Foreword: ...Well, this is the last chapter of the Land of Dreams(Rinne) arc. It was a short arc, but I hope you did enjoy it. And the upcoming arc...more plots to write and holes to dig and fill.
Once again, please leave comments if you have anything to say!
Touhou Duel Masters Café
Chapter 25 – To the end of Reincarnation (5)
A large ball of flame flew at Imen=Bugo, who had tried to perform a direct attack himself, and he had no choice to but evade the searing hot energy that would have disintegrated him.
Rad turned his head, to find a large Armored Dragon, skin white as snow, clad in blue armor, the large cannon on his back smoking from the attack just now.
"Bolmeteus…White Dragon!" He uttered the creature's name. Rad's eyes shifted to a hooded figure standing on top of the creature's head, arms crossed.
"…You are…"
The wind blew, rustling the grass and caressing Rad's cheek. The figure took off its hood, revealing a face Rad knew all too well.
"…Michael…!"
Bolmeteus lowered his head, and Michael jumped safely onto the green ground.
"Long time no see… For you, at least." The black haired teen with glasses smiled.
"…" Rad almost couldn't find any words. So instead he pulled Michael into a tight hug.
"Ow…! Ok, ok! I get it!" Comforting his friend and patting him on his back, Michael pushed Rad gently away to escape his suffocating embrace. "…Well, good to see you in one piece."
"…Same for you." Rad replied.
"We can talk later, first I'll take care of Imen=Bugo…" The Cancer duelist took out his deck as he closed his eyes and murmured a quickly prayer to God.
The Beast Folk growled as his deck glowed.
"Duema…!" Michael shouted, but was cut short by a sudden, strong slap to the face, as the sound echoes over the plains.
Rad stood speechless as a blur of red and white rushed past him shortly before the loud crack reached his ears.
Fixing his sights on the blur, he found Reimu standing in front of Michael, apparently the one who gave him that punishing blow.
Michael, stunned, couldn't say anything as his tried to get rid of the stars in his eyes.
"I will take care of this. Meantime, you should get ready for more punishment later." Reimu told Michael as she planted a quick kiss on his reddening cheek. She also took the bracelet from Michael's wrist and put it on her own. "I'll have that too."
Turning, she flew towards Imen=Bugo, talking out her own deck which shone a light that flashed white and red.
"Duema, Start!"
"…Did you hear that crack?" Rad asked as he came back to his senses.
"…You're asking me?" Michael replied a little sourly as he soothed his stinging face, and Rad smirked at his colleague's misfortune.
"I guess that kiss helped heal your cheek a bit?" The red haired duelist teased, earning an annoyed tongue click from Michael.
"Chi, mind your business."
They stayed silent for a moment as the watched the ongoing duel between Reimu and Imen=Bugo.
"Feels like the old times huh?"
"…Yeah." They both laughed a little.
"Where's Jonathan?"
"He's taking care of other creatures. He'll come soon I suppose."
"That red-white girl…she can handle this?"
"Heh…I taught her, after all. I can bet on my pride she can do this. She's the Hakurei Shrine Maiden. There's no way she can lose to this guy."
"…Is that supposed to mean something?" Rad quirked his eyebrows.
"Heh…who knows."
"…Chi."
BGM: Full Force Strike (YGO ZeXal Sound Duel 5)
"I cast Faerie Life." Reimu's deck top, Glenmolt, went into her mana zone. "Turn End."
"I summon Jasmine, and destroy her to boost my mana." Imen=Bugo summoned the creature he had searched the previous turn with Treasure Map, and as the Snow Faerie disappeared into light, his deck top, Kiryu Jilves, was put into his mana zone tapped.
"My turn. Draw. I summon Dismantling Puppet Jenny!" Imen=Bugo was forced to reveal his hand, which consisted of Pakurio, Intense Vacuuming Twist, Maccaran Fine and Imen=Bugo.
"…That one." The Death Puppet slashed away Pakurio, and the card dropped into the Beast Folk Go's graveyard.
"My turn." Imen=Bugo growled in annoyance. "Mana Charge. I cast Intense Vacuuming Twist. I add Deis Magician to my hand. Turn end."
"My turn." Drawing a card, Reimu charged a mana and summoned her next creature. "I summon Triple Mouth!" The Beast Folk/Ghost Hybrid materialized on the battle zone, and after boosting 1 mana, forced Imen=Bugo to discard a card from his hand, which was Deis Magician. "Turn End."
"Why you little…" Imen=Bugo drew a card, and charging Cebu Algol into his mana zone, he summoned Ochappi, and the Snow Faerie put Deis Magician from his graveyard into his mana zone. "Turn End."
"Watashi no taan! Draw! Let's see how you handle this!" Reimu drew a card. "I summon Sacred Kirin Shoegazer!" The Oraclion in the shape of the sacred beast Qilin materialized on Reimu's field, and called forth a second Triple Mouth from Reimu's mana zone, discarding Imen=Bugo from her opponent's hand and boosting yet another mana. "Turn End."
"Heh…She's learned some Zero stuff from you, I see." Rad observed as he crossed his arms.
