"Cirno!" Flandre called out as she scanned the monolithic shelves for a fleeting sign of the icy fairy's sparkling wings. Her voice echoed back at her within the vast chamber. The two large shelves that she had seen upon entering the Kourindou had only been the tip of the iceberg. The reality had been that this shop had a network of crisscrossing shelves and hallways that reminded Flandre of Patchouli's vast library of books and it was just as difficult to locate a single something in such a maze of sensory overload.
"Cirno! Letty! Where are you?" she tried again but not a single soul answered her back. Flandre cursed under her breath and resumed her search by hovering over to the nearest intersection while listening intently for any signs of movement.
Some of the shelves contained items who's only purpose seemed to be to infuriate her even further. A clicking clock with a glass top that exposed all the inner workings of the mechanism blissfully continued it's work at hampering the vampire's efforts to locate her fairy friend.
Flandre's hand twitched with the urge to destroy the mocking clock but she hesitated as Remilia's disapproving face appeared in her mind's eye.
I'm sorry sister but I don't really feel like following the rules right about now.
With a flicker of her hand, the clock shattered into multiple, flaming pieces. The glass top instantly crystallized before turning into hot, molten slag. It bubbled and pored over the clock's smoking carcass like a volcano until the whole fiery mess burned right through the shelve to share it's destruction to those below it.
Flandre sighed and took a deep breath. That made her feel a little better, but only a little. It was like scratching an irritating itch that had been bothering you for quite some time. When she had heard Rinnosuke betray her like that, she had considered simply rushing out from her hiding place and grabbing him by the throat until something soothed her boiling anger. No, Flandre corrected herself.
I wasn't betrayed. We were never friends to begin with. I should always keep that in mind when dealing with beings outside the mansion.
Of course, that simple fact made protecting her existing friendships that much more important. Releasing her pent up frustrations would have wasted valuable time. She had no idea how close Ran and Yuyuko were and the thought of Cirno and Letty running into them without her presence was enough of a motivator for Flandre to seek them out first rather than toy with the shopkeeper. If they were going to face danger, than she wanted to be there on center stage as the staring attraction.
Well, making sure they'll be save and sound is just a bonus, I guess. Right, Flandre?
The vampire didn't like the knot that formed within her stomach with every passing moment that her searching remained fruitless. It was an unsettling feeling to be relied upon to protect others. When something you held dear was in potential danger, even if that particular something was totally oblivious to it and many other things at that. Still, having something worth protecting was better than having nothing at all.
Her searching hadn't really progressed all that far when she heard the tell tell creaking of the main double doors opening. Flandre froze in midair and instinctively moved towards a patch of shadows to limit her visibility. She hovered near a collection of dolls that stared at her with lifeless eyes. She ignored them the best that she could manage and pushed herself between the well crafted imitations.
They mostly resembled human children though there were a few more exotic variations among them. The fact that their Gothic looking clothing and youthful appearance made them look extremely similar to Flandre herself irked the vampire. Instead of others calling her a child, it looked like she was admitting it by fitting in so well with this creche of fake beings. She frowned but waited patiently all the same.
It didn't take long for voices to reach her. The echoes rapidly turned into distant whispers of the real thing. It was eerily silent besides that with only the smoldering remains of the clock providing any break whatsoever in the total absence of sound. Hardly the bustling atmosphere that Flandre expected from such a well stocked shop. She was on one of the middle range shelves and so had a good view as Yuyuko and Rinnosuke appeared out of the gloom.
They didn't seem to be moving with purpose at all and were casually hovering along while exchanging a few words of conversation. The shopkeeper looked tense but given his company, Flandre could well understand. The so called princess of the dead may speak whimsically but Flandre had seen enough to be wary of her character.
There was no sigh of Ran however and having an unseen threat lurking in the wings was much more menacing than simply facing them head on. Those ominous white butterflies still persisted around Yuyuko as well as that unsettling feeling that bubbled within Flandre's stomach whenever she laid eyes upon that distinctive blue robe and misleadingly cheerful smile.
"You have some red on you, lady Yuyuko," said the shopkeeper as he pointed towards her ample chest. Speckles of red stained her otherwise immaculate clothing.
"Oh, this?" she answered innocently. "It's just a little red wine left over from dinner. I can be such a klutz sometimes."
