Marisa: Hey you skipped two of my duels already. What are you gonna do about it?
Author: Sorry...
Anyways...it's almost the start of a new semester, so happy new year everyone! And please leave suggestions and comments!
Touhou Duel Masters Café
Chapter 15 –Subconciousness
"Ha! Beethoven! Direct attack!" Remilia declared as her opponent, Sanae, sighed in defeat.
"Etto….So this concludes tonight's tournament!" Reimu declared as the blue-haired vampire walked up to her triumphantly. "The winner is Remilia Scarlet!"
The crowd cheered, and Remillia reveled in her victory as the green-haired shrine maiden was comforted by the two gods she served.
"Uh…here's your prize." Reimu handed a bottle of sake to Remilia, who immediately passed it on to Sakuya.
"Hehe! Reimu, since I'm the winner, I challenge you to a duel!" The vampire stated her wish proudly, and Reimu just raised her eyebrows in return.
"You sure about that?"
"Of course! This time I'll win for sure!"
"Uwah…" Remilia lay on the floor, defeated, as Reimu gathered up her cards.
"Too early for that, Remilia." Marisa snickered.
"Chi…someday I'll win back my pride and honor…"
"Yeah yeah, do something about your charisma first…"
The First and Second watched the banter of the girls from afar.
"Well, at least we have a good idea of what decks they use…" The Second mused. "If we ever have the need to duel them… Then we can think of strategies to use against those decks."
"If they don't change their decks, yeah…" The First nodded, and stood up. "Well, I suppose we had a fun night. And we have a little more information about the new residents… I guess coming wasn't a bad idea."
The Second smiled. "Yeah."
"…Now then…let's go do a little more information gathering."
Alice Margatroid walked passed the people, her blue dress brushing against the crowd. She broke out of the crowd, and shuffled her feet towards a small tree to enjoy her drink in peace.
She sighed as she remembered Marisa tugging at her and forcing her to drink, but passing out herself rom the alcohol in the end. That child…always drinking when she's not up for it at all. She simply just left her fellow magician in the care of Reimu and went to fetch something other than sake, and decided to finish it alone.
The short-haired blonde didn't notice someone in her way until it was too late.
"Uwah!" She bumped into something, and her drink spilled, thankfully not on her precious grimoire as Shanghai's face twisted into surprise.
"Oh…I'm terribly sorry…" The person she bumped into apologized, and Alice immediately bowed in return. A person slightly shorter than her, in a large hood and robe that covered his body and face, hiding his main features and expression… Alice made a quick note of the person's appearance.
"No, it's my fault… Ah…" She noticed her drink had spilled on the boy – at least, she deduced he was – and quickly offered to clean it for him.
"Oh…you can?" The boy seemed slightly surprised at this offer, but did not reject it.
Alice stretched a glowing hand towards his robe, and with a short moment the stain on his robe was gone.
"Thank you very much." The boy bowed. "You are…"
"My name is Alice Margatroid, the Seven-Colored Puppeteer. You may have heard of me from the puppet shows I occasionally hold in the village." Alice introduced herself to the boy.
"Thank you, Alice-san…" The boy shifted his attention to the small doll perched on the girl's shoulder, which was looking at him quite curiously.
"Oh…that is your doll?" He questioned, and Alice slightly brightened at his interest in Shanghai. "She looks pretty well done."
"Yes, she is my favorite doll." Waving her hand, Shanghai flew over to the boy, and circled around his head before landing on his outstretched arm. He peered closer at the doll, and apparently seemed quite fascinated by it. Alice was secretly quite pleased at her own work, as she observed the boy examining her doll.
"Wow… For a movable doll, she really is very impressive." The boy praised, and Shanghai immediately produced a lance from nowhere, startling him as Alice chuckled a little.
"That was…surprising…" The hooded boy scratched his cheek as Shanghai put away the lance, smiling.
