"Fairy Squad 3 is down!" a blue haired fairy in front of an extensive map of the mansion shouted. "I repeat Squad 3 is down!"
A young teenager stepped forward and quickly took an assessment of the situation. Her hair was a long bright white and she wore a custom loose fitting purple and white dress with a large black sash tied around her waist. "How did she get by them so quickly? What happened to Meiling? Did she fall asleep again?"
"No, she just… let her pass."
Well… okay it was perfectly reasonable for Meiling to not pick a fight with Marisa for a variety of reasons but that put a damper on the girl's plans. That damn Black-White had already broken though the first few lines of their defenses, much more quickly than was acceptable. If this kept up…
No! She wouldn't give up. Not now!
"Have Squad 5 intercept! Buy time for the Hobgoblin squadron to finish laying their traps," the young teen commanded. "The rest of our forces will regroup in front of the Library."
"But Miss Ordelia, they don't stand a chance."
"That is a sacrifice I'm willing to make."
Besides, the fairies would resurrect. Eventually. Probably have to give them a bonus for the beating they were about to take.
"That isn't going to be enough to stop the Black-White," the fairy commander told her.
"I'm well aware," the teen said as she headed for the door. "Which is why I will meet her there myself."
The fairy closed her eyes and gave the girl a quick prayer. "Godspeed milady. Godspeed."
"Magic Sign: Stardust Reverie!"
A storm of Multi-colored stars emerged from Marisa and quickly surrounded her enemy. The fairies only had a brief moment before they were completely swept over from a wave of stars from all directions.
Marisa was surprised to have been forced to use a Spell Card this soon. The fairies were tougher this time around. Much more organized and forcing her to do some nice tricks on her broom to avoid them.
The reason for this was clear. There were only two people in this mansion that could organize the fairies like this, and Sakuya was busy tending to Remilia in the gardens.
"Brought out the welcoming party didn't you Lys," the Black and White garbed human commented cheekily to the girl with long white hair and a purple ribbon floating in the center of their formation. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that I'm not welcome."
"Marisa Kirisame." Lysithea pointed a hand at the Magician. "Today is the day that we stop you! You shall not take a single step in my Sensei's library!"
Marisa's smirk became a wide grin. "Sounds like a challenge."
"Then take this for a challenge! Fire Sign: Raging Wildfire!"
A simple Spell Card to start with and as the spell was cast a sigil emerged from her hands. Lysithea's ability wasn't just using magic it also utilized something called Crests. Marisa wasn't too sure what they were exactly, as both Master and Student tended to be quite tight lipped about it, but anytime the girl casted magic the Crests would show up and boost the strength of her spells. Suddenly the jets of flames that came from every direction became roaring fires like the breath of a dragon.
Marisa simply whistled as she avoided the flames with ease. "Nice firepower as usual. Are you sure Patchy was the one who taught you?"
"I won't have you insult my Sensei!" Lysithea shouted as she immediately prepared her next Spell Card. "Black Magic: Thaumaturgic Wheel!"
A wave of ice to preserve the flesh, bolts of lightning to cleanse impurity, and a ball of fire to burn the corpse to ash. The elements a Thaumaturge wielded in order to perform the funeral rites of the deceased. These were what were thrown in the Black-White's way, and all dodged with expert skill.
"Nice. Lots of good themes, ambitious spell you got going there," Marisa commented casually as she jumped from her broom to dodge a bolt of lightning and deftly landed back on it on her own two feet. "Bit chaotic though and your ice is too thin. You really need to get better with water before you use a spell like this, otherwise the other elements overwhelm it. I give it a 6 out of 10."
"Would you just die already!" Lysithea shouted as she prepared her signature spell card. The one that she held dear and inherited from her Sensei. "Earth Metal Sign: Emerald Megalith!"
A giant green gem-like structure emerged from the ground blocking Marisa's advance with its sheer size alone. It then shattered, turning the fake jewel into countless pieces of shrapnel that covered the entirety of the hallway.
"Always nice to see you use one of Patchy's spells. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I would know best after all," Marisa smirked as she finally took out another spell card. "Love Sign: Non-Directional Laser!"
