Reimu stood before Konngara, the giant, horned lady remaining sat on her throne, smiling down at the tiny shrine maiden trainee with her odd smile. The longer that Reimu looked at Konngara, the more that she realised how much bigger than her the ruler of Jigoku is; Reimu could probably be as tall as only her thumb. Reimu didn't let the fear of Konngara's size get to her; she is a Hakurei shrine maiden, even if she's just a trainee she won't run away if Konngara is the size of an entire mountain.
"I request that you close the portal to Gensokyo this instant, or else I will beat you up until you do." Reimu demanded, the little girl keeping a powerful glare towards the giant oni in front of her.
An escape of air cane from Konngara's nostrils as she tried to keep her mouth closed, the black-haired woman putting her hand over her mouth as she tried to stop laughing. Konngara's efforts, however, were in vain as she started laughing outright anyways. Reimu felt offended as the giant laughed at her threat, throwing her ofuda towards the giant woman. Like how her ofuda worked against anyone who wasn't the little devils, the paper charms didn't hurt Konngara and only fell down from her clothing. Konngara didn't take notice to Reimu's attempted attack, if anything she just ignored it.
"Threats do not work on oni, and the promise of a good fight only inch us towards the possibility." Konngara responded calmly, not getting up from her throne. "If you wish for me to close the portal between Gensokyo and Jigoku, you must first defeat me."
"Fine then, I will defeat you." Reimu said, making the Yin-Yang Orb grow in size; if Reimu had anything that would be able to hurt Konngara, it would be the Yin-Yang Orb. Reimu was about to whack the Yin-Yang Orb towards Konngara and battle her like she does with everyone else, but the oni had stopped her by outstretching a hand that had all of her fingers folded in her palm with the exception her index finger, which was still stretched out, signalling Reimu a no. The shrine maiden trainee didn't know why, but for some reason she complied to the oni's demand, the hand holding onto her gohei hanging near limply by her side.
"I'm afraid that we cannot simply just battle each other like that. While I would love a good battle, especially a good battle against a worthy opponent as I am a oni, I am still the master and ruler of this dimension. Thus, if you wish to fight me, you must first best my champion in battle." Konngara explained, her fingers rubbing over the bronze disk attached to her neck, a faint glow of a purple energy sparking from the disc. "Tell me, Hakurei Maiden, are you sure that you want to face my champion before me? Do know that while she isn't as strong as myself, she is still one of the toughest entities living in this dimension."
"Fine then, go on, unleash your champion on me!" Reimu yelled, keeping her gohei facing towards Konngara. "I don't care how many people I have to beat up, as a Hakurei shrine maiden I must battle anyone who acts as a threat towards the existence of Gensokyo!"
"Ah, very well." Konngara responded. "Tell me, what is your name, Hakurei Maiden?"
"Reimu." The aforementioned shrine maiden trainee answered. "I am Reimu Hakurei."
"Very well, Reimu. Behold, my champion: Kikuri!" Konngara said, grabbing hold of the bronze disk surrounding her neck, yanking it off. The bronze chain disappeared into a purple fire, though the disk itself remained intact. Konngara threw the disk towards Reimu, the same disk suddenly stopping and floating in the air as it was halfway towards Reimu, a bright glow of purple coming from the disk. Reimu closed her eyes and covered her face with her arms as the glow was unnaturally bright. When Reimu removed her arms, she was surprised to see that the disk had enlarged, now being as tall as a tall human being. It was bobbing up and down in the air as a fire-like purple aura came off of it. Nothing on the disk had changed, though the blue orb in between the woman's hands was starting to glow brighter. The eyes on the girl in the bronze disk suddenly opened, being completely bronze like the rest of her.
Magic Mirror
Kikuri
"Hello, Miss Reimu Hakurei. It is nice to meet you." Kikuri said to Reimu, her voice being calm and polite. She honestly spoke like a woman that protected, cared for and respected children. "I do hope that, no matter how merciless either of us become, there will be no long-lasting ill will between us."
Reimu once again raised her gohei, ready to whack the Yin-Yang Orb and begin her battle with the champion of Jigoku, but was quickly stopped by Konngara before the battle could begin. "Before you start, I wish to do this first." Konngara said. The giant oni raised a hand into the air and clenched it shut, a green glow seeping through the small spaces between her fingers. Konngara opened her hand, a swarm of small, green spheres flying out and flying around each other. "Even though we love to both watch and participate in a good old-fashioned brawl, we oni still greatly respect the concepts of truth and fairness. They are both one of the few things we value above strength and a really good alcoholic drink. I cannot live with myself if you face my champion before my healing spirits fix you of your injuries, pain and exhaustion."
