The noontide sun sat high in the sky, brilliant rays shining down upon the parched earth. The air was heavy with humidity, the cicadas droned relentlessly, and not even the slightest breeze could be felt.
Summer was in full force, bringing to bear a full suite of things that a certain puppeteer would have found rather detestable.
At the moment, however, the weather outside mattered very little.
Today, Alice was making dolls.
…
From within her workshop that occupied the second floor of the tower attached to her home, the dollmaker was hard at work.
Sunlight filtered in through the window above her work table, providing plenty of light. It warmed the sturdy wooden surface and reflected dazzlingly through the tray of glass eyes and minor gem fragments that Alice was currently sifting through.
She was in her element.
Countless shelves, drawers, and cabinets completely covered the walls, meticulously organized, but filled to the brim nonetheless. Within, they held everything Alice could have ever needed.
There was fabric. Oh, so much fabric. Spools of thread, bolts of cloth, skeins of yarn, lengths of ribbon, rolls of lace, and fragments of half-finished clothing concepts, in a variety of colors that would have put a rainbow to shame.
Rows of paint bottles, bundles of metal wire, and organizers containing nothing but beads and charms and fasteners and eyes.
Tools, too. An entire jewelry box, repurposed to hold nothing but carving tools. Tweezers, clamps, paintbrushes, drafting tools, needles, pallet knives, files, sandpaper, and a potentially concerning number of scissors.
A sewing machine, for when she needed a large amount of stitching done.
A small array of crystals, useful in bolstering the enchantments she layered upon her dolls.
A pair of glasses, equipped with various magnifying lenses, that now rested upon her nose.
A half-emptied cup of lukewarm tea, occupying the small end table beside her.
A line of incomplete bodies, patiently waiting their turn with Alice, sitting to one side of her work table.
They would need that patience. It would take time for her to be able to get to each of them.
She was doing this by hand, after all.
A handful of Naples dolls lingered nearby, hovering quietly and eager to help. However, for this task of dollmaking, of creating their brethren, they would not assist.
The reason?
Alice simply didn't want them to.
Now, it wasn't as if they couldn't help her at all. They were still quite useful when it came to fetching needed tools or ensuring a clean workspace. However, Alice had decided long ago that she wouldn't allow herself to use her dolls for this sort of work.
It may have seemed a bit strange coming from a woman who normally operated her dolls as if they were countless extra limbs, but that was just how it was.
Sure, she had recently taught Shanghai to knit, but that had been more of an experiment. The scarf had been the doll's to keep, anyways.
But dollmaking…. Dollmaking was different.
It was more… involved. More… intimate.
…
For Alice, the act of creation was… a deeply personal experience.
It was the bringing together of a vast array of disparate elements and shaping them to fit her needs.
Success or failure depended largely upon her own foresight in procuring the necessary resources and ensuring their quality. From the gleam on the glass of her dolls' eyes, to the luxurious feel of the cloth she used when tailoring their dresses, worthy materials truly made a difference, and her prudence was always rewarded.
It was the drafting of designs and the obsession over every minute detail.
Days, sometimes weeks spent laying out the intricate schematics of a new idea, with just as much attention paid during the hours of production. Without this level of care, her work was bound to turn out sloppy, and she wouldn't allow that.
It was the allowing of the process to dominate her mind while foregoing all other thoughts and distractions.
The steady calm that fell over her while dollmaking was the closest that Alice could ever come to achieving a state of zen. This tranquility allowed her a certain stability as she dug deep, pulling the passion for her craft out from her very core.
It was the baring of her soul to the world, reflected as it was through her works.
Perhaps it was overly dramatic to describe it as such, but she truly felt that, through the intimate process of creation, a very small piece of herself went into each and every thing that she made.
And at the end of it all? When the last of the paint on the doll had dried or the last stitch on the dress had been sewn?
The resulting masterpiece was all Alice's, wrought from this world with her own two hands. From inception to completion, it was her efforts and hers alone. Nobody could take that away from her.
It was her biggest source of pride, after all.
Her ability to craft.
Her ability to create.
Just like…
…
For a moment, Alice paused, gazing down at her hands. In one, she held a small glass eye, and in the other, a half-completed London doll that was to be the recipient of said eye.
Was this how it was for her… for Mother… when she'd built her realm? Had she taken the same time… made the same kind of painstaking effort when she'd brought life to Makai through her own creations?
Alice sighed, gently laying the doll onto her worktable.
She had been…. missing her again, lately. It was hard not to. That sort of absence left a cavernous ache that could be hidden but never filled.
She knew it was silly… illogical, really, to continue to think about the past, especially when there was nothing that could be done about it.
Still…
Her gaze drifted over to her grimoire, resting atop a nearby table. It was… a memento, so to speak.
She… wished that she could have asked her those questions in person…
…
Soon enough, her hands were once again occupied, and her work continued.
Time passed smoothly as she continued to assemble the bodies of her newest dolls, eager to add them to the family.
Smoothly, that was, until a heavy thumping at her door broke her concentration and brought her to her feet.
Alice peered through the window, hoping to catch a glance of her apparent visitor, but was unable, due to the portion of roof that hung over her front porch.
Sighing again, she removed her loupe glasses and moved to extract herself from her little workspace. With Shanghai by her side, she plucked her grimoire up from its spot on the table and stepped her way down the stairs to the ground level of her home.
It was a bit too soon for it to have been Eric, but there was also a chance that his work had finished early today. Alice privately hoped that this was the case.
Regardless, with a small squad of dolls behind her, Alice cracked open her front door, and took a peek through the opening.
What greeted her… was nothing.
An empty porch was all that filled her vision.
Confused, and still a bit wary, she opened the door further, just wide enough to stick her head through.
A quick survey confirmed it for her. There was nobody here.
…
…Damn fairies…
That was quite like them, to knock on her door and then fly away. It was a small prank, but a prank nonetheless. Fairies loved pranks…
…
She sighed yet again. It was a shame, really. She had just gotten into the zone again, too. The least they could have done was stick around so that she could have fought them.
She closed the door before shaking her head. Honestly, shouldn't the fairies have known better by now? Were they truly so eager to contribute to her supply of powdered fairy wings?
It was quite the useful reagent. Mixing a pinch of it into the paint would-
"Cautious, aren't you?" came a voice from inside her home.
