Heroic New Era: Flawed Diamonds

by Xovercreator

Trapped in an unfamiliar Gensokyo, Richard is left trying to survive in a land so familiar to him, yet oh so different, as schemes began to run behind the scenes. In a world where outsiders are treated like monsters, can he be able to find peace with the residents, and be able to uphold the land of fantasy's fragile balance and order, with the odds against him?

11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The Diamond's Fall

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As Richard and Siege decided to rest and recuperate with the rest of their group, Nue decided to greet the group.

"Richard Liu, I must congratulate you, and your newfound friends, for handling this incident so skillfully without your powers." Nue stated. "You know, the Myouren Temple is having a hard time getting to the Moriya Shrine, and we need all the help we can get. After all, wouldn't it be gallant for you to be the one who saves Miss Sanae once this is all over? She'll be ever grateful."

"Invitation or no, I will make sure Moriya Shrine is safe." Richard answered back. "I owe that much to Sanae, if not Suwako and Kanako by proxy. And I know that Tenshi is just waiting right there for me… and I'll be coming right for her neck as she wanted from the start. I won't let Tenshi have her way. This path of blood is not what Gensokyo needs."

"We have Momoi." Momiji stated, walking over. "If you wish to speak with her, then do so. However, I ask that you refrain from trying to wound her. She is already defeated, and therefore is under rules to be treated like a prisoner of war."

"I'll do what I can." Richard answered back, before turning to the rest of the group. "Take a moment to rest. I'll wring Momoi about what she knows about all of this. After all, she's Tenshi's right hand in multiple definitions."

Richard then left, before Marisa then greeted Siege and the rest of the group.

"Yo, how's things with you all?" Marisa asked the group.

"Things are great, honestly. We got Richard back, we just cleared a stage in record time… things are coming along nicely!" Siege smiled.

"Yep! We're gonna have the whole gang back together soon!" Nihilister smiled.

"I'm one step closer to being able to get Richard back. I couldn't be happier." Sin remarked with a smile under her converter.

"Same here. Once we're done here, I'm going to make sure that he'll always have someone watching him… This entire spiriting-away business will not happen as long as I have a say about it." Crow remarked.

"You know, I'm glad you're all taking this well. Richard told me that you all seem to distrust him for a reason." Gus answered back. "But I'm glad that the people can hope to set aside their differences just this once to do what's right."

"What's right… yeah." Marisa trailed off. "I guess the people around here, treating him unfairly. But once this incident is over, I bet that everyone will realize that his past history is already dead to him. He's going to be a-"

"Oh, my dear Kirisame. You make it sound like this is going to have such a happy ending." Yukari remarked, walking forward, before her expression turned into one of mock hope. "The incident resolvers will stop Tenshi, and Richard won't die! A truly happy ending! Gensokyo's woes will be no more."

"Yukari, don't you dare try to-" Marisa growled.

"But you forget one thing: This entire incident is not about Tenshi. This entire incident is and has always been about Richard." Yukari remarked darkly, as her smile disappeared. "We'll soon see which is more important to you: The lives of all of the residents, or the life of one Gappy-"

Before Yukari could even speak, Crow immediately darted forward, before she had a knife to Yukari's throat, while Sin pointed her rifle at Yukari's head, her finger easing on the trigger, while Gus and Siege rose up, while Nihilister growled.

"Don't you finish that sentence." Crow coldly remarked. "You say another word about Richard, and I'll slice your throat open. Sage or not. And don't think your so-called youkai durability will save you. When I intend to kill… I don't make half-measures."

"So, you're the ones who Richard have been waiting for." Yukari remarked, as if she was unfazed by what was happening to her. "Of course, I can feel the very bloodlust in your words. You could very well kill me, but do you think that it would be a smart idea to do so?"

"Crow, Sin. Stand down." Gus stated. "Yukari has a point, loathe as I must admit it."

Sin and Crow looked at Gus for a moment, before they withdrew their weapons, both with sour expressions.

"What do you want, Yukari? Do you think that Richard will die, just because you want it?" Gus answered back, keeping his tone level.

"Hahaha… You sly, slinking, two faced whore." Siege would remark darkly. "You honestly believe I care like my allies care if you live or not?"

"Siege!?" Gus exclaimed.

"Let's face facts." Siege remarked as he pulled out his pistol, he and Nihilister walking towards Yukari. "This Gensokyo was doomed to ruin from the get go. And even if. Even IF we preserve it… what's to say it won't go to ruin still? You, Yukari… unlike ours, you abuse your position over the people who can truly threaten you." Siege spoke. "You believe you can just flaunt about and say what you want, and if anyone dares get ready to assassinate you, you remind them that they are going to ruin Gensokyo. Well, news flash. I couldn't care the fuck less about this Gensokyo. I'll make a way out for those who we want saved. And then after that? You… I have no qualms in killing you. I've already got a benevolent Goddess of Hope's blood on my hands. What's a divine ruler over Gensokyo to me?" Siege spoke in cold venom.

