Sauntering inside, Reimu looked around. She saw the broken glass and walling on the left, and then saw Sendai on the right, letting her gaze linger for a moment.

'Aa- ah…' Sendai wasn't sure what to do, at first. 'Reimu…'

'I haven't-... seen her since that evening.'

The captured bunny Rika's pink eyes were wide. Keine and Mokou stood still, blankly following Reimu with their gazes as she casually stepped further into the house.

"Um. Hey, Reimu." Reisen gave her a friendly wave.

"I'm kinda curious." Reimu nodded idly, looking around the varied pool of people here... "What's actually going on here."

Strafing around the couch Sendai was on earlier, Keine approached this tactfully. "...Would you mind if I explained?" She offered, smiling a little.

"You're good at that, so sure." Reimu gave two good nods. "What is any of this." She gestured in the vague direction of everything else.

Keine did her best. "...People of the human village have conspired to destroy the school, so me, this woman, Marcus and Mokou have all been working together to stop them. Meanwhile-... we've uncovered some of their intentions of what they plan to do with my students, and have found out that renegade lunar-..."

Stopping, she took a breath. "You see, renegades from Eientei have taken hold in the village, too. Allying with the human conspirators, they mass-produce volatile drugs. The more honorable sects of the town guard and I have taken to preventing this spread, since there actually is village code that bars the transfer of youkai toxin among regular villagers."

"...So, um-... me and some of these people were going to fix the problem." Keine finished, letting her eyes close as she let her breath run out. "Ge- geez…"

...Reimu exhaled. "Had to be more of this stupid village crap, huh. First I heard of it being this bad. Why didn't you say something a few days ago?"

...Keine met her gaze again. Then, she gestured to Sendai. "Because-... well, I couldn't have. Politically, that could have gone… bad, for everyone. Instead-... she helped out."

"Her?" Reimu's brows twitched. "...Why her?"

"She's-... a good, strong person." Keine smiled resolutely. "I would say-... that you should get to know her."

"Yeah, I already do." Reimu met Sendai with a level stare. "She came by the shrine, a few days ago. She pretended to be mom. Strong and good didn't immediately come to mind."

...Her brows folding up, Keine tried to mediate her reaction. "Now, Reimu-..."

"Whatever." Reimu shook her head, before walking deeper into the house. "We have bigger fish to fry, it sounds like. Where's these people you talked about?"

"We already dealt with most of them." Sendai moved after her, as she stopped before the multi-colored youkai girls. "And... honestly, we've already got this."

Reimu furrowed her brows at her. "Who're you? I think I'll be the judge of that, thanks. Especially since those youkai bunnies are getting involved. Pretty sure you can't do anything about them, no matter how strong or good or whatever you think you are."

'Mmh.' Sendai didn't really care for that assessment, especially because it partially rang true now. 'Although- my own strength doesn't matter as much now, with all of this backup.'

"I can do more than you'd think." Sendai argued. "I know you must like to solve every problem you get your hands on, but altogether, we're fully capable of doing this on our own."

"...No?" Reimu raised a brow. "...I mean, to all of that. I only solve big problems. And-..."

Moving in the spacious midst between the dining room and living room, Reimu began stalking a circle around Sendai. "I have been hearing about you. That Heaven Springs place, and a few people on the street-... you don't act like you're part of that dumb shrine maiden fanclub thing. You've been goin' around, making a name for yourself."

"Anything wrong with that?" Sendai began to stalk in a circular motion too, gazing down Reimu, who frowned up at her.

"Yeah." Reimu nodded. "People're saying you're my mom. Funny enough, they don't say that half as strongly about any of the other fangirls. Just you."

Sendai snorted, and let the truth slip. "Maybe they're not wrong."

...Reimu glared. "You're not my mother."

They both stopped.

"I hardly even remember the time I spent with my mother. But-... I know she loved me, and I loved her. If you think a shoddy impression like you has any right to make fun of her, you've got another thing coming."

'...How bold, of her.' Meanwhile, Sendai semi-admired the way Reimu phrased that.

Still, she soon frowned down at Reimu in turn. "I busted my ass for you, Reimu. I wired the shrine up in traps every night. Whenever I left, I made damn sure nothing could go wrong while I was gone, or I just wouldn't leave. Do you remember your dad? Keisuke?"

Her glare becoming wider, Reimu seethed back. "Why the hell are you speaking so seriously?"

...After looking away for a moment, she glared back again, calmer. "This isn't funny. Even if this is some kind of joke-... I'm really close to not forgiving you for this, whoever you are. I feel like-... you're trying to take advantage of me, and I really don't like that."

Standing rigid, Sendai stared her straight in the eyes. "You're going to have to not like it, then. You remember that morning, right? The morning I wasn't myself, anymore?"

"...How the hell do you know about that." Reimu never told anyone.

"Before I wandered off, I gave you that one last hug." Sendai spoke. A wave of emotion crept into her expression, all of a sudden.

'Oh, god. Thinking back on that-... I'm sorry, Reimu.'

"How the hell do you know about that." Reimu began furrowing her brows.

...Sendai composed herself. "Well-... how do you think?"

"For all I know, you were sent by someone to manipulate me." Reimu defended herself. "I've never trusted dishonest things... like doppelgangers, or imitations. Anything relating to my mom's time, I'm really careful of."

"...As you should be." Sendai admitted. "...If you don't want to accept that I'm your mother-... you don't have to."

...Leaning to the side, Reimu raised a brow.

"Because-..." Sendai glared back at her, and smiled. "I'll find my strength again. And when I do, you'll recognize it, and-... at the very least, I'll see how my daughter has grown while I was away. I can understand if you resent me, for leaving you alone when you needed me the most."

Reimu held her level gaze. "Your strength? Also…" It became less level as she spoke. "I'd never hate mom, for having to leave me alone. I just hope-... I hope she's happy where she is now. She seemed like she had it hard, you know?"

...Sendai took pause. 'Reimu…'

"Thank you." Sendai smiled. "I'm happy you thought of me like that."

"All the more reason, for you to stop talking." Reimu's drained look became one of anger again. "Even after I said all of that, you're still going on with this-... whatever this is?"

"Yeah." Sendai nodded, her stare resolute. "I am. It's because I love you, Reimu. I-... I already miss watching you grow up. I wish I could have been there. For me, it's only been a couple days since that evening, but I still already miss you-... I- I miss you so, so much."

"Just-..." Reimu shut her eyes. "Stop."

"No." Sendai shook her head. "No matter what you think, or do… I will always love you, Reimu."

"You're-... you're not my mom." Reimu's eyes became wet. "Stop screwing with my emotions…"

Now with a simple, peaceful smile, Sendai put effort into keeping composure. '...She's still hurting. I'm so sorry.'

"I'm sorry." Sendai apologized. "I'm sorry, Reimu."

"Stop…" Reimu began breathing more raggedly, becoming more upset. "St- stop-"

"Please-..." Sendai couldn't take it anymore. "Don't cry." She moved to hug her-

That did it. "Shut u~p!" Reimu bolted for Sendai.

'Ah…' Sendai froze. Reimu had almost blindsided her with a gohei swipe, her holy implement seemingly coming from nowhere.

Keine held onto her arm. Reimu's expression flared, looking back at her. "Whh- Keine-"

Mokou stood before her. "Cool it."

"Rrgh!" Reimu was really not taking this well. "Wh-..." She met Sendai's gaze again. "What do you know? What do you know about Mom…!?"

Sendai remained still.

"You-..." Reimu tried to fight from Keine's grasp, but eventually let herself slow. "You- know how mom died. You know more than anyone else."

...Sendai took in a breath, for a moment. "...Yeah. Ironic."

'I don't know if someone like Reimu will ever accept that I'm her mother. But… at least I got to see her again. Damn it…' She closed her eyes. 'I wish I got to see her grow up… '

Feeling wronged even further by Sendai's audacity to look emotional, Reimu panned to Keine with an extremely foul look. "You better let go of me. You're not going to like what happens, if you don't let go of me."

"...I'm sorry, Reimu." Keine shook her head. "But-... I- I believe her. I think that's your mother."

Slap! She slapped Keine in the face. Keine took it pretty well, only wincing a little.

Looking around the room, Reimu saw Marcus stare at her from across the dining room. She saw Reisen giving her a plain look, and she saw Mokou giving her a casual look of her own.

She saw Sendai, who was struggling to withhold her own emotions. To Reimu, that was almost an open insult; to think that someone could replicate her mother's care in such a way was staggering, and also frightening.

With that, Reimu was gone.

"Ff-... fine." She was now in the door, having teleported up to it, waving everyone off. "Fine! If- you want to follow that clown-... whatever…"

Bam! She slammed the door.

...Keine exhaled. "The problems just have to keep stacking up, don't they."

'God-... goddamn-...' Sendai held her hands before her own face. 'Do- don't-... don't cry, dammit-... don't cry…'

...Turning to her, Keine saw her fighting her emotions. "...Tsu- Tsukiko? Oh-..."

"Ye- yeah…?" Almost hesitating to bring the hands away from her face, Sendai grit her teeth as she met Keine's gaze, trying to contain her own emotions.

Keine came closer, and hugged her from the side. "It's alright."

...Sendai froze completely. This was fairly unprecedented, in her history with Keine. '...To-... to think, this little forest hobo of a youkai girl would be comforting me, now. A few days ago, I'd be waiting on the next time I'd have to pat her on the back for getting sad about fairies screwing with her.'

...Some moments of this, and the other girls looking around and away, Sendai truly found her composure again. Mokou had gone to sit down, and Reisen stared at the ceiling, minding her own business. The youkai girls in the dining room were somewhat puzzled, by the emotional display.

"Alright." She exhaled. "I'm cool. ...Thanks, Keine."

"Anytime." Keine let go of her. "I know these past few days… haven't given you any time to chill out. If you need a break, for awhile, or something-... you know, just tell me, okay? Now that I think about it-... you've spent more days back doing work for me than you have been situating yourself. I shouldn't have-"

"Now you stop that." Sendai retorted sharply. "If it wasn't for me- your school-... I me- mean, you could have handled it yourself, but-"

"No." Keine shook her head. "I have this feeling that, without you, the school would have shut down summarily. Probably not forever, once the right people got wind of it-... but I'd have doubtlessly lost materials, property and standing, surely. As well as students..."

'...Didn't wanna say it, but-... I know she's right. I was a crucial part of a lot of the recent shit. Provided, once Mokou came into the picture, I could've stopped, but-...'

"I don't regret any of what has happened." Sendai announced. "I can relax when this is all over, and I'd accept nothing less. I could have stopped once Mokou came into the picture, but I'm seeing this through to the end. Not only because I'm your friend, but because-... I agree with what you want done, and because it's something to do."

"...Something to do?" Keine smiled. "How apt. If you had something else to do… would you have not bothered?"

Sendai snorted. "Wrong. I'd still have bothered, because there was still potential for me to grow from it. Right now, I'm very concerned with getting my proficiency in combat back... and, one way to help fuel that, at the end of the day, is combat. Already, my skills have advanced further than what they were, and it was all only possible because of what I've done."

...Keine really had nothing else to say, to that. "...As long as I'm not bothering you."

Giving her a nod and a smile, Sendai moved for the dining room, where the technicolor girls silently ate their snacks.

She started a topic decidedly more dramatic than anything that had just transpired. "Marc, do you have any food."

...He grinned. "If poptarts and rehydratable magi-calorie stuffs count!"

'Of course not.' That was the real crying shame, here.

SENDAI HAKUREI NO MIKO MODE

9

Reigns on the Village's Veins

The sky above was a fading azure. Where the sun set was still a cotton candy pink, but the rest was full and empty.

'So much…' Staring up at it, Sendai could never get over it. 'Makes me think about why the world… is. Then I stop thinking about it, because I'll never get an answer to a question like that.'

Sendai, Keine, Mokou and Reisen had all left Marcus's house.

In fact, they'd just left the western village gate, now treading the late-day path to Dieter's hideout of choice for the evening.

'Reimu didn't sound like she was enjoying these past few days.' Her motherly senses ate at her like a wildfire. '...I really wish I was strong enough, to show her who I am. Maybe I am-... but, at the rate things are going, I don't think-... I don't know what would be enough.'

Marcus spoke over the sound stone network. "The hideout's built inta one 'a them foothills ahead. He's got way less boys in total compared ta the crazy shebang at Heaven Springs, so walkin' in and sayin' hi should be a piece 'a cake."

They'd all unanimously agreed that it was time to stop Dieter's campaign of running away. 'No one's getting shot over this horseshit again. This crime shit's gotten old.'

"Should be quick and painless." Mokou supposed, hands in her pockets as they went. "Y'sure you wanna be on the ground wit' us, Keine?"

"We're not going to be inside the village." Keine reasoned. "So, whatever I do shouldn't matter. Dieter is nowhere near being on the law's agreeable side either, at this point. It should be as you say. In and out."

On the path ahead, there was a left divergence cast in shade, missed by the sunset's warmth.

While they took this path, Mokou panned her head towards Sendai, somewhat. "Alright, what is the deal with that dark shit? I forget if I asked you already."

"It probably came from Tsukiko's early life." Keine answered before Sendai could, even. "She was quite very troubled, she says. It eventually bled into her magic proficiencies, which I would presume is due to her Hakurei heritage. The fact that she could so simply adapt dark magic from her sheer chaotic emotions and anger, that is."

'...I'm pretty sure it was part because-... youkai scared the everloving shit out of me, and they had tons of dark shit going on, so I just kind of put two and two together. I wanted to just be like them strength-wise, when I was that young.'

After weaving past some brush, the four girls were lead to a huge clearing, set before a small fort of some kind.

The fort itself wasn't really impressive, or worthy of being called a fort. It was a stone box built into the hill, and sitting on top was a second stone box. Ladders were visible, adorning the sides unevenly. 'Is this a fucking tree fort?'

Yet, the land around the fort was more impressive. '...Big, dirt lanes, stretching across an entire field's length. It… also looks like a lot of nearby forestry was cleared out.'

There were two long dirt lanes, each twenty or so meters wide. A wood barn shack stood at the left end of the first one, and one at the right end of the second one.

In the middle of these two lanes, there were six or so men with katanas. One large man stood amidst them, a big sledgehammer over his right shoulder.

Behind him, two bunny soldiers stood. Their crescent moon pins on their suits were defaced, a piece of the shiny badge broken off from the top. 'I haven't thought to look at those badges of theirs, before. It looks like a vandalized version of Reisen's badge.'

"Look at them." Reisen spoke drolly. "What the hell kinda formation is this."

"They do have a bunch of guys." Sendai figured, looking at the few villager men. "...If that's all of them, this'll still be really quick."

"They might as well not be here." Reisen declared, reaching behind herself…

WOOSH. She drew a huge, megaphone-like bazooka from behind herself. "I'll tear through this line in ten seconds."

In the midst of the field, the six foot tall, black-haired man with the huge sledgehammer yelled out. "We-... We are not going to jail!"

Next to him, the other two bunnies raised their chrome rifles.

Reisen took a breath, raising her own shoulder-mounted weapon.

'How hard will this even be?' Sendai looked to Keine, Mokou and Reisen…

Mokou hardly looked engaged, and Keine kept between her and Sendai, looking pensive.

-+- Vs. Dieter Family Gangsters, Broken Renegade Unit 1132 -+-

FWI- FWI- CHOO- CHOOM! Instantly, Reisen's white-gold bazooka sent out quadruple, red tracing beams of danmaku energy. They ran in straight or forty-five degree angles through the air, shifting and turning rigidly and wildly.

Instantly, the men's eyes widened, and they scrambled-

FWA- FWA- FWAM! Each time a beam clipped a man, there was an explosion of red danmaku. Katanas went flying, three men already sprawled out flat. "Hh- nngh…"

PATATAT- TATATAT! Just as quickly, the two bunny women aside them unloaded their rifles, focusing solely on Reisen.

Woosh! "Hup!" Leaping a story into the air, Reisen's red eyes glared with the intensity of stars. She aimed her bazooka down-

FWI- FWI- CHOO- CHOOM! Another quadruple spread shot of unpredictable danmaku payloads rocketed out, soaring for the offensive line.

FWA- FWA- FWAM! The last of the men were blown off their legs, including the man with the sledgehammer. "Eegh- dh- dhamn it…"

Fwi~sh! One pink-haired bunny recoiled, as her yellow energy shield shattered. "Aa-"

FWAM! Mokou casually lobbed a fireball from the sidelines, meeting her in the side right after her shield fell. "Eeah! Aa- nnh-"

bwa- bwamp. Cyan bolts of plasma met Reisen as she fell through the spray of gunfire, rippling off of her own far more subtle and sleek blue energy shield.

Now, there was only a single bunny still ready to fight. She began to stagger back, intimidated. "Wh-... what the hell am I supposed to do…" Her yellow hair billowed in the evening breeze, while the sun sat in the background.

"Oo- ow…" The bunny with short pink hair behind her patted the fire off of herself. "Kana- I- I think we oughta give up-"

Patatatat! Kana, the one with long yellow hair, kept firing. "Fuck tha~t! Eat shit- sa~rge!"

Reisen broke away from the party, sprinting at a rate which rivaled horses. 'Holy shit.' Sendai stared at her sudden acceleration, impressed…

Cla- clack! Lifting her gold-white bazooka over her head, Reisen leapt towards Kana. "Hrra~h!"

CRA- CRRAA~NG! In nearly an instant, she crushed the weapon into the earth, smashing the butt of it across Kana's body on the way.

"Hu- ua~gh!" Kana went flying, her shield broken. The ground shook from the impact of Reisen's bazooka, a cloud of dirt billowing into the air around where she struck.

Thud! While Kana bounced away, off of her neck and shoulders, the pink-haired bunny began to get on her arms and legs. "I- I'm sorry…!"

...With that, Reisen gestured for everyone else. "C'mon!"

Keine and Mokou plainly strolled up. Sendai followed them, brows raised. 'Gods. Everyone except that pink rabbit just got fucked. What were those lasers she shot?'

-+- Sendai Hakurei no Miko Mode -+-

Now standing, the pink-haired bunny stood in place, arms folded as she looked around herself.

Keine marched straight past Reisen, walking right up to the bunny.

