I actually finished this chapter the night before I saved the individual chapter as a document to upload. I set up to go on such a limb here that it's not even funny. The setting up is subtle, but if you know, you'll know.

On a totally unrelated note, I've been listening to the IOSYS remix of Eiki's theme nonstop since the day before yesterday when I found it.


Kanako's face turned pale and grim. Another sacrifice had been made, but there was something else. Something familiar…but it couldn't have been right.

"What's wrong," Reimu asked. "It's because all of those gods were with you and she still single-handedly beat you all, isn't it? Suwako just got another sacrifice; even I noticed."

"Alone? Who ever said that she was alone?"


Kanako and the gods that had allied themselves with her stared down the two…no, three goddesses. One doubled as a shrine maiden, and was the daughter of Suwako herself; Akane Moriya. The second was Suwako, and the third…the goddess of destruction. Not a goddess of destruction, the goddess of destruction. Deres. One of the most feared of gods. Just what had Suwako said that she allied herself with the frog goddess?

"Your fight ends here," Kanako said. "Akane, Suwako, you've lost. And even you, Deres."

The goddess of destruction cackled wildly at the idea that she could actually lose in battle. Her power was incomparable; she could have destroyed the entire world right then if she really felt like it. "Is that so, Kanako?"


"As if," Reimu said. "Doesn't the name Flandre Scarlet say anything? I'm not believing in this Deres person."

"She certainly exists," Harumi said, seating herself with a tray in her lap that held three cups of tea. "Suwako wasn't even the reason that the other gods died. Deres was."

"She killed them?"

"Destroying a god is far from easy, but she did it somehow. If Lady Kanako says that Deres is somewhere in Gensokyo, it would be quite a gamble to doubt her for even a second. It may have even been her who destroyed your shrine, Reimu."

"Then I have to kill her," Reimu said wickedly.

"That's why Lady Kanako would worry."

"Huh?"

"Deres was sealed away since the means to destroy her were impossible to find. It was a place for all sorts of exiled gods; a very dark world. There's only been one incident in which a god escaped from there, and it just so happened to be Deres, who, according to Lady Kanako, had been freed by Suwako Moriya herself." Harumi wasn't fooled by the cheerful guise Suwako put up; she was never alive to witness it. That meant that the Yasaka miko could see that she was evil through and through, even if Kanako had forgotten. "I'm not going to ask you to avoid fighting Suwako, but if Deres is indeed in this world, I can't stress enough that you don't confront her, Reimu. I've heard of how important your existence is for Gensokyo to continue to be, and even from the short time I've been here, I can see how much the inhabitants love this world, and I couldn't stand seeing this world collapse."

"Who needs sealing," a new voice asked. "Just destroy that goddess; surely both of my apprentices would say the same."

Reimu's head turned quickly to the source of the voice. "You…"


"Komachi."

"Yes, Shiki-sama?"

"You feel it too, don't you? There's a goddess in Gensokyo becoming more powerful than she should…maybe two. You sense it too, right?"

"I do," Komachi said warily. "It feels like the bitter cold of death is crawling up my spine. Is this the same goddess from before?" From before Komachi was a Shinigami. Part of her had to wonder how old Eiki actually was if she was judging the sacrifices from that war.

"I'm afraid so. I'm about to ask a very important task of you, Komachi, and if I find that you slack off on this, saying 'there will be Hell to pay' will be such an understatement that you don't even want to know the extent of your punishment."

"What's the task?"

"I need you to ferry me over to Gensokyo. And afterwards, I need you to contact the other Yama and have them send a temporary replacement to fill in for me while I'm gone."

"W-What? You mean-"

"I'm afraid so. I hate using violence, but I'll have to enter the fray as well."

"Then they'll need a replacement Shinigami, too! There's no way I can let you-"

"You will do your job as usual, Komachi, and that is an order!" Eiki's voice was even more stern than usual, and the power of authority behind her words was unquestionable. If Eiki had been frivolous earlier, this would have been the serious side of her. "Are we perfectly clear, Komachi?"

"Y-Y…Yes, ma'am."

"Good. We don't have any time to waste, we must get to Gensokyo as soon as possible."


Visitors from above were rare in the Palace of Earth Spirits, but Satori was far from happy with this guest and the news they brought. The fire truck red of her face said that, as well as the twitching of her eyebrow. She had even asked that they say it aloud so that Satori could be certain she was reading the right mind properly!

"Ms. Satori Komeiji," Nue started, reading from a note written on paper by Suwako. "You seem to have trouble keeping your pets in one place; we've recently caught a cat snooping around our shrine and Sanae discovered it to be Rin Kaenbyou, who is a pet of yours if I'm correct? Upon interrogation, we have learned that she had come to spy on us and relay information to the Yasaka Shrine, something we don't approve of here. Unless you want her to be sacrificed next, you will do as I say. Come to the Moriya Shrine before seven o-clock tomorrow morning; bring your sister and Utsuho. Failure to comply with this simple condition will result in the prompt sacrificing of Rin, and the raiding of your mansion to make not only you, but Koishi and Utsuho future sacrifices. No funny business. Signed, Suwako Moriya."

