KraKoo~m!
The three teenagers slid to a stop on the path just outside the Hakurei Shrine.
"I've got dirt in my robe!" Osamu stands, shaking himself rapidly to rid himself of the dirt.
Marigold stood, too. "I've got dirt in places I'd rather not mention."
...Osamu grins at her.
She sighs. "Not those places. Dang it…"
'A day to relax, huh…?' Hikari slowly rose from the dirt path, herself. '...I think I needed this.'
She brushed herself off, and looked around at her surroundings…
'...Giant stairs. They're probably the only thing I don't feel nostalgic over.' Hikari glared at the stairs.
Marigold noticed, and nodded in agreeance.
Only a moment later, Reimu floated over the apex of the staircase. "What is that noise!?"
...She saw her daughter, and began to float down to meet her.
"Hi." Reimu casually greets her, slowly lowering until she's barely above the floor.
Hikari waves. "Hey, Mom."
...Reimu's eyes scanned the party's worn state. "...So, what'd you guys do? You look like you got swarmed by fairies…"
'That actually happened, but probably not in the way my mother thinks it happened…'
Hikari shrugs. "More or less."
Reimu floated around them, and noticed the blood on Osamu's back. "...Who attacked you three?"
Hikari paused at the tone of her voice. '...She's ready to rumble.'
Osamu grinned. "Well- y'see, there was this big, uhm… fairy?"
...Marigold scoffed at him. "We destroyed the robot factory on Youkai Mountain, and got banged up a little in the process."
Hikari grins. While her mother processes Marigold's information, she elaborates. "A little? You lost the use of your legs, almost."
The mage giggled sheepishly. "Ahah… Yeah. That was kinda scary. What's life without a few risks, though?"
...Reimu sighed. "You're sounding a little like a certain someone, there."
Marigold jerked her head back. "...Who?"
Reimu used her hands to define the outline of a witch hat.
Marigold blinked. "...Re-really?"
Osamu nodded. "I think I see what she means. Like, it's the whole 'bold' thing."
"We-well, I can't help it!" Marigold pouted. "There's nothing wrong with being bold."
Reimu smiled. "I never said there was. Come on, I'll make us some tea…"
She floated up, and began floating up the stairs.
"Hey." Hikari raised her voice.
Reimu paused. "...Yeah?"
"Walk with us." Hikari demanded.
...Reluctantly, Reimu complied. "Want me to suffer with you?"
"Yes." She grinned.
'Feel the wrath of our stairs. Only then will you truly appreciate them.'
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
The three sat around the kotatsu. Reimu walked in with a tray of tea…
Osamu's arms were folded. "Ma~n. Soda would be great after after that long climb up the stairs… Maybe even better than tea!"
...Reimu stared at him dryly. "We're out. You drank it all, last time."
He blinked. "Oh. Wow."
"Yeah. Wow." Reimu sat at the kotatsu, herself.
Hikari took a sip from her tea.
…
'I like orange juice better. Can't complain, though.'
"I was just about to go check out those robots, myself." Reimu admitted. "What was going on up there, anyway?"
"Pain." Hikari nodded.
…
Reimu snorted. "I figured. I guess the details aren't important."
'Long story that involves us getting impaled multiple times. It wouldn't be particularly exciting, to be honest.'
…
Marigold sipped from her tea.
…
"I still can't believe you do this, everyday." Hikari reflects.
"Hmm?" Reimu gives her a questioning stare.
"Just sit here for hours, drinking tea." Hikari smiled.
…
"You get used to it." Reimu decided. "Besides, you'd be grateful for these respites, too, if you solved incidents."
'Yeah, uh…' Hikari's smile became ironic. 'A little on the nose, there.'
Reimu sipped her tea. "...I still don't know what possessed you to wear my mother's outfit. It looks like it fits, for some reason…"
Marigold was curious, despite knowing why it fit better now. "Why shouldn't it?"
"Well, my mother was a lot taller, for one thing." Reimu described. "She was also a bit, uhm… fuller, so to speak."
'I figured as much.' Hikari noticed there was way too much girth given for the chest area. Marigold's mother had made it better, though, so she didn't have to stuff a good portion of the material into her hakama anymore.
Osamu gulps down all his tea in a few swigs. "Hnnh… hot, hot, hot!" He starts breathing hard, to cool his mouth down.
Reimu shook her head, grinning. "You're supposed to drink the tea, not inhale it."
…
'Wow. This got boring, fast.' Hikari had become used to the rush of running everywhere and fighting things. 'I almost want to check out the under-shrine for fun, again.'
"What d'you guys do for fun, around here?" Osamu questions, smirking.
"This." Reimu pats the kotatsu.
…
"Oh." Osamu looks disappointed. "That's... great."
"Hikari reads a lot." Reimu shrugs.
Hikari joins the discussion. "It's one of the few things we have to do, around here."
"Don'cha guys have like, a frisbee, or somethin'?" Osamu makes a tossing motion. "Or, like… Hopscotch?"
Reimu nods. "Yeah, we did those, before. It was more like criticizing the games, rather than actually playing them."
...Hikari snorts. "I still don't see the point of Hopscotch, myself."
Osamu's eyes widen. "Pffft! Don't see the point of Hopscotch!? Dude, I used to play that, like, all the time, back in the village! We'd gather around this small tiled floor, and we'd like, set it all up, and we'd bet money."
"You'd bet money." Reimu furrowed her brows, amused. "On Hopscotch."
"Hell yeah." Osamu smiles, appearing proud. "I wasn't ever great at it, but some dudes, dude. There'd even be fights! I swear someone died at one point. Actually, that may've been why we had to stop…" He looked away, appearing questioning...
…
"Wh-what…" Reimu began chuckling. "What's wrong with that village…?"
Osamu snorts. "I dunno, dude, and I grew up there. I never thought anything of it, though. Like… didn't you guys do shit like that when you were younger?"
...Reimu put a finger to her lips. "Ahh… hmm…"
'I didn't hear very much about mother's early childhood, actually. I assume it was as uneventful as mine...'
"Well, I went to hell and fought a fallen angel, and I didn't know how to use my yin-yang orbs, yet…" Reimu considered. "There was also that oni I beat up, and a few other people I think were vampires…"
'...Oh. Wait…'
"How old were you, Mom?" Hikari questioned.
Reimu paused. "About twelve, or so."
…
'What.'
Osamu nodded. "See? Children are violent!"
Marigold shook her head. "I… I guess so."
'...I guess I was just particularly passive as a child.'
Reimu noticed the incredulity around the room. "...Well, you don't need to believe me. Though, with the stuff I've seen you do, my stories probably aren't that far off, huh?"
'...What?'
She grinned. "I saw that lightshow you pulled back when we fought Mima. I didn't just forget about it."
Hikari blinked. "O-oh, right…"
"It was pretty impressive stuff. It wasn't danmaku, though, was it?" Reimu observed.
"Well… yeah." Hikari gave a half-smile. "I'm… not really sure how I do it."
Reimu shrugged. "...Fair enough, I guess. You really should try and find out more about your powers, though."
'Hnnh… I know…' Hikari wasn't sure where to begin, however…
Marigold voiced Hikari's concern. "Where would she even start? Is there even any proper documentation of the Hakurei clan?"
Reimu furrowed her brows at Marigold, but then relaxed. "...Actually, now that I think about it, there doesn't seem to be. Not with me, anyway. Akyuu probably knows more than even I do." Reimu sipped from her tea, again. "...There might be something beneath the shrine, though. In those old halls, and stuff."
'...She's right.' Hikari got up.
"Hmm?" Reimu watched her daughter get up. "Checking it out, already?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I'm curious, myself."
Hikari began leaving the room…
…
Reimu turned to the other two. "Go with her. It's not entirely safe, down there."
"A-ah, right…" Marigold got up, and began to follow Hikari…
Osamu stood, and stretched. "Ma~n… Dark caves, dude…!"
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
The three teenagers casually walked around the dark halls of the under-shrine. They all had PSI shields powered up, as well.
Vengeful Spirit J tried PK Freeze α!
KaKa-KaKaKoo…
A pattern of ice began slowly forming around Hikari, before thawing again…
Hikari frowned, and ran towards the vengeful spirit…
SMAAAA~SH!
The figure of Vengeful Spirit J was erased by the miraculous gohei strike.
Osamu was grinning. "You'd think they'd get the memo after, like, the tenth guy…"
'I know, right?' Hikari snorted.
"What is their plan…?" Marigold was bemused. "To just throw themselves at Hikari like that…"
"I don't even know…" Osamu shook his head. "They suck at their job, though."
The party came up to the bedroom, again. The dresser was already looted by Hikari previously.
'I feel less creeped out down here, now. Probably because we're stronger than we were before…'
The three looked around the dark room. Unfortunately, Hikari couldn't find any forms of documentation- papers, scrolls, tablets, anything.
"Hmm…" She shook her head. "This room's got nothing."
"Seems like it…" Marigold was waving the taser around, shooting the electric arrows at the walls to produce dim light.
The party navigated across the under-shrine, passing through the seal room again, and into the unexplored right wing.
They eventually came to a room with a kotatsu lying in the center of it. The blanket was torn up, and the wooden top was disheveled.
