Foreword: I hate Onimaru Head with all my guts.
Please R&R! Comments/Suggestions always welcome.
Touhou Duel Masters Café
Chapter 4 – Fall, with your Friends, Honor and Regret
The next instant, Marisa was aiming her mini-Hakkero at the overshadowing figure, and its center's heat intensified.
"Eat this! Master Spark!"
The mini-Hakkero emitted an enormous beam of rainbow-colored energy, straight at Shangri-La.
"You won't escape unscathed from this!" Marisa boasted, as her Master Spark was going to hit straight on.
And the beam want right through the Zenith.
The Master Spark passed through him, as it faded away into the sky.
"Wha...!" Marisa couldn't help but look surprised to see her magic fail.
"…It's useless." The Second observed. "This is only a projection. Nothing will harm it. His real self is somewhere else…"
"Damn it!" Marisa spat, and she reluctantly withdrew her prized weapon.
The low, metallic voice of Shangri-La responded to the futile attempt of attacking him.
"Gensokyo. The Paradise of Youkai. The Eden of the Forgotten." His voice boomed, resonating throughout the whole of Gensokyo. "After 10 years, there is still so much conflict. The conflict between Youkai and Humans. There is Greed. Lust. Gluttony. Pride. Sloth. Envy. Wrath. All of these sins cause clashes between people and youkai alike."
He continued, as the First ran as fast as he could towards the school. "Now, I'll reset this world. This time for sure. Everything shall be returned to Zero. And thus, true peace shall reign."
"Nothing will be born from destruction!" Reimu countered. "Conflict is what makes us evolve and adapt to changes! This imperfection is what makes us perfect!"
Shangri-La ignored her argument.
"Now, savor this. What you call cruelty and despair. I wonder how long can you last against this skirmish."
The large creature's figure faded away, and the sky returned to its pristine state, a deep blue of delftware.
The sun shone with high intensity, pouring its high heat onto the ground, and with no clouds to shield the land from the sun's rays, people started to return to their homes for a brief rest.
"That's it?" Marisa remarked with a smirk. "He did absolutely nothing."
"Don't let your guard down." The Second said. "He's Shangri-La. He can raze this place to the ground if he wishes. Let's see what is he doing."
Then, all of a sudden, the village around them disappeared, leaving only brushes of greenery and tall trees. There was no trace of the village, as if it had not existed from the very start.
"…I see." Reimu arched her eyebrows in mild surprise. "Keine devoured the history of the Human Village again. I suppose that's a safe action."
"To prevent large amounts of casualties, it was necessary." The First replied as he clambered out of some bushes. "This isn't just a simple incident, Hakurei Shrine Maiden."
He paused.
"This is one that is putting the fate of Gensokyo on the line. One wrong step, and we're all doomed. Nothing will be left standing on this world."
Everyone fell silent. The only sounds were the chirping of birds and the growling of feral beasts and creatures.
"Now, go back to your homes and defend them. We will take care of Shangri-La." The Second turned and started to trudge through the woods, The First following close behind. "This is too dangerous for you."
"You don't tell us what to do!" Marisa responded. "We are the incident solvers of Gensokyo! Don't take us lightly!"
The Second whirled on her.
"Then do you know what it takes? Do you have the resolve, the determination? Are you ready to lose your life?" He questioned.
"I…" Marisa stuttered, unable to give a proper answer.
"Don't rush into things because they seem interesting." The Second turned his back on her. "You will lose everything if you do that too often."
"This is not your fight. Go back."
As they started to walk away again, Reimu called out to them. "Wait!"
"What is it this time?" They stopped in their tracks once more
"…Just…just who are you two? Suddenly appearing like this, and then Shangri-La… What is the meaning of all this?"
"It is not of your concern. Once this all ends, we will disappear from here." The First said quietly. "It will be like this never happened. As long as this world remains peaceful, it is enough."
"Now leave us."
"…Wait a second." The Second clamped his hand on his friend's shoulder; eyes fixated to the front f him. "Heads up."
The First stopped speaking, and focused on where The Second has his sights on.
