Nicolas Notes:
Unedited Chapter, ye be warned!
I'm back with vengeance! Well I always say that at the start of the month. Heh.
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CHAPTER 10: Assault
Year: ?
?:?
Subconscious
Rook….
Rook….
I open my eyes and there she was. Standing a few feet away from me in this blank room of white with her hand outstretched towards me. She looked the same as ever, the same red dress and blonde hair. Her dirty mob cap and that ribbon that I gave to her as a gift. Heh, now that I look at it, she looks just like her father. Explains her personality then, why did I just notice this now?
I make an attempt to speak yet no words come out of my lips. She's right there, she's right there. She needs me, I have to help her.
Rook…. Please….
Her crimson eyes turn misty as she struggled to come up with the rest of her sentence. I extend my arm towards her, my right hand visible at the edge of my vision. In this white world, she was the only one who was there. She was the only one who mattered. I felt sad to see those clear tears fall unto the floor as she began to sob.
Her lips moved as if to say her last words, Save me…
I watched as the white world grabbed her from behind and claim her. And then… the white world had claimed me too….
Year: 2005
7:15 Post-meridian
Scarlet Border, Gensokyo
This time, Rook woke up to reality. He can hear the rush of the wind blowing itself over the thick roof of leaves above him. At the distance, he can hear the ripples of the lake's waters. The moon must have looked spectacular on its surface. However at his current position, he could do nothing but rest quietly on the forest floor with his back against a tree. He could feel the tiny insects scuttling beneath his palm as it rested on a tree root. Cool air entered his lungs as he inhaled them, the past hour has been uncomfortable yet it wasn't anything he couldn't handle.
Shortly after defeating Cirno, he had managed to acquire five frozen frogs, in which he had discovered was brimming with power. How the fairy could achieve this much energy and focus it into one place was beyond him. Unfortunately, he couldn't do anything for the frogs trapped within the ice balls. It seemed to be that the magic which made the ice balls freeze anything it hit, was the fact that it somehow used the frogs' life as an energy source. At least that was how Rook put it.
Anyhow, he had successfully made himself a narrow bridge upon the lake's surface by spending only three frogs. The rest he mercilessly tossed towards the Youkai of Darkness whom landed him in the near death situation in the first place. But despite all of the trouble she had given him, Rook decided that she should come with him since she was one of the few youkai to have set foot around this mysterious island.
Rumia probably knew or was quite familiar the area more than anyone other than the owners of the island itself. Why she kept returning to this place was a question Rook was going to ask her at another time. But now it seemed like using his dagger had indeed taken a toll on his body, thus delaying the mansion's infiltration for some time until he recovered. He even made a mental note on not to get flashy during his assault. But something told him that splash damage would serve him quite well at the time. However the point was that he needed a full hour till he regained his full strength, which did not do the Human Village nicely with every second passing by.
The human finally opened his eye by a fraction of an inch. A few paces away from him were a thick dark green bush which was rustling noisily for the past five minutes. A couple of ominous glowing red lights burst into existence within the bushes. It stared at the helpless human in front of it, before pouncing forward.
Rook, who was feigning sleep, stretched his right hand faster than the eye can see. The next moment was that he his right palm directly on Rumia's forehead, the youkai's teeth still human, yet somehow felt like they had enough power to snap Rook's spine in half. Rumia's eyes glow intensely, but before she could even think of her next move, Rook has already sent her a shock that could rival a Taser gun's voltage. Rumia was sent back down on the floor, twitching uncontrollably though her movements were subtle.
Rook waited for a few seconds to pass before saying, "Is it me, or is every assassination attempt you make on me always fails? That or either you're cursed or just have downright horrible luck?"
"Redundancy is your policy, eh?" cackled the twitching Rumia.
"Well I find your constant failures redundant and annoying," replied Rook to which Rumia sent him a venomous glare.
"You cheated, you cheater!" she spat viciously to which Rook answered again.
"Duh, that's what cheaters do miss Genius," said Rook dismissively, "Oh and by the way, unlike you I'm not one to pounce on people in the dark. Seriously, you're a magnet for misfortune. Come back again when you've gotten better, but until then you're under my thumb and I will always kick that sorry butt of yours."
"Bumbling fool, who does he think he is?!" Rumia muttered darkly while perfectly knowing that Rook can hear her, "He's lucky that I didn't cut his head in half."
"Nope, you're just a failure of a hunter," retorted the human, taking off his glove to pick his ear.
"Say something witty again, old chump, and you'll find your family jewels nailed on a tree's bark," warned Rumia, the edge on her voice indicating that she was serious. Alas, Rook wasn't having any of it. He simply leaned forward and touch Rumia's forehead again, sending her sprawling on the floor while clutching her head. All the while sending a flurry of curses at the human who contently sat by, observing and learning all of her swears.
Not exactly the little miss sunshine she was now, hm?
They had set off ten minutes after the brief spat the duo had before setting a course to the north. Of course the trip was riddled with the occasional fairy gang, but other than pests they encountered no problems aside from Rumia using Rook as meat shield just because it was convenient. Though as much as the youkai wanted to tear a hole through the human's chest and annoy him to no end, she was surprisingly cooperative when it came to directions. The forest path that they took had many twists and turns, crossroads and forks, leading to god-knows-where. For a brief moment, Rook caught the smell of something he feared. That's when they came across the dump.
"Corpses…. And a bloody lot of them- OUCH, What did I bloody do this time?" cried Rumia under the threat of Rook's fist coming down on her head again. Apparently she hadn't realized that she just made a pun at the worst of times. Before them were indeed corpses, bodies piled unceremoniously together and left to rot. Most of them were bloodied as Rumia had just made fun off, so he reckoned that they were killed just a few days ago.
High above, the sun was covered by a bank of clouds. A light breeze blew their way, forcing the stench of the corpses to travel towards the duo. Rook examined the dump from afar, and he noticed a number of details. One is that the corpses were dumped in the middle of the road, probably to serve as a warning to anyone who dared to continue their way. Two is that a few of the bodies were fakes, not actually real bodies, but scarecrows of the some kind mixed with the other bodies of what used to be the living. Three was that the bodies were consisted mostly of youkai, bat youkais, Tanuki, fairies and many more, so there were probably no lasting fatalities. After all, youkai resurrected after a few years of being killed, so that means that these guys still had a chance to live.
The fourth however was the one that bothered Rook the most. This time it was real human corpses, all coated in their own blood along with the blood of the other dead youkai. But despite being the least of the corpses' numbers, they were undoubtedly many. At least eighteen humans were lying within the dump, all void of life and blood. Those who were sticking outside far enough for Rook to clearly see them were gaunt and their skins were paper white.
It left the human an impression that they were used as the vampires' source of food until Remilia decided to dump them here. The youkai were easy to explain since they were probably one of the locals, but the humans, judging from their clothing, were from the Outside. Meaning that no actual human casualties were yet to be made from the Human Village
Rook heard the movements of feet and said, "If you're hungry then I suggest trying to hold it in. I hate it whenever I catch you eating someone's liver while still smiling."
To his surprise Rumia didn't respond. He glanced at the youkai at his side and saw that she was eyeing the corpses with something he usually thought was only meant for him…. Anger. Now this confused the human greatly, why would Rumia, the rampaging man-eater of the Road of Liminality, would look at the corpses with so much hate? Should she not be happy since she came across an easy catch, saving her time and energy than hunting for food? Sure that she has the pride of hunter but Rumia was an opportunistic whelp who exploited every chance of meal to herself. It was strange not seeing her pouncing on the hunk of flesh before them and instead staring at it with a cold glare.
Rook crossed his arms and asked, "A penny for your thoughts?"
"So that you can be filthy rich? Not a chance, mate," replied Rumia with a snort. Rook's gaze rested upon the youkai girl's hands, they were trembling in deep rage. He needed to know why.