Yukari was silent, before she then let out an impressed chuckle. "...I must say, you really must believe yourself when you say those words. And frankly, in respect of your own courage, I will admit that a part of it is true." Yukari answered back. "So what? I'm the one who has kept Gensokyo in its proper balance. Youkais and humans both. I used every Gappy to ensure that Gensokyo understands that Outsiders are nothing but a cancer to us creatures of fantasy. If you knew their stories, you would have felt the same way as I do. I see myself as a lesser evil of the two. I don't go around raping the poor residents here, nor do I order the death of children."

"But you still manipulate the outsiders, so that they can do these acts." Gus answered back. "...That does not make it any better. You know you're wrong, and yet you continue to do these things. What point is there to create a world where distrust and isolationism is king? Do you think that Gensokyo will survive, let alone thrive on that fear of conflict alone?"

"Why don't you find your answer?" Yukari answered back, before turning to Siege. "And as for you, you may forsake Gensokyo, but Richard won't. No matter how much he is broken down, he loves this realm far too much to let it go to ashes. And so he walks forward. I do not know whether he knows that his death is descending on his head or not, and I frankly see no reason to know. Either way, my plan will go along as planned. Richard will die, and Gensokyo will finally understand for once that it is better left in their own hands."

Siege darkly laughed at Yukari's words, as he stared her right in the eyes. "Let me ask you, Yukari… Do you believe in the hands of fate? Or do you see yourself as the hands of fate?" Siege asked with a dark smile.

"Oh, I don't control fate itself." Yukari smiled back. "I merely make sure that the outcomes play to my own benefit. After all, a true mastermind knows how to account for everything."

"Then here comes a news flash." Siege smiled as he pointed his gun at his head. "You're talking to a man who's thwarted several self-righteous masterminds, several iterations of tacticians, several people that control fate and destiny itself. My record is flawless." Siege added. "So I'm going to say this: Your plan became in jeopardy the moment I came into this wretched iteration of Gensokyo. The pawn reached the other end of the board, and a new Queen, or in this case, King with the power of the queen, has entered your chess board, Yukari. And the way I see it, I can Checkmate you anywhere between 2 and 15 moves, unless you take me out of the game." Siege smiled. "Because I don't think like you convoluted fucks. I don't think with just book or street smarts, but a wicked and nasty combination that has brought many foes to their knees in bafflement at my strategems. So, Yukari, you're in Check. And it's your move." Siege spoke darkly. "Just know, I'll give myself up long before I let you send Richard to Hell and have him wiped from existence itself." Siege added, as he holstered his gun. "You can fucking count on that."

"Very well, we'll see about that." Yukari answered back, before she then walked away.

"...Yes, we shall." Gus answered back.

"You know, I thought I vented back when I was fighting Momoi but now… Hah. All that was for naught." Siege quipped darkly.

"Don't worry, we won't let any of it get to us. She can talk all she wants, but we know that we're guaranteed to win." Sin declared. "I can literally tell that she's taken off guard for the first time in ages. It's emanating from her. So challenging her keeps her from thinking that she's won."

Meanwhile, Miko dragged along an unconscious Momoi, before Richard then woke her with a water jet to the face, as she sputtered awake.

"Wakey wakey, Momoi. Wake up and smell the ashes of what you wrought." Richard remarked, before he then knelt in front of her, as her expression paled. "So, I'm going to make this very simple. What is Tenshi planning? I know that she didn't just simply make a clear-cut line of attacks for us to follow to the Moriya Shrine. There's more, and for your own health, you better tell me right now."

"Get me away! Get me away from him!" Momoi pleaded, as she scrambled away, before Miko pinned her down. "The whole incident was meant to stop him. The fact that he's still alive means that the balance is still in his favor!"

"Then perhaps you shouldn't have caused the incident to spark into a fucking war!" Richard growled, as he stomped the ground, and dragged Momoi closer.

"And if you haven't noticed, Richard has only come here to resolve this incident with us." Aya remarked, walking into the interrogation. "We have more to worry about what you have done. And the deaths that your fairies have caused. He's one of our own, and we protect our own! Plus, it's penance for the fact that I was the one to fall for your trick in publishing his own identity, even though I knew that you modified the print to brand him a criminal."

"It's happening! It's already happening!" Momoi wailed, clutching her head. "The people of Gensokyo are putting more worth in one human than its own survival-"

Richard then backhanded Momoi across the face hard, as she reeled back from the blow, before Richard grabbed her by the collar, and pressed his face, until they were eye-to-eye.

"You listen, and you fucking listen good. That's a lot of shit you're spewing when you're the ones ordering the fairies to kill anything and anyone that is even remotely related to me. What you did is of your own fucking volition. The dead in the Magic Forest? Maybe I killed your cronies, but I saw the other bodies inside. The dead tengu here? Your fucking fault. You have no grounding to blame me for what's going on. You decided to make it everyone's problem, and you choose to blame me just because you want me to die. Too bad for you, everyone here is not going to let you make me a pariah for your fucking twisted cause."

