Abandoned orders
"Retreat! Retreat! You stupid idiot retreat!" Marisa is shouting into the radio. "Don't fight Cirno on your own!"
Despite her desperate pleas she knows there isn't going to be a response. At her core Meiling wasn't particularly a battle-maniac, so this level of stupidity couldn't be blamed on only that. No, this is simply revenge. Meiling might have played mild-mannered while this campaign was being established, but within her was a hidden lust to strike back at the foe who took her friends, and likewise join them in the eternal realm of sleep. Her timing in saving Keine and Eirin was too perfect. The Chinese martial arts youkai had been waiting for the opportunity to take on Cirno by herself. In all likelihood she's destroyed her radio transmitter.
Backing away from the microphone, Marisa turns to the wolf youkai Momiji, whose keen sight can perfectly depict the battle despite the distance, "How does she look?"
Not turning away, "I want to say she's doing good, but Cirno is matching Meiling's pace. You wouldn't think it, but it looks like the big blue girl has been trained in melee combat as well. Right now she's on the defensive, but Meiling isn't picking up any ground at all."
Sighing in spite of herself, "Why am I not surprised. Cirno's lived for eons, apparently. I guess mastering martial arts was just a way to pass the time for her."
"I wouldn't call that 'martial arts,'" Momiji mysteriously says. "It's more like: brute force too strong for punches and kicks to effect."
Marisa didn't quite understand.
"It's kind of hard to say. It's almost like Cirno's wearing a full set of heavy armor. I've trained with my tinbe-rochin," Marisa glances at the sword and shield, "so I'm familiar with fighting armored opponents. Cirno's sluggish movements are exactly like them. Even now she's fighting like that. Her blocks are quick but her counters are slow. But even if she's on the defensive it doesn't look like she's backed into a corner."
"Cirno used a sword and shield before," Tewi jumped in on the conversation, "so does that mean she was fighting like you?"
"No," and now Patchouli adds her input, "that looked more like a tower shield, something used to protect a person's entire frame. If I were to say, she fights like a medieval knight; first and foremost protecting herself with heavy armor and then overpowering her opponent with a large strike. That sword she was using looked more suited being held with two hands instead of one."
"Heavy shield, two-handed sword, then where's her armor?"
"Maybe she's already wearing it," Marisa theorizes. "Cirno's body is made of ice, so if we consider how freakishly tall she's become, isn't it safe to assume that her body simply has that much ice? Outer layers of the stuff would be redundant, wouldn't it? Or maybe we could say that because she's in her armor her body's bigger."
"So she'll get bigger or smaller depending on how much of an emphasis she's putting on defense?"
"That's my guess."
Trying to refute, Patchouli questions, "Then why doesn't she get smaller while fighting Meiling? Wouldn't that be to her advantage?"
"Well, you may be right, but if you think about it the most obvious explanation is very simple: she doesn't need to. Look at the way she's been fighting. When outnumbered three-to-one she utilizes magic turrets so she's no longer alone. For Youmu she produces a sword and shield. For the teacher and doctor she neutralizes their magic and turns it into her own weapon. And now for Meiling she fights barehanded."
"She taking different strategies for each opponent she faces."
"You could say that, but you could also say she's matching the pace of her opponent. Like a game."
If that's true, all know the implication it means. Cirno is horribly strong, much more so than what she's previously displayed. It's like Cirno's playing a child in a game she's already mastered. She's using the absolute minimal amount of effort just so that the child can think she's actually doing good. The moment Cirno decides to take this seriously this can end in a flash.
"Then what do we do?" Tewi asks what everyone is thinking.
"We can't test the waters anymore," Marisa announces. "Screw our previous plan. We have to hit her with everything we have!"
Tewi looks around. What they have has become pathetically small. Reisen, Kanako, and Youmu are incapacitated and their return isn't possible. Eirin and Keine need time to recover. Alice and Suwako seem to be recovered, but the later is still with her companion god inside the mansion. Then there's Tewi, Momiji, and Koakuma, but those three aren't particularly strong and probably won't add much to the assault. Letty, Lily, and Nitori have abilities that coincide or are diminished by Cirno's own, and are in fact terrible match-ups to go against a user of ice. Of those that are at full potential there are only Patchouli and Marisa.
"I'm not sure that would do a whole lot of good."
