Author's Comments: Well! ...This took longer than it should have, considering it's not as big of a chapter.

Corrections aside, this one gave me more trouble than it shouldn't. For obvious reasons, Shinki's first person narrative won't be used now... Or maybe I should try doing that once, just to see how far I could push insanity itself?

But that might be an experiment for another day. For now, I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Onward!

[Location: ?]

...Dark. It's so dark, but it's so bright. It's bright and it's so dark. Dark. Light dark dark light light dark light darklightdarklightlight

Light. I can see everything. I can see flows everywhere. Everything forms before me like a mosaic with veins inside it, and all of it has a beat to it. I can see the rhythm of their flow coursing through the air and reaching me as I pass through them, getting instantly demolished and devoured by my skin, by the leaking of energy from every bit of my own being. It pains me to see such beautiful rhythm get destroyed and assimilated... As I try to stop doing this so I can listen to this music, I realize I cannot. All I can do is simply gaze at the distance and follow this beautiful beat. This wondrous melody that reaches my ears and my mind like the masterpiece that it is.

Dark... Eat everything. Hunger... I'm so hungry. I need food... I need to eat eat eat eat eat eat More food more of it give me more I'm so hungry I'm feeling pain why does it hurt? It doesn't feel good when I eat but I am so hungry it feels so good when I eat but it doesn't do anything I can't stop eating I want to eat more and more and MORE AND MORE AND MORE eat so much that it makes my head spin more so it makes me want to eat

...This hurts...

It hurts.

It hurts... It hurts but it doesn't matter. I can't stop moving. I'm feeling so good it hurts. I'm feeling great.

I'm surrounded by blue blueblueblue it's blue shiny sparking getting intomebecoming one with me it's good it feels fantastic.

Can you see it, sweetheart? Leaking from my fingertips like the blue blood I don't have?

Hah... Hahahaha... Hahahahahahaha! This is a bad joke... No. A joke isn't this funny. I know a joke when I hear one. This isn't it.

Eat yourself. What am I, stupid? Eat that fairy... Escaped. Eat that boar. Why? It doesn't have a beat. Eat that youkai. then.

...Easy. I reached to the youkai and its beat burned. It struggled against me as I bit its neck and broke its spine. As I assimilated its beat to my own.

And it tasted bad. It wasn't as good as that woman was.

No fun to eat something that's not rewarding me. So I will follow this other loud beat...

And I'll eat it. Eat eat eat it. EAT ITTTIITT it. Eat. ...Eat it.

Shinki "...It hurts..."

It hurts...

[Narration – Fade]

[Location: Eientei]

Eirin "Sigh."

Youmu "Eirin-san, how is he doing?"

Reisen "He is currently sleeping and recovering. While appropriately chained and restrained, that is. Master made sure he wouldn't be able to escape in case-"

Eirin "-In case he recovered without me watching him. I am not foolish enough to release an enemy I managed to capture."

The lunarian cut the moon rabbit short as she sighed heavily and waked in small unnoticeable circles around the living room of the Eternal Mansion with her chin resting on her hand.

Her vision darkened by her own thoughts, she could not ratiocinate appropriately due to the circumstance at hand. Major defeats had reached their hands... She was starting to feel more anxious than she probably should.

The Ordinary Black Witch and the Seven-Colored Puppeteer had small bandages on their heads, covering the bruise they received sooner. Despite being hit quite hard by the raging Blue-Blooded Vampire, they were seldom damaged. The shock of the action that took place was way more effective than the actual damage.

They looked at each other with rather ominous expressions as they listened to the events that unfolded in the Eternal Mansion. The puppet master kept her usual cool, frowning face, as the black witch's expressions ranged wildly from confused to angry, to exasperated and then back to confusion as the story went on.

And it ended on the kidnapping of Kaguya. And the defeat of Yakumo Yukari.

Marisa "...So... Reimu's nowhere to be found... What the hell is going on, ze? ...This is only going from bad to worse!"

Alice "Most certainly, this has a connection to the current events. I did not expect both Reimu and Yakumo Yukari to have been defeated so soundly..."

Satori "Or in Yukari-san's case, dead."

A grim silence took place before them, forcing Alice to cough loud enough to break it before raising her gaze towards the leader of the underworld.

Alice "Are you certain of such?"

Satori "Yes, absolutely. No matter how hard you try to fake your thoughts and your emotions, you cannot hide your true intentions from a satori. He did not lie about this."

The atmosphere only got worse as Marisa scratched her head with strength, yelling from the top of her lungs in exasperation.

Marisa "GAAAH! This is bullshit! Gensokyo's only getting more and more screwed over, ze!"

Youmu "...This subject mentioned, you did appear at a rather convenient time. Something tells me you were not here by mere coincidence."

Alice "And you are correct, we were not. We came here to ask for help, truth be told. But it would appear that even for the Eientei, times are difficult."

As Alice spoke such words, the attention of the girls focused on them as she sighed and rose her eyes to meet their own.

Alice "...I will make this short. Gensokyo is in complete chaos."

Reisen "Chaos? ...What do you mean?"

She answered the question with a heavy sigh, gazing at the moon rabbit with eyes that were unsure if this would add to the morale or not. The black witch however, did not bother.

Marisa "Well, how do I say it? Anarchy. Complete and total chaos! It's kinda hard to explain, so I'll try to make it simple, ze. Uhh... Let's see. The forest youkai are attacking the human village, but they are holding themselves somehow. The mountain youkai are attacking the Kappa AND the Tengu... And the Tengu and the Kappa are fighting each other for some random reason."

Youmu "W... W-What?"

Satori "...You are not lying."

Alice "Alas, we are not."

The grim silence that swarmed the girls focused in the air and stung their heads like a bad headache. Youmu covered her mouth with her palm as she looked to the ground, trying to make as much sense of this as she could, while both Reisen and Eirin continued to look at the girls with the same studying look.

Youmu "...Did Gensokyo break into war? ...But why?"

Reisen "It is quite simple when you think about it, at least for the standard youkai attacks, isn't it?"

