With what is going on in the world's current state, I ask that you stay safe and healthy. Please take care of yourselves, and each other. Going against the advice of the doctors when they straight up tell you what's going on will only lead to self ruin, and like those... idiots online who didn't take it seriously and did those 'challenges' (and they managed to catch it), well, nobody is giving them any sympathy online. Just a bunch of 'you deserve it'.

Please be safe and good to each other. We all have to share this one world.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is owned by Nagaru Tanigawa. Touhou Project is owned by ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. I own neither. This is a fan fiction of those works.

Beta Reader (and partial writer) for this episode:

Smooglii

December 24th, 2008

Bam.

Bam.

Bam.

This wasn't the strength of a child. Every impact sent me into a new realm of pain, every recoil further taking out my senses as my body and skull rebounded against the caked dirt of the cavern floor. Through blurry vision, I saw Clownpiece approach from the right, fist raised and ready to aim for my head. I tried to raise my arms to block, but with a mad giggle, she skipped over my body and brought her right foot up into my unprotected temple, and I felt a crack in my neck as my vision blacked out on the left side. My face began to swell, becoming even more sensitive to each hit. I felt the warmth of blood start to trickle down my face, the sharp pain of the strikes, and it was getting darker.

Funnily enough, the worst of it was due to something unrelated to the pain - the screaming of my companions and friends, the helplessness in their voices. It stung me deep in my heart that my suffering was also causing more suffering, feeding into my own helplessness.

No, scratch that. My rage was starting to build from that, since Clownpiece was laughing merrily all the while. She was thoroughly enjoying this, and it was pissing me off that I couldn't even defend myself.

...Or both were equal, or no, all three. The pain was getting more and more intense. Clownpiece's hits, while hurt, were getting more painful with each strike. It was kind of hard to decide which was which. My anger, my helplessness, my wishing of someone to come save me, me wanting revenge. I was going through so many emotions then. Each hit caused my mind to switch to one emotion, and then to another upon impact. I'd hear someone like Sanae begging for them to stop, then my focus would be on the jovial face of Clownpiece, the growing burning pain on my face, then I'd hear Koizumi, back to Clownpiece.

It was the most horrible experience I could have imagined.

Clownpiece stopped for a moment, smiling like she was being satisfied. Hell, she looked like she was experiencing the utmost pleasure. She looked to the side, and her smile widened. She left me for a moment, and then stood over me.

With the baseball bat.

I had to stare at it for a few seconds for it to register what she was going to do. Clownpiece narrowed her eyes, locking them with mine, running her tongue on the bat.

"You shouldn't have struggled against us. When we want something from you, don't fight back. It's a worthless gesture." Eventually her tongue brushed against the gap from her missing tooth, and that seemed to anger her, reminding her of what me fighting back did to her.

Clownpiece raised the bat, staring at me coldly.

"Time to die."

"Enough."

This was a new voice from my right. Clownpiece immediately looked towards the source, surprised by it. The others did as well, backing away from us, as I heard soft footsteps approach. Clownpiece lowered the bat, but didn't move away from me.

A woman stepped into my view.

It looked like some trendy modern woman. Shoulder-length red hair, red eyes, milky white skin, but her clothes made her seem to be from my world rather than the world associated with Gensokyo. She was wearing a black t-shirt that "Welcome", a red heart, and "Hell" on it, in English. She had a short plaid skirt that was multi-colored - green, red, and purple. She tapped her brown leather-zip up ankle boots on the ground as she waited for Clownpiece to move, to which the fairy did. The woman also had a black hat, and a black choker on that had chains attached to it - I didn't see where the chains went, but one of them went...

I couldn't feel my left eye, but my right eye blinked. Either I was concussed and hallucinating, or she had what looked like a small red-colored planet on top of her hat, which was attached by chain to her choker. Other than the red planet orb, she looked distinctly "Goth", or a fan of death metal.

The woman smiled down at me, seemingly amused by what was transpiring. If I didn't know any better, judging by the reactions from everyone here...

"Greetings, human." The woman bent slightly down to look at me. "My name is Hecatia Lapislazuli.

This was her.

This was Hekate. The Greek god; Olympian; daughter of the Titans.

Hecatia Lapislazuli. This was the person who was behind everything.

The Meltdown of Haruhi Suzumiya

[Episode 8]

["The Greed of Utsuho Reiuji...?"]

The Tempestuous Second Sun

The Deepest Part of the Underground City

-Stage 6, Touhou 11: Subterranean Animism

"At last, one age has ended. They continued to whole-heartedly fear, hate, and oppose youkai. At the very end, he had finally come to the realization of their ideal. That in itself is the definition of fear. If they fear us, we youkai have to meet their expectations. As youkai, there's no way we couldn't react. That fear is the very sustenance that we youkai feed on. This is surely the era for youkai and humans."

-Yukari Yakumo, upon the death of (and feasting on) an old youkai hunter, from the doujin "The Last Supper", by Zounose.

Hecatia kept peering down at me, like how a human might take interest in what an ant was doing right before they stepped on it. Truth be told, in that state of delirium, I was wondering why she was wearing what she was wearing. It shouldn't have been the most important thing, but I don't think my brain was working well at that point.

"Piece, you really did a number on the poor boy." Her eyes went to the fairy. "Didn't I tell you that this wasn't necessary? He's already down." Clownpiece clenched her teeth, seething that she couldn't finish me off. Her missing tooth seemed to silently answer Hecatia. "Ah." She returned her attention to me. "Well, aren't you strong? All those things Yukari did to you really did build you up, didn't it?" Her smile widened. "...And it isn't enough, is it? Otherwise you could stand up right now."

Hecatia stood up, staring off to the side, which I later found out she was staring at the orb. "You really are troublesome, Yakumo."

[Yukari:] "Did you really think I'd let you roll over us? Of course I had to do something." There was a calmness in Yukari's voice, one that I didn't expect, concerning my situation.

"Honestly, I was getting worried. What you were doing for the boy and the rest of his group. Even what you got. But..." Hecatia shrugged, he smile fading away. "Is this it? Is this all you're throwing at me? They don't have the power to take me down. Combined, none of them can even come close. Why send them to their deaths?"

The arrogance in her voice was pissing me off again. For her to stand over my bloodied, near broken body...

"But you're right." Hecatia sighed. "You had to do something. It wouldn't matter if you did, but you had to do something. All animals become alert and ready to fight back when they are sent to the slaughter, after all."

Screw you!

There was a moment of silence as Hecatia kept staring at the orb, and I assume the orb stared right back at her. The two masterminds of both sides were finally looking towards each other.

"Tell you what." Hecatia looked down to me. "Since Yakumo offered this to one of my servants, I'll offer it to you right now. You don't understand what I'm doing here, but know that I'm making a better world at the cost of yours."

[Alice:] "Then what of the other worlds? What of the ending of the other worlds?!"

Hecatia stared at the orb again, narrowing her eyes. "...So it really has bled out. Memories of what have happened have bled out."

"You didn't expect that?!" Chiyuri was screaming at the god. "If you knew anything about our world, even if they weren't meant to be together, you'd know it's a possibility!"

Hecatia took a deep breath, looking annoyed. "This complicates things then... but you should know something about all those other worlds. We're building to a better world, a better... multiverse."

...Multiverse?

"There are some rules we've become aware of, but there is one constant." Hecatia turned and pointed off to the side, where I assume Haruhi and Sasaki were. "The power from those two girls in the wheelbarrow can span across other existences. Yukari's power... even my power pales in comparison. Not only can they rewrite the very fabric of reality, nor history, it can extend into other timelines, other worlds, other universes. Whole other realities."

Really? Are you really kidding me? This again? Another idiot wants Haruhi's power?! I had thought that such an event wasn't just for a simple reason, yet there it was. The more extravagant the villain's plan, the simpler the motive. I think Sherlock Holmes said that once? Something like that.

"And that gives you the right to take it away from them?!" That was Koizumi. "Even we know the danger of that power!"

"What are we to do? Let it go to waste?" Hecatia frowned. "Did you like wasting it away in the past five years, esper-boy? Keeping her and her powers cooped up in a small club room?" She spread her arms. "There is so much that can be done with her power. To rewrite the other universes, to unite them, to bring peace to all of man across every single timeline, alternate universe, and reality. Isn't that a noble goal? And it's a much better use of Haruhi's power than having her make pigeons into doves or whatever they were?"

[Patchouli:] "You were the one who brought our worlds together, weren't you?"

"Naturally." Hecatia smiled, practically glowing with pride over it. "These worlds have enough in common that it was possible. From a certain perspective, one could say they compliment each other well." She waved one hand, completely at ease with the situation like she was having a casual conversation. "You can't just combine any two elements you want, you know? They have to bond - and young Miss Suzumiya makes a convenient bonding agent."

She reached up above her head, removing the red planet from its resting place, and held it out in front of her. I still had no idea what it was, and I wasn't in the best shape to try and look at it more closely, so it just looked like a big red blob.

"There are so many worlds in this universe," she said. "Otherworlds of imagination that attach themselves to the earth, like Gensokyo, or to the moon, like the Lunar Capital. If these otherworlds have a common nature with the closed spaces of Suzumiya's universe, then their parent universes become that much nearer to one another."

[Eirin:] "Essentially, Gensokyo and the Lunar Capital are like a glue you used to adhere the two universes by turning them into Suzumiya's closed space."

Hecatia grinned at Eirin's summation, replacing the orb on her head and clapping her hands together in appreciation. This can't be happening. Are we just going to have a parley with her now?! I can't feel my face!

Reimu's voice sounded from somewhere nearby, as calm and clear as ever. "I don't get it, and I don't really care how clever your plan is. If you're supposed to be so noble and good, why'd you destroy them? Because from where I'm standing, it sounds like you're just bored and having fun creating and destroying worlds."

Hecatia's smile started to fade, and maybe it was just that I couldn't see properly, but it looked like she was showing regret. "It is a must. Personally, I'm content to live and let live, but I swore an oath to see this through. Elements are not always stable when bonded. Glue doesn't last forever. The first worlds we made were so founded upon sand, they collapsed on their own after a single year."

...You've got to be kidding me.

Hecatia raised her hands, making a show of remorse to the rest of us. "We are not perfect. Through practice, we made them last longer, and found a way to sustain them indefinitely... but we could not keep the truth of their fate hidden from every world." She cast her eyes aside at Mayumi, who met her gaze with a stony expression. Mayumi's face was resolute, and she seemed to be communicating something to Hecatia with the narrowing of her eyes. After a long pause, Hecatia turned her attention back to us and said, now with conviction, "You're not the first to find out about the other worlds. The first time it happened, we paid a dear price. If I could have saved those worlds, I would - but there are too many for us to maintain at once, and each one only grew more and more rebellious. It's too much to risk for something so important. When our perfect world is born, there will be no such thing as Hell. No such thing as 'might makes right.' You will all be recreated, and there will be no more death."

"Sounds more like your might's what's makin' right," Marisa growled. "What the hell does killin' my mom have to do with makin' a better world? Ya gonna give me back all the pain you caused? Ya gonna give back the dead like it's no big deal?!"

Agh... This is going bad. This is going way bad. I struggled to turn my head, trying to find Marisa, but the pain was too great, and I resigned myself to watching Hecatia's reaction to her outburst. She was quiet for a moment, a serious look on her face, before her smile returned. There was genuine happiness in it, like she'd just learned something wonderful, that was both baffling and aggravating. Really?! Are you going laugh over her pain, like Clownpiece?! What kind of "noble intentions"—

"Well..." she said with a shrug, "Why not? I can do at least that much for you."

—Eh?

[Eirin:] "You really think we'll buy that?"