"...Huh." Osamu's expression was neutral. "Looks like the main room."
'Yeah…'
Hikari caught sight of a gohei lying on the floor, next to the kotatsu. It was black. Very black.
...She cautiously walked up to it, and kneeled to inspect it. "What… is this…?"
Marigold and Osamu moved around her to look at it with her. Marigold shot electric arrows at it to light it up, but it still remained a dark, deep black. The papers, the handle, everything about it was eerily, unnaturally dark.
'...It's like… it's like it just ignores light. Weird…'
"It's probably cursed." Marigold notes. "No doubt about it."
Osamu gives her a cocky grin. "Yeah, well Hikari here's a shrine maiden. 'Sides, you see all them other ghosts? Weak as shit, dude."
'Hmm…'
"Just saying." Marigold advised. "I might be careful around it."
"...I could just bring it up to Mom." Hikari considered aloud. She moved to lift the gohei with her other, open hand.
...Picking it up, she stood up.
'...Wh-what?' She shook her arm, a tingling sensation running up it. 'Okay, drop it, drop it, drop it- it's not dropping!' Hikari felt her hand begin to itch, and refuse to obey her.
Marigold noticed Hikari's panic. "Hikari, is it doing something? What's wrong?"
Osamu's expression tenses. "Oh, shit! Hikari!"
'A-ah… Ev-everything…'
Hikari's vision blurs, and she begins to fall. Marigold and Osamu move to hold her up.
"-et Re-u!" Osamu's words were lost on Hikari.
Marigold exclaimed something, but her vision drifted shut, and her hearing went silent…
'N-no…'
==== BLOODLINES BEQUEATHED ====
Hikari came to, lying on a flat, solid surface. Staring into the sky, she saw the ceiling. It had yin-yang patterned tiles running across it. Panning her head, she saw the ceiling went on for as far as her eyes could see…
'Th-the gohei…'
She lifted her off hand, and saw the gohei was missing. Her Miracle Gohei was right where it always was, in her left hand, though.
'...Where am I?'
She sat up. The floor had the same design as the ceiling. As for the walls… there were none. In every direction Hikari looked, there were simply images of the Hakurei Shrine, the hill, and the stairs around it. They shifted and turned, appearing unreal, and infinitely far away.
'Looking around has not helped me get my bearings, in any way.'
"Hey."
'Huh…?'
Hikari looks away from the many images along the edges of the strange plane, and her eyes meet a woman…
Dressed in a black leotard and red hakama, the woman was crouched. She rose to a standing position, spinning the jet black gohei around in her right hand until it rested on her shoulder. Her hair was long, and black, in a hime-cut.
"...Nice clothes." She spoke.
Hikari blinked. "A-ah… Th-thanks?"
...She smirked. "...You're not Reimu, are you?"
Hikari shook her head.
"...You're her daughter, then?"
Hikari nodded.
...The woman smiled. "Heh. Tell me your name…"
"...Hikari."
…
"Good." The woman folded her arms. "...My name is unimportant. I'll tell you right now, however, that I am a Hakurei miko. What was the phrase, again…? 'Sendai Hakurei No Miko'. The miko who came before, or something like that..."
Hikari wasn't sure what to make of that. 'Those clothes… Is she…?'
"...But that's not the reason you're here, right?" She raises the jet black gohei from her shoulder, and looks at it. "You want this."
Hikari blinks. '...Not particularly, to be honest. Maybe I do?'
The miko who came before sighed. "...You're gonna have to fight me for it."
…
'Hu-huh?'
The miko noticed Hikari's confusion. "Now, don't get me wrong, there're no hard feelings. I just wanna check up, 'n' see if you're up to snuff, and all that."
"...A-ah." Hikari nodded slowly.
"Besides," She turned around, and tossed the gohei away into the distance. "...I never liked using that old thing, anyway."
'Oh. Okay.'
The miko faced Hikari again, and cracked her knuckles. "Don't worry about getting your ass kicked, or anything, yeah? Any wounds you suffer in here will be superficial. I'll also let you fight me as many times as you want, 'cause I'm nice. It didn't help your mother any, I'll tell you that much."
'What?' Hikari readied herself, as best she could. 'Mom couldn't handle her?... She's bluffing, I'm sure.'
Hikari tried Shield ß!
Hikari was protected by the power shield of light!
Sendai's expression became stern. "Hmph!"
She threw a barrage of three ofuda towards Hikari, which flew towards her as fast as lighting.
"Eep!" Hikari couldn't even bring her ofuda to protect herself. The ofuda traveled through the light shield, and stuck onto her, burning her skin. "Ackh!"
'Wa~h! That stings…'
Hikari glared at the tall miko, who began running towards her.
'Sh-she's like a bear…!' Hikari suddenly began looking for ways to evade her…
"Hoh!" The miko punched towards her, her fist imbued with dark power. Hikari dived out of the way, the power shield of light slowing the fist and reflecting some of the power back at Sendai, who barely even moved from taking half of her own punch.
'Woa~h!'
Sendai frowned. "Crutches like those won't get you anywhere."
She pulled a bottle filled with blue liquid from her sleeves. Then, she leapt into the air. "Here!"
She tossed it down, and Hikari smacked it with her gohei, shattering it.
The resulting liquid turned into flames immediately, and stuck to Hikari's shield, burning it away.
"Wh-wha~!?" Hikari's eyes widened.
Sendai stomped down into the floor in front of Hikari, surprising her further.
Hikari flailed her limbs and got her gohei into a guarding position, when Sendai punched forward again.
Bam.
"Ghk…!" The punch to the gut immobilized Hikari. Blood flew out of her mouth, landing on the sleeve of the previous Hakurei miko.
Then, she was launched. Hikari tumbled many feet away, rolling on the patterned floor.
Sendai scoffed. "...Weak. That was one punch. One."
...Hikari stumbled to her feet, glaring. "I-I'm not through, yet…"
Hikari tried Lifeup γ!
Her stomach began to feel much better…
Sendai sighed. "If I had a yen for every time someone said that…"
With that, she leaped into the air again. "Here!" From her pocket, she pulled a small Yin-Yang orb, and enlarged it. Then, she threw it to the floor.
Hikari leaped backwards to avoid it, and it slammed the floor. As it bounced through the air, Hikari had to unexpectedly change her trajectory to avoid it, and she landed awkwardly on her sandals.
'I-I'm not sure that's how you're supposed to use a- waa~h!'
She brought her gohei to a defensive position, as Sendai slid on her hip the moment she landed, sliding towards Hikari. Hikari used her wind affinities to throw herself out of the way, while Sendai rocketed past her, her kick sending her off the floor and into the air.
From there, Sendai landed on her sandals, and turned to face Hikari. "Come on! Show me what you're made of! I'm going easy on you, right now!"
'Ea-easy…!?' Hikari gritted her teeth. 'I'll have to go all-out, then…'
Hikari tried PK Fantasy ß!
She decided to show the miko who came before her mental bombardment.
Fizzle!
Technicolor bullets slammed into the miko from above, washing her in flowing colors.
Fizzle!
She was unprepared for the next barrage of particles, writhing as the colors assaulted her abruptly and relentlessly.
Hikari threw her right arm forward.
FwOwOw!
A polygon of colorful energy struck the miko, who flinched back from the blow.
FwOwOw!
She punched the second polygon, shattering it with her fist.
Hikari focused on Sendai Hakurei No Miko…
Bwaa~sh!
The raw blast of psychic energy flew her into the air...
'Did… did I do it?' Hikari sighed, fatigue from using her strongest ability panging at her.
...Sendai did a backflip in mid air, and landed on her sandals again.
She was grinning widely. "...Da~mn! Now that's what I'm talking about! Just keep doing that, and you'll bloody me in no time!"
'I-I don't think I can just spam that, though…' Hikari smiled sheepishly.
"...If you can throw attacks like that, how about some of this!?"
The miko slid her hands into her pockets. The pockets began glowing…
"Thousand Talismans!"
Like a machinegun, Sendai's arms moved like the wind as she threw a continuous stream of talismans at Hikari, all as fast as her first barrage.
'Woah-oah-wow! Wow, wow, wow! Waaa~h!' Hikari's jaw hung open as she frantically tried to dodge the spread of bullet-fast paper talismans. She felt all her limbs get pelted by many talismans, along with a few striking her face, and her torso.
'It-it burns so much…' Hikari begins to kneel, wincing…
Hikari tried Lifeup γ!
…
But it failed!
'Wh-what…? C-c'mon…!'
Hikari tried Healing γ!
...The talismans began dropping from her, but Sendai was already ready to attack again.
"You fool!"
Sendai threw herself at Hikari, who was just getting up.
"Wh-aao~!" Hikari tried desperately to shield herself, but the resulting knee to the torso from Sendai sent her rolling away.
'S-so dizzy…'
Hikari laid on the floor, her world spinning…
...Sendai walked up to her, and loomed over her. "...Uh~... Really?"
Hikari could do little but tiredly stare up at her. She began to crawl away, using all four limbs to back up...
"...Oo~kay. Maybe I went a little too hard on you, right off the bat. Still… I didn't think talismans would even work." Sendai scratched the back of her head.
