The Shrine of Gensokyo: Gensokyo no Jinja
Chapter 37: Sharing One's Faith
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Original Concept: ZUN & Shanghai Alice
Written by: wrathie
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[Woooah!]
Looking up, I moved my helpless body and saw for the first time something that made me feel insignificant.
Brighter than the darkness that had claimed us, more beautiful and dazzling than the fake moon that I had set up and symbolizing so much hope that I could not help but shed tears for it.
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[Reimu…]
It must have been Reimu, who else possess such power and beauty…
Who else can signify hope as much as she can?
There can only be one person in Gensokyo with the power to captivate so many of it's people, humans and youkai alike… the one person who had charmed and touched everyone since her return.
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Hakurei Reimu…
Even I am willing to believe in her, believe in her words and assurances that all will be well if we just only pray.
Praying to the what she calls the Great Hakurei Spirit…
Beliefs, faith… religion… I have never thought of such things as being Immortal means I imagined I had no need for gods or goddesses…
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[It's the Shrine Maiden!]
[She did it! She saved us!]
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But hearing the cries of joy and happiness, as well as the many prayers that was said by the villagers, I was tempted to pray along with them.
Who ever knew faith could inspire such courage, such hope in it's followers?
I did not… and my thoughts were now filled with thoughts of Reimu, oh how silly of me…
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[… ugh…]
Struggling to get up, I clapped my hands together and prayed softly, it would not hurt me… and even if it did, I have experienced far worst.
[Please Reimu… you can do it, I know you can…
I don't know what is praying… but…
I hope you can hear me, please…
Help the children and Mokou… and everyone else…]
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Ending my prayer, I took to the air and waved the hourai branch in front of me, letting loose thousands of colorful shurikens that pierced tiny holes in the new arrival of zombie youkais.
[… please Reimu…]
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And so I continued my struggle against them after what seemed to me a trivial prayer.
Even so, I hoped she had listened to me… I really do hope so…
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[Blow, divine wind!]
Sending star fragments showering down on the rising zombie youkai, I took a breather as they exploded into green and golden fireworks, trademark of my pet favorite spell.
[Looking good there, Sanae-chan!]
Soaring in the air beside me was the tengu, Shameimaru Aya and with a wave of her fan, leveled an army that was trying to free itself from the swamp that the kappa had created with their water manipulation.
Responsible for so many tasks but doing so much in such a short time, Miss Aya was an amazing tengu, no wonder she is known as the fastest in Gensokyo…
Clutching my gohei, which a tiny Suika had just returned to me, I struggled to resist the smaller inner Sanae in my heart telling me how insignificant I actually was…
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The proof was right in front of me, the awe and hope inspiring pillar of holy fire that we all knew that Reimu was using to trap Yukari…
Such power and such strength from a person not in gensokyo for the past ten over years… how can I ever overcome her?
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[… …?]
Looking to the side, I saw Yasaka-sama, a confident and a casual smile on her face as she repeatedly chanted her magical phrases.
I felt the effects of her godly might as well, it courses through my veins and for a moment, made me feel invincible, like I can achieve anything and whatever I wanted to accomplish. The enemies in front of me was nothing to me, they were just insignificant ants in front of Yasaka-sama's awesome strength.
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That was my thought but my inner self stopped an end to that very easily
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Pride comes before a fall, Sanae!
This is not your strength
This is your Goddess's Strengths
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My inner and chibi self, always the critic, always the put-downer, never letting me get complacent.
In the back of my mind, I surmised that no matter how powerful I am, how strong I feel, how confident I express myself, I am still indebted to my goddess…
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Is that a liability to me? Am I forced to accept that fact?
It is the truth, no doubt about it… but am I not… am I not strong to?
What is my own strength? Am I…
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[Sanae…]
Breaking my train of thoughts, Yasaka-sama floated down beside me and pushed me a little. Sitting on a divine pedestal, she smiled before telling me that.
[Go on Sanae, you will be fine on your own… help your friends, Aya will be sufficient to bolster the defenses, is that right, Aya-chi?]
[Leave it to me! Go ahead, Sanae-chan!]
The two of them, floating in front of me in the air urged me on with smiles and confidence and I found myself hesitating.