"Fufu… I guess I'll see you around." Calling Shanghai back to her side, Alice waved and turned to refill her cup on the other side of the shrine.
"Ah…" She realized she didn't catch his name. And come to think of it…that attire…didn't that match what Reimu and Marisa said about those two people?
"Oh…wait…" She turned again, and the space where the boy stood was now empty as a soft breeze blew.
"…"
I guess I can always visit the village to ask more questions…
The First sipped his drink as he replayed the "accidental" encounter with the short-haired magician in his mind.
Alice Margatroid… A fellow magician of Marisa, and lives near her house too… Manipulates dolls, and frequently visits the human village…
It would not be a surprise to bump into her there.
…Come to think of it…she reminds of her…
The First sighed, and stopped abruptly as he noticed a figure he had seen before. He focused on it.
A girl with a hat in a green skirt.
Kanako gulped down a large mouth of sake and offered some to Sanae, who just shook her head and drank some juice.
Kanako tried to cheer her shrine maiden up. "Come on, it's just a tournament! Almost everyone loses. You did a great job, getting second place. I'm proud of you!"
Sanae sighed again. "I know…thank you, Kanako-sama… But to lose such a chance to promote our shrine even more…"
"It's all right, Sanae!" Suwako, the other god Sanae served, patted her back. "We know you've worked hard. There's no need to blame yourself. As long as you work hard after you suffer defeat, you'll get stronger!"
"Yes, Suwako-sama…" Sanae's expression lightened up a little at the comfort she received.
"Oi~ Sanae~ Come and have some fun with us~" The drunken voice of Marisa beckoned Sanae from the shrine. She looked at the two gods, and they nodded. Sanae smiled back and headed to the shrine, as Kanako and Suwako looked on.
"…Well, what's your business?" Kanako questioned, seemingly to no one, as soon as Sanae entered the Hakurei Shrine.
"Heh…I guessed you knew from the beginning." The Second came out from behind a tree, and waving a bottle of sake, asked. "A drink while we talk?"
Looking at the near-empty sake bottle in her hands, and back at the Second. The blue-haired god smiled. "Why not?"
That night passed peacefully, and the crowd dispersed to rest and to prepare for work in the morning.
And thus the first night ended.
The sun poured its rays onto the land as it rose, and the First rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he woke.
Yawning, he stepped out of his room and started to make 2 cups of coffee, pouring a few teaspoons of sugar into his own.
Today is yet another day to track down Seiga…and they would probably have no time to go to the banquet this time round.
Well…just think of it as a small break… The First thought and sipped his coffee. The door creaked open as the Second came out, saying a small thanks while taking up his own cup.
"Damn…this is getting so frustrating…" The Second sighed as he massaged his forehead. "When will we ever stop working like this?"
"Probably never…" The First answered, and the café's door slid open, revealing Yuugi's figure.
"Yo!" The usual hello.
"…You know…maybe we should meet up somewhere outside of the village…" The Second said as he downed half of his drink. "It's getting suspicious for an oni to come and go like this…not to mention villagers will be scared…"
"Haha! Sorry, sorry!" Yuugi laughed heartily. "But hey, they're supposed to be scared of us youkai after all!"
"Just…keep your voice a little lower…it's early morning."
"Oh, sorry, sorry, haha." Yuugi apologized while smiling.
Groaning, the Second finished his coffee and went to change his attire.
Reimu crawled out of her futon and reached for the teapot on the table, only to find it empty. She groaned as her head ached, and stumbled out to the back of the shrine get some water.
As the water dribbled down into the teapot, an large sound rocked the Hakurei shrine, instantly snapping Reimu out of her fatigue, and activating every danger sensor in her body.
Abandoning the teapot, she immediately rushed to the front of the shrine, only to find the path destroyed…and a figure she'd just seen days before standing on the rubble.
"…Seiga…!"
Reimu's temper reached its peak as she saw the evil hermit standing in front of her shrine. And to add fuel to the fire, she was the one who destroyed the shrine path this time.
