Remilia flew out into the lake of Blood; and started looking around.
"Are you sure you don't want help with this?" Tenma shouted.
"In a battle against a vampire; due to their very nature; it doesn't matter how many of us fought; the fight would take the same amount of time; and drain us all of energy." Remilia said. "However; due to our mutual inability to kill each other; Flandre excepted; we Vampires have a way of settling disputes."
Remilia curled up in the air; before releasing a wave of scarlet energy over the lake; followed by more every few seconds. After the fourth wave; a wave of ruby light returned; pushing back the Scarlet of Remilia, before a vampire appeared. She had long; blonde hair; and wore a somewhat frilly white shirt with a red bowtie. Attached by suspenders; she also had a large; black skirt.
"This is my lake; go find your own." She said.
"Oh please." Remilia said calmly. "One look at you tells me you are even more pathetic than the one responsible for turning me. You don't even hunt; do you? You just use this lake of blood to sustain yourself."
The vampire growled; before the pair started to glow with their respective shades of red; like an aura around themselves, pulseing out and colliding with each other.
"What's happening?" Rumia asked Flandre.
"Vampires settle fights using using the only part of us that we can hurt in another vampire." Flandre explained. "Their willpower... their ego... their charisma. The vampire with the stronger personality and will literally shatters the other vampire's willpower, and the loser must obey the winner."
"So... it's like emotional danmaku instead of magical?" Mystia asked.
"I... guess you could call it that." Flandre said, before suddenly; the waves of Scarlet started mixing into the Ruby waves.
"It only took this long? You really are weak. I've not even broken a sweat." Remilia said.
"We can't break a sweat! Flowing water hurts us!" the vampire said; flustered.
Remilia smirked; that lapse being all she needed.
"Charisma Break!" she shouted; before the Scarlet Aura seemed to run the other vampire through with a spear-like form not unlike Gungir. The other vampire cried out; before her head hung low; and the red energy faded away.
"Let us through without causing any trouble." Remilia commanded.
"Yes..." the vampire said. "Is there anything else?"
"No; safe passage is all we required. We're on our way to fight a mad god."
The vampire suddenly raised her head.
"If you had told me that I would have let you pass... my friend... my friend is in such danger... I tried to save her but I'm too weak..."
"Your friend?" Remilia asked. "Tell me."
"A gatekeeper. She doesn't tell me much about herself or what she's guarding; but we're pals still. I went to check up on her a few days ago and she attacked me; but she didn't seem to want to do so. Her face looked in sorrow."
Remilia turned around.
"You hear that Rumia? Seems like we're gonna have to go through Elly."
"Elly? She's weak. I blew her away even before I had the Master Spark." Marisa said.
"She's not weak." Rumia said. "I fought her two years ago; she almost killed me; even when holding back. She said that you two breaking in gave her the motivation to train back up to her old form."
"So... she wasn't lying when she said she was rusty." Reimu said.
"Well; I did drive everyone away for over 100 years until you two idiots came by." The vampire bragged. "I always found it a little strange that there was even a gatekeeper there to be honest."
"You lasted even less time however." Reimu said happily. "And you don't even have her excuse."
"I'm sure the fight lasted fourteen seconds." Marisa said.
"No; things just started to repeat after that time." Reimu said.
"What; like her theme mus..." Kogasa started; before she got bopped on the head by her umbrella's foot. Everyone gave the Karakasa a weird look; as if she almost said something that was taboo.
Rumia shook her head.
"Well; if we're gonna fight Elly; you all need to know what she can do. Elly herself has a few main things about her. Firstly; her power is... manipulation of floor tiles. About as dangerous as it sounds." Rumia said.
"Oh; so that's how she threw those floor tiles at me." Reimu said.
"Secondly; her scythe is made from a part of a tree that turned into a youkai afterwards; and it's powers passed into the scythe. The scythe can change it's shape; which lets Elly do all sorts of crazy things; like throw it like a boomerang."
"And here I thought the tile-throwing and boomerang-scytheing was because she was a telekinetic." Marisa said.
"I... can see how you might get that impression." Rumia said. "Anyway; most importantly; Elly is a Shinigami; or at least; a retired one. Which means if she swings with intent to kill; and cuts you; you'll die. You can't let her hit you; under any circumstances."
"Well; I can let her hit me." Mokou bragged.
"Yes; I'm sure you won't keep on dying after resurrecting like when you got hit by Flandre." Keine said.
"Not with Kaguy..."
"How many times was it... over three thousand times; slowing in frequency over the course of a week..."
"Oh; so that's why you randomly burst into flames when you tried to kill me for a week!" Kaguya said; before start started to laugh. "Oh my; what on earth did the little vampire do to kill you that many times in one strike?"
"That's not the point!" Mokou said.
"If my power to destroy did that; I don't think you'll want to get reaped by a Shinigami." Flandre said.