I needed their encouragement, my heart and mind told me that, but a smaller, no doubt that inner aspect of me has a stubborn streak that made me feel angry that they are comforting me.
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Feeling a sense of uncontrollable anger, I controlled my emotions with much difficulty before nodding and bowing to the two of them.
One, my goddess and the other, the de-facto-leader of the Tengu in Gensokyo, one of the most powerful youkai in Gensokyo.
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And me, a weak wind priestess…
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Gritting my teeth in frustration, I turned away from them and sped off, at least, I hoped to speed off as I suddenly slowed and looked back at the Moriya Shrine.
There was a different feeling, a feeling that I was forgetting something again and I stopped.
[…?]
The two of them, puzzled at my abrupt stop, looked at the direction to where I was looking.
Aya-san had a bemused and confused expression on her face while Yasaka-sama had a surprised but later, an expression I can describe as understanding.
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Stepping on air like it was land, my breathing slowly relaxed and my thoughts were cleared once again. The demons in my mind, my inner self… both of them are corrupting me somehow…
Speaking to me the truth to mislead me… but perhaps, it is not demons after all…
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The one thing that has gone wrong was my thoughts, my thoughts, my beliefs and my reasoning's have all gone astray.
I have not learnt at all…
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Putting a hand on my chest, I offered a small prayer to the Gods of Gensokyo, Yasaka-sama and of course, the Hakurei Spirit to guide me along…
I know they can hear me, a god will hear a prayer if one is dedicated enough…
I need Guidance, as much as I can…
I have been wrong for so long and telling me that I was wrong almost took me to the other side and yet…
And yet…
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[Sanae?]
[Sanae-chan?]
The two overlooking figures, once proud in my eyes are now the only two figures I can lean on right now…
Sobbing, I hugged Yasaka-sama while not even looking away from the Shrine, my home and my most precious place so far.
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And yet, despite Komachi-san's kind advice… and the awakening of my childhood memories, remembering that the one person who has been with me since my childhood…
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The frog goddess, the one rumored to be in the Moriya Shrine, Moriya Suwako-sama…
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She saved me yet again from dropping into the darkness of my own despair..
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Despite all that, I have not learnt…
I am the Moriya Shrine Goddess… I am Kochiya Sanae… I do not owe anyone anything… my strength might come from Yasaka-sama… but to acquire such strength, I must be worthy of such power… right?
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I might not be powerful as Reimu, as inspiring as her or even reach her level in her compassionateness…
But I do not need to do that, do I?
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What I need to do, what I have to do… as Kochiya Sanae…
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[I'm sorry, Yasaka-sama… Aya-san… i… I just… lost control for a moment…]
Looking up, I smiled at Aya-san, still hovering just above me and she shrugged, letting me know that it is okay.
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What I have to do, is to protect Gensokyo, the place that I loved…
[Please Yasaka-sama… guide me along… I do not want to lose myself again…]
[…]
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[Sanae, you have grown…]
[?]
[You can make your own decisions, as long as you know you are right… Let no one ever waver your thoughts, your decisions, Sanae.]
[Yasaka-sama…]
[Remember, you are responsible for your own actions…]
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[Thank you, Yasaka-sama… then, I'm off!]
[Take care, Sanae!]
She waved goodbye and after I bowed to her again, I set off, straight for where I was needed the most, towards the direction of the shining pillar of light where Reimu was, where all my other friends was…
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[Everyone! I've come to help!]
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[…]
By herself in the air, Yasaka Kanako pondered for a moment before she started speaking softly even though there was no one in sight.
She knew instinctively that the person being such Chaos, Yakumo Yukari was strong, indefinitely strong and could rival herself even in her peak.
Her manipulation of boundaries was similar to a godly power and she has almost complete mastery over it. Facing someone like that was unnerving, even for a goddess…
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[…]
She was caught unawares, unable to rally as much forces as she could in the heyday she defeated Moriya with but with the tengu and the separate allies of Gensokyo, her land, this new land of possibilities that she has come to should hold.
Yet, there is the nagging feeling that the Yakumo was not revealing her hand.
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[Hakurei…]
But she was not alone, only she and Moriya could see the other person so plainly obvious looking all over the carnage, invisible to all the rest and ironically, even so to the one who pledge her life to her existence
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[Are you going to just stand there?]
