Alright, here's Chapter 1. Enjoy, folks =)


Collapse of Eastern Fantasy – Chapter 1

It's 3AM in the morning.

Acqua of the Back stands leisurely on the steel bridge at the 3rd underground Level of District 22.

On his way there he has destroyed eight mobile antennae that controls the Academy City's nanomachine network 'UnderLine', seventeen armoured vehicles, thirty-eight power armours, and countless nanomachines from the aforementioned UnderLine network. All of which are remotely controlled.

Doubtless to say, there will be many more forces that will come attack him eventually.

But that's not the main focus of this story.

On the outskirts of Academy City, a strange group looks intently towards the city as if they can see everything in its territory.

"Guess they finally started… 'Acqua of the Back', is it? What a frightening power to behold." Eirin murmured. She's wearing some sort of goggles in addition to her usual attire, and gloves that covered her entire forearm. It makes her look more like a doctor then she usually does.

Yukari nodded. "I've told you before there are many powerful people outside Gensōkyō, and this 'Acqua' is one of them. What can you 'See' using those contraptions you have?"

The goggles and gloves Eirin is wearing is far more than just some fashion accessory. According to her it's some of the Moon's technology that allows her to survey and judge the situation more easily. Though Yukari thinks it might still be magic somehow – even with the idea that 'Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic', the Lunarians were known to be highly advanced in both magic and science. Yukari wouldn't put it past Eirin to say it is science just to make sure it can't be replicated in Gensōkyō – or more likely, just to mess with her mind.

"With the interference, this could be the best chance we have since we've started observing Academy City. The 'UnderLine' nanomachine system is mostly wiped out by Acqua's attack. Interestingly, they can tear apart flesh and blood cell by cell until there's nothing left, in addition as a information gathering network… that's only a few hundred years behind Lunarian technology compared to the rest of the world who are thousands of years behind..." Eirin's voice trailed off. Her thoughts went back to contemplating on the possibility that this is all done by a Lunarian using whatever's available on Earth and its tainted resources to the best of her – or his – ability. Even if the humans are the same as Lunarians, before the latter relocated themselves onto the Moon and away from the rest of humanity, it shouldn't be possible for humans to be able to gain the same kind of technological advances as the Moon with the Earth's taint. It's far more likely that a Lunarian modified the Lunar Capital's techniques to suit the Earth, even taking into account the 'potential' humans have…

"Even so, though the technology side have been devastated, there's still the AIM Dispersion Field that surrounds the entire city. If anything enters it it would be like a bubble inside water, the foreign body would be noticed very quickly." Yukari cut into Eirin's thoughts. "It's still too dangerous."

"That's why we brought Reisen and Ran along right? With Reisen's ability to manipulate wavelengths and the fox's various magic tricks of illusion, we should be able to disguise ourselves to the point where our intrusion can hide from that 'Artificial Heaven'. Or do you not trust their abilities?" Reisen tensed at that last sentence.

"It's not a matter of trust. What is at stake here is too dangerous to be left to chance - "

"All plans have risks. All we can do is to take whatever opportunity that is available and use it to the best we can. If we don't there won't be another chance as good as this, ever. The group that Acqua belongs to, the 'God's Right Seat', have been taken down one by one and they are running out of options. Regardless of who wins tonight in their battle Academy City's defences will be increased afterwards, so now's the best time to move." Eirin replied.

"Master… do not worry, Reisen and I can handle matching our skills to produce a 'veil' to disguise our intrusion as part of the AIM field. If this 'Artificial Heaven' was a living organism who can feel every part of its body we are intruding into, I would have the same misgivings – but this is not that, only a separate dimensional plane – this is only like sneaking into a person's house while they're distracted." Ran tries to convince Yukari of their plan.

"I understand your concern, Yukari – you are one of those that can be said to have crafted Gensōkyō into what it is today, considering you helped create the Hakurei Border and various other things. Like a parent watching over its child you do not wish to see something that you created to be destroyed like nothing." Eirin said slowly. "I feel the same way, when I think about how this could affect the Lunar Civilisation, something I've helped to build in ages past. Even now I guess I still feel responsible for it, even when the Watatsuki sisters have taken over my responsibilities.