"Mmh-..." She whined a little, when Keine caught her by the chin, before she could look away.

"What's the point of all this?" Keine questioned her directly. "Why would you do this?"

...Her brows raising, the bunny let out a breath. "We- well-..." She looked over Reisen, then everyone else. "With-... with no one as our commander- we get away with anything. No more scolding, no more discipline-"

"All this danger isn't fun and games." Keine's grip tightened. "When this town is back to normal, do you really want the blame?"

...The fluffy, pink-haired bunny glared back up at her. "Nn- not if no one stopped us! Which-... makes me wonder- why you all care."

"...If you don't know, your friends are trying to ruin the lives of my students." Keine frowned down at her. "Unless you don't empathize with humans."

The pink, bobby-haired bunny raised her brows. "I- mean, I don't speak for all 'a us, but you know, shit happens."

"Shit happens?" Keine furrowed her brows more. "Of course-... you wouldn't think about who is hurt, by this sort of thing. Do you care about family, at all?"

...She let out a breath. "T'be honest? No. Why do you?"

"Why don't you?" Keine returned. "Your mother? Father? Siblings?"

"I think us bein' free's more important, than that shit." The bunny declared. "For all I care- every one a' them students can go to hell, if it means you all leave me alone…"

"I think you're all free enough." Reisen decided. "We give you food of choice, care, arms, entertainment, community and pleasure. What more could you possibly need?"

"I-... I want privacy." The pink bunny decided. "I wanna start my own shit. Fuck the suits at Eientei- fuck your military bullshit- and fuck you, chief. Everyone here's been tellin' me 'bout-... how you consider us."

Reisen looked confused. "How we-... consider you?"

She nodded once, quickly. "We're expendable. We get a schedule- we get trained, and once it's all done, we still have to act according to all your shitty regulations. I'd rather you just-... put me down, if I can't be free."

Reisen snorted. "Oh, come on. You're being unreasonable. We've intentionally lowered regulations almost tenfold from the moon's standards, explicitly so you could all be your own people. But, remaining able soldiers is still important-... and, if not that, you could file for a non-combat occupation. Were this the moon, they really would just put you down, and you wouldn't have a word of dissent before they did so. You'd already be dead."

...She faltered at this, looking around for a way out, before stopping, since she was surrounded.

"In fact…" Reisen began again. "If you defected normally, and went somewhere without humans, chances are, we wouldn't have cracked down on you at all.

"As it stands now-... we have one outsider and two villagers turned into youkai through a massively dangerous aphrodisiac your faction has openly exposed to-... well, everywhere. If the shrine maiden knew the full extent of this, she'd likely see nearly half of you sealed completely, or straight up dead."

"Ss- so…" The pink bunny was holding herself. "Wh- what are you saying? That I'm fucked, now?"

"...Well, not necessarily." Reisen admitted. "Mass punishment and reprimand will likely be part of human village dealings with the clinic. However, duration and further discipline will likely be reduced depending on intent and behavior. You're obviously-... like- you seem to mean well enough. Just-... people are gonna want you and your friends to account for what happened."

When the bunny opened her mouth, Reisen spoke over her. "I don't care if you're actually friends or not. You're effectively the same faction."

"...Fu~ck." The bunny moved to sit down. "Damn everything. I hate my life..."

Kana- the yellow-haired bunny- began to sit up, from where she was lying on her back. "Nn- ngh…"

"You." Reisen called out to her. "Remain still. Further action will be treated as hostility."

She flicked her gaze towards Reisen, and grinned. "Oo- oh, yeah…?"

Beep! She drew a controller from within her suit, and pressed on one of numerous square buttons.

CHU! Reisen fired a yellow bolt from two fingers, which met Kana clear between the eyes.

"Uu- nn…" She slumped back, knocked out. Electric energy fizzled along the bridge of her nose, for a moment.

...Reisen began looking around. "That remote-..."

Cla- clack. At either end of the large, two-lane clearing, barn doors whipped open. Illuminated mid-sunset by dim candle lights, a low hum began to rumble from either door.

Reisen's eyes widened, and she raised her gold-white bunny-eared bazooka towards one of the barns.

Vrrr~... Her weapon began to glow, particles of energy coming from the air around it, combining in its barrel.

"What did you see?" Sendai noticed how she seemed vaguely worried.

vrrr- VRRR- VRRRR~! The propellers of machines loudly whirred to life, quickly lighting the hillside alive with loud, incessant noise. 'What…'

The machines responsible for the noise emerged. They were only half a story tall, but they were wide, with huge wood-cloth wings. In the midst, a roaring, spinning propellor roared fast enough to give the illusion of being a disc.

"Oo- oh…!" The pink-haired bunny girl began moving, to get out of the dirt lanes. "The planes! Ghk-" Keine grabbed her by the back of her collar, before she could flee.

'What- the actual fuck…!?' Sendai wasn't sure what these were, but to her, giant blade machines of death were being sent at them from either side.

-+- Vs. Human Village's First Airborne -+-

Slowly, the great, wheeled machines with death blades began to accelerate, closing in on either side of the party.

Vuuu~...! Sendai saw Reisen's weapon charging. 'Hope that has enough firepower. She probably wouldn't be standing still with us if it didn't.'

"Nn- nnh…!" The yellow-haired Kana began pushing herself up off the floor, fighting through her pain to try and tackle down Reisen. "Fuck yh- yo~u!"

Tensed, Reisen only slightly panned her head to the side. "Sh- shit-"

fwish! Sendai slid into the way, before Kana could reach Reisen-

Whunk. Then, Sendai slid her arm into a thrusting jab, using her sudden momentum to make the blow possible. 'Got her.'

"Nnh." Kana stepped back, only briefly brushing her gut where Sendai hit her. "Bitch-"

WOOSH! She spun around, unleashing a head-height crescent-esque kick towards Sendai's face-

PAP! Sendai winced an eye shut, taking the kick with her arms. 'Ow- fuck.'

Still holding onto the pink-haired bunny, Keine made herself and the bunny stumble closer to Kana. "Hn- nnh-..."

Pap! In the next moment, Kana had Sendai by the collar. "C'mere- bitch-"

Then, Keine grabbed onto the back of Kana's collar, pulling her, which pulled Sendai. 'Wh- what the fuck-'

Bam! Because of how awkward everything was, Sendai was able to hook Kana across the face with her left arm, and escape. "Get- back."

Thud. Kana was pulled onto her back, by Keine. "Fu- fucking…!"

VRRRRR! The two planes began to near, slightly leaving the ground as they proceeded linearly ahead, to run over the entire party with their lower hulls, wings, and propellers.

FWOO~M! Mokou unleashed a roar of fire towards one, standing in its trail. "Get- fuu~cked!"

FVRAR. Sendai felt the ground jolt, for just a moment. "Aah-..."

She looked back, seeing Reisen's gold-white bunnyzooka glowing now. 'Holy shit…!'

Red-white electrical-like danmaku power crackled from the device. It pulsed in Reisen's arms, barely stable-looking, and it seemed like the energy was licking into her too. "Al- alright…!" One eye shut, she aimed it forward at the right oncoming plane. "It's set to stu~n!"

Fwip! She pulled the trigger, and the weapon quickly became white-

FVRA- VRAA~SH! An absolutely massive, red spark-like beam of energy exploded out, carving through the dirt path below as it rumbled forward.

BOOM- KABOOM- BAM- BOOM! It met the plane ahead, and the wings were blown clean off. 'Oo- oh… oh my god.' Sendai beheld the raw power.

BOOM- BAM- KABOOM! She whipped around at the sound of explosions, and saw Mokou focusing on the other plane. Geysers of heat and fire stretched to the sky, the last plane torn into by an overwhelming inferno, which began to stretch all along the shoddy metal hull, and the wood wings.

The pilot man got out. "Aa- ff- what the he~ll!" Flailing his arms, he leapt from the hull, dropping into a roll along the ground beside everything.

Slowly, the plane began to veer off course. Driving off the path and away from the party, it continued to burn and smoulder, now useless without a pilot-

KABOO~M! The hull exploded seconds later, and the plane slowed along the dirt path away from the air field.

'...Damn!' Sendai felt a little displaced, after seeing the other girls tear into these huge, unknown blade machines. 'Does everyone know how to shoot giant fuckoff death lasers, now!?'

She looked back at Reisen's lane. 'Uh- woah, shit.' She had to stumble out of the way. The remnants of the other plane drove by, now wingless, the pilot guy left as an unconscious storm of danmaku residue. The propellor spun pitifully slow, with only one bent blade remaining.

"Ho-..." The pink-haired bunny stared at the destruction in awe. "Holy fu~ck…"

...Kana fell onto her knees. "Wo-... wow. We're fucked."

-+- Sendai Hakurei no Miko Mode -+-

"Cool planes." Mokou gave nobody in particular a thumbs-up.

"That-... huh." Keine wasn't sure what to think about all of that.

"...Running over infantry with vehicles isn't usually an effective strategy." Reisen looked incredibly unenthused, as she panned back to Kana. "It was just kinda ineffective in this scenario for the wrong reasons. We could've just run away."

"They-... they had firaga mortars on the bottoms." Kana confessed. "They were supposed to bomb the shit outta you."

"Oh." Reisen had an awkward smile. "...Guess you should've worked more on the defenses, huh."

Not willing to waste much more time, Sendai kept moving for the fortification ahead. "C'mon, let's keep going."

"Who'll stop these girls?" Keine felt at the pink-haired bunny she had an arm-lock with, still. "We can't just let them run off."

Reisen stepped up to them. Coming up to both Kana and the pink-haired bunny, she let her eyes flash.

...Knowing what she did, Keine let go of the bunny girl she held. Now, both girls remained still, transfixed on nothing.

'That eye shit she does…' Sendai was wary of the idea. 'There has to be some way around that, right? If it's just wearing sunglasses, I'm gonna be pissed off.'

"Also, those pilots ran away." Reisen noted, facing Keine. "You care about that, or…?"

Keine huffed. "Well-... yes, but we also have a main goal, here. If they have second thoughts about teaming up with someone like Dieter again, I won't mind that they managed to get away."

...Reisen nodded, following after Sendai. 'Considering how badly those-... machines just got fucked up, I don't think I care about whoever drove them.'

Soon, all four of them came up to the base's door. It was large, painted red, which didn't really fit the crappy brick walls around it. They weren't like the Golden Grin's bricks; they were old, huge grey bricks, of cobblestone, with minimal effort put into making them even.

"Hey." Mokou spoke up. "Reisen. Use your big dick energy laser on the door."

"It's not anti-structure." Somewhat amused, Reisen gave her a smile back… "And, the one I do have that's anti-structure-... I mean, we're not trying to homicide people. As far as I'm aware, at least."

Cli- click. Sendai tried to open the front door, but it was locked. '...Well, of course.'

Moving back from it, she hunched away, so that she could charge a leg with dark energy. 'Let's get this open.'

Mokou came up to her side, and made a similar motion, despite not really needing to. "I'll get the other half open."

Sendai snorted. "...Sure thing."

Azure light shone from Sendai's left leg, which she'd positioned behind herself. If her skin wasn't obscured by her red hakama, it'd be pitch back.

Searing, red light shone from Mokou's right leg, a hurricane of fire building around it, as she began to grin.

WOOSH! They both snapped forward, Mokou doing so after Sendai.

KABAM! The door slammed open violently, the big bar lock in the inner-middle exploding open. Wood grains rained down, before the two women.

...No one was waiting for them on the bottom floor.

The four rolled into the fort, looking around cautiously for a moment.

The whole first floor was visible in this room. Chrome guns were hung up on the back wall. There seemed to be some kind of production line to the right, fit with some kind of dough.

"...They're making clay bowls, here." Reisen deduced.

"Clay bowls…" Mokou looked offset. "The fuck."

...Stepping towards the end of the counter setup, Keine stared down into a basket, where completed bowls were placed. "...These are the farmer baron's brand. Okane- he's having some of his non-food merchandise made here."

'Guess they use the kids for more than sex and goon-work. Not that this isn't goon-work, but shrine maiden attacking comes to mind.'

"If anyone dies…" Suddenly, a radio-projected voice came from somewhere.

'What the hell…' Sendai looked around for it, tracing the noise. 'This box?' She'd heard radios a few times before, so she came up to the radio box…

"Move the body to another room, or conceal it if possible." The radio spoke. It distinctly had Reisen's voice, although it was a little distorted. "The radio will advise you what to do with the body."

"What the heck." Reisen stared the radio over… "Why do they have this? I recorded that a while ago, when we were first setting things up… as in- in Gensokyo."

"Cover the body as tightly as possible, in polythene plastic." The radio continued to drone out instructions. "If you have had the body inside for more than five days, and, if it is safe to go outside, find a trench, and bury the body there. Cover it lightly, and mark the spot for later autopsy. Medical teams will be arranged to treat the wounded and ill when available. Stay where you are, and keep listening to the radio."

"What-..." Keine had her brows raised. "What was this for?"

"Before we'd settled down, even before coming to Gensokyo, we planned for difficult expansion events." Reisen revealed. "This was for really remote fortifications. Sort of like-..." She looked around at this fort's walls. "Yeah. Ideally, it's for when population is low and the front is thinly strewn."

"The longer you stay in refuge, the better it will be for you." The Reisen over the radio droned out. "Keep listening to your radio. This message will repeat in thirty minutes. If anyone dies, keep listening to your radio."

'Fucking weird.' Sendai shook her head, only a little weirded out by it. 'Guess there's nothing on this floor for us.'

On either end of the room, there were small, somewhat ghetto ramps up instead of actual stairs. 'When was this place built? This architecture sucks.'

She began to stumble up the rightmost ramp, but Mokou pushed against her, moving up first instead. "Lemme check for traps an' shit. For all you know, they've got guns waitin' at the top."

"They don't." Reisen already knew, however. "...Don't sense anyone up there. There are people on the top floor, however. They expect us, but they're not ready to fight."

"...The fuck." Mokou had a brow raised.

"Yeah." Marcus spoke up over the sound stones they held, coming from three of the four girls. "I take it yer all on the floor just beneath Dieter boy. Everything's smooth over here. He's actually just recently taken a seat at the top, and he does have some men around 'em, but uh… nothin' ta write home about, really! I think one 'a the faces there'll surprise ya, though!"

'Oh, boy.' Sendai snorted at his words. 'A surprising face…'

"...Still goin' up first." Mokou decided, already climbing the clumsy ramp with her arms and knees.

-+- Sendai Hakurei no Miko Mode -+-

At the top, the four women stared ahead, at the oddly ornate, long table which sat ahead. To them, it appeared wide and broad, but didn't come close to them.

Dieter stood ahead of them. He was facing away, his black coat actually on now, as he leaned against the back of a chair.

"Ooh!" Okane stood up, next to him. "Kowai, boy! Here they are!" He was smiling. "Y'really done it this time! I knew I could count on you!"

Around them, there were both men in tacky crimson suits, as well as some of Dieter's beige-suited men. The men in beige suits had bandages across their faces, and they seemed to sink back into their chairs upon sighting Sendai and Mokou…

...Keine was suspect. "What-... is going on, here?"

...Grinning, Okane leaned back, talking quieter. "Wow, y'really didn't tell 'em anything." He faced the girls, and clapped his hands together. "Alright, so! I was told-... that you'd all be interested, in a deal!"

...Even after a few seconds, Keine remained unimpressed. "Really."

"Why- yes, yes." Okane nodded, holding onto his chair, as well as his smile. "Y'see-... Dieter here told me- that you'd all take a lump sum, to aid me in my pursuit of more quality, hard-working craftsmen."

Reaching down, he picked up a briefcase on the desk.

Click. He folded it open, showing off stacks of hundred yen bills. "Ten million yen."

Cli- click, click, click. Around the table, the other men began to fold open briefcases of their own, pointing them at the party.

"...Ah?" Keine was confused.

"Where the hell'd this come from." Sendai was immensely suspicious of this. "...Why? What would you have us do?"

He smiled wider. "...Well- the first condition, is you turn over ownership of your school to me. So that I get my farmhands-... and he gets his own farmhands, or whatever he does." He waved vaguely at Dieter. "And I'll tell ya, that boy works right, he does."

...At the party's collective silence, he continued. "The next- is that Fujiwara and the miko here help out on the farm! Or-... actually, Dieter asked for the miko- so, Fujiwara, you'd sign up with me. And-... we also request discount medicine." He only briefly glanced Reisen over, taking care not to stare into her eyes.

At first, no one said anything, because the situation was that staggering. '...Really, what the fuck.'

"No." Keine spoke up first. "I would never do that. No matter how much money you think you can pay me off with. It'd be too steep a price to pay, for those children's lives."

Okane snorted. "Hah? They come to work for me in the end, anyway. What's the big deal?"

"That's not true." Keine refused him. "...And, a child's learning- a person's character- is worth far more than a paycheck, Okane. I tell you this all the time, at our council meetings."

"And I tell you, you're just-... wrong!" He chuckled. "Aa- as in-... you're just-... you don't know how the world works, Keine."

"Call me Kamishirasawa." Keine requested. "And-... I highly doubt you understand how this village works."

"Oh, really." He slouched, a little. "Gimme examples, Kamishara."

...After letting her brows twitch, she found some. "You haven't been doing anything about the underground crime scene which has adversely affected our children, let alone just students, and has harmed other citizens. An example being the women who were turned into youkai by a drug they'd consumed for five years."

...Okane frowned hard. "That's bullshit."

"I also know how you treat your farmhands." Keine remarked. "Only men could put up with the kind of work you make people do, and yet, you hurt children, just because you're so desperate to cut higher profits."

...At that, he didn't frown as hard. "Eeh-... well- fuck, yeah it does! It cuts good profit! Alright, look-... how about I push for tighter kid regulations then, or some shit? Eer, how about more pay for them?"

"You're lying." Keine shot him down instantly. "I won't settle on half-hearted terms."

...He shrugged. "Guess we'll split the ten million among the other three! But, I'm just sayin', Keine-... you'll be sorry."

"Fuck you." Mokou was glaring at him. "Really."

"Might as well toss it in a fire." Sendai was frowning. "I'm not taking anything from you."

"No~t interested." Reisen leaned back idly.

...Clack. His expression blunt, he dropped the lid on the briefcase, letting it close.