[…]
She turned and smiled at Yasaka Kanako, a smile that made Yasaka Kanako smile as well, an understanding smile that spoke volumes of the wisdom and experience she was in the world.
Ancient goddess never lose their tempers, they just smile and shake their heads at those who dare challenge their beliefs.
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But, they, like Yasaka Kanako herself had admitted, might be a little backwards in their beliefs and thinkings.
Not so, the invisible figure still standing there, she has other ideas… Yasaka Kanako knew that, she wished she knew what those ideas were.
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[Don't worry… everything will be fine.]
[Even if Gensokyo is destroyed?]
[… even if that happens… I will not abandon this place…]
[… you and your ideas… Hakurei…]
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Yasaka Kanako waited for a moment for her to speak. She was her equal in age, perhaps a little younger but she knew what lies behind that calm exterior…
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[I know, she will not fail me… them both…]
[… Likewise for me…]
[… yes, she is a strong girl as well…]
[Thank you…]
[She will see me one day…]
[… yours?]
[Both of ours… they will see me, one day when the time is right.]
[Soon… is that right, Hakurei?]
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[No…]
[?]
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[When the gap between all of us is repaired… yes…]
[…]
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[I trust the children…]
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[?]
[if it is them… Gensokyo, will be saved.]
[… yes… if it is them, you are right…]
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Yasaka Kanako, the Goddess of the youkai mountain just nodded her head.
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[… Is it over?]
The same question that I repeatedly ask myself, I wanted all of this to end, I desperately wanted to… it pains me to cause hurt and suffering… but it pains me more to know that there is no way to avoid this.
This is the only thing I can do, meet violence with violence…
As the ancients would say, the best defense is the best offense… me defending however is not helping Gensokyo…
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The longer I drag the battle, the more chance there of Gensokyo being destroyed…
Even if I knew that… it does not dampen the pain I felt from hurting Yukari and I prayed softly to the great Hakurei Spirit, surely she will forgive me and give penance to me for inflicting hurt on others…
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[Oh spirits, hear my prayer…
Please, tell me that I have not done wrong…
Tell me… what I should do in my time of need…
Please, Spirits… send me a sign…
Lead me away from the paths of darkness and instead towards the path of light…
Please… Spirits?]
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My prayer was interrupted halfway when the spellcard I had been using suddenly cracked and burned away, an ominous sign that something was going terribly wrong and I looked down.
The pillar of holy fire was not weakening, but something wrong was indeed happening at it's core, a dark mass, slowly growing in size and shape was surely the cause.
Noticing too for the first time that Yukari's scream had died away, I hesitated, knowing full well that did not bode well for me…
Has Yukari?
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As if confirming my suspicions and just on cue, a hand suddenly burst out, free from the holy fire.
It was agonizing watching the scene of Yukari's recovery and I found myself slowly dropping altitude, the growing fear and dread in my heart making my legs weak and me overcome with fear.
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[FUFUFUFUFU~~ REIMU~~~~~~~~~~~]
Yukari's voice was heard once again but it was different, it sounded like it was being broadcasted from multitude of speakers and from different directions at different intervals.
The barrage of music from all sides disoriented me and I clutched myself in fear and despair, how could Yukari free herself from one of my final gambits… The Omnidirectional Demon Sealing Circle is not a pushover… …
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[REIMU!]
She screamed again, a mixture of pain, ecstasy and pain as she slowly and surely pulled herself from the Circle of holy fire, one claw at a time.
I was like in a trance, looking half horrified and half mesmerized by how Yukari pulled herself out of the circle, enduring all the pain and suffering she was enduring due to the holy fire… Surely, Yukari had a reason to do all this… if it was for a simple and insignificant reason, anyone would have given into the pain and passed out.
But not Yukari, not Yakumo Yukari and I found myself crying again…
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This time, for Gensokyo and for Yukari…
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I was fighting for Gensokyo…
But.. Yukari was my friend… one of my most beloved friends…
Torn between duties and friendship, I had to choose my duty above all… especially when it means thousands of lives were at stake.
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But, to Yukari… she too was fighting, for something… something that befits such pain as she pulled herself from the circle. What was it?
