Sendai Hakurei no Miko Mode

by SKOOLATOON

Reimu's mother was lost some time ago. Familial partings aren't uncommon, after all. Over a decade after her passing, Tsukiko Hakurei again awakens. Stacked against the mystery of her death and new life, and the immense change of the past years under her daughter's reign, she endeavors to reclaim the life she once lived, and more.

26. Unrest

Reimu stood with her posture all on her right leg, one arm on her right hip. "...What gives?"

Before her, Kessho stood, smiling strangely. Sendai and Reimu had found her at the guard headquarters earlier, and after a series of confusing events where Kessho herself was almost killed by a look-alike of herself, she revealed she knew something about Tsuruko's whereabouts.

'When she talks, her doppelganger shows up to try and murder her. Only when she talks. Yet, it doesn't happen if she parrots something Reimu says. She seems to have been on the run, until we found her. All we've got to do is defend her… from herself, probably.'

It was later in the day, well past noon, but not quite evening yet. 'Almost time for sunset.'

"Isn't this similar to a riddle, of sorts?" Rinnosuke suddenly spoke up, now seated on the rightmost couch.

...At the central couch, colored warmly by the gentle lamps of Keine's home, Sendai blinked. She was stirred from her thinking. "Hmm?"

"If she can only parrot what Reimu specifically says, then all we must do is make Reimu start making assumptions, or speaking sentences with words she may use."

Thinking only briefly on that, Sendai gave a few nods. "That's… an interesting idea, but…"

Reimu seemed against it. "That's gonna take forever. And- I'm sure we can handle just one loser with a gun." ...She gave Kessho a half-smile. "Um, no offense."

"No offense." Kessho echoed her words, still smiling in contrast to her prior fear. "...Also, it's fine. You don't need to do that."

Kessho met Sendai's gaze. "I'll just shoot it. Before it shoots me."

...Brows furrowing, Sendai snorted. "Wouldn't that kill you?"

Kessho didn't say anything.

"Before then- I'll try and tell you st- stuff." Kessho's smile widened. "But-"

BANG! BANG! Sendai only barely expected it; the crack of gunfire when she knew everyone else would least expect it. 'Aah-'

Kessho had drawn a gun- a revolver of her own. She'd shot at the clone of herself who'd appeared across the room- and the clone had shot back at her.

They'd both missed one another with their adrenal, reflexive shots- but Sendai was left searingly tense. 'Oh, fuck. How'd that clone get in here-'

"This is the end, for me." Kessho closed her eyes, both of her speaking at once. "But if there's not a happy ending for either of us-"

"I'll take the rat out myself."

"Wh-..." Keine's eyes were wide, as she looked around. "Don't!"

cli- click. They both pulled the hammer back on their revolvers-

"Cautionary Barrier!" Reimu threw up another barrier, jumping in the way of the original Kessho-

'Her back's to the other one!' Sendai moved to defend her daughter-

BANG- BANG! Both Kesshos shot their revolvers.

TING! Reimu's barrier stopped one bullet outright. She blinked, eyes wide, surprised Kessho went ahead and shot at her anyway-

THUNK! "Uhf- khk-..." Sendai staggered back, then fell to her knees. She was shot dead-on in the gut.

"Aa- mom!" Reimu looked down at her, and saw the blood along the floor. "You morons! Look what you did!" Looking down- somewhat behind herself- Reimu saw her barrier maintain a new bullet hole, and her mother's blood along her own leg. "Uu- ah..."

"Tsukiko!" Keine moved to Sendai's side, kneeling down next to her. "Aa- are you okay!?"

"What the fuck!?" Aina crouched, holding her head. "Stop shooting guns!"

Rinnosuke stood from the couch, and yelled at the Kessho nearest him. "Hey!"

SENDAI HAKUREI NO MIKO MODE

26

Unrest

'Fuck getting shot. Fuck guns. Fuck…'

Feeling the tinge of anger in the back of her throat, Tsukiko glared up at Kessho, and began to stand.

"Get out of my way." Kessho frowned down at her, despite Rinnosuke looming right next to her. "Let me kill myself."

"What-" Sendai's glare strengthened, "-the hell do you think you're doing…?"

Click- click! Both Kesshos drew the hammers back on their revolvers again.

'If these idiots kill each other here- Keine's done for, for sure.'

"Answer me!" Sendai began to lurch forward, past Keine and towards the clone Kessho.

Reimu moved her barrier, trying to block the oncoming shot from the original Kessho. She was somewhat rattled by her mother's volume- and the volume of the guns.

"Nn- no one likes- the way that idiot blabs!" The doppelganger Kessho answered quickly, her frustration shook from her by Sendai's volume. "I'm-..."

"And if no one likes how I live," the original Kessho began, "I'll end it myself! Re- redemption-..."

BANG! Weaving past Reimu's barrier, Kessho fired at her other self-

BAM! Sliding to the left, the other Kessho stood and fired at her original self.

They'd both missed- Rinnosuke ducking to not get caught in the crossfire. Keine's mouth was ajar, as bullet holes filled her walls. "You-..."

"Redemption!" Both versions of Kessho yelled. "In death!"

'If this stupid kid kills herself here- it's getting pinned on Keine.'

'Her idolized school will be over- and I'm sure some of that's what this Tsuruko bitch wants at this point. Without education, this village creeps ever closer to the void, and so do all the families with it...'

'All because this little brat wanted to sink into nothing- and she'll stupidly drag everyone else down with her.'

'I couldn't care what she wanted to do to herself. But, to pull this shit, right here, born from her own problems?'

Sendai thought of the families Keine spoke of- the children, and her career.

"Hmph!" She tensed her whole body, bleeding wound flaring with amber light.

CRACK! She stomped Keine's floor so hard, the wood boards beneath herself gave some beneath her weight.

-+- Vs. Kessho Itonokogiri, Artificial Hakurei Project, Reconnaissance Division Leader -+-

With a golden shell of light bent around her form, Sendai glowered down at the doppelganger Kessho.

"Uu-..." Kessho stumbled back, aiming her gun at Sendai. "Just- let me do it! I-... I'll shoot you too! Aa- again!"

"What the fuck're you trying to do!?" Sendai powered closer-

Bam! Her knee bumped the couch behind Rinnosuke, and it slid a meter, drawing her attention.

Click! Kessho drew the hammer on her revolver-

VRRR! "Haa- ah!" The original Kessho shot a cyan-white, yin-yang laser into Reimu's cautionary barrier.

Reimu watched it meet her barrier, then seemingly vanish. "Hm…?" On instinct, she looked back.

VRRR! The beam suddenly shot out of the other Kessho-

SHIFF- SPLACK! It pierced Sendai's stomach. This beam wasn't danmaku, leaving a hole straight through her. "Hhk- aa-"

BAM! The other Kessho shot Sendai in the stomach in that moment, and blood shot from her mouth.

"Gods…!" Keine grabbed Sendai's side, as she staggered back. "Kessho! What-... what have you done!?"

CRACK! Breaking through her own barrier, Reimu came up to the original Kessho.

WHAM! Her sandal met Kessho in the face, sending her straight onto her back.

whump! Promptly, the doppelganger stumbled back, staggered, as if a similar kick met her own face. "Nh- ah-...!"

'And-... for sure-... I- I'm not getting fucked over here…!'

Standing again, despite the holes in her, the explosive yellow shell around her body glowed even brighter. She was numb to the pain of the bullets and the beam, but still felt the damage done, her body shifting and shuddering to keep moving.

PAP- PAP. She grabbed one of Keine's couches, by the short end.

Click! The other Kessho drew the hammer back on her revolver.

'I won't let you ruin Keine's life- or Reimu's either!'

"HORAA~H!" Her mind flushing with adrenaline- Sendai snapped the entire couch forward.

WHABAM! Kessho was launched, clotheslined by the whole couch.

Spinning around on her heels- Sendai's teeth grinded with seismic ferocity.

WHABOOM! Sendai accidentally struck the other couch with this one-

THUNK- BAM- BAM! Keine was struck by the two couches together, sent flying. "Wha- huaa~!"

THUNK- THUMP! Aina was sent bowling into a roll after she was clipped by the couch Sendai was hurling around. "Uu- shit!"

BAM- BAM! Rinnosuke dove to the floor like a rock, rammed by the couch, choosing to fall over so he wouldn't stop Sendai's momentum. "Uhf- nn-"

WOOSH! With that, Sendai let go, unleashing the couch in the air after spinning three-sixty.

"Whu- oh, no-" Having just recovered from the first hit, Kessho pointed her gun at the couch, as it soared at her, small side first.

BOOM- THOOM! The couch had come at her like a javelin, and crushed her straight into the wall behind herself.

Bam! After Kessho had been squished into the wall, the couch bounced against the floor on landing, all of its cushions already gone from Sendai's aggressive toss earlier.

BAM! Then, Sendai smacked the couch away. Mechanically, rigidly, she marched towards Kessho, who stood stunned against the wall.

When Sendai approached-

BANG! Beaming, Kessho shot her in the stomach again. "Maybe-..." She smiled wider. "Maybe-..."

"Ghk-" Blood shot from Sendai's mouth, but she didn't stagger. She didn't flinch- not because she didn't jump, but because her body was so rigid, she couldn't.

Kesshi leered. "if I somehow kill you- Tsu-chan will forgive me- and I won't have to kill myself. I won't be so stupid- after all..."

Sendai's glare tightened, as she leered down at Kessho in turn.

Kessho blinked, having expected any reaction other than complete stillness. She began to raise her gun, hands shaky-

Sendai grabbed Kessho by both sides of her head.

The original Kessho stood, gun aimed at Sendai. "Don't stop her- I mean me-"

WHACK! Reimu clubbed her with her gohei.

BANG! Kessho took a shot, and as she couldn't aim like this, it missed anything of value.

The Kessho that Sendai held onto twitched, feeling the strike of Reimu's gohei.

'Enough-... of this stupid bullshit!'

Sendai reeled her head back.

WHACRUNCH! She headbutt Kessho in the nose. The blow was fierce enough to create a red shockwave of blood in the air, all splaying out from Kessho's nose, some coating Sendai's face.

thud. Kessho dropped to her knees when Sendai let her go. "Kh- aa- kaugh- kauff…"

'I'll make you wish you'd killed yourself earlier…!'

As Kessho lamented her bloody nose, and her screwed-up vision, she looked up to see Sendai looming down.

A sandal slowly pressed against Kessho's face. Her eyes widened, as she saw Sendai hold up both arms, fully extending them for leverage, appearing as a golden dreadnaught before her.

"Fuck-" Sendai roared, "YOU!"

CRACK- CRUNCH! Sendai thrust her left leg forward, bending Kessho back. Since Kessho was against the wall, Sendai's leg pushed Kessho's upper body back into the wall.

KABOOM! When Kessho was fully crushed against the floor, under Sendai's heel, she was left as a mangled mess. Half-embedded in the broken wall, face bloody, a sea of orange aura flushing out around Sendai's body and heel, as well as her own core.

cr- crunch- crack. The Kessho before Reimu seemingly crumpled into a pretzel. "Ee- aa- uh- aa-"

Reimu twitched, suppressing a few incredulous chuckles deep in her throat. "Uu- um…"

...With that, Sendai stumbled back, head airy. "...Da- damn-... damn it-"

Before she fell, Rinnosuke caught her, drawing a potion from her pockets.

'...You know. Not really much has changed, has it.'

Sendai learned Wounded Mastery!

Sendai learned Essence of Extreme Oni.

...Both versions of Kessho sat tied up together in the room's midst, atop the coffee table.

Sendai's shell-like, black-yellow kimono had been temporarily removed, as Keine wanted to examine her wounds as they healed.

"Most of them went all the way through, it would seem…" Keine confirmed. "Those were pretty powerful guns."

"Most, huh." Sendai cast her gaze up.

...Keine nodded. "You're definitely going to need to see a doctor, when this is all done."

'Not like I ever really visited doctors before… but I probably should've more often.'

"You-..." Kessho gave Sendai a drained look. "You hit like-... I- I don't even know. I've never been in more pain."

'...There's something incredibly off by how plainly she put that.'

"And you're gonna be in more if you don't tell me what the fuck that was all about." Sendai stood, stepping closer to them. "Why are there two of you, where's Tsuruko, and where'd you get those guns?"

"...Um." Kessho stared up at Sendai. "Maybe I-... should start, from the beginning."

'When I think about it, I could have taken on that encounter more strategically. Jury's out on how efficient that have been, however.'

Some seconds of staring her down, resisting the urge to recede just into her own thoughts, Sendai sighed. "Maybe you should."

'When'd I become the town nanny…'

Reimu was seated next to Sendai, arms folded, glaring fiercely. She'd become fiercely protective of her mother, it would seem, and this whole event left her more than a little shaken.

'I wonder if she's trying to compensate for almost murdering me earlier. ...She really doesn't have to, but I won't say anything. Not anytime soon, at this rate. I could never hold anything against her.'

'She's the person I'm the actual mother of! These random fuckoff maidens might need actual parents that care about them- but that mother isn't me...!'

After some silence, and expectant stares, Kessho spoke up. "...Tsu- Tsuruko-... Tsu-chan, she got mad at me earlier."

"She was angry that I talked to you, Tsukiko. I thought she was gonna beat me up, like she does a lot. Instead, she put her hand on my head, and before I knew it… there was another me."

Both Kesshos seemed to stare down, crestfallen, but only the real one spoke. "She said she'd show me my power. What my faith would be capable of, or something. My laser became stronger, and-... I felt more capable. I kinda felt like someone. But…"

The other Kessho spoke. "You can't take back the damage you've caused."

Kessho shut her eyes. "...I- I asked Tsuruko how… how I'd put everything I've done behind me."

"So, she told us." The other Kessho smiled. "This is who we are. Maidens who bring sadness through our words."

Keine looked depressed, as she sat in the big chair in the back of the room.

Rinnosuke didn't say anything, giving her a solid stare.

"You needed to be shown that?" Reimu wasn't merciful. "...Actually, she was wrong. You bring sadness with guns."

Sendai shook her head. 'These maidens are draining, sometimes.'

Still, she pushed on. "So you decided to kill yourself."

"No~." The other Kessho spoke. "I decided to kill her. The fucking rat deserves it."

