Nicolas Notes: I'm back! And Laevateinn is back as well! Yes, me and my editor did our best at our peaks I tell you! So enjoy it because we have the death note!
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CHAPTER 7: The shrine maiden, the chronicler, and the poem
Year 2000
3:30 Post-meridian
Human Village, Hieda House, Gensokyo
Passing by the wavy stone path, Rook and Keine made their way towards the entrance of the Hieda mansion. A pond filled with crystal clear water rippled at the gentle touch of the passing wind, while it was surrounded by smooth white stones and covered with lily pads.
Tall white walls surrounded the Japanese styled mansion, sporting dark colored roofs and oval windows every three feet. A large tree stood just behind the entrance within the mansion in which added to the serene atmosphere. The mansion was divided into three buildings, the main wing, the east wing and the west wing.
The main wing is where Akyuu no Hieda, Gensokyo's chronicler, goes about with her daily tasks and studies. She would occasionally invite a few humans and youkai to her home in order to interview them about themselves and their abilities.
It is said that her house is composed mostly of scrolls of various sorts ranging from new scrolls to ancient ones dating back into ancient Japan, and Rook, who has visited the mansion a number of times for tea, has confirmed this rumor which meant that if the Child of Miare's house ever caught fire then it's goodbye to the million articles, a whole millennia of information gone in a flash.
The main wing was composed of a humble two storey building large enough to accommodate a family of twelve, however it seems to be that Akyuu lived with no one but her servants which meant that the said servants get the spare sleeping quarters.
For some odd reason, the Lady of the house takes in homeless people with no place to live and employs them as they stay under her roof. Most of her servants are people who grew to respect the young girl who has saved them from starvation as they hid in the dark alleys of the village.
News of this spread like wild fire a few years ago, which made the little girl of the age of seven's respect from the people to grow, though other people seem to shake their heads in disapproval in Akyuu's decision, muttering to themselves that such an act will be the girl's downfall.
However it has been years ever since and Akyuu's servants are as loyal as ever, guarding her home, seeing that she had everything she needed, even going as far as interviewing various people for here and bringing back the information she needs. Such dedication is commendable indeed, and that is because of the Child of Miare's kindness.
"The place hasn't changed much," says Rook as he undoes his shoe laces and steps into the smooth surface of the house's wooden floor. "Slippery…."
"Watch your step," warns Keine as she comes to a halt before the sliding door that led within the house, having undone her boots already. "Miss Hieda should probably be at the back, writing the events of last night so you better mind your manners; I know how you act Mr. Rook."
"It's not like she's that busy, right?" says Rook as he follows Keine in entering the house with a light chuckle. The guards at the gate, dressed similar to what Keine was wearing now, has relayed Lady Akyuu's message to them that they may enter the mansion anytime they want, so it was okay just barging into the house right?Passing by the oriental living room and eventually going by the dining room which was disappointingly devoid of food, Rook has finally found the young chronicler in a situation where he least expected her to be.
Akyuu herself stood on top of a wooden crate, issuing orders to her servants that kept running back and forth from her as they did their best in tending to the homeless villagers that have come from the neighboring villages to seek help.
Beds and futons were laid at the parts little parts that could provide shade. The backyard of the Hieda House was dotted with tents and of people resting or helping out with the relief operations.
Rook turned his shocked gaze at the back gate which was spread wide open, allowing people with various problems to enter the mansion, asking for food and clothing in which Akyuu's servants distributed generously. The line in which ended at the side of the gate seemed to have begun from the village square just by looking at the number of people that have gathered.
Akyuu stood tall on her wooden crate in compensation for her short stature, wearing a long yellow kimono-like outfit with flower patterned sleeves while wearing a green vest underneath as she wore a shortened hakama skirt that was separated by a red, white laced obi around her waist.
If one would look closer into her determined eyes as she ordered her employees around to make the villagers as comfortable as possible, one would be able to see the flower-like shape within her purple eyes, a mark of a Hieda with the power to remember everything she sees.
A few seconds passed before Akyuu spotted them and climb down her wooden crate, calling unto what looked like one of her most trusted servants to substitute for her. Once she has left the servant that was now in charge, she began to make her way towards her two new visitors with Keine waving a hand towards her in greeting.
"Rook and Ms. Kamishirasawa, what brings me this unexpected visit from both of you?" asks Akyuu serenely as she places both of her hands within her sleeves.
Her appearance and age would be similar to that of a child reaching puberty with the youthful spark within her eyes and tiny freckles on her face, yet her knowledge and wisdom rivals that of greater youkais. Personality wise, she would lean more towards an adult stuck in a child's body. For a girl of her age, she surely acts mature and composed.
"Lady Hieda, a pleasure to meet you once again," says Rook with a light bow before turning to face Akyuu once more, "Actually I'm the one seeking your assistance. Will you be able to help me?"
"Why of course!" replies the Child of Miare with no hesitation, "It is always a pleasure to help friends! Especially old ones!"