"Come one, you seriously can't wait for the thing to spontaneously combust by just staring at it," said Rook with an annoyed expression, "So, care to share what happened? You after all, are the only one who set foot as far as the gate of the mansion somewhere over there. I assume that you've witnessed much more than just this during your stay here, Rumia…"
With a deep sigh and by pinching the bridge of her nose, the Youkai of Darkness said, "Fine, but prepare yourself for a long crappy story, and I tell you this old bean, it will not be pretty."
"Hmph, I'd hate to know your definition of 'pretty'," said Rook in a cold tone.
Rumia's hands relaxed and her shoulders slumped, "Well I can start with it being unfair. Unfair that these blasted foreigners suddenly sprouted out of nowhere and started to claim all of the game for miles around. Well you can guess what happened next."
"The youkais fought back due to their territories being invaded," replied Rook, who was listening intently.
Rumia nodded at that and continued, "Yep and I tell you it was bloodbath. Youkais, especially the Bat Youkais of the lake shore swarmed this island. I just happened to be passing by and decided to have a look at what was causing all of the commotion. What I beheld, my dear friend, were bodies the same as these scattered everywhere. Limbs, arms, head and torsos, organs hands and more littered the grounds of this island. The very waters that surrounded it turned crimson as the night went on. The ferocity the youkais that banded together had displayed were no short of terrifying and so I silently cheered for them in the sidelines. Alas, my cheers were unheard for it came to an abrupt stop as the youkais were slain in a flash."
No surprises there, thought Rook.
"I pity my brave brothers and sisters as they willingly threw their life in the line just to regain their respective territories from the grasp of the invaders. Sadly, they all perished on that Scarlet night," Rumia turned her gaze unto the grassy path in which behind the dump of corpses that was blocking their path, "The blood that flowed that night covered the even the soil, killing the life that used to flourish beneath it. For days, fishes died around the island's area and fairies tended to avoid the place whenever possible. There was news among the fairies that most of their people were disappearing all of a sudden, never to return. Daiyousei, bless her, did everything she can to avoid a mass confusion among her kind. And you know what? Even that annoying Cirno helped."
Rumia paused for a moment, her face adopting another expression Rook never saw, a look of sadness.
"Tell me, mate, have you seen the state of the youkais before you came to seek me?" she asked, though it didn't seem like she wanted Rook to answer, so he remained silent, "They were pathetic and wretched, aggressive by letting their instincts fill their drive to live. Going as far as killing their own kind. It makes me sick, you know that? They were desperate for food, for a meal, for human flesh and yet these bastards of foreigners step in and take it all away from them!"
It's not like I support you for wanting to eat humans, but you have a point there, thought Rook, keeping any comments that would make Rumia go for his throat.
"Well, I may not be the smartest youkai around but I can tell that if those lots continue with this foolish stunt of theirs then something bad will happen. If they go on and bust people's heads all they want, it won't matter if they're capable of defeating large numbers of youkai, the entirety of Gensokyo will be on to them."
A tipping in the power balance, of course…..
"And if you're supposedly heading to that house of theirs right now, then that means that you're helping the shrine maiden in solving this incident!" Rumia turned to face the human, all traces of rage gone from her face, replaced by a wide grin on her face, "You better do something about this, mate. Or else one night, the Luck Fairy will be smiling on me."
"Brush your teeth and act stupid, and the fairies will probably swarm you. Oh wait; you're already an idiot to begin with—"Rook was about to plow on his sarcastic remarks when Rumia finally snapped and hurled a ball of pure darkness at him. All he needed to do was to step aside to dodge the attack.
"Whoa, slow down there!" another ball passed by his ear, "You're going to kill someone!"
Rumia willed a ball of darkness to form in her hand, only for it to change color into bright blue-green. "Yes, and hopefully that someone would be you." Rumia cackled cruelly beneath the human's cold glare and went off on her own, continuing down the path as she did. Rook allowed a few seconds to past before following suit.
"So…" began Rumia, her eyes glancing at the human over her shoulder, "I've shared my story, how about you share yours?"
Rook didn't answer, but instead came to a halt and glared at the sky.
"What are you looking at—? Ah, yes…" Rumia also came to a stop and decided to stare at the sky too. A faint pulsating ring spread outwards from the moon. A few moments later, the sky was adopting a red shade replacing its midnight blue. Rumia's grin widened and said, "Oh ho ho dear, it seems like you're in for a bad night, human. A very, very bad night…. You'll need all the help you can get."
Rook only responded with a sigh. Without a word he trudged on the forest path, leaving Rumia behind to watch the sky transform. If only he could get Ran's help on this, however that proved not to be an option judging from what she had told him.
All he had now was her advice. Do not approach the basement…
"Hey Rumia, we still got a lot of time till we reach the gate," said Rook without looking back, though from behind him he hear Rumia's reply.
"Yeah? So?" said Rumia while picking her ear.
"Wanna hear about the Outside World?"
Year: 2005
7:15 Post-meridian
Scarlet Devil Mansion, Voile the magic Library, Gensokyo
The Voile was currently undergoing... Renovations. Or so had the sign at the library's doors said. Deep within the library itself, its keeper sat contently within her study. The scratching of a quill was the only thing that broke the silence. A girl in her mid-teens hand her back bent as she wrote on her Grimoire feverishly as ideas and incantations travelled across her mind. She was writing so fast that her hand was almost a blur.
A pause, followed by the sound of a quill dipped in ink.
"What is it Koa? I told you not to disturb me," said Patchouli Knowledge without turning to see the red haired succubus behind her. A cup of coffee was placed within her lamps light; causing the librarian to look up on her assistant's smiling face.
"You sure have been working a lot ever since we've arrive," said Koakuma, clearing unnecessary objects on her mistress' table, "Why not take a bit of break? You'll need your full strength if something were to happen. Besides, have you heard of that Red-white woman attempting to storm the mansion?"
"Yes, and it seems that Hong is doing a good job in holding her back. What of it?" asked Patchouli, ignoring her coffee and continued on writing.
"Well, it also seems that she won't be giving up too soon. The girl is stubborn and refuses to accept defeat under the Gate Guard's hands," explained Koakuma while grasping for objects that could hinder Patchouli in her work. Years of working under her mistress allowed her to learn to be careful around Patchouli and be as quiet as possible when performing her task, "Even Meiling can tire out, if that human keeps this up then Meiling will eventually fall. I mean, she shows up almost every day challenging Meiling! Can't she take a hint or is she just that insensitive?"
"Why not both?" commented the purple clad girl without glancing at her servant. She stopped half way through a page to take a sip of coffee.
"Um, Lady Patchouli…"
"Yes?" Patchouli bit back a curse to Koakuma for interrupting her again.
"I was thinking about, you know, him."
SNAP
Koakuma suddenly flushed red and held up her hands before Patchouli could explode. "N-N-N-Not in that kind of way, but what if he tries to get in again? I mean he got in last time, and yes, Meiling did get a bit stronger than last time, but is it all enough? W-W-What will we do if he does arrive again? C-Can we handle him?"
"So you think that I didn't prepare for this beforehand like five years ago? You doubt that the security and power that I blessed Meiling and everyone here wouldn't be enough to keep him out for good? You think that I'm going careless? Is that what you want to think, Koa?" Patchouli's icy tone made the little devil wince. Instead of pressing on her assistant and disciplining her, Patchouli let out a heavy sigh pinched the bridge of her nose, "Look, I know you don't have any ill intentions in your words, but please be careful next time. And Koa, please have some faith in me. He won't succeed even if he did plan anything. Besides, he's weak and we could easily take him on with one hand tied around our back."
Patchouli managed a small smile on her lips as she said, "But then again, this was Rook we were talking about, being in his current state of weakness won't let him stop storming this mansion and wanting to wring my neck. Well, that will actually be a sight to see, because I want to see him to at least try."
"Why would you? I mean, wouldn't be a waste of effort on your part by setting up all of these security measures?" asked Koakuma, her tiny bat-like wings on her head flapping nervously.
