The Shrine of Gensokyo: Gensokyo no Jinja

Chapter 33: Charming Siege from All Sides

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Original Concept: ZUN & Shanghai Alice

Written by: wrathie

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Author's Notes: Yes, Charming Siege. We're reaching another climax!

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[We implore you, Ran, please, for old times sake, stop this…]

Standing in front of her, we spoke with Yakumo Ran and till now, she had not batted an eyelid. Settling with her hat over her eyes and seemingly asleep, Ran had stirred when we approached and that was the only movement that the two of us had gotten out of the Kyubi youkai.

[Ran-san…]

Tugging my sleeve repeatedly, Reisen was uneasy at being out in the open but we had no say in the matter at all, as we had came here, I would rather take the bull by it's horns.

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[Ran, all we request is a seize fire between us and you, I hope that you would understand our request.]

Patient as ever, I was tempted to wait for her reply but I was brought back to reality when a voice broke the tranquility with sounds of destruction accompanying it.

[Hello, anyone there? This is Aya! Bad bad, the situation is really bad! It's not just cats now! It's foxes! They're coming out from the gaps! I'm closing them as fast I can but there's still lots! Over and out!]

I took in a sharp intake of breath and pulled out a dagger from my pocket.

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[…]

Standing up, Ran's imposing figure towered above us and I managed to hide my unease with a small sigh.

[… negotiations… are off?]

[… negotiations, are off.]

Forcibly, Ran muttered as she grinned savagely and charged straight at us.

Showing a feral look that showed her nature as a elder youkai, I smiled appreciatively as I prepared for my long play with her.

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[well, let us be done with this without a mess.]

Stopping her claws with my knives, I grimaced as her next move left gashes on my shoulder but I scored a trophy of my own as I sank two knives into the side of Ran and the both of us stared at each other in a dance of life and death, hacking and slashing one another.

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[… heh… hEHEHEHE!~~]

Besides being feral in nature, she seemed unable to control her rapidly growing strength and insanity as when she slammed a claw on the ground, the impact threw up a dust cloud that made me cough in frustration. Throwing her hat to the side, Ran grinned savagely and dashed forward.

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[Time Sign, Private Square!]

Left with no alternative as Ran was about to deal me a killing strike, I stopped time and positioned a few knives directly in her path before jumping to the back of her.

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[ARGH!]

As the knives struck deep into various vital parts of her, I threw a few more knives at her that was repelled when a shockwave of danmaku bullets were unleashed by her. The Shockwave was powerful enough to knock me back a few feet and as I got back on my feet, I saw nothing else but a dizzying illusion of shadows and forms.

[Tenko Illusion…]

The air around me shifted and warped as Ran's form warped and meld into the darkness. The only true sign I could see of her presence was the two knives that she pulled out from her wounds and tossed at me, catching my cheek and leaving a small gash.

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[… Ran…]

Ran is behaving very erratically and there is no knowing what the beast youkai will throw at me next.

[…]

But throughout all this, Ran never spoke a word and her attacks seem unfocused, not targeting me but never letting me have time for a breather as well.

[RAN!]

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[SAKUYA-SAN!]

It was Reisen, I heard her voice as she suddenly broke though the illusion and grabbed my arm.

[Sakuya-san!]

[Reisen, thank goodness you are here… we got to stop Ran!]

[No! This is an illusion Sakuya-san! She was fighting me!]

[W-What? No, that is impossible…]

Shaking my head, I thought twice when she pinched me and I found myself staring at her in a different place altogether.

[I was trying to get your attention… she… she's too powerful, I couldn't stop her… I'm I'm sorry…]

Her ears dropped but I brushed her apology away.

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[What is over is over. Let us regain our positions, their ploy was to lead us away…]

[Yes, but reinforcements have arrived.]

[Eh?]

It was a piece of good news that was too good to be true, who had returned to lend a helping hand?

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[Momizi-san has returned, her troops are fending them off as we speak. We have got to get back!]

So, looks like Momizi did came back in time after all. We still had a chance, Ran was the bait and I had taken it hook line and sinker, this is no time to be complacent!

[Yes.]

Rubbing away the blood from my face and once more refusing aid from Reisen, I drew one of the last packets of my knives and readied them. They reflected my remaining hope and my remaining dread.

[Well now… let's duel our final dance.]

Despair was rich and I felt very tired, even if Momizi return to back us up, it is not sufficient. We can never hope to overcome Ran, not to mention the rest of their army.

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[NO! This is NOT the final dance!]

