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"I can't believe it… It really is you. I barely felt your presence before but I was sure it was just my imagination… but…" Marisa said as tears continued to run down her sorrowful face. "Now that I got a better look… Those eyes… I can never forget those eyes. No other person has them. Only you. Only you… Mima…." She tried wiping her tears away with her sleeve, but only managed to smear the dirt on her face around. "Just tell me why, Lady Mima. Why?" She shouted. She's calling me Mima now? Is she stupid?
"You already know why, little Marisa. You simply choose not to believe it." I said, but not in my own voice. At least not the one I'm use to… Why is that?
"Then how? How are you still here?" Marisa asked, still wiping tears from her eyes.
I sighed. "My poor little Marisa… Have you forgotten?" I said as I folded my arms in front of me. "Do you not remember why I remained in the world of the living in the first place?" Marisa could say nothing to my weird question. "Hatred. My hatred for humanity is what binds me here. So as long as that hatred remains, I too will remain. I will never fade away as long as humans still exist."
"Then what about me, Lady Mima? Why didn't you kill me when we first met?" Marisa asked in a raised voice.
"Why indeed…" I said as my gaze turned to the sky. "You really are a strange one, Marisa. Why I do not feel any hatred towards you… I just do not know why."
"See? If you can feel no hatred for me, then it's possible for you to forget about your hatred of the past. Please, Lady Mima. Please stop this." Marisa pleaded.
"You see, this is why I intended for you to find my knife. Not this youkai. I know you wouldn't understand. I never expected you to even back then. I never wanted you to… But I must say…" I said then returned my gaze back to Marisa. I touched my chest, right where my heart is. "This girl's hatred has been a great source of power. It is quite possible that it was better that she stumbled upon my knife instead of you. That bottled up hate has allowed me to easily control her."
"Let China go! She has nothing to do with this!"
"I have no hate for you, little Marisa. Quite the opposite. But whatever it is I feel towards you, it is but a candle compared to the firestorm that is my hatred towards humanity." I said. "Even so… I can't bring myself to kill you… My little Marisa." My arms fell down to my sides as I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my skin. "But you know… This girl's hatred seems to be aimed primarily towards you. And she holds a great deal of it. Dare I say it's at the same level as my own?"
"What? What are you-"
"It seems like you have caused this youkai a great deal of pain. I never expected you to do such cruel things to someone, Marisa." I said as my lips curled into a smirk.
"I never would! Especially to China! Well…" Marisa said then began to fidget. "Maybe I did upset her a little…"
I chuckled. "Whatever it is you did, I will use this girl's hatred to destroy you, if… and only if you continue to stand in my way." I held out my hand to Marisa. "Serve me… Like you once did." I said.
Marisa appeared to be in deep thought. What is she thinking…? After a moment of silence she spoke. "I'm sorry, Lady Mima," Marisa said as she wiped the last tears from her eyes then stared at me with a stern look. "But I already told you before. I appreciate everything you have done for me in the past, but I won't help you destroy this world."
Another silence fell on us, the wind being the only source of noise for a moment. "Then so be it." I said as my hand fell back to my side. "I have no choice… but to kill you as well…" I got into my fighting stance as I prepared to fight. Prepared to finally kill Marisa. "And take your soul. You will serve me… in the end…" Hatred began to swell in me once again, but this time… It was definitely my own. Marisa…
"Marisa…" I said.
A surprised look appeared on Marisa's face. "China…?"
"Marisa… I… want to die right now…"
"You don't mean that! Come on, China! I need your help in order to beat Lady Mima! I can't do it alone. We can still save everyone. You and me… together…" Marisa said.
"I want to die… and forget all about my failures, but…" I clenched my fists and teeth as I tried to not let my rage consume me. "I won't die. Not until I can beat you. Only then can I even try to call myself the Protector of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Even so there is no mansion for me to protect anymore… even so… there is no one left to protect." I can feel tears coming. I need to hold them back. I can't let this damn girl see them. She'll just look down on me.
"You can still save them! They're still here!" Marisa shouted.
