I'm sure he's safe your highness but--I'll be fine, if this will end the fighting then--' I heard Louise suddenly start saying. I assumed that she was with Henrietta and the princess was now both grilling my master and worrying about the safety of her childhood friend. I sighed at the way they were all handling a situation that should require a prompt response.
 
I was almost starting to long for the days when I could just vaporize all my problems away...almost.
 
'We don't have time for this. We need to accomplish this while we still can or else Prince Wales will die and the Tristain Fleet will fall. Now, before anything else happens, we need--' Was all I was able to say before something else did happen. I did not sense it until it was too late, but Wardes, my double, and I were all suddenly hit with what felt like a solid wall of force from an undeterminable distance. However, I was rather certain that it came from within Tristain territory.
 
"Well...that was unexpected..." I muttered as I stabilized myself before cracking my neck to get the kinks out. I glanced at my other half and saw that she was glaring at something. I glanced at Wardes and saw that it was slowly backing away from the origin of that sudden attack. My other half and I held up our parasols at the same time and opened them just when I sensed another attack. The same wall of force hit our parasols, but obviously did not break them, so we held our shields until the attack lost power.
 
Fool me once...
 
Wardes was not as lucky as it was blown back quite a distance because of the attack. I looked back to where the magic attacks came from and saw that it came from a single source, a magician...a human one. That alone prompted me to raise a brow considering the kind of raw power those attacks had compared to what I have dealt with so far with human magicians of this realm.
 
Whoever the magician was, he or she was certainly dressed up for a fight. Wearing a faded but heavier looking version of the armor that I saw on Wardes' former comrades, the various knicks and notches that were randomly marked all over the enchanted metal. Yes, that armor was enchanted as was the clothing that covered the body parts that the metal could not.
 
The mystery magic knight also had a wide brimmed hat that had an oddly prominent shuttlecock on it. More interestingly though, most of the knight's face was covered by a metal mask while the knight's neck was covered by a somewhat faded mantle. All in all, the only visible feature on the knights face were the eyes. They were eyes that held great power and dicipline, reminding me of Shou Toramaru's eyes whenever I managed to goad her enough to fight seriously. Yet, they were eyes that seemed familiar to me somehow for a different reason, but I couldn't place my finger on it. A runed lance was in the knight's right hand while the left was holding onto the reins of his or hers mount.
 
Yes, the mount itself was quite the specimen as well. During my stay in this realm I have seen dragons and griffins being used as mounts by magicians but never something like what that knight was riding on so effortlessly. The beast was...robust and ancient...that was the impression I had when I felt its presence. It had the head and body of a large male lion complete with a dark mane, the wings of a dragon, and the tail of a giant red scorpion.
 
Manticore
 
I have read of such creatures back when I accompanied Cirno to the Scarlet Devil Mansion's Voile Magic Library for her lessons with little Patchouli. They were supposed to be mythical beasts that were quite hostile to humans, they're power and intelligence were also apparently directly proportional to their age. Because of those things, it would seem that this mystery magic knight was quite powerful to have tamed a manticore that seemed to be quite ancient. That did raise a question though...
 
If such a knight existed, why didn't Henrietta bring this one with her when she first showed up?
 
"Hm!" I grunted as any further speculations and observations were put on hold when the knight made a sweeping motion with the runed lance. It was then that I finally understood what that wall of force that hit us was.
 
It was wind.
 
"Hmph!" A particularly heavy wind considering the amount of power I had to put behind my now closed parasol in order to swat the spell away. I saw a flash of what seemed like surprise in the knight's eyes for a second before the manticore propelled itself at me. The knight wordlessly cast spell after spell at me in rapid succession, likely trying to overwhelm me with it. Really? Of all the targets here, the knight goes after me?
 
"Cease your foolish actions. If you are a a knight in ther service of the country of Tristain, then I'm not the one you should be attacking." I said to the knight who still continued to attack me with wall after wall of wind. Despite the odd situation, I could not help but be curious as to who this knight was. The knight was silent-rapid casting wind spells that had more power behind them than a full-blown punch from Matilda's golem.
 
The knight then pulled back immediately cast a wall of wind to the left side while launching three wind lances in the same direction. I frowned when the sneak attack that my double tried to pull off was detected. My other half hissed in annoyance before she smacked away the wind lances launched at her, I narrowed my eyes when I noticed that it nearly took a full two seconds for her to break apart each lance. My double persisted despite that little surprise and thrust her parasol straight through the shield of wind.
 
"Hmmm..." I hummed contemplatively when I saw my other half's expression. It was confusion laced with surprise. Why? Because the shield held. A magic shield made by a human magician, who wasn't a Hakurei nor from Gensokyo, held fast against a direct strike from my other half. It was at that moment that I decided that I was likely facing the most powerful conventional  human magician in Tristain, probably even the entire realm. I then blinked before growling in realization that Wardes had once again slipped away. Okay, that does it.
 
"Return!" I declared humorlessly and my double instantly stopped its pursuit of the mystery magic knight. She smiled before blowing a kiss at her target and turning into a pile of sunflower petals before disappearing. The momentary surprise the knight had after my other half dissolved in mid-pursuit was all I needed. A simple rustle from my deep dark green wings later and I was upon my foe. To the knight's credit, he or she managed to catch my killing intent fast enough to cast another wind shield...as if that would help any.
 
"Who. Are. You?" I growled the question at the knight as I sank the fingers of my left hand into the shield. At the moment, I had no intention of killing the knight. If my foe really was a knight of Tristain then he or she will have some use...so long as the knight did not do anything monumentally stupid.
 
"I have no name to give to a monster drenched in the blood of man and beast." The muffled voice of the knight said before pulling away from me as I broke the wind shield with my bare hand.
 
"A woman?" I questioned. I did not notice it from the knight's appearance because of all the armor before but...that voice, though muffled and distorted because of the metal mask, was definitely that of a woman.
 
'Yuka! What is happening up there?! Where are you?! Ruukoto says that Viscount Wardes is headed right for us and sh--' The transmission cut off and a loud explosion of force came from the direction of Tarbes. My mouth went dry and I felt my heart stop. One moment. One single moment of fear the kind I have never felt in my entire existence. It only took one moment...and I exploded.
 
"LOUISE!" I roared before flying full tilt towards Tarbes. Wave upon wave upon wave of emotions assaulted me as I the seconds on during my approach to the village.
 
Why did I play around so much?
 
Why didn't I take this situation more seriously?
 
Why did I underestimate Wardes?
 
Why didn't I just vaporize that monster the moment I saw it?
 
Why did I let myself get so distracted by little things?
 
My thoughts raced as my anger rose when I saw the damage caused by the sudden attack. Half of the village square was completely destroyed along with several nearby buildings. The other part of the square looked untouched though it looked like something was hurled at one of the buildings and made a hole. I snarled when I didn't see Wardes anywhere.
 
I was torn.
 
I wanted very, very, very badly to end the existence of that wretch. However, my concern for Louise was just as great as my desire to kill, if not more. I was just about to call out my double once more when I was blindsided by that knight. I found myself on thr ground, pinned down by the knight's manticore. I wondered how she managed to catch up to me so quickly as she pointed her lance between my eyes while her mount threatened to bite my throat off at a moment's notice. I didn't have time for this! I have to--
 
"WHERE IS SHE?!" The knight all but screamed at me. I grabbed the runed lance with my left hand while pointing my parasol between her mount's eyes.
 
"I don't have time to worry about Henrietta, I have to fin--" A sudden explosion from one of the larger nearby houses caught both of our attentions and interrupted our little standoff.
 
"You didn't have to destroy the house!" The unmistakable sound of Louise reprimanding someone almost made my brain halt all functions. She was safe? She was safe and scolding someone...
 
"I apologize, mistress." I heard Ruukoto say just as it emerged from the newly made hole in the house. The gynoid had disabled its wings but still had its G-Revolver in its left hand. It turned to the situation I had myself in before tilting its head in contemplation.
 
"Do you require assistance Yuka?" It asked simply, likely dubious as to how much help I would actually needed in this situation. I was about to wave it away and disable the knight and its mount when I heard some noise and assorted voices from within the structure.
 
"Yuka?! Yuka's here?! Yuka! Get your butt over here! Now!" I heard Louise yell out. I did not know why, but my first impuls upon confirming my master's safety...was to laugh.
 
And laugh I did. I ignored the low threatening growl of the manticore as well as the annoyed look that the knight was giving me through her mask.
 
"What's going on?! Why are you laughing?! I'll be fine Helgarose. If Yuka's out there then we should be safe. Just stay here and help guard the princess." Louise said in a surprisingly commanding voice. I assumed that Ruukoto managed to get everyone into that building before Wardes made its attack. The gynoid also seemed to have protected said structure from the attack as well. I'll need to ask it about that later or see if Nitori's notes have anything on that kind of ability.
 
"It may not be safe to come out yet, mistress. Yuka seems to be in a sort of situation." Ruukoto warned Louise with a glance before looking back to me, probably formulating the best way to resolve the...situation...in case I was not able to.
 
"Please, Yuka is out there. What's the worse that could--" Louise's words froze along with her body when she saw me and the mystery knight. My master looked rather silly frozen mid-step while coming out of the hole Ruukoto made, though I was mildly impressed that she could remain balanced on all that loose stone with only one foot on the ground.
 
"Louise, we both know that this isn't the worst thing you've caught me doing..." I deadpanned, trying to snap Louise out of her trance. No response. In fact, she stayed that way even after everyone else in that building managed to come out. Even Kirche wasn't able to snap her out of her frozen state. Henrietta came out last and gasped when she saw me still being pinned down by the mystery manticore knight. Agnes and one other female knight, a blue-haired one kept their guard up at the strange but intimidating sight and made sure that they were between us and their princess. Tabitha looked at me directly, looking for something to go on. I gave a small shake of my head to indicate that she should do nothing. As powerful as the quiet girl was, this was a foe none of them can face and come out victorious.
 
"It brings me joy to see you safe, Princess Henrietta." The knight suddenly said after a momentary glance at the princess.
 
"That armor...that mantle..." The blue-haired female knight beside Agnes muttered loud enough for everyone to hear. Henrietta regarded the scene with a critical eye, not even flinching at the sight of me with wings or covered from head to toe with blood.
 
"That is the armor of the Tristain Manticore Knights..." The princess said carefully as if the snarling manticore on top of me wasn't evidence enough.
 
"Tell me...what is your name?" The princess asked the knight. She could have asked her to get the beast off of me before she asked that question but I supposed that Henrietta had her own sets of priorities.
 
"I was once known as Karin, former commander of the First Squadron of the First Order of Tristain Manticore Knights." The knight named Karin responded immediately. I heard the sound of something falling on the ground before Monmon started to frantically call out to Louise. I glanced at my master and saw that she had fainted.
 
That seemed familiar somehow but I couldn't place my finger on it at the time...
 
...

[nolrai2]

Nice.

[Blackraptor]

...
 
"Well...now that we've established that you are of the Tristain military, or was once one, would you please get your manticore off me?" I asked in a bored tone as I pointed at the offending beast with my parasol. I was tempted to poke it on the nose but I thought that the creature might try to bite my parasol and I would have ended up having to rip its head off for doing something so silly.
 
"Silence monster! You do not belong in this world!" The knight now known as Karin yelled at me while trying to look as intimidating as possible. I rolled my eyes at the gesture, both because I've been through something like this before and because nothing in this realm scares me short of Scarron...or possibly losing Louise, not that I would ever admit that.
 
"Karin, Knight of the Heavy Wind, I would ask you to please release Sir Kazami." Henrietta said to the masked rider. Karin regarded the princess with narrowed eyes as soon as she realized what Henrietta was asking.
 
"Yuka is fine. Though, releasing me would be a good idea lest I start becoming uncomfortable with my current position." I commented offhandedly, which Karin decided to ignore and address the princess instead.
 
"You know this...monster?" Karin asked. Since I wasn't really doing anything, my mind started to wander for a moment and I realized something. The only real way for a beast as hostile to humans as a manticore would ever willingly serve as a mount to one was if it was the familiar of the rider. Obviously, that shows how powerful Karin was to be able to summon and bind a manticore as a familiar, but it also showed something else. The beast was a familiar...but it wasn't afraid of me. Up until now, every familiar that first encounters me shows some degree of fear because of what I was. But this creature that was pinning me down...that I let pin me down...showed none of that. It was then that I decided that this 'Karin of the Heavy Wind' was an extremely interesting woman. She gets to live because of that.
 
"In fact I do. I owe Mister Yuka and his master, Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Valliere, great debts that I don't think I will ever be able to repay. Now please...I do not wish to make this an official order, especially to one who has done so much for our country." Henrietta explained before once again asking Karin to get her manticore off me. I noticed Karin look between me and the still unconscious Louise before looking back to Princess Henrietta.
 
"Very well..." The knight reluctantly obeyed the request but was still obviously on guard against me. I simply shook my head before sighing and dusting off my shit and vest...which was still caked with blood, but still. I stood up and gave Karin a momentary glance before walking to where my master and her friends were. There was another thing I didn't quite understand though. I saw Karin look to me and then to Louise directly when Henrietta told her that the straberry-blonde girl was my master. Out of all the people there, how did she know who Louise was in relaton to everyone else?
 
"Mister Yuka! What in Halkeginia happened to you? Are you hurt? By the founder, there's so much blood!" Guiche suddenly started blurting out when he finally got a good look at me, everyone else, except for Tabitha, had the same expression. Monmon also looked revulsed by my current appearance but chose to turn her attention back to Louise instead. I supposed that she was taking her duty as the team medic seriously, moreso since her best friend was the patient.
 
"Oh darling~! You look absolutely terrible~! Please don't tell me that all that blood is yours..." Kirche asked me in an oddly worried manner despite having her teasing voice.
 
"I'm fine. The blood isn't mine at all.." I responded with a casual wave of my hand.
 
"Take a bath after the battle." Tabitha muttered as I passed her before turning away.
 
"Thank you for the advice." I said to the young Gallian. I walked up to where Louise was lying just in time for Monmon to look up at me before--
 
"By the Founder, you look like you swam in a lake of blood! Gah! And you smell like a slaughter house!" Monmon exclaimed before covering her mouth and nose with her left hand.
 
"Yes, I am well aware of that. How is Louise?" I quickly dismissed Monmon's shot at me and asked about my master.
 
"She just fainted but I'm having quite a time trying to wake her back up." Monmon answered in slight frustration while keeping her hand over her nose.
 
"I can wake her up." I told her before kneeling at Louise's left side with Monmon across from me on my master's right. I leaned in close and tried something that Yukari once did to get Louise back up to her feet in Mugenkan.
 
"What is love~?" I whispered to Louise in a slightly sing-song voice. Monmon gave me a look that seemed to doubt my sanity but I simply smiled at her and waited for the effect to take place.
 
"Baby don't hurt me~!" Louise suddenly sat up and yelled out in a similar sing-song voice, grabbing everyone's attention. Louise looked around a bit confused before settling her eyes on me and scowling.
 
"What is love?! How dare you use that on me! Do you have any idea how embarrassing that is?!" Louise yelled at me with a furious blush on her face before starting to smack me on the arm with her hands.
 
"Mind the blood Louise." I reminded my master and she responded by trying to hit me harder as if doing so would actually hurt me.
 
"Are...are you alright now, Louise Francoise?" Henrietta called out to her friend. The effect was immediate as my master ceased her 'attacks' on me and stood up to greet the princess.
 
"I'm perfectly alright, your highness! I'm--" Louise's response was cut short when she suddenly froze up again after seeing Karin.
 
"...doing it again. Snap out of it Louise." I said as I poked my master at the back of the head.
 
"Come on, we don't have time for this. We still need to rendezvous with Prince Wales and get him to talk to the Albion Armada on top of destroying your undead former fiance as well as keeping Wales and Henrietta alive through the whole ordeal." I reminded her while poking her head at regular intervals. I chose to leave out keeping Charlotte Helene Orleans De Gallia alive since we didn't know that she was even here or where she was at the moment. No need to deal with something that would just waste our time.
 
"Keeping Prince Wales and I alive?" The princess of Tristain blinked in surprise at what I just said. I looked around and it seemed that all eyes were upon me. Even the knight, Karin, was looking at me with narrowed eyes. I glanced at her manticore and almost raised a brow when I saw that it too was looking at me. I thought that it just regarded me as a threat and was just keeping its guard up but I saw the kind of clarity its eyes had and it looked like...understanding. As intriguing as that was, I didn't have the time for it.
 
"Yes. The current running plan right now has three objectives..." I then relayed the 'Victory Conditions' that 'The Voice' gave me earlier. They all seemed to doubt it at first but I then pointed out that we needed to accomplish two of those three objectives anyway and that the last objective was just something that Prince Wales himself wanted to do.
 
"Well? What are you all still doing here then? The remaining soldiers along with the rest of us should be enough to protect Tarbes and Princess Henrietta while you and the rest go off and save the day~" Kirche pointed out and provided a rough strategy on how to pull it off.
 
"Agreed." Tabitha agreed with the Germanian's suggestion.
 
"Indeed. As long as you can keep Viscount Wardes in check or simply get rid of him, I think that we can manage holding Tarbes until you accomplish everything." Guiche piped up with a smile. I noted that he was standing right next to Monmon and was holding her trembling hand. I looked at my master and she was staring at me rather intently.
 
"Can we really do this?" Louise asked me simply.
 
"Of course we can. Ruukoto and I were only holding back because our original objective was simply to defend Tarbes. Now that we have actual objectives for victory...they won't stand a chance." I replied with a smile, one that Louise returned. She then turned to the oddly silent princess.
 
"Princess! Please let us do this! Yuka, Ruukoto, and I will defeat Viscount Wardes and help Prince Wales to speak with the Albion Armada!" Louise all but shouted to her old friend with as much fire and determination that she can muster. I could still sense that she was scared about what might happen while we were up there, but the courage and confidence she developed through her training in Mugenkan and her own experience here in her realm overshadowed that fear by a large margin. Henrietta and the two knights with her looked rather surprised at the enthusiasm my master was showing even though she was asking to dive head first into a major aerial battle.
 
"Louise Francoise...are you sure about this--" Henrietta was not able to complete her question because Karin cut her off.
 
"With all due respect, your highness. However, you cannot be serious in putting your faith in a plan that was concocted by a monster and endorsed by a child!" The masked knight stated as she dismounted her manticore and approached Henrietta. She seemed to have left her lance with her manticore but I could still see a sword on her side and she probably had some surprises hidden in that armer as well. Louise winced and started to take steps back when Karin started to walk toward us. I stepped behind her and held her shoulder with my left hand like when she first met Yukari. Louise stiffened at my grasp before visibly relaxing when she realized that it was me.
 
The princess regarded the masked knight for a few moments before turning back to us. Must have been quite the sight. A young teenage magician standing in front of a blood covered dark green winged monster behind her and a white winged maid to her side.
 
"I believe in them." Princess Henrietta De Tristain finally said before turning back to Karin.
 
"You are willing to place the fate of this country in the hands of a child and a monster?" The former manticore knight commander asked before glaring at me and Louise. I wasn't about to take any more of that so I moved in front of my master to shield her from any more hard looks and harsh words from the former commander. I glanced to my side when I saw Ruukoto move in front of me to look at the knight dead in the eye.
 
"And who are you? You obviously don't look like a normal human either." Karin cooly regarded the gynoid. Ruukoto remained silent while tilting its head to the side. I couldn't see its expression because I was behind it but I assumed that Ruukoto was just staring at Karin with those strangely warm blue eyes whenever it uses 'White Noise' ability. The gynoid straightened out before giving a perfect curtsy to the knight.
 
"I am Ruukoto Unit-One Version-Four. I have been known as many things by many beings. The Metal Maid of the Shrine Maiden of Paradise. The successor and final surviving product of Project KOS-MIC. The Steel Goddess of Tarbes. However, I have recently swore lifelong service under Mistress Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Valliere as her protector and personal maid." Ruukoto provided its name and various other titles that it had built up during the course of its existence. It stood up straight once more before giving a low bow to the knight. I raised a brow at the odd gesture but the gynoid gave the reason once it straightened up again.
 
"It is unexpected but still an honor to meet a relative of my mistress. May I ask your exact relation to Mistress Louise?" Ruukoto casually stated but the words it spoke and the question it asked were quite...surprising to say the least.
 
"Karin 'The Heavy Wind' is related to Louise?!" Monmon suddenly exclaimed nearby, likely voicing everyone's thoughts at the moment. Everyone there had looks of varying surprise aside from Louise, Karin, and Ruukoto. Even Tabitha looked between the knight and my master with widened eyes.
 
"Is this true?" I asked my master. Louise fidgeted in place and suddenly found something on the ground that was very interesting to observe. Instead of Louise, or even Karin, Ruukoto was the one who answered.
 
"Lady Karin and Mistress Louise share enough biological information to infer that they are of close blood relation. Minimum estimate is at least that of an aunt and niece." The gynoid explained matter-of-factly.
 
"And how pray tell did you come across a sample of Karin's 'biological information' for you to reach that conclusion?" I asked dubiously while folding my arms and leaning back.
 
"The area currently saturated with..." Ruukoto started to explain the reasoning behind its conclusion. The contents therein were finely detailed and sounded very straight to the point...but none of us could understand it. I could somehow get the basic concept of how it did it but the actual specifics were lost on me as with everyone else if their expressions were to be believed.
 
"...Are there any questions?" Ruukoto asked the standard question after giving a long informative lecture on something. I glanced around and noticed that the whole thing seemed to have sailed over everyone's heads...even Karin and Tabitha. I decided to move things forward and get this done so I cleared my throat to get everyone's attention.
 
"For the benefit of those who did not quite understand your explanation..." Which was likely everyone here...
 
"...basically, you created an energy shield to take the brunt of Wardes' attack. However, you needed to disperse nanomachines into the air to help make the shield dense enough and strong enough to prevent it from breaking. The nanomachines lingered in the air long enough so when Karin and I came here, some of them managed to stick onto her and register her biological information before they all dissolved into nothingness. Was that right?" I explained and asked the gynoid for any clarification.
 
"That was...an abridged explanation but not incorrect." Ruukoto answered with a nod.
 
"What are nanomachines?" Henrietta suddenly asked.
 
"It's complicated." Louise, Monmon, Guiche, Kirche, Tabitha, and I all said at the same time.
 
"I see..." The princess responded with an uncertain smile.
 
"How did you even figure all that out on your own anyway darling~? I mean, I knew that you are ama~zing, but to understand all that mumbo-jumbo as well~? I'm falling in love all over again~" Kirche gushed while looking like she was writhing in place. She still kept her distance from me though because of all the blood on me.
 
"Stop that..." Louise immediately interjected after Kirche finished speaking. My master still looked uncomfortable but even that wasn't enough for her to stop taking shots at the Germanian.
 
"You don't have to be so jealous, Louise~! I'm sure I can still...squeeze you in somewhere comfortable~" The red head shot back, earning her a red hot glare from my master. I suppressed a smile when I realized what Kirche was really trying to accomplish. The girl was trying to take Louise's mind off all the stress, if only for a few moments. It was times that this when I was reminded that Louise had good friends, even though they don't all seem to get along on the surface.
 
"To answer your question...I did not actually understand the specifics of what Ruukoto said. However I understood the underlying concepts involved to a degree because I've encountered situations similar to that in the past." I explained to get everything back on track. I noticed Henrietta and her two escorts look at me with somewhat awed but curious eyes.
 
"I've had an interesting life..." I stated simply.
 
"So the legendary Karin 'The Heavy Wind' really is your aunt?! That's amazing! Why didn't you ever tell us?" Monmon exclaimed in surprise and awe at the apparent discovery. Louise winced at her friends words and glanced at Karin before looking back down on the ground.
 
"No...she's not...my aunt..." Louise muttered as if ashamed about something.
 
"That is correct." Karin finally spoke up while looking right at us. Louise started to back away again but Monmon walked up next to her and held her friends hand. Kirche did the same and took Louise's other hand. Guiche stood at Monmon's side while Tabitha tood at Kirche's. My master looked at her friends in bewilderment and was rewarded with warm smiles from each of them. Louise pursed her lips and looked down as if trying to bite back tears. I glanced at Henrietta and saw that the crown princess looked like she wanted to join in and embrace Louise like she normally does. I saw Karin regard my master and her friends for a few moments before speaking once more.
 
"My full name is Karin Desiree de la Valliere and I...am her mother." Karin clearly stated, adding more shock to everyone there. The metal mask she was wearing made her voice slightly muffled but the sound echoed within it making it sound like the rumbling growl of a powerful beast.
 
"No! That can't be!" Guiche suddenly blurted out, voicing his disbelief.
 
"That's impossible!" Kirche added immediately afterward. Considering her original opinion about Louise, the news must have been quite the shock to her as well. Karin looked straight in my eyes and I had a realization just as she started speaking again.
 
"Search your heart, if you have one...you know it to be true." The woman said in a way that left no room for any argument. That was the reason why her eyes looked so familiar to me. They looked like Louise's eye whenever the fire of her determination started to burn. Karin's eyes were the same but they seemed to always have that look. I was starting to understand where my master's stubbornness came from.
 
Louise remained silent while everyone else looked too surprised to do much else, even Tabitha was uncharacteristically blinking in confusion at the revelation. I did not know the kinds of exploits and accomplishments Karin had but due to the way she fought me earlier and the reactions of everyone here, I concluded that my master's mother was quite the woman. She reminded me of a much more stubborn and hard edged version of Reika Hakurei. Considering what Reika's daughter ended up becoming, I couldn't help but start drawing strange parallels between Louise and Reimu. Of course, Reimu never had any problems when it came to the talent department but I was certain that Louise will take her magic into her own once we learn more about the Void Element.
 
I suddenly gave out a chuckle when I imagined Louise performing high-end Hakurei spells like 'Dragon Slaying Circle' or one of the many 'Fantasy Seal' variants. I noticed my master's mother narrow her steely eyes at me and I wondered if she thought that I found her words amusing. I huffed and inclined my head respectfully to her. I did not fear the human but she would be quite useful in our plan.
 
"I apologize if I offended you, Madame Valliere. I did not realize your relation to my master." I offered with a warm smile before continuing.
 
"I am Yuka Kazami. I was summoned by your daughter during their Springtime Familiar Summoning Ritual and subsequently became her familiar. I am a being from a realm different from this one but I have found living in Halkeginia to be quite...novel. As you have likely deduced, I am no mere mortal and quite formidable in combat. Of course, given better circumstances, you will find that I am one with refined tastes and decorum." I continued with the same warm smile before shifting to one of 'those' smiles.
 
"After all, a youkai's politeness is directly proportional to their power." I concluded my formal introduction to Karin. It had the effect that I expected with Karin suddenly giving me more than a measured look while Henrietta stared at me with renewed curiosity. Louise and her friends all already knew what I was and Ruukoto came from the same place I did so they all just took my words in stride. I chose to keep the fact that Louise was a Void Mage a secret from her mother for now. I did not know how she would react to the news, even though she and Henrietta's knights were the only ones who didn't know, and you never know who might be listening in. I would personally like to thank the Lunarians for my apprehension towards possibly hidden evesdroppers.
 
"Now that we have all that cleared up, I would like to move things on and ask for your assistance in our little mission plan." I said with another one of my warm smiles and the tension in the air suddenly got thicker.
 
"And why should I help a monster like you?" The woman asked me with thinly veiled disdain. I smiled at the way she was treating me. She was treating me like a monster...a very wise woman indeed. I shook my head when I realized my increasing interest in my master's mother and answered her question.
 
"Because your daughter is willing to risk her life to save this village regardless if you agree to come along or not. Of course, any additional help from one as skilled as you would be appreciated." I stated something that should have been obvious. The woman gave tried to burn a hole between my eyes with the way she was glaring at me before turning to my master. I was almost starting to think that Karin didn't like me.
 
"Do you really think that the battle will just end if the objectives of your familiar are accomplished?" Karin asked her daughter. Louise flinched at the sudden scrutiny, as did her friends. I saw Ruukoto look at me before starting to maneuver to stand between its mistress and Karin. I gave the gynoid a brief shake of my head to stop it from doing so. Ruukoto narrowed her eyes at me in silent protest but backed off all the same. Now, how will you handle this Louise? The fear mingling with persistently burning determination in her eyes show that my master held great fear of her mother. There was probably a time when she would simply obey the woman without any question because of how overwhelmingly intimidating Karin was.
 
Of course, that was then...
 
"I..." Louise started, squeezing Monmon and Kirche's hands before her friends obliged her by squeezing back.
 
And this is now...
 
"I believe in Yuka's judgement!" Louise said out loud for all to hear. Even Karin herself showed the slightest hint of surprise in her eyes for but a second before her usual look was restored as if nothing happened.
 
"I know...I know better than anyone that I wasn't talented at magic. I know that I was incapable of performing even the simplest of spells without it failing spectacularly and blowing up in my face. I know how far I have to go to even get any sliver of your approval. But its different now mother..." Louise explained with her voice clear and void of any hesitation or suttering she used to have. My master looked at me and her features softened for a moment before regaining her hardened edge when she turned back to Karin.
 
"When I summoned Yuka this past spring and he willingly became my familiar...my partner...it all started to change. Yuka has been through a lot. He has been around for over a thousand years and has become arguably the strongest in his realm. At first, I didn't believe him...I thought he was just a commoner and my summoning was just another notch in my long list of failures. But he proved me wrong. You should know by now how powerful Yuka is." Louise continued her explanation. Karin looked at me as soon as her daughter reminded her of my power.
 
"Yes, and I wonder why exactly a being like that would willingly stay as a familiar of a mortal girl who was a failure at magic?" Karin asked accusingly while giving me a look of hidden anger. I let her words slide and decided to answer in my master's behalf since I never really told anyone just why I remained as Louise's familiar.
 
"It was because I have been where she was at the time." I said, getting everyone's attention and taking the heat off my master for a bit.
 
"Explain yourself." The woman commanded as if her words held any sway on me. I chuckled it away since it was amusing to see a human who was still rather fearless before me despite the situation. I ignored her reactive glare at my chuckle and answered the question.
 
"I intimately know the feeling of helplessness of being unable to do anything right. What you see before you is the peak of my ability, fifteen-hundred years of experience and power. Of course, everything starts somewhere. There was a time when I was young, when my innate power to manipulate flowers was all I had. That was it. Nothing else. I once thought that 'a stupid ability like that will never be useful or ever amount to anything'." I started before giving my master a smirk. She gasped and blushed when she realized that those were the very words she told me the day we first met. I turned back to Karin and continued.
 
"Unlike Louise, I did not grow up in relative comfort. The realm I grew up in was a harsh place to live in at the time. Death was a very common thing there regardless of what you were, human or otherwise. A savage world. I was alone. I was weak. I barely had any means to defend myself. I lost count how many times and how many ways I would have died during my first half-century." I stated, earning a few gasps and surprised expressions from the others. Whatever they were imagining as to what life was like back then, the reality was worse. Louise in particular looked at me with renewed disbelief. It was understandable since the stories she had heard about my life, even her dream about my memories of the Mystic Square incident, all took place long after I became powerful enough to be such a big a threat that very few would dare try to challenge me.
 
"That is horrible...how did you survive?" Guiche asked the unvoiced question.
 
"I dealt with it." I said with a smile while folding my arms and leaning back. That seemed to be rather vague for them so I elaborated.
 
"I refused to die. No matter how close I was to losing my life, no matter of man or monster I faced, no matter how much my body wanted to simply give up and die...I refused to do so. After a series of events that finally helped me established a means for me to become stronger, I never looked back." I said with a nod. Of course, I was talking about my establishment of Mugenkan, my continuing mastery of my flower manipulation, my discovery of Master Spark and subsequent meeting with the Golden Witch, and countless other things great and small that helped me become as strong as I am today.
 
"I have been through much, as your daughter has already stated Madame Valliere. I willingly stayed with Louise because she reminded me of myself during the time when I thought myself the weakest in my realm. That obviously changed and I wanted to know if my master was also capable of overcoming or working around her limitations." I continued and saw Karin glance at her daughter and narrowed her eyes. Blink and one might have missed the hidden question in her gaze: 'Did she?'
 
"You should be proud of your daughter. She was nothing more than a pile of doubt and self-loathing when we first met. She used her anger and pride as a shield against the truth. However, through experience and teaching, she overcame that and more." Louise blushed furiously at my words and refused to meet anyone's eyes.
 
"She has learned to respect the power and value of others, regardless of their origin. She has learned to see the possibilities that hid even in failure. She has learned how to turn her bane into an advantage. She has learned how to overcome great fear, even the fear of death itself if the situation called for it. She has learened how to maximize the gifts that the world gave her. As you can see, she has even gained friends that are willing to brave a battlefield with her." Louise's blush deepened even further and I even saw Monmon wince a bit, probably because of how hard my master was squeezing her hand.
 
"Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Valliere has grown a great deal without you looking and she will continue to grow still. I have watched her every step of the way thus far and I can honestly say that a being like this..." I pointed at myself while smirking at Karin.
 
"...is proud to have a master such as her." I pointed to Louise while keeping the same smirk. As though through some sort of ridiculous timing, Ruukoto suddenly looked tense and looked at me and Louise in turn.
 
"Alert! Anomaly Cloud has resumed advance towards Tarbes! Immediate action is advised!" The gynoid stated with no small sense of urgency. Everyone suddenly looked tense because of the news and how Ruukoto delivered it.
 
"What does that mean?" Henrietta asked Louise and I, her tone changing to a neutral and professional one that one would expect from a ruler. The Anomaly Cloud was what Ruukoto called Wardes and the Albion Armada back when we didn't know that it was them. The fact that it was moving again meant...
 
"The Albion Armada is advancing...and it looks like nothing is preventing them from doing so anymore." I answered directly.
 
"What about Prince Wales?! Isn't he still out there?" My master suddenly interjected.
 
"Yes, I left him in the care of Wardes' old squadron when they rendezvoused with an intact Tristain ship...the Challenger, I think it was called. We are almost out of time..." I muttered while thinking of the best way we could still accomplish everything that 'The Voice' said.
 
"The Sixty-Sixth...yes, they are capable knights." Henrietta nodded with understanding that was obviously overshadowed by her worry for her lover. I grunted a reply and turned to Karin.
 
"We need your help." I said as a statement and not a question. If Karin refused to assist us then the battle was lost and I would have no choice but to minimize damage by annihilating everything in the sky. I didn't think my master would appreciate that course of action, so everything was hanging on her mother's cooperation.
 
"You still believe that victory is possible?" The masked knight asked me.
 
"If we can get Louise and Ruukoto to Wales and if the prince is still alive, yes. I'll deal with Wardes." I immediately responded with a serious expression. The woman studied me for a few moments before glancing at Ruukoto and Louise in turn.
 
"Karin...please...trust in your daughter and her familiar." Princess Henrietta de Tristain pleaded, which sounded like a thinly veiled order because of her tone of voice. The former commander looked at her princess then to me and to her daughter.
 
"You will be riding with me." Karin said to Louise before immediately turning to her manticore and walking away, the action making her cape billow in the air. I smiled at the development while Louise looked absolutely shocked at the prospect of riding to battle with her mother.
 
"Don't just stand there staring at your mom like a monkey. Move!" Derf finally spoke after remaining silent for so long...I actually forgot that the six-thousand year old sentient magic sword was still strapped to Louise's back. The sword's words seemed to have snapped my master out of her trance and glanced at me and Ruukoto. We both nodded to her and she began to follow her mother, who was already mounting her manticore and re-arming herself with her runed lance.
 
"Wait." Tabitha suddenly called out to Louise. My master looked at the Gallian with a confused expression but Tabitha just ignored it and put her thumb and index finger in her mouth and whistled. Sylphid flew over us and landed nearby in short order and Tabitha started to walk to her familiar.
 
"Come over here." She said to Louise and my master followed her friend. They both reached Tabitha's drake and I raised a brow when the blue-haired girl reached into a large bag that was strapped on her familiar's back.
 
"Oh..." I muttered with a nod when Tabitha pulled out Louise's hat along with the Founder's Prayer Book. Even more surprising, she then pulled out my straw hat as well.
 
"You forgot these..." Tabitha said simply before handing Louise her hat and book.
 
"Thank you!" Louise exclaimed before giving Tabitha a big hug and putting on her hat, but not before placing the Founder's Prayer Book on her head first.
 
"Why does Tabitha get a hug and I don't~?" Kirche muttered before glancing at me with hopeful eyes. The hope died when she remembered that I was still a walking bloodbath. She looked around and smiled before gesturing a hug from Guiche.
 
"Oh no you don't!" Monmon immediately exclaimed and stood between Kirche and Guiche.
 
"Monmon..." Guiche called out the girl's name with tears in his eyes. I smiled when I saw Monmon start blushing deeply while glaring at the redhead. It seemed that Guiche finally earned his lover back. My smile went away when Kirche looked at Monmon and smirked.
 
"Fine, you'll do~" Monmon didn't even get the chance to look at the Germanian incredulously before she was swallowed up by Kirche's embrace. I shook my head at the scene and walked up to Louise and Tabitha to retrieve my hat.
 
"Thank you for bringing them along. Although, why did you wait so long before telling us about it?" I asked the young magician with a raised brow.
 
"You never asked." Touche...
 
"Very well. Take care of everyone else here, would you? We all know that you are the most capable one among your little group." I told Tabitha while putting on my hat. I cast a spell on it to make sure it does not leave my head unless I personally took it off. I did the same for Louise's hat, but not before explaining to my master what the spell did.
 
"Come back alive." Tabitha added, to which Louise and I nodded. My master gave her friend one more hug before walking up to Princess Henrietta.
 
"Prince--" Was all my master got out before she was engulfed in an embrace...it seemed that the princess was not able to contain herself any longer.
 
"Come back safely. This is an official Royal Command from your princess. Do you understand, Louise Francoise? I will not tolerate anything less." Henrietta said, her voice cracking with each word uttered.
 
"I will..." Louise responded while returning her old friend's hug. The princess reluctantly let my master go and backed away. Her escorts stood by her side but their eyes showed that they wished us well.
 
"Louise." Monmon called out to her friend after finally freeing herself from Kirche. Guiche stood at her side and both of them were smiling at my master.
 
"Be safe..." Was all Guiche said with a nod.
 
"Come back to us, okay?" Monmon said before hugging Louise, which my master returned.
 
"Of course." Louise answered. They let go of each other and the strawberry-blonde girl turned to meet her former nemesis Kirche.
 
"I'm not going to hug you." Louise immediately said in an annoyed tone. Kirche responded by barking out a laugh.
 
"Silly Louise~! Hugs are so outdated between us~" Kirche said before suddenly grabbing the sides of my master's face and leaning in to kiss her on the forehead. Several gasps could be heard and my master was suddenly reduced to a stammering pile of goo.
 