Shaking my shoulder, Reisen brought me back to reality and smiled at me. Her red eyes, striking as they were soothed me a little from the anxiety I had before.

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[Sakuya-san, this is not the final dance…]

[… why, why not?]

[All of us is proving that… this is not, not the last dance, Sakuya-san… have faith in us.]

Placing a hand on her chest, Reisen looked at me and narrowed her eyes, showing her determination when shadows of Reisen separated from her and sped off to where the fighting was still going on, fiercer than ever.

[We won't allow that, all of us… the people of Gensokyo won't allow that!]

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[That's right Sakuya! Don't you disobey me now!]

[Sakuya! Stand firm!]

Voices from the mistress, the allies, the friends and… all the rest of Gensokyo, they won't give up.

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And neither shall me.

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[Hmph. That was just an expression, Reisen. Let us mop up this load of Rubbish.]

[? Yes, Sakuya-san!]

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Besides, when I looked above us, the one who is really struggling is still hard at work. If she can do it, then so can I.

Reimu, please… save Gensokyo… We'll hold on for as long as we can…

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[Three hundred and fifty six… Three Hundred and Fifty seven…]

Yawning as Flan blew up the many cats and foxes that had tried to come near the mansion, I was getting bored with so the removal of such pests that I was tempted to leave the mansion and join Sakuya. Flan for her part was enjoying herself and I have no reason not to be with her. She IS my sister after all.

[Isn't this fun, Onee-sama!]

Flandre giggled as she shot and burst another small platoon of cats, vaporizing them into steam in a loud cry of mews. Truly, she is a sadist… but I like her this way, yes I love her for that.

[Yes it is, Flan! Have fun now. I have to deal with something.]

True enough, I have to maintain the crimson barrier above us to stop Yukari's magic from reaching us, a useful spell that the Lunarian had LOANED ME.

Oh how my hair stands at her lending me anything! Me, the scarlet devil OWING THAT LUNARIAN!

It gives me fits and make me want to tear her to bits! But unfortunately, that is not possible.

Fate decrees it and so I have to meekly follow fate.

Such is fate, I should be the master and the slave, but now I am not and am mighty unpleased by that.

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[Still, it serves it purpose.]

Musing, I only grinned as the fake moon by the Lunarian Princess strengthened me much more than it could do anything for them. They'll have to pay heavily for that so… we are even.

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[… Reimu, Sakuya…]

Calling out the names that matter the most to me, I spoke to Patchouli softly as well.

[Do not, under any circumstances overstrain yourself.]

[…]

Only constant coughing greeted me and I growled loudly for her to hear.

[I mean it. You belong to me! And you are my property! My property will not be taken from me.]

[… I do not remember being a thing.]

[Well, I hope you do now, Patchey.]

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I know she is smiling behind that dumb orb and I could not help but have another gibe at her.

[Patchey…]

[hmm?]

[…]

The gibe was lost as I sobbed a little, the emotions overwhelming me a little.

It is truly too much, I had lost so much and this power… this power that is pinning me down is so overwhelming…

And although I would die than admit that… it is pinning me down to this small location, if Yukari pushes me further…. I doubt I can maintain the border above us that is protecting the vicinity of the Scarlet Devil Mansion…

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[… …]

[I understand Remilia…]

[…. …]

Grinning more, I laughed and laughed. The same laughter that I had laughed when Reimu bested me so many moons ago. SO, I had come full circle, meeting someone that can best me. Oh… this is fitting! I would rather die fighting than to bow down to her.

[Yes, Patchey… hit her with whatever you got, if you have any pride left. DO NOT FALTER, DO NOT FALL BACK! HEAR ME!]

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My scream echoed through Gensokyo, ignored by Flandre but reached the ears of Sakuya and hopefully Reimu as well.

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[Let us mop up this load of rubbish.]

Atta girl, I AM NOT letting anyone give up now. Not when I still stand, after me while… who's after me shall be better than me. But my pride would not allow that.

ME, The scarlet devil be bested fully? THE COUNT WILL LAUGH AT ME FROM HIS GRAVE

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[FLAN!]

My sister looked up at me and for a moment, she shivered but in the next, she smiled and glomped me happily.

[Onee-sama~ What is it.]

[Let's wipe these pests out.]

[Okay~ how shall we do it?]

[That's easy, just hold my hand Flan, Your big sister will show you red magic.]

[Yay! I love magic! I can do magic too!]

[I'll do it once, and you'll do it again for me, okay Flan?]

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[yes~ Onee-sama is the greatest!]