Mayumi, Junko, and Clownpiece all turned to her in alarm, apparently having expected that about as much as we did. Hecatia just put her hands together and said, "This is the one. All our trial and error was to create this Suzumiya, and this Sasaki. The ones whose power is finally compatible with me, and with our chosen host. After I'm complete, there's no reason for this world to be destroyed. If you want me to leave you alone, to heal your pain and trauma, to bring back the lost and make everything right - why not? I'll spare this universe, and we can live in peace. None of our struggles will have been in vain. All I ask in return is that you go home and let us finish our work."

That...

That was a hell of an offer.

I couldn't see how my own group was reacting to it, and the ringing in my ears was getting loud enough that I couldn't hear if they had anything to say about it. Strangely, Hecatia's group looked none too pleased - Mayumi's brow was set in a deep frown and Clownpiece was blowing air and rolling her eyes with her tongue stuck out. Only Junko seemed at peace with it, as her serene smile never faltered from her face. However, she was the next to speak, and her words conveyed her lack of approval all the same.

"You've picked a fine time to show faith in them, now that we're so close to our goal." She inclined her head ever so slightly towards Hecatia. "You told me we shall at least erase Chang'e one more time. Are you taking back that promise?"

Who? Wait, Chang'e? That goddess of the moon?

"It will matter not once we have that power, Junko. Your grudge shall be settled forevermore, and she need not suffer at your hands again. You can both attain peace."

Mayumi raised her voice now, saying, "They will not keep their word. They are the same as all who came before them, and will plot to ruin us even if they should accept. You cannot trust that they will show reason here!"

"Yeah," chimed in Clownpiece, "Let's just kill 'em. That's a way bigger mercy than living."

"I have spoken," Hecatia boomed. The others fell silent at her declaration, keeping their protests to themselves, and Hecatia crouched low so as to look me in the eye. "You understand, don't you? I know you are a reasonable boy. I know we have wronged you, but you mustn't give in to vengeance. The lives that have been lost will not be regained by fighting us." She reached down and cupped a hand against my cheek. Her hand was warm, like beneath her skin was smouldering fire. She raised her voice to address everyone at once. "Your karma has already been redeemed in the fires of this Blazing Hell. Don't let that pain have all been for nothing."

This was not what I was prepared for.

It actually sounded reasonable. Not the part about her toying with us and erasing billions of lives at her whim - that part was pretty inexcusable, and seeing her act all righteous about it made me mad enough to want to stand up and try swinging at her if only my body wasn't wracked with agony. Even so, though... as horrible as it was, that stuff was in the past now. Was there still a point in trying to fight her? It's like the kinds of inhumane medical experiments that people once performed on live human subjects; we'd never allow that stuff to take place now, but it'd be stupid of us not to use the knowledge that we got from it when it did happen, right?

Well, I say that, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth. Accepting their world is kind of like saying "the ends justify the means," right? If every well-meaning villain knew that we'd forgive them just like that as long as they made it to the end, there'd be no end to people like this Hecatia. And to be honest, the idea of living in a world under a god who would do the things she did... I felt like Noah being told to build the Ark, knowing he'd still have to praise God after He'd wiped out the whole rest of the earth. I mean, maybe you could say the same of Haruhi and me, but it's not like Haruhi tried to remake the world on purpose.

Maybe it'd be a paradise. Maybe everyone would be happy... or maybe not. Either way, we'd be signing all of reality up to heel under Hecatia as its absolute overlord, and I wasn't sure I could believe that she'd be as benevolent as she claimed. Maybe I'd have believed it long ago, but... well, someone said something a few years ago that'd stuck with me ever since.

"I tried believing in an ideology, but all of 'em pissed me off when I saw the people who were fighting for 'em." She said something along those lines, right?

I looked at the rest of the Alternates. There was Junko who, judging by her words, was only interested in taking revenge on someone. Mayumi, who was even more ready to sacrifice us all than Hecatia was... and Clownpiece. A murdering, unhinged psychopath. Hand over absolute power to her?

No way.

Through the pain, I struggled to lift my head, and with my one good eye, I stared into Hecatia.

If you really meant everything you said, you'd have gotten rid of someone like her. You'd have quit making worlds as soon as the first one died, and tried to find a way that didn't involve so much death. You'd have talked to us about all this in the first place, not gone ahead and tortured us. We're not your playthings.

I just don't believe you, Hecatia.

Hecatia's expression gradually fell as she looked at me, and then at our group. I still couldn't hear - blood was pounding through the veins in my head now - but I didn't get the feeling they were being any more accepting of this than I was.

"I really thought..." she whispered. "I really thought we had seen the last of death." Hecatia stood up, suppressing her emotions and resetting her expression to neutral in the blink of an eye. "But I won't give up hope. The death of this universe need not burden any of us. Only the death of one." She held out both hands, and more chains extended from the collar she was wearing, the ends of them curling up above each of her palms and transforming into two more orbs - one resembling the Earth, and one the Moon. The red orb popped off her head and floated away, and when the Moon floated up to replace it on top of her cap, her hair transformed instantly into a bright blonde, and her eyes turned yellow.

Wait-Oh hell, she's attacking!

I tried to move more, even grab at Hecatia in desperation, but I couldn't feel my arms. Hecatia drifted backwards just before a laser - probably one of Marisa's - shot through where she had been standing. Mayumi drew her sword and advanced out of my sight with her clay soldiers, and as danmaku started to fly, Hecatia pulled a Taboo spell card from the waist of her skirt.

[SpElL cArD: "tHe MoOn Is FaLlINg!"]

The Moon atop her head glowed so bright as to illuminate the entire cavern, and I was forced to squeeze my eye shut. I couldn't see, move, or do anything, even protect myself; I just had to lay there and hope that nothing hit me. I wasn't so lucky though, and felt the sting of danmaku strike against me many times as the ground shook from the force of many repeated impacts, and by the time I could open my eyes, I couldn't see anyone else but Hecatia. Far above her, gigantic moons were falling from the ceiling, each one surrounded by and letting off an ungodly amount of star-shaped danmaku in all the colours of the rainbow. Every time one hit the ground, it made a new tremor and filled the air with an impenetrable spray. I couldn't make sense of it, and I feared what was happening - nothing was being shot in Hecatia's direction any more. She just hovered in place with eyes of stone, staring forward.

No one was fighting her. Probably, no one could. Eventually, Hecatia pointed somewhere off to the side, glanced behind her, and shouted above the din of her spell card, "That one, hiding in the rocks. Bring her."

What? What?! No!

Mayumi moved into my vision at once, flying towards our group with a squadron of clay soldiers at her flank. I tried my hardest to turn my head, but another stray shot grazed me and made me even more lightheaded than before. It was all I could do to stay conscious while Hecatia's spell card ran out and Mayumi returned, dragging someone's body along with her. Summoning what might have been the last of my strength, I faced my head forward and forced my eye to stay open, trying to see who it was.

Don't do this. Don't do this!

Should I have accepted her offer?

Yukari! Do something! Anything! Someone do something!

It looked so easy for her. Like we really never stood a chance in the first place.

Who is it? Who is it?!

Mayumi tossed a body wearing dark clothes in front of me, not far away. I craned my neck as far as I could to see who it was; in my damaged vision, she was like a blob of black and red. Mayumi bent forward, seized her by her red, braided pigtail, and forced her up into a kneel.

"You will face your punishment with dignity," she spat. Rin complied, shaking and whimpering, her uncertain gaze eventually falling on me. Her face was filled with an uncomprehending horror. This girl had no idea what was going on right now, but she knew as well as I did what was coming.

Why... Why choose her?

"...Bro..."

...No...

"This should suffice. You just met her, so it wouldn't matter. You have no attachment to this cat at all. But she'll serve as a lesson." Hecatia grabbed Rin by the neck, who just dangled there. "That old saying. 'Execute one soldier to warn a hundred.'"

Stop it... please stop it!

"Bro... it... it hurts..." Tears were streaming down Rin's face, as light was forming in Hecatia's body, before it transferred to Rin's body - the cat was beginning to light up as well. "...Bro... Ah... Satori...Okuu... I'm... Sorry..."

Light enveloped Rin, and she let out a scream, before the light died down.

Rin's body wasn't there any more.

I was horrified, shocked, unable to comprehend what I just witnessed. I didn't want to believe it. Someone was murdered in front of me and I couldn't do a damn thing to stop it. I couldn't even scream. My eye was blurry even more, my tears falling. I have never felt so useless or powerless in my entire life.

Off to the side, Clownpiece was laughing at this.

Hecatia did another spin, her red planet going back to the top of her hat and her eye and hair color reverting to red. She looked to her comrades. "We're done at this location. Set everything up deeper in. We'll begin in thirty minutes." The soldiers carted Haruhi and Sasaki off somewhere, while a corrupt portal opened. The rest of the soldiers and Mayumi left via the portal.

Hecatia looked down to me again. "I know you're angry. You're feeling a lot of frustration, fear, rage, hatred, all that. That's why I'm giving you your choice. Turn around right after you get healed up, or continue deeper into this cavern. If you do decide to continue, I'll kill you and the rest of the world. If you walk away, I guarantee you will live to see tomorrow, and that the sun will dawn on the other six billion people on this planet. Their lives rest on your shoulders, so do the right thing and go home." Hecatia dusted off the hand that she used to kill Rin. "The choice is yours. Stop struggling. Accept that I won, because you can't beat me. I guarantee that I will kill you if you continue, and your struggle will be for nothing."

I couldn't answer her. I had so much I wanted to say to her, to tell her off. I didn't know what to say or do, but I had to do something after everything I witnessed. Hecatia then smiled at me, before turning to the portal.

Clownpiece immediately knelt down to me, and whispered in my ear. "I don't care what she says. Tomorrow, your family is dead. I told you what I was gonna do to them. They'll all die in a fire screaming."

You little-

I again tried to lunge, struggle, do anything, at which point Clownpiece stood back up and jovially spoke to Hecatia. "Oh, look, he's struggling again!"

Hecatia turned around, staring down at me. She then sighed, shaking her head. "Ah, you stubborn boy. Very well. Another dies, since you can't understand my mercy."

I couldn't believe it. I... But... what... I...

Two clay soldiers were directed to get another person from the group. There was just silence, until it was broken by a male voice.

"Noooo! You stupid primitive bastard! You had to go and ruin it for someone else!"

It was Fujiwara this time. When he was brought in the area, his yelling became strained, and he struggled to even make noises. His eyes were on me, full of rage, hatred, of 'how dare you get me killed,' like it was my fault.

...Was it?

He made a choking noise as Hecatia grabbed him by the neck with one hand, taking his gun away with the other. She stared into his eyes. "If Kyon here wasn't so stubborn, you'd live. Pray that he won't make the same mistake when it comes to the fate of everyone else on the planet."

"-ck you..." He gave his best defiant sneer to the goddess, but I could finally see it. Behind his rage, his anger, I saw terror. Terror in not accomplishing what he set out to do. Terror of leaving behind his great mission. Terror of his own mortality. As Hecatia's body began to light up, tears formed in his eyes, which he rolled up as the light entered his body.

"M-M-Mikuru..."

Again I was forced to watch her disintegrate someone, the fairy laughing her head off all the while.

Clownpiece didn't stop laughing at what happened, at what she did.

Stop... I can't take this any more...

Hecatia dismantled Fujiwara's gun in front of me, letting the pieces fall to the floor. "How many more? How many more have to die in your stead before you get it through your head to not try anything? Accept it, boy. You've lost. Go on with the life I'm giving you, or be destroyed. What is so hard to understand about this? None of you have the power within any of you to even stand up to mine. None of you combined can even hope to match me."

"...Enough..."