She chuckled lightly but her disarming performance didn't seem to help matters at all. Rather they simply seemed to fan the flames of suspicion.
"Don't worry your little head over it, Rinnosuke." She clapped her hands together. "Now, are our friends still within the vicinity?"
Rinnosuke nodded and readjusted his collar as if the temperature had suddenly increased by several magnitudes. "They haven't exited the building via the front entrance. They should still be inside."
"Good, good. I would really dislike it if I was forced to meander about any further. Ah, this is such a hassle. Did Yukari say anything to you, Rinnosuke? I swear, she must be giggling behind the scenes at saddling me with such a boring task." Yuyuko let out a forlorn sigh and slowed her flying a little. She glanced at the silver haired man while trying to play the part of the tragic victim. He scratched his head and averted his eyes from her penetrating gaze.
"Nothing," he said flatly. "Though it wouldn't surprise me if she derived some kind of amusement from this situation. She knows how much I dislike it whenever she sends-" He mumbled to himself and trailed off as if just realizing his present company. He looked up and down the shelves as he tried to remove himself from this obviously uncomfortable situation. "Well, it shouldn't matter in any case. This whole affair should be over with soon enough."
Flandre watched and listened as they hovered along from her vantage point up above in the higher reaches of the large shelving units. It was like hiding up in the rafters while a church conducted it's morning service. You could watch in safety while listening in to everyone's private conversations. Flandre had to resist shuffling uncomfortably as the dolls rubbed up against her bare skin but she was practiced enough not to move a single muscle.
"Please, continue," said Yuyuko. "You were about to say something else, weren't you?"
"Oh, don't worry about it. It was nothing important."
Yuyuko didn't look convinced and a wryly smile cross her lips that suggested that she was privy to some private joke. She came to a dead stop and hovered in midair as the glowing white spirits jostled around her restlessly as if they were competing for her favor. Rinnosuke likewise stopped when he realized that he was suddenly floating alone. He looked back nervously while waiting with baited breath.
"Is something the matter, lady Yuyuko?"
Flandre's eyes widened as she saw what the Princess of the dead found so amusing. She was staring almost directly at Flandre's hiding place, hidden as she was in among the dolls. She froze as she felt cold, invisible hands caress her soul as Yuyuko peered into the darkness that the vampire had cloaked herself in.
I know that she cannot see me with her naked eyes and I've masked my presence to the best of my abilities. I haven't moved nor made a single sound. I've held my breath, so what gave me away? Or did she just look up here to admire the dolls? Just a coincidence?
"I didn't know you stocked living dolls, Rinnosuke. I didn't think you were so amoral," remarked Yuyuko as her pink and penetrating eyes danced across the collection of silent, motionless limbs. Flandre felt a severe sense of dread as she crouched silently between the lifeless imitations.
She felt like closing her all seeing red eyes as she felt that even the faintest gleam could have given her away. There was an old saying that if you didn't look at the person you were hiding from then they wouldn't be able to see you in return. Flandre didn't feel like testing out that particular theory.
Suddenly the air between the shelves grew deathly cold. Not the kind of chilly cold that affected someones skin, but a more penetrating, frigid feeling that reached into your spiritual self and tore away at your most precious possession.
The dark space around Flandre was suddenly bathed in an intensely bright white glow as a shimmering white butterfly phased through the solid looking black shelve like it wasn't even there. Flandre gasped as the close proximity to such a deceptively beautiful form sucked the life from her like a ravenous beast.
It was only for the briefest of seconds, but in that moment, Flandre felt something touch and reach inside her with uncaring fingers and attempt to yank her spirit right out of her body. She felt violated and immediately couldn't stand to be near the graceful butterfly like she had developed some kind of uncontrollable fear towards it. Like it was a nightmare manifested into reality.
Flandre shoved aside the dolls and sprung out dramatically from her hiding place like a coiled spring. Several of the fakes were torn into pieces and fragments of cloth and missing limbs rained down as she made her decent.
Flandre held out a hand as she hit the floor with a bang to brace herself from the irresistible force. The flooring cracked as if rocked by an earthquake and dust was kicked up into the air as the wooden floorboards discharged their accumulated particles.
Flandre held herself ready in a crouch and eyed her two potential adversaries with a threatening glare. Rinnosuke looked taken aback by the vampire's explosive appearance but Yuyuko seemed bemused and chuckled while holding a hand over her mouth like the refined lady she claimed to be.
