Disclaimer: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona belongs to ATLUS. Touhou Project belongs to Zun. I have no ownership of the copyrights of either series in any way.
Chapter 17: The Anti-Climax
The ship was alight with bullets and curving lasers, much to my confusion. As I got closer, I could see that Sanae was the one who was currently engaged in a spell card duel above the flying ship. Her opponent, whose details I could make more and more of as I flew closer, appeared to be a young woman whose hair was a curious mish mash of yellow and black stylized like a tiger's stripes. She wore what seemed to be ceremonial clothes of a Buddhist nature, colored red, white, and also stripped like the girl's hair. In one hand was a long spear, but it seemed really clean and unused. In the other was a pagoda like object that seemed to be where the lasers she was firing were coming from. Ignoring that, I saw that Reimu, Marisa, Mima, and… I think Sukuna, were standing on the ship watching the other two. I quietly landed on the ship and walked over to where Sukuna was, her rice bowl hat having become easier to see now.
"Hey, Sukuna-san," I called to the inchling.
"ARISATO-SAMA!" Sukuna yelped in surprise, reminding me of her really good lung capacity as I realized I forgot to make my presence known in a milder fashion.
"Minato-kun!?"
"Minato!?" I heard coming from three voices, only one of them forgetting the honorific. *Pichun!* "KYAAAA!" Sanae let out as she was hit by a laser she didn't see.
"I advise that your attention be undivided during a duel, blue green shrine maiden," Sanae's opponent called.
"My apologies, I'll be sure to make full reparations after I win this duel!" Sanae retorted. I turned to… maybe Mima…
"So why are they dueling?" I asked her.
"Beats me," Mima answered honestly. "Spell Card Duels are almost like greetings with how often they go off."
"Yup, they're even like that in the castle!" Sukuna added from the side as she then crawled up to my shoulder.
"We're waiting for those two to finish up so that we can head to where ever this seal is supposed to be," Reimu clarified for me, making the situation all the more clear.
"We decided to go there together for once. That and we didn't want to go too far away to where you couldn't find us," Marisa said as she walked up to my side… a little too close… shoulder to shoulder actually.
"Marisa, aren't you being a bit too close to him?" Reimu asked her, a bit miffed. My vision scattered in an attempt to distract myself, but in the corner I could see a smirk rise upon Mima's face.
"Oh? Only in my wildest dreams would I have imagined my little Marisa and Reimu-chan vying for the same man," Mima noted… that isn't helping…
"We-well, Mima-sama, it's well…" Marisa stuttered.
"You stay out of this. I'm coming back for you once this is all wrapped up!" Reimu tried to shut down the (Formerly) Evil Ghost.
"Now that's a laugh. I'll just get out again. Even if it's not by my own power, I could get Minato here to do it!" Mima's remark caused Reimu to send me a glare that basically said that I really don't want to do that… I haven't said anything in a while… "I'm just joking. As much as I like putting people in hot water, I don't think I'd find it fun to make Minato do that… I like the direct approach better."
"…Thanks?" I finally spoke.
"No problem!" Mima boisterously wrapped her arm around me, unintentionally pushing Marisa to the side. I think I can hear Sukuna getting muffled...
*CRACK*
Thou art I… And I am thou…
Thou hast tempered your bond…
Thou shalt have our blessing when thou chooses
To create a Persona of the Hunger Arcana…
I guess that's something.
"Marisa, why don't you and Reimu go over there, Minato and I have some adult stuff to talk about."
"But, But Mima-sama!" Marisa started. Mima would have none of that as the atmosphere she projected seemed to change all of a sudden.
"Now…" Mima's voice was soft, but a menace seemed emanate from her and felt as if it dominated all in its path with an unequivocal strength.
"… Yes, Mima-sama." Marisa, for her part, impressively seemed to shrug off the assault, and walked away with a fair amount of dignity. Perhaps she's used to it? … Oh she's shaking…
"Whatever. I don't feel like dealing with you right now anyways; either of you," Reimu said as she went back to watch Sanae's Duel. "Don't let her seduce you or anything, Minato-san!" Was that last bit really necessary?
"Do you feel it, Minato?" Mima asked in a low whisper.
"Feel what?" I asked her as I began to try and feel for whatever she was referring to… Menace… but not maliciousness… wasn't this Mima's?
"I'm not the only evil presence on board," She indirectly answered my question.
"Where is it?" I asked as I continued to try and feel for it.
"I'm guessing it's in the ship; only place we haven't been." I turned my attention to the rest of the group who was watching Sanae's duel going back in full force with the tiger girl.
"What do you think it is?"
"Might be the true incident starter. They're always close by, but not obvious… usually," Mima said as I began to eye the door inside. It was opened a small bit.
"Want me to check it out?"
"How brave," Mima commented as she flew over me and floated in place in front of me. "But yeah, I want you to check it out. Those girls over there already have their hands full. They'll probably be stuck elsewhere, and it would be best for all loose ends to be taken care of all at once."
"Alright…" I said, but before I could begin to act, Mima added-
"I don't mind the initiative, but don't die. I expect more entertainment from you," Mima added before I turned around towards the door.
"How incorrigible…" The door didn't look very far.
Break
The inside of the ship was dark, lit only by small candles and light from the open windows. If the candle lights were any larger, the flying ship would most likely be set ablaze. Still it did nothing to abate the stillness as even the flickers were near silent. Shadows drenched the halls making it difficult to see, and the dark light of Makai only added an eerie red shade to the world inside. I think I'm in the main hall given how large it is. Looking around, I could see many side corridors. If Mima thinks this presence is evil, I should probably take caution.
Eyeing one of the closer side halls, I sneak along the wall to enter it, all the while trying to minimize my exposure. Being out in the open is likely to have something stabbing me in the back. I don't like being stabbed. Finding a door in the hallway, I reached out towards the handle when-
"Bwah! What's going on!? Where am I?" Oh god! oh wait that's Sukuna… regaining my composure before Sukuna could notice, I calmly placed my finger over my mouth to indicate a need for quiet. Sukuna, after noticing me, then copied my gesture and made a silent nod. Perhaps due to her still being a child, she still spoke, though at least in a whisper. "What are we doing?" she asked me in a voice that was doubly soft thanks to her size.
"Looking for the culprit…" I whispered back as I maintained a look out, in case something would try to pop out at us, but the darkness kept me from really being able to do such. With nothing to do, I then began to try and open the door again, while trying to maintain my look out.
"Um… what are you reaching for?" Sukuna asked, making me snap towards where the… there is no door.
"Hehe…" I could hear almost too close to my ear. Snapping again, I turned around to find nothing but the darkness. Shifting my head around in hopes of tracing whoever that was, I found that there was nothing around… wait… I turned to where I had come from the main hall to… a wall… the main hall was gone and a wall was there instead.
"Is something wrong, Arisato-sama?" Sukuna asked me, unaware of what was happening.
"…nothing. Let's get moving," I said to try and keep myself from being unnerved. Moving even further from the main hall, I walked towards the side hall where most of the windows were situated. Though nothing had changed from the last time I saw them, letting in a dark red light that seemed to glow all throughout Makai. It reminded me of blood.
"I don't like this…" Sukuna said as I could feel her curling up in my coat pocket.
"Neither do I…" I replied back, sticking close to the wall to limit the ways to get around me. Whatever is in here with us, it can screw with us like it's nothing. Annoying, but I can't do anything but play along.
"*sniff**hic*…is anyone there? Help…" A girl's voice? That's…irregular.
"Did you hear that?" Sukuna asked, a bit spooked, though her jump a bit earlier made that clear just before. "Do you think we should help her?"
"If we can find her…" and even then… I think it came from… I continued to walk through the hallway as that's where the voice had come from, which coincidently was the direction we were going in the first place.
"Can anyone here me?" The voice called again, though louder… and to my right… which was a door. Sniffling and hiccups could be heard from behind the door.
"I don't know if we should go in…" Sukuna voiced her concerns, and I couldn't blame her. I smell a set up, but… I turned back towards the hall… another wall has appeared where there wasn't one. Looking back… another wall. Trapped, with only the window for escape, but those are too small. This could be really bad…
"No choice," I relented as I then placed a hand on the door. I looked at Sukuna who was looking at me… I nod once and she nods back. I place a hand on my sword. *SLAM!* I opened the door and took to one of the sides of the door to peer in from a defensive position. More sniffling… I take stock of what's happening, and see what looks to be a person covered in an overly large kimono for the person. "Hello?" I try to catch the girl's attention. The girl however, just continued to cry, unaware of my presence.
