Author's Note:

This chapter came out on a bit of an express order. It might've taken a bit longer, but I was able to go from the finished rough draft to a finished final draft in one night instead of my usual slow, take-your-time pace. This was clearly a result of my hard work ethic and not because FFXVI is coming out today and I didn't want the chapter to get pushed back because I'm an avid gamer with bad self control. Yes. Anyways, enjoy!

~ STAGE 20: A Strange Game ~

[START]

There was a little, fun line of fine print that underlined Spellcard duels. Sure, the system was designed not to kill people. In fact, the hope was it would remove unnecessary bloodshed. But the little footnote always sat in the back of Luka's mind: if the gap in power was too wide, no amount of fantasy could prevent a direct attack from killing her.

And sure, she felt it a little against Aya. Her winds stung, badly. But this?

Luka was absolutely sure that if she slipped up for even a second, Tenshi would accidentally kill her. Probably instantly; she doubted the idiot was holding back very much.

At the outskirts of the fight, Kume seemed to be watching warily. Tempting as it was to call him in to assist, Luka didn't want him getting hurt on her conscience or on Kasen's likely already mounting stress. She also wasn't sure if the bird could even fight in the first place.

Cursing under her breath, Luka dove under a wave of thin scarlet needles. Fighting was out of the question. If Tenshi was telling even a half-truth, this was someone who had tussled with both Reimu and Marisa—Gensokyo's finest. Running wasn't acceptable, either. Luka was pretty sure Tenshi would hound her across Heaven.

So, what were her options?

Landing in an empty space in the barrage, Luka rolled to one knee and directed her attention to Tenshi. Sitting idly atop her flying rock and swinging her legs playfully, she looked excited. Her mannerisms reminded Luka of a kid watching bugs fighting, like the pathetic mortal's struggle was some comedy show.

For just a moment, Luka habitually reached for her pistols, as if to take a few shots at the stationary target. Just as her hands reached the grips, Tenshi leaned in. Even from down here, Luka could see her eyes sparkling.

"...?" Seeing it, Luka stopped in confusion. (What's she…?)

The moment she did, Tenshi's transparent emotions showed once again. A flash of disappointment, with a huffy fit and folded arms. "Hey!" She called out, bouncing impatiently. "Go on, fight back! That's how you do things, right? I even stopped to give you a chance and everything!"

She wanted Luka to fight back? That made no sense, why? She could easily win just by putting the pressure back on her. Did she not care if she won or lost? This wasn't a game, it was—

(Wait, no. That's exactly it!)

Once the thought crossed her mind, Luka realized what she needed to do. Without hesitation, she stepped forward, raising both arms. "Hey!" She shouted. "Call off your laser rocks! I just want to talk!"

"Whaaat?" Tenshi called out in a clear 'can't hear you' tone. "Hey, quit talking! We're supposed to be fighting! F-I-G-H-T! Save the banter for when we're up close!"

"Ugh." Either Tenshi had selective hearing, or she really couldn't hear her from up there. That made this a lot harder. How was Luka supposed to do this with Tenshi flying all the way up there? Before she could think of an answer, a familiar series of cracks sounded on multiple sides.

"Come oooon! If you won't make a move, I will!" With a cry, Tenshi's summoned stones lit up and spouted like sprinklers, blasting red rain in a radius all around Luka. Immediately turning 'flight' mode on, Luka launched into a desperate leap out of the splash zone.

"Would you stop for just a second?!" Of course, her words had all the effectiveness of a door-to-door salesman to an Amish household. She had to find some other method to get through to this idiot. (It'd be a lot easier if I could actually get close to her…) She grumbled, thinking of the flying rocks Tenshi kept spawning. With them constantly harassing her, it'd only be a matter of time until she got cornered.

Those flying rocks… "Ah—"

Her thoughts sped up and time slowed down. Those little stones weren't that different from the one Tenshi was riding on. And maybe it was unintentional, but the pattern they fired seemed to only focus through the ropes wrapped around them. A spray that covered a ton of horizontal space, but next to no vertical area. Meaning it was entirely possible for someone to step on them like a footstool. A size they were more than accommodating for.

A stupid idea? Absolutely. Was she still going to do it? Not like she had a better idea.

Without hesitation, Luka aimed herself at the closest nearby stepping stone, careful to thread between the scarlet droplets, and let herself delicately land on it. As she did, another series of cracks, and a new arrangement was around her. Or rather, the next step on her makeshift stairs.

"Hup! Hah!" It was the dumbest possible way to make it up to Tenshi. But it was working. Even if she couldn't fly, she could leap several floating rocks in a single bound. Actually, it was easier than she expected; like playing sky hopscotch.