"But-..." Kessho sighed. "I- I don't want to die. Not yet… I- I don't know why, but-"

"Look what you've brought to these people." The other Kessho argued. "If you'd just let me shoot you earlier- no one would be mad."

"Nn- not if I shoot you first." Kessho threatened herself. "I'll kill you."

"Not like you can do it, now. You've really fucked it all up."

"St- stop. Stop being mean."

"Not until you stop being a rat. Rat bastard."

"I- I didn't mean to-"

"No one means to screw everything up. They still do. That's how it always works. You can't clean your hands. All you can do is die."

"Why do you hate me so much…?"

"Because you deserve it. You deserve to be hated. Tsukiko should have killed you. Tsuruko should have killed you. You should have killed yourself."

Sendai stood up, feeling at her chest bindings, making sure they were on right. 'I wear bindings with the big black kimono, rather than my leotard. After all, it's not like the leotard's rubber helps with stupidly swinging my arms around like a gorilla.'

"Kill her." Other-Kessho beamed up at Sendai. "Or, at least- you gotta agree. She fucked everything up."

"...Just hit me." Kessho resigned herself. "Do-... whatever you want. I give up…"

Sendai fed darkness and shade over her eyes, to blind herself.

That's when she saw it, as she anticipated. The twin figures of Kessho and her doppelganger were visible, but the one made of magic shone brighter.

'The other Kessho is made of holy stuff. She's a magic clone. And, at that, perhaps an extension of Kessho's personality herself. I don't know how that crap works, but I've got a good hunch that's what I'm looking at here.'

With that idea in her mind, Sendai reached out.

She planted her palm onto both heads, gripping both Kessho's skulls tightly.

Gold holy feeding into her arms, off of her frustration and annoyance, Sendai grit her teeth and seethed. "You oughta get-..."

She leaned both their heads forward, opposite of eachother.

"-your fucking shit together!"

Clunk! Then, she rammed both heads together.

FZZT- CRACK- FZT- FZT! As she firmly pushed both skulls into one another, the other Kessho's form became featureless, neon-cyan. "Nngh- haegh- ngh! Wha- what're- stop! Stop!"

From what Kessho had said, Tsuruko had somehow invoked Kessho's potential to divide into two earlier, by placing a palm onto Kessho's forehead.

Tsukiko was about to undo that by smashing them back together with force; a palm to both their heads. 'Fuck this split personality shit. Everyone else handles all their problems in one body. As nice as it would be to argue it out with yourself- it doesn't help if the other self's just going to be a dick instead…!'

"Don't- put me back!" The other Kessho flailed her limbs, no longer tightly bound since the two were now phasing into one another. "Fuck you! Coward! Weakling! Let go of me! Let- go- of-"

FWAZAZAP- FWAASH! Kessho became neon cyan-white for an instant.

The rope fell down onto her lap, the binding meant for two people instead of one.

...Blinking, she felt at her features. "Um…" Then, she slouched. "I-... I feel… weird, again. I fe- feel... nu- numb... again."

"That's too bad." Sendai smiled. "For a detective or whatever, you suck at getting a clue. Maybe before you wander around the village being weird again, you ought to go do something you want to do, or something. Buy ice cream. Eat at a fancy restaurant. Play board games with random kids your age. Something that isn't being a one-way telegram."

"But-" Kessho spoke out. "I- I'm too weird- for that."

"Then who needs 'em, you can still go eat or, whatever." Sendai wouldn't let her remain complacently displeased. "Honest to gods, do something. What do you like to do?"

"...Um." Kessho wasn't sure what to say. "...Lis- listening to what people say, is kind of nice?"

"Read books." Sendai recommended. "Seriously. Doesn't have to be magic or academic, either. Read novels. There's a shop for them."

"There's also really welcoming people… outside the village." Reimu brought something else up… "So, if you ever get lonely… I mean, you can stop by my shrine. Hell-... er, heck knows some people need an ear. Pretty sure most people would consider their stories kinda exciting, or something."

...Sendai smiled at her daughter. "You probably could have gone with 'hell knows'. I don't consider 'hell' an exactly bad swear…"

"I- I'm supposed to be a shrine maiden." Reimu grinned back awkwardly. "I can't have a sailor mouth."

"Who the fuck cares?" Sendai made sure to swear unnecessarily for effect. "I can fucking swear and shit as I damn well please."

Keine interjected. "Please don't shit here, Tsukiko. Your daughter would be mortified."

"Pfh- whah…" Reimu was thrown off by Keine's sudden attempt at humor. "Wh- what…?"

Sendai chuckled. 'Damn it, Keine.'

Kessho looked plain still, as she observed everyone make light of the moment.

Returning her focus to the smaller girl, Sendai continued. "Anyway. If you're done feeling sorry for yourself… it'd be nice if we could get some information. Might make Tsuruko sad, but-... this might sound unconvincing, but we're the good guys."

Slowly, Keine palmed her own face. "I think you're overworked, Tsukiko."

Sendai snorted. 'Well, of course I am. I'm practically doing everything here.'

"Tsu- Tsuruko said she was the good guys-... um, good guy." Kessho had a small expression. "Hoh- how do I know you aren't lying?"

Sendai wanted to threaten her with force, before leaning back. 'Nah. Not gonna work… and, I shouldn't be so violent.'

Keine knew exactly what to say, however. "I'll get you some books." She was deliberate and gentle with her wording, for some reason.

...Apparently, that was all the incentive Kessho needed. "Um. Okay. I guess I'll tell you…"

'Wha- really. That easy? Might just be because Keine taught her…'

"Tsuruko's hanging out on the top floor of the Golden Grin." Kessho revealed. "I-... I don't know what she's planning- but she's got a lot of really weird and interesting stuff. She wouldn't even tell me about them, which was… kind of scary, but impressive. Not even after I asked a whole bunch. No one else knew, either."

"...Guns?" Sendai wondered.

Kessho shook her head. "Nothing of any outside design. I don't… think they were guns."

'That's one question answered, thankfully. Tsuruko's whereabouts, that is.'

"Golden Grin, top floor, got it." Reimu nodded. "Let's go, mom."

"Hua- aa- hold on." Kessho stood, and moved to get near the two Hakurei maidens. "But-... like, you'll die!"

"If I had a yen-" Cutting herself off, Sendai shook her head. "We probably won't, let's be honest."

"Even so…" Kessho shook her head. "You really can't go unprepared. Tsuruko's… probably expecting you. Even if she's not, she will be once you start making your way up to her."

'...I guess. I feel as though I've already prepared some. I got those ten healing items I never used for the last time we had to step foot in the Golden Grin.'

"She's right." Keine naturally erred on the side of caution. "At least go with Mokou, or Kasen, or someone. Even when they went with you last time, it was a struggle."

Rinnosuke stood up. "If they don't turn up, I'll go with you."

Aina bounced up. "Me too! I gotta get revenge for Tatsua-chan!"

...Reimu gave her mother a dull look. "If you think they really won't hold us back…"

Sendai shrugged, and made for the door. "Whatever. Actually…" Pausing, she turned back for Kessho. "Do you know anyone else Tsuruko's screwed with?"

...Kessho shook her head. "Um. Not… exactly."

'Looks like our job is almost done, then. That, or she's spacing out details. I bet her memory isn't completely perfect.'

"Alright." With that, Sendai began to move. "Let's go."

"Wait-... right now?" Rinnosuke was taken aback. "I- shouldn't be surprised, yet-"

"Yes." Huffing off, Sendai left out the front door.

Watching Reimu drift outside after her, Keine sighed. "Geez. Those two..."

-+- Sendai Hakurei no Miko Mode -+-

"...Why's this all gotta come back to Yukari's shi-... stupid casino, anyway?" Reimu grumbled. "Ugh."

'...Is that who owns that casino? What.'

As the sun sat in the distance, rendering half the sky a fiery orange, and the other half a deep winter's navy blue, stars began to populate the night sky.

Sendai hustled down the alleys between the shingled homes, on a mission. 'Now I'm feeling it. That feeling of urgency. I-... I missed this, somehow. Unrest. Things are happening. This town is alive, in the wrong way- and I'm gonna get to the bottom of it.'

Sendai came out of the alleys before north mainstreet; the road with Golden Grin on it.

Reimu floated down next to her mother, having flown over the rooftops. "Hey. ...Um. I don't ask many people this, but-... you're okay after that last fight, right?"

'What? ...Awh.'

Sendai smiled at her. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Nothing a little medicine and artificial healing won't bandage for the time being. After this, I'm probably just gonna sleep for a few days. Once all the actually urgent shit is over."

'After this, I still have to get back to work on my personal matters. Finding out-... more about how I died, how I came back to life, and all of that shit.'

'That can wait. I'm not gonna let this idiot ruin Keine's life, or anyone else's. Maybe shut down that damn youkai casino too. I might've hated the smug circlejerk that was this village ten years ago, but it was cozy. Now… now, it feels…'

'You know, it's actually sort of hard to say. I haven't been back that long, and I've mostly been pulling the weeds, so to speak. But, people sure keep to themselves more.'

Reimu shivered. "Where the hell's Kourin…?"

'I might be rubbing off on her with the swearing. Should-... should I watch myself? Um.'

"Good question." Sendai could think about that later, too. "Well, he can't fly, and we just kind of ran off…"

"Maybe we should wait for them." Reimu slouched, and landed before Sendai. "It's gonna be dumb if they try and follow us inside after we already trailblazed- and then they get stuck, or worse."

...As Sendai and Reimu stood there, across the street and down some ways from the Golden Grin proper, a man in an outsider cap and thick, orange-tinted glasses stumbled from a different bar behind Sendai.

thump. He walked into her by accident. "Wh- aa-... shit, shorry…"

Sendai turned around, and gave a nod. "Excuse me." She was standing pretty close to the front door, she realized.

Then, he sized her up, and paused. "...Oo- ohmigod."

He came up to Sendai, and began to dance in place. "Lhemme turn you on, girl!"

Sendai blinked.

"She said she don't need dick from me; she lost her man an' she grieving!" He spun three-sixty, holding one arm out, before returning to bouncing in place with his hand on his crotch. "Then I tell her I'm a Kandy boy, welcome to my Kandy world! Come an' play with this Kandy toy, you are now a Kandy girl!"

...Reimu's jaw dropped, and Sendai gave him the plainest of stares.

-+- Vs. Drunkards -+-

Thump. Sendai inserted him butt-first into a trash can that was near the bar. "Wh- ua- hold on!? Yo-... ah… damn."

Sendai found pocket lint.

"Wa- ha- wait, don't leave! Whu- what'd I do wrong?" The outsider guy asked, still stuck with his upper body and legs poking out of the trash can. "Chicks dug that poem, bro…"

Pausing under the dimming sky, Sendai plainly twisted to stare vacantly at the man.

"My husband died. I loved him." Sendai monotoned. "I'm not some cheap hoe, either. If you didn't want me to throw you out, you shouldn't have acted like trash."

"Oo-... ooh." It clicked for the man. "Ooh, damn honey- I'm sorry, honey, I'm sorry. Ca- can I make it up ta you? Dinner? Dinner maybe?"

"No thanks." Sendai's monotone was level. "Let's go, Reimu."

"Yo! What the fu~ck!" Another late-teens boy was heard, stumbling out of the bar nearby.

This one was less scrawny, and somewhat taller. "What'd you do to my boy!?"

"Yo- chill, Max!" The disposable man called out to his friend. "Don't scare her off- she's a beaut'…!"

The blonde, distinctly outsider, american teen rumbled up to Sendai with a fierce glare. "Yo- bitch! The fuck you playin', huh!? Youkai cow!"

"Geez…" Reimu was somewhat displaced by his sheer aggression. "Outsiders can be bad, but this is ridiculous…"

"And who the fuck're you!?" He didn't seem to know who Reimu even was. "...Well- you're hot- but this chick-" He pointed at Sendai. "How're you gonna make it up to me? Youkai hag?"

"...Is this how you solve your problems?" Sendai slouched slightly. "How often does this kind of thing end without a fight?"

He beamed. "Never. But I always win. I mean-..." He calmed down, slightly. "Since I came to this Japan place- I've been kinda avoiding fights- but you's the whore who put Carlos in a trash can!"

Walking up to Sendai, he tried to push her.

She tilted back slightly, but didn't so much as step back. Max was staggered some, expecting less resistance.

Sendai's stare didn't change. "Maybe you should tell your friend to get better manners. He insulted my dead husband."

"Oh- he's dead?" 'Max' jerked his head back. "...Maybe he shouldn't'a died then! Hahahah! I said bow to me, bitch. Ain't that Japanese manners?"

"And if I don't?" Sendai held her head high.

...Max cracked his knuckles. "Then I'm takin' you in that alley back there- an' showin' you why I'm the boxin' champion back at my high school. I'll be ya new boyfriend, how about that?"

...Sendai smiled.

Fwish! "Hrah!" Red energy bloomed from her form, then flaring into prismatic, white energy.

-+- Vs. Outsiders -+-

Having been jostled by her pulse of vitality, Max was a few more meters away from her. "...Hah. Fuckin' youkai. Don't care what you shoot at me. I'm 'boutta put your ass in the air."

Reimu looked somehow awed, taking in the man's attitude.

"Come hit me." Sendai beckoned him. "If you think you can."

He beamed. "Oh- fuck yeah!"

In a near instant, he was on Sendai.

Whap! She blocked an oncoming right hook with her forearm-

Whap- whap! He hooked twice for her gut, once with each arm, but she used the ends of her elbows to stop each strike.

Pap! He tried to slap her breasts- but his slap just ended up on her right forearm instead.

"Hah!" Then, he threw a great jab for her gut-

Pap. She caught the fist with a palm.

'Now!' Sensing his string of attacks was done, she acted.

Whap! Shifting her whole posture, her left side faced him as she drove a mighty thrusting palm for his stomach.

But, as she was now, the hit was weak. "...Hah?" He grinned. "Wh- what was that? Damn…! That's-... really cute, actually!"

'Come on!' She grit her teeth, and drove the same arm back.

WHAWHAM! This time, she thrust the palm in at a downward angle, remembering her instincts on her first combo finisher.

When it struck the center of his upper chest, Max seemingly did a half-backflip where he stood. Sliding off the floor, he was thrown right onto his neck and shoulders. "Whu- ughn…"

Thud. Promptly, the rest of his body fell back down, leaving him on his back, staring at the sky.