Is she trying to provoke me? Thought Rook as a vein appeared on his forehead while maintaining a bright smile.
"Why thank you, though I apologize to disturb you when you are in the middle of such hectic schedule," says Rook looking slightly a bit sheepish as he scratched the back of his head, yet it seemed like his smile became a little serious as he continues, "I suggest we move to a more quiet area to continue our discussion, this place is a little too loud…"
Sensing the urgency in his tone, Akyuu pondered for a moment before answering, "I agree, how about my study room? It is located in the second floor and is reasonably quiet enough. My most important documents are located there as well so I may be able to answer whatever question you have in mind. Ah, no need to worry Kanzaki, I assure you that I'll be safe, be sure to oversee things here while I am gone, okay?"
The guard who offered to escort Akyuu bowed once and returned to his patrol, informing the other servants as he walked by.
"So what is it did you want to ask me, Rook-san?" asked Akyuu sweetly, though Rook noticed the cunning glint in her eyes.
"It's about Gensokyo and Makai. I want to know the contract between Gensokyo and Makai," responded Rook.
"Why is it that you ask about this now? Makai of all things, why can't it be like the third leader of the human village or the most skillful youkai exterminator? Why does it have to be Makai?"
"This is serious, Keine, I need this information now, Reimu's in no state to investigate the events that had occurred any further and Marisa is still mourning for her lost master this is why I'm forced to do this because those two aren't exactly in their best shape. Once I know more about what we're dealing with, the better…"
"It's the 'know your enemy' tactic, is it? Rook, there is nothing good that will come out of this, the Human Village has more than enough dealing with those demons from that realm!"
"He has a point, Ms. Keine, unlike the shrine maiden, we must realize what we are facing before charging into the battle field. Who knows what sorts of tricks those demons folk have in store for us and the best way to counter such a thing is to look back into History."
Akyuu releases the dozens of scrolls that she held on her arms into the table, startling the boy and the history teacher from their argument. The three were now inside the Child of Miare's personal study in which the most important documents of the Hieda House is stored.
The floor was covered with a dark green colored rug with white trimmings, while the dandelion yellow walls were blocked by shelves filled with dusty scrolls and aged tomes. A vase and a picture sat on top of a drawer that probably held more articles from various youkais and humans.
Meanwhile, Rook and Keine were just arguing in front of Akyuu's large English made desk, which seemed to appear to be very, very old while Akyuu herself was busy rummaging around the shelf on the right from where the door is facing.
"Ago was fussier about his stuff than you." comments Rook, while crossing his arms as he watched Akyuu organize the many scrolls that she has scattered around.
"Alright, down to business," huffed Keine with a scowl on her face as she placed her left hand on her hip while her right was pointing at the boy before her, "Why would you want to know about the history of Makai and Gensokyo, Mr. Rook? Surely it isn't anything related to your job, right? For Lady Yukari already knows this very well being the one who made the two worlds connect."
Rook stared at Keine's scowling face before turning his gaze towards Akyuu, who was staring back at him as she arrange her scrolls, he stared back once more at the history teacher as he sighs in defeat.
"Fine and you're wrong, I am doing this because of my job." says Rook as he addressed Keine.
And so Rook began to recount his tale from his story time with Chen to the meeting with the mysterious girl in which he forgot to ask her name. During his explanation, he greatly emphasized the threat of not just one but many more evil spirits roaming about, especially after the incident last night.
"The amount of energy that was released last night will be enough to lure an entire army of these spirits to the shrine," Rook was saying as he perched himself at the top of the white drawer, examining the vase within his hand while continuing, "Proof that youkais will be drawn to an area with high concentration of mana is last night, a serpent from the underground rivers attacked me and my companion as we made our way towards Kourindou. We were lucky enough for the serpent that appeared before us was just a hatchling. Who knows what more monsters the places with high energy levels would attract, younger and more inexperienced youkais would immediately hunt for these energy pools in order to quicken the process of their growth, giving them power like no other for a youkai of their age,"
"But what of the evil spirits?" asked Akyuu as she rested her head on her right fist while listening to Rook's story.
"Yeah, I'm getting to that," excused Rook, "So if something like that is possible in an open area in which I sensed a humble amount of energy from those healing waters, how much more in the shrine where there's probably high levels of said energy gathered? Wouldn't youkai of all shapes, sizes, and nature go for the kill right now?"
"So the reason the Hakurei Maiden didn't rush to our aid last night is because she was battling you while being possessed an evil spirit?" questioned Keine , her face a bit more relaxed now than it was earlier, yet she has now adopted a worried expression.
"Yes," answers Rook placing the vase at his side, careful not to hit it by accident.
"And this is also one of the reasons why youkais have been attacking the village ever since those events?"
"Correct, the healing waters or Earth's Blood as my companion has told me, is able to heal and soothe all minor injury and even lessen the pain of major ones, however it also seems that these things are also one of the reasons that make youkais active and aggressive. The village may be holding large amounts of it underneath its soil and that's what the youkais are after."