"Hawawawawawawawawa!" Louise repeated over and over again with her face as bright red as it could possibly get. I saw Kirche smile gently at her friend before gently pressing their foreheads together and closing her eyes.
 
"In brightest day or darkest night. May the spirits and the founder watch over you and keep you safe. I give you my strength and my blessing so you may overcome the challenges you may face." Kirche solemnly said, snapping Louise out of her stupor. The redhead moved back a bit before leaning in again to give another kiss on Louise' forehead. Thankfully, my master didn't short out this time.
 
"One more, just to be sure~" Kirche playfully said with a wink. She and Louise stared at each other for a few moments before bursting out in laughter.
 
Twenty minutes later, we were in the sky and headed off to intercept the Albion Armada.
 
It was time to end this little battle.

...

[Blackraptor]

This is getting way longer than I had originally expected it to...seriously...

...
 
'Follow me and try to keep up. Ignore the Red Dragon Knights as much as possible.' I stated from the front of our group as we flew closer and closer to the Albion Armada.
 
I had Ruukoto provide Karin a 'Hey-Listen' before we left for communication purposes. The knight was very wary of the device and it took Louise ten minutes to convince her mother to use it and another five to teach her how it worked.
 
'Are you certain that you can find the prince?' Karin inquired, proving her skill at adapting to a situation quickly as well as her policy of getting the job done by tolerating me and treating me as one would an ally...at least for now. Louise was riding with her and was hanging onto her mother's cape as they flew. The spell I put on our hats did its job and prevented our headwear from being blown away. However, Louise still sometimes reached up to hold her hat steady whenever a particularly strong gust blew. I momentarily wondered how Karin and the other mounted knights prevented their hats from being blown away before answering the woman's question.
 
'I have a pretty good way of finding out.' I said with a smirk before switching from the 'Hey-Listen' to the wind enchantment that Scarface put on me.
 
'Scarface, are you there? This is Yuka. Captain Falcone?' I called out to the knight using the enchantment. I felt the spell work and my words seemed to have been sent out but no one was responding yet.
 
'Yuka to Scarface. Yuka to Scarface. Answer me dammit!' I tried again. I blinked when I thought I heard something. Was I out of range?
 
'This is Griffin Knight Lyner Alec la Pyrean, call sign Red...We're--dammit!' A different voice replied before getting interrupted by something. I remembered that voice as the knight that gave that snide comment about Prince Wales' judgement of character.
 
'What's going on? What happened to Scarface?' I asked as we flew past the first few ships. Some Red Dragon Knights tried to pursue us but Ruukoto and Karin managed to pick them off without much trouble.
 
'It's Captain Wardes! He's trying to go after Prince Wales! We're holding him off but he's kicking our ass!' Red stated with obvious effort. I concentrated and found the trail of magic that linked the wind enchantment on me with the rest of the Sixty-Sixth. The brighter trail of magic indicated the active link between me and Red.
 
'Understood. Help is on the way.' I said simply before switching back to the 'Hey-Listen'.
 
'The Sixty-Sixth are in trouble. Wardes is trying to kill Prince Wales and they're trying to stop him. We're not about to let that abomination do that, so follow me.' I told Louise, Karin, and Ruukoto before speeding up.
 
'Understood, remaining in formation.' Ruukoto immediately replied.
 
'Don't get used to this, monster. I don't take orders from you.' Karin coldly stated and I could almost feel her trying to burn a glare right through me.
 
'We don't have time for this mother! Prince Wales is in danger and we have to save him!' My master exclaimed in protest before pointing out the obvious.
 
'Do not think to raise your voice against me, daughter. I am only going along with this in order to get these Albion dogs off my skies.' The apparent living legend warned her daughter.
 
'Now now, no need to fight. It was merely a request.' I pointed out just as a flight of four Red Dragon Knights came around one of the Albion ships we were passing before making a bee line right for us.
 
'Where do these Red Dragon Knights keep coming from?' I asked in mild annoyance. I prepared to face the fools but Ruukoto beat me to the punch as gynoid accelerated past me.
 
R-Cannon
 
G-Revolver
 
I heard the weapon declarations before Ruukoto's right arm turned into a sleek white cannon while its left hand held the newly materialized revolver. The gynoid took quick aim and fired with uncanny precision, making very short work of the interception attempt.
 
"Like shooting faries in a hallway." I commented to myself after Ruukoto demonstrated how effective its weapons were when they were used within their intended range.
 
'Nicely done.' I stated after Ruukoto moved back in formation. Its right arm morphed back to normal but its left hand was still holding its G-Revolver.
 
'I will not let anything harm my mistress.' Ruukoto said with a nod.
 
'Good job Ruukoto!' Louise exclaimed with no small sense of pride.
 
'Thank you, Mistress Louise.' The gynoid responded to its mistress' voice with a ghost of a smile.
 
'Effective weapons.' Karin commented nonchalantly as she glanced at Ruukoto before focusing her eyes forward. I felt her magic rise faintly for a moment before settling down. She was good at masking her emotions. That small rise in her magic may as well have been the equivalent of a gasp of surprise from Louise.
 
'Thank you, Madame Valliere.' Ruukoto responded, taking the words of Louise's mother as a compliment.
 
It didn't take much longer for us to finally find Wardes and his old squadron doing battle a fair distance away from the ship that should be holding the prince.
 
'Madame Valliere, Ruukoto, Louise, get to that ship and see if Prince Wales is alive. If he is then explain that Ruukoto can help him speak with his countrymen, Ruukoto can take care of it there.' I stated while pointing to the 'Challenger'.
 
'What about Viscount Wardes?' Louise asked.
 
'I'll take care of it. Remember your training, Louise.' I answered before flying right at Wardes. The abomination was about to skewer one of Scarface's subbordinates with its runed lance when it suddenly turned to me, just in time for me to slam into it with a shoulder tackle. Wardes was not able to put up a shield before I hit it, making that the first clean hit I've made on it. The force of the blow made it scream across the sky and  slam into an unsuspectiong Red Dragon Knight before smashing into an unsuspecting ship.
 
'Haha! Not bad!' I heard the griffin knight I assisted say. I turned to the knight and saw that his uniform was damaged in various places but his armor seemed to be mostly intact.
 
'Thanks for the help. Call sign Larry.' The knight who presented himself as 'Larry', such a bland call sign, continued before extending his left hand for a handshake.
 
'My name is Yuka. A pleasure to meet you.' I replied before shaking the man's hand. He looked older than the other members of his squadron, even older than Scarface and Wardes before my double killed the former Viscount, but his eyes spoke of cunning and experience.
 
'Yo buddy, still alive?' Another of the knights called out using the wind enchantment as he and his mount flew closer. I saw that this knight had long black hair and had dark skin like Kirche. The rest of the knights flew closer to us and I saw Scarface among them.
 
'Very funny, Trombe.' I heard Larry quip before he and the knight known as Trombe bumped their fists together.
 
'Glad to see you decided to join the fun. I thought you said that you'd take care of Jaques?' Scarface dryly said when he and his subbordinates got close enough.
 
'I apologize. He slipped away when an unexpected guest showed up and attacked me and the former Viscount.' I explained.
 
'Friendly?' The Knight Captain asked with a raised brow.
 
'Indeed, and quite powerful as well. Do you know of Karin 'The Heavy Wind'?' I answered and asked them with a sly smile.
 
'By Brimir's Beard, 'The Heavy Wind' is here?!' The knight known as Trombe exclaimed, Scarface and the other knights looked just as surprised.
 
'You're certain?' Scarface asked me with a particularly serious voice.
 
'Indeed. Karin should be on the Challenger by now and helping Prince Wales with something. In the meantime, Wardes needs to die...again.' I stated just as a loud explosion was heared from the ship where Wardes crashed into. The former Viscount shot out of the ship just as the vessel started to capsize and likely start falling to its doom.
 
'Do you need any help?' Scarface asked as we all looked at our foe.
 
'No. I have some things I wish to personally work through with the former Viscount. I highly suggest that you rendezvous with Karin on the Challenger in case some more Red Dragon Knights decide to test their luck.' I responded and heared a sigh from the knight with the red griffin.
 
'Where do those guys keep coming from anyway? Do they have Red Dragon Factories or something?' The knight asked with a frustrated huff. I heared some of the other knights chuckle to that.
 
'Alright. Give him hell for us.' The Knight Captain said before maneuvering his squadron back to the Challenger. I cracked my neck to prepare to take out Wardes once and for all. I hummed before tapping on my 'Hey-Listen'.
 
'The Sixty-Sixth are headed your way to reinforce your position. I'll be taking care of Wardes now.' I informed Karin, Louise, and Ruukoto before flapping my wings once and flying right at the abomination.
 
...
 
"Your highness!" Louise exclaimed just as her group reached the Challenger. Wales could be seen on deck and issuing orders as well as helping the wounded. The heir to the Albion throne looked up from where he was and saw Louise waving. He wasn't sure what to think of her company though.
 
A masked armored knight riding a large manticore that had a Commander-Rank Shuttlecock provided Louise's means of transportation.
 
A white winged flying armored maid that was armed with an odd but deadly looking white-silver pistol.
 
Wales couldn't even begin to fathom how a teenage student of the  Tristain Magic Academy would even meet such people.
 
"Milady Valliere, what are you doing here?" Wales asked Louise after Karin's manticore landed on the deck of the Challenger. Both the young Void mage and her mother dismounted the familiar while Ruukoto landed a short distance away.
 
"Louise is fine, your highness. Anyway, we're here to help you. Yuka told me that you want to know how you can talk to the Albion Armada and we have a way how." Louise quickly explained. Wales nodded as he considered her words before his gaze drifted to the masked Manticore Knight Commander and the winged maid. Louise noticed his gaze and suddenly became a bit uncomfortable.
 
"Umm...this is...I mean..." Louise stuttered tried to come up with some way to explain why she came in with a Manticore Knight, an officer no less! She knew how big a deal it was to keep her mother's identity a secret because of her legend. The only reason why she revealed who she was back in Tarbes was because of the situation and because it was a direct question from Princess Henrietta. Prince Wales may be royalty but he was the prince of a different country...the very country that was invading! Thankfully, her mother decided to speak up instead.
 
"Greetings Prince Wales Tudor. It is an honor to finally meet you, though I wish that we would have met under better circumstances." Karin stated respectfully before bowing to the prince. Thanks to the general craziness of the situation, the mask that she was wearing was enough to distort her voice enough so one could not determine if the speaker was a man or a woman. Karin stood back up straight before continuing.
 
"I am a former Manticore Knight Commander and an ally of the Valliere family. I'm afraid I cannot provide my true name because of circumstances but you may refer to me as...Kain." Karin stated with a nod of her head. Louise blinked and repressed the urge to give out her characteristic 'urk' when she realized what her mother had done. Karin had effectively created a practically anonymous code name just by removing the middle letter of her real name.
 
"I understand. Any ally of Milady Louise's family is a an ally of mine and thus an ally of the true Royal Family of Albion." Wales said before extending his hand towards Karin for a handshake. The former Manticore Knight Commander obliged the prince by shaking his hand, though it was a somewhat odd experience for her to be shaking the hand of the heir to the Albion throne. Although, the young man's words raised a few questions for Karin.
 
"You seem to personally know Louise and have quite a high opinion of her." Karin casually pointed out before ending the handshake. Louise felt herself tense up at her mother's comment.
 
Of course she would wonder why Prince Wales and I know each other! We never told her about the mission to Albion! Louise thought in horror. Ruukoto looked at her mistress in wonder when she noticed her increased heart rate and tension. The gynoid decided to chalk it up to Louise's usual quirks after she did not find any evidence that Louise's condition was life threatening. Louise's distress went unnoticed by Prince Wales and the young man answered Karin's question with a smile.
 
"That and more Sir Kain! I would not be here today were it not for Milady Valliere's bravery as well as the power and creativity of Sir Yuka Kazami. They saved my life on Albion and I have placed my full trust in both of them since. I am certain that Princess Henrietta is of the same opinion as well. Milady Louise is a paragon of what young nobles should aspire to be!" Prince Wales stated enthusiastically before looking at Louise and giving her a warm smile, one that Karin clearly noticed. Louise momentarily blushed from the sudden praise and the gesture...but said blush froze over when she noticed her mother giving her a not so amused glance. Even when only her eyes were visible, Louise knew very well that Karin was not happy about finding out about the Albion rescue incident.
 
"I see..." Karin said simply before looking straight at Louise. The young Void Mage fidgited uncomfortably at her mother's unrelenting glare and she couldn't even understand why! This was not the best situation for a scolding!
 
"Louise...did you not have a means of helping Prince Wales?" Karin finally spoke and Louise blinked in realization.
 
"Right! Your highness, this is Ruukoto. She will help you to be able to speak with the Albion Armada." Louise quickly stated as she gestured to her gynoid. Ruukoto stepped forward and bowed deeply to the prince.
 
"Greetings, your highness. I am Combat Maid Gynoid designation Ruukoto Unit-One Version-Four, though calling me Ruukoto would be adequate." Ruukoto introduced herself before standing back up straight.
 
"A pleasure to meet you Miss Ruukoto." The good natured prince returned the greeting with a smile, his eyes glancing at the white wings that adorned the gynoid's back.
 
"Hmm?" Karin suddenly hummed when she heard the 'Hey-Listen' in her ear make a faint crackling noise which she had since associated with someone trying to contact her.
 
'The Sixty-Sixth are headed your way to reinforce your position. I'll be taking care of Wardes now.' The voice of her daughter's familiar suddenly stated before cutting out abruptly. The woman narrowed her eyes before turning to the others.
 
"It would appear that your familiar has sent the Sixty-Sixth back here and will be dealing with Wardes on his own." Karin casually stated as if giving out a common situation report. She glanced at her daughter and she had her finger in her ear that had her ear piece, Karin deduced that the familiar sent out the message to all of them because of that.
 
"I see, do you believe that Mister Yuka can defeat him?" Wales asked Louise. The young woman blinked at the prince for a moment before breaking out into a confident smile.
 
"There is no one here that can beat Yuka when he gets serious." Louise stated with equal confidence...only to immediately regret doing so when she saw the way her mother looked at her. She cleared her throat to get some semblance of dignity back before continuing.
 
"Well, since Yuka will be keeping Viscount Wardes in check...Ruukoto will be helping you in communicating with the armada." Louise said before gesturing toward Ruukoto.
 
"And how will you be able to do that, if you don't mind my asking?" Prince Wales asked just as Karin noticed the six griffin knights that made up the Sixty-Sixth come into view.
 
"We will accomplish this by..." Ruukoto started to explain in the same way she explained how she got a sample of Karin's DNA. Louise immediately thought that it was going to be a long battle.
 
...
 
"So..." I muttered as I swatted away another of the many Red Dragon Knights that suddenly showed up to block my advance toward my prey. I wasn't where they came from nor why they didn't seem to display any sort of hesitation or fear anymore despite the number of their comrades that I've already ended.
 
"Come now...you're all starting to act like those incessant faries back home." I stated with thinly veiled annoyance as I grabbed one of the red dragons by the neck before throwing it at the others. I was almost tempted to bring out my other half again but I restrained myself since she might try to take out Wardes before me. I knew that technically, I would be the one to destroy the abomination, but it was the principle of the thing.
 
That was when the dragons did something I did not expect. They all charged at me at once, they and their riders roaring like savages going through their final charge. I swatted a few of them away but I was suddenly overwhelmed with the sheer number of them. It only took a few moments for me to be completely engulfed in a mass of man and dragon. Those closest tried to injure me by any means possible before they died due to the heat, pressure, or getting caught in a swipe of a claw or a swing of a sword.
 
It was getting ridiculous...
 
"That's enough from all of you." I stated though I doubted if any of them could even understand me. I touched one of them with my left hand and let my flower grow. Immediately after my silent command, the unfortunate dragon that I first touched suddenly had countless steel vines bursting out of it and ripping through the rest of the offending dragons and knights. Once I confirmed the mass of man and dragon to be all dead because of my plant, I commanded it to give me room to escape. I slipped out of my impromptu ball of vine-based death and took in a breath of fresh air. I glanced at the motionless Wardes and noted that its body was spasming in odd ways. I raised a brow at the sight before turning back to the ball of death in front of me. I dismissed the thought as to why it was still airborne before smiling at it and then at Wardes.
 
"Here, I think this belongs to you." I said before kicking the ball of Red Dragon Knights at the undead.  I had fully expected Wardes to dodge the mass of death or even deflect it in some way. Instead, it just stayed where it was as it lifted both of its runed lances and focused magic into them. Then just as the ball was about to hit it, Wardes swung both lances down diagonally in an 'X' and effectively slashing through the mass. I idly wondered who was going to clean up all of that as I watched the mass of dead bodies drop like a sack of...well, dead bodies.
 
"Hm?" I hummed as I looked up and blinked when I noticed that Wardes was already right in front of me. The abomination quickly thrust both of its runed lances at my chest with oddly substantial force before casting a triple-tornado at point blank range.
 
"Augh!" I grunted as I felt myself sent back because of the triple-tornado spell before crashing onto the deck of a nearby ship. I wasn't able to tell which side the ship was from because Wardes made it a point to follow up on its initial attack by crashing right on top of me.
 
"That's the spirit!" I commended the abomination's sudden enthusiasm at fighting me. The panicked cries of the crewmen of the ship we crashed on were everywhere. I supposed that this wasn't exactly the kind of thing they thought they'd have to deal with when they signed up as soldiers. Meanwhile, Wardes' griffin half pinned me on the deck just as it readied a thrust with the runed lance in his right hand.
 
"Not so fast!" I stated with a smile as I caught the lance with my left hand and pulled...hard. Wardes and its griffin half roared inhumanly in pain and anger as I ripped off its arm at the shoulder. I then used the recently acquired meele weapon to smack the griffin's head to get it off me. Wardes staggered away from me and I used the opportunity to take the runed lance and hold it in my left hand. The runes of the Gandalfr started to glow as the ancient magic made by Brimir taught me everything I needed to know on how to properly wield a lance. I smiled at the applications of that knowledge as I looked at the lance in my hand...all those things I could try out with my parasol.
 
I noticed a flash of serpentine-like movement from the corner of my vision and instinctively put up the runed lance at an angle that provided the best protection based on the information imparted to me by the Gandalfr runes. I blinked when the runed lance was cleanly sliced in half by something before following through and managing to slash me on my chest. The wound was shallow and already healing when I finally saw where the attack came from.
 
"Well...this is new." I muttered as I saw that the attack came from a whip-like appendage that came from the back of the griffin part of Wardes. It was the mount's tail...
 
Although, it was not the normal tail of that kind of creature if I recalled correctly. The fur and skin was all but stripped off, leaving only the bloody muscle and bone that protruded from the meat like thorns on a vine. The tip of the tail had a particularly large sharpened piece of bone that looked like the blade of a thick curved ivory sword.
 
The surprises continued to roll as I saw the shoulder of the recently disarmed former Viscount, the one that used to have an arm attached to it, suddenly quiver while making wet meaty noises. I raised a brow when the armless stump suddenly started spewing out blood before a large, overly muscled, bloodly, four fingered arm suddenly burst out. Like the griffin's tail, the arm did not have any skin and only had bone and muscle. Although, there was a rather large and prominent bone spike protruding from the elbow and the four fingers on the 'hand' reminded me of those butcher knife-like fingers that Matilda's golem had during the Staff of Destruction Caper incident.
 
THIS was the full effect of the resurrection property of the Ring of Advari? I supposed that this was one reason why the Embodiment of Water didn't want any humans getting their hands on it.
 
"Viscount Wardes...what big knife-like fingers you have you have. All the better to scratch your back with or are you just happy to see me?" I couldn't help but quip with a smirk. Sadly, it seemed that I was the only one who thought it funny as Wardes remained motionless while both the human and griffin halves glared at me with their glowing red eyes while the other occupants of the ship saw it fit to start panicking at the sight and start abandoning ship. Really, all it takes is for two monsters to fight nearby and they all start going crazy with fear?
 
'THIS IS PRINCE WALES TUDOR OF THE TRUE ALBION ROYAL FAMILY! FRIENDS! BRAVE SOLDIERS! COUNTRYMEN! LEND ME YOUR EARS!' The surreal booming voice of one Wales Tudor suddenly interrupted my thoughts. His words were not carried through the air as with regular speech would. Instead, it seemed like his voice resonated in your skull which gave it uninterrupted clarity. I supposed that this was why Ruukoto was so confident that it could help out Wales in this particular problem...the volume was a bit of a problem though.
 
'Can you turn it down? I can hear Wales just fine, no need to have him yelling at me...also, could you make it so that only Albion soldiers can hear it?' I asked Ruukoto but did not get a response. I parried another attempted cheap shot by Wardes' whip tail with the remaining half of the runed lance before throwing said lance at my foe. Wardes caught the lance with its new appendage before crushing it between its sharp clawed hand. I narrowed my eyes when I did not hear a response from the gynoid. It did say that it would be focusing all of its resources to the system that was allowing Wales to get inside everyone's heads and won't be able to do anything in the meantime.
 
'Louise, Karin, can either of you ask Ruukoto to turn down the volume or even possibly tune out everyone who isn't from Albion from the broadcast? It's kind of distracting especially since our old friend Wardes decided to start showing a few surprises in our fight.' I asked the two Valliere women as I dodged a charging claw strike from Wardes. I took to the air before kicking the ship's mast toward the abomination. It managed to rip it apart using a series of razor wind spells from its remaining runed lance and from the beak of its griffon half.
 
'I already tried but Ruukoto won't respond to me. She placed Prince Wales inside some weird and complicated magic circle that had a ridiculous amount of numbers and symbols before asking him to start speaking.' My master was the one who responded to my call and I hummed at the information she provided as Wardes displayed surprising improvement in its speed. I noted that the wings on the griffin looked larger than they were before and were starting to shed feathers. I twisted away from an attempted impalement via a runed lance before applying that knowledge at swordsmanship that I gained from the Gandalfr runes when I held the newly cleaned Derflinger. I used my parasol like a one-handed sword and slashed off Wardes' left arm, albeit not as cleanly as it would have had I used a proper blade. Regardless, the amount of force I applied was enough to achieve the intended result as Wardes suddenly found himself disarmed yet again.
 
'I speak to you all here in hopes that we may prevent further bloodshed because of a tyrant that...' Wales' voice once again rang in my head but it was at a much more reasonable volume that I had little to no trouble in tuning it out. If you have gone through having to deal with a certain gang of youkai that was previously known as Team-Nine, you'd end up developing that kind of skill as well.
 
'Thank Ruukoto if that was its doing.' I commented to Louise and Karin before turning my focus back on Wardes. True to form with the current gimmck that it was using, the stump that was his left shoulder started to spew out copious amounts of blood before another gory appendage spontaneously grew out of it. Unlike the right arm, which looked like it was a giant overmuscled arm with hands that had steak knives for fingers, the left arm took it a step further and looked like the bloody monstrous bone version of Ruukoto's R-Blade. From shoulder to elbow, it looked like a standard skinless bloody monster limb. However, instead of finding a forearm and hand from the elbow, what I saw was a massive chunk of bone that was held together with several strands of thick sinew. The bone itself was shaped like a large broadsword and I suspected that the sharpened edge if the biological weapon was much tougher than regular bone.
 
I have fought monsters with such properties and abilities in the past, during my earlier centuries as a youkai in fact. Though I have never seen a human turn into such a thing so...thoroughly. Wardes stared at its new bladed arm for a moment before looking back at me and giving a ghost of a smile. The griffin half flapped its wings once, shedding more feathers in the process, and revealing bloodied membrane wings that resembled a dragon's. I returned the smile and cracked my neck and fingers before giving it one of my more traditional pre-battle smiles.
 
"Shall we continue then~?" I offered before I took the initiative and flew right at Wardes, who had its new weapons at the ready. I expected it to be a good old fashioned full-on bloody brawl that went on until I've hacked my foe to pieces that couldn't be put back together. Unfortunately, Wardes decided to be cheap and its griffin half opened up its mouth and let loose a tornado spell. I wasn't about to let something like that stop me, so I smacked away the annoying spell and was met with the blades of Wardes' new appendages that dug themselves into my flesh. My natural resistance to physical damage did not allow the blades to pierce my body too deeply but I still FELT IT. And that pain alone was more than enough to get my bloodlust boiling over again.
 
"Ahahahaha! More! And don't you dare die on me too quickly!" I screamed out. However, due to my...enthusiasm...I ended up lopping Wardes' head off with a swing of my parasol. I stared at the rapidly falling head of my foe with an odd sense of disappointment as I thought the fight to be prematurely decided. That disappointment died when I heard the tell tale fleshy noise of sudden growth coming from the former Viscount's neck, which was starting to squirt out quite a lot of blood as well.
 
"Hm?" I hummed with a raised brow at the odd scene right before a tendril with a bony sickle at the end burst out of Wardes' neck and swung down to strike at my head.
 
...
 
"I thank all of you once more for giving me this opportunity to be able to speak with my countrymen." Wales stated after he had ended his speech. It was still too early to gauge the effects of his words but the young man hoped and prayed that the soldiers of his country still knew what it meant to fight for what was right.
 
"Not at all, your highness. We were glad to help you." Louise exclaimed with a bright smile before checking up on Ruukoto. The gynoid gave off a soft white glow before turning back to normal. Its wings were absorbed back into her body in order to be able to redirect more resources into broadcasting Wales' speech. Ruukoto backed away a few steps before several panels on her shoulders, arms, back, and legs suddenly opened up to discharge steam from within her body. Ruukoto noticed the surprised looks from the prince and her mistress and decided to explain to avoid any further confusion.
 
"The system I used to be able to broadcast Prince Wales Tudor's words took up nearly all of my processing capabilities. While not dangerous to me in any way, it does tend to make my core heat up significantly when used for a duration. I am currently performing cooldown protocols to pull my temperature back down to levels that would be considered safe in combat situations. Estimated time to completion is three-hundred seconds." Ruukoto explained as well and as simply as she could. Unfortunately, neither one of her audience seemed to have understood it too well.
 
"Put simply, I need three-hundred seconds of undisturbed rest for me to be able to properly protect Mistress Louise." She settled on and saw the light of understanding in the eyes of Louise and Wales. Ruukoto wondered idly as to what it would take for her to be able to teach her mistress enough about science for her to at least comprehend the gynoid's words to a competent degree.
 
Karin remained mostly silent throughout the whole thing but was otherwise very much alert and aware of what was going on around her. The former Manticore Knight Commander silently reviewed and considered everything she had learned about what her daughter had done ever since the start of the school year.
 
In the span of less than a year, her daughter had acquired the loyalty and services of two powerful intelligent and sentiend non-human followers, one of which was a familiar that Louise herself had summoned. Not only that, the girl had also managed to surround herself with competent companions from her school that were of various nationalities and families...even a daughter of the Zerbst.  She had also somehow managed to gain the complete favor of both the future ruler of Tristain as well as the crown prince of Albion, clout that would no doubt aid her daughter in the future. Most of all, and most important of all, the whining failure of a girl that Karin once thought did not have the qualities of a true Valliere changed almost completely. What she saw in front of her eyes was a confident and driven young woman who had a strong sense of loyalty and justice. The qualities of a true member of the Valliere family. Karin will never admit it to Louise or likely to anyone else other than her husband...but she was very proud of how her daughter had grown.
 
All because of that...familiar of hers. If my daughter's words were as true as she made it seem. Karin thought as she continued to watch her daughter speak with the prince.
 
"By the light of the sun! What in blazes is that?!" Char exclaimed in complete shock, getting everyone's attention.
 
The Sixty-Sixth had managed to rendezvous with the Challenger soon after the start of Wales' speech. What followed was a series of awkward silence between Karin and certain members of the squadron, particularly Trombe and Char due to their relations with Karin herself and to the Valleiere family. Most of it went unnoticed since neither Trombe nor Char would dare piss off the legendary Manticore Knight Commander by doing something stupid as saying 'Hi! It's been a while!' to her. Red on the other hand was simply in awe to be able to fight alongside a living legend and the knight that trained both their former Captain Wardes and Trombe.
 
Everyone looked to where Char was pointing at and saw one of the larger Albion ships slowly being...infested...with a strange and obviously disgusting mass of what looked like flesh, blood, bone, and screaming men. All of them were completely speechless at the grotesque sight before them. Even Karin was overcome with a feeling of...concern. Yes, concern...not fear. Vallieres do not get scared after all. They only get concerned.
 
"Ruukoto...what is that?" Louise asked her gynoid with great concern. Ruukoto turned her head to the mass of flesh and bone in question and streams of light immediately started going across her eyes.
 
"Unknown. Currently scanning. Stand by. Suggest that you contact Yuka in the meantime for possible situation report." Ruukoto stated as it continued its comprehensive long range scan of the entity. Louise nodded at the suggestion and immediately tried to get ahold of her familiar.
 
'Yuka! Where are you? What is that thing that just showed up? Is it another enemy? What happened to Viscount Wardes?' Louise quick-fired her questions to Yuka but got absolutely no response from him.
 
I have a bad feeling about this... Louise thought as she watched the mass continue to grow as it consumed the Albion vessel.
 
...
 
 

[Blackraptor]

I regret nothing in this update! NOTHING!

...
 
"By the founder..." Scarface muttered as he watched the rapidly growing mass of flesh and bone almost completely consume an Albion battleship. The crewmen of the vessel were either being ripped to pieces before being pulled into the mass or were jumping off the ships altogether and dooming themselves to death anyway.
 
'Hans, what do we do? I don't know what the hell that thing is but it sure as hell doesn't look friendly.' Larry asked his captain using their wind-comms. Scarface weighed the situation they were in and clearly saw that the battle had gone way out of hand. It wasn't so much as winning anymore but more of surviving the battle at hand...or whatever the hell that monster was.
 
'Stephan, go the Challenger's captain and get him to pull the ship back. Prince Wales has already managed to accomplish what he wanted and I don't think we'll be able to do a counter attack with the state our remaining ships are in. There's no more need for them to stay here any longer.' Scarface ordered Stephan, who was one of the closest to the ship along with Char.
 
'You got it boss!' The griffin knight immediately acknowledged.
 
'Boss, I think there's something you should know.' Char's voice suddenly caught the knight captain's attention.
 
'Go ahead.' Scarface allowed his subordinate to speak.
 
'Former Manticore Knight Commander, codename Kain, as well as newly minted Chevaliere Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Valliere wanted in on our wind-comm network. Prince Wales already gave his okay but I wanted to check with you first.' Char explained, making sure to emphasize the code name that Karin was using as well as giving Louise's full name. It didn't take a veteran like him to realize that Karin didn't want anyone to completely confirm that she was there right now. He wondered why she brought her daughter along though, the stories that Jaques and James told him about her didn't really paint her as the type who would bring one of her children to an obviously hostile battlefield. The knight captain put it on the back of his mind since a living legend like her probably had a good reason for doing what she was doing.
 
'Do it. From the looks of things, we'll need as much help as we can get at this point.' Scarface stated before waiting for the two women to connect to their comm network.
 
'This is former Manticore Knight Commander, you may refer to me as Kain. This is not my real name but I would ask to be called this for security purposes.' Karin stated as soon as she managed to connect to the knights.
 
'Well met, Commander Kain. You are speaking to Captain Hans Solan Millennius de Falcone, callsign 'Scarface' and squadron leader of the Sixty-Sixth Squadron of the Sixth Order of the Tristain Griffin Knights. I assume that Dame Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Valliere is with you?' Scarface greeted Karin using her chosen code name and asking if Louise was already connected.
 
'Excuse me...can anyone hear me? Is this thing on?' Louise made herself known by showing just how little she knew when it came to Wind Magic based communications.
 
'Yes, I can hear you loud and clear Dame Valliere. This is Captain Hans Solan Millennius de Falcone, callsign 'Scarface' and squadron leader of the Sixty-Sixth Squadron of the Sixth Order of the Tristain Griffin Knights--' Scarface was not able to get past his initial introduction to Louise when the girl in question interrupted him.
 
'Thank goodness! You need to help! I can't contact Yuka! He was supposed to have the same wind enchantment as you do so please see if you can reach him!' Louis said frantically in borderline panic. Karin's daughter knew Yuka? The man said that he had a master...was it the daughter of the Heavy Wind? No matter, the issue was that Yuka was missing and the last he checked, the man was supposed to be fighting Jaques.
 
'Yuka. Yuka, this is Scarface. Can you hear me? Yuka!' Scarface tried to reach the youkai with no response.
 
'Everyone, try to contact Yuka. I can't raise him for some reason.' Scarface ordered his squadron before switching back to a channel to Louise.
 
'Dame Valliere, when was the last time you were able to contact him?' Scarface inquired while waiting for his squadron's response.
 
'I can't raise him boss.' Stephan said in response to Scarface's order.
 
'It was a little after Prince Wales started his speech. He's supposed to be fighting Viscount Wardes but he hasn't contacted me since...' Louise trailed off after giving her account of what happened before she lost all contact with Yuka. At least their information matched up. Yuka was fighting Jaques the last time anyone saw or made contact with him. Scarface didn't think that someone as blood soaked and confident as Yuka would die so easily but...
 
'I got nothing Hans.' Larry reported.
 
'No good boss.' Trombe followed up soon after.
 
'I can't reach him boss.' Char also reported.
 
"That thing showed up after Yuka stopped contacting Dame Valliere..." Scarface muttered while glancing at the disgusting entity that had already completely consumed the Albion ship it appeared on. How it was still able to stay airborne, Scarface wasn't sure.
 
'Negative. Do you think something happened to him?' Red responded and asked the question Scarface was asking himself.
 
'I don't know but he can take care of himself. For now, we need to focus on getting Prince Wales away from the battle zone.' Scarface stated just as he saw Karin's Manticore take to the air.
 
'Hey! Don't leave me down here!' The knight captain suddenly heard Louise yell out through the channel.
 
'Boss! The Challenger's Captain okay-ed the retreat and Prince Wales agreed so they could get the injured away from whatever the nine hells that thing is. Problem is that Commander Kain wanted to leave behind Dame Valliere and her maid as well. The young lady isn't taking it too well.' Stephan reported. Wonderful.
 
'Captain Falcone, will escort the Challenger to safety or will you stay here to fight the beast?' Karin asked and Scarface smiled at the question.
 
'Jaques and Yuka are both missing, Commander Karin. Soon afterward, that...thing started growing on an Albion ship. I doubt that it is a coincidence.' Scarface pointed out to which Karin gave a grunt of agreement.
 
'Hey! Stop ignoring me! I can't leave until I make sure that Yuka's okay, that Viscount Wardes is defeated, that Tarbes is safe, and whatever that thing that suddenly showed up is destroyed!' Louise stated her case and Scarface wondered why the girl had so much invested in this battle that she would willingly go to the field and refuse to leave until she was certain that the major threats were gone.
 
'And why do you feel the need to do so?' Karin voiced the question in Scarface's head with a somewhat harshly if one would ask him.
 
'Because I promised the princess. I promised Prince Wales. I promised my friends. I promised Yuka. Most of all, I promised myself that I would help protect Tarbes...and a Valliere always keeps their promises.' Louise immediately replied without any hint of hesitation. Karin could almost feel her brow twitch with her daughter's declaration. The words she used and the way she said them reminded her too much of her own youth and the stupid things she did in order to prove herself back then. Based of that alone, no one will ever doubt that Louise was Karin's daughter.
 
Scarface wasn't sure what to do about the girl. He'd much rather not have to babysit a noncombatant in the middle of all the crazy that's been happening lately. Case in point was the entity that just consumed an entire Albion battleship and was still continuing to grow. As if to punctuate his point, the thing suddenly shot out a thick bloody sinewy tendril which smashed right into another nearby ship, the barely airworthy Tristain ship 'Bonaparte'. Just like the first ship, the mass of flesh and bone started to grow and seemingly consume the other ship as well. Scarface and everyone else who saw this knew that they had to destroy that monster before it grows too big to stop. Scarface was about to let the Challenger leave with Louise on it when an unexpected voice responded before he could do so.
 
'I'll take her.' Red suddenly said out loud, mildly surprising Scarface and the rest of his squadron.
 
'Really? Thank you! Where are you?' Louise immediately replied in joy and relief.
 
'I'm on my way to the Challenger. Please stay where you are.' Red provided to the young woman.
 
'What the high heavens do you think you're doing Red?' Trombe asked his comrade just as Scarface saw the young knight's griffin reach the Challenger.
 
'Helping out a fellow knight.' Red stated simply, reminding everyone there that yes, Louise is a Chevaliere and therefore a knight in the service of the crown.
 
'Identify yourself and state your intentions, knight.' Karin suddenly cut in with a none too pleased tone in her voice. The living legend had wanted the prince of Albion and her daughter out of the battlefield so she would have less things to worry about and therefore focus on winning. She grudgingly admitted that Louise's maid should have been more than capable of keeping her safe until they reached safer skies which was why she left Ruukoto behind as well.
 
'It is an honor to be able to speak and fight alongside you, Commander Kain. I am Griffin Knight Lyner Alec la Pyrean, call sign Red, of the Sixty-Sixth Squadron of the Sixth Order of the Tristain Griffin Knights. My only intention in my action is to provide a fellow knight, who is willing to fight for the innocent despite the odds, an opportunity to assist us in battle.' Red responded to Karin and explained his actions.
 
'Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Valliere does not have any military training nor substantial battlefield experience.' Karin immediately countered.
 
'With all due respect commander...Dame Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Valliere earned her title as a Chevaliere, otherwise she wouldn't be one. She must have displayed the qualities required of a knight to be able to have such a title. I want to believe in her conviction, ma'am.' Red responded. What everyone didn't realize was that Red was scared out of his wits as he was saying those words. He was trying very, very, very hard to make it seem that he was confident in his words so he didn't make himself look like an idiot in front of everyone there.
 
'Th-th-thank you, S-S-Sir Red...' Louise stammered her thanks to the red-haired knight. Scarface and the rest weren't sure if Louise intended for everyone to hear her embarrassed gesture of thanks. Char, Stephan, and Larry thought it was kind of cute in a little sister kind of way, they did well to keep that opinion to themselves.
 
'It's your ass if anything happens to Dame Valliere, Red. You understand that, right?' Trombe reminded his junior.
 
'Are you sure about this, both of you?' Scarface asked both Louise and Red one more time, a question that Karin didn't appreciate.
 
'You can't possibly be serious Captain Falcone. I would never allow such blatant insubordination in my ranks if it was my squadron.' Karin commented, her personal opinion of the new knight captain deteriorating because he tolerated such a thing from his subordinate.
 
'With all due respect, Commander. Last time I checked, this was my squadron. If they're so driven to pull that off, then I'd be more than happy to see them try to make it work.' Scarface replied evenly. Living legend or not, he wasn't about to roll over and do whatever Karin said.
 
