Truly wonderful, Sakura, to be able to use the power of the stars at such a young age! It took me many decades to learn how to unleash it myself!-congratulated Byakuren as she dismissed her current spell and started to read a new set of characters from her scroll-[Light Magic] "Star Maelstrom"!
Byakuren was suddely surrounded by a massive red and orange magic circle, from its edge growing four branches of mystic energy in different directions. At the tip of each branch a translucent golden lotus grew until each was bigger than Byakuren, and as they bloomed and their petals opened, each revealed a massive black eye with a red pupil inside them.
Meanwhile golden lights started to fall from the sky, each stretching until it looked like a falling star before starting to spin around Sakura, surrounding her. One grazed closer to her arm and she felt a searing pain trough her battle custome, but they seemed to follow a relatively predictable pattern and Sakura was managing to dodge them to approach Byakuren once more. Then she noticed the lotus eyes following her movements and each starting to shoot a stream of white-blue orbs against her.
From his position on the ground, Syaoran could see things were turning against them pretty fast. Not only Sakura was pinned down by a new card and this Ichirin monk had revealed powerful powers of her own, but Yue had seen his barrier smashed to pieces by repeated blows from Murasa's oversized anchor and after that the Moon Guardian himself was sent fully hit by the rippling wave of energy unleashed by the drowned spirit's attack. Keroberos had fared a bit better, managing to shrugg off several hits from Toramaru's lasers, but the tiger youkai seemed basically impervious to his fire breath, and it was clear in a shooting contest she would be the winner. As the sun guardian closed in to try to use his claws and teeth, Toramaru simply lowered her long spear plunged it in on the approaching Kerobero's flank, piercing his hide and flesh. Heavily wounded, both mystic guardians crashed down from the skies.
Obey the command! God of thunder, Come Forth!-Syaoran took the chance that Byakuren seemed to be now fully focused on Sakura, to try to shoot her down with his longest range attack.
[Lightning] "Electrified Nyuudou"! -The mist around Ichirin suddenly flew and expanded into the shape of a colossal head of an old-looking man, crackling with lighting all around, that blocked Syaoran's attack, before unleashing a series of pink thunders from his eyes back at the boy, who jumped to the side to evade them.
I'll show no mercy to any sort of scoundrel!-said Ichirin, her focus having now changed to Syaoran, more colossal pink fists growing around her. The boy then remembered reading about the Nyuudou, cloud beings able to to change their size and shape almost at will among other dangerous powers. Just great, clearly the trio of monk magician, undead sea captain and tiger avatar of the god of war and fortune weren't problem enough.
SHADOW! RELEASE!-Dodging the magic malestorm raging around her, Sakura unleashed another card, willing it to cover Byakuren's glowing scroll. However the flying dark mantle was shot down from the sky by a burst of red lasers coming from the side, forced back into card form. Then an anchor attached to a long chain swinged in from the other side, trying to wrap around her star wand, but again the card mistress managed to evade the attack thanks to her honed aerial magic combat experience and good luck. Pausing a moment to look around, Sakura saw that Toramaru and Murasa were now flying just outside the star maelstorm, adding their attacks to Byakuren's own. Sakura suddenly feared for her guardians. She could still feel their presence nearby, but that those two youkai were there now meant that Keroberos and Yue had been gravely hurt.
Just another simple enemy...-commented Toramaru to Sakura as their eyes crossed-Still, even if you are an enemy, there's no denying that you were chosen by the Clow Cards. However, if you've chosen to follow the wrong path ... Then I'll have you bow down before this pagoda of Bishamonten!
[Light Sign] "Aura of Justice"!
White-blue pillars of pure light came down from the sky, forming a circular cage around Sakura, and started closing in. They were so bright that it hurted to just try looking at them. The card mistress's mind raced. During their days together, Reimu had told her quite a bit of stories about the shrine maiden's extermination missions. How high ranking youkai were quite resilient to both physical and magic damage, and thus she specialized in purifying techniques. Sakura pulled out one of the cards she had never used before from her deck, helding her near her face, and chanted:
[Dream Sign] Wild Exorcism Dance! RELEASE!
