Hikari leaned over the kitchen table, picking cookies to shove into her mouth…
"Don't take all the sprinkle-covered ones…" Marigold complains, gingerly snatching a few herself. "Those ones are the best. The chocolatey ones are just a bit too much, honestly."
'That's why I'm taking them,'
A large shaft opened in the ceiling above, causing the two girls to look up…
Thud. A giant pinwheel cookie fell from it, and the shaft closed back up.
'Woah...' Hikari's eyes widened. 'Big cookie…'
Marigold tore off a couple chunks from it, and began chewing a bite from one. After a moment, however, she sat the two chunks down… "I-I'm stuffed."
Snorting, Hikari tries to attack the cookie directly, with her teeth.
…
After sinking her teeth into the side, she realized it was impossible to attack directly.
'Maybe too big.' She retracted her head. 'Tastes good, though.'
Another giant pinwheel cookie fell in from above, crushing the one below it marginally.
Marigold's eyes widened. "What…?"
Hikari stared at the cookies, taken aback. 'No one could eat all of that.'
Then, three more fell from above.
Bam!
The lowest cookie became dust.
Marigold backed away from the cookie tower. "Why…?"
'Where are these all coming from?'
The door to the kitchen swings open, as Satori struts into the room, backed by Hiyori, who drags in a half-thrashed Osamu by his ankle.
'What did he even do?' Hikari stares at Osamu sardonically…
"Hit on Orin. It was a disastrous attempt." Satori smirked. "Disastrously entertaining."
"Uurgh…" Osamu groaned from the floor.
Her attention then turned to the rising tower of pinwheel-shaped sugar cookies, which were slowly getting crushed under the weight of more giant, thick sugar cookies.
"...Someone left the deluxe cookie constructor on." Satori shook her head. "How irresponsible."
'Deluxe cookie constructor…' Hikari appreciates the novelty.
Marigold's thoughts attract Satori's attention. "Yes, constructor. They're all magically generated."
The cookies pile up to the point that they break through the counter, shaking the entire room.
...Orin meanders into the room, and notices the rising stack of cookies. "O-oh, crap! I-I forgot…!"
With that, she ran out of the room.
…"She fired it up before Osamu hit on her." Exposition dumped by Satori.
'Ah. It makes sense, now.'
"Satori's got the location of the next sanctuary." Hiyori introduces a relevant topic.
"It's nearby, fortunately. Not that I wish to hurry you all, or anything." Satori walks towards Marigold and Hikari.
'...I think we'll take our time, a little.' Hikari decides.
"I wouldn't mind taking a little while. Unlike the rest of the underground, this place actually isn't uncomfortably warm." Marigold states aloud.
Satori nods. "Understandable. I'll show you to it, when you decide on it. Until then, enjoy yourselves."
With that, she begins walking away. "I may be found in my study. First door on the left, of the leftmost hall, were you to come in from the lobby."
'Concise.' ...Hikari looks back at the cookie tower. '...I wonder if Marigold can carry some home.'
She looked to Marigold to make her request. "Do you think you can carry some home?"
A dry stare is exchanged, in turn. "...Do I look like a weightlifter?"
In an attempt to prove her wrong, Hikari decides to try and pluck a cookie from the tower…
"Hnngh…"
With a small struggle, she accomplishes it, before both she and Marigold skittishly dart away from the tower as it topples.
Ba-bam-bam-bam-bam!
Crumbled cookies littered the floor, leaving small dents, along with chunks of shattered cookies, and cookie dust.
'Eheheh…' Hikari giggled silently at the disaster.
Marigold shook her head. "This is why you shouldn't magically reproduce cookies."
Amused, Hiyori walked up to the table… "What a mess."
Hikari nods… "Maybe we should get out of here. I'm not in the mood to snack, anymore."
"That cookie filled me up." Marigold agrees. "It probably wasn't terribly good for me, either."
'I don't imagine a magically generated cookie being the epitome of healthiness. Then again, why would it be made without consumption in mind? Hmm…'
"Pressing questions." Hiyori annotates.
'To be sure.'
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
'I'm unsure why the bathroom has to be this big.'
Hikari and Marigold looked around in awe, taking in the fact the bathroom had lockers, a changing room, and a large hotspring, as well as conventional showers, sinks, and even some awkwardly placed toilets.
"This is pretty impressive…" Marigold nods approvingly. "The only place like this back in the manor is Mis- Remilia's own bathroom…"
Hikari snorts. "Old habits die hard, huh?"
The magi grumbles. "Tell me about it…"
Hiyori stepped past them, moving for a locker. Upon opening one of the combination locks, she smiled. "Still got it."
Inside, however, there was little but an ancient jar of shampoo, which was now chemical goo.
...Hiyori smiled ironically. "Still full of just as much nothing, too."
...She closed it.
"The manor never had lockers, really." Marigold reflects. "I mean, there's the ones I got from Kourindou, but…"
Hiyori turned to her. "You lived in a mansion?"
She nods. "Mmm. I wasn't exactly the highest on the food chain, as it were, so it was a bit of an experience. I enjoyed it, though."
"That's good…" Hiyori smiles, "Did you move somewhere else, or do you still live there?"
Marigold paused. "...It's complicated."
Hiyori snorts. "I can relate."
At that, Marigold jerks her head back. "What? Su~re…"
The oni blinks. "I mean, I'm unsure whether to call myself a denizen of the underground, or a surface dweller. Do you know how confusing-"
"Do you have three mothers?" Marigold grins.
...Hiyori concedes. "Point taken. Well played."
'My friends are weird. I like it.'
After a few moments, they got changed into the generic towels, entering the hot spring…
The hot spring was large, and decorated with stone steps that went down into it. The room as a whole was pleasant, with tiled flooring, marble-esque columns, and warm steam raising to the domed ceiling.
"Aa~h…" Marigold practically melted into the stone upon sitting.
The only issue, however, Hikari felt was worth bringing up. "...Purple walls."
Hiyori rose a brow. "They are."
"Purple." Hikari stressed.
She sat down in the water. '...Goo~d. Bit used to it, but always good.'
"...Okay?" Hiyori didn't see the problem.
Marigold took in the feeling of a hot spring…
Hiyori sat down herself, sighing.
Hikari was about to elaborate on her argument, but then a rubber ducky floated by.
'Oh, hey!' Instant nostalgia. 'Ducky…'
She grabbed it, and it made a high pitched squeak.
Marigold was roused from her ultra-relaxed state. "...They make those, here?"
"Apparently." Hikari was smiling.
Like this, the girls relaxed…
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
Relaxation quickly turned into boredom.
Hikari stood over two hordes of rubber duckies, one side armed with soap tanks, the other armed with brushes.
'I'm not sure which side has a bigger advantage.' Hikari rubbed her chin in contemplation…
Marigold was on the other end of the room, participating in a creative exercise with the shower head she severed from the palace showers. From a nearby closet, she had amassed a plastic container of Talcum Powder, and a broom handle. From the kitchen, she snagged a bottle filled with water.
"Alright, Hikari…" She beckoned her friend over. "I'm gonna try and teach you how to make stuff."
'Hmm?' Hikari looked up from her ducks, and noticed the assortment of random crap Marigold had collected.
She idly walked over. "...Are you sure you're supposed to be the one giving the advice?"
Marigold smiles sardonically. "Just sit down with me."
The two towel-clad girls sat on a bench, as Marigold thumbed through the parts… "We're gonna try to make something with this!"
"Keyword being 'try'." Hikari jeers.
Marigold pouts at her. "Yeah, yeah…"
Taking the broom, she holds it in front of her… "So, what do you think we can do with this?"
"Give it to the duck armada." Hikari contributes.
Marigold gives her a grin. "We~ll, I was thinking about wrapping the shower head around the broom handle. Make it mobile, you know?"
Hikari grins back. "Wha~t? I'd still like to know why you beheaded the shower…"
'I didn't even know shower heads were a thing until today, and she went and killed it.'
"I need some way to dispense… whatever I'm going to dispense." Marigold furrowed her brows. "Which is to be decided."
"I say we bury the shower head." Hikari japes. "It lived a full life."
Marigold shook her head, amused. "You're no help."
With that, the young magi got to work. Taking the shower head, she wrapped the bit of hose that she didn't cut off around the broom, making it snake around.
She frowned. "I… don't have anything to hold it in place. That's always the part I kinda hate. Finding ways to attach stuff."
Hikari nodded. "How troublesome. Physics."
"...Hmm." Marigold sighed. "I don't think there's much I can do without a way to combine stuff…"
...Hikari perked up. "Wait… I wanna try something."
She stood up, moving towards her outfit. There, she grabbed a few ofuda, and moved back to Marigold…
'I think this might work. They stick to things, so…'
"Here." She took an ofuda, and moved to press it over where the shower hose met the broom handle.
...Upon removing her hand, the ofuda fell off.