Marisa sighs and pats the rabbit on the back, "All these prior matches have been so that we can gauge the abilities and weaknesses or our opponent, ze. Now that we have a better understanding it'll be harder for us to be taken by surprise. Besides, Patchouli and I are last at bat for a reason."
Taking a long look at the two, Tewi cynically says, "You're not just going to hit Cirno with a bunch of fire and sun magic, are you?"
Marisa's shoulders twitch upon hearing the obvious spoiler, "What? No! We're not just going to use fire and sun magic! We have, uh, other things too! Right, ze?"
With a dull expression on her face, Patchouli shakes her head and sighs, "Is that the furthest you've thought ahead?"
"Of course not! We also have these!"
Pulling from her pocket, Marisa shows everybody a small brown pouch who's contents couldn't be known.
"What?" except by Patchouli. "When did you get those?"
Seeing as how the fellow magician immediately saw it as familiar, it was safe to assume that it was her's, stolen by the notorious thief and friend. That's what everybody's thinking.
"Wouldn't you say we need these things at a time like this? If we don't use them now when would we?"
Patchouli's in such a state of shock. One would imagine she'd just witnessed someone burn her favorite book. In all likelihood that may be what's happening. The pajama-wearing magician clearly doesn't want to use what's in the pouch, but neither does she protest. Clearly is this invaluable treasure worth the sacrifice it hopes to gain, but that still doesn't make parting any easier for the owner. In the end her head slumps down low and she turns away without saying a word.
"That settles that," Marisa tosses the pouch into the air before catching it and returning it to her pocket. "Now, the only thing that remains is timing. I don't think Meiling will be fond of us butting in, so lets let her have her fun for awhile, ze. Doggie," Momiji humphs, "how much longer do you think she can hold out?"
"She's doing surprisingly well. Much better than Youmu. I think Cirno isn't as accustomed to fighting barehanded as she is with weapons. If Cirno is going to play us at our own game, I think that Chinese youkai is a better match than the ghost."
"Excellent. The longer she can drag it out the better. We just need to get the timing right so she doesn't get herself killed."
Restrained no longer
Cirno blocks a high kick to the head, and tries to counter with a backhand. Ducking beneath Meiling aims for a swift series of short jabs to her abdomen, but the ancient's swift footwork easily draws her out of distance. With the two separated there is a brief pause, but neither utilize the time to take a breath. Both charge at each other again.
Starting this encounter with an axe kick, Meiling uses a daring first move. Because of the long skirt of her dress, Cirno almost looks like she's floating, but underneath the garb her feet are moving very precisely. Her rear and front foot are pointed in opposite directions, which make pivoting and high-speed-turns possible. The old and experienced woman easily twirls around the martial artist's kick and ends her maneuver right next to Meiling's side. Cirno reaches for her opponent's shirt collar, but Meiling knocks that hand with a bent wrist. Putting all her weight to that side and strengthening her reverse leg, she drives forward with her shoulder. By reflex Cirno steps back, but she can't completely avoid the charge. Executing the first move that has actually hit the ancient world slayer, Meiling performs a textbook shoulder charge.
Force form the impact slightly lifts Cirno's body off the ground, but for the most part she's only pushed back. Skidding on the icy surface the very tall woman manages to keep her balance, gradually coming to a stop as her momentum expires. There's a wide grin on her face, and for the most part she seems completely fine. If there was any actual damage to be taken, it wasn't easily seen.
"My my," she says, "I haven't experienced moves like yours before."
"My arts are 4000 years old. Maybe you should have gotten out more often."
Cirno gives a slight chuckle, "I guess I may have overlooked some things. 4000 years ago the most interesting things were happening involving the people of the Maya, so please excuse me if I missed something that happened on the other side of the world. Still, it's been a very long time since I've had this much fun fighting someone."
They might have been exchanging words in a friendly manner, but both kept up their guards and eyes locked. It was only because of the distance separating them that they even dared to speak a word. Even now they continue to speak, but that can immediately change with a single step.
"I must say, Hong Meiling, you were a very interesting individual."
Meiling heard about this, but while she had the opportunity to speak she might as well ask, "How do you know me?"
"Oh, I observed everything 'Little Cirno' did. It was kind of hard not to, I must say. Everything to her was new and interesting, so that in and of itself was worthy of my attention. Though as she was the vessel of my resurrection I can't really say I was given any other choice."