This Core Palm technique would apply the perfect force to turn a lesser opponent on their head, literally. While it was only good as a juke in advanced conflicts, against human opponents it was fast enough to quickly dispatch foes. It rotated them around the core of their mass, effortlessly combining Sendai's strength with dangerous precision.

'Yes… yes, that's it. That was it. That blow-... while it couldn't hold all the power it could have, it held the amount of power I would've used to take down a human safely.'

"Was that it?" Sendai leered down at him. "Some champion."

'...The question now is, can I beat him with only this one technique? It's- really the only useful one I know right now. The only useful original technique I know… next to one other one, but it's a little tricky to just use so simply.'

'Perhaps… I should develop a new strategy.'

Fwish. Bouncing in place, Sendai threw her fists into the air boxing-style. Her white, prismatic light dimmed, becoming pink instead.

'Each style seems to be fuelled by a particular urge or emotion. If I can control my own emotions… I can control myself.'

As Max got back up, focusing, Sendai stood before him, her fists up defensively now.

"The- the fuck…" Wiping his face, he focused. "Lucky shot."

Sendai danced in place before him, her legs constantly shifting. Casually intrigued, he tilted his head forward, staring intently…

Whish! He barreled towards her. "Yo!"

Fwish! Sendai weaved her whole upper body around his right hook.

His arm billowed through her black hair as it flicked up overhead, and it seemed as though he'd managed to land his blow anywhere except Sendai herself.

Noticing her blindingly fast movement, he threw an underarm jab for her gut. It had the greatest chance of hitting.

whish. Ducking again, Sendai weaved aside the coming fist, letting it pass by her cheek.

Fwi- fwish! Before he could attempt to randomly slap her, Sendai slid back twice.

Noticing her distance, he smiled, letting his arms drop. "Huh-"

Fwish! Sendai slid up into his face in another moment-

Pap! Her palm met his gut. "Hru- uu-" He feigned cringing, and then-

Whish! "Gotcha!" He tried to slam his own palm into her head.

Grinning wildly, she leaned back, pink lines left in the air by her gleaming eyes as she got just out of range of his arm's width.

"Fuck this!" He went to grab her flowing hair-

Whish! She practically crouched and slid to the back-left, cringing out of the way entirely, anticipating a more direct blow.

He couldn't seem to actually grip her purple-tinted, flowing locks. It was as if they intentionally curled around his hands, avoiding him. That which he did grab flowed through his fingers like water, caught in their own momentum.

Woosh! Fed up with that, he threw a kick-

whish! Pressing her hands to the floor, Sendai slid right across the front of him, under his somewhat low kick.

She was back into standing in literally the next moment. "What the fuck…" Max was weirded out.

"You can't hit shit." Sendai leered at him, taking some steps back. "How're you gonna make me submit to you- if you can't even land one blow?"

'Maneuvering- is quite a bit harder in this heavier outfit… perhaps using this kimono somewhere between cloth and armor wasn't a good fit for actual execution of skills.'

Now uncertain, without any plan, Max ran at her. Holding his arms out, he threw himself at her to grapple her. "Come- on!"

Fwi- fwi- fwish! Sendai skidded behind him, using three jerking motions to draw a half-circle in the stone road, skirting around him.

"The- fuck…" He sighed, turning to face her. "Stop fuckin' moving and fight me!"

'It was your idea to attack a woman. ...Actually, I wonder.' Sendai had an idea.

"Fine." Sendai stood still, arms raised. "...Come on."

Face serious, expecting something tricky from her, Max came up to her as she bounced in place…

He feigned a left punch, and jabbed his right arm for her face-

Ducking down, Sendai pressed her own right arm against his stomach, and hooked her left arm against his side.

"Predictable!" Like this, Sendai was able to weave around behind him and push him past herself at the same time.

To Max, it was like she'd just vanished. Her touch was too light to even feel.

He wasn't aware enough of his surroundings to really see what happened- having expected a brutal counterpunch, or to meet guarding arms, or something, anything. "What," he looked down, where she'd touched him, but she was seemingly gone. "The fuck."

Stifling her grin, Sendai tensed her body, and shut her eyes.

'This fucker wants to prove he's better than me- in front of my daughter? To think he'd dream of having his way with me…'

BAM! "Hmph!" Sendai called frustration to her mind, and stomped the stones beneath herself.

Max turned-

Sendai grabbed him by the collar. "Hraa~h!"

WOOSH! With just one arm, she lifted him right off the ground. Twirling one-eighty, she lobbed him straight overhead, sending him sailing across the road.

"Wh- gouh- geez- aaa~!" As he flew, he flailed-

BAM! He landed hard on his back, legs landing against the wall. "Khu- uh…" The impact was so hard, he rolled away from the wall, over his neck and head, and onto his stomach. "Nghk."

Sendai obtained 8,800 Yen.

...Now standing next to 'Carlos', who still rested half-embedded in that one trash can, Max bowed. "I'm-... um, I'm sorry…?"

"Cheapo." Sendai didn't appreciate the small sum. "Well, whatever. Let's go, Reimu."

As she browsed off, and Reimu followed, the men idly bantered. "Chick's a fuckin' monster…"

"Max- man, I told you, bro. Chill next time…"

'When I play with the wind and dodge around- fights end up going on longer than they probably should. Provided, I wasn't really being aggressive. When I go all-in on force, it's really easy to chew through people who rely on similar strategies. ...It's almost not fair, because I'm sort of just, stronger than most people.'

"What a whacky fight." Reimu shook her head… "I- I'm not sure if I preferred how you used to fight stuff, or whatever this new self-taught thing you've got going on is."

"...It was somewhat strange, I suppose." Sendai agreed. "If there was any time to experiment, it'd be against random idiots who feel like picking fights."

'As for how I used to fight…'

'I didn't fully teach myself everything I knew through observation. Yes- just observing what was around me really wasn't good enough. I had strength, but I didn't have technique.'

'It was discipline that had to be learned. It was so long ago, however. Even before I died, my memories of when I'd just learned how to fight skillfully were somewhat vague. Decades tend to blur the lines...'

'They were skills from texts I'd read. Old scrolls, probably passed down at some point by the Hakurei who used to be. By the time I'd found them, they were abandoned treasures, mixed in with worthless antiques, heirlooms, and gold offerings, stored in the underground ruins. I think they were Hakurei techniques, but I accepted other skills which flowed well too.'

She supposed this realization came with that bout she had with herself earlier, as it'd awoken her ability to do at least one of her former techniques cognitively. 'With that technique… I remembered where I'd found it.'

It was a cold evening, alone in the Hakurei Shrine. During the time she worked with Marcus on jobs, but hadn't met Keisuke yet. That was when she read the first scroll- of Core Palm-centric martial arts, which specifically referenced a Hakurei's superior body and aptitude for physicality.

'What about those other scrolls? Damn… I have only a rough idea of where they would even be now.'

"Hey, Reimu." Sendai was curious… "When you were exploring the abandoned shrine beneath the hill, did you ever find any scrolls?"

Reimu paused, as they idled only a couple hundred meters up the road from the previous fight. "Oh? Uuh. Why…?"

"Just curious." Sendai wouldn't say too much yet… "They used to belong to me."

"...Oh." Reimu smiled. "I, um, might have… sold them."

...Sendai blinked. Then, she nodded. "I see. Any idea who?"

Reimu had expected a more anime reaction, but her mother's casualness about the situation was refreshing. In regards to her question, "uh. Lots of people?" Reimu couldn't really say for sure. "Kourin. The mansion. Marisa, probably. I had a yard sale of junk on some day, and I actually made an okay amount of money."

'It'd be too easy, were it just some loser in the village who had them. Oh well. I'm sure things will come back to me eventually.'

'On that note, perhaps I should consider studying some kind of actual martial art again. But… I remember nothing truly holding a candle to my youkai-busting techniques. Most martial arts are made by humans, for humans, to fight humans. Though they exercise skill over strength… youkai are beyond strength.'

'Thereby, I had to be beyond strength. Beyond what is beyond strength.'

"Aah-... haa~h..."

That's when Rinnosuke hobbled onto the scene, panting. "There-... there you- are…"

Sendai took pause, and eyed him plainly. "What held you up?"

"I-..." Racing to a stop, he slouched, placing his hands on his thighs as he caught his breath. "I- thought you'd- gone some other direction-... and- I wasted a lot of time…"

whish! Aina jogged up to them, her ponytail bouncing behind her. "Woo! Man…!" Seeing Sendai, she beamed. "Oh, shit, we found her!"

"...It feels strange, seeing a skimpy human girl in better shape than a half-youkai." Sendai criticized Rinnosuke's lack of endurance. "You should do morning runs, Kourin."

"I- I'll see about that…" He didn't plan on it. "I'm- only half-youkai, you know…"

Aina propped an arm onto Rinnosuke, leaning on him as he recouped. "Kourin's sturdy, but he's really slow."

One of his brows twitched. "I'd prefer-... if you didn't phrase it like that."

...Turning, Sendai cast her gaze up along the Golden Grin.

-+- Sendai Hakurei no Miko Mode -+-

It was an ironically slow day at the Golden Grin. As Sendai had Aina lead them inside, the place seemed both short of hosts, hostesses, and clients.

'Let it also be said, that it seems as though the same clients return here again and again. As if it's the only thing in the world they have to do. Don't they have jobs? Or, are these the aristocrats with money to spare?'

'...Knowing the village's rich assholes, probably the latter.'

Today was strictly the regulars, it would seem. Old men who Sendai recognized previously on her last few visits. Seldom did these people deviate. They always sat in the same places, wore the same suits, and seemed to ask for the same hostesses. Or hosts, were they aged women.

"Is- is Nan-chan okay? She didn't get hurt the other day, did she…?"

"Where's my Bun-chan?"

"Kugo-kun… I heard he was in a fight… again."

'Again? What a little shit.'

"Ooh!" As they passed the bar, making their way to the back of the dim, oddly quiet club, an older man in a beige yukata called out to them. "Lady Aina! Are you okay!?"

"Um?" Aina wasn't sure what he was talking about. "Sure am, dude! Never better!"

'Their concern would be touching if this place didn't have the implication of being a brothel of sorts over it. A prison for those too weak to resist it, at that.'

She thought of Tatsuako, who was forced into this situation. Keiko, who was forced into Heaven Springs after being collected off the streets by the Artificial Hakurei Project. Tadiyuki, who could have been forced into this pit too, but instead chose a life of murder and violence.

As they walked towards the staff door along the stage's side, Aina stuck her tongue out, in a dangerously snug attempt to express disgust. "Old dudes… y'either love 'em or hate 'em. I can't get into old dudes myself, though. Nice, rich, but always really creepy. Kinda ugly lotta times, too."

"...I feel dirty just being here." Rinnosuke seemed crestfallen, being here again. "Did I say that before? If I did, I really meant it. I really feel dirty just being here."

"That's how we all feel." Sendai declared. "We just don't say it out loud."

Reimu snorted. "Jeez. You guys sure know how to look overwhelmingly serious."

"...I don't think you understand the gravity of what could have happened here, the other day." Sendai shook her head. "Though… it probably is best not to think too hard on it."

"I'm too used to going exploring with Marisa." Reimu justified her own attitude. "It's hard to find anything she'd take seriously."

'Fair enough.'

Clack. Aina pushed the staff door open, looking like she wanted to add something, but didn't.

The bleak, white lighting in these back rooms was a stark contrast to the dim colors of the club.

"The place feels… kinda weirdly empty today." Aina admitted. "Fer some reason, it's real hard to shake."

"We did just send half the staff to the hospital." Sendai added. "I'd be surprised if business didn't take a hit after that stunt."

'Are the village's hospitals even big enough for-... oh, right. Eientei. Whatever that's supposed to be.'

thump, thump, thump! That's when a girl ran down the halls, towards them. Sendai took pause, noticing the bunny girl outfit she wore, and her bright orange hair. 'Wait- that's an actual bunny girl. The youkai, that is.'

Aina blinked. "Oh! Hey, Tamaki!"

"You can't be here!" The well-endowed bunny girl pointed at Sendai.

Sendai blinked. "...And- why not?"

"I'm gonna stick a carrot up your ass!"

'Wh- woah, okay…'

-+- Vs. Bunny Dancer -+-

Fwi- fwish! In two near instant motions, the orange-haired girl named Tamaki was in Sendai's face.

WHA- WHAP! Tamaki jabbed Sendai's gut twice before she could even think of engaging, the knuckles pressing into her stomach. "Uhu-"

WHAM! Then, she hooked Sendai across the chin.

"Woah!" Eyes wide, Aina came up to her. "Easy-"

WHABAM! Spinning around, Tamaki hooked Aina across the cheek so hard she was sent sprawling away. "Gfhu- aa-...!"

"Um-" Rinnosuke drew his gun. "Easy! Settle down!"

'Fuck- she's fast…!' Feeling at her chin, staggering back, Sendai glared intently at Tamaki's impossibly agile movements. It was like someone took a recording of a normal human and sped it up by two.

Menacingly, Reimu floated into the air. "Hey- idiot! You can't just-"

Tamaki ran up to Reimu, and grabbed onto one of her legs.

Woosh! With a pull, Tamaki began to spin on her heels, whipping Reimu through the air. "Whuah- hey! Hey-"

Woosh! She let go of Reimu at just the right moment, so that Reimu would fly right into a water cooler. Reimu flipped around, righting herself in the air-

BAM- SPLAASH! Unable to stop herself in time, Reimu flew ass-first into the water cooler. It exploded around her, ejected from its stand. "Gh- whuah…!"

woo- woosh. Wind caressing Sendai's form, she came up to Tamaki. "Hey- hey! Wanna play? Play with me!"

WHAM! Snapping up to Sendai in one moment, Tamaki punched her in the chest so hard she cringed back entirely-

whish! Weaving down from the blow's momentum, Sendai skidded to the right-

whi- whish! whish- whish- whish- whish! They began to trade quick slaps, jabs and hooks, neither actually able to hit the other.

Woosh! Sendai leaned out of a hook-

Whish! Practically crouching to the point her chin would meet the floor, Tamaki avoided an overhead jab from Sendai-

WHOOSH! Sendai sidestepped a mighty, amber-tinted uppercut launched from foot level straight up into the air. 'What the hell is she- a cartoon character…?'