"Well." He began to look more upset. "What. Wha~t? You think this is all-... a joke!?"

"Hey. Bossman."

Letting his head tilt idly, Dieter turned to face them all. He never retrieved his sunglasses, so his grey eyes were exposed, expression hard. The left side of his face was all red, scarring left over from when his face was bit just last night. "Let me try smoothin' 'em over."

...Pouting, Okane stood aside. "Well, alright. You brought them here, after all. You work with them. That's not my job."

...Looking around, Okane found his seat, and used it.

His hands in his pockets, Dieter nodded at the girls, before smiling.

"Start talking." Keine smiled back.

"Now…" He took in a breath. "Now, I know y'all don't like me very much. 'Parently enough ta jus' casually turn down ten million yen. An' that's all fine."

"Because we care about more than money." Sendai began to smile, too. "You stupid, fucking idiot."

Smiling wider, he slid his chair out, and did nothing with it at first. "Heh- heheh. Yeah, I know, y'all think I'm stupid. Retarded, even. Scum 'a the goddamn earth. Fuck Dieter."

"Get to the point, asshole." Mokou held her hand up.

Fwoom. A small handful of fire bloomed between her fingers, and all the suited men in the room began to fret, sliding back in their chairs…

"...Fine." He let his eyes flick up. "You." He pointed at Sendai.

"...Me." Sendai continued to look vaguely amused.

"Tsukiko Hakurei, was it?" He grinned again. "If that's even yer real name. You were put on this earth to fuck with me."

...Sendai smiled wider. "I mean-... you're technically not wrong, I suppose? I'd say so."

Clap! He clapped his hands together. "Hoo, boy! Ooh. Lemme set this shit straight. Yer on the Yama's fuckin' spiritual payroll, ain't'cha?"

"...What." Sendai was lost in the span of half a second.

"Jus' fuckin' tell me!" He pointed at her. "Were ya sent here ta fuck wit' ol' Kowai Dieter!? Did the reaper give ya a kiss an' a ticket!? A fuckin', wanted poster!?"

...As funny as it would have been to say yes, Sendai shook her head. "If you want a serious answer… no. I'm only after you 'cause you piss me off, and you're trying to hurt my friend. Among others. Altogether, that shit doesn't fly."

"Heh." He snorted. "Doesn't fly… anyways- you just don't know then, I guess. An' that's all fair. My time on this earth was fuckin' borrowed, anyways."

"...Meaning?" Sendai wasn't sure where he was going with this.

"No matter what'cha say, this'll end two ways." Dieter began to glare at her. "You drag my ass back to hell… or I off your bitch ass, and fly on t'another day."

"This doesn't have to end in violence." Keine stepped closer to the table. "Just listen to people for once, Kowai."

...He exhaled. "Fuck no. Look-... you wanna know how I know this bitch is here on business?"

Keine stopped before the rich mahogany table. "Alright. Impress me."

'This guy…' Sendai was half-tempted to not listen, but she exhaled. 'Since Keine seems to be listening, I guess I'll bear with it.'

Gesturing to Sendai again, he stomped his boot up onto his own chair. "Nh- ah, let's see… oh, right. It all started back when I almost fuckin' died. Or, I think I did die. Doesn't matter."

While he continued, Sendai stepped closer, listening. "I was flyin' a plane fer the German air force. Doin' regulation exercises, all that shit. My fuckass of a crewfag fucked up the fuel engine. So, halfway through, I crashed. Poor old Dieter, didn't give his plane a rectal lobotomy 'fore take off."

"An' that's when the funny shit happened." He tilted his head back. "...I woke up in fuckin' court. So, I was sure I went ta fuckin' hell. Not that I doubted it. But, nah. I dunno- I guess god and the devil were fuckin' gambling over my soul, and this attorney showed up, and it was all kinds of fucked. But, good news! Attorney guy said I got to walk the earth again. Bad news, he said I couldn't set foot outside this 'Gensucker' place ever again."

Reaching into his black, leather coat, Dieter took out a paper. "Here's my contra~ct. Don't bother rippin' it up, I tried. Basically says, I'm supposed ta 'be an active member-... of the human village'."He slowed, reading the text on it, struggling a little. "I'm also not s'post to kill anyone without rea~l good reason. So, I don't kill. Big no-no. Forced labor, though? Contract said nothin' 'bout that."

'This outsider was relocated into Gensokyo, then.' Sendai deduced… 'He even has things he's not allowed to do, like it's some kind of parole. He'd be killing people, if the contract allowed that; and since he couldn't... the next best thing was pretty much second best: using drugs to break them.'

"An', you know what bein' dead for a little bit taught me?" Lowering the contract, he smiled at Sendai and Keine. "Nothing fucking matters."

"What's important-..." Keine spoke up, looking off-put. "It's not what comes after. It's your experiences in life-"

"Exactly!" He beamed at her. "So there shouldn't be no damn problem, if I crack a few eggs 'long the way! Now that I know how pointless bein' a fuckin' goodie goodie is. That day forward, Dieter never kissed up to anyone, if he could get away with it."

"Why can't other people have good lives, though?" Keine objected to this line of thinking. "You're hurting others!"

...At that, he shrugged. "Ask them, not me. S'not their fuckin' fault they get in my way. I was this fuckin' close to havin' this village under ma' boots, too. But, as I suspected, the reaper people ain't down to clown with my little conquest here. Fuckin' bumfuck village."

...Seeing Keine's deepening frown, he smiled wider. "Ooh, wha~t? It's true. ...Y'do look cute when ya frown."

"Don't make me fucking kill you." Mokou monotoned, stalking up behind Keine. "You talk enough stupid shit."

Dieter pointed at Sendai again, and brought his boot off the chair. "Nnh… you. Yer the single goddamn thing standin' between me an' Dieterville. Er, maybe 'Dietertroit', 'er somethin' like that."

"You conceited piece of shit." Sendai was hardly actually frowning; she was just in simple disbelief. "Does human garbage like you really fucking exist."

"Conceited?" He jerked his head back. "It ain't conceit if I actually get 'er done! Which I will, once I deal wit' yer bitch ass."

"As if we won't fucking kill you, if you somehow managed that." Mokou was now dangerously close to the wood table. "Newsflash, metalhead. You've made more enemies than just her in the past forty-eight hours."

Folding his arms, he smiled at her too. "Heh. Y'very well might off me, girl. But I don't care 'bout what happens next. 'Cause, jus' recently, I realized somethin' 'bout myself."

"What could you have possibly realized." Sendai asked to get it over with.

"I realized I'd love ta do nothin' more, than live through one shitty event like this." He grinned, brightly. "If I even give one more middle finger ta the reaper 'fore it's lights out, I'll die laughin' my ass off. I was never one ta love a challenge, but hooie, I dunno no more!"

"Dieter…" Okane spoke up, looking a little perturbed. "What's this about, Dieter?"

...Dieter gave him a little smile. "Aw, don't worry 'bout it, ol' timer. You just keep doin' whatever the fuck it is you do. Don't worry yer ug- pretty little head."

"Dieter…!" He began to stand. "I demand you explain this to me, this instant…!"

Fwish. Dieter tossed off his coat, abandoning the contract with it.

He'd turned around, facing away from the girls, seemingly showing off his bare back. "...Heh."

fwump. The coat landed on Okane's face, and he tore it off. "Dieter!"

"An' let's just say…" Dieter smirked back at everyone. "If it wasn't obvious… the judge left me a parting gift. Said she'd shove a big gold dildo up my ass if I misused it. Well, oops."

BOOM- BAM- KABOOM- BLAM! Explosions began to ring out across the second story of the fort, blowing open walls around the girls.

'What…!?' At the sudden, lightning-quick rumbles, Sendai looked around, fire and amber lining the walls around her. The room was cast alive with bright red, for one moment.

Vrrr~. While the walls rumbled, crumbling to nothing but rubble, the ceiling lifted, not actually attached to the stonework. It was built into hinges that were embedded in the hillside outside. 'What the fuck…!'

Cra- crack- thud- kroo~m. The walls were now all gone, the deafening rumble of explosives fading out.

"Is everyone alright!?" Marcus was heard over the soundstone. "All that dust ain't lettin' me see shit!"

"I'm fine!" Sendai yelled back, arms up and guarding her face from the billowing dust.

'The floor seems to be totally fine, for some reason-'

She bumped into Mokou and Keine, who were now closer to her. 'Oh, hey.'

FZZT- SSS~! In the dust ahead, the girls all look ahead at a shimmering, fizzling light.

The dust parted, revealing Dieter standing ahead of them. He was facing the wall which lead into the hillside, which was now gone, revealing a huge, rectangular entrance into the hill.

SSS- SSS~! His back sizzled. Down his flesh, a hexagram-shape emblem was being drawn in searing heat.

In the midst, there was a single Japanese symbol, reading 'vow'.

SS- SSS- Sss. After some brief moments, the sigil was fully drawn.

"Yer not the only one…" He smirked back at them again, "who has a few tricks up their sleeve, Tsukiko."

Vrrrr~. The hum of an oncoming airplane came from the tunnel.

"The Yama didn't want to see a simple, misguided boy like me waste away in some youkai's belly in here." He spoke, still facing away. "An' after enough beggin'... she gave me some wings."

WOOSH. Dieter leapt ahead, for the oncoming plane, before it was near them. Afterimages of amber echoed behind him, outlining his leap onto it.

The cave itself was massive, the slit in the hillside stretching seemingly farther than Sendai had thought. 'It's even bigger than this room, threefold!'

However, the plane itself was a sight to behold. It was impractically long for what it was, fit with three hulls, a propellor fitted onto each, and a long, wooden deck between all of them, as well as on a layer above them. It was a massive, triple-hull 'biplane'.

VRRRR- VRRRR- VRRRR! The deafening roar of airplane propellers came closer, and quickly, the girls all scrambled for their own ways to get onboard.

All of the men from earlier had fled, Okane included, having slipped out during the blasts with the money. 'Probably a good thing- or they'd have gotten fuckin' run the hell over!'

Fwi- fwi- fwish! Mokou, Keine and Reisen all simply floated up, and towards the plane, hovering too high for the propellers to snag them.

Sendai moved to the side, in the safe area between two roaring blades, and sighted the deck. 'Guess I'm just gonna have to-...'

"Hup!" As it sped up, drawing closer, she leapt for the raised wooden floor-

Thu- thud! She rolled along the top of it, managing to get her whole body up there. "Nn- nnh…"

-+- Vs. Flight of the Coward, Kowai Dieter -+-

Atop the plane, Sendai, Keine, Mokou and Reisen all stood.

Dieter faced them, now. "...He~h. Figured you'd all have a harder time, wit' that shit."

The whole deck amidst the three hulls had a design similar to the one on his back ingrained on it; the hexagonal oath of an enma.

"...What the fuck." Mokou spoke over the roar of engines, upon looking down at it. "You bettin' on this day happening, or what…?" She was kind of suspicious of why Dieter just had an arena-plane prepared.

VRRRRR~. Leaving the fort's broad, semi-uneven top, the airplane unevenly bobbed into the air. Sendai stared off the edges, into the boundless, dark sea of woods, as it sank beneath the deck.

Soon, she was able to sight distant mountains, and mysterious plains of land beyond her reach. 'Holy… shit…'

A full moon bathed the land in pale blue light, which met the giga-biplane's deck.

"How-..." Reisen was sort of astounded in a different way. "This shouldn't be able to fly…"

Sendai rapidly blinked her eyes as she adjusted to the heavy wind. 'How the fuck did I get myself into this situation. We're-... we're flying! These things can really fly! Holy crap!'

"Oh, boy!" Marcus yelled through the sound stone over the roar of the wind and the engine. "What a nice day for flyi~ng, huh, Tsukiko~!?"

Sendai snorted, despite the wind whipping through her hair. "Shut u~p."

Fwish. Explosive, amber-orange energy ran up Dieter's muscles, making his arms and legs glow. It shimmered, like a constant flush of sparks or muzzle flashes.

Keine began to stand, her form glowing as well, in the pale moonlight. "Nn- nnh…"

'Wait-...' There was one thing, that Sendai knew of Keine. 'The moon- it's full!'

From Keine's head, two large horns began to extend, her hair changing tint, to a mint green color.

FWISH! Great, bluish-azure energy lit up across her own form, plain and full. "Rrgh…"

...Dieter let his eyes widen a little, grinning as he saw Keine's horns grow. "No shit, huh… so she is youkai."

She arched back, howling her anger. "What a-... waste, of a Yama's ca~re!" The were-hakutaku had awoken, because the moon was full.

...Sendai looked back for the craft's pilots, only to find solid metal where pilot hubs should have been. 'Is no one driving this, then?'

In the night sky over all of Gensokyo, the plane began to lock onto an unending, endless figure-eight over the Human Village, patrolling the premise from way up above.

"I dunno what that Yama was thinkin'!" Dieter grinned back at her, despite her anger, and horns. "Purdy sure she don't give a shit, either! But 'a course even she's gotta pretend she does, an' she's dead!"

Keine arched herself back, eyes flaring, her irises now red. "Damn yo~u!"

WOOSH! She rushed towards him, horns first, intent on ramming him into submission-

Fwish! He slid back on his boots, reeling an arm clad in amber back-

BAM! His fist met the top of Keine's head, right between the horns. He'd thrown it with such force, that he sent himself sliding forward again.

"Nngh…" She took a few steps back. That full-force punch was enough to parry the charge.

"Shit's just like my first night here…" Standing back from her again, he beamed. "Up alone against four fuckin' youkai whores!"

Mokou spun around and raised her leg to kick, now at his side-

WOOSH! He slid out of the way of her thrusting kick, fists raised boxer-style, his eyes wide and intense.

After he moved, knowing he couldn't stop her, he looked to his right again-

WOOSH! He slid back once more, Reisen's crescent kick kissing the tip of his skin, just barely grazing him.

WOOSH! Next, guessing a blow was incoming, he weaved under a roundhouse kick from behind, Mokou just barely missing.

WHAP- PAP! With extreme speed, as he stood again he roared up to Reisen with a left hook that began near her knee and stretched towards her chest-

THOOM. Reisen met him in the stomach with an instant hook of her own, faster than he could even land his, or react. "Hgh- uu-"

He flew back from her force, flipping around-

Click! After one flip, the tip of his boots met the floor before he could really go sailing, and he roared forward. He let out a massive, orange overhead thrust which flared in the evening light. "Hra~h-"

WHUNK! Before he could use it, Sendai met his side with a dark, charged kick. "Huhk!"

Thud! This time, he ate shit, rolling along the ground on his sides to get away from the girls.

BAM- BAM- BAM- BAM! Thrusting up, all four girls stomped him in different places at the same time. "Hhk- rrgh!"

'This is hardly fair.' Sendai smiled, a little.

...They all stepped back, standing around him as he got up. "Nngh-... fu- fuck-"

WHABAM! Reisen's crescent kick met him in the ass, sending him sailing ahead. "Huoh-"

WHAKRACK! Mokou flicked her leg straight up along her own body, meeting Dieter in the jaw as he soared towards her.

"Nnh- huoo-..." He flipped around mid-air-

Pap. Keine grabbed onto his waist, catching him as he was upside-down. "Nnn- ngh…"

Seething, her body shaking in built, pent-up anger, she rotated him as she held him over herself, and leapt off the ground. "Hrr~h…!"

At the apex of her leap, she reeled her arms back behind herself, his body flopping around in her vice grip. "Hh- he- hey-" His eyes were wide, and he tried to speak-

Keine whipped both arms straight forward as she descended. Dieter yelled before the impact. "Aaa-"

CR- CRACK. Dieter was smashed head-first against the hardwood floor, a grisly splatter of blood splaying out all around the point of collision. She'd let gravity decide the ferocity of the impact, and if the blood splatter was any indication, it wasn't feeling kind.

'Holy… crap.' Sendai wasn't even sure if he'd survive an impact like that.

"Ghk-..." His limbs contorted weirdly, as he slowly fell off of his head, and onto his back.

Thud. He flopped, everything about him limp. The girls all stood around, watching to see if he was dead yet.

"Nn-..." By some strange miracle, he began to sit up. "Not-... yet…"

Once he was up on his legs, Mokou's boot came for his face again, thrusted dead-on-

fwish. He slid aside the incoming blow nearly instantly-

WHABAM! Amber echoed off of his sudden uppercut, as he met Mokou's jaw with it. "Nnh…!"

WOOSH! Keine thrusted towards him head-first again, to capitalize on the time he had to spend bringing his arm back-

fwish! Sliding aside the charge, he ran for Sendai, who was further away from the other girls. "Hh- hey, slut…!"

Her eyes flared, and she bared her teeth. 'This fucker-'

BAM! She threw a hook, but he was faster, a grand, explosive hook powering up Sendai's side. "Ooh-"

Pap! She blocked the next great hook he sent out easily, stopping the obvious but quick upward motion with her left arm.

WOOSH. He weaved under a crescent kick from Reisen behind him, meant for the back of his head-

PAP! He stomped on Sendai's sandal with his boot. "Ff-" She winced-

BAM- WHAM! "Hru~h!" He drove his elbow across her gut, and an overarm thrust into her face, like a hurricane of force.

Thud! Sendai fell back, and he stepped off of her sandal. 'Da- damn it…'

BAM! He pivoted around to try and stop anything new, but Mokou's thrusting kick met his arms, blowing them out of guarding. "Aa-"

Fwish! Before she could get another kick in, or before a different crescent kick from Reisen could meet him, he slid back, moving past Sendai as she tried to get up.

Click. As he stood over the fallen Sendai, he held out a heavy revolver pulled from his jeans, aimed down at her head, primed in an instant. 'Ah-...' Before she could get up, she saw it. 'Fu- fuck.'

"Tsukiko-..." Keine looked like her heart had stopped where she stood, many meters away.

"Rrh-..." Mokou's expression flared. "You-..."

'This-... asshole.' Sendai glared up, from the floor. 'After all the shit he's pulled… he gets off on fighting this shitty, cowardly last stand...'

"Ha~h…" Letting out a breath, he leaned forward, grinning across the laid-out Sendai at the three other pissed off women. "Fuckin' amateurs, yeah? Said I was after her, not y'all. Heheh..."

