A New World, Book 3 - Complete -

~Hakurei Shrine~ > Kosuzu's Grand Bookstore

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KrackoCloud:

--- Quote from: Iced Fairy on April 12, 2011, 05:43:14 AM ---Since then however the universe has been paying off that karmic debt of unluck. Thus with concentration and focus, Marisa can succeed at doing things by performing the exact opposite of what she needed to do. Like say reaching the shrine by giving up and running away in the opposite direction.

However the actual results are hard to accurately determine, so Marisa doesn't push her luck. It's fitting though that the most combat oriented magician's ultimate spell is best suited to out of combat purposes.

--- End quote ---
Oh... Oh man. That's awesome. That is so terrifically strange and broken, it's as if it were canon.
I can totally imagine Marisa exploiting that in so many ways. Surrendering to destroy opponents, or even handing books to Patchy to net a huge load of books. That's really fitting of Marisa's personality.

Maybe I'm just tired right now, but for some reason this idea is really exciting me. I've always loved over-the-top. That's probably one reason why I like Touhou so much.

Iced Fairy:

--- Quote from: KrackoCloud on April 12, 2011, 06:02:47 AM ---Surrendering to destroy opponents
--- End quote ---
This would be one of the examples where it's really hard to know what you'll get. Your surrender might get a bloodthirsty murderer to decide killing is wrong and to become a pacifist, or it might get the noble knight who would never strike a defeated foe to flip out and stab you.

It's incredibly useful, but incredibly dangerous. Especially when people are involved. Which is why Marisa uses it only in select areas.

Eriaku:
So it is like a magical Improbability Drive: it gets you where you need to go, but unintended consequences are part of the deal, especially if you don't actually know the exact opposite of what you have to do. I would imagine that her power is the most dangerous when she uses it and then does something completely unrelated. Just a little of that and you have random teleportation, picking up strangers, missiles turning into plants that get reincarnated as bigwigs on the moon who decide to get revenge, all kinds of crazy times.

The whole idea is the exact sort of not-quite-logic that gets giant lasers from mushrooms. It's so Marisa.

Iced Fairy:
The heat from the flames made the air heavy in her lungs. Hitomi found herself desperately trying to gasp in air, and wincing at the pain each time she did. But still she managed to throw the dozen iron needles she had in her left hand with pinpoint accuracy.

The crimson haired woman who'd been attacking her however simply dodged to the side. Hitomi forced herself to fly up more and whisper a prayer through parched lips. Seven homing amulets flew out of her hands and arced towards the woman.

And once again, Hitomi was forced to watch as the woman simply waved her hands and dispelled the magic from the slips, turning them into simple paper again. The charms floated into the fire and were consumed.

?It won't work you know,? the woman said in a painfully polite tone. ?My power is to cancel out spiritual powers. None of your prayers, charms or summons will work against me.?

Hitomi felt sick. She'd already figured out that from the fight, but she couldn't seem to do a thing about it. Summoned gods had been quickly dispelled, her needles couldn't catch the woman, and barriers only delayed the inevitable. She was out of normal options. All she could think to do was stall until she could think of something better to do.

?If you can dispel anything I create why bother with this shrine? We don't have anything to do with you or the youkai! Leave us in peace.?

The woman shook her head. ?You and I both know what a lie that is. Besides, my lord is afraid you might recreate the barrier to hide away from us. Which means my orders are clear. I'm to exterminate the Hakurei line.?

Hitomi felt fear spike through her. Kanon! Then the crackle of the burning shrine almost brought a smile to her face. Kanon would have fled already. Win or lose her daughter should be safe.

Now she just needed to find a way to make sure her daughter still had a mother around after this mess!

?Hm... I guess from the look on your face that your daughter has run away. That's good.? The woman shrugged. ?Even if you are just humans, I don't really like the idea of killing children. There's no way she can maintain a barrier at her age. I'm totally fine with her fleeing Gensoukyo.? Hitomi tensed as the Lunarian leveled her straight sword. ?You, I'm afraid, I can't allow to live.?

Hitomi wanted to make a retort, but it would be better to save her strength. Talking was only good if you wanted to prolong a battle. Instead she concentrated on her breathing. Quick in, slow out.