Whap- pap- papap! Two successful jabs to Tamaki's gut and two hooks to her face later, she was left blinking, more surprised than injured.

WHOOM! She tried to thrust both fists into Sendai's ribs at the same time- but Sendai slid along her side, the fists just grazing her shell-like kimono.

"Hnn~...!" Standing back, Tamaki's form began to flare with an orange aura. "Get lo~st!"

Sendai recognized the posture. 'Reisen used a similar attack before…' It was slower, but the motions were familiar.

KAWOOSH! Tamaki unleashed a mighty crescent-shaped kick into the air, orange trailing her heel.

Its momentum was so great, she spun three-sixty back into a neutral posture after whipping it out. The whole attack lasted only a second, and if one had looked away, they'd have missed it entirely.

'...I see.' Sendai could appreciate the ferocity of the technique. 'She kind of left herself open there-... not that it mattered, because I chose to stand awed instead of take advantage. But, such a heavy blow…'

Whi- whish! An angry, soggy Reimu tossed two talismans from the sidelines.

fwish- fwish- fwish! Tamaki dodged a C-shape around Sendai in three motions-

fwish- fwish- fwish! Sendai did the same thing. 'I'm as agile as you if I want to be!'

"And-" Tamaki prepared to do another mighty kick. Staggering back, she planted her left leg firmly behind herself, tensed her whole body, and channeled all her strength into this one motion. "Stay ou~t!"

KAWOOSH! The almighty, orange crescent kick flared like an air-ripping rocket towards Sendai's face.

woosh! Weaving down, Sendai's hair billowed, brilliant pink trailing it, flailing around after the airy-orange-tinted kick grazed the top of her head.

When Tamaki spun three-sixty off the kick's force, she tensed up. She couldn't see Sendai anymore.

That's because Sendai had gotten behind her.

Whap- pap- pap- whap! Left hook, right gut jab, right hook, left gut jab. With each blow on Tamaki's back, Sendai forced her to stumble forward.

The fierce, complex quick jabs and hooks threatened to throw Tamaki off her feet and onto her face if she didn't walk with their momentum. "Nnh-"

Tamaki began to turn to Sendai when the blows seemingly stopped, but-

Whapap! Sendai flicked her left leg into Tamaki's waist. "Ugh-" It almost dropped her onto her knees, as she cringed-

WHAM! Jumping some, Sendai roared her right leg into Tamaki's ass.

Her knee had met Tamaki's back so hard that the strike threw her forward, almost off her high heels and onto her face. "Nkh- ah-" She kept her balance, crouching for a moment, pushing one hand off the floor.

'And-' Bouncing back, Sendai planted that right leg firmly back into the blue carpet floor.

'Get ready…!' She was letting wind curl around her form, her adrenaline spiking in this moment.

Fwish! Pink-purple energy bloomed up her body, as it all tensed, and the air conditioner-created breeze coalesced all around her form.

Tamaki stood, and as she faced the preparing Sendai, she beamed.

'Shit-' Sendai didn't think it'd take this long to charge the kick. 'Damn it...'

Fwish! Tamaki tried to slide back, out of the way-

whump! Rinnosuke was in the way. "Ngh…" He winced an eye shut from her impact, behaving as a wall.

'Holy shit!' Sendai had seen him move- but she didn't know it'd be for that reason. 'Hell yeah!'

Tamaki almost fell, crouching again as she was sent back into Sendai's range. "Wh- what- nnh-"

She stood, hopping up as quick as she could, trying to avoid the attack vertically rather than horizontally. She was a bunny, after all, and if a bunny could do anything, it was jump.

"HERA~H!" A small tornado was unleashed around Sendai, as she unleashed a neon-tinted crescent kick into the air.

WHA- THOOMNK. It met Tamaki dead in the pelvis as she leapt. Sendai had ascended with her own kick, keeping up with Tamaki's vertical movement.

Wha- wha- whap! Three wild talismans Reimu had tossed in the meantime converged on Tamaki in this instant.

Limp as a doll, Tamaki was sent bouncing down the hallway, crackling with holy energy.

...Thud! Eyes wide, heart pumping, Sendai watched Tamaki slide off and into the empty, office-like hall ahead. Completely limp, like a ragdoll.

'Fuck yeah.' She beamed, beholding the annihilation dealt by her single, ultra-precise blow. 'Just another fight after all.' Something about the routine nature filled her with satisfaction. 'Another ass handed. Another stone closer to my power.'

'...Did the ceiling get shorter? Wait.'

The crescent kick had taken her off the floor, and into the air. She remained floating there for a moment, suspended amidst the rising wind off of her attack.

'Ho- holy shit! Talk about getting air…!'

Smiling big, she moved to run forward-

BOOM! The air around her exploded out as a shockwave, sending Reimu spinning around in the air, and tossing Aina off her feet. "Wh- ah…!"

'Holy fu~ck! I'm accelerating…!'

Sendai was sent roaring down the hall so fast-

BOOM! -that she immediately collided with the far end of it, face planted firmly into the plaster.

'Fu- fuck… ow… why…?'

Sendai learned Crescent Kick.

Sendai learned Raptor Mastery (Ascension).

Sendai learned Spin Dash.

The long-haired, endowed Tamaki sat with a big band-aid placed on her forehead.

She was on a bench amidst the halls of the Golden Grin's more corporate backrooms, and Sendai stood over her, arms on her own hips.

"There's a reward 'round here if we bring you to justice, big momma…" Tamaki looked relaxed, despite everything that happened. "Didn't think you'd be such a tough cookie."

Unenthused, Reimu had her brows furrowed. "Did you really think you'd get away with it with me here? ...And-... what kinda reward?"

Sendai snorted. "Don't go turning me in, now."

"Five million ye~n." Tamaki smiled peacefully, letting her eyes drift shut. "D'you know what you can do with that kinda money? Mmm…"

"Can I turn myself in and reap the rewards?" Sendai proposed.

"That's probably not a good idea." Rinnosuke stood firm against the idea. "I don't think that's how bounties work, either."

"I mean…" Tamaki tilted her head. "I dunno~."

Aina shook her head with increasing velocity, her ponytail fwoofing around. "C'mon, Tamaki-chan. You're smarter than to pick fights with strong people. Are things really that shaky around here?"

"Well… I dunno." Tamaki wasn't one for accurate descriptions. "It felt worth it, with how angry everyone here'll be at her. When, you know… some of them get out of jail. Or the doctor's. Or, what-have-you."

'This bunny is pretty bunny-headed.'

"I'm not the only person in here that'll be attacking you on sight." Tamaki leaned back against the plain, white plaster wall of the office-like interior of the Golden Grin. "Some want to have sex with you. Your name really gets around here now, you know?"

"Tell them to join the club." Sendai shifted awkwardly. She wasn't really a fan of this situation, herself.

Reimu suddenly had a more pained look. "Now that joke about turning you in is especially bad."

'Oh, gods. Pft.'

Sendai grinned. Tamaki spoke before she could. "If you're ever in the mood, or need that itch scratched, it wouldn't be a bad idea. I mean… most of the youkai here may not be the nicest about sex ettiquette, but you're an older woman, right? Can you still get pregnant?"

Sendai smiled. "Alright, this conversation's over." She panned her gaze down the bleak office hallway. "Aina, where the hell do we go from here?"

Aina was, for some reason, working up a running-in-place motion next to Sendai, smiling brightly. "I think I know a way to get to the top- without fighting the whole staff apartment!"

"...Do tell." Sendai idly sized up how excited Aina was. "If it involves dressing myself down, I'll have to decline."

'I don't got time for all this shit. This feels like some trashy smut, except I'm not a fresh eighteen year old who'd be happy to get railed by every youkai species in Japan. I'm a forty year old woman.'

Aina spun in place. "When you spun around- you like, sped up! Kinda like me when I get a run going!"

woosh! When Aina stopped, her limbs burned with a zealous, purple energy, leaving pink smoke in the air.

FWAM! "Woohoo~!" Then, she broke into a sprint, down the hall.

The Sendai-shaped indent in the wall of the three-way ahead marked the length Aina went- but instead of crashing there and making an Aina-shaped indent to match, she pivoted ninety degrees and bolted down a different hall on the dime.

A crystalline, amethyst yin-yang top was left spinning where she did her pivot. Slowly, it spun out to a stop, and the handle pointed in the way Aina went.

...Woosh- woosh! Returning, Aina ran back to them-

SKREE~K! She skid to a stop on the carpet before Sendai and the others, dust and blue shreds of carpet cut into the air behind her. "You just go a little slower and follow me! I'll get you to the top in no time!"

'...That-... I've got to admit, that seems like a lot of fun.'

"How're we gonna keep up?" Reimu furrowed her brows. "I can't fly that fast. Even if mom keeps up with you... me and Rinnosuke-..."

"You're strong, right? And you can fly, even!" Aina smiled brightly at her. "Go back outside and carry Kourin up to the uppermost catwalks. You don't even have to go through these hallways!"

...Reimu had a look of revelation. "Oo- oh, right… we could just do that, I guess."

'You're really not attesting to your situational awareness today, Reimu. ...Then again, real combat may not be your specialty.'

'I ought to ask her to duel me in danmaku at some point. It's just play-fighting. It ought to be good for a laugh or two. ...Knowing my luck, it's actually some kind of super-advanced form of play-fighting now and she'll just summarily kick my ass.'

Reimu moved, goading Rinnosuke into motion by poking him with her gohei. "Alright, let's go."

He had a dull expression. "I- I'm not a horse- you don't have to prod me..."

As they moved to leave, Aina took a deep breath.

"Alright." A world of wonder, adventure and a reservoir of seemingly out-of-nowhere joy poured from Aina's eyes. "You ready to go to the jungle, Tsuki? We've got fun and games!"

Sendai snorted. "Don't- call me that. What do you mean, 'the jungle'?"

Aina beamed wickedly. "You're about to see some shit."

-+- Vs. Urban Jungle -+-

Fwi- fwi- FWISH! Aina ran in place, her limbs beginning to move increasingly fast, her fluffy ponytail billowing in the air. "Alri~ght…!"

fwi- fwi- fwish, woosh! Sendai unleashed a flurry of jabs and hooks at the air, pumping herself up.

'And-...'

KAWOOSH! Unleashing a mighty crescent kick with her worked-up, wind-coated right leg, she took to the air, ascending a half-meter off the floor.

Drifting here, the draft beneath her whirling wildly, Sendai looked down at Aina.

FWAM! "Let's go!" Aina broke into an inhuman sprint, roaring down the hall.

BOOM! Air exploded out from under Sendai in a shockwave, as her seemingly weightless limbs allowed her to pour ahead. The motion of running, treading her sandals against the floor, even with her shell-like kimono on, was nearly automatic.

'This-... this weight, and these motions.'

'Yes. This is… kind of how I used to run. A lot more weird, not quite the same, but these are the motions.'

'This may be faster than it was then. I'm not sure anymore. It's hard to say.'

FWAM! Coming to the three-way, Aina snapped ninety degrees to the right, wind exploding off her movement.

'How'm I- aah-'

BOOM! Heart jumping, Sendai kicked the wall with her left leg to divert her momentum, unable to just unnaturally spin herself like Aina could.

Air powerful enough to tilt over benches, potted plants and water coolers exploded off of the impact. Pink heat flared amidst the intersection, exploding from Sendai's body.

Woosh! Pressing her left foot into the wall, Sendai bounded off it and took off. 'Holy shit…'

The hall ahead was massive, longer than the building could possibly be. 'Of course.'

There were people in suits back here, minding their business seemingly. Fox women with three to four tails, complex calculation machines sat upon their laps as they idly did their work out here in the hall.

whi- whish! Aina and Sendai blew by them in a near blur.

...fwi- fwi- fwish, fwish! Moments later, stacks of paper that sat by the kitsunes, and their associated pens went flying down the hall in the wake of the maidens.

FWAM! Aina took a left at the intersection ahead.

'It's a four-way, there's no easy wall to kick here…'

BOOM! Sendai made for the opposite corner, kicked that, and-

KABOOM! It was an over ninety-degree diversion of her momentum- "Oho- woah!"

BOOM! Sendai bounded off a wall, kneeing it to try and keep balance, her speed slightly slowing as she kept after Aina…

BAM- SPLA~SH! In the awkward motions she made to make her running normal again, she accidentally kicked a water cooler, which exploded behind her. 'Holy shit!'

Then, they were outside of the office-like halls.

The white walls were still plaster, and the grey office doors still unintimidating. But now, luminescent paper lanterns hung in streams across the walls and ceiling. The fluorescent ceiling lights were off, some derelict. Instead, the technicolor lamps lit this realm.

'Wait- what the fuck…'

Catching up with Aina, feeling her wind build anew, Sendai took in the world of technicolor paper lanterns.

"Whatever you do-" Aina hung back, and beamed at Sendai with an expression of raw momentum and adrenaline. "Do- not- stop!"

They came through the end of the hallway- and the entrance to a truly strange world.

Cla- cla- clack! Sendai now tread upon rich wood boards, upon an immensely long catwalk. Fancy, ornate railings with colorful lanterns upon them framed either side of the wooden road.

The airspace, however, was multiple times the size of what the Golden Grin actually occupied in real space.

Inward-built shingle roofs and distant wood walls defined this airy, deep azure dimension. It was like the outsides of a palace were faced inward, and somehow, the negative space between all the wood walls was a night sky all its own. Dark, but richly so.

Some of the wood walls didn't form a perfect 'box' around where Sendai was, however. In the sky, passages could be seen to grander and more expansive interior realms of wood walls, misshapen shingle roofs, and strange luminescents.

'What, the, fuck…'

FWAM! Ahead, Aina took a sharp right all of a sudden, the catwalk suddenly taking a sharp right itself.

BOOM! Sendai spun around, roundhouse-kicked the guard rail, and took off after Aina, her pink aura flaring out and lighting up the dim, ethereal district.

"Aah…" In here, six-seven tailed kitsunes in scant garb watched them blow by, taking brief pause.

Sendai and Aina blew through a small 'town' of sorts- of strange building fronts with well-dressed youkai in cages that had western doors, open gambling parlors, the occasional actual store, and big double-doors to unknown places.

"Hmh…" Tall, horned men watched the maidens blow by, furrowing their brows slightly as the pink blurs whizzed into the distance.

Then, Sendai saw it- out of the left corner of her vision.