"Momoi, tell us now, what is this attack for?" Momiji growled.

"A distraction! This entire thing was a distraction!" Momoi exclaimed, as everyone was shocked.

"A distraction? A distraction from what!?" Aya exclaimed.

"From all the other attacks." Momoi admitted, as Richard's eyes widened.

"What…?" Richard stated.

"This was Tenshi's last ditch effort: If this doesn't work, the balance will forever fall into Richard's favor." Momoi declared. "While you all were busy up here, the rest of the fairies were ordered to attack every major area in Gensokyo."

"Oh yeah! Our scouts caught that, and it failed!" Aya proudly declared. "I know exactly what you're going for: We have to choose between saving Gensokyo or Richard. Except you've forgotten one small fact that voids this entire plan: Gensokyo is strong! Richard is just a small part, and so are we! In a land of legends, not one of us is unprepared for danger to come at us! If he's supposed to spell our doom, then just imagine what the best of us can do in comparison. He's far from the strongest after all!"

Richard was silent, as he looked at his own hands, as Miko realized something was wrong.

"Richard? Are you okay? Why are you looking as if something bad has happened-" Miko remarked, before Richard then clutched his face, before he then began to laugh in sorrow, as bitter tears ran down his face. "Richard! It's alright! Every major area has at least a powerhouse-"

"Except the Kappa Valley! They had their own fucking defences to counter that, and I fucking just handed Tenshi the fucking keys to the citadel!" Richard bitterly laughed. "I thought that this was going to happen, and I didn't want everyone to suffer because of me, so I had a big part of their defenses diverted to other areas with Nitori's favor to me! All along, I ended up making a weak-point where there was none… I fucked up… I alway fuck it up…!"

"DON'T YOU FUCKING SAY THAT!" Siege yelled as he walked in, having heard enough as he promptly looked at Momoi. "I should roast you to your bones, but I think I've got more pressing matters and rage to deal with other individuals to save your ass for another day." Siege spat as he looked at Richard. "How long could Kappa Valley hold without the defenses you diverted?"

"I didn't take everything… but it would-" Richard was about to say.

"Attention! There's been an emergency change of plans for Stage 6! Report to the donation box for briefing!" Reimu declared, as Richard deflated.

"...Yes, this is exactly what my actions were going to cause. But I can still fix this… I have to." Richard answered back, clenching his eyes shut, and slapping both sides of his face several times to get himself together.

"And Richard… Time is on our side as well." Siege would smile before revealing one part of his trumps, a green aura by his side as he widely grinned. "We can buy all the time we need."

"...I hope that it's enough." Richard stated, as he held onto hope, nodding firmly.

They soon returned to the donation box, as Reimu stood atop the donation box, as there was a kappa, who had one of her eyes taken out, evident from the eye-patch that she had.

"The Kappa Valley has been overrun by fairies. The survivors can only hold out for two more hours." Reimu stated. "We must split into two groups. One to rescue the Moriya Shrine, and another to rescue the Kappa Valley."

"I volunteer by default! I have friends down there!" Marisa declared, raising her hand. "I have to take responsibility for all of the Gappies who ransacked the Kappa Valley, sans Richard, who did his best to be kind to them."

"Kind? Kind like he used our trust to make us weak?" The injured kappa argued back.

"It's not his fault." Sakuya argued back. "He did that because he was worried about the others. If he knew that you weren't capable of facing what is to come, he would have never forced you to do that. He committed a mistake. That is all there is to it. You cannot blame him as if the deaths that this caused are solely on his head."

The kappa fell silent, as she relented to Sakuya's logic.

"You do know that Richard did destroy your mansion, right-" Nue added.

"Don't. That was an honest accident, and he was truly guilt-filled about what he did." Sakuya argued back. "I believe he intends to atone for his mistakes by making sure this incident ends well."

"Enough bickering!" Reimu shouted. "The Kappa Valley doesn't have much time! We need more volunteers!"

"Who's leading the fairies?" Siege would ask as he sourly came into view. "And where are they, at the Shrine, or in the Valley?"

"We don't know." Reimu answered back, addressing Siege. "All of the possible leaders are gone, and Tenshi wouldn't lead herself to attack the Kappa Valley, when the Moriya Shrine is the epicenter of the incident."

"Then Nihilister and I will volunteer. I'm heading for the shrine, and Nihilister will head to the Valley, with the...unbridled rage we still have to give out, we'll be more than enough to repel this attack." Siege spoke sternly.

"Very well, any more volunteers?" Reimu asked.

"I'll volunteer. If my article is what led the fairies to the Kappa Valley-" Aya stated.

"You will do no such thing, Shameimaru." Lord Tenma argued. 'All tengu are required to protect the Tengu Village until the incident is over. The Kappa Valley is not within our jurisdiction. You are needed to aid Miss Hakuri in stopping Miss Hinanawi at the Moriya Shrine, as well as any other hostile element. As long as we stop her and Richard survives, I will not hold you accountable for the events."