But sometimes we need to risk what we hold dearly if we are to gain more. Often there is no real gain when there's no real risk."

Yukari went silent. After looking into the night sky, then down at Academy City which also lit up like the many stars above she sighed.

"I must be getting senile if I have to be lectured by people, even if it's the likes of you." Yukari smiled wryly.

"Alright. Let us take on the most advanced power here on this Earth. Together."

o

With Reisen and Ran's help, they shielded Eirin's probe into Academy City. Eirin is in charge of controlling the probe and Yukari is to stand by and forcibly recover the probe if discovered – and destroy the probe if absolutely necessary. The probe is another of the Moon's invention apparently, with an omni-sensory module built into it, that allows the probe to be accessed in both magic and science methods should one of the options are blocked out for some reason. The same module also allows the probe to do many other tasks, from hacking into a electronic network to a person's mind.

"Alright, our first target is Tsukuyomi Komoe." Eirin stated. They were fortunate that she isn't a 'esper' like 80% of the population of Academy City is – if they were to intrude into a mind which is linked up to the AIM field they risk alarming the 'Angel' that lives in the Artificial Heaven.

First the probe hacked into the city's computer networks to find her address, and then flew to where the said location is. After that they entered and hovered close to the sleeping Komoe's head and sent a telepathic scan into her.

All this took less than a minute.

A person's mind is possibly the most advanced processing system that is known, even to the Lunarians, so the telepathic scan will take a while. Not to mention her consciousness is currently asleep, which made the connection even more unstable. Though looking from a different perspective, it might be best if Tsukuyomi Komoe is asleep – there is less trace of it to be discovered if someone else were to look, with any experience being attributed to being 'only a dream'.

"Anything?" Yukari asked tensely.

"Plenty, but they are mostly to do with the science theories of this city, and nothing to do with what we're looking for." Eirin replied softly. "Though you are correct, she is indeed older than she looks, and there is no indication of any outside interference like life-extending technology or magic being used on her… at least on the surface. She has no recollection of drinking anything like the Hourai elixir, but for all we know she could have her mind-wiped after her allies extracted everything they needed from her and let her live out her days in peace, since they can't just kill her."

"A mind-wipe? Is that even possible?"

"Well it's not impossible to say the least… oh wait, here we go. The one named 'Kamijou Touma' happens to be her student. A 'special' student."

Yukari and Eirin smiled a vicious, victorious smile. Ran and Reisen looked on and felt a shiver down their spines, thinking how fortunate they are to not be against those two.

"Hey you two, don't lose focus." Eirin warned.

"U-Understood!" Reisen shuddered and pushed away dark thoughts.

"Interesting… guess we have to go elsewhere to find what we're looking for. How much longer can you two hold up?" Yukari asked.

"By my calculations, we can continue for another 10 minutes." Ran replied in a tense voice. This long distance projection is taking a lot out of her.

"More than enough time." Eirin moved the probe away from Tsukuyomi Komoe's location and flew it off elsewhere in Academy City.

"Where now?" Inquired Yukari, thinking they might actually pull this off.

"The 'Windowless Building' that the one ruling over Academy City is said to reside in. Apparently it's the most secure fortress on the planet, with nothing capable of destroying it or harming its inhabitant."

"Wait, 'Inhabitant'? So there's only one person living in there?" Yukari asked.

"Apparently, that building is dedicated to keep him – General Superintendant Aleister alive for the next few thousand years. No one can enter or leave, except by teleportation. It's uncertain though whether this is just a baseless rumour or - "

Eirin paused. She found the 'Windowless Building'.

"Good. Now let's start probing."

As Eirin probed, Yukari suddenly thought of something.

"Wait, aren't we investigating the Master of the city's residence? You'd think there'll be counter measures against interferences, even Lunarian ones."

"Even if there were, I'm sure I've said before that if there's no risk there's no gain. Besides, regardless of what they have I'm confident that this probe that I've crafted with my own hands is more than capable of taking care of it – huh?"

Reisen can't help but look at Eirin who made that sound. She saw her new mentor's face is filled with confusion.

