Sounds of flapping fabric echo in the cave as Youmu flies through it at full tilt.
Still no sign of Seija. I can only imagine where she is down here. Hopefully someone in the city has seen her.
Right on cue, the light of the Former Capital comes into view.
At last!
However, Youmu's elation is cut short when, upon nearing the gate, she sees a blonde-haired oni with one long horn protruding from her forehead sitting in front of it. The oni's outfit consists of a simple white shirt with red trims and a long, somewhat translucent skirt; in her hand is a sake dish nearly filled to the brim.
I feel like I've seen her before…
"Hello?" Youmu calls out, coming to a halt about thirty paces away.
The oni looks up and, after a brief moment, smiles. Without a word, she stands, revealing her towering and muscular figure. She lifts her leg and stomps once, causing a slight tremor.
Woah! What in the world? Was that her?!
Youmu draws Hakurouken and assumes a defensive stance. The two have a stare down for many agonizing seconds before the oni lets out a hearty laugh.
"I was told to be on the lookout for a maniac with a sword, but I can tell just by your demeanor you ain't no maniac," says the large youkai. "The name's Yuugi Hoshiguma, I'm one of the old Big Four of the Mountain. You?"
Unsure what to make of the complete tonal shift, Youmu sheathes her blade and says, "Youmu Konpaku, gardener to Yuyuko Saigyouji of Hakugyokurou. Was that a test?"
"A bit overqualified to be a gardener, aren't you? And it seems you're perceptive to boot. I wanted to see how you'd react. If you ran then I knew you'd be nothing to worry about. If you attacked then we wouldn't be havin' this conversation. Normally I'm all for fightin' strong folk, but now ain't exactly the best time."
Yuugi seems lighthearted enough, though I can tell she's absurdly strong. Fighting her without Roukanken is something I'm happy to have avoided. But why can't I shake this feeling of familiarity?
"Have we met before?" says Youmu, walking up to Yuugi.
"I dunno. Shrine drinking party?"
"That doesn't sound quite right… Oh! You were one of the 'contestants' at the fireworks festival after it all went off the rails. I barely saw you in the midst of destroying everyone's bullets."
Yuugi rubs her head and chuckles before saying, "Ah, gotcha. Sorry if I caused ya any trouble, got a little carried away that night. Parsee and everyone else were going so I figured it'd be fun. Made sure none of it was directed at humans, though."
Parsee was there, too? Must've missed her completely. Makes me wonder who else I missed…
"I remember Satori being in the legitimate judging part of the contest, though I had mostly forgotten that until today," says Youmu. "But I'm getting distracted, you mentioned a maniac with a sword?"
"Yeah, there've been various reports all over the city about someone attacking random people with a sword. No one's gotten hurt but any attempts to fight back have resulted in sudden disorientation. It's like they're mocking us," Yuugi explains.
"That matches up with the person I've been-" Youmu cuts herself off.
Wait. Last time I met someone alone with a similar story it was a trick. How do I know this Yuugi is the real deal? She made that tremor earlier but given the realism of that fake Kisume I could believe it being a localized sensation.
She takes a few steps back, putting a hand on her sheathe, and says, "This might sound absurd, but I can't know for certain you're real. If you're unable to prove it somehow then I must ask we part ways."
Instead of being surprised like Youmu expects, Yuugi's face remains composed. "Hm, makes sense the culprit could have an ability like that. You know more about 'em than we do from what I can tell. Although, how do I know you aren't some sort of trick? We're all alone after all. This could be an attempt to disable me while I'm isolated."
Surprisingly rational, I shouldn't underestimate her.
"I think I get where you're going with this. No use being paranoid towards everyone you meet, right? And if we go into town together, it's unlikely the entire thing could be an illusion," says Youmu.
"No beatin' around the bush but ya still see reason where it presents itself. Straightforward. I like you, we'll get along fine. Let's grab a drink, you can tell me more about our mystery youkai and how you're involved in all this there."
"Oh, uh, I appreciate the offer but I'm not sure there's time for that. We need to track down the attacker as soon as possible and I need to go meet with Satori."
"Listen, Youmu, if there's one thing we oni always have time for, it's a drink. The world ain't gonna explode if we take some time to discuss things. And, well, you're not gonna like this, but Satori's been gone for days," says Yuugi.
"What?!"
"But before we get to that, I need you to tell me more about what's happening."
