Disclaimer: To Aru Majutsu No Index belongs to Kazuma Kamachi and Touhou Project belongs to ZUN. I don't own either of these properties.
Prologue: Arriving in Gensokyo with a BANG I
A regular night was taking place in the paradise for the supernatural. A night soon to be short-lived. Its denizens were unprepared for the ensuing chaos uninvited from the Outside world.
-HHRAAG-gaAaaAAAaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHK!-
A roar reverberated within the drizzling night sky. The residents of the paradise home to Humanity's forgotten imaginations of the past awoke in terror and sweat. What was once a drizzle to last a single night became a crushing downpour to last the week.
A Dragon's silhouette is hidden in the clouds across the horizon of Yokai Mountain and above the Misty Lake. But if one had a keen eye in the night and sight that reached across the sky, they would notice it wasn't one dragon but eight that shaped into one colossal figure.
A white wolf tengu at the height of 145cm with red eyes and short, white, wild hair who wears a red tokin [1] - white, long-sleeved shirt together with a large black skirt with red-flame like designs across it combined with a white layer below, is stationed at the border of the mountain and the first to witness the grand pack of figures. She is wielding a large scimitar-like sword and a white round shield with a red maple leaf print on its center with shaking hands in the rain.
Momiji Inubashiri noticed the anomaly as every hair on her body stands straight. A faithful patrolman for the Tengu species. Being always prepared for any kind of intruders upon the mountain, yet even this went beyond any prior experience she ever faced for the years she's been on duty. Her legs were ready to buckle if any of the dragons gave out another roar. Her teeth were clenched tight.
From her view, she takes notes of the serpentine dragons in detail. Though most of them were shrouded in clouds for her to take any extreme details. The best she could make out were their most distinguishing features.
One who has horns in place of its eyes and rough edges spiked across its body. The Blind Dragon.
One who has various crystals that decorate its body, complementing the four-spiked crown on its head. The Mineral Dragon.
One who has a huge horn that covers its head and protruding from its nose. The Spear Headed Dragon.
One whose body is reminiscent of a cobra and a lone giant eye at the center of the head. The One-eyed Dragon.
One whose body is wholly composed of burning energy save for the rough outline of the front of its skull, spine, and ribcage. The Energy Dragon.
One who has four eyes and its jaw wielding two giant fangs at its side. The Four Eyes Dragon.
One whose face is covered in horns with another pair under its chin and demonic wings behind its head. The Demon Dragon.
And the final one who is in the center of the pack has the general shape of a dragon's head with spikes protruding behind it. The most normal figure of the pack yet exudes enormous power that seemed to tower the rest. The Dragon King.
The most bizarre of all elements in the corner of her eye in comparison to the dragons was a single, humanoid shape right in the center of the circling dragons. They were suspended in the air, preventing their fall.
Their movements encircling the humanoid has caused the drizzle all over Gensokyo to expedite. A tiring nuisance in the back of her mind. She didn't want to be in her position right now and drenched too.
Then, a sudden shift in the air she could feel even from her position on the ground. A sound unlike anything she ever heard was approaching.
More shapes were elongating from the humanoid outline. As if eight weren't enough, two new dragons manifested themselves and joined the menacing circle.
One of them was completely covered or composed of vegetations, roots, and flora with a bulging heart in its chest. The Plant Dragon.
And the final one was covered in white webbing-like scales complemented by its stunning pair of gold horns. The Branch Horn Dragon.
The gears of a grand setup were complete, all but one dragon dispersed themselves, hidden in the clouds and flying away independently to nowhere.
She could almost make out the trajectory of one heading towards the moon.
The last one who stayed behind simply took its time observing the humanoid. Its tens of kilometers long body being spread out everywhere.
In a flash, without any warning, darkness blanketed the whole of Gensokyo. Momiji scanned the sky with her special eyes rapidly covering every inch and corner of the sky that stretched Gensokyo. What she saw was a giant outline of another serpentine body yet again highlighted and shaped by the rain high above it. This time, however, its body spanned across to the entirely of Gensokyo. She couldn't see any scales or the like on its body because it was painted pitch-black.