'Good job.' Hikari's face fell at the display.
"...I don't think that's how those work. Thanks anyway, Hikari." Marigold smiled somewhat awkwardly.
"Hold on." Hikari held up a hand. She brought her ofuda to the area where the two parts met once again, and pressed it. This time, she closed her eyes, focusing.
'I've never been able to do anything a shrine maiden should…' She felt something burning, in a warm way. 'Except throw ofuda, and swing a gohei…'
With her eyes closed, she could see the ofuda glow in front of her. It was a soft, warm, white light.
Marigold's eyes widened. "Oo~h…?"
'...If I'm gonna be good at anything, it'll be at using ofuda!'
…
Hikari opened her eyes, and found the still-glowing ofuda had bound itself to the two materials under it.
She smiled. 'I-I did it.'
...Marigold nods approvingly. "That works. Now, if you could just do it… here, here, here, and here."
Hikari's smile became sarcastic. 'Gee. At least my talents are being put to use.'
Getting to work, she began repeating the process for each ofuda that needed to be placed.
'...This takes awhile, but I don't think I'll have to do it often.'
Before long, she finished, binding the shower to the broom.
"We've made a useful device." Hikari snarks, not sure what to make of it.
"We'll see." Marigold held up the 'device', looking pleased. "Now… I might need you again for the other parts, if you don't mind."
Hikari paused. '...I should've expected that.'
Looking over what she had on hand, the blonde magician considered the next plan of action… "We need a way to…"
Lifting the jar, she moved it to the shower hose's bottom. "If this'll dispense everything in the jar, I need a way to remove the jars... "
'I don't think the ofuda'd be good for that. I'd have to reapply the effect every time.'
She shoves the hose inside, and it goes in smoothly… and it slides back out of the hole just as smoothly.
"Hmm. This… could work." She stood, and looked at her materials… "Oh, wait!... nevermind, that's a terrible idea."
Hikari blinked. "I never thought I'd hear you say that while inventing."
"I was thinking of using the sleep charm to plug the hole, but then I realized it'd make whatever came out a sleep formula. Probably." Marigold bobbed her head back and forth.
'Hmm… Are we certain my holy talismans won't do anything?'
"Anyway," She looked around… "The drainage plug! For the showers!"
She got up from the bench, discarding her towel to move faster.
'These towels get cumbersome, when you're dry. It's little price to pay, considering anyone could walk in at any moment.'
On cue, the door to the hot springs opens…
Hikari stands up. "Ma-Marigold!"
Marigold heard it, as well. "Wh- ugh!" She hid behind some lockers.
...Hiyori walked in.
'Oh.' Hikari sighed.
"You two are still in here?" Hiyori's look was inquisitive. "I was looking throughout the palace, thinking you got lost on the way out. Voluntarily or otherwise."
Marigold peeked out from behind the locker. "O-oh, hey, Hiyori! We're making an invention!"
Hiyori scanned the bare situation before her.
…
"I'll come back later." Hiyori waved at them. "Don't mind me."
Abruptly, she turned and left, closing the door behind her audibly.
'...That was sudden.'
Marigold shrugged. "Guess she had something else to do. Now, for that bath plug…"
Within moments, she had swindled a rubber bath plug from the nearby shower.
"Let's see…" Marigold inserted it into the jar, and it fell in, floating on the water inside. Then, she inserted the hose again, pressing down and trying to fit the plug into the hose. It didn't work so well, because of the water.
...After spilling half the water, she took out the shower hose, and took the plug out. "Does this even…?"
She tries to fit it into the hose, and succeeds. The only problem is that it still doesn't solve the problem of being unable to attach the jar.
"...Darn." She frowned at the plug, before pulling it back out.
...Hikari looked around the room. "Do you think one of those scrunchies would work?"
Marigold pauses. "...Maybe."
After a brief hunt for a scrunchy from the depths of the hot spring, they tried to make it work, again…
The plug sat under the scrunchy, the string of the scrunchy sitting atop the plug. Like this, Marigold shoved both into the jar, and was able to force the plug into the hose's gap. Cautiously, she let it hang from a limited height over the bench...
"...He~y!" She cheered, bobbing it up and down. To Hikari's surprise, the jar didn't slip from the hose at all, dangling from it.
'It doesn't look secure at all.'
"...I can't really use this like this, can I?" Marigold tilts her head. "Hmph…"
'Not every pile of things can actually make stuff, I'm sure. Sometimes it's just garbage.'
"...I'll find a way to get it working." Marigold commits. "...Just let me get my clothes on. I'm gonna be doing a bit of running around."
"...Sure." Hikari stood. "Don't think too hard."
Marigold snorts. "I'll try."
The two girls put on their clothes, getting ready to end their extended stay in the hot springs room.
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
As Hikari went to the kitchen to grab a snack, she saw Hiyori there.
Wordlessly, Hikari descended upon the pantry, stealing a loaf of bread.
'I don't even like bread that much, but it looks good.'
Hiyori noticed her, however. "...Ah. There you are. I was wondering… nevermind."
'...That's weird.' Hikari paused for the ensuing discussion.
"Did you have fun with Marigold?" Hiyori asks, expression neutral.
...Hikari shrugged. "Yeah. She's pretty creative."
"...I'm sure." Hiyori gives a stoic nod. "Humans bond easier than I remember. Not that I knew a terrible lot about humans."
'...Yeah, we're pretty friendly. Oni do seem a bit standoffish.' Hikari considered her words.
Osamu strutted into the room, keeping his arms precariously ahead of himself.
'What kind of walk is that?'
...He noticed Hikari staring, and grinned. "Can you tell?"
…'A secret? A person?' Hikari began guessing…
...Her blank stare makes him deflate. Then, he flexes, getting pumped again. "Anything… different?"
Hikari nodded. "You walk like you're cramped up."
…
Osamu sighs. "Well, I guess that ain't entirely wrong."
With that, he wanders into the pantry, himself. "I'm gonna grab some pretzels, 'n' hit the hot spring."
…
"Humans confuse me." Hiyori decides.
"Me too." Hikari agrees.
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
Satori moved her checker across the entire board, taking all of Hikari's pieces.
'I'm not sure why I thought this was a good idea.'
"It's really not." Satori agreed. "Boredom makes one do strange things."
'Mmm… Rematch?'
"...This is the eighth time." Satori mentioned.
'So?'
...Sighing, Satori began setting up the board again.
Behind them, Marigold sauntered into the study, holding her latest contraption.
"...It looks like she has something to show you." Satori brought attention to her.
'Mmm.'
"I finished it!" Marigold beamed. "All I needed to use were some of those bag clip things, and the cooling device magnets!"
"Fridge magnets." Satori corrects. "...Not that we've needed a fridge. We got by just fine without this 'modern technology' for the longest time, but it's definitely a nice gesture."
'This place really is pretty advanced in all the mundane areas.' Hikari blinked. 'Who could've set you up with this?'
Satori supplied info. "Kappa."
'Figures.'
Satori slid the game board aside, as Marigold sat the invention down on the table.
'Okay, what did she do with the magnets and bag clips…?' Hikari was perplexed at the rectangular mass of bag clips and magnets at the bottom of the hose.
"I abused the magnet and the metal's polarities to create a sort of suspension field that holds solids." Marigold provided. "...There's also really strong adhesive on the inside, but we're just gonna ignore that."
"The wonders of slapping stuff together until it sticks." Satori snarks.
Marigold scoffs, and in response Satori grins.
Hikari casually glances between the machine and Marigold. "Are you sure you didn't plug it completely, this time?"
Marigold forces a sigh. "Ye~s. Let me demonstrate..."
She held up the device. The jar on the bottom was a cloudy white, stiffly attached to the broom's side by way of shower hose.
Hikari stared at the device apprehensively… "Are you sure this is going to work?"
Satori spoke up. "You need a magical catalyst."
"I- whah?" Marigold was surprised by Satori's sudden input. "...I need a magical catalyst?"
"Otherwise, the hose won't work. I'd know, because…" Taking a moment, Satori thumbs through some papers in a drawer under her desk. "Ah. Here…"
She takes out an instruction book. "Kappa instruction book. Goes over materials used, and the showers are indeed partly magic. Long story short, water body needs a magical anything for the shower head to recognize it."
Marigold snatched the book from her, and flipped through it, a critical expression on her face.
…
"I can't read Japanese." Marigold confesses. "Well, I can, a bit... but not sloppy, handwritten Kappa Japanese, apparently."
'Handwritten?'
Satori grinned. "Understandable."
Marigold rose a hand to her chin. "Where would I find an easy magical catalyst…?"
…
"You know, I could just make you one. The shower doesn't actually use the magical catalyst, it just checks for it and then uses ambient mana to move the water." Satori offers.
Marigold nods, appreciative. "I'd like that."
