A/N: Yo, took me a while to get this one out.
Review responses:
M1nhTre37: Touma will never get a break tonight and you'll find out soon. I will say here that nobody knows or has a clue on what Imagine Breaker is in Gensokyo.
WiliamZ0: Yes, the plan has been shot through the foot. I do have an idea for how I'll fit in Cirno later on.
Guest: Thank you for the response to Touma's characterization and how his speech needed a little spicing up. So I went back and edited it. Initially, I tried to avoid being wordy about it. You're right about being strange for Rinnosuke to apply ointment when Touma watches so I rationalized it as keeping an eye on Touma under his store. Tell me again if it's still too awkward and if I need to rewrite it.
Touhou For Life: To put in perspective on how broken Toaru is. In the start of the series, Touma had to face off against a human grimoire library of 103,000 where a single one is comparable to a nuke. Then he had to fight against an alchemist who can manipulate reality with his thoughts. Then he fought a guy who can manipulate vectors. And then he fought against an incomplete Archangel that controls celestial bodies. The guy who manipulates vectors is also the weakest of the four I listed. All of this happened during one month in the series. In Touma's right hand is Imagine Breaker, a power that supposedly negates the supernatural but also has another role that the series hasn't answered in over 40 novels. He is less than half a years-old for hundreds of billion years but is physically 16. The ones at the top of power in Toaru can destroy multiverses by accident if they even breathe. They are Magic Gods who can manipulate time as they please to manipulate fate into proceeding to how they want it to and destroy and recreate the world without effort. They are by definition infinities and there's a whole group of them lying in secret so they don't disturb the world with their enormous presence. There are characters who can supposedly kill them. One of them is a golden retriever wearing a rocket-booster wielding oversized guns who killed a magic god transforming into a comet to destroy Touma. And yes, I just wrote a sentence about a golden retriever killing an immortal god. Generally, I would vehemently refer that you read the novels and not get your views on the series affected by fanfiction.
Disclaimer: To Aru Majutsu No Index belongs to Kazuma Kamachi and Touhou Project belongs to ZUN. I don't own either of these properties.
Chapter 3: First night in Gensokyo III
Closing the door behind him, Rinnosuke Morichika strides ahead of his store and stops in a fair distance in the dampness by the rain. Around the perimeter is an open area with a visible path to his left and right and facing him is tenebrous forestry his eyes couldn't pierce through.
(That satori must be nearby. She could be hidden behind the trees, or perhaps she's right in front of me.)
He stood his ground, wearing the black rain cloak with the rain bouncing off him to create an unorganized symphony that drowned out every other noise.
He darted his eyes carefully in keenness, feeling the motion of the air on his skin together with trying to pick up subtle vibrations under his ears.
(It's been a while since I had to be this vigilant. My body has gotten so stiff from the lack of exercise.)
Wringing his wrists and cracking his neck, Rinnosuke remained in his spot leisurely. Despite being observed by an invisible watcher, he was utterly calm and yet there was an air of danger never before exerted by him.
If the people who were familiar with this man were to see him now, they wouldn't recognize him in the slightest.
Rinnosuke did not let his guard down for a moment. Nostalgia filled his body in remembrance for similar situations he experienced before in his long life.
Ten minutes flew by, and he thought the girl must've left already before-
"Hellooo~, are you the shopkeeper of that store?"
There it is he thought.
From the child-like voice below, he tilted his head to meet the spacey gaze of dark green. She was a petite girl with her bright green hair only visible from their bangs which were covered by her black hat tied with a yellow ribbon around it. She wore a yellow shirt buttoned up with diamond-shaped buttons and had a green collar with the rims of the sleeves having green frills. From her bottom is a green skirt with beautiful flowers designing it in a lighter hue. And to the bottom was a pair of black shoes.
And he couldn't forget the trademark appendage belonging to the Satori species. Hers was purple, and its cords extending it was attached to her torso and ankles. This one was special indeed since it had its eyelids completely closed.
(No doubt about it, it's Koishi… what a pain.)
"Yes, I am this store's shopkeeper, Rinnosuke Morichika, and you?" A polite greeting is in need at times like these.
"Koishi Komeiji~, I'm here in search for something, is the store open right now?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.
Rinnosuke observed her initial behavior and facial expressions. They were blank. Utterly emotionless. Her movements carried no will of thought, her smile was haunting, and her eyes… they had no meaning or intentions behind them. Now that he had a good look for himself on who she was, he can believe the news on how abnormal she is.
It might have creeped him out had he hadn't seen worse.
"I am deeply regretful to say that its under closed hours young miss." Rinnosuke told her sadly, feigning it with an apologetic expression.
"What a shame." She pouted, feeling not an ounce of sadness in her voice.
Her response didn't convince him at all. That detachment in attitude was trouble in every sense.
(It's not going to be easy getting rid of her. I guess it's a good opportunity to ask.)
"Please excuse me, young miss, since you're here can you indulge me for one question?"
"Questions? I don't mind them."
(Of course not, you don't have one.)
"What exactly are you looking for in my store?" Rinnosuke enquired, already knowing the answer beforehand.
"I was looking to buy a new pet." Koishi revealed in her detached voice, emoting false emotions by swinging her hips to the sides faintly.
Dangerous he concluded. This girl must not be allowed to find Touma.
"A pet you say. What kind?" Rinnosuke continued to impose questions on Koishi to tire her out or disinterest her.
"A human pet." Koishi stated candidly what he already knew and expected.
Just like he suspected. Whatever she intends to do with Touma won't be pretty in his mind. It didn't surprise him a youkai would find humans fascinating to toy with to satiate their curiosity for amusement.
"For a youkai, humans to you might have some appeal. Well, not like it matters to me." Rinnosuke nudged his glasses up his nose bridge by habit.
"Are you human? You don't exactly have the sensitivity of one. It's a lot closer to a youkai instead."
"I am both and neither."
He told her succinctly to which she got the idea subsequently.
"Oh well, if it's not open now I'll just stay outside and wait." Koishi stated, crouching down and laying her chin on her hands, bobbling it playfully.
Oh no, that won't do. He and the boy can't afford to entertain this girl or worse, let the girl find him. For her to stay around is unacceptable. He needed a way to push her out without coming off as rude.
"I wouldn't recommend staying out here in the rain. You might catch a cold if you remain outside for too long." Rinnosuke advised artificially.
"Then why did you come outside?"
"My constitution allows me to survive even the harshest of storms." Rinnosuke disclosed one of the few advantages when it comes to being a half-youkai and half-human.
And because it was thanks to another element.
"And I'm deeply, deeply sorry, but my store does not deal with living goods. I'm afraid that no matter how much you wait; the store will never have what you're looking for." Rinnosuke made up a troubled face, trying to put a front that he didn't have something to hide.
"That's fine. The human I'm supposed to meet will arrive here no doubt." Koishi was steadfast against the logic the shopkeeper tried to convince her of.
"What makes you so certain?" Rinnosuke asked one last time to escape from having to enter a combative form.
"What makes it so doubtful for you?" Koishi fired back almost briskly enough to fool him.
'Don't try and pretend like I'm not aware of you hiding him you bastard' - Is what he inferred between the lines of her words.
He was desperate now. At this rate, a battle was almost ensured. And desperate times call for desperate measures.
"…My store has a certain reputation where it's barren. Humans and Youkai seldom visit despite the store's purpose to treat them both warmly." Rinnosuke forced out from his clenched teeth. The lengths to what he would do to protect a single human was admirable.
"…I'm sorry for my carelessness earlier." She bowed almost earnestly, feeling pity despite not being able to. The shopkeeper's dire establishment was that bad it even made her empathetic.
(This little brat!)
He struck a fake smile with veins pumping out visibly on his face.
"Now that you're aware, I ask that you leave and look elsewhere."
"I'll be on my way. I hope I wasn't bothering you too much with my presence." She plainly told him, stepping away and turning her back to him with a whirl of her skirt.
Rinnosuke didn't even get a chance to interject the moment she disappeared from his vision in a blur. Soon after, he forgot everything about her and their conversation. There was a blank in his mind and no matter how, he couldn't recollect anything.
What happened was no doubt the work of Koishi Komeiji. The power to manipulate the unconscious mind. What she did just now was make herself unperceivable to others even in plain sight.
The still invisible Koishi skipped away from Rinnosuke to the edge of the forestry. Then she suddenly turned around. In a casual pace, she flapped her arms into the air, hovering towards Kourindou to the right of Rinnosuke as she waved her arms around the air.