"I… Yes, Lord Tenma." Aya relented. "...Please, someone has to serve as mission control in my stead."

"I'll take that role." Miko stated, stepping right up. "I shall act as airborne warning and control."

"And I shall be a part of the rescue team." Richard declared, stepping forward. "Even though I cannot be held fully accountable for what happened, it would be selfish of me to ignore the plight of the kappa, who has done so much for me. For their help, I unknowingly betrayed them. So please, let me prove that I'm on their side, and rescue them."

"I'm coming." Reisen declared firmly. "Richard's not going to end up taken out, on my watch."

"Since Marisa comes with Richard, I will need to watch over her." Alice answered back.

"Is that everyone?" Siege asked slightly irritably, considering Yukari and now this was starting to tick him off, as he seemed to be brewing in his mind just what he might do if he sees Yukari again, or gets a chance with Tenshi.

"Yes, that's everyone-" Reimu stated.

"Reimu, if I may take the podium." Richard asked gently. "...I have a few words that I need to say, before we go to the final stage, and end this once and for all."

"...Go ahead." Reimu stated, as she stepped off the shrine box, as Richard took her place, as he cleared his throat, and then began to speak.

"Everyone… I would like to say that I'm truly grateful that you're fighting alongside me, either because you still believe in me, or because you know that the alternative is far worse for Gensokyo." Richard started off. "Regardless of the reason, the fact that you all still are willing to let me help is proof that I truly haven't burnt my bridges with all of you, after the horrid truth came out. And yes, what was written on the paper was the truth. I was once a criminal, a terrible one. But unlike the Gappies before, and much like some of the people that you personally know, I found someone who righted me, and gave me a chance to see the world in a better light. I became the Richard that you knew, because someone kind believed in me, and taught me to do right. I will admit that it wasn't a quick process, nor was it smooth. I said many horrible things and acted hostile towards my savior… but that was only because I was still a brat who only had spite running through his head. I cannot say that I have truly left that side of me… but I can tell you with all of my heart that I'm not the monster that I was. I want to save Gensokyo as much as every single one of you, because there are people that I cherish here, and because some people that are against me simply hate me because they misunderstand who I am. They are still good people, they are not villains that all should hate… they're just antagonists, plain and simple."

Richard then paused for a moment, before continuing. "That said, this incident is the very thing that we all never wanted to happen. An incident where innocent blood is shed and there are no truly good sides, a conflict that would end with no winner." Richard declared, before placing a hand to his chest. "And I accept the guilt of it all. I should have been more open with you all, but I was afraid of being rejected, being ostracized. After living a past that left me mentally scarred, I didn't want to relive the nightmare of being left alone ever again. But instead, with my own ignorance, I have caused all of this to happen. But I can tell you this, and I know this, and some of you do as well in the bottom of your hearts: Acceding to Tenshi's demands to kill me won't solve the animosity plaguing Gensokyo. I know that, because I have seen enough of Gensokyo to know that grudges burn as bright as day here. They do not fade simply because an incident ends. There is no magical wish that would return everything back to normal. This incident will change Gensokyo, one way or another. And I don't want it to turn into a realm locked in endless war, friends against friends, brother against brother, sister against sister… If I could prevent such a thing by giving my life for the cause… I would personally perform the act of seppuku to make my resolve clear."

"Please don't…" Reisen answered back.

"That's right, we can't possibly allow you to make such a horrible choice." Miko agreed, as there were several voices of assent among the group.

"I know. We may not be seen in the right by everyone, because you are all seen protecting the 'sociopathic monster' that will turn Gensokyo into a bloody hellscape." Richard nodded. "But… we all know the truth: We all gathered to protect Gensokyo and all of its residents, and maintain that peaceful nature of the realm that it was meant for. Tenshi may kill our people with fairies, but we will not answer her with ruthless violence. We will resolve this incident through fair rules and forgiveness for those who are led astray. Although there must be punishment for those who instigated this… I only ask that you treat them as you would if one of your own betrayed you for a just cause. As for me… When this incident is over. I will leave Gensokyo."

Richard's statement shocked every one of Gensokyo's residents, as they chattered amongst themselves.

"Wait, your friends could have just helped you leave?" Marisa asked back. "...But then again, I suppose it was too late. If only your help came sooner, or we managed to delay this… we would have been able to stop this incident from occurring."

"Hindsight binds regret to all of us, Marisa." Richard solemnly said. "And yes, I mean what I say. The only reason I didn't run… is because I genuinely care for the residents here and the realm itself. I am a hero, and I will make my contribution in the Human Village, not an act of selfishness, but proof that I have a heroic ideal within me to see everyone safe. I will be the one Gappy, the one Outsider, who will show you that we are just as human as all of you. We are not all vain creatures who desire power, fame, lust and wealth, and hurt everyone around us either unwittingly or purposely for our own needs. Even though I cannot guarantee that the next few Gappies will even be a shred as good as I was, but my presence will at least prove that you all can understand that while you should understand that Outsiders must to be stood up too, if they intend to cause harm, you still should hold a shred of kindness, and understand their true nature. If they are truly good… then let them be happy with you all, and guide them to keep being right. The realm will shape them as they might shape the realm in the short future. And with that, I say my concluding statement: I ask that you fight with me, for one last time. Not for my sake, but for each other's sake, and for the sake of Gensokyo, the home that you cherish and love. I am merely here to atone, I am merely the target of the incident, the populace will see you all as heroes… should we finally win."