The bushes in front of them rustled. The leaves turned black, wilted and dropped to the ground, devoid of life, as someone emerged from it.
No, someone would almost be an inappropriate word. All four of the witnesses agreed that this was more of a "something".
A humanoid looking shape, with shoulder-length hair, covered in a swirling black mist that emitted an ominous feeling. Reimu and Marisa didn't like that feeling.
The blue ocean above them was now covered in grey clouds, blocking away all the sunlight. Once again, Gensokyo was cast in darkness. But this time, even the sky itself was painted a chaotic black. The clouds swirled into shape of a typhoon, looking as if to tear the paradise asunder.
The figure moaned. "Everyone… Rad… Tsugumi… Why…"
To them, the moan was filled with anger and sadness, and regret. A pained voice that nearly sounded like a male in his young adult age. It was almost a scream that would shake their very souls.
The winds started to pick up. Gusts whipped around, as the girls shielded themselves from the torrents of wind. From her limited field of vision, Reimu could see the hoods that covered the face of The First and The Second were blown back, revealing their black and white hair.
They suddenly looked very familiar.
"…Subaru?" The Second whispered in shock.
The First clenched his fists. "Impossible…this is utter nonsense!"
The figure they called Subaru turned to them, fixing his red eyes filled with malice on them.
"You…Why was everyone…taken away from me?" Subaru started towards The First and Second, reaching to them with his hands. Every step he took corroded and killed the greenery beneath his feet. Reimu could not see the café masters' faces, but they probably look terrified. She imagined a look of complete disbelief and horror. "Answer me…Give them back… Give them back!"
"…I will take care of this. Make sure they aren't harmed." The First told The Second. The Second nodded and donned his hood again, and jogging towards Reimu and Marisa, he expanded a duel field that gradually engulfed the three of them, protecting them from the increasingly strong winds and the incoming duel.
"…" After hearing no more noises coming from the back, The First breathed a small sigh of relief. He took out a deck, and it shone with a fierce yellow light that looked even brighter in this darkness.
"I'm sorry. I promise, I will end this soon. Just wait, Subaru." The First pushed his glasses upwards and stared at Subaru with unparalleled determination in his eyes. "I will definitely end this suffering for you."
Subaru roared at him, a screech of hate mixed with madness.
"Duema, Start."
"…Hey." Marisa spoke up, breaking the awkward silence between the three of them in the duel field. The field, as always, was littered with glittering stars in the distance. It was beautiful, but they couldn't but think about The First and Subaru. "What's up with that Subaru thing…I mean, guy?"
"…" The Second had his back turned to them from the very start. "It's…"
"It is our business now!" Marisa shouted. "Do you think we can stand idly aside when our home is danger? We've been through a lot more than you think we have!"
"Hmph." The Second scoffed. "Then tell me, are you ready to die?"
"I…I am!" Marisa answered, with a hint of uncertainty in her voice. "But I won't die that easily! I still have a lot to do!"
"Then don't risk your life. You still have a long time ahead of you." The Second replied, his voice softening. "You have a bright future, Marisa. Don't throw it all away by dragging yourself into this."
He stopped himself. "Just go home after this. We'll take care of this."
"Then at least tell us." Reimu asked. "What is happening? Why? Tell us the details. Please."
"Then promise me this." The Second didn't answer her question straight away. "Don't get yourself involved in this. Stay away from trouble."
"I…promise." Reimu lied. She knew in her heart that this false promise would be broken very soon. She didn't like it, but she had no choice. It is her duty as the Hakurei Shrine Maiden to protect the balance of Gensokyo, no matter at what costs, and with whatever methods.
The Second did not seem to find that Reimu was lying through her teeth.
"…Subaru was a famed duelist in our world. A master of darkness, he was near unparalleled in his expertise." He started to explain, his voice filling with pain. "He was called Subaru of Gemini. He was our friend, a good one. We always dueled together."
"And everything changed that one day…"
BGM: Light and Darkness (YGO 5Ds Sound Duel 3)
"I cast Hyperspatial Revive Hole…" Subaru's eyes flashed a deep crimson. "I salvage… Jenny, Suicide Doll."