Satori grabs a paper clip from her desk. After a moment, it glows brightly. "...Actually, since you're working with magnets…"
She sat the paper clip down, searching her desk for something else…
"Ah." She lifted a metal wedge. "Paper weight. It'll go to better use in your care."
Marigold tilted her head. "...Won't that rust?"
"Eventually." Satori agreed. "I don't think it'll matter, though. Still, that makes me apprehensive…" Then, realization struck her. "It's metal, too. The magnets would wreak havoc on it."
Finally, Satori found the right object for the depths of a jar of water.
She held up a checker. "This'll do."
It was Hikari's turn to disagree. 'But, then the game'd be ruined…'
Satori shrugged. "Could always use a pretend piece. I got this set from an oni in the city, anyway. I'm pretty sure he could mass produce these with his bare hands. Not that he would, since board games are little more than drinking activities, down here."
'...Oni, huh.' Hikari was beginning to get a feel for how powerful they really were.
The checker glowed brightly, filling with pink light…
Before long, Satori released her focus, and the object's glow became a weaker shimmer.
"Thank you." Marigold took it. She moved to detach the jar, jiggling and making an unscrewing motion to tear it off. After a brief struggle, she succeeded, and placed the checker inside.
She watched it slowly sink to the bottom, still producing light in the cloudy liquid…
...She fidgeted merrily. "Hehehe~...!"
Satori's face became worried. "Why would you fill the water with Talcum Powder…?"
Marigold raised the device. "Let's try it out!"
Desperately, Satori looked for something to shield herself with.
'Uhm…'
Marigold pressed the button on the shower head, and water began pumping. The ofuda along the way lit up as water traveled to the spots they were attached.
'That's actually kinda cool.'
Once the water reached the top, it shot outward, raining down on everyone nearby. The water drops were now a sparkling, cyan mix.
Satori and Hikari tensed up as the water rained down on everyone.
'He-hey!'
The clear substance dissolved on their skin, leaving everyone marginally dry after the burst. The jar was empty of liquid, with the exception of the magic checker.
"...Hmm." Satori rubbed her skin. "...Lotion."
Hikari rubbed hers, as well. '...Silky smooth.'
Marigold furrowed her brows. "I made… a lotion dispenser."
Marigold has obtained Lotion Dispenser!
'It's good lotion, too.' Hikari felt refreshed.
Satori shrugged. "...Don't be hard on yourself, Marigold. It's a good lotion dispenser."
"I guess." Marigold was rather bittersweet about the whole ordeal.
"...I did detect a hint of magic in it, though. Liquid Talcum Powder, I'm pretty certain, is not lotion. Normally, it should either be cloudy liquid, or mud." Satori brought up her observations.
"...Huh." Marigold nodded. "I'll keep that in mind, I guess."
'It was the ofuda, wasn't it?'
Satori looked at Hikari. "Yes, it was likely the ofuda. If the liquid is holy in some way, I have no doubt that it changed the liquid to something marginally beneficial, or at least different than other outright elemental shifts. It didn't burn me, or anything, so there's that."
Marigold stared at the device, thinking.
'...I was never really into lotion.'
Bam!
Commotion just outside the room drew the three's attention.
'Did someone fall over?'
"Ma-Masae!"
The elder cat girl from earlier was heard, sounding frantic. "Control yourself!"
...Bam!
Satori tensed up, eyes locking on the door. "...It's happening again. This is how it happened."
"Ma-Masae!"
…
Marigold felt around herself. "I-I don't have my backpack on me… I left it in my room."
'This must be how everyone got converted, here.' Hikari readied her gohei.
Satori tried Shield ß!
Hikari was protected by the power shield of light!
"Be careful." Satori cautioned them. "...I don't want to hurt you four again… I never want that thing in my head again."
'Considering we had to fight four of them, two birds and you earlier, this seems rather mundane.'
"...Forgive me. I'm just…" Satori sighed, brushing her hair aside. "Worried."
Banging emanated from the door ahead, as the cat girls clawed into it.
"Satori-sama~... Won't you co~me ou~t…?" Ashes drawled, mirth in her voice. "Your kitties wanna see~ you…"
Satori gritted her teeth. "How dare this… hmph."
Cra~ck…!
The door to the room began giving way, cat claws poking through. "Satori~sama~!" Masae cheered. "Why'd'you let us get turned ba~ck!? Master Giygas is so~ much fun!"
Bam!
The door swung open, and two crazed cat girls lunged at Hikari.
SMAAAA~SH!
On reflex, Hikari swiped straight for the forehead of the nimble Masae.
"Reeoo~w!"
Masae doubled back from the agony of the strike, while Ashes pounced on Hikari directly.
'Oomph!'
Ashes went for Hikari's throat, but the shield's intensity eventually pushed her off Hikari outright, denying her the critical blow.
"Rrreerrr…" Ashes growled, setting her eyes on Satori.
Until a beam from the shield nailed her in the ribcage, forcing her aggression back on the Hakurei miko.
...Marigold lifted the paper weight defensively, moving towards Satori's desk.
Satori tried Defense Down α!
Ashes seemed to wilt, second-guessing her plans to lunge on Hikari, instead standing by cautiously.
Hikari tried to stand off the floor, but found Masae got greedy, and leapt upon her.
"Om!" Masae sank her teeth into Hikari's shoulder.
'It stings…' Hikari winced slightly.
...Masae released herself from Hikari's shoulder, and began spitting. "Pftoo! E-ech…!"
Hikari suckerpunched the cat girl, who promptly sunk her teeth into her hand.
'Wow-ouch! Why does that hurt more!?' Hikari hissed under her breath, retracting her hand, before lightly battering the cat with her gohei.
Clunk! The paper weight hit Masae in the face, scrambling her. She flailed her arms to attempt to combat said paper weight, giving Hikari ample opportunity to-
SMAAAA~SH!
"Mrroo~w…" Masae let out a whiny meow, as she weakly scrambled away from Hikari.
Satori tried Offense Up α!
Hikari felt strength well into her body…
'I feel great.'
...Ashes was prowling along the side of the room, and Marigold took notice. As Ashes leapt for Satori, she got in the way.
"Sator- oof!" Marigold was bowled over, catching ashes attention.
Ashes went for her eyes with her claws, but Marigold guarded with her arms.
"Ow-oww~..." Marigold exhaled. Gashes ran down her arms, but were surprisingly shallow in comparison to the force Ashes exerted.
Hikari scrambled up to assist her, leaping onto Satori's desk to do so.
'Leave her alone!' Hikari raised the gohei grandly over her head, and slammed it down.
SMAAAA~SH!
"Mrow!"
Ashes dove into the floor, eyes flickering, before her consciousness faded.
Masae looked at the situation ahead of her, before glancing at the door…
"You're not getting away." Satori declared.
Satori shot her arm out, sending a wave of paw-shaped danmaku forth to bombard the cat.
Masae hissed, darting for the door.
Her claws scraped against the tiled floor of Satori's study, denying her traction.
The danmaku collided with her.
"Mrr-owowow~!"
...Once the barrage ended, Masae crumpled to the floor, a red mist exiting her body.
Hikari drew a few of her ofuda, and flung them at it.
Slap! Slap!
The red mist was violently torn apart, being absorbed into the ofuda. An unconscious Masae was left on the floor.
...Satori turned. "Hikari!"
Red mist was flowing from Ashes' body,
'Got it!'
Hikari threw two ofuda, which annihilated the mist in a similar manner.
'...Phew.' With the festivities over, Hikari let herself slouch.
Satori blushed. "...I-I'm terribly sorry this happened again." She bowed.
Marigold shook her head. "No, no. It's what we do."
Hikari turned to her. "Mmm. We hurt people."
The unexpected comment makes Satori snort. "...You really did just blurt that out, didn't you?" She gave Hikari a slanted smile.
'Mhm.' Hikari grinned.
Hiyori and Osamu suddenly appeared in the door frame.
"What the hell's goin' on in here!? S'everyone alright!?" Osamu dove in, doing a combat roll… which he was forced to give up on halfway because it didn't quite have the oomph needed to be properly executed.
"Oof." He fell on his side.
…
"We all died." Hikari explained. "But we got better."
Marigold giggled.
"...I see." Hiyori looked down at the cat girls. "Cat problems?"
Satori nods. "It's this Giygas being. He'll keep reinforcing his influence, until you four besiege the sanctuary he- she, or it- claimed."
'We might not have as much relaxation time as we thought, then.'
Satori turns to Hikari, then to Osamu. "I'm afraid not."
"...It'd be best if we acted shortly, then." Hiyori concludes.
Ellen slides in through the door frame. "What's going on!?"
Orin follows behind her, shoving her out of the way. "Satori-sama!"
...Satori smiles. "I'm fine. Hikari and Marigold were here."
...Ellen sighs. "...That's a relief."
'I suppose we should get moving, then.'