A being in pure black, with white dots for eyes, and a monkey's tail. When she met its vision, it was gone.

"Aa-" Aina gasped, shuddering as she ran. Coming back to Sendai, she beamed, sweating. "Hey- so… we're not supposed to be~ here!"

"I- I- thought not…!" Sendai yelled back awkwardly.

"Ohp-" Aina tensed up- this time out of mechanical awareness rather than strange terror.

There was a dead-end ahead. But, Aina was about to prove it wasn't what it seemed.

SKREE~K! Skidding to a halt, she spun around one-eighty-

"Wahoo~!" She did a backwards flip off the floor, spinning with her legs together through the air, before landing both-heels-together upon the top of a shingled roof.

'What the-... alright.' Sendai would have to improvise.

BOOM! She stopped herself safely by kicking the wood wall ahead- and it suffered a sandal-shaped indentation, a shockwave billowing from the impact.

"Hup!" Turning, Sendai saw a shingled awning, and leapt onto that.

That's when she saw it. A pitch black being with a monkey's tail, following her motions.

Clack! When Sendai thrust a leg down onto the awning, flipping off of it with a kick, she saw the monkey leap up to do the same.

"Ngh-" With the wind in her sails, she latched onto the edge of the higher shingled roof, and hoist herself up with some effort.

The monkey barely grazed her back as she got away from the ledge- and it latched onto said ledge behind her to repeat her struggle of climbing.

Fwish! She tossed a talisman down at its face-

FWAZAP- FWASH- FAZAP! The being's white lights-for-eyes expanded, as it became blurry for a moment- but after a second or two, the talisman's energy was expended, and the being kept climbing as if it weren't paused at all.

Fwish! Sendai spun around in place-

BOOM! Then, after she felt slightly dizzy, the ominous wind combining around her, she dashed off, now with newfound speed-

A buzz came from behind her. Black dimmed all the lights behind her for a moment, and she was glad she began to run when she did.

CLACK! Aina landed on the rooftop shingles beside her, still running. "Ah- there ya are!"

Sendai was jostled slightly. "Wh-... where'd you-"

"Thought you were a goner!" Aina kept yelling. "Okay- so- if that catches you, yer- really- not gonna like what happens next!"

Sendai wondered. Her mind raced over various possibilities, but a straight answer was best. "The hell is it!?"

"It's a youkai!" Aina was very descriptive.

'Well, no fucking shit.'

They neared the edge of the rooftop-

CLACK! Aina bounded off of it. "Yahoo~!"

BOOM! Sendai leapt and thrust both heels into the shingles, exploding off it with a shockwave of wind. 'Holy, shit…'

They sailed over a void of rooftops, a youkai-populated town resting beneath them.

The town proper was along the bottom of this huge, absolutely massive wooden palace-styled box they were inside. It was twenty stories below them, contained by the blue hue that colored the distance of this world.

Woo- woo- woosh! Male, tengu-like crow youkai blew past them in the air as they sailed ahead. There was another huge rooftop across the way- and it seemed Aina intended to land on it.

As they flew, Sendai looked back.

The monkey was simply hovering through the air, limbs spread as it flew after them. 'Since when could a monkey fly?'

She looked ahead-

"Hey-" A grey-haired, yukata-clad tengu-like man reached for her in the air-

WHAM! She snapped her legs into an awkward mid-air kick, sending them bouncing off each other.

'Ah- come the fuck on…' Eyes wide, she noticed herself deviate heavily from Aina's path.

...WHAM! As she inadvertently made for a different tengu-like who wasn't paying her any mind, she bounded off him like a stepping stone. "Uh- woah!"

'There…'

CLACK! She touched down on the rooftop behind Aina- somewhat awkwardly at first, but then kept pace.

Catching up, she yelled at Aina. "Hey! What the fuck does it do!?"

"What's what!?"

"The youkai!"

"Oh!" Aina had to take a moment to contemplate it. "Um! Let's just say- most human guys an' girls who come in here- they don't come out!"

Then, Aina clarified. "Not unless they live fast- like me!"

'...I'm not sure if that's a metaphor, or a shitty joke.'

Allowing herself to roar off the rooftop, Aina touched down on a catwalk beneath this edge, sprinting ahead again.

Exhaling in slight exhaustion, Sendai took a deep breath, dropped to land on the catwalk behind her, and kept going.

"Oh!" Aina realized. "Take uh- notice! It's followin' you- and not me!"

'What does that even-'

Sendai looked back for a moment-

FWISH! She lobbed three talismans at the monkey-like being sprinting behind them.

FAZAP- FWAP- KAZAP! They pierced its figure, holy light exploding out from the impacts, but to little avail.

"Where's the way ou~t!?" Sendai was morbidly curious, considering the scale of this dimension.

"Um!" Aina wasn't sure how to describe it. "Just keep followin' me~!"

They were coming to one of the thick, palace-like walls of the dimension. There was an entry to a decorated hallway there.

But, as they came up to it, along this sole catwalk in the sky of this strange, youkai realm-

CLACK! The paper and wood door slid, slamming shut.

...WHAM! Aina thought she could run through it, but a barrier lit up before it, stopping her. "Whu- ugh!" She landed on her back, the rebounding force so fierce. "Nn- nnn…"

Sendai spun around-

BOOM! She kicked the door, but it didn't work. The barrier rippled, barely noticing the shockwave-inducing impact.

'What? Uh…' She looked around herself.

They couldn't go up- the innumerable, escher-like series of rooftops were too steep. They couldn't go down; the abyss of youkai and prospect of being totally lost in it was a perhaps worse fate than staying here with the monkey demon.

She looked back, and the monkey was there.

...She cracked her knuckles. "Fine. I was getting tired of running, anyway."

"Whu- aah!" Aina rolled around onto her stomach in fear. "Tsukiko- no! Kourin and Reimu- they'd kill me! Tsukiko-"

woash. The monkey came at Sendai faster than she could blink, and phased its form into hers.

-+- Vs. Jade Curse -+-

Sendai opened her eyes in an oriental structure, leagues away from anywhere the sun could shine. Unnatural, minty green light shone through shoji around her.

She was already smiling, for some reason. Caught in a peculiar, blissful haze that left her head airy. 'Well-... this isn't promising.'

"No, no, no. This won't do at all."

She turned around, and saw herself.

This Tsukiko was only in her leotard and red cloth apron, arms on her hips. Her eyes were jade green, and she had a monkey's tail.

"You're so damn guarded." She shook her head, trailing up to Sendai.

Looking down at herself, Sendai realized she was just naked, for some reason. 'Oh, excellent.'

"Loosen up." The monkey recommended. "This isn't the kind of place to be so stiff. You can just let go of your inhibitions- and party!" Suddenly, the jade-eyed Tsukiko had a big mug of beer.

"You couldn't have worded that any more garishly." Sendai frowned back. "No. I have those inhibitions for a reason."

"But-" The monkey licked her own lips. "What if-... they just weren't? Ahehah!" She clapped her hands together, the beer mug mysteriously gone. "We on the same page now? Good."

"We're not." Sendai strolled closer to her, glaring.

The monkey stood her ground. "...Oh? Aren't we?"

"We're really not."

"...Oh." The monkey rolled her eyes, and put a hand on Sendai's shoulder. "C'mon. Tell me. Don't you miss it?"

"Miss what?"

She beamed. "Keisuke's touch. Your husband's."

Shoof! The minty-green paper walls around Sendai began to slide open.

A different Tsukiko stood behind one, her leotard all ripped up, arms behind her head to jut her partially revealed breasts out. "Roleplaying with your husband-"

Shoof! "Trying out new and weird shit with him…" This fourth Tsukiko had Tatsuako's maid outfit on, a lollipop in one hand and a bandolier of condoms in the other.

Shoof! "Findin' out which role suited you better…" Another leotard-clad Tsukiko leaned forward, showing off her ass to herself, before giving it a slap.

"Why should that all be gone- just 'cause he's dead?" Sendai found herself staring into her other self's jade eyes again. "He'd want you to let go- and have fun. And have fun you should!"

"Just let it all go. You can be happy again."

"Jus' lemme show you how. I know my way around the town."

"They say love is complex- but it's actually really simple. I can teach you how t'master it. Many others have- but I know a girl who needs some help when I see it."

Sendai felt heavy and hot. At some point, she'd become caked in sweat, as if she'd been exercising for hours.

"Come on." The jade monkey hugged onto Sendai. "Normally- no one even puts up a fight. One vision of such a rich, love-filled world, and they listen. You've seen them around town- in the seconds you've been here."

It was temptation. Sendai felt her senses stimulated, as her vision ran over those replicas of herself, in their costumes and poses.

The monkey whispered into her ear. "It doesn't hafta be Keisuke. All you want is some lovin'. To love again- and be loved again. I know all there is to know about love."

"If you doubt me, I can show you. All it takes is a few simple whimsies. Shared interests, time, and kindness."

Sendai's knees felt weak. The monkey's hands were around her neck.

"Just let me do everything. I'm right, after all."

...Sendai closed her eyes, her body hot, face flushed. "Ye- yeah… you're right."

The monkey beamed.

"But-" Sendai grabbed onto its wrists, "that still doesn't mean-..."

She could feel it. This thing was probably savvy with love. Perhaps it could impart some knowledge- after it had its fun using her, and leaving her broken. Maybe it knew best.

That didn't mean she didn't have a problem with it. She had more important things to be doing. She couldn't go chasing such loose fantasies like that. And, above all of that, she loved her husband.

'I'm taking this dedication to the grave.'

'Even like this- with pleasure at my fingertips-...'

'I will never falter!'

PAP- PAP. Sendai grabbed onto the sides of the monkey's head.

CRUNCH! She headbutt it, its hold releasing from her.

KABOOM- BAM- BOOM- BOOM! The realm of shoji around her detonated, exploding out with amber, orange and yellow energy.

"Wh- gkhk-" The monkey dropped onto its knees, legs betrayed by the sheer ferocity of her anger. "Wh- what-..."

Sendai leered down at it. Bringing both arms up for leverage, she placed her foot atop her other self's face.

"Let me teach you-" Sendai's form glowed golden, "the concept of 'respect'."

'Sacrecy, loyalty, trust… this discipline is greater than your knowledge, intellect and lust!'

whoo~m. She pushed her foot forward, bending the monkey back as it sat on its knees-

BOOM- CR- CRUNCH! She folded it back, crushing it underfoot, a sea of amber flowing across the wood floor, and the now open, airy and explosive realm.

Sendai learned Raptor Mastery (Shadow).

Sendai learned Youkai Cunning: Demonic Shadow.

Sendai learned Jade Spirit * Monkey's Paw.

"Hey- come on! Damn it!" Aina uselessly tugged on Sendai's sleeve, as Sendai herself attempted to saunter off. "You can't just- run off and get laid! Hold on! What about Reimu!? And- whatever the hell we were doing- I- I kinda forgot, not gonna lie..."

The jade-eyed Sendai gave Aina a pet of her forehead. "You're fucking adorable, you know that?"

"Ye- yeah, I know!" Aina blushed, waving her arms back. "...I- I mean, if you do wanna get laid really bad, I know a few guys who'd be cool with a threesome… bu- but- I mean-..." She seemed pensive. "Kourin, though…"

"Since when were you a stiff, too?" The jade-eyed Sendai scoffed at her. "Actually…" Then, she grinned. "Do you know how to find-"

"Kaugh- kauff- kauff!" Then, Sendai dropped to her knees. "Fhuck-"

...Aina had a flat expression. "If that's a blowjob joke, yer gonna hafta narrow that down a bit, 'cause that's like, every youkai dude."

"Ehaha- puh- fhuck-" The jade Sendai laughed, but also slowly died where she sat. "Ghh-..."

Then-

"Huuh- HUUAA-" The demonic shadow of the monkey projected out of Sendai's form, making Aina leap back.

WOASH. Then, it was driven back inside.

...Slowly, Sendai stood.

'...I feel dirty. Kourin was right, this place makes you feel fucking dirty.'

She swallowed experimentally, and as she stood, she felt at herself.

"Um…" Aina pursed her lips. "Tsukiko?"

Sendai's eyes were normal again. "Aa-... oh. It's you."

"What the fuck happened?" Aina slowly grinned.

...Sendai shook her head. "Mmm. Nothing really important. Just, you know… fleeting emotions, and all that."

...Aina chuckled. "Ye- yeah, y'can say that again! ...Actually, you know what? We can fuck Kourin together! There we go!"

"Alright, you're cancelled." Sendai reached for her.

"Woah- hey!"

-+- Sendai Hakurei no Miko Mode -+-

"I'm sorry, miss." A fox girl with her eyes closed bowed before Reimu. "But I'm going to have to ask you and your man there," she pointed at Rinnosuke, "to lea-"

CLACK! The staff door the fox girl plainly stood next to blew open. The force with which it unleashed outward sent her flying. "Whuah!"

Reimu idly pursed her own lips, expression ginger.

Her hair slightly frazzled, Sendai marched from it, having kicked it open. After meeting her daughter's gaze, she blinked, adjusting her black-yellow kimono. Aina followed behind, her ponytail lopsided.

Reimu snorted. "...What happened to you two."

"Everything, and also nothing." Sendai was vague. "...Mostly nothing."

Rinnosuke had a vague expression. "I can only imagine. ...Why're you both so winded?"

Aina laughed. "Ahaha- shut up, Kourin."

He jerked his head back, surprised by her raw amount of sass. "...Aa- alright, I guess." She wasn't normally rude to him, so it felt jarring.

'Now all we have to do is find Tsuruko and fucking yell at her. This place is a goddamn circus. Monkeys, foxes, the whole show.'

"Where do we go from here?" Sendai panned to stare down at Aina.

They were on the uppermost floor of the Golden Grin's catwalks which hung over the casino floor below. By comparison to the realm Sendai and Aina had just explored, this was literally nothing in scale. It made Sendai feel like she was in an oddly cramped space somehow, despite the wide building being five entire stories tall.

'My sense of perspective is all kinds of messed up. Gonna take some minutes to adjust, I'm sure.'

"Aah. This way." Aina slowly lead them, this time. "Pretty much already there."

On this upper level, there were a few older male clients, and some kitsune who were attending to them.

"Mhmmh…" A balding man scratched his head, peering down at a shogi board.