The mistress of Hell nodded in confirmation to the moon rabbit as she crossed both her legs and arms.

Satori "With Yukari dead, the youkai probably felt like they could do whatever they wanted. The ones at the forest and mountains are simply rampaging, but... The Kappa and the Tengu are also fighting each other? I thought they co-existed peacefully."

Marisa "Me too! I just don't get why would they start fighting!"

Alice "The Kappa were the ones that started the attack, actually. I do not have any specifics, but they advanced heavily up the mountains and launched an all-out attack. Needless to say the Tengu retaliated with deadly force... And they are exchanging aggressions on the battlefield at any given opportunity now."

Eirin "Couldn't you have done something to stop them? You and Marisa ARE well-known champions among the youkai."

Alice "At this point? No. They are not exchanging Danmaku, Yagokoro-san. They are outright killing each other."

Marisa "Though I didn't see Nitori or Aya anywhere. I searched all over the place but I couldn't see 'em."

Youmu "...It is possible that they knew better than to get involved...? There might be something more at work than we might know."

A small pause took place as the brain of the moon walked from left to right, gathering her thoughts properly. She looked straight into Satori's eyes as she finally removed her hand from her chin, and looked at the girls with the look of someone that's reached a conclusion on her mental debate.

Eirin "Perhaps. But we have priorities... And if we do not attend to them, more than just the Tengu and the Kappa will be engulfed in whatever is it that Morrigan has done."

Youmu "W-What? So we're just to abandon them? Leave Youkai Mountain to its fate?"

Satori "...Please listen to her first. I agree wholeheartedly with her plan."

And a silent confirmation through an exchange of looks took place in a split second.

Eirin "Very well. Our priority at this moment would be to fix whatever is it that Morrigan broke. ...His attention is fixed on me, so it is no problem for you to warn everyone and ask for their help... Or just outright subdue the idiots causing trouble."

Alice "So, what do you suggest?"

Satori "Hm. Currently, the biggest threats we have roaming Gensokyo are... Hakurei Miko, Chase and Morrigan. However, according to the celestial, Chase died by the outburst of Shinki when he absorbed way too much of her magic... Though we are not certain of that. What did he do exactly? Your memories are somewhat vague."

Tenshi "Then I have nothing to say, queen of hell."

Her answer was short and brute, almost as if she was one step away from losing as little of the cool she had left.

Alice "Yes. Katsura-san was behaving bestially... How did such thing happen? Our magic spells were completely ineffective after I blasted him away from you."

Tenshi "I don't know what happened! He bit her, he went crazy. He used that... "energy packed punch" thingie he discovered with that immortal with pants on the ground and then that pink witch was gone. I think she got vaporized, since I didn't see her limbs scattered on the grass."

Marisa "...'Kay. And why did the Master Spark not work on him? I mean, I know he's a mage hunter and all, but..."

Alice "Hm. I actually had Reimu tell me about that. When I asked her about how they defeated Dejohn Havoc during the Black Tower incident, she said Katsura-san used an ability that completely nullified everything magical for a moment. I do believe she said it was as quick as a flash, however. What seemed to engulf him just now was a force field."

Reisen "A force field that... That nullifies magic? That... Ah, Master? Doesn't that make him the most dangerous being in Gensokyo right now?"

Eirin "It's a possibility, but no. His abilities might be really dangerous, but that force field only protects against magic. Youmu does not have magic he can nullify, maybe except for Danmaku... And other beings in Gensokyo are more than enough to subdue him with other abilities other than magic. Hong Meiling, Remilia Scarlet, Oonozuka Komachi, the members of the Myouren Temple... Save... Save except for Hijiri Byakuren herself? She does use magic to increment her strength, does she not?"

Satori "I do believe so, yes. This makes him a nasty counter for her. It's quite surprising, I agree."

Youmu "This does explain why he was not hurt by Morrigan's flames... Somehow. Though Chase claimed his 'ability' was to 'drain life'... So maybe... Maybe Shinki-san can also cancel abilities?"

The lunarian dismissed her theory with a shake of the head.

Eirin "That is not possible. Kochiya Sanae blessed him with a miracle, revitalizing him overnight once. I believe he can only cancel magical or other supernatural effects... There is something else to Morrigan's flames, but it is a fact that they do not harm Shinki as much. However; despite him being rampant right now, he is not within our range of priorities..."

Rattle

The noise from the Celestial standing up from her chair made everyone focus their attention on her. She picked up her hat and put it back on without hurry, looking back at the girls with a focused look on her eyes.

Tenshi "Then, I'll be leaving you now. Excuse me."

Youmu "Ah... Are you going to abandon a call like this? I don't understand your reasons for such!"

She dismissed her claim with a simple wave of the hand, while launching a sour look at the half-ghost.

Tenshi "It's nothing personal, but if you won't bother with Shinki, then I will do it myself. He did more things for me than any of you ever did, It is high time I did something for him now. Good luck with your plan, by the way."

And then she took off with one of her keystones back towards the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, leaving the mansion and the girls behind her.

Youmu "Humph. It's not that I don't care. She didn't have to say it like that."

Eirin "Leave her. Since she's going to go and help Shinki, we can definitely put a step forward with our initial idea. So this actually works for the best."

Marisa "Plus, of course she'd want to save her boyfriend, right? I mean, obviously!"

Marisa said so in an extremely joking tone, and it took about ten seconds for her words to finally sink into the minds of the few ladies there present that nothing knew.

Their reactions were not quite similar similar but still quite shocking. Youmu covered her face with her palm; Reisen stood dumbfounded with her eyes wide open and Eirin frowned and smirked while looking sideways to the woodwork, trying to perish the thought.

Youmu "I... Do believe I need a mind cleaner after this kind of information dump."

Reisen "So it really wasn't a lie..."

Eirin "Cough. Yeah, that's quite shocking, isn't it."

Satori "And as amusing as this subject may be, can we please resume with the briefing? We have a crisis we must advert here."