"It's over Marisa. It's all over. For you… and me!" I shouted then charged right for Marisa, catching her off guard. I smash my shoulder into her chest as hard as I could, sending her flying through the air.
She managed to stop herself in midair. She held onto her injured chest as she groaned in pain. "Ooowww…"
"I trained nonstop for this moment. The moment when I finally beat you."
"W-Wait! Please just listen."
"Speak your last words quickly!" I yelled.
"China... Please just listen. I know that I brought you trouble whenever I would visit the mansion. Always coming uninvited and all… I really am sorry about that, but I did it because of you."
"You're going to hover there and continue to take me for some kind of fool?"
"Wait! Just listen! I'm always trying to catch up to that lazy miko by studying and learning as much about magic as I possibly can. Unlike her though, you're like me. So much like me. Always training constantly so you can better protect that mansion. I admire that and it was further encouragement for me to always keep going. Always to stay one step ahead of you thinking I would catch up to Reimu faster. You helped me a lot by being a great sparring partner. Thank you for that." She said. What is she trying to say? Is she trying to trick me again? "But you have been catching up lately. I've been struggling to get passed you the last couple times. You really have gotten a lot stronger you know? I'm afraid I might fall behind at any moment…" I know that! I don't need you to tell me that. "Though… I'm eagerly waiting the day I fail to get passed you." She said as she smiled and gave me a thumbs up. "Oh… And about the whole China thing… I just thought it was a cute nickname, really. I didn't know it upset you that much to be called that. I'm really sorry about that. But for now…" She pulled out that wooden thing from her hat as her expression turned serious. "Let me earn your forgiveness by using all the power you've helped me obtain… to rip that bitch out of you!" She yelled. I can't forgive you now! I just can't!
"Maaasteeer…!" She said as she held that wooden object at her side with both of her hands.
"Twiiiliiight…!" I said as I clenched my fist, filling it with dark energy.
"SPAAARRRK!" We both shouted.
I thrusted my hand forward just as Marisa thrusted her hands forward. My dark beam collided with her beam of light, with a great shockwave rippling from the collision. I don't remember learning an attack like this, but I don't care. I'll use it to beat Marisa once and for all! I can already see her struggling to push my beam back.
I chuckled a little. "My, my, little Marisa. You have improved. But you are still far behind my kind of mastery." I said. "Twin Twilight!" I shouted as I thrusted my free hand forward, firing a second beam of darkness towards Marisa. Her beam was no match for the two of mine and thus was devoured as my two beams made its way towards her. She was quick enough to dodge out of the way. She always was fast…
"You have no idea, da ze!" Marisa yelled as she pulled out a spell card. "Star Sign "Polaris Unique"!" She declared.
She fired a large blue, star-shaped danmaku at me. I remember this spell card. As the star traveled through the air, it exploded into smaller star shaped danmaku, obscuring Marisa from my vision. I threw my hand forward, firing a dark beam to eliminate the star danmaku.
"Comet "Blazing Star"!" I heard Marisa yell. I looked to my left to see her flying towards me at great speed. She was surrounded by a large, light blue aura.
Just before she could ram into me, I held up my palm and caught her by the forehead. Her broom flew past me as I held on its owner. I laughed. "I know you too well, little Marisa. Childish attacks like that won't work on- EEYOWW!" I cried out as something rammed right into my butt, forcing me to let Marisa go and to force my back straight. What the hell was that? I grabbed whatever I was hit with and yanked it out of my butt. This damn broom!
"And I know you too well, Lady Mima." Marisa said with that cocky look of hers. She snatched the broom from me than wacked me across the face with the handle, causing a trickle of blood to run down from my mouth. She then pressed the end of the broom to my gut then blasted me with a shot of magic. Guh! That hurt! I hunched over in pain as I held my burnt stomach. "Let China go you bitch!" She yelled then fired another magic shot, hitting me in the face.
"Agh! Why you little!" I shouted angrily.
Black flames surrounded my fist as I clenched it. I threw a jab towards her, with her jumping up to avoid it. She then whacked me on the head with the handle of her broom. Gah! I'm breaking that thing! I went to uppercut her, but she weaved to the side then countered with kick to the side of my head. I endured her weak kick and grabbed onto her leg then went to break it, but she blasted me in the face with another magic shot from her broom. Damn her and her speed! With her leg free, she pulled out a spell card.