Alice's eyes went wide, and she nearly leapt out of her skin at the sudden question. Whipping her head around to face the source of the voice, her eyes settled upon a figure. One that she did not recognize.
Floating languidly, feet mere inches above the floor, was a woman. The blue of her eyes matched the blue of her hair and complimented the teal of her dress. The dress was beautifully patterned with flowers, and, combined with her mildly seductive posture, gave off a strange sense of allure. One glance at her face revealed an amused, almost smug, look.
Though, it didn't really matter what she looked like. What truly mattered was-
"Who are you!? And, how did you get into my house!?" Alice demanded. The two Hourai dolls that once flanked her now closed in on the intruder.
The intruder showed no signs of intimidation, instead suppressing a giggle as if the whole situation was far too humorous.
"I am Seiga Kaku, a Taoist hermit. As for how I got here… Well… I'm afraid that I was forced to take the liberty of letting myself in. You were simply too slow, and I am not a woman who likes to be kept waiting."
The woman, Seiga… How had she done that? Her home was warded, enchanted against this sort of surprise entry.
"How?" she repeated.
"Oh, I do have my ways~ Though, if I might add, your wards are laughably impotent. They only delayed my passage through your walls by a mere fraction of a second. Do consider refreshing them from time to time, will you?"
…
Her front door swung open, and Alice snapped her hand out, pointing to the woods. "Get out."
Seiga delicately brought a hand to her chest. "Get out? My dear, where is your sense of hospitality?"
"Gone the moment you decided to invade my home." She kept a critical eye on the hermit, not daring to let her out of sight for even a moment.
"Invade? I have not invaded anything. All I wished for was to have an earnest conversation with you."
…
She was lying. Her words were saccharine, but her eyes were scheming. With every phrase that left her mouth, Alice grew more troubled.
"I do not think highly of trespassers, nor do I plan to give the time of day to liars. I will say this again. Get. Out."
But… the hermit merely circled the dollmaker, putting Alice between her and the doorway. Ignoring the words entirely, Seiga pressed on.
"You see, I've heard tales about a particularly powerful spellbook, one in the possession of a certain magician. It's only natural that I'd seek it out." Her eyes fell upon the grimoire in Alice's grasp.
"My grimoire is not up for discussion, and it is certainly not for sale. Now, leave. Or else."
A smirk carved its way onto Seiga's face. "Or else, what?"
"Or else I will have you removed by force!"
The two Hourai dolls, and even Shanghai, seemed to prickle in anticipation, waiting for the order to strike. Should they fail, there were more than enough dolls to take their place.
"Hehehe~ Of course you will! And that's precisely why my darling Yoshika is here to assist me."
The hair on the back of Alice's neck stood on end as she sensed a presence behind her. She dodged sideways, with no time to spare, as a pair of outstretched arms lunged through her doorway, hungrily grasping at the air where she had just stood.
The dollmaker's hip slammed into an end table, and she hissed at the force of the impact. Various curios toppled over, some falling to the ground, as realization hit her like the snap of a whip.
She was under attack.
Like an angered swarm of bees, dolls began to spill off of her shelves, readying themselves for a fight. Some already had weapons drawn, while others scrambled to arm themselves.
At the same time, Shanghai shot forward, thrusting her lance into the offender's forearm. By all means, it should have been a direct hit, resulting in a serious wound. However…
As the weapon sunk into flesh, it didn't make it very far. As if encountering a slab of wood, the tip of the lance dug in… and nothing more.
The arms did not jerk away, or even flinch in pain. In fact, they didn't seem to react at all. After a moment of what seemed like contemplation, Yoshika (as Seiga had named them), moved to swat at Shanghai like she was nothing more than an inconvenient mosquito.
Shanghai retreated, but that did not stop Alice from bringing her still assembling force of dolls to bear. Hourai, Naples, London, Orleans, everybody. Every type at her disposal came forth. A bristling wall of glass eyes and sharpened metal closed in on the intruders.
"Get the hell out of my house before I skewer you for ambushing me!"
Instead of retreating, Seiga merely giggled into her hand. "Oh my~ It seems that you've misunderstood my intentions once again. I never planned to buy your book, and I didn't intend to ambush you for it, either." She folded her hands together in a formal manner and smiled sweetly. "I am challenging you to a danmaku duel. To the victor go the spoils~"
"I refuse," Alice stated flatly.
The walls continued to close in, dolls poised to strike. But still, Seiga showed no signs that she even acknowledged the looming threat. "Refusing my challenge? I see~ How bold of you."
Her statement was punctuated by Yoshika stiffly hopping her way into the room. She tilted her head, staring at Alice in an almost… curious manner.
Alice could tell at a glance that Yoshika wasn't human either.
Despite the stylish red and black outfit she wore, her skin was an ashen gray, and her dark blue hair held no luster. Her legs and arms were ramrod straight, as if rigor mortis had already taken its toll, and at the tips of her fingers were long, sharp, purple nails. A red and white talisman, bound to her forehead, draped its way across the center of her face.
It was enough for Alice to know precisely what she was.
A jiang shi; a reanimated corpse, and a sturdy one, at that.
"How bold of you to be so… cowardly," Seiga continued from behind her companion.
Her words struck a nerve, forcing Alice to bite back with, "It is not a sign of cowardice to refuse a duel on principle. I simply do not wish to associate with you in any capacity!"
…
For the first time since startling Alice in her home, Seiga's smile broke. Her expression slowly morphed into a frown before she leveled an intense gaze at the puppeteer. "That… is disappointing. I suppose that I shall have no choice but to spread the word about how stubbornly hesitant you are to fight. Or, perhaps I can do one better. 'The Seven-Colored Puppeteer is weak.' Quite the dismaying message, is it not?"
For the smallest moment, Alice's composure faltered, and the encroaching dolls stopped in their tracks.
That was all the confirmation that Seiga needed.
"Why, she won't even fight off trespassers. How do you suppose the other youkai would feel about someone who refuses to defend her territory? How many will come knocking, eager to take what you won't protect?"
"You wouldn't dare." Alice's voice held an edge, though it was brittle. "Nobody would believe a charlatan like you."
Despite herself, Alice couldn't help but feel uneasy about the prospect.
Though, perhaps it was only right for her to be concerned. Status and reputation were everything in Gensokyo, and the last thing she needed was a stream of youkai showing up to her house because they thought her an easy target.