The tiny green spheres flew towards Reimu, eventually engulfing her body with them. A feeling suddenly arose in Reimu, like that feeling of being fresh after her mum used to bath her. Ever since her battle against Mima, Reimu's body had hurt and ached, but these spheres were beginning to make that pain go away, and then suddenly she felt no more pain. What's more, she has also been feeling rather exhausted since her battle against the ghost, but the spheres were making the exhaustion go away as well. The green spheres flew away from Reimu, the shrine maiden trainee looking down at her body, becoming surprised as she saw that all the cuts and bruises on her body had gone away completely. Even her kimono was repaired.
Reimu felt excited, after she is still a kid. But now that she is healed, with her feelings of being tired and her pain gone, Reimu was more than prepared to fight Kikuri. The shrine maiden trainee whacked her gohei against her Yin-Yang Orb, and the battle had begun.
The Hakurei shrine was quiet, with the only exception being the chirps of crickets. Gensokyo was usually quiet at night, at least at the Hakurei Shrine and at The Human Village. The Forest of Magic was usually subject to magical duels between youkai and youkai, magician and magician, and youkai and magician.
The waters of the pond next to the cherry grove behind the shrine suddenly rippled as Genji slowly crawled out of the area of water. The guardian spirit had woke up a few minutes ago and found himself to be unable to fall back to sleep, so he decided to check on Reimu, to see if she was safe and getting go sleep.
As Genji slowly walked around the shrine, his eyes noticed something different about the torii gate at the front of the shrine's steps: there was a portal there, a portal sealed from the other side. Even though physical forms didn't matter much to an entity like Genji, with all of his organs mostly existing to mimic a real turtle as greatly as he could, Genji still felt his heart stop and squeeze tightly as he recognised the barrier. It looked like one created by Gyoku, and due to him now being dead and inside the Yin-Yang Orb, the only ones that can conjure his barriers are shrine maidens.
Genji rose off the ground as he activated his flying powers and floated above the ground, knowing that even though he is naturally slow when walking, he still can be a fast flyer. Genji flew to the front of the shrine, finding the doors to having been slid open, the shrine empty. Genji poked his head under the kotatsu, hoping to find Reimu sleeping under the table, but the shrine maiden in training was nowhere to be seen. Genji took his head out from under the kotatsu and looked towards the torii gate, the turtle-like entity quickly flying to the large, red gate. Genji put his feet back down on the ground as he was in front of the torii gate, looking through the blue, translucent barrier to see what was behind.
Genji saw a red land with many fires, the spirit recognising it as Jigoku. If Genji had teeth, he would have gritted them. He knew that all Hakurei shrine maidens, especially trainees, have to eventually go to Jigoku and fight against Konngara, but Reimu is still a little girl. Hell, Genji only trained her while she is at such a young age because of that border-manipulating youkai.
Genji focussed on the barrier that he has became accustomed with; he could easily get rid of the barrier, enter Jigoku and come after Reimu, but that would cause the Hakurei God to become mad at him, and the rage of the Hakurei God is something that Genji would never want.
And if he interfered with Reimu's training...
Genji turned his head to the top of the Hakurei shrine, thinking that he will find the gap youkai standing atop and keeping an eye on him. Genji had seen nothing... though there was still to possibility that she made herself invisible by manipulating the boundary of visible/invisible.
Sighing in defeat, Genji sat down in front of the torii gate, knowing that he'll just have to wait until Reimu beats Konngara and leaves.
Reimu was running as quickly as she could, running away from the red lasers that Kikuri was shooting out of her eyes. Reimu knew that she would have a lot of surprises but she never expected Kikuri to be able to shoot lasers out of her eyes, powerful lasers at that; even the Yin-Yang Orb had bounced off of the lasers upon contact instead of destroying them like it did with most of the bullets. Reimu tripped, the young maiden quickly getting back on her feet to escape the laser Kikuri sent towards her, the laser grazing at the side of her torso.
Between the indestructible lasers that Kikuri kept on sending towards her and her Yin-Yang Orb bouncing around and threatening to hit her, Reimu was barely able to focus on the lady in the bronze disk before her. Kikuri suddenly stopped firing lasers out of her eyes. "I know that my lasers are powerful, Miss Reimu Hakurei, however I can only use so many of them in one go." Kikuri said, once again having a polite tone in her voice. Even Kikuri's bronze eyes shown the same politeness as before. "However, I have many other tricks up my sleeve. Do not doubt the power of Konngara's champion."