The Death Puppet's card regained its color and bounced back to Subaru's hand. "Then with Revive Hole's second effect… Come… Volg Thunder…"
The Tiger Demon Command howled in the winds, as thunder cracked and trees swayed in the might of the growing thunderstorm.
"You…put your deck top into your graveyard…until two creatures have been revealed this way…"
"Kuh…" The cards from The First's deck dropped one by one into his graveyard.
"Mystery Cube, Mendelsohn, Wilhelm, Viola Sonata…" The First counted the milled cards.
"Subaru…" He muttered. "Damn this…!"
"Turn…End…" Subaru grumbled.
"…My turn. I cast Mystery Cube!" The First announced, and his deck shuffled itself with ferocity. The shuffling stopped abruptly, and with a flick of his hand, The First revealed his deck top.
"…Come, Codeking Mozart!" The King Command Dragon crashed down from the sky, and with a loud bellow, speared through Volg Thunder, destroying the Demon Command. Zabi Barrel was engulfed in the explosion too, letting out a pained scream when the flames devoured him. "When Mozart is put into the battle zone, all non-dragons are destroyed!"
"My turn ends here."
"How…foolish…" Subaru moaned. "I summon…Necrodragon…Abayo Shabayo…I destroy him with his effect…Then you must destroy one of your creatures as well…!"
The Dragon Zombie clambered out of the ground, and threw his shackles at Mozart. Abayo Shabayo then exploded, the chain reaction on the shackles reached Mozart, and he too was engulfed in the series of impact.
"Uwaahhh!" The First was blown back by the destruction of his creature as he braced himself against the expanding ball of flame, landing hard on his back with a grunt. "Urgh…!"
He struggled to get up, his whole body aching as Subaru ended his turn. Standing up shakily, and nearly falling over again, The First reached for his deck.
"My… Turn!"
"Subaru had to face a lot of pressure and problems. Like his relationships, and everything happening around him. Being one of the Chosen Twelve, all those responsibilities. The unwilling son of the murderer of his grilfriend's father and family." The Second listed. "And inside him, his dark side was born from all the internal strggle. With passing time, the evil side grew. Stronger, bigger, And then one day, he finally snapped. His dark personality took over, and destroyed everything he had."
"His friends, loved ones… They all disappeared. And this was while he was conscious. His mind was awake, watching as his dark self went on a rampage, leaving nothing in his wake but destruction. In the end, nothing was left for him."
"…" Marisa and Reimu listened in silence.
"And then, Shangri-La came. A being of Zero, who hoped to return the world to Zero, so that conflict would be annihilated, and peace would reign. And thus, the world was destroyed, ripped apart, torn to pieces. Even more than what Subaru's dark side did."
"Subaru too, died in the conflict. We wondered sometimes if he finally reunited with our friends, but…" The Second swallowed, reluctant to admit the truth. "It seems that he has not departed in peace."
"Wait…" Marisa stopped him. "If you said that Subaru guy was dead… Then what is that outside?"
"…" The Second thought for a moment. "It is only a guess, but it is most probably Subaru's soul. A corrupted manifestation. A projection that amplifies all his negative emotions he has left behind."
"Reviving the dead…?" Marisa thought. "No, that's not like it…"
"More like pulling his very soul out of the vortex of the dead, and giving it a barely stable form." The Second said. "Sadness, Hate. Regret. Anger, This is probably what makes up Subaru right now."
"The demon version of himself was of utmost evil. It can almost be said that he was the incarnation of evil itself. He raped and killed his girlfriend after defeating her in a duel. He fed one of his friends to demons as pet fodder. He stabbed another after he got tired of his jokes. He turned his town in a playground for demons, where they roamed free and tortured its inhabitants." The Second continued. "Everything torn down in front of his very eyes. Could you imagine you being conscious, but another being has invaded your body as is doing whatever he pleases?"