"What have you done to my precious mechanize?" exclaimed Rinnosuke as he keeled over the fallen remains of the dolls. He picked up a loose arm that was missing two fingers and cradled it like had belonged to a living child. Flandre found that she couldn't spare him much sympathy considering his recent past actions.
"Look what you've done to Margret! And Annabel! Those pieces were genuine, handcrafted Victorian era dolls!" He groaned full of anguish and attempted to collect the less damaged members of his collection as they looked back at him with their lifeless eyes.
"Oh, you have some nice reflexes on you, young lady," Yuyuko said, congratulating Flandre on her survival. "Just a little longer and you would have become just another restless spirit. I would have surely welcomed you when you eventually wandered into Hakugyokurou."
Flandre cautiously rose to her feet while keeping a keen lookout for any sign of the princess' ferocious Kitsune companion. The tension in the air was palatable and could have been cut with a knife however Flandre was also somewhat relieved that everything was finally out in the open. No more hiding, nor sticking to the shadows. When choice was removed, all you could do was push forwards.
Flandre nodded her appreciation at the compliment. "So, how did you find me? I was confident that I had masked my presence completely."
Yuyuko nodded. "Yes, yes, you did however I can see the light of your soul. It burns so very brightly that I was drawn to it like a moth to a candle. Such a ferocious flame couldn't help but catch my attention. It looks very energetic and is positively bursting with colour. You're a vampire, if I'm not mistaken?"
"Yeah, so what?"
"You have a weak but exotic mixture of vitality swirling within your soul, most likely from the different blends of blood that you have taken in. You cannot see it, but as the gatekeeper to the other side, I alone can witness such splendor." Yuyuko ran a hand slowly across one cheek as a wistful sigh escaped her lips. "Ah, I wonder what such a fiery spirit would feel like?"
What's wrong with this woman? Is she unbalanced or something?
Flandre anxiously crossed her arms around her chest protectively to block Yuyuko's wandering pink gaze. It looked like the so called princess was sizing her up for any tasty choice pieces the way a butcher might assess a prime piece of meat. The younger Scarlet sister had no intention of playing along with whatever twisted fantasy was floating around in the possibly crazy Youkai's mind.
"My spirit would feel just as fierce as my power!" Flandre stated balefully. "Why don't you stop chasing me while you're still able to, Yuyuko?"
Yuyuko found that threat quite amusing and giggled gleefully, like it was the funniest thing she had ever heard but her smile was false, that much Flandre was certain of.
"Is that so?" she said, more of a statement than a question. She cocked her head and regarded the vampire in a new light.
"You know my name but I do not yet know yours? How rude. When most people hear my name, they are rightfully more respectful than that. Please add 'lady' to my name when referring to me in future, please, otherwise I cannot be held accountable for my actions." She held out her hands open palmed, like she was already washing her hands of the consequences.
Flandre displayed a fang filled smirk and performed a mock curtsy. "As you say, Yuyuko."
For the first time since meeting her, the smile faded from Yuyuko's usually whimsical demeanor. Rinnosuke immediately forgot his inspection and intervened when he saw the stormy course events were taking. He placed himself between the potentially explosive situation and held up a stern looking hand with an air of confidence that was born from his intense desire to prevent any further damage to his beloved shop.
"Young lady," he addressed Flandre. "Please, hand over the sunstone to me and I promise that I'll arrange save passage for you and your friends. Nothing unpleasant needs to happen here tonight. You are meddling with things that would best be forgotten about. Please understand."
Flandre narrows her eyes at this insolence. She wouldn't have minded so much if he hadn't been the course of this confrontation. "If you didn't want any trouble than you shouldn't have told those beings of my whereabouts."
She indicated Yuyuko with a curt nod and enjoyed the look of surprise that briefly flashed across Rinnosuke's face. "Whatever happens, happens. I will not give this up for free. It's mine until I decide otherwise."
"I don't think she intends to corporate," Yuyuko said as she let out a sad breath. Rinnosuke glanced nervously over his shoulder. Flandre saw Yuyuko's face in the reflection cast by his glasses. Her expression didn't match her words at all. In fact, she look quite pleased at the direction events were taking.
Well, that's fine. I'll use you to vent my frustrations.
