Behold the Hakurei: Wyld Hunt 9
Behold the Hakurei
Chapter One: Wyld Hunt
"You're not going," Reimu yelled, "We don't even know what's on the other side of that door. You have no idea how dangerous this journey will be."
"She has a point," Marisa said, "You can just relax and leave this to the experts."
"You don't need to worry about us," Sanae said, "We can handle anything this place throws at us, but you need to stay here."
"Is this how it's going to be?" Kotohime asked, "You're all going on a cool adventure and you think you can leave me behind? We're going with you and you can't stop us, isn't that right Youmu?"
"Huh?" Youmu looked over when she heard her name.
"Youmu, you wanted to go?" Yuyuko asked, "All you had to do is ask, I won't stop you. I can take care of myself, you can go have fun on your adventure."
"What?" Youmu said, her gaze shifted between Kotohime and Yuyuko, "I didn't say-"
"Come on Youmu, show some backbone," Kotohime yelled, "Don't let Reimu walk all over you like this. Be confident. Show her that you're going on this adventure."
"But I don't-"
"Thank you all for coming," Yukari said as a gap slid open, Kotohime ducked behind her, "I'm sure you all remember that crazy girl with golden skin." Everyone murmured a replied. "Well, that girl was an invader. She came from an awful place, filled with blood and war, and she came through this door."
"I thought the seal on that door was impossible to open," Marisa said, "How could she have come through it?"
"I don't know," Yukari said.
Reimu gave really Yukari a blank stare. "You don't know," Reimu said, "Really?"
"Yes, I don't know," Yukari said, "I don't know because it isn't important how she did this. What is important is that all of you are going through this door to stop it from ever happening again. Am I understood?"
"Yes," Reimu said with a roll of her eyes.
"Then get going," Yukari said, shooing them away.
The team wordlessly entered the door, leaving Yukari and Yuyuko alone. Yukari felt a piece of paper land on her hat, and a gap opened to grab it. As Yukari looked over the paper, a red and purple blur sped through the door as it closed.
"What's it say?" Yuyuko asked.
Yukari let out a sigh. "It says 'C+ on dramatic entrance. You do this one a lot and need to change up your game to really impress people. Signed, Kotohime.'"
"Welp," Yuyuko said, "They're all gone. Do you think they'll be alright?"
"They'll be fine. They are Gensokyo's best incident solvers after all," Yukari said.
"I suppose," Yuyuko said, "Though, it will be weird having Hakugyokurou all to myself."
"Sleep over time?" Yukari asked.
"Sleep over time." Yuyuko replied.
Reimu, Marisa, Sanae, and Youmu stepped out of the door. They found themselves outside, miles in the sky. Before them stretches a great mass of rivers, all converging into a sea. Land between the rivers was coated with trees, and in the horizon they could see an island. As the Gensokyians looked over the new land, Reimu clutched her hands to her head.
"What is this place?" Reimu groaned, "My shrine maiden intuition is, ugh."
"Oh yeah," Marisa said, "Your intuition. With that, finding Remilia should be a sinch. Where do we go?"
Reimu waved her arm around. "Everywhere," Reimu said with a shout, "There's trouble all over this place. What is going on here?"
"Uh, Reimu," Youmu said nervously, "Could you keep your voice down?"
"What is it?" Reimu barked. Youmu opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by the whistling of an arrow. Reimu twisted backward, the arrow taking a lock of her black hair as it flew past. Reimu looked down and saw a group of five wearing white plate armor.
The captain, the only member wearing a cape and helmet, gave a light slap to the archer. "You missed," the captain said, "They weren't even looking at you, how did you miss?"
"I'll have you know," Reimu said, floating down to face the soldiers, "I have more the ten years practice at dodging danmaku. It'll take more than one arrow to beat me."
"That's why I wanted to you to stop shouting," Youmu said as she flew down with the rest of the group, "Because they had been watching us since we arrived."
"So what's the plan?" Marisa asked, "Danmaku them?"
"Looks like it," Reimu said, "They started this fight, so let's finish it."
"Can't we fight them with weapons?" Sanae asked with a slight whine, "You agree, don't you Youmu? Just look at the leader, he's got some nice looking swords and stance is sharp. And look at that one, he doesn't even have a weapon so he clearly fights with martial arts."