"The same reason why I read all of these books, Koa," said Patchouli, "For the sake of Knowledge. I know that you find it stupid, but not for me. I want to test the limits of his determination, find and exploit his weaknesses so that I can turn them against him. It's all in the matter of 'knowing your enemy' strategy, have him make his move, find the pattern and counter. If he ever attempts to change tactics then just have him do his thing and repeat the process. Wash-rinse-repeat."
"So, you have a plan? You really think we can beat him?"
"Koa, I always have a plan, and no, I don't think so. Acting like this makes us look like those second-rate villains in novels at the Outside. And villains always lose…" Patchouli took another sip of her coffee before continuing, "But that doesn't mean that he's the hero… This is a game of villains with both sides capable of something worst than destruction and a hell lot of collateral damage."
"Uh, well, aren't both of you kind of selfish if you put it that way?"
"Perhaps, all the more reasons why I should finish him off this time. I can't afford anything else piling up and increasing my problems," Patchouli gently grasped the quill that hung before her and went back to look at her table. "One problem is that he has allies, which wouldn't make this game any easier than it is. He has allies in this world that could help him succeed in his mission. Even if we did have a time stopping maid, a rare breed of youkai as Gate Guard and Mistress of Fate, I doubt we can handle an onslaught of this world's most powerful beings put together and tossed at us. No, I have to do something about that, especially with his connections with the Gap Demon. As long as we're in this world, hiding from our hunters from the Outside, we're playing by his game board."
Patchouli dipped her quill into her ink box and the sound scratching resumed.
"Second is that he has acquired himself a rather interesting power even with his old and much more powerful one gone. However, even with it, his body wouldn't be able to handle the strain by sustaining it for too long thanks to my move last time. But still, it doesn't hinder him on having an edge if it all comes to a fight. That man has made all kinds of deals with Demons while here."
"I'm a Demon!" piped up Koakuma, only to flinch at Patchouli's cold glare. "Sorry."
"And the third is that he has a hand in the rules of combat established here in Gensokyo."
"Rules of combat?"
"The Spellcard system as the locals like to call it," explained Patchouli, "A set of rules that forbids lethal methods of fighting, sticking more on beauty and patterns than burning the thing in front of you to a crisp. Though I must say, it is an interesting idea and I consider experimenting it myself to study its capabilities, however I digress. From the information I have gathered, it is more on keeping the youkai induced kills to a minimum. I guess that this place was already rough to begin with before we came here."
"So what does Rook have to do with it?"
"He has a hand in it, given to him by no other than the Youkai of Boundaries herself," Koakuma's eyes widened at Patchouli's words. How could a creature that is even considered higher than a Divine Being simply hand such a power to a human like that? Then again, Lady Patchouli had explained to her how the Youkai of Boundaries has supposedly allied herself with a clan of priests and shrine maidens in order to build this world. It wouldn't be much of a surprise for the Gap Demon to start trusting an old mortal like Rook.
"Though for all good reasons, I presume that it has something to do with the unstable magic in the air," Patchouli went on, pausing only in her task to dip her quill, "I have sent out artificial scouts, drones, miniature golems or whatever you would like to call them, to survey the landscape while gathering information from the locals. I found out that out of hundreds that I sent out of my window, only fifty managed to hover steadily in the air while the others fell limply into the ground. Sakuya was more than happy to help me in cleaning but still… The magic here isn't balanced and I assume it was only recently that it was fixed. Unlike the Outside World where magic is scarce, the magic here is different. As if something has warped it and bent it too far."
Koakuma flapped her wings twice in confusion.
"And I so happened to find out that the Great Barrier that keeps this world intact have changed a great deal from the book that I read about it," Patchouli paused and turned a around to face her familiar, "In order to balance out and repair the magic back to its original state, I can deduce that the Gap Demon has bent this so called 'Spellcard System' by creating another sister System."
"I see," muttered the Little Devil. He's more dangerous now than we thought, echoed Koakuma's mind. "So it's possible that he can use this 'System' against us? Can we also use it against him?"
"I don't know, for I haven't used it myself, however I think it would be wise for us to take note of this information. It may or may not be one if his little tricks," said Patchouli.
"But then again, the knowledge of this 'other' System is already known to him. Heck, he might even already mastered it already," said Koakuma, her tone troubled by this fact.
Patchouli glanced at her half done Grimoire and stared at it for a few seconds. "There's no need to worry Koa. None of us would lose as easily as last time. I doubt that he would be able to advance through one of us without receiving a mortal blow."
"Huh?"
Patchouli locked gazes with her familiar; Koakuma flinched and took a step back at the sight of her mistress' eyes, "Like I said I have a plan, and that we have a few surprises of our own." One of the Great Unmoving Library's eyes was crimson and with a faint scarlet light, while the other retained its clear purple color. "Even if he did get through us, it doesn't mean that he'll reach his goal alive with his body still intact. However if it is I who meet him, I'll make sure that nothing of him remains."
Year: 2005
7:55 Post-meridian
Scarlet Border, Mansion Path, Gensokyo
"Are you alright?" asked Rumia.
"Huh, what?" said Rook jerking out of his trance.
The two have been walking on the same path for the last forty minutes. The mounds of corpses far behind their backs and its stench now unnoticeable. Rook had just finished explaining the things that he encountered in the Outside World. So far, Rumia seemed interested enough to keep from jumping on him ripping his throat apart. For her part, Rumia seemed to be a good listener if not for her nasty side comments. She would nod and gesture for him to continue, giving her views and opinions about the different cultures and events that happened Outside.
Sometimes Rook would think that Rumia's ditzy and clumsy nature were all an act. Though at the back of his mind a small voice told him that Rumia was still a predator and that he had to be on his guard. Who knows that she was just acting a bit human now while she kills him later? She was a youkai, just like Yukari, though unlike the Gap Demon, Rumia was acting on pure instinct and willpower to help her in the act of friendliness. She was waiting for a moment of weakness on Rook's side to attack.
A cold breeze descended upon them as they continued their way. Rook had guessed that the mist was no ordinary one, in contrast with what he told Keine, the worst that he could think of is that the mist was enchanted and that the forest that it has hidden had traps tucked away. The mist itself wasn't that thick, just a thin veil that blurred the human's surroundings. If one wouldn't be careful then the chances of hitting a tree was high. Which was exactly the reason why he brought Rumia with him as a guide despite what she did earlier, by setting him up so he can be killed.
But he had to let it slide. After all, she did point him to the only person who could help him cross the lake. Cirno would probably refuse if Rook spoke to her for assistance in getting across the lake. Rumia explained that Cirno treasured her frozen frogs as a secret weapon and that she won't use them unless in battle. So in a way, she helped him. Besides, they were headed towards the mansion, if anyone would attack them, Rook can always use her as a meat shield.
"You were spacing out, losing your nerve already, human?" asked Rumia with a smirk across her face. That however didn't last when Rook jabbed two fingers of electricity on her neck. Rumia yelped and glared at the human while rubbing the back of her neck.
Rook expected her to snarl, or at least say a snarky comment yet what she said next somehow surprised him. "Ouch, that hurt. So, I think it is about time that you tell me what you did and how you did it"
"Who say what now?" said Rook, giving Rumia a weird look.
"Are you daft? I mean when you 'cheated' during your fight with Cirno, you two faced nincompoop!" screeched Rumia in a shrill voice, an accusing finger held up high, "You deceived her, you deceived a dear friend of mine and you have the nerve to forget about it? Unbelievable! I won't let you get away with this!"
"Oi, you deceived me and may I tell you that the Pacifist Mode didn't actually help me in the slightest? It was the only way that I can resolve that fight without having to use too much violence!" argued Rook glaring at Rumia in turn.
"Then explain! Tell me how you 'cheated'!" demanded Rumia, standing in front of Rook, blocking his path.