Akyuu lifted her head with a smile on her face as she says, "Interesting deduction Rook-san, very interesting indeed, and you thought about this all by yourself on your way here?"
"I don't usually let my mind wander during peaceful times, Lady Hieda. I think, think and think. Even when it's not visible, my thinking cap is always there." replied Rook before raising his index finger in the air, "However I may be wrong. Youkais may have a dozen more reasons to attack this village. One may be that a greater youkai with enough intellect is taking advantage of the village's state, or they're just aggravated due to the disturbance of the Great Barrier. Youkais have sharper sense than humans, so it's possible they felt something we didn't, right, Ms. Keine?"
"As farfetched as it seems, it's plausible," said Keine after being deep in thought. "If you haven't noticed the youkais are much stronger than they usually are, yet why didn't I feel anything? I am part youkai, so why?"
This time it was Akyuu who answered. "It's possible that the effects only worked on certain youkais or half-youkais aren't affected by it at all."
"Explains why Rinnosuke was all normal and things last night." comments Rook.
"So does that conclude your story, Rook-san?" asks Akyuu turning her attention towards the boy, who nodded as a gesture that he has finished with his story. "Good, now to present you what you came for in exchange for such a unique tale! I mean this is Gensokyo after all so…" The Child of Miare proceeded to quietly reprimand herself from stating something obvious, until she clumsily says "So, uh… here's the information that you seek! I have an entire volume of it compiled, however I can give you a summary since daring to finish this right now will take us years,"
While she explains this, she lifts a very old scroll with faded jade tips, a mark of the Yakumo eye stared back at them acting like some kind of lock to keep the scroll closed. Akyuu then extends her hand towards the boy and offered him the scroll, which he took and handled with curious eyes.
"Go on, open it!" urged Akyuu with sparkling eyes that is somehow creeping Rook out.
"Is something going to jump out and yell 'surprise' with a victory music playing in the background?" asks Rook nervously.
"Damn it all, give me that!" snapped Keine wrenching the scroll away from Rook and undoing the lock, spreading her arms afar as she opened the long roll of parchment. Her eyes finding the beginning, she started to read out loud.
"The sun starts its downward glide
Huge, glowing, reddened with pride
Bringing light to youkais' land
And beneath the grass-filled sand
Lies two flowers sharing hand
One with streaks of gold
And one with the coat of fire
Flower of destination
And Flower of deception
The bright sun is what they share
Never did they ever flare
The bright sun is what they share
Pests of any kinds won't dare
To cover the sun they share
But a pest of the Gold Flower
Destruction is what it shower
The Flower of Deception grieved
Petal Ruins did it receive
Never did the Gold had known
The Flower of Fire had grown
Never did the sun had shown
The Flower of gold Debilitating,
The Flower of Fire Fortifying
And so arrives..."
Keine seems to finish with a deep frown on her face as she rolls up the scroll and hands it to Rook. Rook stares at the scroll in his hands in surprise that it was written as poem and not a descriptive article like he would expect from the house of Hieda. Reluctantly unraveling the scroll, he began to read again as Akyuu and Keine seemed to have a silent exchange as he went with his task. Reading it for himself, he notices the large tear at the very end of the scroll as he was about to finish it.
Seeing the boy rolling up the scroll once more, Akyuu begins to speak, "Well there you have it, the only known information on the contract of Gensokyo and Makai. At least from what the first three stanzas convey .The final three on the other hand…"
"Now, I could be wrong but they are… some sort of a prophecy?" guesses Rook, holding up the scroll for Akyuu to see.
"Indeed, made by a relative of your Oarfish friend from above," confirms Akyuu with a wry smile, "As you can see, one would be able to gain various interpretations from it and all of them point to the bad aspect. The meaning from the last three stanzas should be very obvious, no? However you can also notice the visible tear at the end in which the last line was supposed to be written,"
"Judging from the last part of the poem, things are not looking good, aren't they Lady Akyuu?" says Keine with a worried look on her face as she stares at her feet.
"Agreed, it is possible that Lady Yukari may be the only one with the knowledge on what lies in the end of the last part. We can only hope that it is not what it seems to be." replies Akyuu as she tries to be optimistic all of a sudden.
Silence began to fill the room as time passed by, the noises of the people below growing ever fainter as if the distance between them and the three people in the room began to increase. Misfortune and disasters occurring all of a sudden, appearing out of nowhere without warning, one would only wonder what was going to happen next.
"Yukari…" mutters Rook, breaking the silence, "What are you planning now?"
Unsurprisingly enough, it was Akyuu who answered, "Lady Yukari… Has already a countermeasure in mind…"
Rook turned his eyes towards the childlike chronicler, "What is it?"
