Oh, would you look at that? I've begun my next project alongside my Muse!
Welcome one, and welcome all, to Boundless World of Illusion! Thankfully, it didn't take too long for us to come up with a decent plot for this one, so hopefully it won't take as long to write up as BWD did. For my old readers migrating from BWD; welcome back! For my new readers looking for a badly written Gappy Sue fic; welcome!
For those wondering, my Muse is in fact a physical person. He's awesome and will be the one actually writing most of this story. Old readers should be able to recognize who wrote which chapters.
For anyone who wasn't here for Boundless World of Danmaku, you might want to read that (But skip chapters 3-10. Seriously). To summarize the craziness that went on in it... well, let me give it a shot here:
Act 1: Darius Loyhrs is gapped to Gensokyo.
Alright, now that I've probably lost half my audience, let me actually get to the important parts (in chronological order; the really big roles are near the bottom).
Cirno is doing some of Eirin's drugs and has become a wise-ass, Darius' primary ability is of balance, his old friend Karin Muyoka has followed him to Gensokyo, backstabbed Yukari and stole her powers, a former shinigami and current oni turns out to be friends with a crazy card-carrying mask lady, Shinki is (mostly) dead right now, Mima and Marisa were last seen fighting Yuuka, a war started after Karin did away with spell card rules, Gensokyo is just one of countless Sanctuaries scattered throughout the world, Darius' family is linked to one of them, his remaining family was last seen preparing to wage their own war, Byakuren and Myouren wandered off into places unknown, Karin awakens dragons the world over, Darius makes a deal with the devil and is currently paying one hell of a price for it.
Whew, that's a lot of words compressed into just a small handful here, so there are a lot of other small-but-important details scattered throughout BWD, so you might not get a couple roads this fic takes without having read that one first. I am so sorry if my writing is atrocious, I know it is, but that's the main gist of it.
BWD ended with the Wildcard getting decked by Reimu and co. despite having made her deal with Darius, who was last seen about to kill Karin.
TL;DR IT DIDN'T HAVE A HAPPY ENDING AND THIS ONE MIGHT NOT EITHER I'LL PROBABLY FLIP A COIN TO DECIDE IT OR SOMETHING
*ahem*
Damn, this is one huge author's note...
And now, getting to the actual story, Boundless World of Illusion. I hope you all enjoy this horrible story and have a great time reading it oh what the hell am I saying?
Well, just buckle up and enjoy the ride!
~ Terry and Muse...
– TOUHOU –
Images flashed across his mind, memories melding into each other, a maddening stew of crazed emotion, desperation–
"Godkiller – CALADBOLG!"
"You won't stop me. You can't stop me. You'll never stop me."
"No, Darius… I think you'll find you can't die."
"Destroy… I will… destroy… all…"
"You always think of yourself as in control of everything, don't you? You false god."
"Hurry up… AND ANSWER ME, DAMN YOU!"
Don't… let me… die…
"But don't get too excited about such a prospect… you'll regret it."
Don't… want to… die…
"Of such is the kingdom of heaven."
"Think pleasant thoughts, Darius Loyhrs. They'll be your last."
What is the answer?
Is there an answer?
"You wanted change… But not every change is for the better."
"Light and darkness… will fight time and again without end, without any hope of escape. But tell me, what happens when both the light and the dark are wiped from existence? What steps forward when there is nothing left but the nothing?"
Prove yourself, Darius. I ask you on question, one I hope that you will come to answer soon. Who am I?
"Wake up, stare into the reflecting pool, and answer me one question; who are you…?"
I'm not a messiah. I never was.
"I'll make her pay ten thousand times over."
"You have never walked that path! You know nothing – NOTHING – of the horrors I have!"
"Can I even call myself… myself?"
Welcome to oblivion, Darius. I hope you like it, because you'll be here forever.
"We're just getting started."
– TOUHOU –
'She's back, my brother. Gather the Four – we have work to do.'
"… We are not four. Not anymore."
'Explain.'
"Samson left. He grew impatient when She never came back."
'I should have expected as much. And the other?'
"Alive… whereabouts unknown."
'Hmm. Elusive as ever. Nonetheless, I have a job offer for you.'
"Don't waste your breath."
'Not from me – from Her. And you know what will happen if we deny her.'
"… Joy."
These words echoed in 'Ehud's' head as he walked down the streets. For once, it seemed rain had come to visit Japan. Thankfully, it was merely a light drizzle, the worst of the storm having already passed. Even so, his wavy shoulder-length hair – a shade of red so dark it was borderline black – was matted to his face by what little rain there had been. His imperious, unnaturally bright blue eyes flickered back and forth between his surroundings. Searching – both for his target, and for potential threats.