A moment later, she was beside him and almost hovered pass by him.
Only to feel something placed on her left shoulder.
"You thought just because you had your unconscious mind; I wouldn't notice you, right?"
The unbelievable just happened.
This wasn't by mere stroke of luck. The way he turned around, the way he held his arm and the way he put down his weight so accurately on her shoulder to halt her was chillingly frightening. It didn't belong to someone who was unaware. He knew exactly where she was.
The man who turned around and directing a sidelong glance at her had given the impression that he was in another realm from before. His tone of voice transformed into another person. That look in his eye and manner of his body carried a venerable fearsomeness wholly opposed to the eccentric shopkeeper he was known for.
"Huh? How did you know?" Koishi gasped as the muscles on her face deformed into a look of disturbance.
Gone was the dopey smile she wore on her face. Genuinely being the most emotive she's been in centuries.
It was supposed to be impossible. It would have to take an extraordinary explanation beyond logic and reason for this to be possible.
But didn't she witness the impossible multiple times tonight? Dragons who could care less of her power, a human that perceives her subtle movements, and now a mixture of human and fantasy can ignore her will?
Koishi Komeiji trembled in coming to understand how special tonight is.
"What's a young-looking girl like you doing hiding a knife on your person?"
The mystery man spoke those words of observation in a voice so sharp and devoid of hospitality, revealing to her that he knew with some method found the possession she currently held in secret.
But his self-awareness of her seemed limited in a way. The man can't remember their previous conversation, what her purpose in going to Kourindou, or her name.
Or maybe this mystery man is trying to fool her into thinking that she still had power over him.
"Explain for yourself right now. Why you are carrying a weapon like that and appearing to plan a burglary? My store no less?" The mystery man asks warningly.
Should she say something unsatisfactory, he might rip her apart from where she stood (or spot in the air).
"Do you know how to play danmaku? I'm looking to play with someone." Koishi relaxed with such precision to say those words completely unperturbed from the threatening aura of the man. Her subconscious mind can be very terrifying in many aspects.
And clever to boot. Taking a chance, she assumed the man had really forgotten their previous conversation and answered without a lie.
Clear yourself of suspicion.
Bring up the rules for how conflicts are to be resolved.
And gauge the man's reaction.
"Danmaku? Who doesn't know of it? However, I'm the type of person that never partakes in such sports in his life."
It was like the Yama had decreed down her death. That not a moment too soon she'll be lying on the ground and having Rin carry her back home.
The roles have been reversed. It was she that needed to plead for his forgiveness and escape death.
"Ehhhh? Really? Buuuh! How disappointing." Koishi pouted away to the side where the man wasn't looking at her expression. He can't be allowed to notice the panic on her face.
"Although…tonight feels special somehow. You've come at the right time. I have something I wanted to test, so I'll humor you for danmaku." The man who couldn't be Rinnosuke curled his lips in a simple smile.
"You feel the same way!? Yay! Since I'm the challenger, you get to pick the rules." Koishi flapped her wings rapidly and gained back her dopey smile.
Mercy smiled down on her.
Rinnosuke(?) lifted his hand from her shoulder so she can land on the ground softly. "What should we bet on our game? Don't worry. I won't ask for much aside from you leaving the premise."
Koishi might've have gulped, but her unconscious mind had already put her on auto-pilot, so the words that left her mouth came smoothly. "I get to buy an item from your inventory regardless if the store is closed or not."
"Good enough."
From there he proceeded to name the rules for how their danmaku shall proceed.
The rules agreed upon were three bombs, five lives, and a time limit of 30 minutes.
Rinnosuke and Koishi separated away to the right and left sides of Kourindou respectively five meters apart from the opposite person.
The precedent time before the game began had none of the sportsmanship or fairness that was supposed to be established by the Spell Card System. Her opponent radiated bloodlust that viewed her not as an equal or rival, but an enemy to be put down.
The impact, however, diminished from the visibly swollen cheek of his.
The event for which will mark the beginning of the game will be marked by him removing his glasses.
"Before we begin, how much do you know of magic from the Outside World?" Rinnosuke asked the other player quite randomly.
Koishi did not understand where he was going with this, but she was excited when she heard magic and the Outside World in the same sentence.
"Magic still exists in the Outside World!?" Koishi squealed in curiosity. She was eager to learn what the magic outside Gensokyo was like.
"Yes, it does. And in many forms foreign to what you're familiar within Gensokyo. Why I brought this up has to do with a weakness of mine... or incapability."
"Your weakness?" Koishi tilted her head cutely.
"I'm not much of a person who flies. So, I was wondering if it's alright for me to use a unique bomb in our game to even things out." Rinnosuke elaborated, his face not having lost its confidence and indomitable will despite Koishi now aware of his inability to fly.
"I don't mind. I'm curious on what outside magic looks like!" She allowed it elatedly, looking forward to something that might blow her mind away.
"All right then, don't say it's unfair to me afterwards okay?" Rinnosuke smirked, knowing everything was going to his advantage.
(I don't bother with flying since it was synonymous to death for being foolish in the battlefield back then.)
"With the chitchat out of the way let's begin."
On his signal, the swollen cheek of his evaporated into steam and his face was smooth everywhere. High speed regeneration from accelerated activity, his cells pumped beyond human limitations and healed the damage he gained a little before coming outside his shop.
Rinnosuke gently removed his glasses slowly, and during the process, Koishi caught a glimpse of something inhumane.
Those golden eyes of his and their black pupils mutated into slits.
Her first reaction once those glasses of his came off was to take to the air.
"For my first bomb, St. Peter's Interception Spell [Oh demons carrying this magic user, promptly let go]!"
Without hesitation, Rinnosuke launched his first bomb the second right after the game began.
Koishi did not understand what this bomb could do. So, she lifted herself higher into the air but felt a shock coursed through her body.
She did not comprehend where she was hit. Without any warning, she and her flight were shut down as she descended from 50 meters off the ground.
Before she landed on the mud harshly, she could not make out what his spell did to her or where it came from.
It was a common spell that denied flight and banished demons from gracing the sky. The spell had no visible patterns that honored Danmaku. It was a thoroughly gross negation of danmaku by principle. In the Outside World, anyone can use this spell when they only needed to utter the same phrase. It spread far and wide in popularity and was the reason why flying in the Outside World was unpopular for mobility when you became an easy target.
"OWWWWW~! No fair! This isn't fun!" Koishi wailed woefully, thinking this was a major crime against everything danmaku stood for. Her face was red in pain as she staggered to pick herself off the soggy ground. She tried to fly again and was met with failure with every attempt. The spell did more to her body than disabling flight.
"Don't bother, the spell will last for an hour, so why don't we take our time having fun with our feet firmly on the ground?" A chilling voice filled her ears, and she looked back to see the smirk on Rinnosuke's face with his slits boring into her.
The aura blowing off the man was like a cascade wearing her down even further as she tried to resist with all her physical might to stand up.
All her complaints were cut off when she made eye contact as her body froze. Koishi realized It was a horrible decision to fight this man. She needed to get to her feet in order to fight back.
"Tell me, what do you know about the Sword of Kusanagi?" Rinnosuke popped this question at her way as she tried to lift herself off the ground.
"Nothing, uh..."
"Rinnosuke Morichika."
"Nothing Rinnosuke-san. Can you teach me? I like stories." Koishi rasped out in an effort to stand up finally.
"Then you'll like this. In history, the sword was gouged out from the fourth tail of Yamamoto-no-Orochi by the Storm God Susanoo-no-Mikoto. The kami named the sword Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi as a gift to Amaterasu. It was then later gifted to the 12th emperor of Japan, Takeru Yamato where he renamed it as the sword Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi." Rinnosuke told the tale of the legendary sword of Japan in a passionate voice. Then turned a bit sour indicating from his tone.
"But through the years the sword has never been given a chance to unleash its true power. It's been locked away by the names imprinted onto it! This sword is not one melded by human hands or a blessed creation of Heaven! It is a weapon born from the carcass of a monster of chaos!" Rinnosuke elucidated regretfulness for the sword locked away from returning to its true roots for so long.
"And it's not the fault of the sword, but its mediocre wielders from the ages. Orochi was a dragon born from the legends people forged around Tenryuu. From that respect, it is in a way its child. And within my hands as its wielder, I can reveal its true might as an unnamed sword unrecorded by history!" Rinnosuke claimed his rightful ownership of the sword.
