Touhou Duel Masters Cafe
Chapter 33 – Malicious Force
A hooded figure stood over its latest victim, a man in his thirties and dressed in modern attire, now tainted with his blood that seeped into the dirt beneath them, his pale expression frozen in a mask of terror and fear.
"Chi...That was less than delicious." The hooded figure spat after licking some red liquid off his claws, wiping the rest on his coat. "This place...I can sense powerful energy. Even more than that world I was in before... Just where is this?"
Leaving behind the dead body among the forest to rot, the hooded figure set out to find answers to his questions.
Reimu's eyes fluttered open. "..."
The shrine maiden was sitting inside the shrine, a cup of steaming hot tea in her hands.
The lack of visitors meant the lack of work, and vice versa. But she didn't care anyways. The money she made from youkai extermination was enough to support her. Plus Michael makes food regularly. Taking a sip of the tea, she turned her attention somewhere else, somewhere far, as she looked out of the shrine. Something not from this world had pricked her senses. And that something was far from benevolent.
"...Ma, iika." She returned to enjoying her tea. The others can take care of it. She'll leave the matter to the very last minute. Or better, she didn't need to even interfere is the situation's under control.
"Ah..."
"...He's here." Sayo muttered under her breath, as she packed her belongings into her bag. "I have to stop him..."
Flinging the door open, she trudged towards the direction where the evil aura she sensed was coming from, to finish what had to be done.
The hooded figure continued his path, crunching fallen sticks and leaves beneath as feet. It seemed strangely quiet around him...he mused. The presence of that last victim... but no one else. It almost seemed like that others were avoiding him as if they knew he was here. Then the immeasurable presence of power...and he has yet to encounter those possessing them.
He could feel annoyance welling up inside him. How long would he have to wait until, he, this immensely powerful being, could get his answers?
As if reading his mind, the rustling of leaves caught his attention. He turned to see two men walking towards his direction. And he could feel it. They're one of those with that power inside them... He smiled. They would make a good meal after he got information off of them. Yet he paused when he took a closer at look them. They looked familiar... No. Not just familiar. Two young men in glasses, one with black hair and another with white. They were two of his victims, and gave him quite a headache before. But how? He was sure he had killed them with his own hands. He squinted his eyes, as his mind could not catch up with his understanding. Had they come back from the dead? It all went to the back of his mind as he tried to focus on the disturbing energy that was surpassing his.
"So we sensed that spacial rupture and a large inflation in an evil aura... I guess you're the reason." Michael started, staring straight at the hooded one.
"You...how are you alive?" The hooded figure seethed.
"..." The two stayed silent in response, and irritation threw off his hood, surprising the other two in turn.
"...Subaru...?"
"No... I'm not that weakling. Have you forgotten already? My name is Shishima! ...But Demon Subaru would suffice for zakous like you." The young man who looked exactly like Subaru, shoulder length black hair but with red irises and sharpened fangs glowered at them. "I don't know how you came back to life again...but this time I'll be sure to send you to hell again for my pleasure. After I torment you and tear everything you know from your minds...that is."
"...Naruhodo. You're just something that looks like him. Of course." Jonathan poised. "Then there's no hold barred. Let's see if you're petty enough to be defeated by a zakou."
"Wait!" Another voice chimed in, and they saw Sayo running towards them, nearly out of breath, and she stopped between them, panting and gasping for air as she did. "Ha... Ha... He's mine. Leave him to me."
"So you mean he's the reason you're here?" Michael quirked his eyebrows at the newcomer.
"Ma... You can say that." She turned to Demon Subaru. "Shishima... I won't let you run rampant for any longer!"
"Nekohana...?" Demon Subaru sniffed the air, and scrunched his face up in disgust. "You... a youkai, taking the form of a human?"
"...Nekohana." Jonathan looked at the girl. "So that's her real name. A cat youkai, I suppose."
"You'll never know what I want." Nekohana retorted. "But you don't need to, since I'll take you down here!"
"Keh, that's something, coming from your mouth." Demon Subaru spat. "Let's settle this here then!" Reaching out his hand, he summoned a duel table from the ground and placed his deck on top of it.
"Duel pad expand!" Sayo – or Nekohana - ordered, as 5 shields now spread out, and her deck lying on the duel pad that materialized before her.
"...That's some interesting toy you got there." Demon Subaru chuckled. "I'll be sure to take that as a souvenir!"