Youmu and Yuugi sit down at a street bar in the Former Capital, the former having given the latter a synopsis of her journey thus far on the way.
"You're not looking much worse for wear all things considered," says Yuugi, taking a sip of her drink. "Made of tough stuff, aren't ya?"
"I've been through worse. Now can you tell me what happened to Satori? We need her help to find out just how major this problem is," says Youmu.
"The fact she's gone shows just how major it is. It's her job to keep a lid on this place, making sure the oni don't party too hard and that no one comes down here to mess with the Nuclear Furnace. My kind, in turn, makes sure vengeful spirits don't go spillin' out into Gensokyo. As for me specifically, I'm the leader of this town. With Satori gone, I've had to keep a closer eye on the other oni, which makes it where I can't enjoy myself as much. Haven't been in a hot spring for a week."
"How did you find out Satori was missing?"
"'Missing' ain't quite the right word. She told me herself. Didn't let spill all the details and I don't like hangin' around her too long cause of the whole mind reading thing. Figured she'd be back soon, but now this intruder and you show up while she's out."
Yomu stares into her own cup for a moment.
Great, now the person who'd be most likely to figure this out is nowhere to be found.
"Who's overseeing the Furnace right now?"
"Technically one of her pets, Utsuho Reiuji, is always there powering it. But that one isn't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer. Another of her pets, Rin Kaenbyou, is the one to provide the fuel and regulate it, so she's the substitute overseer currently. Both of 'em were also at the fireworks festival."
"By 'Rin' do you mean Orin?"
"Yep, that's the one."
"I've at least met her before when she and Satori visited my home. I don't recall this Utsuho, but I do remember one of the youkai Reimu dealt with having absurdly hot danmaku."
"Heh, sounds like Okuu - that's Utsuho's nickname - alright. She's got an absurd amount of power yet next to no brains to go with it. The longer Satori's gone, the more I worry about something happening down there."
"Do you think Okuu will mess up her task without Satori?"
"Nah, she's done her main job without much issue for years. It's the fact someone could easily trick her; it's happened before. If this intruder can make illusions then I need to be worried. Orin cares for her a lot and already keeps a close eye on her normally, which is my main source of comfort."
"Odd to see an oni so serious," Youmu muses.
"Believe me, I'd rather not be. But if something happens to that Furnace it'll affect more than just the Underworld." Yuugi takes a large swig of sake and continues, "Anyway, you think our culprit is Seija Kijin?"
"At the very least, I know all the items this person has been using, barring my sword and the mask they wear, belong to Seija. They disguise their voice but talk in a similarly smug way. The disorientation matches up with Seija's ability to flip anything."
"Seems like an open and shut case, then."
"But, at least from what I know of her, Seija isn't the type to disguise herself. She'd lie and trick others, sure, but she's always loud and proud in her schemes when the time comes to make her entrance."
"Hmph!" Yuugi grunts with a slam of her cup. "I despise cowards who won't show their face. Are you certain the one we're after is working alone?"
"I haven't seen anyone else. If it is Seija… I didn't think about it before, but Shinmyoumaru Sukuna is a known associate of hers-"
A switch is flicked in Youmu's mind.
That's it! The bullet that came from behind me must've been Shin! Everything happened so fast that I didn't even consider the possibility. Since she can manipulate her size with the Miracle Mallet, staying small and under my notice would be simple. And even while small she can manage a good few bullets.
"There's a strong chance that there's someone working with them," says Youmu. "At first I assumed the bullet that came from behind me was part of the illusion, but thinking about it further it makes more sense for it to be real. That way they had a chance of hitting me with a real bullet to knock me out in case I saw through their trick."
"And you think this accomplice could be the inchling?"
"I would go so far as to say it's likely if we're dealing with Seija."
"It's as good a lead as any," says Yuugi as she slams back the rest of her drink. "So let's go."
"Go where?"
"To find Seija. There've been three reports in the last few hours, she's bound to strike again soon."
"Alright, but we need to come up with a plan for capturing her. With the cheating items at her disposal she can easily get away if we're not careful. Even when all of Gensokyo was after her she escaped with those."
"I'm not so sure we'll have to worry about her escaping when we show up."
"How do you mean?" asks Youmu, leaving a handful of coins on the bar counter as payment.