"Star Sign "Meteonic Shower"!" She called out. She fired a shower of star bullets of different colors at me. Too dazed from her last shot to dodge, her attack nailed me dead on. It stung something fierce wherever a star bullet hit. "Release her and the rest of my friends!" She shouted as she kept up her attack. I simply laughed. "Eh?" She exclaimed in surprise as black fire wrapped around me, providing me a shield from her danmaku.
"Not going to happen, Marisa." I said with a dark grin. "There is still plenty for me to teach you. Like to never go up against your master!" I said as I held up my hand above my hand, letting the dark flames circle around it as my power flowed into my palm. "Nether Sign "The Sea of Dark Fire"!" I declared. A wave of dark flames emitted from my hand, along with black fireballs. What? Another technique that's not mine? But why…?Bah! I can't worry about that now. I got Marisa to worry about.
"Oh shit!" Marisa panicked then started to fire more star danmaku to block my black fireballs. Our danmaku smashed into one another, but my attack quickly overwhelmed her. She ceased her spell then dodged a black fireball that nearly hit her, only to catch one in the shoulder. "Ah, damn!" She cried out as she cringed from the pain. I took the chance and went to engage her in melee combat, but she took off on her broom.
"Come back here!" I yelled then took off after her, shooting black danmaku at her as I gave chase.
Our fight quickly turned into a violent dogfight as we swirled around each other at high speeds. Marisa periodically would take her broom then fire magic bullets at me before hopping back on it and taking off. She's faster than me so she can easily stay out of melee range. Damn coward. I stopped my pursuit then held my hand above my head, drawing my power into it.
"I grow tired of this game of cat and mouse." I said. "Twilight Sign "Tears of a Broken World"!" I declared.
Marisa stopped when she noticed I had stopped then looked into the air to see the blue sky slowly turning black. Black lightning raced across the oppressing sky. A black lightning bolt then nearly struck her.
"Yikes! Close call." Marisa said. "Uh, oh!" She then noticed the lightning storm above began to pick up strength and ferocity. She took off once again, avoiding one black lightning bolt after another. Eh? What is going on here? When did I learn to use these kinds of attacks? I'm a melee fighter, not a spell caster. What is this?
It soon started to pour black rain. The sick rain started to ravage the land below as it drained it of life. Marisa formed a thin blue shield of magic around her to protect her from the rain. My insane laughter echoed across the land as I watched her desperate attempt to keep her speed up. Wh… What is this rain? It feels like I'm being stabbed in the heart with every rain drop that hits me.
"Getting tired, little Marisa?" I called to her.
"Not in your life!" Marisa shouted. "Black Magic "Event Horizon" Hordes of small star-shaped danmaku started to circle around her.
My black lightning smashed through her danmaku like it was nothing, forcing her to continue to move. She'll tire herself out faster if she tries to maintain that spell while flying like that. I ignored the star bullets as they broke against the black flames that guarded me. Marisa then started to fly towards me. Is she out of her mind?
She held out her wooden artifact in front of her. What is she trying to do? "Magicannon…!" She called out as the artifact began to shine a radiant light of many different colors.
"Hmm?" I said as I continued to observe Marisa's actions. "What is this?"
The star shaped danmaku that she continued to unleash then started to be sucked into the wooden artifact. A surprised expression surfaced on my face, but it quickly disappeared as I smirked.
"Using one spell to augment another… Impressive, Marisa. Most impressive." I said. I have no time to talk! I need to move away!
"FINAL SPAAARRRK!" Marisa bellowed.
Suddenly, a gigantic, colorful beam fired from her wooden artifact that caused the very air to tremble. The giant beam itself unleashed a shower of star bullets. Ahh! I need to move! I need to avoid that thing! Wah? Why isn't my body moving? My body did move, but only my arms. I held up my arms off to the sides as if welcoming the powerful attack to hit me. Have I lost my mind? I desperately tried to get my body to obey me, but all I did was grin as the great beam of light as well as pain consumed me.