"Sanae, don't be ridiculous," Marisa said, "We're here to find Remilia, not-" An arrow flew straight at Marisa, stopping just in front of her eye as Sanae caught it in two fingers and Youmu's sword cut the arrow with a flash. Marisa eyed the archer. The archer sheepishly took a step back.
"I was talking," Marisa said to the archer, "Don't you know it's rude to interrupt?"
"You're a fae," she replied, "We're one a Wyld Hunt. Killing you is our job."
"Do you mean a 'faery'?" Marisa asked, "Because I'm human."
"We don't have time for this," The captain yelled, turning to his troops, "And what are you doing not attacking?"
"Trying to not die?" The archer said.
"Private Nagai, you're not helping," the captain said, turning to the unarmed man, "Ichimonji, stay behind Ishiguro and Ihara. You two," The captain turned to the soldiers in the back, carrying tower shields and chopping swords, "Take point with me."
"Sir, yes sir," the soldiers replied.
"What? You're hiding the martial artist in the back?" Sanae groaned, "I want to fight him."
"Relax Miss Sanae," Youmu said, "I'm sure you'll get your chance. Besides, the ones in front look like a good test of our skill."
"Yeah," Sanae agreed, slumping her shoulders, "But they've got weapons. It's just not the same."
"Your formation is nice and all," Reimu said, "But we can fly. We can just fly up over you and rain danmaku down until you surrender."
"Do it then," the captain said.
"Alright, we will," Reimu said as she and her friends slowly flew into the air. Reimu, Marisa, Sanae, and Youmu all extended their hands toward the soldiers and danmaku poured down onto them. Sharp winds formed around the soldiers as they leapt after Reimu and her friends. The two shield knights were pushed back by an endless stream of danmaku. As they fell away the captain rose up between them and dragged Youmu down and the captain's blade's clashed against Youmu and a ringing filled the air.
Sanae broke away to fight Ichimonji, flying down and taking a battle stance. Ichimonji had magic runes spiralling off of him as light began to warp around him. As Sanae rushed forward into battle arrows came whistling to her. Sanae turned and began snatching the arrows out of the air, expertly catching them between her fingers. Nagai had her quiver tilted backward on her thigh, letting her reload and fire in a single, smooth motion.
"Ichimonji, hurry up" Nagai yelled.
"Don't worry," he said, "It won't be long now."
Nagai did her best to keep Sanae's attention, but ultimately Sanae couldn't resist the pull of seeing new martial arts.
"Show me your power," Sanae called out as she ran of Ichimonji, "Or face a miracle!"
"On you captain," Ichimonji yelled as black smoke poured from his hand and rushed to the captain. As Youmu fought against the captain, the smoke coiled around him, turning into four black snakes coming from a spell circle at his feet. The snakes lashed out against Youmu, two of them were cut down, Youmu ducked under one, but the last one bit into her arm and pulled Youmu to the ground with the captain.
Youmu cried out as snake's fangs pulled and torn at her flesh as she desperately fought the captain with one arm. Reimu and Marisa fired danmaku down on captain, only to be blocked by his shield bearers. Youmu cut down the last two snakes as the captain slowly overwhelmed her with speed. The captain lunged forward, leaving shallow cuts across Youmu's sides as she twisted away from his swords.
Sanae stood still, a blank look on her face as she casually blew away Nagai's arrows. "What was that?" Sanae asked.
"I'm a sorcerer, not a martial artist," Ichimonji said.
Sanae let out a tired sigh. "Hey, Marisa," Sanae yelled, "This guy's a wizard, you wanna take him?"
"Huh, sure," Marisa said as she fired danmaku down onto the knights guarding the captain. Marisa turned her fire to Ichimonji, pummeling him with illusion lasers and a flurry of danmaku. As Ichimonji slumped down in the dirt with a light smoke rising off of him, Nagai stared open-mouthed at Sanae.
"Can you do that to?" Nagai asked.
"Yeah," Sanae said with a shrug, "It's not hard."
Without a second thought, Nagai fled.
"Nagai!" The captain yelled, "Where are you going?"