"Richard's right. Everything that he has told us…" Reimu stated. "It's exactly what we have been fighting for. For the sake of Gensokyo, and to repay his kindness, we'll finish this incident together."

Everyone in the team immediately began to voice their approval, as Richard smiled warmly, after seeing a true act of kindness to him after being hurt for so long.

"Now, everyone going to the Moriya Shrine, form up on me! Everyone else, on Marisa!" Reimu declared. "For Gensokyo's sake, we will resolve this incident with hope, not tragedy!"

"Alright, you buncha youkai: Let's kick some fairy ass!" Marisa declared, before the two groups began to depart, as Richard gave Yukari a stink-eye, which she merely returned with a deep frown, before flying away from either group, leaving Richard's group alone.

"Since it's been decided that Nihilister will go to the Valley, and Siege will go to the Shrine, I should not let you all be idle." Richard answered back, before turning to Gus, Sin and Crow. "I will need you three to run damage control across Gensokyo. With the fairies attacking everywhere at once, no matter how many residents are protecting each place, casualties are inevitable. I cannot save everyone that is under attack… but I want to save as many as possible, and with you all freed up, you can do that in my stead."

"I understand." Gus stated, before he then brought out a map of Gensokyo. "I managed to filch this from one of the tengu. Mark the locations, and I'll guide Sin and Crow to wherever is needed."

Richard nodded, before he then took out a black pen he bought for writing purposes, circling out the locations, as Gus then wrapped the map up and stowed it away.

"We're going." Gus answered back, before taking flight. "Sin, Crow. We should get to work immediately. The sooner we arrive, the more time we have to save others."

"...Take care, you better not get yourself killed." Crow growled at Richard.

"We'll come back and help you, once we are done taking care of the rest of Gensokyo." Sin stated, before the trio then flew off into the horizon.

"...Nihilister, could you go ahead and follow Marisa's group? I'll catch up to you later. I… I have something that I must talk to Siege about." Richard stated, as there was a brief moment of worry in his voice when he paused.

"Uh… yeah, sure." Nihilister spoke as she went ahead, as Siege turned to Richard.

"Well, spit it out." Siege spoke, trying to keep his tone neutral, but still clipped thanks to Yukari, not to mention his rage he still felt towards Tenshi.

"Siege, I'm going to make it straight that you're not going to like what I'm going to say." Richard answered back. "But whatever I'm going to tell you, you keep it hush-hush with everyone else. This is extremely important, and if this gets spilled out… the plan going wrong is going to be the least of our concerns. So I want to ask you to vow that you won't tell anyone of what I am going to tell you. I beg you for it, I… I cannot avoid this."

"...I'll keep it hush. But you best not be telling me you expect to fucking die on this mission." Siege stated tersely.

Richard was silent for a moment, as Siege picked it up, before Richard then let out a shuddering sigh.

"...I must." Richard simply stated in a low tone. "...Say what you like. I will let you speak of what you think of that, and I will take it all. After all, I'm asking for it by saying those two words… But after you are done, let me tell you why."

"...I'm going to let you go first, before I decide to let loose. Because I want the full story before I decide to blow up like a loose goddamn cannon." Siege stated in a low tone.

"...Komachi told me that my deadline is two hours." Richard answered back. "And a shinigami almost never gets it wrong. I know that I can avert it, and it is fairly simple considering I know how I'm going to die. But that's not the reason I accepted death. At first, I told her that there's no possible way that I would accept that deadline. I knew that my death would mean the end of Gensokyo as I know it, and that accepting it is basically the worst choice. But then Komachi put something up: 'Haven't you realized that your influence is changing Gensokyo itself? Even if you simply leave, the incident will be resolved in the victory of one side. And we both know what happens when that happens.' Those were her words. And I knew it strongly. Siege, if I do not die: This incident… This incident will be the end of Gensokyo. Because in an incident, there are always two sides, the heroes and the opposition. And Gensokyo requires that one side be completely quelled. Defeating the final boss of the incident won't stop what comes next: The losers will eventually rise up again to cause another incident in order to kill me, because this incident is meant to prove me as an existential threat to Gensokyo. That was Tenshi's trap: I win, my allies will ruin Gensokyo in order to make sure that I remain safe, and so do my allies. They win, they will not stop until every single ally I have is either bloodied or dead. I refuse to allow either scenario. But then you gave me the idea, and it reminded me of a loop-hole: Think of this incident as a fighting-game. How do you ensure a scenario where neither side wins?"

"...You intend to go for a draw or a Double KO." Siege stated..

