Chapter X

Gensokyo Wars

In the coming weeks, things slowly returned to normal. The flowers flooding the land steadily vanished, and more than a few denizens of Gensokyo actually missed them when they were gone. Komachi brought Yuuka back to life, returning her soul to her body once more. Such an act violated the laws of a death goddess, earning her an abrupt dismissal from Eiki's service. Eiki was outraged that Komachi had defeated her, vowing to teach her a lesson the next time she saw her.

Time passed, and the residents of Gensokyo went about their lives. Yuuka returned to Fantasy Mansion, laying low inside the compound with her new friend Komachi. Patchouli moved in with Marisa, the two sharing Marisa's small, cozy cottage in the woods.

But as Gensokyo's lovebirds went about their business, Reimu remained solo, diligently sweeping the grounds of her shrine. As she finished another day's work, she put down her broom, wiping sweat off her brow.

"Ahh... finished at last!" she said with pride.

As the sun hung low on the horizon, a shady silhouette approached from the distance. As the figure traversed the shrine, a gentle breeze whispered through the trees.

"...Reimu," the familiar girl said.

"...Sakuya!" Reimu exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Sakuya said nothing, eyes cold as she stood in silence. She slowly raised a hand, handing Reimu a red envelope.

"Here," Sakuya said.

"Huh? What's this?" Reimu asked.

"An invitation. Lady Yasaka is organizing some kind of tournament, with a grand prize for the winner at the end. As the highest ranking god of Gensokyo, she's gathering the strongest residents of the realm to fight each other. She wants to know who's best, and wishes to test their strength for herself."

"What?!"

"It's true. She's already extended invitations to everyone at Scarlet Devil Manor. Or rather, her servant did."

"Servant?"

"Yes. Sanae Kochiya. A delightful young lass. Elegant. Graceful. The complete opposite of you."

"...Hey! Shut up, you damn scullery maid!"

"Whatever. There's your invite. Sanae said she'd come herself, but really couldn't be bothered to visit this rundown shrine. I was on my way to town for some errands and thought I'd stop by. Good evening, Reimu," Sakuya said. As the maid turned around to leave, Reimu quietly gave a cringe.

"...Grr. Damn you people! My shrine's not rundown!" she hollered, gritting her teeth. Sakuya gave no reaction, continuing her way out of the shrine.

As Sakuya vanished from sight, Reimu looked to the red envelope in her hand. She slid it open, taking out an official-looking letter.


Dear Reimu Hakurei

You are cordially invited to the event of a lifetime!

On September 16, Lady Yasaka will be holding a grand tournament. She's invited Gensokyo's strongest residents to take part in a series of televised exhibitions. You will be seeded against each other in one-on-one duels, and the grand prize winner will receive ¥1,000,000,000!

(Reimu's eyes went wide, quietly counting the zeroes on the sheet.)

The tournament will take place at Nine Dragons Stadium, conveniently located on the outskirts of Nameless Hill. It will run over the course of three days, and there's no entrance fee to participate.

On a side note, I'm particularly looking forward to seeing you there, Reimu Hakurei. I hear you are strong, and I'm anxious to test your mettle for myself. As a maiden from a competing shrine, I can't wait to meet you on the fields of battle! That is... if you're brave enough to enter!

Sanae Kochiya


"Sanae... the maiden from the Moriya Shrine," Reimu said. "A battle tournament, huh...? Oh, I so loathe senseless violence. But then, ¥1,000,000,000 is a lot of money. I could fix up the shrine with yen to spare with that much dough." Reimu slowly lowered the letter, soon folding her arms with a smirk. "Hmph. Fine! I'll take your challenge, Sanae Kochiya!"

With that, Reimu went inside, calling it a night as darkness fell over the land.

Days passed, and the sixteenth finally rolled around. Reimu left the shrine, making her way to the stadium near Nameless Hill. Upon arrival, she was shocked by the massive crowds gathered outside. As she lined up to get in, a familiar voice called out to her.

"Yo! Reimu!" Marisa said, slinking her way through dozens of people.

"Marisa!" Reimu replied.

"Hey! Got an invite, too, huh?"

"Yeah. What's this all about, anyway?"

"Beats me. I just came for the grand prize!"

"Where'd this stadium come from, anyhow...? I don't remember such a huge structure being here before."

"It's just been built. I hear ol' Yasaka had it made specifically for this tournament."

"No kidding? It sure went up fast," Reimu said.

"I know, right?" Marisa replied.

Just then, a girl's voice boomed through the crowd over loudspeakers.