"Get out of my way, I'm not in the mood for this," said Rook with much coldness that could make a person wince. Rumia however did not back down and took a step forward, allowing herself a small smirk to return on her lips. "Not until you explain, it doesn't seem fair, doesn't it? That we Youkai will submit to rule that you say without first having full knowledge of it," She said with equal coldness.
A few seconds passed before Rook realized that he was wasting time. With a sigh, he began explaining himself, making it as brief as possible.
"Fine I'll tell you," he hesitated for a moment, choosing the right words before, "The Pacifist Mode is a sister System devised by no other than Yukari Yakumo to prevent another world destroying catastrophe from happening if ever her crowning jewel; the Spellcard System, should ever collapse and wink itself out of existence."
"Wait, what? Care to simplify things?" requested Rumia, her face full of confusion.
"Why of course, your head is filled with so much meat that you lost your ability to comprehend the simplest explanation that I can give you," said Rook, his words thick with sarcasm. Rumia kicked him on his knee in retaliation.
"Explain again, now," she growled, bearing her teeth.
"Okay, okay," said Rook, while his hands were on his knee. He shook his head to get rid of the pain, before facing Rumia and continued, "Look, remember five years ago where the sky was falling and everything almost went to hell? A few hours later after I shot you on the head?"
"Get to the bloody point already!" snapped Rumia.
Rook merely nodded and resumed, "Well that was the time when I found out about the Shrine maiden's plans of creating the Spellcard System. By binding herself and her descendants' life to the Barrier, she has the power to create these Rules. As soon as I caught wind of it, I went after her and tried to stop her from performing the ritual. It was a stupid idea actually; the Yakumo was the one who deceived her making her think that it is for the better when it wasn't. She was deciding the fate of her off springs and bloodline after all. If one descendant chose to rebel and neglect their duties, then Gensokyo will be eight different flavors of screwed up."
"And then what?"
"Well, that's when I stepped in. I made an attempt to convince the Maiden through words yet because of her hard headedness, she decided to use force," Rook had a melancholic expression as he said that, "So I played by her game then, while she threw whatever she had left in her at me I went on and took it all, just to stop her from doing something stupid. And that's when things got complicated. I used the dagger given to me by a friend to cut through her border as the ritual was reaching its climax. The dagger, mixing with what's left of my power, entered the Barrier's network, which would have caused a would be distortion into the original Spellcard System."
"Oh, so you messed up. I like this story," snickered Rumia but Rook ignored her.
"Because of this, the Yakumo was forced to act and had to bend the original Spellcard Rules and the Border to make a place for another set of Rules. Another anchor so that the Barrier would remain intact despite the distortion," Rook paused for a moment to catch his breath. "That's how the Pacifist Mode was invented. Along with it is the Border of Duel where you could face off with another person while having the Spellcard Rules active. Meaning you can fight a hand to hand combat while using Spellcards."
"Interesting, I may not have understood half of what you said, but I can still make up that you messed up. So is this 'Pacifist Mode' as you call it limited to your use?" asked Rumia.
"No, it's simply because most people don't know about it yet and it wasn't introduced the same time as the Spellcard System," said Rook, kicking a rock on whim, "I'm the first one to know since I caused the problem resulting to its birth."
Rumia seemed satisfied with what she had been told and stepped aside. Rook merely passed her without a glance while she followed suit. It seemed like Yukari had planned this all along, using his actions as an excuse to create another set of rules. Of course she attempted to stop him, yet she didn't come to him personally that time and beat some sense into him because of his actions. To create another set of rules would strengthen the Barrier, and that's all Yukari cares about.
Two people playing with his actions like a puppet. The Magician and The Phantasm, maybe he was just Chess Piece after all.
Rook continued on walking while Rumia decide to float in her orb of darkness, probably thinking about the information she had just acquired. One thing was for sure was that she was going to warn the other youkai of this sister System of the Spellcard Rules.
"Human…" called Rumia's voice. Rook ignored her and walked on.
"Human," she called again only to receive the same treatment. Rook started to get annoyed, she had done this five times already can't she shut her mouth at the most inconvenient of times.
"YOU BLOODY PRICK, GET OUT OF THE WAY!" she screamed and suddenly, the ball of darkness in which she resided in knocked Rook off his feet into the bushes to his right. The human had enough time to notice a number of blue and red kunais soar past the area where he had been. Rumia's ball of darkness managed to move away just in time for the kunais to hit.
Rook's eyes immediately darted to the perpetrator and jumped to his feet. "Hong…"
Wasting no time, Rook ran after the retreating Gate Keeper.
"Damn it you daft bastard! Don't go after her alone!" shrieked Rumia as she regained control of her orb and tailed Rook from behind.
Rook didn't know where he was going; he didn't even notice the mist getting thicker and thicker. All he had in mind was following the shade of crimson hair and green clothes at the distance, running away from him. It didn't take him a few minutes to realize that he had lost her. All around him was a thick veil of scarlet. The surrounding trees and bushes gone. Not even the sky was visible through its sheer density.
Rook resisted the urge to smack himself upside the head. Hong probably led him to a trap, and judging from their previous encounter, he expected that things were going to get nasty. Taking a few steps forward to god-knows-where, Rook can hear his own footsteps against the rough ground. No wind, no sounds from the lake. If Hong was here then that could mean that he was near the mansion.
A soft tap to his left, followed by the rush of wind. Rook ducked and watched as a blur of white sailed pass his head. Another tap was followed by the next blur of white; Rook brought his arms up to block the attack. That's when he remembered he didn't activate his ability.
CRACK
Rook felt the bone on his right arm shatter as it collided with Hong's ferocious kick. Rook was sent back a couple feet before he regained his bearings, just to see Hong sprint towards him and jump. The Gate Guard twisted in mid-air and delivered a three hundred sixty degree kick. Rook took a step back to avoid getting hit, however the force of Hong's kick seemed to have enough power to scatter the mist around them. Soon the background came into view and the Scarlet Mansion loomed in the distance.
Before Rook stood Hong Meiling, Gate Guard of the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
The human eyed the Gate Guard cautiously before saying, "A little impatient aren't you? You know that I was going to pass the front gate one way or another."
"What's the use of waiting when we can fight now? I've waited a long time for this," replied Hong, her eyes filled with hate.
"Look, five years isn't really that long for youkai standards and—"
"WELL IT IS FOR ME!"
The ground shook as Hong stomped her foot on the ground. The soil cracked under the brute force applied to it while Rook took a step back while holding his broken arm. Speaking in his calmest voice, he then said, "Hong, I can explain, but I would have to ask you to calm down."
"Hmph, Lady Patchouli warned of your words. I'm sorry to tell you but you won't be able to worm yourself out of this one," Hong then adopted a defensive stance, "This time and like last time, we talk with our fists!"
Heh, so thinking ahead, Magician? Not bad ,but that won't stop me from tearing down your door, thought Rook but out loud he said, "I don't know what Patchouli told you but please, at least give me a chance to explain myself. There's no need for senseless violence. I just want to speak with your employer peacefully. Things don't have to end like last time."
"Like hell I will," snorted Hong, her eyes narrowed at the human before her, "This time, I'll make sure that you will not pass!"
As much as I want to say 'so be it' I can't. Fighting her in my state is suicide and if her emotions are in check unlike last time, then things will be as twice as hard, thought Rook, I can't use my last move on her since, but maybe if I can get a bit creative….
"Fine then, but at least allow me to ask a couple of questions," it wasn't an order, more like a request. Rook felt stupid for running off like that, leaving Rumia behind. Her help would certainly increase his chances of winning while dealing as little damage as possible to Hong. If the Gate Guard has been following him around since he got here, then Rumia's presence won't be a surprise any longer and any gesture that tips her off that he was stalling, then it was all over and the fight will begin. Nevertheless, he would've brought the Youkai of the Evening Shade enough time to find him. And the sounds of explosions and yelling would definitely catch her sight.