"Exactly. If the target of the incident creator, and the incident creator is taken out, the incident will be ruled out as a draw. Neither side will have the casus belli to ruin the other side. Gensokyo's order will be saved." Richard answered back. "All I need to do is defeat Tenshi with my own hands, and guarantee that I perish in the final exchange. And I know exactly how to do that. All I need to do is make sure that Tenshi comes at me alone, so that the 'duel' will be perfectly in my control. I will make her believe that I want to win, so that she'll fight hard enough to try and kill me. If I do not do so, she'll realize the trick and allow me a hollow victory, thus causing the tragic end of this incident."

Richard then sat down cross-legged on the ground, and closed his eyes. "...And that's all there is to it." He stated softly. "And don't say that I'll remain dead. I know that you will find a way to bring me back. In fact, if I play my cards right, then it won't be Hell that I get sent into, but right into Magina's hands, after the Higan Court trial rules as a atoned soul."

"...But what if you get sent to hell. Richard. If you go there…. Do you realize you'll be wiped from existence? None of us will even know you to save you? You're playing one of the most dangerous games here, and I'm sick of you playing and toying with it as if you can waltz out of every low probability situation, WITH ALL THE GODDAMN CHIPS IN YOUR HAND!" Siege yelled as his voice boomed with power accidentally.

"Sacrifices have to be made for the sake of the greater good." Richard answered back. "...You can call me emotional for putting my life on the line for this realm, which I should have very little reason to care about. I could hear from that far about how you ranted to Yukari that you would send this realm to hell with your two hands. And in your position, I would have felt the same, even if I wouldn't be verbose about it. I have already done my best to ensure that everyone walks out fine. I chose the path of least casualties, and what would be the best outcome, if fate deems it fit. You know it, deep inside, and I know it, even though I don't want to make that choice to begin with. I care too much for others, Siege, because betrayal has left my heart hollow and frail to losing others. You have seen it already. I'm not running away, I'm choosing to make my choice, so that everyone can be happy: Including every single one of us in this group.

"RICHARD YOU DON'T FUCKING GET IT!" Siege yelled as he glared at Richard. "IF YOU DIE, IT! MEANS! NOTHING! Yukari's playing you down to the fucking T. This Yukari. If you die, she gets to make an example of you. And that example will bring this Gensokyo, right, fucking, back, to when you first got here. Only difference is a few less pawns on the chessboard! If you die, then I've just pulled the biggest bluff of all in telling Yukari that I had this hook line and motherfucking sinker. You ain't the only one running a goddamn gambit right now! If you draw, then I lose, and the rules of Gensokyo apply TO ME." Siege spat.

"...How do you know that she's even telling you the truth?" Richard asked, before he then rose up. "Of course I know what she's been trying to do. You want me to tell you what exactly she's been doing that she's been riddling about? Yukari will make sure that Gensokyo will have to live with its bloodied past, by using this incident as an example. She doesn't matter in the long term, because I know that if this incident doesn't end in victory for either side, she loses, most definitely. I know that because I've been here from the start of her plan right down to the wires right now. Siege, Yukari cannot find a way to win if I die this way. If I live, then she does win. What do you choose, Siege? Yukari getting away and succeeding in her plans, or letting me die to deny her a victory that is important for furthering her schemes?"

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF PEOPLE I'M CLOSE TO DYING, GODDAMNIT ALL!" Siege yelled in furious anger as he clutched his head, the flashes of all the people either dying by his own hand or dying fighting for his side playing back like a broken record. "I've lost too much… I've lost too much… I can't… I CAN'T…!" Siege exclaimed as he held his head in agony. "YOU'RE SO… FUCKING… SELFISH!" Siege finally yelled at Richard as he looked at him with eyes of fury and hatred. "You're so GODDAMN selfish! Fighting for a Gensokyo that isn't even yours! You still have a home world! You still have many other Gensokyos! So why, why… WHY CARE ABOUT THIS ONE!?" Siege yelled in furious anger as he was trying to fight off the inner malice inside of him trying to come out. "I can't… no… no… no I won't… I can't…" Siege hyperventilated as he clutched his head and his chest.

Richard looked at Siege, as seeing him like this tore his own heart asunder, and yet Richard tried to fight the feeling, knowing that he couldn't easily find a way to explain this to Siege, before he then opened his mouth a few times.

"...Because I too had enough of people close to me dying. And their close ones are dying as well because of me." Richard softly answered back, with a tone of regret. "...I saw too much down here, Siege. I saw too much to just simply stow what I have seen away behind my head. After what happened to Flandre… I broke. What do you think will happen when I know I've condemned an entire realm of people, just because I wanted to live… There was a lesson that I learned down here, that I believe that I should have taken to heart earlier… We don't always get what we want. Modernia's death, Soline and Milk's deaths, and many more before that… especially Geina. It proved that if we try to force a victory without losses, then karma will rack its debt and wait for a day to cash it back in. I'm selfish… because I know that this is the one time I have to be, or else I won't ever have the chance to make a choice again. I will sink down, Siege., far worse than my original. And this time, your words won't be enough to snap me back. You shouldn't take my potential death for granted. I told you, I have planned for this… and I promise that I'll come back to you. I won't be gone forever. It will not end that way. No-one here would let it come to that. No-one."