Alice "I agree. ...Let us gossip about Katsura-san's odd tastes after we are done saving the world, shall we?"

Youmu "...? Saving the world...?"

Alice "Isn't this a great chance to make this world indebted to us? Gensokyo's fate rests on us, now... Unless I am forgetting something. But until I am proven the contrary... I am willing to see this development to its end."

The brain of the moon shook her head slightly as the thoughts left her mind as she sighed deeply and rose her eyes to the ladies.

Eirin "Very well. In order of priorities, I would have Udonge go to the Temple of Myouren and petition Hijiri Byakuren's help in defeating Hakurei Miko immediately. Until she is gone we cannot guarantee Reimu's assistance since Miko overpowers her. And considering her orders were to kill Reimu, then I believe this is the first action we should take."

Marisa "Wait. Did ya say Hakurei Miko? I don't get it, ze."

Satori "I will explain to you when time is due. Now is not the time."

Eirin "Indeed. We'll fill you in with this later, but for now... I would like you to go to the Scarlet Devil Mansion and warn its residents of everything that has happened. I would send Youmu instead, but we have no time to be picky. ...Send a bomb instead of a diplomat when times are dire... I do believe I am desperate."

Marisa "Warn everything? What good would that do?"

Satori "Trust her. Despite being rushed, it is an ingenious plan. If it doesn't work... Then you won't be talking with the Scarlet Devil at all."

Alice "And? ...What should Youmu-san and I do?"

Eirin "True. ...Alice, I want you to go to the Kappa village and see what's going on with that place."

Alice "I... What? I Fail to comprehend the order."

Eirin "Something must have happened to the Kappas to make them aggressive towards the Tengu. I want you to go in there and see what happened. I know their leader quite well, and I doubt the Kappa would push a fight for absolutely no reason. You are more sensible than Marisa and just as well-known through the ranks of the youkai as she is. I need Youmu for a different task, so I am leaving this to you. If you find whatever it is that's sparking this war... Kill it. Kill it hard."

Or, I'll just think about it and do something else in case it benefits us.

Alice "Very well. I'll do that."

Satori "Aah~ The flexibility of thought. This is music to my ears!"

Alice then stood up as she cracked her knuckles and gave her back to everyone, looking back to Eirin one more time before nodding in confirmation and flying away from the mansion, Marisa mimicking the act as soon as she jumped up her feet and grabbed her broom, swinging it twice in the air before mounting on it like the horse it was not, zooming into the morning sky. The other girls sighed heavily in response.

Reisen "Always the first ones to take action... I guess initiative is an important thing to have, isn't it?"

Eirin "Why, in that case they are the most reliable ones in this world! What are you waiting for, Christmas? Move it, Udonge!"

Reisen "Ikh! Y-Yes, master! I will be back soon!"

And the moon rabbit dashed outside as soon as she bowed feverishly to her master, leaving the gardener of the netherworld behind.

Youmu "...And what about me?"

Eirin "Yes. ...I have a rather difficult thing to ask of you. It may even require your sword... I am not fully certain."

The gardener rose an eyebrow to the claim of the lunarian that stood before her, a rather difficult to read grin showed up on her face as she looked up to the mountains and waved right at it.

Eirin "Would you so kindly say hello to some goddesses for me?"

[Interlude - Location: Bamboo Forest of the Lost]

Heavy footsteps.

One after the other, the man put one of his feet forward. It sunk into the grass under his weight as he put his strength on his legs, and with what seemed like it was an effortless task, he dragged his body forward... And then he resumed his stride.

His breathing was so loud one could shoot him in complete darkness. His eyes were sunken and impossible to read, twisting his silhouette into that of a person without any real shred of sanity or reason...

Except, he knew exactly what he was doing.

He stood on the middle of nowhere, with his burning blue frame looking straight up in the air as his eyes's slit pupils shrunk due to the light. The sky shone brightly on him as he did not seem to mind at all; instead, he kept his eyes wide open and his mouth semi-serrated, keeping his lower fangs from gashing into his upper set of teeth. His forehead was sweating constantly as mad thoughts raged inside of him, banging on his temples and eardrums without stopping not even for a single moment.

...

I am engulfed.

This blue wave that surrounds me flies through the air pulsating in a rhythm that I can't really describe. It is formless but it's so solid... It keeps its pace but it races unexpectedly, though I can always catch up to its beat. It never loses balance even if it goes erratic, for it fixes itself immediately and throws something new to the mix. It swirls and dances to its own chords as it comes crashing down on me... And the music starts anew, as if it was all part of a single song that never stops playing. It keeps on beating, dancing, singing. It's beautiful...

This is beautiful. What is this...? I have no idea what this is, though I am immersed in it... I am surrounded, floating, swimming in it...

I am part of this, as well as it is part of me. It doesn't belong to everything, though it still shares its beat with everything. Like the air, like water... It is here. We are breathing it, I am breathing it. This wondrous melody that beats through my heart and makes me feel as if I am in a musical universe that does not stop, neither I want it to. Its blue neon lights shine in such harmony, I feel like a criminal for even being part of it.

But I am. And the lights seem to agree to this thought.

They obey me to some extent. It seems they obey me as long as they are within reach. I can use my own music to make them dance to my own tune... And they do. It's so harmonious it's entrancing. This sensation of beauty fills my heart with a warm sensation... I don't know what I was supposed to be doing anymore.

...What I was doing...

Rustle

Female Voice "Ahn? ...What's this?"

A voice.

An unrecognizable voice came from the thicket as light yet energetic footsteps could be heard, quickly making their way through the woods. A heavy clanking noise could be heard, followed by several other footsteps that reluctantly, yet obediently, followed.

There was a woman. A woman clad in black, oddly-sewed clothes stood there, her golden eyes opened in surprise to the sight before her.

She wore a red and gold one-piece dress with no sleeves, which ended about her knees as it had exaggeratedly large side-splits leading up to her hips on both sides. Beneath it, it was possible to see she wore another set of clothes, that shocked quite badly with the look she would have with only the dress otherwise. A brown short leading down slightly past the knees and a white long sleeve shirt beneath the dress made her look like she didn't even bother changing to put on her new clothing.