"Maybe we should go to her?" Sukuna posited. Right… I step into the room, my shadow in front of my body, but not letting go of my sword. The room was dark, save for the red light of Makai shining from the window positioned right in front of the door, into the room. The girl continued to cry as I made my way towards her. My steps slow to a crawl as I close the distance, her sniffles getting louder and more audible. There is a pregnant pause as I step right into proximity to touch her.
"Hello?" I call again as I begin to reach towards the- The person falls to the side with clacking sounds, the kimono tumbling over, creating a mess of fabrics. Amongst the mess is a doll and a stack of blankets.
"Hahaha!" The doll seems to let out. Another sizable pause follows as nothing happens after. Realizing that nothing was going to happen, I walk over and pick the doll up. Wait… it's just a piece of wood. What the hell is going on?
"A piece of wood?" Sukuna asked as she peered over to give the block a leer. Yeah…
"Let's go…" I tell Sukuna, not that she has much say in that regard. Walking out, the hall… was completely different. I don't think I can trust conventional directions here… It was the main hall again, much to my confusion. Every which way, it seems that discerning the ship's true form is proving to be difficult. I feel like I can see shades of the true form, but the illusions and lies are keeping me from really seeing it.
"Over here!" A young girl's voice called. I tried to at least visually catch whoever it was that said that in my field of vision before it disappeared, but only the shadow was still in view before it too panned out of sight in an almost instantaneous fashion.
"Somebody is enjoying this…" I said under my breath…
"Let's catch her and make her pay for going through this scary place!" Sukuna whisper-yelled. It really wasn't scary, but it was unsettling to have a stalker around… I nodded before going in the direction the shadow had appeared. Upon passing the corner, a single door was placed at the end of the small alcove that was the corridor I had entered.
"In here…" I read from the note that was nailed to the wooden door…
"It's a trap…" Sukuna pointed out… I could guess that, but it's not like I've got much choice. I'm dealing with a trickster, and unless I see through the trick, the only option is to go along with it, or break it entirely. Once I've got the trick, I can turn the tables then, but I am very close to wanting to do the latter. I hope nothing goes awry that would endanger Sukuna regardless…
"Let's go anyways," I told my companion as I then placed a hand on the door and opened it. The door creaked as it moved; however, inside laid just another empty room. This is getting on my nerves…
"Look, this is getting us nowhere…" I told to the presence that I felt watching me. "Show yourself before I find you in a less, peaceful way." No response to my demand was made. Sukuna remained silent as well hoping to more clearly hear if there was an answer… I guess it's the hard way then. I hope this doesn't break too much. I take my evoker in hand and point it a card that began to fall before me.
"Daisoujou… Sukunda," I called, to start off by reducing their ability to run. I could hear the spell going off outside as it hit whoever it was that was doing all this. "Masukukaja…" I then cast afterwards to make sure I could get the hit in. [Change] Next one…
"Alice… Megido…" I invoked as I began to calmly walk out of the room as I could hear the accumulation of almighty energy festering in the main hall. The spell's relative weakness wouldn't kill, but it would at least catch them.
"Kyah!" I heard as the small explosion of energy seemed to have hit its target. Once I turned the corner, I could finally see who it was that was making my life just a little bit more annoying. "Nue…" I announced… the girl I met in the forest with the strange wings and a trident. I did remember her talking about illusions when we first met…
"Hey, that's not very nice. Attacking me out of the blue is very ungentlemanly," Nue said in a very teasing voice similar to Yukari Yakumo's, but with a higher pitch.
"I know two wrongs don't make a right, but I think I have a right to defend myself from a stalker," I retorted.
"Stalker? Me? You jest, but oh well. I guess you found me out. I've been hiding here amongst the crew even as I had taken those precious pieces, whatever they were, and spread them out. Happy you got your confession?"
"Actually I was here to just find out what was the presence inside the ship, but that works too." I draw Lucifer's Blade. Nue seemed to still be surprised that I wasn't actually here for the pieces of… wood. "Now, while I don't really like having to drag someone out, I guess I have to make an exception for you."
"Wait, so you're not with the crew?"
"No, not really. I'm with Sanae-chan and Mima… and Sukuna, but not with them."
"Yeah! Not with them at all! We're our own thing!" Sukuna proudly shouted from my pocket, her hand in a fist and held outward.
"Well that just made things awkward," Nue said as she seemed to lose some sort of momentum. "I was hoping to mess with them for a little while longer, and screw up whatever they had planned, but here you come waltzing in without any knowledge and just trump the whole thing," she said in a bit of disbelief, her face in an awkward expression. I've been known to do that however, just trumping plans by accident.
"I've been known to do that," I repeated out loud.
"Oh well… I'll just have to get you to promise to shut up then. I don't want this to take too much time, so 3 hits and 3 bombs?" She asked, declaring the ground rules…
"Agreed…" I stated as I too wanted to get this over with.
"Alright then, but could you get rid of this thing you cast on me? It's not fair otherwise." [Change]
"Right…" I agreed as I summoned Mada.
"Dekunda! Dekaja!" Surrounding both Nue and were strange orange colored balloons that with what looked like strips of static. Once the bubbles reached a certain size, they popped.
"Alright then, it's not as official as that other duel you had, but on 'go'," She declared as I nodded. We both then called the numbers
"3," I ready my ring. "2" I ready my stance. "1" I ready my breathing. "GO!" [Change]
"Daisoujou, Sukunda, Masukukaja!" I called to start with as I jumped back to gain some distance. Green light filled the area, a pillar of such rising from my location, and an orb descending upon Nue's
"Are you serious!?" She yelled in a frustrated manner, though from being hit by it in general or by being hit by it again, I couldn't really tell. Maybe it was both. In her slowed state I took the opportunity immediately after to muster my dolls.
"Go!" I yelled to call them as they materialized in front of me, creating a phalanx of protection so that I could more calmly fight this duel.
"Tch, annoying…" She said in response, an expression of irritation on her face from what I could see from behind my dolls. Suddenly though, her body seemed to phase out of existence in a black smoke. "Not that it matters all that much." I turned to find her behind me. "Let's get started!" She said as she unleashed a series of charm shaped bullets at me at point blank range.
"Crap…" I muttered as I jumped back to gain distance. Shifting my weight left, I barely grazed by one of the bullets, and jumped a bit to dodge the other two sets that were right after.
"Oh? Not surprised? Well this is just the opening volley," She said as she then launched two more waves of the same pattern which I promptly dodged in the same manner. "Let's see how you handle this," she cried as she raised her hand. "Ominous Clouds 'Heian Dark Clouds'!" Before she could fully form her card, I repositioned the dolls to be between myself and her. During such, a circle of black mist formed around her and thickened to the point of being visually impenetrable. Suddenly the clouds began to shine white.
"What is…?" Sukuna started before the clouds instantly evaporated and lasers fired from the lights left behind. "Ahhhh!" She screamed as I rolled out of the way and moved my dolls to block the straggling rain drop like bullets. If she's breaking out her first card, then so should I. [Change] "Fantasy Mabufudyne!" I called, as I summoned Lucifer to supply the second part of the card. The original card once again shined to indicate a change and now sported rainbow ice formations on it. Like the depiction, giant rainbow crystal like formations began to fly out of the card, and as I had hoped, deflected the on-coming lasers, changing their trajectory so that I was much safer.
Some of the formations fell short, landing on to the floor, but upon doing so expanded in a way that looked like a tree taking root. Actually, it wasn't just the lasers changing trajectory, but some of the residual bullets were also being blocked entirely.
"Not bad, but I'm over here!" I turned behind me to see that she once again teleported behind me.
"Not again!" I quickly let out as I slashed at her, only for my attack to completely faze through her… and a split cloth left in her place. "What?"
*Pichun!* "You counting? You've only got two left!" She taunted. Damn… Turning around once more, I found that there was still some residual energy resounding from the ice I made. "These ice formations were really nice. They helped to aim my lasers right at your distracted behind."
"I'm not done yet," I muttered as I reassembled my dolls. "Fire," I commanded from which, they then gave me covering fire as I rushed towards Nue, bringing only Beijing and Minerva with me. "Here I come," It might work… "Makarakarn!" I yelled to give myself an extra level of protection; Daisoujou casting the spell as I ran between the ice.
"Ho? You think I'm stupid? I watched your duel, and based on that hue…" she started to say as she only made the minimal movements to dodge my dolls' onslaught, almost looking like she wasn't moving at all. "I'm going to guess this reflects magic!" She finished as then- "Peekaboo!"
"Gotcha!" I yelled as I had the dolls that I brought with me fire a volley right at her as she reappeared right next to me.