Someone staggered into view - our Stranger, who looked like she'd taken as much of a beating as I had. Her cloak was shredded up and her hood was down, revealing her pink hair topped by two white Chinese buns, and a dire expression that was quite unlike the serenity she'd shown me earlier. Her skin was bruised and bloody, like she'd been smashed into some of the rocks around here, and she was bleeding profusely from a giant slash wound across her stomach. In her bandaged right hand, she carried an absolutely enormous wooden drinking box that was at least twice as tall as said hand, and pinched in her left was a thread by which dangled an emptied bottle of sake that I recognized as one of the ones Yuugi had offered to our group during lunch. White liquid splashed over the edge of the drinking box as she steadied herself, and if I didn't know any better, it looked like she was taking a drink in the middle of a battleground.

"Oh, you." Hecatia watched her with a tired expression. "I'm pleased at least some of you that fought are still standing. If you call yourself a hermit, you should deliver these people some wisdom and tell them to stop resisting. There is no reason whatsoever for us to fight."

Hermit? She's a hermit?

The Stranger didn't respond. She lifted the drinking box to her lips and knocked it back, draining the contents for several long seconds. I wasn't sure how much she was drinking exactly, but it must have been well over a liter - and perhaps more astonishingly, as she did so, her stomach wound closed up completely. A group of clay soldiers rushed over to point their weapons at her, but before they could get close, she parted the box from her lips, leapt forward, and with one single swing of her left hand, punched them all with such force that their bodies burst apart and littered the ground with shards of dried clay.

"There are plenty of reasons," she said in a calm voice, standing up straight to meet Hecatia's gaze. All of her bruises had healed, leaving her skin as clear and healthy as if she'd just come out of a bath, and with a flick of her wrist, her right hand's bandages exploded into a whirl that sucked up the box and swallowed it inside of her arm, somehow making it disappear.

Mayumi stepped into view in front of Hecatia, drawing her sword - I noticed some blood still on the hilt of it. Hecatia put a hand on her shoulder and said, "We've done enough for now. Let them calm down and see reason."

"Your attempt at mercy has ended in the destruction of my soldiers," Mayumi shot back at her. "I demand satisfaction."

"You must give them one more chance. I will make up for this, I promise you."

For all you talk about not giving into vengeance... It sure doesn't seem like the rest of your group is on board with it.

"Take care of your people," Hecatia said to the Stranger as she gestured in my direction. "Have compassion for them and walk away. If you attack us now, you'll only be crushed again." She began to float off to the side, out of my vision, and I barely heard her speak to her group, "Let's go."

Mayumi cast one last long look at the Stranger and made to follow Hecatia. Before she'd left though, Clownpiece jumped back in front of me and stuck out her tongue.

"You hear that? Know your place, trash!" She spat on me, shouldered her baseball bat, and gave me one last broken-toothed grin before skipping off after the rest of them.

I heard noises from somewhere off to my right, probably them using another portal, and I felt...

I don't know what I felt. I just opened my mouth and started screaming. Anger, hate, pain, frustration, sorrow. Everything. I'd never been through such an experience. I felt so broken and beaten that I couldn't even sit up. My mind kept replaying the look Rin gave to me as she was killed, her last words repeating in my mind. She was killed to send a message to me, as was Fujiwara.

I had witnessed a true villain. Once, I wished I could be privy to a world of evil organizations and the heroes who battled them, and that wish had come true in the worst way. Two people were killed in front of me, and two people were taken away. The big bad had showed themselves, and we couldn't do a damn thing to them. Couldn't even make a move against them.

"Yukari, what do I do? Where are the vials?" I somehow heard the Stranger's voice above my own, and above the pain and throbbing in my ears. She was kneeling over my, running her hands along my body and face to check my injuries. I didn't hear if anyone responded to her. She just grunted and clamped my face still with her left hand, holding her right above me with some hesitation. Though her hand was slender, its grip was incredibly firm. What the hell was in that sake? Or is that just her normal strength?

For that matter, why was she asking for vials? She had just healed herself with that sake, didn't she? Whatever the case, I didn't exactly have time to think about it.

"I'm going to put your eye back in," she said. "Try and bear it, okay?"

Wait, wait, wait. Put what back where?

Her hand moved forward, and my only sensation for the next few seconds was pain. My body jerked and bucked on its own, writhing in the stranger's vice-like grasp. She wasn't done, though. Speaking more calming words I couldn't hear, she grabbed my right arm and moved it back into place, setting a bone I hadn't realized was broken. I don't know whether to say if the healing was worse than the beating, but boy, I was ready to cry uncle right then. At least this time it wasn't Clownpiece doing the hurting. At some point I realized that I was biting down on something firm she'd put in my mouth, and good thing too, because I'd probably have shattered my own teeth from how hard my jaw was clenching at that moment.

"Don't move," I heard her murmur above me. "If you're healed with anything out of place, it might be bad for you..."

I kept my eyes shut and held as still as I possibly could, waiting for it to be over. The thought of having a bone heal in the wrong direction and having to live with that - Oh, I'm going to faint. I'm going to faint this time.

I honestly don't know if I did faint, because it felt like I was in limbo for the longest time. No sight, no sound, no real thoughts, just pain and anger and despair. It wasn't until my right eyelid was lifted by the Stranger's finger and I saw her holding a cherry blossom vial up to my face that I finally regained some sense of the world around me. "Come on, stay with us," she said. "We can't heal everyone else without you."

Feeling totally numb, I opened my mouth and she poured the liquid inside down my throat before clamping my mouth shut so I didn't spit it up. Being down in here in several kinds of Hell didn't enhance the taste any, but I was too busy hurting to think about it, so that was a plus. I felt my body coming back together as the vial worked its magic, wiping away my injuries if not the shock of it all. I started coughing and wanted to curl up, but she kept holding my body down.

"Touch him quickly," I heard her say. "Don't try to move the ones who are still out - we'll get to them." I felt hands on my arms, shoulder, and hip, meek taps that drew away shortly after. The concerned, tired, and pained voices of my allies all mingled together above me, indistinct. They eventually drew away to give me space, and I tried to force myself to sit up and open my eyes.

...There are other people in pain. It's not just me. I've got to... I've got to get up. Got to help them. After being held useless for a while, I needed to do something to help the others. It was all I could do at that point. I looked up at the Stranger's face, not really feeling anything, trying to will myself to stand. There was this deep, aching nothingness somewhere down inside, like maybe I really should give up. It didn't matter at all that we had defied Hecatia, did it? It felt like nothing mattered. We were just crushed by the enemy, couldn't even do anything.

I took in a sharp breath, as the pain in my heart was making it hard to even breathe. The concern in her eyes started bringing me back, reminding me that I had something to do. I gave a weak nod, and the Stranger, who appeared to understand what I was going through, helped me up and led me to the others so I could heal them. All our fairies had gotten knocked clean out by Hecatia's attack, and shockingly, so had Reimu. Marisa, Sanae, Youmu, Sakuya, Koizumi, Chiyuri, and Kyouko Tachibana were also in a bad way; the youkai could shrug off physical injury like it was nothing, but being dashed against the rocks over and over had done such a number on the humans among us that the seven of them hadn't been able to make it over to me earlier. They gave me half-hearted words of thanks that I hardly registered as I tagged each one with a second vial before moving on.

I felt lost, more like a puppet than anything, as the Stranger was the one who was directing me where to go, having to move my hands herself. I still couldn't get Rin's face out of my mind, and when I wasn't thinking about Rin, I was thinking about Haruhi and Sasaki, and then Fujiwara's accusatory glare. The guilt he laid on me? I felt. I was trying my damnedest to be grounded in what I was doing, to help the others. It just hurt too much to dwell on, but I couldn't stop myself.

Before I knew it, we had healed everyone, and the Stranger led me to a rock to sit down on. The group looked as defeated as I felt, as those who had been standing either milled about or sat down, and those who I'd just healed remained where they lay with a hollow expression. Youmu and Kyouko Tachibana were openly weeping. The Stranger didn't leave my side, keeping her bandaged hand on my shoulder.

"The pain of your injuries is gone. It's going to take something else to heal the pain inside."

I slowly turned my head towards her, looking up at her. I really felt like I needed that - to have someone understand what I was going through, and what probably all of us were. Tears rolled down my face, and I wiped them away.

"It's okay. Just let it out." She gave a small smile. "Or is it you don't want to cry in front of a woman?"

I sniffed, wiping at my face again, and did my best to give a smile in return. "Ah... maybe. It'd be totally uncool, wouldn't it?"

"Your face was beaten and your eye popped out. Looking uncool should be the least of your worries."

It really did pop out. I rubbed my left eye in disbelief. It was still sore like hell, but thankfully seemed to be working fine. I let out a hollow, humorless chuckle, replaying what had just happened over in my head. We were just crushed. As far as I knew, none of Hecatia's team had come even close to taking a single hit, and most of our team went down within seconds. I clenched my fist, realizing that I was wallowing in a negative emotion, but what else could I do? What could I do? Nothing helped. Not the peaches. Not the sword of Hisou. None of the spell cards. Mayumi appeared to be the minion above Clownpiece, and while we handled our encounters with Clownpiece, we just dropped when it came to the clay soldier. And then there were the last two - Junko and Hecatia. When they showed up, we got shut down.

That wasn't fair. That wasn't even fair.

I tried to put it out of my mind. I remembered Hecatia saying they were beginning something in thirty minutes, and if she meant what I thought she meant, we couldn't waste any time feeling sorry for ourselves. I stood up, my whole body shaking with anxiety, and took another painful breath. "Thanks," I said, turning to the Stranger. "Um... I still don't know your name. If you feel like giving it, anyway..."

The Stranger made a wry smile and hesitated, but then said, "Kasen Ibara. I'm not hiding my identity from you... Just the people who live down here. Personal reasons. And it seems like Yukari doesn't want me drawing too much attention to myself right now." She put a finger to her lips and winked. "So keep quiet, okay?"

She's on a first name basis with Yukari, huh. Despite finally knowing her name, I somehow felt like she'd only become more mysterious just now. "How'd you heal yourself earlier?" I asked. "Was it a special kind of drink or something? Couldn't you have used that on me?"

Kasen shook her head. "It's actually the box, not the sake. It'd work on you too, but... It wouldn't be a good idea, in the long run." Her expression hardened. "Some forms of power aren't worth the price. Any great power that comes easily may corrupt your body and soul, and change you forever for the worse."

"Is that some kind of hermit wisdom?" I asked.

Kasen smiled. "I suppose it is. That Hecatia was probably corrupted by her power, as well."

I guess so. I don't know if she was lying or telling the truth about her intentions, but...

"Oy, Kyon." Marisa swaggered her way into the conversation with a forced smile. "Don't spend all your time flirtin' over here. Yukari and Eirin are naggin' us about getting a move on." She jabbed a thumb behind her, where a newly-awakened Reimu and fairies were being lectured along with the rest of our team by the the yin-yang orb. Apparently, everyone else was making battle plans without us.

Exchanging glances with Kasen, I stood up and nodded at Marisa. I still felt hopeless, but at least I didn't feel alone. "I'm ready to go. You okay, Marisa?"

"Yeah. Don't ever let 'em get to ya. That's how they'll beat ya."

That, and a million other things... I shook my head, trying to stop thinking about how impossible this all seemed, and joined her in regrouping with everyone else. As I did so, I could hear Yukari's lecturing tone informing us about our newly discovered adversaries.

[Yukari:] "...She once was Chunhu, the wife of a Chinese emperor... but she has fostered a grudge for so long that the grudge itself has consumed her. Even though the original target of her grudge is no more, it no longer requires an origin or reason. She has become something unlike any other being, a creature of pure vengeance with the power to purify anything."