"...Again, I'm terribly sorry for all of this." Satori looks crestfallen. "It was never my intention to-"
"We know." Hiyori smiled at her. "No hard feelings."
"...Right." Satori sighed. "You may do as you wish… but I'm coming with you."
Hikari's brow rose. 'Huh?'
...Osamu scratched the back of his head. "...Four's a party, but five's a crowd, dude."
"Just for this one sanctuary." Satori insists. "I'm partly responsible, after all. I should be able to see this though."
"He~y, don't push yourself…" Marigold moves to console her. "It's not your fault."
"...I know." Satori sighed again. "...Just let me do this, okay?"
"Very well." Hiyori agreed on behalf of the party. "We'll escort you."
'...I guess I'm okay with that.'
Osamu folded his arms. "Awh, alright…"
"Mmm." Marigold had no comment.
…
"You all have very differing opinions." Satori grinned. "...And, no, I'm not going to 'get closer to you', Osamu. You'd best stick to human women, at this rate."
Osamu blushed. "Didja hafta say it outloud!?"
"Yee." Satori nods resolutely. "It's an important lesson."
"Uu~gh…" He slouches. "Geez."
...Hikari moved to leave the room, which roused the other party members to do the same.
"Get your things, everyone!" Hiyori announces. "We're gonna be using the back door."
Osamu snickered.
Satori's expression became vain. "Genuinely…?"
...Hiyori gave her a confused glance, before dismissing it.
'I wonder what it's like being a mind reader.'
...Said mind reader turned to her. "Unique."
'I wouldn't have guessed.'
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
Just outside the back of the palace, there was a rather quaint garden.
"Here you go, Satori-sama~!"
Orin loaded Satori up with a backpack of her own, filled with many, many things. The backpack was twice as tall as she was.
Satori was finding it difficult to hold it up… "I-I don't think I need-"
Cla~ng! A frying pan fell from the back of the backpack.
Orin smiled. "Better safe than sorry!"
...Marigold looked around the garden, a perplexed look on her face. "...You know…"
Satori let the backpack drop to the floor.
Thoo~m…
Everyone stared at the small shockwave that was emitted. Relieved of her burden, Satori walked around the backpack, and lifted the frying pan.
"I'm not going camping, Orin. I'll be just fine with this."
Orin slouched. "...Alright, Satori-sama~..."
...Finally, Satori turned to address Marigold's mental question. "They get sunlight."
"...How?" Marigold furrowed her brows. "We're miles underground."
Satori snorted. "...You'll know."
...Marigold was only confused further.
Turning to the mind reader, Hiyori had an inquisitive look on her face.
'...Our conversations are going to get confusing if we switch between 'think-talking' and 'actual talking' too often.'
"...I think the reason you haven't seen Okuu around, Hiyori, is pretty apparent, by now." Stepping forward, she also addressed Hikari's point. "...It doesn't confuse me too much, but I can see how you four might lose track. Some of you especially so." She glanced at Osamu…
He shook his head, grinning. "I don't have a fuckin' idea what you guys are talking about."
'...I don't think it's that hard to follow.'
The five mobilized, moving towards a destination only Satori knew.
'And possibly Hiyori, considering those two have some history.'
Due to the resounding mental agreement that nobody knew where they were being led, Satori lampshaded it. "Yes, Hiyori. We're going there. Sort of."
Hiyori snorted. "Sort of?"
She explains. "The sanctuary itself is located right to the side of the actual place, provided, it's concealed. It's made with totally different technology."
'Wait… have you actually been inside it?' Hikari's curiosity was piqued.
"Mmm. Before this whole fiasco, actually. It's a bit inaccessible right now, for obvious reasons." Satori provides.
Behind the gardens, there were more brown, stone plains. In the distance, a luminant tunnel could be seen…
"That's the nuclear reactor." Satori points at it. "We're not going there, though."
'The what.'
...Everyone's head slowly twisted to stare at Satori.
...She blinked. "I thought you knew, Hiyori?"
"A nuclear reactor." Hiyori gaped. "How? How did that even happen? Where did it come from!?"
Satori giggled. "N-now, I know it seems a bit sudden…"
"Dude." Osamu grinned widely, shaking his head. "Y'makin' fuckin' nukes on us, dude? S'that how it is?"
Marigold was baffled. "I know this place is modern, but…" She began chuckling. "A nuclear reactor?"
Satori was smiling widely. "We~ll… It's a, uh, long story…"
"I bet it is…" Hiyori shook her head, looking amused.
'How did someone even get the resources for a nuclear reactor in Gensokyo?'
"If it's any consolation," Satori holds up her arms negotiatively. "I don't own it. Technically. Though it is my responsibility to maintain it."
...Hiyori furrows her brows. "How? Why?"
"Story for when we're not about to fight things." She closes the conversation.
"...Fair enough." Hiyori let the topic elude her, for the time being.
A short distance down the trodden stone path, Satori begins to lead them off into the rough, presumably towards the wall that held the sanctuary.
In the length of uneven rock ahead of them, a scythe-armed, ghostly apparition begins to sprint towards them.
The four get ready to demolish it, when Satori floats ahead. "Let me handle this."
'She kept spirits in line, right? This should be fine.'
Irregardless of the thoughts behind her, Satori continued forward towards the scythe toting spirit.
It reached Satori, and went to slam its scythe arm into her.
Swish!
Satori leapt out of the way, as if she knew the attack attempt was going to happen in advance. She floated in the air above the spirit as it flailed its arms.
"I'm not Cassandra." Satori addresses the spirit. "...None of us are."
The scythes on the spirit's arms grow longer, and darker. It leaps into the air to engage Satori, but whiffs completely when she moves downward as it moves upward…
"...This Cassandra you seek is likely just as dead as you are." Satori speaks to the spirit, as it flails in the air.
She slides back as it lands, jabbing its scythes into the floor, getting itself stuck.
"You'll find nothing, seeking revenge." She reasons with the being. "Relax."
The being jerked wildly against the floor, struggling to free its scythes…
"Relax." Satori reinforced.
Cra~ck!
The stone broke open, as the figure tore itself free.
"Cassandra is dead. Your quest is over. Relax." Satori stresses once more.
The figure looks like it readies to launch itself at Satori again, but it hesitates.
"...I can see why you'd doubt me." Satori sighs. "Rest assured, my words are fact. I've come to inform you that it is done. You may consider me… an undertaker, of sorts? Of souls, however."
...
The scythes on the spirit's arms slowly began to shrink as it trudged towards Satori.
"You needn't walk the plains of Hell anymore." Satori mentally cringed at her own misuse of the term 'hell', but she was sure the spirit thought this was hell. "Your quest for revenge is over."
The spirit pauses.
"Cassandra is dead. You have no more direction. You have won. It is done." Satori walks towards it.
…
As she nears it, it glomps her, the scythes turning back to regular hands.
Black mist flowed out of the spirit, dissipating into the cave's air, leaving a small, white orb where the core of the being was.
Satori walked away from it. "...That's the shinigami's problem, now."
'Wow.' Hikari nodded her head approvingly. 'She negotiated with it to defeat it.'
Satori grinned. "...I normally don't do that with smaller spirits, as you saw there. Though most of them take common forms to direct their aggression, they all have very different, unique problems. Some take a bit of beating up before they can negotiate, as well."
"...I haven't seen you do it other than to show off a bit in the past." Hiyori states aloud. "But, is it bad to leave the soul just… floating there?"
Satori shrugs. "I'd have Orin secure it and bring it to the palace to be picked up by the shinigami, were it a bigger spirit. If left unsecured, it could become a garden variety ghost. Left out here, his rage will likely rekindle."
Osamu's face looked pensive.
...Satori nods. "Yes, Osamu. He was kind of a 'dick', as you put it. I don't always agree with spirits reasons for being angry. I usually lie to them to calm them down, too. Though, considering this human spirit was well over centuries old, I'm sure this Cassandra has already passed on."
'Hmm. Seems easier just to throw ofuda at them and mangle them.'
Satori smirks. "That's why I only do it with larger spirits. Those ones you probably couldn't just slap ofuda on and call it a day."
'...Point taken.' Hikari shrugged.
"...I'm not doing it again, if we see another spirit."
A caster phantom promptly floated up from the floor, instantly setting its sight on the party.
She snorts. "Like that one. It wants something called a 'hydrocaster compendium'. I don't even know what that is, so we'd be here all day."
"Sounds like a spell tome." Marigold comments.
Hikari drew her ofuda, knowing the encounter would already be over. She tossed them…
Slap! Slap! Slap!
"Hooouuuaa~h!"
The spirit wailed, as it was torn asunder by the glowing ofuda, holy magic visibly lashing out at it until it was no more.
'Thirty six ofuda.' Hikari kept count.
"...You're a lot tamer than your mother." Satori notes.
'...What's that supposed to mean?'
"It means there aren't yin-yang orbs practically stripping the underground of rock." Satori states. "It was a compliment."
