Rumia, Mystia, Cinro and Wriggle all followed Koishi down a central street, leading to the Palace of the Earth Spirits. It was clear, the further into the city the group went, that the fighting had become more and more severe. In places, there would be a youkai with injuries, being tended to by others. Even the Oni looked tired.
"This has been going on for weeks, and it's getting worse." one Oni said to another. "We don't even have time to make more sake..."
"Maybe I should challenge an Oni to a fight... prove how strong I am to them." Cirno says, before everyone says "No." to her at once.
"It wouldn't be a fair fight, they're tired Cirno." Wriggle says, to which the fairy agrees.
Suddenly, an opening in the narrow street became visible. This was not an opening by design, however, it was a huge crater.
"This... wasn't here when I left." Koishi remarked.
"Yeah, Yuugi had to really pound a large monster into the ground. That's where she pounded it." the an Oni commented. "Been ages since anything's made her use one of her 'Three Steps'. And I don't mean the danmaku version."
"Wait... you're saying that crater was caused by one person?" Mystia said, looking sheepish.
"Yeah. Yuugi the Strong, one of the four Devas. It was her 3rd most powerful punch. Bit less damage than I expected personally, but I guess so far underground the earth is denser than up on the mountains."
At that point, inside the crater, something appeared. A thin, reddish-black line, which opened wider, becoming like a rip in the air.
Rumia suddenly winced, and grabbed her head.
"I don't feel too good..." she says.
"What? You never complain about not feeling good." Wriggle says, confused.
"Well... I don't. Something's making my head throb." she says, before strange things start to come out of the portal. Most of them are spherical things, and do not look too threatening, however, a larger creature comes through, looking somewhat humanoid, in a large, flowing, flower-like dress. However, it's eyes glowed crimson, and dark mists clung to it.
"You..." it whispered, moving towards Rumia. "What are you..."
Suddenly, a purple blur smashed into the creature, a painful crack echoing, before a smashing sound as it was smashed into a building, and then thrown back into the portal.
A woman that Rumia had met a couple of times before, mostly from visiting Kogasa, stood there. Dressed in her usual garb, with her two-toned hair, Byakuren Hijiri stood looking resolute, hands pressed together.
"Light Sign: Evil Sealing Lotus Blossoms" she said, before the spherical creatures each became encased in lotus-like constructs of light, which carried them back into the portal.
Byakuren then moved to the portal, and put a hand to it.
"Dark Sign: Daemonic Passage - Close" she muttered, as her scroll flew from out of her pocket, opened, and wrapped around the portal, before it sealed it shut again.
With that, Rumia's headache suddenly stopped, and Byakuren turned around to the group... and the Oni with his jaw dropped.
"Uh... what? You're not an Oni, but you demolished that building with a single punch... with that thing as a cushion." the Oni said.
"You truly think that species limits strength? How foolish." Byakuren says, glaring at the Oni, before she shakes her head.
"Forgive me. I am still in a mindset I thought I had left behind when I sealed the portal. Is anyone injured?" the monk asks, to which everyone shakes their heads.
"Good." Byakuren says, before looking at Rumia, Cirno, Mystia and Wriggle. "I suggest you four leave, before you do get hurt. This is about to get a lot worse."
"Reimu sent us down here. She's coming with others! We need to tell Koishi's sister." Rumia says, waving her arms around.
"Ugh... I'll have to have a word with Reimu later. Tell Satori this, the one behind this, all the attacks have been her attempting to get past the Borders. The fact the attacks are getting larger means she's succeeding. Which means the real battle will begin soon. She needs to evacuate anyone who isn't able to fight to the Former Hell itself, under the Palace." Byakuren says.
"Wait, Byakuren-sama..." Mystia says.
"What is it?" Byakuren asks, kindly.
"You're a holy monk of Buddhism, right?"
"Yes, I am." Byakuren answers.
"They why do you know Dark magic? I'm no expert, but generally magic of the Dark Sign is, you know, evil. And how did you even know how to seal those portals anyway?"
Byakuren sighs.
"I was sealed for 1,000 years in a land of darkness. One cannot help but learn how to make use of it in that time, as a magician. As for the portals... that is something you are better off not knowing. By the time it's relevant, you should hopefully be above ground."
"Reimu didn't tell us what she knew either." Wriggle says. "Sounds like there's something that people don't want us to know."
"Or maybe it's something you wouldn't understand." Byakuren says, before she flies off towards the sound of another fight.
"So, Reimu, what's so important that you got HER here as well?" Marisa says, indicating to Yuuka.
"Oh my, Marisa, why are you being so cold towards me? We've not seen each other in years~" Yuuka said sweetly.
"Maybe that's intentional... da-ze." Marisa said, shaking her head.
"Marisa, I already told you three times. It's the same reason I had to shoo Alice away from your house before I told you. If she found out what's happening, there's no telling what she would do. And I wouldn't willingly work with Yuuka either unless I knew that I didn't have much more of a choice." Reimu says.
"Why are you all so cruel..." Yuuka says.