With Marisa as a center, lasers emerged orbiting around her blanketing the hallway and burning the entirety of Lysithea's Spell Card to ashes.
It took all of Lysithea's ability to evade and deflect the overwhelming barrage of lasers and by the end of it she was left panting with her clothes burnt in several places.
"Is that all? I know you've got more in you," Marisa replied, her face now somber.
"Fine!" Lysithea as dark magic gathered around her. She held out a hand, all of her anger and rancor put into this spell. "Misery: Never-ending Confinement!"
Darkness covered the hall blotting out the light. From the walls emerged chains that would grab on and drag its victim into the darkness that now surrounded and threatened to consume them. Frightening, hateful, a true expression of the dark, and yet it fit Lysithea well. She might be a user of the Wu Xing but in the end curses, hexes, and spells like these were what suited her the most.
"Finally." Marisa was hardly scared or threatened though. This was what she wanted to see. "As much as you'd prefer to stick to what Patchy taught you, this is a Spell Card that truly represents who you are. Your personality, your experiences that made you, you. This is your Danmaku and it's nothing to be ashamed of." She smiled and took an octagonal object from within her robes. "Now this. Is mine"
It was clear Lysithea knew what was coming before the words had left the Black-White's mouth. Unfortunately knowing what was coming and being prepared were two different things.
"Love Sign: Master Spark!"
Her rancor spent from casting her spell, the Witch's apprentice could only let out a sigh as she, her spell, and all the surrounding fairies were consumed by a giant beam of bright light and flame.
Lysithea hissed as a cute dainty doll in a blue dress applied a layer a salve on her cheek before putting a bandage on top of it. The doll's owner made some great medicine and was an expert at first aid, but unfortunately it still hurt like hell.
"I honestly don't know what you expected, taking Marisa head on like that," Alice commented as she drank tea from the other side of the table.
"I thought I prepared for her adequately this time. I'll have to adjust my plans accordingly for next time," Lysithea replied as she casually poked at the doll. It swatted her finger away in response.
"She's fine now, come back Shanghai," the Dollmaker commanded her doll that then returned to her side. "I didn't know what else I was expecting. You're just as stubborn as your Master, Lysithea."
"My Sensei is stubborn?" Lysithea asked. That really didn't sound like the woman.
"Very. Once she does decide on something you're not changing her mind. Marisa at least will concede once you beat her atop the head enough, Patchy on the other hand is as immovable in her mind as she is her body."
The sound of another Master Spark could be heard in the background, though Lysithea and Alice both ignored it in favor of the tea and sweets in front of them.
"It's taking them longer to finish things today," Alice noted as one of her dolls filled them each a cup of tea.
"Sensei's condition is particularly good today," Lysithea informed her as she bit down on one of Alice's cookies and almost let out a squeal of pleasure. Delicious, crisp, with a nice floral aroma. Sweets truly were the food of the Gods, no matter what world you ate them in. "She'll win."
"I don't know," Alice mused. "Marisa prepared a lot of nasty surprises just for today. Though if Patchouli's condition is good, why did you have to pick a fight with Marisa?"
"… I just wanted to beat her once before I left," Lysithea admitted before taking a sip of her favored Sweetened Apple Tea. No matter how many times she ended up challenging Marisa to Danmuku she always lost. Even if she was clearly outmatched there was something that compelled her to challenge the human magician whenever she did happen to show up at the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Which was often.
"You're going to spend a year in your home world. Fodlan, was it?" Alice asked.
Lysithea nodded. "Yes, I'll be heading to-"
A blur of white, yellow, and black crashed into their table. Thankfully the treats and tea had been moved by Alice's dolls beforehand and it only took a second for a replacement table to suddenly appear.
"Thank you Sakuya," Lysithea called out to the seemingly absent, but always present Head Maid.
Both Lysithea and Alice glanced at the recovering human with expressions of mild amusement before setting up at the new table provided for them.
"Seems you were right today," Alice admitted.
"My Sensei is an incredibly powerful Witch, should her condition allow it," Lysithea replied.
"Yeesh Patchy. You're really in good shape today," Marisa commented, though not light heartedly as she did before.
"You lost, so no stealing books today," Alice commented.