Wham! Kneeling down, he thrust the barrel against the side of Sendai's head when she looked back at her friends. "Anh-..."

"Bitch." He sneered victoriously, as he rigidly snapped back into standing, eying the other three carefully.

'To think that he'd just thoughtlessly use his second chance at life to throw away people's happiness; that he'd try to throw away my second chance with him, too. The guy's hardly even happy himself…'

She thought back to Keisuke, and the opportunities to grow someone caring like him had given her. She thought back to being alive again, and how this second chance had let her help Keine. She remembered the care she gave Reimu, and the care her own mother had given her.

'I can't imagine, being so fucking retarded, to abuse precious things like that.'

"So…!" Calling out, Dieter took in a deep breath. "Y'all really don't want me shootin' her, huh!? Awh, look at y'all-..." He experimentally jerked his hand, and saw how Keine flinched. "Hehah!"

'I can't imagine- letting some fucking thoughtless piece of shit get away with being this much of a fucking letdown!'

Before the other girls could devise a plan and act, Sendai did. Her limbs flared with violent, azure light, coming off of her form like smoke.

Cla- CLACK! She shot up the floor with explosive velocity, and since his eyes were on the other three, he couldn't react.

She leapt at him, as he began to flick his gun arm back, spooked. "Hrr~h…!"

'You had the same fucking situation as me!' She glared straight into his grey eyes. 'You had a second chance! You could've-... did so much.'

PA- PAP! Her arms caught him by the shoulders, and his eyes widened.

Unable to sustain her weight, he slipped back on his heels, revolver abandoned as he tried to come up with a plan to not eat shit when he met the floor. "Sh- shit-"

The blue-white light coming from her body was blinding. 'You could have found love-... you could have made friends, or adventured- or just, fucking anything… but you threw it all away.'

Dieter fell back, Sendai's form dropping with him. She thrusted her head forward as they took the fall together.

'Fuck you for abusing people's kindness!'

She'd replicated what Keine did to him in her office, before they'd started tailing him.

WHAKRA- CRI- CRA- CRACK! She landed her head against his, the moment his head fell back and met the floor. Blood flared across Sendai's face, as well as Dieter's, his nose splashing open.

...Wiping her own face off, Sendai got up, pushing herself off of him. "Hh-..." He lied there with a blown away look on his face, almost grinning. Blood had come from the wound Keine made on his head earlier, pooling along the back of his head against the wood ground.

Standing, Sendai saw the fallen revolver nearby, and moved to kick it. 'Fuck your shitty guns.'

CLACK! Her sandal met it, and the gun was punted away. It skidded across the deck, before falling off the plane and into oblivion. 'Hope someone has roof insurance.'

...Then, moments later, he began to move. He started sitting up again, despite his face being caked in blood. "Hh- hehe-... nn- not… yet-..."

'Holy fuck. What is this dumbass made of.'

"Just give u~p!" Keine was now behind him, hollering, her red eyes leaving trails in the midnight air. "Take your selfish pride and fucking di~e!"

...He flicked his hand along his jeans again, as he got up.

BAM- BAM! Before he stood fully, he shot Keine twice in the chest, with a new gun he pulled. "Hghk- aa…!"

This took a moment to catch up with Sendai, whose eyes widened. 'Wh- Keine! No! Fuck!'

Fwish! She moved for him, but he slid aside her, pointing his gun at Mokou as she sprinted up.

BAM- CRACK! He capped her, a bullet blowing straight through her skull.

BAM! He whipped the gun to finally cap Sendai too, but she weaved her head just past the barrel, passing through her hair. The bullet lit up Reisen's shield since she'd strafed just behind Sendai, receiving it.

Bringing up her right arm, Sendai grabbed the gun, and moved her left arm up-

WHAM! She hooked it over his head, and he grit his teeth. "Nghk…"

Bap. He tried to knee her, but his legs had nowhere near the force of his arms, letting Sendai rake her azure-clad arm back across his neck-

BAM! The outward slam of her arm sent him stumbling away, and left her with his pistol. 'Heha! Mine now, fuckhead!'

Now that he was some steps away, his eyes widened, and he looked up at Sendai.

BANG! She took the shot, but he'd moved to slide away before she even pulled the trigger. 'Fuck!'

"Reisen!" Sendai yelled out. "Help!"

Nodding, Reisen kneeled down, and held a hand to one of her ears. "Support team A-oh-three! Need a lock-on, against bomb-elemental human, to the order of red-white. Make sure not to collide with our aircraft!"

'Wait, what…'

Vrrrr~! Suddenly, in the airspace next to the plane they all stood on, a sleek white craft came from the darkness. Through the lit, cobalt-tinted cockpit, Sendai could see a bunny girl was inside it…

Fwi- fwi- fwi, click! Around Sendai, a golden reticle began to form, and suddenly, she could see a line traced along the gun she held, like an ethereal laser pointer. 'Woah…!'

...She held up the pistol. There was now a grid along the floor, the wind seemed to avoid her eyes, a line was drawn from the gun to Dieter, his evasion paths were plotted in real-time, there were subtle lines that calculated alternate bullet trajectories, and Sendai now saw a small plus symbol that seemed fixed to her eyes, and stayed in the center no matter where she looked.

'I-... I feel like this is kind of overkill, but I'll take it!'

BANG. She fired the shot-

Thwick! It met his gut. "Hrgh!"

click. The gun was empty, so she couldn't shoot again. '...I'm glad I got one supremely accurate shot, at least.'

She held up her gun, to throw it. As she did so, she got to see the exact trajectories it'd travel at if she tossed it. 'What-... wow!' She could see how the flying craft's air currents would mess with it, too.

WOOSH. She chucked it way to the right, and it flew forward with bullet-like velocity. The air caught it, and delivered it just the way Sendai expected.

Clack! It beaned him in the forehead. "Ngh…"

While he stumbled back, feeling at the new hole in his gut, Keine marched towards him, her eyes aflare again. 'Aa- she's better, already…?'

She came up to him, stumbling for an awkward moment as well, before reeling an arm back to flail forward-

Fwi- BAM! He'd tried to slide, but chose the wrong direction, her arm meeting his head and sending him to the ground.

"Hrraa~h!" Arching back, Keine howled, and then she pounced onto him.

Now that she straddled him, she had free reign to go absolutely insane.

CRACK… CRACK… She began slamming each arm on his head, one at a time, crushing each fist into his face, compressing his nose and features. "Rrgh-"

CRACK… CRACK… Again, she slammed arm after arm down like she was beating a big drum, as he tried to bring his own arms up to fight back.

CRACK… CRACK… She grit her teeth, as she rammed his head against the hard floor again and again, blood pooling along the back of his head, spreading out with every hard hit.

Squech. He thrust an arm up, gripping her by the eyes.

"Hraaoo~h!" Keine roared-

BAM- CRACK! He leaned to the right, avoiding a single full-force thrust of her arm, which busted through the wood floor. The fragment she punched out fell to the village below.

Thu- thud. "Aa- nhe…" She rolled off, feeling at her own eyes, while he crawled to the side, blood also having pooled behind his back.

"Sh- shiht…" Slowly, Dieter fought into standing, streams of red pouring down his face and head. "Nnh-... I- aihnh loosh…"

Whunk! She met his stomach with a hook. 'Alright-'

Bam! As he brought up an arm to thrust back, she hooked the opposite arm across his chest, making him lean back-

WHAM! She hooked him again, now in the face.

PAP! He stomped her sandal with his boot's heel, and moved in to ram her to the ground again-

WHAM! But, Sendai was faster, whipping the same azure-clad arm she used to hook him down along his side with a great stroke.

Thud! He landed back-first against the floor, now disadvantaged. "Rrh-"

Fwish! Before she could stomp his groin, he slid back by thrusting his arms against the ground, getting away-

"Nn- no- you do~n't!" Roaring with her whole body, she sprinted ahead at him. She leapt off her feet, reeling an arm back overhead. "Hra~h!"

WHAM- CRACK! Falling, she thrusted her left arm into his face, smashing his head against the floor.

Thu- thud! Landing behind him, she rolled off her arm and side, landing on her back three meters behind him. 'Eat shi~t!'

...For a few seconds, he simply lied there, as she moved to get back up-

Fwish! Rolling over, his face caked in crimson, red and amber, Dieter jetted forward and onto his boots with surreal velocity, bringing his arm overhead, explosive energy roaring up it. 'What- oh-'

He leapt, and Sendai saw the overhead thrust roar down into her own face. 'Aa-'

WHAM- BAM! He'd copied the blow Sendai just used on him, his knuckles smashing her nose, driving the back of her head into the floor. "Nnkh!"

Clumsily, he rolled off of his arm and side, onto his back. "Hh- heheh…"

"Nn- anh…!" Sendai mind recoiled, from how her head met the hardwood floor. Her vision dimmed for just a moment, and her body jolted to keep herself alert.

'Does-... is this what he keeps fucking coming back from? Fuck…!'

Body tingling, brows furrowed, Sendai rolled over onto her stomach. Her nose was now bloody, as she moved to get back up off of her arms and knees. "Nnh-... ha~h…"

"Hfuu~..." Dieter heaved, pushing himself up off his own stomach with his arms. "He-... hehe-..."

Reisen stood up from the mint-haired Keine, sliding away a medkit and painkillers, as Keine fought back onto her legs. "Fu- fuckin', thank you…"

FWOOM- BOO~M! Mokou was back. A pillar of fire erupted in the center of the plane, igniting everything.

Eyes lighting up at the flames, Dieter beamed. "Yhe- yea~h!" He reached into his jeans, too.

Sendai ran up, to stop him-

Woosh! He chucked an alcohol flask forward, into the inferno.

KABOO~M! It exploded.

A huge, gaping hole was left in the middle of the plane deck. Caught surprised by the blast, Mokou fell straight down.

'Are you fucking kidding me…!' Sendai stepped back from the widening, burning gap. 'You stupid motherfucker! This thing's not gonna be flying much longer!'

She slid up to him, and threw another hook-

Fwish! He slid back, before throwing one of his own.

BAM! It met Sendai's stomach, but she took it.

BAM- BAM- Fwi- fwish- BAM- BAM- Fwish- BAM! Rapidly, his arms exploding with power, hers flourishing with dark, they traded blow after blow, neither allowing themselves to relent. Hook and jab chained into hook after jab, neither allowing their body to yield.

Keine and Reisen neared the exchange, watching pensively as Sendai and Dieter railed one another, in a lightning-fast exchange of dark and ballistics.

WHABAM! After three seconds, and twenty traded punches, Dieter got around Sendai's side, and landed a single, Keine headbutt-parrying blow to the side of her head.

Sendai stood stock still, eyes hard, blood oozing down her lips. Azure and black flaked away from where his thrust met her skull.

'You're not the only hardass, shithead!'

WHABAM! She reeled right back around, returning the momentum with a thrusting punch of her own, her knuckles digging into his nose. 'Fucking di~e already!'

Thud! As he flopped back, she pounced on him.

Her arms now jet black, Sendai lifted one, straddling his form-

CRACK- CRACK! Copying Keine's motions, Sendai crushed one fist into him at a time, hitting hard enough to make her knuckles burn. 'Let's crack his fucking face in-'

CRACK- CRACK! Bringing down her arms twice more, she crushed his face further, his head limply going with the momentum of each slam down onto him-

'He won't have- fuckin', bones, when I'm done-'

CRACK- CRACK! Ignoring the coming flames, Sendai ruined his face twice more. Serrations marred it, blood flowing from multiple wounds. It was like someone had painted him red; almost all of it was raw, or bloody.

CRACK- CRACK! She noted his bloody tears, and kept going, intent on breaking his jaw and cheekbones next. Each pass of her knuckles scraped deep, red marking her fists.

CRACK- CRACK! Her arms hurt from digging into him, the posture wearing on her whole body. It wasn't skillful, and it wasn't a smart attack, by any means, but it did what she knew best: raw destruction and power.

CRACK! CRACK! Slower now, she slammed the sides of her fists into his face again. 'Fu- fuck…'

Keine grabbed onto her. "We're gonna crash- dammit!"

This snapped Sendai out of her will to destroy quickly. 'Oh- shit!'

She looked back through the flames and smoke.

The hole in the plane had expanded hilariously fast, through the wood, cheap metal and fabric that comprised the giga-biplane. The entire farthest hull was gone, and the central hull was red with flames. Only this leftmost plane halve was remaining.

KABOO- BOOM! The central hull piece broke off, and spiralled to the ground below, meant for the village. 'I- I wonder if that's what Mokou's working on, right now.' Sendai didn't want those pieces to hit homes.

Watching the part fall, Reisen moved back. "Aah-... north west sector-..." She noted where it was falling, too.

The piece they were on was careening to the ground. Sendai looked ahead, at where the ember-waked plane hull swung.

Reisen looked around, and her eyes widened, realizing how long the plane had left. "E.T.A- five seconds! Everyone- get- go!" She began to run, too.

But, Sendai wasn't fully listening, blood rushing through her head. Her eyes widened at the field they saw; this was Okane's land, and it was about to be torn into any second now.

Keine grappled her, and Sendai practically bounced into her arms, limbs shaky and jittery with adrenal power. 'Oo- oh, holy…'

Keine pulled, and flew off with her. They parted from the descending, amber star that was the falling biplane halve.

KRIKRAKRAKRACK! The shuttle bounced off a crop, floating ahead towards the large manor, making ungodly noises in the process. 'O- ooh…'

KABOO~M! As it sailed ahead, the engine finally went, the plane becoming a complete, searing red blaze-

KRA- KROOM-OOM-THOOM… Ultimately, it powered into the manor, exploding into a bomb of great fire. Within seconds, the entire side of the manor facing Sendai was up in smoke.

'Oh, wo~w.' She took in the spectacle, the massive blaze filling her gaze. 'Ooh. Um… I, don't think we're going to be questioning anybody after this…'

...As Keine held in the air, holding Sendai, Reisen came up to them, grabbing onto Keine's shoulder. "Holy-... holy shit." She beheld the black plume which rose from the manor.

Sendai learned Essence of Steadfast Counter.

Sendai learned Essence of Finishing Blows.

Sendai learned Essence of Wreckage.

Sendai obtained FN Model 1903 (one use remaining).

Keine and Sendai landed, in the midst of the farmland. A plume of searing red and billowing black stood ahead, the mansion upon it burning.

Dieter laid in the bloody heap before them. "Hh… hh~." He was still breathing, by some miracle, but all the amber energy along his body was gone.

"Here- lemme…" Keine moved to hold up Sendai, by sliding herself under one of Sendai's arms.

'Not-... necessary, but alright.'

"Hh- heh- kaugh…" Dieter coughed, as he lied on the ground. "Kauf- kaugh- kau~gh…"

Reisen came up to them, having retrieved one of his pistols from the floor. "Hey. He had another spare, and dropped it in the cra-... ah." She looked ahead, seeing him.

"Yh-... yhou…" He spoke roughly, hardly telligible. "Kh-... Tsuh- kik-... yher a- damn monster…"

...Sendai leered down at him, as he lied with a broken arm and a broken leg. "Dhamn- shtraight." Her nose was broken too, but she wasn't nearly as beat as he was. "Dumb- ahssh."

For awhile, they simply stood there, the red of rising flames glimmering upon their encounter…

"He- here-... I thouh- I wa' hot- shit…" He was staring up at the night sky, which was being obscured by smoke. "Bu'... yhou jus' kheep ghettin'- shtron'her…"

Snorting, Sendai felt Keine wrap an arm around her back, stopping beneath her left breast. "...Yhou, fhucking, ihdiot. If yhou weren't sho- shtupid, punches like tha' koulda- done sho much ghood…"

'Or- at least, not fucked up other people's lives. Fucking retard.'

"...I- I'd rhather fhuckin' die." Dieter seethed through his bloody teeth. "Dhie'her… no' pusshy…"

...With his one good arm, he somehow managed to push himself into sitting up. "Hh- aa…" The motion made his body reel, the piercingly cold night air cutting into his wounds. "...Nh-." He felt at his face, and held the hand back out, looking over the red.

"Aah-..." Looking back up at the girls, he smiled. "Al- alsho-... tha bunny fucks-... Kheine- Tsu-... keek, they comin' fo' yhou."

Sendai furrowed her brows. "Whah?"

"Bhunnies!" Dieter yelled back. "I hahd 'em run ouh'... s'post ta rail all 'a ya, ahfter I whon. No point in 'em nowh… so keep- kaugh-... eyesh opehn…"

...Sendai brought her other arm up to wipe her nose on impulse, only to wipe up a bunch of blood. 'Ugh…'

"Wh- why're-..." She let her gaze lower, frowning hard. "Why tellh- ush…"

"Yhou fucker-... y'nailed ol' Die'her." He grinned back, but the motion quickly gave way to a pained scowl. "Be real damn shtupid- if y'got killed now, bhy fuckin' youkhai…"

"Nngh…" Grunting, he rolled onto his stomach. With his one good arm, he began trying to crawl away, leaving red on the soil and crushed crop plants.

...Sendai looked unevenly at Keine, as her hand adjusted to sink into Sendai's left breast. "Aa-.. shoul' whe le' 'em-..."

"No matter where he goes…" Keine began to turn away, bringing Sendai with her. "Putting 'em in jail after this should be easy. The guard will be on this fire soon, too."

Okane's farmland, and his manor, were isolated enough from the nearby village that the fire would probably burn itself out, unable to spread.

'You imply he'll survive those wounds.' Sendai was pretty sure if they left Dieter here, he'd just die. '...Wouldn't mind if he didn't.'

They began to hobble off. Reisen gave an idle stare back at Dieter as he left, before moving to follow the other girls.

'Looks like-... we did it.' Sendai took in the dim amber glow along the ground, radiating off of the burning mansion in the background. 'Let's see the village get crime after a fuckin' stunt like that…'

-+- Sendai Hakurei no Miko Mode -+-

Sendai, Reisen and Keine shambled out of the gate to Okane's land. Behind them, a blaze raged, his mansion burning.

'...Reisen gave that gun she stole to me, for some reason. Holding it still gives me a line to help aim, but the grid and shit is all gone, for some reason… wait, the line is fading too. Wha~t.'