(Oh what the hell! How is this fair!?) She roared out in her mind. Asking the unspoken question in everybody's' mind if they were in her position.
Momiji took a few steps back and tripped on her butt. She was overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the unmoving Titan. There was no doubt in her mind. This was the Highest God of Gensokyo. The Creator God of Gensokyo. Its movement alone with its mass would destroy Gensokyo, and that was her humble opinion.
In total darkness, it remained afloat in the sky neither emitting a single sound nor movement. The suffocating atmosphere and fear coursing through her body impacted her to stop breathing. Lasting for an eternity to her the giant's body was phasing out like static, not that she could tell what static was. Almost as if it were a shadow, an illusion. It continued to remain in this semi-state between corporeal and ethereal until finally, it dissipated into nowhere. The drizzle returned having become a light shower now thanks to the Dragon God's body interfering with the clouds and dispersing them.
She could've sworn that Dragon God's shape and features matched the Dragon King perfectly. [2]
Silently observing, the sky became a lot clearer as she can now see the humanoid revealed to be a male human in strange clothing. An outsider she realized. But the most striking detail about him was his lack of a right hand. From that empty space on his right arm was where the Dragon King's bottom half was protruding.
Man and Dragon stayed in the same positions they were before the entire time. She had the faintest idea that maybe, they were communicating with each other up there.
Finally, after some time, the Dragon King dived down and chomped him inside its mouth. The both then flashed out of existence, but with her eyes, she knew it was pure speed, speed that would put a certain tengu she knew to shame.
Sitting on the cliff of a roaring waterfall, perspiring and longing to breathe after holding it in for so long, she picked herself up in a disheveled fashion using her sword as a cane.
Breathing in hard with her sweaty, pale blue face, she tried to steady her body and mind into pondering what the hell she just witnessed. (What the hell...Dragon God has returned for real? So he really did exist!)
For over a hundred years, the supposed creator god of Gensokyo has left this paradise unattended without ever showing himself to the public. The people who attended the inauguration of Gensokyo were the only real source of evidence to his existence, and they were very convincing at that. Some kept quiet about their involvement during that eventful day. The real problem was the lack of documentation to how he was involved during the day of creation. Over time the newer additions in Gensokyo chalked him up as a fable and passed the credit over to the sages. Despite the generous populace who worship him, both youkai and humans, the lack of an official appearance damaged his credibility.
(Why did Dragon God return? It didn't do anything to those other dragons so they might be his legion. And who was that human? Was he brought into Gensokyo by Dragon God? Does he have a higher purpose to play?) She repeated these unanswered questions in her head.
"hah...must...hah...report...hah...to...hah...Lord...Tenma..." With a breathless voice, she muttered out her self-imposed duty. The dryness in her throat burned. The area she was at wasn't ideal for gathering answers.
After enough time to steady herself to the minimum, she decided not to waste a single moment and flew back to the tengu village in the dark, leaving behind her station.
Had she stayed for a few more seconds she would've witnessed a serpentine body treading under the waterfall.
Under the stillness inside a dingy antique store lies its owner on the counter, sitting immobile on his vintage chair. The most out of place item in juxtaposition to the Paradise stuck in the Meiji period was an iPad in his hand.
Cooped comfortably inside to escape the rain and night, he was pleasantly engrossed on his mysteriously working iPad reading the available, modern digital novels already downloaded inside.
Not much can be said about this unassuming shopkeeper. His height is very surprising among the Japanese populace being as tall as 185cm. It would be entirely right to say he was undeniably human, but it was also right to say that he undeniably possessed a body of fantasy. Inhumane golden eyes covered behind his glasses and short silver hair. His black and blue kimono was heavily modified to his unique stature.
Muttering to himself alone at the counter, an oil lamp that was lit being his only reading light. Rinnosuke Morichika maintained his solitary way of life.
"So this is what a typical school life is supposed to be in the outside world. Fascinating..." His eyes glowed in interest.
Currently, he was reading an old issue of My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected.
"The peaceful exterior of an average day hiding an insidious, dark underbelly...modern society remains ever so vicious as it was centuries ago." He quietly exclaimed now that he was really into the text.