'...Thanks, I guess.' Hikari still didn't like being compared to her mother.
Osamu looked annoyed. "Dude, why won't ya answer my question?"
"...I've kind of learned to tune you out." Satori looks vain. "You're… a work."
...His annoyance gave way to a grin. "Damn right I am."
'Pffft.'
The five closed in on a crack in the wall…
"Get ready." Satori cautioned everyone in a hushed tone. "The sanctuary's inside."
The sizable crack in the cave's side wall was pitch black, a trait of sanctuaries Hikari knew well…
"The boss is nearby…" Hikari informs everyone.
Marigold already had her Spectrum Shotgun ready. "Ready."
Osamu cracked his knuckles, wincing at the loud pops. "...Ready freddy!"
His announcement made Hikari cringe.
Hiyori took a deep breath. "...I am ready."
Satori nods. "Good. She doesn't seem to be here, right now."
…
'Oh.'
Hiyori's brow rose inquisitively.
Satori walked towards the darkness blocking the sanctuary. She tried to walk in, but ended up hitting the darkness like it were a wall, instead. She fell on her bum. "Agh… wh-what?"
"You have to defeat the boss to go inside." Hikari explains. "That's pretty much been a constant."
"That's ri~ght!"
A winged, friendly bird person descended from above. She had a not-so-friendly giant cannon for a right arm, a stone-encased right foot, and what seemed to be atoms revolving around her left foot.
Her cloak of stars billowed behind her as she touched down with a thoom.
"Exactly how it works!" She beamed at Hikari. Then, she looked at Satori. "Hello, Satori-sama!"
"...Okuu." Satori stared at her vainly. "Are you… feeling better?"
Hiyori took a step back. "Th-that's… Okuu!?"
Okuu paused. "...Nope! Still got this thing bouncing around in my head. It wants me to kill Hikari," She points her big cannon at Hikari, who flinches upon the motion. "and now kill you! I mean, I really, really love you, Satori-sama, but this thing really, really hates you! And I- woah!"
Her cannon arm jerks around, and she uses her other arm to point it at the ceiling. "Easy there, Giygas! Woaa~h!"
Vrrrr~!
A giant, amber beam shot straight up at the ceiling, rending rock hundreds of feet above them.
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
Kanako stood over the conventional oven…
She frowned. "Are you sure it's supposed to be cooked at four hundred?"
Suwako nodded. "Ye~s. If I were you, I'd be more worried about the ingredients. We have no idea what we're doing!"
Kanako scowled. "Quiet. Baking cakes should come naturally, to a-"
Suddenly, an amber laser shot straight out of the stove, vaporizing the stove's contents, the stove's bottom and top, and the roof above the stove, leaving a new skylight. A new, flaming skylight.
"goddess…" Kanako slouched.
Suwako was speechless.
…
"Pffft-ahahahaha~!"
"Shut up! Shut up!" Kanako moved to thrash the smaller goddess.
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
The party looked up at the hole the pillar-width laser left in the ceiling. They could see a glimmer of daylight from it.
"Holy fuck." Osamu gaped.
Marigold stared in awe. "Now that's a weapon…"
Hikari gulped. 'Th-that was aimed at me, just a second ago…'
Hiyori was bewildered. "O-Okuu!? Wha- how…!?"
...Satori turned to Hiyori. "She devoured a sun god, by the way."
...Hiyori's jaw dropped. "What happened while I was gone?"
Osamu turned to the party. "Dude, the underground's gettin' weird!"
'A sun god.' Hikari blanched.
Okuu spun around in the air, restraining her giant cannon arm. "Ba~d Giygas! Bad! No killing people, I told you!" She went to bite her cannon arm, to little effect. After a moment, she gave up. "...I'd go away if I was you guys! 'Cause like- woa~h!"
She aimed her cannon at the party, and Satori flinched violently, sputtering. "Ev-everyone! M-move!"
Satori tried PSI Shield Σ!
The party was protected by the pale blue psychic shields!
Osamu tried PSI Shield Σ!
Everyone's psychic shield was reinforced!
No one wasted any time in sprinting at parallel angles to Okuu's giant death cannon.
Fwsh-wsh-wsh!
Molten balls of energy flew from the cannon at an odd spread, slowly floating down to the ground.
Bam! Boom! Blam!
On impact, they exploded, releasing torrents of flames.
"A-aa~h!" Okuu whirled around in the air, fighting her cannon arm. "No! I-I like Satori-sama and her friends! They're nice! Stop!"
'She's in conflict…' Hikari observed. 'That should keep us from getting vaporized instantly.'
Satori agrees with the notion. "Keep fight-"
Vrrrrrr~!
Satori narrowly dodged the laser, her arm getting gazed and burnt.
...She turned to Hikari dryly. "Barely."
Osamu tried PK Freeze γ!
KaKaKa~...
A snowflake-shaped pattern of ice crystals formed around Okuu, freezing and thawing rapidly…
Boom!
Okuu spun in the air, now half frozen. "A-aah…"
...Then, she spread her wings, and all the ice melted. "Haa~h!"
A massive inferno erupted around her, pillars of fire stretching into the dark sky, as a ball of flame slowly expanded outward from Okuu.
Hikari panicked, a little. 'She-she might be angry, now…!"
"She's not angry." Satori soothes everyone. "Just… warming herself up."
"Coulda fooled me!" Osamu bolts for the back of the group. "Fuck that!"
'She'd probably burn my ofuda right up…'
Suddenly, the flames dispersed, once Okuu found herself adequately warm.
Then, Okuu raised her arms. "U-uhm… I may have lost control of both of my arms! You guys may wanna run!"
Between both arms, an orb began forming, magical energy wrapping in on itself, forming a large, orange orb.
"Don't let her finish making that!" Satori shouts, focusing on the hell raven. "If she pulls off this next attack, we'll all die!"
'Ouch.' Hikari snorts. 'That'd be a rather abrupt way to go.'
Satori tried PK Freeze γ!
KaKaKa~...
Osamu tried PK Freeze γ!
KaKaKa~...
Hiyori tried PK Freeze ß!
Bam! Boom! Bang!
The ice spells bombarded Okuu in unison. At first they did little, but the subsequent ones froze her completely. Unfortunately, the slowly growing ball above her melted her free of her ice within moments, turning it all into steam.
'Wow.' Hikari began to feel the heat from the growing miniature sun. 'That's hot…!'
"Oh, fuck. I can feel it from here, dude." Osamu expressed worry. "We're gonna get fried like eggs."
Marigold snorted. "...Why eggs?"
...He sputtered, pointing at the sun. "Bigger problems!"
Marigold aimed up at Okuu. She pulled the trigger to the Spectrum Shotgun, and began getting pushed back instantly. Hiyori lunged to grab her, to keep her from getting blown back the length of Old Hell's plains.
Hikari looked up at Okuu… 'Satori, can you do my crash bang boom attack, again?'
"Ah…" She shook her head. "No. I'm afraid. It's too demanding."
'How? When we fought you, there was no end to your mana.'
Satori nods. "I also happen to have been under Giygas' influence."
'...He gives people mana?'
"If they need it." Satori glances back up at the growing sun of doom and hellfire.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Osamu intervened. "Less telepathic chit-chat shit and more kickin' some ass!"
'...He's not wrong.' Hikari held up a single ofuda. 'Might as well try this.'
She tossed it up into the heat storm above…
The ofuda glowed brightly, but once it neared Okuu, it was vaporized, burning up in a swath of holy fire. As it fizzled out, it became normal fire.
'Ouch.' Hikari began sweating. 'T-too warm…'
Hiyori tried PK Starstorm α!
The technicolor barrage of neon yellow and neon white stars commenced. Whirling down from the metaphorical heavens were thick, star-shaped projectiles, most of which homed in on Okuu.
The majority of them flew straight into her.
Bam! Boom! Ba-bam! Bang!
Magic visibly rocked her body, but she showed little chance of letting up on the generation of the new sun.
The white stars fell, but due to their unaimed nature, most just fell harmlessly in the surrounding plains, or into the sun above Okuu.
Hikari prepared herself. 'I-I think I have to use that attack, myself…'
Due to her newfound exhaustion, Hiyori began getting pushed back by the beam Marigold was forming…
The beam finally focused, catching Okuu right in the center.
Even so, Okuu didn't seem to acknowledge the beam that directly drilled into the core of her being.
"It-it's getting big, guys! Maybe you should ru~n!" Okuu suggested again.
Hikari took a deep breath.
…
'Nuclear reactors.' She thought back. 'Sun gods. Kappa villages, a sky full of aristocrats… and a mountainside of warrior politicians.'
She closed her eyes, doing her best to ignore the heat and the growing vibrations the expanding sun was causing in the underground…
'I'd be more surprised, but the world was already pretty weird. That, and being in the moment… this land really suspends your disbelief.'