...Hikari leaped to her feet. "Here…!"
Hikari tried Hypnosis α!
…
Sendai shook her head, and sighed. "...Another crutch? I'm starting to wonder what my daughter taught you…"
Hikari grimaced. 'You…'
Hikari tried PK Flash ß!
...The miko blinked, and rubbed her eyes. "...What was that? Are… are you just throwing holy magic at me, now?"
'What…?' Hikari was at a loss.
Sendai shook her head. "...I guess I'll end this swiftly, then."
She threw herself towards Hikari. Hikari leaped into the air above her, and-
SMAAAA~SH!
...She landed behind Sendai, after landing a solid blow to the top of her head.
'How'd you like that!?'
Hikari turned around…
Bam.
"Ghk!?"
Sendai's fist met Hikari's gut.
"...Nice strike." She complimented. "It was nowhere near enough, though."
'N-no…'
Hikari stumbled away, her eyes unfocusing…
'I-I can't lose, here! N-not even to my… mom's mom? Grandmom!?' Hikari was slightly perplexed by the realization.
Hikari tried PK Fantasy α!
Sendai was surprised by the rainbow bullets of energy.
Fizzle!
She guarded against the next wave.
Fizzle!
Hikari's eyes focused on her, again…
Bwaa~sh!
Sendai wasn't even thrown into the air this time, instead simply flinching violently.
"...That was weaker, that time."
'...N-no…'
The miko who came before smiled. "...If we want this to end with a bang, though, I'll show you somethin' fancy."
She lifted her hands into the air, and Hakurei Amulets flew from her pockets. They met around her hands, and eventually, they formed an axe.
'An axe… out of amulets.' Hikari paled. 'She-she's going to…'
"See this?" She smirked. "It's the Hakurei Axe."
…
"No such thing exists, I know. I crafted it out of amulets. Pretty cool, right? It even works as well as one, too."
She lifts it over head, and slams it down into the floor in front of her.
Shink!
It stuck in the floor, cracking it. Then, it dissipated, the amulets fluttering to the floor.
"...But that's not what I wanted to show you." Sendai gave a toothy smile. Then, she arched back, floating into the air…
"Thousand Blades!"
Amulets flowed from her pockets and sleeves like a river, forming an orbiting ring of axes around her.
'O-oh, no…' Hikari was filled with dread at the sight. 'Why…?'
Then, once they were all formed, the axes began rotating quickly, expanding outward as they spun.
'I-I'm sorry, Mom…' Hikari closed her eyes as the axes neared her, finding herself unable to move…
Shi-shi-shink!
…
Step, step, step.
"...Come back anytime, you hear? Always got more where that came from."
...
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
Hikari's eyes shot open.
"Haa~h, haa~h, haa~h…!"
She was hyperventilating, lying on the floor of the Hakurei Shrine. Around her, Osamu and Marigold were sitting, concern on their faces.
The jet black gohei clattered to the floor nearby.
'M-my body…!' In a cold sweat, Hikari examined her various extremities, making sure everything was still there.
Marigold looked unsettled. "Hi-Hikari…? Are you okay? Speak to us…"
Hikari nodded.
...Marigold's eyes widened.
'...Oo~h, right. She said speak…'
Hikari giggled. "Ye-yeah, I'm fine…"
Osamu immediately fell back onto the floor from his kneeling position. "God damn, I nearly had a heart attack, dude…"
...Reimu was drinking tea at the kotatsu, nearby. "So, how'd it go?"
Hikari sighed. "...I got chopped up by a whirling vortex of axes."
Reimu blinked. "...You got that far? Wow. That's pretty good, for your first try."
'...My first try?'
...Marigold stood up, glaring at Reimu. "...You knew about this?"
Reimu nodded, sipping from her tea. "Mmhmm."
"...Would it have hurt you to tell us?" She huffed.
...Reimu shook her head. "You figured it out, eventually. A little worry does you good."
Marigold pouts. "...I guess."
Osamu waved it off. "Aa~h, yeah. My dad was tellin' me the same thing. Like, it's the difference between whether or not ya punch a dude and go to jail 'cause a guard's lookin', o~r ya notice the guard, and just give 'em a firm shoulder squeeze."
…
"... Not… quite what I had in mind…" Reimu's brow twitched.
Hikari stood from the floor, steadying herself. "...First try?"
...Reimu nodded. "Mmm. She told you about the whole 'keep trying' thing, right?"
"...Yeah." Hikari scratched her cheek.
"I'd wait, personally." Reimu advised. "Even if you got that far, she's got stupid stamina in that thing. You're going to need to be able to deal consistent damage. I'm not sure how you did any damage at all, now that I think about it…"
"Wait, so, Grandma's trapped in a gohei?" Hikari was confused.
"...No." Reimu smiled. "That's just the memory of her infused into the gohei. I think. It's weird, because she never used it, apparently, but… yeah. It was to teach me, even after she died. She was smart." She appeared nostalgic.
Marigold moved to the kotatsu, again. "Did you do something similar?"
...Reimu stared at her dryly.
"...Y'know, just incase?" Marigold grinned sheepishly. "Not to imply, um-"
"Yes, actually. I did it to this one, though." Reimu held up her gohei. "...If Hikari wants to spar with me, though, I'm right here, so there's no real point to it."
'Even if it's pretty safe with my healing abilities, I'd rather not. Pain is still pain, after all, and I'm pretty sure I'd be the one eating most of it.'
Osamu holds up the jet black gohei. "Dude- I wanna try!"
...He fell to the floor with a thud, the gohei in his hands.
Reimu snorted. "Have fun."
...Marigold turned to Hikari. "What's his chances of winning?"
Hikari shook her head. "He's going to get massacred."
…
"How long did it take you to beat her, Mom?" Hikari tilted her head.
"Awhile." Reimu stated. "She's tough."
…
"Huuaa~h!" Osamu sat up. "What the fuck!?"
'As expected…'
"My ass just got sealed shut, dude!" He flailed his limbs, distancing himself from the gohei. "Damn!"
"As expected." Reimu monotoned.
'He~y…'
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
The four of them stood outside, around the shrine's main stone pathway.
Reimu stood from it, sliding the holy chalk back into her pocket. "There…"
'Holy chalk.' Hikari wasn't certain if it was actually holy, or if her mother just called it that.
Osamu clapped his hands. "Dude, now we just need the gamb- betting pot, and we'll be all set!"
Hikari sighed. "Again… we share the same funds."
"Wh- so?" He folded his arms. "Can we at least pretend!?"
Marigold walks from the shrine, holding a basket of crackers. "If we bet, we bet in snacks."
Hikari nodded. 'This, I can get behind.'
…
'I still don't know how to play Hopscotch.'
Reimu brushes her hands off on themselves, ridding them of chalk. "...How did Hopscotch go again?"
Osamu blinked. "...Alright, what ya gotta do is like, hop from one side of the place, to the other. I think certain squares can have like, taxes and bonuses for jumpin' on them."
"Taxes." Reimu looked skeptical.
"Like penalties, for easy ones!" Osamu stressed. "You gotta get to the other side by hoppin' the hardest path. Them check marks I had ya draw, that's the hardest path."
Reimu positioned herself at the start. "O~kay…?"
"Alright, go, go, go!" He danced in place.
…
He slowly stopped dancing. "Start hoppin'!"
Reimu floated into the air, and touched a foot down into each correct box as she slowly floated over them, before landing on the final box.
…
"She woulda just won fifty thousand yen." Osamu sat down, aghast. "Fifty. Thousand. Yen."
Hikari furrowed her brows. "...This game seems stupid." 'Even I could do that, with my wind abilities…'
"It's probably not balanced around flight." Marigold observed.
Reimu ran her eyes across the chalk boxes again. "...Even so, this game seems… a little easy."
Osamu rolled his eyes. "Yeah, okay. Do it backwards, and without flying. I dare ya."
Reimu did so, executing a series of short hops to leap across all the correct boxes.
…
"You know, you should have just had me build an obstacle course, instead." She declared. "That would've made more sense than, uhm… this."
Osamu laid down on the grass. "I don't even know, dude… I don't even know."
'I think frisbee would be better. If only to see if my mother could actually throw it from here to the mansion in one toss.'
==== GENSOKYOBOUND: HIYORI'S VIEW ====
Miles under the Earth's surface, a city of stone stood, tall and proud.
Bam!
'Only tall on Tuesdays. That's when the rebuilding from Monday finishes.'
Hiyori walked around the outskirts of the oni city, while buildings crumbled and oni threw themselves at one another.
For Hiyori, however, it was another Wednesday.
'...Or maybe Friday, if it's a good week.'
"Gruuh…!"
A tall, male oni was thrown across the ground ahead of her. A different, tall, flame-haired oni soared from a nearby wall and kicked the downed oni, sending him soaring off onto a decline.
Bam!
"Grooah!"
He tumbled down the incline...
The oni turned, and eyed Hiyori.
Hiyori stared back with a neutral expression.
...The oni leaped onto the decline, and slid down after the other one.
'There's typically a lot more boasting, however. Everyone seems bored, for some reason.' She noted that the populace wasn't acting quite as it should be. '...I shouldn't stick around here for too long, anyway. My business is in the outskirts.'