A hum of energy came from the orb between Kikuri's hands, the bronze lady's eyes were closed as she focused her power into the sphere. Reimu ran to her Yin-Yang Orb, whacking the treasure towards Kikuri. The Yin-Yang had hit Kikuri, but the woman didn't react, continuing to charge the energy into the orb between her hands. Kikuri then shot out a ring of white bullets towards Reimu, the shrine maiden trainee throwing her ofuda towards the ring, destroying the bullets that it was comprised of.
Kikuri continued to shoot out more rings of bullets towards Reimu, shooting out more and more rings of bullets towards the little girl. Reimu ran away from the bullet rings, the purple-haired girl running towards the Yin-Yang Orb, Reimu slid along the ground and whacked the Yin-Yang Orb towards Kikuri. Kikuri's ring bullets were following after Reimu, though most of those bullets were destroyed as Reimu sent the Yin-Yang Orb towards Kikuri. Once again, Kikuri didn't react when the Yin-Yang Orb hit her. Reimu began to wonder if the Yin-Yang Orb didn't hurt Kikuri or if she just doesn't feel pain.
Kikuri once again focussed her power and energy into the blue orb between her hands, this time conjuring two fireballs of purple flames. The two purple fires flew into the air, shooting small, purple fireballs towards Reimu. The shrine maiden trainee hit away the smaller fireballs with her gohei, throwing ofuda towards Kikuri as the woman sent out waves of bullets from her disk.
Reimu was suddenly socked in the side of her head by the Yin-Yang Orb, the little girl falling down onto her side. Reimu was able to roll out of the range of the bullets and the fireballs, the shrine maiden trainee quickly going back onto her feet and running towards the Yin-Yang Orb, whacking it, the holy item bouncing off the wall and hitting Kikuri. The bronze lady didn't make any sounds of pain, but she still showed that the Yin-Yang Orb may have had an effect on her.
The fireballs that Kikuri created had remained existing, shooting out even more smaller fireballs, this time towards the floor. As soon as the smaller fireballs touched the marble floor they burst into embers of purple fire. Thankfully the embers disappeared shortly after, but it didn't change that it was enough of a sign towards Reimu that she should be vigilante towards the fireballs. Reimu made a slide along the floor as Kikuri shot more rings of bullets towards her while the fireballs continued to drop their little bomb-like attacks.
Reimu continued to whack the Yin-Yang orb towards Kikuri, the bronze lady doing nothing to dodge the mystical weapon as it came for her. Reimu didn't know if Kikuri had no knowledge on dodging or if she just believed that she could take it all. Then again, a lot of Reimu's swings towards the champion of Konngara had missed, so maybe Kikuri had little reason to dodge? Reimu was honestly too caught up in running away from the bullets that were being sent towards her to fully think or ponder about what goes through the head of the woman.
A purple fireball quickly fell down in front of Reimu's face, the purple-haired shrine maiden trainee having no time to dodge as an ember came from the fireball as it hitted the floor. Reimu was burnt by the purple fires; even though they didn't leave any burns Reimu or her kimono, it didn't change that it hurt to be attacked by the fires.
"I warned you that this battle could become merciless." Kikuri said, a hint of regret in her voice, though it did nothing to stop her as she once again released a wave of bullets from the side of the disk she was seemingly stuck to. "I earnestly hope that you will forgive me for everything that I do to you in this battle."
"Yeah, well I hope that you forgive me for this!" Reimu yelled at Kikuri, sending the Yin-Yang Orb towards the bronze lady, hitting her square in the face. This time Kikuri showed a sign that the orb may have done considerable damage towards her, however the woman quickly regained her serene expression, once again shooting lasers from her eyes.
Konngara watched the battle between her champion and the shrine maiden trainee, the giant oni focussing mostly on the purple-eyed little girl. She was much different from the other trainees that she has faced; not only was she younger but her methods of combat were different. Konngara may have faced every Hakurei shrine maiden that has ever existed for the last millennium or so, but that was mostly because he ordered her to. That was mostly because he knew when they were ready for the trials. Konngara was certain that Reimu's young age and lack of real training could be the reason why she isn't fighting like the others.
Why, the Hakurei shrine maidens of the past could already fly and shoot out danmaku by the time they had to face Konngara and her champions. Reimu was showing good work against Kikuri, but if she was like any of her ancestors than she would have probably defeat Kikuri by now.
Though, once again, with her young age and lack of training, Konngara couldn't really fault Reimu for her methods of fighting against Kikuri.
