Yumemi looked at Rumia coldly. For the first time; there was fury in her eyes, before suddenly, everyone felt air being pulled past them, and a vortex formed, spiralling into the device Rika was working on.
The spiralling energy was clearly having an effect on Rika as well; it seemed she had some kind of barrier protecting her from actual harm; but was struggling to stay up; let alone shut the device down.
"What did you do Rika?!" Remilia shouted.
"Ugh... I can feel the magic being ripped out of my body..." Yumeko commented.
"Can't keep this up much longer..." Sakuya said.
"Release Chiyuri; or I will suck this world and Makai dry. Harm her; and I shall make it even quicker." Yumemi said. "You hold Chiyuri hostage; I'll hold the entire worlds you hold dear!"
Her voice showed no sign of bluffing; yet Rumia did not let go.
Kogasa wriggled in Kaguya's hand; before she materialised her human avatar; and flew out of Kaguay's hand to Rumia.
"Hey; Rumia! Snap it together!" Kogasa said.
Rumia growled.
"Uh... OK then... what do I do... uh... there's gotta be some way... oh; I know!" Kogasa said; before she bopped Rumia on the head.
"What is that Karakasa up to? Is she trying to make her angrier?" Yuki said.
"No... she's probobly trying to make her evil side angry enough with her to release Chiyuri and go after her instead." Mai commented; her small wings shrinking and turning into diamond dust that was sucked into the machine.
"Oi! Both of you!" Kogasa said. "You know if she sucks out all the magical energy you'll end up like all them youkai that didn't end up here; right? I may only be a few years old; but even I know a youkai can't survive without magic!"
Kogasa smirked.
"So; do you really want to kill yourself; Miss Evil Rumia?"
For the briefest moment; the evil Rumia wavered; thrown off by Kogasa's question. That moment was all Rumia needed to regain control; her body returning to normal; and releasing her grip on Chiyuri. The darkness faded; and her wings vanished.
"... Sorry about that; lost control of the evil me." Rumia said to Yumemi; before she looked at Kogasa.
"Not sure what I would have done if you weren't here; Kogasa. Thanks."
"That goofy Karakasa might have just saved Gensokyo." Remilia commented.
"Not who I would have put money on to do that." Hatate remarked.
Yumemi's anger faded; but the passion in her eyes remained the same. The machine died back down; the conditions returning to normal.
"We both almost lost control." Yumemi said weakly. "I propose we settle this how people in your world solve disputes."
"Huh?" Rumia asked.
"She means a spellcard battle; Rumia." Remilia said. "I know the last people you've fought haven't had any to use; but still..."
"I know that Remi; but Yumemi doesn't have magic. Like Rika. How can she use spellcards without magic? She's not even from Gensokyo anyway."
"Yumemi fought in a danmaku fight against the miko using stored magical energy! I'm sure she can do it now!" Chiyuri said.
Yumemi looked at Chiyuri.
"Chiyuri. Leave. Return home. Take my mantle with you back home." the scientist said, removing the vivid red cloak from her back.
"But... Yumemi... that's the sign of you being..."
"I know. I pass that down to you." Yumemi said. "I have no need of it anymore; and I do not wish for you to risk being trapped here when the dimensional link is severed. I cannot say how much longer we have until Rika manages to shut the extractor down."
Chiyuri was clearly fighting off tears; before she put Yumemi's cloak on her own back; and nodded.
"Goodbye; Yumemi." she said, before she vanished, with a blue flash.
Yumemi turned to Rumia.
"When I said there was no form of magic in our world; I was not telling the entire truth. There is one form of magic still open to our people; although it is a form that is not a solution. It is forbidden. However; I already said; I would sooner die than allow you to win; and I will not tap into the reserves of magic for my people. I shall buy as much time as I can... using the forbidden magic!"
Yumemi's cross-weapon changed from white to red, and a bead of sweat rolled down Yumemi's forehead; as three spellcards hovered above her.
"Only three... well... I guess I am badly injured already." she muttered.
"What's she doing?" Mai asked.
"I'm not sure; but something feels off." Hatate commented.
"It is Red Magic." Remilia said. "It is also known as Blood Magic; cast from one's very life energy, instead of magical energy. I can use such magic freely; as an immortal vampire; but if someone such as Yumemi were to use Red Magic; it would cut their lifespan dramatically. And using Red Magic in her current state; after having her body absorb some of Flandre's destructive power, however little... the chances of her survival beyond the next few minutes... are about the chance that the ice-idiot will throw a fireball."