"And how was I interesting?"
"I lots of ways, I must say. The fact that you use 'Martial Arts' is very fascinating. Imagine, a greater-being using a human art."
"Greater being?"
"I use the term broadly, kind of like how many in this place use the word 'youkai' to describe many of the races of demons, spirits, and monsters. I guess it would be difficult to try and remember everybody's exact species, especially in such a place as Gensokyo."
"So you think you know just about everything."
"I know a lot, or maybe I should say I know the most. It's impossible to know everything, so I guess being the most informed creature at the moment would have to suffice."
"You didn't know about my fighting style."
"No, but I know about you."
Upon hearing this her guard slightly falters, "How could you possibly know about me?"
Cirno completely lowers her guard, inviting attack, but Meiling doesn't pounce, "Well, for starters, you must have fought the Ice Fairy more than anyone else, so wouldn't it be obvious that I know more about you than anyone else? Also, even though you deny your nature, you still haven't abandoned your racial traits."
Meiling says nothing.
"I don't know what's more curious; why you hide it or why nobody else has figured it out? Think about it, most of your time you spend guarding your home, you often fall asleep, and whenever somebody wakes you up you bite. You're extremely possessive, even if you don't show it, and you value your 'treasures' more than anything else. Normally your kind is attracted to silver and gold, anything of great value that shines, but in your case it's people. You gather them together and horde them inside your dwelling. Tell me, is it Remilia who possesses you, or you who possesses Remilia?"
A mountain of snow erupts behind Meiling, and her image is lost in a blur. An instantly later she's before Cirno, throwing an impossibly heavy punch. Yet Cirno catches it with no greater effort than as if someone passed her a ball. The youkai is pushing forward with all her might, but Cirno's arm barely budges.
"Don't you dare say her name!"
"Some of your true nature finally shows. Let me tell you a secret, the Ice Fairy really admired you. I think that it was because on a subconscious level, she knew that both of you were the same. Both you and her were creatures of great power barely scratching the surface of your potential."
"What do you know?" Meiling yells.
The strength emitted finally manages to push back Cirno, but before she goes too far the ancient digs her feet into the ground and firms herself still.
"I already told you, 'I know the most.' I know how you practice martial arts not to make yourself stronger, but so that you can control yourself. As you well know, it's your rage that makes you powerful, but without control that destruction becomes indiscriminate. I must say that you had admirable goals, but you stopped half way. You haven't mastered your rage, you've only confined it."
"Shut up!"
More power surges through her arms, and she manages to push so hard Cirno is lifted off her feet. Realizing she's lost that match, the ancient pushes herself away and into the air, flipping at least once before landing back on the ground some distance away. While it might be the perfect time, Meiling does not pursue. Instead she takes a deep breath to calm herself.
"There we go," Cirno continues to speak, "that was a brief spark of what you're capable. If you could just find the proper balance you might be able to take me on equal footing."
Finishing her breathing technique, Meiling rediscovers her center. She takes her fighting stance once again and charges. Her moves are quicker than before. With each step she propels herself faster. Rainbow-colored shards of energy splash out of her where her feet come in contact with the snow. With this force propelling her movements the kick she's performing soars through the sky as if propelled by a rocket. Unfortunately it's met with Cirno's unenthusiastic block, the force of the blow traveling onward and creating a soft explosion of snow behind her.
"This I've seen," Cirno's tone is dull.
Grabbing the youkai's leg Cirno throws her like she were a doll, exerting no great effort from herself. Meiling is hurled to the rear with tremendous force. Traveling well beyond the confines of Misty Lake, the martial artist is lost into the nearby forest where she crashes into and through a couple of trees. Otherwise lost from sight, a few of those trees can be seen bending in unnatural positions and even being uprooted. After the crash of one of them falling to the ground there is nothing but silence.
After waiting a few seconds, "It should be enough to rely on your natural abilities! Without utilizing the talents you were born with, strengthening your body with prana is meaningless!"
Some bright force is born within the forest, casting dark shadows from the outlining trees. Any normal person would have difficulty looking directly at such a thing, but Cirno does so with regard to how it might damage her retinas. In an illusion similar to a rainbow, all the colors of the spectrum can be seen being pulled inside the light. After a few seconds it's fired, effortlessly trampling the trees in it's path, causing them to explode in a hail of timber. Cirno merely watches it approach.