Akyuu opened her mouth to speak, and Rook's heart sank as he heard her answer…
The boy was now running through the forest with all his might, leaping over logs and jumping over creeks as if chased by vicious wolves. The sky was turning dark, thundering and growling as he ran across the woodland terrain. Rook swept away a thick clump of bushes as he made his way through, ignoring the stinging sensation that he felt from the thorny shrubs as he continued to run. The cold wind felt like it was slapping against his face, his breathing was fast and shallow for every breath of the cool evening air.
Hours earlier
"That's impossible, Lady Yukari wouldn't risk her own ally's life just for that!" snaps Keine looking thoroughly angry as she bared her teeth towards Akyuu who calmly regarded the history teacher's actions with a sad smile.
"It must be done… These new rules will be able lower the death rates whenever there is a battle between the shrine maiden and some other youkai," replies Akyuu with her calm tone, however it was obvious that she disliked the Youkai of Boundaries' plan.
"But using Reimu as a sacrifice? What kind of bull crap is she thinking? No, I won't let her!" shouts Rook slamming his hand on Akyuu's desk so hard that it rattled the scroll shelves slightly. "This… Spellcard rules, you're saying that if they're successfully applied over the Great Barrier, it will cut every living youkais' power down to half, including the Hakurei shrine Maiden, however these rules are mostly going to sap the energy it needs to function from the shrine maidens themselves? Isn't that much worse than slowly having all of your blood drained from your body?"
"I'm afraid so, but—"starts Akyuu, only to be cut off by Rook once more.
"Then why the hell is she going to let Reimu do it?" growls Rook as he continues, "Worst case scenario is that it'll be the same as last night! Reimu's powers will be sapped off her until she has nothing more to give, the very same thing that I sacrificed my powers for and now Yukari wants to reenact the same experience to Reimu?"
Keine comes from behind and approaches the Child of Miare's desk and says, "I have deep respect for the Youkai Sage, however this method of solution of hers is just too much for me to tolerate, she is merely using the child's mind to suit her own needs! Unlike her, she must realize Reimu's mortality and if this plan of hers fails there is also the chance of Gensokyo's destruction to resume!"
"Lady Yukari works in many strange ways and we have always never understood her reasons, but think of this; she may be doing this for the benefit of ours!" says Akyuu rising from her chair to face the were-hakutaku and the blonde boy, "Please analyze her decisions more thoroughly before spouting unsightly accusations especially you Mr. Rook"
"Yeah, I analyzed it, and therefore I conclude that she's being selfish bitch! Reminds me of a certain Magician," says Rook, releasing a sigh through his nose.
"Mr. Rook!" gasped Akyuu, only to be cut off again and this time by Keine.
"Rook-san, what do we do now?" she asks turning to the boy at her side.
"I'll try and convince Reimu not to do anything stupid, "Rook simply says, "Yukari is a youkai like the others, only a tad bit unique. No matter how long one lives in the same roof as her, he must always be alert in case situations like this arise…"
"Then I'll leave everything to you, best of luck and we pray for your success," replies Keine giving him a kind smile.
"Hey, are you two listening to me? You must not interfere with Lady Yukari's plans!" was the only thing Akyuu managed to let out while flailing her arms around, yet it was useless for Rook had already left the room, his footsteps growing fading into the distance as he descends down the stairs.
Rook roughly shakes his head as he returns to the present. The sight of the thousand shrine steps filling his vision, as it lies behind the large red torii gate with the sign that held the Hakurei Shrine's name. He looks up to the sky and found that it has grown darker than before when he was in the forest. It must have been nearing evening for the cool air slowly became colder and colder. It looked as if the shrine was right in the middle of the storm's eye for everything was eerily calm.
Why do people always push this kind of stuff to me? Thought Rook as he gazes the stairs from top to bottom. Leaning forward and placing his left foot on the first step while releasing a deep breath from his lips, he began to climb the stairs as fast as he can. If I let Yukari do as she likes, there will be soon no Gensokyo to live in for all of us… She knows it… She knows the last words of that poem and if my deductions are correct, those words may be influencing her into doing these things.
He was not even half way up and he already felt the muscles on his limbs screaming in protest. It must be due to the running he did a few hours before without a break. He started running on four o clock in the afternoon, it was still cloudy at that time and a few rays of sunlight still managed to touch the ground however judging from the sky's appearance now it must have been six in the evening so that would mean that he has been running for two straight hours…. Great….
Even if her intentions are good, she's still going along with this charade of hers even if she knows the risk, mirrors Rook's mind with every step and breath he took as he continued his climb, I have to make sure Reimu stays safe… Marisa's mentor having sacrificed her only form in this world just for Reimu to be exorcised safely, and me giving every drop of my power… I'm not gonna let that hag ruin everything
Without warning, the hairs at the back of Rook's neck stood on end and on instinct causing him to dive to his side. A cobalt blue lightning bolt detonated just ten feet away from where the boy lay, groaning at the painful move he just performed now.
Lifting his angry eyes to the sky and shaking his fist towards it, he began to shout, "I'm trying my best, just what the hell do you want with me?"