The seven-tailed, porcelain-faced kitsune across from him was so still, Sendai wasn't sure if she was sleeping or dead.

...Curious to find out which, Sendai stepped up to them, and snapped her fingers.

Snap! "Mmm." The kitsune hummed, her posture not changing a millimeter. "Yes?"

'Ahah, she had to move her lips to speak.'

"Are you still alive?" Sendai asked rhetorically…

"Mmm." The kitsune still didn't move. "No."

"Cool." Sendai browsed away from them, while the man still took his turn in deep thought.

'Must be bored out of her mind. She's-... I just noticed, she's got seven fucking tails. You only heard of these high-rank kitsunes every few years, back in my time, but now they're just- fuckin' everywhere. And here's this one, torturing herself by playing this guy who probably can hardly read a book anymore. She could probably have those week-long shogi games with the tengu, and here she is playing a guy who's probably used to them ending in twenty minutes.'

'Actually, who'm I kidding. She's probably entered youkai-stasis, or whatever the fuck youkai do when they get super bored but just have to wait.' Sendai really wasn't sure, and to be honest, she didn't care enough to find out more.

"Don't, um…" Aina wasn't sure what exactly Sendai needed to stop doing, but she did know Sendai better ought to leave that weird situation alone. "Y'know."

"I know." Sendai knew, however. "Just having a little fun, is all."

"That- is um… a weird couple." Reimu had to admit.

Aina snorted. "Couple? ...Well, uh, considering how often mister what's-his-face there orders that one kitsune, they might as well be. Dude spends all day here- whatever that's not important!" Aina shook her head and got back on track. "Over here!"

She lead them to the center of the topmost balcony on the Golden Grin's fourth floor. Here, the guard rail had a lapse in coverage. "On the shiny parts." Aina referred to the floor before where the guard rail was absent, which was uniquely designed.

It was pearl white, and shone like the foil on a trading card; with the esoteric patterns associated too.

"Looks safe." Rinnosuke had to comment.

'You have no idea.'

Sendai stood in the center, Aina behind her, with Reimu on her left and Rinnosuke on her right.

...sh- shoof. The foil platform unclicked from the fourth floor, and began to move on its own.

'Amazing.' Sendai was not impressed by the mundane magic elevator. 'I'm sure all the humans who come here are amazed.'

"Now this is especially safe." Rinnosuke nodded gladly.

"I can fly." Reimu retorted.

"Three of the four of us can't." Rinnosuke returned.

'I feel as though there's some precaution in place. After all, if old man Nanashi over there walked off the edge and died, I'm pretty sure that wouldn't reflect very well on the club.'

'That, or it's an accident waiting to happen, and only then there will be a safety net of some kind. Yet, I… think there's probably bigger problems to worry about.'

Slowly, the elevator took the four of them through a slot in the final overhang above. It was shaped to be a perfect fit for the elevator platform's edges.

This higher level was decorated with pink and purple lights, and overlooked all of the Golden Grin's foyer below.

click- thoom. The elevator locked into place, as Sendai began to make sense of the weirdly technicolor light up here. It was a fair far cry from the warm, restaurant-like lights on the fourth floor walkways.

Then, Sendai saw her own look-alike. Tsuruko was ahead, on a comfy-looking chair. A white tea table sat before herself, and a wine glass sat upon it.

Swallowing a little, she shifted, getting comfy. "Aah. It's you."

Sendai stepped forward before anyone else, gaze level.

Reaching forward, Tsuruko lifted the nearly empty wine glass. Sendai looked along Tsuruko's folded legs, taking in the color of her red hakama.

"Are you Tsuruko?" Reimu pointed her gohei ahead.

Tsuruko smiled wider. "...Hello, Reimu."

Rinnosuke lumbered up, along Sendai's right. "To think you went and murdered someone right after we saw you."

"I don't usually handle village problems," Reimu announced, "but when you go around saying you're my mom, I really can't let that go."

Sendai snorted. "Take it from me."

Tsuruko beamed. "...Oo- oh? If you lost to Tsukiko in a fist fight, I'd easily kill you. So simply, too..."

Smiling back, Reimu held her gohei tight with both hands, readying up. "Wanna bet on it?"

"...I'm sorry." Tsuruko shook her head once. "I didn't mean to start so rudely. I simply couldn't help myself."

Aina ran up to Rinnosuke's side, opposite of Sendai. "What's the big idea!? You fuckin' psycho!"

Tsuruko didn't so much as look in her direction. At the idea, Sendai was curious too. "Tsuruko."

Tsuruko became smug, her eyes becoming lazy as she leaned her head back. "Hmm?"

"What exactly is your intent?" Sendai frowned. "Why are you doing this?"

Tsuruko snorted. "Is a good murder mystery not enough?"

Rinnosuke fought a smile. "It's really not much of a mystery."

Tsuruko nodded once. "Exactly. Akihito murdered that child."

Reimu jerked her head back. "Yeah? And, your proof?"

"He's easier to apprehend than me," Tsuruko returned. "Might makes right. ...Though, if you ask me," she began to awkwardly grin, trying to hide her amusement but failing, "th- that child looks better dead than he did alive."

'...I'm not even sure what to think.'

"Look, I'll laugh off a lotta stuff, but murder's not one." Reimu glared at her. "Especially not in my mother's name."

"Mmm. That's sad." Tsuruko exhaled, relaxing further. "I'm sorry you feel that way."

"Oh, shut up." Reimu's glare twisted some with disgust. "Are you even human?"

"Hah." Tsuruko smiled brighter again. She began to lean back to the point she was almost draped across her chair, with her nearly-empty wine glass in grasp. "I'm Hakurei. Something above human."

cr- crack. Sendai cracked her own neck, by tilting her head to each side.

"I've really had enough of this." Sendai finally gave her own opinion. "I have my own shit to do. I wasn't revived to play your stupid games. I want to be a mother to my daughter, and I want to make up for-... everyone I let down, when I let myself die, and let the youkai reign over this town."

"Even if you don't want to fight me," Sendai began to tighten her fists, "this isn't a matter of honor anymore. I'll make you stop, and I won't stop at a beating."

"So…" Tsuruko pursed her lips. "Would you say your family makes you weaker, or stronger?"

Sendai blinked. "...Wh- what?" It felt like a non-sequitur to what she said.

Tsuruko's gaze became focused, her body energizing, as she began to sit upright again.

"You were never the same after your husband died. Your own mother wasn't either."

Smiling, Tsuruko held her wine glass up high, as if toasting her. "Even now, you let Kamishirasawa boss you around- involuntarily, even. You waste your time on little things like this. You owe a debt to your daughter, to your husband, to your friends, and to the people. A debt you may never live to repay, even- and one that will only deepen in your weakness and submission."

With a huge smile, Tsuruko leaned back again. "I've studied well. I've learnt the trade. My power will never fade. All I need now is the recipe; one which grants life and ultimate power to me."

"It was always my ambition…" Tsuruko's eyes welled with emotion, despite her composed exterior. "To gain a small solace. Control over life. Control over my surroundings. And- in a way, is nothing more human? Can I really be faulted? Then, and only then, may I partake in wonderful things. Love, art, and company..."

Sendai's eyes had become hard. 'She seems to be genuine with us this time. Not that it counts for much.'

Tsuruko glared back. "Don't look at me like that. Fucking-... moron." She shook her head. "You and I are the same! If you hadn't your power- you'd be a slut. A slave, a whore- or dead. Only once you had control over your surroundings- could you find love, pleasure, friends and adventure."

"Why can't I have the same?" Tsuruko pointed at her. "Why are you the only one allowed to dream?"

Sendai's stare was hard and still. She didn't know what to say.

Reimu snorted. "Hah? Because you're an idiot, that's why."

'Mmh.' Sendai wasn't sure if that was the appropriate response, but…

"Quiet, runt." Tsuruko waved her off. "Us adults are busy."

Sendai shook her head. "You don't need to go about it like this. You don't have to be so destructive. I fight for the weak, I fight for the young. I-"

"You died." Tsuruko retorted. "Have you been listening to me? Or has your hearing gone with age and rebirth, too? You weren't strong enough. The dark consumed you in the end. You, a corpse. Your husband erased. Daughter salvaged only by worldly order, when she'd have been a corpse or a breeding tool otherwise. You are weak, and the weak should fear the strong."

Sendai felt her energy begin to pump. "With all the anger you have- it seems you're more fearful than most."

A stroke of giddy joy. "Likewise." Tsuruko beamed.

"I don't fear for myself." Sendai shot back. "I fear for my love. My daughter-"

Tsuruko rolled her eyes, only briefly, almost on impulse. "Not for the strong. Thereby, you died. Tsukiko- you can't argue with facts. It's the law of nature- of Gensokyo. Of the Gensokyo as of current."

Sendai frowned harder, anger building. But…

'No. Anger-... I may let it motivate me, but I do have to realize… it's a symptom of fear.'

'Not that there's anything wrong with being afraid. But, here-'

"If you haven't realized, I'm not as afraid anymore." Tsuruko's smile had become tame again. "Reimu Hakurei, a joke to me. Kamishirasawa, not a blip on the radar. The entire Human Village, my beck and call. And, you."

Tsuruko unfolded her legs. "You, the old blood. Me, the new." Her eyes were wild, her cheeks raised highly, her beaming smile outright vicious. "Fresh off death's rebound, into the ground. You were put on this planet to give me the recipe."

Tsuruko held her wine glass as high as she could, staring into it the light that worked through it. The glass itself was prismatic, casting a brilliant rainbow onto her face.

"Snuff out the Hakurei of old- and claim the light. Claim my right- to being the new Hakurei shrine maiden!"

Reimu wasn't sure what to say.

Aina looked around amidst the purple-pink, curtain-adorned room here. "What the hell…"

Rinnosuke stared at Sendai, expectant of her retort.

'She's truly great.'

'She has a vision. Ambition, drive, and though callous, she's surely a brilliant mind. Somewhat of a weirdo- but we all are at heart.'

'Maybe, in a different reality, she would deserve this. Rulership over a harsh world, building her own dynasty, taking on the youkai in this damned pocket realm…'

'But, she's not planning to back down.'

'I won't back down either.'

'There can only be one.'

"There can only be one." Sendai announced.

"Hah!" Tsuruko nodded big. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Hey- I'm here too." Reimu sounded indignant. "And-"

Tsuruko scoffed. "Shut up, kid. If I was close enough, I'd snap your neck."

Sensing such a forthright threat as some sort of bait, Sendai smiled instead. "You sure you'd want to do that?"

"Hmm."

WOOSH! A yin-yang sailed in past the glaring Reimu, coming for Tsuruko head-on.

TING! A barrier, tinted red-white, flared before Tsuruko. It was a cylinder, encapsulating the entire area which she sat. She'd anticipated retaliation.

"What!?" Reimu gaped.

Fw- fw- fwap! She chucked talismans at the barrier, but they were stopped.

TING- TING! She tossed needles, which were reflected.

ti- ti- ti- tick! She shot danmaku at it, but nothing seemed to happen.

"You-" Reimu was slightly alarmed, as she approached the barrier. "What the hell'd you-"

Aina ran in. "Reimu! Look out!"

Sendai tensed up. "Wh-"

BANG! BANG! Two ground-shaking booms of noise echoed across the entire club.

...Aina blinked, having launched herself at Reimu. They were now on the ground, in a pile together.

Slipping from the clump, Reimu got up off the floor and hovered into the air. "Wh- what-"

Aina leapt off the floor too, eyes wide, body shaky. "Gu- guys- we- we h- have to-"

BOOM! BOOM! From the curtains on either side of this central part of the upper platform, two beings emerged, sliding up to the sides of Tsuruko's barrier. They'd punched their arms into the floor, their white energy shields flaring up so bright that they were blinding.

"The world will never change." Tsuruko stood, as her barrier grew thicker, her form only a silhouette amidst the phantasmal light. "Now, we will say goodbye to the hero of our time."

Tsukiko yelled back. "Is this your idea of a fight!?"

"This isn't our fight." Tsuruko grinned within the barrier. "It's your daughter's execution. Unless you wish to throw yourself away with her. By all means."

FWAM- FWAM. From the blaring, white lights beside Tsuruko's barrier, two forms emerged.

Mighty bunny soldiers. Clad not in power businesssuits, but entire suits of next-generation armor technology.

Massive, hulking suits. One was a dull red, the other a faded blue. The unknown metals covered their entire bodies, and helmets covered their ears. Small, glowing, oni horn-like extensions hid the bunny ears, providing a pocket space for the ears themselves to reside.

"Hehehe-" Tsuruko found everyone's awe funny. "Hahahah!" Holding up her wine glass again, she beheld the brilliant barrier's light through it. "Kill them all!"

-+- Vs. Lunarian Spartan Armor, ONI Model A0C65 A & B -+-

Each suit had a gun, and a knife. They carried huge, chunky pistols of no technology Sendai had seen before.

'What-... kind of youkai-...'

Reimu stepped back near her mother, gaze fierce. "This- looks like Eientei tech…"

"Can't we just- run away?" Rinnosuke wasn't a fighter.

Aina hissed through her teeth. "Li- like they'd let us run- like-"

As if she'd been tossed really hard, Reimu began to fly away preemptively. Sendai saw why immediately. 'Oh- fuck-'

Fwish! Her eyes wide, heart pumping, Sendai weaved down, as close to the ground as she could.

BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG! The bunnies of unknown sex unloaded their chunky pistols after Reimu as she flew off. Reimu had flown up, easily avoiding the shots, but the wall across the airspace was a different story.

Entire bricks were ejected from the awkward patches of walling over the stage, red-black dust made in the air from the plaster, drywall and materials.

Sendai would have been effortlessly killed if she hadn't ducked down. 'Oh, gods…' The bullets had bore immense holes in the wall across the way.

Rinnosuke huffed, and held his own pistol at them. "Tsukiko! Run!"

Aina stood near the ledge of the fifth floor balcony-

One of the bunnies aimed at her.

"Nope!" Aina leapt off the balcony's edge entirely, eyes wide. "Woaa- aa~h!"

Rinnosuke got near the blue one-

SHINK- SHINK- SHINK! In one second, three separate stabs of its combat knife went through his chest, blood exploding out of his back.

Stepping even closer to Rinnosuke, the blue model reeled both its arms back-

KASHUNK- SHUNK! Two big saw blades burst from its chest, hanging out of big slots in the armor to carve into Rinnosuke's ribs, before folding back inside.