"Ugh; a Shinigami." Tenshi said. "I get the feeling she'll gun for us Buru."
"If not us; those guys." Buru said; indicating the Taoists.
"Actually; I think it might be prudent if only those of us confident in our evasion fight Elly." Patchouli said. "Those of us who are slower are in too much danger fighting an enemy who can kill you with a single cut."
"Actually; I have my own idea." Wriggle said. "You said a Shinigami's scythe works by injuring you; right? What if it can't injure you?"
"Wriggle... you can't mean..."
"It's not like we can fight against Titania anyway." Mystia said.
"I can be pretty quick when I need to!" Kogasa said happily.
"No way; you guys are not fighting Elly alone!" Rumia said.
"It's not like there's gonna be insects for me to use in this dream world." Wriggle protested. "I'm probably the best-suited out of anyone to fight Elly!"
"I can concur with that." Yuuka said. "Wriggle can use insects to fight Elly indirectly; and even then; she can make her own exoskeleton very strong. I taught her how to use her powers to their fullest. Have you even realised how much stronger they have become?"
Rumia looked at Yuuka in bewilderment.
"Even if Wriggle can fight her; what are you two going to do?" Rumia asked.
"I can use my songs to help." Mystia said. "Night-Blindness will make it harder for anyone reliant on a weapon; and unlike your darkness; I can disorient further with my songs; the echos of sounds."
"You were always better at leading people into trouble back in those days." Rumia admitted.
Kogasa opened her mouth.
"You're going to say you're a Karakasa so you'll be alright; aren't you?"
The umbrella bounced up and down happily.
"That doesn't even make any sense but I'm not even going to bother trying to stop you; it'll just make you try harder to prove me wrong and surprise me."
"You know me too well~" Kogasa said; sticking her tongue out.
"So; we're really going to rely on those three to defeat Elly?" Byakuren asked.
"I wouldn't under-estimate them. If they say they can do it; I trust them." Tenma said. "Besides; Yuuka herself said the insect is suited for the task. I think Yuuka knows her own underling!"
"It is a tactical move." Remilia said. "We can save your energy for the real fight; vampire; lead us!"
"I have a name..." the vampire moaned; before she flew off and everyone followed to what seemed like a portal on the ground of a small island in the lake.
"Down here." She said.
"Good." Remilia said; before everyone flew down.
Rumia felt the familiar feeling that came with being teleported; and then realized she was in a supernaturally lit cave; crackling orbs of dark energy in the air; and lightly-pulsing metal floor tiles. In the distance; a familiar-looking portal also glowed; identical to the one in Makai... in Vina.
Before it stood Elly; although it was instantly apparent that something was wrong with her. She stood at a strange angle; her eyes were dim, and her body was wrapped with vines; which seemed to be forcing her body to move against it's will.
"Run..." Elly said weakly before she took a step forwards; and swung her scythe; the weapon extending to reach; headed towards Rumia; before the blade was caught in the mandibles of a massive stag beetle the height of Rumia.
"Go!" Wriggle said. "I told you; someone like this I can beat! I'm her worst type of enemy!"
"I never thought you'd be useful." Rika said.
"Just keep your word and don't let Titania kill Rumia for us!" Mystia said; as the stag beetle pulled Elly away from the portal and the others rushed towards it. The scythe retracted; pulling Elly in towards the beetle like a slingshot; and her right hand released the scythe to punch the beetle in the head; forcing it to recoil and release the scythe; before Elly sliced it's head off with a swift flourish; the scythe twisting it's own angle to make the cut clean.
With everyone inside the portal; Mystia began to sing her song; and everyone lost their vision except the Night-Sparrow; becoming incredibly near-sighted. Wriggle and Kogasa knew how to handle this; but neither Elly; not the plants wrapped around her were used to this sort of situation; especially without the ability to pinpoint sounds due to the ongoing song; echoing in the cave.
"That's the way..." Elly said. She sounded like she herself had no energy.
Elly then raised her scythe in defense; blocking a strike from an enlarged praying mantis; it's own spiked forelegs being used as blades. The scythe was clearly sturdy; due to the sheer amount of strength an insect had compared to it's size being magnified when it was enlarged; yet the blade withstanding it.
The Shinigami released one of her hands on her weapon; and made a motion; before a barrage of tiles shot from the east of the cave to the west; a blanket attack aimed to sweep the area. The mantis was killed by the blows; but the noise of the tiles moving allowed the others time to evade; and Kogasa shot a few lasers at some of the ones which came dangerously close; shattering them.
"Wait; Kogasa; how do you aim that well?" Mystia asked. "Shouldn't you be near-sighted like everyone else?"
"I'm a karakasa. I don't have ears like you guys. I don't hear like you; so your song never really did anything to me." Kogasa explained.
"So; all that time you were pretending?" Mystia asked.
"Yep! Surprised?"