"…Heh…" Seiga just narrowed her eyes at the enraged shrine maiden as her deck shone with an eerie light.
"This time I'll have you spit out everything you know…!" Reimu felt her hands being locked behind her when she tried to reach for her deck, "Wha…"
"Good job, Yoshika…" Seiga smirked as Reimu tried to break free of the zombie's grasp. "This is easier than I thought…"
She took out a vile, filled with an unknown liquid.
"Ku…" It didn't take a genius to figure out what was she trying to do., and Reimu struggled even harder, but to no avail. She could only grit her teeth as Seiga walked closer towards her.
Three steps away…two steps…one…
"Reimuuuuu!" A giant rainbow-colored beam crashed down, and Seiga narrowly avoided the beam as she clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"My shrine…!" Reimu finally broke free of Yoshika's grasp…or Yoshika let go of her, and she braced herself against the impact as dust and debris flew everywhere.
"Reimu! Are you all right!?" As the dust cleared, Marisa got off her broom and landed beside the shrine maiden.
"Kuh…I would have preferred if you made a safer entrance…" Reimu coughed and swatted the dust away from her nose. "But thanks."
"Don't sweat it." Marisa assured her, and they turned to Seiga, who had Yoshika rejoin her.
"Chi…annoying little rat." Seiga's eyebrows furrowed into a frown, a mask of annoyance and surprise fixed on her face.
"Heh… Ruined your grand plan, didn't I?" Marisa smiled as the smoke from her Hakkero dispersed in the air. "That twisted face of surprise…it's a pleasure to see it!"
"Why you little…!" Rage was added into the mixture of emotions on Seiga's face.
The red-white and black-white pulled out their decks, ready for a battle.
"We'll take you down here and now, and let's see what you have to say!"
"Duema Start!"
Inside the shrine, Suika was dead asleep as a string of drool tricked down the side of her mouth.
"Seiga's trace… In the Hakurei Shrine!" The Second looked towards the shrine in the distance.
"Wha… What the hell is she doing there!?"
"We'll know later. Let's get over there!" They rushed with full speed at the shrine.
And the First was panting in less than 5 minutes.
"You are so useless, you know." Casting a strengthening magic on his friend, the Second pushed the First forwards again.
"Aw…and I thought carrying you would be faster." Yuugi smirked as she ran in front of the First.
"Spare me that…" The First mumbled as he spoke into a pendant.
BGM: Battlefield - Galloping Lives (7th Dragon 2020 II OST)
"I summon Hibiki!" Reimu declared, tapping 3 cards in her mana zone as the Humanoid Baku girl materialized beside her. "Turn End!"
"I summon Abayo Shabayo." The Unnoise Dragon Zombie appeared beside Yoshika, and immediately exploded, taking Hibiki along with him. "Turn End."
"Chi…" Reimu drew her card. "I cast Child Festival of Faerie Fire! I look at the top two cards of my deck, and I put Glenmolt into my mana tapped, and since he is a fire card, I return Child Festival to my hand!
"My turn. I cast Scramble Typhoon and draw 5 cards. Then I discard 3 cards." Yoshika's graveyard was being fattened. "Turn End."
"My turn! I cast Child Festival again and put Glenmolt Head into my mana zone, and return Child Festival to my hand. Turn End."
"I summon Necrodragon Danchigai Fankigai." Yoshika summoned the Hunter Dragon Zombie who bore a scar on his left eye and wielded two large blades. "Turn End."
"…." Reimu looked at Yoshika's graveyard, which contained one Guljeneraid.
…Better have a semi-vanilla than more resurrection! "I summon Glenmolt, and equip him with Gaial, Leader Dragon Sword! With Gaial's effect, I have Glenmolt battle with Fankigai and destroy him!"
Glenmolt rushed at the Dragon Zombie, easily cutting the creature in half as it disappeared.