Not once in her time serving the masters of Eientei have Reisen seen Eirin make that kind of face.

"What, don't tell me we've been discovered as soon as you've said that – these days not even inexperienced authors use that kind of words to build tension in their story." Yukari snarked, though it's mostly to hide her own anxiousness.

"That's not it. The building is showing up fine on visual but when I tried to scan it it feels like there's nothing there…" Eirin is at a loss of words. "It's like the building exists only in a certain sense but when you look at it in another sense it does not…"

Someone, like Musujime Awaki who works for Aleister, or like Uiharu Kazari who follows Academy City rumours with fervour, could have told her the Windowless Building is made from a 'Imaginary', unreal technique, and cut off from the rest of the world in many ways; not unlike Gensōkyō, if one thinks about it.

"Oh? For someone to figure that out in less than 3 minutes of searching, you sure are capable."

"!" "What was that?" Reisen and Ran expressed their shock.

"Yukari! Destroy the probe, and take us out of here!" Eirin shouted. "We've been found!"

"What happened to 'you're capable of taking care of it'!" Yukari cursed, and cast out her power towards the probe. "Ran, Reisen; shield us for the time being!"

Yukari is the Youkai of Boundaries, and with that come great power. To destroy the probe so that there will be no evidence, she went down to the elementary particles that make up matter and broke the boundaries that separate a 'particle' from 'everything else', and like a bubble that pops when touched the entire probe have been destroyed on a molecular level, with even the particles that makes up part of it have gone.

(Good thing we youkai don't have to follow the human laws of physics…)

Yukari erratically thought after destroying the probe and was about to open a gap to escape, but realised something:

They are surrounded.

Not as in surrounded by enemies, but the AIM Dispersion Field have came from inside Academy City and have completely covered their surroundings. If one can see boundaries, then it would seem they are in the centre of a great maelstrom, as within the AIM field there holds even more boundaries that separate the various AIM fields of different abilities from one another.

Even if she were to open a gap now and escape, they would be traced no matter where they go.

Or worse, the gap could be forcibly closed while they are in it, and they would be erased, not unlike the probe she just destroyed.

"Hmm… not bad, you people know if you so much as take a step you would all be in grave danger. Interesting, that there are such unusual people on this Earth that I have no knowledge about."

The 'voice' that they can hear is not something physical like air pressure. It is more like telepathy, and even then there are subtle differences – they felt the intention and feeling of the speaker directly as opposed to interpreting 'words'.

"Yukari…?" Eirin is gesturing why they haven't escaped yet.

"Unfortunately… this is checkmate. We're surrounded by the Artificial Heaven, if I so much as use my ability we might be erased – if we're lucky." Yukari grimaced. After observing this city for a while, she knows about the Artificial Heaven's capability of stopping magic, back when Vent of the Front have found out in her assault on Academy City back in the 0930 incident.

"So, you people are Youkai… or at least, two of you are. The other two is probably more of my 'kin', in a sense." The disembodied voice said, amused. The group from Gensōkyō can directly feel its intentions, that it shows no hostility and is more than willing to talk.

The mere fact that It seemed to be able read their every thought and memory easily, even with Ran and Reisen's protection against these kind of intrusions, just proved how out-classed they are in terms of power.

"Who… no, 'What' are you?" Eirin asked. "One of Academy City's 'Angels'?"

"Hmm… An 'Angel' could work, but that's not quite correct. I have been called many things, such as a 'Holy Guardian Angel', 'Extraterrestrial Intelligent Lifeform', or 'The One that made what Western Magic Cabals are Today'." The disembodied voice mused.

"You people can call me with the same name Academy City has labelled me – DRAGON."

"What!" is the thought that ran through the residents from Gensōkyō.

'Dragon', to them is the highest god in Gensōkyō, the creator that's worshipped by both humans and youkai. For Yukari Yakumo, who have seen the Dragon back when the Hakurei Border, the Great Boundary that separates Gensōkyō from the outside world was established, is probably one of the few that can say just how much power the 'Highest God of Fantasy' holds.
-

If Academy City has even something like this along with its Artificial Heaven, how can Gensōkyō possibly hope to escape what the city have planned for the world?

[End Chapter 1]