"Hmph." Michael smiled in return. "Of course."
"Gr…" Imen=Bugo drew a card, and his face turned into a smirk. "I summon myself!"
A copy of Imen=Bugo appeared on his field. "I equip myself with Boaroaxe, and with Boaroaxe's effect, I bring out Cebu Algol! Then with Cebu Algol's effect, I bring out Victorious Prin from my Hyperdimensional zone!" The two Aliens materialized on the battle zone, with the Princess jumping out of a hole connecting to the Hyperdimension. "With Prin's effect, I stop Shoegazer from attacking or blocking until my next turn."
"Guh…" Reimu winced as power was drained from Shoegazer and the Oraclion knelt down, deprived of energy.
"Then, since the total cost of my creatures reach 20, I Ryuukai Boaraoxe into Boaropagos!" The Draguner let go the Dragheart Weapon, and giving off a bright light, the Fortress crashed down.
"Chi…This Fortress…" Rad clicked his tongues in annoyance as a response to the Dragheart Fortress.
"Ma… You were just down on luck."
"Turn end." Imen=Bugo declared.
"My turn." Reimu drew a card. "I summon Dragon Lord Glenmolt!" The Humanoid Baku leapt out, and grabbed a red Dragheart weapon that dropped from the sky. "I equip him with Gaial! With Gaial's effect I battle Glenmolt with Imen=Bugo!"
"Ikinasai! Molt!" The miko ordered, to which the Draguner nodded.
"Leave it to me, Reimu!" With that, he rushed at the opposing Draguner.
"While Molt is battling, he gets +3000 power! And so both creatures are destroyed!" Reimu explained as Molt stabs Imen=Bugo's copy through the chest, but is knocked back by a powerful swing from the Beast Folk Go. Both creatures disappear into light, and chains from the Hyperdimension drag the dropped sword back into it.
"Turn End."
"…! She's a Molt user too!?" Rad looked surprised. "I thought it was only a simple Shoegazer One-shot…"
"Yeah. Molt is her new ace. She just switched back from Molt King."
"…I see…" Rad rubbed his chin.
"My turn. I summon Ochappi to put Imen=Bugo to my mana zone, and bring out Ragmal from my mana zone with Baoaropagos' effect." Imen=Bugo summoned a second Snow Faerie. "With Ragmal's effect, I put him into my mana zone, and you must do the same for one of your creatures."
"…I put Jenny." Reimu said, and both creatures reverted into cards and flew into their owners' mana zone.
"Turn End."
BGM: Something to protect (YGO Arc-V Sound Duel 3)
"My turn!" Reimu drew a card. "I cast Curse of Resurrection and Clash! I revive a cost 6 or less non-evo creature from my graveyard! Come back! Molt!"
A magic circle expanded on the battle zone, and Glenmolt jumped out of it. "Heh, thanks Reimu!"
"This time I equip him with Gaiheart!" A small dimensional hole opened in front of the Fire Draguner, and the hilt of the Dragheart came out. Grabbing it, Molt pulled out the sword and brandished it, the power of the galaxy residing in it. "Molt gets Speed Attacker with Gaiheart!"
"Battle! Shoegazer! Attack Imen=Bugo's shields! And with his ability, I bring out Cursed Inka Karma from my mana zone!" Shoegazer expanded a magic circle of his won, and out from it the Snow Faerie/Oracle came out of it. "Double Break!"
Shoegazer smashed through two of Imen=Bugo's shields.
"Ha!" Imen=Bugo showed one of the broken shields. "Shield Trigger! I summon Clock… …!?" A look of surprise crossed his face.
"Thanks to Karma's ability, as long as it's my turn, you can't summon any creatures! That renders all your Ninjas and Shield Trigger and Strike Backs unusable!" Reimu smiled with confidence. "I attack with Glenmolt! Break his shield!"
"Aah!" Glenmolt complied, slashing away 1 shield with Gaiheart.
"Kuh…! No trigger!"
"Heh… Then Ryuukai! When this second attack is finished, I Ryuukai Gaiheart into Gaiginga!" The Hakurei shrine maiden declared, and with a loud shout, Glenmolt threw the sword into the air, and the soul of Gaiginga inside it was released, and the Dragheart creature descended upon the battle zone. "When Gaiginga Ryuukais, I destroy a power 7000 or less creature! I destroy Cebu Algol!" The red Gaial Command Dragon swung his large sword, obliterating the Cyber Lord.
"Gaiginga! Double Break!" Gaiginga obeyed, and the last of Imen=Bugo's shields shattered.
"Shield Trigger! Intense Vacuuming Twist! I add Imen=Bugo to my hand and return one Triple Mouth to your hand!"
"That won't be enough. Second Triple Mouth, direct attack!"
Reimu's creature blasted the Draguner away, and a portal to another world sucked him back into it, as Reimu's cards returned to her deck and the dueling platform projected from the bracelet vanished.
"Hehe. How's that for duel?" Reimu turned back to Michael and flashed a wide smile.
"…" She received a smile in return.
"…Well, I suppose she is good." Rad said after a moment.