How true this was can be left up to debate elsewhere. It was true in a different light, unfortunately. Reality can be much stranger than fiction at times.
"The most sensible person in society is prejudiced and isolated by the ignorant masses. Such is the way of life for the wise." Rinnosuke nodded solemnly with his eyes closed.
Already being attached to the protagonist of the light novel, he increasing started to immerse himself in the world of the text.
"Women outside are as cold and vicious as they are in here. No matter what world, this law remains unchallenged..." He made a troubled face from learning of this one, obvious truth.
This idea of women remained solid in his mind. Having been the victim of multitudes of women coming into his store to either harass or refuse to be customers under the house of the shopkeeper, he had a very biased opinion.
"The sweet, happy-go-lucky girls that are kind to everyone. Behind that mask is a pitying face for the average man. Good, good, he didn't fall for her deceptions, he'll live a long life with an attitude like that..." He grimaced and appreciated the intelligence of the protagonist. Having experienced similar affiliations with similar women.
If any women were to hear him talk smack to this degree, he'd be long dead. The reason he survived this long is exactly because he was an unassuming fellow that nobody ever notices or have given second thoughts too. A blessing he has well mastered for centuries.
"It's a nice change of pace from the ever-growing trend of isekai flooding the market. After the last sixty or so they became quite stale. Something that convenient doesn't happen every day. To be reincarnated with their original bodies is quite infinitesimal." He admitted his completed reading quota casually.
No matter where the world turns to, fads will prevail in any era.
"There appear to be new editions to this series. Now I have something to look forward to in my personal time. Bookmarked."
-HHRAAG-gaAaaAAAaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHK!-
The drum of a glorious beast traveled and reached his store.
"...?" He ripped his eyes away from the iPad and turned them slowly to his front window. Smacking sounds on the glass had intensified.
Ignoring everything like nothing was out of place, he returned to his own world, the world of literature.
The outside turned utterly black, and the rain ceased, but this was ignored as well with the convenient lamp by his side, so nothing seemed out of place to him. With his experience in solitude, he can mute the sound of rain with ease.
Something just bumped onto to his antique store. The curtains of the window were dangling sporadically. Tableware shifted from their initial positions on the shelves.
"..." Finally standing up from his chair, dropping the iPad softly on the smooth wooden desk, he strides forward and lifts the curtains completely, freeing the visibility outside made available from the window.
Four eyes were revealed to be staring at him.
Shutting the curtains down in the same beat he did when opening them, he then walked back and turned his focus back to the iPad in his hand again.
*BUMP*
The store was rumbling by the intent of something again, only this time it was a lot more aggressive. Teacups rumbled on their shelves and scattered on the floor, bursting into pieces. Plates were a lot more unfortunate as rows of stacked dinner plates crashed down in an unorganized symphony. The glass of the window and curtain were blown off and crashing on the floor.
Four eyes became visible again, only this time they were glaring at the fool inside and growling at the ass who was acting indifferent earlier.
"Sigh..." Unwillingly, but strangely cooperatively, Rinnosuke got up again and went to his hanger for a rain cloak and covered himself. He grabbed another rain cloak and hanged it over one of his shoulders. He was on his way to the door but stopped in contemplation. He turned around and headed into the storage room. The audible sound of items was thrown and tossed around by the scavenger. Coming out of the room, Rinnosuke was covered in dust with a sword by his side. "Just in case..."
Opening the door and closing it on his way out, Rinnosuke was finally out in front of his door and gave a quick glance at the four eyes. They stared back.
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
The stifling atmosphere was broken by the man in the flesh of a fantasy.
"Well, I can't get to work if I don't have an address." He said to the dragon lying in front of his store.
Four Eyes made a grunt and Rinnosuke got the message.
"Alright then. I'll be off now." Rinnosuke started walking with purpose towards his given destination. He passed by the head of Four Eyes but stopped in place to rotate his head at him. "Oh, one more thing," Rinnosuke arched his eyebrows, "can you clean up the mess while I'm gone, please?"
Four Eyes grunted in compliance. Moving his body closer, his head peered into the store by the window. He began his work right away.