Hong appeared to be confused for a moment before setting her expression back to its usual stern one. "Final words in the form of measly questions? I don't have all night, but I will honor your dying wish, warrior. What is it that you want to ask?"
All throughout her reply, the Gate Guard never loosened her stance. Her muscles tensed as if ready to pounce at any given moment. Her hands were balled into fists while her feet were firmly planted on the ground. She was person ready to kill its pray by tearing it limb by limb.
Rook winced at the pain of his broken arm and slowly took a shaky breath. He felt like a huge burden was taken off his shoulders. He pushed his luck and allowed a moment to pass before setting his face straight. His gray eyes meeting with the scarlet haired woman's own for a split second before asking, "These past few years after our previous encounter, a few days after our battle, have you experienced any strange things around you? Visions or dreams that seem too coherently realistic to be a simple 'dream'?"
If this were a normal encounter with a passerby, Hong's face would have shown a surprised look, however, this situation was anything but a simple conversation. The Gate Keeper set her jaw straight and answered coldly, "Yes and the strangest thing is that you were in them."
Bingo, mirrored his mind while Rook said out loud, "Okay then, next question. What did you see in them?"
This time, Hong took a few seconds to formulate a reply. She seemed to be having trouble on what to say and her eyes had shown an internal conflict occurring within her. Finally, she tore her gaze from elsewhere and glare directly at the human in front of her. "I saw you, and… The Mistresses, both of them. I was with them too, though I didn't see Sakuya with us, we were happy." She frowned, "I've never realized that the Mistress would be able to make such an expression. To smile… And the Younger Mistress too, to see her outside her room, to see her smiling while she sits by the fire place and you tell her a story feels so... so… Infuriating…"
Hong raised a finger towards Rook, "You knew us, and we knew you. The strangest thing is that we don't remember anything. Lady Patchouli explained that it was only a spell that you casted upon us to make us believe what you want us to believe."
"Actually it's the other way around," said Rook, yet seeing Hong's eyes smolder kept him in place.
"So you say that our Librarian is lying, and that you are telling the truth?" asked the Gate Keeper with her teeth bared.
"I can't say for sure, what does your heart tell you? What does your mind tell you? In short, what do you think? A Youkai like you isn't so easily deceive, Hong Meiling. You know deep inside of you what the truth is and what it looks like," Rook had a sharp edge in his voice as he spoke. Speaking every syllable as if to crack some kind of Barrier that kept him away from Hong.
"Your name is Rook… Lady Patchouli mentioned your name once," said Hong, her eyes narrowed.
"That I am, and I am flattered that the Magician still remembers me," answered Rook with a slight bow.
"Then prove to me who you say you are, asshole," was all Meiling said before drawing out a spellcard from her pocket and declaring it, "Star chi~ Earth-moving Star Bullets!"
Year: 2005
8:23 Post-meridian
Scarlet Devil Mansion, Gate, Gensokyo
Rook acted instinctively and dived wildly in order to dodge the mammoth sized bullet of pure energy. To his unfortunate luck, he landed on his right, pushing far more weight than he intended to his broken arm as he landed. Growling in pain, Rook ducked for cover behind the thick trunk of an oak. Rook was about to call out to her to stop when he heard the Gate Keeper yell once more.
"Flower sign~ Gorgeous Sweet Flower!" roared Hong.
The next thing Rook knew was that the tree he was hiding on was being assaulted by wave after wave of red and yellow crystals. It was impossible to communicate with the Gate Guard using reason in this battle. She was determined on defeating him and leaving him dead. She seemed to have lost sight of him if she has resorted to a spellcard that fired at every angle.
Rook winced at the pain of his broken arm. He was about to heal it with his standard spell but thought against it. Instead, he unzipped his belt bag and took out a tiny glass vial filled with green liquid. Bottoms up, he thought before downing the liquid in a single gulp.
The Earth's Blood effects were instantaneous. A warm soothing sensation washed over his right arm and soon numbed the pain. Rook felt a surge of energy course through him, reinvigorating his tired nerves. He felt refreshed as if he had just got a good night's sleep.
A crystal shard brought him back to reality as it nearly hit him. I can't waste time, he thought before experimentally flexing his arms and twisting his wrist. He glanced over his shoulder and found that Hong's spellcard was still active. Good. It will give him time to set up; just a few seconds will be enough.
While that spellcard is still active, Hong's movements were limited which is why she hasn't stomped her way to his hiding place yet. Rook had the choice of charging at her while she's in a bind, or wait till her spellcard times out. The question is which one will prove wiser?
Rook willed his electricity to flow across his hands while his eyes sparked for a split second.
The human burst from behind the tree and began his hard journey through the dense curtain of bullets. Rook saw that Hong was still on the ground, meaning that he and his opponent were leveled since she didn't take the initiative of flying yet. This way, he would be able to locate gaps and take in the pattern at the same time. Rook ducked and then moved quickly to his right, leaning to the left as he switched directions. The human made quick work of his feet as he weaved through the patterns like The Shrine maiden or the Witch would do while in the air.
10…
9…
8…
The bullets were fast, yet Rook's senses were faster. The thought of dodging everything hell threw at him repeated within his mind as if it was programmed in his brain. With every step, he released a puff of air from his lungs. He had to last just for a few more seconds and then it will be all over.
7…
6…
5…
Just a little more, he thought as a bullet flew past his ear. The feeling of almost getting hit made his heart skip a beat. Rook found the sensation of the battle exhilarating, working every part of your body to abide your will while at the same time keeping your mind focused to process the incoming bullet's speed and distance. The trick to dodging spell patterns was to have coordination, for without it, you were good as dead the moment the duel began.
3…
The human's eyes gleamed as he saw his path give way. He then broke into a sprint.
2…
He leapt over a cluster of yellow bullets that were supposed to hit his legs before aiming his arm directly on the ground. Rook released a lightning bolt below him, the recoil giving him enough momentum to rise a few feet into the air.
1…
SPELLBREAK!
The yellow and red crystal Danmaku all came to a halt as they crumbled into blood red rubies. Hong watched as the card within her hand disappeared and all of her bullets to waste away while the still air-born human aimed his palm at her and-
BOOM!
Rook landed on a roll before standing straight up again. All around him rubies fell as remnants from Hong's broken spellcard. Apparently, whenever Spellcards were activated, there would be a timer in which the spell was allowed to remain active. Should the timer reach zero, the card will vanish, no exceptions. Judging from Hong's surprised look she was unaware of this. Rook made a mental note to thank Yukari for debriefing him before hand, even though the debriefing was well over three years ago. Well maybe it was just dumb luck that this 'bullshit' plan worked; at least he landed a hit.
He can hear Hong's ragged breathing despite the distance between them. It was only now that he saw her clearly for the first time since he run into her that evening. Hong had actually gotten herself a new set of clothes though not actually that different from her usual attire, or at least the outfit Rook saw her in during their previous encounter.
Her dark green dress was decorated with what looked like golden dragons embroidered into the fabric. Two long braids on either side of her face hung as Hong dipped her head low. On this occasion, Hong didn't have her usual Green Beret cap, but instead replaced it with a more traditional Chinese head wear similar to her cap. Like her clothes this also appeared to be dark green, and the golden five pointed star pinned on it seemed to shine in the faint moonlight.
The Gate Keeper gritted her teeth before deliberately raising her head. Rook frowned as he saw that the Gate Keeper's eyes have lost their usual aqua blue color and was replaced by fiery scarlet, the same color of her long flowing hair.
Now this is something new, thought Rook before adopting a simple stance by raising his fists before him.
Hong licked her lips as she snarled at Rook with spite, "Chi sign ~ Fierce Tiger Energy Release…."
