The shrine looked…better. Saying it had seen better days would be a big old lie, the shrine hadn't had a good day since the current shrine maiden moved in. Before the changing of hands, the Hakurei Shrine used to have a nice shine to it as the previous shrine maidens used to coat all of the wooden surfaces with a high quality lacquer once every month. Since then, the shrine suffered destruction after destruction after destruction with Mrs. Ibuki doing whatever she could to keep the building standing with little success.
And now, with the efforts of Kasen and Cirno…
"We could call it a fort." Yuyuko clicked her tongue upon looking on the final result. Kasen and Cirno gave each other a weird look before turning back to the shrine. They had little material to work with; the already existing boards, the destroyed parts, and a few of the trees still hanging around after Tsubasa's attack. And yet, somehow, through their limited supplies and both's limited experience with building and fortification…had managed to make the Hakurei Shrine resemble the Matsumoto Castle in the Nagano Prefecture. Well, a scaled-down model anyway. That, and with the already peeling paint and worn-down look of the original shrine, it looked like the Matsumoto Castle done by someone using popsicle sticks and old house paint.
"You think Reimu will be happy or…" Cirno asked.
"It could go either way." Ran tilted her head, trying to see if every detail of the original castle had been captured. She came outside to watch the rebuilding as she was unable to nap with Cirno crying out in pain. "She could love it and say it makes her feel like a princess with the bonus of gathering faith and possible revenue…or hate it and kill us all."
"Provided that we survive the next challenge up ahead." Kasen looked away from the shrine and towards the eternal plains of clouds. "We have been traveling for hours. How come we haven't arrived at our destination or haven't happened upon someone?" She sighed. "Surely the Holy Palanquin Ship would be flying around to visit another human village..."
"Tsubasa probably has passive effect on this entire island of ours." Yuyuko looked around. "We are still flying despite her unfortunate encounter with one of her own tornados." She put on a small smile before changing the subject with: "Well, we could try to get something to eat while we wait for our next encounter with our secret adversary and her band of powerful minions." Yuyuko proceeded to float inside the Hakurei…Castle and straight the kitchen.
"It would be best if I cook." Ran called out, before shivering a bit while remembering the time that Yuyuko cooked a perfect cake…with extra sugar, extra eggs, extra flour, extra milk, extra baking soda, extra sweetener, extra strawberries…while not bad by any means….the Yakumo household did almost have to go and see a doctor to get their stomachs evacuated…
"Let's do some training!" Cirno chirped towards Kasen.
"Uhh…well…" Kasen pursed her lips and scratched behind her neck. "I don't have any tools or even a plan for this…"
"Let's just do a mock spell card duel then!" Cirno leapt into the air and flew towards the shrine. "Hey Chen! Get your balls, me and Kasen are going to have a mock spellcard duel! We're going to need plenty of balls!" Chen shouted back a quick okay before she joined the two outside. Chen clapped her hands twice and a gap appeared, sending the ruby red dodgeballs bouncing to the ground. "You take half and I take half!" Cirno explained as she collected the balls.
"I'm confused."
"Simple!" Cirno stated as she started to levitate the dodgeballs up using invisible clouds of frost. "Pretend these are bullets! We throw them at each other and try to dodge, just like any other duel!" Cirno got up pretty high, carrying twenty balls with her. "Ready, set, go!" Cirno called out as she launched four balls straight at Kasen, who just simply side-stepped without even really putting much thought into it.
Kasen sighed as she walked forward, stepping only slightly to the side to avoid Cirno's barrage. Didn't seem all that interesting to her. They could just launch weak bullets instead of using these rubbery toys. Still, she walked towards the pile of balls and scooped down to collect one ball. She then peered upward and spotted Cirno still lobbing balls despite none even coming close to her target.