She felt her power well up inside her…
'This truly is a land of fantasy!'
Hikari tried PK Fantasy γ!
Opening her eyes, Hikari threw her arms forward.
FwOwOwOw!
Two polygons of technicolor energy few out towards Okuu.
TinkTinkTinkTInk!
Instead of striking her, they stopped before her, and formed a large, hexagonal barrier, which even blocked Marigold's rainbow beam. One by one, the hexagonal panels shattered under the sun's heat, sending shards of technicolor energy outward which lightly pinged Okuu's body, sending subtle, yellow waves across her.
A chunk of the sun was erased, but only the lower half, closer to Okuu. It quickly filled outward again.
It was in this moment, that the underground felt sunlight for the first time, to the bane of the many spirits of the land, and to the bane of any oni who had a hangover at this exact moment in time.
Hikari's eyes flashed.
Bwaa~sh!
A powerful psychic blast wracked Okuu's body, a violent maelstrom of red, yellow, and blue cycling across her body, and slightly up the sun she was trying to produce. The motion with which it flowed was as erratic as it was hypnotic to those who viewed it.
…
Okuu dizzily let her head wobble around. "My~ favorite color… is seven…"
Hikari grinned widely. 'That was awesome!'
…
Then, she fell straight to her knees, and onto her stomach. 'Th-this… isn't so aw-awesome…'
…
==== GENSOKYOBOUND: OSAMU'S VIEW ====
'Okay, I don't know what the fuck that was, but it kicked ass.'
Osamu scanned the battlefield…
Satori jerked her head to look at the fallen miko. "Hikari!"
'Even if she's down, she put a big dent in this bird bitch's gut. She had ta.'
The sun, though bright, was no longer generating further. Red mist began flowing from Okuu's body, and up into the sun above her.
"That red shit!" Osamu pointed at it. "It's tryin'a pump up that sun!"
Osamu tried Defense Down α!
Okuu began twitching at the laser drilling into her side…
Standing, a Hikari-toting Satori gave Osamu a glance. "Good idea."
'Hell yeah!'
Satori tried Defense Down α!
Osamu tried Defense Down α!
Okuu began getting pushed by the force of the laser, tilting herself to maintain the sun, which flickered unstably, dimming slightly.
"Ooo, ooh, next, we gotta like, drain her mana! Who's with me!?" Osamu cheered.
...Satori stared at him dryly. "Do you know just how huge her mana pool is? She has a god inside her."
'Oh, shit.' He had forgotten that tiny detail. 'Well- how much is- yeah, that's not gonna work…'
Osamu tried PK Hydro ß!
The shuriken of water was blown away when it spawned, being instantly vaporized by the sun.
'Damn.'
Satori tried Defense Down α!
'How about…' Osamu wiggled his hands. "How about some 'a this!?"
Osamu tried PK Thunder ß!
Thwaa~sh!
Satori sidestepped the thunderbolt, anticipating the random strike.
Thwaa~sh!
The bolt struck Okuu. "Ha-aa~h…!"
'Yeah!'
Satori sighed. "That was hardly enough."
Hiyori took a deep breath.
Hiyori tried PK Starstorm α!
Again, the star-shaped magical projectiles spiralled down from above the cave's walls, beelining for Okuu.
She was still unable to defend herself whilst attempting to pump the sun up.
Bam! Bang! Boom! Bam!
The sun slowly began receding, the size decreasing, as the magical energy was pumped back into Okuu, who glowed brighter and brighter the more heat she stored…
"A-aagh…" Satori grimaced. "...She's recycling the energy into stamina…"
'That's so fuckin' cheap!'
After awhile, the sun's energy filled Okuu's body… "...I-I…"
...The red mist that surrounded her earlier began to bubble, and burn, becoming a charcoal black substance as it was exposed to her exterior. As such, most of it poured into her to avoid being burned away.
"Yeaa~h!" Marigold was getting excited, arms shaking as she continued to hold down the trigger. Hiyori spared her a curious glance.
Okuu beamed. "Ac-actually, guys, it's only- hey! He~y…" Her cannon arm pointed down at the party, but she used her other arm to jerk it away again. "It's only my cannon arm, again!"
'She's just sittin' in that laser like it don't even matter! She just don't care!'
Fwoom!
A giant, orange orb was shot from the cannon straight towards the floor.
Satori leapt away, and Osamu began backpedaling.
"Fuck that, fuck that fu-"
Kaboo~m!
The area she struck turned into a pillar of solar flames, before violently dissipating just as quickly. A crater was left in the floor.
'Damn!' Osamu shielded his eyes from the blast. 'Dude!'
Hiyori felt herself being pushed back by the force of Marigold's laser further… "I-I can't cast anymore…"
Satori tried PK Freeze γ!
KaKaKa~...
Another rapidly freezing and thawing snowflake pattern encased Okuu.
Boom!
The frosty blast sent her twirling through the air. "Woaa~h!"
Small, red orbs flew from her cannon, moving at a fixed rate in the directions they were launched. Upon contact with objects, however, they dissipated into bonfires.
"So ice works now? Make up your mind!" Osamu glared up at the hell raven.
Osamu tried PK Freeze γ!
KaKaKa~...
Ice spells seem to be a party favorite, today.
Boom!
Okuu was frozen solid, for a moment. Then, as she hung in the air, the ice began cracking, and steaming.
A tired Satori worked to keep her frozen. "Sto-stop her…"
Satori tried PK Freeze α!
Kakakoo~...
A small pattern of icicles froze and thawed rapidly around Okuu, accomplishing little.
Kra~ck!
Osamu grunted. "Seriously, this flaming bitch…"
Satori snapped at him. "Don't call Okuu a bitch!"
…
Cra~ck!
Okuu broke free from the ice. "I-I'm gonna catch a co~ld!"
Osamu fumed. "I'm gonna make you catch an air conditioner cold! I'll freeze you so hard, it's gonna burn!"
Osamu tried PK Freeze Ω!
Kakaka~!
A box of ice formed around Okuu, encasing her.
Kookookoo~...
The ice crystals inside began freezing and thawing rapidly, encasing Okuu in her personal hell-in-a-cell of plummeting temperature.
Kra~ck!
The frozen cage begins to shatter, sending out a flurry of cold air.
Blam!
Finally, it explodes, revealing a frozen Okuu inside.
...She drops to the cave floor, loudly clattering as her frozen form tumbled on the rock.
'Wo-woah…!' Osamu stared at the fallen form of Okuu for a moment, speechless.
…
"That seems to be-" Satori was interrupted.
"Did you see that!?" Osamu's energy jumped through the roof. "I just fuckin', like, woosh! Ice age, bitch! So fuckin' hype right now, dude, so…"
Then, his energy dropped below the Earth's crust.
"S-so tired…" He hunched over. "Woaa~h…"
After stumbling around, he fell onto his bum. "W-wow…"
…
Satori coughed. "Right…."
...She turned to Marigold, who was still holding down the trigger whilst being held by Hiyori.
"Yeaahahaa~h!" She was pumped.
...Satori strutted up to them. "...Sorry to burst your bubble, but…"
Marigold looks down at her. "Wha~h!?"
Satori floats up, and forcibly removes her finger from the trigger.
The beam stops.
Marigold almost looks angry for a moment, only to realize Okuu was nowhere in the beam. "A-ah? Where'd she…?"
She scans the battlefield, sighting the hell raven in an ice block on the floor.
"O-oh." Marigold blushes. "...You can put me down now, Hiyori."
Hiyori abruptly drops her.
"He-hey!" Marigold rubs her toosh…
"Sorry…" Hiyori slowly steps from her. "Using up all that mana… took a lot out of me."
Marigold's brow rose. "You… don't seem all that tired?"
"She's an oni." Satori adds. "She's remarkably less prone to stumbling around unless she was actually dizzy. Oni bodies have a lot of strength."
"Oh. Right." Marigold stands up. "...Oh, blast. Hikari's down?"
Satori nods, looking sorrowful. "...Yes. I was careless, and let her exert more mana than I should have."
'Wh-what, do we need to be babysat…?' Osamu crawled towards the party. "He-hey…!"
Smirking, Satori turned to him. "In your case, yes."
"Yo-you too… buddy." He forces himself to speak.
...Hiyori reaches into her gi, and pulls out a jar of water. "Here we are…"
Popping it open, she pours it into her mouth, swallowing it all in one gulp.
"Much better…" Hiyori nods in satisfaction.
"Still never leave home without a bottle?" Satori was still smirking.
Hiyori snorts. "Leave home? I never leave anywhere without a full bottle. You'd be surprised how many times it saved my a- saved me."
"...Old habits die hard, huh?" Satori begins to move towards Okuu.
Hiyori moves with her, slightly uncomfortable. "Mmm…"
The two move up to Okuu, and take a good look at her. Marigold trails along behind them…
"...Hiyori?" Satori turns to her friend.