He placed his right hand on the handle of the sword dangling from the left side of his hip. Gripping the handle, he crouched intimidatingly with his left thumb held to the sword's lower guard. He was preparing to unsheathe the sword for a quick and clean slash.
An ethereal aura of ocean blue and rain was emitted by the sword enclosed in its sheath. Rinnosuke channeled his magic into it and foams of bubbles covered his hands. They popped away to reveal blue dragon scales replacing his skin.
It was an auspicious sign that the sword recognized Rinnosuke as its true master.
Koishi had her knees bent and her hands laying on them with her legs shaking. She broke into sweating involuntarily and couldn't break out of the horror to get her body back into proper motion. She was rooted in place from the aura of the man and sword synchronizing their power and can only stare at the nigh imminent finisher.
"Here it comes! Unknown Sign [Cohesion and Adhesio-"
The moment for the sword to be drawn did not arrive.
(Nugh-!?)
The first thing Rinnosuke noticed was his vision blurring. And then a dull ache at the back of his head. His brain was losing feedback from his limbs. Slowly he lost feeling in his legs and arms before his torso went out too.
His body tumbled forward and fell flat on the wet ground. The burst of magic surrounding him had dissipated along with the scales.
From his position on the ground, he struggled to lift his head and saw what had done him in.
(A mirror?)
Thereafter the lights went out for him.
Koishi witnessed Rinnosuke's retirement from the game in full detail. An object went like a black blur right above his head and slammed it like a bowling ball being dropped from a tower. There was a bang sound, and the man's bloodlust along with his aura faded away like mist.
The object slowed down after its impact with the man. It bounced off the ground a few times spinning in the air. It rolled on the ground as far as it could before landing on the flat surface in front of the shopkeeper's head.
Koishi finally got a good look at what the object was. It was an intricate and ornate designed mirror.
She did not have a clue to who was responsible. She was uncertain for why it happened. And she couldn't even fathom how events had transpired to this point.
But she was sure about one thing.
That she totally won that.
Now nobody can get in her way with her prize.
Koishi stood upright and walked energetically away from the scene, closing the distance between the door. Her hands were closing in on the doorknob. In just a few seconds, what she was looking for all night will belong to her.
She stood before the entrance, reached out her hand and-
-met with a board of wood planting into her face.
"Hic! Accswullelarutor! Did ya know you're a hand-hic-some guy!? I repeat! You're really handsome!"
"Get off me you shitty goddess!"
"Run away Aniki!"
"Whoops~, didn't mean for that to happen."
A soft melodic voice dinged out unapologetically. A hint of playfulness in its tone unconcealed its action to be on purpose and knew full well for being responsible.
The entity whose voice belonged to was on the moon, specifically on its Near Side where the Earth viewed it every day. Squatting with its legs hunched close together, it eyed the Earth hanging above.
This entity was beautiful beyond the human degree. It was naked in every nook and cranny. The faint, transparent body was 170cm in height, had well-developed muscles but had the curves of a woman. There was no genitalia to see, but it had C cup breasts to indicate it was leaning on the feminine side. It's long Alice blue hair like the clear sky reached its feet. And the most distinguishing feature was the crown. The bands were digging into its hair making them non-visible, and there was no fancy cap or arch for this type of crown. Protruding from its front hair connected to the bands were two golden horns. They were like branches in an arc reaching the center and had smaller symmetrical branches growing from the horns.
"The Earth is so beautiful to look at from here, don't you agree, Lunarians?" The human of inhumane beauty called out to a group of people behind it.
Behind the entity was two princesses trapped inside bubbles of water with a group of rabbits aiming their rifles at the androgynous entity.
Yorihime and Toyohime are at the mercy of that entity. They were its prisoners of war and the rabbits they lead were shaking, lacking the will to hold their guns from their unsteady hands.
"W-who are you!? Are you Ryūjin-sama?" Toyohime gurgled in a terrified manner with clattering teeth in mad zeal. She had her suspicions to the dragon's identity. The Ryūjin at least to her seemed to be the most obvious.
"What a cute question. Hmm, you don't appear to comprehend my words still. Here, I'll descend my level a little so you can understand."
The entity held its fingers to its throat, making them jump. Then made a turning motion of a wrench loosening a screw.
"I'm not that kid Ryūjin, but his idol and reference point. You may call me Tenryuu."
That's right, this human of unearthly origins was the Branch Horn dragon, Tenryuu. The invader who whooped Lunarian ass. It was some system being refined to transmit an astral body to experience the limitations of the human form.
But that wasn't what worried the two princesses of the former Lunar Capital. It was the fact that this dragon predated one of the most ancient dragons they ever knew. It was even older than the Kotoamatsukami as well.
She called Ryūjin 'kid'. The depths in its ancientness spanned innumerable eras. To even consider it appropriate within the limits of the living and dead were nonsensical.
"All of you appear to be tongue-tied at the moment. Perhaps you'd feel better if someone you're familiar with is present that could put you more at ease?" The dragon suggested in consideration, poking its cheek with a finger.
With the snap of a finger, the waters over at the Far Side churned and wrung out a submarine to the surface. The waters lifted it and flung it over through the distance. With a deafening rumble, the submarine landed behind the group of moon rabbits who buckled down in shock.
Everyone present but Tenryuu looked over their shoulders awaiting whoever will come out of the plated door.
A ramp drawled out from the bottom of the door. Handlebars darted out the ramp as it lowered to the ground.
The door burst open whereupon Sagume came out aiming a pistol at Tenryuu, and behind her was Tsukuyomi. That surprised the princesses and rabbits with hope until they felt fear again as the two were put into the same situation as they are.
"Ah, the sage of the moon and the heron who got Amewakahiko killed [1]. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, my name is Ten-"
Metal bullets traveled in the empty space to which they phased through Tenryuu, causing ripples to refract over its body much to the horror of everyone and panic of Sagume.
"-ryuu. Sheesh, you people are so high-strung. But it makes you a lot more entertaining to deal with than from how you usually behave. Those colorful expressions on your faces are much more delightful than your constant resting bitch faces."
Sagume dropped her pistol in abject horror. Her fingers involuntarily pressed the fingers at the mention of Amewakahiko. It wouldn't surprise her that the consequence for such rashness earned their deaths.
All of them slowly processed their last thoughts before death. They were also nonplussed by the casual slang being thrown by the otherwise magnificent being.
Standing up from its squatting position, Tenryuu finally turned around to face the group. There was no way they wouldn't remember those eyes burned into their sockets. The golden irises and black slits are the exact same ones belonging to the dragon who destroyed the moon. The princesses and rabbits had labored breathes with their new trauma infecting their brains.
Tenryuu savored their contorted faces drowning in fear but stopped to address them.
"Relax, I'm not going to mistreat you." The astral held an arm to suggest it meant no harm.
"Mistreat us? You're the one who's responsible for everything!"
Tsukuyomi stepped up in front of Sagume and roared at Tenryuu with his shaking finger.
"I didn't want to visit the moon, but orders are orders. You had it coming for a long time though. You humans who escaped the Earth and cozied yourselves on the moon I left alone. But then you cowards had to interfere with the Earth declaring war with the Kunitsukami to take over their land. Living that good life as marionettes of the puppeteer above the spectating aisles. Even with the majority of the population gone to the exiled world, nothing has really changed. You Lunarians are so persistent in your warped view of superiority over the world." Tenryuu openly mocked them, blaring its exasperated voice for all to hear.
Never had they felt so powerless and humiliated in their life. There was a lot to dig through from its words, but the most important part was-
"Where did you sent our people, you monster!?" Yorihime thundered pathetically. Her plea got the attention of Tenryuu, and Yorihime regretted her words. Garnering the attention of Tenryuu was the last thing any sane person should ever do.
"For starters, why don't we do a little back-and-forth? This way we can get a move on instead of wasting time pointing fingers." The friendly look on its face was so brazen, it pissed everyone off.
(Uh, everything is to be blamed on you!)
"Tell me, what do you know about time?" The astral body clapped to begin the exchange.
They grasped their situation a little more clearly now. They won't be getting any more information unless they entertain the dragon in human skin. The answer they were given was another question that leads up to where their people might be.
At least the dragon wasn't offended by Tsukuyomi's rude language.
Wheezing out air and water with saliva running down her mouth, Yorihime assessed her options with her brain operating dully. She can no longer hear the gods in her head. The possibly of them abandoning her or if the dragon disabled their connection was unanswered. Deciding quickly, she was the first to give in to the words from the dragon.