"Tch!" She let out as she found herself point blank in my dolls' firing range. In only a second-
*Pichun!* "To answer your question: I don't. But even so, we're one for one now." She's a tricky opponent, and an opponent with tricks has to be beaten with tricks… but I don't know if I have anymore.
"Yeah! Take that!" Sukuna cheered from my pocket.
"Sukuna, quiet down… please…" I need to concentrate.
"Sorry!" She said as she then hunkered down just to be safe.
"Well, that was certainly impressive, but let's see how you handle this!" She then got out another card… here it comes. "Unidentified 'Rainbow UFO Invasion of Terror'!" As soon as she called her card several flashing UFOs like the ones I saw earlier today began to fly within the confined space of the flying ship. As they bounced around the enclosed area, made even more enclosed by the ice I had made. As they flew by, they released odd patterns of bullets that seemed to be curved in their overall formation. They weren't fast in the slightest, but certainly they're size, and number made them a threat regardless. I carefully dodged each of them, finding the gaps and slowing my mind so as to not rush things.
"That's right, dance. Now it's my turn to win!" Nue began to speak. "Time after time, you humans have always beaten me, but not anymore. I'm going to win this, and I'm going to be free once and for all! I won't be under your thumb anymore!" And like that from out of nowhere, she fired a large white blast of energy. Dammit, trapping me in the pattern of her current spell card to… I can't dodge, not with this density of bullets.
*Pichun!* "Huh!?"
"Who!?" Both Nue and I cried as a flash of blue light finally died… Makarkarn! I'd forgotten since I used it as a throw away!
"Looks like the hits are now 1 to 2. You've only got one left," I told the stunned Nue, who was still surprised to find herself in a corner. She looked down at her hands for both of us to find that they were shaking, her eyes began to change. At first they were just like the teasing, powerful eyes she had back when we first met, but slowly, steadily, her pupils began to dilate. Her eyelids twitched every so often. In what was a relative instant, bags seemed to start developing under her eyes.
"No… No, I won't be beaten…" she almost half cackled as she said so. "I don't want to be sealed again…" She said even softer than the last sentence. "NOOOOOOOOOOO! I'M NOT GOING BACK!" She let out as she then focused once again on me, her fear having turned into desperate rage. "Grudge Bow 'The Bow of Genzanmi Yorimasa'!" She yelled as loud as she could.
"Damn…" was all I could say as what was perhaps the most desperate, most haphazard spray of bullets I had ever seen began to rain upon my position. "Crap!" I cursed as I then ran for cover using my formed ice, returning my dolls to my ring to prevent further damage to them that Alice would surely kill me for. Luckily the ice deflected the bullets and acted well enough as cover.
"Coward! If that's how you want to play, fine. I'll just shoot it all down!" Looking through the ice I could see that she was still firing as hard as she could. Only now in a moment of relative peace I noticed that the swathes started as lasers fired upwards from her odd wings but then broke up into several shots that almost literally poured down like a storm of bullets. The bullet patterns were messy, uncontrolled… and as Yukari might note, not beautiful at all, but damn was it keeping me at bay, I can't a find a single opening to get in. "You can't hide forever! I'm not going to be sealed again. I'm not going to be alone again. I don't want to be sealed again. You can't make me!" She's gone… She needs… I still have one hit I can afford. [Change] Messiah… let's go.
"Uwwoooaaah!" I yelled as I charged right into the fray of bullets.
*Pichun!* "One down! One more to go, then I'll never have to hear from you again!" I only have one shot at this for my grace period.
"Evil Field!" I called first. "God's Hand!" And just like before, the two melded "Evil God's Hand Field!" A flash of bright light once again materialized into the world.
"Kyah!" I could hear Nue yell. Now! Before she can recover!
"Nue, CALM THE HELL DOWN!" I said as I mirrored the first God's hand to descend, both my fist and the attack's punching Nue in the face at the exact same time.
*Pichun!* "Gwuh!" She went as she then flew from the hit face first and tumbled like a rag doll over the floor.
"It's over…" I stated between heavy breathing as I tried to catch my breath from literally tanking a hail of bullets. I then walked over to where she was… only to find her knocked out cold… Ooops… I may have gone too far…
Break
"So, are you ready to talk peacefully?" I asked Nue who lay on her back to the ground of the ship's main hall, now less convoluted. She had just managed to wake up from the serious punch that I just gave her. I need to apologize to her about that later…
"Do what you want. Boil me, burn me, hang me, but please don't seal me away…" She said with a pleading, defeated tone.
"Alright, then; let's talk." I've already got my hands full in regards to seals. It took her a couple of seconds to register what I had said.
"Wait… is that all you want?" She asked incredulously as she began to rise from the floor.
"No, I do want more. However, I'm not one for punishments. I'm not very good at them."
"You're kidding…" Nue said as she fell back onto the ground.
"I'm not," I told her in response.
"You are one weird human, you know that? It almost feels like my existence is beginning to lose meaning if you aren't scared by me."
"Then make a new meaning."
"You say that as if it were the easiest thing in the world," she sarcastically as she rose, a bit of annoyance plastered on her face.
"It's not, but it doesn't hurt to try."
"You have a response for everything don't you." She then got up fully from the ground and began to walk to me. I could feel Sukuna stiffen up in my pocket.
"…"
"Oh now you're silent?" She sighed as she seemed to figure out that I wasn't going to yield. "Alright, so what is it that you want to talk about?" She asked, allowing us to get to the root of the conversation.
"I want you to apologize for the trouble you've given to the owners of this ship."
"Again with that selfless crap. It's weird hearing that from a human."
"Is it?" I asked, wondering what she meant by it.
"It is! Don't you know the legends? I mean, my reputation can't have plummeted that far into obscurity! I mean there were countless legends of my defeat and rise!" She seemed to boast, but at the same time is it really something to boast about?
"Never took the time to read up on it."
"Re-really? … I guess I should ask Mami next time she's around about what my reputation is like in the outside world…" Nue mused to herself. "In all seriousness though, that is all you want from me?"
"Pretty much." She stared at me for a few good seconds before simply letting out an exasperated breath and shrugging.
"Alright, fine. I did say you could do anything." I nodded to confirm my hearing of her compliance.
"Well, be sure to say sorry sincerely to them when we see them."
"Right…" she begrudgingly said as we then began to walk towards the exit. "Hey…"
"Yeah?"
"You're… you're really not going to seal me again?"
"I told you, I can't actually use any sealing magic. And besides… you don't seem like a bad person to begin with…"
"I'm a youkai, not a person," she oddly corrected me. Under her breath though, I could barely hear her tell me, "… but thank you…"
Break
Stepping out of the inside of the ship, I find that Makai still looked the exact same.
"Well, well, I see that you haven't come back empty handed!" Mima was first to sound off. She was staying idle next to the tiger lady I saw earlier before I went down in to the hull of the ship. On another side were the nun and cloud, and the sailor, as well as the mouse youkai I saw earlier. The others didn't seem to be around.
"I still don't have anything in my hands though…" I joked.
"You know what I mean. So I guess this was the little scamp who was hiding in down in the hull?" Mami asked as she floated over, taking long stares at the girl behind me.
"Her name's Nue!" Sukuna introduced first.
"I can introduce myself, but yeah… That's me…" Nue followed.
"I see that you are the one who scattered the fragments of the Tobikura. Your trick has wasted us valuable time in reviving our friend and master," the tiger lady scolded. She then turned to me and gave me a small bow. "I thank you for helping us to find the culprit behind this prank. You have my sincere gratitude and blessings that I am able to give as Bishamonten's avatar."
"Bishamonten?" Like one of my Persona's… I guess it was a given at some point.
"Yes, is something the matter?" She asked as she seemed to notice my curiosity of the coincidence. "I realize that perhaps my presence may be a shock, and that would be normal, but please do not hesitate to tell me if something is wrong outside of that," she told me in a soft voice.
"Oh, no, it's nothing. I'm Minato Arisato," I told her out of courtesy.
"As I have heard from your… friend here. I am Shou Toramaru, a disciple of Byakuren Hijiri, and as I have stated, avatar of Bishamonten," she said with a bit more softness as the conversation went on I noticed. It seems that the only one to have earned her ire here was Nue herself… speaking of.
"Nue here wants to tell you something, don't you Nue?" I prompted the girl.
"Yeah, yeah," she said unenthusiastically.
"Remember, with sincerity," I reminded her.
"Right…" Nue said before taking a deep breath. Once full, she then knelt onto the floor in dogeza and said, "I'm sorry for all that I've done, please forgive me."
"It is not to me who should apologize to, but my master," replied Shou, though not entirely coldly.