"This could be a problem," she mumbles to herself.
Stomping on the ground no greater than if she were trying to garner somebody's attention, columns of ice suddenly sprout from the ground, dozens of them to try and hinder the oncoming boulder of energy. These shields shatter effortlessly in the face of this spell, but the sheer number of them prove to be a hindrance. With each one that is shattered, the miniature star loses some of it's brilliance. Ultimately it doesn't prove enough to break Cirno's final pillar.
Suddenly the final pillar is shatter as the ball of energy dies. Meiling is leading forward with her shoulder, crashing though the barrier and taking a bit of damage herself. Much of her clothes get torn and some of the shards cut into her skin and draw a little blood, but for the most part it's negligible. Even Cirno is surprised by this.
Right before Meiling would have hit again with her shoulder, she shifts her body and strikes with her palm, landing directly on Cirno's midsection. Not only is she hit, but something is placed inside her. Suddenly her stomach starts to glow, and that same rainbow light from before is now starting to gather at the point of contact. That same star from before is now being born in her stomach.
It explodes with a furious intensity. Meiling, who slid to a halt behind the ancient one, doesn't even turn as her destruction is wrought behind her. The blast is great and her long red hair is blown over her head. It doesn't last very long and the environment quickly returns to how it once was, though the eruption echoes in the distance.
Even Cirno couldn't have suffered that unscathed. Meiling turns and-
By the back of her head a hand grasps her and throws her to the ground. The snow can only do so much and her body sinks until it hits the hard ice below. Before she can realize what's what, Meiling only briefly sees the ancient in blue. A tightened fist crushes into her ribcage, just above her solar plexus, expelling all the air in her lungs and immediately making her gasp for air. The ice underneath her cracks from the mighty blow, and those fissures spread throughout the frozen surface of Misty Lake. A deep rumble is heard as this happens.
Somehow still conscious, Meiling chokes as she desperately struggles for air. Cirno grabs her by the neck and lifts her in the air. Meiling is fairly tall for a woman, but ever her tiptoes can't reach the ground when they're at eye level. Even if she was well enough moments ago, after taking that punch all the strength has drained from her body. The pain is intolerable and her chest feels so heavy it's like it'll crush her organs. None of her will move the way she wants to, the way she knows she must if she wants to survive this encounter. Darkness creeps in the corners of her vision, and that light-headiness doesn't feel as if it will merely claim her consciousness, but her life. Everything's gone so cold and what's immediately in front of her feels so far away. Meiling wanted to at least make an offering to the lives of Remilia and Flandre, taking at least a chuck of the ancient with her, but after receiving only one punch she abandons the idea, sincerely apologizing to the ones she will shortly meet.
"You want to hear what I did with them?" Cirno whispers into her ear. To Meiling the voice sounds faint and slightly muddled, but she recognizes the words nonetheless. "First I blew a hole in Remilia's chest," something bursts from within, filling Meiling with a burning sensation. "But that didn't seem to be enough, so I ripped out her heart." This isn't an account of what actually happened. "Then I turned to Flandre," something thunders in her body, "that strength of her's was annoying, so I ripped off her arms." The furthermost extremities twitch as if reanimated with life. "That cackle she had was disgusting, so I took off her head." Her lungs fill with flames. "Even than she didn't seem dead, so I crushed her skull in my hands." A growl is produced from deep within her.
Springing to life, that once pale, once dead hand grabs Cirno by the arm. A grin creeps across the ancient's lips. A dull "crack" can be heard, and soon it can be seen growing from underneath Meiling's grip. Satisfied with the outcome, Cirno releases her hold on Meiling's neck and throws her a few meters back. With a power that wasn't before there, the martial artist lands on her feet but bent over. It's like she's staring at the ground.
"This is what you're capable of."
Rapidly the youkai breathes as if she's some kind of beast. At first it struggles as if in desperation, but given time her breathing turns aggressive. Pulling strength from some unknown, hidden place, color returns to her skin and steam rises from the generated heat. Something about her is changing. While mostly she remains the same, there's something animalistic, sinister taking hold. Her fingers no longer look like finger, but claws. Her skin appears more rubbery, like scales. That long, flowing red hair is now like a mane. Her spine seems to get larger and can be seen through her clothes. But most obviously, her muscles are expanding.