"Time is made up of short tiny instants, so short that no normal beings can perceive them known as femto. Time being continuous is only an illusion. That is what we've been taught." Yorihime avoided asking about the animosity it supposedly held for her kind, fearing that it would sour the dragon's mood when stepping out of her boundaries. While it already made itself look nonhostile unless provoked, she didn't want to take any chances.
Toyohime shot her a look of betrayal but she ignored it, thinking this was a prime opportunity for answers.
"Good for you, you're wrong. Time is all but a straight line connected. The past, present, and future are one and the same. Moreover, that isn't even the shortest instant." brusquely answered the dragon.
"Those little instants or branches you theorized don't remain. They get discarded. An unseen amount of unused time is flung into a new world that hardly affects this world. This single timeline where parallel worlds and multiple universes don't exist can be expanded or contract like…," The dragon mulled over its next choice of words, "rubber, yes, a rubber band."
Now its voice turned into extreme boredom as if it were talking about the most mundane of facts. It was difficult to discern it paying any attention to Yorihime anymore.
Eyes wide, they couldn't accept the absurd information they heard from the dragon. It went against what they learned here, where they were raised and taught by Eirin, the Brain of the Moon.
"Returning to your original question, I sent your brethren exactly to that new world where time is truly meaningless, and everything reflects the image of the real world every night. It was the only place I could think of to deport them from the moon. That should prevent the problem of their purities being tarnished, so you can put that worry to rest."
"Absurd! we cannot accept your theory of time in conflict with ours!" Tsukuyomi's voiced out everybody's thoughts. His composure was still being recovered as his damaged psyche mended itself much like everyone else.
Tenryuu scoffed at the man for his stubbornness. "You Lunarians really are incapable of accepting anything else but your own science. That's not an attitude you should have if you want to get along with others. I'm sure unlike you, the rest of your brethren are having an enlightening experience in the exiled world." The dragon's words were practically scathing, but if they stretched their senses, they might've noticed a consoling tone beneath it.
"What are you implying about us? What's happening to our people!?" Toyohime cried out from her bubble. The hysteria in her voice was unlike her usual self, but it couldn't be helped after everything that has happened.
"Geez, those questions are going to take a while to answer. Just to be sure, do you want the short version or the long one?" Tenryuu scratched the back of its head. The motions were artificial, to act out the normal behaviors of a human. Though the effects were realistic, it was not genuine.
"The latter." Sagume was the one to answer for them.
"Wow, you guys sure want to bore me to death. But you at least deserve that much I suppose. Damn do I wish I had the ability to articulate my words a lot more concisely." Tenryuu openly complained. Though the dragon sounded rough on them, it was responsive to any questions asked of it.
"Okay…how do I begin…do you know what this is?" Tenryuu held a microdevice stuck between its two fingers. Their response was to shake their heads by the indistinct device foreign to what they have. "This here is a nanomachine implanted on your home when those astronauts from America landed on the moon. They had an external helper with them so the possibility for their landing became possible."
"Those vile humans that polluted our moon had someone pulling the strings on them!?" Yorihime exclaimed with the rabbits behind feeling the same mutual reactions. Not a day passed by for the rabbits who participated on that fateful day, remembering the slaughtering of their comrades from the weapons those humans wielded and their horrifying uppercuts.
To confirm her words, Tenryuu nodded its head. "Mmm hmm. You can say that man was responsible for how the modern world has grown. He was able to create artificial life force, so he enhanced the astronauts without them noticing by planting nanomachines inside their suits. And because America had no idea about magic in the first place, they were easy to control."
"Where are you going with this?" Yorihime could not help herself, she needed to know the point for what the dragon was trying to spell out.
"I'm getting to that. Excuse me for going off-topic for a moment, I have something to ask." Tenryuu ignored her protest and turned to the group of rabbits, chilling them to the core and backing away slowly.
"You."
"M-m-m-me!?" Rei'sen squeaked out. The unlucky rabbit got pushed forward in front and out of the group which she made a look of betrayal behind her shoulder.
"I don't know if you're one of the rabbits who were there at the time, but you seem to be especially close to these two here." Tenryuu gestured to the trapped princesses. "For what purpose do you still stand by them?"
"H-h-huh!?" Everything was going too fast for Rei'sen, and her heart couldn't keep up. She was going to faint or throw up, or both at this rate. Getting the words out was difficult for her clattering teeth going at the speed of sound.
"When the astronauts arrived here, they ran off to save their own skin and ordered for the now deceased rabbits to engage with the enemy, knowing they would die. For them to go near the enemies meant to harbor impurities. But you moon rabbits have no problems about such concepts. Don't you feel any anger? Any hatred to the people who sent your comrades to their death? The same goes for all you rabbit. Must have been agonizing to watch Armstrong powerbombing your comrades." Within reasonable considerations for their losses, Tenryuu covered its mouth to hide the smirk it was sporting.
The group behind Rei'sen broke into a muttering mess. The rabbits that escaped with their lives that day held grimacing faces. The newer recruits paled when they learned of the truth and worried that one day they might die as well if they still followed the Watatsukis.
The Watatsukis panicked in their minds. They wouldn't admit it, but the loss of the support of the rabbits was something they fervently didn't wish to occur now that they've lost everything precious to them.
Rei'sen too had chaotic thoughts all alone in her head. She wanted to retreat from reality and the only possible alternative was to cave inside her mindscape. The burden to answer was too much, she wanted to make a break for it and abandon everything. Whether it was because of her rabbit instincts or her true feelings was something she didn't have an answer for.
However-
The dragon wasn't going to be satisfied by such cowardness she felt. She felt the eyes of it penetrating into her soul, crushing her spine from its weight. Shivering as the center of attention, she resolved herself. It was do or die, and the dragon will not have its way over them.
"I…once ran away from the moon…as a deserter." The start was shaky, and everybody had a tough time making out the nonaudible words.
"Hoh? Interesting." Tenryuu could make out what her next response was from that alone. It rubbed its chin in contemplation.
"But Yorihime-sama and Toyohime-sama took me back in. The only punishment given to me was to become their pet…"
"And you felt no desire for freedom?" The question was rhetoric, it was easy for Tenryuu to know where this was going.
Rei'sen nodded her head nervously before swallowing down her rising bile. "T-they forgave me and gave me a home and c-comrades. M-my life was theirs from then on. I c-can't speak for everyone a-and their feelings, but no matter what you say, I won't abandon them!" She shouted in her tiny voice courageously.
Yorihime and Toyohime had grateful looks towards Rei'sen, knowing that someone won't give up them gave them hope. The rabbits behind her also looked astonished. Some had their doubts lightened, and while others still harbored them, they weren't going to abandon their captains either at least. Not until they got their own answers.
But they couldn't celebrate too early, they had no clue to what Tenryuu's reaction will be and that filled them with dread.
What they did not expect was soft laughter filling their ears. They snapped their heads and saw Tenryuu smiling for the first time. Their first thought when catching a glimpse was that it was beautiful, lacking any cruel mannerisms.
"That's a good rabbit you have their Watatsukis. Make sure you don't lose this one like the last time."
Tenryuu honestly advised them to keep the diamond in the rough they found. It blew everyone's mind that it was impressed by a moon rabbit. A MOON RABBIT of all things. And her reasoning wasn't even that impressive; it was flimsy at best and spoke nothing but herself.
"Sorry for the interruption. We can get back to the middle of answering your questions."
That also surprised them. The dragon was apologizing to them. Its tone was genuinely apologetic and its mood a lot lighter than before.
They had trouble understanding this dragon's behavior, mannerisms, or general attitude. Did it have an easier time dealing with moon rabbits as opposed to Lunarians?
"Right, where did I left off? Oh yes, the nanomachines. Their purpose wasn't only to guide them and reach the moon; it was also to act as surveillance for the Lunar Capital and control it." Tenryuu stroked its astral body's chin.
"Nonsense! No human technology or magic on Earth can bypass our Capital! Whoever this man is cannot do so if he's human!" Tsukuyomi kept quiet, but he was outraged again from the dragon's words. From his volatile personality about his supposed superiority over everything on Earth, he forgot about his position in the mercy of Tenryuu in the spur of the moment. Everybody felt an imaginary cold splash of water soaking them from the audacity of Tsukuyomi. The sage of the moon felt the pits of his stomach churning from his slip of the tongue.