Who, Junko? Hecatia said something about her having a grudge... Of all the Alternates we'd seen so far, Junko seemed like the hardest to read. Her expression never changed, and she never raised her voice, but when she spoke, there was this... odd undertone to it. Like the kind of feeling you get when someone is being overly polite when they really just want to punch you.

"Real great friends this Hecatia character's got," commented Tenshi. "Why the heck couldn't we get to her? No matter how much I tried to charge, it was like she'd keep slipping away."

[Yukari:] "That would be the 'purity field' I talked about... In actuality, her notion of purity is different from the Shinto idea. 'Purity' to her is not cleanliness, but simplicity. That 'purity field' is nothing more than her purifying the misfortune inside you all so that you become misfortune itself. Thus, your luck fails in battle against her."

...Seriously? She has that crazy of an ability? I hardly even understood what it meant, but it sounded unbeatable. Just like everything else, really.

"So it's purity more in the Taoist sense," said Kasen.

"Like an Absolute Terror Field, right?" Sanae half-heartedly chuckled, and threw me a glance, her face behind her knees which she held with her hands. "That was just... we couldn't do a damn thing there." The way she was looking at me told the tale - it was painful to watch me get destroyed like that, and I couldn't help but feel even more guilty for putting the rest through all that.

[Yukari:] "If you want to understand it that way, I suppose. I had hoped that by removing your misfortune beforehand I could mitigate the effect, but this place... Former Hell's atmosphere has already corrupted you. You're filled with misfortune, just as before."

[Eirin:] "If she can purify anything about a person..."

[Yukari:] "Yes, you've caught on. All of you, even Mokou, are tainted by life and death. If she were to purify the death within you..."

"Hold on." Reimu stood up, glaring at the orb. "You knew all of this beforehand, and you still sent us down here without warning us about it? What, were you expecting us to die to her?" She pointed down the cavern in the direction we were bound to travel. "What happens when we march down there? Is she just going to kill us? Like, like if it was Yuyuko?"

[Eirin:] "I was wondering that myself. It's certainly news to me. Surely you're not going to pretend like you expected Lapislazuli to be merciful to them?"

There was a small silence. I started to feel a whole new kind of anxious, and I didn't like it.

[Yukari:] "I ask that you trust in my reasons..."

[Eirin:] "Oh, do you? I don't appreciate you playing games with the lives of my people, Yakumo. If Udonge had been with them and died, how did you plan on making that up to me? Tell us. Reveal your great master plan so we can all be impressed by it."

[Yukari:] "Please, I ask that you remain resolved to this..."

[Eirin:] "Admit it. You're making this all up as you go along, and you don't have a clue how to stop these people."

More people started speaking up, and the discussion devolved into bickering. I couldn't bother to keep up with it; I just sat down and stared at the place where Hecatia had killed Rin and Fujiwara. Kyouko Tachibana was still there, sobbing her eyes out over losing someone she once considered an ally. Part of me thought it was weird that anyone would mourn Fujiwara, but I shut that down quickly.

Damn it, why is my mind all over the place right now?

"The hell are we even doing here?" Asked Kazami, looking as defeated as I felt. "We've already lost."

Koizumi was just staring. Staring where the enemy disappeared into with Haruhi, tears rolling down his face. His usual mask of positivity was cracked, showing despair. Noticing me, he appeared to tense his body for a moment, before putting his mask back on, walking to me. "You okay?"

I considered lying, but I decided against it. I shook my head. "No."

"Me either." He returned his attention to the spot. "God dammit. What were we supposed to do? What are we supposed to do?"

Mima passed by, carrying Marisa's broomstick that she'd picked up on the ground a ways away. She had a grim expression on her face as she passed it wordlessly to Marisa - it was still straight... mostly, but the wood had been chipped away at and it looked like the handle had been ever so slightly warped. Seeing Marisa's confidence deteriorate bit by bit as she inspected the damage put another spike in my heart. These girls were supposed to be stronger than me. To see them like this...

"Well, I can fix it," she said with another smile. Her tone was low, however, and she scratched the back of her head with some irritation and said, "So, both of them can pretty much just kill ya, huh. Junko and Hecatia, I mean. That doesn't sound too hopeful, does it? Anybody spot a weakness?"

Mima grunted, clenching her teeth for a while. "Well... Lapislazuli kept most of her power up, protecting her. But it sort of dwindled when she focused her power to snuff out those two. If it comes up again, that might be an opportunity to hit her... I don't know how else we could even get close."

"...Yeah, which pretty much means we'd have to let her kill someone else, ze." Marisa sighed. "If that's the best we got, this's gonna suck."

My eyes went over everyone again... until they got to Sakuya. She had stood up, and was staring down at the clay soldiers that Kasen had popped. She reached down, picking up one of the head pieces, the maid's eyes wide. "They really are..."

[Remilia:] "What is it?"

Sakuya turned to say something, but it was so shocking to her that she couldn't even speak. She brought some of the pieces to a sitting Reimu, who immediately stood up.

"What in the-"

Even more dread was building up in me, as the crowd grew.

The clay soldier had Sakuya's face.

Another one had Koizumi's.

Another Kazami's.

All the faces of the downed soldiers were of someone from our group, the Brigade, or Gensokyo, save for me, Reimu, Marisa, the immortals, and Youmu. We couldn't clearly see their faces due to their helmets during the fight.

"What the hell?!" Sanae was on the verge of freaking out on holding her clay doppelgänger's face. "What in the ever-loving hell?!"

The feeling was quite mutual. This was freaky, adding to my confusion and dazed state. It felt like I was in some bad nightmare, one bad thing happening at a time. Please tell me I'm still in bed. Please tell me I got knocked out. Please let me wake up from this.

[Yukari:] "Puzzling. Why would she make them in that shape...?"

[Eirin:] "She? Who is 'she'? What else haven't you been telling us? Please, we're all ears."

[Yukari:] "Mayumi's master is... or was... a sculptor. A god of creation whose every work could become a go-shintai. She surely created the army we've been facing."

[Eirin:] "So there's another Alternate to worry about. It would have been nice to know that sooner."

[Yukari:] "I'm not certain we do have to worry about her. The army we've been fighting is smaller in number than I'd have expected, and very old. Some of them had cracks and flaws that would have been filled in if she were still an asset to them. I'd also expect to be drowning in soldiers, but clearly we're not."

"If her works can become go-shintai..." Kasen spoke up beside me. "Doesn't that mean her soldiers could contain the souls of divine spirits?"

[Yukari:] "...Yes. Yes it does. Maybe that's why..."

"Yukari? You're not making sense!" I was just about at the end of my rope there. Everything that had happened in the past few minutes was drilling into my brain, and not in a good way. I felt like laying down and crying, really, just giving up. Part of me wasn't sure that I was even really experiencing it. Again, I felt like I was in a daze, which may have been a good thing. I was put through so much, that if I kept my head on straight, well, I may have been reacting differently. I might have been lucky that Kasen was still holding on to make sure I didn't hurt myself.

[Yukari:] "With the right procedures... If a clay soldier was made in someone's image, and that person was killed, their soul could be made to inhabit the soldier as a divine spirit. In effect, we'd be-"

Sanae blurted out the end of the sentence with a mixture of excitement and dread. "-fighting the versions of us from other universes!"

[Yukari:] "If our assumptions are correct, yes."

No way.

[Eirin:] "So in addition to wiping out other realities, they recruited fighters from each of them... I suppose it's possible to be tempted by such an offer."

You're joking. This is a sick joke. This- how many horrible revelations is this in a row now? I seriously thought I was going to die of a heart attack now.

"How long have they been doing this?" Koizumi shakingly put down the clay head that had his face. "To have this many?"

Everyone seemed to be processing this news with everything from total indifference to more crying, but when I caught sight of Kasen, her expression was neutral and she was avoiding everyone else's gaze.

...Oh, yeah. She's the one who took these ones out.

Yep. If things weren't bad enough, now we had to feel guilty about killing alternate versions of ourselves. If the rest of the bad news could come now and get itself out of the way, that'd be nice. At this rate, time is going to run out while we're discussing it.

[Aya:] "I gotta admit, I'm starting to fear for my life here. Are you sure this is under control?"

[Eirin:] "Did you actually think this ever was under control?"

[Alice:] "This whole thing is falling apart..."

...And of course, their arguing wasn't helping matters. If we were going to do anything, someone had to get us moving. I looked at Reimu, who seemed to have realized it as well, as she was now stepping forward to play the leader.

"Look, I don't know about the rest of you, but I never put any faith in Yukari in the first place." She spoke in a loud, measured voice to command everyone's attention. "When did any of us become so pathetic that we had to rely on her? Kyon and the fairies of all people beat Clownpiece. Mayumi doesn't look so tough compared to Youmu. As for the last two, we've already fought Yuyuko. They can't do anything to us that she couldn't. And hey, we already learned there's a future where some youkai comes back and steals Kyon. That means there has to be a way to win, doesn't it?"

[Patchouli:] "...Or that was a future where we gave up."

That certainly was a possibility. I mean, what happened? Whatever happened here during this incident for Seija's timeline did something. I died, but in what I was experiencing, I managed to make it due to help from Tenshi and the fairies. Maybe I already cleared the hurdle, beat my death flag.

But to give up?

Again, looking at my companions, it was clear that their morale wasn't the best, or even there. I mean, I've seen it. If you're a fighter and you get destroyed, it can ruin you mentally. Like, I don't know, the fighters who went up against Mike Tyson. Quite a few of them were undefeated and looked to have promising careers, but after being destroyed by him, they faded into obscurity, or were never the same prospects. After experiencing it firsthand, I could understand the mindset. Demoralization is a big mind killer, of you not being good enough. It eats away at you, and there is hardly anything you can do about it.

...

...Still.

I could walk away from this.

...

Was it my only option that would let me live?

...

"Thank you."

"For what?" I asked.

She turned back to me. "Thank you for coming back for me."

I was finally able to allow myself to smile. Inwardly I congratulated myself, for managing to get through this, to get through to Nagato.

"...Not a problem. I'd always come back for you, Nagato. I may not be able to do much, but I'll always come back for you."

I moved to the bed, looking down at Haruhi. I felt a multitude of emotions. Mostly fear, but it was a whirlwind. I knelt down, taking Haruhi's hand.

Please, God. Let me come back to her. Please let me come back from this. Please let us all come back.

"Hey. I'm going to come back to you, okay?" I was saying this for my own benefit, obviously. I needed some form of courage, because the fear was trying its damnedest to take total control. Having something, or someone to fight for was a good way for the courage to have a fighting chance.

I can't.

I can't walk away from this. No matter how broken or beaten my body is, I can't.

Damn it all, I won't let Hecatia win.

And it wasn't like Nagato was the only reason. Obviously, as wild as Haruhi's deeds were, as much as she drove me angry, or to frustration, I still loved her. She gave me my life. I had given up on the fantastical, and she gave it right back to me, while I showed her how fun normal life could be. Sure, the stress of handling her emotions and walking on eggshells about her power caused me to nearly pull out my hair at times, but we helped each other. Reality was, she got just as frustrated with things that didn't go her way. We've both given and taken from each other, both gotten angry with each other, teaching each other, sometimes unintentionally, about life. She's shown me how wondrous the world can be. I've shown her how wondrous it is to live a normal life.

I'd already had the option to walk away from all of this right before I entered Gensokyo for the first time. Just start fresh in a world made just for me. I didn't take it. I've had the option to walk away from the Brigade when those idiots thought they could talk me into helping them take away Haruhi's power. I didn't take it.