"I'm not stealing them. I'm just-"
"Borrowing them until you die," Lysithea finished for the thief. "How many books have you "borrowed" from my Sensei's library?"
"Before or after Patchy picked you up as an apprentice?"
"Yes."
"Well then-"
"Too many," Patchouli replied as she floated down to the table, took a seat, and joined the rest of them. Her breathing was worryingly heavy.
"Sensei, are you okay?" Lysithea asked. Magicians and Witches didn't have the natural strength or durability of other Youkai and they could be frail even by human standards. Sensei, especially so.
"I'm fine Lysithea. Just a bit of exertion dealing with a rat."
"I can get you your inhaler."
"It's not my asthma acting up this time… I think."
"Could just be the anemia again," Marisa commented. "Or really any other thing."
"Isn't it your fault she's like this?" Lysithea grumbled.
"Honestly picking a fight or two is probably good for her. I keep telling Patchy to get a bit more exercise."
"You-"
"Lysithea, don't. She has a point," Patchouli conceded. "Let's not pick another fight."
"Fine," Lysithea sighed. At the end of the day, as much as she didn't like to admit it, Patchouli was responsible for her own condition. It was the result of a severe lack of exercise and significant exposure to commonly used magical reagents, such as arsenic or mercury. It led to the elder Witch being incredibly fragile in direct contrast to the vast knowledge and power she wielded.
"Just make sure to be careful and go out more Lysithea." Marisa grabbed a sandwich, stuffed it into her mouth, and continued speaking with her mouth full. "You need to grow, and you don't want to end up like your Master."
"You're only a bit taller than I am, and you're four years older!" Lysithea shouted at the diminutive human magician. It still rankled her that she was still the shortest one at the table, with Marisa and Sensei being the same height and Alice being the tallest among them. "I still have plenty of room to grow and I'll certainly get taller than you."
"Well, you and Patchy are the Western girls, or at least the Fodlan equivalent," Marisa replied. "You two should be taller than the native person here."
"And you're short even by Eastern standards," Lysithea replied. Honestly though, Marisa could easily pull off being from Fodlan with that yellow hair, gold eyes, and the Western style of magic she used. It was only the human magician's preference for Japanese food that seemed to point to her actual ethnicity.
"Going back to the original topic," Alice interrupted their argument. "You were telling me where you were leaving for the year."
"I'm going to the Officers Academy and it's located in the Garreg Mach Monastery," Lysithea explained.
"A religious organization on top of an educational one?" Alice asked.
"Yes. And home of a military force," Patchouli commented. "It's not uncommon to see both religion and education intertwined, in fact religious organizations were responsible for setting up the foundation of modern education in the outside world."
"So this academy is basically a fancy school?" Marisa inquired.
"It's an elite facility that trains students in the ways of weapons, magic, and special skills, along with tactics and managing territories," Lysithea replied.
"So basically warfare," Alice observed. "Does your world have issues with wars?"
"There have been small scale rebellions and skirmishes in recent years, but it's been a while since the last major war. However, that doesn't mean we shouldn't be prepared for it."
There was also the massacre of an ethnic race due to their apparent part in the death of the previous King of Faerghus, but that probably wasn't best mentioned.
Lysithea grabbed a miniature cake and popped it into her mouth. She let the sweet decadence flood her taste buds before continuing her explanation. "Warfare aside it's a place where noble heirs are sent to raise excellence in future generations and ensure Fodlan's leadership is well prepared."
"So they only let a bunch of noble stuck-ups go there?" Marisa asked. "Kinda a waste. Plenty of people that are good with magic that aren't born rich or well off."
"Yes, Marisa, we're all well aware of that," Alice replied to the Ordinary Human Magician, "But you do remember that Lysithea is one of those nobility."
"And she's still stuffy, Patchy too," Marisa replied and ignored the annoyed looks she received as she began to sugar cubes into her tea, one after another.
"Anyway," Lysithea continued. "They actually accept both nobles and commoners of exceptional skills, though the ratios are primarily in favor of nobles due to the hefty fees required for students to enroll."
"Hmph. Class divide as usual even if they don't make it obviously blatant," Patchouli commented. "I can't imagine mixing the upper and lower classes will ever end well either."