"Greetings, everyone!" Aya said from an elevated platform. The crowd turned to her, Aya smiling as she addressed those gathered. "Welcome to Nine Dragons Stadium! For those of you who came to watch today's festivities, please present your ticket and enter through the front gates! For those of you who came to compete... welcome, brave souls! Please! Follow me!" Aya put the microphone down, stepping to ground level as the competitors gathered round.

As Reimu and Marisa headed toward Aya, they looked around, spotting many familiar faces. As they looked to their right, they noticed a shifty group of people from afar.

"Wow... such a crowd!" Hong said, eyeing the massive line to enter the stadium.

"Yes. It is indeed a big turnout," Sakuya replied.

"Too bad the damn sun's out! Go back under a cloud, stupid thing!" Flandre yelled, standing in the shade of Sakuya's parasol along with her sister.

"It matters not. With so many tasty morsels around, we'll be sure to thoroughly drain this stadium of its blood!" Remilia replied wickedly.

As Reimu and Marisa looked to the shady vampire from afar, a purple witch scurried over to Marisa.

"Oh, man... I hope they don't see me," Patchouli said nervously.

"...Patchy!" Marisa replied. "Who cares? If they try anything, we'll just whip their butts again!"

"Hmm. I suppose that is true," Patchouli replied. "And ¥1,000,000,000 is a tidy sum. I'm sure no one here wants to get in trouble and risk losing their chance at the jackpot."

"Yeah. But even so, I can't help but feel tense. There's lots of questionable characters here. Just look over there...," Reimu said. As she pointed left, the three turned to a familiar group off in the distance.

"Woo! What a cool stadium!" Lily said, eyes dazzled as she craned her neck at its heights.

"Please, mistress. You needn't lower yourself to fight. I shall battle in your stead," Youmu said, dressed in her kinky bandaids.

"Don't be silly, Youmu. I just love mixing it up with the peasants and commoners of the realm. But honestly... this heat is just dreadful. You! Fan harder!" Yuyuko said, smacking Mystia over the head.

"Eep! Sorry, mistress," the night sparrow replied, fanning Yuyuko with a large folding fan.

As Reimu, Marisa, and Patchouli watched from afar, Yuyuko briefly caught eyes with Reimu. Reimu stood stoic as Yuyuko tilted her head, hiding a coy smile.

"That woman...," Reimu said under her breath.

"Huh?" Marisa replied. As she and Patchouli looked to Reimu, a familiar figure appeared before them.

"Well, now... if it isn't my favorite little heroines!" she said.

"Yukari!" Reimu replied.

"You're taking part in the festivities, as well?" Patchouli asked.

"Indeed. And so are Ran and Chen, here. Though I have little hope for the poor dears. Ho, ho.~" Yukari said.

"Hey! Don't underestimate us, mistress! Myau!" Chen said.

"Yes. My chi is particularly in tune with nature, today," Ran added.

As the group spoke back and forth, a pair of bunny girls stood across the field.

"Wowza! Such a large group of earthlings!" Tewi said, eyeing the crowds filtering into the stadium.

"And our competition is fierce," Reisen replied, looking to Reimu and the others gathered round. "We'll need to work hard if we wish to win."

"Don't be silly," Eirin said from nearby.

"Indeed," Kaguya added. "This'll be a cinch. Just avoid the barrier chick. She's far too nosy for her own good."

"I don't see Mistress Fujiwara anywhere. Guess she can't be bothered with such trivial matters," Eirin said.

"Neither can I. But I simply can't pass up such a rare event!" Kaguya said.

She and her party headed toward the stadium, following Aya along with the others into the building. They passed several halls, soon entering a large lobby. They headed toward the front desk, a familiar kappa sitting across the counter.

"Okay, everyone. Please wait here while Nitori and I get you all registered. We'll get things started after that, and the names of who you will battle in the first round will appear on the screen," Aya explained, pointing to a large TV in the lobby. Just then, Remilia smirked, slowly approaching the front desk.

"Well, now... if it isn't the little kappa," the vampire said. "You were the one who was gonna blow up my manor, weren't ya? I oughta tear off your head and spit down your throat!"

"Excuse me, Remilia," Nitori replied. "But I would advise against making any unnecessary trouble. Unauthorized altercations that take place outside the coliseum are grounds for disqualification."

"...Tch!" Remilia replied, clicking her tongue in frustration.

"That goes for the rest of you, as well!" Aya added. "I know you all have your differences, but please save your grievances for when it's time to fight! Now please feel free to have a seat while you're waiting. Girls do their best now and are preparing! Please watch warmly until it is ready!"

With that, Aya and Nitori got busy sorting out the paperwork. Time passed as the contenders all sat in the lobby. Each girl waited patiently, and each had their own way of keeping busy.