"If you can that is!" Nekohana countered.
""Duel!""
BGM: Occult à la Carte(Touhou Project ~ Urban Legend in Limbo ~ OST )
"I cast Scale of Bravery and Love to discard Rafululu and draw 2 cards!" Nekohana declared, dropping the Angel Dragon into her graveyard.
"...Ore no turn. I charge a mana and summon Bloodrayne." The cowboy-like Outrage appeared on Demon Subaru's field. "Turn End."
"Watashi no turn. I charge Rinnevenus into my mana. Turn End."
"Ore no turn. I charge Hellvorof and summon Dismantling Jenny."
"..." Nekohana reluctantly revealed her hand, and Demon Subaru discarded Evil Heat from it.
"My turn. I charge Entertainer and summon Tamagineil. I discard Magnum to destroy Bloodrayne!"
"Hmph..." Demon Subaru watched as his cost reduction creature was reduced to ashes. "My turn. I summon Vader. End phase. I drop Ninjariban into my grave from my deck and draw a card." The armored Dark Knightmare raised his shield, dropping Demon Subaru's top card of his deck into his grave and allowing him to draw a card.
"My turn. I charge Mad Dead Wood and cast Scale again to draw 2 cards. Battle phase!" Nekohana ordered. "Tamagineil attack...and Rev Change! Beroringa M! With his effect I drop the top 3 cards into my grave!" The changed Demon Dragon glowed with a red aura, dropping Mad Dead Wood, Dogiragon Buster and Hell's Hot Spring into Nekohana's grave, and then extending his long tongue, pierced one of the shields and breaking it. "Turn end!"
"My turn. I summon Ninjariban and bring out Greene with his effect and boost a mana with Greene." Unfazed by the assault, Subaru summoned his next creature to advance his tactics. "End phase. Vader's effect drops Deadzone into my grave and I draw a card. That's it, Nekohana?" He scoffed. "Your human form is even weaker than your true form."
"I'll wipe that smug smile off your face soon." Nekohana drew a card. "I charge a mana and summon Mustang!" The red Outrage provoked a raise of eyebrows from Demon Subaru.
"Battle! Beroringa M! Rev Change! Doguraeater! With his effect I discard Beroringa M from my hand to put Mad Dead Wood into the battle zone...and with Mustang's effect, whenever one of my other creatures are put into the grave from anywhere else, I destroy a creature with Blocker or has power 5000 or less! I'll get rid of that Vader! Then Double Break!" Two more of Demon Subaru's shields splintered from the vemon fly trap dragon's attack, and as he caught them, one of them glowed black.
"Shield Trigger: Demon Wolf Howling Castle. I destroy Mustang." A pulse of darkness engulfed Mustang before imploding and sending him to Nekohana's grave."
"Chi... Doguraeater's effect! Since I have a D2 field, You have to destroy a creature!"
"I destroy Ninjariban."
"Turn End."
"My turn. I charge a mana and expand Haridelberg." A mountain of spikes instantly replaced the forest of toxic plants. "Then I summon School Man to destroy both himself and Jenny, and you have to destroy Doguraeater as well."
"Guh..." The girl could only watch as her lone creature disappeared along with her D2 field. "My turn! ...I summon Beroringa M and drop the 3 cards from the top of my deck to my grave. Turn End."
"Just all talk in the end huh?" Sneering, Demon Subaru drew his next card. "I summon Hellvorof!" The wolf-like Funky Knightmare bounced down onto the battlefield. "Then with his effect I bring out Welcome Hell...and with Welcome Hell's effect I bring out Ninjariban." Demon Subaru's field was instantly swarmed with 3 cards. "Ninjariban's effect. I bring out Whitey to freeze Beroringa M. Turn End."
"My...turn." As she sensed that she was running out of luck, Nekohana started her turn. "...I summon Beroringa. Turn End..."
"Guess you couldn't top into a Rinnevenus for the win. Fear not...since you don't have a next turn." Demon Subaru grinned wickedly. "I summon Hellvorof again! I equip him with Go to Hell and revive Ninjariban with Go to Hell's effect, and bring out Reddull with Ninjariban and give the new Hellvorof Speed Attacker!"
"Battle! Hellvorof with Go to Hell attacks...and S Rank Invasion! Deadzone!" The draguner, bathed in the white light of evolution, crashed out as the dead Redzone, instantly granting -9000 to Beroringa and destroying him. "With Welcome Hell's effect I bring out Vader! Triple Break!"
