You may be obliged to wage war, but not to use poison arrows.
Huian bowed to the shivering rabbit. "This was Miss Koakuma's room before she got married. It has all the amenities, and I've left food for the rest of the day. By then the locks should have faded. Do you need anything else?"
Flopsy shook her head. "N~no, I'll be fine."
Huian simply smiled and nodded. Acting like the other girl wasn't scared out of her mind was probably the best way of handling her. "If you're feeling cold there should be a cardigan next to the bed, and the tea should be hot. I'll come get you out as soon as the battle is over so you can get your ears regenerated and return to your training."
The gatekeeper paused a second to see if the rabbit girl had anything more to say before the door was shut, but the moon rabbit just bowed. "Um, thank you, Huian."
"Don't mention it," Huian said as she shut the door. The magical wards clicked into place and she felt the space between the door and the rest of the mansion become nearly infinite. She then called upon her personal powers and stepped to the main library.
"Ah, please don't disturb the circles," Patchouli said idly as she finished another chalk line.
Huian started slightly, then remembered to float to avoid scuffing any of the patterns. Fortunately she hadn't appeared on top of any lines.
She then turned to report to her mistress. "I've put Flopsy to bed. The mansion is ready Lady Flandre."
Flandre briefly turned towards her to nod her approval. The vampire's cold stare caused Huian to sweat a little. As battle approached Flandre's childishness seemed to have faded. Her bloodlust was starting to take precedence. And everyone who was sane kept their distance during those times.
Huian turned her attention to the crystal ball floating between the residents of the mansion. "Have we seen any invaders Mistress?"
"No," Flandre said shortly.
Marisa shrugged. "There's a light show going on over where Yuka occasionally lives, but beyond that nothing so far. It seems everyone who knew this was coming is playing defensively."
Juri shifted next to her mistress. "We saw a group come down near the mansion, but they haven't shown themselves. I wonder why?"
Koakuma shook her head. "Um, my question is why can we still see the village? Shouldn't Keine have hidden it?"
"Something's gone wrong," Alice said darkly.
"Ah, I have it." Dinah tapped the ball and the viewpoint shifted. Now some red outlines could be seen standing just inside the treeline next to the mansion. "There they are. But they're waiting. Are they trying to lure us into a trap?"
Patchouli coughed as she floated up to join everyone else. "I can only hope so. Fighting them in a forest would be almost as advantageous as fighting them in the basement. Better that then some other trick."
"But how are they planning to lure us out?" Alice asked as she peered into the scrying orb.
As if to answer the question a plume of fire came up from the distant village. Huian grimaced. "That's not Mokou."
"The shrine!"
At Marisa's cry, everyone looked towards where the shrine should be in the scrying orb. The hill where the ancient building stood was now topped in flame.
Marisa reached out and summoned her broomstick "I need to..."
"Go," Flandre said with a wave of her hand. "Head out the back."
Koakuma nodded. "We'll just trigger the contingency plan early if we need to."
"I'm going too. We'll need the Grimoire to get back," Alice said.
"Be careful out there," Patchouli said, quickly kissing the two. Koakuma followed suit.
Marisa jumped on her broomstick. "Take care."
Then they were off.
Huian turned to Dinah. "It's time to create the maze. The people waiting outside probably won't be heading after Alice and Marisa after they realize those two got past them."
The demon magician smiled in return. "Right." She then placed her hands over Huian's eyes. As darkness enveloped the gatekeeper she relaxed.
Huian had inherited some magical power from Sakuya, in addition to all her other gifts. She'd never gotten around to mastering it, but it was there in her blood, just as much as her chi abilities and her power to manipulate space. She just couldn't access it well.
Dinah's succubus blood however allowed her to manipulate the magical powers of others. And her magical knowledge allowed her to use the power of others in very complex ways.
As Dinah's spell flowed through Huian's body she could feel the basement corridors twisting and bending. Soon it was a massive tangle. A maze that was bound to her will and power.
Dinah pulled her hands away and Huian opened her eyes. "It's ready Mistress."
Patchouli nodded. "Good work."
Huian's blood froze as Flandre giggled, "Are the rest of the preparations ready Juri?"
"Yes Mistress," the maid replied.
The vampire reached out her hand as if she was grasping an orb. "Then let's play."
Mystia's wings twitched involuntarily.
She probably shouldn't be so close to the village, but honestly she wasn't looking for a fight, and the village was the safest place to be close to. When Keine hid the village's history, Keine and Mokou would be the only two still around. Two dangerously powerful beings alone in a massive clearing. Mokou and Keine would draw far more attention then a lone night sparrow.
At least that's how it should have gone.
Mystia was there, she could tell Keine was there, but the village wasn't concealed.
It was burning.