The shrine maiden trainee whacked the Yin-Yang Orb towards the fireballs that Kikuri summoned, the purple flames being destroyed upon being hit. There was finally a different expression Kikuri's face that had lasted for more than a few seconds: shock. Kikuri had completely frozen in her actions, she wasn't even shooting out anymore bullets in her state of being nonplussed.
"This is my chance...!" Reimu whispered as her foe was left frozen in surprise of what she did, the shrine maiden trainee herself once again having bruises, with her kimono being greatly singed. "I must hit her when her guard is most down...!"
Reimu poured her energy into the next whack of her gohei, sending it fly towards Kikuri, the bronze disk woman still comprehending what happened. Kikuri was brought back to the reality around her, only to see the Yin-Yang Orb in front of her at point-blank range. Kikuri was hit without any time to dodge or protect herself, the disk that was a part of herself tilting and falling down onto the floor. Kikuri layed within her disk, her eyes being transformed into swirling spirals.
Kikuri, the champion of Konngara, was defeated by Reimu Hakurei.
"Ha, I won!" Reimu cheered, swinging her gohei in the air victoriously.
Kikuri soon regained consciousness, the bronze disk woman floating up. "It is true, you have won fairly, Miss Reimu Hakurei." Kikuri responded, bowing respectfully towards Reimu. Kikuri then turned towards Konngara and floated towards her, the bronze woman's face turning from her usual smile to a face that was more of regretful sadness. "I am sorry that I failed you, Lady Konngara."
"It is okay, Kikuri, you still fought with everything that you had; that is admirable enough to me." Konngara said, waving a hand dismissively to Kikuri's defeat. Konngara then pointed towards one of the walls of her throne room. "Go sit over there, you deserve the rest."
"Thank you, Lady Konngara." Kikuri spoke before going over the where Konngara pointed, leaning the bronze disk that contained her against the wall. Kikuri focussed her hands back to the orb between them, regaining her serene expression, seemingly becoming completely still again. Reimu just assumed that was Kikuri's way of resting.
Konngara stood up from her throne, the vibrations coming from the giantess' footsteps being enough to nearly make Reimu fall down onto her butt again. Konngara clenched her fist and once again released the green spheres that healed Reimu before her fight with Kikuri, the same green spheres doing the exact same thing that they did then now.
"Before we start our fight, allow me to do something to make the fight a bit more fair..." Konngara said, the oni closing her eyes and seemingly focussing on something. Suddenly, Konngara began to shrink, and she began to shrink entirely, even her clothes were shrinking. Konngara eventually stopped shrinking, now at a size that is more like that of her human. She was still much bigger and taller than Reimu, but she was now the size of a human adult. "Are you ready, Reimu of the Hakureis? Are you prepared to face me: Konngara, the Astral Knight, one of The Four Devas of the Mountain, the true strongest in Jigoku and it ruler?"
Reimu pointed her gohei towards Konngara, a determined look on the little girl's face. "Bring it on." Reimu responded.
A smirk grew on Konngara's face. "You sure are quite the brave and battle-hungry maiden, aren't you?" The red-eyed oni said. "I like you, and I hope I like this battle. Every other enemy that you have faced before will be like a warm up in comparison to me."
Konngara outstretched one of her arms from her side, a flash of lightning appearing around her open hand, a katana appearing into existence. Konngara grabbed the katana by the hilt. Konngara then stabbed the katana into the floor, pressing down the top of the hilt. Cracks appeared where the blade was stabbing into, a blue light seeping out from the cracks. The cracks stretched out along the floor until the marble surface looked like it was all cracks, the same blue light seeping out from all of the cracks. Reimu was both too surprised and curious to stop Konngara, the little girl part of the trainee wanting to see what the oni before her was doing.
The entire floor then broke apart, the blue light from beneath obscuring Reimu's view completely.
Author's Note: Yep, kinda left this chapter on a cliffhanger here, though we all know that it's going to lead to the battle against Konngara, which would also mean the end of the first half of the Highly Responsive to Prayers arc, as there is still the Makai half that Reimu has to go through.
I apologise if the battle between Reimu and Kikuri was boring or undermining, especially in comparison to the Mima battle that happened in the last chapter. It just that there is very little to work with for Reimu, both from how there was little she really could do in the first game, as well as from a story perspective since she's meant to be a little girl who is still just starting to learn and grasp her powers. And then there's Kikuri, who my muse just couldn't think up that much for her character. At least I made her polite.
Reviews are welcomed, even ones that come with constructive criticism.
Next chapter~!