"Yeah?" Hiyori tilts her head.
"Confiscate Okuu's 'third leg', if you would, please?" The mind reader requests.
'Wait- what the fuck!?' Osamu begins laughing to himself.
...Hiyori turns to her inquisitively.
"...Oh, right." Satori shakes her head. "That's what her fusion cannon is called."
'Fuckin' fusion cannon.' Osamu was awed by the powerful terminology that he only otherwise heard thrown about in stupid village rumors.
"...Why not just call it a fusion cannon?" Marigold dryly suggests. "That's far better than a, uhm… 'third leg'."
"It's from the mythos of the god she consumed." Satori bobs her head back and forth. "He had an actual third leg. Okuu, luckily, got a removable fusion cannon instead."
"Yeah. Luckily." Hiyori's voice was laced with sarcasm. "Who's idea was it to give a fusion cannon to the biggest bird brain I know?"
"Do you know of any mountain gods?" Satori questions.
Hiyori begins to move for Okuu's fusion cannon, rending ice with her bare hands.
Before she can say anything, Satori nods. "The purple haired one, who goes by the name Kanako. She fed Amaterasu to Okuu."
...Hiyori glanced at her, as she tore the fusion cannon out of the ice. Or, at least, Okuu's limb was free of ice. The fusion cannon was still stuck to her limp arm.
...The arm started flailing about, red mist materializing.
"A-aah!" Satori jumped, and shot pink danmaku at it on instinct.
As the danmaku pounded the cannon, the red mist began to flow out more and more.
Marigold cast her Spectrum Shotgun aside, and drew her NF Burst Gun. "You're mine!"
The flurry of cartoonish popping noises accented the bullet's harassment upon the foggy form, which eventually flowed out of the cannon and into the air itself, before floating away again.
…
Satori smiled. "It… it's gone. I can't feel it in her, anymore."
...Hiyori stared at the frozen hell raven worriedly. "Is she…"
The fusion cannon slid off the arm as it flailed about, smacking at the ice.
Clunk! The cannon landed in nearby gravel.
"She'll be fine. Just give her a few moments." Satori began walking towards Hikari, whom she left near where Hiyori and Marigold were originally.
Osamu finally reached her himself, after a good few minutes of crawling. "...Damn." He flopped over beside her.
...The rest of the party moved up to them.
"We-welcome to the morgue." Osamu greeted them. "We're gonna fuckin' die."
Marigold giggled. "Mana exertion's not that bad, I'm sure. Not that… I'd ever feel that." She tilted her head thoughtfully, before shaking it off. "Hikari manages it well enough. Aside from this one time."
…
"Wh-where do we go, now…?" Osamu slowly began getting off the floor.
Satori furrowed her brows. "The sanctuary, of course. Don't tell me you've forgotten, already..."
'What!?' "N-no, it's just that… Hi-Hikari's kinda… mandatory for that place, I think. I dunno."
Hiyori lifts both Osamu and Hikari over her shoulders.
"Woa~h!" Osamu didn't expect it.
"We'll find out." Hiyori decides, carrying her other two party members to the sanctuary location.
The five proceeded into the crevice in the wall, which was now filled with a soft, blue glow, with the darkness gone.
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
The blue glow didn't get much brighter inside, and Satori was forced to make a small magi-light to guide everyone.
'Sure is dark, for a freakin' sanctuary…' Osamu looks around. "I can't see-"
"We're underground, you know." Satori talks over him. "It's not like they'd just install lights in the caves, for you."
'...Killjoy.'
Hiyori sat Hikari down on the floor across the room, next to the large black panel on the wall.
…
"I guess we just wait for Hikari to get up, then…" Marigold takes a seat. "Oh, boy."
Osamu furrows his brows. 'Wait a moment…'
Satori nods. "Indeed. By unanimous decision, we shall wait."
"Wa-wait!" Osamu tries to move for Hikari, but falls onto his stomach. "Oof!"
Marigold smiles. "We know, Osamu. Glad you caught up, though."
'...Why's everyone bein' such a bitch today? Geez.'
...Satori gave him a patient, crooked grin. "I wonder…"
Hiyori turns to her. "Hmm?"
"Oh, nothing." Satori's expression becomes bored again.
...Osamu begins crawling for Hikari. 'The-that sound stone thing!'
Satori watches him, curious, as he crawls towards Hikari…
…
"I think he's lost it." Marigold comments. "Can I shoot him?"
Satori snorts. "Wait."
...Once he reaches her, he reaches into Hikari's pockets…
Marigold's eyes widen. "Wh-what are you doing!?"
Osamu grunts. "Lo-look-"
"He's looking for something." Satori answers for him.
...Marigold recedes to the halfway point between neutral and surprised.
'C'mon, c'mon…!'
Finding the Sound Stone, he grins. "Finally…!"
As he brings it to Hikari's forehead, a look of realization dawns on Marigold's face.
"...I see." Satori nods.
==== GENSOKYOBOUND: HIKARI'S VIEW ====
…
'H-huh?'
She heard a melody play.
A gentle breeze rolled through Giant Step, caressing the indent in the hill…
It then rolled through the crevice leading to Subconscious Steps, before whirling around and escaping into the sky above...
Fluttering through the valley, it weaved through bamboo trees before circling around the Milky Well. It circled back around, and flowed right back out through the trees...
Smoothly floating over the crisp air of the Misty Lake, the wind swept past the walls of a western manor, before dipping into the trees just outside the walls to orbit Rainy Circle. It flowed out just as freely...
Becoming entrapped within the walls around Magnet Hill, the wind anxiously rebounded off the walls before escaping, flowing back over the Human Village...
Freely dancing in the clouds, air circulated around a soft, Pink Cloud. The air dispersed, washing over the land, and sweeping against Gensokyo's border.
Through the crevices of the Earth, wind blew freely through the ragged tunnel systems, before meeting in the air of Old Hell. From there, the wind channeled itself through Lumine Hall, and then escaped, as if a sigh from Gensokyo itself.
...
A beat continued to play after the numerous notes, but no more actual music continued to be produced by the stone.
'Oh. Guess we made it, then.'
Hikari quickly found herself waking up…
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
Hikari's eyes blinked open.
"Who's the man? I'm the man!" Osamu pranced around the sanctuary like he owned the place.
Satori stared at Hikari, a vaguely bewildered, yet refreshed expression on her face.
'...The underground really is a cluttered place.' Hikari sits up, and begins to stand… 'Kinda cozy, though. Especially this cave, for obvious reasons.'
Hiyori and Marigold's eyes widened, as they stared at the now luminescent screen behind Hikari.
Osamu paused, and turned to the screen. "...Dude! This cave does have light bulbs! Hahaha~!"
'Industrial grade night light.' Hikari recalls. 'I was having the nicest dream, too… it was something about…'
She turned to face the board of lights behind her. 'Darn. I forget…'
The board's light shone brightly in the cave, filling it with dim, yellow light. This dim light washed over Hikari as she read the scrolling text on the board.
'Nicest dream, too… it was something about…' Hikari read the text, and then stopped.
'Wait… these are my thoughts, aren't they?'
She glances back up at the board, which read 'Darn. I forget… Nicest dream, too… it was something about…'
'Oh, wow.' Hikari gaped. '...This thing's creepy. Cool, but...'
"...Your mind, just earlier…" Satori backed up, and admired the board herself, albeit half-heartedly. "Such… vivid visualization. That stone you hold… a sound stone, was it?"
Hikari turned to her. "What's up?"
"What is it, exactly?" Satori questions.
'...I really couldn't tell you, because I don't know.' Hikari shrugged. 'I got it from a talking bee who came from outer space.'
…
'That's going to be up on the board, isn't it?' Hikari blushed. 'This adventure started weird!'
Marigold slowly grinned. "...Hikari's so quiet all the time. This is interesting."
"Agreed." Hiyori nods, amused, as she folds her arms.
"Du~huhude…" Osamu agreed, probably.
'As I said, the board's creepy!' Hikari blushed deeper. 'Hnngh…'
"I suppose it's not my place to pry, then…" Satori smiled. "...As eventful of a life as one might expect."
'...I'm pretty sure nuclear reactors, floating aristocrats, and formless abomination seriously out to ruin my day count as a little more than an 'eventful life'.'
Satori giggled. "True, true. Think nothing of my comment."
'...It's cheating when everyone gets to read my mind!' Hikari huffed.
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
END OF CHAPTER 20
Protagonist: Hikari Hakurei, Disciple of Paradise
-Inventory-
Weapon: Miracle Gohei - Ability to whack stuff really hard. Amplifies whacking power, too! Able to deal magical damage. Adds an increased chance to deal critical hits.
Arms: Iconic Hakurei Arm Sleeves - Keeps arms warm. A Hakurei tradition. How they stay on is a Hakurei family secret.