But Tenryuu didn't concern itself by the nonbeliever and shrugged. From its mind, it knew this was to be expected. "You've got a bad habit to decide what's possible and what isn't. Work on it." Tenryuu rebuked him which got under his skin, but he bit back a retort. "You're right about him being human or was I should say. What he is isn't important; it's the fact that someone from Earth was able to invade your Capital undetected."
The Lunar Capital's existence hinges on its secrecy and had done everything in its power to prevent its discovery for the larger world. And yet the dragon implied in the Capital's isolation, it was controlled externally all along.
"The astronauts were nothing but a coverup to the real threat. You still don't get it do you? Your Capital was successfully invaded by someone from Earth without you knowing." Tenryuu repeated itself to draw emphasis on the point and the dangerous implications that told of the Lunarians and their supposed perfect civilization.
Cutting off the time to recollect for themselves and what to make of it before they had any wild ideas and excuses, the androgynous being continued. "Allow me to demonstrate."
Tenryuu held an arm and motioned in a circle pattern. The reaction following its action became the scenery around them transforming.
They witnessed it, the destruction of the former Lunar Capital. They were submerged inside holographic water that depicted the battle between Tenryuu and Watatsumi.
The large-scale battle was too much for the rabbits to brace for. They all burst into tears bearing witness to the destruction, covered their mouths, and fell to their knees.
Yorihime and Toyohime had it worst. Still stuck inside their bubbles, the two clenched their teeth and fists. Blood spurted from their lips and hands. Their eyes quivered and were losing focus the more they watched their god being crushed.
Tsukuyomi and Sagume didn't have it as easy as the rest. But they noticed something when the waters filled the Capital. They squinted and saw many nanomachines like the one in Tenryuu's hand wading through the waters. They were initially attached to certain parts of the city or hidden in the air.
The scene ended at that point, and Tenryuu readdressed them to snap them out. "I didn't show you that to brag or gloat over my victory, but if you paid attention, there were other nanomachines spread through your city before my attack."
The dragon never stopped in consideration for the duress all of them were experiencing. Tsukuyomi couldn't help but slowly accept the words of the dragon as truth. He knew intuitively and because of the power wielded by the dragon it had no concrete reasons to lie or even communicate with them from the start. Slowly the rest followed suit and accepted their civilization they preserved for so long had flaws inside.
"These nanomachines were supposed to collect data on your city but that Silver Star decided your civilization was not cut out for his use. And I agree, it's unsuitable for the grand scheme of things. He left these here to influence you all stealthily in the end." Tenryuu fiddled with the nanomachines, having them roll around its finger like warts.
"Inadequate? How can our civilization be unsatisfactory for a human on Earth!?" Tsukuyomi prided himself for he and his family's creation. For it to be evaluated lass then a fart to a puny human insulted him gravely.
"That has to do with the format belonging to the Aeon of Isis. It's also outdated since nobody on the moon could match or surpass the inventions of the former Brain of the Moon, Omoikane [2]. I had my suspicions when that princess over there had an imitation of the astronaut's suits and was confirmed when I saw the Capital. You've all reached a deadlock, haven't you?"
None of them wished to admit that they couldn't make progress without Eirin. But they all swallowed their pride and nodded in defeat. For a long time, they've been taken inspiration of inventions from Earth and modified them to fit their image. Nothing original was being crafted on the Moon anymore.
"Strange isn't it? How could your civilization be ignorant of such a severe mistake? It's almost as if there was someone responsible who withheld the information from the start . Someone who influenced and changed you all to uphold your current worldview. He's the one who orchestrated the war between the Amatsukami and Kunitsukami in the shadows." [3]
Not only had the Lunar Capital has been manipulated by an outside force but before it was an internal force at the beginning.
"Where did you get all this knowledge about that war?" Sagume asked suddenly. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she wanted to know as much as she could about the one responsible for poisoning the Lunar Capital in living a fantasyland of self-pretense.
"I played a minor role in it. I was the support player for the one who ended the war."
"Takemizakuchi [4]? Does he know about you?" Sagume exclaimed but felt something wrong about her assumption.
"Pfft, not that blow-hard." Tenryuu was offended from being associated with the god Sagume mentioned. She shivered from displeasing the dragon.
Sagume did not lighten up one bit since the start or grown to be comfortable around the dragon. She imagined it would stay that way for a long time. But it's repulsion did mean something very important.
("What!? But that means the only one…so he did exist!)
Sagume thought quietly to herself when she learned another fact that could revise the history of the Lunarians. But she had to refocus on something more important.
"Who? Who's been keeping from us something this important and why?" Sagume asked desperately.
"Amatsu Mikaboshi." [5]
Thunder struck them all. This revelation had enough power to destroy the Lunar Capital from the inside if it were still standing today.
"Feel free to ask him using her as a medium." Tenryuu pointed at Yorihime. "But I suggest you don't. I doubt he'll respond to you again. He's always like this, running with his tail between his legs when the jig is up for him." Smirking as it pleased, Tenryuu advised them to hold up their interrogation for the Failed Magic God. "It's easy for someone in the shadows to manipulate an ignorant person with a conflated sense of superiority."
"What else don't we know about the world…?" Toyohime wanted the discussion to end already. All this information was too much even to her.
"The moment a space crew landed on the moon and planted their flag was the moment you never actually had control over the world. You never realized it because someone wanted you to keep up this pre-existing illusion. I'm sure your capital became very much aware once more a few months back. That day, when the alignment of stars was in disarray by something summoned by accident on earth. It appears that little bastard revised a lot of information and spread propaganda to avoid the public from panicking. Who knows how many other lies you've been fed."
The entire group's brains were in a ferocious runtime, cataloging every history they knew. Something was horribly wrong. The history they knew all along was filled with too many holes with the given information.
Tenryuu watched them all wearing blank expressions, the light having been extinguished from their eyes.
"Sigh…I talk too much. Should I be blaming Shizuri for this?" Tenryuu felt that things could have sailed a lot more smoothly if it chose its words more mindfully. The Lunarians were experiencing a mental breakdown of their worldview.
He had nothing against them, and this was going to happen someday with or without his interference.
Tenryuu let go of his hold on the Watatsukis. The bubbles burst open and the two fell to the ground on their knees.
(I wonder…what their paths will be after knowing the truth.)
"…end…" Yorihime muttered something incomplete.
"Hmm?" Wondering if it heard that right, the androgynous being whipped it's eyes at the sisters.
"End me…" Yorihime whispered to Tenryuu, begging him to kill her.
"Do the same for me…" Toyohime interjected, requesting of the same with her sister.
The two surprised everyone around them. It was heartbreaking for the two symbols of defense to be in such sorry states.
"And why would I do that? What reason should I hold to want such a sad execution?" Tenryuu answered coldly. The disappointment was audible from its voice.
"You have no use for us anymore, right? And we don't have anything important in the world to continue living for…" Yorihime answered. The hollowness of hers was depressing.
"There's no hope for us beyond the moon. We can't integrate ourselves on the Earth or fight for something…" Toyohime agreed with her sister's sentiment. The suggestion for their deaths sounded tempting to them as of this moment.
Tsukuyomi had a hard expression, Sagume found the ground to be appealing to stare at, and the rabbits grimaced. None of them were willing to give up on their captains.
"Snap out of it Yorihime-sama! You too Toyohime-sama! How are we going to walk forward without you leading us!?" Rei'sen exclaimed for them to stand up. She would rather die together with them then move on from here.
"You should listen to the rabbit. It would be a waste for you both to die here." Tenryuu voiced his thoughts and Rei'sen never felt more grateful to it than before.
"A waste? We no longer have any value without the Capital…we are of no use even to you." Yorihime looked at Tenryuu, having figured something about its reasons for keeping them alive.
"You possess extraordinary sharpness. I'm impressed. Yes, I kept you and your sister on the Moon separate from the rest because I needed something from both of you." Tenryuu looked upwards, waved an arm above, and the flash of an invisible barrier covering the moon surfaced briefly.
"Eventually I would have taken complete control over the moon. But I found a more efficient process by borrowing the parameters your sister possessed to shorten the time. I also needed the connection you established with the other gods as trails for me for another purpose." Tenryuu confessed attentively.
"You have everything you need from us. So, finish what you've started." The sisters have given up.
Tenryuu's eyes boiled with anger, and the atmosphere flared dangerously. Goosebumps crawled under their skins from the sudden shift. They all gulped with sweat forming on their brows.