It didn't seem there would be any, even in this dump ruled by the lawless. Police were minimal in the area… but his mission was not full extermination. No, he was only here for one target and one target only. The few who dared to walk the streets in the night backed away from him, keeping Ehud as far away from them as possible.
A thin dark red coat complimented his hair nicely, the white waistcoat and black undershirt beneath it neat and free of wrinkles as he moved. He didn't seem to feel the cold or the drizzle around him. A pair of crisp black pants and two brown leather dress shoes completed the look. Behind him, his scarf trailed behind him, the vibrant crimson cloth the most noticeable feature of him. Ehud allowed himself a faint smile at the memory of when it first earned him the nickname 'Blood Lightning' among the others.
But that wasn't important. What was important was the man stalking down the road, purpose in his eyes. He carried himself differently from the others – a revolting mix of arrogance and suicidal self-confidence.
Ehud's eyes narrowed. This is his target.
He is a criminal of the worst kind – rape, murder, arson, and grand larceny. All in just three months and yet he walks free.
The man bumped his shoulder roughly as he passed by. Neither side dared to react to the other. They both continued walking.
His name is unimportant. You will be able to tell him apart from everyone else simply from the way he walks.
Ehud certainly had. He heard the footsteps behind him, felt his heat fading away. As soon as he decided it was safe he abruptly turned and moved into a side alley. The hobos and drug dealers cast him wary looks, but otherwise ignored him. Wise.
Leave no traces of his death. The others will handle his records. According to everything, he will have never existed.
The man reached the dead end – but kept walking, planting one foot on the wall, then the other, marching up in vehement denial of gravity. Barely visible under his dark red coat, the lightning scar shimmered, faint light arcing across his back. Reaching the roof, he moved from vertical to horizontal without missing a beat. His coat shifted, revealing dozens and dozens of pockets in it, some containing vials of deadly poison. Others held pistols, others yet held lighters. A few even had coils of rope. But the one on his right side, carefully belted into place, was the most important.
A wickedly sharp carbon fibre dagger, the blade a carefully forged five-wave pattern. Invisible to metal detectors. Ehud could take it anywhere, anytime, and no one would be any the wiser. Twelve full inches of razor-sharp death, never dulling, always killing. It was his favourite and most expertly used weapon – and that was saying something.
I'm counting on you, Ehud. Show no mercy.
He raced along the rooftops, not caring about the potential danger carried. It was always better to travel high up – no one ever expects an attack from above. Eyes squinting through the rain, he caught the familiar sounds of his target's footsteps, already committed to memory. Slowing to his usual march, he came to a stop at the edge of the roof of a six-story building. Sure enough, there was his target, trudging along without a care in the world.
Soon, he wouldn't have a breath in his body, either.
Ehud reached into his coat and drew the knife with his left hand, flipping it into a backhand grip. Then, he slid down the wall, easily sliding down six floors in a heartbeat and blocking his target's path.
"What the fuck!?" His target stumbled away, tripping over his own feet. Ehud drank in the fear like a wolf and its prey. "Where the hell did you come from?"
Ehud remained silent, spinning his knife in hand. Gritting his teeth, his target brandished his own knife and lunged forward with a roar. Easily sliding around the man's wild swipe, Ehud let the knife fall from his left hand to his right, instead using his left hand to slam his attacker's arm against the wall, jolting the knife from his grip. He plucked it out of the air before it could hit the ground and slashed, opening up a swathing cut on the criminal's face.
He howled in agony and reeled like a wounded animal. Fitting for a man like him. Ehud swept forward and, knife changing hands again, pinned his target to the wall and laid the knife against his throat. The criminal looked up at him. "W-wait! Please don't! I-I'll give you money, something, anything!"
Kill him.
The knife moved.
Ehud stepped back as his target convulsed, falling to the ground and dying within seconds. Glancing around, he nodded to himself, satisfied that none had seen or heard them. He turned his gaze to the corpse. The rain would wash away the blood, but the body itself would need to be disposed of. Looking around once again, he knelt down and began slowly cutting apart the man's body, lifting each piece barehanded and placing it in a trash bag. When he was done, he simply tossed it into a dumpster. No need for anything flashier. He shook the dagger off a few times, blood splattering to the floor. Ehud frowned and brought out a handkerchief, wiping off the remaining blood before tossing that away too – no point in staining a perfectly good waistcoat, especially when bloodstains were so hard to wash out of the white cloth…
Sure enough, as soon as he was done and had put away his knife, his phone began to ring. Ehud reached into his pants pocket and brought out his phone. "Yes?"