She did not wear anything on her feet, revealing that they were extremely similar to those of a lion. The fur that enveloped them like they were made of gold dust rose itself until it reached one-third of the way beyond her ankles. Her hair was as colorful as her feet were, and they reached down to her shoulders in an irregular manner, as if she cut it down herself without even looking at the mirror.

Lion-Feet Woman "Whistle. What's this supposed to be, now? This is more than I thought I would find..."

She approached the man with rather daunting steps as she walked around him in a circle, analyzing him from top to bottom as the girls that were accompanying the woman stayed in place, paralyzed by fear. The woman laughed heartily as she touched the man's cheeks, getting a reaction out of his eyes, which he finally unglued from the sky and launched them at her. She smiled widely with her teeth.

Lion-Feet Woman "My, I guess we found ourselves an insane clod! What are the odds? Oh, wait. This is Gensokyo."

And as she reached for the man's arm without a single shred of doubt... He brought his right fist right into her face.

BAM

Girls "IIKH!"

The woman spun two times before managing to hit the ground with her foot and balance herself. She massaged her face with her hand and looked at the man with surprise, as he launched a curious look at his own fist. She felt blood flowing through her mouth as she laughed yet again, seeing the blue burn around his frame like an aura, leaking from every bit of his body.

She stood up defiantly and stepped back, pointing at Shinki with her thumb while gazing at the girls behind.

Lion-Feet Woman "Kappa. Send a Golem at him. I want to see what this clod can do."

Kappa "Eh? B-But... Bi-Bijou-sama, we can't afford to waste any more Golems..."

Bijou "Just do as you're told, OK? Don't make me repeat myself!"

The girls responded with a tiny shriek as one of the kappa slowly made her way towards Shinki and pulled a small crystal from her pocket. The crystal pulsed harmoniously with the magic contained within it, capturing his attention immediately as she shoved it into the earth, burying the object on the ground on the process.

The ground rumbled and shifted. It pulsated and crumbled as a muddy hand could be seen gashing out of the ground like a baby violently ripping its way out to freedom. The earth monster rose from the dirt and curved down slightly, his frame getting more and more humanoid as its color started to dampen and solidify, its head was sparking like eyes with an artificial intelligence. The monster looked at the kappa that brought it to life as if awaiting for a command...

Kappa "185cm, huh? S-Subdue him!"

Bijou "Even better. Kill him!"

The golem's head opened in two like a mouth and it let out an incomprehensible roar as it advanced obediently towards Shinki. He looked straight into the golem as it rose his hand up to the air and brought its massive arm down, crashing onto the ground as the vampire jumped sideways...

And landed a rather pathetic punch at the side of the monster.

Thump

Shinki "...?"

The golem reacted by swinging his arm violently, but it missed once again. The vampire looked once more into his hand as a white, formless ripple appeared around it... And he high hooked the golem again, as it missed Shinki for a third time.

TSSHH

Shinki "...!"

Bijou "Hm? ...What is he doing?"

The impact was weak, but an effect could be seen. The ripple did not hurt the golem, and yet...

It wavered for a little bit before resuming his attacks on the vampire.

Bijou "That is..."

Shinki's eyes fixed themselves on the golem as he jumped up and landed with his feet on its face, letting go another strange sound, similar to that of hot iron being put into cold water. The vampire's face distorted in an insane smile as he jumped down from the golem and before landing on the ground, ax-kicked the beast's head which resulted in yet another really weak hit...

TSSHH

But the golem stopped moving completely.

Kappa "W-What? What did he do? With only four hits!"

Bijou "..."

Shinki "NnnNNNNot enoughhhnot..."

Letting go an incomprehensible hiss, the vampire's right arm got covered by black flames as he punched the golem in his torso with a strength incomparable to the previous ones. The punch pierced through the mud and it slowly – but surely – crumbled into dust... Revealing the vampire was holding the crystal in his hand... And he ate it.

Crunch

Kappa "What is he doing?"

Bijou "Does it matter? He somehow made the golem stop. This is more than just interesting, now! Hmm..."

As the artifact received its final bite, the vampire looked at his hands once again. As he closed them, the white ripple emanated from it like an aura; obediently. He smiled eerily to himself as he started to walk towards the girls, who shrieked in response.

Shinki "I wonder..."

The woman with lion feet looked at the kappa that summoned the golem and gave her a small push forward, making her trip on her feet and face the vampire from within centimeters. The girls all panicked and threatened to summon golems, but were interrupted by another one of Bijou's commands.

Bijou "Shut up and study it, incompetent failures!"

Kappa "IKH! ...B-B-Bijou-sama, what am I supposed to do?"

Bijou "Who knows? Humor him."

The girl shivered on her feet as she launched a cowardly look at the vampire who was not doing anything. She slowly rose her hand to his arm, but he retaliated by slapping it away, making her let go a yelp and jump back, a burning sensation filling her hand where he slapped.

Kappa "OUCH!"

Bijou "And? What did he do?"

Kappa "I... I don't know! He slapped my hand, but... It burned! My hand is prickling..."

The slap was surprisingly weak, albeit stronger than a human hit. The vampire looked at his hand and used the same to grab the girl's arm, looking as focused as he could be at it.

Bijou "...What is he doing? Is he insane?"

Kappa "I'm scared! I don't know what he is doing, but I am scared! Bijou-sama, please let me GO!"

Other Kappa "N-Nijou-chan, come back! He is dangerous, just come back!"

Bijou "Don't give yourself orders without my consent!"

Shinki rose his eyes to his hand as he let go of his grip and clenched his fist, his mind raging madness left and right as he pointed his hand at the kappa, who responded by stepping back, scared...

And then holding her body in surprise as a sharp cold stab pierced through her guts almost as if it came from her own insides.

Kappa "NGYAH!"

Other Kappa "Nijou-chan!"

Bijou "What? What happened?"

Kappa "Cough! That surprised me! What did he do...?"