Having everything arranged and thanking the dragon, Rinnosuke resumed his path.
"Ow!" He uttered out by reflex from something being tossed at the back of his head when he shifted it behind Four Eyes. Rotating his head back again, he saw Four Eyes' head in the same position earlier when he looked at it. Grunting, he tilted his eyes down and saw several magatamas [3] lying by his feet. Bending his body down to pick them up, he straightened himself and inspected the objects on hand.
"The Yasakani no Magatama!?" [4] Rinnosuke let out in surprise and looked back at Four Eyes, its head remaining still the whole time. "Thank you, again."
With no more distractions to deter him, he set off into the dark night. The helper of the long rain truly beginning his long trek in the shower of rain returning.
In the dead of night, on the edge of the Misty Lake, at an imposing, European-styled mansion, the little sister of the mistress was staring out of a window in one of the many hallways. Her boredom reflected the atmosphere inside the elegant mansion.
The little sister in question is Flandre Scarlet, a vampire almost half-a-millennium years old, her childish body of 138cm betraying her age. Her crimson eyes with their vertical slits embodied the image of being a vampire. Her hair is short, blond and styled in a loose perm tied in a single ponytail to her left side. Her red dress and vest with frilled sleeves, pink shirt underneath and fancy boots substantiated her position of nobility - A pink mob cap with a red ribbon attached decorated her head. And the most expected, but unusual feature even among her species is her wings. They completed her figure as their black tendrils stretched out from her back. Adorning them are polygonal crystals the colors of the rainbow in parallel with each side.
She was floating with her legs kicking back behind her. Her arms laid flat on the bars of the window with the one side of her head resting on them. Being a master of the nocturnal, she seldom needs sleep as an undead monster. She is most active during the night and sneaking out of her basement for viewing the outside during such a time is a common occurrence.
Wearing a bored expression, staring into the glass dripping in raindrops as the drizzle will last out the whole night. She had plans to stay out in the courtyard, but as a vampire she had may weaknesses, one of which was flowing water. As such, she was stuck indoors as she couldn't physically walk outside.
-HHRAAG-gaAaaAAAaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHK!-
Just then, a massive roar shook the manor. Candles shook madly in their hangers. With her heightened senses, she listened and pinpointed the source vaguely above the lake next to her home. She heard the fairy maids scrambling all over the manor in fear, but that didn't matter to her. She felt a slight feeling of fear, curiosity, and then irritation from the rain growing heavier. She wouldn't be able to go out of the manor at this rate for tomorrow.
Focusing her eyes into the sky, she searched for the perpetrator. She spotted a dark outline in the clouds with her sharpened eyes in the night. She couldn't tell what the creature was from the outline alone as the rain was in the way.
Having lifted her arms off the window bars a short moment ago, she stretched her left arm in front, flexing her hand and curling her finger one by one. She was about to use a most dreadful power belonging solely to her.
The power to destroy anything.
Such a power was befitting the demonic moniker of a vampire. However, such a potent ability should have limits. And there was, however, it was a minor one. The only prerequisite to using it was finding the targets 'eye' and grasping it to her hand.
Everything has an 'eye.'
The point where an object or living being's tension was highest. It these 'eyes' are destroyed, then the object is destroyed without fail, and without any remains to speak of.
These eyes, fortunately, aren't readily available to be interacted with, so one cannot find them, or even know about them.
But that didn't matter to her. She was the sole exception. She is aware of these eyes, can interact with them, and freely destroy them to her whims.
By gathering the 'eye' of an object to her hand, she can pour power into it (usually by crushing it with her hand) to destroy it, and by destroying the 'eye,' she too, destroys the corresponding object.
This fearsome ability alone is reason enough for her family to lock her inside The Scarlet Devil Mansion. Being ostracized by people around her during her youthful days, she was disconnected from forming basic morals. Being locked deep under the basement, her lack of emotional growth spiraled out of control.
Right now, her irritation was growing unstable as she immediately employed her ability to destroy the perpetrator of the sudden torrent happening outside. With no remorse behind her, she scanned the movements behind the clouds with cold eyes, so cold they chilled the hallway.