Meiling roars. The soft outer layer of snow burst into the air, trees shake, and mountains avalanche in snow. Nearby, everybody at the Scarlet Devil Mansion cover their ears. Amidst this, Cirno watches and smiles, brows challenging as if she wants what's happening to Hong Meiling.
A backhand catches Cirno just below the jaw, a blow so powerful she's rocketing dozens of meters in the air. Underneath the attacker crouches down low then leaps into the air. Her image is lost in an instant, the ground cracking and breaking as she leaves. Before anyone can count she's above the already ascending Cirno. A sidewise kick launches the ancient into the distance, to the far shores of Misty Lake. After landing the hit, Meiling takes a moment to align herself, then jets into pursuit.
Cirno is laughing through a pained expression, surely not expecting that outburst yet not unsatisfied. Craning up her neck she sees the monster heading her way. Undoubtedly it was Meiling, but everything about her as undergone a transformation. Only slight physical alterations were observed, but it was everything else that's different. She's no longer the good-natured, mild-mannered, laid-back guardian, but a rampaging beast thirsty for blood. All restraints of self-control were shattered once Ancient Cirno started speaking graphically of an alteration of the Scarlet Sister's demise. None of her old friends might be able to recognize her now.
Allowing herself to fall to the ground, Cirno does a back flip and lands on her feet. Digging her hands into the snow, she drags herself to a stop. Only a moment later does Meiling arrive. Moving with utmost haste Cirno snaps her arms into the air and halt the rampaging youkai. Their hands are locked in one another. In this position it has become a clear struggle of power.
Rising from her knee, Cirno manages to push that bestial force and take a stand. The two are now locked eye-to-eye.
Those jewel-like teal eyes of Meiling have turned red. In her stare they no longer reflect intelligence, only primal instincts motivated by rage. Cirno's previous goading was to push the youkai to the level she knew possible. Hong Meiling was a good-natured personality that denied her ill-natured instinct. Now here lies a beast betraying all past relationships.
Meiling pushes with all her might, snarling as she does, but Cirno doesn't budge. Likewise, Cirno doesn't seem worse for wear after the assault she just endured. Faint cracks are noticeable on her arm where she was grabbed, but otherwise she's fine. Underneath Meiling's feet the snow and ice are gradually melting. Also, from where her's and Cirno's hands touch, smoke is calmly rising. This might not be good.
Realizing that trying to overpower the ancient is a futile effort, Meiling opens her mouth wide. From deep within her throat something lightens her mouth a bright orange.
"No you don't," Cirno huffs when she realizes what's going to happen.
Leaping over the mad woman, Cirno lands behind her back and throws Meiling. It's nothing extravagant, but it broke the previous stalemate. The youkai tumbles across the snow, but she picks up to her feet well enough. The ancient expected Meiling to immediately charge right back at her, but instead she stumbles. As if she'd just taken a bite of a very spicy pepper, the youkai coughs with black smoke pouring out of her mouth. Whatever she was going to try just backfired within her.
"I guess that's the best I could expect from her doing this for the first time," Cirno says while she's got a moment a calm.
As if the beast could recognize that she was being insulted, Meiling charges at her adversary in a mad dash. Her speed is no less diminished as she reaching her target in no time flat. A backhand collides with the side of her skull.
Caught by an unexpected blow, the mad beast is hurled to the side. Unprepared, the last blow left her spinning. Trying to reach her feet, she stumbles once then gets it right. After taking a moment to shake out the cobwebs, she charges again.
No different a result awaits her. With impeccable timing Cirno hits her again, at the very moment before she herself would have been struck. Again Meiling makes it to her feet, but this time slower than the last. With herself in her rampage, the martial artist can't make use of her Qi, so the only weapons at her disposal are used at close range. Had she been able to use her previous power along with her new-found strength, this battle would definitely be turning out differently, but after embracing this aspect of herself this first time, of course it couldn't be expected that she'd be able to fully utilize this rage.
At this point it's just a fruitless struggle. Meiling would charge, get hit, struggle to take a stand, and do it all over again. If her strategy was to make Cirno get tired of hitting her, then her face would turn to mush long before that happens. This beast is wounded and beaten, only remaining on it's feet because of stubbornness. Until the last bit of steam runs thought Meiling's engines, she will only push forward.