Not for the first time, I wonder to myself, what was Yukari doing… why was she doing this and most scary of all…
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What if I…
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Agreed with her?
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[Ah!]
Caught unawares, I was saved in the nick of time by none other than my two little companions, they have been mostly forgotten but in another crucial moment, they pushed me away from harm's way as a powerful laser shot from the sky towards me.
The explosion of dust was horrendously huge and it took a moment for me to regain my bearings to see that Yukari floating above me, very much the worst for the wear after such an intense spellcard that she had to endure by herself.
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Sitting in the dirt, I wiped away the dirt on my face and slowly got up to face my endless foe, the relentless and unmovable Yakumo Yukari.
But… I too am unmovable in my faith and my resolution… and I still have my promise with Suika to be upheld… So, for that reason alone, I will not back away, I will not run from my fears or my disbelief…
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[As it is, what I can do…. Is to just go on, is that not right, Yukari?]
[That is correct, right answer, Reimu! You learn quick! But…]
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[It's not over yet… right?]
[Never will… till one of us falls and never gets up… Reimu.]
She looked at me, battered and bruised and I likewise stared back at her, hurting in many parts of my body but still managing a smile on my face.
In many ways, the both of us were friends, foes and rivals…
I learnt so many things from her, I remembered that now… the manipulation of borders and the usage of barriers was learnt from her…
She was like my teacher too in that sense, a very relaxed yet important teacher to me, someone that has always been for me…
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And yet now, the both of us are at different sides… forced together by destiny perhaps, or was it just our souls calling for each other, knowing that only one of us will survive in the stage and there is only room for one of us, at the level of our power in Gensokyo…
Raising to the air to float in front of her, snickering and giggling to herself, I prayed again.
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Was it true that Gensokyo needs only one Hakurei Reimu or only one Yakumo Yukari?
Oh gods… please tell me it is not true.
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[Because, Reimu… the end is nigh…]
Raising a hand, Yukari chanted some weird sigils to herself before she opened her eyes again, revealing that her crimson red eyes were now glowing even more.
[… No…]
Despair, so much overloading me that I would have become accustomed to it by now struck as behind her, a slit appeared in space itself; leaking purple vapor like what ink would do on a white sheet. The purple vapor did not take shape as it slowly covered everything around Yukari and started growing faster with every second.
Even before Yukari could announce her spell, various eyes started opening from the vapor, eyes that I and almost everyone in Gensokyo have seen before, those of a mad man…
The eyes, bloodshot and with red pupils surveyed the area around them before all glaring at me in unison.
[Ah… No…]
Shaking my head, I reorganized my thoughts and with my two companions, now holding my sleeves in worry, I held up a spellcard, one of my last and declared it the same time as Yukari did.
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[YUKARI'S ARCANUM!]
[DUPLEX BARRIER!]
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A shimmering barrier appeared around the both of us, visible perhaps only to the two of us as well and I waited patiently for her spell to stop.
There is nothing more I can do till Yukari ended her spell, my inner intuition told me that. This is, her final gamble…
If the greatest defense is the greatest offense, then please, protect Gensokyo… even if I have to confine myself and her in this tiny border.
Like a small aquarium, I hope to hold the power of Yukari back with the flimsy glass.
Powerful magic held back with the tiniest of borders but I know for sure, and I hope and pray that I was right… that Yukari could not escape from here…
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If Gensokyo… if Gensokyo could not hold Reimu and Yukari together…
Perhaps, perhaps gensokyo should not have a Reimu or Yukari at all…
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Beings of great strength will attract others… and will cause disasters…
[… thank you, both of you…]
Sensing my unease, my two companions snuggled up inside me and hugged me, their tiny bodies cold and shivering but somehow still giving me warmth all the same, funny how that works, the matters of the heart that is…
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[Yukari… I will dance to the end with you… so, Yukari… please…]
Lowering my head, I stepped closer to her in the barrier, Yukari lost in her madness while I was lost in another altogether different emotion altogether.