[I am yes, aren't I?]

Smiling and returning her kiss on her cheek, I tossed out a spell card and spread my hands and wings out:

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[Scarlet Sisters, Scarlet Covered Gensokyo!]

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[Mokou!]

Wincing in pain as she threw another fireball at me, I lowered my head and comforted the children that I had gathered around me. These children were innocent and I did not want any harm to befall them, not to mention that Mokou and Miss Keine would surely have never forgiven me if I had let them ran astray.

What I could do was to repeatedly drive those Cats and fox youkais away but it is getting more and more tedious by the moment. Foxes, cuddly and adorable as they were had fangs that could tear a child's throat out and it took a while to persuade and show them that these foxes were not normal, cuddly and cute foxes.

They wanted their blood…

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[Stay behind me… ugh…]

But I am fast losing my strength… the long and drawn out fight is testing my body, which I had not neglected for years was not keeping up with my mind. It is as they said; the mind is willing but the flesh is weak.

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[… oh… I vow not to play so much again…]

Panting and having to be helped up by some of the children, I blushed so red that the children laughed. Not mockingly but I think I was that pitiful and due to that, I am not giving up. No I won't if I could protect their laughter!

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Remembering what it was like when my friends laughed and the last time Eirin laughed, I closed my eyes and focused my strength.

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[Rainbow Danmaku!]

Streams of colorful danmaku unraveled from all around me and struck all the cats and foxes that were springing up on us.

The children cheered but I was too winded to do anything more, it is so hard… so difficult… I don't think I can go on anymore.

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M-Mokou… how can you go on even while facing such overwhelming odds?

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Mokou was getting the worst of it, she's in the front line and holding all of them back with nothing but her own strength and her strength only. The occasionally breach would let some youkai through but Mokou was nothing but throughout.

I could see her form, barely standing but still roaring with rage and satisfaction as cat after cat is burnt down. She even had the time to shut down Yukari's gap and to negate some stray lasers that would come from nowhere.

Mokou, she's beautiful and powerful, not to mention determined and fearless.

She places her body on the line for the people she loves… I've seen it so many times when she jumped in front of a pouncing cat and used her body as a shield rather than let it pass.

It's her stubbornness and her unwillingness to give up that made her beautiful and so like a goddess to me.

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And what about me? People say I am the lunarian princess, born to a life of luxury and with the power of eternity, how wonderful would life be if I am Kaguya.

That is what is said about me…

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But now, looking at myself, I know I am helpless, worthless and worth nothing at all. What good is life with such luxury, with such riches if… if I can't protect those that I want to protect…

I am nothing at all, I can't even stand up now to protect those in front of me.

Kaguya, Houraisen Kaguya is not worthy of such respect, of such adoration…

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And Fujiwara No Mokou… she does not deserve such pain, such hardship and such frustration… and it is all due to me.

She was called a demon, an outcast from the village till she was picked up by Miss Keine and even now… she suffers in silence.

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[Mokou…]

Seeing her like this, even while I am struggling to stand up pains me and I found the strength and the reason why I can't fail.

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[I… If I can't get pass this… I… I won't be able… to make it up to Mokou… I, I will not, give up now. I'll be letting Miss Keine down too, her faith in me.]

I have the power over eternity… but can I fulfill the promise made to her for all of eternity?

[I will not be able to… so, so… STAND UP! STAND UP, KAGUYA!]

Screaming, I urged myself to stand up as another crowd of cats had just gotten past Mokou, who had gone on one knee and was grimacing with pain and hurt at letting them pass.

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[KAGUYA!]

Her scream mixed with mine and I stood up just in time.

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[Onee-san!]

The children, god bless them all had stared and covered their eyes at our screaming but the latest development has made them stood up and clung on to me even more.

Even Mokou seemed shocked but she quickly recovered and returned to her position, huffing in the process.

It was a case of déjà vu as I had stopped those cats with my body, allowing them to sink their teeth into me before I blasted them apart with another one of my spells. I felt the same piercing pain that I experienced when I saved Izayoi Sakuya and Remilia Scarlet from death earlier on.

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[Robe…of- fire…rat…]

Coughing in pain, I knelt down but my spell had not ended yet.

No, my eternal night has just begun… this, is my eternal redemption!

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I mimicked Mokou's flaming aura and burnt the cats to nothing but dust, walking unsteadily towards the village, cradling the children in my arms.

[… Stay there… it's dangerous here…]

Pushing them to the concerned parents and the humans of the village, I struggled to put up a smile before I staggered back to the front line.

