5: Wait a minute...

"You know..." Maribel said, "We never really found you that rival."

"So?"

"So what do you think? If you don't want to go searching, then do you want to have Kai as your rival?"

"Don't make me laugh."

"Mm...Then how about Alfred?"

"Shouldn't You be the one worrying about him?" I sighed.

"Why?"

"He's after You."

"Oh, he's harmless."

I sighed.

"Renko." CReimu tugged my sleeve

"Yeah?" I asked, even though I knew what was coming.

"Training time."

"Yeah yeah." I said and followed my Doll outside.

"Ah, I'll come along!"

"Hey." Maribel said, "How do I get this thing to go into Battle Mode?"

"You just push the button." I said, focusing on CTokiko's battle.

"But I can't find it."

"Did you finish setting it up?"

"Oh..."

"You still haven't set it up?"

"B-But things have been busy." Maribel said.

"Give it here." I sighed.

"Tweet!" CTokiko complained.

"Just use Scratch." I said, "And we're taking a break after this battle, happy?"

"Let see." I sighed as I opened Maribel Dolldex, "...You didn't even set up the basic information?"

"I did!" Maribel pouted, "I inputted my name and gender as well as what Dolls I have with me."

"What about your hometown?"

"I had to input my hometown?"

"Nevermind, I'll do it." I sighed, "So what's your hometown?"

"Niveus Town."

"...And where's that?"

"Where Rikako's lab is." Maribel said, pointing to the marker on the map, "After that, you caught CTokiko on Route 1 right after it. We met Kai at Roseus Town and Alfred at Croceus Town. We're on Route 3 now."

"I only needed your hometown." I frowned as I inputted the information. Then as Maribel pouted, I added, "T-Though the information might be useful for the travel log."

CTokiko landed on my head and looked at us. Then she shrugged and took a nap.

"Age?"

"17."

"Birthday?"

"January 7th."

"Occupation?"

"Rikako's Doll Catcher."

"Weight?"

"Thundershock."

"What?" I looked up just in time to see CMarisa shoot lightning at me and Maribel storm off.

"That was your fault." CReimu said.

"What?"

CTokiko chirped in agreement when she settled back on my head.

"What did I do?"

"How'd we do?" CReimu asked once out training session ended.

"From level 7 to level 10. I read off the Dolldex.

"3 levels is quite good." CReimu admitted, "Okay. We'll take a short break from training."

CTokiko chirped wearily and collapsed on my head.

"Do we really have to train everyday?" I asked.

"You refuse to find rivals, fight gyms and catch other Dolls." CReimu said bluntly, "The only way we're going to win is by training."

"I still can't see how much more power we'd need to defeat a shrine."

"...Fool."

"What?"

"SPRING!"

"What was that?" I asked looking around.

In the distance, I saw a large amount of white Dolls jumping up and down.

"What kind of Dolls are those?" I asked.

"Point the Dolldex at them." CReimu smirked.

…

BEEP.

"Lily White. Fairy Touhoumon. A fairy who announces the coming of spring. Expresses her excitement by releasing lots of danmaku."

"Danmaku?" I said, "Like...bullets?"

"Take a look." CReimu nodded.

Upon closer a closer look, I saw the glowing yellow stars that the Dolldex named, Swift.

"Wow. That's a lot."

"Yep." CReimu said.

"Aren't they heading towards Croceus Town?"

"Seems like it."

"...Should we do something about it?"

"Why?"

"It doesn't look like they're going to stop anytime soon."

"Since when did you care?"

"I don't. I just thought you'd want to fight them as a training fodder, but wanted a viable reason for it first."

"...Fine."

"SPRING!"

"SPRING!"

"SPRING!"

As the stars flew forward, they were intercepted and exploded. The Lily Whites stopped in unison.

"Think you can control 2 of us at once?" CReimu smirked.

"Please. You both only have 2 or 3 attacks." I said, "CReimu, Seal Needle! CTokiko, Scratch!"

At my command, CTokiko took to the air and CReimu sent ofudas flying. Enraged, the Lily Whites launched more Swifts. Together, CTokiko took on the ones that took to the air and CReimu single-handedly used her Seal Needle to blast down stray Swifts and punching away anyone that got too close. The battle dragged on against the small force until we managed to defeat about half of them. Afterward the others ran away.

"Did it." CReimu gasped, "I'm too tired to go after the rest of them."

CTokiko chirped her agreement.

"That was quite the show."

I turned around as a girl approached us, "And those are quite the...interesting Dolls."

"Who are you?" I asked.

"It's proper manners to introduce yourself first before asking for a name."

"Sorry. I'm Renko. Usami Renko."

"So you're the one that Reimu sent?" The girl smiled.

"You know Reimu?" I frowned.

"We...know each other, yes."

"Get back, Renko." CReimu said, getting up, "She's the enemy."

"Enemy?" I said.

"CReimu." The girl said, "How are you? Have you been reporting to Reimu?"

"Shut up." CReimu said, "Or I'm going to beat you up right here."

"In that condition?"

"She's the enemy?" I asked, stepping back.

"Yeah." CReimu said, "She's from the shrine that you're suppose to destroy. I never thought we'd meet her so soon."

"...Then...If I beat her now, I'm one step closer right?"

"Hah!" CReimu smirked, "Believe me, I want to wail on her more than you, but I know we're not going to win."