"Oho?!" Unfortunately, her antics got Tenshi's attention. "Nice, nice! That's right, come right to me, ride the keystones!" As she said that, Luka seemed to notice her 'stairs' were making a path right to Tenshi. She was making it easier? No, that couldn't be—

Just a moment of distraction. Luka touched down, only to immediately drop. "Wuh?!" The stone seemed to suddenly remember that rocks couldn't fly, immediately dropping and yanking Luka down with it. Immediately, she jumped again, just barely snagging onto the edges of one. Only to realize her mistake immediately. "Crap, crap—"

Just a second too late. The keystone she was gripping suddenly grew hot, glowing red. She let go just in time for the shots to release, and felt fire lick her arm. A scorching pain, worse than anything she'd ever felt fighting Aya. Her own flames flickered, barely able to contain that single volley. As she plummeted, she could already tell—

Pichuuun~

Luka East (Aggressor) - ✦ x [✦✦]

Tenshi Hinanawi (Defender) - [✦✦✦✦]✦

Just that alone. That was enough to 'kill' her once. She didn't have time to even let the numbness subside—once the next volley came, Luka immediately forced herself to glide, just barely landing atop a new platform. Patting her arm down for the few seconds she could, she assessed the damages: nothing permanent, but a harsh bruise. Like she'd been shot by a paintball. It hurt, but the limb still responded to brain signals, so it'd have to do. It was luckier than having the whole thing severed, which was what she was afraid of. Luka didn't dare imagine what would've happened if she'd taken more than just the glancing blow.

"Hahaha!" Tenshi cackled all the while, seeing Luka's struggles. "See what happens when you don't take this seriously? You face an incident instigated by a celestial of Heaven, act like it!" A brief pause. "Well, I guess that incident's over now, actually, but still!"

It was really, really tempting to unload both barrels into the brat's gaping maw. But the hit Luka had taken only served as a reminder of where losing her cool would get her. No, she had to stick to her plan. With the pattern resuming, Luka got back to moving. Faster. She needed to move faster for this to work! Fast enough to jump to her next platform, even if the one she was landing on would drop as soon as she touched it! Move, move! She could only get closer!

"Hm?" Seeing Luka resume her old tactic with more vigor seemed to intrigue Tenshi. "Still challenging yourself? Alright, fine! Let's play that, then!" With a wave of her flaming sword, a sudden huge arrangement of stones suddenly formed between the two of them. As if skipping the theatrics, to invite Luka to just charge up to her.

Of course, that wasn't it. Luka realized rows behind her had assembled for a good 15 meters or so. At the very end, a line of them lit up and erupted into pillars of harsh-looking red light. A second later, the next line started glowing too.

"If you insist on not flying," Tenshi stabbed her blade into her platform and struck a haughty post, "then let's test your speed! I made it nice and simple for you!"

"Oh, how thoughtful! Damn it!" Luka cussed, immediately sprinting as fast as she could up the path Tenshi had laid. This was getting out of hand. If she didn't end this soon, it could only end badly for her. And with only one life left…

She was threading a needle. Behind her, continuous bursts of divine heat slowly closing in. Up front, a haughty celestial, who no doubt could handle Luka with ease once she reached her. Tenshi was laughing her head off like she was having the time of her life. This entire thing was a game to her. That was the underlying fact of this entire encounter. It was how Tenshi saw this, it was her idea of fun.

That was exactly why Luka didn't stop running. In fact, she sped up, making sure Tenshi read her intent as precisely playing to that idea. Like a fated rival sprinting at her at top speed, ready for a big clash. She even reached for her pistols, as if preparing for a surprise attack.

Seeing that, Tenshi flashed a daredevil's smirk. As if to say 'finally'. "Come on! Take your shot, let me feel it!"

Luka kept running, holding back her attack. Signaling with her eyes 'Show me yours, first'.

Tenshi understood the challenge. The sword in her hands raged, its flaming edge surging. Then, with a triumphant shout, she jumped down the stairs, aiming herself at Luka. An overhead swing, no doubt with enough force to take her out in a single shot. A dramatic exchange, and the first time Luka would finally fight back. Yes, this would be the moment. The moment she got what she wanted.

Seeing that, Luka took her shot. She stopped right in her tracks and raised both hands. "Okay, I give up. You win."

"—Buh?" Tenshi Hinanawi seemed to have been dealt a concussive blow. She lost her balance in midair immediately, faceplanting onto her self-made stairs and tumbling cartoonishly down a few rows. As if the impact snapped her from her stupor, she shot up. "Wait, you—what did you just say?!"

"I said 'I give up. You win'. Happened like three seconds ago." Luka deadpanned.

"No, I heard that, I mean—" Tenshi stammered. "That's not how this goes! You can't just forfeit!"