Mokou, oblivious to everything is still burning everything and anything that moves and that includes me in the category as I walked beside her.

My injuries tore at my consciousness and my body felt as heavy as lead and I struggled to stand beside her in the heat. I felt so sleepy and I would give anything to fall asleep now.

Immortality does not give one respite from pain and the pain is making me wish I can die now.

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[M-Mokou…]

[what.]

Accepting me calling her by her name, I felt a little gratified but I knew too that it might be temporary, her hatred to me isn't going away so easily.

[… c-can I… stand by you… and help?]

Meekly I asked and I held my breath as she seemed to considered, tilting her head as she burnt another fresh legion of cats to dust and strike several foxes down with her homing amulets.

Her methods, although crude was effective and in a matter of seconds, she had the time for a breather and an encounter with me.

Eyes twitching and the hatred threatening to overwhelm from inside her, Mokou brushed past me and as I smelt the ashy scent that characterize Mokou, I heard her mutter as well.

[Just, get out of my way.]

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[Y-Yes!]

I said before, it was the start of my eternity, the true beginning after centuries of waiting… this is my beginning and this might be the way I end…

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But, I would rather it be this way… than anything else.

Like the caged bird, I desire freedom from my cage… even if it will hurt me, even if reality is harsh… even if it means despair.

Yes, I would willingly take this road…

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[HIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!]

Screaming a battle cry as I kicked back another intruder to the Shrine, I, Hong Meiling was not breaking a sweat at these intruders at all. Made of clay, these golems were slow, clumsy and altogether easy to take care off.

But just in case, I had wrapped my hands in bandages to dampen the pain I felt from striking them.

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[They're very hard… I must train more…]

Promising myself to do a workout tomorrow, I did a Jump kick that cracked the head of a new golem and easily repelled it from the stone steps that lead up to the Shrine.

I had being paying attention to Lady Patchouli's and the rest and I was rightly confused when I saw not cats nor foxes but clay golems clambering up the steps to the Shrine.

Being asked and commanded to guard the Shrine Steps, I had imagined it would be an easy task and I would be able to get a siesta~~ but… looks like I was wrong, ah… it's not that bad to be wrong sometimes.

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[I'm training the body and mind hard!]

Leaping into the air, I intercepted a few golems by kicking them in the chest and cracking their skulls together. With a quick legsweep, I downed four more.

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[COLORFUL MOUNTAIN BREAKER!]

Slamming my fist into the chest of another one, I told myself that the next one was the last one for perhaps the hundredth time?

It is a way of taking my mind off things and to keep me motivated despite the number of golem that was coming in my direction. It was way beyond what I could do normally but I feel my body becoming tougher, stronger and my mind becoming more sharper with each hit.

How to deal with them became so clear to me as I downed every one with a single masterful hit that either disabled them or broke their body to bits with a single crushing bill.

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[Colorful rain!]

Spinning myself to unleash a cloud of colorful danmaku, I managed to wipe sweat off my face before ramming my elbow to the chest of yet another golem…

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But, the gate keeper is strong!

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[I AM STRONG!]

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Calling out a challenge to the silent golem, I kicked one's head off and crushed another's chest with a single strike from my fist. It is like a training prepared for me by the Mistress, if I did my job maybe Sakuya would praise me!

[ARGH!]

I'll not lose to them! Not these heartless, painless and emotionless things.

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BECAUSE!

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[I AM HONG MEILING! GATE KEEPER OF THE Scarlet Devil Mansion!]

Stamping my feet, I charged forward while gathering strength in my fist for one mega blow to their ranks.

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[ULTIMATE, COLORFUL MOUNTAIN BREAKER!

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[AND I AM STRONG! SO FORGET IT, YUKARI.]

Clapping my hands together, I took off my hat and whirled it in the air before putting it back on.

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[You're not getting past me no matter what you throw at me.]

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The resulting forcewave from the impact had crushed all the golems left and I was standing in a pile of worthless rubble that trembled and tried to gather together.

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[I am strong, you won't get pass me until my death. THAT I PROMISE YOU!]

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[Yukari's spiriting away…]

A spellcard that I remembered well, it is easy to evade if not for the limited space that I had to maneuver to get pass her bullets.

The details and patterns are coming back to me, I am Hakurei Reimu of the Hakurei Shrine, I am certain now. I remember Yukari, Youmu, Yuyuko, Eirin, Kaguya, Mokou, Keine and everyone else… I've met them and failed to appreciate everyone of them till now.