"Think about it: she's got your sword, Satori's not here, yet all she's doing is attacking random folks with no clear goal. She's trying to draw someone out, and if I had to guess it's you or me she wants."
"So it's a trap and your plan is to charge headlong into it?"
"It's what oni do," Yuugi says with a beat of her chest.
"Normally I wouldn't object, but after getting slammed by that mallet I'm not inclined to take chances. I think we should come up with a plan. And I have an idea that could let us turn the tables on her."
"Fair enough. Lemme hear it, then."
I just hope this works.
After their strategy meeting, the time comes for Youmu to check in with Yuyuko. Her phone rings before she gets a chance to dial the number, however.
"Hello? Lady Yuyuko?"
"Shplendith!" says Yuyuko, mouth full of food. Youmu hears a swallowing noise before the ghost continues, "You aren't washed away in a river this time. I thought I'd call first to make sure you were alright."
"Milady, are you eating the dinner I made for you already? I told you to wait until later."
"But your cooking is so good, I simply couldn't wait!"
Youmu pinches the bridge of her nose in exasperation.
My cooking has nothing to do with it, you'd eat the manor if there was nothing else available. What am I gonna do with you?
"Regardless," says Youmu, "I've arrived at the Former Capital and have made contact with Yuugi Hoshiguma. She let me know that Satori left some days ago with no indication of when she'll be returning. Yuugi and I will be working together to capture Seija."
"So Satori's out? That's unusual, she rarely leaves the Underworld."
"Furthermore, I have reason to suspect Seija isn't working alone. My current hypothesis is Shinmyoumaru Sukuna due to their history of working together."
"You've made a good bit of progress in an hour, nice work! Sadly I can't say things have been as smooth over here. Nothing I've looked into regarding that mask you mentioned has bore fruit, but I intend to keep searching."
"I appreciate your assistance, milady. If I may ask, why such direct action? It's rare for you to get involved to this degree."
"Call it a hunch," says Yuyuko cryptically. "I did find out one interesting tidbit, though: apparently Seija was sighted near the human village a week ago. It was reported to Reimu by a youkai named Sekibanki but nothing's come of the investigation so far."
The village? I don't see how that ties into invading the Underworld, but it's something.
"Understood. If we capture Seija I'll interrogate her about it. Is there anything else-"
BOOM
Their conversation is interrupted by a loud crashing sound a few city blocks away. A two story building's roof was partially destroyed and knocked to the ground, where a dust cloud swells.
"She's gettin' bolder, well not in my city," says Yuugi. "Youmu, let's go!"
"Right!" Youmu responds. "Lady Yuyuko, I must leave for now."
"That's no problem, go get her!" cheers Yuyuko before hanging up.
In less than a minute Yuugi and Youmu are at the epicenter of the disturbance, where various oni are picking themselves up and getting out of the area.
"You wanted us, right?! Well here we are!" roars Yuugi. She stands back to back with Youmu, scanning the perimeter for any sign of an attack. Their visibility is limited due to the lingering dust.
She's here, I know it. Come out!
A stream of danmaku rains from above without warning, separating the duo as they jump out of the way.
So that's your game, divide and conquer. Well this won't go the way you think!
"Show yourself!" Youmu demands.
"And why should I do that? It's so fun watching you dance around!" says a distorted voice that sounds as though it is coming from all directions at once.
"Yuugi, that's the same voice from before! It's definitely the same person!"
"Good, saved us the trouble of lookin'!" says Yuugi. "I just need to be wary of any disorientation, right?"
"Yeah, try not to trust your eyes too much. Let's do this!"
"If you really think that's all I can do, then you're even more dense than I thought," the voice says. They materialize next to Youmu and swing the Replica Miracle Mallet, which the latter dodges. When Youmu slashes at them with Hakurouken, the cloaked figure teleports away.
She's taking the bait! We just need to lure her in a bit more.
Appearing again, this time near Yuugi, the figure keeps out of grappling distance and shoots a straight barrage of bullets. The oni holds up her arms and tanks the blow with barely a mark.
"Man, I was hopin' you'd be stronger than that. That really all ya got?" Yuugi taunts.
"If you want a contest of power, I'm happy to oblige!" says the figure, summoning an absurd amount of small bullets and directing them in a continuous stream at Yuugi. She plants her feet and does not budge an inch at the onslaught.
"This is nothing! You won't win like this!" says Yuugi while she blocks.