"I didn't intend for anyone to be harmed," exclaimed Rinnosuke. "I've had a lot of business with Yukari Yukumo so you can trust my words when I say that she assured me that if you hand over the sunstone without incident then nothing unsavory will happen to anyone. Both Reimu Hakurei and Yukari Yakumo are seeking out these stones. This is a serious incident and nothing but misfortune and danger will befall you. Please, give it up and we can be done with this."
The silver haired shopkeeper looked flustered and his words seemed sincere. Flandre was pretty good at reading body language and facial expressions. This was particularly true when the subject was displaying such unrestrained emotion. Perhaps she had misjudged him initially.
It looked like Rinnosuke was about to say more but before he was able to, several sharp crackles of shattering material reverberated around the shelves. This was followed by several muffled shouts and the billowing of onrushing winds. Several expensive china teapots and plates shook on their wire frame holdings.
"Looks like Ran found your little friends," teased Yuyuko as she looked directly at Flandre and waited patiently for the news to provoke a reaction or some drop in the vampire's guard. Flandre almost turned around to intervene but she stopped herself with sheer force of will.
Rinnosuke gasped and immediately started to spirit in the direction of the loud, echoing sounds. He moved quite fast for someone traveling on foot and was probably horrified at the prospect of any more damage to his expensive and rare merchandise. He turned the corner at the nearest intersection and disappeared from sight.
"Ah, alone at last," said Yuyuko. The white spirits bobbed around her restlessly. "Will you not hurry to your friends aid, little vampire?"
"Not until I have dealt with you," retorted Flandre. He own aura shimmered and surrounded her outline with faint, red waves of power.
Yuyuko chuckled at that and hugged herself closely as she was overcome with obsession. "Ah, such misplaced confidence."
Flandre was somewhat disturbed by this creepy change in character and suddenly felt a pair of deathly cold hands reach into her spiritual shadow and attempt to yank it from her body. It took her a split second to realize that this wasn't just a mental feeling and looked down in alarm to see the beginnings of a white butterfly poke itself through the dark wooden flooring. It hadn't touched her physical body yet but it's close proximity sent shivers up her spine.
Flandre gasped at this distressing violation of her soul. She dropped her bag that she had up until now had been clutching tightly within her hand and launched herself into the air before her true self was ripped from her very being. Her wings glowed with energy as they propelled their master away from harm. The white shimmering butterflies and spirits fluttered around Yuyuko's head as she followed the vampire's assent with something approaching awe.
"Ah, so pretty," she moaned as she spun around gracefully like a dancer and crafted all the ghostly energy around her into a massive pair of ethereal scissors which were almost as large as the shelves themselves.
They hummed faintly with the souls trapped within. Flandre spun around and saw as Yuyuko snapped the pale double blades shut and made sure that she wasn't within it's deathly path. The air around the blades was the same cold, almost depressing sensation as the butterflies and Flandre put as much distance between it and her as possible.
Yuyuko was laughing manically as she swung and snapped at Flandre. The twin blades clashed together but the vampire was just one step ahead and was steadily closing the distance between them as she ducked and weaved herself into a better position.
Yuyuko wielded the giant scissors with ease which told Flandre that they must have very little weight or substance. This was backed up by the fact that it was able to pass through objects like a spirit which was exactly what it was made up of.
"Stop moving," Yuyuko giggled as the large shimmering scissors devoured the space that Flandre had been occupying just a moment before in a lighting snap. Tired of being on the defensive Flandre snarled and fired back a series of rapid fire bolts of red, burning fire in the shape of a lance that hurtled towards her foe in the blink of an eye. Yuyuko cheerfully smiled as spirits formed instantly and moved themselves in the line of fire to shield their master.
The scarlet lances obliterated the drifting spirits and blossomed into impressive looking explosions of fiery light that hung in the air. Yuyuko looked bewildered as her vision was almost entirely engulfed.
She blindly swung the scissors in the most obvious path of attack but Flandre, who's own senses were as sharp as ever and completely unhindered, avoided the aimless blades and knocked the scissors out of Yuyuko's hands with a concussive burst of air pressure as she contained a miniature detonation within her palms.
Yuyuko stumbled backwards awkwardly and clutched her hands tightly together as the stinging sensation made her wince with pain.
"What an unfamiliar sensation," she moaned.