"I would, and they most certainly would. If your pride is of any value to you, then I suggest that you accept, lest the famous Seven-Colored Puppeteer be forever known as a coward."
…
Alice's mouth drew into a thin line.
As confident as she was in her ability to blow Seiga out of the sky in a proper duel, there was still an undercurrent of anxiety about the particular circumstances.
For her to wager her precious grimoire…
She gave the hermit a hard look. That grin had returned, more smug now than ever.
…
Gods, was she really going to accept this woman's challenge?
…
Yes. Yes she was.
…
…
…
After only a few short minutes, the scene of the confrontation had shifted to the outside of Alice's home.
Miraculously, the sky had clouded over, sending an errant thought through Alice's mind.
Perhaps the Moriya Shrine is on to something this time…
…
She shook her head briefly. This was no time to be distracted, especially when she needed to micromanage the dolls at her side.
Both Alice and Seiga hovered in the air, having taken up positions a healthy distance away from each other. Yoshika, in contrast, was relegated to the sidelines, feet planted in the dirt and arms perpetually outstretched.
The terms had been set. It was to be a one on one duel. There would be no limit on the number of spell cards that could be utilized. They would simply fight until one side forfeited.
If Seiga won, she would take possession of Alice's grimoire; an unusually high stakes wager that Alice would never have considered under normal circumstances.
If Alice won, Seiga had agreed to share with her a high degree of in-depth Taoist knowledge, mostly relating to the nature of the soul. These were closely guarded secrets normally only known to the most dedicated of followers.
"Your book is already mine. This duel is just a formality." Seiga remarked. The derisive confidence in her voice was really beginning to try Alice's patience.
She couldn't wait to see that smug grin wiped off of her face.
"Pride cometh before the fall," she traded back smoothly.
Though, for all her poise, internally she remained wary, keeping a critical eye on her adversary
As it was, she had no true sense of her opponent's strength. She would need to open up with a spell card. Something basic that would allow her to gather more information on the hermit.
"Blue Sign: Fraternal-!"
"Yoshika, fetch." Seiga barked out the order, cutting off Alice before she could fully activate her spell card.
The burst of speed that followed came swiftly and in complete contrast to the zombie's earlier, ponderous movements.
To Alice, it may as well have happened in an instant.
One moment she was on the ground, lingering on the sidelines, and the next she had crossed the battlefield, arms outstretched as she grabbed at the magician.
She was far too close.
Alice had to get out of there; she had to get away, or else she risked losing in an instant.
And so, she did.
Instead of finding purchase on the dollmaker, Yoshika's hands clamped down on the Hourai doll that Alice had quickly brought between the two of them. Apparently stunned by the sudden switcheroo, the jiang shi froze in place, staring at the small figure that now occupied her grip. The Hourai doll stared back before raising its little arms and showering Yoshika's face with a stream of small danmaku pellets.
The zombie didn't flinch at the colorful barrage. Rather, she tightened her fingers around the doll with crushing force, splintering wood and shattering porcelain. As pieces of the ruined doll fell to the ground, she turned her attention once more to her original target.
Alice grimaced at the utter destruction of her handiwork, but she took the opportunity to distance herself and regroup, bringing her dolls together into a much tighter defensive formation.
She would need a change in strategy. The way her opponent was fighting made this more akin to a brawl than a proper danmaku duel. There was no courtesy. There were no turns.
Yoshika lunged forward once more, forcing Alice to stay on the move.
She absolutely had to keep her distance. That jiang shi was dangerous up close, and nothing seemed to deter her from approaching. Immobilizing herself by casting a spell card, even with the firepower from all of her dolls, could very well spell disaster.
And disaster was something that she would have very much liked to avoid. The predatory look in the Seiga's eyes gave Alice a small sense of dread, and she was… more than uneasy about what would happen if the hermit managed to gain the upper hand.
…
Despite the initial sense of chaos that had come from Yoshika's entrance, the cycles in the zombie's movements quickly became apparent. As such, it didn't take very long for Alice to fall into a bit of a rhythm.
Dodging, shooting, repositioning.
Even with Seiga's disgraceful strategy, Alice refused to be on the back foot.
While not unheard of, making physical contact with the opponent during a danmaku duel was considered relatively taboo, with most self-respecting fighters rejecting the idea altogether.
Though Seiga didn't seem to have any qualms about it, Alice considered herself too proud to stoop to that level.
She would beat her fair and square, jiang shi be damned.
Alice slipped to the side as Yoshika once again came barreling past her.
Really, Yoshika's exaggerated charges were far too clumsy to be effective against her. While her speed was high, her maneuverability was poor. Every time she lunged and missed, there were several seconds that saw her slowly turning back around and lining up for her next attempt. It was an opening that Alice could exploit.
And exploit it she did.
With the twelve dolls she currently had fielded, she'd split her forces in half.
One squad was dedicated to hassling Yoshika, denying her a clear angle of attack and further slowing her recovery time.
The other six, including Shanghai, were tasked with harrying Seiga, the 'master' of the two adversaries.
Normally, Alice could have directed a much larger force. However, the need to stay mobile and track the movements of a pursuing enemy took a much larger amount of focus than she was used to.
Seiga, for her part, deftly slipped her way through the fields of glowing, arrowhead-shaped bullets. She responded in kind, lashing out with simple lines of basic white pellets.
These pellets were of no difficulty for Alice as she drifted through the large gaps in coverage that Seiga had left. Yoshika remained the primary threat, readying up another lunge.
The jiang shi streaked past, and Alice nearly smiled to herself. Her dolls were now in an advantageous position, flanking Seiga from both sides.
With a single thought, she commanded her dolls to fire, unleashing a dense barrage directly at the hermit.
"Yoshika, come!" As Seiga backed away, Yoshika leapt to her aid, forming a living shield that took the punishing blast meant for her master.
After what had felt like an eternity, Alice halted her bombardment, drawing her dolls back and gazing upon the effects of her actions.
Several light burn marks littered Yoshika's skin, and her outfit was scorched in multiple locations. She didn't seem to be showing any pain, though her expression suggested that she was less than happy with the result.
Seiga wasn't amused, either.
"You bitch!" she snarled."Do you have any idea how long it'll take to get the burn marks out of her clothes!?"
"You should forfeit, then. You're outnumbered, after all."