Kaboo~m!
Hiyori turned to watch a building fly up into the air. Then, it was shattered.
"That all you rocks fer brains have!?"
Yuugi Hoshiguma floated in the air, the cloud of dust from the building she obliterated dissipating. Then, numerous more oni threw themselves up at her from the surface.
'...I considered fighting her today. Then, I considered myself stupid.' Hiyori grinned. '...I'll have to fight her eventually, though, I'm sure. That can come in time.'
Vibrations rocked the outskirts of the oni city, as Hiyori moved to exit it.
'I can even feel them all the way out here. It's been awhile since the rumbling got this intense…'
…
Even in the wasteland-esque, barren plains of the underground caverns, oni were there, and were angry with each other.
The flame-haired oni woman was currently grappling the impulsive male oni.
'Not that oni aren't impulsive, it's just, this guy doesn't even seem to be using his head. If he is, it's the wrong one.'
She punched him in the face-
Bam!
"Grranhh…"
Elbowed him in the stomach-
Thud.
"Hrgh…"
Then, sent him to the floor with a roundhouse kick.
Bam!
"Graa~h!"
He stumbled over, dropping to the floor.
'That was rather one-sided.'
...The flame-haired woman started stepping towards Hiyori, glaring.
'...Great.'
Hiyori rose a hand. "Uu~h, I'd… rather not. You see, It's against my faith, and-"
"You lie."
...Hiyori blinks. "Excuse me?"
"You're not doing anything." The flame-haired oni folds her arms.
"...Right." Hiyori nods. "So that means we don't have to fight."
"It means we do." The woman insists. "You're obviously behind the brainwashed ones, if you're not fighting any, yourself."
'Brainwashed ones?' Hiyori's eyes widen as she looks around. '...That's not any different than usual, I guess.'
Bam!
Hiyori slid back, a punch connecting itself with her chest. "Hmmph!"
"Fighting's not about thinking!" The flame-haired woman gives a wide smile. "Fighting's about fighting!"
'That's what you think…'
Hiyori tried PK Freeze ß!
KaKa-KaKaKling!
The rapidly freezing and thawing pattern of ice crystals formed around the oni, who ignored them.
Kra~ck!
The final blast of frozen air made her frown.
'...To be fair, I guess I was never good at magic in the first place.'
Hiyori ducked out of the way of a face-bound punch, before she proceeded to leap away to a avoid an incoming knee.
She took a page from the other oni's book, and roundhouse kicked her to the back of the head.
Bam!
The oni flew into the decline they had gone down, and her head was smashed into the rocky ground.
'Now, before she gets free…!'
Hiyori ran, making sure to stomp excessively, lifted a boulder, and tossed it. Then, she ducked behind a different, nearby boulder.
The oni broke from the rock, and looked around…
The boulder made a thud in the distance.
"...Don't even try to run away!"
She sprinted off in the direction of the boulder. In a few seconds, the oni was out of sight.
'What was that about fighting and thinking, again?'
...Hiyori shook off her smugness. 'I've really got to get a move on, though…'
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
The outskirts of the underworld's large cavern were barren. From them, you could see a fragment of the oni city, but otherwise it was a fairly deserted experience.
Tall stalagmites, high walls, and a myriad of ridges. The barren plains were uneven, and rugged. One could also see the cavern's walls up close and personal, and even make out a few major ridges that made up the walling.
Hiyori walked along a sporadically consistent stone path, which lead up to some purple ruins.
'Cheeky color scheme, for this one…'
Ruins of various structures scattered the underground. Hiyori wasn't quite sure why they were there, herself. All she knew was that the denizens of old Hell had put them there…
'...They also had questionable choices in colors, for some of these. Quality varies greatly between each one.'
At the center of the purple ruins, there was a brown door.
Hiyori knocked on it.
…
'Hmm. No one's home.'
Then, she punched it.
Bam!
…
'That's not a wooden door.' Hiyori noted. 'Infact, I'm probably not even getting it open…'
She turned from the door, and took to the barren underground plains again.
Oni were few and far between, this far out. She saw random, scrappy youkai more often than not.
...Before her, a shimmering, black image, took form.
"Hhhrreeaaa-a-a-a…"
With a humanoid body, the shimmering phantom turned its two arms into equally shady and translucent scythe ends.
'...Too edgy for me.'
"Hooohhh-o-o-o-o…" Its voice echoed as it approached Hiyori, its red eyes blaring…
Hiyori tried PK Freeze ß!
KaKa-KaKaKling!
Ice froze and thawed at the ghost's base, forcing the flickering of its form to slow…
"Bo-o-o-o… Shaa-sha-sha!"
It began to move towards Hiyori-
Kra~ck!
The cool blast chilled the core of the ghost, freezing some of it in ice crystals, and stabilizing its image. It now no longer flickered.
'There…'
Hiyori ran at it. As the ghost raised its scythes eagerly in anticipation to strike, Hiyori threw her fist at the frozen chest of the phantom.
Ba-Crack!
The torso shattered, and the ghost's form was eradicated, becoming little more than a whirling mass of red lights and black energy, which then dispersed back into the ambient mana of the underground.
'Stupid ghosts. Now I can finally get rid of them.' Normally, oni who ventured this far out would just have to deal with them before they got back into town, or would have to come prepared with holy instruments to shake at them.
Magic seems to work just fine, however. 'Perks of learning magic, it seems.'
Hiyori pulled her water canteen from her gi, and drank from it.
…
"Haa~h…"
'I can feel my strength return, already…'
Before long, Hiyori came to a temple she recognized…
'Nightshade Temple. I have some fond memories, here…'
She walked up to the dilapidated structure. The small, one-room building housed a few books, ones Hiyori remembered being the first she really read about magic.
'I couldn't really do any of the spells, and they were dark or fire spells, anyway. Nothing particularly useful…'
The room was dark, until Hiyori opened the door into it. Tiny, tiny windows were mounted on the top edges of the walls, letting very little ambient light in. Not that the underground had much to offer, anyway.
'This place was what kickstarted my interest in magic.'
...The room's desks and various random torture instruments were more scattered than she remembered them, being. Books were strewn about on the floors, but that much was normal.
'I'm not the only random beast that comes around this place. Any number of phantoms could have made it their creative exercise for a day. Or more.'
…
She sighed. 'I shouldn't spend too long reminiscing, here. There's no way the fourth deva would just be down here…'
Walking out into the cavern, Hiyori looked around, again…
'I never really knew anything about the fourth deva, now that I think about it… I didn't know a lot about the devas, period, until recently. I knew they were a thing, and all, but I was never interested. I know their names, though.'
Stepping forward, Hiyori paused when she noticed the air shimmer ahead of her…
'Another phantom?'
...The cascading, red ripples of energy hung in the air. If one wished to describe what Hiyori saw, it would be something akin to the water's surface. Only the bright shimmers of light shone, the waves themselves nonexistent. The red shapes were slanted and jagged, as if being blown by the wind…
They expanded, moving downward slowly. As they did so, a figure made itself apparent.
An oni, holding a large, sleek, red katana. She had a sharp, red horn on her forehead.
Her black hair was done up simply, a red ribbon keeping it together. She had red robes on.
The shimmering effect lowered, but only half of the oni's body was exposed to the air. She broke the pose she held, and stood as straight as a half-shimmering person could.
"My name… is Konngara." The woman spoke loudly.
'More sociable than everyone else up until this point, today…'
"Hiyori."
…
'Wait… Konngara!' She recognized the name. 'She's…!'
"What is an oni…" Konngara questioned, "doing out here?"
Hiyori took a deep breath. "...I am searching for the fourth deva of the mountain. That is you."
Konngara frowned. "I had thought my name lost to history. Tell me… who told you?"
"An oni." Hiyori smiled. "I'm here because the world is in peril. I need your treasure."
...Konngara's frown held. "Peril? I… do not sense it. You lie."
'The one thing bad about being interested in diplomacy? Everyone calls you a liar.' Her facial expression quickly soured.
"I do not wish to fight you." Hiyori states.
"...I do not appreciate lies." Konngara twirled her blade into a combat position. "If you truly wish for the treasure… then you shall express your resolve in actions, not words. Words are a construct… but events are nature."
Hiyori blinked. '...I don't entirely agree with that. Both actions and words are communication… but actions do speak louder than words.'
The two stared at each other.
"...The first move is mine." Konngara declares.
Hiyori stares at her intently, as she waves her sword around…
'What is she doing…?'
In the midst of her blade twirling, she abruptly pauses…
Hiyori's eyes widen. 'Strong, telegraphed move, incoming…!'
Konngara sends out a clean, perfectly horizontal slash.
Shi~ng!
Hiyori jumped into the air, letting out a sigh of relief.
...Despite how wide the slash was, Hiyori looked around, and saw nothing was struck.
"...Where was that going?" Hiyori grinned. "With how tele-"
Thud.
...She heard a rock that had slid straight off of its base. Her eyes locked back on Konngara.
'Nevermind me. I know nothing about swords.'
Konngara held her sword at the hip.
'She's charging!'