'Thanks boss.' Red gave his earnest thanks to his captain before giving Louise a small smile. The young void mage blushed at the gesture and the fact that the knight openly declared that he believed in her. Louise still wasn't used to such direct methods of attack on her maidenly emotions. Kirche and Yukari didn't count because Louise the notion to be rather uncomfortable. Also, she firmly denied that her heart was racing when Kirche kissed her. She also made it a point to utilize the use of her broken spells to vaporize the notion that she might have, possibly, maybe, liked it. Definitely not!
 
"You heard him, please mind your step." Red stated before offering his hand just as his mount lowered itself to make it easier for Louise to climb on it.
 
"Thank you, Sir Pyrean." Louise thanked the young man before she was pulled onto his griffin. It wasn't very difficult since she had experience getting on various mounts such as horses, griffins, and her mother's manticore. However, she suddenly found herself overcome with embarrassment when Red placed her in front of him when she climbed on, like the way she rode with Viscount Wardes before.
 
"Glad to help. Just call me Red by the way." Red responded before reaching out and grabbing the reins of his griffin, effectively putting his arms around Louise.
 
"Okay...umm...you can...just call me Louise...then..." The young woman replied in an uncharacteristically quiet voice. She then noticed Red shifting around in his seat continuously as if uncomfortable.
 
"Is something wrong...Red? I can just get sit behind you if..." Louise inquired before trailing off when she turned her head and saw Red trying to adjust himself to be able to see around Louise's hat as well as Derflinger.
 
"Hurm...can you do something about your hat and your sword? Isn't that blade a bit too big for you?" Red asked her passenger with a knitted brow. Louise was about to answer that when the sword in question decided to answer instead. Derflinger rattled in its scabbard for a moment before partially popping out of it, nearly hitting Red in the face in the process.
 
"You calling me fat, kid?" Derflinger in a confrontational manner.
 
"What the--" Red's reaction to the sword's sudden outburst was cut short when a low bellowing growl could be heard from the distance. They turned to the source and found that it came from the disgusting entity.
 
"It can make noises now?" Derflinger commented but Louise noticed something else which unnerved the girl a great deal.
 
"Is it getting bigger?" Louise asked in worry.
 
'Heads up! That monster just finished eating the Bonaparte and just started going after three more ships!' Stephan exclaimed and red noticed that his squadron was forming up with Karin and Scarface at the forefront.
 
'It's getting bigger!' Char yelled out, confirming Louise's observation.
 
"We need to go. Now." Red firmly stated before grabbing Derflinger's hilt and pushing the sword back into its scabbard. The knight ignored the sword's rattling complaint and pulled Louise closer to him, making the young woman blush. Her blush deepened when Red went around his apparent visibility issue by slightly tilting Louise's shoulder to the right and placing his chin on the young Void Mage's left shoulder.
 
"Milady Valliere! Sir Red!" Wales called out to them. He gave them a determined look before nodding.
 
"Good luck and may the founder protect you." Wales told them with a warm smile.
 
"Of course, your highness! Ruukoto!" Louise replied before calling out to her gynoid. The robot maid stepped up and bowed to her mistress.
 
"I am at full combat capacity, Mistress Louise. Deploying G-Wing Type-Zero." Ruukoto declared before standing back up straight and letting her white feathered wings grow out. Louise nodded to her maid before shifting slightly, trying very hard not to react openly to her proximity with Red.
 
"Okay, let's go Red. Ruukoto will help us too." Louise said to the knight, who nodded into his shoulder. Red, on his part, was trying very hard not to think about how warm Louise was or how nice her hair smelled.
 
"Let's go Ash!" Red ordered his griffin and it squawked in acknowledgement. Louise stiffened at the sudden movement of the mount before they went off the side of the Challenger and flew, Ruukoto right behind them.
 
...
 
Hrmm...odd...
 
I felt myself weightless and I could not feel anything nor perceive anything about my surroundings. All my senses will not work, even my sensitivity to magic.
 
That had strange yet familiar implications.
 
...
 
'Keep your buddies! Stay in formation!' Scarface roared out as he and Larry dodged several bladed tendrils that shot out from the monster. The others were in the same situation as they tried to do enough raw damage to the entity to make it stop eating the ships.
 
'It's got another one!' Char yelled out through the wind-comm as he and Stephan watched another Albion ship get completely covered up with blood, muscle, and bone.
 
...
 
I tried to grasp at something but I could not even feel myself making the attempt. This situation reminded me greatly of when I was first pulled into Louise's summoning portal. This void gave off the same kind of feeling...or lack thereof.
 
Was I being sent back?
 
Was I set free and going back to Gensokyo?
 
...
 
"Begone from my sight!" Karin declared with anger as she rapid dual-casted her signature Heavy Wind using both her runed lance and sword-wand. The continuous concussive blasts of wind slammed into the monster and tore off chunk after massive chunk of meat and bone. The beast retaliated with darting spiked tendrils tendrils or bone darts. Karin was able to either deflect or block them with her wind barrier spells or she simply dodged them altogether.
 
"This isn't working." A deep growling voice came from below the former knight commander as the entity rapidly started healing the damage Karin dealt it. It was Karin's familiar, the ancient manticore that had become so powerful that it ended up developing intelligent sentience and a comprehensive grasp of human speech. It mostly kept quiet since it didn't really like the attention, only speaking up to Karin, Duke Valliere, and Cattleya when no one else was around.
 
"Your grasp of the obvious is astounding." Karin dryly stated as she and her manticore dodged even more attacks. Karin crossed her sword-wand and runed lance and created a howling vortex of wind that she shaped into a giant lance.
 
"Engrave this upon your soul!" Karin roared out before launching the spell at the still growing mass.
 
...
 
Was the whole thing about me being summoned by Louise just a strange lucid dream and I never really moved from that void in the first place?
 
No, that would mean that I was either losing my mind again or that I had quite the imagination.
 
I deny that possibility and concentrate. Louise was real...I just knew that she was real.
 
What was the last thing that happened to me again?
 
...
 
'Nail them down! Nail the ends down!' Trombe yelled out as he cast yet another tornado spell at the swarms of tendrils that were threatening to consume him and his griffin.
 
"Zero!" Louise declared as she used her broken spells to blast away any offending tendril as well as trying to break through the sheer mass of the entity.
 
"Guh!" Red grunted as he led his griffin into another tight turn in order to avoid more and more hostile tendrils. He was so focused on maneuvering that he couldn't even cast a single spell. The added weight of Louise and Derflinger made Ash slower so Red had to rely more on his focused control of his mount for them to stay in the fight.
 
"Ha!" They were about to be blindsided by a few tendrils, that came from a newly formed chunk of the entity that managed to take another Albion ship, when they were saved by Ruukoto and her Arondight Anti-Material Sword.
 
'Are you alright Mistress Louise?' Ruukoto asked her mistress as she flew down to work on hacking apart the newly growing part of the shapeless monster.
 
...
 
I remember a battle...
 
I was fighting one who was supposed to be dead but not in the same way that Yuyuko Saigyouji was dead.
 
No...it reminded me more of a very poorly made dead that was even less inspired than Yoshika Miyako.
 
I was fighting it and...
 
Something is wrong...
 
What is this...?
 
What is this sickening feeling?
 
Like something terrible was about to happen.
 
...
 
"They just keep coming!" Red complained as he maneuvered Ash through impossible gaps between the almost interlocking tendrils that were assaulting them. Even with the combined efforts of Louise, Ruukoto, and Trombe, the attacks just kept coming. It was like the monster was specifically going after them for some insane reason.
 
"Red!" Louise screamed out as part of the mass suddenly shaped itself into the visage of a giant zombified griffin head with no feathers. It then opened its maw and let out a blast of toxic wind aimed right at them.
 
"Dammit!" Red tried his best to push Ash to the brink to try to avoid the blast but it was too large and they were too close.
 
...
 
Move...
 
...
 
"Mistress!" Ruukoto yelled out in near panic before flying off to protect her mistress.
 
Only to be blindsided and smashed into a nearby ship by a massive tendril.
 
...
 
Move...
 
...
 
'Get the hell out of there Red!' Trombe all but screamed at his junior while barely being able to fend off the attacks on him.
 
...
 
Move...
 
...
 
"Karin!" The ancient manticore called the attention of its master when it noticed what was about to happen. The living legend turned and saw her daughter and the knight that was carrying her trying desperately to get out of the way of a blast of toxic wind.
 
They won't make it.
 
 Karin's experience knew it...but she couldn't accept it.
 
She was too far away.
 
Karin's instinct told her.
 
She cannot prevent what was about to happen.
 
Karin knew this deep in her heart...and the thought of losing her child in such a way assaulted her with a sense of true fear she had not felt since Cattleya nearly died from a fever in her first year of life.
 
...
 
Move...
 
...
 
"We won't make it!" Louise pointed out as the wall of death bore down upon them.
 
"It's made of magic! Use me!" Derflinger suddenly yelled out after popping out of its scabbard and rattling it to emphasize its point.
 
"What?!" Red didn't know what the sword was talking about but Louise did. She immediately pulled out Derflinger using both hands, nearly cutting Red's face in the process, and swung the sword at the blast of wind right as it was about to hit them.
 
...
 
Move!
 
...
 
"Ghaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Derflinger screamed out in pain as it tried to absorb a massive magic spell all at once. It tried, it really did. But it was simply too much for one sword, no matter how much of a legend it once was.
 
"Nghhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!" Louise screamed along with the sword as the force of the spell hitting Derflinger felt like her arms were being slowly broken into pieces. It was taking everything Red and Ash had to keep them all airborne despite the tempest happening right next to them. It was only a matter of time before something gave out.
 
...
 
Move!
 
...
 
A massive shockwave erupted as Derflinger was no longer able to take in any more of the spell and was forced to blow it back to the source. The event made the world slow down all around the young void mage.
 
She suddenly remembered her lessons with Cirno about the Laws of Physics. In particular, the Third Law of the man known as the deadliest in space, where it was stated that:
 
'Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.'
 
...
 
Move!
 
...
 
Louise was blown clean off of Red's griffin and found herself momentarily looking right at the clear blue sky. She thought it a beautiful sight until Derflinger made her snap back to the current situation.
 
"Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!" The sword screamed out as it fell out of the sky. The blast knocked the sword out of Louise's hands before the young woman was thrown off her ride. Derflinger quickly became but a speck in the distance since it fell at a much faster rate that Louise.
 
"Noooooo!" Louise heard Red scream out before attempting to catch her. Unfortunately, the monster kept him from reaching the girl by continuously either trying to consume him and his mount or trying to consume Louise herself. The young knight was too busy keeping the tendrils and spikes off them to be able to fly fast enough to catch her.
 
'Someone! Catch her!' Red yelled out over their communications and soon saw Char and his red griffin as well as Karin and Ruukoto speeding toward them...but they were to far away.
 
...
 
MOVE!
 
...
 
Louise was falling...
 
She could feel the air rush around her as she came closer and closer to hitting the ground. It was an odd feeling, like a constant breeze being blown on her back. Wind Resistance, she recalled, from what Cirno had taught her.
 
She could see Red and his griffin trying to catch up to her and fending off the monster's tendrils with sword and magic. She tried to scream but no sound came out. She tried to move but the force of the air felt like she was being pinned to the ground.
 
Yuka...
 
Help...
 
Louise mouthed but the words did not even reach her ears, how could it possibly reach his?
 
She then remembered something...something that did reach Yuka even though they were literally worlds apart. So she spoke them out as best she could.
 
I beg of you…
 
...
 
"Oh Founder, what now?!" Trombe complained when the entity started to give out another growl before starting to stir. It completely stopped its attacks and just continued to growl and move its mass around.
 
...

My slave who lives somewhere in the universe!
 
Oh sacred, beautiful and strong familiar spirit! I desire and here I plead from my heart!
 
...
 
Louise! Karin thought as she poured more and more magic into her acceleration spell. The distance between her and her daughter was immense and it felt like she wasn't gaining any ground at all.
 
That was when part of the mass suddenly bulged out and the entity gave out a loud roar that one would usually attribute to pain.
 
...
 
Answer to my guidance!
 
...
 
The bulged out part of the mass suddenly exploded with a searing white light that headed straight to Louise in an unimaginable speed.
 
Louise saw the flash of light in the distance and thought it familiar...
 
Master Spark? She immediately thought as the beam of light reminded her of her familiar's trademark spell. She was incorrect though. The light was akin to Master Spark but it was differently utilized.
 
Master Spark was a directed energy blast designed to overwhelm one's foe with raw magical power. The thing that was headed to Louise was something of a reconceptualization of that spell. Just as when Marisa Kirisame took Yuka's Master Spark as her own spell, Yuka took one of Marisa's as well. While Yuka was never able to name said spell since it already had a name...it didn't really matter. The ray of light that was heading right at Louise was her trusted familiar, friend, and partner...
 
Care of a ~Blazing Star~
 
"Louise!"
 
...
 
I call out to her and reach out with my left hand while keeping my parasol steady with my right. I did not have a broom I could ride on like Marisa did whenever she used this spell so I had to use one of my hands to stabilize the thrust cause by the spell.
 
Louise saw me and her eyes widened before she tried to reach out with both of her hands. I cut the spell when I was close enough to reach her with standard flight and pulled her into an embrace when I finally reached her.
 
"Hang on..." I whispered before flapping my wings hard to bleed off the remaining speed I had.
 
"You're here...you really came when I called out for you..." I heard my master say as she buried her face into my left shoulder.
 
"Was there ever any doubt?" I asked her with a wry smile on my face just as we finally slowed to a stop in the air.
 
'Mistress!' Both of us looked around when we heard Ruukoto's voice through the 'Hey-Listen'. I saw that the gynoid, Karin, the knight with the red griffin, as well as the knight known as Red were flying toward us.
 
"Please stay still Mistress Louise." Ruukoto, who arrived first, stated before placing a hand on Louise's head and making both of them glow softly.
 
"What do you think you're doing to her?" Karin, who arrived next, immediately asked with a bit less composure than she usually had though no less as harsh.
 
"Health diagnosis and utilization of nanomachines to repair any internal damage to Mistress Louise's body." Ruukoto briskly explained just as Red and the other knight arrived.
 
"Is she hurt?" The red headed knight asked worriedly. I raised a brow at the concern the young man had for Louise but my master only compounded to it by pulling herself off my shoulder and giving the knight a smile.
 
"I'm okay now." My master said softly just as the glow made by Ruukoto died out.
 
"No internal bleeding. Noted minor bruising on the forearms but those are already being healed as we speak. Only superficial damage on Mistress Louise's person otherwise." Ruukoto reported before giving Louise and I more space.
 
'Guys! Whatever the hells just happened, I think it just pissed our monster off.' I heard one of Scarface's knights point out. I looked at the growing mass of flesh and bone and scoffed.
 
What a miserable final form you have Viscount Wardes.
 
'Just to let everyone know. That entity you are all looking at right now is the final result of Viscount Wardes' stint as one of the undead after I damaged him enough.' I informed everyone using the wind enchantment that the griffin knights were using. I didn't need to use the 'Hey-Listen' because Karin, Louise, and Ruukoto were close enough to hear me.
 
'Are you telling me that...that...THING is Jaques?!' Scarface growled in disgust.
 
'No. The man known as Jean-Jacques Francis de Wardes died on Albion. What showed up here was nothing more than a pathetic attempt at creating a controlled undead warrior. The current result illustrates just how poorly the ones who did that understood the magic they were dabbling with.' I explained for the benefit of them all since none of them were actually there when my other half killed the traitor.
 
'And the good times continue to roll...' Larry's voice cut in with a generous amount of sarcasm.
 
'It's started to mend the damage from before and started attacking the ships again.' Another one of Scarface's knights informed us.
 
'Stephan's right. The remaining battleships on both sides and Red Dragon Knights are all attacking it but they're just pissing it off and getting eaten instead.' The knight captain stated the current situation. It seemed that Wardes' sudden and indiscriminately hostile transformation was forcing the Ablion and Tristain forces, what was left of them anyway, to work together for the simple reason of survival.
 
Give enemies a great enough common threat and they won't hesitate to march through hell itself together.
 
"Yuka...let me back on Red's griffin." Louise quietly asked me, prompting another rousing bout of eyebrow raising.
 
"How do you think I got up in the air?" She flatly replied with only the faintest blush on her face. I hummed thoughtfully as I looked at the knight in question who seemed to be conversing the knight on the red griffin.
 
"You still intend to continue this foolishness? You nearly got yourself killed. Don't think that you will be lucky twice in the same battle. We cannot even effectively damage it permanently, you will only get in the way." Karin suddenly interrupted the moment and gave her daughter a cold glare like she usually does apparently. On the point she was trying to make though...
 
"That...may not be the case." I mused as I idly stroked Louise's strawberry-blonde hair. There were things I noticed while I was inside that...thing. It reminded me too much of that void I had originally been pulled into. If it was something similar...something that was able to muffle my senses enough for me to not be able to perceive anything...
 
"The creature we are all facing right now is a crude amalgam of meat and bone held together and being moved by a substantial amount of magic. I believe that the reason why it keeps growing and consuming is because it converts biological matter into something it can use to do...whatever it is it does, either processing it into raw magic or converting it into more body mass." I pointed out while looking at the entity that was currently shrugging off everything the combined forces of the Tristain and Albion fleets were throwing at it. I also noted that the Sixty-Sixth were already assaulting the thing save for the knight known as Red, who was still hanging around nearby.
 
"Yuka's analysis is correct." Ruukoto picked up the conversation and seemed intent on continuing or expounding on my point.
 
"Explain yourself, false pegan god." The former Griffin Knight Commander all but commanded Ruukoto with a sneer. I noticed Louise's magic spike up because of her mother's words to her maid and squeezed her shoulder to get her attention. My master looked at me with a mildly irritated expression but I just shook my head at her. Louise getting mad at her mother because of what she called Ruukoto won't help anyway, least of all Louise herself.
 
"I am designated as Ruukoto Unit-One Version-Four. I request that you refer me as such or simply Ruukoto, Madame Valliere. Classifying me as a pegan god will not only create cultural and religious misunderstandings, it would also be inaccurate. I am not a god, Madame Valliere. I am neither invincible nor all-powerful. I am simply very good at what I do." Ruukoto smoothly pointed out, completely unfazed by Karin's disparaging remark. Louise blinked at her gynoid's response and once again turned to me. I said nothing and just gave her a small smile.
 
"More on my explanation...I have made comprehensive scans on the entity, which I will designate as 'Death Wardes', is being held together and moving using a dynamic arcane fusion spell. Specific spell is not registered in my systems. However, spell components seem to be derived from the disciplines of Necromancy, Conjuration, and Alteration. In conclusion, Death Wardes is made up more of magical energy than actual physical matter." Ruukoto gave her points of argument. I was impressed that Ruukoto was able to find out all of that just by scanning Wardes...or Death Wardes, I suppose. I was able to determine that the creature was being held together by magic but I didn't know that more than one dicipline of magic was involved in making and maintaining it. That was very interesting since Necromancy isn't really a kind of magic that can be attributed to any of the four common elements of the Halkeginian spell system.
 
Which meant that it came from somewhere else...
 
"And how does that help our situation? While we know that the beast is primarily made up of magical energy, it is not like we can simply disrupt or dispel it." Karin pointed out at Ruukoto, to which the gynoid only shrugged to.
 
"Fus!" Louise suddenly let out as soon as her mother mentioned dispelling the spell. Karin glanced at her daughter but quickly dismissed it.
 
"And what if we could?" I asked the woman before turning to Red and gesturing him to come closer. The knight blinked for a moment before moving his mount closer. I gently sat Louise down in front of the knight, who quickly made room for Louise when he realized what I was doing. If Louise was going to use Dispel, then she will need both hands free. This configuration should allow her to do so while making sure that she was securely seated on the griffin. Louise and Red quickly adjusted themselves with my master leaning back onto Red while the young man placed his chin on Louise's left shoulder for better visibility because of my master's hat. The odd thing was that they seemed to do it so naturally.
 
Did I miss something?
 
I shrugged off the odd feeling and turned to Karin when I noticed her glaring at me again through her iron mask.
 
"You mean to say that you have a way to be able to destroy that thing once and for all?" Karin asked me with a barely visible raised brow.
 
"I do, but it is too dangerous to use around humans because it would cause them to spontaneously combust or melt." I pointed out and thought that I heard Louise suddenly blurt out 'Ro' or something after I said that. Karin didn't seem pleased about my response so I decided to tell her my real answer.
 
"While I cannot utilize my ability, Louise has something in her repertoire that should be able to do the trick." I casually noted with a shrug.
 
"Dah!" Louise squeaked out in surprise. Karin narrowed her eyes at me before looking at her daughter who was, in turn, glaring at me.
 
'What do you think you're doing?! I thought you said to keep anything regarding my real magic a secret!' Louise hissed at me using her 'Hey-Listen'. I looked at her and turned around before tapping my 'Hey-Listen'.
 
'I said that we need to keep it a secret until you are ready. Unfortunately, circumstances dictate that your Dispell is the most effective means of destroying Death Wardes.' I explained to Louise as quietly as I could.
 
'It's too big! There's no way I can cast Dispell large enough to take it all out!' Louise stated a bit louder.
 
'You managed to break an enchantment that Ruukoto guaranteed to be unbreakable by any modern Halkeginian magic. You can do this Louise...remember your training with me, Cirno, and Matilda. Who knows...the Founder's Prayer Book might give you something to help you out.' I stated just in time for Karin to move her manticore right in front of me.
 
"What. Are. You. Two. Talking. About. In. Secret?" Karin asked me very politely while pointing her runed lance between my eyes. I supposed that she didn't like being put out of the loop.
 
"It is commonly known as a Strategy Meeting. I had hoped that one as skilled and experienced as you would know of it." I innocently said, very tempted to give Karin one of those stupidly annoying grins that Yukari gives out whenever she really annoys someone. Karin had enough and thrust her runed lance right at my face...to which I stopped with two fingers.
 
"I do not doubt your prowess, strength and skill. Your legend alone attests to that. However, you of all people should appreciate when one would like to keep a secret a secret. We will reveal what we can to you in time...but not now and not here...not in the middle of a battlefield when you don't know who could be listening in." I stated in all seriousness. Karin glared at me before giving a low growl and backing off. I let go of her lance to accommodate that before turning to my master. I raised a brow when it seemed that my display unnerved Louise and Red. I sighed and decided to let everyone know of my plan to finally take care of our not so little friend. I tapped into the wind enchantment of the Sixty-Sixth while tapping my 'Hey-Listen' to make sure that everyone was listening to what I was about to say.
 
'Ladies and Gentlemen. I have a way to be able to destroy this monster but I will need everyone's help in order to do so.' I stated, waiting for the inevitable questions.
 
'You sure it will work?' Scarface was predictably the fist one to respond.
 
'Indeed, my dear captain. Otherwise, I wouldn't be suggesting it.' I responded confidently.
 
'Alright, let's hear it.' Scarface said after a few moments of silence. I ignored the glare being sent to me by Karin and started to tell him what we needed to do. It was simple really:
 
Buy enough time for Louise to cast a very large Dispel.
 
...
 
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh--augh! Oooowww!" Derflinger screamed out in fear, then in pain, after hitting the ground by the tip of its blade after falling from an incredible height. Due to the location where it landed the six-thousand year old sword was surrounded with wreckage and various dead bodies.
 
"Yeeesh! Even Brimir didn't make this much of a mess back then!" The sword commented, quickly getting over its initial reaction to its impromptu freefall. If you've been around as long as Derflinger, you tend to shrug away a lot of things...even if a sword shouldn't be able to shrug.
 
"They'd better look for me soon. This isn't exactly the safest place to be if you're a six-thousand year old sentient magic sword." It idly said to no one in particular. Which was why it wished that it had a neck to be able to turn around when it heard footsteps from behind it.
 
"Ummm...hello?" The sword called out tentatively.
 
"Hello~! A talking sword. That's something you don't see everyday." A sultry mature female voice called out. That alone was enough to really get Derflinger's attention...if not for the fact that the mystery woman's voice also sounded...dangerous. It felt itself being pulled out of the ground and held sideways so it finally saw who it was that spoke out.
 
She about as tall as Matilda was but was paler than the former thief. Then the sword saw that the woman had long deep violet hair and matching eyes and lipstick, quaint really. She had black fang-like markings under her eyes and was wearing a black robe that covered most of her body.
 
"Such a beautiful sword...do you have a name dearie?" The woman said in a sickly sweet manner. Derflinger couldn't help but gulp in the way the woman could easily exude both sexiness and a sense of danger as well.
 
"Derflinger, my dear! The name is Derflinger! Sword forged and wielded by the original Gandalfr, one of Brimir's familiars!" Derflinger proudly stated. That spiel usually ended with the sword being tossed away or laughed at then tossed away or looked at blankly before being tossed away. However, the woman did none of that. Instead, she smiled and her eyes showed a sense of mischief and hunger.
 
"Gandalfr...what a coincidence..." The woman said before her forehead started to glow showing a set of runes...runes that Derflinger was very familiar with. It was then that the sword realized just how badly it screwed up.
 
"Myoznitnirn..." The sword managed to mutter just as the woman gave a sinister smile at it and the runes on her forehead glowed even brighter.
 
...
 
'Everybody get that? Deal as much damage to that thing and keep it off Red. We need to buy Dame Louise enough time to let off whatever spell she has that can take this thing down permanently!' Louise heard Scarface yell out through the wind-comm. She still wasn't sure how she was supposed to cast a Dispel large enough to affect the entire mass of Death Wardes. With that in mind, the young void mage took out the Founder's Prayer Book from under her hat, which mildly surprised Red, before flipping through the pages.
 
There are new pages filled up... Louise thought as she examined the new pages that were covered with the same ancient Halkeginian text as Dispel did. She did the same thing that she did back in front of Ruukoto's hangar and let the contents of the book flow into her mind instead of trying to force herself to comprehend the text. Louise blinked when she found that she had not one but two new spells to take in.
 
Void Explosion and Void Fusion. Louise thought before trying to check how what those spells do and if either of them could help their situation.
 
...
 
'What is the matter James? You were faster than this when I trained you! I'm disappointed!' Karin berrated her former student as she and Trombe worked together to deal as much damage to Death Wardes as possible in order to keep its attention away from Red and Louise. Said plan involved intense use of the entire library of wind spells that the two mages had at their disposal.
 
Unfortunately for the second-in-command of the Sixty-Sixth, her former teacher decided that an air battle against a mass of bloody death was a great opportunity for an exam.

…

I dodged tendril after tendril of the creature as I moved closer to it. Its effort was great and well enthused, but it lacked any sort of skill at trying to hit anything. To one who has been through countless Danmaku battles, this was nothing.

I sliced away a mass of offending tendrils that tried to overwhelm me with mass using my parasol before landing on the deck of a ship that was in the process of being infested and consumed by Death Wardes. I touched the wooden floor of the deck and a field of piranha plants burst out and started firing at the bloody mass that was attached to the ship. I had heard once that fire was rather effecting against the dead so I checked if it was true. That seemed to be the case as the monster tried to get rid of my plants using its tendrils. I had a surprise for it though.

“Oh no you don’t.” I said before pulling at my magic and making a grabbing motion with my left hand. The action made several vines materialize and become entangled around my left arm. I pulled harder and uprooted the plants I made and retracting them closer to me. Most of them managed to avoid getting attacked and so I ended up with an arm that had a little over a dozen piranha plants attached to it. I allowed them to continue what they do best, firing at anything I want them to with impunity.

‘Yuka! I got it! I have something that I can use to destroy Death Wardes!’ Louise triumphantly stated through our ‘Hey-Listen’.

‘Good. What do you need?’ I asked as I ducked and weaved through another mess of tendrils that my plants reduced to ashes soon afterward.

‘The spell I’m going to use can be cast faster than the regular Dispel but I need to get closer to the core to be able to maximize the effect.’ Louise exclaimed and I quickly understood what she needed.

‘Got it. I’m on my way there.’ I stated as I flew to where Red, Louise, and Ruukoto were. The young knight slightly recoiled when it saw me and my plants but kept his composure well. My master just gave me a raised brow and a small frown but nothing else.

“So, what is it? How close do you need to be?” I asked my master.

“Around a hundred feet or so…” Louise stated in concentration as she stared at the contents of the Founder’s Prayer Book, which seemed to have new pages filled up.

“That’s a bit too close don’t you think? That thing will be all over us at that range.” Red pointed out, to which my master merely nodded.

“Yes, but this is the best way to make sure that we can destroy that thing.” My master responded, not taking her eyes off the book. Red looked at me with slight worry in his eyes. I just gave the young man a wry smile and shrugged.

“Alright, are you up for this Ruukoto?” I asked the gynoid, who brandished its G-Revolver and R-Cannon in response.

“For Mistress Louise, always.” It stated simply. And with that, we quickly flew right at the mass of death with me and Ruukoto flying in front of Red’s griffin. Tendril after tendril came at us but Ruukoto and I managed to destroy them well before they ever became a threat to my master. Those that did get too close were easily dodged by the griffin that carried its master and Louise. I was slightly impressed at the control the young knight had over his mount to be able to perform such precise movement with it.

“Red, fly me closer! I want to hit it with my spell!” I heard Louise yell out just as she raised her wand up in the air before closing her eyes and starting her incantation. I noticed the griffin accelerate in response and Ruukoto and I matched its speed and movement. The closer we got, the more tendrils attacked us. Ruukoto and I ended up flying right next to Louise and Red to be able to effectively defend them, though we also needed to give them enough room to dodge should the need arise. The way the tendrils tried to box us in and trap us felt like we were flying in a narrow corridor or canyon while trying to dodge attackers.

We managed to get within a few hundred feet of the main mass when I felt Louise’s magic spike significantly, like she was pouring everything into the spell she was about to use. I wondered what it was when Louise pointed her wand right at her target and declared her spell.

Void Fuse! Explosion alt Dispel!

All that magic I felt building up in Louise suddenly drained out of her in one moment but I didn’t see anything happen.

“Dame Louise!” Red suddenly exclaimed and I saw my master slump against the knight exhausted. Was it a failed spell? I was wondering that when I suddenly saw a glint of light coming from the point where Louise was aiming at. A moment later, I saw a massive rainbow colored explosion blast out and quickly consume the mass of death as it groaned and started to dissolve. The wave of magic swept over us and I felt the magic in the wind-comm, as well as my plants suddenly die out. It was dispel…but it was used as an explosion…and Louise combined them using another spell. I resisted the urge to laugh right there.

Louise Triple-Casted…for real this time.

…

“Why the long face?” Monmon asked my master as we rode a carriage provided by Princess Henrietta back to the Tristain Magic Academy. Louise and I were riding with Monmon and Guiche while Tabitha, Kirche, and Ruukoto opted to fly instead.

“Hurm…” Louise grumbled in response, still tired from her last spell. The battle ended soon after Death Wardes’ sudden…and somewhat anti-climactic end. What remained of the Albion Armada quickly surrendered and were escorted somewhere else. The Sixty-Sixth were part of the force that ensured that the Albion ships didn’t do anything stupid in the meantime.

Prince Wales went back to the capital with Princess Henrietta. Apparently, they were going to form a coalition against the despot Cromwell on the grounds of the monstrosity it made in the form of Death Wardes and the threat it poses to Tristain and the other countries of Halkeginia as well.

“I have never seen anyone look so depressed after achieving such a victory before.” Guiche commented with a small chuckle. Indeed, both Princess Henrietta and Prince Wales offered to give Louise a much grander title after what happened since she effectively won the battle in the end for us. My master, true to form, embarrassedly turned down their offer and stated that she was more than happy to simply save Tarbes and protect her friends. There was some bad news though. We lost Derflinger during the battle when Louise dropped the sword. Ruukoto, Tabitha, and I managed to search the ground where the sword likely fell to but found nothing. Louise was determined to find the sword since it saved her life during the battle and refused to leave the sword missing. I agreed with her but reminded her that she needed to rest first. We can take care of everything one at a time. Speaking of which…

“Louise seems to be less than enthused at the thought of going home for a bit, I guess.” I said while giving my master a small smirk. She returned the gesture with a tired scowl but did not give anything more. Yes, after the battle, Karin practically ordered her daughter to return to their home so she and her parents could have a long talk about a few things. Louise was less than enthused at the notion and tried to wriggle her way out of by telling Karin that she still has classes at the academy.

Karin shot down that argument by pointing out that Tristain was still in a state of emergency and that school was suspended until further notice from the capital. The former manticore knight commander gave her daughter a week to prepare before someone from their estate was to escort her back to their manor. She also told me to take a bath because I was apparently starting to smell like rotting flesh. I agreed with her and went back to Mugenkan to freshen myself up at the first opportunity…much to the confusion of the others when I suddenly returned without a speck of dirt or blood on me.

I looked out the window of the carriage and smiled. We’ve been through a lot, Louise and I…and I can only guess as to what else could be in store for me and my little master. Although, I was rather certain that there wasn’t anything else in this realm that could surprise me anymore.

…

A few days later…

…

Matilda was running through the forests of Southern Saxe Gotha. She had come there to check up on her sister and their orphanage when she heard a rumor that someone was actively looking for Tiffania Westwood. The former thief immediately decided to investigate even if it meant leaving behind Louise and Yuka. As much as she wanted to stay with her pupil and her familiar, she was worried about her sister.

However, when she reached the location of their orphanage…all she found were wreckage and ashes. It took all of Matilda’s concentration to remain focused to be able to investigate what happened. She found no bodies or blood, which meant that Tiffania and the orphans were not killed or harmed…here anyway.

“Hooo~! What have we here?” Matilda turned around when she heard a woman’s voice. She turned around and saw a pale skinned woman with purple hair. She was wearing a black robe and was wielding what looked like a chained staff with a crescent at the tip.

“I come here to find a half-elf and I see a traitor instead. It seems that Vittorio got to the elf before we did…a shame.” The woman’s words immediately made Matilda think and her mind paid the price as she was attacked with another migraine.

“And it looks like the enchantment still works too. How does it feel, Fouquet?” The woman sneered at her. She knew who Matilda was so that meant that she was working with the people that did this to her. The train of logic gave the former thief a new headache but she pushed through it and pointed her wand at the woman. Her earth golem started to form up to attack the intruder but her eyes widened in shock when a blast of yellow light destroyed it in but a moment. She then saw that it came from the staff that the woman was wielding.

“You like? This is a magic staff that was left behind by an evil spirit before it passed on. It has incredible power if one knew how to use it properly. It was never really used for centuries since no one could ever figure out how it was supposed to work. Of course, such a thing was easy to figure out for the Mind of God.” The woman stated confidently as it raised the staff in the air and Matilda could feel the magic building up at the crescent. It was incredible. The amount of magic being gathered was far more than anything she could gather with her own wand and the staff was doing it at an insane speed.

“I am Sheffield, Myoznitnirn the Mind of God.” The woman calling herself Sheffield said and Matilda knew that she had to get out of there. She pulled herself to her feet and started to run. Sheffield simply smiled and said one thing that gave Matilda a headache worse than any before it.

Reconquista

Matilda screamed at the pain she was experiencing at the moment and felt her consciousness fading before her.

“Louise…Yuka…Tiffa…” Matilda called out in an effort to block out then pain but it di not work.

“Oh, stop crawling around like a worm~” Sheffield said and the former thief before casually walking up to her and kicking her side. Matilda coughed out violently as a result and curled up in pain.

"Well, master Joseph did say not to come back empty handed. I guess I can settle with you instead of the elf. I'm sure you can assist us in your own way little earthworm~" Sheffield sneered with contempt as she knelt down in front on Matilda. Just in time for the green-haired woman to pull out her spare wand and cast a desperation spell. A pillar of earth launched Sheffield into the air, letting Matilda struggle back to her feet and try to escape.

"Feisty worm!" Matilda's blood froze when she heard Sheffield's voice from directly above her. Matilda looked up in horror as she saw the Myoznitnirn looking at her with a rather annoyed expression. Sheffield's cloak was open and looked like a pair of wings.

Is it a spell? An artifact? How is she doing this? Matilda thought just as her headache finally became too much to bare and her vision blacked out.

"Hmph! Fooling whore!" Sheffield angrily said to the woman before landing and giving her another kick.

"Oh I will so enjoy breaking you~" The Mind of God said with a smile as she pulled out a black collar from a bag on her waist that looked far to small to carry such a thing but still did. Her forehead started to glow as she drew closer to the unconscious woman...

...


…

[Blackraptor]

Okay! This is another omake born from a question of a friend. Said question was 'What does Ruukoto think about and do since she's quiet most of the time.'

Well, here's my answer. A day in the life of Ruukoto and the start of S2

...
 
Running Systems Check...
 
Energy Levels...Nominal...
 
Erde Kaiser Sigma Type-Seven Efficiency...Nominal...
 
Processing Systems...Nominal...
 
Memory Systems...Nominal...
 
Sensors...Nominal...
 
Frame Integrity...Physical Damage to Frame Nintey-Nine Percent Repaired...Continuing with Self-Repair Protocols...
 
Communications...Nominal...
 
Weapons Systems...Those available are nominal...
 
Special Abilities...Those available are nominal....
 
...
 
I finish my daily self system check within the esitimated time of completion. I refer back to my internal clock for the relative time on this world. Four Twenty-Six in the morning. I open my eyes and begin an automatic scan of my surroundings. My location had not changed nor did I expect it to. I gaze upon the sleeping form of my current employer, Mistress Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Valliere. After a quick check on the internal nanomachines that my mistress had, I quickly concluded that she was of excellent physical health.
 
I stood from the chair I was using for the night and silently took a closer look at my mistress. She was a small child by the standards of all the realms I have been on. Mistress Louise was already well within adolescence in terms of age but her body had not seemed to develop like a normal young woman would. I had originally inferred that it was due to poor health or malnutrition. However, I had since concluded that the cause was because of a hormonal imbalance in her body. Because of the rate of her development through puberty, I concluded that she was to expect a significant growth spurt on all accounts of her physical development within the next three to five years. Her often abrupt change in mood could also be attributed to her hormonal imbalance as well.
 
I left the room after confirming my mistress' safety, health and comfort. Based on past experiences and the fact that Yuka Kazami was still absent from the bedroom, I concluded that they were both still in the dream realm of Mugenkan. As such, the expected time of Mistress Louise's awakening was between Seven to Eight in the morning, local time.
 
I walked through the halls of the main dormitory tower of the Tristain Magic Academy in relative silence. It was still dark out and the students were not expected to awaken until Five in the morning, local time, with Miss Tabitha of Gallia being the usual one to awaken first.
 