"You completed your mission?" Even through the many layers of voice distortion, the speaker was most definitely a female.
"Of course." Ehud's tone was irritated. Why would he not have finished such an easy mission so quickly?
"Excellent. Your pay has already been transferred to your account as agreed."
"Thank you. Are there any other missions?"
A strange sound crackled through the phone – rustling papers, distorted by the same voice cloaking device. "No – nothing official. However, I personally have a proposition for you."
Ehud raised an eyebrow, though she didn't see it. "Oh?"
"This is… a very different mission."
"… Elaborate."
"You'll be sent to the Sanctuary in Japan. There, I want you to kill two certain individuals there. No one else."
The assassin's eyes narrowed. "You realize that I will not take you up on this if–"
"There is a paycheck of ten billion yen waiting for you."
"You are speaking of Gensokyo." It wasn't a question. "I refuse."
"I'm not taking no for an answer."
Ehud halted. His master almost never did that. "… Where do I go?"
"To the agreed rendezvous point. I'll send you to Gensokyo from there." As Ehud began to move, she continued to speak. "You must realize that the land has changed. Do you remember the spell card rules?"
"Yes."
"They're gone."
He paused. "What?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. The successor gap youkai has overstepped her own boundaries for a change and destroyed the spell card rules. There is a war brewing. And… two certain people there are stoking my ire."
Whenever she said that, it usually meant 'someone's playing merry hell with the natural order'. Ehud muttered, "Continue."
"Youkai eat humans. Humans kill youkai. Your targets are ones who think they should… co-exist."
He made a sound of disgust.
"I thought the same thing. I tried to put a stop to it centuries ago, but He wouldn't have any of it. Now, however, I want you to infiltrate Gensokyo and kill the two of them. Use any means necessary."
"Any means?" The assassin hesitated.
"I mean it, Ehud. Do not fail me."
Click.
The assassin growled softly under his breath. Once again, his master refused to reveal any critical details until he was already underway with his mission. Even so, he moved to his destination.
At first glance, it was an ordinary brick wall. However, after casting a furtive look around to make sure nobody was watching, he stepped forward – through the wall and into a darkened room. As he stood there, it lit up with a brilliant neon green glow. Wisely, he closed his eyes before it blinded him and waited for it to fade away. When it did, he opened his eyes again.
It was night. He could see thousands of stars twinkling above him. The crescent moon continued its lazy journey across the night sky. Around him were trees. So very many trees.
"Come out," he called into the darkness. "I know you're there… Death Dealer."
The sound of footsteps met his ears. There she was, the lady of the hour.
Dressed in a simple green dress, with long black hair flowing behind her and a simplistic but elegant mask hiding her face from view; it was the Wildcard.
"Hello again, Ehud." Her accent was unclear; European, perhaps? "Welcome to Gensokyo."
"I don't have time for this." The assassin cut straight to the chase. "Who are my targets?"
Wildcard chuckled, a low, menacing sound. "I think it would be more fun to simply not tell you this time. However, I can give you a clue; look for the high priestess and the youkai of the void."
"Youkai…" Ehud turned his eyes to the moon. "Those kinds of targets again?"
The masked woman sighed. "At the very least, this won't be a solo mission."
That was new. Ehud pointed this out, adding, "Why is that?"
"New land, new rules. His blood is… special."
Ehud nodded. "Sounds fun."
His employer rolled her eyes. "Just remember that there are no spell card rules. This might work in your favour or against it."
"How so?"
Wildcard followed his gaze towards the sky. "Just remember that many of the beings in this realm are supernatural entities. As powerful as you are… you're still human." She glanced over at the assassin, the sword at her side clinking softly. "Don't die, Ehud."
He smirked. Coming from someone like Wildcard, that might as well have been a love confession, regardless of the cold look in her eyes. "Touching."
"I mean it." Wildcard's tone was dead serious. "There's a reason I christened you Ehud instead of another. You are known as the Silent Perfect Killer. Live up to your name." She sighed. "If you know your mission, then I must be on my way."
"Wait," Ehud said. She stopped. "Clarify… one last time."
For several seconds, neither of them moved. Then she turned to face him, crazed mirth visible in her kaleidoscope eyes.
"Do everything you must to find the high priestess and the ones she loves. Kill her. Kill him. Kill them all."
With those chilling words, she left him. A brief smile came to him. "If this ends badly, don't blame me."
Hands in his pockets, he slams a foot against a tree, easily walking up its surface like he did the wall. Perfectly balanced on the branches, he narrowed his eyes as he looked around. If he could find any trace of civilization…
There!