My vision was completely white, but my vision soon recovered. I found myself lying on the ground, looking up at the blue sky. It feels like all the bones in my body have been shattered. Why didn't I dodge that? What is the matter with me? Am I stupid? Marisa landed next to me as she held her injured shoulder. She panted heavily from exhaustion. Did I lose to her again? Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! I can't stand this! Why is it always me who's looking up at her from the flat of my back? Why can't I defeat her?
"You're finished, Lady Mima. Now let China go." Marisa said as she kept a stern expression.
I let out a joyful laugh. "So you weren't just spouting nonsense. You really have improved, little Marisa. I am proud of you. Really." I said. I then started to get up. It hurts to stand… Marisa backed up as she remained on guard. "But unfortunately for you, all that improvement means absolutely nothing against my level of power." I suddenly felt a surge of power flow through me. It seemed to heal my wounds and revitalize me. This is weird. Where the hell is this power coming from? "Did you honestly think you stood a chance against me, little Marisa?" I said as I glared deeply into Marisa's tired eyes. She seemed to shiver from my gaze. "I will give you one more chance, Marisa. Become my little servant once again. Do not make me destroy you."
Marisa slowly shook her head. "Never. I'll never abandon my friends."
I let out a sigh. "You damn fool. So be it." I said. I then rushed for Marisa, catching her off guard then bringing my fist up into her gut. She hunched over from the blow then vomited. Bleh! She held onto my arm as she panted and moaned from the pain. "Really, Marisa… I thought you were smarter than this. You were already tired from your last fights. How did you expect this to turn out? Even if you were at your best, you still stood no chance against me." I dropped my fist down on her back, sending her to the ground. "What were you thinking?"
Marisa managed to suppress the pain she was clearly in and jumped to her feet. "Thinking about how you were once such a wonderful person!" She shouted then went to punch me, but I caught her fist, with her clenching her teeth in frustration.
"Oh? So that is what you were thinking? Delusions." I said then crushed her hand with ease.
"Gyyyaaa!" She cried out in pain as she held her deformed hand.
"Pathetic." I said then slowly walked towards her. She looked at me as tears ran down her face. She's trembling. She's terrified of me. Good. Be terrified. She started to take steps back as I drew closer. "And to think you were once my student." I said then slapped her across the face. I hit her so hard that she spun a few times in the air before hitting the ground.
I kicked her over onto her back so I could see her face. Blood poured from her mouth as she panted from exhaustion. She laid there defeated. De… feated…? Did I finally win? Have I finally beaten this damn girl? Yes, I did! She's too tired to get up. Too drained to use any more spell cards and certainly too scared to use them even if she could. I wanted to kill her. I really should, but… This is just fine. This is fine. Seeing her like this. For me to be the one standing instead of being the one on the ground. This is more satisfying than I expected. I finally beat Marisa Kirisame! Lady Remilia, Miss Patchouli and Miss Sakuya. If you can hear me, where ever you are, know that I have finally beaten this damn girl. I'm sorry it took me so long. Now that I've finally beat her… I should just go die somewhere… alone…
Despite her lack of energy, Marisa slowly rose to her feet. She grabbed a hold of my shirt with her uninjured hand then started to pull herself up. "I'm… not… done… yet…" She said in between pants.
I simply glared down at her as she used me to pull herself up to her feet. "Yes you are." I said then grabbed her by the hair and held her up off of her feet, causing her to yelp.
She grabbed my hand and thrashed around wildly as she tried to break my grip, but only managed to drain what little energy she had managed to recover. She's finished. I don't need to waste time with her anymore. I held my fist up then threw it forward, jabbing her in the face and sending her back to the ground. She whined and thrashed around on the ground as she covered her broken face. Blood poured from her nose, covering her hand in red. That's enough… I walked over to the whimpering Marisa. I leaned over and grabbed her by the neck then lifted her up. She gagged and chocked as I tightened my grip. No! I said that was enough! She's suffered enough already! I won! She lost! Nothing more needs to be done! Damn it… What is wrong with me? Why can't I control myself? I'm not angry anymore. I'm satisfied with just beating her!