I step outside and detected a slow but constant decrease in the early morning temperature in relation to previous mornings. I concluded that the seasons were starting to change. I detected movement from outside one of the main buildings and inferred that it was one of the servants preparing for the day's duties. A small bit of curiosity and the general sense of having nothing to do for the next few hours fueled my impulse to investigate the movement I detected.
 
"Good morning to you Ruukoto, early as always I see." The source of the detected movement said to me. It was Siesta, the Great Grand Daughter of the man who first found me in this realm. Her bloodline could somehow be traced back to Gensokyo, through the specifics on how a human from the Eastern Wonderland ended up here was kept secret even from me by a certain entity.
 
"Fuga." I returned the greeting with a bow. There were only two beings that I know of in this realm that could understand me without the use of Professor Uzuki's translation software, Siesta is one of them.
 
"Fuga?" I offered after noticing the bundle of laundry in her arms. Despite the young woman's polite and unassuming appearance, she had physical strength and endurance that one would usually attribute more with a professional athlete.
 
"That's okay, this isn't anything I can't take care of on my own. Though, I would enjoy some company while I take care of these." Siesta turned down my offer while providing a counter-offer with an acceptable compromise. The young woman was a consummate professional in her craft whether anyone realizes this or not...even Siesta herself. I nodded in acceptance and we walked together to her usual spot when doing the laundry.
 
Despite my prowess and accomplishments in combat and the like, I was still a maid at the core. Seeing Siesta perform duties that I usually do evoked a strange strange sense of nostaliga. I still remember the days when Mistress Reimu made me perform all the chores at the shrine. It had already been a little over five hundred years since she passed away.
 
I never did manage to bring back the groceries she asked for...
 
"I would like to thank you again..." I heard Siesta say just as she started the initial soaking process of her laundry bundle. She said in softly but I was still able to pick it up thanks to my audio sensors.
 
"Fuga?" I asked her with a tilt of my head for clarification. I could not recall any instance that would prompt such thanks in my memory banks aside from our usual professional courtesies.
 
"For saving Tarbes, silly." Siesta answered with a small laugh as she begun her work. I remained silent as I inferred that she still had something she wanted to say.
 
"If it wasn't for you, Yuka, and Louise, my family wouldn't have a home anymore." Siesta clarified after noticing my silence.
 
"Fuga. Fuga Fuga." I immediately stated with a shake of my head. I did not believe that I deserve thanks or praise for my actions at the village of Tarbes. While I was known as the Steel Goddess of Tarbes, it was through the initiative and volition of Mistress Louise that I was even given the opportunity to protect it. If anyone deserved thanks, it would be Mistress Louise. Siesta gave me another one of those small laughs before looking at me with a wry smile.
 
"Even so, you fought and protected our village. For that, you have my heartfelt thanks." The young woman told me with a geniunely grateful smile.
 
"...Fuga." And all I could do was acknowledge that and tell her that she was welcome.
 
...
 
I made my way back to Mistress Louise's room as soon as I noticed her vital signs start to pick up, indicative of someone rising from sleep.
 
I entered the room and closed the door, just as my mistress started to wake up. I immediately want to the wardrobe and picked out some clothes for my mistress.
 
"Haaaaahhh~! Good Morning Ruukoto~" Louise greeted before going beginning her morning ritual of scratching her chest while making 'Munya~!' noises and looking around lazily. It usually takes Mistress Louise an average of ten to fifteen minutes for her to fully wake up, by which time I would already have all her clothes ready and waiting for her.
 
As per our standard routine, my mistress blinked away the last specks of sleepiness before standing up and taking off her night gown. I had heard from her and Yuka that she had originally tried to get the flower youkai to dress her when they first encountered each other. The notion that the Sleeping Terror of Gensokyo would do such a thing was rather absurd, even moreso the fact that someone had the courage to try to ask.
 
However, my mistress had grown to learn the value of self-reliance as she has been actively changing her clothes by herself. The most I really had to do was prepare her clothes beforehand and assist her whenever needed.
 
"Yuka won't be back until later this afternoon," Mistress Louise suddenly started a conversation.
 
"Fuga?" I asked while tilting my head to the side and got an 'urk' in response. She then sighed before looking at me intently while humming to herself as she continued to change her clothes. While she did not explicitly understand my words when I was using my standard operating parameters, Mistress Louise had somehow started developing a means approximating what my words mean based of my reactions to her own words as well as my gestures. Yuka was correct when he once told me that my mistress has become far more skilled than even she herself realized. Although he also said that he would never admit it to her face as it may end up 'inflating her ego' as the genderbent youkai put it.
 
"If your asking why Yuka's staying behind, it's because he need to talk to someone named Nitori about the rest of your abilities and such. He said that he wanted to know more about what you can do and if we can unlock some new things for you to do as well." Mistress Louise provided and I nodded in acknowledgement. While I appreciate Yuka's thoroughness when it came to knowing more about my capabilites and his willingness to help in removing some of the Level Five Locks on my systems, I had hoped that he could have told me beforehand first. I may need to speak to him about that later.
 
I turned my attention back to Mistress Louise just as she placed the Founder's Prayer Book on her head before putting her hat on to cover it. From what I could sense, there was an enchantment placed on the hat that would prevent anything from removing it short of Mistress Louise herself doing so or if the spell was removed somehow.
 
I have also tried to scan the Founder's Prayer Book on request from Yuka and my mistress after it was revealed that it had imparted two new Void Element spells for my mistress' use. However, I was not able to effectively decipher anything useful from the book that hasn't already been revealed. The system of magic being used for it was already a mystery to the very civilization where it originated from, much more for an outsider who was used to completely different magic systems. Without a proper reference guide or software to be able to unlock its secrets, I was not able to find out anything new about the book.
 
"Since there won't be any school until further notice, I'll be doing some independent training for the rest of the day." My mistress informed me as she placed her spare wand in her clothes while putting her normal wand in her skirt pocket. I looked at her as inquisitively as possible. She either immediately picked it up or was anticipating anticipating my confusion as Mistress Louise continued.
 
"It's not like there's anything else to do with everyone else gone." She somewhat bitterly said with a shrug. The main cause of her distress was because all her friends had left the academy for various reasons. Miss Kirche Augusta Frederica von Anhalt Zerbst was called back by her family in the country of Germania due to the events at Tarbes.
 
Miss Kirche said that she never told her family about her involvement in the battle and simply concluded that her family was simply worried about her. She had also made it a point to bring Miss Tabitha of Gallia with her since she wanted to introduce her best friend to her family. Miss Tabitha did not seem opposed to the idea and simply made sure that she had an ample supply of books with her.
 
Miss Kirche also extended the same offer to my mistress and Yuka, to which they automatically declined.
 
Miss Montmorency Margarita la Fere de Montmorency also went back to her family home but for a different reason. She had told my mistress that she wanted to formally introduce Sir Guiche de Gramont to her family as her lover and potential husband.
 
Sir Guiche pointedly ignored my mistress' question if she was really sure that she wanted to introduce Sir Guiche to her family in that way.
 
Miss Montmorency assured Mistress Louise that she was sure and she hoped that my mistress found someone whom she could think of the same way.
 
Mistress Louise pointedly ignored Miss Kirche waving to her when Miss Montmorency said those words.
 
"Fuga?" I inquired from my mistress. She looked at me for a few moments, probably trying to figure out what my question was and how to respond to it. She hummed thoughtfully while rubbing her chin with her right hand. In all honestly, it would have been more efficient if she had called Siesta here or she could have told me to use 'White Noise' so she could understand me.
 
"If you're still asking me something even after I already told you what I was doing, that means..." Mistress Louise muttered while seemingly thinking about the possible questions I could have made based on the circumstances.
 
"There is a clearing in the woods to the southwest of the academy. I'll be training there. If you're planning on bringing me anything for lunch, please bring something light but tasty and would give me energy. Oh, and bring water if you can instead of wine. Cirno-nee said that water beats wine any day when it comes to quenching your thirst. Anything else?" She laid out most of the things I wanted to ask her with her specific requests for each. Although she was still missing some thing so I slowly nodded. Louise narrowed her eyes at me before humming in contemplation.
 
"Bring a change of clothes for me and a bucket of water and something I can use to wash with. If I'll be out there as long as I expect, I will probably work up quite the sweat. Did I get everything now?" Mistress Louise asked me with a slightly irritated expression...which softened the moment I nodded in response.
 
"Fuga." I stated before pulling out a 'Hey-Listen' and offering it to her. She smiled and nodded before taking it and putting it in her ear.
 
"Oh, and you can do whatever you want until you have to bring me all those things. See you later Ruukoto." My mistress said before opening the door to leave.
 
"Fuga." I acknowledge with a low bow before standing back up straight when I heard the door close behind her.
 
Mistress Louise just gave me the morning off...and I wasn't sure what I should do with it.
 
...
 
I tried to pass the extra time my mistress gave me by preparing what she requested earlier. However, I found that I was able to accomplish all the tasks in an hour and a half.
 
I looked at the basket filled with bread, cooked ham, cheese, and two bottles of water. I was not sure what would constitute as light but tasty and would provide her energy as far as my mistress' personal taste was concerned. That was why I decided to go with a favorite midnight snack of Professor Uzuki whenever she had projects she needed to finish...Ham and Cheese Sandwiches...or the main components of it.
 
I quietly lamented the lack of sliced bread in this realm.
 
The water bottles were harder to come by, relatively speaking. The relative time era that Halkeginia was in lacked the proper means to properly distill water into something remotely safe to drink, which was part of the reason why wine became a staple drink in the realm for nobility aside from their aristocratic origins.
 
Due to the inability to properly distill the drinking water using normal means, the only other way to be able to do remove any dangerous microorganisms would be through boiling the water enought to eliminate all threats. Normally, one would need to boil water multiple times to be able to get the full effect of a pure distillation...however, I cheated. I borrowed a large unused iron pot, used by the kitchen staff to make the amounts of stew that would satisfy the student body, and filled it with water before using my R-Blade to superheat the water. The reaction produced an incredible amount of steam and reduced the amount of water in the pot to ten percent of the original amount. It was horribly inefficient but it produced the desired effect, enough pure clean water to fill two wine bottles.
 
I then turned to the bucket of water and rag I set aside for my mistress' washing purposes. That was a more straightforward objective, though finding a clean enough piece of cloth for Mistress Louise to wash herself with took a bit of time as well.
 
Finally, I turned to the folded set of clothes for my mistress to change in should she need them...that was the easiest objective to accomplish.
 
I blinked before checking my internal clock. It was just past nine in the morning. Much too early to go to my mistress' training ground. I idly noted that her vitals were going up at a steady rate...it seemed that she was stepping up her training there.
 
I covered the food basket with a clean piece of cloth before exiting my mistress' room. I stared at the door handle as I wondered what I could for the duration of my free time. I usually spent my days here helping the servants of the academy with their chores until either Mistress Louise or Yuka called for me or until I needed to find either of them. However, with most of the students gone because of the suspension of classes, the only ones left were a few students, staff, and servants. As such, the amount of active chores to do lessened significantly so the remaining servants were more than enough to take care of them.
 
I closed my eyes and checked for known human life forms within the academy premises.
 
A moment later I walked off to find a place to pass the time.
 
...
 
After I wandered around for a while...or specifically, set a route in which I would eventually end up at my destination after a certain amount of time...I found myself standing in front of the workshop of one Professor Jean Colbert. Based of the words of my mistress, Yuka, as well as my own experience with the professor, I found him to be a rare breed of magician in this realm. He was one who was open to new avenues of thought and concepts when it came to the applications of magic.
 
Upon further observation, he was one who did not care for the boundaries between science and magic and strived to be able to utilize both as much as possible. An innovator in a world that was culturally and technologically stagnant for six thousand years. A very dangerous and difficult road to take for one person alone.
 
"Miss Ruukoto?" As predicted, the professor returned from the academy library moments after I arrived in front of his shop.
 
"Fuga." I greeted the man with a low bow. The professor blinked at me before giving a good natured smile.
 
"Good morning to you too. You are not with Miss Valliere or Mister Yuka today?" He returned my greeting, likely deducting context of my bow despite his inability to understand my words, before asking his question.
 
"Fuga." I responded with a shake of my head. The man stared at me for a moment before shaking his head with a sigh. I tilted my head to the side in silent query at his abrupt change in demeanor.
 
"Sometimes I forget that you aren't human. It will be a very long time before we can even hope to create something like you." The man responded after a while. That was what he was worrying about? That I was so far more advanced than any machine they had or would likely have in centuries. The closest approximation that I knew of to an android in this realm would be mechanical magic powered dolls. However, they were not sentient and required a dedicated mage to be able to control them dynamically outside of a very specific control spell that will only make them do a few things.
 
"Would you like to come inside? Since you are here, I wanted your insight on something." Professor Colbert offered before opening the door to his workshop. Having nothing else to do, I followed him in. I scanned the surroundings and noted that he had the same cleaning habits that Professor Uzuki had, which was none. I inferred that this was a traditional trademark of innovators regardless of specified field. Senors also picked up traces of magical energy, experiments most likely.
 
"I apologize for the mess, I will get this room clean someday. Please have a seat." The professor said while gesturing to a nearby chair. I complied and waited for him to prepare whatever it was he wanted my opinion on. Normally I would offer to clean the room if possible, but I have learned through my experience with Professor Uzuki that these kinds of rooms were untidy for a reason...and the owners of these kinds of rooms don't appreciate someone cleaning it without their supervision.
 
"Here it is." Professor Colbert said from within an adjacent room. He emerged after a moment with a metal doll, which had small gears fitted in specific places inside. After a quick scan, I found that it was made completely out of copper. It was an inadvisable material to create exposed machinery with due to issues with durability, conductivity to heat and electricity, as well as a low melting point relative to other available metals. However, it was also cheap and readily available. So, as a work-in-progress prototype, it was an acceptable temporary work material.
 
"This was sent to me by a friend in Germania. He works as an alchemist and specializes in metallurgy. He is currently working on a new series of mechanical dolls that will be able to move on their own without the specific need for an Earth Mage to be present to create, maintain, and move them. He hopes to be able to one day move dolls such as this using any kind of magical energy." The professor gave a background of the origin of the doll as he placed it on a table for me to examine. An interesting idea. The current magic system dictates that the only ones most suited to using golems and other mechanical constructs were Earth Mages. The possibility of being able to move those kinds of constructs or those of similar make using other sources of energy would be revolutionary to say the least. However, as with all innovative concepts, the actual probability of success will only increase through constant experimentation, learning and experience.
 
Unfortunately, such concepts would likely have significant challenges outside the controlled environments of laboratories and work shops. The current system of Magocratic Monarchy that Halkeginia has will likely frown upon the general use of this invention as it goes against the status quo that has been maintained for the past six-millennia. Likely, the first actual application for such an invention was destined in the battlefield instead of a classroom.
 
More on the invention itself. I found little differences between it and the magically controlled dolls that Earth Mages use. However, the most significant difference was the added weight due to additional internal components. Gears were places strategically throughout the body and at the joints to facilitate transfer of energy from the source before converting it into kinetic motion. However, the current setup of gears, as well as the complete reliance on them, will lower efficiency while increasing the chance of breakdown.
 
From what I could find, it seemed that the framework and components of the invention were based on the fundamental concepts found in the human skeletal system. However, a body working soley using a skeletal structure alone will quickly break down due to lack of additional support as well as from wear and tear. This invention did not take into account a body's need for muscles, tendons, and ligaments...or at least equivalents of them.
 
"Well, do you think it has promise? I know that this might seem like a poor attempt at a cheap toy compared to you, but I still wanted to know if we even had a chance to try." Professor Colbert asked me excitedly, his eyes glittering in anticipation. I considered the man's words and weighed the currently known factors that would help or hinder the development and production of such an invention.
 
I concluded that it was improbable in this era barring a massive technological upheaval or a radical, and likely dangerous, new innovation. It was too soon. The materials and technology required to make something that would quantify as a machine that would satisfy the goals set by Professor Colbert's friend simply did not exist.
 
I lifted the prototype in my hands and gave it one more scan before placing it back down. I turned to the professor and shook my head. The concept was sound and was definitely possible, otherwise I would not exist. However, there were too many constraints in this realm for such a thing to be accomplished.
 
"I...see..." Professor Colbert responded in disappointment. I noted that his saddened expression cleared up in but a moment before he returned to his usual demeanor.
 
"Well, I suppose that it was to be expected. Although I don't think my friend will be giving up so easily. I will also provide him any help that he needs as well." The man said with a smile. This was also a known cornerstone of true innovators, to persevere in despite possible obstacles that would hinder success.
 
Professor Colbert then showed me some other inventions that he and several people he was in contact with were developing. Some were more practical to develop and use than most but it did show that at the very least, he was not the only one who was trying to progress their society through technological innovation in addition to established magic.
 
...
 
I left the academy premises to meet with Mistress Louise just as my internal clock struck eleven-thirty in the morning. Based on the vitals scan I did before I left, I concluded that my mistress was tired, hungry, and thirsty. With that in mind, I set off with a basket of food and drink in one hand and a bucket of water with a towel in the other.
 
Here I was, saving the day.
 
I crossed a small copse of trees before arriving at the clearing my mistress specified as our rendezvous point. I realized that I was at the right place when I noticed several small craters as well as destroyed tress and boulders that show evidence of explosive detonation. I looked around and found my mistress sitting down while facing away from me. She had her legs spead out and was leaning back with her arms supporting her weight. Her head was tilted back and it looked like she had her eyes closed and had sweat all over her face.
 
All in all, it was not the kind of position one would expect from a young noble woman...or any young woman in general.
 
"Fuga." I called out to my mistress before approching her.
 
"What took you so loooong? I'm thirsty!" Mistress Louise complained out loud without moving from her position. I blinked at her complaint. Since she never asked for any drinking water aside from the water she will use for lunch and the rest of the afternoon, I had expected that she already had a means of rehydrating herself in the interim. It appears that I had overestimated my mistress' capacity for self-reliance.
 
I walked up to her and pulled out one of the wine bottles that was filled with clean water and handed it my mistress. She immediately grabbed it before sitting up straight and started drinking.
 
"Fuga..." I tried to caution her to drink slower, as drinking water or any other liquid too quickly while dehydrated tended to result in--
 
"Augh! Augh!" That. I rubbed her back at a steady rhythm as she struggled to catch her breath after  a coughing fit. When she finally calmed down, she once again tried to down the bottle of water but I stopped her from repeating her mistake my grabbing the end of the bottle. She glared at me but I ignored it and simply gestured with my movement that she should drink slower. She finally understood my intention and safely managed to drink a little over half of the bottle's capacity.
 
"Gwaaaaahh! You could have just told me to drink slower." She stated in mild annoyance even though I did try to tell her and that she would not have understood my regardless.
 
"Fuga." I decided to move us forward and revealed the foodstuffs I had prepared for her lunch. She looked at the food before unconsciously swallowing, her rumbling stomach soon after indicated that she approved of my selection. It appeared that Mistress Louise did not bother to get breakfast before setting of to her training either. I will need to talk to Yuka about how our mistress handles herself without any supervision.
 
"Haaah...I just can't believe they were right..." My mistress spoke out before taking another bite from her cheese. I blinked at the sudden start of a conversation and tilted my head in response, my most effective sign that I had no idea what she was talking about. She glanced at me before looking at the field she was using for training.
 
"Cirno-nee and Yuka both commented last night that my broken spells were weaker from before. They said that my range, force, and area of effect went down even though my accuracy was improving a lot." She continued as if she was talking through me rather than at me. Her words were a bit concerning though. Spells don't normally become weaker, even the broken spells my mistress uses. A magician can run low on magical energy and not be able to cast a spell because of it, but the lowering of statistics of the spell itself was rather unusual. I inferred that it may have something to do with the triple-casted Void Element spell she used during the battle at Tarbes.
 
"They said that the Void Fusion spell I used that combined Dispel and Explosion caused it." And it seemed that Yuka and the ice fairy Cirno came to the same conclusion.
 
I thought about it for a moment before changing the scanning parameters of my nanomachines in order to measure my mistress' magical energy. I blinked when I found that her energy levels were only at fifteen percent of what the estimated capacity was. I sensed that her body was producing more energy to make up for it, but the rate of replenishment was rather low. It would take her an estimated eighty-six days to be able to fully replenish her reserves provided that she does not use any Void Element spells in the mean time.
 
"Cirno-nee thought that my body was just not used to actually casting proper spells, not even talking about what I did at Tarbes, which was why I'm having a harder time to recover." Again, they managed to get roughly the same conclusion. While I expect that Mistress Louise's efficiency at casting true Void spells will improve the more she uses them, she will need to deal with the aftermath of each major spell she casts until she gets better at it.
 
It was a very inefficient system. Even though the output could easily outclass any convensional spell this realm had if given the right opportunity, the requirements for casting and the energy cost made them impractical.
 
Mistress Louise continued her meal in silence after that, likely thinking about what to do about her situation and what to do about it in the future.
 
...
 
I stayed with Mistress Louise through her afternoon training to be able to confirm the phenomenon of the drop in her spells' range and output. The effective range of her broken spells fell by fifteen percent. The force of each explosion dropped by twenty-two percent. The area of effect of each spell dropped by forty percent. However, her accuracy had increased by thirty percent and the delay between casting to actual explosion decreased by twenty percent.
 
In conclusion, the effectiveness of her broken spells decreased but her efficiency at casting them and hitting a target increased.
 
Mistress Louise was visibly tired from her training and was almost unable to walk the entire distance back to her room. I had dropped off the bucket of water at the entrance of the dormitory tower to take care of it later. I planned on bringing the basket and the empty wine bottles back to the kitchen after attending to my mistress.
 
"Finally...I thought I wasn't going to make it..." She stated tiredly as she opened the door to her room, eager to get some rest.
 
"And where have you been?! Hmmmm?!" The voice of a woman, estimated to be at her mid to late twenties based on tone and inflection, startled my mistress. I did no have my sensors active at the time so I was not able to detect the presence of the woman beforehand.
 
She had long blonde wavy hair and was about as tall as Miss Matilda. She had sharp amber eyes and was wearing glasses, likely because of poor vision for one reason or another. She had a flat chest and a modest figure, but the way she stood before my mistress had a presence that dictated that she was not one to be trifled with. She also seemed very familiar for some reason.
 
"Big Sister Eleanor!" My master exclaimed, solving the mystery. The older woman, now designated as Eleanor, suddenly closed the distance between her and her sister and proceeded to pinch my mistress' cheeks.
 
"Don't you 'Big Sis Eleanor' me! Do you have any idea how long I waited here?!" Miss Eleanor said with no small sense of annoyance.
 
"I'm showee~!" My mistress quickly apologized as she continued to be pinched by her elder sister. I was not certain how to deal with this sort of situation. While Miss Eleanor was obviously causing my mistress great distress, I do not think she would appreciate me 'removing' the threat. The blonde woman continued to pinch her sister's cheecks before finally noticing that I was there. She gave me a measured look before narrowing here eyes on the exposed parts of my armor.
 
"And who are you?" She asked me, while continuing her assault on my apparently helpless mistress.
 
"Fuga." I answered impassively, making the woman stop altogether.
 
"What did you say? Who is this, little runt?" She suddenly asked before escalating her attacks from cheek pinching to a headlock.
 
"She's my maid! Her name is Ruukoto! She's from a far away place!" My mistress yelled out while struggling from the hold. Her sister let her go before looking right into my eyes for a long while.
 
"You're...not alive...are you?" She suddenly asked, making my mistress gasp in surprise. I was impressed at her skill at observation and her intuition to be able to figure that out simply by looking at me. It wasn't like it was obvious or anything.
 
"Where did you find this? Is it a golem? Where did it come from? What are you using to move it? Amazing lifelike texture..." Miss Eleanore quickly asked a series of questions before commenting on the artificial skin on my face. It seemed that her attention was completely shifted from my mistress to me. From the preciseness and deductive order of her questions, I inferred that Miss Eleanor was an academic...or one who pursued an intelectual field at least.
 
"I can't tell you." Louise quietly said, painting her as the main target once more.
 
"What do you mean you don't know! It works for you right?! How did you find it? How did you activate it? How. Does. It. Work?" Miss Eleanore resumed her assault on my master with a series of questions while digging her fists into the sides of my mistress' head. While I always appreciated a healthy sense of curiosity, I did not appreciate the way she was interrogating her sister. I decided to save my mistress further pain and insult by activating 'White-Noise' to speak with Miss Eleanore directly.
 
"Please cease your actions at once. Mistress Louise has a very good reason for refusing to answer your inquiries." I stated in fluent Halkeginian, making both sisters look at me in surprise, though likely for different reasons.
 
"It speaks!" Miss Eleanore suddenly exclaimed before releasing her sister and walking right up to me.
 
"What are you? A golem? Who made you? Where did you come from? Are there more of you? Why are you with my bratty little sister--" She started another series of questioning to which...
 
"Hey!" My mistress reacted with offense. She continued with the questions before waiting for me to respond, her expression serious and her eyes sharp.
 
"I'm afraid I cannot disclose any information. All I can provide is that I am Combat Maid Gynoid Ruukoto Unit-One Version-Four. While I cannot divulge any information about my origins or abilities, please know that I am in a lifelong contract of service under you younger sister." I clearly stated before shifting back to my normal operating parameters.
 
"What?! You can't do that! I'm a noble! You have to answer my questions!" Miss Eleanor did not seem to appreciate my response and started to show her resemblence to my mistress my going into a fit.
 
"Fuga." I responded. Miss Eleanore froze with an incredulous expression while Mistress Louise snorted out a laugh. Her elder sister heard that and quickly glared at my mistress.
 
"You don't want to talk, fine! I'll have plenty of time for that once you and the little runt come back home! Mother and father summoned you back. I don't know what you did, but you better be ready." Miss Eleanor stated and explained the reason she was even here. My mistress' only response was to gulp audibly at what was in store for her back in her home.
 
I made sure to leave a note and a 'Hey-Listen' for Yuka since he was yet to return by the time we left. Mistress Louise made no mention of her familar as she packed her things and got on the carriage that her sister brought with her. Since I was a servant, a separate and more simple carriage was arranged for me. I looked at my mistress for her reaction and she simply shrugged and told me to get on. It seemed that she was apprehensive about letting her elder sister know about my capabilities and even the existence of Yuka. She seemed determined to delay the inevitable as much as possble even as we left the academy.
 
At the very least, this trip will give me a chance to further update my internal map of Tristain.
 
...

[Blackraptor]

...

"Blood Dragon Tooth and Overdrive System NT-D..." I muttered as I read
through Nitori's report on the sealed systems that she managed to find
a way to unlock. It turned out that Professor Uzuki was
extraordinarily thorough when it came to making sure that the really
dangerous things that Ruukoto had were secure.

Each of the sealed equipment and abilities had their own encrypted
password as well as a unique a keycode to even be able to enter the
password proper. Both password and keycode needed to be entered by
Ruukoto's master through a special interface that the gynoid had just
for that purpose. Nitori said that Ruukoto required a master to access
the interface and enter the code and password for each system. The
kappa postulated that this was to prevent the gynoid or anyone or
anything else who wasn't Ruukoto's acknowledged master from trying to
crack into its system instead.

Again, a very thorough woman...

I opened the door of Mugenkan that connected my realm to the Tristain
Magic Academy before closing and dematerializing it. I looked up and
saw the sky start to give out a soft orange glow. It appeared that my
meeting took all day. It wasn't my fault that Nitori decided to give
me a detailed lecture on the systems she was able to decrypt.

I continued to read the report on the two new things that would become
available for Ruukoto as I walked back to the dormitory tower. Louise
should have been doing her independent training while I was away, so
she was probably in her room exhausted by now.

Ruukoto's Blood Dragon Tooth was apparently the next logical step in
the development line of the R-Blade...according to Nitori anyway.
According to the report, the weapon was a handheld device as opposed
to the R-Blade which requires Ruukoto to transform her entire arm into
the weapon. Included with the report was a diagram of the device which
had so much detailed information about each part, even though I will
not bother to comprehend all of it, that one could probably
manufacture it if they had the materials and methods to do so.

It was a sleek silver device that was basically comprised of a simple
handle and an energy emitter. Of course, there were much more pieces
and components involved, but I didn't really care to know about them
because I was not the one who will use it. The only thing that
mattered to me was what it can do. What it can do is create a four
foot long energy blade, which could extend to twelve feet if needed.
It can also be used as a ranged weapon by turning the energy utilized
by the blade into projectiles, effectively making it a laser gun. In
addition, Ruukoto should also be able to switch between those two
modes at will.

It was an incredibly versatile weapon but the overall damage output of
the Blood Dragon Tooth was lower than its closest equivalents, which
would be R-Blade and G-Revolver. A trade-off for being able to do two
things at once I supposed.

Ruukoto's Overdrive System 'NT-D' was an internal enhancement ability
like 'White Noise'. While White Noise apparently enhances Ruukoto's
communications systems, NT-D enhances the gynoid's defenses. According
to the report, the system disperses a large amount of nanomachines
which lines the gynoid's frame in a very specific manner. It seemed
that the way it was set up was to allow Ruukoto to deflect
non-physical attacks in addition to increasing its toughness to
physical attacks.

However, it also said that NT-D was an unfinished technology. It
seemed that, even though it was a usable system, it was rather
inefficient compared to White Noise. It can only be deployed for a
maximum of six-hundred seconds at a time because of how much it pushed
the Erde Kaiser Sigma Type-Seven Engine. Nitori postulated that the
version of the system that was put into Ruukoto was either a
proof-of-concept prototype or an incomplete version that was put in
anyway because of time constraints or desperation. Nitori also warned
not to let Ruukoto use the system for the full six-hundred second
limit as it may render the gynoid inoperable for a time because its
engine needed time to cool down.

A powerful but impractical system to be relied on constantly. However,
it would be a nice trump card for Ruukoto to keep around just in case.
I walked up to Louise's room and rearranged the pages of the report. I
wanted to discuss this with Louise and Ruukoto at length so my master
would know what else her maid was capable of and so I can clarify a
few things with Ruukoto in regards to her weapons and abilities. I
knocked on the door twice and raised a brow when no one responded.

"Louise, Ruukoto, I'm back." I knocked again before opening the door.
I looked inside and it was vacant save for a 'Hey-Listen' on Louise's
desk and a small note underneath it.

"What now?" I asked irritably to no one in particular. I put Nitori's
report inside Louise's dresser along with her previous report. I
closed it immediately when I heard footsteps approaching.

"Mister Yuka, is that you?" I heard Siesta's voice from the hallway.

"In here." I responded and saw the maid enter the still open door with
a worried expression.

"I assume that you know something of where Louise and Ruukoto are?" I
asked Siesta, who nodded immediately.

"Miss Louise's older sister arrived earlier today and took her away
along with Ruukoto!" Siesta stated with a mild sense of alarm. I gave
a thoughtful hum before rubbing my chin with my left hand.

"Louise's sister..." I repeated the young woman's words while mulling
over the information. My master did say that she had two other
sisters. Perhaps Karin finally wanted to speak with my master at
length along with Louise's father so she sent one of her other
daughters to fetch her.

"Thank you for clarifying that for me." I thanked the still visibly
worried Siesta.

"Is Miss Louise in trouble? Her sister looked really mad when they
left." The maid asked me. I wondered about that myself. On all
accounts, Louise should be in trouble when she returns to her home
because of her involvement in the battle of Tarbes. On the other hand,
we had practically saved that battle for Tristain.

"I'm not sure...but I can find out." I told her honestly before
picking up the Hey-Listen and putting it in my ear as well as picking
up the note and reading it.

---

Escorting Mistress Louise to the Valliere Estate.

The mistress is being brought back by Miss Eleonore Albertine Le Blanc
De La Blois De La Valliere, the eldest sister.

Enclosed Hey-Listen is already connected to my communications system
as well as the mistress' own ear piece.

Travelling by carriage. Estimated time of arrival is between five to
seven days barring any significant delays.

Please contact me directly if you wish to know directions on how to
reach our destination or if you wish to catch up to us.

---

"Is it from Ruukoto? I've never seen that kind of language before."
Siesta asked as she peered at the letter from my side.

"Yes. This is the written form of a language from my realm known as
English. I supposed that Ruukoto chose this to ensure that I would
most likely be the only one who could read it." I explained before
putting the note in my pocket.

"So, what did it say?" The maid continued her line of questioning. I
nodded in response before picking up my parasol from the corner of the
room and sitting down on one of the chairs.

"It seems that Louise and Ruukoto were escorted to the Valliere estate
by her elder sister, one Eleonore Albertine Le Blanc De La Blois De La
Valliere. Ruukoto was nice enough to leave behind one of the
'Hey-Listen' so I can contact them once I try to find them."  I
explained while pointing to the 'Hey-Listen' in my ear. Siesta
shuffled a bit from where she stood as she looked at me a bit
uncomfortably.

"So...why aren't you trying to contact them or go after them?" She
finally asked after staring at my obviously lax way of dealing with
this. It was an understandable question. I mean, the last time when
Louise disappeared on me, it eventually ended up with the Albion
invasion...whether or not Louise was the direct cause of that sequence
of events or was merely part of it would be up for debate of course.
However, my confidence stemmed from the fact that we now had something
that we did not when Wardes abducted my master. We now had Ruukoto.

"Because Ruukoto is with her. After the events at Tarbes, Ruukoto has
proven that it is far more than capable of protecting Louise barring
giant, constantly mutating, tendriled monsters...of course, I doubt
that they would encounter such a thing on their way to the Valliere
estate." I explained before lazily cracking the kinks in my neck.

"Are you alright, Mister Yuka? You look...tired." The maid pointed
out, though she slightly hesitated in the end considering how odd the
questioned sounded when being directed at me. I hummed at her
observation before giving out a tired sigh. So this is my limit? I'm a
bit disappointed. Was it because I was away from my Garden of the Sun
for so long?

"Your observation may not be...incorrect." I gave her before starting
to feel a migrane start. It has been a long time since I had felt that
sensation and it was reminded at how much I disliked it. Siesta
stepped forward after I started rubbing my forehead with me left hand.

"Have...have you been sleeping well?" The maid worriedly asked before
kneeling down and placing her right hand on my left cheek.

"I...have not slept since Louise and I returned from Albion..." I told
her, much to the maid's shock. It was true. The only times when I
could really go to sleep at night was when Louise did not show up in
Mugenkan...times that were now few and far in between. I glanced at
Siesta's fearful expression before shaking my head slowly.

"I hope that I do not need to remind you that I am not human..." I
pointed out before removing the hand on my cheek with my own. I felt
Siesta's hand squeeze my own for a moment before I let go. She glanced
away as she held her right hand close to her chest with her left, her
cheeks giving off a faint pink tinge.

"I am not human...I never was...I never will be...I have come to the
point in my long and particularly violent life where sleep, food, and
drink are no longer required for my continued existence. However...it
seemed that I have overestimated myself this time." I reminded her
before conceading the point that I was not feeling as well as I
should.

"My dependence on my garden has finally let itself known...as much as
I did not want to admit." I muttered before trying to stand up. The
feeling of myself faltering and my legs suddenly giving out was
something I have not felt...in a very long time. Imagine my surprise
when Siesta had to catch me and guide me to Louise's bed.

"Maybe you should get some sleep. At least take a nap before you catch
up with Miss Louise and Ruukoto." Siesta said to me before pushing me
down on the bed.

"I can't believe that I'm being forced into something
as...pedestrian...as taking a nap without my consent." I grumbled and
raised a brow when the maid gave out a small giggle as she removed my
footwear before lifting my legs onto the bed.

"Isn't this nice every once and a while though? You must at least miss
being able to have a peaceful sleep every now and then, right?" Siesta
asked me with a gentle smile. The way she worked with her words and
actions, despite who she was saying them to...Sakuya would have liked
to have a maid like Siesta on her team.

"Yes, I suppose. Thank you..." I thanked the young woman before
closing my eyes, the darkness of unconsciousness taking me a few
moments later.

...

Siesta blinked at how quickly Yuka seemed to fall asleep. The steady
rhythm of his breathing betrayed his current state. The young woman
dared to reach out with her left hand and brush off some stray strands
of hair that were on his face.

"Not...human..." Siesta repeated Yuka's words in a voice just above a whisper.

"Not..." She repeated even as she found herself being drawn closer and
closer to the green-haired man's sleeping face.

"...human..." She managed to let out before lightly pressing her lips
on his for all but a moment.

Siesta silently stepped out of the room a few moments later. She
sighed as she leaned against the closed door which held a
fifteen-hundred year old monster on the other side.

"Even so..." The young woman whispered to herself before lightly
touching her lips with her right index finger.

It took her quite some time before she could cool down her blushing
face before returning to the servant's wing of the academy.

...

[Blackraptor]

...

"Well...this is different..." I commented as I found myself in what looked like a room that was completely dark save for the one spotlight that was illuminating the spot where I was standing. While it had been some time since I have experienced an actual Lucid Dream, I did not expect that this was all I would get.

Hollow words from one who was bored out of their skull for decades. I blinked at the sound of the voice. It was my voice, the voice of my other half...I had when I was still female. Another spotlight turned on, which  illuminated the spot a few feet in front of me. As expected, the one in front of me was my female self. It was not my double for the one before me did not have the feel of barely contained maddness. It also helped that her hairstyle was the one I had before I was sent to Halkeginia.

"I take a nap for the first time in weeks and this is what I get?" I pointed out with a raised brow before folding my arms and leaning back. My female self sneered at me as she placed her hands on her hips before leaning forward and giving me an evil grin.

The Sleeping Terror not getting enough sleep? Do you have any idea how laughably ironic that is? My other self asked me with before laughing at me.

"Quite ironic. What are you even supposed to be? I am certain that I was able to fall asleep on my master's bed, so this must be a dream." I acknowledge the observation for what it was before asking my female self my own question. The grin on her face disappeared and she stood back up straight before mirroring my own stance, folding her arms and leaning back.

Master? You truly acknowledge a female human mageling as your master? It would be like making the thieving witch your master! Have you no pride as a youkai? Have you no pride as the most feared in Gensokyo? Have you no pride as the strongest in Gensokyo? My female self asked me her questions, which were dripping with venom with each word uttered, as she walked around me, the spotlight she was under followed her movements.

"Pride? Of course I have pride. However, it is not so fragile as to be affected by something like having Louise as my master." I responded with my own sneer. My female self stopped walking just as she came up behind me. I need not see where she was. She was I and I was her. I could tell where she was just as accurately as I can tell where was hand is relative to open space.

What happened to us? She asked sullenly, the hate and the contempt in her voice changing to one of wonder and self-pity.

We used to be the most feared monster in Gensokyo. My female self reminded me as she walked around me while tracing the width of my back with the fingers of one of her hands.

We used to treat the silly humans like insects to be stomped on underfoot. She continued as she circled me, still tracing her fingers across my shoulder and chest before stopping right in front of me. She was slightly shorter than I was so she had to look up a bit to be able to meet my eyes.