"Alright, so where is she?" Nue asked, raising her head so as to look at Shou, while also making sure she was heard.
"As I have said earlier, sealed," Shou answered as a matter of fact.
"What did she do?" Sukuna asked from my pocket. "Did she get punished for doing something bad?"
"In the eyes of some, yes little one," Shou seemed about to continue, but was interrupted by Mima.
"Get this. Apparently Shou's master, the master of this ship, was locked up for wanting to make peace between Youkai and Humans. How rich is that?" Mima seemed to be holding in a small laugh. It was not a big laugh, but still enough that she seemed to need to hold it in.
"I would ask that you not make light of the predicament that has befallen my master. She only wants a peace where neither Humans nor Youkai need to continue their endless cycle of pain," Shou rebuked.
"That's what's so funny about it. Humans and Youkai are meant to kill and be killed. That's how it's always been; how it will always be. If youkai aren't feared anymore, then they cease to exist. They're the manifestations of man's superstitions and fears. You understand that right? You're around as you are because people believe that to be you. Youkai are around, because they're believed to be things to be feared and to eat humans. "
"It doesn't have to be that way!" Shou indignantly replied. "Just because that's how it is, doesn't mean that's how it's supposed to be. Look at the way Youkai are now! In years past, they used to be horrible monsters, but now they're all girls that look as if they've dressed up and act as such." Oh wait so there's a reason they're all girls? "If we can change things little by little, one bit at a time, then maybe Youkai can be something else."
"Human's don't really ever change. Just the fact that the forms have changed, but they themselves haven't is very much a sign of what it is. On the surface it's different but at its core, nothing has moved a single bit. They're still Youkai through and through."
"What are they talking about?" I heard Sukuna whisper from my coat pocket. Looking down, I saw that she had a confused face.
"Something… very interesting to me," I told the inchling in my pocket.
"Shou was it?" I looked back up to see Nue having stood fully back up. Something seemed to be different in the ancient youkai's demeanor.
"Hm? Yes Houjuu-san?" She replied in a calmer manner than when she was talking to Mima, who was still smirking.
"Please bring me to your master." What Nue said took me by surprise, making me blink an extra time.
"… You wish to make an apology, I presume?" Shou guessed.
"Yes… " Nue said with somberness that I didn't think she would display.
"You are far more complacent than you were a moment ago, what brought about this change?" Shou rightfully, and suspiciously, asked.
"You said she was trying to bring peace between humans and youkai right?" Nue asked for clarification
"Yes," Shou replied slowly, but succinctly.
"You know," Nue started, "I've always hated that my role as Nue was to be beaten by humans. I mean I love scaring them, but that was it. Human's would always overreact and then go out of their way to get rid of me, either by trying to kill me or seal me. All of my legends, if you've heard of them, usually end with me being defeated. I'm tired of being beaten, or more generally, I'm tired of this whole thing."
"I suppose I can understand that in a sense, being feared," Shou sympathized, like she understood completely what Nue meant.
"Is your master really trying to make peace between humans and youkai?" Nue asked again, perhaps for the last time.
"Yes," Shou answered the same. Nue seemed to look as if relief was pouring over her body. Letting out one last deep breath, she then turned to me.
"Come on. You wanted to see me apologize right?" Her devilish smile returned, though not in full force.
"Um… yeah," I said, a bit off guard.
"Then let's get going! So where is this Byakuren anyways?" Nue asked Shou, leaning forward towards her with her hands behind her.
"Her seal is a little ways away from here. The Shrine Maidens and Magician all went ahead, something about impressing somebody. They seemed to be competing in some way."
"Oh?" Nue let out as she slyly gave me a side glance. "Well let's go! I want to get this apologizing stuff over and done with as soon as possible."
"Of course, I'll lead the way." Shou then turned to the other members of the crew. "The rest of you stay here and look after the ship. We'll be right back." The three others nodded in affirmation as Shou then nodded back. "Alright, let's get going."
"Right behind you!" Nue enthusiastically replied. I was about to fly up to follow myself, before a hand was placed on my shoulder. Looking behind me, I found that it was Mima.
"Ideals are nice and all, but if you can't back them up, then you just get put down."
"Where is this coming from?"
"Just don't want you getting too roughed up. Marisa and Reimu have really taken a shine to you. Would be a real shame if you died," Mima seemed to say as a half joke, but I could feel that she really did care.
"Isn't that what you're here for?"
"Nah, I'm just here to see the fireworks, but you know what it wouldn't be that hard to keep you from getting yourself killed," Mima said with a smile. "You seem to me like the kind of kid that thinks he can do anything."
"I can do anything," so long as I try…
"Well aren't you special."
"Hey if you don't hurry up, we're leaving you behind!" Nue called to us from off the ship.
"Hold your horses, we're coming!" Mima told them. "Well, shall we?"
"Yeah! Let's go!" Sukuna yelled, surprising me a bit.
"…Right." I said as I then jumped ship.
Break
"We've arrived," Shou informed us as we came upon a vista that had a clear view of a sun like light source. The light was significantly less intense if only due to the fact that staring straight at it was a relatively easy task. Floating above that however were Reimu, Marisa, and Sanae, all of whom were focusing on a particular individual.
The person they were staring at was a woman who wore white dress that had a black overdress that zigzagged across her chest area and upper stomach. She also appeared to be wearing a red cape as well. Her sleeves as well as her boots were a black color in a similar vein to her black overdress but had white strips of fabric wrapped in patterns crossing them. In her hands was what looked to be a closed scroll like object, but the materials were certainly not of wood. The dress would certainly exude a form of holiness and piety. However they would be unneeded, as the person's expression would show. The woman's expression was one of calm and patience. A small smile could be seen as if one were looking at a mother, or mature older sister. Her mauve eyes seemed alight with kindness and charity; love and understanding. It felt like I was looking at a near perfect picture of a nun… the only thing to disrupt this image was her long, wavy hair that fell to the bottom of her back, making a very curious gradient from a color similar in tone to her mauve eyes, to an earthen brown starting from the roots of her hair to the ends. Usually, Buddhist nuns are bald.
"That is Byakuren Hijiri, our leader," Shou told me as we neared the scene.
"She's really pretty!" Sukuna was quick to add, and I would of course agree.
"And she looks like she's in a real pickle. Those girls don't make the best threesome, especially if you add one more," Mima commented with a snide attitude. I turned to Nue without giving Mima too much attention.
"This is it…"
"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry, I've made my decision," Nue reassured me with a tone that would leave most fairly unassured. To me however, I could tell that she meant it.
"Are you sure we can't just let them go at it? I mean come on, all of them at once is bound to make for a great duel," Mima jokingly pleaded.
"They can do it later when we aren't in Makai. For now, let's focus on the task at hand. We can have all the bullets we want afterwards," I stated to try and get everyone to focus.
"Right, right leader," Mima said sarcastically.
"Don't call me that."
"Oh? But even I think it fits," Nue quipped from the side.
"I would have to agree that you do seem to exude the form of a leader," Shou added.
"I think master is better!" Dammit, not you too Sukuna.
"Can we please get back to the task at hand and try to stop their duel?" I half pleaded half commanded.
"Of course," Shou was first to follow. The lot of us started again towards the four that were currently at a standstill, as we approached from behind, I could hear remnants of their conversations.
"Wait so what are you trying to work hard for?" Marisa asked.
"Well, for Humans and Youkai to be equals. Youkai have been oppressed for as long as they've existed."
"Not buying that for a second," Reimu retorted. "It's humanity who needs protection. If anything it's youkai who are oppressing humans."
"Oh? So you may say, but Gods, Buddha and Youkai are all very much the same, yet it is youkai and youkai alone that are feared and reviled," Byakuren spoke back.
"What do you mean the same?" Sanae was the one to ask.
"All of them are the result of the thoughts of humanity coming together to manifest the images and perceptions of these beings in their minds into reality. Humanity is the one who holds all the power," Byakuren revealed to them as Shou had also said.
"So says someone who gave up their humanity and became a Youkai Magician," Marisa pointed out… to which I wasn't even aware it was a possible class of Youkai.
"… I suppose that it is true that I do not have such a right no longer. If it is your intent to seal me, then so be it. I shall resist you with all my might," The nun declared as she took the closed scroll from her hand and opened it into two separate pieces, between which was a hologram of rainbow symbols who's shape evoked that of an opened scroll. Pretty cool, however…
"That's an interesting discussion and all, but I think it would be best if we skipped the fighting for today," I interrupted them as I floated down between them.
"Minato-kun!"
"Minato!"
"Who?" Erupted from the crowd as Nue then took a spot right next to me. I then turned to Byakuren Hijiri.