Shinki "EEEEEE it doesn't work unless there's impact... Burn... Punishment? Or mayyyYYyBbBbe it's just backlash...?"

His voice came out once again but his hissing was incomprehensible. As he blinked one more time to his own hand, he rose his gaze to the sky as a mad laugh escaped his mouth, pressing his mug with both hands while cackling maniacally as the orb pulsating in his chest started to hurt, sending a familiar chill down his spine...

Shinki "YYIIIIHAHAHAHAH hungry I'm hungryhungryI'm so so so so sohungry... Pigs pigs pigs PIGS PIGS It hurts... IT HURTS...!"

The kappas stood there, astonished by the burst as he suddenly brought his head down and it made contact with the girl before him.

BAM

Kappa "BUH!"

Other Kappa "Nijou-chan!"

Bijou "Stay!"

The vampire chuckled. The kappa he hit landed on the ground on her back while holding her nose as Shinki mounted on her. She gasped in terror as she tried to escape, but she could not... And he buffed as he launched a punch at the girl's face once. Twice. Three times.

Four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three...

Crack Bam Bam Bam Crack Crack Bam Bam Bam Bam Bam Bam Thud Thud Thud Thud Thud Thud

The only sounds that could be heard was the incessant onslaught of punches the vampire landed on the girl. There was not a face there anymore by the time he realized all he was punching was the ground. He shoved his arm down her pocket, finding more of the golem shards she used... And he ate them, one after the other.

The three other kappa were in shock. They were frozen in place, terrified, not a single word could escape their mouths as a field of electricity enveloped them like a cage due to Bijou's command. The lion-feet woman opened an extremely large grin as she stepped forward and stabbed the vampire on the shoulder with a syringe containing a deep yellow liquid inside, making him shrivel...

And stop moving completely.

Bijou "See? He is subdued. That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Kappa "Nijou-chan! NIJOU-CHAN! She... She's dead! She is dead!"

Bijou "Hmm? Bah, what's one Kappa worth for such a valuable prize? This isn't what we came for, but this thing is a lot more interesting than a disgusting lunarian woman. Let's go back, and don't damage the trophy! That is my privilege."

And with a snap from her fingers, the field around the kappas disappeared, leaving them to carry Shinki on their shoulders, and leaving the body of their friend behind with a bitter and devastated taste in their mouths...

"God damn it...!"

[Interlude - Over]

[Location: Temple of Myouren's Outskirts]

Sweep Sweep Sweep

The morning light of Gensokyo was brighter than usual that day.

It shone brightly, but it didn't illuminate well enough. The sun's warmth wasn't feeling especially 'warm', for as brightly as it was sparking this morning. It felt almost as if it was particularly cloudy... Though it was not.

There was something eerie about this light. A haunting atmosphere that engulfed the air and swallowed everyone in in a tense array of something not possible to understand. Everything felt so melancholic and gloomy...

The youkai were going crazy... And this was the best time for a place such as the Palanquin ship to be searched for. The small youkai sweeping the path to the entrance was living proof of such, cleaning the dirt from the path while whistling a small tune to herself as she brought her broom left and right, moving her legs as she followed the movements of the broom.

She had greenish short wavy hair which would fall over her pretty shoulders as she kept sweeping the floor happily and steadily, almost dancing while doing so. She also wore a white one-piece dress under a pinkish kimono-esque overtop... Buttoned by a couple green flower-like ornaments on its base and close to her chest.

Kyouko "Wish I could fly through the land beloved~ Not in my dream, nor by spell then bound~ Paradise's here in the fields immense~ Here is my life, not above! How could I leave this place~"

She was humming a tune to herself that she was not sure exactly where she heard it. Her fluffy yamabiko ears fell onto her hair as of usual as she continued the sweeping of the garden with her usual speed and pace... Not minding her time at all. It was soon in the morning, she allowed herself to be slow in her task.

Slow, but not without efficiency.

She continued the sweeping of the property as she slowly rose her eyes to the sky, using her hand to keep the sunlight from damaging them. As she blinked a few times to the great azure above, she let go a tiny sigh as her ears fell back onto her hair with disappointment.

Kyouko "Hnn... I wonder what's up with the sun today..."

Her voice reached absolutely no one as she stopped sweeping the floor and frowned. She felt an odd prickling sensation on her stomach chilling down her very sense of disbelief as she looked left and right with worry... And she knew she wasn't by herself anymore.

She heard the echoing noises of footsteps calmly walking towards the temple. She held tight to her broom as she frowned to the source of the footsteps... And her mouth hanged open slightly, her eyes falling upon a woman with long raven hair and a red priestess attire...

Miko "Good morning, yamabiko-chan! Taking your duties seriously, are we?"

Kyouko's eyes rested upon her figure as she hardly believed what she was seeing. A grown-up version of Reimu...? She looked way too similar to be just a coincidence.

Kyouko "...Ah... R... Reimu-san?"

Miko "Oh! Are we that similar to one another? I'm afraid I have to deny your question though... I am not Reimu."

The echo youkai blinked. She felt absolutely no hostility from the woman, and yet... This eerie feeling on her gut told her she was bad news. Kyouko slowly narrowed her eyes and resumed sweeping the grounds with the same pace as she previously was - the priestess widened her eyes and crossed her arms with interest.

Kyouko "Sorry, it was my mistake. You look so similar, I thought you were her for a second. You are human though, aren't you? What are you doing here?"

Miko "For the most part, it's pure curiosity of mine. I've been walking aimlessly for a day, now... And I heard there's a holy temple for both humans and youkai here! I never heard of something like this before."

Kyouko "And I assume you are interested in the doctrine?"

Miko "Yeah! Can I go in?"

Kyouko "No."

An uncomfortable whiff escaped the lungs of the raven-haired priestess as she stood there in silence, the yamabiko resuming the sweeping of the grounds as if this conversation never occurred.

The silence lasted for a whole painful minute as Miko raised her hand to her ears, this feeling of discomfort filling her close to completion.