He shook his head. "To see the world, everything you loved and built, collapse around you…" The Second massaged his head; try to ease the pain of dragging out these torturing memories. "And there was this only one friend he spared. Even when he went against him. But all in the end, when Shangri-La came, everything was returned to Zero. There was absolutely nothing that we could have done."
"Tsugumi, Rad, Edo, Tamma, Tiger…everyone. They're all gone."
The girl listened to this with a horrified expression on their faces.
The Second remained cross-legged, back facing towards them.
"And we…who have escaped all this turmoil, with extreme luck and skills. We evaded Subaru's torture and Shangri-La's destruction of our world. But there is no hope for our home anymore. It is futile to rebuild our home. Nothing is left. No buildings left standing, no person left alive. It is a living Hell. At least there was still some degree of order when Subaru was around, but…" He sighed. "There is nothing there anymore."
"And it is our duty to take down this monstrosity." The Second's voice became firm. "In a duel. Betting on our honor, our lives. As the last survivors of our world."
"We will stop him, at any cost."
BGM: Angry Duel (YGO ZeXal Sound Duel 2)
"I summon Dragment Symbol Sr, Spellcyclica!" The Second cried as the Crystal Command Dragon formed from the water droplets in the air, taking the shape of a ferocious creature. "With his effect, I cast Mystery Cube from my graveyard and return it to my hand!"
"…" Subaru, or his corrupted soul, grumbled something inaudible. He clutched his head. "Rad…kun…"
"…" The First could hardly bear this. "My deck top!"
"…!" His eyed glinted. "Codeking Wilhelm!"
Wilhelm appeared out of thin air, stabbing the ground with his spear as he did so. From beneath Subaru's feet, the earth cracked open, and a blast from the fissure sent Demon Wolf Howling Castle from his mana into his graveyard.
"Since a card is sent to your graveyard, I boost my deck top into my mana." The First said as this deck top was charged into his mana. "Turn End."
"…Rad…Tsugumi…" Subaru's groaning continued. "…I…I…!"
He tried to shut out the pain.
The lifeless body of Tsugumi. Sora's mangled form…or what remained of her. Edo's dead eyes. Rad's last smile.
"Urgh…Raaarrrgh!" The black chaos intensified, along with the winds and thunder. Shockwaves threatened to blow The First out of balance. "Gate of Hell, Death Gate…!"
As Wilhelm was towed in to the Gates of Death, Abayo Shabayo appeared once more from the entrance of Death, his chains towing Spellcyclica into Hell along with him. As he did, the door shut and faded away into nothingness, and the field became empty again.
"…Turn…End."
"Kuh… Subaru…" The First called out his friend's name. "Spellcyclica returns to my deck bottom when he is destroyed. My turn!"
"I summon Balga Raiser! Since he is a Speed Attacker he can attack right away!" He summoned the Samurai Armored Dragon.
"Battle! Balga Raiser! Attack! When he does, I reveal the top card of my deck! If it's a non-evolution dragon, I can put it into the battle zone!" The First flipped the top of his deck open. "…! Come, Beethoven, Zenith of Horror!"
The Zero King Command Dragon roared at the dark sky, equipped with his golden Destiny Lance and Shield of Major. "…Subaru… I will let you rest, no matter what!"
"Balga Raiser, Double Break!"
The red Dragon raced across the battlefield; and with a swing of his twin blades, two of Subaru's shields were slashed apart, and they reconstructed as cards in his hand.
The clouds continued to congregate, a seething black mass of water. It was going to rain any time soon.
"My…turn…" Subaru's distorted voice reached The First's ears. "I…summon…Ulvorof, Dragon Edge."
The wolf-like Draguner leapt out from the shadows. "I equip him…with Diabolos…Prison Dragon Edge…"
The entrance to the Hyperspatial Zone opened, a vortex of empty space. From its depths, the Darkness Dragheart came, and Ulvorof grabbed hold of it, letting out a battle cry in the process.
"Diabolos' effect… I return Abayo Shabayo to my hand…"
"…My turn!" The First announced. "I cast Mystery Cube!"
Once more the deck shuffled itself.