Siege held his head as he slumped to the floor and hung his head in sorrow, as he couldn't deny Richard's words. He couldn't deny the reasoning behind them and he couldn't deny that there was so much merit behind the reasoning. Siege looked up at Richard.

"...And what about Reisen." Siege spoke. "I promised her you would be here to see your own child… but knowing how long it usually takes to bring someone back… I can't get you back by her due date. I promised her, Richard. I promised her." Siege added, his tone sinking to a depressed resignation.

"...It's exactly because of Reisen and my child that my resolve still goes this strong." Richard answered back, as he did his best not to weep, knowing what pain Reisen will go through if she knows he is going to die. "...But between a choice of letting my child grow up in a world of death and destruction, where goodness dies… and being at least a few years away from the family to be reborn… the choice is evident. I won't let them grow up to end up like me. Not my child. My child will find care in Reisen, as she will do what she can to ensure that there will not be another situation like mine. He will be strong where I am weak."

Siege sighed as he stood up again, hanging his head before he composed himself as best he could, as he looked at the group heading for Moriya Shrine, before turning to Richard… and giving him a salute.

"Brother… your resolve is something I can't shatter… I may not like this plan of yours but…" Siege sighed as he tried holding back his tears. "Godspeed. Richard. Godspeed." Siege said as he walked through to the Moriya Shrine with a heavy heart.

Richard then turned away, before he then noticed that Momiji had come back to check on Richard, as she noticed the expression on Richard's face, as it was one of utter misery.

"...Richard? Are you okay?" Momiji asked Richard. "We're waiting for you to come along to the Kappa Valley… But what happened down there? You had an argument down there… did… did something happen?"

"...I will not lie. I feel like absolute shit." Richard declared firmly. "...But I will do my part, do or die. Just… Just give me a moment to write something."

Momiji examined Richard's expression, before she then agreed to it, as Richard sat down, before writing a letter on the ground, using an ink pen, before bundling up the letter, and handing it to Momiji.

"Momiji. After this incident is over… I want you to hand this letter to Reisen. No matter what." Richard stated firmly. "This letter… This letter is everything that I owe to Reisen for the kindness that she had shown me. If she does not get these words… then I fear she'll never get them again."

"You're… You're afraid that you will die, right?" Momiji asked. "Don't worry, we'll take care of you. We said it already, we won't let you die."

"...Die…" Richard remarked, before he then reminiscenced about Siege's broken expression, before falling silent for a moment, before nodding. "...Let's move."

And so, the two squads began to move towards their destination, as Richard's group was the first to approach their destination, as they could see the devastation from where they were.

"Five minutes until we reach the Kappa Valley." Miko declared.

"I still can't believe you gave up a chance to fight Tenshi to rescue some old-school youkai." Marisa stated.

"One Celestial's my limit. Both Reimu and Byakuren have her surrounded." Miko stated. "Really, I'm just here to take care of a friend of mine."

"Richard, you've been silent for this entire flight. The guilt of what you did, getting to you?" Alice asked Richard.

"...Yeah." Richard half-heartedly answered back, still hung up about Siege's words, as Miko turned around.

"...Somehow, you have become more morose ever since you spoke with your 'brother'." Miko stated. "Is there something wrong?"

"My concerns… They can be saved for later." Richard answered back, trying to hide his misery. 'I… I have to make things right, Miko. Please."

"I… I see." Miko answered back, as she felt concerned for Richard's mood. "Look, you're no sociopath. I can tell that by the fact that you actually carry others in a better light than yourself, especially when trouble rises behind the curtains. You are a human being, flawed and great in their own way. And I think that I should see more of your kind than other kinds. Perhaps it might make me one step closer to enlightenment in understanding human nature."

"Heh. I thought that you wouldn't want to become a Celestial with how they are. But I guess you would make for something far better than the likes of them if you do." Richard chuckled, as his mood lightened at Miko's proclamation.

"Cheer up, Richard. Everything will go fine!" Reisen assured Richard.

"...If only." Richard muttered under his breath, before he then sighed deeply.

"One minute until the Kappa Valley! Arm up!" Miko declared, as they were fast approaching the battlefield.

"Nihilister, we're up." Richard stated. "And don't use any of your spell-cards. Too much allied interference to do so. Just try to explode the vicinity of the fairies without touching the kappas… or at least of what remains of them."

"Right." Nihilister stated, before she then summoned several gatling turrets, before she then began to do a strafing run across the entire valley, shooting down fairies, and evading the retaliatory danmaku fire in the process.

"I'm heading to the ground. I'll find Nitori, and get her to work with us in order to deal with this entire mess!" Richard declared, before he then began to make his way down, shooting down any fairies that got near him.