"Blood... magic?" Rumia said, before she looked at Yumemi.
"Do not keep me waiting. Consider this my last request." Yumemi said weakly.
"You idiot... if you think I'll let you keel over and die; even with this; then I'll just prove you wrong! Use your first spellcard; Yumemi!" Rumia said.
Yumemi smiled; and pulled one of the floating spellcards onto her cross; where it began to burn; something unusual; but Rumia presumed was based on the Red Magic. "Marvel of Technology: Stars of the Universe"
Yumemi opened her arms; taking the 'Saint was Cruified' pose Rumia usually took; before a massive amount of small danmaku; shaped like the six-pointed star-mark on Yumemi's devices; rained from her; red, orange; yellow; white; blue; and of varying sizes and speeds.
Everyone else was pushed back; by the spellcard boundry; kept out of the duel; as Rumia dodged frantically; blasting occasionally at the stars flying at her; and even taking some blows. It did not take Rumia long; however; to figure out that the red stars were the easiest to destroy; and hurt the least; while a blue one felt like agony; and Rumia made sure not to let another hit her.
After about twenty seconds; Rumia found an opening; and fired a small; white laser from both hands; which slammed into Yumemi; and broke her spellcard; which ignited and burned to ashes.
Yumemi fell to one knee in the sky; panting; but still hovering with the antigravity devices on her feet. She coughed up some more blood; Rumia was unsure if that was due to the Red Magic or Flandre. Then; she got back up.
"Your... turn..." she said weakly.
Rumia pulled a spellcard out of her pocket; and held it to the sky; declaring it's name: "Yin Sign; Darkness within Light!"
With that, Rumia hurled out a sphere of dark energy; which moved slowly towards Yumemi; releasing curvy lasers. Yumemi flew around the lasers; and additional danmaku Rumia launched; rather easily; occasionally using a blast of red energy from her cross to propell herself.
The attack was inspired by one of Seiga's combination attacks with Yoshika, but Rumia had her own spin on it; and threw out a second orb; which too began to follow Yumemi slowly; while emitting lasers. Yumemi took a few light blows; before she closed in on Rmia; and released a blast of red energy in Rumia's face.
The darkness youkai felt the sheer drive of Yumemi wash over her; her emotions and willpower turned into force; her very lifeforce; and that broke her concentration of the spellcard.
"I cannot waste any time; Dimension Sign: Cross Section." Yumemi said, putting her second spellcard on her cross; before it emitted several lasers around Rumia; tracer types; which left small marks in the air.
"Is that it?" Rumia asked, before suddenly a large amount of cross-shaped danmaku formed where the lasers were, boxing her in; before they scattered in all directions; making evasion very difficult. A few made contact with Rumia; and it felt like they were cutting into her; although; being a danmaku fight; actual physical damage was not possible. This did not extend to clothing damage; however, and Rumia just sighed at the fact she'd need to get some repairs to her outfit.
Yumemi repeated the attack another three times before Rumia found a chance to get a few shots in; and break Yumemi's spellcard. The scientist fell to both knees again, coughing heavily; before she got back up.
"Your..." she said; sounding like she was about to pass out.
"Yang Sign: Light within the Darkness!" Rumia said; before everything except a small sphere around Yumemi became dark; the sphere beginning to move, and Yumemi staying within it; her guard up; before danmaku was launched at Yumemi in the sphere; a thinly spread shot from Rumia. This repeated; with the sphere moving faster; and Rumia repositioning for shots more often and faster.
It got to the twelth shot, with Yumemi taking some heavy blows; before Yumemi launched a counter-attack; a few spheres; launched where she predicted Rumia would head next; and it was successful.
"Wow; not often people are about to do that! You're pretty good!" Rumia said, shaking the hit off.
Yumemi just grabbed her past spellcard, and placed it on her cross.
"Straw..." she began, coughing again, much louder than before. Her voice was weak.
Yumemi fell to her knees; using her cross to prop herself up, before she struggled up once more. She looked exhausted; and as shaking.
"Strawberry Crisis..." she said; before she held her cross above her head; and it grew massively. Rumia felt herself being forced by the bounded field of the spellcard to be in line with the now massive cross-blades, which had gained green markings.