The Lunarian lunged for her, sword ready for a follow up slash if Hitomi tried to parry with her gohei. Hitomi was sure if she tried to dodge there would be similar attacks.

So instead of dodging she jumped up with a deadly spinning kick and called upon the most esoteric border techniques.

There was a slight disorientation as space folded oddly and she reappeared facing the opposite direction as she had been. Then jubilation filled Hitomi's heart as she felt her foot land in a solid hit.

She knew better then to stay to gloat though. Summoning her strength she flipped backwards, landing just in time to see her foe's sword arc through the area she'd been standing previously. It was a wild swing, but Hitomi would have been wide open for it.

Snarling the Lunarian cut through the air, sending several mystical daggers flying towards Hitomi. Hitomi raised a barrier to block, then retreated again as the woman dispelled the barrier with a slap.

She had to find a way to end this fight quickly.

Hitomi's mind raced as she continued her fighting retreat. Her opponent had decent personal protection, otherwise that kick would have broken multiple ribs, but the Lunarian didn't seem able to stop instantaneous spells. Like Hitomi's teleport, or her physical strength boosters.

Which meant she had a one shot that could break though the woman's defenses.

She'd been pushed back to the rear of the shrine now, next to the koi pond that had run out of koi before she'd been born. If she went much further back she'd be in the forest, and the trees would be certain to trip her up. It was now or never.

?Hah!? Hitomi yelled loudly to draw attention to her attack then flung another set of needles at her opponent. Her heart rose when the Lunarian jumped to the side again, but she focused on the spell.

Once again the borders of the world shifted, and the needles appeared right behind her foe. Hitomi smiled in triumph. She only needed to hit and...!

The Lunarian was right in front of her, crimson hair floating around her face. Hitomi felt a shock, then a massive burning in her stomach. Then she was on the ground, looking at the woman's feet.

Her needles fell from the air as the magic that gave them flight faded.

Kanon, I'm so sorry.

?Mommy!?

No!

Hitomi's body screamed as she tried to look towards the voice, but she didn't care about the pain.

No!

Standing there, staring down at her in shock and horror was Kanon.

No! No! No! No! No!

?You should have run little girl.? The voice of her killer rang painfully in her ears. ?I'm afraid now I'll have to kill you.?

She wouldn't allow this. She couldn't allow this.

Hitomi ignored the burning pain from her torn open stomach as she pulled out one more iron needle. With the last of her strength she charged it to pierce through any magic then slammed it into the woman's foot.

There was a sharp shriek, then pain erupted in her chest. It was soon gone however. Replaced by endless darkness.

As Hitomi faded away, she prayed to whatever god might listen that she'd bought her daughter time to escape.

----

Kanon screamed as the woman stabbed her mother again. There was so much blood. Mommy had to be hurting a lot. She knew she was supposed to run, but she couldn't just abandon her mother like that. So instead she pulled out the two orbs that had passed through the family for generations.

?Please! Help me!?

The two orbs arced towards the woman, each attacking from a different angle.

The woman slapped them out of the sky with two short brutal strokes of her sword. The orbs dropped out of the sky and lay unmoving, their power banished.

Kanon whimpered and took a step back. Now what? Mommy was lying so still. She couldn't run yet. But she didn't have any other weapons!

The Lunarian took a deep breath and began hovering. Her face was a mask of pain instead of boredom now, and Kanon could see blood dripping from the woman's foot, but Kanon had no idea how to fight the woman. She only had mastered the yin yang orbs and some anti youkai charms. The woman here wasn't a youkai.

?That was your last mistake little girl,? the woman said in an icy tone.

Kanon stepped back again. What should she do!?

?Meeeeeeoooooowr!?

The two humans stared in shock as the red black cat that had visited her so often jumped between the two. The two humans froze as the cat crouched there, hissing at the Lunarian while its tail bristled.

Kanon winced in pain as a set of piercing shrieks assaulted her ears. Five flaming skulls burst out of the woods and flung themselves at the woman standing before the burning shrine. She cut three down with her first swipe, but the other two forced her to retreat a bit before she broke the remaining possessed skulls.