I couldn't let the enemy win. They'd win only if I allowed them to. So what if I got beat? I was still alive. Haruhi and Sasaki were still alive. I could only hope Nagato was still alive - no. No, she's still alive. Until I get solid proof that something really bad happened to Nagato, she's still alive in my eyes. I made a promise to the both of them, and I intend to keep them. Nagato's because she's one of my closest and best friends, and Haruhi because I was in love with her. Maybe if we gave up, Hecatia would give them back like she said. Did I trust that? Not really. I definitely didn't trust Clownpiece not to kill them anyway, either. I couldn't risk losing both of them due to cowardice on my part, and I couldn't leave their fate up to a bunch of killers who'd hold the entire universe hostage against us.

Hope. All I could do was hope that I was making the right decision. When I got help in the future from a certain prince, I was told not to trade a world for a few lives. Judging by how I handled that, I'm quite selfish, aren't I? I appear to want everything. I want to save the world and save the girl.

This was what I wanted. To go up against such a villain and be the savior of so many.

...And I didn't even realize I was saying all of that aloud as I stared where I was beaten down. I shot a look back at everyone, all their eyes on me. I could feel my face get slightly red from my own inner monologue getting exposed to everyone. I just hope you all understand.

"A prince?" Marisa raised an eyebrow. "You get help from a prince?"

I guess you guys do understand if that's what is bothering you. I sighed. "In a way." I found myself smiling. "I just... I can't do this on my own. But I will if I have to. I can't... I can't live with myself if I crawl away to safety and it turns out I don't get them back. I made a promise to both Nagato and Haruhi that I would come back for them." I wiped at my face, realizing that tears were rolling down. "Maybe it sounds stupid that I'd risk the universe for something I've been told I'll get anyway, but I can't trust them. I can't believe them. I've never walked away from the Brigade. I'll never forgive myself if I do it now. But-" I turned back. "If you want to save yourselves, I won't blame you. Me? I can't turn around. I... I don't know what to do other than just go through with this. I know what I'm asking of you all if I ask you to join me. So... Help me. Help me if you can. I won't think any less of you if you don't think you can do this, because I myself don't think if I can do this. I need to do something. Just... help me save them."

I noticed movement at my side - Kasen was still there, giving me a nod. From the other side, I noticed Koizumi stand with me. Reimu appeared next, then the other girls. They each had a determined look on their faces. I again had to wipe at my own face.

"Didn't I tell you you shouldn't worry about looking uncool?"

I smiled at Kasen. "Ah, yeah." I felt grateful for everyone's willingness to follow me. I looked to the orb. "Yukari... please tell me you have something in the works."

It was a while before she answered.

[Yukari:] "The path has been laid out for you. You actually have just about everything on you to win. It's up to you to go through with it. I didn't foresee Hecatia trying to demoralize you all, and it did sort of work, but I'm grateful that you're still willing to stand up to her."

"I can't let her win. I can't let her have Haruhi and Sasaki. And killing other worlds? That's just beyond monstrous, barring what they've done to us already." That... and they killed two people in front of me, laying it down on me so I could, no, would stop. Like hell I'm going to. We also said we'd go easy on Rin for Satori, but...

[Yukari:] "The path in front of you will be challenging. It will be filled with despair and thoughts of you not being able to do this due to them. It will be physically painful. All hope will seem lost, but I need you to not give up. The only way you can lose is if you lose heart, if you give up. That's the only way. Keep fighting. Keep standing up. Her power is great, but it also has led to arrogance; and arrogance can be a weakness."

[Patchouli:] "You're talking about how she 'signed' her own runes."

[Kaguya:] "If she was truly cautious, she wouldn't have let that slip."

[Yukari:] "Exactly. She has made mistakes. She can make more. She is not perfect. Just take that with you in what is to come. I know what I'm asking you to go through, but you have to trust me. No matter what happens, no matter what you go through, know that you can still win this. You have just about everything you need to win this. You only lose if you give up. In fact... you've done this exact situation before, and came out of it. You just have to remember what it was. It's a little more extreme, though, but you've done this before."

It has to be enough. You have to had put everything together, Yukari. It doesn't matter if I truly trust you on a personal level, but I'm putting my life in your hands here, as well as the lives and future of the Brigade. The question was, what did I do before that matched this screwed up situation? I had to hope that I would be smart enough to figure it out.

"This is just screwed, man." Mokou tossed aside a piece of clay soldier, looking grim. "They wantin' power 'n all, and they making clay soldiers out of other versions of ourselves? They're just taking what they want from us."

"Almost sound like proper youkai," remarked Reimu, who was standing over where Hecatia... murdered Rin. She was staring down at it for a moment, before looking to the orb. "What are we going to tell Satori? She's not going to like this."

[Yukari:] "You let me worry about that. I'll take responsibility. She hates me anyways."

Poor Rin. She... she didn't stand a chance. Her life was just snuffed out. And then Clownpiece riled me up which got Fujiwara killed. That was still setting in, their deaths, and the fact that our enemy wasn't messing around.

Chiyuri was gathering the parts of Fujiwara's gun. "I might be able to salvage this. Don't know." She went to the orb with them to discuss with Nitori on how to put it back together.

Koizumi, who hadn't left my side, gave me a tap on the arm to get my attention. He was still giving his false smile. "Thank you. If... if you had wanted to leave after enduring such pain, I... I wouldn't have thought any less of you."

"Brigade is my life now. Has been. Besides, if I did leave, you would have gone on by yourself if nobody else went."

He slowly nodded. "I would have." His face was tense, as he was really struggling to keep his smile. "What are we in for?"

"Don't know. I just don't know. Just... if we don't make it, well, you do annoy me. But you're a good friend. You kind of have a pass at annoying me." I've never seen Koizumi so ready to lose it. He looked as confident as I was, and I wasn't confident.

He forced a chuckle. "I'll take it." He let out one long breath. "Thing is, this is just, no, Mokou's right. It's screwed up. We're at a world ending scenario."

"We've been through those before."

He genuinely laughed this time. "Aha, yes, we have. In all honesty, I'd rather experience the simpler times of Haruhi ending the world right after she formed the Brigade." He had moved to where the wheelbarrow was. "We were so scared, so sure our lives could end. What would the world do without its god? Could the world go on without its god? Would we? Would we simply be recreated in her new world, and go on living? Would we even know the difference? Would I have to die in order to get to my new life?" He stopped at the spot where he last saw Haruhi. "I'd gladly go back to those feelings of panic than what I'm feeling right now."

"Same here." It was one of the few times I whole-heartedly welcomed one of Koizumi's rants, and one that I really listened to. I mean, granted, things were intense during high school, what with one wrong move having the potential to change or end the world. Back then, all I had to do was appease a single high school girl, and I had help. This? This was a group of strong individuals muscling into something that wasn't theirs, trying to take it for themselves, not caring about us.

"I'm trying to wrap my head around it, you know?" His head slowly lowered, as he put his hands in his pockets. "If we've done this before, that means we've failed before. Which means I've died failing my mission to Haruhi. In all those other worlds, I probably lost all hope, and now it's my turn to be tested just the same."

I try not to think about that. Even though I went through such a memory that morning. To dwell on the hopelessness that other me must have felt...

No, that's not healthy to think about.

"That would mean that we've all failed." Sanae had joined in, her arms crossed. "But those people aren't us. They had their own lives." She gave a shrug. "It's kind of pointless to fret over what happened to another you in an alternate timeline or universe. They are they, and you are you. You start worrying about that stuff, you'll become obsessed like... well, like Fujiwara did. Start thinking that things that didn't even happen to you affect you."

Thankfully Sanae was able to voice my opinion on it. Obsessing on choices that you didn't make or aren't your own is kind of pointless.

If there was a timeline where I accepted Nagato's world, then whatever choices that me made doesn't apply to the current me. He made his own choices. He chose to abandon the world that I love. Maybe because he didn't love it enough. Or maybe because he thought the new world would be interesting, or he could love that world more than the one he had. In a way, that me would be weaker, as he would be a hypocrite. To tell Haruhi to not give up on the world and then he went and gave up on it on his own? No. Actually, thinking about it, if I ever met that other me, I'd smack him around for being a two-faced idiot.

Seriously - if he made it to that point, that means he told Haruhi to not give up on the world. Then he goes and gives up on it himself? I'd seriously give him a well-deserved punch.

I could see the appeal, but it wasn't the choice I made. I know what I wanted out of life, what I got, my experiences. Whatever he did from that point on has no effect on me, and what I did has no effect on him. To just waste your time, your limited time on this Earth on obsessing on what could have happened? That's about as unhealthy as staying shut in.

Yeah, and look where it got Fujiwara. Damn Clownpiece. I hated that son of a bitch, but Fujiwara didn't deserve that. Not that way. I'm going to tear apart that psychotic fairy. Though to be fair in all of this... "Haruhi fretted. To be more specific, Yasumi did."

Speaking of Yasumi, shouldn't she be showing up right about now? Haruhi is in trouble so where the hell is the other part of her?!

"That would be because she had the power to do so." Sanae looked next to me, to the other person who had been at my side the entire time. The living goddess gave a bow. "I don't think we've been properly introduced, Miss... Kasen, was it?"

Kasen looked lost on all of this, but still was polite enough to give a response, and a proper introduction. Kasen Ibara. Kind of fitting, Kasen stands for flowers, and her Chinese dress had a rose adorned on it. Of course my eyes were drawn to her phantom limb, and she said it happened a long time ago. The fact that she also called herself a "hermit" in her introduction also got me thinking about how that factored into what I'd seen her do. I didn't have a clear idea of what a hermit was, besides some kind of Taoist sorcerer, but the classical image of a hermit is an old man who sits on mountaintops and dispenses wisdom. At least in terms of personality, I could kind of see that part of her, and it reminded me a lot of Miko.

I would have put more thought into such a thing under different circumstances, of her being a beautiful woman. Checking someone out after two people die in front of you must be a sign of mental illness. Besides, my eyes were still drawn to her arm, the morbid curiosity setting in of what this woman lost, yet she still continues. Huh. Kinda makes her perfect for this situation, in a way. "Regardless, I'm grateful that you tried to help me out there."

"I'm just sorry I couldn't do more." Kasen turned to Reimu, stating that it was nice to meet her again, to which Reimu said she didn't remember. It didn't bother Kasen all too much.

"Finally nice to actually see the person helping us, anyway." Reimu was sizing her up. "I heard you had some kind of special healing item."

Kasen flicked her hand, producing the drinking box from earlier out of... well, nowhere. One moment it wasn't there, and the next, it was. Now that I was up close, I could see how massive it truly was - it probably held as much as two liters of fluid, and if I held it, I'd have needed two hands. There was a tasteful leafy vine print on the side, and it had the air of an ancient, well-kept treasure.

Kasen ran her hand along its side as she introduced it. "It's called the Ibaraki Box of One Hundred Medicines. Sake poured into it becomes both medicine and a source of great power. It's a cursed item, though. It's better if you rely on those vials and peaches instead."

Ibaraki?

That sounds... familiar. I couldn't place it, but putting aside the similarity to Kasen's own name, I knew I'd heard it somewhere.

"You don't seem to have any problem drinking from it, though," I said. "Is it because you're a hermit? You can resist its corruption or whatever?"

Kasen shrugged and smiled. "Something like that, yes."

Ibaraki... Where did I hear it? This is going to drive me nuts.

Reimu nodded, taking this in, before turning to the orb. "So what's the play now? Where do we go from here?"

[Yukari:] "Hecatia said that if we wanted to face her, that we would continue. I assume she'll be waiting in the area where you would have normally have faced Okuu... that is, if Okuu is even there."

"What if the bird is altered too?"

[Yukari:] "Then this got even worse. The power she wields is that of the Yatagarasu, a sun god. Her body is like a walking shrine to the Yatagarasu, and through her, it can channel more power than most you've faced... But, well, the reason it can do this is because her mind is like an empty vessel. Because she has so few thoughts to distract her, she can wield powers far beyond her own."