At her word, a spellcard released an ominous rainbow glow from deep within Hong's pocket. Soon, it seemed like Hong's body was actually producing its own light when in reality it was her Qi that allowed her to shine. At every second a different color coursed through the gate Guard's body, blue, violet, indigo, green, yellow orange, and red which made her look like a human rainbow. An angry 'human' rainbow. Something told Rook that this was going to hurt.
"I'm going to tear you into pieces and scatter your body parts all over the island!" roared Hong, giving Rook a display of her sharp canines. Her rage was so strong that her aura was affecting the human in front of her. Rook felt something wild and primal awaken within him. He wanted to fight her yet his mind told him that he shouldn't. It was like he was possessed by a creature that had great love for the rush of the battle and yearning for a stronger opponent. Everything within him screamed that he should fight her, that it will be… Fun.
Rook shook his head and gathered his wits. He was only to attack to defend himself, which would mean that this will be a good time for that move. Rook inhaled a shaky breath as he muttered two familiar words "Checkmate"
The human spread his arms behind him as he released large amounts of electricity out of his palms while breaking into a run the next moment. With his increased speed, Rook only took a few moments before he was right in front of Hong. The Gate Keeper didn't seem to be surprised, and raised her arms in defense as the Human drew his fist back. What Hong expected to be a punch turned out to be a feint for a kick to her legs.
Hong leapt moments before impact and replied with a kick of her own while in mid-jump. Rook blocked the attack by raising his arms while Hong used her momentum to bounce away. Rook pressed on the offense with a kick and a hook; however both attacks were easily blocked by Hong's forearms. Hong pushed him away with a kick to the gut, causing Rook to grunt before grabbing the offending foot. Rook pushed the Gate Keeper's foot upwards with deliberate force, causing her to lose balance and fall flat on her back.
Pushing her arms behind her, Hong jumped and landed on her feet before sending a volley of jabs and hooks at the Human. Rook responded by blocking every single one of them save for the few that got past and hit him, however even if he was hit, his constant blocking will prevent Hong from pulling any more combos. After a jab, an uppercut, and a backhand, Hong twisted to her left and sent her right leg for a high kick.
Rook ducked and jabbed, only for his fist to meet with Hong palm.
Hong realized her mistake a second too late when Rook forced eight hundred volts of electricity into her. Hong resisted the urge to scream, the unstable energy rushed within her very own veins like thorns sprouting in her blood vessels. It was so painful that her nerves almost went numb. However Hong's will dominated, she grabbed Rook by his collar and threw him. She watched as Rook rolled on the dirt for a second before stopping in a crouch.
Rook didn't seem to be troubled by this and charge at her once again.
He had to win this while causing as little damage as he can. He can't just let Hong be hurt because she was doing her job. True that she wanted to kill him, but maiming her will be unnecessary. All he had to do was get past her, how hard would that be?
Rook charged at Hong once more and pushed himself off the ground. The Human leapt over the Gate Keeper's height, avoiding a kick that Hong sent from below. His jump was short lived as someone grabbed him by his ankle, and the next thing he knew was flying again and hitting the dirt hard.
"My turn…" whispered Hong while dashing towards the recovering Human.
Rook's instincts took over and side stepped Hong's high kick with ease. Ducking low as Hong attempted to catch him with her between the pit of her leg. Rook used the Gate Keeper's surprised reaction to send a palm that connected with her jaw. A shock was sent all over Hong's body as she felt her chin go numb. The Gate Keeper forced herself to regain her balance while at the same time redirecting Rook's second counter. The Human saw this and jabbed at Hong's belly only to be blocked by her right hand and receive a painful blow to the ribs courtesy of her right knee.
The two broke contact and dashed away from each other.
She's pissed alright, decided Rook. He reached for his gun holster and drew his Sleeper Gun. Nighty night, China.
BANG
BANG
BANG
BANG
BANG
Hong didn't even flinch as she got shot, if she had any familiarity with the weapon the Human was firing, she gave no indication of it except for an audible snarl. Green darts made direct hits to her arms, hand, neck, stomach, collar, and even her head. Yet her eyes remained alive and burning while her body continued its slow, threatening steps towards Rook. He then realized that he had already spent all of his shots and quickly opened his belt bag for a reload. Slapping the magazine into place, Rook pulled the slide in one deliberate movement before continuing his assault.
He aimed for her head and quickly came to a halt. Rook stared at Hong with narrowed eyes as she bared her teeth with a bright green dart between them. A moment later she spat the bullet out of her mouth and advanced forward. This is going nowhere, and fast…
Where is he? Where is he? Dammit, I shouldn't have waited for him to come back! The insufferable fool!
Rumia had her arms outstretched on either side of her as she zipped from tree to tree. Having lost Rook in the thick scarlet fog all because he saw someone he knew, Rumia was now doing a teeth gritted search for any signs of the human. As she searched, Rumia was currently experiencing an internal debate within her mind. One side of her told her that this was stupid and that it wasn't worth her time, that she could always leave him for dead because of all the torment he has done to her.
Another side of her told her that the Human was somehow an important person if she were to look carefully at his stories. Yakumo, Hakurei, the Outside World, his existence was somehow significant enough to have come in contact with those names and world. So if she were to somehow help him, then she will be living the Youkai dream of fame, fortune, and food. And if the Luck Fairy happened to be in a bad mood after what she had done to Daiyousei, then the worst case scenario was that the Hakurei will be after her, and that's the last thing that she wanted.
After pushing a thick dark green shrub out of her way, Rumia had the entire lake spread before her. Bloody hell, I'm going the wrong way. Of all the effing times my idiocy has to act up! I-
At that moment, the Youkai of the Evening Shade had noticed a couple of things. One was the smell of her Human companion's scent had reached her sensitive nose. In the presence of the lake's silence, she can hear the distinct noise of loud banging at the distance in what seemed to be the very heart of the island. With her senses, she would be able to locate him just by using the sounds and his scent. It seemed like he was fighting, no surprises there.
The second thing was that someone had snuck up behind her. Rumia whirled around to see a woman in a dark dress and hooded robe. All she saw was the woman's lips while the rest of her face was obscured by her dark brown hood. The woman muttered a few words and Rumia suddenly froze.
"I… see… What do you want in return?" asked the Darkness Youkai, her eyes narrowed and her brows knitted together.
The woman said nothing and knelt down, placing a bundle of cloth on the ground. Rumia hovered closer to the object and lifted it from the ground with her left hand. She studied it with both suspicion and curiosity when something fell from the cloth. It was card. When Rumia picked it up, her eyes widened at the words written.
North East at the gate…
Rumia flipped the card over and identified the card as one of those that she always played with Cirno.
Queen of Hearts.
Rook was having a bad time. From his gun assault, the battle reverted back to hand to hand combat with both fighters in equal footing. While Hong's attacks were more practiced and organized, she didn't get any chances of landing a hit. Same with Rook, only which his attacks were not as practiced and had no definite pattern. His defense however was commendable since he managed to pull Hong into a headlock a couple times before being thrown off.
Hong side stepped on Rook's intended jab to her face. But instead of grabbing hold of the outstretched arm, Rook was stunned to see Hong chomp down on his wrist and heaving him off his feet with the strength of her mouth alone. Rook's back crashed against the brick wall at the side of the Scarlet Devil Mansion's gate. To Hong's annoyance, Rook stood up and shrugged off the pain on his left wrist while charging once more.
Hong licked her lips of Rook's blood and waited. Rook swung one crackling fist which was met by a forearm burning with light blue light. Hong countered with a hook of her own, yet the Human was too fast as he ducked, causing her to miss. Rook grabbed her with both of his arms and secured her hands. What seemed to be a strategy to hold an enemy down backfired when Hong pulled her head backwards and leaned forward. Her skull crashed against Rook's, his grip on her hand loosening; she grabbed his right arm and twisted it. Pushing the Human's arm against his back, she sends him to meet the floor. Hard.
She restrained him like a police officer would do to a criminal in the Outside World.
"Time to end this!" she roars, lifting a fist filled with blue aura.
