Yuyuko's statement leaves the room in silence.

"Satori has a sister?" asks Youmu. "How did none of us know about this?"

Yuugi puts a hand to her chin and says, "That… that sounds right. Yeah, I'm sure of it! I've seen her a few times before, though it was usually when I was goin' to see Satori so we barely said a word to each other."

"Koishi is a satori, like her sister," says Yuyuko. "However, she's closed her Third Eye, which effectively sealed away her conscious mind. She can't read others' thoughts, but most who meet her forget her once she leaves their field of vision. Outside of being told about her by a third party like this, repeated meaningful interactions can cause her to stick around in your memory. That's how Reimu and Yukari know about her, as do a handful of others. She was apparently involved in the religious wars, on top of the urban legend and perfect possession incidents."

"How can someone that doesn't have access to her conscious mind even function? That doesn't make any sense," says Youmu.

"Remember that only her conscious mind is sealed away; her unconscious mind is still there to guide her actions. From what I understand, this means she is entirely controlled by her desires and impulses. Aspects of her personality, beliefs, and morals are still there to an extent, but are channeled in an odd way," Yuyuko explains.

"I sort of get it, but why did she close her Third Eye to begin with?"

"That's a question for either Satori or Koishi herself. And I should clarify that you don't simply see and forget her; she has to allow herself to be seen to begin with. Obviously in order to directly influence others physically, she's borderline required to let this happen. It wouldn't be hard to figure out that someone was affecting your environment if things were randomly changing."

This is hard to wrap my head around.

"That's all well and good, but how does she mess with our heads?" asks Yuugi.

Yuyuko continues, "By the same token she can control if people see her, she's able to manipulate the unconscious minds of others. To what extent, I'm unsure. The ability appears to come with the territory of closing her Third Eye based on Yukari's explanation."

"Your deduction of her ability was right on the money, Youmu," says Yuugi. "Not bad."

"Oh, so you already figured that part out? That's my girl!" cheers Yuyuko, sharing a hearty laugh with Yuugi.

Must she embarrass me at every turn…?

"Ahem," Youmu clears her throat, "at least we know exactly what we're up against now. That only leaves why Koishi is cooperating with Seija and Shin. Also, did you get any leads on Satori's whereabouts?

"Sadly, none. Yuugi's account seems to be the last time anyone saw her. I even asked Yukari to see if Aya's tengu information network had anything, but nothing turned up," says Yuyuko.

"Out of curiosity, just how involved are Yukari and Reimu at this stage?" Youmu asks.

"Yukari's the one who asked Reimu if Seija had been seen recently, leading to her telling us about the village sighting, and it was with the two of them that we were able to piece together Koishi's involvement. I was speaking with them just before calling you, in fact. Since Reimu knows you're on Seija's tail, she's currently heading to Moriya Shrine with Marisa to see if anyone's been accessing the Underground Geyser Center as a shortcut to the Nuclear Furnace. Yukari's continuing her hunt for Satori."

Yuugi stretches her arms above her head. "Lotta people gettin' involved now. Good to have numbers on our side. But don't y'all think Satori's disappearance has to be related to this? She leaves around the same time someone spots Seija, who hadn't been seen since the fireworks festival, and now Satori's sister is workin' with her?"

"Are you suggesting Seija kidnapped Satori and is blackmailing Koishi?" asks Youmu.

"Nah, Satori of all people ain't fallin' for some dumb trick Seija might come up with. I could maybe buy her manipulatin' Koishi, though I dunno how anyone could do that given her condition. To be honest, I have no idea how this fits together. We're still missin' too much info. But it's too big a coincidence for it to be unrelated, so I guess we'll have to force it out of Seija."

"Right. Oh, and Lady Yuyuko, here's what happened since our last call…"

While Youmu explains the events following Seija's initial capture, Yuugi goes to change out of her tattered clothes. She returns a few minutes later in a somewhat loose fitting light-blue kimono. A gourd of sake is tied to her belt at the waist and she holds her trademark Hoshiguma Dish.

"That doesn't seem the most practical for fighting," says Youmu after giving the oni a once over.

"You'd be surprised how easily I can move in it. Don't worry, they ain't gettin' the better of me a second time. About ready to shove off?"

"I believe I've covered everything. Do you have any other questions, milady?"

"Nope!" says Yuyuko cheerfully. "Best of luck you two! And Yuugi, I hope it's not a bother to keep an eye on Youmu a bit longer."