Flandre emerged out of the burning cloud like a vengeful phoenix. Within her hands was a raging orange and yellow sun that was alive with it's own solar flares and burning corona. The fanning flames illuminated Flandre's excited expression of joy at the thrill of battle. Nothing was more intoxicating to her than cutting loose against both a strong opponent and one that she didn't have to hold herself back against.
"Take this!" she screamed and thrust the flaming sphere right at her opponent. The intense shining light reflected the vivid colours in Flandre's wings and painted an expressive picture of dazzling beauty for Yuyuko who enjoyed the pleasing sight as she simply went limp and let herself fall backwards.
Flandre thought she was crazy as she saw the smiling Yuyuko leave herself open like that. The sheering heat of the fireball passed harmlessly over Yuyuko however all Flandre had to do was readjust her hands downwards to immolate the princess into ashes.
However Yuyuko had fallen onto a relaxing cushion comprised of floating spirits and still retained full use of her body. She looked up at Flandre calmly despite the imminent prospect of death looming on the horizon.
"You're so passionate, vampire," she said as a storm of white butterflies flew up from Yuyuko's outstretched hands. From Flandre's close perspective, it looked like a white firecracker going off right next to her face. Many of the butterflies flung themselves suicidally into Flandre's sun which caused it to bulge and become dangerously unstable. It rumbled and began to rock wildly in Flandre's hand as it swelled to almost double it's size.
Dammit, this is bad!
Flandre abandoned the failing star as both combatants flew backwards as the brightness lit up the store to a blinding yellow glow. Flandre yelped as the surface of her skin heated up to uncomfortable levels and her blonde hair was blown around fiercely right in her face.
She closed her eyes just in time to avoid serious retinal damage as the sun went supernova and exploded into a shining rainbow storm that knocked her back even further with it's powerful shock wave.
The smoke produced a thick cloud full of sparkling particles of solar energy that turned the space into a mesmerizing celestial cluster. Flandre coughed and angrily swiped a hand that caused a billowing wind that cleared the dust around her. She could identify Yuyuko's location from her accompanying pale spirits that acted almost like a lighthouse on a stormy night.
"Wow, that was an explosive trick," said Yuyuko who made no attempt to keep herself hidden within the shroud. "Why are you so energetic I wonder?"
She giggled and weaved her hands in a precise series of movements. Some of her fingers actually became transparent or disappeared entirely. Yuyuko kept her eyes on Flandre as she worked and looked forward eagerly to her reaction. The form she was creating rapidly began to take shape until the swirling energies formed themselves into a spectral apparition. Flandre didn't bat an eyelid as she recognized the black clothing and sinister features.
Claudette.
"Well?" Yuyuko asked with a sinister smile of her own. "It's your screaming friend from the tunnel. This is why you hate me so, is it not?"
Yuyuko walked up to Claudette or at least her spiritual form and gave the former thief a sympathetic look. She tutted and looked back at Flandre. "Isn't it a shame that you couldn't save her?"
Flandre frowned. Claudette stared at her blankly as her form shifted in the dust cloud. "She wasn't my friend, fool. And I don't hate you. I'm happy that my annoyances are taking such good care of each other."
She could still hear the distant sounds of battle coming from a few shelves over and desperately wanted to end this duel and check on her companions. The crackling of ice impacting against something made the hairs on the back of her neck stand to attention as well as the swooshing sounds that she couldn't quite place.
Cirno should be alright, that little troublemaker is tougher than she appears and Letty is with her, for whatever that is worth.
"Tch!" Yuyuko spat and dispelled the mockery with a bad tempered wave of the hand. "How rude of you! We'll see who's the fool here."
The space around her began to glow with sparkling lights. Yuyuko's blue robes billowed as invisible forces caressed her resolute form. Several more ethereal beings began to take shape, their shimmering white outlines popping up from beneath the wooden flooring. Flandre fell into a offensive stance since she had no intention of patiently waiting for Yuyuko to prepare whatever misdeeds she had in mind.
She snarled as her hands spat powerful spears of concentrated death at her opponent. The swarm of white butterflies that was swarming around Yuyuko intercepted every single shot by placing themselves in the path of fire.
They each exploded in a bright bang of otherworldly light. Summoning circles were appearing on the ground now. Their glowing intricate scriptures reached into the afterlife to pull wayward souls to serve the princess of the dead's will.