"Outnum-! Grr… I'll show you outnumbered!" she growled out.
"Evil Sign: Guhun Yegui!"
Yoshika dashed forward again, and then, after a small delay, four large orbs emerged from Seiga's body. Translucent black, with a solid white core, they menacingly lumbered in Alice's direction.
Alice dodged Yoshika, and then the spheres. She moved to capitalize on the opening as she had previously, however, before she could do so, Seiga's danmaku bore down on her from behind.
It was only due to her quick reaction speed that she was able to avoid being struck.
Perhaps these orbs were more trouble than she'd initially thought…
Their motions were strikingly similar to Yoshika's, and though they were slower, they redirected far more smoothly.
Still, so long as she kept moving, they were of little concern to her. All that Seiga had managed to do was give Alice more to keep track of, and with only four spheres trailing her, she was more than able to keep up.
That was, until Seiga began to add more.
Every few seconds, Seiga would produce a new orb, adding to the existing pursuers and creating yet another angle to watch.
It wasn't long until the battlefield was flush with danmaku.
As much as she would have loved to have mounted a coordinated response to the spell card, it was simply too much. She had to focus on her own safety first, lest she be overwhelmed.
Thankfully, her faithful Shanghai doll needed less supervision, and thus was able to keep up her assault.
It was only a matter of time. Would Alice become swamped by the spell card? Or would Shanghai manage to break through the defensive barrier that was layered over top of the spell?
After avoiding yet another attempted grab, the puppeteer looked around once more. The number of orbs had ballooned to fifteen, and yet more were coming.
Alice swiftly looked back to where the jiang shi had just been, seeking to confirm her location once more.
But… …She wasn't there.
…
In the chaos, she had lost track of Yoshika.
…
In an instant, Alice felt the consequences of her mistake.
Cold, stiff fingers closed around her throat, and with them came a blind streak of panic.
Her hands immediately flew up to her neck, desperately trying to pry the offending digits away. She dug her nails into Yoshika's flesh and delivered devastating backwards kicks to her shins.
It was in no way elegant, but she could not lose this. If they were going to corner her, then she would fight like a cornered animal.
Alice thrashed to break free of the zombie's grasp, even going so far as to ram the back of her head into her nose. Instead of the satisfying crunch of a broken nose, however, it was pain that she felt. It was as if she'd just slammed her head into a brick wall.
The jarring pain made it even more difficult to concentrate, hampering her ability to direct her dolls.
She continued to fight, though it quickly became clear that the only thing her struggling had achieved was increasing the pressure on her windpipe. Not so tight as to outright strangle her, but enough so that the possibility loomed threateningly.
She coughed and sputtered, fighting to draw breath.
Yoshika's nails, no… claws were like knives against her skin. It was enough to make her wince, doubly so because of the zombie's lack of coordination.
She was trapped. She was trapped. The jiang shi had her in a vice grip, and she couldn't get out.
…
All danmaku ceased. Knowing defeat, Alice… lowered her dolls to the ground.
It… was over….
…
Wasting no time, Seiga sauntered up to her, swagger at an all time high. A truly wicked grin was plastered across her face. A grin that said 'I knew that I'd win.'
"My, my~ Already done for?" Her voice was utterly patronizing, absolutely dripping with false sweetness. "And you had us soooo outnumbered, too~"
A carefully manicured hand reached out, patting Yoshika on the head. "Just goes to show: All of your puny toys are nothing compared to my darling little Yoshika!"
…
She'd… lost. She'd lost…
The utter disbelief at what had just transpired… The thorough humiliation of being restrained… The sheer indignation of being bested by such a crude tactic….
It both stoked the fires of outrage in her chest and dug an icy pit deep into her gut.
This tumultuous mix of heat and cold was nearly enough to turn her stomach, not helped in the least by the restriction of her airflow.
…In a way, she was glad that Eric wasn't here. He believed in her strength so much. She… didn't want him to see her like this.
…
No… She could feel sorry for herself later. Right now, she needed her pride to speak on her behalf.
"You…" Alice forced out. "Of all the underhanded tactics! Had this been a fair fight, you would have certainly lost."
"A fair fight? What part of this was unfair? You had your backup, and I had mine."
"Assaulting me physically. It was- *cough* -a danmaku duel, not a fistfight."
"Oh, don't get all sanctimonious on me. I get more than enough of that at the temple."
"It's better than having the scruples of a rat like you."
Seiga's eyes narrowed. "Big talk for someone in your position. I wonder, will it take a crushed windpipe to shut you up?"
Yoshika's grip tightened ever so slightly, a much more delicate movement than Alice had thought her capable of. The warning was clear, and so she held her tongue.
Acknowledging her silence, a smug grin returned to Seiga's face. "There. I'm glad that you know your place." Then, the hermit's gaze fell to the book at Alice's hip.
"I… suppose that you'll be taking my grimoire now." Alice muttered.
Seiga had the nerve to giggle. "Of course I'll be taking my prize. To the victor go the spoils~" She patted the book that Alice carried. It was almost… affectionate..
But… she did not make the effort to wrench it from her grip. At least, not yet. Instead, she leaned back, producing a smoking pipe from out of nowhere.
Seiga took a few thoughtful puffs from her pipe as she looked Alice up and down in an appraising manner.
Alice's glare was one of aggravation and disbelief.
The hands at her throat were genuinely painful, yet the hermit had the nerve to take a smoke break?
She had already lost. She was, much to her shame, entirely at Seiga's mercy. Her precious grimoire was forfeit, and there was little that she could do to stop it.
So what was Seiga doing? Why delay her own victory? What was the point of prolonging her suffering as the zombie's nails threatened to break the skin and-
Alice took a steadying breath, a difficult task given her current predicament.
What the hell is Seiga thinking!?
Seiga, seemingly just now noticing Alice's withering glare, laughed once more. "Oh my~ Such fire~ Such pride~ You really will be a fun one~"
A… fun… one?
The hermit leaned in once more and sent a little puff of smoke into the puppeteer's face, eliciting even more frustration. Then, she began to stroke Alice's hair.
While it may have appeared to have been in a loving manner, it felt… wrong somehow..
It… made her feel genuinely uncomfortable, in a way that the cold, lifeless fingers around her neck did not. She would have shuddered at the touch, if she hadn't been focusing on remaining as still as possible.
…She'd had quite enough of this.