Youmu rushes over to the figure and swings her sword while her opponent's back is turned, but as it makes contact, they are replaced by a Jizo doll with a leaf on its head and a tanuki tail.
The Substitute Jizo!
While the last of the bullets are still occupying Yuugi's attention, the figure appears behind her with Roukanken and the Replica Miracle Mallet in each hand.
"Yuugi, behind you!" calls out Youmu.
"Oni's Voice - Annihilating Roar!" Yuugi's roar is so loud and powerful that Youmu feels something akin to wind trying to push her back, nearly hurting her ears. Various red danmaku appears all over the area as bursts of light come from every side of Yuugi that force the figure away. Before they get a chance to recover, Yuugi flies up and uppercuts them squarely in the chin, sending them hurtling into the cave's ceiling. This knocks off the Jizo-like happy mask, which falls to the ground. The impact into the top of the cave causes disturbed dirt to float around the spot, obscuring the figure from view.
"Did you get her?" asks Youmu, running up next to Yuugi.
"I got her all right, but I don't think this is over yet," says Yuugi while stretching her arms out in front of her.
Her arms are bruised a bit. I'm impressed that's all there is considering how many bullets she took, however even an oni has limits. Danmaku is inherently non-lethal, but it can still injure her so she needs to be careful.
They look up as the dirt clears; the purple and blue checkered cloak is wrapped around the figure like a cocoon.
"You're right, this isn't over. That's the Nimble Fabric. It lets the user stay in place in exchange for being briefly protected from all damage," Youmu says.
"She must've not had enough time to move outta the way but still reacted fast enough to defend. Can't fault her quick thinking, at least."
She's being too defensive for our plan to fully work. Hmm…
"Yuugi, I'm gonna rush her when she comes out. Try to do what we planned while I have her distracted."
"Can ya manage that without your other sword?"
"I've still got a few things up my sleeve," says Youmu slyly.
Yuugi smiles and says, "I like seein' this side of you. Get's my blood pumpin'! Lemme try one more go at her first." The oni leaps high into the air and attempts to grab the figure.
She moves fast for such a hulking youkai!
"Guess all bets are off now, huh?" says a new voice from within the cloak. "Reverse Sign - Danmaku Through the Looking Glass!"
Yuugi's momentum flips vertically right before reaching the figure, sending her back to the ground tumbling. The figure lowers her hood which reveals red eyes and black hair with white and red highlights adorned with two small horns. As Youmu suspected, it is Seija Kijin.
"I knew it! What are you doing down here, Seija?" Youmu asks.
"How much do you really know? I don't have to answer to you of all people!" says Seija. She brandishes Roukanken before continuing, "You want this? Come and get it!"
Bullets appear behind Youmu and Yuugi, who fly diagonally up at opposite angles to evade them. As they do so, their momentum shifts horizontally, causing them to run into each other.
Ugh, her powers are such a pain!
"Don't let her fluster you!" says Yuugi, sensing Youmu's frustration. "That's her game to win if you play it. You saw what happened when I went off script just now, stay calm and continue approaching her like we planned. I'll cover you from behind."
"You're right, sorry." Youmu takes a deep breath and says, "Soul Sign - Wheel of Pain of the Living and Dead!" Youmu's phantom half turns into a semi-transparent clone of her. She bends to one knee and grips Hakurouken's sheathe, the phantom copying each movement half a second later. "NOW!" Following her battle cry, Youmu propels through the air at breakneck speed, cutting through any danmaku Seija throws at her with the help of her phantom. Seija attempts to fly away from Youmu's charge, but the gardener continues to gain ground.
"It won't be that easy! Reverse Bow - Dream Bow of Heaven and Earth!" Seija yells.
"Not so fast," says Yuugi. "Feat of Strength - Wind Blowing Down from Mt. Ooe!"
Many bullets appear below Youmu, however Yuugi fends them off with her large blue circular danmaku. She also uses their size to slowly box in Seija. The flipping effects of the spell card barely faze Youmu, her concentration slowing her perception of time enough that she can adjust without issue.
"It's cute how you think that'll work!" Seija says as she pulls a parasol out of her cloak.
Just as expected, the Gap Folding Umbrella.
"No you don't!" Youmu throws Hakurouken straight at the umbrella, knocking it out of Seija's hand below where Yuugi is. The sword ricochets upwards, the phantom sword's afterimage right behind.