"Is there a rule saying I can't?" Luka asked aloud. "If not, then I'll do it right now. Formally forfeiting. We cool on that, Spellcard Rules?"

【FORFEIT】

~ Winner: Tenshi Hinanawi ~

"Yeah, we cool."

This was her plan. If Tenshi wanted a fun fight, then she just had to spoil that fun. An intended anticlimax right as things were getting exciting, all to ruin some spoiled brat's stupid game. That was all Luka needed. Though, the buildup was kind of an improvised bit, made the whole play a lot messier than it needed to be. If Tenshi hadn't had rocks in her ears, Luka could've just done this without all the hassle from the get-go.

"Hey! Hey!" If the victory announcement were a physical object, Tenshi probably would've been swatting it aside. "This, this isn't how it goes! I didn't win! This is—what is this? I don't know what this is, but I hate it!"

"No, it's totally a win." Luka shrugged. "I gave up. So you win by default." Without giving her any room to argue, Luka gently hopped from the heavenly stairway and let herself glide back to ground-level. That was as far as she was willing to take it. She needed to get back to her actual business, not sit around and babysit.

"No it's not!" With a crash, Tenshi slammed right next to her, hopping off a makeshift rock elevator. An absolute smoothie blend of emotions filled her face, looking somewhere between confusion, anger, and heartbreak. "You giving up ruins the whole thing! There's supposed to be this big fight—a clash of wills! I use my full power, you come at me with yours, and it's like… Who would win, you know?!"

"I sincerely promise you," Luka enunciated, not even turning around to face her, "me forfeiting doesn't change how this would have ended. You would've won. Trust me."

"Y-You can't know that!" Tenshi's bafflement reached new heights, eclipsing the universe itself. It was as if Luka was unraveling her understanding of reality with each word. "Maybe… maybe if you won't fight back, I'll just beat you up until you do!" She reached for her sword.

"Nice, you'd be beating up a motionless ragdoll until it mysteriously turns into a corpse." She should've panicked at the threat, but something about the last few days had just turned Luka's blood into hardened steel. Plus, Tenshi's reaction to all of this had just completely defanged her in Luka's mind. She wasn't some final boss. She was just a weirdo starved for attention. "Would that be much fun to you?"

Disbelief. Pure, utter disbelief. Tenshi looked like every ounce of happiness that could have ever existed in her soul had been not only drained completely, but thrown into the dirt, stomped, and then spat on for good measure. "That's not fair… No one just does that…" She looked close to tears. "You're mean…"

Luka shrugged and kept walking. As far as she was concerned, any hurt feelings were her own fault. Luka was content to walk away, signaling Kume that it was safe to come pick her up.

However, as she did, Tenshi spoke up. "Wait. Why are you here, if you were just going to surrender the moment you picked a fight?" A sniffle. "Bully."

In sheer disbelief, Luka finally looked back at the crybaby. "Dear whatever-lives-here, were you seriously not even listening to me? I told you I didn't come here to fight!"

Genuine confusion. Tenshi blinked twice. "You… didn't?"

"No! I came here to see someone else. I just wanted to ask her some questions, that's all." Luka grumbled as Kume awkwardly landed (the bird seemed eager to let their conversation end there; 'Can we go? I want to leave this frightening girl behind.').

Tenshi tilted her head. "That's it?"

"That's it. Got it?"

"Huh…" She seemed to be processing something. Then, with a flash of recollection in her eyes, "Oh, well, I can't really let you stay anyways. I actually got told to stop letting mortals come up to Heaven anyways…"

Her hand already on Kume as she prepared to climb, Luka froze, less in terror and more in irritation. "Really."

"Mmhm." Tenshi nodded. "I might've… gotten in trouble for goading so many mortals into coming into Heaven to fight me." She pressed her fingers together nervously. Seeing her like this, Luka realized how short and non-threatening this girl actually looked. "Sooooo, the old geezers kind of got really mad, and I got in trouble, and now they really don't want me letting people come into Heaven anymore."

Luka stared blankly. "You say this, and your first instinct when you saw me was to pick another fight. The exact thing that you got in trouble for doing."

"I can do both!" Tenshi protested. "I was gonna beat you and send you away. Really. But since you wanna be boring, now I just have to ask you to leave. You know, the boring way." She fired off a clearly targeted pout.

Seriously. After all this, it was some unrelated policy that was going to stonewall her? Hell no. "I'll be in and out before the day's even over with. Can't you make an exception or something?"

"It's not like I'm the one who cares if you're here or not. I mean, who cares about this dull place anyways…" Said the girl standing in actual, real-life Heaven. "It's just the old geezers that do. I couldn't care less."

"Isn't there a deal we can strike here, then? Some way this can fly under the radar?"