"What are you doing?"
Seiga paused briefly before continuing to run her fingers through Alice's blonde locks. She did not answer, but began to hum instead. The humming somehow made everything even more unnerving.
After a particularly irritating ruffle of her hair, she objected. "You've already won. Take the book and leave me be! There's no need to drag out- H-Hey! G-Get your hands off of me!"
Alice's protests came as Seiga's hand left her hair and began to trace a line across her neck, just below Yoshika's grip.
"Y'know~" Seiga purred. "The more that I look at you, the more convinced I become that you actually have a really cute style. Your choice of outfit especially."
It was a compliment, yet it only served to deepen Alice's apprehension.
The hand then moved down to the frilly, red and white ribbon that wound its way around the collar of Alice's dress.
"And now that I really think about it, I can't help but picture how darling Yoshika would look in a dress like this. Just imagine it!"
Unsurprisingly, Alice was in no mood to entertain the idea.
"Ah! It makes my heart race just thinking about it!" Seiga enthused. "You understand, yes? Seeing that I've already won, how about you throw in your outfit as well? Just to sweeten the deal?"
She wanted… her dress!?
The suggestion hit her like a punch to the gut, driving the air from her lungs.
What a ridiculous, humiliating proposition! She can't be serious!
"Absolutely not!" Alice shouted incredulously.
"Oh? And why not?" A false innocence gilded the hermit's words.
"What do you mean 'why not?' You know why not! It's- I- Such a thing is-"
"Shameful? Humiliating? Mortifying? I don't have the faintest idea what you have to be embarrassed about." That wicked smile was back. "Well, I suppose we'll find out."
"I-I have others in my wardrobe! Other dresses that are just like this one." Panic was beginning to seep in. "O-Or I can even make another one for you! Tailored to your desired measurements!"
Seiga toyed with the ribbon. "Ahaha~ I can tell from a glance that the two of you are about the same size, so this one should work just fine. Besides," Seiga leaned in and whispered as the ribbon began to unravel. "I thought that I'd told you before. I am not a patient woman."
…This was not happening. Absolutely not!
"N- Get away from me!"
She squirmed at the touch, and she hated herself for it. She was supposed to be strong, damn it! Not quivering under a wicked hermit's prodding!
There… there had to be a way out.
Her mind desperately sought a solution, an escape route, anything, as Seiga began to pull the ribbon away. It was a small piece, but already one piece too many.
…An ambush. Her only hope was a doll ambush.
But how? How would she maneuver so many into position while both restrained and under such an intense gaze?
…Shanghai. She could always count on Shanghai. Maybe she could-
Seiga's perfectly manicured fingers grabbed at Alice's face, roughly squishing her cheeks together. "Don't think I can't see you communicating with those little toys of yours." There was a dangerous edge to her voice, and Alice could swear that she felt Yoshika's fingers twitch.
"We wouldn't want any 'accidents' to happen, would we?"
…The pit in her stomach grew deeper, and her blood ran cold.
There's… There's truly no way out, is there?
Seiga released her face, setting her sights on her next target.
Alice struggled, anxiety spiking and pain blooming through her neck. Seiga reached for the next ribbon, the one that circled Alice's waist.
*z~iiing*
Her hand never reached its destination.
An intense beam of heat and light shot between the two of them, skimming Seiga's arm and causing her to rear back with a hiss of pain. An angry, red burn could be seen, streaking across the hermit's forearm.
"What the fu-!"
*z~iiing*
A second laser, this time just barely missing her face.
On reflex, Seiga called to Yoshika, bringing the jiang shi between herself and the incoming danger, causing her to roughly release her hold on Alice's neck.
There would almost certainly be bruises later, but Alice was beyond thankful for the sudden freedom.
She immediately moved to put as much distance as she could between herself and her former captors, raising her fallen dolls as she did so.
Alice took greedy, sputtering gulps of air while Shanghai returned to her side and-
*z~iiing*
Another laser ripped through the battlefield, hitting Yoshika square on her shoulder. The zombie, for her part, appeared to remain undamaged.
It was the third such laser that had been aimed at Seiga. Alice now knew.
There was help! Someone had come to help!
An enormous sense of hope and relief flooded through her, flushing away the suffocating panic and dread.
Alice looked to her right, hoping to catch a glimpse of her would-be savior. Her eyes landed upon a very familiar figure, one who was darting up the path to her home.
Whether it was due to immense gratitude, or simply overwhelming relief, she didn't know, but the sight brought tears to the corners of her eyes.
It was Eric.
His timing could not have been better.
~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~
What the hell is going on!?
That. That was the question that had managed to slip its way into his mind, a mind currently dominated by a very limited set of considerations.
His feet as they impacted the ground.
His lungs as they drew breath.
His mana as it was focused into a single point.
His hands as they lined up his next shot.
*z~iiing*
He cast another laser, this one missing its targets as they dodged to the side.
…
It was supposed to have been a normal day.
He'd left work at a normal time. He'd taken his normal route through the Forest to Alice's house. He'd planned for another perfectly normal training session with Alice; one where she would put him through his paces before pulverizing him in a practice bout.
A normal, totally average day.
So, why was it that when Alice's house finally came into view, it was not only his destination that he saw? Why was it that he'd come across his girlfriend in the process of being harassed by, not one, but two people!?
And 'being harassed' was putting it lightly! One figure had loomed over her like a predator ready to pick apart its next meal, and the other straight up had its hands around her neck, choking the life out of her!
He hadn't turned back. He hadn't asked questions. He hadn't hesitated. Instead, he'd moved… and he'd started firing.
…
As his next laser, too, went wide, he kicked off of the ground, taking to the air. With thinly veiled desperation, he made a beeline for Alice.
"Alice! Alice, are you okay!?" he demanded as he approached the disheveled dollmaker. He could tell, even from a distance, that her typically pristine hair was tangled and her meticulously maintained outfit was… kerfuffled.
"I'm alright," she managed to wheeze out, rubbing lightly at her eyes. "It's nothing that won't heal on its own. There's no need to waste a healing spell on me."
Taking her words at face value, Eric felt momentary relief.
He knew that she was proud, but he also knew that she was strong. If she said that she'd be fine, then she would be. He trusted that.
There was no reason for him to worry.
However…
One glance at her neck told him a different story.