At least sections were. At the north end there was a small flare. Mokou was likely fighting someone. Still the immortal obviously was holding back, since there still was a northern village.
Near her the fight was more intense. And the fire wielder was not holding back.
Mystia shuddered as another explosion ripped through a mansion, sending burning planks across the houses. Then her eyes opened in shock as one of Keine's spells tore through the same area. If the Hakutaku was using those kind of spells in the village she obviously believed that there was nothing she could do that would be less damaging then letting her opponent live. Given how much the Hakutaku loved the village...
The sight of a figure running away from the village towards her drew her attention away from the flickering light of the spell battle. She tensed momentarily before seeing it was a young boy.
She gritted her teeth. A lone boy would have no chance out in the forests at night. She knew a lot of youkai weren't going to be picky about which humans they attacked now that an invasion was on. Most probably still didn't even know an invasion was on.
It wasn't her problem. She was a human eating youkai.
It shouldn't be her problem.
Cursing herself silently she flew towards the boy, making sure to stay near the ground. The child had been looking over his shoulder most of the time so when he finally noticed Mystia swooping towards him she was fairly close. He shrieked and fell to the floor, then rose to his knees when he recognized her. "Ms Lorelei?"
"Idiot kid, don't run to the forest. Run to the farms," she hissed. The boy just stared at her stupidly. She sighed. "Where's your family?"
"I... I don't know. We were running, and then a building collapsed and separated us. Daddy told me to keep running out of the village..."
Mystia nodded. "Then check the West gate. That's the closest one. And tell everyone to hide in the farms! There's no youkai or Lunarians there." The boy just sat there looking at her in shock so she waved her arms at him. "Get going!" she chirped.
As the boy ran off she looked back at the village. She wondered if his family would actually make it out. She wouldn't really be sad if those old ladies that had tossed fried beans at her went up in smoke. Or any of the perverts that had grabbed her ass. But she remembered that kid's family being nice customers. The daughter had always played with the pinwheels and the father always complimented her on her special sauce.
Keine and her opponent took to the skies then for a brief moment. Mystia looked at the Lunarian in the light of the full moon.
The woman was obviously strong. Quite strong.
But there was no holy power about her. Nothing in her face that made her seem any different from all the other human magicians that had gone on a rampage in the village because of some slight or another.
Mystia's heart began to quicken again. Not with fear, but with excitement.
She knew it was partly the villager's belief. The repeated stories of a 'youkai of justice' were calling to her. She realized not all of the building feelings in her heart was the desire to hunt that was inborn to all true youkai.
But that was okay. In the end, all that mattered was that she was a youkai, born to terrorize humans.
That others thought it was justice instead of petty desire was their own foolishness.
Keine coughed as the smoke burned her lungs. Her muscles ached and strained as she lifted the wall and threw it in front of her. "Get out of here!" she yelled to the human family huddling behind her.
The wooden wall shuddered and cracked as her enemy's magic crashed into it. Keine's hand flashed out and slapped aside one of the splinters before it could strike her face. The other shards of wood struck her, but couldn't penetrate her skin.
The sound of the family behind her moving helped her keep her focus. She charged forward hoping to catch her foe off guard with her horns.
She'd made it thirty feet before an explosion scorched her front. She rapidly exhaled to keep the flames from searing her lungs, then cried out as the back blast sent her rolling into a flaming support beam.
'Dammit, Mokou, where are you?' one part of her screamed. But she knew Mokou had to be fighting elsewhere. Nothing else would keep the immortal from her side.
She shook off the impact and stood again, growling as the smug woman who'd started randomly attacking the village floated before her. Keine tried once again to hide the village's history, but her powers failed yet again.
Frustrated and hurt she yelled at the woman, "What have the villagers done to you! How can you call this righteousness?"
The infuriating Lunarian just shrugged. "They're impure. But I don't kill them because I hate them. I'm killing them because you're wasting your energy protecting them. And because the rest of you 'guardians' will flock here to save the humans after I finish you off."
Keine's innards seemed to burn with rage. The heat within her was almost as great as the heat out here. The bitch had killed at least five villagers already just to make her angry!
The Were-hakutaku stared at the Lunarian in hatred. "I didn't want to have to use this, but you've forced my hand."
Keine reached out letting her mind adapt to her powers. Time stood still as years flickered backwards. Days flowed quickly into years then decades. She saw the woman's training and days of leisure on the moon, centuries and centuries of idleness. Then a long childhood, where she wanted for nothing. Then her birth.
And at that moment in history Keine reached out and twisted it. "It's time you never existed!"
Keine's bold proclamation was met with a moment of silence, then a laugh from the woman. The heat in Keine's body fled her. Her powers had failed again! How?
The woman gave her a mocking smile. "Allow me to tell you my power. I can bind things. I've bound this village to the land, and I've bound my history to reality. Your powers are worthless against me."