Tenshi paused for a few seconds, deep in thought. Followed by palming her fist with a self-aggrandizing 'Aha!'. "Maybe there is! How good are you at getting people to leave places they want to be?"

"... Really specific description, but yeah, of a sort." Rowdy drunks counted, probably. "Why?"

Tenshi grinned widely. "Perfect! See, there was someone who came up here a while back and started a huge mess. Said she wanted some property here in Heaven. It was kind of annoying to deal with, so I…" She trailed off.

"... Continue?" Luka prodded.

"I..." Tenshi shifted nervously. "Gave her some. Just a couple islands! I mean, it's boring up here, and I figured she'd get sick of it, soooo—"

"She didn't." Luka cut in. "Because this is Heaven, so of course she wouldn't." (Idiot.)

"You're all weird. I don't get it." Tenshi puffed her cheeks. "But that's not the point! She won't leave, and I need her to! So can you do it? I'll even help you find your person if you can!"

Kicking out a squatter wasn't exactly how Luka wanted to spend her time here. But if the alternative was being booted from her destination right at the goal, she didn't have much room to complain. "Alright. Show me the way, then." She'd just have to regroup with Kasen once this detour was over with.

The flight was shorter than she expected. Hopping atop Kume, they followed Tenshi as she surfed through the clouds on one of her keystones. As they went, a thought occurred to Luka.

"Hey," she started, "you're pretty strong, right? Why didn't you just make this squatter leave yourself?"

"I tried." Tenshi said. "We actually went at it for a bit, until I got fussed at for the mess I was making." She started speaking in a voice clearly meant to badly imitate some old man. "'Blah blah don't need a repeat of Lady Nezha's fight with the monkey, blah blah blah', and all that. Now I'm actually banned from even coming close to her."

Luka blinked. "... That's rough." What kind of fight happened there? She almost imagined some elaborate slapstick routine, like a familiar series of gags between a cartoon rabbit and hunter.

The two arrived at a great archipelago formed of quite a few heavenly bodies. Actually, this was way more than a few.

"Just a 'couple' islands?" Luka asked.

"Who's counting?" Tenshi huffed. "It's all the same boring rocks with clear water and green plants. Bo~ring." She eyed a landmark near the center. "I don't remember there being a mountain like that, though…"

It was true, there was a rather ill-fitting mountain splitting out of the center of it all. Actually, it didn't look natural at all. Looking closely, it almost looked like someone had just slammed two islands together in some crude appropriation of the actual way mountains were formed.

"You should see her at a little wooden house somewhere around the middle island." Tenshi made a vague gesture. "Anyways, good luck and let me know how it goes!" And she was off, zooming away and leaving Luka to clean up her mess.

Kume let out a quiet, uneasy trill. Hearing that, Luka patted him. "Easy. We'll be in and out in no time."

So she said, but as Luka guided Kume to the center, she was struggling to find ways to convince someone to leave literal, actual-for-real Heaven. Maybe pretend it's an eviction? She'd need fake paperwork for that, though…

Before she could narrow that down, a smell hit her. Like peaches, it was sweet, but there was something else to it. A familiar burning sensation hitting her nose. Alcohol? From all the way up here?

"Kume, let's follow that." She ordered the bird, tracing the scent. As it grew in intensity, she soon tracked down the source: a small wooden shack, nestled in a small spot on the mountain overlooking the entire island. Just like Tenshi said.

Landing, Luka almost covered her nose. The smell was overpowering. Not noxious, or even unpleasant. It felt like the olfactory definition of 'too much of a good thing', like she might just start chugging whatever drink she was smelling if she got too much of a whiff. Making her approach, she quickly saw both the cause of it and the culprit.

Seated at the front of the shabby-looking shack were countless bottles, as if gathered by a party that had long since ended. Well, for all but one. The host seemed to be in a state of complete and total indulgence, pouring drink after drink into a large dish and powering through them as if they were less than water. With satisfied gulps and euphoric 'aah's, this really did look like someone in Heaven. Definitely someone who would be hard to convince to leave.

There was just one extra problem. One teensy, weensy, gigantic mega-problem. She recognized this person. That short, lanky frame. Long ginger hair topped by horns that rivaled her body's side. Even her drunken expression matched what Luka recognized.

"Mmg… nng… mmg… Gah!" Polishing her most recent drink off with another satisfied sigh, Suika Ibuki looked up from her dish and noticed her new guest. "Ohey! What's uhp? You 'nother one of them sull—cell—hic—celestials?"

Well. This kind of worked out, didn't it?

Author's Note:

* 3*

The ending bit here was actually supposed to be a bit longer, but on reflection, I trimmed it a bit to save it for the next chapter. You'll figure out why soon enough, once I escape FFXVI.

See you all in [insert time here]!