Hiyori leaped into the air as Konngara suddenly accelerated. The shimmers of her lower body seemed to drop further, allowing her legs to exist. It showed that she was infact running, and not just sliding around inside of her 'shimmer dimension', if there was such a thing.
Hiyori considered kicking, but after noticing the other oni's speed was like lightning, she thought against it.
'Horn plus ankle. I'll let the math speak for itself.'
When she landed, Konngara was in front of her again, appearing out of the shimmering effect.
'What is that?'
...Hiyori decided to ask. "What is that thing? The shimmering effect…"
Konngara's posture and manner didn't change, but she complied. "It is the… how do I describe this simply…?"
She tilted her head. "I suppose one may call it… the 'flow of the world', so to speak. Mastery of the method with which all objects move."
…
'She mastered the art of existing, basically.' Hiyori nodded. 'That's not terribly reassuring.'
"I suppose I have my own skills, to display, then…" Hiyori readies her hands, and cracks her knuckles.
"Show me something new." Konngara's expression didn't change.
Hiyori tried PK Freeze ß!
KaKa-KaKaKling!
The rapid freezing and thawing of ice crystals had no visible effect, Konngara fading from existence in the places the crystals materialized.
Kra~ck!
The final blast of frozen air was completely ignored.
'...I tried.' Hiyori sighed.
"I've overcome any sort of weakness to magic the oni may have held." Konngara unexpressively boasts. "Mana manipulation is very telegraphed, and brutishly direct in the manner of which it realizes matter and mobilizes it."
'...You know, when people talk like that, it makes me wonder what I've spent my last thousand years doing.' Hiyori felt completely out of sync with the jargon Konngara was throwing around.
"Mana…" The oni held her blade out in front of herself. "...I'll show you true manipulation of mana."
'Uh oh.' Hiyori began backing for the bisected rock…
"All life returns to the nature from whence it came!"
Hiyori hid behind the rock.
…
Bwaa~sh!
Everything vibrated violently, and rocks began falling from the nearest cavern wall.
The rippling shimmers around Konngara grew out of control, expanding outwards in a spiral pattern, seemingly tearing the matter around it asunder. It was like an explosion, but it wasn't a mana bomb. It was a reality bomb.
As fast as it began, it ended, leaving a hole in the rocky terrain that she hovered over.
The vibrations ceased.
'Incredible…' Hiyori looked around her rock, and saw that half of it was missing. 'That was a spell…!?'
She looked back at Konngara, who was gone.
'Surprise attack.'
Hiyori jumped into the air.
Swoosh!
A blade passed under her.
"Good." Konngara stated. Hiyori attempted to land on her head, but just as quickly as she was beside Hiyori, she was gone.
'Where is she…?'
Briefly scanning the area, Hiyori paused when she saw the other oni's figure materialize before her, holding her blade at the ready.
"With the strength of the Earth…!" Konngara leaped into the air, her rippling shimmers completely absent.
Hiyori huffed, and leaped towards her- but just under her.
"Hmm?"
She kicked Konngara in the back.
...The oni still connected her blow with the floor.
Boom!
The floor in a ten foot radius around her was turned from solid rock to chunky boulders upon impact.
...Landing, Hiyori turned to look at Konngara…
If she was affected by the kick, she wasn't showing it. However, her ripples were only slowly coming back, consuming her legs gradually…
'Wait, this could be-!'
Konngara didn't give her time to think, sprinting towards her without warning.
Hiyori tensed up. '-My chance!'
Hiyori tried PK Freeze γ!
KaKaKa~...
A large snowflake pattern formed in front of Konngara, who ended up running into it, plowing through it.
Blam!
"Ghh…"
Sub-zero air washed over her, but she did her best to completely and utterly ignore it.
'O-ooh…!' Hiyori moved to block with her arms, knowing it was all she could do, at this point.
Konngara slashed down, and Hiyori could feel the cut slide right into the bone of her right arm.
"Grr-aaaahh~gh!" Hiyori's expression flared, her arm taking the entire impact of the blade. With her other arm, she sent a powerful punch to Konngara's stomach.
Bam!
Konngara staggered back, and leapt away. "Foolish. Your wound will end you."
'Well, if you're not gonna play fair…'
Hiyori tried Lifeup ß!
She felt her cut close up, and her aching joints regain their strength…
"Wounds are not a boundary." Hiyori decided to play Konngara's 'stoic powerhouse' game. "They are superficial."
"Words of a fool." Konngara frowned. "Challenging me was a mistake..."
...She reeled her sword back, behind her head. "Now, let me drill the skill of terror into you!"
Hiyori tried Shield ß!
Hiyori was protected by the power shield of light!
'Not if I can help it! If your strategy is just letting me bleed out, here, then you have another thing coming.'
Konngara brought her sword back around, and Hiyori was blinded by the flurry of slashes that emanated from her.
'Woah!'
She blocked and held her head low to protect it, as she felt her skin get sliced up by the adamantite blade the oni sported. Wind whirled wildly, as the oni's slashes ignored windforce to give Hiyori a constant, stinging, bombardment of cuts.
Then, it ended, Konngara slowly returning to a prone position, her legs and lower torso shimmering out of existence…
To her surprise, a beam shot from Hiyori. As it moved towards her, she parried it, but it split into multiple smaller ones, and hit her anyway.
"Hngh!" She flinched back. "Th-that force…"
…
Hiyori tried Lifeup ß!
The many tiny cuts on her body began to heal…
'I'm starting to get the feeling that healing magic makes things just a little stinted.'
"You returned half the damage of my skill." Konngara annotated. "Remarkable holy magic."
Then, she shifted her stance. "However, my blade cuts through time, space, and reason…"
'She's making that motion from the start of the fight…'
Hiyori jumped.
Shi~ng!
...The bottoms of Hiyori's sandals became just a little shorter.
'How annoying…'
"Come get me!" Hiyori boasted.
'That shimmering effect, it protects her from most magic. If I can get her to exhaust herself, I can hit her with magic.'
"My adamantite sword will end you."
Konngara vanished in her ripples.
'When in doubt, jump wildly.'
Hiyori leaped.
…
At the apex of her jump, Konngara appeared next to her.
'What!?'
She sliced wide, cutting into Hiyori's side.
"Gh-aa~h!"
Then, she kicked Hiyori with her leg.
Bam!
"Ghh…"
Hiyori tumbled to the ground below, leaving a small crater where she struck. A beam shot from her shield of light, homing in on Konngara.
'I-I…'
Konngara began falling to the floor, parrying the beam's every attempt of striking her with deadly accuracy.
Hiyori tried Lifeup ß!
'I-I didn't…'
She found the strength to raise her head from the floor. Then, she held her hand outwards.
'I didn't anticipate that.'
Hiyori tried PK Freeze γ!
Konngara landed fully, having vanquished the reflected beam. "It is done."
KaKaKa~...
A snowflake formed around her, trapping her momentarily.
"Wha-"
Blam!
...Konngara stumbled a bit, after that. "Th-that… was most unexpected. I am impressed."
'About time…' Hiyori leaped to her feet, again. '...I-I need water…'
She reached for her empty canteen, and froze.
'...O-oh, no…'
Konngara began floating, her lower half shimmering once again. "I will finish you with the skill I realized only a few nights ago. A skill that masterfully blends mana manipulation and art, resulting in a beautiful cataclysm."
'I'm not sure whether I should be unnerved or impressed that a fellow oni could be this flowery…'
…
'I-in any case, I need to run and find a spring, or something…!'
Konngara tried PK Starstorm α!
Out of the cavern's dark brown 'sky', stars began descending. Large, yellow stars homed in on Hiyori, whirling down…
Realizing the attack, Hiyori began sprinting.
'W-water, water, water…!'
White stars rained down across the rocky surface of the land's outskirts, sending echoes of magical energy across the land wherever they crashed.
Hiyori was forced to weave past the numerous crashing stars, tumbling rocks, and other assorted underground hazards in her fast-paced search for a body of water.
"Hhhoo-a-a-a-h…"
A scythe-armed phantom sprinted from behind some nearby rocks, moving for Hiyori.
'Hello, friend.'
Hiyori leaped over it. It swung for the air, and then attempted to fly the oni, only for a white star to crash into it and destroy it.
Bink!
"Hrooaa-a-ah…"
'Goodbye, friend.'
Minutes of running eventually greeted Hiyori with a river. A murky underground river, but an underground river nonetheless. She dove into it.
Sploosh…
…
'Dark…' She had her breath held. 'And deep…'
…
The stars phased through the walls of the water-filled cave.
'This wasn't a river- it was a water reservoir!'
The stars struck into her, and forced her to gasp in pain.
"Hhh-guha-hckh-nhgh-huaa~h…"
Battered, with her mouth wide open, she flailed her limbs wildly, propelling herself to the surface of the water. She hit an unfortunate ledge in the way, and-
Bam!
-tore right through it, proceeding to the surface.
Sploosh!
"Haa~h!" Hiyori took a deep breath.
'Ev-everything… blurry…'
Hiyori tried Lifeup ß!
...She felt herself dip beneath the water again. She also felt her energy returning to her muscles…
She surfaced the water again, with a few splashes. Then, she leaped out.
"Hmph…" Landing on the reserve's banks, she looked around…
Shink!