"Deck top! Diehard Ryuusei of Invincibility!" The Red Command Dragon Hunter swung his triple blades in the air.
"Battle! Balga Raiser! Attack! My deck top is…!" The First flipped it open. "…Mystery Cube…"
He returned it to his deck top. "Ryuusei's ability! Whenever my dragons attack, I can burn one of your shields!"
The two dragons rushed at Subaru, Ryuusei drilled through one shield, sending it to Subaru's graveyard while Balga Raiser slashed through the last two shields.
"…Shield…Trigger… Demon Wolf Howling Moonlight Castle…" Subaru's broken shield flared a chaotic black. "I…destroy Beethoven…"
"…" The First's chest tightened as his creature bounced back to his hand due to Eternal Omega.
"My…turn… I discard two creatures from my hand… Diabolos… Ryuu…kai!"
The Dragheart weapon became encased in darkness, and from the black chaos, the Demon Command Dragon emerged, his hellish scythe spewing flames of darkness.
"Diajigoku…Annihilation Demon Dragon…"
"I then summon…Necrodragon Odol Needle…"
"Battle…I attack Balga Raiser with Diajigoku… Attack Trigger… Since there are 8 darkness cards in my graveyard… Ryuusei gets -8000 power…" Subaru ordered.
Diajigoku rushed at the two dragons, and although they tried to parry the attack, they were easily sliced in two by his scythe of corrosion.
"Aaagh!" The combined destruction of his creatures blew back The First once more, and he struggled to get back to his feet.
"Turn…End…"
My body is aching like hell... Damn this… The First thought. Next turn it will be Dorballom… I need to care of this in this last turn!
"O Lord…I entrust everything to you!" The First closed his eyes and mumbled. He opened them, his eyes clear with the fury of determination.
BGM: Duel of Friendship (YGO ZeXal Sound Duel 4)
"Ore no…Taaaaaaaann!" Drawing the Mystery Cube revealed last turn, he immediately put it to use. "I cast Mystery Cube!"
"Deck top! I use Codeking Viola Sonata, Eternal Ryuusei Kaiser and Mitsurugi Boost from my mana zone as evolution bait! Balga Raizou! The Superheavenly Nova!" The Earth Dragon rose from the Earth, letting out an ear-splitting bellow as it glared at Subaru.
"Battle! I attack Odol Needle! Balga Raziou's Meteorburn! I reveal the top three cards of my deck and put all dragons into my battle zone!" The First shouted. "First card…Codeking Mozart! Second Card…Hogan Blaster…Third card…Spellcyclica!"
"Mozart's ability! All non-dragons are destroyed!" Ulvorof dissipated into light immediately.
"Not yet… It's not enough! Spellcyclica's ability! I cast Mystery Cube and return it to my hand!"
"Haaaa!" His deck shuffled once again. His right hand shone with an intense yellow light, illuminating the dark world just with this small ray of hope. He flipped the top card open with all his might. "Deck top!"
"…Finally here! With Balga Raizou as evolution bait, come! The Songstress of th sea, reborn with the power of Lunatic Emperor and Unknown! Conquer the battlefields with your voice of destruction!" The First chanted as the Earth Dragon rose to the sky and emitted the light of evolution. "Ultimate Evolution! Trueshinra, Premium, Kiriko Moon!"
Balga Raizou's glowing form shifted dramatically, turning humanoid, and a breathtaking blue color painted his transformed body. Finally, Premium Kiriko Moon emerged, as the evolved form of Balga Raizou.
"Master…" Kiriko Moon whispered, as she looked at the battlefield.
"I'm counting on you, Kiriko!" The First told his creature. She nodded, and as her bright blue light covered the battle zone, The First cried, "With her effect, I put all of my other creatures into my deck, and from the top of my deck, I cost trample the same number of creatures I returned to my deck!"
"Song of Distress and Rebirth!" As Mozart and Spellyclica were sucked into a portal, The First revealed his deck. "Eternal Ryuusei Kaiser! Codeking Wilhelm!"