Flandre felt that now familiar unsettling sensation of having your soul ripped from your body and instantly launched herself into the air once again as pale flapping butterflies phased through the wooden floorboards.
"That trick will not work again, Yuyuko," Flandre called as the rapidly building tension caused her excitement to build up and up. A smile formed on her lips as she was determined not to let Yuyuko to have all the fun.
She fired a series of rapid shots again, her hands glowing red with barely restrained power. Usually she would hold herself back due to the strict treatment by Remilia however when she lost control of herself like this, her strength fluctuated wildly.
The bolts of supreme energy were once again intercepted by the butterflies with loud clashes of opposing forces however this time a few of them simply impaled the spiritual insects and continued on their dangerous path.
Yuyuko wasn't concerned as an invisible shield of pink luminescence pulsed brightly as the first lance slammed into it. The ground shook with the impact and several items rained down from the high reaches of the shelves.
Yuyuko's confident smile evaporated when the next bolt shattered the shield with an ear splitting crack of lightening. A series of gleaming fissures crisscrossed across it's surface before it shattered completely and blinked out of existence.
The bolt would have pieces her heart but instead it was deflected into her shoulder instead. A saving grace from her destroyed shield. Yuyuko yelped as she was thrown back into the shelve like a danmaku projectile. A shower of broken wood and falling books followed.
Flandre allowed herself a mean spirited chuckle as she floated high in the air.
"How did you like that?" she mumbled.
She wasn't sure how much damaged she'd done but took no small amount of satisfaction in the fact that it must have hurt a lot. With alarm, Flandre returned her attention to Yuyuko's parting gift. The summoning circles had finished their immoral work and had brought many more spirits into the world in the same manner as Claudette. Most of them were humans with distant, sorrowful expressions but all of them had their eyes trained on Flandre.
The nearest one, a bald human man in a state of undress dived at Flandre from above. His hands were empty but the vampire was far too wary to let his pale, cold fingers touch her beautiful skin. She avoided him with ease and heard his disappointed wails as he went past her. More spirits launched themselves at Flandre. They were all around her and all of them had the same sorrowful cry as the first.
She avoided the clawing hands of a long dead tengu Youkai and smacked away a disheveled looking human nun with a flaming swipe of her hand. A knight in rusting armour brought down his blade to Flandre's back but she yawned and effortlessly pushed herself to the side with a mere thought. Spirits they may be but that didn't make them especially powerful when faced with a long lived vampire.
This is boring.
Flandre was about to leave when she heard the laughing voice of Yuyuko echoing around the walls and shelves. She spun around just in time to see her persistent enemy rise from the ashes of the ruined pile her spectacular impact had created. Books, scrolls and various objects all burned with a pale flame as Yuyuko steadily glided into the air. All the while Flandre was assaulted by the legions of the afterlife.
"Ah," Yuyuko moaned as she rubbed at her sore shoulder. The blue fabric had been scorched away and the flesh beneath was inflamed an angry looking shade of red.
Far from angry, her face was beaming with obsession. "Such unrestrained power," she yelled at Flandre with relish. "I'm glad I took on this boring assignment because I was able to meet you. I thank you for a wonderful time but I cannot allow you to live after such disrespect. I'll look forward to meeting you in the afterlife, vampire!"
With her declaration finished, Yuyuko lifted her hands above her head and began to chant dark, forceful words who's every syllable dripped with vengeful intent. A whirling black and white vortex ripped itself into reality, it's coming accompanied by a hundred wails of distress as the spirits reacted to it's presence.
The shop began to vibrate as the storm of souls doubled in size in an instant. Yuyuko was laughing manically as she looked up at her destructive creation. It now resembled a giant, swirling windstorm of crackling energy.
"Oh my!" she shouted to be heard over the screaming currents of the storm. Her flowery hat was sucked into the void which exposed her pink, flowing hair and showed off her eyes more clearly. They sparkled with a form of controlled inanity.
"I hope I'm not overdoing things! This shouldn't cause too much damage to the shop but it will certainly rip your soul from that scrawny little body of yours!"
The temperature in the room immediately flatlined as all the warmth in the air was almost instantly devoured by the ravenous tempest. Many of the spirits were dragged into the event horizon but those closest to Flandre still attacked her with whatever they had to hand.