We only used to care about ourselves and our garden, about how to become stronger than we already were, about what we could do to the next idiot that wanders into the Garden of the Sun. My female self said as she placed both of her hands on my cheeks before leaning closer and pressing her lips on mine. I did not react. I was not offended nor was I flattered by the action. This was a dream. She was me. There was no need for those kinds of reactions in this situation. I simply remained quiet to see if there was anything else that she was going to say or do.

Hey, tell me. What has become of Yuka Kazami? She asked me longingly as she wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed herself against me. I thought about her questions and what they represented. There must be a reason why this dream was happening...this strange self-introspection of my subconscious mind. I closed my eyes and thought about how I should answer. The starting point to which I could link each and every one of the questions to. The origin and catalyst what has been happening to me.

"Louise happened to us." I finally answered while opening my eyes.

She is nothing more than a failure of a magician that had no talent. She countered evenly.

"She is a magician that did not have the means to realize her true potential. She is a magician that managed to call us as her familiar." I responded just as evenly.

We bowed down to her will and submitted to that binding contract. We let her bind us! My female self continued her arguments.

"I was curious to see what kind of human was able to summon us and bind us to a familiar contract." I pointed out but she quickly countered.

She is weak. She does not have any confidence in herself nor does she have anything to show for her efforts. She is a laughing stock. My female self responded to me.

"She reminded me of us when we were still a whelp. A few moments ago, you reminded me of her." I stated with a smile. The female me narrowed her eyes before finally letting go and taking a few steps back.

Even so...why do we care about the other humans so much as well? The students. The teachers. The maid. The thief. Why? She asked me, more as an honest question than something to be used to spite me. I opened my mouth to give my answer but I found myself lacking one.

Why did we start caring about the silly little humans? What exactly are they to us? Something to pass the time with? Entertainment? Pets? What compells you to remain with them, care about them, and protect them if needed? She asked the questions I found that I did not have an answer to.

I don't know...that is your answer. My female self sadly stated with no small sence of certainty.

Do you love them? Do you see them only as a responsibility? Do you see them as friends? Companions? Ask yourself Yuka Kazami. Just what exactly are those humans to you? What do each of them mean to you? She asked me as she stepped forward again.

Find the answers for those questions for yourself...while you still can. I heard her say just as the world around me faded into a bright white light.

...

[Blackraptor]

...

I opened my eyes, feeling both lethargic and refreshed at the same time. I sat up and looked out the window. The sun was rising.

"How long..." I started before I shook my head. It was obvious that I was asleep for at least the duration of the night after Siesta forced me onto Louise's bed. How could I have let myself sleep for that long? I idly asked that to myself as I put on my boots before standing up. I checked to make sure that the 'Hey-Listen' was still in my ear before stepping outside. I managed to walk off the languid feeling I had when I first woke up around the time I exited the dormitory tower.

I took in a deep breath and savored the first few rays of the morning sun. I felt much better than I did before I went to sleep. It seemed that Siesta's council was not misplaced.

"Good morning Mister Yuka." I heard Siesta happily greet me from the side. I turned to her and saw the young woman carrying a bundle of laundry in her arms.

"Good morning to you too." I returned the greeting with a smile.

"It looks like you had a good night's sleep." The maid added in an upbeat tone, seemingly making the most of her small victory over my own judgement.

What do each of them mean to you?

"Indeed. Would you like some help with that?" I acknowledged before offering to help Siesta and ignoring that question my female self posed in my dream. It was the least I could do for the young woman.

"No need. I can take care of these myself, I always do." Siesta declined before heading off to her destination. Lacking anything else to do, I found myself walking with her. I looked at the girl with a raised brow when she suddenly started giggling to herself for no apparent reason.

"It's just that Ruukoto offered to help me carry the laundry just yesterday as well. I remembered the coincidence and it seemed funny to me." She explained, seemingly knowing the reaction I would have to her sudden emotional shift.

Siesta, a regular human girl. A servant of the Tristain Magic Academy and the first human that I got along with in this realm. Of course, I was originally only using her to take Louise's laundry off my hands and to get a better layout of where I was. Then the incident with Count Mott happened. It was odd...the moment I realized that she was taken away from the academy, I had the strange desire to bring her back no matter what. She had since become a member of Louise's circle of friends whether they realized it or not...practically becoming the group's personal maid even after Ruukoto joined us.

If one of us needed something or required help from the servants, the first name that pops up was always Siesta's.

What exactly are they to us?

I was still not sure that I could give an answer to that question that would satisfy me. All I was certain about was that I couldn't really imagine our afternoons without the young woman serving us tea and snacks.

"Mister Yuka, is everything alright?" I blinked at the sudden question. I glanced at Siesta, who was already unloading the laundry she was carrying into a set of basins. I looked back and saw that we were already quite a ways away from the entrance to the dormitory tower.

"Mister Yuka?" Siesta called out, the worry in her voice was obvious.

"I am alright, Siesta. I was simply thinking on a question that was posed to me..." I assured the young woman before giving her something of an explanation while shaking my head.

"What kind of question?" She pressed even as she started going about her work.

"The kind which I have yet to find an answer to." I vaguely answered with a shrug. Siesta nodded and I thought that she had already let the subject drop when she said nothing else and tended to the laundry.

"Is it a difficult question?" The maid asked without turning back to look at me.

What compells you to remain with them, care about them, and protect them if needed?

"In a way..." I answered after several moments of silence between us.

...

'Ruukoto? This is Yuka. Can you hear me?' I finally found time to try to contact Ruukoto after leaving Siesta to her duties. I was currently standing on the roof of one of the towers of the academy after I returned to Louise's room to retrieve my hat and parasol. As to how I managed to get there...I flew.

'Fuga. Fuga?' Ruukoto replied, making a dry comment on how it almost did not expect me to contact them at all before asking me if I was already on my way to where they were.

'I am still at the academy. I haven't been able to catch up yet because Siesta forced me to take a nap...that ended up as a full night's sleep.' I explained before wondering if Louise was with Ruukoto and was listening in.

'You were asleep?! Do you have any idea how worried I was? You didn't contact either of us last night and you didn't even show up in Mugenkan!' The rather passionate hissing of Louise's voice answered that question for me.

'I apologize. I did not realize how much I slept until I had already awakened. Are you still in transit to your family's lands?' I asked Louise after explaining what happened to me, effectively changing the subject.

'We're not even halfway there. The carriages are really slow compared to flying. We'd probably be home by now if Ruukoto flew us there.' My master replied with a tired sigh. Although, the seemingly open way in which Louise was talking to me through her 'Hey-Listen' made me wonder about something.

'Are you not travelling with your elder sister? Is she not with you?' I asked the question that was bugging me with the situation.

'Fuga Fuga.' Ruukoto was the one who answered instead of Louise. It seemed that their group was currenly resting for a while to let the horses recover. Louise and Ruukoto slipped away from her sister's supervision simply for the sake of getting away from her sister...that was when I contacted Ruukoto.

'Please tell me that Ruukoto already gave you the answer you were looking for.' Louise deadpanned even though she should already know the answer.

'She told me enough. I'll be flying to catch up to you now. Ruukoto, can you give me directions while I do so?' I replied before asking Ruukoto.

'Fuga.' Ruukoto responded and I was in the air in short order and on my way to where my master and her gynoid were.

The distance I had to cover was not all that far once I was already in flight. I decided to fly high to avoid anyone visually detecting me and for me to be able to have a better view of everything else. Ruukoto originally gave me directions that were far too accurate for me to actually use. So much so that it gave me the exact coordinates of where they were by using something called triangulation. The gynoid explained that it used signal coming from my 'Hey-Listen' and measuring how far it was relative to Ruukoto's location as well as the location of its hangar at Tarbes.

I quickly made sure to let it know that I did not need such specific information and that all I needed was for it to tell me if I was flying in the right direction or not. Thanks to that, I was able fly without much hassle aside from Ruukoto occationally reminding me to adjust my flight path to the left or to the right.

'Fuga.' I heard Ruukoto notify me that I should be able to see their carriages soon. I looked down and saw the road that they were likely using before lowering my altitude while maintaining my speed. Just as the gynoid stated, I saw two small objects moving along the road just as I came below the cloud line.

'I see you. I'll stay up here until you stop again.' I stated as I moved right above their carriages.

'Why can't you show up now? No, it's nothing Big Sis Eleanor--augh! I'm sorry for moving away without your permission!' I blinked at my master's sudden interrupted and apparent ongoing battle with her sister.

'I doubt suddenly dropping out of the air near a pair of moving carriages would be a good idea.' I answered her question anyway while continued to wait for their little convoy to stop.

They eventually stopped late in the afternoon, just as the sun started to set. It was an open road with just rolling plains all around them so I assumed that they will be camping in for the night. I landed some distance away from them and simply walked to where they were. I had originally considered landing right in front of them, but doing it this would likely give me less fuss about the whole thing. I started hearing their voices as I walked closer and closer to their location, the voice of a woman seemingly giving out orders in particular.

"Don't you 'Fuga' me! Just hurry up and help set up the fire pit already! Louise, you litte runt, why are you looking around like that?" The woman's nagging filled the otherwise peaceful area. I would expect that such a voice would be an effective deterrent against wild animals during the night. I walked up into view to save my master any further headaches from the woman, who I was assuming was her sister.

"I would assume that she is looking for me." I spoke up, getting everyone's attention. I quickly saw Louise standing nervously in front of a taller woman with long flowing blonde hair and glasses. Other than those features, she looked like a bigger version of my master...including the small chest. Ruukoto was a short distance away working on what looked like a fire pit alongside two men who I assumed were the coachmen. Unlike the surprised looks that the humans were giving me because of my sudden appearance, Ruukoto did not even acknowledge it. Since the gynoid was the one that led me here in the first place, its reaction...or lack thereof was to be expected.

"Yuka! What took you so long?" My master called out before weaving her way past her sister to get to me, an act that seemed to have surprised the older woman somewhat.

"I landed a bit of a ways away from here and walked in order to prevent a scene." I explained with a shrug before reaching out and adjusting Louise's hat.

"Well, you could have joined us earlier..." My master grumbled as adjusted her hat but otherwise did not resist.

"I'm here, aren't I?" I retorted with a soft chuckle. I glanced at the approaching figure that was my master's sister. Considering how she was looking at me and Louise, I already had an idea of what she was thinking.

"Little runt, who is this commoner?" Eleanore asked her sister suspiciously. My master suddenly stiffened up and started trembling like a small animal that was successfully stalked by its natural predator and was moments away from being devoured.

"And if you tell me that he's your secret lover, I will end you and just tell mother that some wild golblins got to you because of your stupidity." The blonde Valliere daughter deadpanned in an eerly similar manner that Louise does. The effect was immediate as my master blushed bright red before whrling around to face her elder sister and delivering her counter-argument in her trademark style.

"Lover? Lover?! Yuka? Me and Yuka? Lovers? No way! There is no way that I would ever find myself romantically attracted to Yuka! Even if he has saved my life a few times! Even if he did everything he could to give me confidence in myself! Even if he did teach me how to make the most of the magic I did have and turn it into something I can completely abuse! Even though he was the first one to truly believe in me and my magic! Even though he...even...so..." Louise once again blabbered out a suspiciously specific denial before finally trailing off. I noticed her lower her head for a few moments before turning back to me. Her eyes widened when she looked at me, prompting a mandatory raised brow from me, before blushing harder than before and turning back to her sister.

"No! Absolutely not! Never going to happen! Did I mention that we're not lovers?" My master quickly stated in a state of near-panic, apparently picking up her second wind, and even flailing around her hands and making gestures with them to emphasize her point. Meanwhile, Eleanor was managing a rather well done impression of their mother the way she was glaring between her younger sister and I.

"And you are still terrible at making intelligent arguments!" The blonde woman responded before proceeding to dig her knuckles into the sides of my master's head. She continued the direct assault on Louise for a few moments despite my master begging for mercy.

I was not sure if what her sister was doing to her really hurt my master, since Louise's pain threshold should be higher than an average human now because of everything she has been through and the fact that she had her hat on which was made of leather, or if she was simply humoring the blonde because this was the status quo they had as sisters. Regardless, I did not intervene because I was not convinced that Louise was really getting hurt by her sister's actions. Ruukoto's continued stance of ignoring what was happening, in favor of getting their camp set up for the night, seemed to support my theory.

"And you!" Eleanore suddenly yelled at me while continuing her attacks on Louise.

"I don't know who you are or what your relationship with this little runt is, but know that you will regret taking advantage of a Valliere...even if it is this runt!" She stated as menacingly as she could. It seemed that an emotional mean streak was a shared trait between Louise and her family if provoked enough. The only real variance between them was their control and the way they utilized their sudden burst of emotions...which were usually hostile. Even so, I suppose that I should clear up the misconception that the older sister seemed to have about the relationship between Louise and myself before it escalates pointlessly any further.

"I apologize for the confusion and subsequent misunderstanding that Louise's reaction caused. Allow me to introduce myself." I stated as I removed my straw hat with my left hand while using my parasol as a walking stick. I placed my hat over my chest and gave the blonde a curt bow.

"I am Yuka Kazami. This past spring, your younger sister summoned me as her familiar during the Tristain Magic Academy's Springtime Familiar Summoning Ritual. It is a pleasure you meet you Miss Eleonore Albertine Le Blanc De La Blois De La Valliere." I introduced myself to Eleanore. The blonde stared at me for several moments before her right eyebrow started twitching. Said twitching apparently spread to her right cheek right before she finally responded.

"Are you telling me...are you honestly trying to tell me...that this runt summoned you, a commoner, as her familiar?" The woman said in a seething voice as my master started flailing her arms around even more in protest.

"Owowowowowowow!" I could hear Louise voice out the discomfort she was experiencing while under her sister's mercy.

"Well, I'm not really..." I started to say when the older sister suddenly shoved the younger sister away and pulled out her wand from within her clothes. The motion she utilized in order to do so was efficient and left no room for wasted movement. A dicipline acquired from their mother no doubt. I wondered why Louise did not seem to have possessed the same before she started her training with me and Cirno, completely ignoring the implied threat of a drawn and pointed wand that Eleanore was trying to show, when the woman in question once again spoke out.

"You not only insult the Springtime Familiar Summoning Ritual by doing this farce, you also dare to try to deceive me into thinking that a human could even be summoned? I should have you imprisoned, tortured, and executed for this!" She declared with all her terrible self-righteous fury. I was about to argue on that point when a pink blur suddenly appeared between us. It was obviously my master, who was standing right in front of her sister and had her arms out wide in an unnecessary but sincere attempt to shield me from her sister's wrath.

"You can't do that to Yuka! He's--" Louise started to argue on my behalf when Eleanore cut her off while pointing her wand at her younger sister. I felt my master tense up at the gesture before tensing up even more with her sister's words.

"Don't you dare stand up for you fake familiar! I expected more from you Louise. You are a Valliere! Even if you are a failure as a mage, it does not mean that you can just commit a fraud like this! Do you have any idea how much shame this would bring to our family?! Is this why you were being called back?! Because mother and father found out about yo--" Eleanor's verbal onslaught was suddenly halted when I heard the familiar hum of Ruukoto's mode change and sure enough...

R-Blade

A fraction of a second after the declaration of the weapon, Ruukoto had already yanked away the blonde's wand with its left hand while standing in front of its mistress defensively and showing Eleanore its R-Blade as a warning. Everything happened so fast for the humans that the delay in their actions was enough for Ruukoto so speak uninterrupted after streams of light finished running across the gynoid's now blue eyes..

"Allow me to speak. While your earlier statements were correct in the conventional rectitude of this kind of situation, please know that Mistress Louise's situation is not conventional. Also, I apologize for my actions if you take them for disrespect. While I assume that you will never intentionally bring actual bodily harm to Mistress Louise, I am bound by my directives to protect her from any potiential harm." The gynoid stated before relaxing its stance and continuing.

"This Ruukoto Unit-One Version-Four hopes for your fair understanding and hopes that you would allow a more comprehensive explanation to be given to you before you pass your judgement. This is so you will be able to form an intelligent and rational conclusion based on facts provided." Ruukoto requested before dismissing the R-Blade, returning her right arm to normal, before offereing Eleanore's wand back with a respectful bow. The elder Valliere sister quickly snatched her wand back, prompting Ruukoto to stand back straight, before looking between all three of us in silence. I saw my master about to speak up when Eleanore finally spoke.

"You! Explain everything to me as comprehensively as you can!" She suddenly declared while pointing at Ruukoto with her wand before glaring at both Louise and I.

"And it better be convincing..." She added, much to my master's chagrin. I wasn't really bothered by it since she couldn't do anything to harm Ruukoto or myself and she can't harm Louise because of us and the fact that she is her little sister. I was sure that Ruukoto's logical thinking and attention to detail will satisfy the blonde.

What's the worse that could happen?

...

[Blackraptor]

...

"That doesn't sound convincing at all!" Eleanore yelled out while shaking Ruukoto's shoulders. The gynoid had just given the elder Valliere sister an account of what had happened to Louise and I after
my summoning to Halkeginia. Based on her reaction, she seemed less than convinced.

Of course, it omitted the parts where Louise is a Void Mage and I am a Gandalfr, where I have my own realm in the border of dreams, where Ruukoto and I were both powerful enough not to be threatened by
anything in this realm as far as we knew, where we were both several lifetimes old, where Louise went on a dangerous secret mission to Albion, was kidnapped, and had to fight for her life and the life of an exiled prince, where we were all instrumental in beating back the recently attempted Albion invasion, where Louise's personal tutor in Halkeginian magic was once the infamous Fouquet 'The Crumbling Dirt', where Louise personally knows and has the favor of both Princess Henrietta de Tristain and Prince Wales Tudor.

You know, the little things.

Now that I thought about it, Ruukoto effectively had to omit most of the interesting things that happened since I came here. Add that to the fact that Ruukoto's explanation was technically second hand information and I was starting to understand why Eleanore wasn't really inclined to believe the story.

After all, without those aspects, the whole thing sounded like some predictable piece of fiction which would be likely riddled with bland characters, an absurd story, and things Kaguya terms as 'Fanservice'.

"Headmaster Osmond of the Tristain Magic Academy can vouch for the validity of Yuka Kazami's status as Mistress Louise's familiar." Ruukoto provided matter of factly. I placed a hand on Louise's shoulder when I noticed her starting to tremble again while her magic level began fluctuating as well.

"Neither Ruukoto nor I will allow any harm to befall you." I reminded her and was rewarded with Louise calming down. I looked back to her older sister, who was now looking right at me very intently.

"So the little runt really summoned you?" She asked me in all seriousness.

"Indeed she did." I replied with a smile before showing her the familiar contract runes branded into the back of my left hand. The blonde started grumbling in a similar manner that Louise does before shaking her head and walking up to me.

"You could have just told me you had summoning runes." She complained as she took my left hand to inspect it.

"I would, but you did not seem to be very open to reason earlier." I shot back with a raised brow, earning a narrowed glare from Eleanore. The woman scowled at me for a moment before turning her attention back to the runes on my hand.

"The little runt summoned a smart mouthed commoner as her familiar...unbelievable..." She muttered to herself even as she drew her face closer and closer to the back of my hand, even opting to raise her glasses off her eyes to look at the runes directly.

"...what are you doing Big Sis Eleanore?" Louise inquired as she looked between her sister and my hand. I glanced away for a moment and found that Ruukoto had opted to go back to setting up camp, particularly tonight's dinner, after confirming that the elder Valliere sister won't be trying anything really violent on her sister anymore.

"I can't understand what these runes are supposed to represent...but at the same time...I feel like I've seen them somewhere before." She muttered before turning back to Louise.

"Go get ready for the night, your maid is already preparing the meal. We still have a lot of road to cover before we make it home." Eleanore told her little sister, who immediately scowled at being told to go away. The blonde seemed to have picked up on that and sighed.

"I won't try to kill or take away your familiar, if that is what you are worried about little runt." She added and Louise gave out her trademark 'urk' in response.

"Go on. I won't be leaving you any time soon." I provided to my master when I saw her giving me a worried glance.

"Alright..." Was all she said before heading back in the direction where of the camp, where Ruukoto had already started cooking. Eleanore was intently staring at my hand for the duration of our exchange, but
finally looked up to meet my eyes once Louise was out of earshot.

"Are you of any use to her?" The blonde suddenly asked me as looked intensely into my eyes, as if trying to divine an answer from them. The question itself and the seriousness of the way she asked it
prompted a raised brow from me.

"Or are you nothing more than a responsibility to her?" Eleanore added in a darker tone of voice before letting go of my hand. I looked into the woman's eyes and saw the same fire I had seen in Louise and
Karin's eyes. This was my master's older sister, the woman who constantly berates and generally bullies her, the woman who seemed to act like she really did not want anything to do with her...and she's basically asking me if I was a burden to Louise or not. And from the look in her eyes, depending on my answer, she may be more than willing to try to kick my ass.

How odd...

Well, I did recall Alice's sisters being rather mean spirited to the girl one moment, then be more than willing to protect her from harm the next. Was this the same kind of situation?

Was that kind of dynamic simply a 'sister' thing?

"Your silence does not inspire confidence, Yuka Kazami." The woman's voice snapped me from my thoughts, as well as inducting Eleanore as one of the handful of people than managed to pronounce my full name correctly on their first try. I supposed that I should say something to prevent her opinion of me to decline any further than it already seemed to have. However, I was not entirely sure what I should tell
her.

I still had all the knowledge and raw physical prowess to wield a sword, a knife, and a lance with near-masterful efficiency thanks to the Gandalfr runes. Should I tell her that I was a warrior that would
be more than capable of protecting her sister? No. Based on how she seems to see commoners in general, telling her that I was a weapon user would likely not impress her.

I sighed wistfully when I noticed that I was thinking about this too hard again. I smiled at Eleanore and gave her my response.

"I am extremely adept at making any kind of flower bloom under any condition or circumstance..." I stated with confidence before blinking for a moment and clearing my throat.

"...and I mean that literally. That is not some sort of euphemism for something entirely different and offensive." I quickly added, prompting a raised brow from the elder Valliere sister.

"And why would you imagine that your statement would be misunderstood as something else?" The woman asked me curiously while placing her hands on her hips.

"I've had an interesting life." I replied with a shrug. The woman gave out a thoughtful hum before looking up and down my frame.

"So you are some sort of...gardener?" Eleanore asked, shifting the conversation back to the main topic.

"I prefer to be known as a Botanist who mostly specializes in flowers." I answered with a warm smile and enthused voice. And why not? We were talking about flowers after all.

"Botanist? I'm afraid that I am not familiar with that term." The blonde admitted while rubbing her chin with her right hand, a gesture I had seen used by Louise in multiple occasions. I also found it interesting that Eleanor had enough of a curious mind to forego dismissing my claim altogether in favor of the prospect of learning something new.

"A Botanist is the title from the land I hail from. It is given to those who comprehensively study plant life professionally for academic purposes." I provided and saw the woman's eyes widen before narrowing them inquisitively.

"You...are a scholar?" Eleanore asked carefully, as if doubting her own words. I gave her another smile before giving out a small chuckle.

"I suppose you can say that I was born to do this." I responded lightheartedly. The blonde blinked at my response before giving another thoughtful hum.

"And you are not lying are you?" She asked me with only the barest hint of doubt.

"You may ask Louise of my prowess with plant life and you may ask anyone in the Tristain Magic Academy about my loyalty to your sister. Let me make this clear. I am Louise's familiar, partner, and friend. Very few can openly call me a friend and I take that seriously." I stated clearly and seriously to get the point across before putting my hat back on, folding my arms, and leaning back.

"Or do you doubt Louise's words from earlier?" I reminded her with a smirk. Eleanore stared at me for another few moments before sighing and rubbing her forehead with her hand.

"The things we have to deal with for that little..." I heard her mutter under her breath. Situation dealt with, I stepped forward to check on Louise and Ruukoto.

"You are a good woman and a good sister. Letting Louise know about that side of you would likely do wonders for your relationship as siblings." I whispered my observation to Eleanore as I passed by.

I continued on to where Louise was starting to eat the meal Ruukoto prepared for her and the other humans, completely ignoring the feeling of Eleanore's gaze on my back.

...

"Oh! Look who's back! We were wondering if you'll show up or not" Cirno stated as I approached her and Louise inside Mugenkan. My former student greeted me with a smile while my master was staring at me with a pout.

"I apologize if I took so long. I had to make sure that everyone was already asleep before I could make a new door." I explained as I hefted my parasol on my right shoulder. I had originally considered on leaving my parasol and my hat with Louise or Ruukoto before coming to the border of dreams, but I remembered all those times I had wished that I had brought along my parasol here and decided to play it safe for now.

"Makes sense. Louise already told me why you weren't here last night. I was wondering when you go to sleep considering what you do during the day out there and during the night in here. I guess the answer is that you don't." Cirno said with a nod before shaking her head. I smirked at her observation before glancing at Louise, who was still giving me a rather displeased expression.

"Is something wrong Louise?" I asked my master. Cirno blinked at me before looking at her junior as well.

"What did you and Big Sis Eleanore talk about after I left?" Louise stated evenly. I raised a brow at the way she asked her question.

"She spoke to me before we went to sleep...she asked me if it was true that you were really good at making flowers bloom and if that was what you did for a living." She elaborated on the reasoning behind her question. Louise's words had a completely different effect on my former student though. I briefly saw Cirno cover her mouth and suppress a laugh after hearing what Louise said before she turned around to make her amusement in the matter less obvious.

"I see. And what did you tell her?" I inquired while folding my arms and leaning back.

"I told her that you were the best at what you do." Louise responded and her face scrunched up into a sour looking scowl.

"What's the problem then?" Cirno finally got over her previous bout of laughter and asked. Louise glanced at her senior before looking at me and shaking her head.

"Big Sis Eleanore said 'not bad for a little runt' before she turned away from me and went to sleep." My master answered before giving out a sigh. I heard Cirno give out a thoughtful hum and saw her scratching the back of her head.

"Could someone help me out with this? I mean...was that a compliment or not?" My former student voiced her apparent confusion, earning an 'urk' from Louise.

"Well?" I asked my master when she simply remained silent without answering Cirno's question.

"About as close a compliment you will ever get from Big Sis Eleanore in my experience...but that isn't what bothered me..." Louise finally answered. Cirno and I raised a brow each before looking at each other for a moment then turning back to Louise. My master's expression turned sour again before looking at us with an uncomfortable expression.

"She said that while smiling at me...a grin really...Big Sis Eleanore never grins without something horrible happening to someone else! That's just what is supposed to happen! Seeing her smile like that
like a normal person would...it disturbs me...a lot..." Louise explained the reason for her emotional discomfort. I blinked a few times in honest confusion because of my master's reaction to what her
sister apparently did. I glanced at Cirno and saw that she was scratching the top of her head with a rather lost expression.

"Ooo~kaaay...I...what do you think?" Cirno attempted, and failed, in addressing the issue and quickly asked me about my thoughts on the matter.

?Considering the effects this subject matter has on Louise, I suggest that we step away from that topic for now. No use thinking about it right now, especially since you have a few things you need to cover with Louise.? I responded while nodding to myself.

?What things?? Louise immediately asked, apparently snapping out of her previous funk.

?After you left last night, Cirno and I talked about where to take you training. Since we observed that your aim has been improving greatly but your overall firepower in your broken spells is weaker, Cirno thought that the best way to get around that limitation is by adjusting the way you use them.? I provided and Louise nodded along with my explanation.

?So what will be the lesson about?? My master inquired while looking between me and my former student.

?Cirno, please explain.? I said to the ice fairy, who was more than happy to do so.

?Remember when we talked about shaped charges?? Cirno asked my master, who nodded repeatedly in response.

?That is what I want to start on with you now. Since your aim is good enough now, we can start working on how we focus your explosions.? Cirno stated, quickly going into her Lecture Mode.

?Focus my explosions? Like making them smaller?? Louise asked inquisitively.

?Not quite. You see, even if we make your explosions smaller, it still behaves like any other explosion. By that I mean, a sudden release of a large amount of force in all directions.? Cirno explained while gesturing with her hands to show the effect of a regular explosion, just an opening palm or a blossoming flower.

?We don?t want that for shape charges. Instead, we need to be able to direct the entire force of the blast in one direction or at one point.? The ice fairy followed up while emphasizing her point by hitting her left palm with her right fist.

?Directing all the force in one direction?is that even possible? How can I do something like that?? My master inquired, intrigued and skeptical about such a concept. I saw Cirno give her a mischievous grin before glancing at me then back at Louise.

I knew that look?

"Well, it?s actually pretty easy~! Focus you magic in the way you want to shape it. Mutter the spell tenderly. Point your wand at someone you dislike. Then Unleash Your Annihilation of Lo--" Cirno started enthusiastically before I cut her off with a loud cough.

"Please don't...just...don't..." I flatly stated while shaking my head.

?What? What are you two talking about?? Louise asked in honest confusion. I gave out a sigh and decided to just get it over with and tell her.

?What Cirno was trying to say was the?official?explanation of one Marisa Kirisame on how one can cast Master Spark.? I stated bitterly when I was reminded of what Marisa wrote on her version of Master Spark in her famous ?Grimoire of Marisa?, which was now part of the Voile Magic Library?s archives. Louise seemed deep in thought about my explanation as she closed her eyes and rubbed her chin with her left hand.

?Focus your magic?mutter the spell?aim?and unleash your?what was the last part again?? Louise asked with a raised brow after opening her eyes.

?Love?? I stated simply.

?Excuse me?? My master asked after thinking that she may have misheard me.

?Just as I said. Marisa?s spark spells are all powered by love as opposed to my own which just uses raw magic.? I clarified and Louise looked at me with a very perplexed expression before turning to Cirno.

?Love?? She asked her senior.

?Love.? The ice fairy responded.

?How is that even possible? No, how can you even gather that much love to fuel that kind of spell?!? Louise exclaimed in confirmation of the rather absurd ways Marisa developed her most famous spells.

?That was just the way Marisa was. She was an innovator and being one means going on paths no one has gone through before. She was also one of the first and the few that combined both magic and science into one, effectively making her spells much more powerful and efficient than before.? I explained with a shrug.

?No?no?no?using the power of love as energy to cast her spells?that?s just crazy!? Louise protested while clutching the head with both her hands while trying to make sense of Marisa?s personal spell casting system.

?Maybe we should just move on to the lesson?? I suggested to Cirno.

?Agreed?? My former student replied before walking up to Louise to try and calm her down.

?

[UndyingHunterKamigama]

My, this was an enjoyable crossover. I'm not entirely confident nor okay with genderbent Yuuka. I think I prefer her better as the well endowed psycho gardener. But hey! Who am I to criticize? I gotta say, this was an enjoyable read and I hope you continue this, Vanishing Troper~

[Blackraptor]

...

"So..." I muttered as I stepped out of the designated 'Servant's Carriage' along with Ruukoto.

"Fuga..." The robot-maid responded as I looked upward to take in where we now were. I recalled when Matilda told me back in the Charming Fairy Inn that the Valliere family, Louise's family, were one of the more prominent noble families in the country of Tristain.

"Hurm..." I mutter as I looked back in the direction we came from. We had already arrived at the Valliere estate proper...after travelling roughly several miles into the lands that the family owned. Additionally, if Ruukoto's geographic mapping was accurate, they apparently had a mountain in their back yard as well. It seemed that 'prominent' was a tad bit of an understatement in that regard.

"Finally home..." Louise muttered tiredly as she exited the carriage that she and her sister were using. We arrived here mid-afternoon, around a little past two o'clock local time according to Ruukoto, due to Eleanore 'insisting' that we reach our destination as soon as possible. So it came to pass that we rode the carriages non-stop since we first set off this morning.

"Stop complaining, little runt." The equally tired voice of the elder Valliere sister came from within the carriage as she pushed her sister out of the way. Why both of them seem so tired even though they just sat inside the carriage all morning was something I had no answer to.

"Agwah!" My master yelped out, almost tripping over herself. Thankfully, her sense of balance was far superior now than it was when she first summoned me so she was able to recover without much effort. Eleanore snorted before glaring at me an Ruukoto.

"Well what are you two waiting for?! Help the coachmen get our luggages off the carriages!" The blonde demanded, her tone of voice reflecting the irritated expression she had. I gave a thoughtful hum before turning to Ruukoto.

"Fuga." Ruukoto stated without looking at me before walking off to unload the sisters' things. The gynoid assured me that it will take care of the luggage so long as I made sure Louise was kept safe. Ruukoto did not wait for my reply since it should already know that I would do what it asked with or without its request.

"I thought it was odd to hear carriages arriving at this time of day. I expected the two of you to arrive later today, not that I'm complaining of course." A warm feminine voice stated from atop the stairs that led to the estate's main entrance. I turned to the source, just in time to see a pink blur flash past my peripheral vision.

"Chii-nee-sama~!" Louise called out to the source of the voice as she ran up the stairs two steps at a time before embracing the person on top of the stairs, the action nearly sending them both backwards from the way Louise practically glomped the woman from the front.

"Oh...my...please settle down my little Louise." The woman my master referred to as 'Chii-nee-sama' said with a small pained smile as she seemed to struggle to be able to get her breath back after my master's sudden embrace. Upon closer inspection, the resemblance between her, Louise, and Karin was striking. The woman looked like Louise with with Yuyuko's body...the wierd thing was, her presence reminded me of the ghost princess' as well.

A certain gentle kindess, a tinge of sadness and regret, and a small amount of acceptance and resignation.

That woman was dying and she knew it...I blinked at the realization and looked between her and my master. Does Louise know about this? I turned to Eleanore and saw that she had a distant and melancholic expression as she watched her sisters. I gave another thoughtful hum before walking up to the blonde Valliere sister.

"What do you want now?" Eleanore asked me, her voice and expression showing annoyance rather than what it previously did.

"Does Louise know?" I asked her as I gave a glace at Ruukoto, who was almost done unloading the luggage.

"What in the Founder's name are you talking about now?" The elder sister hissed at me with a narrowed glare.

"About the status of your other sister's illness. Does Louise know about her deteriorating health?" I asked and suddenly felt Eleanore's magic spike to a level I had never sensed in any human other than Louise herself. I noticed Ruukoto turn to us, likely sensing what I did as well. I gave the gynoid a short shake of my head to indicate that it was nothing to worry about.

"How do you know of Cattleya's illness? Are you a healer now too?" Eleanore asked curtly through gritted teeth. I glanced back at Louise and her other sister, who's proper name is Cattleya apparently, and saw that they were too busy embracing each other to notice us yet.

"No. I figured it out since she feels like someone who has resigned to their fate. As if she has...accepted what is to come." I stated simply while continuing to look at the young human woman who seemed like she was trying to make the most of what time she had left.

"And how, pray tell, could you notice such a thing?" The blonde asked me, obviously uncomfortable with the current subject matter.

"I have...experience...in dealing with such people." I said solemnly before looking back at Eleanore. I was reminded of the days when Marisa's old age was finally getting to her. When the Ordinary Witch of Gensokyo challenged me to one last Danmaku battle. When she thanked me for that and for Master Spark before saying that she was going to return all the books she took before catching up with Reimu on the other side of the Sanzu. The same resignation I saw in that old woman's face was similiar to what I was seeing in Cattleya.

She was going to die soon...and she knew that there was nothing that could stop it.

"Whatever you do, don't tell Louise..." Eleanore responded seriously while looking deep into my eyes.

"Why? Doesn't she deserve to know? Louise seems to be rather fond of her." I asked and pointed out while tilting my head to the two sisters.

"And that is exactly why you can't tell her! Do you have any idea what that news will do to that little runt? It would destroy her!" Eleanore hissed at me with as much contempt as she could muster. I looked up at the open sky when I understood what she meant by that. Considering just how happy Louise was about seeing her sister again, I assumed that she was one of the few...and likely one of the strongest emotional anchors that my master had in the past. If Cattleya were to die...

"I...see. I apologize if I angered you with me presumptions." I said, lowering my gaze back to the blonde. Eleanore was still glaring at me but it was with somewhat less intensity than before.

"Oh my! Big Sister Eleanore, I'm so glad that you finally have a new lover! I was worried that you were still hung up on the Earl of Burgandi. I am happy that you are able to find another man who would love you." Cattleya suddenly exclaimed, making the two of us turn to the young woman. Since she called Eleanore 'Big Sister', it would seem that she was the eldest, Cattleya was the middle, and Louise was the youngest. The thought was quickly shelved back into my mind because of what said woman had just stated.

There was a long and mildly uncomfortable silence that permeated the immediate area. Louise, Eleanore, and myself looked at Cattleya like faries staring straight at a Master Spark. Cattleya was smiling at us seemingly without a care in the world...and I was almost certain that I had just heard Ruukoto give out a snort of amusement.

"What?" All three of us said in unison to the middle sister.

"Yes? Is something wrong?" Cattleya asked with a completely innocent smile. Definitely getting Yuyuko vibes from this woman...

...

...

So...the two of you are not lovers then?" Cattleya asked once more as we walked into the main entrance hall of the estate. Several servants who were going about their work all froze and turned to us when they heard the woman's words.

"No. We. Are. Most. Definitely. Not. Dear. Sister." Eleanore stated as attempted to glare at each servant that looked our way with each word she spoke. The servants took the hint very quickly and continued their work, seemingly ignoring us. Although I saw a few maids whispering among themselves when they thought we were no longer looking.

"Well you always do try your best to deny your true feelings until it was too late sister..." Cattleya mused before turning to me, completely ignoring the embarrassed glare that the eldest sister was giving her.

"Are you sure that you and my elder sister do not have a romantic relationship?" The middle sister asked me with pleading eyes, as if the action would make her apparent wish for me and Eleanore to be lovers come true.

"Quite certain. I apologize if our proximity earlier led you to that misunderstanding. Please know that your older sister and I have no such relationship and that she was merely clarifying something for me at the time." I stated diplomatically. Eleanore seemed to approve of my explanation and gave me a curt nod in response.

I glanced back to where Louise was being led by the shoulders by Ruukoto as my master trembled while muttering to herself about a possible relationship between me and Eleanore developing and what such a relationship would entail. I turned back to Cattleya and saw that she was staring at me intently right in the eyes. Is that supposed to be a way to check if someone was telling the truth which their family developed? All three sisters have done so to me at some point. Cattleya sighed before she started to look a little depressed.

"Huu~...and I was certain that the way you and Eleanore were looking at each other was a sign. My maidenly senses were wrong?" The pink-haired woman sulked while pouting at the floor. I was about to tell her that such a thing was not something to be depressed about when Eleanore beat me to the proverbial punch.

"When were they ever right in the first place?! You've been reading too many of those trashy romance novels again, havent you?!" The eldest sister accused while pinching her younger sister's right ear. The action made Cattleya grimace before she started helplessly flailing her in arms about in a display of pure slapstick idiocy that I would normally expect from Cirno's friends. Really, what was with these sisters?