"To 'Not Die'," Nagai yelled back, "It's a great place and you should visit some time."
"Reimu," Sanae said, "Do you need help?"
"I'm fine," Reimu said, kicking against the tower shields and toppling the knights under them. As the guards fell, Marisa fired some more danmaku to keep them down. When the lights from Marisa's danmaku dimmed, Reimu saw Youmu and the captain. The captain had been brought to one knee while Youmu stood tall, her swords on either side of the captain's neck.
"Surrender," Youmu demanded.
"I would rather die than surrender Creation to the Fae," the captain replied.
"I'm not a fairy," Marisa said, "I'm just a regular human."
"For a creature of lies that was pathetic," the captain said, "What ordinary human can you what you do?"
"The ones who study and train," Marisa replied, "I spent a lot of time to learn magic."
"You look like you're fourteen," the captain said, "How much time exactly?"
"Well, my parents aren't proud of me," Marisa said, "Enough time to get them to kick me out. How did you spend on those swords?"
"Long enough to make my parents proud, but clearly not long enough," the captain said.
"You fought quite well," Youmu said, "That is something you should be proud of."
"I have nothing to boast for," the captain said, "My troops have been beaten, one of them fled, and I have lost."
"Ugh, we're not here to kill you," Reimu said, "We're just looking for someone."
"Why should I believe you?" the captain asked.
"I don't care if you do or don't," Reimu said, "We're leaving. Youmu, sheathe your swords and let him go."
"Are you sure? He might attack me again." Youmu said.
"Then fly away!" Reimu said, taking to the air.
Youmu hesitantly pulled her swords away. When the captain didn't move Youmu slowly flew away, joining Reimu, Marisa, and Sanae.
"Hold on," the captain said, "You aren't actually going to fly around Creation?"
"What's going to stop us?" Marisa asked.
"The dragonblooded Empire will," the captain said, "If you fly around then you're not Fae, they at least now something about Creation. Who are you looking for?"
"What does it matter to you?" Reimu asked.
"This place is my home and I was tasked with protecting it," the captain said, "You'll cause havoc if you fly about with your magic. Noble houses on the brink of civil war will walk over each other to gain control of you. Now who are you looking for."
Reimu drifted down to the ground.
"Reimu, what are you doing?" Marisa asks, "You remember how much trouble Leona caused. Why would you want to be nice to these people?"
"Because it's the right thing to do," Reimu said.
Marisa rolled her eyes and flew after Reimu, Sanae and Youmu were quick to follow.
"Now then," Reimu said, "You said it's your job to help protect this place, and if me and my friends just wander about then you will fail. So, you should help us find our friend so we can leave."
"I will," the captain said.
"What's your name?" Youmu asked.
The captain reached up and pulled off his helmet. His face had a scar running over one eye, down across his nose, and off his chin. He had short, black hair, a short beard, and dark blue eyes.
"I am captain Hanzo."
*** Yu Shan ***
High above the city, locked away within a mighty spire was the Loom of Fate. The powder blue strands in the loom dictated the fate of everything in Creation, from the smallest of insects and dull lives of farmers to the mightiest of beasts and kings, queens, and heroes of the land. If everything worked according to the loom, Creation would be a peaceful place.
White Ivory, a chocolate skinned woman wearing a light blue robe and an exalt of fate, known as a sidereal, and guardian of the loom let out a deep breath. She would have to tell Kejop about this, and she hated telling Kejop about anything. He would always rant on for hours about how it was probably the Solars faults when Ivory just wanted to get work done and make sure reality was still happening.
Ivory strode out of the tower. She would have to tell Kejop about this. In fact, she would probably have to show him just to make sure. She was not happy about this. Not only would she have to waste hours listening to Kejop's endless rants, she was the guardian of the loom and something was messing with it. Still, this was so big she would have to tell Kejop.
A single red strand had been found in the loom.
*** Creation. Just outside that door ***
Reimu and her team marched down the road. Reimu was certain she had forgotten something but the headache her intuition was giving her made it hard for her to think. If she had forgotten something, it probably wasn't important though.
A few feet away from Reimu, Kotohime hid behind the trees doing her best to suppress giggles and the growing grin plastered all over her face. It was good to be back.