For some reason, Rook laid perfectly still. Hong came to realize this a few seconds too late as something big, black, and incredibly hard threw her off her prey. Her arms placed at her side as she gritted her teeth, Hong's anger seemed to increase at the outside interference. She saw that the newcomer was nothing more than a child. Dressed in a black skirt and a black dress, the girl gazed at her with unimpressed eyes. Now who did this kid think she was?
What caught her attention were the girl's blonde hair and the bundle of cloth that she had in her grasp. She watched as the girl turned to Rook's prone position and give him an experimental kick.
"Get up you pathetic sack of meat," said the girl without mercy. "Leaving me in the middle of the mist like that, are you out of your bloody mind, old bean?! How rude of you, this is unacceptable! Look here mate, if you don't get your poor excuse of a face from that soil right now, I will turn into your personal nightmare! Now get UP you confounded prat!"
Rook kept silent, yet rose to his knee nevertheless. He just looked annoyed. After all of the things Hong put him through?
"Here," Rumia shoved the bundle of cloth into Rook's hands while the Human stared at her suspiciously. "Take it and throw it on the ground if you're in big trouble. I think it'll help you."
"What the heck is this?" asked Rook with an eyebrow raised, "And why should I trust you?"
"Because I'm the only one who can help your mortal ass out of here," replied Rumia before stretching her arms on either side of her. "Now cooperate and tell me what to do!"
"You're helping me?"
"Gods, no! I'm going to sabotage this fight and kill you!" said Rumia in a mocking girlish voice before she snapped, "Of course I'm helping you, now hurry and fight!"
At the distance, Hong was already making her move as she sprinted across the ground at high speed. Rook grunted as he stood up and went out to meet her. Suddenly everything became pitch black; it was like someone has closed the curtains on Rook's surroundings. The nasty little- Rook's thoughts were cut short as he saw colors erupt from the ground of the void. The colors were bright and many, it was like they were footsteps headed towards him… Footsteps.
The ground shook and erupted in a bright light of yellow. In the darkness, someone pushed Rook to the side and he immediately plants his right foot behind him for support. In front of him, the Human felt a light blast of wind past by.
It may not improve your mood, but I got your back, old bean, said a disembodied voice.
Rook didn't respond with anything but a nod. He can hear someone's breathing in front of him; Rook presumed that it was Hong's because of the lights. Another push and Rook avoided another deadly blow. He didn't know what Hong was using to hit him, but he could tell that one wrong move and he was dead. A pale blue fire shined before Rook yet refused to give light to anything. His instinct acting once more, Rook waited for the right time for the flame to come at him, all before redirecting the attack to the spot above his shoulder.
"Attack sign~ Roc Killing fist!" roared Hong as everything came to view, and the darkness disappear.
Hong seemed to be surprised that she hit nothing but thin air. Judging by the look on her face, she too experienced that world of darkness not a few moments ago. But it seemed like she had the wrong end of the stick because she was full of scratches and cuts that weren't there before the shadows came. Rook gazed deep into her scarlet eyes before kicking her in the gut, sending her away. Hong grunted and didn't have enough time to recover before Rook sent another kick to her arms blocking her chest, causing her to back up a couple of feet.
The Human spread his fingers and blue electricity crackled along his hands. A few second later, he shot his lightning bolts at the Gate Keeper. Hong had to raise her arms to shield her face. Soon the nerve numbing sensation was replaced by stinging pain, only to realize that she was being assaulted by Rumia's Danmaku once more.
The Darkness Youkai had a wide grin on her face while she declared her Spellcard, "Darkness sign~ Demarcation!"
The Spellcard and Danmaku kept the Gate Keeper in place, long enough for Rook to close in. Once she saw that the Human was nearing the opponent, Rumia cut off her Spellcard. Hong watched as Rook burst from the dust and smoke to attack. She stepped back a pace to avoid a kick before responding with a jab, only to block his hook. Before Rook could even think of electrocuting her with his fist in her palm, Hong threw him into the dirt and declared her own Spellcard at Rumia, "Chi sign~ Star Bullets!"
Rumia yelped as she got out of a big blue ball's way, only to be hit with another. The Youkai of Darkness fell to the ground like a dead fly.
Hong turned her attention back to Rook and pounded his skull with her palm. When she was satisfied, she kicked off the ground and launched herself into the air. Her hands glowing with rainbow energy, Hong sent balls of Qi from her body that broke into clusters of tenths, turning to hundreds. The wave of death crashed directly on the rising Rook's back, giving him a full feeling of unholy punishment.
"Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! DIE!" screamed Hong in her rage driven onslaught. A few more explosions and Hong came to a halt, breathing hard from the amount of force exerted. This power… I'm unbelievably stronger than how I used to be. So this is the power of magic? Lady Patchouli was right, I did become stronger! I actually beat someone who I lost to!
Hong's face was grim, yet she was somehow impressed on the power-up she received from the Librarian. "With this, I can protect this household form the likes of you…"
The Gate Keeper landed lightly on the ground, just a few paces from the gate. The dent Rook had made earlier was still there, yet Hong didn't care. It was over, he was dead, she killed him and he'll never come back. Never… come back…
Hey China!
Hong whirled around to see who had spoken.
Heh, you like that nickname don't you?
A pain exploded within Hong's temple, her knees buckled and she went down kneeling. Her breathing was shallow, and her eyes felt warm. The next thing she knew was that the dirt covered ground was disappearing and was replaced by gibberish, gray ripples.
Hong cursed herself for breaking down now as she did last time. She almost felt herself be consumed by her blind rage, a primal force waiting to burst from her chest. However the blazing fires that fueled her anger suddenly grew smaller and smaller. Suddenly, anger was replaced by sadness, hate traded for loneliness, and rage exchanged for yearning.
In the midst of the gray ripples invading her eyes, a silhouette formed in front of her.
Come on now, be strong! You can't go off crying just by getting hit once.
Rook leave her be, let her wallow herself in her failure. If you keep smothering her then she'll ever learn anything! And you! This is unbecoming of a guard, how do you expect protecting my sister like that?
Remilia, cut her some slack, it's her first try and she's still recovering. Though I have to admit, she's full of surprises, did you see how hard that punch was supposed to be?
A shame that it failed, though.
Remilia… You're being insensitive.
Tell that to yourself! And I'm only being practical here; I can't have an incompetent guard.
"I'm sorry Mistress, please forgive me…" whispered Hong. Her cheeks felt a warm trail travel its way down her chin.
The silhouette grew as if it was right in front of Hong. The Gate Keeper slowly made out its features.
*sigh* Sorry 'bout that. Waking up just to see your progress with high expectations has gotten to her nerves. But you know what? Don't listen to her, she's always like that. And I know that you don't like her, but she'll warm up to you eventually. Remilia has a funny way of expressing her feelings. You know she wasn't usually like that.
"Why is she so mean? I tried my best to make her proud and yet…"
Well, time will tell. Until then we have to practice. Remember, even if you've reached the highest point that you can reach, never stop training. We're a family now, and members look out on each other, always watching one another's backs. You have to be strong if you want to protect those close to you, okay?
"I… Is this real?"
The silhouette formed into an image of a blonde young man with a smile on his face. Behind him, snow fell and the landscape was covered in a thick blanket of white. At the edge of her vision sat Remilia, munching on what looked like a piece of bread.
Hong's mind was reeling in. This… This was the same person that she was beating up earlier. This was the same person that she fought and won over. This person that she almost killed. Oh gods. Hong cringed and clutched her head. It was too much. Too much information, memories flowing in, barriers breaking, and everything finally making sense. It was impossible, it couldn't be…Him.
Piecing the puzzle and destroying it, before piecing it together again formed the same answer. Then, Lady Patchouli's words were… All lies?
Hong felt like throwing up. He was telling the truth. Even if most of her memories are still vague and obscured by blurs, she did know him. In fact, she travelled with this man named Rook. And even though she won't listen, even though she can kill him, he still made an attempt to convince her.