To Sakura's surprise, many paper seals attached in streamers appeared at the head of her wand. She suddenly felt an urge to move her body in a specific pattern, much as the Sword card guided her to become a fencing specialist when summoned. Except instead of a blade, this time she swinged around a holy staff, the amulets now attached to it dissipating the approaching pillars of light and magic stars with but a touch. New holy amulets formed and shot from her staff with each swing, pinning the youkai surrounding her. Sakura slowly danced forward towards Byakuren with clear decision on her face.
You just don't know when to give up, do you little girl?-said Murasa, pulling a new card and placing it over her ladle, making it glow with a sickly green light- You're lucky that Byakuren-sama explicitly forbid us from killing you. So I'll just make you lose consciousness!
[Drowning Sign] "Sinkable Vortex"!
Murasa swinged her ladle upwards, and an impossibly large amount of water came out from the container, spreading out in a spiral and enveloping the dancing Sakura, violently spinning her around, filling her throat and nostrils with gelid, salty liquid, stealing her breath while numbing her whole body...
Inside the flying ship
Reimu finally managed to spot a stronger-looking, cloaked youkai flying among the small fry inside the ship. As the shrine maiden flew closer, it shot elaborate patterns of parallel purple shots of energy at her, which she dodged without much trouble. A counter-barrage of amulets from Reimu and the robe was blasted apart, revealing the figure inside.
It looked like a younger human girl, but she had large round ears covered in gray fur, like her her hair. The youkai's eyes were red and she wore a a brownish-black one-piece with pink sleeves and a gray capelet. She also wore a necklace with a crystal pendant and carried dowsing rods with the letters for the cardinal directions on the ends. Behind her waist twirled a long fleshy gray tail holding a basket filled with mouses.
It's me, the little dowser general!-squealed the tiny youkai in satisfaction.
Nazrin? What are you doing here?-asked Reimu.
Hehe, you've fell right into my trap like the human you are!
You're here just to be a pointless encounter, aren't you?
That and keeping you distracted.
Distracted from what?
You'll have to exterminate me to find out!
The youkai closed ranks around Reimu, following the signs of their tiny commander. The shrine maiden started to think what the fastest way out of that ship would be.
Syaoran jumped away from the massive fist smashing apart the street pavement, and then striked it with his sword, slicing it in half, but it felt futile. Ichirin's Nyuudou could easily form new limbs to attack him. Two enemies fighting as one, the confident youkai nun commanding the normally timid cloud giant. It was Ichirin who he had to fight now, but she remained well in the air, using her Nyuudou servant to attack while hiding herself above its form. Syaoran couldn't get a clear shot with his jufus, and couldn't reach her with his sword, not with just his celestial magic and martial training. It was time for desperate measures. Syaoran pulled a card out and threw it in the air, making it spin, before stabbing it with his sword:
[Umbrella Sign] "Flurry Traveler" !
From the card burst out a large assortment of open umbrellas flying upwards towards Ichirin!
Ohoh, you think you can defeat me with that? You're mad, human!-taunted the youkai nun, swinging her arm, and a large open palm made of clouds formed, easily scattering away the incoming umbrellas trough the air.
...Hey, where did he go?-Ichirin had momentarily lost sight of Syaoran due to the colourful umbrellas covering his previous position, and now she couldn't see him anywhere on the ground below her.
Obey the command! Fire God, Come Forth!
Several jufus suddenly fell over Ichirin and burst into flames, enveloping her in fire! She screamed in pain but her youkai skin resisted. Turning to look at where the attack had came from, she saw Syaoran hanging from one of the many floating umbrellas now on the air, sword stored at his back and holding more jufus in his free hand.
Ah, you have nowhere to run now now, human!-gloated Ichirin as she willed her Nyuudou to form a new fist to catch Syaoran in mid air. The umbrella he was holding to was moving so slow it felt almost too easy for her...