A blade slid into her side. On reflex, she jumped, slamming her arm into Konngara.
Bam!
Konngara flew to the side, and landed on the vertical side of a rock. "How do you find the strength to carry on…?"
...Hiyori turns to her, and grins. "Wounds are superficial. I told you."
…
Konngara shakes her head. "You lie."
'...?'
"...Healing magic." The oni swordswoman looks up at her. "I've known since the first cast."
Hiyori froze. 'A-ah…!'
"Did you lie, because you believed I would disapprove?... I cannot say I blame you." Konngara shrugged. "Most oni regard magic as 'cheating', anyway. They simply do not understand…"
'...' Hiyori stared at her.
…
Konngara's ripples returned. "How about we finish this, then? I feel as if we've shown off enough."
She tosses her katana aside.
Hiyori's shield flickers out. "...You know what? Why not?"
The two onis stepped towards each other.
Konngara reeled her fist back.
Hiyori reeled her fist back.
Then, they both moved to punch one another in the face.
==== GENSOKYOBOUND: HIKARI'S VIEW ====
Outside the Hakurei Shrine, the three teenagers stood. It was now morning, again.
'I remembered to bring ofuda, this time!' Hikari grinned. '...Considering how well it works for grandma, it really stuck out.'
"Don't get into too much trouble, out there." Reimu saw them off. "Unlike in that gohei, you won't get second chances, out here… unless it's danmaku, anyway. Still, make every fight count."
Hikari smiled. "Thanks, Mom. I'll remember that."
The three teenagers began walking towards the stairs. Hikari looked around at the open, blue sky, taking a deep breath.
...Marigold turned to her. "Do you think we could stop by the kappa village? With that many eggheads, sprucing up my weapons couldn't be easier, I'm sure."
"They better have snacks." Osamu stressed. "Else I'll make 'em invent snacks."
'I wonder when Hiyori's going to get back. I guess it has just been a day.'
"I'd like to see you make anyone do anything." Marigold smirked.
"...I can make bad guys stop moving!" He grinned back.
...She huffed. "Fair enough."
They reached the bottom of the stairs. Wind blew softly through nearby trees, as Hikari readied herself…
She spread her arms out. "We're gonna need to teleport. Get around me, everyone."
"Is that so~?"
'Hmm?'
...Rumia floated out of the bushes, and blocked the path ahead. Her arms were spread wide, and she was smiling.
…
"Move." Hikari instructed her.
Rumia began stepping closer.
"Flee. Shoo, shoo." Hikari began waving her gohei around.
...Rumia stepped out of the way, but kept moving along the side of the path. "Whatcha' doin'?"
Osamu stepped back. "She… she's tryin'a talk with us?"
'Seems like it.'
"Teleporting." Marigold explained. "Which we'll be doing, soon."
"Ooo~h…" Rumia nodded. "...I remember her teleporting." She pointed at Hikari.
'Uhm?'
…
"That's cool." Hikari nods.
"Why arent'cha eating us!?" Osamu blurted, diving behind Hikari.
Freezing, Marigold turned to Osamu. "Must you insult everyone we come across?"
Unoffended, Rumia shrugs. "I'm not hungry."
'...Oh.'
...Osamu relaxed. "Oh. Huh. Well, don't you kill people just 'cause they taste good?"
Nodding, Rumia smiled. "...They're yummy~!"
...He backed behind Hikari again.
Sensing a discrepancy, Hikari provided input. "They're yummy, but you only eat when you're hungry?"
Rumia nods.
'Oo~h. Maybe she's not a bad person, then.'
Hikari smiles. "...You need to eat people, don't you?"
...Rumia shakes her head.
'...Nevermind.'
"Can we just go, already!?" Osamu wraps his arm around Hikari. "Rumia gives me the creeps, dude…"
"Might as well." Hikari agreed. "C'mere, Marigold."
She complied, moving to Hikari's other side.
Rumia beamed. "That looks coo~l… Can I come?"
...Osamu rapidly shook his head.
"You know what?" Hikari grinned. "Follow behind us. You can try."
...Osamu nodded in compromise, okay with the situation.
'Now…' "In three…"
Everyone tensed as wind began whirling around them. Rumia hovered into the air…
"Two…"
The party braced themselves to move. Rumia hovered to their side.
"One." Hikari took a deep breath.
"Go!"
With a gust of air, the party bolted from their spot, picking up most of their needed speed quickly. Rumia's eyes widened from the display of speed acquisition, before she took off after them. Her orb of darkness began expanding and increasing in intensity as she picked up speed…
'Why must this be so uncomfortably fast?' Hikari felt her legs begin aching, trees passing by them in a blur, when…
Hikari tried Teleport α!
KraKoo~m!
The three of them were gone.
…
Rumia continued to speed down the path, unable to see that the party had vanished due to her orb of darkness.
"Woo~!"
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
KraKoo~m!
The party promptly sped forward into a small, in-town creek.
Sploosh!
'Aa~h!'
…
'O-ouch…'
Hikari raised her face from the creekside gravel…
'I-I think one got in my eye…'
Hikari tried Lifeup α!
'...Better.'
Osamu sloshed from the creek bed. "Du~de… I'm like, soaked to the bone."
Marigold stumbled up and out of the water. "A-auh… I-I think I-"
Hikari tried Lifeup α!
"-cut… my…" She trailed off, rubbing her cheek. "Thanks, Hikari."
'Healing magic will never get old.'
Clambering out of the creek with haste, the party glanced around the kappa village once more. None of the kappa really batted an eye at their display.
'...Some even appear annoyed.' Hikari caught one glaring at her. 'Guess weird is just par for the course, in a village of inventors.'
"...We should be able to find some good materials, here." Marigold parted her wet hair from her eyes.
The door of a nearby, metal house opened. A short kappa with dark blue hair stepped outside, carrying a large chunk of metal.
"Hmph…" He dropped it on the mat next to his house.
...Marigold walked up to him. "Hey. Say, I was wondering, uh, if you could recommend some parts, to me?"
The kappa glanced at her, and began walking away.
"Hey, hey, I was talking to you…" Marigold moved to get in front of him. "At least give me an answer…"
The kappa looked up at her. "No."
'...Wow. That was pretty straightforward.'
Osamu moved to intervene. "Hey- look! All we want is a few measly sentences outta ya! Or, y'know, a few moments of yer time…?"
The kappa got frustrated. "I'm very busy! What do the three of you know about thermos launchers, hmm? You give me advice on thermos launchers, I give you- I give you whatever. Stop wasting my time."
He power walked back inside his house, and slammed the door shut.
'...At least they're not kicking us out.' Hikari looked on the bright side.
"Hnngh…" Marigold seethed. Then, she knocked on the door. "I-I know a lot about thermos launchers!"
'What's a thermos launcher?'
…
The door opened. "...You do? Buncha humans?"
"I'm a magician, thank you very much." Marigold emphasized. "Bit of a difference."
The kappa's eyes widened. "Oh, you're cool, then. And, uh… bring your lackeys with you, if you want. They can't touch anything, though."
'If the place is anything like Nitori's, I'm not planning on it.'
The party stepped into the tiny metal house, which turned out to be a lot bigger on the inside.
'Wha~t…?'
Osamu gaped. "Holy… Where'd this all come from!?"
The kappa scoffed. "Think hammerspace. We just apply it to our houses instead of our backpacks. It's… a project, but we managed to do it for houses on main street. Only so we could easily duck in and test stuff, you know. That's the only reason it's even worth it."
'...I see.'
Marigold was awed. "How did you get the catalysts for enchantments of this caliber…?"
The kappa shrugged. "I dunno. It was a long time ago. We mostly just rent these spaces out to each other, nowadays. They've been here awhile."
The party passed a very big lightbulb…
"See this?" The kappa grinned. "This is an industrial grade night-light."
'An industrial what.' It was big enough for someone to hug.
"Okay, so, imagine an oni enters a really big, really dark cavern, say, five by five miles wide." The kappa stretches his arms out. "Then, imagine they're scared of the dark."
'Do those even exist? Both of those things. Five mile wide caverns, and oni that are afraid of the dark.'
"They would use this night light." The kappa nodded proudly. "Wanna see?"
'Uhm…'
Marigold grinned. "Ahah… I don't think that's a very good idea."
"You mean a very… bright… idea." Osamu wears a shit-eating grin.
…
Hikari facepalmed.
"Can I shoot him?" The kappa volunteers.
"No, no… he's enough of a danger to himself as it is." Marigold appears crestfallen.
"Ah~hahahaha~!" Osamu clutches his stomach, laughing away.
"...A~nyway, my thermos launcher…" The navy-blue haired kappa moved across the room, and stopped at a box. The box had a pipe sticking out of the top.
Everyone gathered around it.
"What's a thermos launcher?" Marigold questioned.
...The kappa slowly turned to look at her. "...You said you knew."
Marigold froze… and shook her head. "I-I mean, talk to me as if I didn't know. So I could… see where you're coming from?"
"...Right. Well. Since you're a magician, I'll let it slide…" He sighed. "A thermos is, like… a metal can that normally holds soup and water, and stuff. It was an outside world invention. I was thinking… what if we could fill them with nitro and shoot them?" He spread his arms out in a shrug. "...Right? Right?"