SHUNK! A separate knife came from a slot in the very center of the armor. It was shoved down Rinnosuke's throat cavity and into his chest, before being yanked back out.

"hh- aa-" Rinnosuke staggered back, his whole body bloody after just five seconds.

'Holy shit.' Sendai was understandably afraid. 'Holy shit. Kourin…'

Then, the blue model grappled onto him, leaning him forward.

CR- CRACK! With Rinnosuke's upper body lurched beneath its chest, it pressed its right forearm against Rinnosuke's ribcage, and hugged tightly. It broke Rinnosuke's ribs instantly and violently, blood exploding from his mouth.

Thud! Then, Rinnosuke was deposited onto the floor. "Kaugh- kaff- hua- aa-" He inhaled desperately, as the blue model stepped back, turning its gaze to Sendai.

Sendai couldn't just let him be murdered by them. Even if he was a youkai- sufficient abuse like this might eventually leave a fatal blow, and mortal damage couldn't be undone as easily to a half-youkai like him.

'If- if I was even half of what I used to be-... this wouldn't even be a problem.'

'Now look at me. I could die here. A single passing blow could undo everything.'

Sendai ran between them, her hair billowing wildly amidst an ice-cold breeze.

BANGBANGBANGBANG! The red armor had flicked its pistol to try and nail her as it unloaded wildly.

She was too fast for the metal arm to track her. Her heart pumped with unhealthy velocity as she ran by the red armor, the mere force of the gunshots being fired vibrating through her body.

"hh- Hey!" Static-like noise came from the blue armor. "Watch it." Its power shield flickered with violent speed, before fading faster than any energy shield Sendai'd seen yet.

"hh- Positive." The red model replied, faltering for a moment.

Sendai ran around the back of the red armor thing-

FWISH! It spun around, sliding its right heel back further and wider than any being reasonably could or should-

'Fuck! Fuck!' Sendai was tripped.

Thud- bam! She bounced off her knees, before getting back up off the sheer rebound-

BAM! One shot came at her, missing-

BAM! SPLACK! Sendai went flying, a bullet booming through her side.

"Ack-" Blood flew from her mouth, as she sailed off the balcony; straight over the elevator, as it lacked guard rails.

She spun through the air, numb.

'I'm-...'

BANGBANGBANGBANG! She heard gunshots in the air as she plummeted. She wasn't nailed by any other bullets; those were at the air, trying to peg a different target.

Everything seemed slow, as she saw the clubs dancing lights, and heard the gasping patrons below.

She saw Reimu above- and ahead. She was distant, but growing closer.

'I'm…'

'I'm sorry, Reimu. I-'

Reimu hugged onto her, stopping her mother from submitting to the five-story fall to her death.

"What're you doing!?" Reimu was upset. "Don't just let yourself die! You ff- fucking, idiot!"

"Re- Reimu…" Sendai was in a world of pain. "My-... my outfit. Sleeves-... medicine…"

...Reimu reached for her mother's sleeves, pausing when she saw all the blood all over her own hands. "Oo- okay…"

She found a Toughness that Sendai had bought, as they slowly slid down to the floor…

thump. Plopping her mother down, Reimu twisted the bottle open, and smashed it into Sendai's mouth.

The liquid meeting the back of her throat, Sendai's eyes widened. 'That-...'

'It tastes awful!' And that felt great.

She downed the bitter tonic like it was life- because it was. The bottle ended up halfway in her mouth, and she began to sit up.

"Nhn-" She drew it from her mouth, and grinned. "Euh. I- I needed that…"

'Kourin-... I- I wonder if he's okay…' She was still shaky, her adrenaline pumping despite that near-death experience.

Reimu looked up, and bolted away from her mother.

On instinct, Sendai began to roll around on the floor. 'Fuck-'

BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG! With seemingly no ammo capacity in sight, the bunnies unloaded their pistols at the ground.

BOOM! A slot machine was tossed over by the sheer ferocity of a bullet that bit it.

Darting up, Sendai made like the wind, flying across the room. Hostesses and men began to get up from their booths, more than alarmed.

The bunnies leapt from the top floor, coming down.

KABOOM- KABOOM! They landed hard enough to jostle everything, making small craters in the floor where they touched down in their armor. Their shields burnt a blinding white again, overwhelming all the lights of the club.

"hh- Remember. Only the targets."

"hh- Gotcha." The two bunnies spoke to one another, voice partially garbled to the point of vagueness.

'These-... these things…'

Sendai seethed, as she beheld them. They stood at the front of the lobby, slowly scanning their way out.

BAM- BOOM! Two yin-yangs came from the aether, slamming into one. They bounced off its rippling shield.

BANG- BANG- BANG! It fired at the air, trying to spook Reimu into doing something stupid. She wasn't in eyesight of the armor, so it was displeased.

Once Sendai was nearby, she grit her teeth.

'I'm not letting you kill my daughter, damn it!'

Thoom! "Hmph!" Sendai stomped in place, summoning her strength and anger.

The red model turned to her, and raised its knife. She was close enough for CQC. Or, that's what it'd believed.

CR- CR- CRACK. As the slot machines were clearly not bolted to the floor- if earlier was any indication, Sendai clutched one for dear life. Heart pumping, gold washing over her features, she committed hard to lifting one.

"Hrrh-" Ripping it right off the floor, she thrust it into the great red armor, to keep it from thrusting into her immediately.

WHABAM- FWAASH! The shield and the slot machine kissed. Bright, amazing prismatic light exploded off of it, the slot machine's impact breaking the energy shielding.

With it held overhead, she roared. "Fhuck… yo~u!"

KABOOM! She slammed it straight down into the red armor as it thrust its body for her.

"hh- Nngh!" Amazingly, the red armor wasn't even knocked over. The slot machine bounced off its head as it cringed back, and went flying past Sendai, over her own head.

'Holy fuck!' Sendai was taken aback. The unknowably heavy slot machine bounced off its head.

'Youkai like this-... they had to have been as strong back then, too. No, stronger. No attack like that would have done anything to the beasts of old. They were… beyond strength.'

'This thing, too… is beyond strength.'

Fwish! Purple-pink light flared up Sendai's features, as she was absolutely amazed and befuddled by the slot machine's interaction with the both of them.

BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG! Now wrapped in wind, she weaved away and behind cover, as the red armor amateurishly unloaded in her direction. It was similarly rattled by the fact that a human just bludgeoned it with a slot machine.

BANGBANGBANG! The blue armor unloaded on the air, trying to flush Reimu out of potential hiding spots-

BOOM BOOM BOOM! Reimu's needles exploded along its feet, its energy shield rippling.

'We… really have to run. We have to defeat these things at some point. What if she makes them start killing villagers? Everything will be for nothing…'

BAM! Then, the front door to the Golden Grin burst open.

The two armored bunnies looked in its direction. Sendai did, too.

"Nnn…"

Reisen waltzed inside, posture lazy, a huge sniper rifle held over one shoulder.

The fleeing patrons froze before her, and the bunnies began to aim their huge pistols at her.

"Man. Mokou wasn't kidding. This place really is a party right at the door." Reisen pouted slightly, beholding the two rogue suits of Eientei tech.

"hh- Freeze!"

"hh- We have orders to kill. If you don't want to join that list, you'd best leave us be."

Reisen blinked. "...Sorry, but your trial period of that armor's expired. If you wanna buy it…"

Reisen slung her sniper rifle forward, and grabbed it with both hands.

SHI- SHIK- CLACK! It snapped into a minigun in a near instant. "You're gonna have to pay upfront!"

BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG! Both bunnies unloaded on her.

FWA- FWA- FWAP! Reisen strafed to the side with speed Sendai hadn't seen many humans even run at, her cyan energy shield eating bullets that managed to land on her.

FWABOOM! A pillar of fire enveloped the blue armor. "hh- Magical damage! Magical damage!"

KABOOM! From an explosion, Mokou stepped forward, atop the stage in the center of the Golden Grin. "God, damn it. These rogue bunnyfucks just can't-"

The red armor turned to her-

BANG! SPLACK! Mokou was capped in one shot.

"Ha-" With a fanfare of blood and skull fragments, Mokou fell back, eyes wide, mouth hung open.

PATATATATATATAT! Reisen leapt, unloading her minigun as she flew.

"Hrgh-" Blood began to pour from the red armor, as it staggered around, thrown by the bullets striking it.

BANGBANGBANGBANG! Sendai shut her eyes, as her head pounded from all the noises of gunfire…

'This is fucking ridiculous.'

Fwish! Blue flaring from Sendai's body, she sprang from behind cover, lumbering towards the blue armor as it still searched for Reimu.

From her sleeves, she drew that shotgun that Kourin had given her.

The blue armor sensed her approach, and flicked its knife up, ready for close combat-

KABOOM! Sendai shot it at mid-range, only ten meters away.

"hh- Fuck!" The blue armor began to move away, after flinching from the bullets. "Help me out!"

The red armor turned-

KAPOW! Reisen transformed her minigun back into a sniper rifle, and aimed down the scope midair in the midst of a huge bunnyhop.

SPLACK! The shot went right through the red armor. "Hugh- hhrh!" It dropped onto a knee, kneeling down.

FWAM! The blue model locked its own armor with blinding white shield energy, kneeling down defensively.

Even knowing nothing of the technology, Sendai knew not to engage. 'Seems like a defensive magic posture of some kind…'

"Spirit Sign!" Reimu dipped down from overhead. "Fantasy Seal!"

From nothing, rainbow-colored orbs flared around her, rotating around ominously fast in the air. They beared down on the armors, descending as meteors of phantasmal color.

FWAM- BOOM- BAM- KABOOM- BAM- BOOM! Holy annihilation swept across the floor.

"hh- Aauugh!" The red armor went flying, danmaku roaring through it as it spun through the air. It was cast up with the slot machines and random booth furniture around it, all twirling around mid-air.

The blue armor's shield rippled, absorbing all of the danmaku and rippling light. It stayed stuck, knelt down, fist planted firmly in the floor as its shield took all the prismatic danmaku.

Then, as it stood-

KRAKA- BOO~M! It unleashed a holy-flavored sphere of annihilation all around itself. Even the ground beneath it was erased as it hovered in place.

Sendai was thankful she wasn't closer. 'As I thought. Defensive magic.'

"hh- I got visual!" The blue model finally spotted Reimu, and aimed up-

KAPOW! Reisen's sniper shell landed in the back of its helmet.

...THOOM. THUD. It dropped onto its knees amidst the crater beneath itself. It then slumped onto its stomach.

BOOM! As it landed, the red armor began to stand again. "hh- I won't lo~se!"

Sendai saw it spring from the floor-

FWISH! A violent, red aura sprang from the red armored bunny's chest as it sprinted towards Sendai.

BAM! Jumping onto the back of the fallen blue model, the red one suddenly flipped one-eighty through the air, springing off of it.

It drew a huge red crescent in the club's airspace with its boot. As it descended towards Sendai, it committed fully to its almighty flipping kick, ready to meet her head heel-first.

Seeing it near, Sendai exhaled.

'I'm not letting this shit stop me! I haven't come this far for nothing!'

WHAM! With both arms, blue light flared from Sendai's body as she blocked the oncoming, metal heel.

The blow sent her running backwards to maintain her balance, her shaky arms in a world of vibrating pain.

She grit her teeth, skidding on her knees as she drove the pain off. Unable to do anything but slide back, she seethed, the pain burning through her mind.

WOOSH! From the floor, the red armor swept three-sixty back into standing, defying basic rules of bodily physics to do so-

WHISH! Snapping into standing, Sendai leaned back, the tip of a combat knife grazing the bridge of her nose. 'Fucking gods- fuck me-'

Arching down, one hand on the floor, the red model readied to leap at Sendai-

WHABOOM! Drawing a thick white line in the air, Reimu came down like a meteor, planting both sandals firmly into its back. "hh- Hhgh!" The red armor gasped, crushed to the floor by her impact.

Sendai looked up, and met Reimu's gaze. '...She's alright.' She sighed, relieved.

Reimu's hard stare met her mother, and softened. Sendai was alright too.

...A few moments later, Mokou strolled back up, the top of her shirt all bloody. "I fucking hate guns. They're so fucking annoying."

'You're telling me.'

Gaze plain, Reisen strolled up to everyone as well, sniper rifle now slung over her back, held with both arms. "Looks like we were just in time."

Reimu stepped off of the red model, taking a look down at it, before coming up to her mother. "Mo- mom… are you okay?"

"...As okay as usual." Sendai's body shook. "Half-dead, but-"

"Weak-hearted!" Tsuruko was heard overhead. "Is this really all you have left!?"

Standing atop the elevator overhead, she held her wineglass down, gazing at the ground floor through it. "The rewards that await you! Eientei's henchmen will surely kill you! Do not forget the life you have planned- if you see victory here! It's all or nothing! Loose your fire- and annihilate our foes!"

FWISH. FWISH. The red aura of the red model flared up again. The blue model, bleeding from the back of its helmet, began to stand, a fire inside it burning anew. Its chest too lit up neon red, smoke and fire-like magic burning within the sophisticated suit.

Given a seeming second chance at life, abandoning their guns, both suits of armor began to rise again.

Sendai tensed up. "Reimu- behind you-"

Reimu spun around, gohei up-

SHUNK! She was stabbed in the gut.

WHABOOM! Spinning around and crouching, the red bunny armor curled up and shot its heel into the air. It met Reimu in the jaw, sending her flying away.

CLI- CLICK! Turning her rifle back into a minigun, Reisen aimed at the blue armor again. "What the hell-"

PATATATATATAT! Reisen unloaded on it, but it ran against the bullets. As it was lined with alloy bullets, it sprinted up to her-

FWAM- FWISH! With a stroke of its knife, it smashed Reisen's shield open, sending her skidding back past entire aisles of slot machines.

A single, neon-red eye blazed from within the blue helmet's orange visor. An uneven, red line was drawn in the air as it shot its gaze to the side.

Mokou ran up to it-

WHAM- BOOM! She thrust a kick into its chest, forcing its legs to buckle for just a moment.

Woosh- WHABOOM! Spinning around, Mokou evaded a swipe of its combat knife, snapping to thrust another kick straight into its chest, sending the blue armor reeling.