A black and red miasma surrounded the cat on the ground. When it cleared away a woman in black and red shrine maidens robes stood there, her twin tails and cat ears revealing to all the world her true nature.

The kassha hissed at the woman again. ?Do Lunarians normally kill children just cause they're miko? Why don't you play with someone a little older, grandma??

The woman sneered and raised her blade. ?How lucky for both of us. Run away little girl. If this youkai 'miko' manages to stall me long enough you should be able to escape.?

Kanon shakily got to her feet, but she couldn't bring herself to run.

?Don't worry kid. Aunt Orin has this covered.? Orin barred her teeth at the Lunarian. ?You don't think I'm a real miko? Take it up with my god. Okuu, show your stuff!?

Once again a dark miasma formed, then vanished in a burst of heat. A towering figure with dark black wings appeared before the kassha miko. The bloody woman stared in shock at the apparition. Finally she shrieked, ?What! What have you done to the Yatagarasu!??

The goddess unfurled her wings sending her cape that gleamed with a thousand galaxies fluttering. Then she pointed the strange device on her arm at the Lunarian. The strange device and the gem on her chest began to glow with a terrifying light.

There was a sudden light impact and Kanon couldn't see anymore. The kassha had grabbed her and was running away. ?We gotta retreat. That woman will figure out that Okuu's just a god like any other and do her damn banishing trick any second.?

Finally Kanon founder her voice. ?But mommy's still back there. We gotta go back!?

Kanon felt Orin's grip tighten slightly. ?Kanon. Hitomi.... Your momma isn't alive anymore. I can tell.?

?No!? Kanon felt tears start trailing down her face again. It couldn't be true. The Hakurei maiden didn't die like that! They always stood back up at the last minute and defeated the evil! Her mommy was going to come back and win the fight any second now!

'And how many times did the old Hakurei maiden die just as the new one mastered her powers?' a dark voice in the back of her mind asked.

Kanon fell to her knees as Orin stopped. The world snapped back into focus, her mind trying to escape by focusing only on the present. They were in the forest now, though the heat from the flames was still present. Right in front of them was a cracked grave marker stone.

?Damn. It'll be hard to do this fast.? Orin muttered next to her. The four eared woman chewed on her lip a bit, then whirled around.

Kanon looked back to see that hateful woman floating towards them. Kanon should have looked at the arms, or shoulder of her opponent but her eyes were drawn to the sword. The bloody sword that had cut down her mother.

?I keep expecting you to be sensible and run, and you keep disappointing me,? the woman said coldly. ?Well that's fine. I've changed my mind about wanting to kill you. Though I suppose I'm curious why you stopped running.?

The kassha grabbed Kanon's hand again in a firm grip. ?I wasn't running away. I was headed here to begin with.?

There was a sudden sharp pain, and a drip of dark blood fell from her hand on to the worn and cracked gravestone.

This time there was no miasma. But Kanon could feel the dark energy coalescing. The creature was faint at first, but as another drop of Kanon's blood fell, it became more and more solid.

The green haired ghost in magician's robes opened her eyes. In her hands was a staff with a sharpened crescent moon. A bloody dagger was lodged in her back. She glanced around then smiled wickedly. ?Well done little necromancer cat. You piqued my interest.? The ghost glanced briefly at Kanon before returning her full attention to the wary Lunarian. ?Your blood has summoned me, child of the Hakurei. Tell me what you want.?

Kanon looked at the ghost, then over at the woman. The woman who had burned her home. The woman who wanted her dead. The woman who was still covered in her mother's blood.

?Kill her...?

The words finally broke through the emotional barrier that shock had created. Her voice rose with each repetition. ?Kill her. Kill her! Kill Her!? She collapsed to her knees and started sobbing and shrieking. ?She killed my mommy! She destroyed my home! KILL HER!?

The ghost's smile faded, then twisted into a bitter sneer. ?Gladly.?

The Lunarian flew forward, striking first, and the ghost's staff rose up to meet it.

The clash rung through the forest.

Alfred F. Jones:
Whoa, bringing back the ghosts of PC-98 past to counter the Lunaryan invasion? :3 I like.

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