It made everything insanely more difficult to manage as her wings fought for purchase. They glowed brighter than a star as Flandre strained to keep herself rooted among the raging currents. It felt like fighting yourself upstream with one hand tied behind your back.
Countless objects were sucked from the shelves which provided even more obstacles for Flandre to evade. It felt like evading danmaku, only more messy and chaotic. All the while Yuyuko was laughing as if she was totally oblivious to the giant, crackling storm just above her head. Something nagged at the back of the vampire's mind but it was difficult to focus when she was evading wailing ghosts and flying vases.
Oh that's right! My bag!
Flandre ducked and flew downwards to escape the worst packs of spirits and frantically scanned the cluttered air. There was so many things flying through the air that picking out a single, small object was a seemingly impossible task. With no other option, Flandre yelled out a blood chilling cry of pure frustration and flung herself directly at Yuyuko.
The sooner I end this, the more chance I have.
"Oh," laughed Yuyuko as she chuckled at the vampire's choice of action. "Are you suicidal? Very well then, if you think you can weather the storm then go right ahead!"
Her taunt sounded strange and distorted this close to the epicenter. Flandre noticed that Yuyuko's hands were shaking slightly as she struggled to control the immense forces at work. The wind was billowing in Flandre's face and it only grew stronger the closer she approached. Not only that but she was growing weaker by the second. Yuyuko hadn't been lying when she had said that this death spiral would rip the soul from her near immortal body.
Those chilly, invisible tendrils wrapped themselves around her heart and started pulling. Flandre yelled as she fought her own inner battle that mirrored the struggles she was facing in the material realm. She arched her speeding assent slightly lower to avoid a falling clarinet and then higher to escape the clutching fingers of a moaning spirit who was spinning out of control. It took every ounce of power and concentration she possessed to keep herself steady while maintaining a mental shield to hang onto her spiritual being.
Yuyuko finally started to show some concern as it became apparent that the hurtling vampire was actually defeating the almost irresistible forces that she was throwing at her. This close, Flandre's yelling voice was loud enough to drown out the wailing, rampaging winds. It was all Yuyuko heard and she panicked by dropping her hands involuntarily to defend herself, even if it meant losing control of the maddening forces she herself had unleashed.
"Too late!" Flandre yelled as she slammed into the princess with all the strength she could muster. She was like a speeding comet with a multicoloured after image trailing behind her. All that momentum, all that force was concentrated in one almighty strike that hit Yuyuko squarely in the stomach.
She screamed in torment as her body was cruelly compressed by the concussive energy. Her eyes winced with the pain but in those final, fleeting moments she gazed into Flandre's eyes and admired the beautiful way that she had met her defeat.
"You truly are beautiful," Yuyuko forced out through gritted teeth before she was launched into her own black and white, swirling creation. As she hit the center, she was instantly swallowed up by the hungry black hole. A flock of barely visible white butterflies exploded from the raging eye of the storm and flew out in all directions before they too were sucked into oblivion.
With their strings cut, the remaining spirits blinked out of existence one by one. The soul sucking storm cannibalized itself without a master to guide it and it's immense pull weakened enough for Flandre to pull free of the powerful currents before she too shared Yuyuko's fate.
The ending of the battle was sounded by hundreds of falling objects as they crashed to the ground now that things had normalized. Suits of armour, pots and pans, large furniture and stuffed toys all were dragged back to earth as gravity reasserted itself. Flandre let out a large breath and slowly floated downwards herself. Her skin tingled all over and her ears had been painfully popped by the large implosion. She felt drained and immensely tired but she couldn't allow herself to fall asleep just yet.
I have to reach the others. I have to make sure Cirno is alright!
With that single thought driving her onward, she started to move towards the nearest intersection. She started running at a brisk place to avoid burning the necessary energy to fly. Looking for her cloudy bag would have to wait for now. She looked up warily at the shelves that loomed up either side of her and wondered if they would remain upright after taking such a battering.
No time to worry, I need to reach the others!
Worryingly however, the sounds of winter that she had heard earlier had completely stopped by now. Whether that was because the battle had moved on to another area or some other reason, Flandre couldn't say. What she could feel however, now that the black and white vortex had subsided, was that another noticeable presence was nearby. One that hadn't been in the shop a moment before.