"I'll have to tell you when I attend," Lysithea replied. She wasn't expecting too much from the Academy but it was a good place to build connections and cement her condition as Heir to House Ordelia.
"Why do you even need to go there anyway?" Marisa asked before she gulped down her sugar slurry flavored with tea.
"Even if Fodlan's magic is comparatively primitive, more exposure to any type of magic doesn't hurt and the practical experience on a battlefield without Spell Card rules in effect would be useful. Additionally," Lysithea looked down at her own hands. "I need to make sure that my House is dissolved in a way that ensures the safety and happiness of the people of Ordelian territory, along with my parents. Making connections at the academy or at the very least learning what I can there should help to ensure a stable transition."
"You really are determined to give up your noble title," Alice commented.
"Yes, it's caused me nothing but pain and only after I've dealt with all of the business in my territory can I focus on my other goals."
"You've reached a breakthrough?" Alice asked.
Patchouli began to look smug. "My student is close to achieving the knowledge necessary for her to forsake sleep. Though the final step of stopping her aging and turning herself into a true being of magic is the hardest, I imagine she will be able to achieve it soon enough."
Marisa turned back to Lysithea with an impressed look on her face. "You really are determined to become a Witch."
"I don't know why you haven't yet," Lysithea bit back, annoyed. "You're already capable of all three steps."
Even if Marisa was four years her senior, it still infuriated Lysithea that the human magician had achieved the necessary mastery and knowledge to become a true Magician. And that was three years ago!
"She's right Marisa," Alice commented. "At this rate you'll be the only one at this table who's still a human."
Marisa sighed. "We've had this conversation before. If I became a Witch before I'm on my deathbed then it was an accident. I'm not completely against it… but I only got one chance to be human. I might as well live it as well and long as I can."
"You'd have the privilege of doing so," Lysithea grumbled under breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
The only one that actually knew of her shortened lifespan was her own Sensei, and probably Remy but she could keep a secret. It wasn't something that she wanted others to know.
Ten years. Ten years, if Eirin's estimates were to be relied on. She had time, but that didn't mean she could afford to get complacent either. Once she dealt with her business in Fodlan she'd focus on learning the necessary rituals for becoming a Witch, to become a being whose body was sustained by magic and nothing else. She would no longer be dying because of her Crests and then she could finally live…
At the cost of her humanity. She'd permanently be a Youkai, separate from her parents and Marisa. Separate from all the humans that lived in Fodlan…
"You okay there Lys?" Marisa asked. "Look like your mind's wandering off there."
"I'm fine." Lysithea shoved another piece of cake into her mouth and used that to comfort herself. "I'll be at the academy for a year. There are breaks but travel time between my territory and the Academy is quite long. Aside from the longer holidays I won't be able to show up here for some time."
"How far we talking here?" Marisa asked.
"A few days by carriage at the very least."
"Can't you just fly?"
"No. If I start flying without a Pegasus or Wyvern most people in Fodlan would start freaking out." Lysithea had learned from personal experience when she had first flown in front of her parents during her youth. Her mother had almost tied a leash to her in the fear that one day she might just float away and disappear.
"Holy crap they have Pegasuses!? You never told me that!"
"Pegasi," Lysithea corrected Marisa.
"Who cares!? You gotta show one to me now!"
"This is exactly why I didn't tell you," Lysithea replied, though she couldn't bring herself to be annoyed by the Magician's enthusiasm. She was quite the same in her own youth. The amazement and discovery of all sorts of fantastical things that could be found in Gensokyo had created quite a number of fond memories for her.
"What about taking me around Fodlan sometime?" Marisa suggested. "It seems like an interesting place."
It wasn't the first time Marisa had asked and Lysithea had considered it in the past, it was just that they both happened to be too busy with their things to ever plan a long trip like that. Lysithea with her research and study with Sensei and Marisa with literally every incident that ever seemed to happen in Gensokyo. And there were a lot of incidents.
Anyway, the human magician would probably cause a lot of trouble in Fodlan, but that destruction could be reasonably contained. Also Lysithea did happen to owe Marisa a lot.