"With Wilhelm's effect, I destroy Odol Needle!" Wilhelm flapped his great wings, ending up right in front of the Dragon Zombie. Raising his spear above his head, he sliced Odol Needle into two, splitting even the earth, and caused a great explosion.
"Since the attack target is not here anymore, the attack stops." The First breathed heavily, as his vision started to blur. "With Eternal Ryuusei Kaiser's effect, all my creatures get Speed Attacker!"
"Subaru... I will defeat you again, no matter how many times you come back to haunt us, and I will lay you to rest one day! Codeking Wilhelm! Direct Attack on Subaru!"
Obeying his summoner's wishes, Wilhelm smashed his weapon right on top of Subaru, causing rock fragments and dust to fly everywhere, and producing a great crater that spanned for meters.
And the wind died down, the sky returning to its beautiful blue color. The dark clouds dispersed, and the thunderstorm vanished.
"…Ha…ha…" The First dropped to the ground, fatigued and stripped of almost all strength, gulping huge mouthfuls of air. "I hope you can finally leave in peace…After 11 years…"
And he just sat there in silence, until The Second, Reimu and Marisa came to pick him up, among all the ashes and debris.
The First sat in his bed, quietly sipping a hot of coffee. The Second patted his back lightly.
"Hey man…don't take it all on yourself. It's not your fault."
To which The First responded by nodding slightly.
"I know…but…"
"I understand." The Second assured him, giving his shoulder a small squeeze. "I still have nightmares about it too. All of those… It's unforgettable."
"You're very tired already. Have a good rest. I'll wake you up later." The Second left his friend in the room and closed the door behind him.
As he did, he turned to face the two girls waiting in the café.
"So… He's fine?" Reimu asked.
"Just a little tired. He'll be okay after a good rest." The Second affirmed. "And you two… go back to your homes already. This is not your matter anymore. Nor that is was from the very start."
"…Fine. We'll go back." Marisa told him as she pushed through the door of the restaurant.
For now. She added silently.
Reimu lingered a bit longer. She stared intently at the door that lead to the bedroom of The First and Second. Finally, she tore her eyes away from the back of the room, and left the café without saying a word.
"So… You say those people are… Otherworlders?" Patchouli arched her eyebrows lazily. The girls that came to this meeting sat at the round table in the Magic Library of Patchouli, with some drumming their fingers in boredom or looking outright serious.
"Yeah." Marisa replied, twirling her braid nonchalantly with her fingers. "They don't seem to be from the outside, given that their world was totally destroyed. If they were, then Gensokyo would either be destroyed, or that they are outright lying."
"…They don't seem to be lying." Reimu observed. "They don't have a reason to. It's most probable that they really are from another world, different from ours."
"Then…" Alice started, her plate making a small clatter as her cup made contact with it. "Why did they take those cards from you? There must be a specific reason…"
Remilia answered the blonde puppeteer's question. "I can guess that there is some connection between those cards and them, or maybe Shangri-La. Those cards must be key items to defeat him."
"…Is it time that you told us what cards they took, Reimu-san, Marisa-san?" That was Youmu, with her usual attire of green and white clothes and silver hair in a bob cut.
"…" Reimu struggled to decide whether to tell them or not, opening her mouth, but closing it the next instant.
"I'll tell you then." Marisa sighed at her friend's indecision. "They took: Bolshack Ulpheus, Katsuking MAX, Alcadeias, Kiriko Moon and Lionel."
"Lionel…" Remilia muttered. "He's a Zenith too… Is that why they wanted him too? To try to parallel his strength…"
"If Shangri-La really destroyed a world that easily, then there is nothing much that can match him, even in Gensokyo." Sanae said. "With his power, even with all our combined strength, it would be an impossible feat."
"So what? We summon Kiramaru and Purin and take care of him?"
"Don't be foolish. These are just projections. They are nothing compared to the real stuff."
The girls began talking amongst themselves, their voices getting larger and larger, until Reimu suddenly slammed the table and shut everyone up.
"…Gap hag, come out this instant." She said. "And I mean now."