Even if he got beaten up in the process.
Hong's vision blurred and Rook's smiling image disappeared. The memory had ended and she was back in the forest, right in front of a kneeling Rook opposite of her. He looked like as if he had come across a warzone, though stating such a thing wasn't far from the truth. All around them were holes, dented trees, and newly formed craters. Nevertheless, the Human was still alive and intact, even his clothes were still stitched together bearing now holes or cuts in them.
Rook himself however, wasn't much lucky. Blood dripped from his left nostril while he sported a shallow cut on his left cheek. His right arm was placed on Hong's shoulder while his left hung limply as if dead at his side.
"You little bundle of joy," said Rook while closing his eyes with a smile on his lips, "You never fail to surprise me."
He shakes his head while glancing over his shoulder. "Oh goody, rough day, Rumia?"
"You… You…" began the girl dressed in black, looking absolutely furious. With a sigh, Rumia dismisses her anger, "You definitely owe me for this. Big time."
Rook turned his attention back at the staring Hong, apparently too weak to stand after fragments of her memories returned. She allowed a couple seconds of silence before speaking, "I'm… sorry…"
The duo had mixed reactions, however Rumia's proved to be the loudest, "AFTER THE HELL YOU PUT US THROUGH AND THE BLOODY THING YOU SAY IS—"
"Rumia, stand down or I'll shove a village's worth of energy down your throat. Take it out again before shoving it back in," snapped Rook who was focused on Hong. To Hong he said, "Not your fault and I understand how you feel. You don't have to apologize."
"I… Please…" whispered Hong, as if choking in her words. Swallowing, the Gate Keeper finished her sentence, "Please kill me…"
Rook merely raised an eyebrow at this however Rumia decided to take the moment to add a side comment, "Suicide? Seppuku? Well, I must admit, I am starting to like this girl more and more."
"Rumia, you're not helping," Rook muttered coldly, giving the Darkness Youkai a cold glare.
"Heh, well as much as I can understand here, I think she's trying to be noble here, old bean. If I were you, I'd respect her wishes," said Rumia, "A warrior that has lost has nothing left to them except to claim their own life. Would you want her to live on in shame, or would you kill her and end her suffering?"
"I think this is stupid," Rook said as bluntly as he could. "It's a waste of good life and potential. This isn't really necessary."
"But I—"Hong gritted her teeth and shouted, "BUT I ALMOST KILLED YOU! DON'T YOU HATE ME FOR IT?! I SAID I HATE YOU, I TOLD YOU TO DIE! HOW CAN YOU LET ME OFF SO EASILY?"
"Um, human. Is it me or does she have a mark of a masochist?" asked Rumia to Rook's ear.
The Human ignored this and said, "How? Because I want to. Does it really need more reason more than that? Well if you want more, it's because you're Hong. Hong Meiling, the Gate Guard/Keeper or whatever. You were only doing your job; it wasn't really anything personal, wasn't it?"
Hong merely looked at the ground, sitting perfectly still.
"Good to have you back, China," said Rook, giving Hong a warm smile.
"Mister Rook, I—" Hong was cut short as she fell backwards, unconscious. Rook stared wide eyed at Rumia who had her hand raised in a chop.
"What in the seven hells did you do that for?!"
"Too fluffy, and that smile of yours is making me sick. It really isn't my cup of tea," sniffed Rumia, giving the Gate Guard an experimental kick. "Look, I'm doing you a huge favor here, and I'm expecting you to pay up with whatever you have once this incident's done and gone, but you're already wasting a lot of time and energy! Get your bloody ass out of—Bollocks!"
Hong started to stir but Rumia took care of her by sending a heel to her head, knocking her out.
"Go! Into the gate! And remember to use that thing I gave you!" Rumia grabbed the Human by his arm and dragged him before the iron gates. The Scarlet Devil Mansion loomed just up ahead across the wide lawn. "Go and get this incident over with, I'll take care of your girly here."
"This is… somehow bizarrely uncharacteristic of you," admitted Rook as he unzipped his belt bag and take out a vial with blue green water within it. Rook uncorked it, and Rumia watched him drink it in a single gulp.
"Yes, I know. Now go! You can't waste anymore time!"
Rook nodded and with a single powerful kick, opened the iron gates. Without a single glance at the carnivorous youkai behind him, Rook ran towards the mansion.
Arriving at the front door, Rook felt strange as if he was coming back home after a long day from work. Well, true enough that this was once his home in the past, but he wasn't certainly coming back from work. The mahogany made doors were spread open as thick tendrils of red mist poured out of the mansion's entrance.
After his encounter with Hong, he must have been feeling battle fatigue because he couldn't think straight. There was also the problem of the Price acting up for using his ability; getting held back by something like that would only cause him his life.
However, among the things that was on his mind, his hand reached for the bundle of cloth given to him by Rumia. He unzipped his belt bag and took the bundle from its depths. Before he could open it a card fell on the floor. It was a Queen of Hearts.
Rook's eyebrows rose, now this was something he hadn't been expecting. At the back of the card a message holding the location of the mansion's gate was written. It seems like Santa's little helper was lurking around. He could investigate this further later, but now Remilia was the main problem, and maybe even the Magician.
Taking a deep breath of air, Rook stepped inside the mansion.
He immediately caught site of the staircase the opposite of the front door, a red carpet leading all the way up to the second floor complimented well with the checkered tiles. It was strange to see that the mansion itself was free of any stray mist while from the outside it seemed like the mist was being released by the mansion itself.
Stranger enough, the mansion was empty. He expected to be assaulted by an army of fairies at least yet nothing came to meet him. At least that was what he thought. Everything became wobbly all of a sudden, and Rook's vision seemed to be failing him. Pain exploded upon his left side, followed by another murderously painful sensation at the back of his left shoulder.
Rook felt dizzy, he stumbled backwards a bit before falling on all fours on the red carpet. His breathing was shallow, and it didn't help him when he saw that the carpet was soaked. Soaked in his own blood. Rook grabbed blindly at his belt bag and carelessly unzipped it. The burning sensation was still upon him, causing his hands to fumble and shake. The contents of his inventory spilled on the floor.
Rook watched as a maid with silver hair and red eyes kick him on the head, knocking him out cold.
Death…
Continue: 4?
{Y}/N
Nicolas Notes:
Alright Rook, use that memory hack again and getting stabbed by knives to death is the only thing that's going to happen. That's the second death we get for the entire fic, hell, there's gonna be a more. Plotwise we're going at a steady pace though expect a couple of faces to appear out of the horizon, one especially experimental and could earn me a few questions from you guys... And probably a hell lot of raised eyebrows.
So yes, I haven't announced this a while back since chapter 4 but we're in the AU territory since then as if it wasn't obvious enough, heh. And my thoughts on this chapter? The first parts and the China fight were enjoyable, and I really liked angry Meiling but then again when she was going to win, poof, memory jacked. But then again Rook took the chance, and Hong's memories are more or less back in gear.
There may be spoilers from that part on how Hong met with the others but I'll leave it for next time. Apparently I'm leaving out a hell lot of spoilers scattered around the chapters awhile back. Can you find them all? And references, I made 'em subtle, try finding them too.
And still no one guessed where Patchouli, Chen, and Meiling got their costumes?!
But I digress, lots of things are going to happen but they're going to happen slowly. This chapter wasn't pre-read seeing as how Wolf well... Had some things to do. Though the guy still did a good job on the previous chapters.
I apologize for hurting your eyes with the mistakes.
Now, I don't usually use swear words in my fics, but when I do, either the character's are very angry or I'm going crazy again.
Update's are gonna be slow due to school and other fics dragging me down, don't look at me like that. Anyway thanks for reading, you can tell me your thoughts and views, I'll gladly answer a question or two.
Leave a review since they are treated as treasures! So yes, that's about it.
See ya~!