[Patchouli:] "In other words, she has incredible power because she's an idiot."

[Remilia:] "Why did you look at me when you said that?"

...That's messed up. It also made me wonder about certain others. I mean, Cirno was pretty strong for a fairy... And what did that say about Haruhi?

"Wait a second," I said. "You said a few years ago that she was going to gain the power to consume gods around this time..."

[Yukari:] "Well, it's not exactly a power that's unique to her, but Kanako knows very well how to coach someone into becoming a godly vessel, so there's probably no one better than her."

So our next big enemy is an almighty idiot. I don't know if that's good news or bad news. It did also mean that Utsuho would be easy for others to control, whether that be the Alternates or the Moriya Shrine. People who think they know better overreaching their boundaries, potentially leading to the destruction of what's around them. Not that I was any different, under the circumstances.

[Remilia:] "Hey, Patchy! Don't ignore me! What were you trying to say?!"

While the orb started making more useless noise, I noticed that Chiyuri had had stopped still for a moment, staring down at the disassembled gun of Fujiwara.

"Chiyuri?" I said. She looked up for a moment, then smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry, you know? I know I was supposed to be some kind of miracle, like the greatest esper in the world, but I feel like I've kind of been falling short today."

"That's not true," answered Koizumi, "Miss Chiyuri. It took all of us to even reach the Ancient City. Without you, chances are we would have lost someone up there."

"That's kind of you, but I'm sure you expected more from me. I certainly expected more out of myself."

"We took down some of their soldiers, and we made it this far. It isn't over yet."

Chiyuri's shoulders rose and fell, still looking down at the gun. "Maybe. But if I only knew how to put this thing back together. No ordinary ballistic gun, mind you. Don't know what tech from the future they went and-" Chiyuri's body tensed, her back straightening. "...Wait..."

She then slowly and deliberately went about putting it back together, almost like she had a eureka moment. "How did I know? It felt like... like-"

[Yukari:] "A shadow memory?"

Chiyuri didn't answer, instead aiming the gun at a boulder, and test firing - it was working. She looked it over. "Hmm. Safety, but no ammunition. Future tech meshed with the workings of I assume Sky Canopy."

"That gun was able to break the chain of power that covered Clownpiece." Mima moved closer, eyeing the weapon. "That chain was an extension of Hecatia's own power. It obviously works as Fujiwara intended."

We crowded around Chiyuri, still holding the gun. We have Hecatia's weakness then. We have a chance. A small chance. The gun itself looked like a black version of the gun I used on that Alternate Nagato when she remade the world - it was the first time I got a good look at it. I felt partially amused that the item the Sky Canopy Domain had created was just the opposite of what Nagato gave me in color. The Brigade and its counterpart really were just reflections of each other.

Reimu stared at the weapon, before turning her attention to me. "Still feel hopeless, Kyon? Or do you want to go youkai exterminating?"

I silently nodded to the latter. Hold on, Haruhi, Nagato. I'm coming for you all.

We had a chance. A small glimmer of hope.

"Are you sure about this, my lady?" Mayumi didn't appear bothered by the heat of the area, as they were on a small peninsula that was surrounded by molten magma.

This was the heat of Former Hell back to its old glory. The bird brain reignited the Hell of Blazing Fires, in her stupid attempt to bring the fires up to the above world. A stupid idiot misinterpreting what was supposed to happen in the world, while they had access to a nuclear weapon. And they played with such power like a toy, not fully understanding how destructive it was.

A lot of that going around.

Hecatia had the remaining soldiers set everything up, like the previous times. Her body had been acclimating to these types of worlds enough as it was. This one had to take. It was exactly what she was striving for. "Of course I'm sure. It's not like I can bring them to another realm and attempt it there. That has a hundred percent failure rate. It has to be within the realm they are from for it to even start working."

"Why even allow them to survive? One more handful of people, one more universe - what does it matter at this point?"

Hecatia looked sidelong at Mayumi's face. This was a girl who gave her all for her duty, and who had buried even her conscience for that. Hecatia could not blame her - to commit to the end of so many worlds was a soul-crushing thing. None of them were the same people that had begun their task so long ago, and perhaps it was impossible for them to have come out of it with both compassion and sanity. Even Hecatia had to suppress that part of herself at times. Ending Eiki's life - the Eiki Shiki she had known for so long, and who possessed the same kind of conviction to duty as Mayumi - was no easy thing, even if it had to be done. Hecatia hoped that when this was all over, she and her old friends could once again learn to live.

"I have said this many times," she replied. "and I have not wavered from it, Mayumi. Not once. I do not believe in the notion that we must become monsters. And besides, there's no need. If only they lose their will to fight, whatever Yakumo has planned will come to naught."

"Wouldn't she just attack us herself if that were the case?"

Compared to the others, Mayumi was still relatively new to all of this. Like a good soldier, she followed orders and didn't ask questions. However, this was a question about an enemy, so it was legitimate. For someone who was as hard wired as Mayumi was, Yukari could be rather difficult to grasp with all of her actions and small manipulations. Hecatia took the time to put together what to say to Mayumi so she could understand Yukari the best.

"Yukari won't fight me. Yukari never even engages in a fight unless she knows she can get something out of it. Whether victory or some other goal. If her loss advances her plans, she'll fight. If she knows she can win, she'll fight. If there is the slightest chance she can lose a fight and her only way to win is through victory, she won't fight. The people of Hell would call her a coward because of this. But oni are short-sighted, and any one of them would lose to her in the end. No. Yukari is smart, to the point where she is actually overly cautious, especially this one. She only seems carefree, because that's her way of lulling people into a false sense of security that they can hope to outmaneuver her. Eirin learns that the hard way in every instance. But that's the thing, concerning dealing with her directly."

"Directly? But if she's so cautious-"

"In the other worlds, the other Yukari didn't even put up a fight, because they knew they couldn't win. So when she can't fight, she gets others to fight in her stead. It's in her nature to act this way. Unless she knows she can win something out of it regardless of the outcome, she won't bother with it. Fighting or challenging her directly is a good indicator of how you stand with her. If she fights you, one on one, she knows she can win in some way no matter the outcome. That explains why she'll even lower her power to match those she fights if it's someone weaker. If she has others fighting for her, it's because there's the slightest possibility of a loss on her part." Hecatia stood in silence for a while. "No. She has the time travel device, and the Mallet. Yet she won't go up against us. She knows there's a chance she'll lose, so she'll get others to fight for her. It's her nature as a manipulator. We don't have to worry about her. We have to worry about what she's done for everyone else."

"This is the first time they've all come down here, isn't it? That big a group? I thought for sure the altered would take some of them down before they reached the city. If you had only allowed my soldiers and I to take care of them-"

"You were busy cleansing the other worlds. Besides, this shows us that Yakumo did do something for all of them."

"But are you sure?"

Hecatia went silent, staring up into the space between the ceiling and the magma. Runes were fixed in space there, suspending the six people she needed for this: Suzumiya, Sasaki, Reiuji, Nagato, Suou, and Komeiji. If the process worked, she'd have all their abilities, and no one could stop her. It would take time, however, for the power to be totally hers. They'd resist. They were fighters.

Am I sure of this Yakumo, though? To assume is to invite failure, but I know that Yakumo doesn't have the power to fight me.

The thought kept going through her mind for several moments before she decided to speak. "You actually bring up a point, soldier girl. I did get involved to see things for myself after all."

I have to invite Yukari, and see what she does. Then I'll know how to properly react. It was a risk, but with the stakes as high as Hecatia was playing for, it was a risk that had to be taken.

Hecatia then snapped her fingers.

Letty Whiterock readjusted her hair over her scarred half of her face. It was the constant reminder of her being used all those years ago, and she couldn't forgive Suou. She had time to think, to plan vengeance, and all of that; she couldn't let it go. She didn't blame Reimu for doing what she did, never could. The miko was doing her job.

In the years since, that fire in her heart had burned, even though Yakumo had to reiterate that Suou was reacting to what was going on around her, and that the blame should lie on the one who instigated everything.

But what else could Letty do? Whiterock was villainized for what she did, and it took a while for the other youkai in Gensokyo to even start talking to her again. Yakumo wouldn't give her the name of the one behind all of this, either not knowing herself or just simply keeping the information. All Whiterock had was the one who used her, the name of that girl with the long black hair.

Her hatred of that person kept her going. The damage was not only to Whiterock, but to winter as a season in Gensokyo. People still talked ill of that time the winter extended, of her time. Winter was a gorgeous season, and it didn't deserve the hatred that it got. The pristine beauty of snow covering everything, of making the world look pure and untouched - no other season could match it. Fall had everything dying, moving on. Spring was messy with its birth of the plants and flowers. Summer was a complete noisy mess, as well as the sweltering heat that could make it impossible to actually do anything. Only winter was pure. Equal. Stillness, cold, purity. Letty loved all of that about winter.

The others had already gone down after dispelling the runes for them, leaving the yuki-onna by herself. If only I could have a situation where it's cold enough for me to join in the fight. As it was, she was actually useless, only helpful should either Suou or the one behind this came out this way.

Picking up her silver trident, Whiterock debated on whether she should simply leave. No one would blame her. After all, to expect a yuki-onna to go into the Earth where it's hot? That would end her, but what could she do? She had spent the eve of one of the most celebrated winter holidays staring at a hole in the ground. Maybe I should see about Christmas getting celebrated in Gensokyo. I bet more people would appreciate the season if-

The runes shattered with an audible crack, the force knocking Letty off her feet. She stared at the blowhole for a moment, in shock for the sudden action, before getting back up and going for the Scarlet Devil Mansion. She just reacted, but was having thoughts about it as she was on her way. That's... who did that? Did our group somehow break that? There hadn't been more instructions on how to break the runes delivered, so the mastermind had to have been the one. But why? Why would they do this?

Letty didn't have the answers. She wasn't privy to much of what was going on, a fact she had to have gotten used to, with her only being active for a few months a year. There were a lot of things out of her control, outside of her scope.

We were silent on our way deeper into Former Hell proper, not one of us looking forward to what we might find at the end of the road. Even Tenshi, who had come down here for fun and adventure, and was so sure because of how strong she was, had fallen into a bitter mood. Being unable to do anything against Junko and Hecatia gave her a helplessness I'm sure she wasn't used to yet. But it did give her a determination. Gave it to all of us. Sakuya, thankfully, was doing fine. As for Kyouko, well, she had to leave. She couldn't fight, nor did she have fire or heat protection. And what were we supposed to do with her?

As for me, there was one more thing that was bothering me. Well, about a million actually, but while shuffling through the spell cards that Satori had given me to try and formulate some semblance of a plan, I realized that there was one I'd never seen before. Not only that, its name and the magic symbols used to inscribe it were utterly unlike anything I'd seen from the people here. It was a Taboo level, and it was pure black with horrible splotchy, jagged violet lettering, like someone had penned it with all the hate and misery in their heart. To be frank, it was scary to see this foreign object planted in my cards like this. I felt like just having it on me might be some kind of curse.

"Marisa," I said, holding the card up for her to see. "Do you know what this is?"

"Oh that? Yukari used it against me, ze." Marisa glanced back at me while we were on her broom. "Kinda weird. Showed up to fight me one day, and used it. Funny thing, as powerful as it was, it, I dunno, seemed kinda lackluster. Like it wasn't being used to its full potential, or it wasn't hers."

I stared at the card, my own gut feeling telling me something, as I placed it back into the deck. Everything has a reason. I just have to be smart enough to know how and when to use everything that's been given to me. I mean, it was the way my Brigade experience had always gone. I had been given everything I needed, been told the clues to survive. The only thing that stopped me was me. Reality was, I only got stabbed by Asakura because of my own hesitation. Asahina got kidnapped because I stood there like an idiot. Ultimately, I could only blame myself for my failings, because my failings stemmed from me not trying, or my unwillingness to follow through. If I had done something, maybe things would be different. Sure they worked out in the end, but only due to the work of the ones around me. I could never forget that. I got as far as I had not just due to my own work, but the work of my friends.