"No problem. We've got each other's backs, right?" Yuugi says, aiming a grin at Youmu.

The half-phantom smiles back and replies, "Exactly. We will stop whatever Seija's planning.

The numerous dim lights of the Former Capital fade from sight behind Youmu and Yuugi as they fly over the path to the Palace of the Earth Spirits.

"At this pace it shouldn't take more than about fifteen minutes until we arrive. I'm sure Seija and Shin had to take some time to regroup and alter their plan a bit after you messed them up, so I doubt they've overrun the place yet," says Yuugi. "Orin and Okuu likely won't take an attack lyin' down either. In a fair fight, they have a very strong chance."

"But even though we have some of Seija's cheating tools, there are nearly as many we don't. I don't like the idea of bringing the ones we have right back to her, but if we left them alone then Seija and Shin could easily double back and recover them. And with Koishi's help, they might not even need the tools."

After the bag fell into Shinmyoumaru's hands before, the duo decided to split the tools they have between them before leaving. Youmu has the Nimble Fabric tied around her torso like a sack which contains the Gap Folding Umbrella and Four-Foot Magic Bomb, the latter of which was never recovered by Seija and Shin in the chaos of their last encounter. Attached to Yuugi's belt near the gourd are the Bloodthirsty Yin-Yang Orb and Substitute Jizo.

We have five, they have four. Of those remaining four, the only one I've yet to see them use is the Cursed Decoy Doll. I know we can match them in a straight fight and use these tools if it comes down to it, the only problem is Koishi. Now that we're aware of her existence and Yuugi explained to me what she looks like, it shouldn't be impossible to watch out for her. But her abilities are incredibly dangerous. Pure force might not be enough and if I lose Hakurouken then that could be it-

"Yo, Youmu."

Youmu snaps out of her thoughts. "Huh?"

"I know Seija's words shook you, but you don't need to overthink everything. You've already proven that you're more than capable of usin' your head, but make sure not to neglect your instincts either. Hesitation will cost ya."

"Is my thought process that obvious?"

"You and I are pretty similar in a lot of ways. We both like to charge right into stuff and hate cheap tricks. That doesn't make us stupid, we just have a preferred way of fighting. You're real sharp when you wanna be, so don't lose confidence."

"Thanks. I really can't state enough how much of a help you've been."

"Likewise, but we can save it for after we actually get those two pests out of here once and for all." Yuugi stops, holds out her fist, and says, "So let's do this, yeah?"

Meeting the oni's fist with her own, Youmu says, "Right!"

That's the second time she's encouraged me in the past half hour. I'll prove that her faith isn't misplaced.

They continue their flight with renewed resolve, reaching the palace earlier than expected. Upon a cursory glance, they see no signs of anything out of the ordinary. Once the two land at the front door, the sheer size of the building becomes clear to Youmu.

"Whoa, I was expecting it to be huge, but this place is gigantic. Only four youkai live here?" the gardener asks.

"There are other pets here and you've got the odd spirit roamin' round the place," Yuugi responds. "But yeah, kind of barren inside. Long hallways with dozens of rooms everywhere. They have a garden near the back, too. We can only hope Orin's here and not off cartin' corpses to the Furnace."

A shiver goes down Youmu's spine. "C-CORPSES?! Why is she carting corpses?!"

"I told ya before how she's the one who brings fuel to the Furnace, right? That fuel is corpses."

"Why that of all things?!"

"Don't tell me that freaks you out. You're half-phantom yourself and your boss is a ghost."

"That doesn't make it any better!"

"Heh, a half-phantom scared of spirits and dead things. Guess it takes all sorts. Well don't worry, she keeps a cover on the cart so you won't need to see 'em."

Ugh…

"L-let's just go inside already!" says Youmu, shoving the entrance open. Not even a moment after her foot is through the door, a danmaku bullet lands an inch away from Youmu. "Wah! Who did that?!"

No one responds. She and Yuugi finish entering and look around the entrance chamber until they see a small black cat jump down from a bannister. It seemingly examines the two before turning into a girl in a black dress. Her hair is a fiery red styled into twin braids with a black ribbon on each; black cat ears adorn the top of her head. Underneath her red eyes are lines indicating she has gotten very little rest recently.

"What would you do if someone barged into your home unannounced?" she says.

