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Orin coughed as she rolled onto her back, ears ringing and head spinning.

Dust and debris hung in the air, the sky a blanket of grey. Not to far from her she heard Reimu groan, either from pain or annoyance, she couldn't tell. The kasha took a deep breath only to go into a coughing fit as dust filled her lungs. A moment later she heard Reimu stumble to her feet, followed shortly by an annoyed huff.

"Ugh, this is why we fight with danmaku…"

"Maybe against humans, but between youkai, anything goes," Orin commented, having gotten her breathing under control.

"So I've noticed…"

Orin didn't need to look her way to know the miko was glaring daggers at her, and instead rose to her feet and dusted herself off.

Despite her best effort the shockwave from Okuu colliding with the ground quickly caught up with them and sent the pair tumbling through the air. Mercifully they didn't collide with any trees or rocks, but the experience still left them rather worse for wear.

Orin faced back towards the way they came and focused her senses. Her ears were still faintly ringing and all the dust in the air made it impossible to see very far, but she could still sense the overflowing aura of power Okuu emitted coming from farther ahead. Just as she was about to set off and find her, something, or rather someone, pulled on her dress and yanked her back with a startled yelp.

"Not so fast! You owe me an explanation for all this," Reimu demanded.

She freed the kasha from her grip and took a step back, arms crossed.

"What do you mean? I explained why we're up here-"

"Not that," Reimu interrupted. "I'm talking about Utsuho. What does she think she's doing, terrifying the humans and attacking Suika?"

"Hey, she was about to attack us first!"

"And who was it that fired the first shot?"

Orin faltered at that. She was right, Suika was merely approaching them when Okuu reacted and fired at her. She could argue that with how on edge she's been lately Okuu may have been trying to protect her, but Reimu could very well argue the same thing about Suika, as they were both in the firing line when Okuu raised her control rod.

She sighed, knowing she wasn't about to win this debate.

"I really don't know, Reimu. A few days ago she was her normal self, but ever since we came to the surface she's been slowly changing, becoming less like herself and more like what she was when she first got her powers. I've tried my best to help her, to try and keep her in good spirits, but ever since we left the human village she's been getting worse."

Reimu was silent for a moment, contemplating this information.

"Well," she spoke. "If Utsuho's becoming like she was back during the incident she caused, then we have a serious problem. Because unlike last time, we're above ground and not in that giant reactor thing, or whatever it was. The damage she could cause if she loses control would be catastrophic to all of Gensokyo."

She raised her gohei, giving it a little twirl as she rolled her shoulders.

"Time to go deal with this."

"No!"

Orin ran in front of Reimu, planting her hands on her shoulders.

"Our of the way, Rin. I know she's your friend, but this is serious. All of Gensokyo is on the line here."

"I know that, and she is my friend, which is why you should let me go instead! Let me talk to her, maybe I can get her to calm down again."

"You said it yourself, nothing you've done since the village has worked."

She tried to shake off Orin's grip but the kasha held firm.

"Maybe, but she won't hurt me. If you go up to her right now she probably won't think to use danmaku. So let me go. I'll talk to her, and if that doesn't work, well, I'll think of something else. Please, Reimu…"

The two stared at each other, Orin's pleading eyes meeting Reimu's impassive ones. After a heavy silence Reimu sighed, lowering her gohei.

"Fine, go and talk to her. I'll fly up and keep a watch on you from a distance. Got it?"

"Yes, I understand. Thank you Reimu."

Orin gave her a grateful smile before dashing off, the miko watching her retreating form before flying above the treetops, sincerely hoping she didn't make a massive mistake.

Not so far away, Okuu stood in a crater, breathing heavy as she waited for her head to stop spinning.

When she shot right through the mist where the giant oni once stood it was far too late for her to stop. She impacted the ground with such thunderous force that she nearly knocked herself out. While she may have the strength and durability of a deity, the hell raven was sorely lacking in experience with taking blows of that power level.

As her thoughts became clearer, she made a note to stick to throwing suns around. That was much easier.

Just as she regained her senses, a noise from the tree line caught Okuu's attention. She raised her control rod, the end glowing brightly as she prepared to fire a shot the moment that oni showed her face, only to relax once she saw the familiar flaming locks of her friend. She lowered her control rod, the light inside dimming, but not going out completely.

"Okuu!"

Orin ran towards the other youkai and threw her arms around her, enveloping her in a deep hug.

"Thank goodness you're okay! You are okay, right?"

She stepped back and looked the taller girl over for injuries.

"I'm fine," Okuu said, ignoring the slight dizziness she felt. "Nothing I can't handle. Where is that oni anyways? We got some unfinished business…"

She looked around, raising her arms as she anticipated the oni to emerge from the forest any moment. Orin was quick to react and lowered her friend's arms.

"Don't worry about that, Okuu. Just forget about her and let's go. We still have to find Miss Koishi, remember?"

"But we won't be able to find her so long as the miko and oni are after us!"

Orin nearly flinched at the tone in her voice but held firm.

"Not true! Reimu will leave us alone just so long as we calm down and go on our way. No more fighting, no more humans, and we can continue our search."