Smoke atop the mountain. A closer look told him it definitely wasn't a volcano. And where there's smoke, there's fire. And where there's fire…
– TOUHOU –
He was lying in the ruins of a shattered cathedral. Slumped against the wall was a silent body, dark red stains slowly collecting beneath it. He wasn't able to move his body… why was everything so cold?
The stained-glass windows were broken, glass shards digging at his body. Above him, the figure of Christ wept on the cross, a crown of thorns digging into his head. Funny, that's how he felt. Trapped. Made to suffer for someone else's crimes. The agony of it all was enough to make any men beg for death. He reached out, a quivering hand covered in his own blood shakily extending to the one who was supposed to save them…
And then She was there.
With the unfurling of a dark green cloak, She knelt at his side, a white mask hiding her features from him. The only visible part of her face was her eyes… kaleidoscope eyes.
He struggled to rasp out a sentence, thick dust stinging his throat. "Who… are…?"
Those eyes glimmered, constantly shifting through countless colours. She hesitated, as if trying to decide on what to say. "I am… a wild card."
As he tried to speak again, all that came out was a death rattle; he was near his end. "Urk… gah…"
A flicker of emotion went through her eyes. Pity? She muttered, "Tell me; boy… do you want to live?"
A shaky gasp was all he could muster.
"No matter what price?"
His eyes met the forlorn blue of the figure above them. He didn't save him, He didn't save them. If this woman could…
"I'm waiting."
He rasped again, the dust choking him to a slow, painful death. "Yes…"
The masked woman's eyes turned, shifting from their multicoloured appearance to a single uniform colour; deep red.
"… Then it begins."
Her hand extended, the palm glowing with a radiant light…
Pain.
Pain like nothing he had ever felt, and likely never would. The feeling of bones snapping and readjusting, his insides boiling, a feeling like a sharp spike being hammered through his skull, pure agony crackling down his spine…
And over the ringing of his own ears, he heard it.
Laughter.
– TOUHOU –
"GAH!"
He shot upright out of his bed, gasping for breath. As his racing heart gradually slowed again, he still gasped for air, as if that strangling hand was still at his neck. Eyes shot through with fear, he slowly pawed at the base of his neck, just above his shoulder. The rough, sandpaper-esque feeling was all he needed to remember.
"Right… right." He drew his hand away, revealing the horribly mangled scar underneath. A scabby purple patch of skin was visible near the back of his neck and seemed to go all across his back, disappearing underneath his shirt as he got up. "Alright, Julian, get it together, man." Splashing some water on his face in his apartment's washroom, he smiled shakily into the mirror. "Just another mission, same as always. Don't flip."
A quick shower and breakfast followed, each quiet noise echoing in the silent rooms. Holding a sandwich between his teeth, Julian Meliss put on his usual business suit – had to look good for the meeting, after all. Once he finished running a comb through his blond hair, he locked the door behind him and took a quick elevator trip to the bottom. When the elevator dinged, he saw a few familiar faces already waiting for him at the door.
"Julian." The policeman there nodded to him, an American accent in his speech. Graying hair and thin-rimmed spectacles helped him give off an aura of friendliness, but everyone present knew that was quite deceptive. "We've been waiting."
"Gordon," said Julian. He looked around quickly, doing a quick head count. Six, including himself. It was him, Gordon, those two twins, and the new guy. "Lewis, how have you been faring?"
The ex-soldier shot him a death glare. "Just because I've seen war doesn't mean I can't still dole out some justice." The salt-and-pepper streaks of gray throughout his dark brown hair attested to that. "So why'd you make us come all the way from the good ol' US of A?"
Julian resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "You should've already known. The more recent terrorist attack? We evacuated Times Square and got the bombs out before people got killed, yes, but we tracked our culprits to the Loyhrs Mansion, here in Scotland. It's a matter of international security now – why do you think we brought back a former agent for this?"
Lewis Dawson scowled, but said nothing.
"Now come on. Our guide is waiting for us, and from what I've heard, she's very fussy…"
As they hopped in their cars and drove to what remained of the Loyhrs Mansion, Natalie turned to Julian. "Excuse me, but just who is our guide?"
"Um…" The blonde tapped his head in thought as he tried to recall it. "She's from Japan, I think. Her name was something like… oh, right!" He snapped his fingers as the name came back to him.
"Yumemi Okazaki."
– TOUHOU –
... As always, kindly leave a review if you liked it or simply want to give advice. Praise reviews welcome, constructive reviews welcome, criticism reviews welcome, flame reviews... well, if you bring up a good point, then it's welcome. Fire away, my friends!