And that's why I can't turn my back on them. I remembered one time that someone cheated against us, tried to set up the entire game against us, make it unfair, and we still came out on top. Of course, that was a video game of the Computer Club vs the Brigade, but one gets the point. No matter the adversity and dirty tricks the enemy doled out, if we work together, we can come out on top in the end.

Besides, some of my victories came from my immediate action. Saving that glasses kid, dodging Asakura's surprise attack right away. Kissing Haruhi in that closed space to keep her grounded.

...Haruhi... My heart felt a little heavy from the faint memory of her lips on mine of that time. To tell the truth, my heart was already heavy with what happened. Rin and Fujiwara's deaths were still replaying in my mind, making me think on what Satori was going to do, or what would happen there.

...Satori...

...I once again looked at the card, an idea beginning to form in my head. I caught myself up in an unforeseen train of thought about what it might mean, and so engrossed was I in was going back on what transpired that day, what was said, that I didn't notice that we had reached our destination. The cavern had opened up into a lake of magma, with a peninsula smack dab in the middle of it, nearly cutting the area in half. Even with the fire resistance, I could feel the searing heat. I thought the other parts were hot, of Clownpiece's fire? No contest when compared to this. Under normal circumstances, just being in such close proximity to magma would toast a human being. There were a number of figures there, one with their back to us - it was Hecatia. Mayumi was also there, watching us approach. The others? Suspended by glowing red points of light way above the magma were Haruhi, Sasaki, two people I didn't recognize, and...

Suou and Nagato?!

What the hell. What the hell is going on?!

I was about to call it out to Yukari, when there was a lot of chatter over the orb. It was a while before we got a clear answer, giving us time to get closer. We slowed down, landing before we finally got a response.

[Patchouli:] "Something happened. Uhm, the runes were dispelled, it seems."

What?! "Did you-"

[Patchouli:] "This wasn't me. I was about to put the finishing touches on the dispelling, then Whiterock showed up and told me they were done by themselves. I think Hecatia wants us down there now. Which means this is it, so be careful. She's ready for us all."

"You joining us, Lady Patchouli?" asked Sakuya.

[Patchouli:] "Something doesn't feel right. I'll keep working on my end, but the others should be getting to you soon."

I had to agree that this didn't feel right either, but it was also due to pressing circumstances. If an outside observer could remain calm and say that there was something else going on, then I would have to tread even more carefully.

"How is it up top in the Ancient City?"

[Patchouli:] "Don't know. Haven't heard anything coming from the rabbit in a while."

Be safe, Reisen. A lot was happening, I was getting too much information, and I was still dealing with what transpired before me. I was in a whirlwind of information, making me feel overwhelmed. Who could blame me?

"Kyon." Chiyuri handed me Fujiwara's gun and quickly spoke to me. "It does have a safety, same place as the 1911 I showed you. All the moving parts seem internal, so you don't have to worry about bite. Got a 3-dot sight, so make sure the three dots are lined up with each other, and the target is the middle dot. If they're not lined up, the shot will go wide. Aim for the chains."

I gave a nod, before giving one last look to the orb as I held up the gun. "Patchouli, if Yukari is still there, tell her to hold onto this for me. We can't afford to lose it, and I'm going to trust her for when the right time to use it happens."

I guess she heard me, because a normal portal opened up next to me, and I dropped it in.

[Yukari:] "We're on our way down there. Some of us are going to see what's happening in the Ancient City, the rest will meet up with you down there. I don't know where the group that was up top is - they're somewhere in the tunnels and we can't contact them."

[Patchouli:] "That leaves me on this, then. I'll keep working on her runes until I understand them. Just in case."

Reimu let out one long tense sigh, the serious look on her face telling the tale. "You all ready?"

"Kinda too late to back away now, ze." The rest of the group gave similar answers.

Done with that, our group made its way to the gathering. I don't know what force was holding them up, but Haruhi and Sasaki still looked out - no, Sasaki was awake. Haruhi was the one who was still out.

"Why are you doing this?" Sasaki was giving her captor a glare, or trying to. The poor girl was scared out of her mind. "What do you hope to accomplish?"

"You should know, mortal. The people that surrounded you for a time wanted to do it to the person next to you. But it would be a waste to give all of that power to you." Hecatia crossed her arms, staring down my middle school friend. "Someone more deserving needs that power. After all, what would they have hoped to accomplish if they gave it to you? Control of this world?" Hecatia shook her head. "No, that would be underutlizing such strength. My aim is far bigger. Think about it. Haruhi was at half power and she could reach across timelines, universes, and influence them even without consciously knowing she did it."

Sasaki's eyes slowly widened. "You wish to control all possible realities?"

"Of course, and-"

"My lady." Mayumi had noticed us. Well, I think she noticed us the instant we saw them. She was facing our direction, after all. It's just that we got close enough to be perceived to be a threat.

Hecatia still didn't turn to us. "You selfish, stupid, hateful boy. I killed two people in front of you, but it wasn't enough. You led even more to their deaths."

"We understood that you need to be stopped!" Sanae pointed her onusa at Hecatia. "We came of our own will!"

"No, he convinced you to die today."

"The only one gonna die is-"

Koizumi interrupted Sakuya. "Nagato?!"

I finally got a good look at the two interfaces there. Well, everyone there. What was holding all of them up appeared to be a number of runes that had wrapped their bodies. The two new people consisted of two young-looking women, one bigger than the other. The smaller one, I had to assume, was Koishi. Why? Well, she too had that weird eye and tube thing over her heart, but it was purple and the eye was closed. Like Satori, this girl was short. She had a long yellow blouse that looked too long on her, with a green skirt. She had a black hat, and shoulder-length green wavy hair. It had to be Koishi. The other woman was of normal height, well, slightly larger than average for a woman. Long brown hair, a large green ribbon in it. A white short sleeved blouse, short green skirt, the cape, the wings. That damn red eye in the middle of her chest. Her right foot encased in concrete, her left ankle orbited by some kind of glowing particles, and her right arm arm covered in that tube, that nuclear weapon, I assume. It had to be an arm cannon. I've seen her before. The woman from my nightmares, or memories. This had to be Utsuho Reiuji.

As for the interfaces, what I saw made my heart sink even more, and continued to build up my rage.

Nagato and Suou were in bad shape, making me think of what I did to Suou four years prior. Both of them were just covered in bruises, dried blood around their mouths, and an almost empty look in their eyes. My fists started to hurt because I didn't even know I was clenching them so hard. Both interfaces looked to have been physically tortured, and to my knowledge, there was one thing that could hurt them like that - constant danmaku attacks.

The thought of it was almost too much to bear; it felt like it was the last straw for me. The mere thought of someone torturing Nagato set me off, let alone actually seeing the results. I found myself charging right at Hecatia, the only thing stopping me was Mayumi getting in between us, breaking me out of my mental state. I angrily glared at the obstacle in front of me before shouting at Hecatia.

"I don't care what you're doing, Hecatia! Whatever it is, I'm going to see it undone! I'm gonna undo everything you've accomplished!" I didn't know what else to say, as I was reacting purely on what was in front of me.

She still didn't turn to me, kept staring down her captives. Nagato had noticed me due to my voice, her body quickly breathing like it was a struggle to do even that much.. She opened her mouth to say something, but Hecatia quickly blasted her in the chest. Nagato let out a small choking gasp, her eyes widening in pain.

You little bitch!

I again reacted, and again, Mayumi got in my way. She drew her blade, forcing me to draw mine. Her calm demeanor was the opposite of mine, for sure.

I could hear Hecatia begin to chuckle. "You know something? We chose this incident, since it was one of the least crowded. Isn't it ironic? Reimu and Marisa were supposed to only come down here by themselves, so this would have been... ideal. Ah well. We have what we need."

"I'm going to break you, Hecatia."

She continued like she didn't even hear me. "Another reason this incident is so convenient is because of what happens. A bird swallows a god, and obtains a surpassing power... Events like that are written into the universe's memory, and become fate. When one is so able to follow with the flow of the world, it becomes so much easier to bend it to your will. A hermit like yours would know that, of course." Hecatia turned to me, grinning. "I just thought I'd let you know why you're dying here. I don't wish you to leave this world with lingering questions and doubts. Believe me, I'd rather have done this anywhere else... but here is where's nearest, so here it'll be." She casually looked around us, like she was shopping for a better outfit in the local department store. "I suppose that doesn't mean anything to any of you. I can't explain to you the complexities of how to build and manipulate a universe, so you'll have to settle for the short version: This place is important, so we're doing it right here, in all the impurity and lingering resentment of a Hell reborn."

Like I care. You're just saying all this to talk yourself up. You talk of peace, of bringing a perfect world, but I've seen who follows you, I've seen what they're capable of doing. I don't trust anything you say at all concerning a perfect world.

She finally looked at me, her face contorting in disgust. "All because you decided to get everyone killed, even after what it brought to others, all because you think you can struggle against me." She shook her head. "No, killing others isn't going to work on you, it seems. I need to punish you directly."

Hecatia spread out her arms again, two chains rising from her collar again, and forming the Earth and Moon orbs. "Mayumi, let him pass. Don't let anyone else get close. I'm going to break him, body and mind. Then maybe the others will be smart enough to run away."

The clay soldier, still facing me, walked past me and stood in between me and the group. The girls spread out, since it was one soldier, and they could easily get past her - at least, until runes popped up around me and Hecatia. The rest of the group called out to me, and a pang of dread shot through my anger.

I had to take on the final boss on by myself.

Hecatia extended her left arm, which held the moon, at me. "Two people are dead because you were too stupid to understand not to try us, boy. Now I have to kill you because you still don't understand."

I quickly grabbed a peach and a mushroom block, eating them. Feeling recharged, I said a silent prayer to whomever was listening, if anyone was listening, before bringing out the Sword of Hisou's handle.

The fact that she gave me time to do that wasn't lost on me. Hecatia simply leaned back in the air, holding the two globes aloft and watching my movements. As I approached her, she began to circle me, never taking her eyes off of me. Her stance was unusual, sure, but I could tell she was ready to move in any direction.

Okay, whatever force is controlling my focus, I'm gonna need it now more than ever. It had to be someone doing it. I mean, if it wasn't Nagato, then-

It had to be Emiri. She was taken out a while ago, and I couldn't use it effectively. She had to have come to during the fight against Rin.

There was no taunting on my part. This wasn't some psychotic fairy - this was an Olympic god.

I drew the sword, the gray world coming back-

I felt pain as Hecatia had instantly closed the gap between us, kneeing me in the stomach. It felt like I had fallen off of a three story building and landed on an iron bar. I didn't even have the time to choke and gasp for air as she struck with her other knee to the side of my head as I doubled over, sending me flying a few meters. I coughed, getting to my feet as fast as I could, and Hecatia just stood here, a sure smile on her face.

"Well, looks like whatever Yakumo did for you wasn't enough, was it?"

Don't let her get to you. Don't let her get to you. We have a small chance.

I approached her again, more cautiously this time. I don't know how fast she had to have been going for me to not even see her in the time slowdown. She stood still for a moment, silently egging me on to attack. The smug look on her face, combined with the background images of Nagato's tortured body was almost overwhelming.

Again I drew the sword, doing my best attempt at a strike, and almost like it was an automatic response, chains extended from her collar, meeting my attack. No matter how much force I tried, I couldn't feel any give from her part. It was like I was trying to push against the Earth itself. In fact, the chains effortlessly pushed me away, sending me back a few staggering steps. Upon seeing that, her smile got even more smug.