"...Wo- wow." Sendai breathed out, sliding the pistol into her pocket. "What-... a fhucking show thah ehnded up bheing…" Her broken nose didn't help her talk. "Fhuck…"

"Right?" Keine still had Sendai held, with Sendai's right arm cast over her shoulders. It was sort of ironic, since Keine had taken more damage in that fight. "Just glad we all came out okay, after that. Tsukiko- this is why I fuckin'-... don't wanna send you off on shit like this. I don't wanna see you hurt."

'I haven't even taken any gut blows. Actually- come to think it, why'd Keine help me walk anyway… I just kinda accepted her help without thinking.'

"Keine…" Sendai closed her eyes, her adrenaline finally running low. "Don't feel bad. I've been through worse."

"...Easy for you to say." Keine began to grin wider at her. "I don't think it'd be fair if ya counted that. We oughta get you back to my place..."

'...What, why.' Sendai wasn't sure she followed her logic on that last one. 'Unless she means Marcus's place.'

whish. Evening breeze roared past them, chilling all the blood along Sendai's face. 'Ho- holy shit, it's kinda cold…'

"Uh. Hey." Reisen spoke up, nearing them. "I know you're both-... wiped, and all, but…"

Keine turned to her. "Wha~t."

As Keine's head turned, Sendai looked up at her big, perfect horns. 'Ooh. Cool horns. They go well with her hair, somehow...'

"He wasn't wrong. Renegade activity is all over the village." Reisen gave the two a worried look. "What the hell. Alright- come on, we gotta move. Let's go stop that fire in the north west, while we're at it."

"Ho~ld on, I've got it." Marcus spoke up from the sound stone, instead. "None 'a you have water magic, either. Not only am I closer, but I can actually put it out wit'out blowing up things instead! Figure I didn't hafta tell ya guys, but yeah, that's what I'm doin'."

"Didn't hafta tell us?" Keine furrowed her brows. "What if you got clocked on the head, dumbass?"

'Ooh. Full moon Keine doesn't pussyfoot around, apparently…'

"Oh, trust me, ya'd hear it! Pro'lly the fire, too." Marcus's bewildered grin could be felt across the sound waves...

"...Al- alright, sure." Reisen conceded this to him. "That just leaves all these renegades. I don't know why- but they're just running around everywhere now. I don't know if the blasts spooked them, or-... or what."

...Keine grimaced. "Dieter fuckin' did it, 'member? Guy gave us a heads-up. They're tryin'a finish us off."

"But- Reimu's running around." Reisen contested… "She'll chew through those renegades like a knife through butter."

'If they were just supposed to finish off Reisen and Keine- and capture Mokou since that'd be the next best thing- well-... they wouldn't have to fuck with Reimu to get that done. Pop out, gank, and get back.'

Wincing, Sendai felt at her bleeding nose… "Mhaybe-... it'sh thime 'o fhind out- where th' fuck they cohming from." Parting from Keine's arms, she began to walk forward, ready to keep going. "Yhou think they dhoing anything wheird?"

"Not-... that it looks like?" Reisen felt at her own suit. It was kind of hard to understand Sendai, through her broken nose. "They're just moving around."

'...Weird.'

...Despite all of this, Keine let herself breathe, for a moment. "Well…"

Keine's red eyes met Reisen's own. "We're already this far. For all we know, they're running because they're trying to get out of town."

"...If only." Reisen shook her head.

Regardless, Keine let herself smile. "Still… you've all done great, so far. Uuh… Tsukiko." She looked at Sendai, who was in her grasp still. "Your nose…"

Sendai's nose was still plenty bloody. Both her and Keine had remained roughed up from the last fight.

'...Yeah. It sucks.' The adrenaline was beginning to wear off, and the pain was setting in. 'Oh, god- damn…'

Reisen came up, with a cookie and some solvent, again. "Hey, open up."

'Aah- hell yeah…'

"Omh." Sendai angrily bit into the cookie, and got ready.

-+- Sendai Hakurei no Miko Mode -+-

...Still bloody, albeit now patched up, the three girls walked onto the southern main street. Here, some villagers stood tightly along the sides of the road, for some reason shaken into staying still.

The sky was dark with night, and warm lights shone upon this main village road, from the street lamps and from the nearby buildings.

'Must be out to check out the action. Not sure why, but sure.' There weren't many villagers out, and they kept scarce, packed to the very sides of the roads, but they were around. 'There'd probably be more gawkers, if it wasn't like two in the morning, and cold as shit. A storm might be blowing in, from all this wind…'

"They're all spooked." Keine noticed. "Might be the buns."

"Maybe." Reisen nodded… "Wait-... some are coming this way."

Sendai snapped her gaze north, along the road leading towards the square. In the full moon, she could see black smoke from where the other plane hulls landed. 'Damn…'

She also saw bunny soldiers. Upon sighting the three, they moved closer, raising assault rifles. 'Ah, damn it, more fuckers. They're carrying the larger guns…'

Reisen stepped forward, holding an arm out. "Halt!"

The bunnies weren't in the traditional, off-brand brown suits of the other renegades. These were of a crimson color, fit with odd black braces on the elbows and knees.

"Found 'em!" A bunny with long, black hair raised her gun. "Be here in two minutes! We found the marks!"

"Marks…?" Moving closer to Keine and Sendai, Reisen had both her arms ready. "They're hunting us, alright..."

"What the hell…" Keine rubbed the back of her own neck, grimacing forward. "Well, let 'em come to us, then."

Sendai stared at their chrome guns, which reflected the moonlight. 'We just got done with shit, too. These motherfuckers…'

-+- Vs. Village Occupation Unit 007 -+-

PATATAT- ATATAT- PATATAT! Instantly, salvos of teal plasma bolts roared for the three of them.

Reisen leapt before Sendai, keeping her defended. "Guys- get back- now!"

FWAP- ZAP- PAP! Some shots met Keine, blowing straight through her flesh, blood splattering along the stone road behind herself. "Hugh- uuhn!"

'Aa-...' Sendai watched big splotches of Keine's insides land on the nearby stone.

"Keine!" Lagging from disbelief, Sendai yelled out. She tried to move for her-

Fwi~sh! Reisen's shield broke from plasma impacts, as she returned fire with just her fingers. "Mo~ve! Miko-" She turned for Sendai, and pulled on her arm, stopping her from moving towards Keine.

Behind the three assault bunnies, a fourth began to step out, her form shimmering in from nothing at all.

Her hair was neon cyan, and her suit was gold. In her hands, she held a gold-plated Desert Eagle, which shimmered under the village's lanterns.

Sendai and Reisen jolted for the alleys to the right of the southern road. 'Oh- shit, shit-'

They got past the corner of some cafe, which was on the cusp of the aristocratic road-

POW. The new bunny's golden gun was shot at them.

PACHI~NG! A huge stone flew from the village road when it was struck by the ballistic round, spiraling hilariously into the air. 'Oh-... what the fuck…'

Sendai saw Keine across the road, now leaning against the alley they'd emerged from earlier. 'Oh- damn, Keine really needs help! Fu~ck… I mean, at least she had enough sense to find cover- but-'

"We've got 'em cornered!" Sendai began to hear the bunnies yelling. "Oh, hey!"

Along the opposite end of the street from them, four more bunnies ran up, one fit with a bazooka, and the other three with shotguns. "Where'd they go!?"

"That way!" One of them was heard near the alley they'd hid down…

'Holy shit…' Sendai was staggered by the amount of weaponry they had… 'Damn it. This is all because I didn't make a better deal with the kappa about stopping gun tech, isn't it. And- Keine...'

fwi- fwi- fwish, fwi- fwi- fwish. Then, a salvo of six light arrows came down from above.

pat- pat- pat. The first three met the three rabbits with assault rifles, effortlessly gliding through their shields. But, the arrows didn't pierce their flesh like one would expect.

BOOM- KABOOM- BLAM! Instead, they exploded under the shield, becoming holy novas of light, sending the bunnies flying stories in the air. "Aaa- aarh!"

The others flinched, jolting back with their weapons raised. "Wh- what the fuck-..."

"What-... what was that?"

The golden gun-clad bunny cast her gaze around. "Hmm…?"

BOOM- BLAM- BLAM! The bazooka bunny, and two of the shotgunners, also exploded. "Huaa~!" They'd never even felt the impact of the arrows, only realizing they were struck after being blown into the air.

'Look at them fly…' Sendai stared up into the starry night sky. 'What… the fuck.'

Holding her pistol up, the gold-suited bunny looked around, her gaze hard. "...Come out."

Someone descended from above. They landed behind the last shotgunner, who had her janky weapon held forward, to watch the golden bunny's back.

This woman was clad in red and blue, her outfit featuring an odd parallel design. She had a red-blue nurse's hat, and long, silver hair done in a braid along her back.

pat. Her palm brushed the back of the shotgunner's neck, bypassing the shield without trying.

thud. The bunny fell onto her stomach, unconscious just from a stroke.

"Ma- master…!" Reisen blinked, staring down that road. "That's-... um- Tsukiko-... that's-... well, um, you wanted to meet the person who ran Eientei, right?"

"...Aa- ah." Sendai blinked.

POW. The bunny agent fired the golden gun at the red-blue girl.

Sendai couldn't tell if it hit or not, because the woman didn't move. She began walking towards the bunny, with a relaxed pace.

POW- BANG! The bunny fired twice.

whish. The red-blue woman snapped along the road, avoiding the shots. 'What…?' Sendai blinked at the unreadable movement.

Running closer, the gold-cyan bunny had a glare of ice. "Yagokoro. If I land a shot of this gun-..." As she closed the distance, she held her pistol up again.

POW! She shot it as she ran, trying to get a good hit in.

'Yagokoro' caught the bullet between her fingers. She turned her hand around, and let go of it-

PACHOW! The bullet met the golden gun, and the front half of it was blown clean off. The rest of it flew from the bunny's hand. "Wh- ow…!"

She looked back up. Yagokoro stood before her, under a meter from her face.

WHISH! The bunny spun around like Reisen would, sending a crescent kick high with her right leg.

Thump. It met Yagokoro in the side. But, it didn't interrupt her at all, as she casually sidestepped to the left-

Whish. She slid her left ankle forward and back, stealing the bunny's right ankle with it.

THUD! The bunny bounced on her butt, landing on the ground hard. "Wha-"

Pap. Yagokoro bent down, and thrusted her palm into the bunny's side.

"Hkh- aaa-..." She let out all her breath, and her eyes fluttered. Gently, she leaned back, writhing, before her eyes snapped shut.

...Yagokoro stood up, pivoting away from the unconscious bunny.

Sendai obtained pocket lint.

Sendai and Reisen meandered from the house side they'd taken, and Keine limped out of the alley she hid within…

"Keine-..." Sendai hurried up to her. "You good?"

"I will be…" She smiled back, her red eyes glimmering beneath her mint-tinted bangs. "My body heals real fast like this, so them holes were nothin'..."

"Um." Before they could get distracted, Reisen hurried to introduce her master. "This is Master Eirin Yagokoro."

...Breaking away from Keine and coming up neutrally, Sendai gave a strong nod towards her. "Hey. Uh, thanks. Here to clean up yer shit, yeah?" She wasn't even staring at Sendai, which made this feel weird.

"What if I told you…" Pivoting mechanically, Eirin faced Sendai with a vague expression. "I know where the heart of their base is?"

...Sendai blinked. "You do?"

"It's under the village." Eirin delivered plainly. "I am going to go destroy it."

'...Wow. Straightforward. Also- it was just, down there…? They must be in the under-village tunnels.'

Her wounds healing on their own, Keine began to stand up straighter. "...How long have you known 'bout this shit?"

"About thirty minutes." Eirin returned. "Regarding the base, at least. I learned there were renegades amassing here thirty or so hours ago. Regardless, this problem will be contained. I shouldn't necessarily be seen wandering the streets as I do this, so-... I will simply walk down into their depths, and dismantle everything."

"Don't you think some will just go ballistic?" Reisen wondered… "Like, attack the village?"

Eirin snorted. "If their plan was to wipe it out, they'd have done so by now. Their priority is retreat, and will only consider rebellion in amassed numbers."

Sendai frowned. "Yeah, I got the feeling they'll be amassing numbers real quick. Any plans on that?"

...Reaching behind herself, Eirin drew her great, wooden bow from her back.

"When the ground rumbles, you and others will encroach onto the town square." Eirin informed Sendai. "And, this is crucial. All of you must attend the town square shortly after or before the rumbling, or there will be marginal losses of both humans and youkai. You must all get ready now."

"Wh-..." Sendai stepped closer. "What? How?"

"When I destroy the center of their operation, they will flock to the surface and converge at the town square." Eirin clarified. Reaching around her back, she drew odd, yellow-blue metal arrows, examining three that she held between her fingers.

"If you put an immediate stop on the combat there, they will turn tail and flee. Our military can then apprehend as many as possible, outside the village's confines."

'...That-... sounds too good to be true.'

"However." Eirin met specifically Sendai's gaze. "Should yourself or Kamishirasawa be killed or defeated at the square, the village will sustain unacceptable losses. Such is why you must all get ready now. I approximate you only have a few hours to prepare."

"In specifically the town square?" Sendai wanted to know more. "Why there? How do you know this?"

"I know how they act." Eirin answered simply. "I've done this sort of thing longer than your ancestors have walked the earth, Hakurei. Please, find it in yourself to trust me on this."

"Thank you, master." Reisen nodded to these words instantly. "...Shall I go with you, to help you?"

"Indeed." Eirin nodded, and began to drift forward, down the road. "Let us move, Udongein."

She held her seemingly wooden greatbow at a precise, unchanging angle, as she hovered down the village road, half a meter off the ground. Reisen jogged to keep up with her, before stopping and stealing a chrome rifle from the floor.

'...What?' Sendai was left out of sorts, from the whole exchange.

...Thu- thu- thud, thud. Airborn bunnies began to rain down around Keine and Sendai, flopping hard enough against the floor around them to create a symphony of sickening cracks.

BAM- crack. "Ev- everything hurts…"

Cra- crack! "Ghk- gh-..."

SNAP! "Aa-..."

'Oh-... oh okay. That's, huh.'

"That Eirin-..." Staring around at the tumbling bunnies, Keine began to speak. "Can never tell the fuck she's thinkin'. Not sure if I trust her ta fuck with-... whatever's going on. But, s'whatever. I'll know if there're problems."

'Kind of hard to trust someone who can effortlessly make it rain bodies, yeah… and, from how it feels, whatever she did also sealed all these rabbits falling around us. Damn.'

"You do make her sound snakey." Sendai admitted… "Well, it's whatever. I'm not complaining. I think we can trust Reisen. At least, enough for me to not think she'll immediately backstab us."

'...I'd like to spar with that Eirin chick, at some point. She seems fucking strong. I'd also like to know just what the hell her situation is-... but, since she's helping us out, it wouldn't make sense to start a scene.'

Keine snorted. "...If she did, Reimu would probably turn Eientei upside-down. Again."

'Again, huh.' Sendai was curious… 'Just how fucking powerful is she supposed to be, now? You're telling me she has no problems with that Eirin chick?'

"Reimu's that strong?" Sendai immediately wondered.

...Keine looked ahead, and just kept moving. "I'll-... I'll tell ya 'bout all the weird bullshit wit' danmaku some other time. Let's go find Mokou."

'Wait- what's danmaku got to do with this. Hey- Keine, wait up!'

-+- Sendai Hakurei no Miko Mode -+-

Now that the fire just on the border of the south-west sector was put out, Mokou stepped onto the main road just next to the village square.

"Ah. Hey." Sendai waved an arm out to her.

"Mokou must've just put out one of the fires." Keine deduced, glancing at the smoke plumes in the sky. The one in the north-west, near where her house would be, was almost extinguished now as well.

Casually, Mokou came up to them, smiling. "Not how you thought you'd be spending your full moon, huh Keine?"

"Y'can say that again." Shaking her head, Keine kept moving forward. "We're gonna stop at my place and eat, 'fore we do anything else. 'Cause fuck, that all made me hungry, an' I hardly ate shit 'fore even starting all of this."

"...Sounds good." Sendai had no complaints. If there was one thing that she found it hard to work with, it was an empty stomach.

The village was bright, under the stars and the full moon.

"What the hell's all that noise…" Villagers were heard around them, moving cautiously around the sides of the square to stay out of the way of Keine and Mokou. "Danmaku shit?"

"I heard explosions…"

"There was a fire, in the sky. Mighta been danmaku…"

"You see those freaks with the rabbit ears? Someone should get the guard-... we might actually be getting invaded."

'...We're not the only ones unrestful from all this shit.' Sendai figured. 'Now we won't know when the bunnies are near, without Reisen here. Hmmh.'

Clack, clack, clack! That's when they saw a crimson-clad bunny running past them, at car-rivalling speed.

"Fucking Yagokoro~!" She yelled, her black limb braces glowing with teal magic, as she powered down the road, blowing across the square in moments.

'...Guess they have bigger problems than us, for now.'

FWI- FWISH. Sendai tossed a three-talisman salvo in the direction of the fleeing bunny, only for the yellow shield she had on to stop it. 'Ah, darn.'

...Mokou gave her a vague look. "I forgot ya could do more than punch things. Why didn't ya just master spark Dieter."

...Sendai gave her a small smile back. "The plane would've broke. Also, I have no idea if that spinny tome part of it would have worked, since we were moving, and there was a ceiling, and everything."

Keine began to look sardonic. "Spinny tome thing. I swear you had a better name fer that shit."

Flicking her gaze up, Sendai clarified. "Well- if you need one, it's a holy octagram."

'...Still kinda remember how I made it. I mean, Marcus made it, but he had to walk me through some steps, to make the tome replicate itself mid-air, and then combine my power to make a huge fuckoff laser.'

"I guess that did end as good as it coulda." Mokou supposed. "If we broke that plane another way, it coulda done way more damage than it did."

'Also, I figured everyone else could handle the actually difficult parts. There were four of us, and Reisen and Mokou didn't really hold back most of the time… so, I didn't have to bust my ass, 'till we got to Dieter.'

Keine moved for the west main street, now that they were in the square. "Let's get offa' the main roads. S'not good fer me ta be seen a whole lot, like this."

'Ah, yeah. You do look- and act- more youkai-like than usual.'