"Sorry 'bout that, Orin," says Yuugi. "We're kinda in a rush and weren't sure if you were home."

"It's fine, I guess I'm a bit jumpy. Sorry for ambushing you, uh, Youmu, right?" Orin asks. "It's been a while."

"Yes, it has. My full name is Youmu Kon-"

"Save the long spiels for later," Yuugi cuts her off. "Lemme cut to the chase: have Seija Kijin or Shinmyoumaru Sukuna come here recently? They've been causin' a lot of trouble in the Former Capital and we believe the Nuclear Furnace is their target."

"Those are the two who caused all the chaos at the fireworks festival, right? I haven't seen them here at all. What's going on?" Orin asks.

"We're not entirely sure what their goal is, but they've attacked us multiple times and there isn't anything in Former Hell worth going after besides the Nuclear Furnace," explains Youmu. "Seija always wants to 'overturn society' or something, so it could be that sabotaging the Furnace is part of that."

Orin puts a hand to her face and rubs her eyes. "Perfect, Mistress Satori is gone and those two choose now to mess with us."

"You doin' alright?" Yuugi asks. "You seem exhausted and you're normally way cheerier."

"You know I have to oversee milady's duties while she's out. I'd do anything to help her, but I underestimated just how many things she has to keep tabs on. Between that, my normal job, and keeping an extra close eye on Okuu, it's been hard."

She must be spread really thin.

"I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Satori's flat-out vanished," says Yuugi. "We've gotten in contact with some people above ground and no one's seen her."

"Oh… oh no. I was afraid that might be the case but I didn't dare believe…!" Orin plops to the floor and stares down.

"H-hey, it'll be alright," Youmu says reassuringly, going down on one knee to meet the distraught girl's face. "There are currently people still searching for her, I'm certain she'll be found soon."

"Really?" says Orin, looking up. "I'm glad to hear that. It's just been hard. She left with barely a word, only ordering me to keep watch on things. It's so rare for her to leave, and for this long…"

I can sympathize. If something happened to Lady Yuyuko, I don't know how I'd react. But in this state, if we told her Seija might have something to do with Satori's disappearance, it could be too much.

"Wait, you said they're targeting the Furnace? Does that mean Okuu's in danger?!"

"Calm down. If you haven't seen them, then it's pretty unlikely they've reached her," says Yuugi.

"You're right. I'm sorry, I guess I was more stressed out than I thought. Beyond saying hi to Okuu when dropping off fuel, this is the first real conversation I've had since Satori left. Normally I talk to the recently deceased spirits, but I didn't have time."

"It would be best if you got rest soon. But before that, we have an important question for you: do you know where Koishi is? When was the last time you saw her?" Youmu asks.

"I'm surprised you know about her. I haven't seen her in over a week, but she regularly takes leave of the palace and returns after a while. Since she doesn't have a job here, her presence doesn't affect my work much. Mistress Satori is fully aware of her sister's habits, so it would be odd for her to suddenly go after Mistress Koishi now if that's what you're suggesting."

"Well, we believe Koishi is working with Seija and Shin. We have no idea why. And…"

"And what?"

Yuugi sighs before saying, "I'm sorry for being the bearer of more bad news, but our current guess is that Satori's disappearance, Seija's plot, and Koishi's actions are all connected."

Orin shoots to her feet faster than Youmu's eye can track. "If Seija did something to either mistress or plans to do something to Okuu, she'd be wise not to come near me. I'll help you any way I can."

I underestimated her strength of will. All the weakness and fatigue she was showing earlier vanished. Few things are as powerful as an angered loved one.

"Thanks, but don't push yourself," Yuugi warns. "Seija thrives off getting us too angry to think straight."

"After everything you just told me, my mind feels the clearest it's been in days. But I appreciate the warning," says Orin with a bow. "So what's the plan? It sounds like our job is to stop Seija while your contacts look for Satori, right?"

"That's the gist. Our biggest obstacle is Koishi. Youmu's sword can cut through her power, but you and I don't have it so lucky. We need to stick together if possible."

"Mistress Koishi wouldn't attack me, I'm certain," Orin insists.

"And would you have said before you're certain she wouldn't help someone like Seija?" Youmu retorts.

"There has to be some kind of trick or foul play going on. Her mind works in mysterious ways, sure, but she still has loyalty and affection for Mistress Satori and everyone else here."

"If that's what's going on, then doesn't that mean her normal behavior might not apply?"