Miko "Um... And why not...?"

Kyouko "You are a Shinto priestess. This is a Buddhist temple. Unless you want to exchange pleasantries, what other purpose would you have in here?"

Miko "...To exchange pleasantries!"

Kyouko "To exchange pleasantries! ...No! Look, I don't want to get in trouble, so would you please just leave?"

Miko "Eh? But why? Have I done something I shouldn't?"

Kyouko "You're just too suspicious! Appearing out of nowhere like that - Ms. Grown-up Reimu-san, suddenly asking if she can get into the temple with that crocodile smile of yours. I'm not buying that!"

Miko "Crocodile smile... Is this for real...? Look, all I want is to look around! Am I that suspicious-looking?"

Kyouko "Yes! Yes, you are! You are so suspicious, the suspiciousness is leaking from your suspicious body like suspicious perfume! I haven't seen a suspicious person this suspicious since the moment I've laid my eyes on you, Ms. Suspect!"

Miko "...Oooookay? Look, isn't there a monk, or someone else I can talk to? I mean, you're being pretty inconsistent with your dialogue there."

Kyouko "No, you can't!"

And she said so in a tone that basically put the period on the conversation.

The raven-haired priestess opened her mouth to say something, but she couldn't find the appropriate words. The yamabiko resumed her sweeping while displaying a pout... Or was it annoyance? The priestess could not tell.

She grumbled to herself as she rose her shoulders, giving up on the idea entirely... And as soon as she turned her back to the temple...

Shou "Heey, Kasodani! Ichirin made food sooner today, so she asked of me to come and deliver this to you!"

...A woman with an oddly striped hair came from within the temple grounds, carrying what seemed to be a lunchbox with her.

As she delivered the food to the yamabiko, her eyes rested on the raven-haired priestess, and she opened her eyes in wide surprise. Her surprise was greeted with a smile and a greeting wave of the hand – she did not believe what she was looking at.

Shou "Hakurei Reimu? ...No... Who...?"

Miko "I really need to get used to people mistaking me with her, don't I? I'm Hakurei Miko, miss... If I'm not mistaken, you're called Toramaru Shou-san, is that right?"

[Location: Myouren Temple's Meeting Room]

Miko "..."

Byakuren "So I really see. ...You do possess a striking semblance to Reimu-chan...! Shou really wasn't making this up after all~"

Shou "Please, do have a slightly greater confidence in my descriptions, Hijiri."

Nazrin "Hmmm... This is incredible... I can even say it's harrowing without it sounding pretentious."

Ichirin "Unlike most of the things you say? Or very much like those?"

An annoyed growl left the mouse youkai's gritted teeth as everyone in the room was now paying a deep amount of attention to Miko. She did not really know where to look at – this was her first time experiencing a situation such as this. A temple that had such a carefree and homely feel to it, holstered by youkai FOR youkai AND humans!

She chuckled and smiled from the bottom of her heart. Gensokyo was truly different from when she remembered, and she didn't really know how to properly portray herself. The Saint of the White Lotus noticed that, and smiled at the priestess with gusto.

Byakuren "There's no need to be this tense. This temple welcomes all who walks through its gates, so you can relax!"

'All', huh...? The priestess let go a tiny sweatdrop at the memories of the one sweeping the grounds below, but she figured that staying silent would be for the best.

Miko "So I noticed. This temple is very popular with the humans at the village... They were the ones that told me about it."

Byakuren "Oh? So... You did not know about the temple at all?"

Miko "I have been absent for almost eighteen years. I haven't been around Gensokyo to notice such great changes in it. It actually makes me really happy."

The smiles from all girls in the room flashed beautifully in a classical harmonic manner. Byakuren put her hand on her chest proudly and looked at the priestess before her with understandable curiosity.

Byakuren "Yes... Which begs the question... You ARE called Hakurei Miko-san... Aren't you? This makes you a relative of Reimu-chan's, doesn't it...?"

Miko "...I... ...Yes. I wish I could have been her mother, but I didn't do it. ...I chose my duty instead, and that... You could say that brought us apart for a really long time."

She sighed heavily to herself as she shook her head left and right, a rather lonely expression flashing in her eyes as the Saint of the White Lotus's expression noticed it yet again. She kept her silence as the priestess rose her eyes.

Miko "I never thought I would manage to find my way into Gensokyo again... Especially during such troubling times."

Shou "Indeed. I wish we could have done more about the damage caused by that... What was it called again? Ragnarok?"

Nazrin "Yes, master... Ragnarok."

Ichirin "Though even if we could've done something to heal the land, the hearts of the ones affected by the attack are the ones that need healing the most. They are disheartened, afraid... The youkai on the forests and mountains are losing their minds and rampaging on innocent people... It's a catastrophe. Ane-san have been doing her best to help, but..."

Shou "More like it's been keeping us busy to do anything else... We are quite at a loss, here."

Miko "Was the damage that severe? I don't have a complete understanding on how bad it was."

She sighed with a small bit of relief, seeing how the conversation strayed from a topic she'd rather avoid.

Byakuren "Hundreds of youkai died. The land was split in two... It is perfectly easy to understand why they feel so disheartened after this event. However!"

The monk suddenly stood up. Her fists clenched in an energetic manner, Hijiri Byakuren hit her chest with her fist proudly and her eyes sparkled with the gleam of purity in them, pure energy leaked from her voice and frame as she claimed out with confidence and heart:

Byakuren "It is our role to welcome and aid all those who seek out help, and even those who don't! That is the duty and the posture everyone should have, and it falls to us to give the example and show everyone the right way to be! Don't you agree with me?"

She launched an extremely expectant look at Miko, who blinked and awkwardly answered nearly promptly to the question.

Miko "Surely! ...I mean..."

Shou "Enthusiastic as ever, Hijiri... You'll never change, will you?"

Ichirin "Ane-san, you just do what you think is right. Our support will always be there!"

Nazrin "That is, until Nue shows up and screws everything up."

Shou "Nazrin!"

Nazrin "What? You know it's true! For the most part."