We got this. We have to have this. She's... she's just arrogant.

She wasn't attacking, all of my strikes being blocked by chains. It didn't even seem like she was putting any effort into the fight - the most effort she was making was moving around to face me. I had to do something, as this was going nowhere. Come on, what do I have...

I backed away, bringing up the tengu camera to maybe drain her magic a little-

Next thing I knew, I felt a hard object collide with the side of my head. She had closed the distance and swung her Earth orb at me, making my body rotate in the air upon impact, which hurt just as much as when I hit the floor. I felt the darkness of unconsciousness try to overtake me, but I struggled against it.

If I didn't have a superhuman body thanks to the peaches, I had the feeling she would have killed me with a single strike already. Hecatia hit like a truck, or, no, like a semi.

I had to move. My gut instincts told me to quickly move, and good thing I did - the god tried to stomp where my head had been. I stumbled to my feet, putting distance between myself and her. Every passing moment, she got more smug, as she was clearly enjoying this.

"What most people don't realize, is that real life is a hard, cruel mistress. You chose to live in a fantasy, but the reality is, the world doesn't care about it. It will just as easily and coldly end your life without a second thought to what you hold dear, what your ideals are, or whatever you think is important." Hecatia looked to the side, where the group was attempting to take on Mayumi.

Some of those who were over the orb were already here, including Yukari. The demon was on the outskirts of the fight, intently staring at what was going on between Hecatia and I. She wasn't a part of the fight, but just watching.

"Is this all you have, Yakumo?"

Yukari didn't answer, didn't move.

Hecatia returned her attention to me. "It's too bad. You put your trust in others, but ultimately, they'll fail you. They'll get to watch you die, just like how Rin trusted you and she die-"

Oh Hell no! I charged at her, and she stood still, smirking.

I didn't even see the chain being flailed at my midsection come from the side.

The orbs had detached from Hecatia, forming two more bodies along with them. They too were attached by chains to the collars. Moon Hecatia was blonde, while Earth Hecatia had blue hair. The Hecatia with the red planet just grinned at me falling to the ground. While I was doubled over on my hands and knees, I felt more chains being flailed on my back, the force putting me on the ground again. Each impact burned intense pain into my very soul, it felt. Red Hecatia didn't even join in, just watching me get beat up by the other two of herself.

Part of me had forgotten that Hecatia was a triple goddess. But for it to manifest itself like this was beyond unfair. If I wasn't trying to get out of that situation, I would be crying foul like I usually did.

I don't know how I found the strength to get out from under them, maybe it was adrenaline. I pushed myself forward, rolling to a stand, getting closer to Hecatia. If I can just land one hit-

I felt chains wrap around my arms, and I was yanked off my feet back to the Moon and Earth Hecatia. They held me up, as Hecatia silently approached. Another chain formed from her collar, and it went to her hand, wrapping around it as she made a fist. No matter how much I struggled, I couldn't shake off the other two.

Hecatia afforded a look again at Yukari, before she started punching me in the gut. She took her time with each one, allowing me to regain my breath before hitting again.

I was coughing up blood by the fourth one, my body feeling like it was breaking with every hit. Those two kept me up for Hecatia, and I couldn't move an inch. I couldn't even think straight, just focused on trying to break out of this. Hecatia kept looking back to Yukari, as if she was expecting a reaction, but was getting none.

"...Yu...Yukari..."

Hecatia hit me again, causing me to cough up more. "Nobody said you can speak." The other two released me, and using her foot, Hecatia turned me so I was facing up. She put her boot to my throat, staring down at me. "You must really be disappointed that you can't even stand against me, huh? What were you thinking? Were you thinking at all? Or were you just going off on your own like an idiot because you spent so much time with that hateful girl?" Hecatia squeezed on my throat a little more, the three parts of the god staring down at me with the most smug faces I've ever seen. "You wasted such potential. You could have changed the world for the better with her power, but you decided it was best to keep it bottled up. But who cares, right? You had fun for a few years. What's the rest of reality? You could have solved the world's problems, gotten rid of what kept it from being perfect. Instead you limited her to giving an airhead laser eyes. Instead you placed the world in danger over your performance in a baseball game."

Hecatia leaned closer to me. "Nagato didn't malfunction. She woke up. She realized how wasteful it was for that brat to have that kind of power, and you punished her for it."

You don't get to talk about any of them like that! I spat what was in my mouth on her boot. It was a reaction, as I didn't have anything else.

Hecatia finally lost her smile, as she took a long breath. "Very well. You brought all of this upon yourself anyway." She raised her foot over my face. "I gave you the chance to walk away with your life, so you can't complain."

I expected it to come down, but then Hecatia looked to the side again, this time not at Yukari. Her eyes widened a bit. "Oh. She's coming." She let out a sigh, the other two bodies returning to orbs that attached to Hecatia's collar. "I took a little more time than I intended, but no matter." She left me, but not before she flailed another chain shot to my sensitive stomach. The stinging pain almost caused me to black out, as did my coughing. I turned to my side, because I felt like I would have probably drowned from my own blood. I struggled to breathe, trying to get oxygen into my body while my body was just trickling blood from somewhere inside me. I realized I was heavily wounded, and I just wanted to lay down, but I couldn't. Hecatia was approaching the six in captivity-

Haruhi was awake. I didn't even realize she was awake, and she must have been watching what I was going through, because she was screaming, tears pouring down my face at my condition.

Haruhi... My limbs felt so heavy, but I continued turning, propping myself up to my knees in a slow manner. I have to get to her... It was painful to even breathe, the strain on my body making it a chore to do anything at all.

I afforded a look around, Mayumi and Youmu were the only ones left in the group standing. I didn't see where Yukari was. To see all my backup down was...

It can't end like this. Someone... please someone help me.

"Now to see if this really is the world I need. Let's see if this actually works, or if we need to start again."

Hecatia had moved on to Utsuho, placing her hand over that red eye thing on her chest. Chains extended from the god, wrapping around it. Light shone from the orb, and Hecatia began to glow as well.

In a flash of light, Hecatia was gone.

What... what just...happened... I continued to get up, my eyes then on Haruhi and Nagato. I had to get to them - that was all I knew. I collapsed on the ground again amid a coughing fit, but I had to get to them. I kept my body going forward, no matter what. My... my vials. Where-

Utsuho had stepped forward, her eyes closed. She opened them, staring down at the orb wrapped in chains, before a smile spread across her face.

"...It's working. It's working! My body is compatible with this world!"

It was Hecatia's voice coming out of the bird. I just stared, unable to comprehend what was going on, until she went to the others. Again I pushed myself to get up, but I was left a bit dumbfounded when she passed over the four I knew, and went right for Koishi.

"Troublesome satori. About time you had some use in your life." Hecatia-Utsuho grinned at her. "If only you had the sense to not lock away your heart, well, then you'd be useless to me."

Light began to glow from the orb, and chains extended from it, wrapping around Koishi. The satori was still out cold, but her body began to light up as well. Another flash of light, and she was gone. Hecatia-Utsuho then turned to face me, well, not me.

I didn't even realize it, but Yasumi had arrived, and was standing next to me. She reached down, bringing me back up, her touch making me feel better, making me feel like I was healed, somewhat. I was still sore from the beating I took, but I at least felt I could stand under my own power.

'Bout time you showed up. We're in real trouble here.

Yasumi stared at me, before lightly pushing me to back away from Hecatia-Utsuho. The little girl stepped towards the enemy.

"Yasumi... this would be better if we worked together on this."

She didn't answer me, leaving me no choice but to stand with her.

Yasumi stopped. She made a choking noise. Hecatia-Utsuho had raised her free left hand, and started to close it in a fist. The tighter it went, the more in pain Yasumi appeared to be in.

No! No you can't do this! I was torn for a moment, on whether to help Yasumi, or go for Hecatia-Utsuho, but what could I do for her but attack the one hurting her? I ran to Hecatia-Utsuho, my mind making the connection of what was going on. Hecatia-Utsuho had absorbed Koishi, taking her power of control of the subconscious, and was therefore in control of Yasumi. That was the only explanation I could quickly think of.

You're not hurting any more today! It stops here and now-

Mayumi had come up from behind me, grabbing me by the collar, and slamming me to the ground.

"My lady, enough toying around. End this before they can retaliate."

No! No! Someone do something!

Hecatia-Utsuho calmly closed her fist for good, Yasumi's body fading as she did so.

I screamed so loud I hurt my throat. No! No not again! I can't... I can't lose more people again!

"Such an anticlimactic ending to such a creature. Oh well." Hecatia-Utsuho happily said. "It's good to know this works, which means..."

She turned to the rest of them. As Mayumi still held me down, forcing me to watch, I had to witness this.

Hecatia-Utsuho started with Suou, the chains absorbing her, then-

Oh god! Nagato! No!

There was nothing I could do, not while being held down. The fear on Nagato's face was unlike any reaction I've managed to see from her when she became more human. As the light enveloped her, she looked right at me, I could see her mouth saying "I'm sorry."

Then she was gone.

In a flash of light, one of my best friends was gone.

I had to blink, my eyes full of tears. I again screamed, Haruhi yelling for Nagato as well.

"You bitch! I'm gonna end you! I'm gonna end everything about you! You're done! You hear me?! I'll ruin everything you've built up!" I didn't even realize I said all that, even though I meant every word.

Hecatia-Utsuho amusingly turned her head towards me, that same smug smile filling my heart with hate.

Then she moved on to Sasaki, who was shaking her head. "No! No, you can't do this! You can't-"

The chains wrapped around her too, and in another flash of light, she was gone.

That left Haruhi.

The terror on her face...

"Kyon! Kyon what's going on?! Help me! Get up! Help me!"

As those words were passing her lips, I was able to push Mayumi off of me. I don't know if it was because of her, or my one last surge of adrenaline in seeing someone important to me about to be gone forever. I ran right for them, drawing my sword, as the chains wrapped around Haruhi-

Hecatia-Utsuho whipped around, grabbing me by the throat, and slamming me to the ground.

"What, you thought you would suddenly gain power just because she wants it to be? You thought you could actually take me on?" She leaned closer to my face. "You are not strong enough to fight me. You don't have the power to even come close to matching mine. No one on your side does. Even if you combined everything, you can't fight it." She narrowed her eyes. "You wasted your time, and your life, in a vain struggle." Her smug smile came back, as she searched my clothes for something. "Though I was amused. You uselessly flailing against me, but... something is going on." She produced the nekomata figure, holding it so I could see it, before she crushed it into dust. "There. Whatever power was building in that, is gone." She shook her head as she picked me up, staring into my eyes.

"Kyon, who is she?! Why is she doing this?!"

Hecatia-Utsuho didn't pay Haruhi attention. "Boy, Yakumo really left you out to dry, didn't she? That's what you get for depending on others." Hecatia-Utsuho kept staring at me as the chains began to glow around Haruhi.

No... please...

Haruhi called my name one last time.

In a flash of light, she was gone.

I was stunned, unable, no, unwilling to comprehend this.

Did we just lose...?

Hecatia-Utsuho took in a deep breath, satisfied with herself. "Ah, the power feels great." She kept looking into my eyes. "It'll take time to acclimate, but I have it. Thank you all for living your lives so I can take what I want from it."

I had so much to say to her, to threaten, to do to her.

Her body began to light up, and then, so did mine.

I could feel the heat build in my body, starting from searing going to boiling. The pain was over taking me, making me unable to even move.

"Ha...Haruhi..."

I didn't want to believe it.

"...Haruhi..."

I didn't want to believe that it actually happened.

"...I'm... sorry..."

I didn't want to believe that she killed me.