However at the last moment Syaoran simply leaped away from the umbrella carrying him, using another jufu for a burst of wind to help him get to the next nearby flying umbrella. He repeated the process again and again as the cloud fists tried to catch him, getting a bit better at it each time. Ichirin didn't realize right away that Syaoran wasn't just dodging, with each umbrella jump he was getting closer and closer to the youkai nun. Ichirin only noticed it when eventually Syaoran didn't leap to a new umbrella, but rather towards her, grabbing the handle of the sword at his back
KAAAA!-with one single move Syaoran drew his sword and, holding it with both hands, delivered a clean slice across the surprised youkai's chest, feeling his blade slice trough her flesh. A mixture of red and blue blood burst forth from the wound a moment later. The cloud fists dissipated as Syaoran grabbed into another umbrella and started to rise further higher up.
He would've liked to try to capture that Nyuudou, but Sakura's wand was the only artifact he knew that could seal magic with ease during battle. A shame because he didn't believe this opponent was finished yet. A Youkai strong enough to control a Nyuudou wasn't something you could kill with just one cut, even if Syaoran had managed to fully slice her in half. But he had at least temporaly gotten her out of the way, and that allowed the boy to focus on his current priority. Looking above, he saw her, Sakura trapped in a glowing vortex surrounded by glowing whit-blue pillars and a maelstorm of golden lights. The vortex seemed to be her biggest problem right now, and Murasa seemed to be the one in control of it. A drowned spirit, so Syaoran suspected water, wind or fire wouldn't affect it much. That left him one option as he let go of the umbrella to have both hands free to place a jufu over his sword:
Obey the command! God of thunder, Come Forth!
As Syaoran fell trough the air, forked lighting shot upward from his blade, striking Murasa on the back, breaking her concentration. The vortex dissipated, and the freed Sakura swung her star gohei around, dissipating the remaining of Toramaru's pillars.
Capture them now!-shouted Syaoran, grabbing another floating umbrella below him and restarting to rise.
With a flick of her wrist, the card mistress's staff returned to its original form and she spinned it over her head with a single arm to catch the dissipating energies around her as she graciously flew to dodge the ongoing maelstorm:
Return to the form you were meant to be in, Minamitsu and Shou cards!
The swirling magic coalesced into two cards at the tip of Sakura's sealing wand, one landing in Sakura's outstretched hand while the other flew towards the ascending Syaoran below her.
Together now!-shouted the boy, stoping to hover at Sakura's side, using his sword to deflectithe incoming golden projectiles that came too close for his liking.
Yes, let's do it! WINDY! RELEASE!-agreed Sakura, deciding it was too risky to try to convert her new acquisition now, instead focusing on using her first card to support Syaoran in stopping the maelstorm around them.
Murasa and Toramaru positioned themselves at the youkai magician's flanks, spear and pagoda, anchor and ladle at the ready.
Damn, they're way too durable for simple humans! They should've already collapsed from just the collateral damage!-complained Murasa.
Their clothes aren't natural... They don't have a single scratch between them. Byakuren-sama, please allows us to go all out against them! It's the only way for our justice to prevail here!-requested Toramaru.
No, this is my responsibility. You two please go down and give me some maneuvering room...-Byakuren dismissed her card as Syaoran and Sakura were slowly but surely defeating her card. Byakuren still smiled, but it was a different, smaller smile now. Her two followers then realized she was about to get serious.
Sakura was somewhat surprised at Byakuren pulling back another of her cards out of her own will, while Syaoran suspected she was doing it to prevent it from being captured, in particular because she kept her magic circle summoned. Then as they saw the tiger and drowned spirit youkai seemingly abandoning the battle, Sakura's optimism made her pause:
You're giving up, Hijiri-sama? Will you lift the purple mist now?