"Since one of my dragons is destroyed, I put Guljeneraid into the battle zone from my graveyard." Upon Yoshika's monotone command, Guljenaraid rose from a fissure and roared at Reimu.
"Heh…this might get a little tricky, Reimu!" Glenmolt said.
"We'll take care of this fast, then it's no problem!" Reimu answered. "Turn End!"
"I summon Heavy and destroy him." Yoshika summoned the Dragon God and activated his ability, and drew a card.
"Kuh…sorry Molt…" Reimu grit her teeth as Glenmolt disintegrated into light.
"Guljeneraid, attack. Then Attack Chance, I cast Wicked Dragon Secret Technique, Dragon Bone. I put Codename Yabasgil Skill into my battle zone, and return Danchigai Fankigai from my graveyard to my hand with his effect." The Unknown Dragon Zombie descended upon the battle zone, the huge gaping mouth on his chest ready to devour his enemies.
"Guljeneraid, Double Break." The Dragon Zombie lunged at the shrine maiden, threatening to devour her whole as he crushed two shields with his draws.
"…No trigger."
"Turn End."
"Kuh…My turn!" Reimu's eyes glittered as she looked at her new card. "I summon Glenmolt Head!" A powered-up Glenmolt crashed down from the sky." Since he's a Speed Attacker, I attack Guljeneraid with Glenmolt Head! Then Mana Arms 7! I equip Glenmolt with Gairaioh, and battle Yabasgil Skill with its effect! Then Glemolt Head battles Guljeneraid and destroys him too!"
The Humanoid Baku, wielding the Dragheart weapon, slashed at the two Dragon Zombies, easily reducing them to light.
"Since I have won 2 battles, Gairaioh Ryuukais into Gaiohburn!"
With a loud cry, Glenmolt tossed the shimmering Dragheart weapon into the sky, and with a bright flash, Gaiohburn crashed down on the battle zone, giving a loud roar rivaling that of Guljeneraid's.
"Gaiohburn! Attack! Double Break!" Reimu ordered, and the crimson Gaial Command Dragon brought his two blades down upon Yoshika's shields, shattering two of them.
"Turn End."
"My turn. I cast Revive Hole and return Heavy to my hand. I bring out Black Ganveet, and he destroys the tapped Glenmolt Head." Yoshika announced as the Psychic Demon Command trampled down Glenmolt with his horse. "Then I cast Spiral Gate and return Gaiohburn to your hand."
"Kuh…" Gaiohburn was sucked into a whirlpool of water and disappeared from the battle zone, leaving Reimu's field empty once again.
BGM: Samidare Vivaride (Rengoku Teien)
"Draw. I summon Glenmolt Baku!" Glenmolt, once again in a new form, materialized on the battle zone.
"Man…" He cracked his neck. "This is getting tiring, Reimu."
"Bear with me." Reimu answered. "Glenmolt Baku's effect! I put a cost 5 Fire Dragheart, Batorai Kaku into my battle zone!"
The Dragheart Fortress rose up from the ground, towering over the duelists.
"Glenmolt Baku is a Speed Attacker too! Battle! I attack with him and activate Batorai Kaku's effect! I reveal my deck top, and put it into the battle zone if it is a non-evolution Humanoid or Dragon!"
Reimu flipped open her deck top.
"…Glenmolt Head!" Another Glenmolt, though unable to speak, appeared beside Glenmolt Baku. "Glenmolt Baku, Double Break!"
That left Yoshika with only one shield as two more shattered.
"Glenmolt Head, attack!" Reimu ordered, and activated Batorai Kaku's effect once more. "…Child Festival…"
She returned the card to the bottom of her deck, but didn't stop her assault. "Glenmolt Head's Mana Arms 7! I put Victorious Ryuusei Kaiser into my battle zone from my Hyperspatial zone…and since he isn't the first Dragon I put into the battle zone… Batorai Kaku! Ryuukai!"
Yoshika's eye looked slightly surprised as she realized Glenmolt Head is a Gaial Command Dragon.