KAPOW! From the distance, Reisen sent a sniper round through its chest-

KAPOW! She managed a second shot, into the side of its helmet.

"hh- hh- hh-" The armor shakily remained standing, twisting around on its pelvis, trying not to go limp. The helmet and armor stopped the bullets, but not the sheer force behind them.

Mokou leapt into the air. "And fucking- stay do~wn!"

WHABOOM! Doing a forward flip, Mokou smashed her heel and foreleg into the blue armor.

"hh-" Static came from the helmet, as the whole armored being slowly fell back-

THOOM. Landing on its back, blood pouring out from the blue plates, the bunny inside slowly submitted to its fate.

Meanwhile, Sendai attempted to meet the red armor head-on to protect her daughter.

SHINK- SHUNK! However, it had unreal strength. With two blade strokes dealt to her own chest, Sendai found herself stumbling back-

WHAM! The armor smacked her aside with an arm. Immediately, it shot past her, moving for Reimu.

Thud! Bouncing off of a nearby, L-shaped couch's back, Sendai huffed. 'Damn it-... no!'

Outside the Golden Grin's doors- having been launched outside earlier- Reimu glared back inside the dim club.

She swallowed, seeing the red armor approach, standing to meet it as it came at her-

TITITITITITICK! She unleashed a stream of needles, yin-yangs and danmaku all at once-

WHISH- WOOSH! Weaving past Reimu's projectiles, it ran in a C-shape within one second, closing ten meters of distance between itself and Reimu.

SHUNK- KASHUNK! Its knife carved into Reimu's ribs, past her shrine maiden outfit. "Ugh- nhk-" Reimu swung her gohei-

CLONG! It hit the red armor's head hard.

KASHUNK! With a mighty flail of its own, it plunged its knife into Reimu's side so hard she went flying, the blade removed by the sheer ferocity with which Reimu flew.

Thud! Rolling to a stop on the village's stone road, Reimu's body began to slow. A trail of red was left on the stone road, detailing exactly how she rolled.

The armor marched up to her, its red aura burning unbelievably bright. Slowly, it began to raise its left leg, to stomp on her head-

WHAM! Sendai came in out of nowhere, hooking her left arm right across its featureless, orange visor.

"hh- Nnh!" The armor weaved to the side- and Reimu jerked her head to avoid its now panicked, less-forceful stomp.

WHAP! Sendai caught it with a big, messy right hook.

"I'm not-" Sendai barked- and the armored bunny saw opportunity, thrusting its knife for her throat.

Sendai saw it coming, eyes wide and hunched down. She'd ducked just enough for the combat blade to pass overhead. The forearm of the armor still smashed her in the skull, however.

It was almost pure instinct, and part luck- that the blade wasn't planted straight into her skull. Her mind was jostled by adrenaline and the pain of the insurmountable arm against her head.

'This rush…'

THOOM. At the same time as its attempted knife jab, Sendai planted a mighty, azure-tinted fist plain into the armor's gut. Sendai could feel the vibration of her own punch through the thing's forearm.

They broke from one another.

"Nghk-" Blood flaring from Sendai's forehead, where the forearm clipped her, she staggered back.

"hh-... nnh…" The red armor stumbled back, faltering from Sendai's counter-hook.

"I'm not- letting you-" High on adrenaline, Sendai fought the force throwing her back, and ran at the red armor.

Its helmet snapped to look at her, no longer focusing on the damage to its torso-piece-

WHAP! WHAM! With a left hook to its face, and a right hook, Sendai sent the armor stepping back-

WHAM! She hooked it in the gut again, and it flicked its blade up to defend itself-

Whap! Leaning away from the blade, it Sendai kneed it in the gut. "hh- Haghk-" The red armor was forced to let a knee buckle, for only half a second.

That was enough time for Sendai to wind up a massive, overhead swing of her left arm. "You're not gonna kill-"

WHABOOM! The overarm haymaker met the visor of the red armor.

CRA~CK! The orange alloy shattered- revealing the vague details of the bunny inside.

"My daughter!" Searching her mind for anything she could to continue the offense, Sendai recalled what she just saw.

'Now!'

She snapped into a forward flip, a line of blue drawn by her heel in the air.

Eyes wide, the bunny looked up, awed by the sudden ferocity and speed Sendai exuded-

WHACRACK! The heel of her sandal came down on the bunny's head, damaging the helmet itself.

Thud! Sendai practically bounced off the red armored bunny, but she'd still inflicted serious damage.

That better have-...' On her side, Sendai beheld it.

Stumbling back, the bunny looked around airily…

THOOM. It dropped onto its knees. The internal trauma was too much.

THUD. Then, it had fallen. Cheek-down on the soil, the red aura emanating from its plates began to dim and dwindle.

Sendai, beaten and bloody, burned with adrenaline. Blue heat ran along her limbs, blinding, her dark magic flaring wildly across her whole form.

She looked back to her bloody daughter, who shook where she laid. 'Reimu-... I- I have to-' She reached into her sleeves for medicine, and began to kneel.

Sendai learned Counter Hook.

Sendai learned Double Finisher.

Now all patched up, amidst the cold stone road, Sendai and Reimu stood.

"That-..." Reimu exhaled, "could have gone better…"

"No shit." Sendai frowned down at the red armor, as it bled from its bullet holes. "Fucking youkai. Do talismans even work on these? These-... things?"

"...No." Reimu decided. "They're all covered in armor. If we broke a visor earlier, we could've done that, but-..."

'I fucking hate technology sometimes. Especially because it's youkai inventing all the cool shit, and using it against us.'

Reisen and Mokou stepped outside the club. Reisen had her sniper rifle slung behind her back again.

"What the fuck was that." Reisen was somewhat incredulous. "I wish my soldiers put in that kind of effort."

"Yeah?" Sendai nodded. "I don't."

...Reisen had a flat look, before smiling some. "Well, you know-"

"Hey. You." Sendai stepped up to the fallen red model. "You still awake?"

Bong. She kicked the side of it, but it hardly budged.

...She looked down at the knuckles of her fists. Though they were healing now- thanks to Eientei medicine- she'd still worn the skin down something fierce when she was punching the armor up.

'How hard was I punching it? When I prod it now, it feels like a pile of bricks. My hands are covered in blood…'

'I used to hurt my fists to an unreal degree. These old scars… rough patches of worn skin… albeit partially undone with healing cocktails, and my revival. Even so, some scars don't fade with time. Some scars don't fade with fuckin' rebirth apparently. Only a few.'

'...Almost wish I had more, if only for the layer of dead skin. Helps a lot with terrain maneuvering. Gloves never last... '

"It's probably not. Awake, that is." Reisen stepped up while Sendai seceded into her own thoughts. "I'll be surprised if they're alive after that. The damage required to disable these armor suits is... somewhat fatal. It's important that we do it though. Rogue armor like this is bad news. I'm glad I was here to help."

'...Me too.' Sendai hated to admit it. 'Fuck.'

Standing idle in the darkening day, Mokou exhaled. "Just what we needed. More fuckin' bunny fucks running around the village with big guns. Hey, buckteeth. I thought you said your master took care of all of them."

Reisen snorted at the insult. "Apparently these two weren't underground. They must've been here the whole time. That's my best guess."

Mokou sighed. "What a fuckin' drag." Reaching into her pockets, she drew a pack of cigarettes. "An' speakin' of drags…"

Suddenly, Sendai saw something of note. 'Oh, hey.'

Keine floated down from above, holding a bandaged-up Rinnosuke, and Aina. "And-..."

click. She deposited them both onto the ground. "There…"

She looked at Mokou, who was starting to light her cigarette.

vhi~r. Gently, she shot lasers from her eyes, eradicating the cigarette.

"Hey- what the fuck-" Mokou turned, and saw Keine. "Oo- oh-... hey, Keine. Make- uh, y'make out okay?"

Rinnosuke looked particularly drained in the background. Sendai took particular notice, smiling despite everything. 'He really doesn't want to be here. Don't blame him. I'm sure we'd all like some food and a bath after this is all over...'

"More or less." Parting from the two she sat down, Keine came up to Sendai immediately. "Are you hurt?"

"...Not too bad." Sendai idly shook the Toughness bottle she held in one hand. "I'm probably going to crap my guts out later, or whatever drawback this medicine has- but I'm feeling… stable."

"Tsuruko went that way."Keine pointed towards the village square. "I'd bet she's waiting for you."

Reimu fluffed up. "Nngh- really? Fine... let's go, mom."

Sendai put a hand on her shoulder. "You won't be helping."

...Reimu blinked. "Wh-... what? Why?"

"This is my fight." Sendai decided. She steeled herself, staring her daughter down. "Of course, if she has anymore dirty tricks, help will be welcome. But, if she wants to be anything near what she's made herself out to be, she won't be so tactless. This was dirty, undeniably. But…"

Shaking her head, she began to move.

Reimu spoke up. "But-... this was already really bad! What if you-"

"I won't lose." Sendai raised her voice. "Trust me."

...Reimu didn't have anything else to say.

"Tsukiko-" Keine held a hand out. "Don't be reckless. We can-"

"Be quiet, Keine." Sendai refused her. "Please."

"I've done all this… for you. For all of you. For the village, for the families, for all this shi-..." She drew a blank, somewhat tired. "You've always told me I could stop. That I didn't have to."

"But, I wanted to. I've done all this, because this is my fight."

'I'm not gonna let the stupid ruin things for others. I'm not gonna let Tsuruko destroy the love and lives of those she doesn't understand.'

'The sacrifice will have to be her own ideal life, but so be it. Might makes right- but being mighty…'

'It's more than commanding people. It's more than the stupid way she looks at things. It's about working with people, and using what you can do… so not only you can be happy, but so you don't cause problems for other people.'

'Nothing's worse than someone who causes problems and can't see the harm they do.'

Tsuruko was reminded of thieves and bandits, youkai of prey and the more deceiving, underhanded of villagers. Even if not that, years ago, even the common, well-meaning villager would easily condemn her and her family.

Those were all people who didn't think- or care- about the effect they had on others. Without that layer of social decency, contesting interests with such people really was just a matter of which pulled strongest.

'I'll make you understand the pain of those who lost their dreams to the greedy. So much wasted life… I can't describe it in a way that'd do justice.'

Watching Sendai's scowl grow, Keine sighed.

'If I lose here, I'll be as good as dead anyway. Me and Tsuruko… we really aren't that different.'

'Here I am, trying to stomp out her dream, as she tries to stomp out mine, and many others… but, she also fights for other people. She fights for those who'd ride her coattails. The infilltrator youkai who abduct, fuck and ruin our people. She fights for a brutal fantasy.'

'...Yeah. That's where we're different.'

'I'm done with that shit. I've lived a life of blood and violence. Debased the laws of honorable combat- and made the case for all the pacifists.'

Sendai wanted to embrace this era of peace. Use it to grow, to develop her social and emotional intelligence, and to continue doing what she loved to do. She loved fighting, but she didn't love these sorts of stakes.

'I'm not going to let her take us back into fear. Even if this 'peace' is just the calm before another painful era, I want to live in it as long as I can.'

'We've made those mistakes. She isn't going to force them on this village again. We already had me. I fucked things up enough. The youkai fucked things up enough.'

Sendai began to move.

'Let's settle this, Tsuruko.'

-+- Sendai Hakurei no Miko Mode -+-

NEW SKILLS:

x Soul:

Jade Spirit * Monkey's Paw - Sendai is now further resistant to lust-based attacks. Seductive pheromones now have a reduced effect on her.

x Youkai Style:

Youkai Cunning: Demonic Shadow - Dodging behind a foe in Youkai Style allows Sendai to make it appear like she's vanished. Masks her presence from youkai, too.

Counter Hook - Anticipating an enemy attack, Sendai delivers a powerful hook straight to their gut, shattering armor and busting guts.

Double Finisher - Inspired by Mokou's victory over a lunarian armor suit, Sendai adapted one of her attacks. A flipping kick that takes place at the very end of Sendai's Youkai Buster combo, dealing incredible damage and following up on a devastating combo string, at the price of leaving Sendai very open afterward.

x Tengu Style:

Crescent Kick - A charged finisher that can be unleashed at the end of Sendai's Youkai Buster combo. Has incredible power, but requires a setup time. Therefore, Sendai utilizes it best when she manipulates an opponent into taking it.

Raptor Mastery (Ascension) - By spinning in place or unleashing a Crescent Kick, Sendai can take to the air for a moment. If she sprints from this posture, she'll be placed at max run speed instantly.

Spin Dash - By spinning in place, Sendai can take off, achieving maximum run speed instantly.

Raptor Mastery (Shadow) - When Sendai quicksteps behind a foe, they have a harder time seeing her do so, making them think she vanished entirely. Doesn't mask her presence from youkai.

x Oni Style:

Wounded Mastery - When pushed to the edge, Sendai shrugs off both blade and bullet, but only in Oni Style.

Essence of Extreme Oni - Her anger boiling over, Sendai grips a foe's head with both arms, and headbutts them in the nose, creating a spectacular explosion of blood. Then, she presses her sole to their face, and bends them back, crushing them under heel. Does tremendous damage, and disables the healing regeneration of youkai.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

a long-ish chapter of decent size

there was a lot of fighting when i think about it, but i also think there were a lot of unique settings and ways in which the fighting took place

it was kind of mean of me to throw the armors at sendai so early but there were people around to make it not end poorly; keine looking out for tsukiko and everything

plus it's not like the armors were quiet about what they were doing, unloading their pistols so candidly and everything

that tsuruko conversation was really fun to write though, it feels really good to be able to finally reveal her intentions and stuff outright; and also illustrate on them and think harder about them

for awhile i had her intentions be kinda vague both 'cause i didn't fully think them out, but also because i didn't quite know what to do with her, but now i'm glad i held back

this was pretty good

the armor fight was more scary than it was intense i think, at least for most of it; which was pretty much the point

definitely not a fight that'd fly in a video game! but this isn't a video game so honh honh honh

i'll see how the pace feels in proofing later, but i think tsuruko did manage to provide some adequate hype

golden grin's a trip yo

that whole pocket realm was a super on-the-spot decision but both makes a lot of sense (logistically) and is a really fun location overall

the whole kessho exchange was a fun loose end to tie up

somewhat minor overall, but a good stepping stone to lead into the rest of the variable circus of enemies this chapter had

as always, see you all next time!