"My poor little student… Only now do you realize that I could never be stopped." I said in a dark and cold voice. I sent a current of black electricity down my arm and into Marisa. She started to scream in agony as she was being electrocuted.
Stop it! I'm going to kill her! I'm still mad at her for everything, but I got my revenge! I don't need to kill her. I know I said I wanted to kill her, but I was just angry that's all! Even I get angry sometimes. No matter how much I hate her, I just can't bring myself to kill her. I don't want to kill anyone. I'm not a murderer! I'm not… a murderer… Even though I killed everyone I cared about in my rage… No… I didn't… I couldn't of… But then who… who killed the ones I cared about?
More dark energy poured into Marisa, causing her to scream louder. Suddenly, the bicep in one of her arms exploded, coating my ruined shirt in more blood. She went to scream even louder, but she began to choke on her own saliva and blood. No! Marisa!
"I'd let you beg for mercy, but your screams are more enjoyable to listen to, my poor little Marisa." I said… No! I didn't say that! This is not me! I don't hurt people needlessly! No matter who they are!
This can't be happening to me! They were right. Reimu and Marisa were right. Something is controlling me. I knew something weird was going on, but I was just too blinded by my hate to see it… No… Not my hate… The damn spirit's hate! Let go of me! Let the hell go!
I finally forced my hand to let go of Marisa, letting her fall to the ground. "Eh?" The spirit exclaimed. "Why you little pest…" I won't let you take Marisa away from me as well! I won't let you take anyone! Friend or enemy!
"H-Hong…" Marisa said weakly as she slowly rose to her feet. Yes, Marisa! I'm so sorry for this. Forgive me for refusing to see the horrible things in front of my very eyes. Forgive me for not listening to you or the shrine maiden… With one arm useless to her, she picked up her broom with the still functioning hand. "Let her go!" She screamed then swung her broom, breaking it off the side of my head without causing me to flinch.
The spirit glared at her through my eyes then reached out for her. The spirit grabbed Marisa by the face, digging my nails into her eyes. A strange, black ooze started to wrap itself around her. She cried out wildly as she tried to pull my hand from her face. Blood gushed from her pierced eyes. No! Let her go! Leave her alone!
"You hurt me more than any other human, Marisa. You betrayed me and now you will suffer forever, along with your friends." The spirit said. No! I won't let you take her away also! I must protect her!
With a hideous pop, the spirit ripped Marisa's skeleton out of her skin, silencing her anguish cries. Her shredded skin plopped to the ground into a pool of blood. The spirit dropped the bloodied skeleton to the ground then stomped on the skull into the ground with a sick crunch.
No… No no no no no… Not her too. Not Marisa! Why? Why can't I protect anyone? No matter how hard I try… No matter how much determination I put into helping and protecting others… I fail every time! I fail every god damn time! WHHHYYY?
"Enjoy your new home, my little Marisa… In complete darkness." The spirit said as a black liquid ran down from my eyes.
Curse you! Whoever you are! Whatever you are! Come out and fight me! Stop using my body and face me! I will put an end to this nightmare and destroy you!
Suddenly my vision went black and my skin went cold. I realized my eyes were closed then went to open them, but only to still see darkness all around me. I looked down at myself. My clothes are undamaged? "What's going on?" I said, my voice echoing in the strange, dark place. "Huh?" I looked down at my hands and started to curl my fingers then straightening them back out. "I can move my body now…"
"You called for me, youkai?" A woman's voice echoed from behind me. I quickly turned around to face the source of the voice.
The source of the voice was a tall and slender woman. She had long, green hair and wore a long white and blue dress with green markings around its edges. She also wore a blue cape that was fastened at her neck with a black ribbon. She had dark blue eyes and in each of them appeared to have some kind of reflection... that of an evil crescent moon. Tears of blackness ran down from them. She was gorgeous … She wore a dark grin as she stood with great confidence with a burning black aura emitting from her. She radiated a fearful power... The evil spirit, Mima, then spoke in a dark and ghostly, yet beautiful, voice that sent chills up my spine.
"Are you ready for me… Hong. Mei. Ling?"