"Once I graduate, I'll be free to show you around Ordelian territory if you can make the time," Lysithea conceded. "But Fodlan isn't Gensokyo. If we go there, you listen to my every instruction and don't cause any trouble. Agreed?"
"Yeesh, you're being real strict on me," Marisa commented.
"Are we agreed?"
Marisa rolled her eyes. "Fine sure"
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Alice asked.
"Too late to take it back now," Lysithea sighed.
"Your obligations, your responsibility," Patchouli replied with a less than sympathetic tone.
"So how long before you're shipped to school?" Marisa asked.
"I have another week here," Lysithea replied. Then she'd spend another few days with her parents before getting picked up by the carriage that would take her to the Academy. Simple enough really considering a portal within the Scarlet Devil Mansion led straight to the basement of the Ordelia Manor. Its only limitation was that it could only one person could take it at a time and that it needed a day or two to recharge once used.
"Great, that means you have time to help out and attend the festival we're holding at the shrine in a few days."
"Another one?" Lysithea asked. "Didn't we just have one a month ago?"
"That was a holiday. This one is because another incident was resolved recently."
Oh yea. That incident with the animal spirits coming from hell or something. Lysithea and her Sensei had been busy performing tests and experiments on whatever spirits they could capture at the time. Too bad they were forced to release them after the incident or risk some sort of war with new Hell or something.
"Sure, I might as well help out," Lysithea replied. It'd be her last chance in a while to attend another party in Gensokyo or get a drink for that matter.
Damn Fodlan and its age drinking limits.
Lysithea let out a moan as she ate another bit of her Anmitsu. A wonderful dessert with so many different tastes and textures that created a wonderful cacophony in her mouth.
"Another one please!" she requested a nearby waitress before her desert had even been halfway finished. No worries though, she'd be long done by the time the other one came. Didn't even need to specify what she wanted in it, the staff at this point knew all her preferences at this point.
"And maybe some of that mochi ice cream too," Lysithea added.
"Splurging today, aren't you?" Lysithea's table mate asked.
"This will be my last chance to eat Japanese desserts for a long time Banki. Let me enjoy this while I can."
Banki shrugged. "Fine, fine. I'll just make sure to keep my heads ready in case you crash from the sugar rush again."
"That happened one time," Lysithea replied. "And I believe I've already repaid you for that?"
"Yea, thanks for helping me deal with that rat problem." Banki shook her head, which was a bit strange considering it wasn't attached to her neck in the first place. "Disgusting things, doesn't even matter if you're human or Youkai, they'll still raid your pantry and leave their droppings everywhere."
"Don't let that rat Youkai at the temple hear you say that."
The start of Lysithea's acquaintanceship with Sekibanki had been a moment of simple coincidence. They had both been regular to this restaurant, though had rarely interacted. At least until one day when the place was packed and they had to be seated together. Turns out, they had hit it off pretty well. It helped that Banki was probably one of the few saner people in the entirety of Gensokyo. Even if she could be a bit cynical.
It also helped that Lysithea was used to dealing with Youkai in general.
Banki glanced at the rune Lysithea had casually grown on the table so that they could speak freely. "Sometimes I don't know why the people in this village are fine with you visiting. You're always flashing your magic and they have to know you live in the SDM at this point."
"Well, that's because I'm human," Lysithea replied.
"You're a human living in a mansion filled with dangerous Youkai."
"Sakuya's human."
"That crazy knife lady is more Youkai than the Youkai there!"
"And you're a Youkai living among humans. Funny how that works out." Lysithea replied. "But in all seriousness, the village has changed over the years. Maybe not at the center, but more at the edges and outskirts. People here have to interact more with Youkai out of necessity or simply because they have no choice."
"I know what you're saying, I've seen it too, hell I've lived it," Banki conceded. "But I still can't show off my heads around here without causing a mass panic."
"Doesn't that work out for you since you are a Youkai? Feed and thrive off of human fear and all that?"
"The point still stands."
Lysithea sighed as she took another bite of her dessert. "It's not like I can get away with this in the center of the village either. They only tolerate my presence because I've been a good customer of theirs for years."
"Well people tend to be more tolerant when you have money to throw around."