'...Basically, a rocket.'
"Why?" Marigold furrowed her brows.
"I need a defense system." The kappa stated. "...It's also cool."
Marigold nodded. "I see. What do you need help with?"
"Well- ah, here…" The kappa flipped open the side of the box. "This panel. The full bridge rectifier doesn't work. Like… alright, maybe if I…"
'The what? Aa~h, this is already out of my territory…'
The kappa hovered his hand over the circuit board, moving it near it, before making a move. He touched it…
The circuit board shone brightly and made a loud pop.
Hikari flinched back. 'Woah!'
"Oouch! Geh…!" Expression flaring in alarm, the kappa pulled his arm back, shaking his hand. "Shhh…!"
Osamu blinked. "Looks like your rectifier ain't rectifyin'."
The kappa turned to him, gritting his teeth. "You're about to lose a rectifier, you dunderheaded runt!"
Marigold moved to salvage the situation before Osamu could frustrate the kappa further. "What's wrong with the, uhm… full bridge rectifier?"
He glanced at her. "Ah, right… The voltage isn't traveling through right. Long story short, thermos goes in, thermos doesn't come back out."
"...Wiring problem?" Marigold grinned. "U~m… Did you try checking the inside for the thermos?"
The kappa nodded. "It eats it. I have to buy a new one, every time."
"Say what?" Marigold blinked. "That's not a wiring problem, then…"
Hikari began looking around the room…
"Wha- how!?" The kappa became frustrated. "Of course it's a wiring problem!"
'Industrial grade night light, huh…?'
Hikari stepped up to it, growing bored of the engaging wiring discussion going on behind her.
She covered her eyes, and reached for the large button on it. 'Can't be that bad, right?'
Fwaa~sh!
==== GENSOKYOBOUND: MARIGOLD'S VIEW ====
The three stood outside the doors of the small metal house.
"If I see you three in here again," The kappa smiled, "I'm gonna need a new cleaning bot. So, let me save us both some time, and tell you to never come back here again."
Slam.
'...That didn't go so well.' Marigold sighed…
Osamu held up something triangular. "...He kicked me out before I could put this down. Check it."
Hikari and Marigold leaned over to stare at it…
"Stop moving your hand." Marigold snatched it.
"Hey!" Osamu moved to try to grab it again, before giving up. "Ah, whatever. Look, we can sell it…"
'A prism, huh?' She rotated it, the light shining through it and producing subtle colors.
"It's pretty." Hikari observed.
"I think I can use it, for something…" Marigold stated. "Like, maybe I can upgrade one of my guns, with it…"
Osamu nodded. "That'd be rad, too."
'But… what would I upgrade?'
The three eventually came to a solid metal bench that was rooted in the floor, and set up shop at it.
"Scorch marks." Hikari noted.
Marigold grinned. "We'll be fine. I doubt-"
Kaboo~m!
A nearby tree burst into flames, and shot into the air. Hikari whimpered, and shielded herself with her arms.
'Woa~h… When was Hikari that skittish?'
"Holy crap!" Osamu also shielded himself, which was par for the course.
"...Are you okay, Hikari?" Marigold neared her.
"A-ah…" Hikari nodded. "Just… some bad memories. Nuclear trees…"
Osamu turned to her in realization. "Oh, yeah! Fuckin' nuclear trees, dude."
'...I don't want to know.'
...Various pops and bangs were heard in the distance, as the afternoon sun hung high in the sky.
"Let's, uh, make this quick…" Marigold grinned, pulling out her weapons and placing them on the bench…
'Ground zero, huh? I don't wanna be around here when the testing starts, I'm sure…'
She gazed over her Microwave Gun, NF Burst Gun, and Air Gun.
'I don't find terrible use for the Air Gun, nowadays.' Marigold reflected.
She held up her Air Gun, and looked over it. 'How could a prism improve this? I assume the gun's danmaku should do something good, to it…'
"Dude, you're like, a walking armory…" Osamu smiled. "How many guns're ya gonna need?"
"I'll carry as many as I can before the backpack crushes me." Marigold jests. "...Which might be soon, actually. It's starting to get pretty heavy…"
Osamu shrugged. "You could always have me carry it…"
'Su~re…'
Marigold held up her Microwave Gun. "Hold this."
He grinned. "Don't mind if I- woaa~h!"
Stumbling around, Osamu fell onto his bottom, surprised by the weight of the gun. "...I-I take back that last offer…"
'Mmm.'
Hikari stepped over, and lifted the Microwave Gun off Osamu. "...I'd carry it, but I don't want to." She set it back down on the bench.
Marigold shrugged. She moved the prism over the gun's barrel, and placed it on it…
'Doesn't fit, not like it would. Hmm…'
...She moved up to another door, and knocked on it. Hikari followed her, while Osamu stuck around at the bench, guarding the guns.
The door swung open, and a blonde kappa waved her hand. "Hi~!"
Marigold held up the Air Gun, and her prism. "Danmaku rifle. Prism. Help."
The kappa girl deflated. "...Whatever. Here…"
She walked behind the door, and came back with some things. She tossed them into Marigold's arms, who fumbled to catch them.
"Tape, battery, and a one-way ticket to go-the-hell-away… ville." She scowled at the party.
Slam.
'...Oh. Everyone's so rude around here!'
Marigold obtained Scotch Tape!
Marigold obtained Double-A Battery!
Marigold obtained Ticket!
...Marigold took the ticket, and threw it away. 'Screw her.'
"I'm waiting for the door that just has a kappa with a shotgun behind it." Hikari predicted. "You know it's going to happen."
'That'd suck.' Marigold paled. "...No more, uh… knocking on doors, then."
She moved back to the bench with Hikari, and examined the other goods…
Pulling a piece of tape out, she felt her fingers stick to the bottom…
'Adhesive! That'll work… It's so clear, too…'
She pulled the tape, and struggled to remove it…
"How does this… oh." She succeeded in using the plastic spikes to cut the tape.
From there, she placed the prism on the barrel of the gun, and used the tape to hold it in place.
'Alright…'
Marigold aimed it up into the sky, and pulled the trigger.
FwiChoo~m!
Seven bullets flew out, in a widespread, filling the air.
Osamu gaped. "Duu~de!"
However, displeasure covered Marigold's face. 'That's lame, even for a shotgun. What if I…'
Flipping the gun over, she examined the cheap plastic handle. She took the battery…
'I have no idea what this is. Let's put it inside! I mean… it can't get any worse.'
Marigold slide the battery in through the cheap trigger, which one would actually be able to see the chip bags inside through.
...Shaking the gun a bit, Marigold could feel the battery rattle around. "Alright…"
...Aiming straight up, she pulled the trigger down again.
Fwoom.
Seven beams shot from the prism, at the same wide angles.
'...Hmph. A little better, but still terrible.'
Hikari rose a brow. "...Flashy."
Marigold tried holding the trigger down.
Fwooo~...
The beams shot from the gun, producing a dazzling array of rainbow lasers. They slowly rotated as Marigold's hands shook, the light revolving as the way it was shined upon changed.
'Wo-woah…!' Both of her hands clasped the Air Gun, and she tried to stabilize herself. Hearing a sizzling sound from inside her gun, she watched as the beams revolved faster, and faster…
Hikari and Osamu backed away, staring agape.
Fwoomm-oom-oom-oom…!
The beams began revolving faster, nearing each other to form a more precise spread, before they finally began to near…
Marigold dug her heels into the dirt below her, as the gun's force pushed her back down the dirt path…
'S-so… much… recoil!'
Before long, the somewhat thin beams convened into one, rainbow-colored central beam.
Vrrrrr~!
"Aaa-aaaa~h!"
Marigold flew back, the beam's force sending her flying.
"Oh, shit!" Osamu dove off the dirt path, while Hikari used her wind to leap from it, as the beam lowered due to Marigold's control over the gun failing.
The beam struck the sides of multiple kappa houses, none of which were worse for wear after it passed. The metal was visibly heated after each encounter, but all of the houses were built for sustained abuse.
Bam!
Marigold slid into a tree, and her hand was removed from the grip, forcing her to release the trigger.
The gun stopped, and the beam went out, fading quickly.
…
Whistles were heard from around the kappa village.
'W-wow…!' Marigold looked down at her gun, and hugged it. 'I made a rainbow laser cannon thing!'
...Hikari and Osamu half-sprinted down the path of the kappa village, catching up with Marigold…
"Dude." Osamu hold his hands up, beaming. "That was fuckin' awesome!"
"I-I know, right!?" Marigold gushed.
Hikari smiled.
'What am I going to call it…?' Marigold gave it a good look…
'It involves a spectrum of light… and it's basically a shotgun, so…'
Osamu grinned. "So, what's it called, now? Rainbow Gun?"
Marigold's face lit up, but she paused. '...My mother said I should be more original, and I think I agree. So~...'
"Spectrum Shotgun." Marigold posed.
'...It's better.'
Osamu nodded. "Alright, that's actually pretty cool."
