A couple of days passed since Yukari took Rumia and Remilia to her house, and Rumia noticed something.
Usually, the Misty Lake would be a wonderful place to sit back and watch, as the beauty of danmaku fights between playful fairies covered the lake.
However, the last week or so, the fairies seemed... less energetic. It had gotten even more noticeable over the last two days. The fairies seemed... slightly tired.
Cirno in particular seemed most effected, flying around as if she was sleepy all the time. And Cirno was never tired. Ever.
"I think it's something to do with Gensokyo's magic. Fairies get their power from Nature and Magic, after all, and nature doesn't seem upset." Rumia said to Daiyousei, Cirno, Wriggle, Mystia and Kogasa.
"Patchouli thinks the same." Daiyousei said. She wasn't quite as effected as the other fairies, since she had better control over her magic, and larger reserves, after training under Patchouli, but she was still less bright than usual. "She says she can feel something wrong with the magic as well, as a magician."
"You don't think it's a side-effect of Shinki visiting, do you? Makai's energy is different from Gensokyo, and it might change the magical atmosphere." Mystia said.
"No. Yukari usually seals up Alice's house when Shinki visits, remember? The maisma is contained, and Shinki takes it back with her when she leaves." Rumia said. "Although, Shinki didn't come last time... she sent a note saying she wasn't feeling well..."
"Don't you think that's a little odd?" Wriggle asked.
"Eh?" Rumia responded.
"She's a God! I've never heard of a God getting ill." Wriggle said.
"Maybe something is happening to both Gensokyo and Makai then~" Kogasa said, spinning around idlely, before she and Rumia saw... something happen behind the others.
There was a portal, although one vastly different to the ones Shinki made. It was swirling blue, with sparks. It looked similar to the portal Rika made, in fact.
And then, a sailor came out of it. She was dressed in a fashion very similar to Murasa, except her ribbon-tie was blue, and not red, and she was a blonde, with twin pigtails. She also looked younger than Murasa, and her shirt was a bit smaller, exposing her midriff somewhat. She wore shorts instead of a skirt.
But the strangest thing was when Rumias tried to sense her magical energy, to identify what she was.
There was nothing. No magic at all. Even humans without powers would give off a very slight magical energy, the magic of life itself. Even a ghost would give off energy. This sailor... gave off nothing. No magic at all.
She looked around, and spoke.
"Well then, where to get a sample of the energy so I can make sure I'm in the right place..."
She looked towards Rumia's group, and flew over. Rumia noticed she was flying in a manner very different to normal when she approached closer. It... looked magical, the sparks around her shoes, but it wasn't. There was no magic at all. Rumia guessed this was similar to the anti-gravity technology the Kappa were working on, to enable them to do heavy lifting required to set up the Gensokyo Electric Grid.
"Hello. Can I ask you for a favor?" the girl asked.
"... Sure..." Rumia said, sounding a little apprehensive.
"Rumia... she's not human, youkai, fairy or ghost..." Mystia whispered.
"I know, but we won't find out unless we speak with her. Besides, that portal she came through reminded me of Rika's." Rumia whispered back.
"Would you mind telling me where I am?" she asked.
"The Misty Lake..." Cirno responded, in a dull tone.
"No, I mean this whole place I'm in."
"Gensokyo?" Rumia asked.
"Uh... great. That's not helpful. I don't remember that place. I was only given the magical energy signature and our codename for this world... uh... I know!"
The girl pulled a device that looked like a pistol from her pocket, except instead of a barrel it had... a strange sphere.
"Can you attack me? Magically? Don't worry, give it all you've got!" she asked.
"Are you sure you want a solid attack from me?" Rumia asked.
"Yeah. Don't worry. Just do it. It'll help me a bunch!" the sailor said.
Rumia looked at the others, before she shrugged, and fired a large Dark Energy sphere.
What happened next shocked everyone.
The sailor moved the eapon in the path of the sphere... and the weapon sucked it in. There was no explosion. No damage. As the orb made contact, it turned into wisps of light blue, which were sucked in and vanished.
"Dimension 453 and Dimension 235. Two dimensions? That doesn't help. Can someone who's not a dimension-hopper attack me?" the salior asked, annoyed.