Reimu and Marisa hung out near the front, sitting in the first row of chairs lining the room. They chatted back and forth, Patchouli joining the conversation whilst doing her best to avoid eye contact with Remilia.

The denizens of Scarlet Devil Manor laid low in a dark corner, the vampire sisters sizing up their prey as their eyes quietly scanned the room. Sakuya sat in silence, cool and composed as Hong paced back and forth. Koakuma followed her around, trying in vain to calm her down.

A few rows up, Yuyuko and the rest of her manor sat around quietly. Yuyuko eyed the room, hiding a smile under her folding fan. Youmu sat nearby, her bare ass against the seat as she remained stoic. Alice, Lily, and Mystia idly bantered, the Prismrivers all the while playing a game of Old Maid.

Yukari's party and Kaguya's group waited in silence, trading glares from opposite ends of the room. They recalled Nitori's warning not to cause trouble, and decided to shelve their unknown grievance for a later date.

Time rolled on, and a few more entries found their way into the lobby. Medicine Melancholy made a fine debut, decked out in a fancy red and black dress that turned more than a few eyes. Her home was the nearby Nameless Hill, so it was no surprise she would enter into the tournament.

Then it was Komachi and Yuuka who appeared, holding hands as Gensokyo's latest couple entered the room. They signed up for the tournament, taking seats next to each other moments later.

Next to waltz in was Keine Kamishirasawa, a powerful demon known for guarding the Human Village. Then it was Daiyousei and Wriggle Nightbug, both barely able to spell their own names on the registration forms.

"Yo, Daiyousei. Where's Cirno?" Nitori asked. Daiyousei shrugged.

"Beats me. I think she dozed off somewhere," the fairy replied.

Letty was the next to walk in, temperature dropping upon her arrival. Followed by her was Eiki, who soon scolded Komachi over her recent conduct.

After twenty minutes, Nitori started wrapping things up. As she and Aya were about to kick things off, one last entree burst through the doors.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaait!" Cirno exclaimed, suddenly tripping flat on the floor. The lobby all looked to her, suddenly erupting in laughter.

"Ha, ha!" Merlin said.

"Clutz!" Chen said.

"Moron!" Tewi said.

"Hey, shut up!" Cirno replied, bouncing to her feet. "Those who call people morons are the morons!"

"Oh yeah? Well how about idiot, then?!" Lyrica yelled.

"Yeah! Idiot works!" Lily added, the room again filling with laughs. As Cirno cringed at everyone, Reimu weakly frowned.

"Poor Cirno... people are always picking on her," she said.

"What do you expect? She is pretty dopey!" Marisa replied.

"That's putting it kindly," Patchouli added.

"That's still no excuse for outright cruelty," Reimu said. Marisa and Patchouli fell silent.

"Yeah... I guess you're right," Marisa replied.

As things quieted down, Cirno signed up for the tournament. Upon reviewing her sheet, Nitori blinked twice, seeing nothing but squiggly lines.

"...Ahem. Pardon me, Cirno, but... what is this?" the kappa asked.

"Uh... my name...?" Cirno replied, nervously laughing as she scratched the back of her head. Aya and Nitori eyed each other, soon turning back to Cirno.

"Umm... you can't read, can you, Cirno?" Aya whispered quietly.

"W—What?! Of course I can!" Cirno replied stubbornly, folding her arms. Aya and Nitori looked to each other, weakly smiling as they made corrections to Cirno's sheet.

Moments later, preparations were at last complete. Aya and Nitori stood, soon addressing all of those gathered.

"Thank you for your patience, everyone! Festivities are about to commence! Please take a look at the TV screen for details and match ups!" Aya said. As the large television in the lobby turned on, all eyes turned to it.


GENSOKYO

GRAND

TOURNAMENT

ROUND 1 :


.=========.

Eiki

vs

Yuyuko

.=========.

Komachi

vs

Flandre

.=========.

Remilia

vs

Kaguya

.=========.

Yukari

vs

Reimu

.=========.

Marisa

vs

Aya

.=========.

Eirin

vs

Patchouli

.=========.

Yuuka

vs

Youmu

.=========.

Sakuya

vs

Medicine

.=========.

Alice

vs

Ran

.=========.

Keine

vs

Reisen

.=========.

Hong

vs

Chen

.=========.

Tewi

vs

Lunasa

.=========.

Lily

vs

Lyrica

.=========.

Merlin

vs

Mystia

.=========.

Wriggle

vs

Cirno

.=========.

Letty

vs

Rumia

.=========.

Koakuma

vs

Daiyousei

.=========.