"Sorry for the interruption. My name is Minato Arisato, but I'm not the one here who wants to see you, Hijiri-san." My sudden entrance seemed to have left Byakuren in a bit of a daze, as she could only nod in a slow manner in response to my statement. "Come one, Nue," I called, "Here's the big moment." Nue gave me a slight nudge.
"I know, don't rush me," Nue complained to me as she then took one more deep breath and then somehow managed to get into dogeza in the middle of the air. "I'm sorry for scattering the treasures and delaying your revival. I humbly ask for your forgiveness," Nue said in one breath with as much sincerity as I could have hoped for from her. The apology seemed to sweep them out of their momentum however as Reimu was the first to declare with a flat-
"What?"
"Who the heck are you, ze?" Marisa Followed.
"Minato, what's going on?" Sanae said as she flew over to where I was hanging.
"She's apologizing to Hijiri-san for causing this mess," I whispered to her. "Let's try not to ruin the moment." It took her a second, and I could see a bit of hesitation in her movements, but ultimately she nodded a yes back to me. As if on cue, Byakuren responded to Nue, finally.
"I… I see, well that is certainly interesting. However I suppose it is important that the true culprit has confessed to her crimes." Byakuren then floated towards where Nue was and gave her a light tap on the shoulder. Upon looking up, Byakuren the told Nue, "I can see that you are truly repentant of your misdeeds. While it would have been more ideal for you to have never committed them, all I can ultimately ask of you at this point is to meditate on your sins and to atone as best you can. Perhaps you can even do so at my temple once I and my disciples have founded one."
"Re-really?" Nue asked in surprise.
"Of course!" Byakuren said with a big smile on her face. "All youkai will be welcome there to learn the teachings, and to stay if they so choose. You will not be turned away." Something in Nue seemed to change upon hearing that. She almost seemed… happy. Her little pout however and following tone wouldn't let you think that for long however.
"I'll think about it," was all she could say.
"Are you kidding?" I turned to see Reimu say with annoyance.
"Yeah, that's a pretty lame ass way to end this whole thing, ze! I mean where's the climactic final boss battle?" Marisa followed.
"Huh?" I let out involuntarily.
"Incidents always end with a big final battle, ze!" Marisa seemed state as if it were fact… a very odd fact.
"Well I guess not this time?" I guessed.
"Well if we're not going to fight this so called saint, then I guess we should just punish the incident starter…" Reimu suggested with a bit of tiredness.
"Wait, what?" Nue said as she fully got out of Dogeza.
"Hmmm, I guess you're right. We do need to fight the Extra boss after all, ze!" Marisa… I… you know what, okay!
"Hold on, what are you talking about?" Nue nervously said as she began to fly backwards slowly.
"You might want to fly away fast, Nue…" I suggested to her.
"Why, Arisato-sama?" Sukuna asked from my pocket.
"You'll see in a moment," I answered as I could see Reimu and Marisa prepping up for a duel.
"Uh…I'll see you later once you got a temple. I Got to go, bye!" Nue shouted as she darted off in a random direction.
"Hold on!"
"Don't just fly away, ze!" Reimu and Marisa shouted as the two gave chase… Well that's an ending.
"Well I guess that's one way to end this…" Sanae let out.
"Are they going to be alright?" Byakuren asked me.
"Well… let's just wait for them. Don't want them to be stuck in Makai…"
The bullet spreads seemed to shine a bit brighter in this place.
Break
The ship managed to return to Gensokyo with little difficulty. We were currently flying aimlessly over the land… Hey just where are we going?
"Where are we going?" I asked the sailor girl, Minamitsu, who was at the wheel.
"Don't know," she bluntly told me.
"Let's go to my shrine, it's where we always go after an incident. Have to have that wrap party after all," Reimu said with an almost sad resignation… "At least we're pretty much right over it," Reimu said as she pointed downwards to what was indeed the Hakurei Shrine.
"We don't have to have the party if it's going to cost the shrine you know?" I told Reimu in the hopes that it would give her some cheer.
"After any incident I need a stiff drink," Reimu explained like an old man…
"Same here, sake always tastes best after a hard day's work, ze!" Marisa chimed in.
"Alright! Sounds good to me! " Minamitsu said as she then made a sharp turn with the wheel. It wasn't long before the ship landed next to the shrine, causing the earth to shake upon landing, though nothing seemed to be overtly damaged.
"Alright! Reimu, let's go get the good stuff, ze!" Marisa stated with a shout as she was the first to jump ship.
"Hey, don't you go stealing anything, you hear me!" Reimu yelled back as she gave chase.
"Those two get along well don't they?" I heard Byakuren say behind me.
"They've pretty been best friends since first bullet," Mima explained. "They might not show it, but those two really wouldn't be able to stand living without the other," Mima softly let known with a small smile… of which morphed into a bit of a sadistic one. "Though still nothing like how Marisa was like with my old maid." … I don't think I want to know.
"Minato, is everything okay?" I turned to my side to see Sanae looking at me attentively. "You're doing that thing again where you're just looking around."
"Yeah, I am. Though where's Nue?" I hadn't seen her around. I know that Sukuna was playing with the other crew members, of which last time I saw that Pink Cloud guy doing tricks for her.
"Over there, on the floor," Sanae said as she pointed towards where Nue was, completely out of it. "It's said really… I guess a part of me really wanted to be a part of the action a bit more. I didn't really get to do much, especially since you took the spotlight and solved the incident all by yourself."
"Well sometimes nothing is best."
"I thought you'd say something like that. You always had a lazy streak," Sanae half reminisced.
"It wasn't that bad."
"Of course it wasn't, because I wouldn't let it be that bad," She nudged me on the arm as she said that. "Who was it that woke you up every time you fell asleep in class?"
"Not all the time."
"Well then nine tenths, of the time."
"Isn't that an exaggeration?"
"What makes it amazing is that it isn't. You defied logic so much, even back in the real world. Do you know how demoralizing it is for someone who sleeps all the time in class to get the top score?" Sanae egged on.
"I'd imagine… it would be quite demoralizing."
"Exactly. I was completely shocked when those first test results were posted."
"Did I get first?" I don't remember.
"Of course you did, which is why I remember it so much." The two of us stared down each other for a couple of seconds… You know, looking at her now, she looks so much more confident and self-assured than when I saw her last. There's a fire in her eyes that wasn't there anymore… So much has happened that I wasn't there to see… She then broke out into giggle when she couldn't maintain our little staring contest.
"Pphh, Hahahaha, " She let out uncontrollably, but still did her best to contain herself. "Though to bring it all back to this incident, don't you think it was a bit anti-climactic for it to end the way it did, without any major battle?"
"I suppose form a story standpoint, it certainly is a disappointing resolution," A voice said from behind Sanae and me. Turning around, I saw that it was Byakuren who deigned to enter our conversation.
"I see even the supposed final boss says the same thing too," Sanae returned… not you too Sanae. First Marisa and Alice, and now you…
"Well I suppose The Shrine Maiden and Magician had their fill when taking on Houjuu-san, but of course you two would still be a bit unsatisfied," She seemed to explain.
"Yeah, that's a bit right…" Sanae agreed cautiously.
"Not really…" I admitted.
"Oh? Because in the case that you weren't, I would have suggest that maybe you two could give us some entertainment before Kirisame-san, and Hakurei-san returned…" Byakuren offered… Entertainment… you mean…
"You mean for us two to have a duel?" Sanae was the first to come out and ask.
"Yes," Byakuren confirmed. "I mean, you two are such good friends, so the both of you must be able to put on a wonderful duel together…"
"We've… we've never had one," Sanae clarified.
"Oh? Well then this makes it even more fun. It will allow you to see which of the two of you is the better, then," Byakuren said… almost uncharacteristically of a Nun. "A little release is always healthy, of course. It would be unwise to contain yourselves. That and I suppose that we must perhaps… shall we say, start this party off with a bang?" Sanae and I then looked back at each other after fully hearing Byakuren out.
"Well… that isn't the worst idea I've ever heard…" Sanae slowly seemed to accept.
"It isn't," I agreed.
"So… do you want to do it?" She nervously asked; a bit of blush seemed to flood her face. I closed my eyes and took a few moments to think… I guess… yeah… sure…
"Sure…" I guess there are worse ways to end the day.
"Great! I'll referee for you then," Byakuren offered. "If you don't mind, could you hold your duel off of the ship though? Perhaps the sky above would be more suitable then?" Sanae and I nodded and then, almost in sync, flew up and took positions of relative distance from each other. "Is, five hits, and 3 bombs fine?"
"Yes, it will do," Sanae responded while I gave my answer in the form of a nod.