The dark nimbus gave no reply other than a loud rumble and a flash of lightning, which Rook interpreted as a message for him to hurry up. "Bloody Oarfishes…" he growls as he takes a shaky breathe from the near death experience he nearly avoided.
Come on, keep going Rook, just a few more steps, he thought in his mind just to keep his legs moving despite the strain it has been experiencing from the start of his ascension. Finally reaching the top, Rook stares at the pathetic state of the Hakurei Shrine that stood before him. The scars that the shrine grounds suffered from the night before is still present along with the rubble and debris that originated from it. The dead cherry blossoms trees and various other tree life increased the unfamiliar atmosphere that enveloped the shrine as it lay there looking abandoned when it was not.
Once he recollects the amount of air he has lost during his rise, Rook wasted no time standing around and quickly broke into a sprint towards the shrine. Passing by the collapsed donation box with as much a second glance, and wrenching the sliding door open with so much force enough to make the walls shake, Rook entered the shrine.
"Reimu?" he called, opening the way into a room filled with kitchen utensils and a sink and closing it again. "Reimu?" he called once more, pulling the sliding door that let into the Hakurei Maiden's room consisting of a futon and a lone wardrobe. Being a shrine uncommonly visited by humans, and even rarely donated by anyone, the shrine had very few furniture to obstruct one's way around it so it was easy enough for Rook to check room to room.
Stopping at the living room once more to think, he marked down the last possible place for the Shrine Maiden to be; and that is in the shrine's altar which is considered to be a holy place where the mikos perform their training and meditation. It also rumored that the shrine maiden was able to communicate with her goddess in that room, so it is known as a sacred place in which most rituals are performed.
I would have to say sorry later, but this calls for desperate measures, thought Rook as he finally found the way towards the altar.
Once he opened the sliding door a little bit gentler than he did to the other rooms earlier, the sight of a meditating shrine maiden greeted him from within the dimly lit chamber with two bright candle sticks placed at the very back of the room.
The entire room was simple one the same as the others earlier, however this one appeared to be the most well kept. It was similar to the training room of a dojo, only a bit smaller and uncomfortable with its small space. It was devoid of any kind of furnishing save for the altar located just behind Reimu, the pillow she sat on, and the two candles at both sides of the altar.
A cold draft blew from an unknown direction causing Rook an involuntary shiver down his spine, yet he fought it to keep a straight face on his features as he glares at the meditating miko before him.
"Whatever Yukari told you, do not do it or you'll kill us all…" was the first thing he says the moment the shrine maiden meets his gray eyes with her brown ones.
Reimu gives him no response except by staring at him with sad eyes, probably a gesture for him to continue.
"Look, your soul will be tied to the Barrier much tighter than it was before and the slightest miscalculation would prove catastrophic," explains Rook, entering the room and coming to a halt seven paces away from the sitting miko, his hand balled into a fist and was trembling… he had to convince her, "You remember how everything almost fell apart last night, right? If one would analyze what happened, the spirit was already at its peak when it possessed you, and look at the results! Gensokyo almost met its end and hundreds of villagers almost died.
If ever anything were to happen to you once you finish this…ritual of yours, you'll be more vulnerable than before. If you get hurt, so does Gensokyo so please Reimu, think about it for awhile. You'll be deciding the entire fate and future of the Hakurei line; do you think in that state of yours you'll be able to choose the right choice? Try and wait for few more years before you do anything reckless,"
"Then if I don't do it now, then when?" snaps Reimu, standing on her feet with her gohei at hand, "You're correct about a few things but if I don't act now then when? When Gensokyo is finally facing a crisis that Yukari wouldn't be able to solve? Yes, I'm vulnerable and that's one of the reasons why I am doing this! It's because I'm weak now, look at what happened! I'm weak and vulnerable, Mima's gone, Marisa's a mess and you lost your powers! It's all my fault and I have to fix this! This is my mess and I have to clean it up even if it means sacrificing my own life! I can't… I can't let anyone else disappear! By applying these rules the Youkai of Borders has set up I will be able to level the playing field and the chances of me winning battles would increase! With these rules no one has to die during battles—"
"Don't you understand?" Rook spoke sharply, "Everything has price Reimu! Rules can be broken and bypassed—"
"But not this one, and I'm making sure of it!" cuts off Reimu in turn, "Please Rook, have faith in me and the shrine even for just this once. You've seen many Hakurei Miko's come and go, and I may be the only one who's going to make this decision so please I need your help. Support me, lend me your strength. With Marisa not here, I don't think I'll be able to handle this alone…."
The boy shakes his head in disappointment and says, "No… I'm not lending my strength to a cause that has obvious selfishness written all over it… You do know the risks, right? You know what the Youkai of Borders is planning, right? Then why are you still going to do this, why turn a blind eye on it when you know you're being used?"
"It's for the good of all, Rook. Figures how you don't understand it because you don't have the weight of an entire world on your shoulders…" says Reimu with a hint of spite in her tone as she looks away to avoid eye contact with the boy.