I looked at my master and saw that she was sporting a small smile. Nothing like the triumphant smile she would show whenever she accomplished something great during her training nor was it the radiant smile she showed back when she first flew with me or whenever she talks about her beloved princess. It was a different smile, but I found it hard to dislike it all the same.

"Please let Chii-nee-sama go, Big Sis Eleanore. She and Yuka haven't even been properly introduced yet." Louise pointed out, making her sisters stop their silliness and regard the youngest sister. Both Eleanore and Cattleya looked between their younger sister and myself.

"Well...it's only proper for a noble. Since we already know each other, Cattleya should be the only one who should introduce herself." Eleanore begrudgingly admitted while maneuvering her younger sister in front of me before finally letting go of her hear. Cattleya pouted at her sister while rubbing the affected auditory organ before turning to me and giving me a perfect curtsy.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, I am Cattleya Yvette La Baume Le Blanc de La Valliere. I am the second daughter of the Duke and Duchess Valliere and I am...an Earth mage." Cattleya introduced herself but I raised a brow when she hesitated and glanced away from me for a second when she mentioned her elemental affinity. I paid the odd gesture no mind and took off my hat and placed it over my chest before giving the woman a nod and a warm smile.

"Salutations to you Lady Cattleya Yvette La Baume Le Blanc de La Valliere. I am Yuka Kazami. As I have already explained to Lady Eleonore Albertine Le Blanc De La Blois De La Valliere, I am the summoned familiar if your younger sister, Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Valliere. I may seem inexperienced, but please rest assured that I will do all I can to take care of your sister." I introduced myself with the same smile as before...but it faltered somewhat when I saw a glint in Cattleya's eyes.

"Eleanore?" She asked me, referencing the last part of my introduction.

"No...I meant Louise, my master." I clarified and saw Cattleya nod at my words, the glint in her eyes not diminishing one bit.

"So, you plan on courting Louise instead...hmmm..." The middle sister muttered while seemingly deep in thought.

"That's not what I--" I started but was once again interrupted by Eleanore.

"Ca~tt~le~ya!" The eldest sister called out to her younger sister in an annoyed and sinister manner. Cattleya sensed the impending danger and immediately deemed it wise to use me as a makeshift shield.

"I was only thinking about your futures, I swear!" The middle sister exclaimed from behind me.

"Ahem!" A very loud and very deliberate cough caught all of our attentions which thankfully ended the silliness that was transpiring once again. We all turned to the source of the cough and saw Karin in full regal attire befitting her status as Duchess. Beside her was a middle aged man who had blonde hair and a rather striking mustache. His eyes were as hard as steel and were as sharp as Youmu's swords despite one of them being behind a rather stylish monocle. He gave out a low hum as he looked at the scene unfolding before him before him. I was assuming that this was Duke Valliere. Husband to Karin and father to Louise and her sisters.

Both of them regarded their children and myself with cold eyes, as if trying to think of the best way to punish us all for what we were doing in the middle of the entrance hall of the estate. I glanced around and the servants who were working nearby were all gone. I blinked when I realized that Ruukoto had disappeared as well. So much for staying beside its mistress no matter what. The pregnant silence stayed that way until someone finally broke it to try to explain what was happening in the most reasonable way possible. That person was Louise...

"It's not what it looks like!" And true to form, she broke the silence with one of her trademark denials. I couldn't help but sigh and rub my forehead with my left hand after putting my hat back on. Louise alone was enough for me to deal with. Add her sisters to the mix along with her parents...and it was quickly looking like this trip to my master's home was going to be quite memorable indeed.

...

...

"And where were you when Louise's parents arrived?" I asked Ruukoto as we walked the halls of the estate with Louise leading us to her room. After the Duke and the Duchess dismissed us, saying that they will deal with their daughters at a later time, Louise suggested that we head to her room first for some rest and a chance for her to brace herself before having to face her parents again. Cattleya went off to check on her apparent collection of animals while Eleanore left for her room stating that she needed some rest after all the stress she had to put up with.

"Fuga." The gynoid responded simply as it effortlessly carried all three large suitcases that Louise brought with her. I wondered why my master had to pack so many things since she was only headed back home. One would expect that she would have more than ample supplies in her own home which meant that she needn't bring so much stuff in the first place. I shook my head as I dismissed the thought since it wasn't really my problem anyway. It wasn't like I was the one carrying all of it.

"Quite..." I responded to Ruukoto. Apparently, the gynoid made a logical judgement call to avoid any unnecessary confrontations between itself and Louise's family considering the reaction that Karin apparently had to it. It reasoned that there was no need for it to remain present at the time since I was already with Louise and was more than capable of dealing with any and all threats that came her way. It also pointed out that said threats were almost nonexistent considering our location. That and the fact that one of the other servants beckoned it to get out of sight lest the Duke and-or the Duchess direct their attention to it instead and getting a lecture on the importance of privacy when it came to listening in on family matters.

"Do I even want to know?" Louise piped up with a question after hearing my exchange with her gynoid. I considered the question before shaking my head.

"No need to worry about it. Ruukoto was just making excuses as to why it conveniently went out of sight when your parents made their presence known." I stated, making the gynoid in question look at me with what very nearly looked like a flat glare.

"Fuga." It said curtly, reasoning out that its explanations were not excuses.

"Regardless, we have more important things to worry about. Is this your room?" I dismissed the subject matter before asking Louise after we stopped in front of a particular set of double doors.

"Yes...it has been so long..." Louise muttered while tentatively stroking the fine wooden finish on the door, as if she was scared of opening it for whatever reason.

"Fuga?" Ruukoto asked. It was wondering if Louise was going to enter the room or if she had stopped at the wrong door or something.

"Just...give me a moment." My master answered, apparently understanding to a degree what her gynoid was trying to say. Ruukoto had told me that Louise had somehow managed to develop her own personal means to be able to derive whatever message it was trying to convey up to a point. She managed to do it simply based on the context of what they were doing or talking about at the time and drawing rough conclusions from that. Not bad considering Ruukoto only speaks one word as far as she could understand and there was next to no intonation or inflection to that word either.

"Are you scared? Don't be." I asked Louise before reassuring her by placing my hand on her shoulder. My master let out a sigh before putting the hand she was using to touch the door over the hand on her shoulder.

"I know..." She whispered before letting go and putting both her hands on the two door handles. I let go of her shoulder just as she pushed the doors open. I blinked to adjust to the sudden change in lighting because of the afternoon sun shining through the windows.

"Well...it is certainly larger than your room in the academy." I commented as I took in my master's bedroom. Her bed alone was nearly three times larger than the one at the academy. She could practically fit everyone in her little circle of friends on it and would still have room left over. The rest of the furniture was rather standard but were of much higher quality befitting the whole mansion motif. I did try to ignore that her room was actually larger than my own room in Mugenkan. Then again, I did not need so much room anyway and I could instantly remodel the mansion in an instant if I wished it.

I was most certainly not feeling inferior in any way to Louise simply because of the size difference between our bedrooms. To imply such a thing would be ridiculous. Really.

"Fuga." Ruukoto commented as it put down Louise's luggage on the floor. Yes, it did look like a room that a little princess might use. I heard my master gasp before running up to a certain part of the room that had a single chair. On said chair was what looked like some sort of cartoonishly made plush of a lion. The way that the lion's face and mane were made, the head looked like some sort of strange looking sunflower. Wait, do they even have lions in this realm?

"Oh~! How I've missed you Emilio~" Louise gushed as she picked up the stuffed animal and gave it a most generous embrace. Wait...

"Emilio? Why would you name a toy Emilio?" I asked my master with a raised brow. I was immediately met with a glare from Louise while trying to hide her toy from my gaze.

"Emilio is not a toy! Emilio is my dearest friend and my closest confidant when I was young! Isn't that right Emilio? My dear sweet Emi~lio~" Louise defended the honor of her toy before looking at it longingly.

"Fuga." I had to physically stop myself from snorting when Ruukoto suddenly deadpanned 'Cara Mia' in reference to how Louise was seemingly treating 'Emilio' like some sort of long lost lover. Further public displays of affection between Louise and Emilio were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Excuse me, Young Mistress Louise? The Master and the Mistress requests your presence in the main lounge." The muffled voice of an old man called out from the other side of the door. I heard Louise take in a few deep breaths before finally responding, her grip on Emilio tightening as she spoke.

"Please tell them that I will be there after a change of clothes. Thank you Gerard." My master stated with as much conviction as she could.

"If I may, young mistress. It warms my heart to see you once again in good health and spirit. I wish you luck in your discussion with the Master and Mistress and know that I for one am very happy that you are home." The old man called Gerard said before all was silent once more.

"Gerard was my parents' first servant. He watched me and my big sisters grow up. He's like the grandfather we never met...one of the few commoners that I can honestly say that I love." Louise mused as she stared at Emilio and stroked the toy's head. She quietly walked over to the seat where she found the lion and gently placed it back on its chair.

"I'll be right back. Guard the room for me, alright?" She asked the lion before patting it on the head and turning to us.

"Are you ready?" I asked Louise as she gave a few more deep breaths before taking off her hat, along with the Founder's Prayer Book, as well as the rest of her clothes.

"Probably not..." Louise said with an uncertain smile as she took off her shirt. I made a thoughtful hum while looking down on the floor.

"Fuga?" Ruukoto asked Louise as it gestured toward the luggage she had placed on the floor. The gynoid was asking if it should bring out some clothes for Louise to use.

"No. If mother and father are asking for me, I need to wear something from that wardrobe. Keep it simple but tasteful please." Louise responded, once again getting the gist of what her gynoid was trying to say, before pointing to one of the three wardrobes around her room. Why there were three, I had no clue but there were more immediate concerns to worry about.

"Louise, look at me." I said as I walked up to my master and put my hands on her bare shoulders, not caring about her current state of undress. My master looked up at me with a worried expression. I can feel her body trembling under my touch.

"Yuka...I'm scared...nothing good ever happens when mother and father call me for a talk." Louise stated in a subdued voice. She flinched and I felt her tense up when I tightened my grip on her shoulders.

"Don't forget." I said to her in a serious tone. She blinked at me a few times, apparently not understanding my words.

"You have been through much, master. You have summoned the strongest youkai in Gensokyo. You have thwarted the most infamous thief in Tristain. You have saved a prince from certain death. You discovered and took into your service a machine that was created to save an entire world. You prevented a monster from killing countless people and saved an entire village. You are the inheritor of the magic that was wielded by the founder of your civilization" I reminded her of everything she had accomplished since she had summoned me. My expression softened as I reminded her of other things.

"You have made many friends, true ones at that. You have learned the value of the magic that you posses instead of treating it as your failure. You have been trained and befriended my former student. You have taken the interest of the Border Youkai as well as the Shield of the Eastern Wonderland. You have gained many allies from various walks of life." I told her with a warm smile. Louise looked at me for another moment before giving out a smile of her own.

"Never forget what you have accomplished and those who are more than willing to help you along your way. You are strong Louise...and you are most certainly not alone." I concluded just as Louise's shoulders start to hitch up, tears starting to form in my master's eyes.

"Thank you..." Was all she said as she wiped the tears before placing her hands over mind.

"Louise, mother and father are looking for you." Cattleya's voice suddenly called out from the hallway. Before we could properly react, the door swung open as Eleanore started speaking as well.

"Come on little runt. It is a bad idea to keep mother and father waiting so--" Eleanore was not able to say what she was planning on saying because she and Cattleya were staring at us with glazed eyes.

"Ummm..." Louise started to say, her face getting redder and redder by the second.

"What the nine hells are you doing to my sister?!" Eleanore suddenly screamed out at us.

Yes...definitely going to be a long visit...

...

[Blackraptor]

...

"Hmmm..." I hummed as I leaned on the wall in front of the door that lead to Louise's bedroom. I stared at the door as I listened to the muffled sounds of Louise and her sisters as they assisted my master in getting dressed. After her sisters saw me and Louise in a rather...compromising position...Eleanore and Cattleya deemed it sound to kick me out of the room for the duration of Louise's preparations.

Because of how quickly the events transpired, I had left my parasol and my hat inside Louise's room. I just hoped that Louise or Ruukoto were able to put them out of the way. Eleanore was more than happy to be able to kick me out of her sister's room without much discussion. However, Cattleya continued to inexplicably channel Yuyuko by chastising me in a way that somewhat missed the point that her older sister was trying to make.

'None of that until you two are married or until you learn to properly lock the door.' Were Cattleya's exact words, much to the continued chagrin of her sisters and myself. Ruukoto was more than content in merely observing the proceedings...in fact, I had the sneaking suspicion that the gynoid was actually recording the whole affair. The doors finally opened and I was immediately greeted with a scowling Eleanore.

"You know as well as I do that there was nothing inappropriate going on between Louise and myself when you and Cattleya barged into the room." I immediately stated as I folded my arms and leaned back. Eleanore's brow and lips twitched a few times as she continued to glare right at me.

"And what kind of conclusion do you think I could even make after seeing the two of you in that state?" She asked the rhetorical question...to which I decided to give an answer to anyway for some reason.

"That a grown man was in the verge of taking advantage of your youngest sister in the middle of her own bedroom." I stated with a curt nod. The blonde Valliere sister was about to make another retort but the middle sister managed to save me the headache...by creating a brand new one.

"Louise is already late as it is, you two can continue your not-flirting later. The growing sexual tension between the two of you will still be there after Louise talks to mother and father." Cattleya pointed out as she exited the room and finally giving me a good view of what Louise chose to wear.

My master was wearing a light green short sleeved one piece dress that had slightly puffed up shoulders. I raised a brow when I noticed that it even had an emerald brooch in the middle of her chest that resembled a Forget-Me-Not...which was ironic since that flower is supposed to be blue instead of red. The whole thing actually reminded me of a Victorian era dress in a way.

Simple yet tasteful indeed...

My musings on how my master looked wearing something other than her uniform was interrupted by her sisters.

"All that talk you keep doing is starting to make me think that you're the one interested in the little runt's familiar instead." The eldest sister accused her younger sister with a pointed finger. Said younger sister blinked a few times before looking up and down my frame. Oh, please no...

"Well I can't say that I dislike him. Yuka seems to take good care of Louise and she seems to trust him implicitly as well." Cattleya commented which caused her sister to gape at her response.

"Can we please just...go." Louise cut through the growing sense of tension in the hallway. Her older sisters looked at her worried expression before clearing their throats.

"Thank you...for coming to fetch me." Louise muttered as she glanced between her sisters.

"Of course Louise." Cattleya immediately responded before leaning down and kissing Louise on her cheek.

"Well we have to make sure that you don't make things any worse than they already are." Eleanore stated after a few moments before putting her hand on top of Louise's head and giving it a light rub.

I observed the three Valliere sisters and had an epiphany. Both Cattleya and Eleanore had qualities that Louise already possessed, though much more pronounced. It seemed that her two sisters displayed two different extremes as to how Louise could develop as she gets older. Another way of looking at it was that Louise's current self was partly an amalgamation of her older sisters' personalities.

I noticed Ruukoto walk out of the room before closing the door behind it and decided it was time to get this started.

"That dress suits you well, Louise. Are you ready?" I complimented her attire before asking her that question again. Louise blushed at my comment before looking at the four of us surrounding her and smiling.

"I am now..." My master stated before we all went off to the main lounge of the estate where Karin and here husband were waiting for us. We entered the lounge which was a large European-esque sitting room with several fine couches and chairs laid out in addition to carpets, paintings, a fire place. Basically everything one would expect to find in this kind of place.

"And? What is your excuse for taking this long to answer our summons?" Karin immediately went out on the offensive as soon as we stepped into the room. I saw the Duke and Duchess sitting on two separate chairs that were in front of the fire place but were facing away from it. Karin was practically glaring swords at her youngest daughter while her husband was more than content in simply sipping whatever drink he had in the cup in his hand whilst keeping a keen eye on me.

I sensed all three of the sisters tense up at the words of their mother, even Cattleya who seemed to be the most unflappable among them. Seeing my master cower in front of her mother's glare, I maneuvered myself to get between Louise and Karin's line of sight. The former manticore knight commander changed her target from her youngest daughter to me when she realized what I was doing. I simply gave her a warm smile before speaking.

"Considering that it has been quite some time since my master had last come home, she wished to be as presentable as she could before her parents. Her older sisters were assisting her in that regard and it seems that it took longer than they had anticipated. I apologize in Louise's behalf." I stated before glancing back to the three sisters who were giving me varied looks of surprise. Cattleya looked very worried, Eleanore had a full-on 'what the hell are you doing?' look, and Louise just had an embarrassed but still surprised expression.

"I was not asking you 'familiar'." Karin responded to my words in pretty much the way I expected her to, with potent hostility. I was anticipating her to tell me to get out of her sight or something but it was her husband who spoke next instead.

"And who exactly are you? My wife told me that Louise had summoned a most unusual familiar. I was not expecting this kind of 'unusual' though." The Duke stated nonchalantly with a raised brow before putting his cup down and steepling his fingers in front of him with his elbows propped up on the arms of his chair. I rasied a brow at how casually the Duke was speaking to me, though I assumed that he was merely sizing me up. I let out a sigh and decided to introduce myself to Louise's father with a smile.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Yuka Kazami. I was summoned by your youngest daughter during the Springtime Familiar Summoning Ritual at the Tristain Magic Academy. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Duke Valliere." I stated with a smile and a curt bow. I heard and saw the man chuckle softly while Karin merely narrowed her eyes at me.

"That is Duke Eugene Francois De Lacroix De La Valliere to you, Yuka Kazami. I have indeed heard that you were quite the familiar and I would appreciate it if you would tell me 'who exactly' are you. Or should the question be 'what exactly' are you?" The man stated in the same casual voice but his words carried much more weight than it did before. It seems that Louise's father was just as interesting as her mother is.

"I see...I am starting to see where exactly Louise gets her insightful mind." I responded before giving out a soft chuckle. I had expected Eugene to be insulted by my words and actions but he still looked at me with a keen but almost amused expression. I glanced at Karin and saw that her expression had not budged an inch. I looked back to the three sisters and saw that Eleanore and Cattleya were staring at me with confused expressions while Louise just looked at me with a sheepish smile. I glanced at Ruukoto, our eyes met, and it simply shrugged at me. I shook my head and turned back to Eugene.

"Allow me to reintroduce myself then." I stated with more confidence while folding my arms and leaning back before giving Eugene a sinister grin.

"My name is Yuka Kazami. I am from a realm known as Gensokyo. Don't be surprised if you have never heard of it before, I have it in good authority that I am very far away from home. I am what is known as a youkai, the general term for fantastical creatures that have mostly humanoid features. My trademark ability is the unmatched ability to be able to manipulate flowers." I stated with confidence. My statement was met with varying degrees of wonder and confusion by those who still did not know me.

"The ability to manipulate flowers?" Eugene repeated the last part of my statement in question form as he stroked his mustache with his right hand.

"Indeed. I am capable of making flowers bloom and controlling them without any restrictions to size, number, or species." I clarified and allowed the idea to sink in. As I partially anticipated, the first one to react was Eleanore.

"Wait...was that what you ment when you said that you can make any flower bloom?" The blonde woman asked me with an uncertain accusatory tone of voice.

"Quite." Was all I said as I showed her my right palm. She gasped in shock when a small glowing scarlet flower suddenly bloomed out of nowhere.

"What flower is that?" Louise asked me in wonder since this was the very first time that I showed this flower to humans outside of Gensokyo.

"This is called a Fire Flower. Imbuned by the world with properties that can grant one a temporary ability of creating and controlling fire if they know how to use it." I explained right before the flower wilted back into my hand before disappearing as I closed the hand into a fist.

"You're...not...human..." Eleanore finally let out while staring right at me.

"Yes. As I said, I am a youkai. I am the only youkai that can manipulate flowers as far as I know. Although, I have branched out to other fields of power during my long life as Madame Valliere should already know." I said as I turned back to Karin who was still looking at me intently. I was expecting Eugene or Eleanore to follow up with more questions or for Cattleya to start asking questions of her own.

"How old are you and what is the extent of your true power?" I supposed that I really should have expected Karin to be the one to speak instead.

"Last I checked, I've been around for a little over a millennia-and-a-half." I admitted with a shrug, eliciting a narrowed gaze from Karin, a raised brow from Eugene, a gasp from Cattleya...

"That's impossible! You're lying! He's lying isn't he?!" And that response from Eleanore before the woman asked Louise about it.

"It's true..." My master simply stated with conscious effort. I was not sure if she was embarrassed or frightened that the truth about me was being revealed to her family. She was certainly did not look like she was used to this kind of attention from them though. I decided to save my master further questioning from her elder sister by giving my own answer.

"Nothing is impossible. Nothing is certain. That is one of the few constant things in my life that I can be sure of." I told the blonde woman who shook her head before walking up to me and poking her finger at my chest.

"That can't be right! How can you live for so long?!" She exclaimed the rather obvious question...which should already have an equally obvious answer.

"I am not human, remember?" I pointed out, making Eleanore flinch and back away.

"You are a monster then? A beast in human form? Hm?" Eugene picked up the discussion before raising a brow at something.

"Yes daughter? You look like you have something you want to say." Eugene asked as he tilted his head a bit to the side to take a better look at Louise. My master flinched and looked at her father before glancing at me. She opened her mouth a few times, trying to say something, but she would always just close it again with a grimace.

"Speak up Louise! If you have something to add then say it! Where did all that conviction from that time go?! Was it all just foolhardy courage born from fear?! Are you truly that weak?!" Karin suddenly raised her voice at her daughter. Louise visibly started trembling at each accusation that her mother shot at her while shaking her head as if trying to deny them. The last question was the straw that broke the oni's back though as my master suddenly stepped forward past her sisters and myself to look right at her mother.

"No! I...Yuka is..." Louise started but immediately started to stall as soon as she realized what she was doing. She gulped before slowly backing away from the serious gazes that both of her parents were giving her. She suddenly flinched when her back bumped into me. I prevented any further panic by placing my hands on her shoulders like I have done many times before and whispered the words that she should already know.

You are not weak. You are not alone.

"Yuka...Yuka is not a monster...not anymore." Louise stated to her parents, no longer trying to back away. Karin did not give away any sort of reaction, though Eugene raised one of his brows at the sudden change in her daughter's behavior.

"Allow me to elaborate in my master's behalf...if you wish, I can tell you as much as I can. Although, I would suggest all of you to sit down for it will be quite the tale to tell..." I said with a smile before gesturing to the available seats to Louise and her sisters.

"I am certain that it will be..." The Duke mused before calling to Gerard for more tea.

...

"Let me get this straight..." Eleanore muttered before putting down the cup of tea she was nursing on the table. I had been telling Louise's family about myself for the past while now, mostly about my life in Gensokyo during the time when Reimu and Marisa were young and the incidents I was involved in at the time. I had since moved on to the days after Louise had summoned me and some of the things we've gotten into.

"Fouquet 'The Crumbling Dirt', the infamous thief touted to be one of the best current generation Earth Mages in Halkeginia is the tutor that Louise wrote home about?" The blonde Valliere sister asked from my side. For some odd reason, Eleanore and I were sitting together in one of the couches while Louise and Cattleya were sitting across us on another couch. Karin was to our side while Eugene was to side of the other couch. This...arrangement...was due to Cattleya 'insisting' that she sit beside Louise because she missed her younger sister so much.

"Yes, originally our plan was simply to take back the Staff of Destruction, expose the identity of Fouquet, catch the thief, return to the academy, return the Staff of Destruction, and call it a day. Of course, things did not go to plan...especially after we found out the motive behind her actions." I explained before taking a sip of my tea. I had to admit, their butler Gerard makes rather potent Earl Grey Tea. Dare I say that he even surpasses Siesta in preparing this particular blend of tea. I approve.

"Motive? What kind of motive?" The middle sister was the one who asked the question for a change. Unlike Eleanore and myself, Cattleya was not drinking tea. Instead, she had her arms around Louise and was cuddling my master like she was a doll or some sort of small animal. Louise on her part, did not seem to mind the attention at all. Which made sense since Cattleya seemed to be her favorite family member. Cattleya looked down at her younger sister when she started fidgeting under her grasp.

"Matilda is not a bad person...she was just forced to try to steal the Staff of Destruction." Louise piped up, getting everyone's attention.

"Matilda?" Cattleya asked her sister.

"Matilda is the augmented version of Fouquet's real name, which is Mathilda. We did that to hide her identity from the ones who had her try to steal the Staff of Destruction." I provided but it seems that my response was only met with more questions.

"And? Why would you try to protect a thief anyway? And who were the ones that hired the thief?" Eleanore picked up the questioning once more. I sighed before taking another sip from my tea. During the entire discussion, neither Karin nor Eugene asked any questions at all. Almost all the questions asked were from Eleanore with Cattleya asking a scant few every now and then. It almost felt like an interview between me and the eldest sister.

"That...is actually a bit more complicated. After we heard the whole story from Matilda, we managed to stumble into something much larger than a high-profile heist of an ancient artifact." I vaguely provided with a dismissive wave. I held up a hand before Eleanore could start complaining about how my statement did not answer any of the questions she asked me.

"As much as I would like to provide more...specific information about all this, nearly all incidents we became involved in after that attempted heist were in face connected to each other in some way. And unfortunately, Princess Henrietta de Tristain and Prince Wales Tudor asked us nicely not to disclose too much information...at least until the conference at Romalia has been completed. Especially after what happened at Tarbes..." I explained before taking another sip of my tea while looking right at Karin to see if she would react in any way or not. However, I noticed something odd about how Louise's sisters were looking at me...with Cattleya confirming my observation.

"Tarbes? That's a village near the boarder right? What does that have to do with anything?" Cattleya asked with a tilted head. Louise flinched in her grasp before my master and I looked at each other then at Karin, who had her eyes closed. I glanced at Eugene who gave a slight shake of his head, his eyes were also closed. It seems that the Duke knew about the Tarbes incident but...

"You never told your other daughters." I muttered, which made Louise gape at her mother in surprise.

"But...mother...you didn't tell Big Sis Eleanore and Chii-nee-sama?" Louise asked Karin before looking back to me and shaking her head slowly in disbelief. Karin lowered her cup of tea in a very deliberately slow manner before opening her eyes and looking right at her youngest daughter.

"Because they did not need to know." She said simply but I was curious as to the reasoning behind that. Was it simply a bother to tell Eleanore and Cattleya about the incident? Was she somehow trying to protect her daughters in her own odd way? Or was it something else entirely? I hummed and glanced at my master. Louise looked unsure as to how to respond to her mother's words. After all, the way Karin spoke held a sense of finality that did not really leave room for further discussion.

I saw Cattleya look worriedly between her mother and her younger sister before tightening her embrace on Louise a bit. Our eyes met and I almost felt Cattleya silently ask me what was going on. I answered by shrugging my shoulders. I had asked everyone that we knew, who were there at that time of course, to keep quiet about our involvement in the battle for Tarbes for Louise's sake. I knew that there will be rumors and the like flying around all over the place because of all the soldiers in the field, but I wanted to at least prevent any accurate accounts of our involvement from getting out.

Although I did kind of thought that Karin would at least tell her family about it though.

"What do you mean by that mother? What happened at Tarbes?" Eleanore, apparently quite the curious one, could not help but ask Karin about it.

"Because you did not need to know." Karin repeated her earlier statement but directed it to Eleanore this time. The eldest sister recoiled at the bluntness of her mother's words as if struck by something. She looked at her two younger sisters, then to their father, then to me. She was still unconsciously trying to find an answer even though she might not realize it herself.

There were no further discussions about that topic for the rest of the afternoon.

...

It was already late in the evening when I stepped out the double-doors that led out to the estate's vast garden. It was a very intricate and well maintained garden to say the least. I even expected a hedge maze to be there. Louise said that there used to be one when she was young, but it was...removed by Karin during one incident where she had gotten herself lost there. Apparently, the servants tried to look for her but were unable to get to her in a timely manner. Karin simply blew away the maze when Cattleya fainted from worry for her younger sister and developed a fever because of it.

That incident apparently happened years ago, long before Louise was admitted to the Tristain Magic Academy, so no trace of the hedge maze remained. That made me think about something though...

Cattleya was already ill enough to faint and contract a fever simply from worry even back then. Just how long has she been that physically weak?

Speaking of...Louise had decided to sleep in Cattleya's room for the evening, making sure to bring along Emilio with her. Ruukoto requested to stay with Louise and Cattleya to make sure that its mistress would be safe. Louise had accepted the gynoid's request with a suspicious eye but accepted it all the same. I had been the one to ask Ruukoto to stay with those two after I heard about my master's desire to spend the night with her favorite sibling. I asked Ruukoto to try to perform whatever biological scans that it could on the middle sister as discreetly as possible. Normally, I wouldn't have bothered with such a thing but Eleanore's words earlier that day made me cautious.

If Cattleya was already ill since childhood, then that means that she had been living with that for years. If the Valliere family had not been able to cure her yet even after all this time then...

Do you have any idea what that news will do to that little runt? It would destroy her!

"How troublesome..." I mutter to no one in particular as I savored the cool night air. I had left my hat and my parasol in Louise's room for the night so I merely put my hands in my pockets as I gazed up at the two moons of this realm.

"Considering what seems to have been going on in the little runt's life since you arrived, troublesome doesn't seem to begin to describe it." I heard Eleanore's trademark snarking voice from behind me. I raised a brow at her distance from me. She was only a few feet away from me yet I did not even sense her approach me.

"I am impressed Eleanore Albertine Le Blanc De La Blois De La Valliere. Not many beings can sneak up on me." I stated honestly to the blonde woman. It was true though. Short of Nitori deliberately sneaking up on me using her Optical Camouflage thingies in the middle of the Youkai Mountain, I can usually sense that something is approaching me so long as I was not focused on someone else.

"I learned the value of anonymity and stealth from an early age." Eleanore said with a dismissive wave of her hand as she walked up to stand by my side. She was wearing a light blue robe that covered most of her body as well as a purple shawl on her shoulders. She was even still wearing her glasses too.

"Couldn't sleep?" I asked her the obvious question.

"Look who's talking." She shot back while keeping her gaze at the gardens.

"I just did not want to be asked silly questions again..." I muttered as I recalled the 'conversation' I had with my subconscious during my little nap.

"What?" Eleanore looked at me with a confused expression after having been caught off guard by my words.

"Don't think about it too hard, you'll get a headache." I commented with a shrug of my shoulders. Eleanore scoffed at me before turning back to the garden.

"You wish to know what your sister has really been up to lately." I said as a statement since we both knew that it was true.

"I want to know what that little runt has been getting herself caught up in." Eleanore rephrased the statement but it was still pretty much meant the same thing.

"You are worried about your little sister." I gave another clear statement, though this time I had a small smirk on my lips. I was not sure if she could see my expression in the darkness or if it was just her general annoyance at me but Eleanore scowled at me all the same. Unlike humans, I was clearly able to see her expression even in the dark.

"Considering what your tales seem to suggest, if they are true, then the little runt has more things to be worried about than anyone else!" Eleanore hissed at me with much impotent anger as she could manage. Of course, I noted that she never denied being worried about her sister despite her harsh words to me. I decided that it would be less of an annoyance if I did not point that out to her. Although...

"Is it so important for you to be able to find out the truth?" I asked the eldest sister in honest curiosity. I heard her huff at me before she folded her arms over her modest chest.

?The Pursuit of Truth is something any scholar should have the desire for.? Eleanore answered confidently as if quoting a passage in a book or something.

?And? Will anything change even if you find out? What will you do if you do find out? What is the truth even worth to you Eleanore?? I questioned and saw that she was about to speak but hesitated. I would imagine that if Derf were here, the sword would likely go on and give the blonde a lecture about what it means to pursue the truth and the consequences of what you may find out.

?You are a very irritating person you know that?? Eleanore finally settled with simply complaining. I chuckled and was about to respond when I heard a crackling sound in my ear. I had forgotten that the ?Hey-Listen? was still there.

?Fuga!? Ruukoto?s sudden report made me stiffen and my eyes go wide. The eldest sister seemed to have noticed and gave me a questioning look.

?What is--? She was about to ask when I beat her to the punch.

?Cattleya just collapsed in her room and is coughing up blood.? I answered but Eleanore was already running back into the building before I even finished my sentence.

Just what exactly are those humans to you?

I shook off the question my subconscious asked me and followed Eleanore to Cattleya?s room.

?

[Blackraptor]

...

"Mother please!" I heard my master's pleading just as I rounded the corner into the hallway that led to Cattleya's room. I did not run here like Eleanore did so I arrived a bit later than the elder sister did. I saw Louise being held back my Eleanore as my master desperately tried to pry away from the blonde woman's grasp.

"Settle down little runt! There's nothing you can do even if you go in there! You'll just be in the way!" Eleanore pointed out to Louise but my master wasn't going to hear any of it.

"I don't care if I can't do anything to help her! I just need to be by her side! I have to do something! If I don't! If I don't! Chionee-sama will! Chii-nee-sama will..." Louise all but screamed out. The hope of using logical arguments to be able to get her point across was long gone and was replaced with a single-minded determination to be with her older sister no matter what. Eleanore grunted as Louise nearly escaped her grasp. The eldest sister forcefully pulled Louise back into an embrace and refused to let her go.

"There's nothing we can do right now but hope and pray...hope and pray...Cattleya isn't weak. All we can do is believe in her and the healers..." Eleanore said to her sister with gritted teeth and tears in he eyes as Louise started openly bawling. I clenched my jaw at the scene and saw Ruukoto standing a distance away from the sisters and were staring at them intently. The two of us made eye contact and I touched the 'Hey-Listen' in my ear.

'How is Cattleya?' I asked Ruukoto.

'Fuga. Fuga.' The gynoid immediately replied. It did not seem to be good but Ruukoto did not want to disclose any information until Louise can calmly know about it.

"Cease this prattling at once!" I heard Karin forcefully yell out as she exited Cattleya's room. The former manticore knight commander narrowed her eyes at her two daughters before speaking. Even when wearing nothing more than a robe, she still had enough presence to immediately silence both of her daughters.

"Your screaming and whining will not cure Cattleya of her illness andwill simply be a waste of time and effort. Go back to your room and sleep." Karin stated before ordering my master and her sister back to their rooms.

"But..." Louise was about to argue when she was stopped by Eleanore who pulled her back forcefully.

"We understand. Good night, mother." The blonde stated before pulling Louise, who was still in her embrace, along with her. Further protest from my master were interrupted when Eleanore covered her mouth with her hand. The blonde looked at me in the eye and jerked her head in a gesture for me to follow her. I nodded before noting that Ruukoto was already walking alongside her. The direction where Eleanore pulled Louise away was in the opposite side of where I was at the time. That meant that I had to pass Cattleya's room in order to catch up with them. I sighed and followed them anyway. Karin was still in front of the door to the middle sister's room when I walked by and heard her say something...

"Make sure that Louise doesn't do anything stupid." Was what the woman said before going back into the room without as much as a parting glance to me. I stared at the now closed door for a moment before continuing to follow my master and the rest to wherever Eleanore was taking her.

The place we ended up in was, surprisingly enough, the eldest sister's room. I closed the door to the blonde's room and took stock of the situation.

Louise was sitting on the bed and had her head down. Her hands were on her lap and were gripping her nightgown so tightly the fabric was wrinkling beyond all recognition. I couldn't see her face from this angle but I could clearly see her tears falling from her face.

Eleanore was standing in front of the large window that adorned her room. She had her arms folded around her and she had her back to me so I couldn't see more than that. Although she was almost as visibly tense as her younger sister.

Ruukoto was standing completely still in a corner of the room like some piece of furniture. The gynoid's eye and expression did not betray any hint of emotion but I knew that it had more comprehensive information abou the situation than anyone else.

"Ruukoto..." I called out to the gynoid and finally ending the silence in the room. The gynoid looked at me when I called out but neither Louise not Eleanore acknowledged that anything happened.

"Activate White Noise and explain what happened and what you think the cause was." I said to Ruukoto, who nodded before closing its eyes. My mention of White Noise made Louise look up to me questioningly while Eleanore merely glanced at me before looking back out the window.

"Done. This unit is now able to give a report on my scans of Lady Cattleya Yvette La Baume Le Blanc de La Valliere." Ruukoto stated in Halkeginian as it opened its eyes to reveal the soft blue that replaced the cold red whenever it uses this mode. Those words were more than enough to give a rise out of the sisters as Eleanore stared at the gynoid with a glare while Louise stood up from the bed before turning to Ruukoto. I clearly saw the hurt on Louise's face and decided that I most definitely hated that expression coming from her. The ever unflappable Ruukoto did not even blink when the tension in the room rose with its words and simply began its report.

"Lady Cattleya Yvette La Baume Le Blanc de La Valliere is suffering from chronic cell degeneration that is affecting most of the critical internal organs in her body. The advance of the degeneration seems to be slow but the length of time in which she has been suffering from it has caused her body to weaken significantly." Ruukoto stated in a cold clinical tone of voice. A far cry from the usual warmth that came with White Noise.

"I don't understand...what are you talking about Ruukoto? What is happening to Chii-nee-sama?" Louise asked her gynoid in a subdued and very frightened voice. I folded my arms and clenched my hands tightly into fists. Someone like my master should never have to use such a voice. I barely even registered that Eleanore had taken a few steps closer to Ruukoto.

"Cattleya's body is breaking down little by little. Do you know the cause?" I simplified for Louise and Eleanore before asking Ruukoto if it knew what was doing this to the middle sister. I saw Eleanore and Louise's expressions turn to horror before I heard the gynoid respond to my query.

"Exact cause is unknown. No recorded pathogens or diseases are known to cause this kind of effect in a human body. However, this unit has observed that the internal cells in Lady Cattleya's body seem to have an unfavorable reaction to the ambient prana present in the air." Ruukoto's words made my eyes go wide in surprise. This was...different.

"Yuka...what did Ruukoto mean by that...what is causing this to happen to Chii-nee-sama?" Louise voice was cracking. I looked at her and she looked like she was about to break down emotionally as she looked at me. Eleanore had a similiar expression but was not as extreme as my master's. I grit my teeth and flexed my fists as I took a few deep breaths in order to subdue the sick feeling I was starting to have. After all, such a fate that Cattleya had was something even I did not expect.

"Your sister...Cattleya...her body does not react well to the magic in the air." I stated and gave out another sigh when I saw that neither sister did not seem to understand me...or refused to believe what they were apparently hearing.

"The ambient amount of magic that circulates throughout Halkeginia is not compatible with Cattleya's body. Because of this, her health has been very slowly deteriorating since she was small. The magic around her has been slowly poisoning her for years...it likely gets even worse when she tries to cast spells." I explained before glancing at Ruukoto for verification. It was ridiculous. The notion that a magician could be poisoned by magic itself. It was absurd...and it was happening to Louise's sister.