"Alright, then. I'll start the countdown in just a moment," Byakuren said before I saw Sanae focus her attention on me.
"I know this is a bit sudden, but you better be ready, Minato!" I heard Sanae yell.
"I am," I replied.
"Well if the both of you are fully prepared… 3!" Alright Personas ready, "2!" Hand on Evoker, dolls prepped and primed, "1!" I'm going to win! "Go!"
"Ha!" Sanae and I shouted as we both unleashed equally sized volleys at each other to start the match. Her pink charm like bullets collided with my plain energy bullets creating smoke and explosions almost right between the two of us. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew towards me, blowing the smoke cloud right at me.
"Crap!" I yelled as I tried to cover my eyes. Just my luck…?
"Got you!" I heard from above as suddenly, a volley of blue energy pentagrams fell from above, cutting through the cloud I was caught in. I flew backwards all the while keeping my wits about me to try and watch for when more of the stars would fall. "Surprise!" I heard from below as a single Red Pentagr-
*Pichun!* "Minato-san hit, 4 remaining." Damn, she was good! From the impact I was knocked upward out of the cloud, or at least what I though was upward as upon reorienting myself, I found that I was actually a bit to the side of it.
"I'm not done yet!" I heard Sanae shout as she then sent an extra-large swathe of her trademark pink charm bullets at me.
"To me!" I called to my dolls as the materialized to give me covering fire. The volley they fired to seemed to be on the direct course to intercept her bullets. However suddenly, the wind seemed to pick up again, causing the bullets to curve about, and my own bullets to fly off wildly. "Damn," I said as I moved, knowing that I wasn't completely safe at that point.
"Oh, no you don't. You're not getting away!" Sanae followed as suddenly, as I finally noticed, she waved her hand that held her gohei, and suddenly the wind followed the movement. This time, the wind was much stronger.
"Woah!" I exclaimed in surprise as I was thrown out of flight by the wind. "Daisoujou, Masukukaja!" I cried as green lights engulfed me and my dolls' tumbling frames. Trying to use the enhanced agility to fly in the turbulent wind however, seemed to be a futile exercise as the wind pushed even harder, right into the earlier swathe of bullets!
*Pichun!* "Minato-san hit, 3 remaining." Damn… 2-0
"You better start your comeback, or else this will be a perfect win for me!" Sanae goaded, though she was completely right. Taking the time in my grace period to right myself once more… perhaps… It would be quite poetic… and besides that perhaps if it is wind that is tossing me around… [Change], time to use the power you gave me Sanae… though not quite yet.
"Sukunda!" I cried as Sanae's eyes widened, she tried to futilely get away, but the spell went all the way through.
"Jeez, that's sort of unfair that that never misses," Sanae complained, though that's why I always use them.
"You don't have time to complain," I softly spoke as I flew right towards her with my enhanced speed, making a slash as I did so.
"Hey!" She exclaimed as she dodged right out of the way, though sluggishly and with the help of the wind. "That's not- huh!?" She let out as my dolls the followed up from the side and slammed right into her with their weapons, making use of the fact that she was slowed down.
*Pichun!* "Sanae-san hit, 4 remaining." Sanae was flung afar by the impact, spinning a bit before completely righting herself… there… and there…
"That's really surprising how much that spell really slows you down…" Sanae noted as she used her grace period to check her movements.
"It's based off of percentage I'm guessing," I told her.
"I figured as much," she said as she the raised her gohei again. "Hey!?" She exclaimed as she finally noticed the dolls I had sent behind her, turning her back to me, she then fired a couple of volleys straight at them to take them down… perfect. I fly as silently as I could, orienting myself for the kick...
*Pichun!* "Sanae-san hit, 3 remaining."
"Kyah!" She yelled as my kick finally connected. "Hey, you hit me in my butt you know! Don't do that, you… you… pervert!"
"All's fair in love and war," I told her.
"Then I guess you won't mind if I do this!" She once again, raised her gohei, but I had already replaced my dolls to be at my side. Suddenly, she used her first spell card for the duel. "Esoterica 'Nine Character Pierce'!" She cried as suddenly she began to wildly wave her gohei at me. Just what is she...?
From my peripheral vision, I noticed that my body began to glow, almost to the point that I had to close my eyes. As the light died down, it became all too clear to me that I should not have provoked her. My body was now caged by nine rainbow lines of energies, each placed in a way such that any single movement would result in contact. But I still have my dolls! I then mentally commanded my dolls to create a doll shield in front of me to attack and defend while I wait for this card to end.
"Not so fast," Sanae said in a teasing manner as she then raised her gohei… oh no… "Ha!" She yelled as a kiai causing the wind to blow, but as I had hoped, the persona I had equipped was resisting it to an extent thanks to its wind immunity… but the force… it felt… almost… divine… I don't think I can keep still… for… much…
*Pichun!* "Minato-san hit, 2 remaining." Damn… my resistance made it so only my back moved… but that still leaves all the other ones… when does this card end? I can't stay idle. I bring a card to mind using my ring to materialize it in my hand. This is the only one I can use right now, [Change]
"Messiah! Primal Force! Lance Sign 'Cutie Phalanx'!", I cried as I preformed my first spell card for the duel, and subsequent fusion raid spell card. "Cutie Force!" I yelled as my dolls suddenly gained lances and began a charge towards Sanae… who was floating perfectly still, unfazed.
"Too easy…" She said… oh no… As my dolls approached, they wound up to strike, except before finally executing their own Primal Force attacks, Sanae called out another Spell Card. "Sea Opening 'Moses's Miracle'!" She called as she… suddenly vanished, my dolls, as if they had minds of their own, halted in midair from having lost their target and looked around with panic and confusion.
"Split apart!" I heard from above and looking up yielded a view of Sanae rapidly descending towards where I was, a glow of blue energy surrounding her frame. "Hyah!" She cried just as-oomph!
"Ahh!" I yelled as my vision began to blur, but of what little I could see, pillars of blue energy seemed to spike around me.
*Pichun!* "Minato-san hit, 1 remaining." I guess I should have expected this… she is a goddess after all… Expecting less would have been stupid. Shaking myself, I then gathered my dolls to where I was, via warping them to my location, and making sure of just where Sanae was. After finding her, she asked-
"Ready to give up?" I narrowed my eyes only a slight bit. "I guess not…" she said with a wry smile. "You know Minato… before we continue… I just want to tell you something." I should let her talk… she's not the type to pull tricks… tactics yes, but not tricks. This will give me time… I can't take any chances… [Change] "Though a bit before that, I've only realized now, but I've been a bit angry with you this whole time. It was always this niggling feeling in the back of my head, but after dueling with you, I finally figured out that I was angry. Do you know why?"
"Why?" Come on… what can I do with… ah hah! Now to wait for the opportunity.
"It's because you haven't said one thing about our last time together. Do you know how embarrassing it is for a girl to bring something like that up?" Um… what is she getting at… oh… the kiss… but still… oh no… she can't… "I've been waiting, ever since we reunited to hear your reply, but you haven't brought it up at all! I was so nervous, hoping that any day now that you would talk to me about it, but I guess you're just a dense boy, so I'm going to say it out loud now! Knowing you though, this is the only way to get you to notice!" Not now… Oh please, not now.
"Minato, I love you! After I beat you, please go out with me!" She said as she then seemed to gather all her energy at once. "I'll take you out with the power of my divine wind!" She yelled as a maelstrom was beginning to form behind her. Now!
"Verthandi!" I called the ultimate representation of my bond with Sanae; the Ultimate Persona of the Magus Arcana… I recalled something Igor said when I left the room that day.
"Koishi, it's time for me to go," I told the girl as I looked at my mp3 for the time.
"Aww really? Promise you'll come back soon?" She pleaded.
"Promise."
"Thank you, Onii-chan… For some reason I always feel like my old self again whenever I'm with you," She said with a sad smile… odd.
"Ah before you go, dear guest." Focusing my attention towards the table, I found that Igor had returned along with Theodore. "I simply wished to tell you that the persona of the Magus line you have obtained is quite interesting."
"How so?" I asked, my curiosity sparked.
"Verthandi is the Norn of the present whose name is sometime translated as that which is happening or becoming," Theodore started. "However it would seem that the master has something else to add."
"Some time ago," Igor began, "I helped another group of Persona users obtain power through the use of Fusion. Perhaps it is somewhat unprofessional of me, but I could not help but feel nostalgic upon seeing that persona once again. At the time, that persona belonged to a particular girl whose illness bore her pain, and suffering. In a twist of fate, her dreams and reality seemed to slowly blur until they could no longer be distinguished. However, she overcame those weaknesses and in turn, with my help, brought about her ultimate power, which took a similar form to your newest Persona. But I am holding you back with my old stories. All I ask… as Igor, is to take care of that Persona…"
"I will," I told Igor, feeling a new weight behind my newest power, though even if he hadn't told me that I would have taken good care of Sanae's gift to me.