Angry red marks encircled her throat, marring her otherwise pale skin and leaving behind tracts of swollen, bruised flesh. Scrapes and little flecks of blood denoted where fingernails had dug in and broken the skin. If he looked close enough, he could trace out where every single finger had dared to harm her..
She coughed and wheezed and whistled as she breathed, and, suddenly, the quiet assurance that she'd be okay held no comfort for him.
His jaw clenched, and his gaze hardened. Though his stature was in no way imposing, the weight of his presence grew in intensity.
This… this was not something that he could laugh off or try to hug better.
Somebody had hurt her.
Somebody had hurt Alice, and if he had his way, he was going to hurt them back.
Eric turned to face the perpetrators, leveling an uncharacteristically harsh glare at the two of them. The one he'd first struck with a laser was currently nursing the burn it had left on her arm.
Good.
The one with the teal dress called out to him "And just who the hell are you!? Her servant? Or are you some kind of pet?" She was the leader, if the way she spoke and the way that the other one had leapt in front of the lasers meant anything.
He shifted his stance, putting himself between her and Alice. "I'm her boyfriend, you asshole! And if you don't get out of here in the next five seconds, I'm going to make you leave!"
In truth, he was overselling himself; stretching the truth in the hopes that she'd be intimidated and flee. Really, if this woman and her companion had been able to overpower Alice, then there was no way in hell that he would have stood a chance.
A calm, level-headed Eric would have known that. A calm, reasonable Eric would have perhaps sought some sort of diplomatic resolution. A calm, tactful Eric would have avoided provoking beings that were far stronger than him.
However, he was not calm. Far from it, in fact.
He was angry. He was seething. Eric grit his teeth and clenched his fists with such force that his nails nearly drew blood. All of those little parts of himself that told him to be kind and generous and thoughtful were gone. There was nothing left but a righteous fury that boiled beneath his skin and threatened to swallow him whole.
She had dared to attack… to hurt his Alice in such a cruel manner!
That act alone was unforgivable.
"Oh really~ So, now you've come to solve all of her problems? To make things right where she can't?"
Then, she'd had the nerve to continue to smirk and antagonize them, completely unrepentant for what she'd just done.
In that moment, Eric found that it was easy to hate her.
"She really is such a weak little youkai. It's a shame that you missed the part where she pitifully groveled and begged for mercy." She took a quick puff of her pipe. "I'm sure it would have been very flattering to see her so pathetic."
That only served to incense Eric further. "You fucking take that back!" he growled out.
"Pa~thetic," Seiga drawled.
"You-!"
He had been about to charge forward, but a hand at his shoulder stopped him in his tracks. "Eric… Eric, calm yourself, please."
He craned his neck to stare back at Alice. The look in her eyes was complex, but he could at least tell that worry was one element of it.
"Don't… do anything rash. If you- *cough*... If you rush forward recklessly, they'll only turn it around on you."
"But, Alice! Look at what they did to you! I can't just forgive that!"
Her grip on his shoulder tightened. "I know very well what they've done, but what do you hope to accomplish with such carelessness?"
"What? I just… I…"
"Understand that you are still a novice. Inexperienced. Your recent accomplishments haven't all gone to your head, have they?" Her voice was still raspy, every word a reminder of her injuries.
"N-no… They… haven't…" He truly was getting ahead of himself… wasn't he? He… felt kind of bad that she'd had to waste her breath just to remind him of that. "Y-you're right… I'm sorry. I didn't think."
"So long as you understand…" Alice trailed off, before moving up so that she was shoulder to shoulder with him. "Now, may I request your help?"
"Help? Help with what?"
Her answer was clear and concise. "Retribution."
Eric couldn't hide the surprise as it spread across his face. "What?"
Alice flashed him a wan smile. "Make no mistake, I, too, wish to take my revenge. But to do so, I feel as though I could use your level-headed support." She brushed her shoulder against his. "Will you assist me?"
She wanted his help… with fighting? He almost couldn't believe his ears.
Would he not be a detriment? In the way? The weakest link?
…
…Who was he to refuse her such a request?
"Of course I'll help you, Alice! Though, you might have to fill me in on what exactly is going on here…"
She explained swiftly. "I will spare you the details. Seiga is the one in the teal dress, and she is the 'master' of the one in the red and black, Yoshika. Yoshika is the more dangerous one. She's undead, highly resistant to damage, and has high speed and strength. Seiga is skilled, but relies heavily on her minion. If we can defeat Seiga, then it should be our victory."
He nodded his head, taking in the quick briefing. "How did the two of them manage to capture you?"
Alice looked towards her former captors, gaze hardening. "Yoshika likes to grapple, and I got caught. It was a mistake, and I do not intend to make such an error a second time."
…
On the opposite side of the clearing, Seiga seemed to be growing impatient. "It was a touching little reunion, but are you quite finished? I believe now is the time for me to collect my prize." she called.
Alice took the lead, floating just a bit ahead of Eric.
"Prize? Why, the duel is not over, is it?" she asked innocently.
"But you obviously lost! Unless…" Seiga gasped. "You truly enjoyed the feeling of being choked that much? How scandalous!" She was baiting her, trying to unbalance her again. This time, Alice would not fall into any traps.
"I never said that I forfeited." The tone of her voice was carefully calculated, much more confident than she probably felt. "And besides, who still carries the grimoire? As far as I'm concerned, all you have won is the ribbon from around my neck."
"And how about suddenly bringing in backup? Surely that's against the rules!"
Alice deadpanned at the hermit's objection. "Says the woman who claimed a one on one duel before bringing her familiar into the battle."
Frustrated that her earlier win appeared to be slipping through her fingers, Seiga groaned. "Fine. Fine! As if it'll make a difference. Your little 'boyfriend' could never hold a candle to my darling little Yoshika."
And with that, the fight was back on.
…
After a very short strategy meeting, both parties once again adopted fighting stances.
Yoshika once more took up position in front of her master, while Seiga, ire now clear on her face, scowled at her opponents.
Eric hung just a bit behind Alice, who was now facing down the opposing tag-team for the second time today. Surrounding the two of them was a small cloud of dolls, each and every one of them beholden to Alice's direction.
For a moment, nobody moved.
…
This small period of calm did not last, however, as both sides soon declared their first spell cards simultaneously.
"Elegant Sign: Spring Kyoto Dolls!"
"Demonify: Excessive Zouhuo Rumo!"