Byakuren didn't answer, rather rising her head as she crossed her legs in a lotus position in mid-air, looking at her scroll and starting to recite something to herself. The words were in a language unknown to the humans, but it sent chills down their spines just from hearing it. Then Byakuren lowered her head and stared at Sakura, still smiling:
Card Mistress, did you really think you're the only one that can capture the spells of others?
Any magician can do it with enough time and effort. Here's something special I got from the ruler of Makai...
[Great Magic] Devil Recitation!
Byakuren wasn't speaking in an human language anymore, yet Sakura and Syaoran somehow understood it now. The four golden lotus flowers of Byakuren's magic circle turned forward and each unleashed a massive beam of red destruction, so powerful that Byakuren herself was pushed back from the recoil. As they dodged, Sakura and Syaoran caught a glimpse of the red beams punch holes trough the purple mist and impacting on a distant uninhabited area on the outskirts of Tomoeda, causing a giant explosion that all but obliterated the struck area and producing a mushroom cloud of dust and smoke above. Truly destruction in a massive scale. Sakura's eyes widened in sudden fear for any collateral loss of innocent life, something that Byakuren seemed to notice as she spoke again in the devilish language:
Don't worry, Sakura, I'm making sure to don't aim at any of the primitive primates below us. I don't hold any rancor against them. But do you understand now? You could use your cards for so many great things, even change the world... If only you weren't forced to hide your magic!
I-I like this world the way it is now!-shouted back Sakura, somewhat confused at Byakuren's words.
Somewhere else in the skies above Tomoeda
Reimu had just broken out from the flying youkai ship by smashing her way out with her enlarged orbs, and was now looking around for any clues of where to go next, when she saw four massive red beams shoot trough the sky. Well, that was a clear sign of the presence of a powerful and dangerous youkai if she had ever seen one. She dashed trough the air towards the source point of the beams.
Byakuren's beams subsided, only to be replaced by blue energy tendrils shooting from the lotus flowers and surrounding Sakura and Syaoran while the monk magician's scroll started to unleash wave after wave of large red orbs and smaller golden orbs, in a never ending barrage of attacks. Perhaps a bit overkill, but Byakuren felt like she needed the extra firepower to punch trough those magician's strange protective clothings and .put them down for good. Syaoran and Sakura managed to keep dodging a direct hit from the incoming attacks by an hair's breath, but they saw no opening whatsoever for attempting a counter-attack, and couldn't even keep close enough to properly support each other. Syaoran then noticed something and shouted:
Sakura, the scroll is reciting the spell on its own!
Ah, I know then!-replied Sakura, as a sudden idea crossed her mind and she pulled a card-SILENCE! RELEASE!
Shouting a spell's name when starting it was usually simply something needed to help focus or amplify the magic, not actually necessary to use it. However some kinds of spells were indeed based on special chants and sounds. Byakuren's in particular was based on repeating sutras over and over. As the Silence card manifested, the scroll's chant started to grow weaker. Byakuren noticed it and tried to add her own voice, but suddenly found her own words quenched as well. The monk magician pitted her will against the card mistress with all her might. She had sacrificed her humanity. She had practised for over a thousand years while sealed in Makai. She would not lose to a child in a direct contest of magic, even if she had inherited Clow's own cards!
Then Byakuren saw Syaoran approach her trough the gaps left on her weakened card, umbrella in one hand and sword in the other. Time seemed to slow down to her as he thrust his blade towards her, cutting trough her magic circle. She could see in his eyes that Syaoran didn't see her as the same as himself, fellow magicians, but simply as a monster to be cut down... No, not that. He saw her as a monster that had attacked his beloved...What had been the last time Byakuren had cared for another individiual like that? Ah, young human hearts were indeed fickle things...
As the sword pierced her flesh, Byakuren's words became weaker, and she soon found herself with no voice at all as her scroll also fell silent. The monk magician's spell ended. She couldn't summon her sutra scroll's powers anymore. The purple mist started to slowly vanish. Byakuren realized she was defeated.