How I wish I had told her this earlier…
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[don't cry Yukari… don't cry anymore…]
The tears that were slowly dropping from her eyes were not as much but they mean as much to me as they did to her, Yukari and I, shedding tears for one another and for Gensokyo…
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Despite all the danger, I was calm and collected… I knew Yukari would never touch me… I just knew…
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[Yukari…]
The Yakumo Yukari I knew… perhaps is no more… but that does not mean she did not exist…
Oh gods, give her strength… Give her the strength to live through this test….
And let Gensokyo too… survive her greatest test…
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Settling down, I sat right behind her and started praying and chanting softly to myself, meditating and trying to channel the will of the Great Hakurei Spirit…
There was nothing more I can do… except pray… Yukari… Yukari she…
[no… Yukari…don't go…]
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[what are you doing here?]
Wriggle Nightbug, the queen of insects looked down at a cowering boy who she had just saved from the jaws of death.
With a nod from her, the giant centipede that she was riding picked up the boy with it's tail and slide him over to her, where she pat his little head once.
A weird scene in a place that condemn youkai, a youkai was comforting a little boy, who no doubt when he grows up will detest youkai.
Yet, the Insect Youkai found the boy interesting, something in him made her hunger for him….
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Pausing, she straightened her back before kicking him in the back.
[Hey, you're a man, stop being a wuss and get up!]
[…]
The boy, clutching a wooden toy sword in front of him shook his head while still shedding tears. He was not crying because he was afraid, he was crying for his lack of strength.
Gripping his toy, he slashed at Wriggle, who was struck by him and shook her head.
[…]
Opening her mouth wide, the Queen showed him the teeth of a youkai and after ripping a chunk of his shirt off, left him to cry again.
He was weak but he still got up again and rushed at Wriggle, crying out his anger.
[Don't Mock me!]
[Heh, you're just a kid.]
Dodging the attempt to get at her, Wriggle congratulated him on having enough courage to chase her on an insect as big as a house which he has no control over.
[You're brave! But Weak! Being brave is not enough, kid!]
Tackling him, she stood over him and licked her lips.
[That's how the world is, Kid… eat or be eaten!]
Pinning him down with her arms, the Queen of insects summoned her minions, thousands of them around the boy while she leaned ever so closer, her jaw ever twitching so much in anticipation.
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[NO!]
He screamed and struggled, but it was no use, she was not strong but was strong enough to effortlessly render his attempts futile.
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[Are you scared?]
The boy doubtless to say could only see the glowing red eyes and feel the saliva dripping down on his face as he shivered, again not in fear but due to his lack of strength.
[I'll kill you!]
[…]
Wriggle Nightbug stopped abruptly and laughed, jumping off the boy and helping him up.
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[? Eh…]
[You're brave, Kid… you'll grow up to a handsome man one day.]
She complimented him before kissing him lightly on the cheek, a light peck that made the boy blush.
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[Do you want strength?]
When he recovered, he saw Wriggle standing on top of her mount again, giving orders for her subjects to crush the opposing forces, who has grown with the emergence of Golems, earthly golems that were immune to pain and hurt.
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[Yes, I want strength!]
[At any cost?]
With her cape waving behind her, the figure of Wriggle Nightbug was forever etched in the boy's memories and he would remember what the exchange was for the rest of his life.
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[Yes…]
[… What is your name?]
[Daisuke…]
[Daisuke… if you want power… you must be willing to sacrifice things that are most important to you…]
Turning back to him, a sudden explosion behind her made her seem as if she was bathed in blood… which made him all the more awestruck at the youkai in front of her, the Queen of Insects, Wriggle Nightbug…
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[Yes! I want power! I want to protect who I like the most!]
[… Daisuke, if you want power, you must not regret.]
[I won't.]
[…]
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[Then, this child will help you…]
Pointing to Daisuke, a small beetle flew up to him and landed on his left arm before glowing slight green, giving off a buzzing sound that made him wince.
[Remember, Daisuke… you will be a great man one day… but hold on to your dream…]
The centipede roared forward and in an instant, Daisuke was thrown off it and landed in the hard ground.
Surprisingly, it did not hurt a bit and as he looked at his left arm, he saw faint traces of dark green all over his palm.
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[Daisuke… that Child will give you strength…]
Lowering her head, Wriggle fired a bunch of green bullets that struck the Stone golems head on before ordering a nearby spider to spit it's web at it.