With one swing of her arm, Kasen tossed the dodgeball all with the force of a cannon. Cirno didn't have time to dodge or throw up a wall of ice. The ball collided into her chest with such force that it felt her entire chest had been crushed. Cirno's eyes bugged out as she meteored. Another crater to add to the collection growing around the shrine. Kasen shook her head as she slowly walked over to collect Cirno.
"This isn't good practice." Kasen grunted as she grabbed ahold of the only leg of Cirno's that stuck out. "I'm way above you in more than one way. And that includes physical strength and perception. A game such as this will expire within seconds…" And with a hearty groan, she finally managed to yank Cirno free. The ice fairy immediately spat out a mouthful of dirt and grass. Kasen had to admit; she's far stronger than she originally thought.
"It's a mock spell card duel…" Cirno moaned as she tried to regain her senses.
"There is no such thing." Kasen shook her head. "Everyone in Gensokyo fights with real spell cards. Those who fight with toys aren't going to win anything any time soon." Kasen breathed out of her nose as she grabbed one of dodgeballs. "These lack impact unless you possess extreme strength, they're so soft that if you squeeze it just a tad bit too hard it would offset the ball's path in midair…"
Cirno's rebuttal is to smack Kasen in the face with a ball. Kasen took it well.
Chen wisely decided to head inside the shrine. They might be rubber balls, but with the way they turned into barely visible blurs in flight, it would the smart decision to hide inside while Kasen is busy committing Gensokyo's version of the Saint Valentine's Massacre with dodgeballs.
"So much for training!" Cirno laughed out as she ducked and weaved through the storm of rubber balls.
"Consider this how someone ANGRY at you would fight you!" Kasen got through gritted teeth.
"Alright!" Cirno stuck out her tongue while managing to grab one of the balls in midflight and returned fire. Kasen had became so heavily involved in firing forward that she forgot to actually consider dodging and got pelted right in the face. Didn't do much damage, but it did make Kasen look ridiculous with her furious face on. "Now imagine me as a opponent who isn't taking you seriously because she's stronger than you…"
"I thought I was teaching you!" Kasen got out, but with a angry smile on. Her assault on the fairy had reached a cease fire due to the ammunition being scattered all around the island.
"Perhaps it's time for a change!" Cirno whistled as she laid on her side in mid-air while fanning herself.
"I have fought with and against gods." Kasen folded her arms. "And you barely handle a second-hand witch and a overconfident shrine maiden whenever you cross paths with them!"
"Please, like I ever fight with full power!" Cirno spat out as she lowered herself to the ground, or at least enough to face Kasen face-to-face. "There will be a time and place for that!"
"And that's why you lose so many fights." Kasen breathed out gritted teeth. "You don't use your powers to their fullest potential. While your existence as a fairy greatly limits your potential, your power has managed to impress a few people. The Yama and the witch have mentioned how you can be very strong." Kasen shrugged, putting on a small smile. "But you fight and act like a child most of the time…so I wonder if Marisa just went easy on you and the Yama was in a grouchy mood…" Kasen quickly took a step to the side as Cirno launched a dodgeball straight at her head.
"I beat the Hell Raven once!" Cirno proudly declared as she grabbed another ball to throw it at her opponent. Kasen actually stood still for this, so Cirno put on a devious smile assuming that Kasen would stand still and take it. Kasen stood still and caught the ball before returning fire. Now Cirno stood still and took it.
"Hmm." Kasen shook her head, still retaining her smile. "It's more likely you come across people having a off day and win through sheer luck!" Cirno grunted as she rubbed her sore face. "But hey, a win is a win…"
"Arrgh!" Cirno roared as she hurled dodgeball after dodgeball right at Kasen. Kasen took a breath, placed her hands behind her back and merely took a single step to avoid the dodgeballs.