"The Blazing Dragon that cuts through the darkness, defeat your foes with your ultimate passion that exceeds all!" Reimu chanted, as the Dragonheart Fortress transformed into the Dragheart Creature, flexing his arms and slashing the air with his triple-bladed sword. "Blazing Deluxe, Batorai Bushin!"
Yoshika's last shield shattered.
"Shield Trigger. Death Gate, Gate of Hell. I destroy Batorai Bushin and revive Yabasgil Skill. Then I salvage Greatest Great, and destroy Ryuusei with his effect." As Yoshika grabbed the Zero card that flew back to her hand from her graveyard, the Yabasgil Skill fired a giant beam from his chest that annihilated the Hunter/Red Command Dragon.
"Greatest Great…!? Batorai Bushin's Dragon Evasion! He reverts back to Fortress mode. …Turn End." Reimu frowned. The Zenith of Life in a deck like this…?
"My turn. I cast Scramble Typhoon." Drawing 5 cards, Yoshika dropped 3 cards from her hand into her graveyard. "Battle. I attack Glenmolt Head with Yabasgil Skill."
"Attack Chance…Zenith Symphony!" Yoshika flashed the Zero spell in her hand.
"Zenith…Symphony…!" Reimu's mouth gaped wide open at the spell.
BGM: Cursed God Formalhaut (7th Dragon 2020 II OST)
"With Zenith's Symphony's effect, I summon Greatest Great from my hand for no cost!" The jiangshi declared, some hint of emotion in her voice. "The Zenith of Life, with the new life you have granted, lead us the bright new future!"
The Zenith of Life, Greatest Great, in the form of an ancient Greek warrior, materialized from thin air as a magic circle of Zero expanded on Yoshika's field.
"Greatest Great…"
"With Greatest Great's ability, I revive Kiryu Jilves and Sagrada Familia from my graveyard. And all of my creatures gain Slayer, Speed Attacker and goes to my mana zone when destroyed!" Yoshika explained, and Greatest Great stabbed the ground with his spear, and the Lost Crusader, screaming wails that pierced the duelists' ears, and the yellow Initiate rose from encrypted circles that the Zenith generated.
"Yabasgil Skill, destroy Glenmolt Head! Black Storm Extinction!" Generating a large energy ball of darkness, Yabasgil Skill hurled it at the Humanoid, instantly enveloping him and reducing the creature to nothing.
"…That was dangerous…" Glenmolt Baku sweated.
"Yeah, but let's worry about ourselves now!" Reimu told him as Sagrada Familia broke her third shield.
"As long as Sagrada Familia is tapped, you cannot cast spells using Shield Trigger." Yoshika's monotone voice reached Reimu.
"…! Shield Trigger! Passionate Dragon Batorcross Battle! I have him battle with Sagrada Familia with his ability!" Reimu's broken shield shimmered in her hand, and the four-armed Gaial Command Dragon crashed down from the sky, crushing the Initiate with his fists before being stabbed with a splinter from Sagrada Familia and subsequently exploding.
"Sagrada Familia goes to my mana zone…" Yoshika said. "Greatest Great, Quadruple Break!"
Extending his hand, the Zenith fired a giant beam from it as Reimu's last shields splintered.
"Shield Trigger! Hero Secret Technique, Burning Galaxy!" Two images of Gaiginga and Gairaioh appeared from a pillar of fire, burning Kiryu Jilves and Black Ganveet into oblivion, leaving Yoshika with no creatures that are able to attack.
"Turn End."
"This is the end, you corpse!" Reimu immediately skipped to her Battle Phase after drawing her card. "Glenmolt Baku, todomeda!"
"Haaaaa!" Glenmolt struck down with his fist, ending the duel between Reimu and Yoshika.
At the same time, Marisa finished her duel with Seiga, as she gasped for air from a close duel that resulted in her victory.