W-We did it...-Sakura's body fell backwards as her wings vanished and she started to plummet downwards towards the ground below, completely exhausted from the stress of pitting her magic directly against Byakuren's mighty sutra scroll.
SAKURA!-Syaoran spun in mid air, pulling his sword from Byakuren's body and kicked his umbrella, propeling himself downard towards Sakura. He could still reach her and use wind magic to slow down their fall...
A flash from the side and a thin blue laser grazed Syaoran's torso as he twisted his body in mid-air to dodge it. He couldn't afford to slow down his descent. The next moment a massive anchor came from the other side, which he parried with his sword before kicking it away, gaining some extra speed downward. However that left him open to the massive fist of clouds coming from behind him, the colossal fingers closing around his body and entrapping him.
SAKURAAAA!-shouting was all that Syaoran could do as he saw her beloved keep falling down.
Nikou Hijiri's Air Scroll!
With the card mistress unconscious, the Silence ended, Byakuren could use her main magic once more, and flew downwards at breathtaking speed, catching Sakura on her arms at the last moment before the girl hit the street. She then looked upward and gave a stern look to her followers, even as her recent wound still bled. Byakuren was no longer smiling as she spoke:
Were you really letting the card mistress plummet to her death?
You just told us to don't kill her, not to save her life.-bluntly answered Ichirin, her wounds already healed thanks to her youkai metabolism, while her Nyuudou slowly closed his grip on Syaoran, making sure he could not slip away.
Well, with a bit of luck she would come back as a spirit after she died, and that would make our job much easier.-commented Murasa, storing her anchor in her back
If she truly is an important as you claim, the powers that be would not let her end in such an inglorious way.-declared Toramaru, slowly floating down as the light on her pagoda diminished.
...Shameful behavior, all of you! I'll have you all attend extra lessons when this is over.-As Byakuren scolded her followers, she felt Sakura starting to squirm in her arms as her eyes opened again, finding herself being held y Byakuren and letting out:
Hoe?
Shhh, everything's alright now. Sakura.-said Byakuren in a soothing, almost motherly tone, as she held the card mistress tighter, making sure she couldn't draw out any more cards– Your body is still young and human, so you still struggle to use too much magic in too little time. Don't resist, just relax. I'm now gonna take you to Gensokyo. There I'll help you learn the true nature of magic. I'm sure you'll come to understand us once you get to meet all the youkai that live there, and you'll eventually shed your humanity out of your own will to help you reach enlightenment. Then you will become the guiding light for all youkai back this world...
W-where's Syaoran-kun?-asked Sakura, her brain still struggling to process what was happening.
He's fine. We can bring him along with us if you want.
Hey, what do you exactly think you're doing in this world, Byakuren?-shouted another, angry voice.
The youkai looked to the direction the shout was coming from and saw Reimu quickly approaching, gohei in one hand and an handful of amulets in the other. Murasa and Toramaru flew upwards to intercept her and Reimu stopped. Facing four high ranking youkai at once didn't scare her, but she saw now they had two humans on their grasp. Both magicians, yes, but humans nevertheless. That were now her friends. She couldn't attack right now.
I'm just doing your job, my dear Reimu.-calmly replied Byakuren as she started setting up her scroll with one arm while securing Sakura with the other-Yukari asked you to bring this magician to Gensokyo, did she not? You were taking so long that she asked me to do it next.
It was all a misunderstanding! Sakura may be a magician, but she belongs to this world!
So, why did you remain in this place?
Ah, well, since I came all the way here it would be a waste not to take a look around...
And can't we take a look around this world as well?
Of course not! You're youkai!
And just because of that we're not allowed to enjoy this world? Even though for the first time in centuries it has enough magic to sustain some of us again?
You put the people of this city in a catatonic state! And now you're trying to kidnap two humans!
I'm doing this for their own good. Their abilities will just wither if they remain here.
Who are you to decide that about humans, youkai?
Who are you to decide who gets exterminated or sealed, demonic shrine maiden?