[but, if you are not strong enough…]
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[….]
Kicking the remains of the golem away, Wriggle sighed before looking up at the sky, the ominous black arena hovering ominously above them.
[your dreams will be gone too…]
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[!]
The earth twisted in front of us and before we could make any evasive maneuvers, the stone golem had knocked a few of the Kappa away with it's giant fist.
[!]
There was disarray in the troops till a figure took the first action against the seemingly invincible foe.
A normal Rabbit youkai, running flat out with a wooden mallet in her hands, swung mightily and slammed the sides of the golem with such force that it was knocked down in an instant.
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[Release the traps!]
Throwing a knife at a vine that we had not noticed before, logs of all sizes came swinging down and slammed straight into the golems, crushing or demolishing them like statues.
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[Uwa! That's not good! Fall back! High Pressure Jet coming through!]
From the river, Kawashiro Nitori, the kappa that had lead and persuaded the kappa army here, fired a strong jet of water that propelled another golem a few feet back to crash and subsequently destroy itself and another unlucky golem.
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[CHARGE!]
Howling my battle cry, I slung my shield to the back as I brought my sword down like a hammer on the head of the golem to see it break in half
[AU?]
Kncoked flying by the golem's returning fist, I fell into the river and for a moment, thought I was going to die, such an ignorable death for a warrior!
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[Momizi-chan!]
But the next moment I was sitting up, at the bank of a tree with Nitori fussing over me.
[W-What happened, woof?]
[I saved you, duh! You can still get up, right!]
[I won't… back down…]
Nitori beamed at me before handing me something I have never seen before.
[Here Momizi-chan! This is called a sledgehammer..]
[…]
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Taking the weird object with me, I looked up to see that everyone else was holding the same thing and I whimpered.
[I am disgraced!]
[No you're not! You're brave, Momizi-chan! Now go! Hit it as hard as you can! Like this!]
Taking another sledgehammer, Nitori swung mightily and it narrowly missed hitting my head in the process and my fur stood up in protest.
[Woof! Ruff!]
Batting her with my paws, I thanked her before running straight for the nearest golem, which I swung mightily again at its side, like what the normal Rabbit did.
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[!]
The golem's skin broke into pieces and after another strike, the entire leg fell just crumbled, swiftly it's whole body fell off with it.
[AUUUUUUU!]
I knew then that victory would still belong to us!
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[… Aim for the head, Meiling…]
Hearing Patchey's instructions, I followed what she said and smashed the golem's head right where the ancient sigil was supposed to be and to my surprise the whole golem just stopped and crumbled to dust.
[Eh? Eh?]
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[As expected…. The golems owe their lives to the sigils that is at their heads]
The magician, a faint smile on her face was proud of deciphering the magicks involved but I find that it is scarcely worth my time.
Such pitiful and backward magic, it is no wonder they are losing so badly…
Why…. This is surely a wasted effort!
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[I could have told you that.]
She ignored my remark but not before glaring at me in frustration.
[Miss Yagokoro.]
She controlled her emotions well but not enough as she snapped at me angrily.
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[You have not contributed as much as you could, unfortunately on your part.]
[Yes, It would appear so…]
The both of them, the witch and the half-beast was panting from their 'activities' futile gestures that was to stem the tide as they put it.
Fools, they were acting on emotion, not rationality.
On my superior judgment, the line is indeed holding up, no thanks to their assistance. However, I must give credit for improving the troop's morale.
On my side, I had repelled teams of reinforcements repeatedly easily and with no strain on me at all.
[I do not find it necessary, this is a lost cause. We do not have the numbers, the power or the will to outlast Yakumo, that was a fact from the start.]
[You're wrong.]
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The half-beast suddenly stood up and walked over to me, trembling in rage as she glared angrily at my dirction.
[I am a scientist and more than ever, a commander of the lunarian army at a point of time, my analysis of the situation is that it is impossible.]
Challenging her gaze, I took out the notebook I had scribble my observations and recited them for her to hear. Gensokyo was doomed from the start, if it is not for the princess, I would not even be here.