In truth she had no idea what Reimu would do if she succeeded in talking her down, but right now her top priority was keeping a lid on the nuclear reactor that was her friend. Yes, she would never hurt her, Orin was sure of that, but what Reimu had said about all of Gensokyo being in Okuu's crosshairs had hit hard with her. With how high the stakes were, she was sure Reimu would be willing to do whatever it takes to stop Okuu. Orin was the only person on the surface who could stop Okuu before she lost control, and she had to, or else the alternative would be inconceivable.

Okuu was quiet, staring at the around, deep in thought. Orin stepped closer, gently rubbing her arms and speaking in a soft, soothing voice.

"Relax Okuu. Just come with me and we'll all be fine. I promise."

The hell raven met the kasha's gaze, a flicker of her normal self shining through in her eyes…

"There you are!"

The pair jumped as a loud voice shattered the tender moment. Stumbling down into the crater, Suika paused and took a massive gulp from her gourd before focusing on the two youkai.

"That explosion scattered my mist everywhere! It was a real pain to reform from that, you know."

Orin felt Okuu tense up under her grip. She acted quick and gave her arms a reassuring squeeze.

"Don't worry, I'll handle this."

She smiled at her friend before turning to approach Suika.

"Hello! I don't think we've been introduced yet! I'm-"

"The youkai that Reimu is after, right?" Suika interrupted.

Orin faltered a little.

"Oh, um, yes, I suppose that is correct-"

"Looks like you managed to escape Reimu."

She paused to take a drink. Orin hastily tried to explain herself.

"No, I didn't escape her, really! You see-"

"Guess I return you to her then!"

Her efforts were for naught, however, as Suika leaped forward with her fist pulled back. Had Orin not been as fast as she was, she might've taken the blow directly to her face, but she just barely managed to bring her arms up and brace herself before Suika's punch connected. The blow sent her fly backwards, colliding with the dirt walls of the crater. The impact knocked the air from her lungs and Orin doubled over, breathing heavy and very much in pain, but otherwise unhurt.

Suika tilted her head.

"Huh, guess she wasn't as tough as the other one."

She took a drink as she approached the fallen kasha, completely oblivious to how "the other one" was still standing off to the side, having watched the whole scene unfold.

It played out in slow-motion for Okuu, watching as the tiny oni flew towards Orin with a punch that could even leave her winded, a pit forming in her stomach all the while. It felt as if ice filled her veins and chilled her burning core as she saw Orin take the blow and get thrown back, and for a moment she feared the worst as she slumped to the ground. When she saw Orin breathing a wave of relief washed over her.

And that relief swiftly turned to rage.

Her third eye and control rod both glowed brightly as power swelled up within her. Her muscles tensed so tightly that her form began to tremble. The very dirt beneath her feet began to dry and crumble into dust from the heat she exuded. Only one coherent thought ran through her head.

She hurt Orin.

And she would not stand for that.

She flapped her wings and shot forward with unprecedented speed. Energy built up within her control rod and emerged not as a stream or bullet, but as a blade of nuclear fire twice her height. With a yell she raised her flaming sword and brought it down between the kasha and oni, carving a trench between the two and making Suika jump back with start.

But Okuu didn't stop there.

Putting herself between them she gave a few more slashes while advising on Suika, not giving her a chance to regain her footing as she kept backpedaling, just barely keeping out of the fiery blade's reach. Extinguishing her sword she shot forward with a flap of her wings, spinning in the air and whacking Suika upside the head with her control rod, discombobulating her and knocking her back. As she was reeling Okuu again raised her right arm and fired off a volley of smaller bolts of plasma, forcing Suika to shield herself from the onslaught with her arms and pinning her in place, giving Okuu the opening she needed to back up, raise her left hand, and form a star above her.

She halted her hail of burning bullets and threw the star towards the oni. Suika caught only a glimpse of the small sun as she lowered her arms and, acting on impulse, began to grow to giant size. Unfortunately for her, Okuu, in a rare moment of tactical thinking, had planed on this and brought up her control rod once more, charging it up before firing a single, powerful blast directly at the star.

It's surface rippled on impact, then it's from wobbled, before finally it lost stability and exploded in a flash of light and plasma. Suika, who was roughly the size of a tree when it detonated, had not been able to brace herself and felt the full force of the blast, sending her massive form flying over the treetops and crashing into the ground, the cracking of many trees and a small earthquake accompanying the impact.

Okuu, meanwhile, had stood firm with her wings extended, enduring the explosion as if it were little more than a stiff breeze and using her form to shield Orin behind her. She was certain that the blast didn't kill the oni given how she was able to punch one of her shots apart and remain unscathed, but she would probably be knocked out for a while, which was more than okay with her.

A groan from behind caught her attention and Okuu rushed back to Orin, who was raising herself up on unsteady legs.

"Orin!"

She reached out and caught the kasha before she could fall, being mindful not to burn her on her control rod. Kasha could handle heat from hell fire, but not nuclear fire.

"Orin," she repeated. "Are you okay?"

Orin steadied herself against Okuu and rubbed her head.

"Y-Yes, I think I'll be fine. Just a bad headache is all."

"Good…"

Okuu didn't say anything else, instead giving Orin a moment to collect herself. But before she could do that, a new voice reached their ears.

One they knew.

"Orin! Okuu!"

They looked to the forest, seeing familiar pink and green figures running towards them.

Hope you enjoyed. Feel free to leave a review, otherwise thank you for reading and stay turned for more!