"W-w-what did you just do?" Wriggle asked.
"Oh, this device can absorb magic, and turn it into raw magical energy. I can then fire the raw energy back if I want. But I don't want to." the sailor said. "Now, are any of you guys not dimension-hoppers like the girl in black?"
"Ooh! Me! Me!" Kogasa said. "I can show off my newest attack!"
"The one holding an ugly umbrella!" the sailor said, as if Kogasa won a game show or something. She wasn't bothered by the insult one bit.
Kogasa stepped foward, and suddenly, her clothes changed to... Yuuka's, and she took a stance that was infamous in Gensokyo.
"When did you?!" Rumia started.
"Did she watch Yuuka at some point?!" Wriggle exclaimed.
"Imitation Sign: Kogasa Spark!" Kogasa yelled, before she fired a large blue beam at the sailor. However, only the very center was absorbed. The rest of it just washed around and past the salior, doing nothing at all to her. Kogasa then changed back into her normal clothes.
"What do you think? Great surprise, right? No-one would expect a fake spark! It's just a flash of light with a really thin laser in it!" Kogasa said happily.
"Since when did she get good at doing this..." Wriggle said.
"I dunno..." Mystia commented.
"I've been taking lessons from Mamizou and Nue!" Kogasa said. "I decided to imitate Yuuka because she's scary! I followed Wriggle and watched her get beat up!"
"So blunt..." Wriggle said.
"Dimension 235. OK, oh, that's the one we held a magic tounerment in!" the sailor said.
"Wait, magic tournament?" Rumia asked, vuagely remembering fliers for such an event years ago, before even the Scarlet Mist, or the invasion of strange youkai.
"Where are my manners?! I'm Chiyuri Kitashirakawa. I'm a scientist from another dimension. I'm doing studies on magic. I'm very busy, can't stay around long. Thanks for your help!" the sailor said, before she turned.
"Wait, scientist? Studying magic?" Rumia asked. "Why would a scientist study magic?!"
"Can't tell you. Would take too long. Seeya! Maybe." Chiyuri said, before she floated off.
"Stop her!" a voice cried, as Chiyuri flew off. Chiyuri sped up, as everyone turned around.
Rika was on a hover-tank, floating over the lake.
"Stop her! She's dangerous!" Rika screamed.
"She dosen't seem dangerous." Wriggle said. "The only dangerous one here is you."
"You don't understand! She and her boss were the ones who gave me the technology to make Omega in return for letting them crash with me! They're bad news for Gensokyo! Humans and Youkai!" Rika cried.
"Why should we trust anything you say Rika?" Daiyousei said.
"Ugh! Just ask Rikako then if you don't trust me! She took part in their magic tournament a few years ago! So did Reimu, and Marisa, and Mima!"
"Are you sure you're not just using this as an excuse to stay around Rumia more without getting beat up?" Cirno said.
"Why you..." Rika growled, before she thrust out her palm. "Eat danmaku since I can't kill you!"
Rika fired a single bullet of the tiniest type, moving incredibly slowly, which faded before it even traveled half a meter.
"Still inept, eh." Rumia mocked. "You're like, the only youkai who can't use Danmaku at all."
"Who needs that stupid stuff when I have tanks anyway!" Rika protested. "Argh! Fine, don't listen to me, but if you think someone running around Gensokyo with a device that absorbs magic is a good idea, then you can all get your magic drained out of you!"
Rika turned her tank around and left.
"... So, what now?" Mystia asked.
"Well of course I'm gonna look into this. But of course I can't have Rika know I'm doing what she told me to." Rumia said, smirking. "I was gonna ask around about that tournament she mentioned anyway. She's strange. Anyone who is absorbing magic, doesn't give off any magic, and flies without wings or magic is suspicious. Not to mention I couldn't even feel my own magic inside her device. Rika just saved us a step by telling us some people to talk to."
"Reimu?" Mystia asked.
"Marisa?" Wriggle added.
"Mima?" Kogasa commented.
"No. The one that Rika is least likely to speak to and find out I'm doing as she suggested. Especially as she lives in the village she attacked. Rikako." Rumia said.