"Those kinda look like strawberries now. You like those?" Rumia said. "Thinking 'bout it; you kinda dress up like one too."
Yumemi just smirked; a grimace, before the cross-blade began to spin, leaving behind green marks in their wake that Rumia had to avoid as the blades moved. The blade would erase the previous one's green marks, but then, the cross stopped; and unleashed a hailstorm of stars, as the blades reversed.
"Whoa!" Rumia said; as she suddenly had to weave between the green marks already around her; the shower of stars; which slowed down as they went further away from Yumemi; while backpedaling to avoid the now reversing cross-blade; which she couldn't just turn around to see where she was going; lest she lose vision of the star shower as she turned.
Which inevitably lead her to getting hit by some of the green; stationary bullets; and then some of the stars; which slowed her down enough that she was almost caught by the blade.
Almost as soon as Rumia had recovered her composure and got to a safe distance; however; the blades reversed again; with another shower.
"This is crazy!" Rumia said. "I'm not even getting chance to react properly! The stationary bullets to weave between; while having to change directions; and avoid this shower of stars that mess with my depth perception as they get slower, this is a great card; Yumemi!"
Fourty more seconds passed; before the cycles accelerated, and the shower and green bullets got thicker. At this point, all Rumia could do was grit and dodge as much as she could; without getting hit by the red blades; which she was sure would hurt enough to knock her out of the sky; causing her defeat.
Thirty more seconds; and the spellcard timed out; the spellcard burning off Yumemi's cross.
"I've done it!" Rika shouted; as Yumemi's device in her hand shut off; and she dropped it.
"Well... done..." she said; hardly whispering; before she closed her eyes; and began to fall.
Rumia dashed towards Yumemi; and grabbed her, before looking at Kaguya.
"Kaguya! Can you freeze Yumemi in this state? Your manipulation of Eternity and the Moment!" Rumia shouted.
Kaguya looked at Sakuya and Yumeko, who looked exhausted and laughed; although she didn't look much better herself.
"I can handle that. Besides; I already know you're headed my way; it's pretty obvious. If anyone can save Yumemi; it's Eirin." Kaguya said, before Yumemi glowed; a slight aura around her.
"Yumeko; I'll come to Makai and sort that out as soon as I can. I need to take care of this first though. That and... we'll probobly have to bring Rika too. She's the only one who knows how to shut those devices off."
Rumia looked down at the device; and at Rika, who clearly had sustained damage from when the device had been turned up. Bits of metal were broken; revealing wires that sparked.
"And it looks like she'll need some time to fix herself up."
With that; Rumia and Kaguya flew off; with Kogasa following.
Rika rose into the air; clutching Yumemi's weapon; which was still a sphere.
"Well then... I should return to my base and find somewhere to hide from Rumia. I don't see why I should help Makai..." Rika said.
"Do you think we're morons; Rika?" Remilia asked.
"You really think we'll let you leave with Yumemi's magic-absorbing weapon? With your track record?" Sakuya said.
"Even we know it's a bad idea to let you have that!" Yuki said.
"The Kappa should have that; if anyone." Hatate said.
"No way are you filthy youkai getting this! Our agreement is over anyway; I'll kill you; take this device; and then I'll be unbeatable!" Rika said.
Author Notes: And so the main 'villain' of Arc 5 is defeated; and Gensokyo is safe.
Except there's still probobly somewhere between 5 and 7 chapters left of Arc 5. There is still the aftermath, and the fact Rumia hopes to help stop Makai's magic extractor as well as a couple of other smaller plot points, some from previous parts; others for the future.
Arc 5 is far from over yet.
At this point; however; I will state this; Arc 5 does not lead into Arc 6. The 2nd Sub-Arc is between 5 and 6, and is longer than the Mystia one [And also more serious, it's a sub-arc only because the focal character isn't Rumia]. There may be a 3rd; which would be new content; aimed at developing Wriggle more, and if I choose to do this; it will be between 6 and 7.
In terms of timeline; however; the Sub-Arc happens about a week after Arc 5 ends; and Arc 6 is only about a week after that. Whereas other parts had months or even a year and a few months in the case of 3 - 4. There are three incidents in quick succession; Arc 5; Sub-Arc2; and Arc 6.