-+- Sendai Hakurei no Miko Mode -+-

Coming up to her house, Keine marched up the porch, and moved to open the door.

Crea~k. "Alri~ght. Y'need anything, guys?" She turned back to them, midway inside...

"Just a steak would be fine, tonight." Sendai felt herself begin to relax, a little. "Something filling, before my stomach eats itself."

"Same, actually." Mokou was also fine with this…

'Damn, I'm hungry. I didn't realize it until we slowed down, but holy shit…'

With that, Keine marched in, taking big, comfortable steps. 'She even walks different, now. From what I remember of full moon Keine when she was younger, she was-... well, she got more horny, and angrier, which wasn't saying much at the time. More horny in both senses of the word.'

With no one but them in the house, it felt marginally more lonely, now. 'Hmm…'

Sendai and Mokou followed Keine into the kitchen, watching her.

Clack. Keine flipped her preserve box open, reached in, and plucked a raw steak out.

"Omh." Then, she instantly tore into it. "Nnh…" Turning around, she sat onto the counter nearby, closing her eyes as the bloody meat's fluids dripped down her chin.

Ri~p! She tore a chunk asunder, chewing the huge bite. "Mm- mmh…"

"Wow." Sendai began to grin. "What a difference, from how you usually act."

...Keine gave her a flat look, swallowing her bite. "Mm- gh. Well, yeah. Lot less patient now."

"Like with-... utensils?" Mokou smiled, reaching into the preserve box herself. "I haven't see ya use any, like this."

...Keine shook her head. "Yeah, fuck utensils. Chopsticks, forks, you name it. What's the fucking point. I'm youkai, my teeth and fingers almost do just fine. And, you always gotta angle your hand- when you use both a fork and knife, or the chopsticks- and I know there's a like-... strategy behind it, and that's cool and all, but I really can't give a shit when I just wanna eat."

"...Is that how you really feel?" Sendai began to grin wider… "You might still be the old Keine after all."

"...It's how I feel right now, at least." Keine didn't quite answer her question. "Omh." She bit into her bloody meat again.

Not trusting Keine to actually cook the steaks this time, Mokou sauntered up to the stove herself, and placed down the two steaks she took out.

...Sendai wondered, about that. "Hey, Mokou. Should we wait for Keine to cook?"

Lowering her ready, flaming hands, Mokou snorted. "She can't cook for shit unless she feels like it."

"Ahh- kan thoo." Keine rolled her eyes, still chewing that last piece. "...Mmgh. Aa- well… I ain't as OCD about it as I normally am. 'Sides, yer fine with mostly anything, Mouk. Pro'lly you too, Tsukiko. So it shouldn't be like, hard."

'...I mean, you do cook pretty good normally, it feels like. How bad could you be, right now?'

-+- Sendai Hakurei no Miko Mode -+-

The steak Sendai received from Keine was very rare. 'Wow. She wasted no time cooking this. Still looks good… probably. Also- where's the seasoning...'

In the living room, they all sat around the coffee table. Keine literally had a plate of three raw steaks. "Rrh- mmh…" She dug into the side of one, savoring the raw flavor. "Mmm- mmm."

Sendai was on the central couch, while Mokou was on the right one, and Keine was on the chair Marcus usually used.

...Somewhat receptively, Sendai bit into her weirdly undone steak. 'I mean, still tastes like steak, so it's pretty alright. Hard to go wrong. Still, not as… well-orchestrated as it usually is, I guess. It's subtle enough that I can't care about it.'

"Still pretty good." She admitted.

Looking up from her food, Keine smiled. "...Ooh- yeah. I didn't really say it, earlier-... but I just wanted ta say, you all did a fan-fuckin'-tastic job today. We kicked that dumbass-... in the ass, shat on Okane's place, and... supposedly someone's takin' care of the bunnies, which'll mean no more drug shit."

...Taking in Sendai and Mokou's faces again, she began to smile wider. "And-... I really mean it, thank both 'a you so much. We-... we've gotten so far, since we started. T'think I was really so cornered, a few days ago-... an' now, it almost feels like shit's just 'bout back to normal. Y'know, as normal as the village can be."

...Sendai smiled, and nodded. "It's really no problem, Keine. I feel like I've learned a lot, just-... hanging out with you, and Mokou. About myself, and about what I should be doing."

'I really feel-... like I have a stronger grasp on fighting, now. Not a perfect one, but as a whole-... I just feel more capable.'

"You can hang out with us anytime, Tsukiko." Letting her eyes drift shut, Keine became relaxed. "...You're always welcome here."

Her friendliness made Sendai feel odd. "Thanks, Keine."

'I'm not used to people being nice to me, like this. What do I do other than smile and nod and stuff… I mean, Keisuke was nice to me, but that was different. I'm not used to Keine being excessively nice, especially like this.'

"So." Leaning back in her seat, Mokou folded her arms… "I heard over the sound stone things, we're gonna hafta head over to the town square at some point."

"Yea~h." Keine nodded… "But, not right now."

Sendai had a question, now. "Hey. You ever tried to grade papers, like this?"

Keine snorted. "Pft. No. I mean, pro'lly, but I don't remember it endin' well. Some a' those kids are fuckin'-... dumb. I get the urge ta rip shit up, or just give them a big ass zero. Or somethin' funny… like a two."

...Sendai didn't react, so Keine clarified. "Outta one hundred, I mean. It- it means they did real bad."

"Forgive me, but that still doesn't mean anything to me." Sendai was not familiar with grading, at all.

Keine smiled awkwardly. "Aah..."

It wasn't too long after tha, that they finished their meals. Except for Keine, she was now working on her third raw steak. 'Man, she can eat, now!'

...Sendai realized something she'd known before, too. 'Oh, yeah. Keine's got a fluffy tail now, too. It was so much smaller, earlier.'

"I'm pretty sure I asked you when you were a kid, but ya didn't have an answer…" Sendai smiled, watching the tail move. "What's with the tail?"

...Keine grinned, looking mischievous. "Oh? You wanna touch it?"

"That's the same thing you said back then, too." Sendai monotoned. "...Since it's actually fluffy now, sure."

Getting out of her seat, Keine moved towards her. "...How many times didja see me like this as a kid, again…?"

"Some." Sendai remembered that it wasn't terribly rare, but… "Couldn't really count how often. Probably half the time that I could, once you trusted me enough."

Creak. Keine sat down next to her, her tail moving to flop into Sendai's lap.

...She looked smug, as Sendai began to feel at its texture. 'It sure is fluffy.'

whap, whap. When Sendai tried to catch it, it playfully whapped at her red apron. 'Hey…'

Keine scooted closer, her butt pressing against Sendai's thigh. "Well?"

"Fluffy indeed." Sendai confessed, finally catching onto it. "You ever have to wash it, or…?"

"No." Keine shook her head. "It only grows out once a month, so it always comes back fresh and clean."

'Fresh and clean, huh.'

Mokou moved to sit next to Sendai, now. "Keep yer clothes on now, Keine. Wouldn't wanna go, y'know…"

"Mmh?" Keine twisted to look back at her partially, and smirked. "Awh, what? You 'fraid I might embarrass ya, Mouk…?"

Leaning on the right couch arm, Mokou looked amused in turn. "I'm afraid you might embarrass yourself, more like."

"Is this Keine still intensely sexual." Sendai wondered idly.

"I wouldn't call it 'intensely'." Mokou supplied, sinking into her cushion now… "But, it's a slippery slope, alright."

whump. Leaning back, Keine flopped back into both Sendai and Mokou's laps. "Mmh. Y'say that like you're not down fer fun once in awhile, Mokou…"

Mokou huffed. "Fuckin'- shut up. Last person you need to air that out to is miko, here."

'...Huh. It'd make sense that someone would humor her- but the thought of someone letting their guard down enough for that is kind of staggering…!'

"What would you two even do together." Sendai let a brow slowly raise… "I mean, better question: what's Keine even got in mind."

Smiling up, looking down along her own breasts, Keine met Sendai's gaze. "Nothin' in particular. But, scissoring's-"

"I thought…!" Mokou's gaze down at her began to intensify. "That the idea-... was that we wouldn't tell anyone…!"

Keine snorted. "Ooh? Well, I'm fine with Tsukiko knowing. Actually, now that I think about it-... Mokou, what do you think of Tsukiko?"

"...Uh." Mokou looked somewhat dry, for a moment. "You're not implyin' that we-"

"I mean, in the event…" Keine wiggled in their laps, forcing everyone to shift. "Don't you think she's kind of cute?"

"Keine." Shifting both arms behind her own head, Sendai leaned back… "I'm not gonna have a threesome with you and Mokou. Especially not right now."

...Keine sat up, ending up primarily in Sendai's lap, pouting. "Awwh. But…"

Shifting around, she pressed either leg into Sendai's sides, and brought her face closer to hers.

Sendai could see her red eyes dimly glowing in the house's gloom, which accented her smooth, pale face. "Wouldn't you love to be eaten up, by a grown woman, now…?" Her arms caressed Sendai's exposed shoulders, making her jump a little at the sudden contact.

Like this, Keine was practically all over her. Sendai began to understand why Mokou would have faltered. 'Oo- oh.'

...She tried to retreat back into the cushions, but she was already as deep as possible. "...How about them bullet holes." It was overall easier to just change the topic…

"Ah." Keine blinked, her face still close to Sendai's. "The bullets passed right through me. So, they're all healed. An' if you mean the ones the rabbits shot, skin's all healed up, too."

...Still trapped, Sendai began to squirm a little-

Keine came in to hug her, her breasts pressing against Sendai's. "C'mon…" She spoke lowly, into Sendai's right ear. "The night's hardly begun." Now, Sendai's body was being fully pressed into by Keine's, from many angles.

"Ye- yeah, how about-..." Lowering her own arms from behind her head, Sendai had two options…

If she did nothing, Keine's face would get closer, and their lips would meet. 'She's-... really pretty, now, actually.' Keine's soft features and red eyes were enticing. 'She's practically holding onto all of me at once-'

Keine began to lock her legs around Sendai's back, which was Sendai's clue that she should probably break out of this right now.

"Nn." She put her arms between herself and Keine. "Not now."

"Not now, hmm?" Keine relented surprisingly quickly, unwrapping herself from Sendai and returning to just sitting in her lap. "...Well. Okay. I suppose I am being clingy..."

'Huh. I didn't have to fight her over it.' Sendai let her brows raise. 'She really has grown.'

"Y'know…" Suddenly apprehensive, Keine looked away. "That does remind me. There's something about this form, that I've never let you see."

"If it's your pussy, I'd like to decline." Sendai took a breath, smelling dew and night air. "...And, technically, I did see that once. Perhaps more than once."

Grinning, Keine shook her head. "We- well, no. But… well. I don't think you'll freak out."

...Sendai wasn't sure what to think, from how she was acting. 'I guess I'll see.'

Turning around in her lap, Keine brought her hands to her waist, and began to raise her shirt.

Pensively, Mokou watched Sendai's expression.

'...Ah.' Sendai was briefly surprised.

Along Keine's back, there were six shifting red eyes. The top two were vertical, as were the bottom two, but the middle two were horizontal. Down the middle of her back, her spine segments jutted out into her flesh just a little, marking the beginnings of spikes or horns.

The two middle eyes stared at Sendai, while the other four shifted around, looking at different things.

'I thought it was strange, that she didn't have any hakutaku parts. Sort of reassuring to see that she's actually got some.'

...Sendai brought her face closer. Once she got over the initial shock, they weren't anything strange to her. "Y'know, they're kind of cute, if you bring your face close enough."

'Especially these middle two.' Making a small face, she brought her face up against Keine's back. 'So much space between them.'

Mokou relaxed, sinking back again…

"...Of course." Keine was smiling. "Of course you'd say something like that."

"I've seen worse, y'know." Sendai returned plainly. "This is pretty innocent, and harmless. Do they hurt?"

'Keine smells good, for some reason…'

"Not really." Keine shook her head. She was holding her long hair, so that it wouldn't fall along her back. "The eyelids are stronger, sort of like the back's natural skin. And, I'm youkai, so whatever abrasion they do sustain heals very quickly."

"Huh." Sendai supposed that was very neat.

"...Is the rest of me cute?" Keine faced her again, rotating in her lap. "I know you're a little wet, from all of this. I can smell it."

"I'll tell you what I tell succubi." Sendai gave her an enduring grin. "The body and mind, they don't always agree. And the body's not where the smarts are stored for a reason."

...Keine snorted, and let her shirt drop. "Oh, alright."

Creak. She sat in the next cushion over, now. "Still-... when all this shit's over, and if the moon's still full, I'd like ta maybe, y'know…"

'...She's-... really pretty, and friendly, but-...' She thought of Keisuke. 'I'm not one for fooling around, in the first place.'

"We'll see about that." Sendai gave her a non-answer. "...So, Mokou, how do you feel about Keine lezzing out on you."

Closing her eyes, Mokou let her head fall back. "Fuck."

'Heh.'

"I know this kinda thing pokes a hole in your 'gloomy and aloof' persona, but screw it." Sendai began to grin. "How do you think I feel, having Keine rub herself all over me. Bye, unapproachable atmosphere."

...At that, Mokou had to raise her brows. "I mean-... well, t'be honest, I don't really mind it. I just think-... Keine really not ought to get too attached to me."

"Y'mean you ought to not get attached to me." Keine smirked back. "You being immortal, and everything. But, I think bein' able to deal with this sorta thing-... it'd be healthy fer ya."

"Stop-... don't worry about me." Mokou seemed to drop her usual aloofness, looking more tired as she stared at Keine. "I can take care of myself, Keine."

"...Every time ya say things like that, I just remember the times I've found ya lying in the woods, starving to death repeatedly."

"I can take that shit." Mokou shook her head. "That was my own damn fault. You didn't-"

"Didn't hafta help ya, but I did." Keine returned. "Man. Every time y'get whiny like this, I just wanna-..."

Moving forward, she crawled onto Sendai's legs, getting closer to her. "Calm you down."

"Hold on, now…" Not in the mood, Mokou held a hand up. "Keine- we got shit ta do."

fwump. Keine sat back into her own seat. "Joki~ng. Sort of. Still, Mokou, stop beatin' the shit outta yourself. I know I ain't seen the shit you see, but goddamn it, we're like a broken record at this point. My thing for doing things fer people I care about starts tingling, and you start feelin' sorry for me, an' I start feelin' sorry for you feelin' sorry for me, an' sometimes yourself, an'-"

"Al- alright…" Mokou was a little amused, at that. "Sorry. I know we repeat this talk a lot… but, y'know, I-..."

"Y'really don't wanna get hurt." Keine summarized. "...An' I'm sorry, Mouk- but it'd hurt me even more to just let you mull about alone. I'm sure y'already lost people, and I'm sure you're-... not down for losing more, but-... you're gonna."

"I'll deal with that shit when it comes." Mokou shot back on impulse, accidentally conceding her initial argument. "...Wait- I mean-... damn. Fucking immortality. Fucking-... Kaguya-"

"Stop." Keine became serious. "She can't hurt you, here."

Mokou gazed plainly into the distance. "...Yeah, I know. Sorry. I'm just-... trying to find an easy way around like-... coping with other people dying, and I really shouldn't be. Thousand years, and only now am I half-brained enough t'even think about that kinda thing seriously. 'Cause, so many years-... fer example, a few hundred years ago, I just ran around randomly fuckin' killing people until I got trapped under a rock. Took me so long just ta feel like someone again."

Sendai spoke up. "It sucks."

...Both girls remembered she was there. Sendai continued. "To me, it was two years ago that my husband died. If I had my way in that moment, there would be a lot of dead people. Not that there wasn't a lot of dead youkai, after that. I kind of-... once Reimu was safe, I just went killing."

'I'm still not even really over it. I just-...' She closed her eyes. 'If I keep thinking like this, I'm just gonna hurt myself. And, I know I killed youkai who didn't totally deserve it, back then. I was just so angry- I wanted everything to be dead, and I had the power to back it up. If I'd lost Reimu, there wouldn't be forests or a village anymore. I'd fucking kill myself trying to kill everything.'

"...I've pro'lly had friends that I don't even remember now." Mokou added onto that.

Getting off of the couch, Sendai stared ahead at one of Keine's plain walls. "But, you know what. We all did what we damn well could, with what we had, I'm sure. So, let's stop havin' a fuckin' sad circlejerk, and start doin' some shit, yeah?"

...Mokou got up, too. "Yeah, yer right. Buncha fuckin' pussies, we are."

Grinning, Keine stood up, too. "Yeah. This isn't the kind of moment, for that sort of thing-... 'cause in the end, it's just feelin' sorry for ourselves."

'...Still.'

Shoof. The coffee table was slid back, by Sendai's knee. Distancing herself from the couch, she turned, facing her friends.

"You two." Sendai smiled. "Don't forget the experiences an' shit that made you. I was an idiot. I was a fuckin' waste of life, an' the Hakurei clan was basically dead in the ten or so years I was a total fuckass. Compared to me, you two are fucking legends."

"Tsukiko…" Keine looked bothered at first, but Sendai's smile soothed her worry. "You're the legend, here."

"Almost literally." Mokou slid her hands back into her own pockets. "...Well, I guess I'm technically a legend 'a sorts, too. Hourai immortal, and all."

froo~m. The house rumbled, strategic pieces tumbling off Keine's coffee table, and their half-full glasses of water shaking.

'Ah, shit…'

Keine blinked, before whipping around. "We've gotta get to the-"

BAM! She ran straight into the couch, and it fell backward, taking her with it. "Squa-"

WHAM! She hit the hardwood floor horns-first. Her head never touched the surface, but… "Aa- aah…" Casting her legs up, Keine revealed that she had gotten herself stuck.

...Mokou and Sendai leaned forward, disbelieving. As her dress fell over herself, Keine pressed her arms against the floor and kicked her legs, trying to break free without damaging the floor any further. "Aa-... wha- what the fuck..."

"Uuh." Mokou slowly moved closer, taking her hands out of her pockets. "Keine- lemme- make it easier, fer ya…"

'Wow.'

-+- Sendai Hakurei no Miko Mode -+-

Keine, Sendai and Mokou strolled towards the village square.

froo~m. The village rumbled again, and it could be felt even out on the road. 'What the fuck is going on under us…'

"...What?" Keine blinked, looking ahead at the well-lit square.