"Kuh...! Gaah!" Unable to fully shield herself from the attack, Nekohana was thrown back and crashed heavily on her back.
"Next! Hellvorof, double break! I revive Jenny...and discard Rinnevenus from your hand."
The last of Nekohana's shields were gone in an instant, and she despairingly uttered her shield trigger command. "Shield Trigger...Mad Dead Wood."
"Kehehe...That doesn't matter now. Ninjariban, direct attack!"
With a swift punch from the plushie, the duel was concluded with Nekohana's defeat.
"Kuh... uh..." Nekohana struggled to get up on her feet, her yukata how torn and messy from the impact of the duel.
"How disappointing... I'll deal with you later." Demon Subaru turned to the two other duelists who had been watching the whole time. "Now..."
"...I'll deal with him." Michael took out his deck. "This evil aura...I won't allow it to invade Gensokyo."
"Gensokyo? Never heard of it. So that's this place's name." Demon Subaru smiled. "It'll be fun to take over once I defeat the owner of that strong power...!"
"The only thing you're taking over is the space of your own unmarked grave." Michael retorted.
Growling, Demon Subaru readied himself for another duel...until numerous road signs hailed down from the sky, burying them between the two.
"That's enough."
"Koreha..." Demon Subaru looked up, only to see a beautiful blonde woman dressed in Taoist attire, sitting on...a spatial rift? Her dark golden eyes looked down upon him, as if examining prey.
"You are..." He could feel it. One of the great sources of power...one that exceeds his own when he was the god of his world. So deep... he couldn't imagine her true depth as he stood, staring back, momentarily paralyzed from the sheer pressure just from her gaze.
"Yukari!" Jonathan called the youkai sage's name.
"Yukari..." That's her name...
Taking a brief look at Nekohana, who was finally on her feet, Yukari hopped down from her gap and landed on the soil, opening her umbrella and resting it on her shoulder.
"I'm just here to ask you one question. Your fate will depend on you answer, so you might want to choose your words wisely." Yukari looked at Demon Subaru, her golden stare unchanging. "What is your purpose here?"
"To think Yukari would personally come..." Jonathan crossed his arms. "She must deem him a threat to Gensokyo if she did so."
"..." Demon Subaru pondered her words. It was evident that he could not defeat her...let alone the plethora of other unknown powers in this Gensokyo.
"...I came here to strike a deal." He finally decided.
"Hah!?" Nekohana could not hide her surprise. "You? A deal!?"
Demon Subaru ignored her. "I'll work for you...and in return I want you to find a place I can conquer for my own ends." The instant his sentence finished a crushing gravity pressed his whole body onto the ground.
"Guhh...Uh...!"
"Who are you to talk terms with me?" Yukari's tone was unbelievably cold. "It is I who will be making the contract, if you are to work under me."
"Kuh..." Demon Subaru struggled against the weight, and was only relieved from it a few seconds later as he panted, sweat dropping on the ground.
"Very well. It's better to have you under my thumb instead of you doing who-knows-what." Shutting her umbrella, she stuck the tip onto the ground in front of her, both of her hands poised over the handle. "I will consider finding somewhere fit for you...in return for your service. I'll tell you the details later on."
She turned to Michael and Jonathan. "Take them back to the cafe and keep an eye on them, until I get to you." They nodded in return. "Very good."
"Now...I hope you stay put for the time being. Ruining the balance my Gensokyo is not what I consider a light crime, after all. Then, good day to you." With that, a gap opened and she disappeared inside it, the gap closing behind her, leaving nothing in the space she was standing in a minute ago.
"...Sasuga Yukari da." Michael mumbled. "She's the last person you want as an enemy."
"This Demon Subaru... She didn't banish him but instead now made him a lackey of hers... I wonder what she's thinking."
"She has her own thoughts." Michael replied. "It's better we didn't probe into them. Plus, we're not so different."
"...You're right. Not that I'm complaining."
"..." Panting and catching his breath, Demon Subaru got to his feet. "Yukari..."
"Alright, let's get back to the cafe. We have a lot to talk about."
Decks:
Nekohana: MDW Acme Dogiragon （MDWアグミドギラゴン）
Demon Subaru: Mono Black Draguner（黒単ドラグナー）