It is like they say, one can only know how precious something is when they lost it.

And I lost my memories… all the many disasters, the despair and the hope that I had gained in my youth is flooding back to me. It made my past ten over odd years to be just dull and boring when compared with them.

But, now is not the time to reminisce, I have to get to Yukari before it is too late.

We had made a promise to one another that I would dodge all of her bullets and she promised that she would not go easy on me.

Time has passed us by, but the gap between us had not changed despite her claiming so.

Even now I can feel her heart beat, her excitement and her joy in danmaku-ing with me. I too, am full of anticipation of any tricks that Yukari would want to show me.

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[…]

Dodging between the gaps of her circle of danmaku, I shot amulets at Yukari every single time she appears from a new gap. It is like cat and mouse, I have to evade all her homing lasers while keeping track of Yukari's movement. For all I know she would appear before me in the rule bending gaps that she uses so often.

Even now she took in a few more amulets from me before shooting them back out at me.

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[Hmph… banish!]

But, it turns out my Shrine Maiden Training for the fourteen years had not came to naught. All the skills that I was taught, of drawing spells and using signs to draw strength from the gods were actually quite useful in gensokyo.

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[Release the Spirit, find the evil and banish it from my will, Onward!]

Drawing a sign in the air, I concentrated and from a slip of paper, various spirit foxes materialized to being and with a nod from me, shot towards Yukari.

Control over shikigami, drawing strength from gods for my spells of purification, barriers was my forte in my older life and it is working well indeed.

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[Fufu~ Reimu you are stronger, really are!]

Laughing, Yukari batted those foxes away with a summon of her own.

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[Shikigami: RAN! GO!]

Waving a hand, a shadow of Ran appeared that tore through the spirit foxes that I had summoned with ease before locking on towards me.

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[Both of you, stand in front of me…]

Urging my two companions to do so, I channeled my spiritual power into them, chanting loudly as I did so.

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[I beg you… beg of you to lend me your strength… lend your almighty strength for to me…

I beg of you… to listen… to hear… my, selfish wish…

Put trust in spirits… put trust in humans..

Have faith in my faith…

Have strength in my strength…

Lend me your strength and I shall lend you mine…

Hear my prayer and I will hear your prayer…

Let me feel your pain, your joy and your sadness and you shall hear mine…

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So, please, watch over me, your servant…

Watch over me and let no harm befall me..

Let me serve you another day…

Lend me your strength, spirits!]

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Ending my prayer, my two companions glowed and they stopped Ran who slammed into a barrier that was formed by the two of them.

Even while glowing brightly, the two of them still clung onto one another in fear till I reassured them that they will be fine.

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Believe in me… this will keep you safe…

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I had loaned some power to them to protect them, I did not want them to be hurt as I struggled with Yukari.

Drawing another stack of amulets, I flung them in the air in the shape of the symbol I was aiming for and focused energy into Sanae's gohei, which glowed white momentarily.

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[Sense the enemy, sense the evil, sense the one that seeks to defile us… show him my faith, show him my strength just like you lent it to me… Hakurei Exterminator Seal, UNLEASH!]

Purple energy crackling around the amulets that I released, I watched them intercept Ran as I dove towards Yukari, who was still trying to get at me with her gaps, shooting out bullets and lasers that dotted the border with cracks and holes.

Well, at least Yukari and I are fulfilling our promises.

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[I won't fail… Gods, please listen to your servant and grant your strength to me… Release the spirits, release the soul, strike down evil, strike down sin… Banish those that corrupt the soul… Release!]

Forming a seal with my hands, I negated Yukari's latest attempt at me by absorbing the circle of Danmaku characterized by Yukari's appearance and twisted them into the shape of a dragon.

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[RELEASE!]

The danmaku dragon barreled down on Yukari and with a yelp, she stopped the spell and absorbed the dragon into one of her gaps.

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[Spell Break…]

[… Yea…]

We looked at one another, a good opponent to one another but I had to wonder, how much can Gensokyo take before it collapses?

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[Well now Reimu, you are finally showing what you have in that body of yours… are you going all out?]

[What about you, Yukari…]

Evenly matching her mocking grin, I smiled grimly as she said she was.

[Well now, I know you are a liar…]

[Hmph… I am simply a youkai… I don't take things seriously…]

[So, I am half-right, aren't I?]

The smile on her face meant I had gave the right answer.

[Well then, breaks over!]

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Author's Notes: Reimu is showing more of her powers. That's more like Reimu, isn't she?