"Just because someone has little value to another, that doesn't make it right for them to die!" Tenryuu berated them fiercely in an equally fierce expression.
Everything became quiet with the two sisters snapped out of their misery and stared with their mouths wide open. The rest were equally surprised from the outburst they least expected out of the monster.
"You've given up? What right do you have to act so selfish after failing your duties as defenders of the moon!? Shouldn't you be apologizing to those you're responsible for instead of dying a meaningless death!? There's a rule when you apologize. You promise that you'd do things differently next time!" Tenryuu criticized them, but also encouraged them to stand, take arm and fight again.
The group was gobsmacked. They thought they had a bit of an understanding with the dragon. But the recent outburst from it blew away any drop of understanding they had for it. They found it difficult to voice out any words with their constant gagging.
They composed themselves barely enough to utter one retort. "I-it's all your fault everything turned out this way! How dare you lecture us!"
"Yes, it is. There won't be a day without you hating me for it. And one day, you'll thank me for removing you off the moon. But are you going to sit around when you haven't taken the first step to reclaiming what's lost!?"
"I haven't even answered your question for what has become of your brethren, and you give in this early without knowing!? Pathetic! How long will you plan to keep your old views!? Your duties aren't finished! Don't you want to save them!?" It was the voice of salvation when they heard its words.
Their people can be saved!
To hear such a proposition, everybody widened their eyes with renewed life.
That was all the sisters needed to hear. The two found their spirits welling up. They took one step slowly, finding their footing and rose up. Gone were their sullen expressions and replaced with unstable determination, but determination nonetheless.
"Tell us how we can return them to this world." Both sisters asked readily. The knowledge that their people can be saved had everyone smiling in hope.
Even if they had to ally themselves with the enemy, they would do anything to bring back their loved ones.
"It's just as I've always thought. Those colorful expressions of conviction are more appealing than those of fear." Tenryuu crossed its arms and nodded contently.
"Forgive me for my rudeness earlier Tenryuu-sama. I beg of you; tell us what tasks we must carry for their salvation." Tsukuyomi cut in, surprising everyone again.
He walked down the railings in front of Tenryuu and kneeled. Everybody wanted to cry out for him to stand but knew how much resolve he needed to do what he's done. So, they held themselves back from interfering.
"Stop doing that. I've never found the appreciation for people kneeling before me." Tenryuu commanded him.
Tsukuyomi ceased his kneeling gratefully and stepped back. The group released a collective sigh of relief.
From that point forward, Tenryuu explained to them a solution to bring back the exiled.
They must find Ryūjin at his palace in the sea. He and Watatsumi are intricately connected and said to be the same dragons since the difference between the two is arbitrary. Because of this, they are bonded to one another, allowing for communication at any distance and travel to wherever the other is, crossing any boundaries. However, the two must have mutual acceptance for each other to link a tunnel. They'll have to convince Ryūjin to allow the tunnel to be reforged with Watatsumi carrying the other Lunarians to escape.
"Isn't it exciting? We get to go on a trip outside the moon everyone!" Toyohime had cheered up and regained her upbeat behavior.
"Simmer down all of you. Stand closely as a pack and don't break formation when we get to the Earth." Yorihime commanded the excited rabbits to resume their formation they've trained for. For the first time, the rabbits actually felt like complying obediently. Too them it was a blast to the past.
"Tenryuu-sama, I would like a word with you." Sagume jumped off the ramp and floated down softly in front of Tenryuu.
"Speak, er…what do you want me to call you? I assume you don't want me to call you by your original name."
"I appreciate your sentiment. Please, call me Sagume. Sagume Kishin." Tenryuu nodded for her to continue. "In advance, I'm not sure if what I will ask of you will be... undesirable." She knitted her eyebrows nervously for its permission to ask in her mind a dangerous question.
"Try me."
"…You are tainted by human morality, aren't you?" Sagume claimed, her nervousness didn't lighten up with his words. Everyone cringed from Sagume's words, hoping that it may not set off the dragon in a tangent.
However, it was clearly amused by her question from its huff. "Hmph. Yes, I value human rationale and morality. But what definition of tainted do you believe I am?"
The concepts of purity and impurity of the Lunarians don't apply to Tenryuu. So, what did Sagume mean by it being tainted?
After all, its rightful position in this world belonged inside the right hand of a certain boy.
"…I see...I won't say anything further." Sagume bowed lightly.
"I've got something to say too." Sagume raised her head and looked back to the eyes of Tenryuu. They frightened her even after how the dragon has been treating her courteously. "Sorry, for bringing up Amewakahiko. I won't do that again."
Sagume looked like a fish out of water, not expecting to be personally on the receiving end of an apology by Tenryuu of all people. She nodded dumbly and flew back near the ramp.
Tenryuu turned to Yorihime and Toyohime, finding them with similar shocked expressions as Sagume's. Yorihime shook her head and took a step forward to bring up a concern of theirs.
"Tenryuu-sama, though we know our tasks, we are not knowledgeable on how to find the Ryūgū-jō. There is also the concern for maintaining the Lunarians purities when they return to this world. We won't have any problems if we wear our suits, but there won't be enough on hand to accommodate the rest."
"Don't worry, Ryūjin owes me a lot, he won't ignore a favor of mine. Your brethren will take refuge in his palace since it's a true Pure Land. And he won't have any choice but to welcome you warmly. As for how you'll find it…" Tenryuu rummaged inside its hair for a bit and took out a charm-like ticket. The embroidery was red and white corals shaped in a dragon's scale motif. The dragon then licked the charm before presenting it to her. "You'll need this ticket."
Toyohime clasped her hands in wonder, approaching the two. "I get it! We present this ticket to a servant of Ryūjin and they will guide us down to the bottom of the sea where he resides!"
"Excellent deduction sister! We find ourselves a jellyfish and we'll be set!" Yorihime turned to her sister with high enthusiasm.
"Ehh? Why a jellyfish? We should present it to a sea turtle instead." Toyohime whined, feeling unenthusiastic about jellyfish in general.
"What's wrong with jellyfishes? They're so cool!" Yorihime was upset at her sister's attitude.
"But sea turtles are more trustworthy than jellyfishes! They're so useless compared to them!" Toyohime pouted at her little sister.
"Jellyfish are the ones we're going to look for!"
"No! It's sea turtles!"
"Jellyfish!"
"Sea turtles!"
"Actually," The two bickering sisters turned to Tenryuu and saw its astral body holding the ticket in one hand and the other holding a peace sign. "You show this ticket to an attendant who recognizes it at Katase-Enoshima Station in Fujisawa [6]. From there they will take you to a train straight to Ryūgū-jō."
(That's so mundane!)
(That's so mundane!)
The two sisters eyed the ticket with shocked disappointment. Then their train of thought trailed a little further to the first stop on their journey in panic.
"You mean we have to expose ourselves to the public eye!? That station is too conspicuous!"
"Yeah! It's too risky for the discovery of Lunarians will happen!"
The two sisters weren't prepared in the event they get exposed and the secrecy of Lunarians will be blown over.
"That's exactly where you need to go. Unless you have a method to disguise yourselves?"
The sisters tapped the bracelets on their wrist and astronaut suits inflated from them. They carried the suits over their arms and Tenryuu stared at them blankly.
Then a great idea surfaced to its mind. The astral body's lips smacked into a thousand-watt smile and shot them a thumbs up. "Those will totally do. No one's going to know you're Lunarians." The dragon snickered to itself where the two sighed in relief.
"I can't help but wonder if things will turn out alright…" Yorihime muttered to her sister. She was worrying over something else again.
"Why wouldn't things turn out alright? Once we leave the moon, I'm sure my luck will return. We even have Sagume-san and Tsukuyomi-sama tagging along with us." Toyohime assured Yorihime in an attempt to cheer her up.
"I mean…we know a lot less about the world than we initially thought…can we handle ourselves to the world we sheltered ourselves from?"
"Then why not discover the world for yourselves?" Tenryuu sneaked itself inside the conversion and grabbed their attention. "Use this chance to broaden your horizons. I'm sure your brethren are being educated in a very short amount of time with people who are very knowledgeable about the world. Expect them to come out as completely different people than before." The astral body smirked in knowing something they don't.
"There are others in the exiled world?" Yorihime gasped.
"That's right. Though the group of Magic Gods is full of troublemakers, there're a few good apples in a bunch who'll protect your brethren."
(Magic Gods?)
(Magic Gods?)