Orin grits her teeth, unable to refute the possibility.

"Let's get to the heart of the issue and go see Okuu," Yuugi interjects. "Tellin' her what's goin' on should help and will let us guard the Furnace directly. Thanks to our friends up top, time is on our side if Seija tries to wait us out. She has to act soon if she wants any chance of success."

"Assuming they didn't sneak by already," says Youmu.

"Then let's hurry over there," says Orin. "Follow me and try to keep up."

All three take off flying down the central hallway, none of them noticing the front door cracking open as they leave.

After passing through the garden and back exit of the palace, the trio take a cave passageway down. The trip takes some time, with the progress of their descent corresponding with an increase in heat.

I guess I should have expected a place called the 'Nuclear Furnace' to be hot, but this is ridiculous.

"We'll soon be in the Remains of Blazing Hell. This is where the worst of the departed spirits went back when Former Hell was plain ol' Hell," says Orin. "There are still plenty around, so be on the lookout."

"Uh, you might wanna cool it on mentionin' spirits around Youmu," Yuugi advises.

"Huh? What do you-" One look at Youmu's terrified face is all the answer Orin needs. "Right, sorry. Anyway, we'll be there soon. An oni and half-phantom should be able to withstand the heat just fine, obviously touching magma is a bad idea."

And of course there's actual magma. Why wouldn't there be? This place sounds worse by the second.

Youmu soldiers on despite herself.

This has become much bigger than a weird message on my arm, though I still can't figure that part out. Koishi might have been responsible for it, but even if that's true I can't fathom a reason why. Nothing about this is related to me, I was dragged into it. However, racking my brain won't help at this stage. We can find out by asking Seija directly when we catch her, like Yuugi said.

"We're just about there," says Orin.

The light at the end of the tunnel grows until they pass through and feel immense heat bearing down on them. Seas of molten magma cover as far as they can see, almost too bright to look at directly. Patches of rock sticking out of the magma are scattered about and many spirits roam the large space between that and the cave ceiling.

"It won't be long until we reach the Furn-" Orin's cat ears twitch a moment before she flies up and out of the way of a danmaku volley. Youmu and Yuugi turn towards the entrance they came through and see Seija and Shinmyoumaru slowly fly out, each with a mallet in hand. Seija has a bag tied around her torso in the same fashion as Youmu, which the latter assumes is holding the remaining cheating tools.

"Getting through the palace would be annoying with Orin all over us, so thanks for taking care of that," says Seija. "We could have taken her, but you would have gotten there before we were done. Fighting the two of you immediately afterwards didn't sound like a great idea."

"Must be real confident if you're waltzing up to us and telling us your plan," says Youmu, swords drawn. "So what now? I doubt this is any better than fighting us in sequence."

She has some trick up her sleeve, fighting fairly isn't in her nature.

"Wouldn't you like to-" Before Seija finishes talking, Orin pounces on her from above in cat form. "Gah! Stupid cat!" yells the amanojaku, flailing under the sudden assault.

An opening!

Having the same idea, Youmu and Yuugi simultaneously charge. Shinmyoumaru pulls out Tengu's Toy Camera and blinds them before they get too close.

"Grr!" Yuugi growls while rubbing her eyes.

As Youmu tries to restore her vision, she feels a firm slap on her back where the Nimble Fabric holds the tools.

You're not getting them back that easily!

She performs a spin slash to ward off anyone nearby, taking care not to hit Yuugi.

"Whoa, watch where you swing those things," Youmu hears the inchling say.

Her vision clears up just in time to see Seija throw Orin off, the latter narrowly dodging a swing of the Replica Miracle Mallet.

Turning back into her human form, Orin says, "Did you do something to Mistress Satori? Answer me!"

"The kitty is feisty! I'll commend the practicality of that attack," says Seija as she fixes her disheveled hair.

"Are you even capable of giving a straight answer?" Youmu says, pointing Roukanken at her.

"Sure I am. But who trusts what amanojaku say anyway?"

"Talking to you's a waste of time!" Orin yells. "Cat Sign - Vengeful-"

"You're fighting me instead of checking on Okuu? How sad," Seija says with a voice dripping with false sorrow. "Here I thought you cared about her. Who knows what kind of horrible visions Koishi is making her see?"

Orin's stops calling her spell card as her face is painted by worry. She immediately does an about face and races away to the Nuclear Furnace.