"..."

"That look in your eyes tell me you still want a fight." The girl smiled, "Very well. I'll entertain you just this once. But right now, you're much too weak to fight. Allow me."

I stepped back as she reached behind her.

"Oh. No need to worry." She said, pulling out a Potion, "If we're to fight, you'd want a fair fight correct?"

I watched as she bent down and healed CReimu and CTokiko. The 2 of them got back up, their fatigue gone.

"Well then." The girl said, pocketing her Potion, "Shall we begin?"

? wants to battle!

"CTokiko, can you fight?" I asked.

"Tweet!" CTokiko chirped as she flew up.

The girl smiled as she brought out an orb. Except it looked different.

"Make your stand, my avatar." She called as she released her Doll.

What came out was a Doll version of her. But significantly bigger. Surprised, I brought out the Dolldex immediately.

"Sanae. Blue Miko Touhoumon. A blue shrine maiden who entered Gensokyo from the outside world."

"Another Miko Doll?" I said, "And...she's much bigger than Tokiko. An evolved Doll?"

"If you won't start, then I'll take the first move." The girl called.

I gulped as I took a step back.

"Just kidding." The girl smiled, "The first move is yours. I think you'd need it."

"...Sand-Attack."

CTokiko whirled in the air and send a blast of wind and dust flying at Sanae.

"Twister."

With a raise of her hand, Sanae send a spiral of wind flying up, dwarfing and negating CTokiko's.

"Water Pulse."

Holding out her other hand, rings of water burst out like a pulse, blasting CTokiko out of the sky.

"C-CTokiko!"

CTokiko staggered up, but she swayed all over the place.

"CTokiko, Scratch!"

CTokiko seemed to hear me, but she staggered towards Sanae. With a simple step to the side, CTokiko's attack missed. She then tripped over her own feet, her own claws scratching her.

"Send her back to the sky, Sanae. Twister."

Sanae raised her hand, summoning the huge whirlwind again right above CTokiko. CTokiko was thrown up into the air, higher than she had ever even flown and plummeted straight down.

"Tokiko!" I cried, breaking into a run.

I managed to catch CTokiko in time, but she was long gone.

"That's one." The girl smirked, "So? Will you continue?"

I frowned as I returned CTokiko to her Orb. As I reached for CReimu's Orb, I hesitated.

"...Renko."

"..."

"Let me go."

"How brave of you." The girl smiled as CReimu took the field.

"Shut up." CReimu said, her old energetic self replaced with a dark caution, "Renko!"

"Pound."

CReimu charged, throwing a fist straight at Sanae.

"Water Pulse."

Sanae caught CReimu's punch and with the same hand, blasted her back with a stream of water. CReimu tumbled in the ground before settling on a kneel.

"AAAAAAH!" CReimu punched the ground in frustration before charging again.

"Twister."

Before she could even touch her, the whirlwind erupted from below CReimu the lashes of wind like a whip, slashing CReimu back.

"Seal Needle!" I called.

CReimu took out a stack of Ofudas, throwing them in the air and firing them straight at Sanae.

"Miracle Leaf."

Rainbow Leaves blasted out from her hands, intercepting each Ofuda.

"CReimu, again!"

Sanae looked amused as she took out a Gohei.

"Mirror Coat."

With a slash, The Ofudas froze in midair. They stayed in midair before they suddenly flew back and blasted CReimu.

"Reimu!"

CReimu coughed as the dust disappeared.

"Is that all you're going to show me?" The girl smiled.

I gritted my teeth.

"Then, I'll end this now. Sanae, Miracle Leaf."

With a flourish, Sanae summoned rainbow leaves around her and with a simple wave, sent them flying towards CReimu.

"That was a nice try." The girl said as she recalled Sanae, "Certainly wasn't a waste of my time. You made it quite entertaining."

I did feel like listening, but the words still registered, leaving a bitter echo in my mind.

"If you want, you can join us." The girl offered.

I glared at her. She smiled serenely at me, no hint of pity behind her looks and words, but certainly there. I looked away and picked up CReimu.

"...I refuse."

"...What a shame." The girl sighed, "Well, I won't force you, but I ask that you do consider it."

"..."

"Here." The girl said, handing me an Orb, "Take this. Think of it was a reward for protecting the town from the Lily Whites."

I resisted my strong urge to throw it into the ground, a still functioning part of my brain seizing control. With the Orb in my hand, I could see it much clearer. It was a Miko Orb, but changed was the regular roof of red. Instead, this one had a blue and white color to it.

"Perhaps you can think it over in time." The girl said and began to walk away.

"Who are you?" I yelled at her.

The girl stopped, "Oh, How impolite of me. I am Moriya Sanae. Wind Priestess of the Moriya Shrine. The Shrine that you were sent to defeat."

Sanae. She was using the Doll of herself in the battle.

"Renko?"

I turned around as Maribel's voice approached.

"I bid you a pleasant evening." Sanae bowed, "And I hope you'll reconsider your choice of faith."

"Renko!" Maribel cried when she came up to me, "Ren...Renko? What's wrong?"

She noticed the CReimu in my arms and gasped. CMarisa pulled her hat down, "...So that really was her."

"R-Renko?" Maribel asked cautiously, "...L...Let's get you to a Center. Okay?"

I didn't answer.