"Ha…ha… Heh, I did it Reimu!" Marisa flashed a smile towards her best friend, who returned it.
"Now…Seiga, let's have a little interrogation…" Reimu cracked her knuckles. "Tell me…what…"
"Wait a sec!" A voice stopped her, and they turned towards it, seeing Yuugi, the First and the Second running up the stairs and towards them.
"What are you guys doing here?" Reimu asked, looking cross since she was interrupted.
"Ehem…" The Second coughed. "We need to ask this evil hermit some questions… So we'd appreciate it if you could let us ask first…"
"Hey, we won against them, not you!" Marisa protested, but the First ignored her.
"Seiga. Where are Orin and Okuu?" He asked, and Marisa and Reimu decided to stay quiet to listen, as it concerned someone they knew. At least, acquaintances. Plus, Okuu gave them a hard time…
"Hmph…" Seiga smirked despite her ragged and tattered appearance. "You'd think I'd tell you they are in n abandoned hut in the Western edge of the Forest of Magic…eh?" She clamped her hand over mouth in surprise, but it was too late as it was the Second's turn to smirk, while Reimu and Marisa raised their eyebrows.
"Satori, you heard that?" The First spoke into a pendant, and smiled when he heard the answer.
"What did you do!?" Seiga's surprise turned to rage as she realized she just betrayed the coordinates of her hostages.
"Just a little help from an old friend…" Flicking his robe, the First revealed a figure behind him. A small girl with short grey hair, donning a hat, and a closed round eyeball in front of her chest, twirling in circles and not seeming to care about anything around her.
"Eh…Koishi?" Reimu recognized the satori who visited the shrine once and took Kokoro's Mask of Hope previously.
It seems she's still holding on to it… She noted the girl clutching the yellow mask in her hands.
"A little manipulation of consciousness…quite handy, don't you think?" The Second patted Koishi on the head, who just looked up at him and smiled before quickly disappearing from sight of everyone present. "Well, that was just a little confirmation. I suppose Satori had secured her pets already by now?"
Though it was her fault that we dreamt all those dreams…
"You little brat…" Seiga gritted her teeth, and was about to escape when Reimu grabbed her arm.
"I said, an interrogation…" Reimu growled. "What's your purpose? Why are you doing all this?"
"Hmph…" Seiga smirked, not afraid of Reimu's glare. "I'll tell you this… You'll be facing much more than that useless Climax of Cruelty, and I shall have my fun when they come!"
"What? What do you mean!? Seiga!" Marisa rushed to the evil hermit, but she had already broken free of Reimu's grasp.
Taking Yoshika, Seiga summoned a large gust of wind, blowing up debris, leaves and dust, and everyone squeezed their eyelids shut tight in fear of something irritating their eyes.
When the wind died down, Seiga and Yoshika were nowhere to be seen among the ruins of the shrine path, and only the 5 of them were present.
"…" Looking up at the sky, the Second breathed a sigh of relief. "Foo…now that's that settled…hm?"
He found Reimu and Marisa staring at them dumbfounded, while Yuugi had a "oops" expression on her face.
Turning his face towards the First, he saw that his best friend's hood had been blown off, revealing his black hair and full face.
"Eh…" Touching his exposed hair, the Second realized his hood had been blown off too, and big trouble was awaiting the both of them, in every sense.
"Hey, this isn't what you think, we only look just like them…I can explain…" The Second frantically tried to talk his way out of the situation, only to notice his mistake after he had finished.
"We haven't said anything yet." Marisa's face was getting dangerously scary as she reached for her Hakkero, while Reimu whipped out her gohei and some ofudas.
"Ah…" The Second, or Jonathan, facepalmed.
Yuugi just shrugged and abandoned them, going into the shrine to wake Suika up.
"…This is gonna hurt…" Michael sighed, as calamity befell them.
Decks:
Reimu: Steroid Glenmolt
Yoshika: Greatest Great Oneshot
Well, I guess this is the start of the real adventures of these guys.