"Maybe because you are..." Reimu retorts.
"Your infamy has reached as far as the Netherworld. I've heard of you many times, Miss Kanzami." Youmu commented.
"What is it she's nicknamed? Ultimate Sadistic Creature?" Sanae comments.
"I can show you how I got that nickname if you want, dear." Yuuka says, smiling. However, her smile was clearly just like nectar that attracts a fly to a Venus Flytrap, except everyone could see the impending death.
Sakuya decided it was better to not take part in teasing Yuuka, and just stood near Ran Yakumo, who had helped Reimu gather everyone so swiftly.
"I'm not sure why I'm being dragged into this mess. I know nothing of this matter." Sakuya said to Ran.
"Simply put, we need all the help we can get, Miss Izanoi." Ran says.
"If this matter is so severe, why isn't Yukari doing anything then?" Sakuya retorts.
"She already is." Ran says calmly, before adding, "And the fact she's losing is the very reason we need you and the others."
"I get to see Yuugi~" Suika said happily, before taking a swig out of her gourd.
"Suika... we're not going to see Yuugi, we're going to help Yuugi. Save the drinking for after the fighting, OK?" Reimu says.
"Shang-Hai!" the doll chimed, before it played back what it had seen and heard magically.
"...Just as I feared. There's only one thing that could be happening if Reimu shooed me away, yet gathered Kanzami to the group." Alice said, picking up her Grimoire.
"I only hope I'm not too late. Who knows what she'll do to get what she wants..."
"Here we are, the Palace of the Earth Spirits." Koishi says, standing outside the large doors of the palace, before knocking.
There are a few moments of quiet, before the door opens, and a red-haired Kasha opens the door, sticking her head out.
"Ah, it's you Koishi. I'll get Satori right away then!" the kasha says, before she runs off, leaving the door partially open.
Rumia sneaks a look inside the palace, looking through the ajar door, and sees the floor is covered in small square tiles, forming artwork of various things. Symbols Rumia did not know... in fact, symbols the meaning of had been long lost to the ages, that only the Yama knew.
Then, a youkai appeared, floating slowly towards the door, with an air around her that felt like she was looking down on the others. The youkai, like Koishi, was only as tall as Rumia. At this point, Rumia decided that the Satori were short as a race.
"Hi, I'm..." Rumia began.
"Rumia. You're a Darkness youkai. You're here because Reimu made you come here. Byakuren wants me to evacuate everyone who cannot fight into the Former Hell." the Satori said, her two eyes closed, and her third open, with a smug look on her face.
"W-what? How did'ya do that?" Mystia asked.
"Koishi told you. I can read minds. By the way, being underground isn't unnatural for birds, I have a large amount of pet crows. They are perfectly fine." Satori said, opening one eye a little.
"That's..." Wriggle began.
"Rude? I guess you may find it such. Peering into the deepest recesses of one's mind. However, I am a Satori, it is my nature. The Satori do not listen to words. Words can be lies, however, you cannot lie to your own thoughts. It is impossible to lie to a Satori."
"Well... who are you shorty!" Cirno said angrily.
"Satori Komeiji. Koishi's sister. We are the last Satori that I know of alive. Our race is hated for our power, and most of us have been long killed." the youkai said. "By the way, your head is especially empty, fairy. Not that I expected much else."
"Wait, you're a Satori... and you're called Satori?" Rumia asked.
"The head of the Satori has always been given the name Satori." Satori says simply. "It is tradition."
"Is that so~" Rumia asks.
"Yes, it is so. And I can tell you four do not want to leave this place like Byakuren told you." Satori says.
"That's it!" Cirno says. "I've had enough with her being all smug and looking down on us and reading our noggins! I'm gonna give her a taste of what The Strongest is about! Ice Sign: Icicle..."
"Ice Sign: Icicle Fall." Satori said, before launching Cirno's own attack at her, sending the stunned fairy back.
"Ehhe... imitating the Strongest eh? Snow Sign: Diam..."
"...ond Blzzard." Satori said, unleashing Cirno's own attack again before the fairy was ready.
"I... don't get it." Cirno says.
"I can read your mind. I know what you are going to do before you even do it, and I can copy you. It is literally impossible to defeat me, so stop attempting to prove your inferiority complex." Satori says to the fair, before turning away.
"I'm going to arrange for the evacuation now. You four should leave. Koishi, come inside and help me."
Koishi nodded, and followed her sister inside, before the door closed.
Then Rumia's head throbbed again, and she turned around to see a portal right behind them, and two figures. The first looked a lot like Marisa, except her hat was different, her skirt not as puffy, and her hair straighter, as well as lacking a broom. The other was a blue-haired woman in a white dress, with small, white wings.
"Well well... would ya' look at this fancy place." the Marisa-like stranger said.
The other remained silent.
"Well, ya'know what we gotta do. We gotta find her."
The other stranger remained silent again.
"Come on Mai, say something!"
"... Stop blabbering about our mission in front of others Yuki. Now ...we have to take care of them." the blue-haired stranger, apparently called Mai, said.