The sisters tilted their heads in response to the foreign term. They put it away for now and went into action. Commanding the rabbits to huddle in files, they marched inside the submarine until every single one left the ground on the moon.
"What are you planning to do with the moon?" Toyohime asked Tenryuu, feeling unsure whether or not they will ever get their home back.
"Hmm…the moon is sometimes considered a 'sea'. I need that symbolism to further something. I don't know when I'll hand it back to you, but I'll make sure to let you know."
That was another comfort to a burden on their shoulders. They bowed at Tenryuu and walked ahead to enter the submarine.
"One more thing you two." The Watatsukis turned to the astral body as it got up real close to Toyohime, making her feel uncomfortable.
"Y-yes Tenryuu-sama?" Toyohime sputtered out to meet with its gaze and assure it had her full attention.
The close proximity of the two was stifling and Toyohime held her breath. Yorihime to the side felt apprehensive to what the astral body was planning.
"I'm going to need some clothes."
"…?"
"…huh?"
Toyohime widened her eyes and Yorihime let out a dumb sound. Today had too many surprises for them and they wouldn't let up, not with this bombshell.
"I want to experience the entirety of the human form, and clothes are a essential. So, do you have any backup sets you don't need?"
"W-well…Tsukuyomi-sama, are there any in the submarine?" Yorihime implored him so they could get going and depart to the Earth.
"Unfortunately, there aren't any." He shook his head in shame for his lack of reliability.
"In that case, we can do with a compromise." The astral body's eyes glinted predatorily.
Having said these words, Tenryuu went on without lending an ear to their protest. Before they knew it, Toyohime's blouse was being stripped down, revealing her ample breasts and bra.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAA!?" Toyohime's face heated up in crimson. Her eyes were in swirls as she exploded with emotion. Yorihime was flabbergasted in a blush, Tsukuyomi covered his eyes, turned around and went inside to avoid getting mixed in, and Sagume covered her eyes too with her fingers but left a gap to watch in fascination.
"You won't need these since you've got your suits." Tenryuu licked its lips and daringly honked one of her breasts. It was making quick work and almost pulled down her dress.
Almost.
Toyohime's reaction was an obvious one to such sexual harassment. She slapped Tenryuu away from her and hunched her blouse and breasts in embarrassment. Tenryuu's head swerved from the force of that slap clicking its cheek, and its line of sight landed on Yorihime.
"If she's not willing then you'll do."
"I'm not willing either! S-stay away!" She placed a hand to the handle of her sword in haste.
"Naïve. You're already naked." Yorihime heard the voice of Tenryuu behind her and broke in a cold sweat. She didn't even notice its movement at all. But that wasn't the important point.
"HYAAAAAAAAAAAH!? Yorihime covered herself in her underwear. She was burning up in shame.
"Yosh, time to get dressed." Tenryuu, in the middle of dressing up with Yorihime's clothes, did not finish. Yorihime held her sword still in its scabbard and brought it down behind Tenryuu's head.
"Be sure to say hello to the Baku I encountered on the way to the moon. You should've seen her face."
Tenryuu waved away to the Lunarians after it returned the clothes, turned away from them and walked to the distance. "Suckers didn't notice I had a camera in my hair." It smirked as it rummaged its hair and pulled out a mobile camera in its left hand. "I scored myself some new goods."
It stopped a fair distance from where the Lunarians can't hear it and viewed the Earth.
"The Holy Right got his arm back, good for him. The war goddess is on the move to getting back her eye and spear. And the remnant Magic Gods are traveling to China. Like I thought, something's fishy about it. I've lost track of Aleister too."
The dragon mused as it observed the world and its movement. A signal ringed to its ears and the amusement on its face died down. Holding the tips of its index and middle fingers to the side of its head, it received the telepathic transmission.
"Tanin'iver [7]?"
"DiD yOu diSpoSe oF tHe MooNbiTcheS [8]?" An unnatural voice of sinisterness and perversion filled Tenryuu's ear.
"I did. I've gained control of the moon and using some parameters I've avoided the Earth witnessing any future strange happenings up here. There's nothing I can do about those sensitive enough to know something is wrong like the upper echelon's in the magic society or magic gods. Also, quit your Saya No Uta impression, it'll never catch on."
"Let me rephrase that question. You didn't dispose of them, you deported them, correct? I can imagine some of them are still on the moon. And here I thought you were antagonistic towards Lunarians. You're way too nice." It was like venom dripping down the fork-tongue of a snake.
"What are you trying to imply?" Tenryuu's voice twisted warningly.
"Nothing of the sort. Everyone knows how you are and the history you share with him. That's why reMASTERen appointed you to the moon. At least... I think so. That's not why I called though, why did you switch those two's positions?" Tenryuu felt the illusion of a fork-tongue slithering to its cheek.
"There's too much risk if Denwen [9] gets too close to the ground. Gensokyo would burn into ashes in an instant. If things change then I'll have them switch to their proper positions."
"Since when did you worry this much about Gensokyo?" The voice transmitted a question that left the receiver perplexed.
Tenryuu's reaction was to be taken aback by the sudden question. "Tanin'iver…you're not making any sense."
"You don't approve of Yukari's methods to preserve the peace by sacrificing outside humans and keeping everything in stagnation. You despise her and youkai, right? Because they are unnatural diseases to the human heart who should've naturally died off as Humanity matured in the early 20th century. With your position, you can drown Gensokyo in water."
The temptation had crossed its mind before.
Tenryuu closed its eyes and took a breath before replying. "It doesn't have anything to do with me. If kaMASTERig decided to give them a chance for survival, I will work towards that end."
"Then do you hate erMASTERam and Kuzuryu? bMASTERi for having to humor the pleas of Yukari and Kuzuryu delivering their words to him by the Lewd Pink [10]?"
"Of course not. I will never condemn him even if it was on a whim. And I would never look down on Kuzuryu for saving their lives in the hopes they turn over a new leaf. He is the kindest amongst us and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm assuming by this Lewd Pink you mean Kasen. Please don't use such derogatory terms only you can know." Shaking its head, a smile returned to Tenryuu's face.
"… When was it that you accepted youkai? At best you would've ignored them to die off naturally, and at worst you'd take things to your own hands and exterminated them."
"… If I rejected the existence of youkai, it would be the same as rejecting Shizuri." Grinning with confidence, the answer it gave had caused Tanin'iver rolled its claws.
"Figures. Why does your voice sound distinctively female?"
"I thought it was an opportune time to finally move around using a human's anatomy. I haven't decided the gender but I'm finding a woman's to be more preferable."
"Or maybe it's because the author saw one of the reviewers talking about us having human forms and thought it would be cool to implement."
"Once again you're getting too meta for me. How the hell do you keep up with this foreign knowledge alone?"
"Practice. Since we're here, anyway, want to know what I've been up to?"
"There's barely anything to do on the moon anyways. I really regret having to be the one up here."
"From my position in the Youkai Forest and the adjacent location, there are all kinds of interesting people with so much potential."
"Do tell."
Tanin'iver went on to list off prospects he could find a use for. The distorted amusement in its voice was in near ecstasy.
"A youkai of the seasons. With my eyes, I saw another her who was human."
"A normal magician. This one wasn't too special, but she's associated with a vengeful spirit who once held a grudge with Humanity."
"A youkai of darkness. There is much potential to her when she isn't bound by boundaries. A fool who fell in love with humans. Had she not breached the roles of prey and predator; she wouldn't be in so much pain."
"A puppeteer magician who reminds me of the girl who chased the rabbit. Her association with demons of Makai can be useful."
"Ah, Alice in Wonderland you were referring too. I recall you were once called Jabberwock [11]." Tenryuu thought back to a story Tanin'iver once told him long ago.
"Don't interrupt. Lastly, though this one isn't native to the forest, she is a strange one who neglected her own heart. I see another her that's been searching a fishing rod for a long time [12]."
An image of a snake forking its tongue in sadism as it plays with its paralyzed victim surfaced to mind.
"I believe this is called a gut feeling I'm having right now. Whatever that last one is associated with, don't summon it. I can tell no one's going to be happy."
"Harrumph." It was creepy imagining this dragon pouting. "You're no fun. Everyone has to have a Heart-Throbbing adventure in their lifetime."
"Are there any more you want to tell me?"
"There's also your previous host. I can see fun times if I unleash his inner MANnosuke [13]."