Yuugi calls out, "Orin, no! Seija's tricking you!"

"I don't care, I can't risk that!" she says before going out of earshot.

Shoot!

"That was low even for you," says Youmu.

"Who said I was tricking her? Aren't you the one who figured out we have a third youkai on our side? You even heard her earlier!" Seija responds. "I'm sure you told the cat all about your theories on what we're up to, putting all kinds of frightening ideas in her head. Coupling that with a week of worry and exhaustion, expecting rational decisions is a bit unfair. You're pretty heartless, ghosty."

"We played right into your hands, huh?" says Yuugi.

"Yep!" Shinmyoumaru chimes in. "After Youmu used that sword to undo the illusion, I wasn't sure what we'd do. But Seija was able to guess your next course of action to a tee. Now all that's left are the fireworks!"

"Fireworks?" Youmu echoes back.

"You don't think we just forgot about the Four-Foot Magic Bomb, do you?"

What does she- That slap on my back!

"That look on your face tells me you figured it out," says Seija. "Too little, too late."

There is no time for Youmu to undo the Nimble Fabric before an explosion blasts her upwards. Due to the fabric's nearly indestructible nature, the actual blast does not escape to hit her, but the sudden force and whiplash is nearly enough to knock her out.

Ugh… I… Seija…

"Youmu!" yells Yuugi. "Seija, you coward!"

"That one was Shin's idea, actually. That nonsense about not knowing what to do after Youmu escaped the illusion was a lie to stall for time. Now we didn't think either of you would , but it pays to prepare for the unexpected. After all, neither of you would be stupid enough to leave my tools unattended, right? Couldn't have come up with something better myself," Seija says full of pride.

"Hey, this is an equal partnership and I gotta pull my weight," says Shinmyoumaru, puffing out her chest. "Wouldn't do for you to have all the good ideas."

Yuugi clenches her fists. "You two have ticked me off for the last time. To Hell with your tricks!"

Still shaken from the blast, Youmu floats near the ceiling and looks down at the other three.

Yuugi's gonna… do something drastic. I… gotta… help her. C'mon stupid body…! MOVE!

Time once again seems to slow down as Youmu forces herself to pour all her concentration into a single attack and shouts, "Human Oni - Slash of the Eternal Future!"

In almost the exact same motion she used against the hooded figure when first arriving in the Underworld, Youmu rockets forth with speed exceeding even that attack. Yuugi, Seija, and Shinmyoumaru do not realize what is happening until Youmu crashes into the latter two with both of her swords, sending them all into a nearby rock formation and nearly destroying it. Once the dust settles, none of them are moving. Shinmyoumaru's bowl is shattered and both she and Seija have dropped their mallets. However, they each have a hand on the Ghostly Send-Off Lantern, which faintly glows without anyone noticing due to the light from the magma.

"What just-? Youmu!" says Yuugi, rushing to check on her companion.

Youmu tilts her head up and manages to say, "Did… did I get 'em?"

Yuugi helps her to her feet before saying, "Yeah, yeah you did. That was a stupid stunt you pulled, could've ended with all three of ya taking a magma bath."

"If there's one thing I'm good at, it's using these swords," the half-phantom says as her head clears. "I knew exactly where we'd land."

"Could've sworn you were down for the count after that bomb went off."

"The perks of not being entirely human mean I'm not as fragile as one. Helps me bounce back quicker. A normal human's skin would burn on contact with the surface of this rock due to its proximity to the magma."

My clothes have some charred patches on them now, but I feel surprisingly fine. In fact, I don't feel as hurt as I should after a crash like that, almost like-

"Now that… I honestly didn't see coming!" roars a strained voice behind them.

Seija stands up, her mallet and lantern in each hand. Shinmyoumaru follows suit. Both are battered with charred spots on their clothes like Youmu's but still have the strength to continue.

So they pulled out the lantern before the final impact and it also affected me since I was in physical contact with them? That mitigated some of the damage we all took.

"Don't you two know when to give up? In your state you're no match for me," says Yuugi.

Instead of a witty quip, Shinmyoumaru pulls out the camera once more and blinds them in a flash. Seija flips Yuugi's relative gravity before she and her partner smash the oni back with their mallets. They follow up with hard and fast lines of danmaku without a moment's delay. Yuugi takes the full impact of the first attack and only barely manages to block the second. Their focus on her leaves Youmu unscathed.

