The fox lady turned around, apparently oblivious to the hole in her head.

"Come out now. I'm ready to talk."

The only answer she got was another bullet hitting her back. She turned once more and repeated herself.

"Come out, would you kindly?"

This time, there was two gunshots, and Ran's knees exploded. The woman fell on her back, her legs being torn and twisted beyond recognition. A human would have been dead with the first short, but the youkai took the gruesome wounds as if they were nothing but minor rudeness.

"I can do this all day, you know? You'll run out of ammo before I'm dead."

While talking, the fox was focusing her power to find out where the shooters were. She could feel someone being around, but each time she turned her head, the person seemingly moved to another location. And that quick movement worried the kitsune. Even if it was magic, she would have been able to follow the faint, to trace the position to the destination from the starting point. But in this case, it wasn't teleportation, it wasn't a fly. The person shooting her was just moving from one point to another, without exactly moving.

It was an unpleasant feeling. Like trying to find a lone thread on a curtain, with the thread evading your fingers as if it was some kind of snake. And while Ran was trying to pinpoint and identify the snake, her body was constantly fired at, bullets tearing her arms, digging holes in her chest, breaking the bones, until the body finally gave up and died.

Ran Yakumo stared at the paper. At first, it looked like a human silhouette, and now, it was filled with holes. The fox couldn't say what bothered her the most : the fact that her "body" has been destroyed, or the fact that her magical paper has two holes in the head, two in the arms, two in the legs, and three in the chest.

To put it in simpler words, it wasn't random shooting with a weapon bought from a convenience store. It was a deliberate attack, with a powerful weapon. Maybe even a magical weapon. No, it was certainly a magical weapon, because if it was the case, it would explain why the shooter was impossible to trace.

Holding the useless paper between her index and middle finger, Ran set it on fire with a simple spell. Far away, on the road leading to the village, her false body was burning, leaving no proof behind. It has been a brilliant idea of her to send a decoy rather than going herself. A youkai fighting a human so close to the village would have been a disaster. Even if she has been provoked first. And sacrificing a body was worth it, given the important informations she got on her unknown opponent.

Dropping the burning paper on the floor, the fox lady walked outside, greeting the snow with a sigh. Even through she just waited to be killed, keeping her false body functioning has been tiresome. Besides, she needed a change of scene to think. Burrowing her head in the snow, Ran started thinking.

First of all, the village. Uncooperative, but not hostile. It was always the case when an accident happened. Before soon, they would be friendly to her again. In that case, no action was required from her. Second, the outsiders. She was sure she saw a few new faces in the crowd. Best case, they just blended in. Worst case, they were already considered as part of the village, which could lead the whole village to react aggressively if one of them was singled out. In that case, further observation was required to determine the next step. Third, the attack. It happened outside the village, so it wasn't a villager. The attacker was single, therefore it wasn't an outsider. And finally, her body was destroyed, so either it wasn't a human, or it was using a magical weapon. But it wasn't a youkai either, she had trouble tracing it, but its smell was undoubtedly human. The conclusion was simple yet menacing. The outsiders entered in Gensokyo on purpose, probably obeying to a human wizard. Or a human with a magical weapon. Said person has been in Gensokyo for a while, enough to know where to attack, and when "Ran" would be most vulnerable.

Ran took her head out of the snow, and sighed again. Even through she learned a lot of things, her mission was still a failure, as the outsiders were already installed in the village. And if that wasn't enough, they were also more dangerous than expected. Her mistress definitely would not be amused. Her last hope to avoid a punishment was Chen. If her own servant could bring good results, she would be able to avoid Yukari's wrath. Of course, the old lady would know that the cat did the good job and that Ran failed her mission, but at least she wouldn't punish Ran.

"Do a good job, Chen."

Meanwhile, Chen was knee-deep into trouble. Using her own servants, she managed to find the lone youkai her master talked about, near the Scarlet Devil Mansion, and tailgate said youkai all the way to the Bamboo Forest of the Lost without showing herself, by using her cats. So far so good. Until the cats stopped communicating with her, and started fighting each other.

She decided to butt in and calm everyone, but the second the cats saw her, they all attacked her. The whole thing turned into a full battle, with Chen using her powers to stun the crazy cats and knock them unconscious. And of course, while she was fighting her own servants, the youkai disappeared, leaving Chen with a failed mission and no lead to the lone youkai's whereabouts.

The report left Ran Yakumo pensive. And also extremely irritated. So, when she heard Yukari Yakumo's voice calling for her from the Hakurei shrine, the fox lady was extremely nervous.

Yukari seemed in a better mood than last time, courtesy of Reimu who recuperated from her wound faster than the youkai sage expected.

"Report, Ran."

The fox lady bowed deeply, out of respect, and also to hide her anguish.

"Failures, my lady. The outsiders were already in the village when I arrived, and Chen lost the trail of the unknown youkai." She shivered, expecting the venerable Yakumo to shout at her.

But if the Purple Queen shouted, it was out of shock rather than by anger. "They were already in the village? So they knew exactly where to go?"

"It seems it is the case, milady."

For a moment, Yukari was silent, while smoking a pipe pulled out of a gap. "They're just humans, hu? So there's someone behind them, pulling the strings, and being damn well informed about Gensokyo."

"It is what I supposed, milady." Said Ran, still looking at the floor.

"Mmm... You will check who had, or has, relations to the Outside World."

"Yes, milady."

"And you said Chen lost her trail? Care to enlighten me on that one?"

"Her report was confused, but it seems her... agents turned on her."

"They... turned on her?"

Ran finally raised her head to face her master. And what she saw was most uncommon, the Purple Sage was silent, with her mouth agape.

"Yes, milady, according to Chen, they started fighting each other, and when she arrived herself to resume the tailing, they attacked her."

After a while, Yukari closed her mouth, and started spinning her pipe between her fingers while moaning to herself.

"... manipulation of madness? But no, there's already someone like that here...unless it was some kind of possession..attacking each other is madness, attacking the same target isn't...maybe soul replacement, but Chen would have noticed it...a power like that doesn't ring any bell, so it's not someone I know...I wonder if the outsiders are victims of that power too...some kind of charm, a 'do-as-I-say'... that would explain why they would willingly come here...and why they would attack Reimu..."

"Milady?"

"Ran !" Yukari Yakumo stared at her servant, and talked in a commanding tone. "Send Chen to spy on the village. Have her write down everything that happens, and I insist, EVERYTHING. Meanwhile, summon a few servants to guard Mayohiga, and go to the shrine in that mountain, ask a few questions."

"But, m-"

"But? Did I heard a 'but'? Ran, I'm not giving you suggestions here. I'm giving you orders. You obey, or I'll suck you dry until you don't have a single tail left."

"N-No ! I mean, Chen lost the trail near the Bamboo Forest, maybe I can-"

"I wished you told me that earlier!" This time, Yukari Yakumo yelled at her servant. "Changing plan. Chen still keeps an eye on the human village, and you still summon servants to guard Mayohiga. Meanwhile, you go to the moonfolks' mansion, ask questions, but don't be too nosy. Last thing I want is them learning that something is out of control. Also, if you see that unknown youkai, do NOT engage it. In fact, don't even be in the same room than it. Don't let it see you, hear you, or even smell you. If that youkai meets with the moonfolks, I want you to report EXACTLY what will happen. Including all conversations, on all topics. Even stuff that seems stupid or trivial. And prepare some food for Chen, she can't trust her cat familiars, she'll have to do it herself."

And with that being said, Yukari dropped her pipe in a gap that just appeared, before turning her back to Ran and returning to the last Hakurei.