She gathered and gathered, searching and searching the shadows in the sky for where their 'eyes' are located. Her eyes had traced every space the shadows occupied and shifted her eyes to her hand.
Her hand was grasping empty air instead.
Eyes wide open now, she stared right onto the impossible. How? This has never happened. Before, she could find the 'eye' of anything in her view. Could the rain and clouds have obstructed her vision to prevent the 'eye' being gathered into her hands? Or maybe the range was too much? If so, then this may be a new-found weakness to her ability she just discovered. Having spent her entire life inside a basement, she had very little opportunities to test the complete range her ability could reach. Not that she would willingly do so at any given opportunity.
Suddenly, the outside turned dark, and the rain ceased its activity. She switched her eyes back to the window to peer into the darkness. The limited space of the window didn't provide enough freedom so to her the sky just turned black and the stars vanished.
Now she was really afraid. Despite being a master of the night, the rapid pace of events could only leave her bewildered. It didn't help since there was something out there that can summon rain and devour the stars. She merely stared right into the abyss for the whole time. A shiver ran through her. Just now, she felt like the abyss stared back.
The pale light of the moon returned, and the darkness was uplifted. What took place in her view now was the mostly empty sky. The rain never returned with the clouds parting. And the only distinctive object left in the sky was a dragon.
Her eyes scanned it in a rush. She wanted to destroy the dragon. In a remorseless furor, she examined every nook and cranny on its body, in search of its 'eye.' Her frightened, juvenile mind wanted the beast gone. Her eyes traveled from the top of its head and moving downwards on its body, and she took sight of a human in the sky where the body of the dragon stopped. The dragon's body seemed to be elongating out of the human, and it wasn't completely formed with the absence of its tail. She would've questioned the abnormality of a dragon sticking out of a human, but her mind was in no condition to care.
She had finally found an 'eye.' And this one didn't come from the dragon, but from the human instead. She concluded that the dragon must be the culprit for what happened earlier. It seemed to have a deep connection to the human it was connected to, so it must also be its weakness.
Making her decision, she clutched the 'eye' in her hand and squeezed.
She squeezed, and squeezed, and squeezed, and squeezed, and squeezed.
Completely befuddled, she took her eyes off the two beings in the sky and lowered her eyes below to the 'eye' on her hand. She tried crushing with all her super strength this time. Next, she poured all her might and magic into the 'eye.'
It stayed in her hand and regressed back to its former shape from how she was handling it.
Her mind couldn't travel fast enough for her to comprehend this. Her fears evaporated as she stared into the 'eye' and it stared right back at her. The staring contest could last for an eternity until-
Her mouth stretched into the brightest smile she ever made in her life. Her body and brain were on a sugar rush. Her cheeks became rosy, and her eyes sparkled and glistened. Her body was madly vibrating in the air with uncontainable excitement.
She broke off eye contact with the 'eye' and looked out the window one last time. The duo was nowhere in sight now.
"Thank you…"
Flandre quietly muttered, but that small noise carried a lifetime of joy.
"Finally…someone who won't break…"
Ogling the 'eye' in her hand and clutching it close to her chest with her eyes shut. She would never let go of this. Her first and most precious, precious friend. She shifted her legs closer to her chest to enclose the 'eye,' now in a sitting position in the air.
"He-hehehehehe…!"
She broke into a fit of innocent giggles befitting the young, child-like body of hers.
"Hahahahahahahahahahaha!"
Jubilation embraced her being as she laughed and stretched out every limb outward while throwing the 'eye' above her. She is now in a laying position with her legs kicking wildly.
Righting herself straight, she caught the 'eye' in her hands and juggled it in the air. Twirling around, her dancing motions created a slight breeze in the hallway.
"Hu-hu-hu hum~, hum hum hu~!"
Humming along while she slowly danced, 'eye' in hand. Wandering down the hall without purpose, she increased her tempo with each twirl. Ignoring the shaken fairy maids looking upon her with confusion and horror on their faces. They wouldn't understand, only the 'eye' could. That's what she thought.
(A friend…! A friend…! A FRIEND!)