As Reimu and Byakuren spoke, the sutra scroll kept repeating a new low chant, and a purple portal started to form on the floor. The shrine maiden could feel where it would lead. Gensokyo.
Well, Reimu, it was nice having this chat, but I must be going now. I trust you have your own ways of returning once you're done with sightseeing.-smiled Byakuren as she remained in the center of the forming portal while holding Sakura, approached by Ichirin carrying the helpless Syaoran, and Toramaru and Murasa following in close while keeping watch over the nearby shrine maiden.
Reimu gritted her teeth. If she at least could get some distraction to make the youkai to drop Sakura and Syaoran... But Byakuren and her followers had all their eyes on her, ready to react to any move on her part, showing no openings. Then a girl with long blue hair stepped out from her hiding spot behind a nearby car.
Please... Please don't take Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun away, Hijiri-sama...-begged Tomoyo to the monk magician, struggling to remain on her feet due to the purple mist.
Ah, the ordinary human who kept her magician friend's secrets...-commented Byakuren, remembering what Yukari had told her about the card mistress-If you have connections with Sakura and Syaoran, you're free to come with us. My temple also welcomes humans that are willing to peacefully exist along magic. Who knows, perhaps you'll be able to learn some magic of your own in there.
Don't listen to her! They'll probably just have you as an afternoon snack!-warned Reimu.
I...-Tomoyo uncosciously started stepping inside the portal. The promise of magic didn't really interest her, but having her beloved Sakura go to another dimension and leaving her behind was something she could not bear with.
Ichirin then glimpsed something red flash trough the air. Something hit her face, then she screamed in pain as she felt her skin and flesh burn, even if there was no fire. Everybody else turned to her and saw that she had three long red needles piercing her forehead, but they hadn't seen the shrine maiden throw anything. As the cloud fist holding Syaoran dissolved due to its master's loss of concentration, a small figure dashed forward from around another nearby car, throwing more needles at the youkai as she moved, although those were more clumsy and none hit their targets. Byakuren heard the fast approaching steps and turned just in time to see a girl with long hair tied in buns plus an amulet on her forehead and wearing a short dress with large sleeves thrust her right open palm upward, smashing the monk magician's chin upwards!
Release... Sakura-chan!-screamed Meiling, taking hold of and twisting Byakuren's arm, forcing her to release the card mistress. Meiling grabbed her and jumped back, trying to exit the portal area as reality started to twist around them, but she collapsed to her knees, the sudden effort having drained her already of what little energy she had left while fighting to resist the purple mist.
The other normal human?-smiled Byakuren, massaging her chin-Why do you struggle? Why are you weighting Sakura down?
Sakura can decide her own life!-declared Syaoran, raising to his feet and holding up his sword with clear difficulty, feeling his whole body sore,
No, she cannot while being pulled away from the path of enlightenment by such short-sighted humans. Her-No, your eyes will be opened in Gensokyo-replied Byakuren calmly.
Reimu, remaining silent, saw how Toramaru and Murasa had become distracted by the recent events, just as the portal was finishing to transport them to Gensokyo. The shrine maiden suddenly teleported in the middle of the youkai, pulling a spellcard:
You kids, run and don't look back!
[Divine Arts] "Omnidirectional Demon-Binding Circle"!
Circles of bright multi-colored light formed around the nearby youkai and tightned around their bodies, as well as around Reimu herself, locking them all into the place where they stood, leaving only the other humans free!
Syaoran noticed how the world around them now seemed to shift every second. Tomoeda, an old decayed shrine, a massive mountain, Tomoeda again, a dark forest, a large mansion... They had to escape now before the transport was concluded. Gritting his teeth, he placed another jufu on his sword, praying he still had enough leftover magic:
Obey the command! Petals of wind, Come Forth!
A strong wind lifted and carried Sakura, Meiling and Tomoyo out of the circle portal as it changed to the dark forest once more, and Syaoran managed to sprint and jump after them before it changed again.