That's the most aggressive attack from them I've ever seen! And surprisingly coordinated. They're like cornered rats, I need to help Yuugi.

Youmu's first step is wobbly but she finds her footing and takes off flying.

"You're not getting in the way this time!" says Seija, seeing Youmu's approach. She pulls a small doll with a red outfit and matching ribbon out of her bag and throws it in the opposite direction of Yuugi.

The Cursed Decoy Doll! This feeling, I-I have to attack it!

The doll holds Youmu's attention as she fires bullet after bullet at it before slashing it in twain with Roukanken; though it magically reforms afterwards, the entrancing effect vanishes after the slash.

Gah, that thing makes me only see red. I should grab it before-

Her thoughts are interrupted as she sees up become down and vice versa. "What the- Seija!"

Right on cue, the amanojaku swoops in to grab the doll. "I know better than anyone how long that thing tends to last, you really thought I'd let you take it?" she says.

Her attention's on me at least, how's Yuugi doing?

Despite the inverted vision, Youmu makes out Yuugi sending her own danmaku at Shinmyoumaru. The tag-team assault on the oni did damage, but she is far from defeated.

Good, we're still in this. Keeping these two separated is for the best, their teamwork is uncanny. I need to distract Seija and draw her away while I still have the stamina for it.

"So what? You're gonna muscle through us?" asks Youmu. "That's failed every time you've tried up to now."

"If there's one thing about this whole deal that's constantly annoyed me, it's how stubborn you are," says Seija, dropping the fake congeniality. "You're just a naïve gardener yet you manage to find a way to circumvent my expectations at every turn. I planned around most of that, but I didn't anticipate actually needing to use all my backup plans. I truly believed the biggest hurdle would be Yuugi, but congrats, you've proven me wrong. You arriving down here was incredibly bad timing."

That phrasing…

"Wait, you're the one who dragged me into this to begin with. You sent Koishi to alter my memories so I'd leave a message on my arm and come down here, right?"

"Gonna be honest, every time you mention this 'message' it confuses me. I stayed quiet up to now cause I figured the uncertainty would keep you off-balance, but I didn't send her to do anything of the sort."

What?!

"You ambushed me at the cave entrance the moment I arrived!" Youmu retorts with a point of her swords. "There's no way you didn't know I was coming!"

"Ambush…?" says Seija, scratching the back of her head. "You mean at the bridge? I remember you saying something along the lines of 'that's what happened to me' to the fake Kisume after she fed you that fake story, but I thought you were lying to gain her trust."

What the heck is going on here? Her reaction seems genuine.

"Something's not right," Seija says to herself. "I don't intend on failing when I'm so close, so let's cut this chat short. Shin, now!"

Youmu immediately turns around to defend, but no attack comes.

Huh? Nothing?

She feels a danmaku bullet hit the knot she tied to keep the Nimble Fabric in place on her back, causing its contents to spill out. The fabric itself remains on Youmu.

"Yep, still naïve. C'mon, that's the oldest trick in the book!" says Seija as she flies down to grab the Gap Folding Umbrella and Four-Foot Magic Bomb.

"You…!" Youmu stammers.

"Yo Shin, she fell for it! Think you can hold out a little while longer? I got the bomb and umbrella back!" Seija shouts to her partner.

"Why am I the one stuck fighting the angry oni?!" the inchling shouts back, narrowly dodging Yuugi's bullets.

"I'll fight the big one when it's your plan! I'm headed out, good luck!"

"Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine."

They're willingly splitting up?

Between attacks, Yuugi yells, "Youmu, I've got Shin, stay on Seija!"

"Understood!" says Youmu.

"You big types are all the same, picking on someone smaller than you!" Shinmyoumaru says before launching another storm.

"Oh please, you picked this fight so you're gonna have to finish it! Let's see if you have the strength to back up your threats or if you really are just a cowardly weakling!" says Yuugi, responding with more danmaku of her own.

"Danmaku is all about power and excitement! I don't care if you're part of some big four or whatever, I'll show you what happens when you judge someone on size alone!"

The battle between big and small rages over the fires of Former Hell. Seija flies off towards the Nuclear Furnace, Youmu in hot pursuit.

Orin left for there a while ago and Koishi's likely there as well, not to mention Okuu. I have no idea what's happening inside, I can only hope they're alright. But if it wasn't Seija and Koishi, who was behind the message?