"Correct. It is likely that the use of magic while in this condition would accelerate the rate of cell degeneration." Ruukoto confirmed and Louise fell to her knees in shock. I see...was that the reason why Cattleya seemed so hesitant when she stated that she was an Earth mage? Did she know that even finding out her primary element was already shortening her life even further?

"...is there a cure?" I barely heard Eleanore say something for the first time since the start of Ruukoto's report.

"I don't care how you know this or what you did to find out. If your information is as accurate as it seems...then you should know the cure for it." Eleanore reasoned with a trembling voice. The usual hard-edged snarking from the blonde was completely absent as she spoke to Ruukoto. There was a very tense moment when streams of light flashed across her eyes before it finally responded.

"This unit does not know of any form of cure or treatment for this kind of condition. Please be advised that Lady Cattleya will die in approximately three weeks if her condition does not change." Ruukoto stated and my master was on me in a matter of seconds.

"Do something! You have to save Chii-nee-sama!" Louise all but screamed as she grabbed onto my shirt. I was able to unfold my arms just as Louise launched herself at me but the look of absolute fear and desperation in her face prevented me from doing anything else. I had...never seen her look this scared about something before...even after everything she had already experienced up to this point.

"YUKA!" Louise screamed at me and snapped me from my momentary trance. I thought about her request and wondered if anything can be done about it. Ruukoto had no idea what exactly was causing Cattleya's illness nor did it know how to treat it. All it knew was the effect, that Cattleya's body was dying because of the magic that was all around her. It was like the whole world was slowly trying to end her life. It was unlikely that the healers in this realm could provide any better aid either. If they could, Karin and Eugene would have likely already moved the heavens themselves if it would have saved her daughter. The cure cannot be found in Halkeginia as far as we know and Ruukoto's technology cannot fix it either.

"Can your nanomachines cure Cattleya's condition?" I asked the gynoid when the thought crossed my mind as I held on to Louise's shaking shoulders in a poor attempt to calm her down.

"Negative. The nanomachines I posses do not have such a function. They can only mend physical damage to internal wounds." Ruukoto shot down that idea immediately. I narrowed my eyes at the ceiling as the situation looked more impossible with every passing conversation. I suddenly had a thought...if the situation was impossible then something that can overcome that impossibility can help Cattleya.

"Yukari Yakumo...Kaguya Houraisan...Yamame Kurodani..." I muttered absentmindedly.

"What are you talking about?" Louise asked me. I glanced back down and saw her and Eleanore looking at me intently.

"Yukari can manipulate the border of sickness and health. Kaguya is currently the best physician in Gensokyo, taking over for Eirin after the woman went back to the moon to help stabilize the Lunarian Empire. Yamame's special ability is the manipulation of illnesses. Any one of them could likely help but..." But I was hesitant in bringing anyone from Gensokyo to this realm and vice versa. Even brining Cattleya into Mugenkan left a bad taste in my mouth because of how long I have banned nearly all humans from entering my border of dreams. Unfortunately, Louise seems to have picked up on what I was about to say.

"You can bring them here to help Chii-nee-sama! No...you can bring Chii-nee-sama into Mugenkan and have her treated there! You can control anything inside there right? You can cure her yourself in there!" My master frantically threw out her desperate reasoning as she tried to shake me with her feeble strength. I was disliking this situation more and more.

"I cannot cure her even inside Mugenkan. I can keep her from dying but she will just become sick again once she leaves. I don't even want to bring any humans in there because of what Reimu and Marisa did back when--" My reasoning was cut off by Louise's words.

"That was over five-hundred years ago! Get over it and save my sister!" My master screamed at me. She was asking me...telling me to discard a rule I had enforced for half a millennia. Even for Louise...

"I...cannot do that so easily..." I stated with less conviction than I had originally intended.

"Then accept if I win." I blinked at Louise's sudden words. My master backed away from me and glared at me with focused intensity.

"I challenge you...if I win, you will help Chii-nee-sama." She declared while pointing at me.

"And if you lose?" I asked but already knew the answer. If Louise loses...Cattleya will die. I shook my head when I realized that I was letting emotions, of all things, get the better of me and my judgement.

"You cannot defeat me in a Danmaku Battle alone. You can't even come close to matching Cirno in your current state." I calmly pointed out while folding my arms and leaning back. Louise shirked back as if struck by my words. She knew I was right. There was no way she could possibly defeat me. Even hitting me was next to impossible for her.

"Then I challenge you alongside her." Eleanore suddenly made herself heard as she stepped beside her sister. I looked at the eldest sister and saw that her eyes had the same fire my master did. It did not seem like either of them were going to back down from this. I glanced at Ruukoto, who hasn't said a thing for a while now, and saw that the gynoid had already reverted back to its regular mode and simply shugged when our eyes met. I sighed and thought about the whole situation.

Louise and Eleanore were basically taking a gamble on something that may not even pay off. There was no guarantee that any of the beings I had mentioned could fully cure Cattleya or even be willing to try. Then again...giving up for them would be the same as letting their beloved sister die. I shook my head when I recalled the most important lesson I had taught Cirno.

Don't stop trying.

"Even with both of you, I still will not be defeated." I stated and held up my right hand to prevent any premature retorts.

"If you can get a clean hit on me before you lose to your own exhaustion...then I will accept that as your victory and open Mugenkan's doors to you sisters so long as it exists." I posed and saw Louise's expression visibly brighten up. I sighed when I wondered what exactly I was getting all of us into just as my master started embracing me and thanking me for agreeing to duel them.

That was also a first for me...

...

"So...what happened to your Golden Rule of Mugenkan? I thought humans were banned from stepping foot here?" Cirno asked me with a raised brow as I walked up to her with Louise and Eleanore behind me. My master was slowly guiding her wide eyed sister as the blonde Valliere continued to mutter various words that this whole situation was impossibility after impossibility. I should have expected as such when she very nearly screamed when I created a door to Mugenkan right there in her room.
 
"The situation has changed somewhat. Louise will not be having her usual lessons with you tonight." I explained before turning back to the sisters and saw that Eleanore was rubbing her eyes with her right hand.
 
"This...this...this is absurd. It goes beyond all logic and magical theory for someone to have their own pocket realm..." Eleanore said out loud while shaking her head in an attempt to deny the reality that was right before her eyes. Whoever said that seeing was believing obviously had not seen anything particularly absurd in their life. I noticed Cirno float up next to Eleanore and gave the woman a friendly pat on the shoulder.
 
"Don't sweat the small stuff. Anything is possible if it happens after all." Cirno stated with a big smile that was directed at Louise. My master smiled back but Eleanore had a different reaction when she opened her eyes and saw my former student.
 
"What...who are...you?" Eleanore barely managed to ask as she slowly comprehended the fact that Cirno was floating in the air next to her and that she had icicle wings.
 
"The name is Cirno! I'm the strongest fairy in Gensokyo! Nice to meet you!" The ice fairy introduced herself in a friendly manner while backing off from Eleanore and putting her hands on her hips, which was a throwback to her old pose when she was young and silly.
 
"A fairy...you're a fairy...?" Eleanore asked my former student as she stared at her dumbfounded.
 
"Ice fairy to be specific. Now while it is understandable for you to be...surprised...about the current situation, please remember that we are on a schedule. The faster you can get over your shock, the better." I stated, finally snapping Eleanore out of her trance. The blonde Valliere sister set her jaw and took a few deep breaths before looking at me.
 
"You're right. If this whole absurd situation is what it takes to save Cattleya...then so be it." She finally said before turning back to Cirno.
 
"Greetings Ice Fairy Cirno. I am Eleanore Albertine Le Blanc De La Blois De La Valliere." Eleanore introduced herself to Cirno in a far more graceful manner than she did to me. Cirno blinked a few times before looking between Eleanore, Louise and myself.
 
"Okay, no offense but, that's an even longer name that Louise's. And Valliere? What's the relation?" Cirno commented before asking me her question with folded arms.
 
"Eleanore is Louise's eldest sister. We're here in regards to a dillema that concerns the middle sister, Cattleya Yvette La Baume Le Blanc de La Valliere." I explained to her.
 
"Another incident, and this time with Louise's family. So, what's the deal? It should be something big and urgent if you're foregoing your ban on humans in Mugenkan and even bringing Louise and her sister in while in their physical bodies. By the way, why are they wearing nightgowns?" Cirno postulated while asking the question when she pointed at the two sisters.
 
"We were in a bit of a hurry at the time..." I provided and wondered why I didn't ask them to change into something more practical before going here. We had left Ruukoto behind to continue monitoring Cattleya's condition and I thought I had heard the gynoid call out to me about something. I guess it noticed that both Louise and Eleanore jumped right in without being properly dressed for the situation.
 
"Okay...care to elaborate on that? I'd like to be on the same page too if you don't mind." Cirno asked while gesturing with her hands to move the conversation forward.
 
"My older sister, Chii-nee-sama...Big Sis Cattleya, is very ill right now. She started coughing up blood a while ago and..." Louise trailed off, unable to finish recalling what happened to her dear sister. I turned to Cirno, who now had a much more serious expression and decided to continue the exposition on my master's behalf.
 
"I had Ruukoto stay with Louise and Cattleya for it to check her health. I did so after learning that she has been suffering from a weak body for years now. I was...concerned...that the continued trend in her health would end up in a most unfavorable conclusion if left alone, especially since no one in this realm seems to have been able to cure her yet." I started and got a thoughtful hum from Cirno.
 
"Wait...that's why Ruukoto insisted to be in the same room as us?" Louise asked me with a surprised expression.
 
"You knew that this would happen?" Eleanore followed up with another question and a similar expression.
 
"Yes, I asked Ruukoto to check if it could find out what was causing Cattleya's illness as discreetly as possible. I wanted to know what we were dealing with first before taking any sort of action. Unfortunately, I did not expect that Cattleya's condition was as far along as it is." I admitted shamelessly. I was no hero. I did not see any reason to hide that fact or feel any sort of shame from trying to descreetly confirm the situation. If it turned out to be nothing then no one would have to worry about anything...sad that Louise's life never seems to be that simple.
 
"So? Does she have Tuberculosis or some other lung based nasty that's making her cough up blood like that?" Cirno asked me as she floated down on the ground.
 
"From what Ruukoto said, Cattleya is suffering from long-term cel degeneration because her body is reacting like the ambient magic in the air is poison. A weak poison, but the length of time she has been exposed to it has left her body in dire straits. She will die in less than a month if nothing is done." I laid out the current incident that Louise has gotten herself caught up in.
 
"A magician being poisoned by the very magic she relies on...that's just bad. Should I ask Yukari to call up Princess Loony or Yamame?" My former student asked me with a stern expression.
 
"Both are viable options...however, there is no guarantee that Kaguya knows any kind of treatment that can cure this illness, she's still not up to par with Eirin when it comes to being a doctor. Also, a small part of me has a strange foreboding feeling that she'd likely just jam a Hourai Elixir down Cattleya's throat to cure her." I stated with a shake of my head. The former princess of the Lunarian Emipre has come far after taking over the clinic in Eientei thess past five-hundred years but she did not have the brilliant mind of her former guardian and teacher.
 
"Heh...yeah, I can see her doing something like that if she gets frustrated enough." Cirno mused while scratching the back of her head.
 
"Hourai Elixir...I've heard that from Yukari's stories from before..." Louise piped up after hearing our exchange.
 
"Yes, the Hourai Elixir could cure Cattleya...by turning her into an Immortal instead." Cirno curtly explained with a dry chuckle. I shook my head when I recalled the early days when Kaguya started studying medicine in earnest after Eirin went back to the Moon to help the Watatsuki sisters quell the civil war up there. She used to just say 'Eirin still has that stock of Hourai Elixirs in case any of the patients die. It'll be fine.' Suffice to say, everyone stayed away from Eientei for a while after Aya got the word out on the former princess' health coverage. In fact...the Hidea no Akyu of that era was very close to accidentally becoming immortal because of that policy. I couldn't even imagine the blowback that Shikieiki would have caused if the Yama found out that the chronicler managed to find a way around their original arrangement of continuous reincarnation.
 
Then there was that thing with Tenshi and those silly Celestials...I don't want to think about that incident right now.
 
"I-I-I-Immortal?!" Eleanore suddenly exclaimed.
 
"It's a long story and that option isn't really a sound one since it would doom Cattleya to an immortality where she would be forced to watch everyone and everything she cares about wither and die eventually." I handwaved the kind of immortality that the Hourai Elixir provided.
 
"Wait...aren't you immortal?" The blonde Valliere sister followed up with another question.
 
"No. I may have been around for a long time but I am not immortal. In fact, I have the amusingly odd feeling that I may be closing in on the end of my life as well." I quickly dismissed that claim with a combination of a handwave and a shrug.
 
"Holy crap...that was what you were talking about last fall?" Cirno suddenly brought up a conversation we had before I went through my winter sleeping cycle.
 
"Wait! Everyone slow down first!" Louise suddenly yelled out and was glaring right at me. All of us paused because of her sudden outburst and my master took full advantage of it by walking right up to me and poking my chest with her finger.
 
"What did you mean when you said that you are closing in on the end of your life?" Louise bit out at me, her eyes trying to sear holes into mine. I grumbled a bit but I'll never admit that I got rather uncomfortable at how my master was glaring at me. I was not afraid of her in any sense, her glares were about as impotent on me as they have always been. However, her eyes showed much more than simply anger at me for not telling her about that little thing. She was also worried and scared. Understandable since her sister was apparently already terminally ill. Adding someone else to the list of people she could potentially lose would not help her emotional stability.
 
"That is something I assure you I will explain later on now that it is has been made public." I told Louise while holding the hand she used to poke my chest with before lowering it. I then gave a sidelong glance to Cirno who was covering her face with her hand. She saw me glance at her and she quickly cleared her throat rather deliberately.
 
"I thought that you already told her about that..." Cirno mumbled before scratching the back of her head. I shook my head slowly before looking back to my master.
 
"Believe me when I say that I'm not about to keel over and pass away any time soon. Right now, we have more pressing matters to address. I promise that I will explain everything to you once the opportunity arises." I told Louise and almost sighed when she didn't look anywhere near convinced with my words.
 
"Louise, do you trust me?" I asked her, making my master flinch. I saw her lower her head and wondered if she was going to say otherwise. That worry proved unnecessary as I felt the hand I was holding adjust itself until Louise's fingers intertwined with mine before my master stepped forward and rested her head on my chest.
 
"Don't you dare think that I don't trust you after everything we've been through." Louise stated with a small hint of annoyance before I felt her take a deep breath.
 
"Huhuhu...you smell like sunflowers." My little master pointed out and I couldn't help but smile at her.
 
"I'd be worried if I smelled like something else here. I apologize for my previous assumption." I said while rubbing the top of her head with my free hand. I saw and felt her give a nod before Eleanore coughed rather loudly.
 
"Do you two mind not doing that kind of thing?" The eldest sister said rather irritably, making us conscious of our proximity and our actions. Louise quickly went red and pushed herself away from me before going into another bout of denials with her older sister. I rubbed the back of my neck at the scene and saw Cirno float nearby.
 
"Never thought you'd be that heartwarming with anyone. So, you and Louise huh?" The ice fairy pointed out before asking me with a very sly grin.
 
"Before you take that thought anywhere else...no, Louise and I don't have that kind of relationship. We are simply partners and friends. You know how well I treat my friends, yes?" I explained before asking her with a warm smile. I saw Cirno gulp before giving me some distance and glancing away.
 
"Hehehe...yeah, I guess you're right." My former student said while nodding to herself and rubbing the back of her head. I assumed that her recollection of the time when I told her that I considered her as a friend and not just as annoying student was the reason why she seemed to be blushing. I most certainly hope that this was the case.
 
"Back to the matter at hand..." I stated after getting everyone's attention with a clap of my hands.
 
"Now that Cirno is up to speed about Cattleya's condition, I would like to discuss the little arrangement that we've agreed upon in regards on getting her aid." I pointed out, finally getting back to the heart of the matter. Louise and Eleanore visibly tensed at my words as they recalled our conversation before heading to my realm. I saw Cirno rub her chin with her hand before glancing at me with a sharp expression.
 
"You don't want anyone from Gensokyo to go to their realm and you certainly don't want any humans stepping foot in Mugenkan either. Is that arrangement the reason why you brought Louise and her sister here in their physical bodies?" My former student's ever sharp mind deduced the reasoning behind my words before asking me for verification. I smiled at how well she was able to reason that out. Cirno never had the kind of intuition that the Hakurei clan has nor the luck that Sanae Kochiya's descendants now enjoy. Instead, she took on Marisa's mantra of hard work and experience. The sharp mind that she wields now is the result of a lot of work on her part. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I am proud in the way Cirno has matured these past few centuries.
 
"Indeed. However, Louise was rather insistent on getting help for her sister since no one in their realm could cure her. Understandable as it is, I simply cannot disregard a rule that I have enforced for five-hundred years." I validated Cirno's theory before expounding on it. The ice fairy seemed to have picked up on what I meant by that and suddenly looked between me and Louise and Eleanore.
 
"You're not going to make them do a Danmaku battle against you for the right to travel here are you?" Cirno asked me in mild shock and worry. I saw Louise tense up at her senior's question while Eleanore simply narrowed her eyes at me. The eldest sister did not likely know what a Danmaku battle was but she was more than perceptive enough to realize that it was something serious based on Cirno's question to me.
 
"Not exactly. Even together, they will nowhere be a match against me in an actual Danmaku battle. You yourself would probably be victorious against them without even trying." I pointed out and predictably earning glares from both sisters. I raised my right hand to prevent any protests so I could explain how I intend for them to be able to have a chance at besting me.
 
"Instead, I decided to let them go all out against me while I simply dodge everything. I will not make a move against them and will simply focus on avoiding their attacks. Additionally, it will be their victory if either of them can land a clean hit on my person. However, if they become too tired to continue then it shall be my victory instead." I explained the ground rules of this little match of ours. Louise and Eleanore looked at each other with uncertainty before looking back to me and nodding.
 
"Those seem to be acceptable conditions." Eleanore stated.
 
"I also accept those terms." Louise also agreed.
 
"So that means it will be an unlimited spell card survival run for you teach?" Cirno asked me while tilting her head to the side.
 
"Not exactly unlimited but they can try and try all they want until they either hit me or simply give up. I would also like you be the judge since you can freely fly to accurately assess the match as it happens." I clarified before asking Cirno to be the judge. She made a thoughtful hum before nodding.
 
"I can do that. But I'd like to talk to these two before you start. Would that be okay?" The ice fairy asked me while gesturing to the two Valliere sisters.
 
"That's fine. We will begin once you are all ready." I stated before folding my arms and leaning back.
 
...
 
 
"That's fine. We will begin once you are all ready." My partner stated before he folded his arms and leaned back. I gulped at the prospect at actually having to challenge Yuka head on for the first time. I mean, I've gone through a lot of training in here and even saw some Danmaku battles between Yuka and other residents fo Gensokyo. But the thought of going against Yuka myself...?
 
"Okay, both of you listen up." Cirno-nee snapped me from my thoughts as she floated in front of us with her back to Yuka.
 
"While I'm going to try my best to be an impartial judge here, I don't really want you two to lose especially considering what's on the line here. With that in mind I'll give you the kind of help that I can only give in this situation: advice." My senior stated while holding up her right index finger in front of us.
 
"Advice?" Big Sis Eleanore asked dubiously while placing both of her hand on her hips and raising a brow at Cirno-nee.
 
"Advice. The first thing is to throw away any assumptions that this will be any easier just because teach won't fight back and you can go all out until you can't cast any magic anymore." Cirno-nee confirmed before warning us not to take thing lightly.
 
"The thing you have to understand is that teach is used to these kinds of matches. Why? Because sh-he's the one who trained me to be as good as I am today and there were times back then when some of my friends and I would try to see if we can take teach if we worked together." Cirno-nee elaborated on that with a very serious tone.
 
"Even when it was four on one, teach looked like he was just toying with us. Granted that we were still pretty young back then, it still means that teach can take on multiple opponents at once. Even though he won't be fighting back, that just means that he can focus on simply not getting hit. Never. Ever. Ever. Forget this fact." She concluded while leaning in closer to us to emphasize each word at the end. She breathed out before leaning away from us again and nodding.
 
"With that in mind, my advice on even having a chance of being able to hit teach is to be as unpredicatble as you can. Mix things up. Be unorthodox in the way you cast your spells. Go crazy if you have to! This is an anything goes match where the only objective it to get a clean hit on teach. Always keep than in mind during the match. You're not trying to impress him, you're not trying to dazzle him, you're not trying to get his apporval or admiration. You're here to hit him so do whatever it takes for you to be able to." Cirno-nee concluded before giving us both a big smile.
 
"Good luck you two. Remember, when the going gets too tough, just remember why you're doing this in the first place." She gave us her parting worde before floating off to where Yuka was. The unease I was feeling before was just compounded by Cirno-nee's words.
 
"Hey runt." I turne to Big Sis Eleanore when she called out to me.
 
"Can you even cast any sort of magic competently or will you just be dead weight?" My older sister asked me with narrowed eyes. I unconsciously flinched back at her words before nodding and straightening my posture.
 
"I can make explosions with my spells." I clearly stated.
 
"Explosions?" Big Sis Eleanore asked me with a raised brow. I nodded to her in response as I recalled all the training I've gone through here as well as my own experience outside Mugenkan.
 
"I'm very good at making things explode." I stated in confirmation. I saw my sister grimace before she reached out to me with blinding speed and gave me a headlock.
 
"That's it?! You can make things explode?! What good will that do us here huh?" Big Sis Eleanore started hissing at me as she maintained the hold. It wasn't really painful or anything. I can honestly say that I have endured worse...much worse than this. I instinctively grabbed on to the arm that was wrapped around my neck with both my hands. I wasn't trying to get her to let me go, even though it was what I wanted her to do. I was just making sure that she knew that I acknowledged why she was upset at me.
 
"I promise that my magic will be useful! Yuka has been training me here for months so I can use my explosions effectively! I won't be a burden to you! I want to save Chii-nee-sama as much as you do!" I exclaimed back to her and suddenly felt her hold on me loosen up.
 
"That's right, runt. This is for Cattleya. If you love her as much as you always say you do then don't you dare let me down!" She suddenly exclaimed before completely letting me go.
 
"I know that. Please trust me Big Sis Eleanore." I solemnly stated with a determined nod while looking right into my sister's eyes. She huffed before turning away from me.
 
"You're my sister. Of course I trust you...stupid little runt." I heard her mutter before walking up toward Yuka and Cirno-nee. I smiled at her words as it gave me renewed confidence. When the Valliere sisters stand shoulder to shoulder, not even Yuka would stand a chance against us.
 
...
 
I saw my former student fly up to me after apparently giving Louise and Eleanore some last minute advice on how to face me. Figures that she would try to help them in any capacity she could especially after finding out the circumstances behind the match.
 
"Conjure them up some clothes before the match starts. Wouldn't be much of a fair fight if they have to deal with you in their nighties now would it?" Cirno suddenly pointed out while pointing at the sisters with her left thumb.
 
"I know. That will be the first thing I will do before we begin." I agreed with a nod before glancing at my master and Eleanore.
 
"We've never trained Louise in tandem battles..." Cirno pointed out with a hint of worry in her voice.
 
"I know. Until now, there was no reason to and she didn't really have a partner who could help her train in that in here." I agreed before remembering that I had originally wanted Matilda to help Louise in that manner of combat. Unfortunately, our resident Treasure Hunter and former Master Thief disappeared on us right before that whole mess at Tarbes started. I silently hoped for her safe return to us as I raised a brow at how Eleanore seemed to have Louise in some sort of weak headlock.
 
"Yeah...they're gonna have a hard time if Eleanore can't coordinate their attacks on you properly." Cirno noted with a grim nod. I knew that she wanted to help the sisters greatly since she practically considered Louise as her own little sister as well. However, she respected my decision and knew the reasoning behind this challenge. If Louise and Eleanore can get past this hurdle, there will be very little in Halkeginia that can threaten them when they work together.
 
"Please tell me that you'll go easy on them..." Cirno nearly pleaded to me after my lack of a response to her previous statement.I noted that her hands were clenched into fists at her sides and were trembling. I was not able to give her any sort of response as I noticed Eleanore walk up to me with Louise close behind.
 
"We're ready." Eleanore simply stated as she stood with full confidence and determination before me, a common trait in their family it seems. I glanced at Louise who stood right next to her sister and saw her nod to me and Cirno in turn.
 
"Excellent." I simply stated before holding up my right hand and snapping my fingers. Both sisters yelped in surprise when their clothing suddenly flashed white before fading to reveal their new clothing for the match. Both of them looked between what they were now wearing, what the other was wearing, and me in turn while sporting confused expressions.
 
"You two didn't really expect to try to take me on in your evening wear, now did you?" I asked them with an amused smirk and a raised brow. Cirno chuckled when both of them started blushing after realizing what I meant. I did not give them any weird clothing or anything like that. Eleanore was wearing what she had on when she fetched Louise while my master was wearing her usual school uniform including her mantle.
 
"Now then. Cirno I would like you to stay up in the air so you can properly view the match. I will not fly and remain here on the ground. Again, you have free rein on how you will come at me so long as you can hit me." I reviewed the rules with everyone just to make sure that they all understand the conditions for this match.
 
"Are you sure? We won't be holding back you know. This is for our sister's sake after all." Eleanore pointed out with a raised brow. I gave a soft smile at her concern before responding.
 
"Worry not. I am much tougher than I look. I appreciate that you are worried about my safety but rest assured that my body is ready." I answered before giving Eleanore a polite nod. The eldest sister suddenly tensed up before blushing at my words.
 
"Wo-wo-worried?! Don't be ridiculous! Who would be worried about someone like you?! I'm just making sure that you don't end up dead before you keep your end of the bargain!" She suddenly exclaimed much in the same way Louise does when she's embarrassed about something emotional.
 
"You say that as if it is a foregone conclusion that you will emerge triumphant." I couldn't help but point out with a smirk while folding my arms and leaning back again.
 
"Of course! You face two scions of the Valliere family! There is nothing we cannot accomplish together!" Eleanore declared with as much, if not more, fire in her eyes as Louise does whenever she's absolutely determined in accomplishing something.
 
I could do nothing but nod respectfully in the face of such determination.
 
...
 
"Of course! You face two scions of the Valliere family! There is nothing we cannot accomplish together!" I felt a tinge of electricity pass across my skin after hearing Big Sis Eleanore say those words. She was right. We are daughters of the Valliere family, the best noble family in Tristain!
 
I gripped the wand in my hand that I pulled out of my skirt pocket earlier. Yuka had managed to recreate my uniform perfectly aside from my hat and the Founder's Prayer Book. I grimaced at the fact that I wouldn't have access to my Void spells in this match and hoped that my explosions would be enough. I was thankful that Yuka was able to conjure up my hidden wand along with my clothes. However, that meant that he knows about it and will be expecting me to use it at some point.
 
"Alright! Walk twenty paces away from them please!" I heard Cirno-nee say to Yuka as she floated up higher into the air. My partner complied and started walking away from us. I saw Big Sis Eleanore walk up to my side before facing back in the direction where Yuka is.
 
"How effective are your explosions and how do you cast them?" My sister curtly asked as she fished around her dress for her wand. I glanced at her for another moment before turning back to where Yuka was.
 
"Yuka and Cirno-nee trained me to be able to cast an explosive spell using just one word, my 'magic word' as it were. I simply point at something with my wand, say my magic word, and whatever I'm pointing at blows up. My effective range right now is around fifty feet or so but my accuracy is near pinpoint as far as explosions go. Any further than that and I can't aim it accurately anymore. The delay between casting and explosion is almost instantaneous within that fifty feet range and can bypass solid objects as well as long as I know precisely where my actual target is." I gave Big Sis Eleanore a summary of the current state of my explosive spells. I looked back at her when she did not say anything and saw that she was looking at me with an almost surprised expression.
 
"Big Sis Eleanore?" I called out to her in wonder if she was okay. I saw her blink before pulling her wand out of her dress and clearing her throat.
 
"Yes...well I can imagine that the applications of such a spell would be quite...extensive." I heard her say without looking at me and I could swear that I saw her blush.
 
"That's right! I thought they were crazy at first when they said that I should try to develop this kind of casting style but now I realize how useful it can be if applied in the right way! Cirno-nee and Yuka even taught me how to effectively move around and dodge while casting on the fly so I can chase Yuka around when the match starts!" I exclaimed excitedly after hearing such rare words from my sister. I was happy! I was so very happy that my sister acknowledged the fruits of my hard work and did not simply see my magic as just as failed spell.
 
"Calm down runt! And what did you mean by 'casting on the fly'?" My sister said in annoyance while roughly rubbing my head with her free hand. I waited for her to finish and fixed up my hair before answering. I didn't really mind it since it was very rare for me to be able to make my sister embarrassed about anything that did not involve insults.
 
"It's an expression Cirno-nee taught me. Apparently it means to be able to do one action while in the middle of doing something else, like casting magic while moving." I explained and Big Sis Eleanore hummed at my words before nodding.
 
"Okay. Here's the plan. As soon as the match starts, go after your familiar and start pelting him with explosions. I'll stay here and use my spells to try to catch him off guard. Before you say anything else, yes, I will be using 'that' so keep your wits about you and keep moving lest you want to get caught in one of my traps." My sister instructed to me. I nodded at her every word but gulped as soon as she mentioned using her special kind of casting spells. I've only ever seen it once during a sparring match between her and mother and I still find it very impressive. I still find it hard to believe that Big Sis Eleanore was still a Triangle Class Earth Mage even with the kind of talent she has when working her spells after she gains enough momentum. I gulped at that thought...
 
Big Sis Eleanore was going to use 'The Hymn of the Juggernaut' and I have to run through it all and keep pressure on Yuka. I took a deep breath to steady myself just when I saw Cirno-nee raise her hand to start the match.
 
...

[Blackraptor]

This is something that was buried in my hard drive since CHAPTER THREE. I've only managed to notice it again and decided to finish it and put it up for kicks. This is NO WAY CANON TO THIS FIC but it is a possibility on how this fic could end. Call this

Spoiler:

The Louise Ending.

...

I took a deep breath while basking in the afternoon sun as I laze about on my chair. The view from the porch was much better than I had originally expected it to be when I first settled in this simple house on a hill care of an old friend from Gallia.
 
How long has it been?
 
I gave out a soft chuckle when I remembered that I really didn't care. My time here, the epilogue of my sixteen-hundred year life, was arguably my most loved. The silly incidents, the people and beings I have met here and beyond were all precious memories to me.
 
My peaceful afternoon relaxation was suddenly interrupted when I noticed a figure flying in the distance and was approaching me. I raised a brow when I recognized the silhouette of what was approaching. I did not expect any visitors right now but I supposed that I should have known that this particular one would show up.
 
My visitor landed a distance away in front of the house. The manticore that served as the means of transport gently let its rider dismount before folding its wings and lying down to relax. My visitor walked up to me in a relaxed but purposeful manner.
 
"Marseille." I greeted the young woman when she was close enough. Her pristine light blue and gold trimmed clothing and wide brimmed hat were all to be expected from the Captain of the new Tristain Manticore Knight Squadron. She regarded me for a moment, her left hand slightly trembling as she held onto the hilt of her sword-wand. I saw a mix of emotions in her eyes before she gave out a sigh and smiled at me.
 
"How...how have you been?" She asked me a bit awkwardly as she walked up to stand at my side.
 
"I am as I have always been." I replied with a shrug. Marseille did not appreciate this and flicked the side of my head with her finger.
 
"You know what I'm talking about. I've had...a feeling." She quickly stated before folding her arms and leaning back. Her expression was not of the smug confidence that I was accustomed to. Instead, it held uncertainty and concern.
 
"I suppose that I shouldn't have expected anything less from you." I commented before a comfortable silence settled between us.
 
"So, how is life?" I finally asked her in honest curiosity rather than simply to break the silence. Marseille blinked at me for a moment before turning back to gaze at the view from the hill.
 
"I've been getting by. Being a woman in the military has started becoming easier over time. There are still the nay sayers that keep arguing that a battlefield is soley the realm of men. They either get with the program or they were dumb enough to try to challenge me in order to 'prove their point'." She bit out with a huff as she scoffed at the people that kept saying that she couldn't make it as a full-time knight. Of course, with her being a Square-Class Water Mage, she did not back down easily.
 
"You've endured well. Or should I say that you're just stubborn?" I casually commented with a handwave. Instead of being offended by it, Marseille actually laughed at my words.
 
"What can I say, I learned from the best." She shot back before another wave of silence went between the two of us.
 
"Thank you for coming." I finally stated after a few moments. The young woman shifted a bit before letting out a breath through her mouth.
 
"Is there nothing that can be done?" She asked me even though she should already know the answer.
 
"No. I have lived a good life. My time is simply up. I consider myself lucky to have lived as I had in my final century." I admitted. Marseille lowered her head after I confirmed that this was to be my last day. The final day of the Flower Master of the Four Seasons.
 
"So you will just leave me alone then?" She muttered as she turned away from me.
 
"You are hardly alone. You may seem to be a young woman but you've been around for decades now." I pointed out and was met with a sigh.
 
"Yes...my life span was kind of hard to explain after everyone noticed that I didn't seem to age normally. Thankfully I was able to play it off as an experimental Square-Level Water enchantment I've been working on." Marseille said before finally turning back to me, a small smile on her lips.
 
"I am proud of you Marseille. I am glad to have been able to watch over you as long as I have." I wondered why I suddenly said that out of the blue as I felt my eyelids start to get heavier...but I supposed that it was only appropriate.
 
"I'm proud to be me too...I'll try to live the best I can." She responded as I saw tears starting to fall from her eyes.
 
"That is all I ask..." I muttered before the darkness took me. My last memory of the realm of Halkeginia was the tearful smile that my daughter gave me as she sent me off. Her strawberry-pink hair and beautiful amber eyes glittered against the sunlight so much like her mother's did.
 
...
 
"That's one hell of an ending eh?" One Komachi Onozuka commented as she continued to row the gondola I was riding on.
 
I honestly did not expect to be suddenly wake up as a ghost in Hakugyokuro. It was rather nostalgic to be there again but I did not feel like meeting Yuyuko or anyone else I knew so I decided to head straight to the Sanzu for my boatride. It was rather odd that I ended up with my male form even as a ghost. Although, I did recall Yuyuko once saying that the ghosts that have enough willpower in life tend to take the form they wanted the most.
 
I should have expected to run into the shinigami as soon as I got to the riverbank. She enthusiastically greeted me and teased me about staying as a guy even as a ghost. Komachi was the first local I've encountered here, which made sense since this was the realm of the dead. After exchanging pleasantries, and heading off across the Sanzu, Komachi started asking me what my life was like ever since I got pulled out of Gensokyo. I raised a brow but told her anyway. I assumed that her ability to manipulate distance was the reason why I was able to tell her the whole story before we reached the Higan.
 
"I apologize if my end was sitting on a chair and not going down in a blaze of glory." I deadpanned but Komachi simply chuckled at my response.
 
"I never said that it was a bad thing. Though you really shouldn't keep a girl waiting you know." She suddenly stated with a sly grin. I raised a brow as to what she was talking about when I heard footsteps approaching.
 
"Well, I'd back to work before Shikieiki-sama gets mad again." I heard Komachi say as her voice progressively started to become more distant. I was never able to look back at her because I doubted my own ectoplasmic eyes as I saw who was approaching.
 
"What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost." The one in question smugly said while folding her arms and leaning back. Her amber eyes looked right at me with clarity I have not seen in years while her pink hair flowed down her back like a stream of cotton candy.
 
"You'd forgive me for reacting as such. It has been a while since I've seen you that..." I trailed off before clearing my throat. I saw her slowly move closer to me, like a cat stalking a potential meal, before looking up at me. Even after all the years we've known each other, she was still a bit shorter than I am.
 
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear that last part. Could you repeat it for me Yuka?" She asked me in mock wonder complete with her cheshire smile.
 
"Now really isn't the time for those kinds of jokes Louise." I stated as flatly as I could. The woman in front of me merely widened her grin before grabbing the collar of my shirt and pulling me closer.
 
"This is the perfect time for this. Do you have any idea how long I've waited to see you again?" Louise suddenly stated in a more serious tone even as our faces were only a few centimeters apart.
 
"Yes...I apologize for taking so long. And you look beautiful by the way." I stated with a smile before giving my master, my partner, and the woman I fell in love with a kiss. We ended the kiss after a few more seconds and Louise settled on wrapping her arms around my sides and burying her face in my right shoulder.
 
"How's our little girl?" Louise asked me with obvious curiosity and concern for our daughter.
 
"Marseille is, as Cirno would put it, kicking ass and taking names. She recently became the captain of her own manticore knight squadron. They call themselves the Guildenstern Squardron. I'm pretty sure her grandparents would have been very proud of her." I told her as I returned Louise's embrace. Karin would have been very proud of Marseille for summoning a manticore as her familiar and becoming a magic knight. Eugene would have been proud of her since she is an extremely formidable and creative water mage.
 
"Of course they would be...we're proud of her after all." Louise replied matter-of-factly.
 
"I missed you..." She added after a short moment.
 
"As did I. I love you Louise." I stated before leaning in for another kiss.
 
Never did I expect that I would ever find love in my life as a youkai. Never did I expect that I would be summoned as a familiar. . Never did I expect to care for humans as much as I have these past few decades. Never did I expect to be able to raise a family. Never did I expect that I would experience all those things because of one woman.
 
I only wished for a change in my life one day at the start of spring. Yukari once told me to Be Careful What I Wished For...now as I stand here on the other side of Higan with the woman I love. I didn't really regret that wish at all.
 
"By the way...how did you end up here anyway? I thought Halkeginian souls would have ended up elsewhere." I asked when I finally though it odd for Louise to be in the Netherworld connected to Gensokyo. Louise looked up to me and gave me another of those silly smiles that I loved so before responding.
 
"Yukari was fooling around again..." Was all she said and I simply laughed it off before giving Louise another hug.
 
So ends my tale. So ends my life. I have experienced much in my life and all of them were precious to me. I am content to be able to pass on with the person I love with me. The girl with pink hair and amber eyes that was able to reach out and call to me beyond the border between worlds.
 
...
 

[Blackraptor]

...
 
"Hmm?" I raised a brow when I saw Eleanore raise both of her hands in the air, her right one holding her wand, with her eyes closed. Cirno just started the match but neither sister had made any move to attack and I was wondering of they were still having any doubts. I then saw the eldest sister take a deep breath before opening her mouth and swinging her hands downward. I tensed up and prepared to begin the fun when I stalled for a second when I noticed what Eleanore was doing.
 