"You can't just risk you life like that Reimu. Don't do this…" says Rook as he took a step closer towards the shrine maiden.
Reimu made sudden movement and before Rook even had time to react, the girl's gohei was already below his chin. With sad words she says, "Duplex Barrier,"
A golden barrier erupts from her purification rod and expands right before Rook with so much force that it lifts him off his feet, sending him flying from room to room eventually landing on heap just outside the shrine. So much for the peaceful negotiations… he growls darkly within the depths of his pain-filled mind, as hegroans at the pain that erupted at the back of his head from the fall.
Finally finding the strength to move once more, Rook slowly rises to his feet and grab his left shoulder as he watches Reimu exit the shrine through flight. The only problem now was that this Reimu was conscious and not possessed, and definitely much more dangerous.
"I don't want to fight you again Rook, and I certainly do not wish to harm you any further so please stand down!" shouts Reimu as she addresses the weakened boy below her.
Time to beat some sense into her, mirrored his mind as he shouts out loud, "I'm gonna make you regret this, Hakurei!"
Reimu responds with nothing except for slashing her gohei in the air and drawing three seal tags from her dress pocket, while Rook charges at the flying shrine maiden bare handed.
Amulets flew and stones were exchanged as Rook weaved through the hail of tag bullets while launching his own stones at the shrine maiden. Gripping the smooth surface of the stone he held in his hand, Rook draws back his hand before tossing a crackling stone from his hand, narrowly missing the shrine maiden's shoulder.
Reimu responded by summoning five large orbs bearing the bright shade of the different kinds of colors and willing them to home towards the boy. Rook successfully dodged the first three, however like his battle with Alice last night he narrowly evaded the fourth orb and was blown away by the fifth not a moment too soon.
Get up and stop her! He roared in his own mind as he got up and grabbing another stone on the ground, imbuing it with what little power he had. Releasing his grip from the stone he examines it for a few seconds and observed its energy filled nature. As an alternative shot, I have resorted to retrieving pebbles from the ground and infusing it with a small portion of my energy or at least the energy his body was currently able to handle. By channeling a bit of my power I'm able to increase the speed and power of my throws, thus making it an excellent power saving option if low on energy. It saves much more electricity than using live bolts against the enemy. Even with that….
Closing his hand around the stone, Rook launches the stone with all his might, making it zip through the air leaving a crooked bluish trace of light behind. Reimu summons a barrier before her even it was not necessary, forcing the stone to ricochet back a few inches from Rook's left foot the moment it made impact with the barrier.
It's power is not enough to break through that barrier, and the charge time in channeling my electricity takes at least seven seconds whereas Reimu's amulets….
Rook made quick dash towards the flying shrine maiden, her tags and bullets flying past him as he barely dodged them the last second because of their homing ability.
Seeing that the miko was right above the shrine, Rook tosses another stone at her in order for a distraction to occur. Knowing what was going to take place next, Reimu summons another barrier anyway giving Rook enough time to grab the ledge of the lowest part of the shrine's roof and pull himself up.
He then proceeds to charge at the flying shrine maiden now that they were level, however Reimu knew what he was planning from the start and unleashed a powerful scatter shot just as Rook was seven feet away from her.
It would have gravely injured the boy if the shots ever hit him, however once Reimu dispelled her barrier and let loose said shots, she found nothing but a flying piece of wood headed towards her which was blown out of existence once Reimu fired.
Her eyebrows rising in surprise, Reimu quickly looks up and finds the boy solidifying from his mist form, a long wooden branch clamped tightly on his right hand as he came down. Rook used the momentum of the gravity's pull to increase the forced of his stick's impact the moment it hits Reimu, along with the little amount of electricity he imbued the branch with.
The boy swings the moment he was right above Reimu's head but his attack was met with another barrier, causing his stick to collapse and for him to crash back into the ground.
When he was just about a few feet from the ground, Rook uses what little time he has in the air to imbue the stone he had in his pocket and throw it directly above him before he finally crashed into the ground. The stone that he delivered immediately connected with Reimu's jaw just as she was about to finish him with a barrage of amulets which missed him graciously at his side.
The shrine maiden yelps in pain of her jaw as Rook was already getting back to his feet and was breathing hard from the fall. Glaring at him furiously with angry eyes and a bleeding lip, Reimu spats out blood from her mouth a raises her gohei high in the air. "I never wanted to come to this but you leave me no choice, Mr. Rook!" she shouts as four orbs, much larger and denser than those who hit Rook before, appeared and circled in a wide ring above her head. "Fantasy Seal!"
The four orbs break formation and immediately homed themselves towards Rook, who was too weak to even run or dodge.
An explosion erupted from the Hakurei Shrine's grounds, forming a smoke that was easily seen from afar. Back on said shrine, Rook's body lay deep inside a smoldering crater of debris that has now joined the number of craters present on the shrine pavement.