"I'll take that as a compliment to both her and I." Michael smirked, and Rad rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, whatever."
Reimu came back, a satisfied grin on her face. "Hehe."
"…You did well." Michael patted her on the head like he always did 10 years ago, and she blushed.
"…" Rad observed Michael's face, and realized that Michael was quite aware that Reimu was now slightly taller than him and he wasn't really happy about it. He smirked and decided to keep his mouth shut.
"Also…I'm quite fond of this bracelet." Reimu said as she took a closer look, finding a small blue orb filled with liquid like energy attached to metallic ring etched with the symbols of Zero, Light and Water, and these 2 made up a simple bracelet. "I'll keep it. You can tell me how to use it later."
"Ah… It's somewhat like a prototype." Michael told her. "I'll tell Nitori to make one for you later."
"…Hm…"
It was then that they saw a group of peopling walking towards them. Looking closely, Jonathan was leading them, and he too had a red cheek, which was his left cheek, the opposite of Michael.
"…Aiyo." Rubbing his cheek, the white haired teen greeted his friends. "Long time no see…I guess."
"Heh, guess you had the same situation as Michael." Rad commented as he stifled a laugh.
"Haha." Jonathan laughed dryly. "Let's not talk about it."
"…Well, anyways, it's good to see you again." Rad told him, and Jonathan smiled.
"Yeah, it is."
The world around them shook, as everything started to turn white.
"Wha… What's happening?" Rad looked around, but found everyone else to be calm and composed.
"You'll know soon." Came the answer.
Then all turned white as snow.
They found themselves in that strange space again, only this time with Michael and Jonathan.
"So, I guess you remembered everything." Michael turned to the figure walking towards them, revealed to Rad as the girls looked towards him.
"…Yeah. But I guess it's not bad to see you guys for 1 last time." Rad said. "Thanks. For everything. But I guess it's time to go soon. This world will soon crumble, and you guys can go back."
"…Yeah." Jonathan sighed. "…At the end of the life, maybe we'll meet again. And then, that will once again be our Constellation and Pleiades."
"…Hmph." Rad closed his eyes and smiled. "Well, be sure to live on, for us. I can see that these girls… They're people you want to protect. And they have the same desire. So, live on, and don't forget us."
"…Ah." Michael and Jonathan both extended a fist towards him, and the red haired duelist bumped both of them with his own.
"…Jyaa, abayo."
"Hmph… Abayo."
Then all turned black.
Reimu woke up, and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she found sunlight streaming into the shrine, and everyone lay where as they were when they all fell asleep, drunk. A splitting headache forced her to massage her head, and on the table, she noticed a few cups, the scent of tea emanating from them and wisps of smoke rising into the morning air.
The bracelet on her hand was also gone. It was as if it was never there from the beginning. Grabbing a cup, she sipped its contents, and the pain in her head started to subside. She looked outside, and found Michael and Jonathan sitting outside, backs facing her, holding the cards she and Marisa had picked up from Muenzuka.
"You guys…"
"The tea's good for your hangover. We put some of Eirin-sensei's special medicine inside of them." Michael said without turning.
"…" Reimu stayed silent, and decided to let Michael and Jonathan have their own time of silence as she continued to drink her tea.
"…Ah… It's raining…" Michael said to no one in particular as a few drops of water dripped onto the shrine floor.
The morning sun was shining, and there was not a single cloud in the clear, vast ocean overhead called the heavens.
A fictional stage created by the fragments of souls, unbeknownst to the actors themselves, and they dance for eternity, according to the script laid out every time a new play is made, and every time a tragedy concludes them all, until a force comes from outside and changes the plots. The Pleiades were also a part of them, but Michael and Jonathan took care of them during their disappearance.
And now, the stage is gone, the actors are gone, and there are no scripts to play out. Everything has ended for them.
This was only but a dream to the girls and Michael and Jonathan. All of these events played out in one night, as the world only absorbed their minds into it. Almost everything that happened was just pure fiction, a short dream.
That is the explanation they gave the girls after they woke up.
They accepted the explanation quickly, since it was nothing really weird in Gensokyo.
A new day started, and Michael and Jonathan went to the café, with Reimu, Marisa, Alice, Sanae, Remilia and Sakuya as their first customers for the day.
As Michael surveyed the store, which was starting to get busy, and poured another cup of Chocolate for Reimu, Jonathan made a little tombstone with magic, etched with the symbols of the Pleiades and the Constellations, and another for Michael and his own family.
You guys may be gone… Jonathan mused to himself. But we won't forget you guys. And now…with our new family, we will protect them, just as we did with you. And this time…we won't fail.
Michael sat down and observed the small 2 tombstones, and smiled to himself. Their new home… Gensokyo. Even after 10 years. They won't be letting go this time.
This world is nothing but a short dream. Have you ever thought of that? – Medical Alnair Flavour Text (DM-19)
ED: Kimi Ga Kureta KISEKI (DMVSR ED 1 by Pile)
Decks:
Reimu: Darigaaz Acid Shoegazer Molt (アシッド手芸モルト)
Imen: Imen Magician Loop (イメンマジシャンループ)