The woman rose a little further into the air, preparing the spell that would probably kill Keine. As she did Keine saw her. A figure she'd never expected to see in the battle.
Mystia opened her mouth and began to sing a song of hunting.
"What!" the woman screamed as she looked into the sky, the night blindness already clouding her eyes. "Another youkai? Where are you?"
Keine watched in awe as Mystia raised her voice as she glided further into the air so she could swoop down. A youkai on the hunt, as in days long past.
Alice sped towards the shrine, following Marisa. They were pushing the limits of their flying speed, fighting against the wind. Alice's vision could barely make out the trees before they passed them. Fortunately the two of them knew the path to the shrine almost by heart. They'd flown and fought here for over 300 years.
Which is why neither of them hit anything when a series of bullets from the ground forced them to dodge out of the way.
As soon as she sensed the foreign magic, Alice rolled left and spun in a circle, sending two suicide dolls towards where their attacker was. Marisa finished her roll to the right and added her own magical napalm mix to the attack.
The trees below burst into flames with a boom. Alice winced at the sudden light shift, but forced her eyes to stay open even as they teared up.
Two figures escaped from the explosions; one male, one female, magical shields glowing brightly. Before she'd even consciously confirmed they were Lunarians, Alice's dolls began firing at them. The pair split in response, the man drawing a sword and lunging for her, while the woman unleashed a barrage of lasers against Marisa.
Alice sent another three dolls out in front of her with a flick of her wrist. She didn't have a clue how to fight with a sword, but the dolls knew on some level. She felt a brief pang of loss as the man cut the first doll down but the doll's 'sisters' avenged her, sending the man on the defensive with their perfectly coordinated cuts. He fell back to get room for a counter attack, but another flick of the wrist sent five dolls wielding lances charging into the fray.
Trusting that her lovely creations had her foe occupied, Alice turned to check on Marisa.
As Alice watched Marisa executed one of her standard reckless charges, spinning through her opponent's laser field, while somehow avoiding the deadly beams. As she did Marisa released two lasers of her own, but the focused light seemed to curve away from her target. Alice felt her worry grow. Obviously the woman knew how to bend light away from her. That took out a lot of Marisa's normal arsenal.
The sudden feeling emptiness that accompanied her sword dolls dying forced Alice to return her attention to her own opponent. He had dodged the lancer dolls and was making his way back towards her. She swore softly and allowed two more suicide dolls to attack the man, while rearranging her shooting dolls to provide a blistering crossfire.
Alice hated fighting like this. She loved her dolls, even those built only to self destruct, and a battle like this chewed through them far too quickly. She couldn't even be proud of the results her dolls gave. There was no beauty in her attacks, nor glory in the outcome. There would just be a shattered body and a pile of broken dolls. Nothing more.
She took a good look at her foe, and anger spread through her heart. The only thing she could depend on was that her enemies were scum. She didn't have the same connection Marisa did to the shrine, but she respected the Hakurei family. They were going to make the Lunarians pay for involving the Hakurei in this mess.
She felt the magic in the area swirl around her foe as he started a spell, and sent her dolls in a corkscrew attack pattern with a vicious pull on her strings. He broke the spell to escape the attack and retreated again, still keeping himself between her and the burning shrine.
"You heartless bitch! Dragon Meteor!"
Alice jumped backwards as Marisa's scream ripped through the air. The world turned white and a sound somewhere between a whine and a roar drowned out everything else. The shockwave sent her tumbling through the air, like a drunk in an earthquake.
When she could control her movements again she flew back up to where her wife was sitting and snarling at the two Lunarians. Alice watched them take up defensive positions again.
Alice took a deep breath and tried to think about the fight calmly. Trying to power through was Marisa's thing. She was supposed to be tactical. What were the Lanarians doing, and how could she stop them?
'They're stalling for time. They must expect reinforcements if they hold long enough,' Alice realized.
Alice grabbed Marisa's shoulders. "I'll finish up here. You go ahead."
"But," Marisa looked at her with shocked eyes. "There's no way you can..."
Marisa's eye's opened even wider when Alice flipped open her grimoire. "It's time I taught these Lunarians why transformed Magicians are the most powerful youkai in existence."
Marisa nodded. "I'll be back for you as soon as I'm done." Alice's heart was warmed by the confidence in Marisa's statement.
The Lunarian woman threw a spell at Alice, possibly out of pique for being ignored. Alice of course dodged it casually. The man simply said, "As much as I'd love to punish you for your arrogance neither of you can get past us."
Marisa laughed darkly and pulled the brim of her hat up. "Challenge accepted." Alice started as Marisa pecked her on the cheek, then flipped her broom around to point in the opposite direction of the shrine. "I'll be back in a jiffy."