"Well until next time…" The light engulfed my vision once more.
"This is it!" I heard Sanae yell as she finally seemed ready to unleash her supposed last strike, but then my spell came first. From my mind burst forth a beautiful woman she wore what looked to be a mix between a robe and a dress, her body was golden and shaped as if it was from my other persona Norn, but her hair had a noticeable green tinge. In her hand was what looked to be an orb of some sort. Her wings flited behind her as she flew out from my mind; She took a ready stance. Now, this is it Sanae!
"Wind Break!" And as soon as I said it, Verthandi made a gesture that seemed to call on a green orb similar to Sukunda only something was different about this one.
"Hiyah!" I she yelled as she let the blanket of wind run its course from behind her, not paying any mind to my spell, but that was her mistake.
*Pichun!* "Sanae-san hit, 2 remaining." Sanae seemed to be in shock, not just because her attack didn't affect me in the slightest, but also because she was hit by her own spell.
"What?" She asked in shock as she could only look at me confusedly as to what I did. I have to time this right to her grace period… okay… now!
"Azure Cessation!" I said first as I then grabbed an appropriate spell card. "Border sign 'Boundary of Life and Death'!" The card shone with a bright light for the first time, its name now morphing to match. "Azure Border sign, Life's Cessation!" Unchanged was the fact that from the card spewed an uncountable amount of bullets of all kinds, only this time something was a bit different. Unlike before, the bullets seemed to go every which way almost slipping from one place or another, as if time was undecided as to what it was going to have as the final trajectory. The bullets would be in one spot, and then suddenly another. Coupled with the fact that they were as numerous as raindrops in a storm, and-
*Pichun!* "Sanae-san hit, 1 remaining." Sanae was hit at the spells very tail end. She skillfully utilized her wind control to divert the bullets as much as she possible could, but it was all for naught as a single bullet seemed to slip in time to her exact location; an unlucky turn of events for her.
"Not… not bad," she panted, still winded… from having to dodge as much as she could.
"I try," I replied.
"Looks like we're down one to one then, huh?" She said as she started to fully recover from her previous exertion. "Let's do this right!"
"Sure…" I said back as I prepped my finale and she prepared what I assumed was hers.
"We'll see whose card comes out on top! We'll go at the exact same time." I nodded as we both trained our vision on the other.
"Go!" She yelled! "Esoterica 'Forgotten Ritual'!" She cried as a large pink pentagram of energy projected from her own body. Perhaps aware of the limits of its range, she then tried her tactic one more time, using the wind to pull me in. This time the wind seemed to be the strongest it had ever been, pulling me just as easily as it initially did even with Verthandi's wind immunity… I have to do this now too.
"Love Sign, 'Master Spark'!" I started, "Panta Rei!" I called right after, Verthandi knowing the strongest wind spell possible. The card once again changed to a new form, all the while I was being sucked into the ever expanding attack that was Sanae's last stand. This is going to be close. "Maelstrom Sign, Vortex Spaaaaaaaaark!" I called as the Wind empowered Laser gushed forth from the card and spun in innumerable revolutions. Colliding with the pentagram, a shining light began to engulf the area from the meeting of two great powers.
"Hyaaaaaaaaah!" I could hear Sanae over the collision. Light took over my vision as it soon took on a pink shade. Then all was dark.
Break
My eyes snapped open to find the open blue sky above. It seems that the duel came to a draw… or did it…
"You awake?" I heard come from my side as I looked to find Sanae lying next to me. Both of us were apparently resting on the deck of the ship.
"Hard to tell. Dreams seem so real these days," I replied.
"Well this isn't a dream, but at least we're not in school anymore," Sanae said as she sat up. "Congratulations… you won…"
"I did?" Confused as I was the one knocked out, and not her.
"Yes, you did. It's just that you always seem to expend more energy than needed for your spell cards. It's like you use up all your energy to make them… we should really fix that at some point as I'm worried you might hurt yourself doing that…"
"Maybe…" I kept myself from laughing a bit.
"What's so funny?" she teased with a bit of playfulness, seeing through me. A small smirk formed on her lips.
"Nothing," I replied as I followed suit. As I do however, I feel something begin to roll down my shirt. I slow my ascent upwards, but quickly move my gaze to see that it's Sukuna, now sleeping in fetal position on my lower stomach.
"Can't believe I'd ever be jealous of someone that small…"
"Did you say something Sanae-chan?"
"Oh, nothing, but… that was disappointing... I can't believe I lost to someone who only started dueling a month ago," Sanae stated with a resigned huff. I took Sukuna in hand and placed her in my pocket as carefully as I could. Unexpectedly she seemed to grab onto one of my fingers, but a bit of wiggling managed to shake her off.
"Well I guess that's just how it goes, but I'm up for a rematch."
"Oh? Well maybe later then, if you swing by my shrine later," Sanae said with a small smile. "But you better be prepared, because I won't lose next time, especially to your cheap tactics."
"Hey, you used the wind against me in a flying duel!" Talk about enemy field disadvantage.
"All's fair in love and war," Sanae smugly replied. "But I still can't believe your attack hit first…"
"Well…"
"Now I can't ask you out after making that kind of declaration… Actually what am I saying? Why did I do that?" Sanae began to panic. "Oh no… that was in front of everyone too. How uncouth of me as a goddess. What would my mothers say? Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no!"
"Sanae-chan!" I called to try and snap her out of it, placing a hand on her shoulder as I said her name. It seemed to work as she immediately calmed down… for the most part.
"Y-yes!?" she yelped.
"About your… confession…" I tried to start as smoothly as possible.
"Y-yes…" she repeated more solemnly.
"Could… could you give me some time…" I told her… First Marisa, now her… I need to sort this out.
"… Sure… I can wait, but you better answer at some point!" She demanded… rightfully so.
"I will…" I need to.
"Okay then… but man, I'm still disappointed by that come behind win you pulled."
"It was indeed superb. I've never seen such an instant where two attacks collided with their target at the near exact same time in a formal Spell Card Duel! But of course it was my master who prevailed, even if he was equally knocked out right afterwards thanks to the attack still being in play due to the closeness of their activation." Someone called from my side.
"Huh?" I involuntarily let out as I looked over to my side to find Ruukoto standing there with a bucket and rag in hand. "Ruukoto! What are you doing here?"
"Hm? That's a silly question, master! We're at the Hakurei shrine!" What? I then fully got up from the floor and walked over to the side of the ship… oh we are… Looking down I could see that below the ship, the various people involved in the incident were sitting around on mats having tea and various dishes. I guess this is the wrap party.
"We're celebrating another incident resolution," Ruukoto clarified. "I've saved some for you master, including your preferred tea and snacks! I have also gone to the liberty of also doing the same for Kochiya-san!"
"Um… thank you," I could hear Sanae say, turning back around, I saw that Sanae seemed to have a glint in her eye as she looked at Ruukoto. "Um… you're a robot right?"
"Yes! I'm a specialized Maid Robot!" and also an ASSW… but let's leave that out for now…
"Oh my gosh! So cool!" I see Sanae's love of Mecha hasn't changed much. Time hasn't left everything behind. "How do you work? What's your power source? What are you made of?" She asked one right after the other.
"Yo!" I heard from below the ship. Looking down, I could see that it was Marisa calling me from the ground. She was sitting right next to Mima and Reimu on top of a large cloth. "You're up! Come down here and join us, ze!" I looked behind me to see that Sanae and Ruukoto were… pre-occupied.
"In a second!" I yelled back as I then jumped onto the railing and let myself fall of the side. Before hitting the ground, I decelerated until my velocity was zero and then dropped again, this time from only a few inches off the ground.
"Not bad… Come here, pop a seat!" Marisa said as she then patted the ground next to her. I was about to begin walking over to where she indicated before Reimu then began to speak.
"I would suggest being careful. Marisa is quite drunk right now," the red white shrine maiden stated as she took her own sip of what I assume is alcohol.
"Hey, who was the one who fought a drunken spell card duel at the last party?" Marisa retorted with a notable slur in her voice.
"What are you talking about? I don't remember such a thing!"
"Oh yeah? Just ask anyone at that party, and they'll tell you that you and Sanae both picked a fight with one another, ze!"
"What about you? What were you doing when that happened then?" Reimu asked Marisa with an accusatory glare. Marisa buckled down a bit upon being asked, her bravado almost completely blown away.