Then, all hell broke loose.
Seiga unleashed four curved lines of danmaku. These arced their ways outwards before coming back together at a central point. At this point was Yoshika, who had thrust herself into the middle of the battlefield.
It appeared to have been some sort of elaborate power sharing move, for as soon as Yoshika had absorbed the bullets, she let fly with her own, far denser field of danmaku, which rushed at Eric and Alice in an unpredictable fashion.
On the opposite end of the 'arena', the number of dolls in Alice's employ had increased to fourteen, and they had begun to orbit her in a wide circle. Once they had picked up a small amount of speed, they started to shoot complex lines of bullets. At times, these bullets were random, and at others, they took on beautifully circular patterns.
The way the air buzzed with energy and filled with lights would have been an amazing sight to anybody not on the receiving end of it.
To Eric, it was all very captivating, but equally as threatening. He certainly wasn't keen on feeling the effects of all that danmaku.
In this battle of firepower, Seiga could move freely during her spell card, while Alice… really couldn't. This would have resulted in a fairly simple victory for Seiga, had Eric not been there. As the initial wave of Seiga's spell card approached, he quickly set up a defensive barrier, encircling both Alice and himself.
Instead of threatening them both, the danmaku simply pinged off of the amber shield, harmlessly bouncing away.
Truthfully, he had been a bit nervous about it. This was its first test against an opponent that was really trying to beat him, and he wasn't sure how well it would have held up against that sort of assault.
However, he was also better at controlling his mana now, and that meant something.
As the waves of danmaku rolled off of his shield, he found that he could better supply the construct with steady doses of mana to keep it stable.
He was content with this proof of concept. "Hey, Alice. The barrier is holding strong. You don't have to worry about anything else besides shooting."
The Seven-Colored Puppeteer nodded in understanding. Suddenly free to consider only her dolls, she could funnel more power into the spell card, and her danmaku became far more coordinated, organized, and concentrated on Seiga's location.
It wasn't long before the wicked hermit was forced to spend more time dodging than she spent shooting. The bursts of danmaku originating from her spell card slowed, and eventually, the spell broke.
Alice's spell card, on the other hand, was still going strong. In fact, as the spell drew on, she'd been able to observe her opponent's movements and was now working on leading her shots so as to catch the hermit after she'd committed to a dodge.
Understandably, this was all growing very frustrating for Seiga. "Yoshika! Get rid of that damn shield!"
"Poison Nail: Poison Raze!" Yoshika declared, a disturbingly normal voice coming out of the undead's mouth.
She charged forward, meeting the sheen of Eric's shield with a swipe of her claws, glowing with a sickly purple hue. As offense met defense, it elicited a hideous screeching sound, akin to metal grinding against metal.
The impact was intense, proof of the jiang shi's strength. It forced Eric to pour more energy into the barrier, bolstering it.
Where her nails had cut through the air, a streak of iridescent purple energy remained, before erupting into an array of small, kunai shaped danmaku. These scattered, sending a fresh wave of projectiles ramming into the magical barricade.
Yoshika was not done after only one swing. After only a moment came a second. And then a third.
Eric could feel himself falter, straining his mana in order to keep the shield up as long as possible.
It was no good. She was about to break through!
"Oh sh-! Alice! I can't hold her back any longer; get ready to dodge!"
At his warning, Alice allowed her spell card to end and prepared to dash out of the way once the shield broke.
With one more strike, the barrier shattered, finally allowing Yoshika in.
The pair retreated, Alice peppering the zombie with danmaku to little effect.
For the briefest of moments, Eric looked into the distance.
Seiga, while not yet out for the count, did look a bit worse for wear. Signs of battle damage had begun to accumulate on both her outfit and skin, and her breathing was less than steady.
Damn! Alice almost had her!
If it was just her and Seiga, she would have won by now…
…
Wait…
That… gave him an idea.
Alice launched another salvo at the approaching jiang shi, very much eager not to find herself restrained a second time.
Surprisingly, it only took a little more punishment before her spell card broke, too.
As they put more distance between themselves and Yoshika, Eric took the opportunity to vocalize his idea.
"Alice, I don't know if it's good or if it's bad, but I've got an idea."
She regarded him only briefly before returning her concentration to her dolls. "Yes?"
"What if I were to trap Yoshika inside of one of my shields? That way she'd be out of the way, and you could focus all of your efforts on Seiga."
Alice glanced back at him once more. "Would she not simply break the barrier? She has done so once already."
"Yeah, but it took some time, didn't it? And she had to use up a spell card. How long would you need to beat her?"
"Using the proper spell card? Not long at all. How much time could you give me?"
"I… don't know, but I can give it everything I've got." Eric then placed a hand upon her shoulder. "Do you trust me, Alice? I mean, we can always try something else if this doesn't work."
Alice let loose another wave of danmaku. "...I do." Then, she gave him the briefest of smiles. "It's nice to see you thinking tactically."
…
Gods, this was not the time to be getting butterflies in his stomach.
"As soon as you've confined her, I will rush Seiga." Alice confirmed.
"Got it!"
…
It didn't take very long at all for Eric to find an opening.
Yoshika's movements were graceless, and lacked all subtlety. It only took one lunge for him to get in close to her and cast his barrier, encircling the zombie in shining, translucent amber.
"Ah?" She intoned, prodding at the shield experimentally.
"Puppeteer Sign: Maiden's Bunraku!" he could hear Alice yell in the distance, before the sound of a shotgun blast of lasers and bullets rang out.
*Bang!*
A look of panic broke across Yoshika's face. "Maaaster…" She rammed the shield, attempting to break free. When that didn't work, she declared "Poison Sign: Poison Murder!"
Once again, her nails gleamed with a disturbing purple luster as she began to swipe at the shield like she had done during her previous spell card. Only this time, she quickly worked herself into a frenzy, clawing at the barrier with reckless abandon.
Eric was almost immediately overwhelmed, his barrier cracking and splintering under the zombie's assault.
*Bang!*
More cracks appeared, spiderwebbing their way across the amber surface, until the shield disintegrated altogether.
*Bang!*
"Ah!"
Another blast, and then Seiga crying out in pain.
"Maaaster…" Contained no longer, Yoshika hurried to reach her master's side.
"Oh, no you don't!" Eric called as he caught back up to her, once more entrapping her.
This second shield… didn't last very long, shattering almost immediately.