The atmosphere spiked up with bloodlust at the one Tanin'iver shouldn't have mentioned. "Touch him, and you'll be the first to go. Only I get to tease him." Tenryuu threatened menacingly.
"Scary, scary. Is that alright? I imagine you're leaking a lot of bloodlust. Will the Lunarians be okay?" The grin on its face was made too apparent in Tenryuu's head.
"Ah." The dragon looked behind its shoulder and saw Sagume shivering on her ass to the ramp, clinging to the rails. It appears they are still locating the Baku to depart from the moon. "Was that on purpose?" Tenryuu asked accusingly.
"Of course not." Tanin'iver evaded the question casually. "But you're such a party pooper you didn't even let me finish. There was a lot more I could do with THE RAPE™ aphrodisiac [14]." The temptation in its bemusement was like honey. Sweet and horrific enough for a cause of heart attacks. And Tenryuu gave into it.
"I don't know what the hell he's been associated with, but I'm in." Tenryuu's mood shifted to the other extreme end, finding the potential hilarity to be enticing. "Forget all about that for now, I have to go back to the drawing board." The humor subsequently vanished from its voice.
"Oh? Did something happen?" Tanin'iver paid close attention to Tenryuu's next words.
"We no longer have a time limit for one day. It's going to happen tonight."
"…! Are you being serious!? We're going to have to rush our preparations!?" said Tanin'iver incredulously.
The sinister tongue of perversion had ended when Tanin'iver heard the one thing it really didn't need to.
"It can't be helped; our joint operation goes off tonight from what's been told to me. His mnagieiMAJESTYkbrraee can't hold it off anymore." Tenryuu continued with a smirk. "That Yukari is pretty coy. We've got ourselves a crowd to entertain it seems. But it works for us as well. Perhaps the real purpose for that assembly was to draw out Kamijou-kun. Clever." Tenryuu praised the mastermind and sage of Gensokyo.
"Sigh…I'll prepare my sinsack explosives." [15] Tanin'iver succumbed to the alterations being done, already offering itself to its fate.
"I want you to use your world-ending spell during the operation. This is not a request but an order." Tenryuu commanded with steel.
"I'm a pretty shy guy, but if you say so…so what do we do about Kamijou-kun?"
"With you the closest to him, you'll be directing him to the Hakurei Shrine."
"Uh, yeah, um…" Tanin'iver muttered in uncertainty for the news is too grave to him.
"…? What's the problem? Did he see you?" Tenryuu asked with confusion. What was he hiding?
"He's drunk."
It was at that moment Tenryuu stopped thinking.
"… … … … … … … … … … … … good luck."
"No wai-!"
Tenryuu immediately dropped the connection and went back to remodeling the moon. "With the moon at my disposal, I can be considered it's ruler. That means I have to name it." Tenryuu's lips curved into an all-knowing smile.
"Since the Americans did it first, the moon shall be known as the United States of Kamijou Touma!"
[1] The story of Amewakahiko and Amenosagume: Amenosagume is the kami Sagume is based off. She was a vassal kami to Amewakahiko. Because of Amewakahiko's delayed return to Heaven and stay in the Central Land of Reed Plains, Amaterasu sent the pheasant Nakime as an observer and messenger. Amenosagume saw the pheasant and assumed it to be an evil omen. With the suggestion from his vassal kami, Amewakahiko shot an arrow he received from Heaven and killed Nakime who flew all the way to Heaven. Amaterasu finding this insurrection returned the arrow and strike Amewakahiko mortally.
[2] Omoikane: The kami Eirin is based off. He was an offspring of Takamimusuhi, endowed with the ability to "think together" (omoi-kane). In the Sendai kuji hongi, the kami's name is also given as Yagokoro Omoikane no kami ("the kami that thinks together myriad thoughts"). He was also involved with the release of Amaterasu from the Rock Cave of Heaven.
[3] The Amatsukami (kami of heaven) refer to the kami living in the Plain of High Heaven (Takamanohara) with those born in that realm before they descended to Japan. In Touhou Project, these kami are referred to be the Lunarians like Eirin. Kunitsukami (kami of earth), on the other hand, refer to kami native to the lands of Japan or born under the ground prior to the myth of the "Descent of the Heavenly Grandchild" (tenson kōrin) where they were driven off for the Amatsukami to rule over the lands of Japan. Suwako belongs under this bestiary.
[4] Takemizakuchi: A kami born from the blood flowing on the sword Izanagi used to kill the fire kami Kagutsuchi. He descended from Takamanohara together with Amanotorifune to Izumo and entreated with Ookuninushi to give up his land for the tenson kōrin.
[5] Amatsu Mikaboshi: He was known and conflated with many names like Kakaseo, Amenominakanushi, and Myōken. He is the "Dread Star of Heaven," an evil god of stars, and the North Star (also called Pole Star or Polaris). He is also the god of rebellion against the gods of Takamanohara.
In one version of the Nihongi, Takemizakuchi was ordered by the Amatsukami to pacify the Central Land of Reed Plains together with two another kami, Futsunushi. They completed their goal when they subjugated the evil Kunitsukami Kakaseo. In an alternate writing of the Nihongi, Takemizakuchi and Futsunushi demanded the death of the "evil kami of heaven" Amatsu Mikaboshi to be put to death before they pacify the Central Land. This version depicts him as an Amatsukami instead of his previous iteration as a Kunitsukami.
Amenominakanushi ("Heavenly Ancestral God of the Originating Heart of the Universe") is the first kami and the first to ever be born in Takamanohara that came into being alone. He is the source of the universe, the kami of all stars, chief of the seven major stars of the constellation Ursa Major (Big Dipper).
Myōken is the Buddhist deification of the North Star. Myōken was also associated with Kichijōten, a replacement for one of the Seven Gods of Fortune, originally the Indian Goddess Lakshmi interpreted in Buddhism as a consort for Bishamonten.
[6] An actual railway station designed to evoke the feeling of being in Ryūgū-jō.
[7] Tanin'iver: In Hebrew, it literally means "blind dragon." An evil cosmic entity in Kabbalistic teachings. The steed of Lilith for which he is a mechanism by which evil is activated. This serpent slithers without eyes, so the supernal serpent has the image of a spiritual form without color – these are "the eyes." He is the bond, the accompaniment, the union between Samael and Lilith that brings pestilence to the world. If he is created a whole in the fullness of his emanation, he would destroy the world in an instant.
[8] A negative derogatory term the western fanbase of Touhou use to call Lunarians, specifically the Watatsukis.
[9] Denwen: An Egyptian serpent deity going as far as 2400 BC. He's described as an enormous serpent surrounded in fire. The Egyptians didn't really like to talk about him and shunned him because of his power. He was SO GODDAMN STRONG; he could wipe out a major pantheon like the Egyptians in one conflagration. But he was prevented so by the spirit of a deceased pharaoh. Considered to be the final evil.
[10] Kasen's infamous fan-name "淫乱ピンク, inran pinku", translates to Lewd Pink.
[11] Jabberwock: A fictional monster in the novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There written by Lewis Carroll. It lives within a dark forest until it was slain by an unnamed hero wielding the vorpal blade. Apparently, a maneater that is titled as "The jaws that bite," "The claws that catch," and "Eyes of flame."
[12] If you don't know what this is referencing, I envy you.
[13] Western fandom of Touhou's nickname for Morichika Rinnosuke.
[14] From Hiroyuki's (the author of Aho Girl) series of doujinshi – Acting On Instincts, it has Reimu tag-teaming with Rinnosuke to satiate their lust upon the residents of Gensokyo. One of Rinnosuke's infamous tools of the trade is an aphrodisiac spay copyrighted as THE RAPE™.
[15] Sinsack: A character (*throws up*) who is a satirical depiction of the Touhou Fandom in general. He is a naked being with a humanoid shape body, and the only thing covering him is a bag over his head monogrammed with the kanji 罪 (Tsumi, lit. "sin"). He is lecherous and a super fan of the girls in Touhou Project.
A/N: Goddamn are there too many references. But now two dragon names have been revealed and an alternative for one of them. I wanted to write Tenryuu as someone who's "nice," but also a bit of a troll and pervert with their own belief. The brief appearance of Tanin'iver was meant to elicit a sense of danger where you don't ever want to be close to him but also has a goofy side. The not so subtle power of his is meant to convey this type of character.
The plot and worldbuilding are moving along smoothly I hope, and all the dragons will be taking action tonight.
Please review and point out any spelling and grammar mistakes; they are very much appreciated!