It was a mess.

Clank- clang, clang! Men in beige suits waved katanas around, tangling with the old village guard who wielded the huge lance.

KAWHAM! A crimson-suited bunny unleashed a crescent kick on one of the beige-suited men, sending him flying-

PACHUNK! From atop a nearby stall, the old, bald guardsman named Cobe- who'm Sendai met some days ago- unloaded his wood repeater at the crimson-suited bunny.

"Aaa- aaa~h!" Akihito spun around, flailing his broadsword towards a group of stocky bunny girls with those makeshift stun pistols that Sendai had to tangle with the other day.

"Bubble Burst!" Marcus was behind him, and he thrust his arm up-

BWUP- POP- BWU- POPOP! Beneath the shorter bunnies, a surge of bubbles blew out from the stone ground around them, their shields flickering-

KAZAP- ZAP- ZAP- ZAP! Their stun guns exploded in their hands, taking their shields, and shocking some of them. "Ebububu- ebhu- aah!"

'This is just fucking chaos! Oh, shit!'

She cast a look back at Keine, but she was already running into the crowd.

"What the fuck is going o~n!?" Keine hollered into the complete mayhem, as she sprinted into its midst.

...Sendai faced Mokou, and found her beginning to grin. Then, she began to beam.

"Tsukiko." She turned to Sendai. "This's our chance to break some big egos. C'mon, keep with me."

-+- Vs. Human Village Minor Adversary Finale -+-

"There you guys are!" Marcus called out into his sound stone. "Was wonderin' when you'd run into this buncha shit!"

'Coulda told us a riot was sparking! Holy shit!'

Mokou and Sendai caught up to the greying guardsman with the giant anti-youkai lance.

CLANG! He disarmed one of the beige-suited men with a lance swipe, only for a different man to meet the side of his armor with a blade. "You- inexperienced little shits…!"

"Hey!" Sendai yelled out, nearing him. "We're here!"

He blinked, moving back from them, trying to push away the beige-suited man nearest him-

WHACRACK! Mokou thrust across the ground, snapping ahead of Sendai. She met the beige-clad man with her boot. "Hu- uu…!"

Thud! He was sent rolling across their section of the town square, and the other beige-suited men around them widened their eyes, backing away. "Nn- no! Get the fuck away from me…!"

"Hfuh…" The greying guard faced Sendai. "Thanks- miko. Things've gone to hell real quick, first we cornered some of those gangsters who were running off- and then-..."

Clack, clack, clack. Some of the lower-ranking guards suddenly ran out from the south road, from near the job board and the booths there. "Alright…!" Guard sergeant Takuro snapped his gaze around, before sighting Sendai. "...Men! Follow me! I've spotted the youkai!"

'Wait-...' Sendai blinked, eyes widening. 'They're coming for us!'

"...Hey!" The old guard called out to them, throwing his arm up. "About time you lazy assholes got he~re!"

Six armored young men, plus Takuro, waltzed up. Takuro himself felt at his own, now healed neck, leering at them. "Hey, Charles. I don't think this's the kinda job you guys're regulated for, yeah?"

Charles frowned, his grey moustache bending. "But- it took you young assholes this long to even get here! I bet only two of you will fight- and the rest of you'll just bloody stand there! This isn't any time for you expendables to muddy things!"

Shi~ng. Takuro drew a katana, and the men around him began to draw their own. "Conceited old man. This'll be the only time we can teach a stiff like you a lesson."

Facing back, he called out for his men. "Right, me~n!? Let's open a spot on tha' Honor Gua~rd!"

"Yea~h!" The few men behind him, friends of his, cheered.

"You-... idiots!" Charles grimaced, backing up.

Sendai and Mokou stepped up before him. 'We're not about to let this shit just go down!'

FWA- BOO~M! A geyser of flames immediately erupted under two of the six men behind Takuro.

"Aa- what the…!" Two other of the men faltered, awed by the flame geyser.

This left Takuro and two other armored guards, all with katanas, moving up for Sendai-

CLACK! Charles thrust his lance forward. Takuro skirted back from the attack, and the great lance tore into the armor of one of the other black-haired men. "Uuh-...!"

KA- KRACK! Up above, Cobe shot down, one of his repeater's bolt arrows embedding inside another armored man's arm, leaving him to falter. "Uu- ngh…"

WHAM! Another, red-clad member of the honor guard was here. He met a lower-ranked guard ahead, sending him flying with a single swing of his great sledgehammer. "Unh- ooh…"

Thu- thud. Two men crumpled, coated in flames from Mokou's geysers, their armor searing red. "Uu- aaa- aaa~h!"

WHAKRACK! Mokou's boot met the nose of the last generic, regular village guard. "Khk-..."

Sendai and Takuro faced off in the midst of the chaos, her arms raised, and his katana held ready.

'I know a lot more, now…' She glared into his eyes. 'A man with a katana- shouldn't be as much of a problem, for me!'

Beaming, Takuro came up to her. "This's fer last Thursda~y!"

Fwish! Under the energizing starlight above, he thrust his katana for her. Sendai slid along his left, her sandals scraping against the uneven village square stones.

Clack! She thrust her palm into his stomach, making him recoil despite the plating, because of the strike's great momentum.

Whack- clack! As he turned, she hooked him with a left across the face, then a right to his plated stomach, sending him reeling back.

Bam! As he drew his katana up to whip it down, she thrust her arm into his face along his jaw, forcing him to shut his eyes. "Rrgh-"

'I won't even let you fucking cut me!'

WHAM! Galloping into him, she roared that same arm down. The will to annihilate him shined through the azure light which flared from the impact of her arm against his entire upper body.

Thud! He landed on his ass, holding his katana up. "Fu- the fuck-"

Sendai stepped back a few paces, before sprinting for him. 'Time to break that neck again…!'

Woosh. "Hra~h!" Sendai leapt, putting her running momentum, gravity, all her weight, and everything into an overhead thrust.

WHA- KRACK- BAM! Blood exploded out, staining Sendai's hand. Her arm plowed down into his nose, and the back of his head met the stone of the village square; followed by gravity helping her knuckles find his nose a second time.

thump. Rolling clumsily off of the arm she used to strike him, Sendai ended up on her back. "Nnh…"

'What a finishing blow…! Goddamn!'

As she sat up, Mokou swooped down, and lifted her by the sides. "Wh- ah…"

Placing Sendai onto her feet, Mokou began to move. "C'mon, that little shit needs help next."

'She must mean Akihito…'

"Thank you~!" Raising his hand to call out at them, Charles thanked Sendai and Mokou, as they jogged ahead.

"Nshk- nnh…" Takuro sobbed, feeling at his broken, openly flowing nose.

WHAM! On impact with the braces that guarded a lunar bunny's limbs, Akihito's broadsword flew out of his arms, coasting into the evening.

An unarmed, crimson-suited bunny with a big fluffy pink pigtail cracked her knuckles, glaring him down. "Nn- hehehe…"

"Wh- ah…" He brought his fists up, his dirty brown gloves looking pale compared to her black, cobalt-aura enhanced joint braces. "Aa-"

FWISH! She whipped right up to him, her right leg becoming a streak of lunar light, the bent limb about to absolutely demolish his skull.

BOOM! Sendai slid before him, stopping the whipping kick with her arms. "Nngh- ahh…!" The blow was otherworldly, all of Sendai's arm muscles screaming out from the impact, her limbs blown out of her cross-guard posture-

Whap! The bunny reacted to this like a shark to blood. But, her lightning-fast, weaker thrust kick met Sendai's arms, which had snapped back into guarding in almost an instant.

WHAKRACK! Mokou's boot met the bunny's gut, as she slid in from the side, blindsiding the bunny. Her yellow lunar shield variant instantly exploded from the melee blow.

"Hup!" Her form blurring momentarily, the bunny cartwheeled out of the blow, barely traveling at all, despite the way her petite belly rippled in response.

Sendai moved to capitalize. But, the bunny ripped around, sending out a lightning fast kick that appeared to be a streak of light.

BAM. The blow smashed Sendai in the side of her head, sweeping her clean off her feet. "Aa-"

THUD! She landed hard on her side. "Aa- anh…"

'Fu- fuck… that- was really different, from the human guy-...' The world spun, the absolute might of the kick rendering her helpless for the time being...

Mokou ran ahead, and her boots glowed red, flames and red heat trailing her as she went to launch a great kick up the fluffy bunny's whole body.

BOOM! When she began her kick, however, the bunny was faster, meeting her gut with a fierce counter-hook that sent her flying. "Hu- aah…!"

"Hehehe~!" Giggling, the bunny held her own pink lips with her soft-looking hands. "Fuck o~ff, Fujiwara~! We're not gonna fuck your civvies, too much."

'After all of this bullshit- I'm not letting these shitty youkai crawl up and take over the town! I'm the goddamn Hakurei Shrine Maide~n!'

"Rrgh-...!" Sendai shot up off the floor like a bullet, and sprinted ahead.

Fwap! A talisman met the bunny between the eyes. "Aa-"

"Hroa~h!" Sendai leapt at her, soaring off the ground, and the bunny almost caught her in her arms. Sendai's hands gripped the bunny's biceps, intent on forcing the bunny to catch her.

They fell back, the bunny's eyes wide, legs unable to save her balance-

CR- WHACRACK! Sendai's forehead met the bunny's nose, as her pink scalp met the cold stone road. Blood exploded out, down Sendai's already blood-caked face from the previous fight against Dieter.

"Aa- ua-..." The bunny's eyes were uneven, and her jaw hung open in disbelief, that a human could do this much damage in an instant just by jumping on her…

FWA- ZAP- ZAZAP! The Hakurei talisman on her face initialized, as Sendai stood, leaving the bunny writhing. "Huu- aaa~!"

Looking around, Sendai saw Akihito was now too close for comfort. "Tsu- Tsukiko~! Wow…!"

"Get the fuck outta here, kid!" Sendai waved him off. "This ain't a place for a guy- who can't even swing his sword!"

WOOSH! Keine roared past them with impossible speed, and Sendai cast her gaze in her direction. 'Oh- hey-'

BOOM. Keine rammed her shoulder into a nearby bunny as she moved, shattering its shield and completely bowling it over. "Uua-"

BOOM- BOOM- BOOM! She dashed about the village square, using her shoulders to completely topple bunny after bunny, as they tried to take numerical dominance over the fountain in the dead center of the square.

Fwa- fwap! Fwa- fwa- fwap! Sendai began tossing talismans in her wake, to clean up all the recovering bunnies. 'We'll have this shit cleaned up in no time!'

Whump! Coming up to the sixth or seventh bunny, Keine scooped her arms out, grabbing the bunny by a thigh and her collar-

WOOSH! She simply flicked both arms up, and the bunny flew straight into the air, like Keine was some sort of superhuman of ungodly proportions.

...WHUNK. When the bunny fell back down, Keine held up her arm, and caught her stomach-first with an open palm, stopping her from being impaled on her horns. "Huu~..." Saliva rocketed out from the bunny soldier's mouth. A gravity-based impact like this still would have killed a human, impaling or not.

Leaning back, Keine let the bunny fall, sliding down her hand-

PAP. But, as the hand traced up the bunny's face, she gripped, grabbing the bunny by the roof of her mouth. "Uuo- aa-" Her eyes wide, the bunny tried to struggle-

WOOSH. Keine spun around on her heel, whipping the bunny around.

BAM- WHAM- BAM- WHAM! Men, bunnies, generic guardsmen, and odd women clad in red-white miko outfits began to get flung away with frightening velocity, each one smashed away by the black-haired bunny's body after it was slapped into them, while Keine spun.

"Thousand Talismans!" Sendai roared, her arms lighting up with prismatic light.

Fwa- fwa- fwa- fwa- fwa- fwa- fwap! Talismans roared uncontrollably across the clearing, marking bunnies, random humans, and many, many rocks. 'Yea~h!'

Fwish! Sendai cast one last talisman into the fountain-

FWA- FWA~SH! It lit up with diamond-colored light, the nova of holy magic making the water shimmer like diamonds, and the whole town square beamed with pretty, soul-filling light.

Under this light, guardsmen, beige-clad men, and bunnies lied defeated.

WHAKRACK! Someone clad in red-white who wasn't Sendai landed a hook into a generic guard's stomach, making him crumple. "Nnh…"

thud. As he fell to the ground, the woman stood, staring at Sendai in wonder.

Across the clearing, Sendai locked eyes with the red-white clad woman. She had a traditional miko outfit on, and grey eyes.

FWAM- FWAM- FWAM! Sendai began to walk towards her, while magical blasts went off in the background.

"Woo~, hehehe!" Marcus chuckled over the sound stone. "My mines're doin' work, I tell ya! Holy shit!" Elsewhere, bunnies were being repeatedly juggled into the air…

Sendai strolled up to the red-white clad woman. "Hey. The hell's someone like you doing here."

...She looked Sendai up and down. "You're-... Tsukiko."

...Sendai blinked. "Yeah?"

"Ya~h…!" Another girl, this one a look-alike of Reimu, ran up. She came up to Sendai, lashing her gohei out overhead. "Got ya!"

pap. Sendai blocked the swing easily with her forearm. "What-... Reimu?"

"Hell no!" The fluffy girl barked back at Sendai. "I'm Ado-chan!"

"...What the hell're you doing in Reimu's outfit." Sendai really wanted to know.

Ado pouted back, glaring. "The hell're you doing in that slutty getup? That's not regulation attire!"

'...What, there's regulations on what I can wear, now? Fuck that. Says who, actually…!?'

"Please…" The other red-white clad girl went up to her, trying to calm her down. "Don't-"

"Shut up." The girl faced the more traditional-looking one. "Don't make me get Takeno-chan to fuck your ass, again. How'd you like getting locked in the toilets for a month?"

...Looking somber, the first shrine maiden looked down, shying back.

'What…?' Sendai was really put-off by this exchange. 'Whatever- I have bigger shit to worry about, there's practically a war going on-...'

As she looked around, she realized that everything was mostly done. 'Well, not quite so much now.'

-+- Sendai Hakurei no Miko Mode -+-

Most of the applicable parties fled when things got serious. The right half of the town square was now occupied by well-armored, expert honor guards, and the left of the square had Keine.

thu- thud. Nearby, Keine discarded her weaponized rabbit, letting it flop uselessly aside herself. "Hraa~h!" Arching back, she let out a roar, for some reason.

'Geez, Keine. Might wanna tone it down before the guards mistake you for an invader, there...'

The two-heads-shorter Ado grabbed Sendai by the side, and began pulling. "You're coming with me, Takeno oughta see yer fat ass-"

"You-..." Suddenly, the first shrine maiden came up to her. "You're not taking her!"

"What? Try me, Tsu-bitch!" Ado beamed back at her. "You- stupid, sock-sniffing-"

PAP! 'Tsu-bitch' hooked her in the face. Then, she pulled Ado by the arm.

"Wh- ah!" Ado tried to pull back, but put up no resistance, getting tossed to the ground on her back beside the bigger 'Tsu-bitch'. "Lemme- Takeno will- ah-"

WHAM! Straddling her, 'Tsu-bitch' began pummeling her with her right arm, keeping her body down with her left arm.

WHAM! WHAM… WHAM… Slowly, she kept pummeling her, smashing the younger girl's head into the stones again and again. "Nnh-..." She began crying right away, weakly pushing back.

Sendai blinked at the force, and kneeled down next to them. "Wh- hey, hold on, you'll kill her."

"So she dies…" 'Tsu-bitch' decided. "A fitting end!"

WHAM- BAM! She kept going-

CRACK. She spilled the younger girls blood on the floor, a streak of red splashing out on the stoney ground after her last strike.

"Hey!" Sendai yelled at her, and pushed her off.

thump. 'Tsu-bitch' rolled onto her back from the push, and began to stand…

Standing across the girl from her, Sendai frowned. "Hey, what the fuck. What're you doing."

"Aren't-... aren't you grateful?" She seemed perplexed by Sendai's behavior. "I'd kill her for you."

"You don't gotta go killing anyone for me." Sendai was a little weirded out… "Just get the hell out of here. I'll take care of the rest."

"...No." The girl decided. "You're coming with me."

...Sendai blinked. "What-"

Pap. Reaching up, she tried to grab Sendai by the face.

Sendai replicated her motion, except quicker now, pressing her hand into the other woman's face.

"Nnh- nnrgh…" They applied their force, fiercely pressing against one another, trying to push one another back face-first…

'Damn. She's strong, but… I'm not gonna just get tipped over like this.'

Sendai's arms flared with azure, her muscles tensing with ink-black magic. "Rrh- hnn!"

She casted 'Tsu-bitch' back with her push. If she kept going, she could plant the girl down into the road, which would crush the back of her skull against the rocks.

'That might kill her…'

So, Sendai didn't keep going. Instead, she catched the woman by her collar before she could take a dire, brain-scrambling spill.

thump. Now that the fall would be less intense, Sendai let go, calmly letting the girl rest on the ground. "...You're pretty strong. But, I've got shit to do."

She turned to the right, to see the injured Ado. 'Speaking of brain-scrambling-'

Akihito was there, with a potion. 'What-... man, this kid can't keep away.'

...He looked up at Sendai, and smiled. "Aa-... hey."

'...Guess he's warranted.' No one was left aside from them, and the forces allied with Sendai. 'If this doesn't give the underground wet feet, I'd-... I don't even know. Eat a sandal.'

Keine came up to them, bloody and winded. "He- hey. Tsukiko…"

"Aah…" Sendai watched her walk up. "Keine. Hey."

"I think-... we got the riot here, under control." Keine huffed. "Is- is everyone alright? Somehow-... no humans are dead, I think…"

"I kept some people safe on the west, here." Sendai remarked. "Looks like most 'a the buns came from the east. Are the shitty gangsters fine, too?"

"I-... I think so!" Akihito piped up, while kneeled down and feeding the potion to the fallen girl. "Um-... the guard's been apprehending who they could- so I've been keeping out… well, sort of. They've also been apprehending each other."

'Good.' Sendai rolled her eyes. 'It's a guard-eat-guard world, it seems.'

"He~y!" Marcus came up, too. "Check it out!"

