"Who was that girl?" Reimu asked the group as they quickened their pace up the staircase. Their wounds were still there, though healed thanks to a special medicine that Sakuya carried with her.
"I dunno..but she was pretty strong~ze."
"Her attacks were based on the Six Realms of Rebirth from Buddhism." Sakuya said. "So, she might be a religious person or just one to follow in a way of the laws of karma."
"...and how do you know this?" Marisa asked, sitting on her broom like always.
"Miss Patchouli has some very interesting books." the maid replied. A small smirk grew on Marisa's face.
"Anyway, we should be on guard still, she didn't get knocked out like the others did. She fled. She and Saigyouji might still be around, so just keep an eye out." Reimu said, looking around still. "What's with these damn stairs?" She asked.
Marisa shrugged. "I dunno...too many for my liking~ze" she said. "What was that thing following her anyway?"
"That..white blob?" Reimu said, thinking. "Looked like a ghost if you ask me."
Sakuya kept quiet in the discussion, spying the blob form before. "Reimu..Marisa..she's back." The three stopped as she said that and looked at Youmu stood on the stairs once more, her clothing still torn and body cut and bruised.
"What do you want?" Reimu asked, floating in the air, a palm over her needles.
"I will not let you harm Lady Saigyouji, even if it means my life. Now retreat." She said, drawing her swords.
Marisa laughed once more, hearing Sakuya sigh. "We destroyed you before! What makes this time different?" She asked, through the laughs.
"Six Realms Sign: Lunatic Ageless Obsession!" Youmu yelled, quickly dashing out of view. The sounds of cuts were heard tearing at the air, leaving deep space rends in the air around the three allies. Each slash was positioned around them to trap them. Youmu dashes back into sight beyond the cuts, her swords crossed over her face. She gently tapped the metal together, the slash marks pouring out danmaku arrows in every direction.
"This..sucks...~ze" Marisa said, quickly dodging the danmaku swarm.
"She took out all the stops." Sakuya said, grazing through the bullets.
"I will not let you harm Lady Saigyouji for as long as I can fight!" Youmu said, repeating her slashing motions, this time, the danmaku suddenly picking up speed.
"This is not fair!" Marisa yelled, getting nicked by the arrow danmaku.
"Shut up and dodge!" Reimu yelled, throwing a few of her special homing talismans in hopes to hit Youmu.
The silver haired warrior took the blows, tapping her blades to unleash another swarm. "I will not lose!" She yelled, doing another slash and tap motion.
"She just won't let up!" Marisa said, firing a few magic missiles at Youmu before, narrowly avoiding a danmaku to the face.
Sakuya took out her pocket watch, her eyes going red. "Private Time." She said, the bullets suddenly stopping, while Youmu still attempted her attacks. Those fired stopped too, then suddenly shatters in midair. "Now..." she said, seeing the silver haired swordswoman charge up for another attack. "Private Square!" The maid said, hurling her pocket watch past Youmu as she started her attack. "When she gets back into place..attack."
Marisa armed her hakkero, running low of her dried mushroom blocks. "Wait for it..." She muttered, seeing Reimu deploy a Duplex Barrier to protect herself, Marisa and Sakuya. Just as Youmu started to tap her swords, Sakuya's pocket watch shot back to it's owner, hitting Youmu on the back of the head and throwing her off balance. :Now Marisa!" Sakuya ordered, catching the pocket watch
"Master Spark!" She yelled, engulfing Youmu in the rainbow colored blast of energy. As the energy died down, Youmu was seen falling from the air, landing against the ground with a loud thud. She struggled to push herself up and off the ground, but from the previous battle, her arms gave out. She panted, Myon still floating around her. "Lady...Saigyouji...I'm sorry." She muttered.
"Jeez Marisa did you kill her?" Reimu snapped.
"She's alive. That ghost is a part of her. As long as one of the two are moving if the other is incapacitated, then their still alive." Sakuya said, hooking the watch onto the side of her apron. There was a chain with a small hook just for it.
"Yea..let's just keep going~ze." Marisa said, quickly taking off and over Youmu. Reimu followed close behind. Sakuya followed, lagging behind though. "Sorry.." She muttered as she flew over Youmu.
In the gardens of the Netherworld, Yuyuko stood still, looking at the tree. "Almost there...soon, you'll bloom and show me what is keeping you bound." She said, fanning herself off even in the dead of winter. "Youmu..thank you..you gave me all the time I needed." She said to herself, turning around and smirking under her fan as the three heroines. "Welcome...I see you fought past Youmu."
The three landed, all armed and ready. "Yes...we did..persistent girl you have." Reimu started. "Now, who are you and what are you doing with spring?" She asked.
"Isn't it simple?" the ghost said, out stretching her arms. "I need every drop of spring to bloom this mighty cherry blossom tree." She folded her fan and slid it down her kimono sleeve.
"What's so special about that tree anyway~ze?"
Yuyuko turned around. "This tree has a mighty power...anyone it wants shall die. It calls them to sleep under it's branches...then kills then in their sleep by robbing them of their souls." She said, proud of what she was about to do. "I...I am going to revive this never blooming tree so that I might see what has this powerful youkai's deadly ability sealed." She said, emitting a light, slightly insane giggle.
"You want to revive a deadly youkai?" Sakuya asked. "Reimu..Marisa.." she started, the two nodded.
"Don't act so high and mighty. I rule this land. If you were not here...you three would have been dead. I can kill any mortal..by simply wishing it. Being in the Netherworld is the equivalent of being dead. You are lucky...but that's it." Yuyuko said, floating into the air and turning around. "In the name of the Saigyouji clan and the dead souls of it's abrupt and tormenting end, I, Yuyuko Saigyouji, shall kill you three here! Nothing shall get in my way of revive this tree!" Yuyuko yelled, her memories of a human were slowing returning. "You all will feel the same pain I did all those years ago!"