Byakuren "Chuckle! Nazrin, it's not good to badmouth someone, especially behind their backs! Katsu!"

Thump

The Saint of the White Lotus landed her fist into the head of the youkai, making a dry impact-less thud as she let go a little yelp and put her hands on her head due to the sheer surprise.

Nazrin "Oi! Don't surprise me like that!"

Byakuren "The good ones do not fear being scolded by their own bad acts~"

Nazrin "...More like we fear our heads would fall off if we did. Can I have the HP of my head back, now?"

Shou "You know, I always wonder where do you learn this stuff..."

...And the topic went on, and on.

As the conversation continued... The raven-haired priestess opened a smile. She could not help but have this feeling open up in her chest like a balloon of excitement, growing more and more as she watched the scene before her.

Miko "...Huh... Huhuhuh..."

Everyone on the room stopped as the raven-haired priestess chuckled. The chuckle developed to a contained laugh... Eventually leading to a hearty laugh from her part, making the girls of the temple scratch their heads in mild embarrassment.

Miko "Hahahahahahaha! R-Really now, Gensokyo HAS gone through several changes! Oh, man... I really wish I could have witnessed its change with my own eyes now...!"

Byakuren "Huhuhu! You speak as if Gensokyo was a terrible place before! I am curious."

Miko "Oh, no! Not terrible, but definitely not as carefree. Back then, you would never be able to witness a temple such as this. Youkai monks! Human magi! ...I don't know what was it that Reimu did, but it worked. ...I am amazed!"

And the girls looked at her with surprise, a look of interest and wonder popped up on Byakuren's eyes as she sat down again before the priestess.

Byakuren "...You speak as if you have seen Reimu-chan again."

Miko "Ah, she was the first one I ran to when I came back! ...But..."

She shook her head left and right with a complete lack of spirit.

Miko "She hates me. And I don't blame her for it."

Byakuren "..."

The silence that struck the girls made Miko raise her eyes to them, forcing a smile to them as excitedly as she could.

Miko "S-Sorry, I spoiled the mood completely! ...I... I guess I should..."

Byakuren "Say. Do you need help, Hakurei Miko-san?"

The question took the priestess by complete surprise as she opened her eyes in confusion.

Miko "...Excuse me?"

Byakuren "I'm not sure exactly what it is... But something tells me you need help. How do I say it...? I see you are bound in a way you wish you were not... But you cannot help but be bound to this that is keeping you from being free."

The raven-haired priestess' heart calmed down.

She blinked and looked at the girls at the room and sighed to them as she shook her head in disbelief and lack of heart.

Miko "...I wish there was a way for me to redeem myself for what I have done and chosen, but that's not going to happen. I appreciate your offer from the bottom of my heart, but..."

Byakuren "You wish to solve this yourself, with your own power. Is that right?"

She nodded to the monk as Byakuren smiled tenderly to the priestess, who in return, smiled to her.

Byakuren "I understand. Then all I can do is to pray for your success."

Miko "Thank you."

The raven-haired priestess stood up. She looked at the temple with serenity as her eyes rested on the girls before her, who all did the same.

Miko "I hope you continue being successful with your temple. It truly is a magnificent place."

Byakuren "Leaving already? I hoped you could stay longer..."

Miko "Me too, but I can't impose my presence here more than I already did. There's so much in Gensokyo I want to see again it's not even funny."

Nazrin "Well, I do suppose it changed enough for you to be that curious about it."

Shou "Isn't it? ...If you want, I can lead you outside."

Miko "Truly? Thank you."

And with a last confirming nod and an exchange of goodbyes, Hakurei Miko stepped outside the temple, led by Shou who gave Byakuren a last, concentrated look before accompanying the priestess outside.

...A dead silence dominated the temple as Byakuren's eyes fell heavily onto the exit. Her frame was melancholic and yet, decided. She blinked and looked at the corner of the meeting room with the same strong look, her mouth was not displaying the beautiful smile she had before.

Byakuren "It's safe for you to come out, now."

Thus the corner of the room distorted.

Closely resembling space being gashed open, a red tint of ripples emanated from the corner of the room and revealed, crouching in that corner with a knee on the ground...

Reisen "...Yes."

The moon rabbit blinked, her red eyes flaring with the power she was using non-stop to keep her from being noticed. It stopped sparking as she canceled it, sighing with relief as the priestess was now gone.

Ichirin "Udonge-san, are you OK? Using that ability for so long..."

Reisen "I am fine, I use this power more often than any other... But I never figured that it would save my life... I guess we really do learn something new every day."

She breathed in heavily as she gave a look at the Saint of the White Lotus, who returned the glare with focus. Byakuren gave her back to the window and faced everyone on the room, her eyes filled with the spark of her strength.

Byakuren "And you were right. ...I never thought I'd see something like this, but it's true. I don't know what to make of this."

Ichirin "D-Doesn't she want to kill Reimu-san? Ane-san, we can't allow her to..."

Byakuren "I don't believe that yet. She is a mother. Didn't you see in her eyes, Ichirin? Those were the eyes of someone who is beckoning to be saved. She doesn't want to live this cursed life."

Nazrin "So, what? Are you telling us you want to save her?"

Byakuren "If there is a shred of a chance for it to happen, then I want to try. ...Reisen Udongein Inaba-san, I appreciate your concern and your hasty warning. I see the gravity of the situation and how it has escalated... But please, allow me to solve this particular problem my own way. If there is a chance that I can save Hakurei Miko from the shackles of control... Then I want to take that risk."

The moon rabbit wobbled for a moment before opening a nervous smile to the monk, raising herself from the ground and patting her knees with her palm.

Reisen "Of course. Your assistance is your to assume, we wouldn't have it any other way."

Byakuren "Thank you. ...Now, Ichirin, Nazrin. I don't want anyone interfering with this. When Shou comes back, do not allow her to get involved. The same goes for Murasa, and if Nue attempt anything... Please, keep her away from us. I am going all-out, and I cannot guarantee your safety when I do."