Marisa whispered two words, "Gateless Gate," then accelerated on her broom.
The two Lunarians blinked as Marisa seemed to run away, then vanished. The man tried a teleport trace, but got nothing. Which made sense. After all Marisa hadn't teleported. Technically.
Alice smirked at the two. Then she closed her eyes and called to her Grimoire.
She felt the power reach out to her. The power within the book that had been bottled up for such a long time. A power infused with a thousand myths and legends from all of history.
It came slowly at first, like a stream at the start of spring, as the first thaw touched it. At first it crept along, finding old channels overgrown, and new channels awaiting its touch. Soon though the power started overflowing, as the barriers Alice had put up broke down one after the other. The book once again was free to suffuse her being with its magic, a river of power that surged throughout her soul like a second pulse.
She opened her eyes and flung out her hand on instinct. She cried out the words of the Thunders, and the magical blast her opponents had been forming while she'd been summoning her power shattered into a thousand motes of light, its magic unmade. The two figures below her stared up at her in awe of her prowess, and she reveled in their shock and terror.
She rapidly forced that feeling down though. Logically, Alice knew her advantage wasn't that great. She'd devoted most of her spells to non combat practices, and her combat spells mostly focused on her dolls. She only had a few spells that allowed her to attack directly, and most of those were easy to dodge.
With one exception.
Her foes of course weren't going to let her summon up that magic unopposed. The woman lowered her head and began a low chant. Electricity poured out of her hands and infused the man's blade, turning it into a crackling weapon of energy that would shatter most magical shields. Alice needed to buy some time.
She out a small doll and tossed it forward to meet her foes. "Semi Autonomous Goliath Doll."
The doll began expanding the moment it left her hand. It rapidly grew to twice the man's height and brought it's blades clashing down in defiance. The electrified blade climbed to meet the mighty blow and the forest was wracked with the shriek of arcing lightning as the three blades locked against each other.
Still, Alice knew that wouldn't be enough. It was only out there to buy Alice time.
Most people believed that Magician youkai have no unique traits. Sure they all know magic, but that's something any youkai (and many humans) can learn given enough time.
This is wrong.
Each magician youkai has one spell that no other living being, not even other magicians, can duplicate. One spell that defines them. The spell that made them a youkai or removed their aging.
Patchouli had her Philosophers Stone, which could alter the very nature of souls. Marisa had created her Improbability Potion, which defied conventional logic. Byakuren had her 'Superhuman Byakuren' spell, which gave her powers far beyond mortal humans.
And Alice had her grimoire. The Grimoire of Alice. A book for her alone. A book that declared she was to be a legend.
Alice called upon the artifact that had made her a youkai once again, asking it for more power. And it gladly answered, making the river of power overflow. Alice fought back the urge to laugh as raw energy coursed through her veins, and poured out of her eyes. She instead forced herself to focus on her spell.
The Goliath doll was missing an arm, but it was still holding her foes off. They'd seen her begin her spell and were rushing to stop her. But it was too late.
"The sun shines on the battlefield
It shines with furious might
It does its best to shadows clear
To make the future bright.
And this is odd, because it is
The middle of the night."
A blast of flame shot up from her grimoire, as bright as the sun in her improvised poem. Alice smiled even as the Goliath doll collapsed and continued her rhyme.
"The time has come, my foolish foes,
To talk of many things
Of wonder – worlds – and walruses
Of dolls – and of their strings.
And if this world is really real,
And what makes humans beings."
The book pulsed with energy and shot another bolt into the flame sitting above them. The ball of fire dropped down from the sky and exploded in a crimson wave. It washed over Alice, but she felt no heat, only a sudden weakness. The power that had flowed through her body was gone. All drained into that massive explosion.
And when it faded her enemies were gone as well.
After a few seconds the creatures of the forest decided the night's entertainment was over and began their cries again. The sounds of the crickets was proof of Alice's victory.
Alice sighed deeply and allowed herself to drift down to the ground. Her body ached all over, and the book felt like lead in her hands. Overcharging herself with the grimoire like that always left her weakened. She probably wouldn't be able to fight for the rest of the night.
Still, she'd taken out two of the Lunarians, and Marisa was still fresh. Alice would just have to have faith in her friends and wait the rest of the battle out.
When she reached the ground she took cover between two bushes next to a young tree that still had some leaves. To pass the time she flipped open her grimoire again.
There on the pages, in a script only she could read, a new story was forming. A story of two soldiers thrown in a strange world from a harsh battle.
As she watched them begin exploring their new world she wondered if they'd embrace their new existence as part of the book, or become a well placed pile of bones for the next 'Alice' to find.
She was hoping for a pile of bones herself. But maybe they'd mature enough for her to change her mind.
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.