"Ow! You'll pay for that, you idiot. Why would you throw away your only weapon?" Seija snatches Hakurouken out of the air, but as she goes to swing it at the approaching Youmu her arm locks up. "What?!"
"Hakurouken can only be wielded by a Konpaku," says Youmu. Finally reaching Seija, she steals Hakurouken out of the amanojaku's right hand before the latter has a chance to react and slices downward, cutting the string Seija used to keep the Nimble Fabric on her. Attached to the blue ribbon around her waist are the Replica Miracle Mallet and a red and white yin-yang orb. In her left hand is Roukanken.
That's not all of the cheating tools but I don't have the luxury of worrying about that right now.
"You apparently knew how Roukanken worked but not my other blade. Who's the fool now?"
"Still you!" Seija says. She grips Roukanken with both hands and swings it at Youmu, which the latter easily parries with Hakurouken. The two stare each other in the eyes as their blades lock, Youmu's face bearing an annoyed expression while Seija sports a taunting grin.
"You amateur, treat that sword with respect!" says Youmu. "It is not a club to carelessly be swung!"
"If I'm such an amateur, why are we at a standstill right now?"
"You haven't been paying close enough attention." Youmu pulls back her sword, which Seija attempts to capitalize on. However, Roukanken is being pushed back by Youmu's phantom, which is still copying her moves and overlaid with Youmu's position during the deadlock.
"What?!" yells Seija in shock.
Using the brief moment Seija is being held in check, Youmu uses Hakurouken to cut the ribbon around Seija's waist, sending the mallet and orb falling to the ground. She then hits the back of Seija's head with the hilt to stun her before kicking Roukanken out of her hands and catching it.
I'll make sure not to let you go so easily again. Luckily Seija didn't know how to properly wield it, otherwise she could have damaged Hakurouken when their blades crossed.
"You have nothing left, give up!" Youmu says as she points her swords at Seija.
"Grrr… Reverse Sign - Overturnin- mmpth!" The call is cut off by Yuugi teleporting behind her and covering her mouth with one arm while restraining her body with the other.
"This thing works exactly as you described, Youmu," says Yuugi with Seija's dropped orb attached to her skirt.
"It's the Bloodthirsty Yin-Yang Orb. You can use it to immediately teleport to whoever your current target is. Between that and the umbrella, she could get close to us and then escape without a scratch as much as she wanted."
Seija manages to free her head enough to say, "So that was your plan? One distracts and strips me of my items while the other uses them against me?"
"Those items give you a nearly indomitable advantage in one-on-one battle," explains Youmu. "I don't feel bad at all using a little trick of my own to beat you, especially after you stole my sword. You're too weak to fight us fairly."
"The strong ruling over the weak is the problem!" Seija retorts.
"You're only saying that because you're a contrarian. You'd likely flip your 'cause' in a heartbeat if things actually changed. Yuugi, let's tie her up and question her inside somewhere."
"You are gonna tell us exactly what you've been up to down here," says Yuugi to Seija menacingly. "And then you'll face the appropriate punishment for assaulting the Former Capital and its residents. I'm sure many others in Gensokyo would like a word with you, too. We'll be sure to let them know you're here."
That kind of threat is unlike Yuugi. She must be really upset about not getting to drink and lounge as much lately.
"Yeah, yeah, that all sounds great. Can we just get a move on already?" Seija grumbles.
The group floats to the ground where Yuugi ties up Seija with rope from a nearby destroyed stand. Meanwhile, Youmu recovers the Substitute Jizo, Gap Folding Umbrella, Nimble Fabric, and Replica Miracle Mallet.
Yuugi still has the orb and Seija didn't have the other cheating items on her, so that just leaves… where's the mask?
The half-phantom searches frantically for any sign of the mask, but it is nowhere to be found.
"Yuugi, did you pick up Seija's mask?"
"Huh? No, last I saw it was laying on the ground somewhere."
"That's not good," Youmu says. "My guess of her having an accomplice is looking more and more accurate. The only person who would willingly work with Seija is Shinmyoumaru and she's small enough to have her presence go unnoticed. And we still don't know how Seija made that illusion before or why she intentionally drew us out."
"So it still ain't over, then. We'll make sure to get all the info we need out of Seija, c'mon," says Yuugi.
While the other two converse, Seija looks away as she indulges in a devious grin.