Lysithea simply accepted that comment and abstained from mentioning the time that she had lent the Youkai money so that they could fix their roof after a particularly bad storm. They were both simply too prideful for that conversation to ever end well and Banki had made great effort to pay her back as quickly as possible.
"How's your job at that bar?" Lysithea asked.
"Tough. They pay well, but the work's crazy and I think I almost got outed as a Youkai one time."
Lysithea tried not to roll her eyes. Even if Banki herself didn't know it, or was simply in denial, her identity as a Youkai was practically an open secret around this area and the bar where she worked at this point. "Why not work at Geidontei? They're hiring and I'm pretty sure Youkai hang out there at night."
"Would you ever want to be in the same room as a drinking Tanuki, Tengu, and Oni? Much less have to serve drinks to them?"
"Okay, dumb idea," Lysithea admitted as she dispelled her rune for a brief moment so she could thank the waitress that arrived with her order. She quickly noticed though that there was an extra cake roll added to her order.
"A farewell to you and a treat to you both since you've been such good customers over the years," the waitress explained.
"Thank you. I'll make sure to come again once I've returned from my trip," Lysithea replied as she quickly cut her half of the cake.
"Not saying no to free food," Banki replied as she took her half.
"You do have a lot of mouths to feed," Lysithea quipped.
"And you have a bottomless stomach when it comes to sweets."
"Well, nothing to be ashamed about a girl liking sweets," Lysithea replied. There might have been a brief moment in which had worried her eating habits could be construed as childish, but she got over it pretty quickly. Kind of had to considering that Marisa and Sensei had worse eating habits than she did. Also, the fact that Lysithea consistently dined with a five-hundred-year-old vampire that ate her food with a bib and maid ready to wipe her mouth clean at any time.
After Lysithea and Banki finished their food and paid for their respective orders, the two of them began to walk the streets of the village. It was a nice quiet day with few people around, mostly because all the kids were at school and most of the adults were out tilling the fields for the harvest.
"This place has its issues," Lysithea commented as she kicked aside a pebble on the dirt road, "but I think I'm going to miss it."
"That's just nostalgia talking, you'll get over it. This place isn't even that great."
"Thief!" A voice shouted.
"See?" Banki stuck out her arm and clotheslined the man that had been running away with a woman's coin purse. "Always gotta deal with stuff like this."
The thief recovered quickly, drew a knife, and suddenly jabbed it straight into Banki's neck. The Youkai simply stared at the knife, unamused, before bashing her head into the thief's face and knocking him out immediately.
"Here." Banki tossed the coin purse toward the would-be victim.
"Thank you so much Banki, you've always been such good help around here," the woman said gratefully.
"Just wanted to get rid of him before he decided to rob my place," the Youkai replied dismissively.
"Are you ok? The knife didn't go anywhere apart from your neck?"
Banki tilted her head. "Wouldn't a knife to the neck be deadly anyway?"
"Oh well, I mean, just. Never mind I must've been seeing things," the woman replied before bowing her head again. "Really though, thank you so much."
Lysithea simply shook her own head at the interaction.
Seriously, how did Banki not realize it at this point?
Grimoire of Marisa: Section Lysithea Von Ordelia
My fellow human magician and a student of Patchy. Decently skilled with solid control on fairly high-powered magic. Impatient and easy to rile up though. She tries to fight "smart" but honestly, she's at her best when pushed to her limits and forced to throw whatever she can at you on the fly.
Her Spell Cards can be split into two categories. The Wuxing are the spells in which she was taught. Dark Magic are spells she is intuitively good at. Tends to avoid the latter though I can understand that; Water always seems easy for me to call on for whatever reason.
Misery: Never-ending Confinement
· User: Lysithea Von Ordelia
· Notes: Dark sympathetic magic, highly reliant on emotions of the user.
· Reference Level: **
A Spell Card that surrounds the users in dark shadows. The creeping tendrils act as chains and attempt to drag you in.
Very much a prison designed to trap its opponents. Trying to be smart or tricky will get you caught by the tendrils and becomes more difficult as time passes. Its best counter is a head on approach.
As a master of sympathetic magic it could be easy for me to copy with light and stars, just not my style and not really a mood that I want to put myself in.