It was taking almost all of Satori's self-control to not explode in Nue's face. Calm down, Satori, calm down. You're mature; you can handle this. Deep breaths… No good. This wasn't going to calm Satori down at all. "We…I-I…" Satori had never been this angry before. She could barely speak! "We'll be there," she said quickly and softly.

"Good to know," Nue said. And with that, she made her own way out of the underground mansion.

As soon as Satori could hear the front door close, she let out one massive scream at the top of her lungs. "Dammit," she yelled. "Utsuho! Koishi! Get over here, now! We have an emergency!" How could this have happened? Satori would need to have a word with Kanako once this business with Suwako and Sanae was settled.

"There's a problem with the reactor," Utsuho yelled back from deep beneath the mansion. "It could take some time to fix."

"Too bad," Satori yelled. "I need you both here, now!"

"Y-Y…Yes, Satori-sama! But, the reactor…"

"Shut it down for now!"


"Let me get this straight," Reimu said, still glaring angrily at the ghost across the table from her. "You were freed when my shrine was destroyed, and have been watching Sanae and Suwako this whole time? And now you want to help us?"

"That's right," Mima said. "I can't let anybody else take over Gensokyo now, can I? It's mine to conquer and mine alone, so in the mutual interest of Gensokyo's…ahem, temporary freedom and happiness and all that fluffy flutter, I propose an alliance. Until Suwako and Sanae are taken care of, I'll back you up." It was a shame, though, that Yuka had to go and worship at the Moriya Shrine. "There are certainly benefits to having me on your side."

"Like what?"

"Accept and you'll find out."

"…fine. But don't start thinking my opinion has changed about you, Mima."

"I wouldn't dare!"


"M-Mima-sama!" Nearly as soon as Mima's voice had sounded, the countless locking mechanisms on Marisa's door could be heard being unlocked very rapidly. And then the door flung open. "Make yourself at home!"

"That's very kind. Thank you, Marisa."

"It's nothing," Marisa said with enthusiasm that hadn't been in her voice for quite some time. "You're my master after all, and nobody's seen you in years! You've been really missed!"

"And some missed her more than others," Reimu said wittily.

"You're a guest in my house, ze. Keep it in mind, Reimu."

"Alright, I'm sorry. Now then, Mima, what's so important that we have to see Marisa for it?"

"I left her in possession of an item of mine," Mima said. "Do you still have it?"

"I've guarded it like sacred treasure da ze! Let me go find it!"

"Please do. The sooner this mess is over, the sooner I can start a mess of my own." It really had been way too long since Mima had done anything worthwhile. This would be a good test of her ability.

"What did you leave her with," Reimu asked.

"Found it da ze!" Marisa rushed back to Mima, and handed her a necklace with a green star-shaped amulet. "Your amulet."

"Excellent," Mima said. "You see, Reimu, this amulet is extremely powerful; there's more power in this little green star than there is in your entire body."

"That strong?" Even Marisa was surprised! "If I'd known that…!"

"Ah, but you don't know how to use it, Marisa. Even if you did, it only responds to my touch, so you would need me around to use it."

"Alright, ze. But…what's it do?"

"Well, it's more powerful than Reimu, so can you guess what I'm going to do with it?"

"…overpower her?"

"Close enough." Mima held the star amulet tightly, and it began to glow with a faint green light. And soon, that light grew brighter, and brighter, and green smoke even began coming out of the amulet. After this continued, the amulet exploded into countless shards that dissolved into thin air. "It only works once a day," Mima said, slightly upset. "But I'm glad my amulet still works right."

"…nothing seems any different, ze." Then she sensed it. Reimu probably wouldn't have been able to sense it; this sharp increase in power. Almost enough to make Marisa weak at her knees, magic power was filling the air. What was the source? …Mima! "Mima-sama…"

"Oh yes," Mima said. "It's been far too long. I'll see you girls at the Yasaka Shrine." And with that, the evil spirit of the Hakurei Shrine stepped outside, unfurled a pair of massive black wings, and blasted into the air. Mima was back in action, and her full power was now restored! Those silly little seals Reimu put up; they were no match for that amulet's power. Good thing she left it in Marisa's hands.


Well, Mima's back (bitches)

Two of Gensokyo's green-haired individuals are on one side, two are on the other side, and one more still is en route to the Moriya Shrine with escort from Satori and Okuu. I believe the story has just entered high gear. Perhaps I should prepare the would-be apocalypse within the next two or three chapters. But anybody who knows me knows that my stories write themselves (sorta like how ZUN's games really are what write the songs, as he said in his song commentaries somewhere)

So, to recap, the big (and important) names on both sides are…

Reimu, Kanako, Mima, Eiki, and possibly Yukari and Marisa on the side of the Yasaka Shrine

Sanae, Suwako, Yuka, Nue, and possibly Satori, Koishi, and Okuu on the side of the Moriya Shrine

I should write more fanfics like this O_O