Stopping in place, her knee was bent, and her body lilted slightly down. The 'eye' was being held in both of her hands as she fixed her stare at it longingly. She knew this wasn't the real friend in her hand. It was only a substitute.
(If only there were some way I could learn something about you…)
Then, as if in response to her wishes the pupil of the 'eye' glowed. Flandre wasn't cautious - in fact, she was giddy with this new development. Her eyes widened and twinkled like stars. Her complete trust was placed on to her would-be friend.
(This never happened before! Oh! Is it going to show me something!?)
Gaining a friend during the night and learning a new aspect to her once dreaded ability she cared little for, Flandre was having the time of her life.
Once the light subsided, Flandre was grinning madly, holding back a squeal and muttered…
"Kamijou Touma…"
She wished to know of her friend, and the 'eye' would grant her knowledge of the corresponding person. Of course. An 'eye' is intricately connected to everything it belongs to. The body, soul, and history of the object. If the 'eye' is destroyed, so will everything that belongs to it. As the sovereign who reigns over the 'eyes,' she could command them other than to destro.! She could listen to the history that is connected to the 'eye' and have that information sent telepathically.
Having ever used her powers during her most emotional instability, she could only have been using it to destroy. But now, using this power over 'eyes' for the sake of learning and reaching out to others instead has given birth to this possibility she had never thought of before.
For the first time, she was glad to be in possession of this power.
"Touma, Touma, Touma…!"
Muttering the name of her non-physical friend like a mantra, she shivered in excessive joy.
By a stroke of luck in learning of the new ways her power could be employed, her friendship with the unseen person magnified.
(It seems to be a one-sided exchange. I can learn from him, but he can't on this end…)
Standing up in the air, she had tried to project her thoughts to Touma and tell him her name. But nothing special occurred.
(If only there was a way to find him…)
In response yet again, the 'eye' floated off from her hands softly and traveled in a straight path with purpose.
Flandre beamed with pride, puffing her chest up for her new finds. She can even use the 'eyes' as a tracker to the desired person it belongs to. An 'eye' being removed from its person is unnatural and would correct this wrong by returning itself to its rightful place.
(Finally, I can finally leave this mansion when that girl permits me to once I bring a person who I can't break! He could even be my tutor! And, and, and... and as long as I have him by my side, I'll never be bored again!)
The quest has begun. Look out ol' misfortunate one. For there will be no escape from the Devil's sister. For a shadow has been cast all over your already dark future.
(Today, right now, is when I'll find my friend!)
Being led by the 'eye' which is moving at a steady pace, they both stopped at another window in the mansion.
And from the glass case, it had raindrops flowing down upon it. The noise of downpour and the crackling of thunder entering her ears.
"Mouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"
The little sister could only moan and pout as she swung her fists above her, having ordered the 'eye' to stop as well.
Perhaps another day will come…
[1]: Tokins are small boxes worn on the foreheads of Yamabushi - practitioners of Shugendō - or more commonly known as Tengu. They can also be used as a drinking cup besides being a head decoration.
[2]: Dragon king, Dragon God, they both have the same reading in kanji and are spoken the same as Ryūjin.
[3]: Curved, comma-shaped beads described as jewelry and are used as ceremonial and religious objects in Japan. Commonly as talismans.
[4]: One of the three sacred treasures in Japan. An imperial regalia. It was used in conjunction with another sacred treasure, The mirror Yata no Kagami to lure the sun goddess, Amaterasu from a cave she self-imprisoned herself in.
A/ N: So yeah, hello everybody, and thank you for having read the first chapter to my first fic!
As of plans right now, I'm just jotting down the rough outline of the plot. The first chapter here I've only scrambled up in procrastinating for a few days and wanted to get this out now. I'll warn you early here to expect a very, very irregular update schedule, if I had one.
I've taken creative liberties to shoehorn in some leftover dragon designs and incorporate them for future plot points. As for Flandre's newfound application to her ability…it may or may not serve as a plot point down the line.
Expectations to be had for the fic starting now: Kamijou Touma, nuff said.
Please call out any grammar errors in my fic. They are very much appreciated.
Once again, I appreciate you spending the time to read this with my amateur writing skills and look out for more updates to come as I try to improve.