'I wish I could pump it like an actual shotgun, though. That can come later…'
Satisfied, Marigold slung her Spectrum Shotgun over her shoulder, slowly walking onto the path…
…
'I left my guns back at that bench. I, uh, should go grab them…'
She ran off after them, Osamu and Hikari following slowly behind.
…
"I was gonna suggest Light Gun." Hikari smugly adds.
"Pffft." Osamu shakes his head.
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
END OF CHAPTER 18
Protagonist: Hikari Hakurei, Disciple of Paradise
-Inventory-
Weapon: Miracle Gohei - Ability to whack stuff really hard. Amplifies whacking power, too! Able to deal magical damage. Adds an increased chance to deal critical hits.
Arms: Iconic Hakurei Arm Sleeves - Keeps arms warm. A Hakurei tradition. How they stay on is a Hakurei family secret.
Body: Combat Miko Outfit - A black leotard and hakama combination worn by the previous-previous Hakurei miko. Designed to be suitable for excessive physical activity and close combat, it slightly improves physical combat prowess. Now with less sideboob!
Misc: Royal Red Ribbon - A ribbon made with rich materials, with a floral pattern.
-Skills-
Attack: Quickly! Swing your gohei at them for massive damage!
PK Fantasy α, β - Bombards the enemy with pain in the form of flashing colors. Deals magical damage. Heavy mental strain that increases with each tier.
PK Flash α, ß - A bright flash that distributes very random status effects to enemies. Usually makes people cry. Higher tiers increase chances, and introduce possibilities of fainting or dispel.
Hypnosis α, Ω - Puts weak enemies to sleep for a short time. Works better on tired or exhausted foes. Can also be used in a far more costly form that works on multiple opponents.
Shield α, ß - Halves damage the target takes. Only works against physical attacks, and enough strikes, or powerful strikes, will dispel it. Higher tier turns it into a power-shield that protects even better and even reflects a fraction of protected damage.
Lifeup α, ß, γ - Heals target a little. Higher tiers heal more grievous wounds, like bone fractures.
Healing α, ß, γ - Heals basic status ailments. Higher tiers can cure more dire effects, like burning alive.
Teleport α - Allows instant transport to the general location of an area remembered by oneself or one's party members. Requires a long, fast run-up to execute, however.
Ofuda Toss - Throw a holy ofuda that does massive holy elemental damage to youkai and dark elemental foes. Effect lessens the more holy the thing you're attacking is, to the point of healing holy things. Only works if you actually have ofuda, though.
β-β-β-β
Mage: Osamu Katsumi, the Wannabe Mage
-Inventory-
Weapon: Fisticuffs!
Arms: Nothing
Body: Dated Village Magician Robes - An old robe from the days when the village respected the medium of magic. Now actually looks navy blue, instead of black!
Misc: Yukkuri Beanie - Resembles a really tacky tablecloth, made in the Yukkuri theme. Lime green and has tons of fun yukkuri decals!
-Skills-
PK Thunder α, ß - Very random thunder attack that deals limited damage. Higher tiers increase number of bolts, and sometimes power.
PK Hydro α, β, γ - Gets everyone wet. Usefulness with PK Thunder and PK Freeze depends on whether you hit yourself or not! Creates whirling water spirals at higher tiers.
PK Freeze α, β, γ - Generates ice crystals at the target's location. Medium damage and effect; may freeze some targets, especially wet ones.
Fireball - Manipulate mana to make a shoddy fireball. Low damage and effect.
Static Hands - Not a real spell. Result of a very undercharged PK Thunder that can accidentally go off.
PSI Telepathy α - Speak to friends you haven't met yet! Unstable connection and only works if they have the skill or are asleep.
PSI Shield α, Σ - Halves damage from magical and psychic attacks. Thunder spells fry it instantly, and harder blows dispel it. Second tier applies basic shield to entire party at higher mana expense.
PSI Magnet α - Costs no mana to use, and steals a very tiny amount of mana from the enemy. Enemy has to have mana in the first place for it to work, though.
Offense Up α - Get pissed! Boosts strength and confidence depending on caster's power and receiver's power.
Defense Down α - Throw the enemy off their game. Makes them slightly more vulnerable to physical attacks.
β-β-β-β
Inventor: Marigold Knowledge, the Tri-Magi Love Child
-Inventory-
Weapon: Microwave Gun - A Marigold Knowledge invention. Constructed with a controlled flame crystal and metal parts, it fires a beam of sustained microwave energy that cooks biological foes alive. Fire-elemental at its core, it's also very inefficient against machines.
Arms: Nothing
Body: Custom Adventure Dress - A custom dress made by Alice. Provides slight defense against magical and psychic attacks. Now allows freer movement with a shorter skirt, and a more flexible material.
Misc: Swirly Glasses - Lets Marigold not be blind.
Backpack - Allows extended inventory. Aged relic from the Kourindou.
Unnamed Lock Opening Device - Opens locks very precariously. Made with steel, burnt cloth, packaging peanuts, thumbtacks, string, and wooden wheels. Don't even ask…
Ruler - Lets you measure the world around you!
Protractor - Lets you find the angles of anything ever. Totally overpowered.
Scotch Tape - Transparent adhesive from the outside world. Weak, but handy!
Deck of Cards - Allows Marigold to play Strip Poker with the party. Just kidding… or am I?
Shield Killer - Electrical device used to subdue harassers. Has settings ranging from Tickle Torture to Arse Blaster. Fires electrical projectiles, of unknown power.
Spectrum Shotgun - A Marigold Knowledge invention. Filled with foil chip bags to conduct the mana, and it is transmitted into a wind stone. Upgraded to draw mana from a simple wooden block filled with immense magic reserves, giving it virtually unlimited ammo. The addition of a battery and a prism allow it to fire seven rainbow colored beams at a wide spread, which deal non-elemental damage. Firing long enough allows them to focus and deal incredible damage, at the cost of insane recoil and instability.
NF Burst Gun - A Marigold Knowledge invention. Uses a Pop Gun as the base, but amplifies its power with an array of random batteries jammed into the base with the Pop Gun. The more batteries, the better, but the typical yield is about five bullets per trigger. Spamming the trigger doesn't make it go any faster, unfortunately. Has no foreseeable ammo limit, and the batteries are only there for mana circulation, meaning their power is really inconsequential.
Holmes Brand Designer Hat - Village swag! A retro village hat that ceased production ten years ago. Sells for a pretty penny nowadays, but it's pretty useless otherwise.
Slime Generator - A bulky box that shoots a small splat of slime. Doesn't seem good for much.
Counter-PSI Device - A weird device Marigold found from a flying saucer. Works in strange ways, and seems to disrupt everyone's concentration. Marigold is immune to its effects.
Charm of Sleep - Grants immunity to sleep while equipped. Can be equipped to Arms or Misc.
-Skills-
A Member of the Crystal Gems - Despite being named after a flower, instead. Trust us.
Very Good at Adventure Games - She probably would be, too.
Doesn't Know How to Fix Full Bridge Rectifiers - Advanced wiring is advanced.
Invented the Printing Press - It's a device that prints presses.
Is A Raging Barbarian - S'gonna bring back the big bang disaster!
β-β-β-β
Fighter: Hiyori Hashimoto, the Buddhist Oni
-Inventory-
Weapon: Fisticuffs!
Arms: Shackle of Devas - The first of the four treasures held by the Devas of the Mountain. Grants immunity to sleep-inducing magic. Grants fifty percent resistance to wind and thunder magic.
Body: Runed Gi - Enchanted to not get blown away by battle damage.
Misc: Nothing
-Skills-
PK Fire α, ß - Creates an igniting blast of flames at the target's location. Most impact comes with higher tiers.
PK Freeze α, β, γ - Generates ice crystals at the target's location. Medium damage and effect; may freeze some targets, especially wet ones.
Shield α, ß, Σ - Halves damage the target takes. Only works against physical attacks, and enough strikes, or powerful strikes, will dispel it. Higher tier turns it into a power-shield that protects even better and even reflects a fraction of protected damage. Highest tier applies a basic shield to the entire party.
Lifeup α, ß - Heals target a little. Higher tiers heal more grievous wounds, like bone fractures.
Healing α, ß - Heals basic status ailments. Higher tiers can cure more dire effects, like burning alive.
Teleport α, ß - Allows instant transport to the general location of an area remembered by oneself or one's party members. Requires a long, fast run-up to execute, however. Higher tier is largely automatic and requires little room to execute.
Martial Arts - Skilled in hand-to-hand combat.
β-β-β-β
Author's Note:
if last chapter had numerous DISCREPANCIES with the after-chapter skillcheck, they should be FIXED HERE; sorry 'bout all that yo
in any case, get HYPE for DEVA FIGHTS and SENDAI HAKUREI NO MIKO~ yo
fluff nugget fever, in any case
also that good ol spectrum beam, yo~. it's based on the Last Prism from Terraria. numerous of Konngara's skills come from MONSTER GIRL QUEST.
i'll just let that SINK IN
...also yeah sendai hakurei no miko is based off of RICHTER BELMONT from Castlevania, to extents, here (though she still keeps that darkness motif most fanworks give her)
she doesn't use no holy crosses, though; she uses YIN-YANG ORBS… and not as boomerangs, as pinballs.
they make mean pinballs
as always, see you all next time!