"Huh." Kasen snapped her fingers. "Before, I wasn't being that serious, but this is good training. A angry opponent is usually unpredictable, but sometimes the opposite happens…"
In a instant, the anger in the air faded away. Cirno started to smile while retaining her scowl. Kasen let out a small chuckle as she grabbed a dodgeball to engage Cirno in a actual mock spell card duel. Chen watched on while giggling every so often at Cirno becoming a magnet for foam balls and Kasen ignoring some of Cirno's attacks only to be pelted. Chen's laughter carried into the Hakurei Castle where Yuyuko couldn't help but chuckle and even Ran let out a tiny little laugh as she stirred a pot of simple beef stew. Keine in the bedroom relaxed a bit. Tensions went down considerably as Cirno and Kasen exchanged fire.
And then someone came in and caught one of the dodgeballs.
"Hello." The stranger greeted with a wave of her free hand. "I will be opponent before we arrive at the mountains." She dressed like a traditional ballerina in a light blue uniform, complete with a little crown and some small gloves. She had tucked her brown hair into a giant bun in the back. But the biggest and most noticeable detail to her would be that both of her eyes lacked the usual white sclera and were instead pitch black. "My name is Augustine Clover." She bowed. "I must apologize on behalf of my master; she wanted to wait for you to arrive at the mountain first before we would engage, but something has prompted her to move the schedule up."
"Augustine?" Kasen asked, tightening her right hand into a fist. "You must come from the outside world then."
"Yes." Augustine nodded. "I may not appear to be the part, but I am actually a specter."
"Specter?" Cirno wondered out loud.
"You want to wed a ghost and you don't know what a specter is?" Kasen sighed. "Geez, Keine has her work cut out for her."
"Young fairy." Augustine turned to Cirno. "A specter is a vengeful ghost. In my life as a mortal, I was joined with a popular traveling cirque of performers. But during a tour through Japan, I was murdered." She turned around and held up her bun, revealing a jagged scar. "Stabbed in the back of the neck. Died in my sleep." She did a quick turn true to her nature. "I waited in the human world for my murderer to be caught…but in the end he died of old age before the police caught him."
"I'm sorry." Kasen crossed her arms. "But now you are here to fight us, I guess? We don't need to hear your sob story."
"That's all I have left." Augustine bowed again. "I am now a agent of vengeance, destined to loyally obey all those seeking revenge. I am unable to move on ever."
"Is that true, Lady Yuyuko?" Kasen turned as she felt the usual chill of death come close.
"Yes." Yuyuko nodded with a forlorn sigh. "Because her purpose for remaining in the first life is to gain vengeance, she can't move on until she gains it. But if her target of ire has moved on, she's trapped until she can find proper satisfaction." Yuyuko looked towards Augustine with sad eyes. "Oh you poor soul."
"Do not feel too sorry for me." Augustine nodded. "I have come here to inflict great harm on you as per my current master's orders. But I can hope that one day we can be friends…"
"PREEMPTIVE STRIKE!" Cirno cried out as she launched a dodgeball straight at Augustine.
The ghost girl sighed right before doing a graceful leap backwards, managing to land right on top of the dodgeball. While already impressive, the next thing did stun everyone around. The dodgeball had frozen in mid-air with Augustine balancing on top of it with one leg. Even Kasen's jaw dropped a bit at the sight.
"I still retain my grace in this current life." Augustine sighed as she lifted herself up off the ball with one leg before landing on two. The ball took a second to realize that psychics existed once again before falling to the ground straight down. "I can balance anything."
"How about my checkbook?" Yuyuko asked, covering her mouth with a sleeved hand.
"I can not." Augustine replied.
"How about my schedule?"
"No can do."
"My bookshelves?"
"I would need tools, including a balancing ruler."
"My diet?"
"I can try, but I'm not a expert on the subject…" Augustine let out a tired sigh. "Let me clarify. I can balance MYSELF on anything as well as balance any psychical object. Projectiles are pointless against me." She raised her right arm up with a light blue aura appearing around her hand. Two transparent blue swans constructed out of light appeared next to her. "But this is the end of the prologue I'm afraid. We must start Act 1 now."
She took a deep breath as stood on the tips of toes. "The curtains have risen. Let us not disappoint the audience…."