...Sendai leaned, to look around him. He had a line of different types of men and bunnies rounded up behind himself. Each person was fixed into place with one gold, binding ring of pure magic, keeping them from doing much more than walking in a one meter radius. 'What the hell…'

All around them, men in armor moved to pull men and sealed bunnies off the ground, cuffing the men and tying the arms of the bunnies they helped up.

'This should make a big difference.' Sendai beheld the flush of activity in the square. 'What a night.'

Akihito stood. "She's good, I think! She, um- took a nasty hit to her head, but… she's good, now."

...Looking around, Keine took a deep breath, and spoke. "Nn- now…"

She paused, took a deeper breath, and roared. "Everyo~ne!"

...All the activity slowed.

"...This-... this does not stop here!" Keine spoke to everyone, this time. "There are more of these youkai! They seek to flee, and some to destroy, but you will not let them! Travel in large groups- find them!"

...Sendai looked over at her again. She had a guard's helmet placed atop her horns, very obviously only held there because of her horns, but they did do the job of obscuring them. 'Clever. If they didn't know there were horns, they'd probably have no idea.'

"I oughta start helpin' scoot the prisoners 'a war along…" Marcus slowly began to meander off, giving the girls a wave. "I'll drop a holler if I need ya!"

Standing up, Akihito took one last glance at the not-Reimu on the ground, before jogging ahead after Marcus. "I'll, um-... treat the wounded- I guess…"

"So…" Sendai turned.

The red-white woman in traditional miko garb stood aside her, looking like she wanted to strafe away, but stopped upon meeting Sendai's gaze.

"The hell was the big idea." Since Sendai now had a moment, she could quiz the girl. "What the hell's with these shrine maiden-like girls I keep seein'?"

Keine stared at the exchange between the two with a vague look.

...The kimono-clad maiden turned away, and sprinted off. Sendai wasn't going to stop her, since it was what she should have been doing to begin with.

'Weirdo.'

...Keine sighed, turning to Sendai. "We'll-... we'll take a break now, I think. We'll make sure no one comes to free those apprehended, both here in the square, and on the way to the guard HQ, where they hold captives."

...Smiling, Sendai let herself slouch, a little. "Mmh. Sounds-... sounds good."

'This-... this all might finally be over. Finally.'

"...Keine." Sendai turned to her. "Let's grab a drink."

Mokou sauntered up to them, brushing herself off, her clothes torn in many places. "Make it three."

...Sendai finally shivered, due to a cold passing breeze. 'Ugh. Why is it so cold…' It was somewhere around four in the morning, after all.

==x==

x / Sendai Hakurei No Miko, the Shrine Maiden who Beats People Up

INVENTORY:

X Sub-weapons:

Magic Replicable Mana Molotovs - A Marcus Kirisame invention. A simple prefabricated spell that allows the user to conjure holy/water elemental mana molotovs. The liquid creates a swath of holy flames on contact with any non-treated surface.

ITEM CRASH: Hydro Storm - Holy/water elemental rain, though it doesn't burn like the molotov's mixture. Basically a modified rain spell; it lasts a few seconds and can only be used outside. Deals holy damage to youkai.

Hakurei Yin-Yang Orb - It makes a mean pinball when maximized! When at terminal velocity, the orb also does magical damage.

ITEM CRASH: Fantasy Heaven - Tapping into her dark mastery, Sendai temporarily becomes more youkai-like at the expense of her sub-weapons and becoming more vulnerable to holy damage. Her attacks become partially darkness elemental.

Hakurei Talismans - Throwable projectiles. Also referred to as ofuda. Deals holy damage. Most effective on youkai or other greater dark/moon beings.

ITEM CRASH: Thousand Talismans - Sendai throws a lot of talismans at once straight ahead. Cheapest item crash for Sendai to cast, but leaves her vulnerable and is difficult to aim.

Hakurei Axe - An origami axe created from folded talismans and reinforced by holy magic. A heavy weapon that breaks easily, but can deal high physical holy damage when used well. Also able to be thrown as a makeshift heavy projectile.

ITEM CRASH: Thousand Blades - Sendai floats into the air and creates a revolving ring of Hakurei Axes.

Chronicle of Gensokyo - A copy of the Chronicle of Gensokyo, lended to Sendai by the Hieda family. Some magic work from Marcus let Sendai replicate it as a projectile to throw at enemies. Spins around and flails its pages everywhere, which deal holy damage when they cut foes.

ITEM CRASH: Holy Spark - Summons multiple copies of the Chronicle of Gensokyo, creates a magical circle in the air, and fires a huge, rainbow colored laser. Takes awhile to set up…

Rusty Stopwatch - It doesn't seem to work anymore.

ITEM CRASH: It's probably best not to experiment…

Dragon Palace's Flintlock - Shoots a weak stream of electricity which arcs into an enemy. More useful as a distraction or last resort accuracy weapon.

ITEM CRASH: Vol Fulger - Generates a ball of lightning around Sendai's form defensively.

Rebound Stone - A magically replicable stone that bounces off surfaces. Doesn't work well with soft surfaces or open spaces. After awhile, it breaks, too. Deals physical holy damage.

ITEM CRASH: Evil Sealing Circle - A series of rebound stones are cast into the air, creating a shaft above Sendai which is filled with powerful holy energy. Once the attack ends, the holy energy splashes through the entire room. May seal foes.

Holy Salt - It's holy salt. Deals holy damage when you throw it in someone's eyes.

ITEM CRASH: Sodium Geyser - Creates a geyser of holy salt. Sendai'll never run out of cooking salt again!

X Pocket items:

[Elementary Backpack] - Young student's backpack. Really tiny, and looks cute on Sendai. Uses no inventory space- being inventory itself- and provides four item slots.

(2x) Potion - A potion used to restore health. Basic, but the best choice for human users. Provides heavy health regeneration for some seconds.

ITEM CRASH: Evolution - Heals the entire party, as if they were all given a potion. Equal to a Mega Potion, but consumes an item crash use to produce these effects.

Tauriner - Experimental medicinal restoration item. Restores 'spirit energy'. In Sendai's case, it restores a single item crash use upon consumption.

ITEM CRASH: Unknown

Yukkuri Production Kit - A kit used for creating yukkuri, which obey the user. Consumable with ten uses. Comes with DNA kits for Reimu, Marisa, and Alice types. Life catalyst is bundled with this item.

ITEM CRASH: Unknown

High-Quality Bottled Water - Refreshing and pure.

ITEM CRASH: Unknown

(x3) Pocket Lint - Dust friends. Uses no inventory space. Can be combined with nine hundred ninety six other Pocket Lints to create something cataclysmic...

ITEM CRASH: Ragnarok Theorem - Inflicts a random status effect on a random target. Cannot instantly kill or doom. Cannot cast Auto-Life.

218,250 Yen - Money used to purchase goods. Takes up no inventory space.

ITEM CRASH: Midas' Rain - Makes it rain money in a wide radius. Value of currency is proportional to damage done on impact. Does more damage the wealthier the user is, up to a cap of one hundred thousand yen. Has more range and duration the wealthier the user is. Deals non-elemental physical damage. Not fun to clean up afterwards…

Blue Flexi-suit - One-piece swimsuit with removable parts, for easy access to bodily regions. Offers no protection. Made of a mysterious, ticklish material…

ITEM CRASH: Unknown

Oni Fight & Drink Guide - Brutal text that archives some oni traditions, as well as one's personal bias to the sword. Teaches Sendai Gravity Flash and-

ITEM CRASH: Unknown

FN Model 1903 - One use remaining - Outsider hand pistol with scary accuracy and fire rate, compared to all current era weapons. Able to hold six bullets, but almost all are used, and Sendai doesn't know how to refill it. Shoots straight through a target, staggers, and has a chance to knock them down. Makes the target bleed.

ITEM CRASH: Unknown

(no slots remaining)

X Armor:

x Body: Hakurei Maiden Combat Outfit: DP - The shrine maiden outfit of the miko who came before. Made for a large bust, and bolsters both martial offense and blunt defense. Features a hakama bottom for easy leg movement, and a black leotard so the upper body can move easily.

x Misc:

Reinforced Apron - A royal red, reinforced cloth apron. Defends Sendai a little against incoming magic and blunt physical attacks.

Nothing.

Nothing.

x Weapon: Cheap Katana - Twelve use remaining until it breaks - An average-sized blade, made from folded iron and molded into… relative practicality, rather than perfection. Cheap and disposable.

==x==

GROWTH ABILITIES:

X Body

Endured III - Sendai has forged her body through a long cycle of training and combat. She's still not much stronger, but she knows what immense pain feels like.

Powerful III - With constant, repeated motions and strength training, Sendai has built up her body to strike fear into the land's youkai. Hits are becoming closer to her former strength...

Dark Affinity - Inherently, Sendai has channeled inner, dark feelings for most of her life. Grants 50% dark resistance.

X Soul

Heated Spirit III - A building fragment of the resolve she used to wield. Allows Sendai to use three item crashes. At the end of every fight, she regains one use. Recharged by sleeping, or gaining new resolve.

Sub-Weapons - Sendai's gathered a lot of stuff over the years that she can throw at people when she's out of ideas. Magic is ingrained into her body to allow her to replicate certain objects as long as she has enough mana. Becomes unusable when all item crashes are used up.

Item Crash - Draining attacks that create stronger casts of Sendai's sub-weapons. Usable with any item in Sendai's inventory, although if she's not ironed it out it can be unpredictable...

Rebellious Soul - Able to channel her magic to her limbs, which takes on the form of dark enchantments. Reduces damage where she applies it, by strengthening the body itself.

Terrain Essence - Sendai can use the environment to deal devastating damage to her enemies. Executable off of walls, the ground, big objects; by lifting tables or chairs, etcetera. Boosts in power the less item crashes Sendai has used.

Weapon Essence - Melee weapons gain decisive maneuvers which deal immense damage. Allows Sendai to use swords semi-properly.

Essence of Finishing - Downed enemies are very vulnerable to extreme attacks, as Sendai's discovered. Follow-ups on downed enemies can now be critical hits, as long as Sendai's spirit remains full. Works with weapons, too.

Essence of Wreckage - When enraged or pushed to the edge, Sendai's follow-up on downed enemies becomes a lethal, relentless onslaught of fists and power. Heavily demanding on her body, and leaves her expended for awhile after use. Wasteful, unskillful, powerful technique. Learned by observing Ex-Keine perform a similar attack...

Essence of Assimilation - When in Fantasy Nature style, Sendai attempts to consume the body of dark-elemental beings. Kills the target. Refills health, item crashes, and Fantasy Nature duration. Sendai inherits target's life force as a result. Bonus power deteriorates over time unless kept fed.

X Technique

x Normal Style:

Normal Style - Sendai's default post-revival style. Has a mixture of youkai techniques and handy things she's learned.

Dark Power - Sendai accents her body with dark magic, reducing incoming damage and heightening outgoing damage when she wills it.

Quick Step - Sendai slides on her sandals to avoid an attack, jolting her muscles to evade. Pretty much muscle memory to her, at this point.

Dodge Retaliation - A technique remembered through battle against Marisa Kirisame. After quick stepping, Sendai can instantly retaliate with a thrusting punch. Only effective when spirit energy is high.

Charged Kick - Sendai accents her stock kick attack with extra preparation, making it super predictable but more powerful. Takes a second for basic extra power, but takes about two or three to become very powerful.

Charge Weapon - Sendai builds dark energy into her arms, giving her a stupid amount of power the next time she swings an object around.

Flying Kick - When running, Sendai can throw herself into a double-legged kick that smashes through defenses, and is not interrupted by minor sources of pain or knockback.

Youkai Buster Combo - A series of punches aided by quick kicks, which gives most foes little time to recover. Includes a series of disorienting jabs and hooks, and finishes with a dark-accented kick that sends launches most enemies.

Dark Uppercut - Sendai can uppercut to get to higher places, and also deal high dark damage on impact. Launches foes.

Konpaku Shot Stopper - An ancient Konpaku defense technique, first used against matchlock rifles, now adapted to be effective against handguns and shotguns. Allows Sendai to execute a decisive maneuver when near firearms users, as well as disarm them. Only effective when spirit energy is high.

Essence of Finishing Blows - Whenever Sendai grounds an enemy by lashing her arm down on them, she may use a more critical version of her overhead-thrust combo finisher, leaping and putting everything into the attack. When it strikes, she eats shit, but her fist breaks the enemy's nose, and rams the back of their head into the floor. Does extreme damage.

Essence of Steadfast Counter - When Sendai is knocked down, she hypes herself up, and recovers immediately, throwing herself straight into an enemy, knocking them over, and headbutting their skull against the ground, striking both their nose and the back of their head at the same time. Does extreme damage.

Faze Step - Lets Sendai move forward while being immaterial to intruding entities for a short time. She can only go at a set distance and speed when she does this, and she's vulnerable afterward. Does not let her pass through walls. Probably some mangled version of the regular Hakurei teleportation technique...

Tengu Rush - An old Tengu technique. It's a charge accompanied by two whirling wind blades, propelling the user forward some distance. Makes her highly knockback resistant while it executes.

x Fast Style:

Fast Style - A general category for all of Sendai's non-normal, quick techniques. Moves are inherited by Normal Style.

Secret of Swing * Pendulum Push - When bound by an enemy by the arms, Sendai uses their grip to slink around their body, attacking nearby enemies with big, rushing thrusts of her legs. Works on up to three generally unaware enemies. Sendai kind of just accidentally pulled it off, the first time.

==x==Ω==x==

Ω Marcus Kirisame, the Middle-Aged Magician

INVENTORY:

Ω Pocket items:

(2x)Hi-Ether - Restores enough mana for even high-tiered youkai to be able to appreciate.

Paddleball - Here comes the paddleball!

(2 slots remaining)

Ω Armor:

-o- Body: Comfy Robes - Familiar, aged robes. Comfy and easy to move around in.

STATS:

50% fire resistance.

50% electric resistance.

50% ice resistance.

-o- Misc:

Enchanted Dreamcatcher - A trinket that halves the effectiveness of debuffs on the user.

Nothing.

Nothing.

-o- Weapon: Magic Bazooka - Collapsible magic bazooka. Can fire lasers in a variety of elemental flavors, but works best with non-elemental magic. Uses currently mastered elements.

==x==

SKILLS:

-o- Items

Replicable Packaged Bomb - No one's certain how many he has. Tosses a cardboard package, which detonates into danmaku, with the potential to launch and stagger targets.

-o- Ice Magic

Glacier - Erect a tall ice blade. Heavy physical ice attack.

Ice Shard - Spawn ice in an enemy's form. Moderate ice magic. May freeze targets.

-o- Fire Magic

Firaga - Lob a short-range fireball mortar. Heavy fire magic that ignites. Preceding tiers are homing fireballs that have a chance to ignite.

Fireball - Generate a fireball in an opponent's form. Moderate fire magic that ignites. Not to be confused with Fira or Fire, mechanically weaker spells that precede Firaga.

-o- Water Magic

Bubbles - Summon bubbles under an opponent. Gets them wet and stuff. Might lower their physical attack…! Good setup for electric moves, too…!

Bubble Burst - Expert water magic. Summons a lot of bubbles under a lot of opponents. Still gets them wet. Also still might lower their physical attack…!

-o- Other Elemental

Quake - Disrupt the earth, and create a not-so-sharp spike of rock. Moderate physical earth attack.

Thunderbolt - Summon a myriad of thunder strikes to converge on a single target. Advanced electric magic. May stun foes. Hits three times.

Mana Drain - When able to access the opponent's mana, Marcus is able to pull it away. Magnet elemental magic. Usually initiated by a non-elemental orb.

-o- Non Elemental

Non-elemental Orb - A flexible non-elemental orb that may explode or simply dissipate. When dissipated, the mana may infuse with enemies and intertwine with their mana pool, allowing for Marcus to follow up.

Magic Resistance - Buffs an ally against magic. Starts at forty percent resistance, but tapers off to nothing over time.

Magic Shield - A non-elemental shield which absorbs all magical attacks, as long as they're not draining, death, or magnet related.

Mine Square - Marcus creates a circle of mines around himself, which he can't accidentally trigger by traversing. When an enemy walks over them, they're struck by a high-knockback charge and non-lethally launched. Famously mis-named. Non-elemental.

Mine Pellets - Marcus creates blinding and launching mines, floats their discs into the air, and fires them. Costly, but easily offsets hordes of enemies. Non-elemental.

Rudder Pelletier - Marcus creates a frisbee from metal and a single magic mine, and chucks it. By charging it with many mines inside one metal container, it bounces between many targets, dealing incredible knockback and striking many targets many different times. Non-elemental.

Lucky Star - Non-elemental star that bonks people on the head. Very random damage.

Star Shower - A rain of non-elemental stars which hit a crowd of foes for very random damage.

Cold and Gold - A danmaku non-spell which Marcus can create from an influx of magical energy.

-o- Ability

Elemental Control - Marcus has general mastery and control over non-elemental and elemental mana manipulation, allowing him to do some freeform manipulation for whatever he feels. Mastery and flexibility of freeform control depends on how many spells of that elemental branch are known.

Telekinesis - Semi-decent magical control of objects and matter; more specifically, spending mana to move objects. Works on clothes, too!

Magical Mastery - Marcus has access to any lower tier of attack he's currently mastered, if he needs to use such for whatever reason. As in, he knows Firaga therefore the preceding levels come innately, etcetera.

==x==

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

hello welcome to new chapter nine

big changes:

o total dieter fight redo with different context, dieter given some good backstory, good turning point stuff

o bunny stuff; not sure if it's that much better than what it used to be, but it's certainly not quite as jarring post-dieter fight

o we talk with dieter after everything - w -

o we get a brief moment of low-time after the everything again! but it feels a little better-paced because of the moments the girls have before the RIOT

o i feel like the riot is also a lot stronger as a whole because eirin doesn't have to monologue for ten years to explain what's going on so hoh

o we also get to one-up old noobs

o my mind is drawing a blank yakuza kiwami comes out in two hours we've been up ALL NIGHT

o this whole series of scenes might need another once-over but you know what i feel like the arc as a whole is just-... more articulated, more consistent, more tonally solid, and overall has more interesting connections drawn within itself

o sendai gets a bunch of new attacks for normal style

hoh...

as always, see you all next time!