And as the last nod of confirmation from the girls in the room was made clear, Byakuren rose her hands to the air and runes spawned over her like a shower of energy, making her entire frame glow with it.

Pure power filled her veins as she started to chant unintelligibly... A gust of wind squalled inside the Palanquin ship as Byakuren waved her hand goodbye to the girls and flew out the window without looking back.

Ichirin "Ane-san... Good luck."

Reisen "I hope she knows what she is doing."

Nazrin "Yeah. So do we."

[Location: Gensokyo's Plains]

Miko "...There she is."

WHOOMPH

The raven-haired priestess put her hand in front of her eyes as a black and white missile landed a few meters away from her. The dust that rose from the landing was great enough to conceal the one inside it for a few seconds before the wind removed it quite promptly, almost as if it knew the dust was spoiling the moment.

Miko smiled to the woman before her as if it was an expected occurrence. She put her hand on her hips as the woman before her hissed, stepping forward like the titan she was.

Byakuren "...You were waiting for me."

Miko "Hm. I guess we can say I was. Even though I could see your intent, I'm not sure how you got it. I'm pretty sure I said nothing wrong."

Byakuren "And you didn't. We had received previous information on who you were and what you were doing here... I just wanted to see for myself before judging anything. 'One's own personal opinion is heavier than an opinion based by the sight of others'. Seeing you for myself was the right thing to do in the end."

Miko "...And? Now, what? Are you going to stop me?"

Byakuren "No. I am going to save you."

The silence between the two was mortifying. The sounds of nature around the two maidens was louder than anything else... And the priestess broke the silence by raising her hand to her hair, sliding her fingers through it.

Miko "Save me, you say."

Byakuren "You are a mother. I can see in your eyes you'd rather die than do what you are being forced to. ...But to go without having a chance to make amends with your daughter? No mother should go through this."

Miko "..."

The Saint of the White Lotus let go an expectant chuckle as she extended her hand to the priestess before her, her hands shaking slightly.

Byakuren "So let's think of what we can do to save you, come on! This can't end like this!"

…

Nothing was heard from the priestess. No sounds came from them as the wind blew again and their hair danced to its flow like banners. As the monk's heartbeat increased, the raven-haired priestess rose her eyes to the saint, and they flared with a strong violet color filled with a damp energy that sent a chill down Byakuren's spine. Miko rose her head like she was possessed, a purple aura emanating from her like the outlines of a sketch.

Miko "Kh...! ...I'm... I'm sorry, Hijiri. But... I can't do it."

She rose her fist to the Saint of the White Lotus; the purple outline got replaced by a fiery white glow as she stepped forward defiantly, her mouth distorting in a sad smile.

Miko "...I'm sorry."

Byakuren "...It's OK. I'll save you, it's a promise."

Miko "You do realize I'm not letting you do it, don't you?"

Byakuren "[Superhuman – Byakuren Hijiri]!"

No more words were needed between those two.

They only traded the first initial look as they pressed their feet against the ground...

And they collided against each other, sending bangs of pure power echoing through the plains of Gensokyo.

[Interlude – Location: Moriya Shrine]

Sanae "Youmu-san~! Oh, my! This is a pleasant surprise, isn't it? How are you doing?"

Youmu "..."

Sanae "It's been how long, now? Umm... I guess it's been two weeks since we last saw each other? Or at least when I saw you?"

Youmu "..."

Sanae "Come on, Youmu-san. What's wrong? Are you giving me the silent treatment?"

Youmu "Sa... Sanae-san? ...You... Are you OK?"

Sanae "Hmm...? What do you mean? Of course I'm OK."

Youmu "I... T-This is... I mean..."

Sanae "Come on, now. You are being weird, Youmu-san! Oh! Maybe it's because you are hungry? I'm not sure I have something ready, though... Actually, scratch that thought. I don't."

The gardener of the Hakugyokurou clenched her fists with fervor as her eyes landed on the most absurd scene she has ever seen in her entire life.

The wind priestess was delirious.

Her eyes were wildly open as her movements were extremely sluggish though they had a precision of their own, as if to prevent Sanae from doing something irredeemable. She wobbled her way back and forth around the new completely oppressive Moriya Shrine... Or at least the atmosphere itself was, since the Shrine did not change.

The very air Youmu breathed seemed to be made of poison as she coughed and looked left and right, but the goddesses were nowhere to be seen. The ground felt sturdy and unpleasant... And the sections of the ground where cobblestone made the path was cracked in a few areas.

She clenched her teeth in a display of nerve wreck as Sanae wobbled towards her again, the look of someone that smoke way too much practically made her frame at this point. The swordswoman coughed slightly as she walked towards her, if only to prevent her from trying to walk anymore.

Youmu "Sanae-san, what is going on? I don't feel the presence of anything godlike in here."

Sanae "Hmm~? Isn't that because you're not praying hard enough? Or maybe you just forgot the gods exist? Ah! You forgot I exist, Youmu-san!"

Youmu "...Where are Moriya-dono and Yasaka-dono?"

Sanae "Enh? What do you mean, they are right there! Right, Suwako-sama? Kanako-sama!"

She waved excitedly to absolutely nothing as Youmu's eyes widened even more, perplexed.

Her thoughts raged uncontrollably as she started to sweat cold, a feeling that something terrible had happened without anyone noticing filled her completely like she was dunked in a bucket full of ice. Sanae's wobbling caught her attention yet again, as the gardener coughed to capture her attention.

Youmu "Sanae-san? Did someone..."

Sanae "Jeez, Youmu-san! You are worrying over what, now? Come inside, come in! I'll treat you to lunch!"

Youmu "...Yuyuko-sama... What on the Enma's great name is going on with Gensokyo...?"

...And now, I would like to mention that despite NOT being out yet, Touhou 13 is part of canon already.

I'm trying my best to play pretend that the new Touhous already know the cast, or at least part of it. So please don't throw lawnmowers at me for adding Kyouko here!

I mean, how lacking of heart you should be to ignore her? Really, now!

...Yamabiko...