His arms, legs and clothes smoking, Rook's eyes flickered to life while trying to regain feeling of his left arm which was now spread in a weird angle. Unsteadily rising to his feet once more, the boy inhaled a shaky breath before turning his attention back to his arm, great... it's broken.
Closing his eyes and mustering his courage, Rook proceeded to pull his left arm back into place with deliberate force almost causing him to scream in pain. Breathing harder than before, he hovers his right palm above the area in which the pain was greatest, "Heal…"
The familiar blue light glowed, as Rook felt the cracked bones of his arm put themselves back together, yet the mind numbing pain was still there, tormenting his mind. A few seconds passed before the smoke finally cleared revealing Reimu standing within an orange magic circle with her eyes closed and focusing with great effort.
Rook realizes what was happening and weakly says, "No…"
The shrine maiden slowly opens her eyes; however they were not that of the comforting brown color of Reimu's eyes, but those of an emotionless gold jewel. In a sleep walking like state she says, "Let the ritual begin…"
Right before his eyes, Rook watched Reimu be enveloped in a bright burning gold light. The sky slowly turned from dark grey to a bright shade of violet, similar to that of a paper burning until it was enveloped in flames only this time there were no fires nor did anything burn.
The pain was all over him again, his arms his legs, his head, causing him to fall to his knees and cough heavily. There's nothing he can do, Rook was at his limit. All he can do now was just watch as Reimu willingly gave her own bloodline's existence solely to the Great Barrier's power to strengthen Gensokyo's power.
His limbs felt like lead while his head refused to lift due to its heaviness forcing it to stare on the ground. Dark patches begun to dance at the edge of his vision, the burning sensation from the blast earlier coursing from his skin through his veins, sapping him of his remaining strength and focus.
Did he just fail again?
"Spirits, hear my whisper. Forge a path so that the great goddess will be able to hear my voice, to hear my plea, to hear my prayer, this I ask you in the name of my bloodline," chants Reimu as the faint shapes of the formless spirits began to glow brighter with every word she says. Answering her calls and responding by doing her commands, "I am the Hakurei Maiden of the thirteenth generation, and by the will of my ancestors I stand before you, Oh great Goddess, so that you may hear your humble servant's selfish request…."
Rook, move... NOW! Gritting his teeth at his body's protests, Rook slowly began to rise and was about to take a step forward when a tug at his left foot made him look backwards. With cold shock present on his face, the boy's heart almost leapt to his throat the moment he laid his eyes upon his left foot which was tightly kept in place by a familiar purple gap, No…No! Damn you Yakumo, you're just gonna let her ruin her life like this?
"In order to prevent the coming catastrophes youkai will bring, I hereby present a resolution to combat this threat in an anodyne manner," continues Reimu in a single toned voice, her eyes still empty and devoid of any thought or emotion as she was stuck in her trance, "This resolution will be named the Spellcard System…"
"Damn it Yukari, let me go!" roars Rook as he did his best to pull his foot out of the gap, however his efforts proved to be fruitless for neither did his foot or the gap budge in his attempts. The boy's eyes widened as he glanced at the shrine maiden for second, only to find four purple gaps hovering in mid air. Rook managed to catch the sight of the golden eyes of Yukari's world before a barrage of lasers burst forth from the gaps and aims themselves on the boy.
The sound of another explosion sounds throughout the shrine grounds, as Rook falls on his knees before landing face first on the floor, unmoving and with his skin smoking. He can hear it… His heartbeat drumming itself on his ears, the sound of his labored breathing as he did everything to keep himself from passing out. Gone was his strength so what else was left for him?
The Great Barrier glows with an equal golden light and proceeds to light up the large ring that surrounded the entire realm.
"Too many have died and as the Shrine Maiden I cannot allow this to continue," says Reimu before resuming her ritual with an almighty shout to the heavens, "With each battle with youkai, there is the fear the collapse of a small portion of this realm. However once a youkai is unable to fight and withstand their opponents attacks any longer, their power will gradually vanish. Therefore I propose the following contract for the allowance of duels!"
Lying on his front, Rook's eyes flickered to life once more as he released a deep sigh through his nostrils. Placing his right hand on the ground, he slowly pushed himself from it and proceeded to stand on all fours, spitting out the blood that gathered within his mouth to the side while turning his gaze to the glowing light in which Reimu was encased in.
What gives me the right to interfere? This isn't my problem so why bother with solving it? Thought Rook as he kept his eyes fixed on the ground, it's true that I do care for the people in this place, but why me? Why does it have to be me? Why does it have to be me who has to act? Damn it, I don't want to be the hero!
Rook began to rise once more and was about to walk towards Reimu again only to feel an object brush against his foot. Looking at the floor, Rook crouches down to retrieve a familiar leaf shaped dagger with a black handle and an elegant hilt. As if gaining new strength, he began to walk once more towards the golden light, the dagger vibrating within his grasp.