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[Yukari Yakumo has the advantages of numbers, the advantages of sheer power and the advantage of unlimited resources and that is at her most basic level. Her strength is endless, I can sense that. Her manipulation of borders have exploded in strength, rules to not contain her, Kamishirasawa.]
[You're wrong!]
She cried again, her eyes glowing red in anger and the librarian flinched in the intensity of her scream.
[Heh.]
I merely reserved a small smirk for her, dismissing her dismal look.
[She can raise the dead to do her bidding, she raises the earth to battle against us. She can summon as many familiars as she want…. She escapes every time we approach her. Even Hakurei is unable to stop her… look!]
Pointing to where Reimu was last sighted, I marveled at that barrier and border she had set up but at the same time, was not convinced that it would be sufficient to hold Yakumo back, she is and always will be a monster.
[You're wrong!]
[Face the truth, Kamishirasawa.]
Shaking her was not befitting of me and I sat down before enjoying a cup of tea coolly, my efforts was wasted on the likes of such people.
[She is not bounded by laws, above all the rest, not following the laws of physics… None of us can catch her and the only who can will soon be done for.]
Within the border of her own making, Reimu is surely making her own coffin as the bullets gathered in there was getting denser and denser, blocking all view we have of Reimu and Yakumo.
..
..
[She will not survive that, Hakurei or no.]
[NO! SHE WILL!]
The half-beast finally broke down as she dropped to her knees and started crying, bawling out loud even to no one in particular.
Such a noisy bitch…
..
[You don't know, Yagokoro…]
Hearing the voice of the magician again, I turned to see her standing up and smiling, looking at something in the horizon.
[You just do not know, the power of hope.]
[hmph… hope, such things do not belong in front of my eyes.]
Crossing my arms, I took another cup of tea as the half-beast took to the air and pointed an accusing finger at you.
..
[Yagokoro Eirin! You do not know, you just do not know.]
[?]
[All the intelligence behind that brain of yours is worthless!]
[… you mock me, half-youkai?]
My hair was bristling at being challenged and I found my bow in my hands, cocked and pointing at the abomination seconds later.
..
[You're just a lowly half-breed of humans and youkai, how dare you mock a lunarian!]
[You don't know, do you, Yagokoro Eirin…]
Suddenly, she smiled and raised both her hands into the sky, as if the sky would give her an answer. Like hell it would!
..
[If the dead rises again, we will make them rest, we tamed the earth to do our bidding before and we will do it again… for every familiar she calls to fight, we will take down them 10 of them. We will not be crushed so easily… We will win! Just watch us!]
[Yagokoro… you underestimate just two things…]
[Reimu is our hope… she is fighting now and so will we… till the last man. Till that day come, you have no right to say that gensokyo is doomed! Take that back!]
[Humans, when desperate, is capable of amazing things… and more so are youkai like us.]
[and… we have faith… we trust Reimu and besides… You have no right to tell us that what we did is useless… You of all people do not have the right!]
[The driving force for hope for them has not disappeared… she is still alive and present. The one who can do the impossible, defeat the mightiest, forgive the most evil and the one who accepts all… still stands.]
..
..
The two of them, one a half-youkai and the other, an asthmatic youkai smiled while raising their spellcards in their hands.
[The chosen Hakurei, still stands.]
..
..
[… …]
Do whatever you wish you mortals…
But I found myself a little touched by their determination and itching to put it to the test.
..
How much can hope survive till endless despair take over?
Covering my face, a savage grin evident on it, one that I had not allowed myself to do for so long and tingling with anticipation of the data I could collect.
..
..
[…]
Even so, Doubt clouded my mind still, I have to admit that. They stared at me with no hesitation, even thou not worthy to even look at me; they did not fear their destiny that I had foreseen and instead choose to fight against it.
Fighting against destiny, do they know that is futile. The outcome is set, the reality of the situation is handed to them in a silver platter.
Why not save as many as they can? Why do they still struggle so even when the outcome is determined?
Why would they instead to cling on to their faith, the fragile and futile thing known as hope?
..
[… Heh…]
Well, it does not matter why.
I will know why, soon enough.
Author's Notes: No, i do not intend to write about that kid anytime soon. I wanted to, but too many things have been popping up.
Oh right, I'll answer any question for those who guessed how and what that kid is based from.
The clues come from his name.