Body: Combat Miko Outfit - A black leotard and hakama combination worn by the previous-previous Hakurei miko. Designed to be suitable for excessive physical activity and close combat, it slightly improves physical combat prowess. Now with less sideboob!
Misc: Royal Red Ribbon - A ribbon made with rich materials, with a floral pattern.
-Skills-
Attack: Quickly! Swing your gohei at them for massive damage!
PK Fantasy α, β, γ - Bombards the enemy with pain in the form of flashing colors. Deals magical damage. Heavy mental strain that increases with each tier. Third tier forms a barrier, which breaks upon moderate damage.
PK Flash α, ß - A bright flash that distributes very random status effects to enemies. Usually makes people cry. Higher tiers increase chances, and introduce possibilities of fainting or dispel.
Hypnosis α, Ω - Puts weak enemies to sleep for a short time. Works better on tired or exhausted foes. Can also be used in a far more costly form that works on multiple opponents.
Shield α, ß - Halves damage the target takes. Only works against physical attacks, and enough strikes, or powerful strikes, will dispel it. Higher tier turns it into a power-shield that protects even better and even reflects a fraction of protected damage.
Lifeup α, ß, γ - Heals target a little. Higher tiers heal more grievous wounds, like bone fractures.
Healing α, ß, γ - Heals basic status ailments. Higher tiers can cure more dire effects, like burning alive.
Teleport α - Allows instant transport to the general location of an area remembered by oneself or one's party members. Requires a long, fast run-up to execute, however.
Ofuda Toss - Throw a holy ofuda that does massive holy elemental damage to youkai and dark elemental foes. Effect lessens the more holy the thing you're attacking is, to the point of healing holy things. Only works if you actually have ofuda, though.
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Mage: Osamu Katsumi, the Wannabe Mage
-Inventory-
Weapon: Fisticuffs!
Arms: Nothing
Body: Dated Village Magician Robes - An old robe from the days when the village respected the medium of magic. Now actually looks navy blue, instead of black!
Misc: Yukkuri Beanie - Resembles a really tacky tablecloth, made in the Yukkuri theme. Lime green and has tons of fun yukkuri decals!
-Skills-
PK Thunder α, ß - Very random thunder attack that deals limited damage. Higher tiers increase number of bolts, and sometimes power.
PK Hydro α, β, γ - Gets everyone wet. Usefulness with PK Thunder and PK Freeze depends on whether you hit yourself or not! Creates whirling water spirals at higher tiers.
PK Freeze α, β, γ, Ω - Generates ice crystals at the target's location. Medium damage and effect; may freeze some targets, especially wet ones. Highest tier has a near-guaranteed freeze chance and immense ice damage, at the cost of being very taxing.
Fireball - Manipulate mana to make a shoddy fireball. Low damage and effect.
Static Hands - Not a real spell. Result of a very undercharged PK Thunder that can accidentally go off.
PSI Telepathy α - Speak to friends you haven't met yet! Unstable connection and only works if they have the skill or are asleep.
PSI Shield α, Σ - Halves damage from magical and psychic attacks. Thunder spells fry it instantly, and harder blows dispel it. Second tier applies basic shield to entire party at higher mana expense.
PSI Magnet α - Costs no mana to use, and steals a very tiny amount of mana from the enemy. Enemy has to have mana in the first place for it to work, though.
Offense Up α - Get pissed! Boosts strength and confidence depending on caster's power and receiver's power.
Defense Down α - Throw the enemy off their game. Makes them slightly more vulnerable to physical attacks.
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Inventor: Marigold Knowledge, the Tri-Magi Love Child
-Inventory-
Weapon: Spectrum Shotgun - A Marigold Knowledge invention. Filled with foil chip bags to conduct the mana, and it is transmitted into a wind stone. Upgraded to draw mana from a simple wooden block filled with immense magic reserves, giving it virtually unlimited ammo. The addition of a battery and a prism allow it to fire seven rainbow colored beams at a wide spread, which deal non-elemental damage. Firing long enough allows them to focus and deal incredible damage, at the cost of insane recoil and instability.
Arms: Nothing
Body: Custom Adventure Dress - A custom dress made by Alice. Provides slight defense against magical and psychic attacks. Now allows freer movement with a shorter skirt, and a more flexible material.
Misc: Swirly Glasses - Lets Marigold not be blind.
Backpack - Allows extended inventory. Aged relic from the Kourindou.
Unnamed Lock Opening Device - Opens locks very precariously. Made with steel, burnt cloth, packaging peanuts, thumbtacks, string, and wooden wheels. Don't even ask…
Ruler - Lets you measure the world around you!
Protractor - Lets you find the angles of anything ever. Totally overpowered.
Scotch Tape - Transparent adhesive from the outside world. Weak, but handy!
Deck of Cards - Allows Marigold to play Strip Poker with the party. Just kidding… or am I?
Shield Killer - Electrical device used to subdue harassers. Has settings ranging from Tickle Torture to Arse Blaster. Fires electrical projectiles, of unknown Burst Gun - A Marigold Knowledge invention. Uses a Pop Gun as the base, but amplifies its power with an array of random batteries jammed into the base with the Pop Gun. The more batteries, the better, but the typical yield is about five bullets per trigger. Spamming the trigger doesn't make it go any faster, unfortunately. Has no foreseeable ammo limit, and the batteries are only there for mana circulation, meaning their power is really inconsequential.
Holmes Brand Designer Hat - Village swag! A retro village hat that ceased production ten years ago. Sells for a pretty penny nowadays, but it's pretty useless otherwise.
Slime Generator - A bulky box that shoots a small splat of slime. Doesn't seem good for much.
Counter-PSI Device - A weird device Marigold found from a flying saucer. Works in strange ways, and seems to disrupt everyone's concentration. Marigold is immune to its effects.
Charm of Sleep - Grants immunity to sleep while equipped. Can be equipped to Arms or Misc.
Microwave Gun - A Marigold Knowledge invention. Constructed with a controlled flame crystal and metal parts, it fires a beam of sustained microwave energy that cooks biological foes alive. Fire-elemental at its core, it's also very inefficient against machines.
Lotion Dispenser - A Marigold Knowledge invention. Made of a broom, a showerhead, some magnets, and uses jars of water as ammo. Slapped together with ofuda, giving it unknown holy properties. The jars are usually filled with Talcum Powder, for no discernible reason. The liquid that is dispensed becomes auto-applying lotion, as a result of the above.
-Skills-
Sprays Gooey Stuff Everywhere - It helps smoothen skin, though.
Is Not, Infact, Resistant to Suns - Suns hurt.
Authorized Laser Weapons Practitioner - We're not sure about that…
Willing to Snuggle - Terms and conditions* may vary.
Knows How to Open the Door to Everlasting Darkness - She doesn't feel like it, though.
* = Only at five PM on the fifth of November, if she feels like it. Opportunity lasts until six PM on the fifth of November. See your local deal sponsor for details.
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Fighter: Hiyori Hashimoto, the Buddhist Oni
-Inventory-
Weapon: Fisticuffs!
Arms: Shackle of Devas - The first of the four treasures held by the Devas of the Mountain. Grants immunity to sleep-inducing magic. Grants fifty percent resistance to wind and thunder magic.
Body: Runed Gi - Enchanted to not get blown away by battle damage.
Misc: Nothing
-Skills-
PK Starstorm α - Summons forth the stars from the night's sky to rain down upon enemies. Hits all enemies, and deals high magical damage, at the cost of being highly mentally taxing. Can hit allies if they're in the effective area, as the white stars don't have homing properties. Power proportional to amount of enemies, as well.
PK Fire α, ß - Creates an igniting blast of flames at the target's location. More impact comes with higher tiers.
PK Freeze α, β, γ - Generates ice crystals at the target's location. Medium damage and effect; may freeze some targets, especially wet ones.
Shield α, ß, Σ - Halves damage the target takes. Only works against physical attacks, and enough strikes, or powerful strikes, will dispel it. Higher tier turns it into a power-shield that protects even better and even reflects a fraction of protected damage. Highest tier applies a basic shield to the entire party.
Lifeup α, ß - Heals target a little. Higher tiers heal more grievous wounds, like bone fractures.
Healing α, ß - Heals basic status ailments. Higher tiers can cure more dire effects, like burning alive.
Teleport α, ß - Allows instant transport to the general location of an area remembered by oneself or one's party members. Requires a long, fast run-up to execute, however. Higher tier is largely automatic and requires little room to execute.
Martial Arts - Skilled in hand-to-hand combat.
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Author's Note:
BIRD BRAINS
some good progression goin' on here, yo
the party has ascended to the state where they can more or less fight handicapped touhous of greater power
they've still got a WAYS TO GO, THOUGH…
also about time hikari got PK FANTASY Y; time to show some of that FAMILY ABILITY and make some BARRIERS
...they only cost like, all of her mana. :3
as always, see you all next time!