He was beginning to lose steam.
*Bang!*
"Ow, goddamn it! Yoshika, get over here and help me!"
No, Alice needed more time. He needed to buy her more time.
Eric moved to wrap his arms around Yoshika's waist. Trying to pull her back. Trying to delay her further.
…
It was no use. The jiang shi was far stronger than him. He was barely making a difference.
Maybe she shouldn't have counted on me after all…
…
*thunk*
The sound of metal impacting something hard shook him from his self-deprecation. At the front of the zombie, silvery lance in hand, was Shanghai, and she just impaled Yoshika through the chest.
The doll pressed in, and Eric noticed something.
Yoshika was noticeably slower.
Shanghai was assisting him in his task of delaying her.
"Thank you Shangha-!"
*Bang!*
"Yoshika! NOW!"
"Maaaster…"
No… No, they wouldn't let her!
Eric pulled.
Shanghai pushed.
Yoshika struggled.
And Alice-
*Bang!*
"N-no more! I yield, damn it! I yield!"
"Do you forfeit?"
"Yes! Yes, I forfeit! Just stop fucking shooting me!"
-dealt the finishing blow.
~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~
As Seiga and Yoshika scurried away, Alice couldn't help but look on in satisfaction.
That would teach them to disturb her home!
She moved to recover the doll that Yoshika had shattered. The poor thing… It had served her well.
It was always a tough choice, deciding whether to repair a broken doll or simply make a new one in its place.
…
Before she could reach the doll, however, she caught sight of Eric once again. He was standing on the ground, Shanghai next to him, and staring off in the direction that their opponents had fled.
He seemed, oddly subdued, given the victory. It was his first true danmaku duel, and he'd been on the winning side! She…had expected him to have been more thrilled.
Touching down behind him, she gave Shanghai a little pat on the head and smiled when the doll turned around to face her.
Then, she focused her attention on him. Thinking boldly, Alice wrapped her arms around him from behind.
While she normally wasn't the one who initiated the affection, he especially deserved it today. How else was she supposed to thank him for his help?
She didn't have long to ponder this, however, as he soon turned around, pulling her into a tight embrace. It was even more snug than usual, and-
Wait… Was he trembling?
"I don't want to come across anything like that ever again…" Eric whispered.
"I'm sorry," Alice murmured back. "I could imagine that it made for quite the unpleasant sight."
"It's not your fault." He gulped down a breath of air. "It's just… When I saw you earlier… with those hands around your neck, I was angry, of course. But more than that… I… was scared. I was scared that you were going to die. Scared that I was going to lose you."
"I just couldn't let that happen. Not again. Not to you."
He took another deep, shuddering breath.
"Not you."
Alice… didn't know how to respond to that.
She wanted to know more, wanted to know precisely what he'd meant by that.
However, grilling him for answers seemed like it would have been in incredibly poor taste at the moment.
So instead, they just embraced quietly for a while.
…
When they finally parted, Eric cleared his throat.
"So, uh, why the hell were they here, anyway?"
"They came looking for my grimoire," she said, holding it up to emphasize. "Seiga challenged me to a duel over it. That's… how I ended up the way I did."
And then, he asked the question.
It was a simple query, but one that came with an enormous answer.
"What is it about your book that makes it so special?"
~~~~~~Author's Notes~~~~~~
Hooooo boy. This one took longer than I thought it would. It also went longer, too. It's a beast of a chapter in terms of length, but I really didn't feel that I could have split it up into two. I wanted to keep the entire encounter together, and I didn't want the next chapter to start at the tail end of the fight.
It has come to my attention that danmaku is difficult to write for extended periods. Like, there's only so many words for 'bullets' that I can use XD Anyways, if you are curious about the actual in-game spell cards that I tried to portray, I'd give them a quick search on Youtube. I would have loved to have added, like, little animations or something, but that's pretty far outside of my skill set.
I also spent a lot of time thinking over how I wanted the characters to come across in this chapter. I really wanted to do them as much justice as I could. That way, this conflict would feel more impactful, too.
I know Yoshika can speak, as she has dialogue in the games. However, I ultimately decided that while under Seiga's control, Yoshika is in a bit of a thrall state, and therefore unable to really speak or think much on her own. Doesn't change the fact that she's incredibly strong as a short distance fighter.
Seiga is canonically a bad person, so I sort of played that part up. She delights in screwing with people and genuinely enjoys making others suffer for her own amusement. Definitely the type to make others fight her battles for her, especially Yoshika.
I was most concerned with how I portrayed Alice in this situation. Narratively, she needed to lose the first round to Seiga and Yoshika, but I also didn't want her to come across as weak. I feel that it would have been a bit out of character if she'd lost to something really dumb. I eventually settled upon her becoming overwhelmed by the combination of trying to handle her dolls, Yoshika constantly lunging at her, and having to keep track of the pursuing orbs of Seiga's spell card. It was a 1v2, and it damned her.
Then, there was Eric. I've not really written him vengeful before. Maybe briefly angry in like, Chapter 3, but that's about it. It's definitely different than the usual Eric. Then again, if you come upon your significant other being hurt like that, you'd get mad too. I don't care how nice or calm of a person you are, lol.
Even though he can technically shoot danmaku now, Eric is much better as a support character still. He most certainly couldn't have won without Alice's skill and power, but the opposite is also true. Alice probably couldn't have won in this circumstance without that kind of support backing her up. Unless, of course, she dipped into her strongest spell cards.
I… liked the idea of them teaming up for something like this. A real 2v2. A chance to rely on each other in combat. And Eric's first true duel experience.
Stay tuned for the next chapter, or as I like to call it 'backstory o'clock.'
Thanks for reading! Review if you want! Have a good day!
~~~~~~Reviews~~~~~~
I forgot to respond to reviews last chapter! Whoops!
Samuel9919: I really love the dynamic of characters becoming comfortable enough with each other that they begin to show sides of their personality that aren't usually present. For Alice, that is definitely her being more relaxed and, dare I say it, silly. I think that Alice is probably a fairly hard person to get to open up to you, and I had hoped that Eric's character would have been the right type to be able to do this. I look forward to writing more of the them together! (Also, thank you for the well wishes! The eye problems have pretty much been resolved, as evidenced by how long this and the last chapter were."
James Birdsong: Thanks! Here's to more good chapters!