"Youkai can easily cause disasters, and humans can easily resolve these disasters, the use of one's full ability is to be denied," continued Reimu in that tone which was devoid of emotion, "There are no things superior to beauty and thought!"
Rook comes to a halt as the four gaps unleashed a barrage of lasers once more. However Rook was ready for them and swung his right hand, cutting the lasers in half forcing them to dissipate mid-flight in a burst of sparks.
The boy stares down at the dagger which was now glowing with a black red aura, crackling into electricity as it comes in contact with his wrist. A new wave of energy resonates from the dagger coursing throughout Rook's body, strengthening him and regaining his focus.
This feels good… he thought, as he raised the dagger in an attempt to block an incoming laser only to find that the laser was absorbed the dagger itself. A grin silently crept into the boy's lips as he continued his walk towards Reimu, slashing and absorbing the lasers that came his way. One laser was aimed towards his head, however was absorbed and sent back towards the gap it came from, causing said gap to disappear in a thick veil of purple smoke.
"It looks like you're right after all Yukari," taunted Rook glaring straight into one of the gaps as if he was speaking to the Youkai of Border's herself, "Fate is one of the few things that you're not allowed to touch,"
The gaps gave him no response except for more lasers unleashed by the three remaining gaps. Rook raised the dagger within his hand, absorbing the attack and sending it back towards its owner. He repeated this action until the gaps were no more, and nothing stood in his way between him and Reimu.
At the very center of the circular light that surrounded the shrine maiden, Reimu resumed her chant without disturbance.
"Each spell should be given a beautiful and meaningful name, reflecting that of the user's soul. The number of named spells should be announced before hand. Attacks relying on physical strength should not be repeated—" Reimu comes to a halt as a gloved hand holding as a eight inch long silver knife, crackling with black red electricity.
She regards this with the same emotionless expression and continues her chant despite the appearance of a second hand attempting to create an opening through the fabric of her barrier, "Do not attack without reason, reason becomes its own power. If all of your named spells are defeated, it is your loss regardless of your remaining strength. If a youkai is ever victorious against a human, he/she may not kill them"
Creating a large tear for him to fit in, Rook enters the barrier grabbing Reimu by her throat as she was about to finish.
"Don't you get it, Hakurei?" growls Rook, while keeping a firm grip around the shrine maiden's throat, yet she appears to be unfazed by this and continues to stare at him with those horrible golden eyes, "Can't you… Consider the feelings of others? What about Marisa and all of those people who care about you? Do you really think that they'll want you throwing your life away like this? Do you think that they'll be happy when they find out that you've tied your entire being to the barrier?"
"I don't want Gensokyo to fall into ruin; I'm doing the right thing, Rook!" replies Reimu being herself for a fraction of a second before returning to her trance state.
"How do you know?" roars Rook as he tightened his grip around the shrine maiden's throat, the dark electricity coursing though his shoulders and arms, "Listen to me Reimu, nothing good will come out of this! You can't trust anyone's word that easily Reimu, youkai will always find a way to get through your defenses by using your emotions, now I'm telling you to wake up! Stop this now before it's too late!"
Reimu's head hung low with her eyes half closed, still bearing that emotionless expression on her features as she opened her mouth to speak, "The name of the spell shall be recorded in paper in the same form as this contract,"
"Don't you dare—"Rook stops short as he saw his grip around the shrine maiden's throat slacken, and for his body to fall on all fours before Reimu's feet, "I'm not letting you… do something stupid…"
"As a result, the aforementioned regulations will become absolute in exchange for the maiden's existence and that of her offspring's offspring. Continuing to generations on end till the end of the Barrier's existence and that of this realm," resumes Reimu while staring down at the boy that was before her, "This paper will be called the spell card…."
Rook's eyes widened as the shrine maiden's form began to glow into a dangerously bright supernova of pure yellow light before the ground below him tore apart and swallowed him whole.
And that was how the Spellcard system was established. The Hakurei shrine maiden has successfully sealed her bloodline's fate to the Great Boundary's fate. True that the Barrier will strengthen, but at what cost? Everything has a Price after all…..
{EVIL CIRCUIT INCREASED!}
SAVE GAME?
{Y}/N
Editor's notes:
Hi Onii-sans and Onee-chans! My name is Felicita (Not my real name)! Hello again. This is my first time doing an editor's note in my good friend's story so I really do not know what to say.
First of all, I am very sorry for some lacks of grammar corrections in the chapters, Sorry again. Reason? Because this Good 'ol Nicholas would give his work at a time where I am busy so most of the chapters are not cleaned very well. About the Verb Tenses and other blah blah, sorry if they ever bother you. Actually, I am 9 years old who accelerated in 2nd Year High School and I was slightly forced to be an editor. And also, I get a bitchslap for a salary.
Please feel my pain.
Notes: Please save me...
Nicolas Notes: Everything she said about her age was a lie. Don't believe anything she says except for the fact that she's my editor. She says she's in pain but she enjoys it.