"I-I was doing something important! Very important…" she trailed, her gaze shifting towards me.
"So you weren't there then!"
"I could still see light from your duel from where I was, ze!" Marisa defended herself.
"Alright, alright, cut it out you two. We're here to enjoy this party, not talk about an old one. Besides, who cares what happened then," Mima interrupted the two as she began to go for another one of the snacks.
"R-right!" Marisa was first to respond.
"Actually, didn't you say it was very important?" Mima noted, a sly expression crossing her face as she did so. She is a natural gadfly, or was it cultivated over a long time?
"Actually yeah, what was that important thing you did?" Reimu followed. It was her confession to me. I sat down and grabbed a snack hoping to drown out any potentially embarrassing expression I may have had. It was made all the easier thanks to them focusing on the blonde witch.
"Se-cre-t!" She hastily yelled, as she tried to fend off the curious shrine maiden and spirit.
"It better not have been more stealing," Reimu warned as she then relaxed back. Mima on the other hand made a sly expression, or at least more sly than the one before.
"Well in a sense, she declared she was going to steal something precious, from a certain boy…" Dammit Mima.
"Wait what does that mean?" Reimu hastily asked the ghost.
"You'll have to find out next time, cause I'm out of here! I'll see you next time Minato. It's been fun!" Mima bolted when it was convenient for her. Well at least that's safe for now… I'll have to deal with her later…
"Hey, get back…" Reimu started as she got up from the ground, but then woozily began to fall back.
"Whoa there…" I said as I caught her on the way down.
"Damn… I think I drank too much," she stated while looking towards the direction of where Mima was flying off in.
"So how long are you going to stay there Reimu?" Marisa asked, a bit of menace in her voice.
"As long as I want." I don't think Reimu gets what's going on. "Besides it's just part of his shrine work to help make up for his missing hours," or maybe she does know. "It's not like I like it or anything… it's just… convenient."
"Well then I'm doing the same, ze!" Marisa then crawled over to where we were and then began to lean on me. "Hmmm, hope you don't mind if I make myself comfortable," She stated with a drunken slur and a sloppy grin; her long blonde hair shuffling against my side and flowing over onto my shoulder.
"Hey just what's going on down there!?" I think I heard Sanae yell from above…
I need to address this at some point… I really need to address this.
Break
All was still on the ship, even more so thanks to the fact that it was currently on land rather than in the air. The night was still young, but it wouldn't take long for the Dark Hour to take hold. Sitting on the side of the ship, I could get a full view of Gensokyo from the Hakurei Shrine Hill: A breathtaking valley of unmodified wilderness. Only the smallest amounts of human intervention were apparent, and even then, some of them weren't so human. It's times like this I really wished that the Dark Hour was gone for good…
"Oh, you're still here?" Turning towards the voice, I found that it belonged to the nun who had just been freed, Byakuren Hijiri. She and I didn't really get to interact much at all thus far.
"Waiting for midnight, like I usually do," I answered.
"Does something happen at midnight?" She asked innocently.
"The next day," I replied a bit snarkily.
"How silly of me… but I suppose I should be glad that it has caused you to stay here for this long," Byakuren added.
"How so, Hijiri-san?"
"Well… I wanted to thank you for resolving things as you did," Byakuren said as she walked up to the edge of the ship, resting herself on the side by leaning on it, the wind blowing a fair gale that rustled her hair a bit.
"I only did it because I was here," I said. I just happened to be here. That's all it is. I'm sure the incident would have been resolved anyways without me.
"Perhaps that is so, but still, you were here. Finding the true culprit, minimizing the fighting, and even getting the culprit to reflect on their actions; as a Buddhist nun, it makes me feel that I still have quite a ways to go."
"I'm not Buddhist." But I do know a monk…
"It matters not. Your actions are still something to be admired. I've been sealed for a long time, I admit, but someone like you… there's something different about you. Just being in your presence is calming, as if I was becoming closer to achieving enlightenment from simply standing next to you." The wind blew once again, to perhaps highlight the change in the seasons. "Burr… It seems spring hasn't fully come yet."
"Spring is ending, Hijiri-san," I corrected her. Soon, summer will come, and that will pass too, huh?
"Oh? Well it seems I should take a bit more time to acclimate to the modern world." Gensokyo sure is modern, Byakuren.
"Have things changed all that much for you?" I asked her, a bit curious about what someone of her age feels about the passage of time.
"Not really, though I suppose that is due to Gensokyo's nature more than anything else. The inside the barrier feels almost no different from the world I left when I was sealed." She took a deep breath before turning to me. "Now it's your turn. Can you tell me about yourself? I heard from your friends that you are from outside the barrier."
"I'm mostly normal, that's it."
"I doubt that. That green haired shrine maiden is also from the outside correct? However the two of you are vastly different," She pointed out to me.
"Maybe a little different then…" Byakuren giggled after my reply.
"Well, perhaps I should ask something that you are more comfortable to answer. Do you think it foolish of me to think that youkai could perhaps live in harmony with humans?" I raised an eyebrow to her question as I then looked at the sky to better focus myself. Deep breath…
"Wanting peace isn't ever foolish. As a fool, I'd say that wanting peace, despite what others are saying, is very… admirable."
"Perhaps… but it is undeniable that humans are considered food for Youkai. Humans are scared by youkai, and they in turn hunt youkai down. It's a cycle that ends with pain. That is if it even ends to begin with. I've been told that youkai exist to scare and eat humans, but I want to change that. I admit though, that I'm not entirely sure on how to do that outside of simply spreading my teachings."
"At least you have something you want to do. With a goal in mind, you'll see the path to it at some point, as long as you don't stop looking." Never stop looking for a way out. If you have that kind of resolve, you can even avert death.
"Thank you…" She said warmly.
"However you have to be ready for one thing," I added, and I noticed that she seemed to be a bit surprised before beginning to pay more attention to me. "You must be able to accept the consequences of your actions." She seemed frozen for a moment, before giggling a second time for the night.
"I knew there was something special about you. You're the first human to ever agree with me, and not call me foolish for my thoughts. In light of what you are saying, I feel even more inadequate."
"Sorry about that," I apologized to her.
"Oh don't be. If anything I should thank you for bolstering my confidence in what is supposed to be my own cause." Before she could continue though, she yawned a big yawn that made her voice deepen and lengthen.
"You should get some rest," I advised.
"I suppose I should. I didn't realize how long we had been talking to each other. It was quite enjoyable," she said with a soft smile.
"I have that effect on people."
"Oh, you're a comedian as well?" She joked. "Regardless, before I retire for the night, I'd like to ask if it would be alright for you to visit me on the occasion. I'd love to learn more about you."
"Pretty direct, but sure, if I have the time," I answered.
"O-oh… well I suppose that is my blunder, but all the same, I'm happy to hear that, Arisato-san." Her smile widened even further.
*CRACK*
Thou art I… And I am thou…
Thou hast established a new bond…
It shalt further stretch your Universe
Thou shalt have our blessing when thou chooses
To create a Persona of the Traitor Arcana…
How do I keep falling into these things…?
Author's Note: Shit… and that's one of the few times you'll see me curse in the ANs. I meant to get this out weeks ago and look what happened. I hate you Megaman Legends 2 for being a good game and making me play you again, and having that expensive as hell Shining Laser. And you too KH 2.5, you don't get out of this either. Don't think I forgot about you Guilty Gear Xrd, especially you Elphelt!
Those things aside, Like a Billy May's commercial, Wait, there's more! I'll be posting two more chapters later today, back to back! Consider it my gift to you all for the holidays, whatever you celebrate, like festivus, for the rest of us, or maybe even Saturnalia. Perhaps you even celebrate that obscure holiday no one's ever heard of called Christmas! Egad!
Before I post those other chapters though, I'd like to thank those of you who've been PMing me over the months for your help in keeping me going as well catching some stuff I might have missed, or just helping me in general. I'm too tired right now to name you all individually, but you guys know who you are, and you guys are… well not the best, but still pretty damn awesome. You have my thanks… and these chapters. I know that sucks as a gift since everyone else gets them but hey, gifts! It could be worse. I could give Back to the Future for NES… god that would be bad.
Anyways while you're here in this chapter… find anything bad, horrible, or wrong? Want to yell at me for a mistake, you know what to do, Review! I know it may be too much to ask, but please review each of the chapters I'll be posting today, if only so I'll know if something is wrong with them individually, and for compartmentalization/ sorting ease. You don't have to, but it would be nice. Anyways, I'll see you guys later today, perhaps at about… hmmm, in the afternoon. Later!