"Now's not the time for that!" Wriggle said; as Elly swung her scythe towards the sound of Kogasa's voice. The karakasa dodged; before the scythe changed it's own shape to change the trajectory of the continued swing; heading towards Wriggle's back.
"Wriggle; behind you!" Mystia called out; using the fact she could see perfectly still to see the movements Elly was making.
"Right!" Wriggle said; as she dashed fowards. "We'll play chicken!"
Wriggle leapt up and reinforced the exoskeleton of; and the muscles in her leg; before bringing it down in her infamous kick. Elly raised some of the tiles as a wall to defend herself; and Wriggle was surprised to find that her kick couldn't break them; instead she bounced off, jumping away from the scythe; which returned to Elly; the tiles falling back away; as she wrapped the scythe around herself.
"This is the stance I take for..." Elly began; before the vines sealed her mouth; before she hurled her scythe towards Wriggle in the air like a boomerang.
Wriggle raised her hands; before she did something she rarely did; she unfurled her natural wings; and used them to speed herself up in the air beyond her usual flight ability; enough to make a last-second dodge above the scythe; while touching her hands on the wood of the scythe as it spun; before it returned to Elly; the Shinigami grabbing it, before it started to coil behind her.
"Uh oh; this is the one Rumia warned us about..." Wriggle said; as Elly stepped backwards; making it dangerous to get behind her to evade the attack.
"Kogasa Spark!" Kogasa cried; suddenly and without warning fireing a blue blast of light from the tip of her umbrella. Pure instinct took over Elly upon seeing the attack; causing her to overpower the vines for a second out of fear; leaping to the side to evade; causing her scythe to uncoil. Then; she saw that Kogasa's imitation spark had not even dented the floor. Elly immediately attempted to prepare again, and Kogasa fired another blast; this one not getting a reaction.
And promptly causing an actual impact explosion which threw Elly back into the wall of the large cave.
"Ah ha! Got you that time; didn't I? I surprised you!" Kogasa said triumphantly; as Elly struggled up again; with a wave of tiles shooting out from in front of her towards the group; another wild sweeping attack; again; evaded. The wild, random attack due to Elly's inability to see due to Mystia's song not having any real chance of being much beyond a distraction.
But that was what she needed; as her scythe coiled around herself ten times; twisting and extending; before Elly posed on a single foot.
She made a half-turn around one direction; before she began to spin rapidly the other direction; whipping up winds around herself; and moving around erratically; like a twister; the scythe's blade reaching further and further out; and moving up and down the twister; like some demented blender.
And then; just as the bladestorm threatened to reach the trio; Elly stopped; and thrust her scythe into the ground; panting.
"So; they did their work." Wriggle said; looking at Elly; no vines covering her. "The aphids I put on your scythe spread to the vines and consumed them; I sped up their reproductive cycle and growth so they would consume them quickly."
Mystia stopped singing, as Elly looked up; light in her eyes again.
"To stop me without anyone dying..." Elly said. "That's impressive."
Wriggle shook her head.
"You killed a Stag Beetle; a Preying Mantis and a load of Aphids died due to me speeding up their lifecycles."
"I guess." Elly said. "I'm sorry... Titania planted a cursed seed on me... it made me move against my will, and she was affecting Malus too. I can stop the scythe going rampant myself; but not with those vines. Still; your abilities... they remind me of Lady Yuuka."
"Well; she did help me figure them out." Wriggle said.
"So; everyone went ahead." Elly added.
"Yeah."
"The vines stopped me from stopping the two and a half gods who came a week ago." Elly said. "They haven't returned."
"Well; all we can do is wait. We beat you; but we're useless against Titania." Wriggle said. "She can probably turn my insects against me at best wither powers anyway."
Elly smiled faintly.
"Have faith in your friends. They will need it."
There was quiet for a few moments.
"So; Mysti; did I surprise you back then?" Kogasa asked.
Author Notes:
OK this went through a few ideas. Firstly; I wanted to break up the serious-ness a little so the Kurumi section is more light-hearted; after all; Kurumi is no match at all for Remilia yet she's not an easy foe to actually take down; perks of being a vampire and all.
Then I planned Elly fighting Rumia and a few others; but decided that actually it would be better to give this spotlight to the supporting cast; particularly the members who would be completely hapless in the final fight. Elly may be skilled and strong; but if she can't actually injure the super-insects in the first place; she can't kill them easily.
Also the final attack Elly used she would have called 'Apple Blander' like her other 'special' attacks were 'Harvester' and 'Peeler'.
Anyway; I've got to think if I just want the group entering the Dream World [And thus the immediate prelude to the final battle] right away; or if I wantt them to stumble into Gengetsu and Mugetsu's dimension first. I have a small plotline involving those two and another character in my head; but I'm not sure if I should run with it or abandon it and bring in said other character in a different way. The Gengetsu and Mugetsu part wouldn't be long at all; but I'm not sure if it's even worth giving those two the spotlight at this point in the story.