In response, a gap with ribbons for decorations at the ends gaped open beside her, and the Youkai Sage, in her Taoist dress, walked out of it, promptly closing the gap as she appeared wholly in the library.
"…Yukari. Tell us everything you know." Reimu said in a tone that sounded almost authoritative. "There is no time for jokes now."
"…Very well." The blonde Youkai brushed her long hair with her hand. "I know the situation at hand. It is useless to hide things now."
"No matter how strong I am, even with abilities, I am sorry to inform you that it is near impossible to defeat Shangri-La indirect combat. He has considerable power over life itself. The power of reanimation and suppression. The oldest, and strongest Zenith. "
She continued. "I am only aware that he is in Gensokyo, but I cannot pinpoint his exact location. Any time I try to track him, he blocks me out. It can be said that his abilities are above even me to a great degree."
"Almost like… an omnipotent god, nothing like the sort of Eight Million Gods like Kanako and Suwako. A being that is above all, that even the power of Hakurei cannot dream to defeat."
The room was eerily quiet. To think that even Yukari, one of the strongest beings in the whole of Gensokyo, has nothing that can go against this behemoth… It is a horrifying thought.
"And with his brainwashing abilities, it is possible that he is amassing followers to sweep away any resistance, and from then on, he reduces everything to Zero."
Alice took a deep breath as she remembered Rumia, found just outside her home with traces of being controlled.
"So they really aren't bad guys huh…"
"The only hope the defeat him is through a duel. He was defeated once before, according to reliable sources, so if we do so, it is possible to banish him to the portals between dimensions and keep him from coming back." Yukari informed the girls. "That is, if we really do defeat him."
"So, do you have any idea who those two guys are? The guys who took our cards." Marisa asked. "I can sense something strange from them, but I can't tell exactly what…"
Yukari shook her head at that question too.
"The boundaries that identify them are too ambiguous and…foggy. I cannot determine anything about them. It seems that there is some protective barrier around them too…"
"…" Reimu pursed her lips. "So you don't even know this time…"
"I'm sorry." Yukari said apologetically. "My power still has its limits, no matter how flexible and strong they are."
"Heh. So even the gap youkai has something she can't accomplish…" Remilia smirked, but promptly shut her mouth when Yukari glared in her direction with shimmering dark golden eyes.
"Well, it would be better to find those two guys again later… Or some of you can go." Marisa said. "We've got that…promise with them."
"Very well." Remilia replied and snapped her fingers. "Sakuya, be sure to help out with those otherworlders if they need anything." Her maid bowed in response.
"I shall consult with Yuyuko-sama with this matter then." Youmu stood up from her seat. "I will try my best not to become a burden."
"…Then I shall protect the Human Village from any harm." Toyosatomimi no Miko stated as she threw a glance at Hijiri Byakuren. "I suppose you will do the same, Byakuren?"
The nun nodded. "Of course. Whether be it youkai or human, I shall not let them come to any harm."
"I'll help Reimu-san and Marisa-san then!" Sanae offered. "I hope I can be of some assistance too!"
"Well, I've told you everything I can. It is up to all of you now." Yukari said, opening a gap back to her dwelling. "…Be careful, Reimu."
And she disappeared into her gap, vanishing in an instant as Reimu looked on.
"…"
"You have our thanks, Yukari-san." A voice came from the other side of the gap Yukari opened.
"No problem. It's all just good business." The youkai sage replied as she sat down on a sofa. "I'll be waiting for good news."
"We'll be sure to bring you some. Well then…"
The voice trailed off, and Yukari closed the portal, letting out a soft sigh as she closed her eyes for a brief rest.
She drifted into her dreams in no time.
This Subaru is an entirely different person from the one in Dorballom's fic. An alternate world version, if you will. Thus, there are some differences you will find between them eventually. Permission to use these characters are granted by Dorballom. It is not to be considered canon in his universe.
Decks:
The First: Rendora Kiriko Moon （連ドラキリコムーン）
Subaru: Super V Deck: Annihilation Dragon Sword Diabolos. Kai （滅びの龍刃 ディアボロス。改）/Mono Black Control （黒単コントロール）