She was singing.
 
That second was more than enough for them as a pair of jaws made of stone suddenly sprang from under my feet and tried to clamp down on me.  The jaws were as tall as I was and it seemed that Eleanore intended to end this in one turn. I jumped backwards just in time to avoid getting clamped down my the stone jaws. I felt the telltale sign of Louise's magic spiking up and I quickly dashed to the right side just as an explosion detonated on the very spot I jumped back to.
 
Louise was the least of my problems in this match. I was here through most of her training sessions so I know very well how she moves and casts and what to watch out for when she's about to use one of her broken spells.
 
I jumped up high into the air when I felt thr ground around me vibrate. My timing allowed me to be able to cleanly jump away from several stone spikes that burst out of the ground at an angle, making the whole thing look like a stone cage. I managed to admire the spellwork for another second before I heard the sound of the ground rumbling. I glanced around and saw Louise being launched up in the air after me using a stone pillar as a springboard.
 
"Zero!" Louise yelled out as soon as she was able to get a bead on me. I twisted mid-air to avoid the explosion and drop back down to the ground. I was a bit worried that Louise might not be able to land safely since we were pretty high up but I found that worry to be unnecessary. Just as my master was starting to fall a stone pillar suddenly burst out from the ground under her to catch her before lowering her down at a reasonable speed. That was enough for me to confirm one thing though.
 
Louise was just a persistent distraction, the real threat will come from Eleanore.
 
I was assuming that Eleanore was a pure Earth mage just like how Karin was apparently a pure Wind mage. Instead of making a hybrid effect by adding a new element to their original element, they just stack their original element again to make it stronger.
 
The style of the eldest sister was a new one to me in regards to Earth mages. My experience with that element were confined to Matilda and Guiche and their preferred means of combat involved making golems and using them to smash things. However, this was the first time I was facing one who could cast spells that allows the caster to seemingly manipulate the earth at will. I understood that each action required a new spell to be cast, which was why Guiche and Matilda chose to create and maintain golems instead since that was more energy efficient. Eleanore on the other hand was casting spell after spell with little to no delays between them. Wait...
 
The singing!
 
"Zero!" My master's declaration snapped me from my thoughts as I instinctively dashed laterally in relation to where she was. Moving forward or backward against Louise's broken spells was a bad idea. Even if you change the distance between you and her, she still has you in her line of sight and therefore within the range of her explosions unless you get beyond her maximum range. Moving to the side negates that advantage since Louise needs to re-aim her wand to be able to cast again instead of simply recasting the spell over and over again.
 
"Hm!" I let out before spinning away from a large stone fist that suddenly burst out of the ground at an angle to my right side. It seems that Eleanore has the same idea. Suddenly casting a spell to hit someone in the side adds the advantage of having the possibility of blindsiding your target. However, you needed an advanced sense of timing to be able to make such a casting style effective or else you'd just keep missing as your opponent passes by. In that sense, Eleanore was quite impressive. Then again, she was the eldest daughter of Karin and Louise's older sister.
 
I hopped, skipped, and jumped to avoid a series of stone fists that came in different angles while I could faintly hear the eldest sister's singing voice in the background. I even had to somersault over three fists that came at me all at once from three different points. Really, Eleanore's casting speed was quite impressive.
 
I avoided another entrapment of stone spikes and I finally noted the reason why she seems to cast her spells so quickly. It all went back to why she seemed to be singing. Eleanore was performing her incantations to a melody, allowing her to cast spells one after the other in a steady rhythm. It a rather creative way of casting spells but I wondered how she can cast so many so quickly without tiring out.
 
I spun away from another set of stone jaws and noticed Louise jump off one of the stone fists that I avoided. She aimed her wand at me but I was cleanly able to dash to the side as usual. That was when a large stone hand sprang up from directly behind me. The hand was close, very close to grabbing onto me and ending the match. However, an unexpected assitance came in the form of an explosion  moments before the stone hand was able to wrap its fingers around me. I looked back in surprise and saw Louise standing on the now closed stone jaw and was aiming at me with her hidden wand in her left hand. Louise started to turn pale before she started trembling once she realized what she did.
 
"Oops..." Was the only thing she could say. That awkward moment only lasted for a little over a second before I had to resume my evasive tactics against Eleanore's spells. Louise also managed to snap out of her daze and resumed her chase on me, now wielding both her regular wand and her hidden wand in both hands. That little unintended accident confirmed me and Cirno's previous concern on how Louise did not have any real experience in fighting in tandem with another mage.
 
"I could use that..." I muttered as I continued to dodge Eleanore's spells, which now included stone mallets.
 
...
 
"Guh!" I grunted as I watched Yuka move around and weave through Big Sis Eleanore's traps like he was dancing. Even with my sister's 'Hymn of the Juggernaut' it still felt like trying to gather rainwater with an open palm!
 
"Zero!" I took another shot at hitting my partner with the wand in my left hand. I was only able to do so after I got a clear view of him between the rock formations that have been building up thanks to my sister. I saw Yuka glance at me before giving a small smile. I wondered why until my explosion was blocked by one of Big Sis Eleanore's stone fists. Guuuu! This was so frustrating!
 
It was easy to try to aim at him when we started but I could barely see him anymore. The best I can do now is to follow the Earth spells my sister uses to keep track of where he was. Cirno-nee was right, just attacking him normally won't work. I jumped up the rock formations and tried to aim at him again--
 
"Whaaaaah!" I suddenly screamed out when the stone fist I hopped on suddenly launched up into the sky with me still on it. The momentum caused me to continue moving up even after the stone fist already stopped ascending. I immediately tucked in my legs under me and spread out my arms sideward. Cirno-nee trained me to do this whenever I either jump from up high or if I was launched up in the air to stabilize myself and to prevent my legs from getting caught by anything from below.
 
I was high enough to see Yuka still dodging my sister's spells with a small smile on his face. This was nothing more than a game to him, wasn't it? The thought made my head hot with anger. I'll show him!
 
"Zero!" I cast another broken spell using my main wand. As expected, Yuka was able to avoid it by moving to the side.
 
The main problem you have when it comes to your Keyword Casting is that it can only be effective at a straight line. Moving laterally will completely negate any advantage you have with it being untrackable within your fifty-foot range. You can't curve or re-aim your explosions mid-cast, as far as we know, so keep that in mind whenever you plan on using them.
 
I grit my teeth after I recalled Cirno-nee's assessment of my casting style after we continued to refine my use of broken spells. I was already at the peak of my ascent and was about to start coming down but I decided to take one more shot at Yuka with my spare wand.
 
"Zero!" I cast my spell. Unfortunately, Yuka simply ducked behind one of the stone constructs that my sister made and used it to mess with my judgement of distance. Predictably, without a clear estimate on where exactly Yuka was, my explosion just defaulted to hitting the rock instead.
 
"Augh!" I grunted after landing on a stone pillar that Big Sis Eleanore made and waited for it to lower me enough for me to jump off and resume my chase on Yuka. I was able to get a good view of my partner before I landed on the ground and I immediately set off after him. I paced by breathing while I mentally reminded myself on how I was taught to do pursuits.
 
"Run and jump." I muttered as I started to go through the increasing number of stone constructs that my sister has littered everywhere.
 
"Why doesn't she just get rid of them after Yuka dodges them?! It just makes it harder to move around!" I hissed irritably as I hopped over another stone fist. I'm not sure if Big Sis Eleanore had a plan...no...Big Sis Eleanore always had a plan. I just hoped that it was worth me running myself ragged like this!
 
...
 
"That won't be enough you guys..." Cirno muttered as she continued to observe the ongoing match. The ice fairy was mildly impressed at the way her junior's elder sister was casting her spells.
 
Cirno had read books in the Scarlet Devil Mansion's Voile Magic Library about using songs to cast magic spells. She had once asked Patchouli about how one would even be able to do so since you'd need both a melody and an incantation in order to pull it off. Last time Cirno checked, it's not really that easy to be able to tie a spell to a melody unless the caster specifically wrote each spell incantation themself as a song.
 
That was when The Unmoving Great Library hit Cirno on the face with the side of the book she was reading at the time. After a few minutes of scolding - for disturbing Patchouli's reading-, being called an idiot -for not trying to figure it out for herself-, and Cirno rubbing her face for a while -because Patchouli was reading a new large wild youkai beastiary she compiled thanks to Koutaro Hakurei-.
 
After that sequence of events, and some first aid for Cirno's nose, Patchouli called up Koakuma to bring her certain books from the many many shelves of the famous library. The succubus assistant returned with a half-dozen books. Koakuma was always deceptively strong but preferred to keep that fact a secret. Cirno still didn't know if that was just how the Little Devil was or if was under Patchouli's order.
 
Patchouli then proceeded to show the ice fairy the contents of those books, all of which turned out to be grimoires. They all detailed several means of being able to covert a spell into song or use song as a feasible means of creating and casting a magic spell. Cirno then found out to her amazement that these books were one of the oldest books in the library and the only kinds of grimoires that Marisa never dared to take. When Cirno asked why, Patchouli merely gave her a very flat stare and asked:
 
'Have you ever heard Marisa sing?'
 
Regardless, Cirno understood the reasoning behind making a spell casting system using song. Even without the use of words, one could create spells simply by using melodies since casting magic is still basically the manipulation and shaping of magical energy into an intended effect. Incantations are just a way for one to be able to categorize and utilize spells using a medium that one could understand and distinguish. Similarly, songs can also be used for the same purpose. It was just that the medium used was a bit different. It was like comparing a manuscript or a book that was made of words to one that was done in braille. Both can be used in order for one to be able to read something, it was just the means of getting the information was different.
 
Cirno was so caught up in keeping an eye on the match, as well as her own thoughts, that she did not notice the distinct sound of something tearing right next to her.
 
"Oooohh~! What did I miss?" Cirno flinched when she suddenly heard Yukari's voice from her right side. The ice fairy looked in the direction where the voice came from and blinked a few times.
 
Yukari was leaning out of one of her gaps...upside down.
 
"Something wrong?" The border youkai asked, seeming not bothered by her odd orientation. Cirno furrowed her brows when she noticed something else about Yukari. She was obviously upside down but her hat, hair, and clothes weren't even disturbed at all and looked like she was standing completely normally.
 
"I'm...no, it's nothing to worry about." Cirno started but shrugged off asking Yukari how she was doing what she was doing. Yukari gave out her own shrug but turned back when she heard the distinct voice of Yuka's tiny pink-haired human.
 
"Zero!" Cirno couldn't help but grimace when Louise's explosion was rendered ineffective once more by Yuka's clever use of cover. By now, the clearing where the match was being held at was all but covered by various stone constructs of varying types and sizes. The only place that was left relatively clear was the spot where Eleanore was casting her spells from.
 
"So, what's transpiring here?" Yukari asked with a tilted head to the side. Obviously, the border youkai would have realized that this was some sort of match between Yuka and Louise along with one other. However, even someone as clever as Yukari Yakumo needed some help with the context.
 
"It's a match that will decide whether or not teach will end up lifting the ban on humans in Mugenkan for Louise and her sisters." Cirno explained, this time without taking her eyes away from Yuka. These kinds of matches tend to either drag on close to forever or would decisively end in a second, Cirno didn't want to be caught with her proverbial pants down if it ended up becoming the latter. Even without looking though, Cirno could tell that Yukari immediately perked up at what she said. Yukari suddenly disappeared into her gap before reappearing out the other end, effectively making her right side up from Cirno's perspective.
 
"Ooohhh~! Tell me more~!" Yukari asked with nearly as much intense curiosity as Aya or Hatate whenever those two found something interesting to write about. Cirno considered not telling Yukari but knew that she would find out anyway by her own means. Might as well deal with it now instead of having to take care of it later.
 
"The long and short of it is that Louise's older sister, Cattleya, is suffering from acute prana poisoning. The bad news is that she's had it since she was apparently a kid and she's at the point where the ambient magic in their realm is very very close to killing her. You can imagine how Louise took the news when she found out about it." Cirno summarized the story behind the current situation. She glanced at Yukari and saw that the border youkai no longer had a playful air around her and was now observing the events with a critical eye after she folded her arms under her breasts.
 
"And little Louise wanted Yuka to fix it?" Yukari postulated before pulling out her fan from within her gap and opening it in order to cover the lower half of her face. Cirno never liked it when Yukari did that. She only did that if she was either scowling or grinning, her eyes betrayed nothing about what the border youkai's expression was.
 
"Not exactly. Louise wanted to bring her sister into Mugenkan so teach could at least stabilize her condition until either you, Kaguya, or Yamame could cure her." Cirno clarified, earning a visible scoff from Yukari.
 
"Please. To assume that Kaguya could handle something as delicate as that condition is laughable. Although I admit that either I or the Earth Spider could probably do something about it. So, who's the blonde woman? She looks a bit like Louise." Yukari confidently stated before asking about Eleanore while pointing at where the blonde was with her now closed fan.
 
"Louise's eldest sister, Eleanore. Cattleya is the middle sister while Louise is the youngest. Louise challenged Yuka to a match with the condition that Cattleya be allowed in Mugenkan if she won. Teach told her that there was no way that she could win against him so Eleanore challenged him too." The ice fairy answered with a shake of her head when she recalled the sheer absurdity of a pair of humans openly challenging Yuka Kazami to a match.
 
"And I take it that Yuka couldn't help but take the bait?" Yukari asked the rhetorical question, this time no longer taking her eyes off the ongoing match.
 
"Pretty much. Teach is going for a one hit pacifist run. They either hit him or he outlasts them. If they win, all three sisters get a free pass to Mugenkan. If they lose...well teach will have to deal with Louise after her sister dies." Cirno responded with a nod before slightly shivering at the thought of dying because of a condition like Cattleya's. She turned to Yukari when she heard the border youkai start giggling. Yukari noticed Cirno's raised brow and gave the ice fairy one of her 'fooling around again' smiles.
 
"Oh, they'll win all right." Yukari clearly stated with no hint of doubt or hesitation. Cirno narrowed her eyes at the sheer certainty and confidence that the border youkai was showing.
 
"You don't think that teach would actually throw the match, do you? Or are you going to give Louise and Eleanore some 'help'?" Cirno asked with a bit of an edge in her voice. She didn't really like the idea of either possibility since it would be an insult to both sisters after all the work and pride they've already invested in this match.
 
"No no, nothing like that. I wouldn't want Yuka to get mad at me after all. No, I really think that those two will be able to pull it off." Yukari said with another of those smiles of hers. Cirno remained quiet and tried to think of how Yukari could possibly come to that kind of conclusion.
 
"The song of victory will ring out once silence consumes the unexpecting beast." Yukari said cryptically. Cirno turned to Yukari to try to clarify that but the border youkai already disappeared into her now closed gap.

...
 
It was starting to get tricky to be able to move around on the ground. I idly thought of this as I continued to avoid the ever increasing barrage of stone constructs that Eleanore created to try to hit me with. I also made sure to keep one eye out for the telltale pink hair of my master. I was far from dismissing Louise as an actual threat in this match. She may me clumsy and second guesses herself on occasion, but she gets lucky at some critical times and was rather very stubborn. I'd rather not admit that I lost to the Valliere sisters simply because of a lucky shot.
 
I spun away from a stone needle that was shot out from one of the stone fists that I've already evaded. I was wondering why Eleanore refused to dispel the constructs she created and why she didn't utilize them for anything else. Someone as creative as Matilda would have abused the spell casting system that Eleanore uses by creating a veritable Danmaku Field using earth and stone. Why Eleanore was only utilizing her constructs in such a way so sparingly was something I still couldn't grasp but I chose to take note of it anyway just in case.
 
Having all these possible attack points all around me reminded me of dueling Sakuya back in the day. Too bad for Eleanore that I have a lot of experience in dealing with possible transient attacks from multiple directions.
 
I hopped over a series of slanted stone spikes that were trying to catch me off guard when I saw a flash of pink from the corner of my vision.
 
"Hm!" I immediately dashed to the right but had to sidestep a few obstructions that were in the way. Nevertheless, I was still able to avoid Louise's explosion by about a little over a foot. The disruptions caused by Eleanore's constructs worked both ways sadly. They help me prevent Louise from getting a clear shot at me with her broken spells but it also meant that spotting my already short master all the more difficult, not even taking into account the obvious trouble of simply moving around the field.
 
"Zero!" I instinctively dashed to the right after hearing Louise say her magic word. Unfortunately, a stone spike suddenly burst out of the ground from the direction I was running toward. I was able to jump over it but I glanced behind me and saw Louise aiming right at me with her spare wand.
 
"Zero!" I immediately dropped myself down onto the ground and rolled forward in order to avoid getting hit by the shockwave from Louise's explosion. I had to get back on my feet in short order because another set of stone jaws burst out from under me and tried to chomp on me.
 
"They're learning..." I mutter as once again try to lose Louise in the growing maze of stone constructs. Both Louise and Eleanore have been starting to work together more fluidly than when the match started...or at the very least they learned how to stay out of each other's way. Still, I was not about to be done in by such methods of attack. That was when the stone constructs around me started trembling. I had a bad feeling about that and quickly maneuvered myself away from the stone constructs that Eleanore had created so far. I glanced around and saw that Louise had the same feeling after she ran out of the artificial stone maze made by her sister.
 
My master nearly doubled over but managed to keep herself on her feet my supporting her weight by simply bending over and putting her hands on her knees. She was clearly very tired. This was probably the first time she had exerted so much effort on something with her physical body so it was understandable. Still, I assumed that she was the most physically fit among her little circle of friends save possibly for Tabitha. Louise saw me as she looked up and immediately pointed one of her wands at me, fully prepared to try to cast another explosion despite having a pained expression on her face. I prepared to break into another string of evasive maneuvers but both of us weren't able to do much of anything else when the ground started shaking along with Eleanore's stones.
 
The sheer amount of ambient magic that was concentrating on the direction where Eleanore was located was immense by human standards. It was like she was pouring everything she had into this. It seemed that the eldest sister was finally ready to make her move.
 
I could hear Eleanore's singing voice slowly get louder and louder, even so much as echoing, as the amount of magical energy she gathered continued to increase despite our relative distance away from her. I did not move from the spot I was standing on simply because I looked forward to the final result of the spell that Eleanore was putting so much of herself into...almost like a Last Word.
 
I turned to Louise and saw that she was staring wide eyed and slacked jawed at what her sister was doing. It seemed that my master was not expecting this sort of thing either. I turned back to the direction where Eleanore was after I noticed that there was a soft golden glow coming from there.
 
I could not hide my smile in anticipation for what the blonde was planning on doing.
 
...
 
"By the Yama's black panties!" Cirno yelled out after she saw, heard, and felt what Eleanore was doing. The ice fairy flew higher to get a better view of what was happening. She couldn't see Eleanore anymore because she was completely being engulfed by a shining golden light.
 
"What the..." Cirno muttered after she saw all the stone constructs littered all over the field suddenly move across the ground like it was made of water. The rocks all started to meld together to form a mass of stone that just kept getting larger and larger and larger. It was mostly still formless but Cirno couldn't help but gulp at the sheer amount of magical energy being poured into the mass. It wasn't just what Eleanore was drawing from within herself, she was also taking in and using the magical energy that was present all over Mugenkan.
 
To think that a human magician would even dare to try to use Mugenkan's magic against its master. Cirno couldn't help but chuckle at the irony. She wasn't sure why...but the ice fairy was starting to believe what Yukari said.
 
...
 
This is it! Eleanore thought as she continued the closing part of her Hymn. It took her much longer to be able to figure out how to use the magic in Mugenkan for her finale than she had hoped. Thankfully her little sister was able keep her familiar busy enough to allow her to lay the groundwork for her spell.
 
Mother said that such a casting style was too inefficient and risky to use in a conventionally shifting battlefield. Thanks to the runt's familiar though, this battle is nowhere near conventional! Eleanore thought before raising her arms up one more time to be able to finish her work. This was it. Everything they have been working on led up to this moment. Their victory and Cattleya's salvation hinged on the next few minutes. The eldest daughter of The Heavy Wind opened her eyes and unleashed her most powerful spell, the final product of the overture that her hymn provided!
 
Behold! Eleanore's Juggernaut!
 
...
 
When I first saw Guiche's bronze golems, I was mildly amused at how he thought that such flimsy constructs would actually harm me.
 
When I first encountered Matilda's earth golem, I was impressed at how she was able to control and even convert parts of it to a different consistency at will despite its size.
 
The completed stone golem I was staring at right now was dwarfed by Matilda's hundred-foot golem by more than half. It looked to be only around thirty-five to forty feet tall. In addition, it was made completely out of stone instead of earth. I glanced around and saw several holes on the ground that Eleanore used to make up her golem. I gave the impressive construct a closer visual inspection.
 
Since the thing was composed of several stone pieces, the final product looked like it was covered with skin made out of jagged upward-pointing stone spikes. The body structure looked vaguely sapient with two legs, two arms, a central torso, and a head.
 
Its thick pillar-like legs and feet seemed to be necessary for the sake of stability in order for it to support the weight of the rest of the body. Its torso was thick and looked solid but was also covered by stone spikes but it vaguely looked like the torso that an overmuscled human male would have...like Scarron for example.
 
I ignored the sick feeling at recalling what that...man...looked like and looked at the construct's arms. As if to adhere with the overall theme of the golem, the arms were also rather thick and covered with stone spikes. Unlike Matilda's earth golem, which had four fingers made of malleable earth, Eleanore's stone golem did not seem to have the malleability to be able to have fingers. Instead, the construct was much more...direct in making its point. The entire forearm up to the part where the hand was supposed to be was made up entirely of a mass of stone spikes. Its hands were clearly intended to smash things.
 
The thing's head was a lump of spiked stone that was vaguely shaped into a human head with two horns on either side of its head. It had no mouth but it had two holes that resembled eyes which held bright red lights. All in all, it was a rather intimidating sight. The effect was compounded by the fact that the stone that made up said golem was darkened to near obsidian in color. I wasn't sure if that was intended or if it was just a side effect of the spell.
 
I didn't have much time to think about it any further after the golem suddenly took a single step forward before leaning toward me and giving me a low but loud growl.
 
A stone golem that growls...that was different.
 
"Eeep!" I heard Louise yelp out at the sudden show of agression from the stone golem. Said angered geological formation suddenly rushed at me with the speed that one would not normally associate with a giant moving hunk of stone. The ground shook with each step and it was rather clear that the construct was going after me. I did not have time to snap Louise out of her shock and tell her to get clear so I had to lead the golem away from her instead. Match or not, I was not about to risk the life of my master inside my own realm.
 
I quickly ran away from where Louise was in hopes of keeping her away from the imminent confrontation. I was a bit sad that I made the condition that I would not fight back during this match. I expected that facing this golem toe-to-toe would have been a fun experience.
 
Despite the construct's surprising speed, I was still much faster that it was. I knew that Eleanore somehow managed to syphon the ambient magic in Mugenkan to be able to complete the construct, but I also knew that she wasn't pulling in any more magic in order to move and maintain its form. That meant that the eldest sister was relying on her own magical reserves to be able to manipulate the construct. Because of this, all I had to do was to continue evading this new threat and it should eventually run out of magic to sustain its form.
 
I narrowed my eyes when the golem whipped both of its arms at me, resulting in them extending much far too much than they should have been able to. I raised a brow when the two oncoming stone clubs seemed to twist around each other in a way that resembled a sort of helix even as they hurtled toward me. Of course, I had more than enough common sense than to just stand there and take the attack like an idiot. I demonstrated said common sense by jumping away from the offending pair of stone appendages a few seconds before they impacted on the spot I was on moments ago.
 
Now, one would anticipate that the golem would pull its arms back into the main body to try another attack or something. However, it seemed that Eleanore had quite the creative daredevil in her. The golem most definitely reel in its arms...but it did it in the opposite way. Instead of freeing its arms from being buried under the earth, it opted to pull its entire body to where the club-like fists were instead. Of course, with the arms twisted around each other when the construct whipped its fists at me, it ended up rifling at me. I did not know how or where Eleanore had picked up such a concept. As far as I knew, Halkeginian firearms had yet to develop past the use of musketballs if Agnes' pistols were any indication.
 
I smiled at the fact that I was musing about such things while I backpedaled away from the incoming projectile. I had expected for the stone construct to slam into the ground with a significant amount of force, like a ground punch from one of those Devas, but would otherwise be intact. What I did not expect was for the golem to completely dig itself underground and only leaving behind a rather large hole.
 
"Well, that's rather--" I cut myself off from futher instances of talking to myself when I noticed the familiar flare of my master's magic.
 
"Zero!" I was only able to barely get out of the blast zone of her explosion in time by taking things just a tad bit more seriously. And Cirno wanted me to go easy on them. I should really keep in mind who I am facing and what they were capable of.
 
As if to punctuate my point, the stone golem that was still underground decided to remind me of its presence. It did so by smashing its club-like fists out of the ground a few feet in front of me. Noticing that it did not hit its target, the golem proceeded to whip its fists around wildly like flails to try to get me. Avoiding the improvised attack was easy enough, certainly easier than what Eleanore opened up with when the match started.
 
I managed to get out of the golem's reach and tried to pin where my master was by trying to sense for her magic. I could faintly tell that she was behind me somewhere but her signature was muddled nearly the entire field was laced with Eleanore's magical signature instead. I supposed that meant that I would only be able to accurately pinpoint where she was once she tries to attack. I was not sure if this was intentional or not on Eleanore's part but the result was quite amusing. I could have easily cleared the area of the eldest sister's magic by using a certain flower, but I was only relegated to evasion for this match so I will just need to deal with it.
 
Besides, it has been a while since I've had this much fun in a match without attacking anyone.
 
"Zero!" I instantly noted the origin point of Louise's spell before moving to the side in order to once again avoi--
 
"Zero!" I smiled when I was forced to change the direction of my movement again after--
 
"Zero!" I blinked at the third cast. Cirno and I have confirmed that Louise could rapid cast her magic word twice using her two wands in succession but she needed to rest for a few seconds afterward in order to stabilize herself for any further attempts at spell casting.
 
"Zero!" I forcefully turned my head to where Louise was after I heard yet another declaration of her magic word. I saw Louise charging at me with as much fervor as Tenshi whenever she challenged either me or Yukari once she gets the chance to get out of Bhava-Agra. My little master had both of her wands pointed right at me and had a very determined expression. I was wondering what could have possibly brought this sudden surge of aggression about--
 
"Zero!" Louise cast another one of her broken spells at me. She was casting them at a much higher rate than what she normally does but it was nowhere near enough to be able to catch me unawares. After all, I helped her develop it alongside me former student. Her endurance had improved significantly thanks to all her training but even Louise should be getting tired now. Wait...
 
Louise was getting tired!
 
"Hm!" I jumped away from the spot I was on when I heard the ground under me start to rumble again. Just in time for Eleanore's golem to break out into the surface from underneath me. The golem shot its fists out like whips again after I evaded the intended surprise but I successfully twisted away from the stone appendages. Before landing unscathed.
 
"Zero!" To which I had to start moving as soon as I touched the ground because of my master's stubbon attacks. Both sisters should be running low on their magical reserves considering the exertion that they have made over the course of the match. I knew that Louise was getting physically and magically fatigued which was why she was going on a desperation attack on me before she collapses from exhaustion. I wasn't sure if this sudden seemingly coordinated attack that Louise and Eleanore's golem are doing was intentional or if they were just taking cues from one another but it was effective nonetheless. Not effective enough to tag a clean hit on me, but I expect that they could likely give any other Halkeginian mage a big headache.
 
The stone golem launched its right fist at me but I was easily able to avoid it just like everything else. I noted that some of the stones that were holding the construct together were starting to fall off. The fist it launched at me was embedded into the ground so the golem used that anchor to pull itself toward me.
 
"Zero!" I twisted away from another one of my master's explosions and saw Louise starting to stagger and was barely even able to stay on her feet. She was breathing and sweating heavily as well, a testament to the amount of effort she had put in throughout this entire match. I doubt that she will be any more of a threat for the rest of the match , so long as I stayed out of her broken spell's range, that meant that the only threat left was the golem. Right on cue, the stone construct slammed into the earth and proceeded to run right at me. I noted that the entire golem was slowly but steadily shedding the rocks that it was composed of a few shards at a time.
 
"Just a little more..." I muttered as I prepared for the closing part of this match. I gave a wistful sigh as the golem lacklusterly swung its stone fists at me. I easily dodged the increasingly clumsy attacks that were being aimed at me. More and more pieces of the golem were starting to break apart. It became most obvious when it swung it right fist at me and it completely broke off from the rest of the arm. The chunk of rock smashed into the ground and stayed there this time. I gave it no more than a passing glance as the golem did not seem to have given up on trying to take me down yet.
 
The thing continued its desperate but futile final assault at me. I knew that Louise was no longer a threat and it was only a matter of time before the stone golem completely broke apart. I gave out a bitter smile when I thought about what the consequences of my victory would entail. Cattleya would not be granted access into Mugenkan no matter what Louise says. The middle sister will die and my master would be left without one of the people in Halkeginia that she loved the most. I would be victorious over the two sisters and prevent their ailing sibling from any possible chance at a cure for her accursed illness.
 
The slowly crumbling stone construct seemed like an accurate metaphor of what the situation looked like for Louise and Eleanore. I thought about this while smoothly dodging the last few attacks that the golem made, almost on autopilot. Yes, the refusal to surrender until the last moment...the golem was indeed a good metaphor to what was happening.
 
"And that's that." I stated as I sidestepped away from the golem as it finally fell over, not really liking the fact that I had won. I steadied my footing to finish my spin when I noticed a flash of yellow as I turned. At that singular moment, I remembered a few key things I should have given more serious thought on...
 
The area we were having the match in was saturated with Eleanore's magic signature.
 
Eleanore had proven that she could indeed sneak up on me when I was not actively looking for any hidden presence.
 
Eleanore had stopped singing after her golem finished forming.
 
"Ah..." Was all I was able to let out right before Eleanore Albertine Le Blanc De La Blois De La Valliere connected her right fist to my face while sporting a rather angry expression.
 
I was amazed that she was still able to keep her glasses on.
 
...

[Blackraptor]

...
 
There was once a girl named Cattleya who was born in the country of Tristain. The circumstances of her birth were auspicious to some while worrying for others. The reason why was because she was born in the middle of the night when the twin moons of their realm were not present in the night sky. Such a phenomenon was not unheard of but were only documented to occur between half-centuries. To be born under such an omen would certainly raise some eyebrows. However, most were wise enough to keep their opinion to themselves particularly because of the child's parents...especially the mother who brought her into the world.
 
"Cattleya Yvette La Baume Le Blanc de La Valliere..." Her mother declared after cradling her newborn in her arms in silence for several moments. And thus, Cattleya's life began.
 
...
 
Cattleya had a father. A man who was both strong and gentle. One who had hair that seemed to have been spun from gold and eyes that made her feel that everything was going to be alright.
 
"Yes? And what can I do for my little princess today?" Her father asked after noticing the six year old pinkette staring up at him. The man was relaxing in the middle of the garden and drinking tea when the girl found him. He had not noticed her approach or simply did not show that he did and preferred to enjoy his tea.
 
Her father glanced down at her to get a better look at his daughter after Cattleya did not respond to him. He raised a brow when he saw that the child had a jackrabbit snuggled in her arms.
 
"He followed me home..." The girl finally answered. The man blinked at her for a moment before smiling.
 
"I'm certain that he did but why are you carrying him?" The father asked her in good humor. He knew that the girl likely found the animal nearby and quickly became fond of it, his daughter was showing a love towards animals in general recently and thought that this was another example of it.
 
Cattleya considered the question for a while which was punctuated with a tilt of her head to the side.
 
"So he wouldn't get tired." The father couldn't help but smile wider at his daughter's answer.
 
"That is very kind of you then, Cattleya." The man said before lifting his daughter up, bunny and all, and letting her sit on his lap.
 
"Nobles should always set the example." The young girl said with a confident nod of her head, the action making the rabbit look up to her and try to sniff its captor. Her father simply gave a hearty laugh before idly wondering how many more animals his daughter will befriend until she was satisfied.
 
...
 
Cattleya had a mother. A woman who was the embodiment of her virtue and way of life. One who had hair likened to that of pink silk and eyes that never waver no matter what challenges she faced.
 
"Hold your arm straighter!" Cattleya heard her mother instruct her older sister. The young pink-haired girl exited the manor and found them in the open field behind the estate that her mother and father uses for training purposes. The girl went over a small hill and found her mother and older sister. Her sister was holding her wand in front of her with her right hand while her mother stood beside her.
 
She had always looked up to her mother even at a young age. The woman who gave birth to her never seemed to be scared or bothered about anything. Her mother did not even seem to be afraid of ghosts or thunderstorms, things that her and her sister have had to deal with on several occasions inside the manor.
 
Obviously, on an open field and with her pink hair, the young girl stuck out like a sore thumb.
 
"What are you doing here Cattleya?" Her mother asked after noticing her. The young girl approached her mother and sister after being found out. One thing both sisters quickly learned was that if their mother got their attention, it was usually best to give it.
 
"I heard you speaking with big sister. I was curious." Cattleya admitted sheepishly while glancing between the ground and her mother. The older woman narrowed her eyes at the child before turning back to the elder sister.
 
"Continue what you are doing." Her mother instructed and her older sister started waving her wand around in certain patterns. Cattleya couldn't understand why her sister was doing it and why she looked so serious. The young girl reasoned that it must be important if both her mother and her sister were so focused on it.
 
Karin raised a brow when she saw her Cattleya trying to imitate the casting forms that she was trying to teach her eldest daughter. The child's form was poor and honestly laughable, but even she could not help but admit that Cattleya's willingness was nothing to be laughed at.
 
"If you will be doing that, you might as well do it properly." Karin suddenly stated before pulling out another wand from her clothes and handing it to Cattleya. The young girl gazed at the wooden stick a moment before taking it into her hands.
 
The girl felt a slight pain in her head after touching the wand but she didn't mind it at all. After all, she was doing something important alongside her mother and older sister.
 
...
 
Cattleya had an older sister. A woman of creativity and tenacity. One with hair that shined like the sun and eyes that were always trying to look for ways to make things better.
 
"Then I need to cast it like this?" The pink-haired young woman asked as she consulted her sister on the intricacies of casting magic. It was of fortunate coincidence that she shared the same primary element as her older sister. That meant that she could get much needed assistance in casting magic from her.
 
"There is no reason for you to try to push yourself you know. I'll be home all week so you can take this one step at a time." Her older sister stated with a wave of her hand while adjusting her glasses with the other hand. The young woman frowned at her sister's words. She disliked being treated like she would suddenly shatter into a thousand pieces if she moved the wrong way.
 
The young woman was never able to attend the magic academy that her mother and older sister did because of certain reasons. Because of it, these are the only times she could get any real instructions on improving her magic.
 
"I'm fine sister. I won't suddenly collapse after just one spell." She stated with a mild bit of irritation. Her sister gave her a blank look before sighing and putting her hands on her hips.
 
"Cattleya, you're trying to create a ten-foot tall earth golem." Her older sister countered with a raised brow, thinking her point taken.
 
"It's still only one spell." The young woman displayed a surprising example of being obstinate. Her sister shook her head before giving out an exasperated sigh before turning around and simply walking away. The young woman was about to walk after her sister when she heard something.
 
"...earth golem creation that wouldn't put too much burden on the body...enchantments? No, could be detrimental when trying to..." She heard her sister mumble to herself while rubbing her chin with her right hand and staring at the ground while walking.The young woman gave out a wistful sigh. Nothing for it then. She decided to simply enjoy the time she had with her sister while she was visiting home. She could worry about casting magic some other time.
 
...
 
Cattleya had a younger sister. A girl of surprising depth and determination. One that had hair much like her own and eyes that made her seem ready to take on the world.
 
"Shouldn't you make sure that you are ready? The carriage that will take you to the academy will be arriving soon." The woman said to her younger sister who had her arms wrapped around her waist.
 
"But...I want to stay here with you. Why can't you come with me? You can study there too! You haven't gone there to study yet right?" Her younger sister said while refusing to let go of the woman. The seemingly innocent question that her sister posed was one she had asked herself but quickly knew the answer to. A truth that she often wished was just temporary or some sort of bad dream. A truth that seemed to simply persist despite all of her efforts and the efforts of others.
 
"You know I can't, Louise. Don't worry though. I am certain that you will do just fine." The woman responded in an effort to convince her sister, and herself to a degree, that everything was going to be alright.
 
"But when I leave...when will I be able to see you again?" Her sister asked a question that seemed both innocent and serious. When indeed? Her older sister quickly found a career in research with the Royal Tristain Department of Earth Magic after she graduated top of her class. Her mother began her legend after graduating from the same school, also top of her class. Would Louise end up the same way? Would her dear sister also find her life's calling after studying at that school? If she did, where would that leave her?
 
"We will meet again once the time for it is right, of that I am certain." The woman answered, seeming to be far more confident and sure of herself that what she really felt deep down. She knew, once Louise leaves for the Tristain Magic Academy, she will be without both of her sisters for an indefinite period of time.
 
"I'll be back...the first chance I get, I'll try to return here. I won't let you be alone." She was surprised by the words her younger sister uttered. The reason why she did not want to leave, the reason why she wanted her to go to the academy with her, her motivation why she was determined to come home as soon as she could...was because she didn't want her older sister to be alone.
 
Cattleya finally no longer could hold back her true feelings after being faced with her sister's honesty. She embraced her younger sister and started sobbing.
 
"Chii-nee-sama! What's wrong? Are you hurt? Are you ill?" Her sister immediately tried to see what was wrong with her so she could help her. The act made her appreciate her sister even more than she already did.
 
"I'm fine, Louise. All I ask is that you live your life to the fullest the best way you know how." The woman answered before looking right at her sister with a warm smile.
 
"Chii-nee-sama?" Her sister called out to her using the pet-name she developed for the woman.
 
"Promise me this, sister." She said with the same warm smile.
 
"I will. You can count on me." Her sister answered her request with the same fire in her eyes that the woman have come to admire with her younger sister. She gave her one more hug before sending her off to live her life and grow up into a woman she knew would make her proud.
 
...
 
Cattleya had a family.
 
A father who loved her.
 
A mother who guided her.
 
An older sister who worried for her.
 
And a younger sister who wanted to make her proud.
 
As she lay there in her bed,flitting between consciousness and unconsciousness, she could recognize her mother and father by her side...never letting go of her hands. Cattleya felt warm yet cold at the same time.
 
Cattleya was scared.
 
Cattleya wondered where her two sisters were.
 
A single tear came out of her left eye as she longed to see both of them again.
 
Cattleya had a family, and she prayed to all the world for a miracle that would let her continue living with them.
 
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