"We got your back!" Alice exclaimed,before her dolls began to seek out and engage the fairies, both lance and artillery, as they helped to clear most of Richard's path, while Marisa threw several potions that exploded into aqua-blue lasers that served as an anti-air net against the incoming fairies.

Richard then began to move around, before he then saw the dead body of a kappa infant, as it was cradled in the hands of a kappa female who had half of her head blown off, as Richard clenched his fist.

"Squadron of fairies, coming in at nine o'clock towards you, Richard!" Miko warned Richard, as he saw the squadron of fairies coming in, as they fired a dense pattern of danmaku towards him.

Richard immediately began to grab the body of one of the deceased kappas, before using it as a makeshift shield to block the hit aimed at his spinal area, and using his magical options to shoot some of them down, as Reisen took out the rest, as Richard gave her a thumbs-up, which she returned with a smile.

Meanwhile, Siege, Reimu, Suika, Kasen, Sakuya, Youmu and the entirety of the Myouren Temple were attacking their way into the Moriya Shrine, as the fighting was getting difficult for the incident resolvers.

"The path up the shrine is too dangerous. We've been at a standstill all night!" Byakuren complained, as she fired several lasers to knock away several approaching fairies.

"Then we're going to need some serious firepower to deal with this." Reimu remarked, before turning to Siege. "You, I saw what you could do. You help me take care of this, and we can get to the Moriya Shrine as quickly as possible!"

Siege nodded firmly, as he was ready to help Reimu break through, despite his heavy heart from Richard's words, as the two of them went into the air.

"Fantasy Seal 'You Plain Fucking Lose!'" Reimu growled, before she then fired a massively enhanced version of her Fantasy Seal, as it literally cleared giant holes through the entire fairy formation.

"Declare Spell: Immaculate Sign: 'Elemental Mastery Oblivion.'" Siege spoke as all the known elements coalesced into a single spell circle, as they morphed into ethereal Gaster Blasters of sorts, and fired at the entire formation and vaporized them near instantly.

"Move up to the shrine, you cowards!" Reimu growled to the rest of her team, as everyone followed quickly.

Back down in Kappa Valley, Richard then managed to find Nitori, who was all alone, as she was looking around with worry, and a conflicted expression.

"Nitori!" Richard exclaimed, as he rushed over to take care of her, embracing her gently. "Nitori, you're alright! I thought that you would be among the dead… Thank god that you were able to survive this. I'm sorry for what I have done. I didn't mean to cause all of this… I-"

"It's alright." Nitori stated gently, before easing Richard off him. "I know that this wasn't your fault. You just simply looked out for everyone's interests. I… I just should have told you that we aren't safe with this much defense taken away."

"Don't worry, we're here to save you!" Richard assured Nitori. "We'll take care of the fairies, and make sure that Tenshi pays for all of this. You're in safe hands."

"Safe hands, you say…" Nitori answered back, before then letting out a sigh. "Richard…"

"Yes?" Richard remarked, before Nitori then fired a rim bullet that was meant to hit him, before several kappa came out, armed with different weapons, and some even in mechanical walkers armed with cannons. "What… Nitori… What are you-"

"I'm sorry, Richard. I truly didn't want to do this… But I had to accede to the majority." Nitori spoke with remorse in her voice. "If we do not kill you first, Tenshi will collapse the entire Kappa Valley, and kill almost every single remaining member of the kappa race here. I… I cannot let my own kin die, Richard. I cannot…"

"Nitori…" Richard stated, before he was then forced to retreat, as the kappas began to fire on him, as he didn't even fire back, merely focusing on dodging, while flying backwards in the midst of the chaos.

"Richard is under attack by the kappa!" Alice cried out. "We have to save him!"

'Our orders have changed! Fire on-" Miko tried to convey.

"No! Don't do that! They have no choice!" Richard exclaimed. "...Stop the fairies from trying to kill them first! I can stop them myself!"

"Not without me!" Nihilister growled, as she then lowered herself. "You ungrateful bitches, he comes to save your hides, and you decide to throw him to the damn wolves!?"

"I know that you're one of his friends." Nitori stated. "...Please, stand aside. He's the only one who needs to die for all of us to be safe."

"Then I ain't going to go easy on you. I'll give you burns that you're going to take weeks to recover from!" Nihilister remarked, before she then limited her own output to weaken her own attacks, just enough to damage the mechs, but not enough to cause lethal damage to the kappa targeting Richard.

Richard reluctantly began to fight the kappa, as his own heart was wavering from what he was being forced to do, as he tried to direct his attacks to knock out the kappa, rather than severely damage them, by redirecting the attacks to avoid the spinal area. Eventually, the kappas were forced into retreat, as Nitori led the retreat, as she gave Richard a look of regret, before then slinking away.

"We're almost done here," Miko stated. "Now all we have to do is clean up, and then we can-"

Before Miko could finish, Alice's dolls began to flop to the ground, as everyone directed their attention to Alice, who collapsed on the ground, before Marisa was hit by a barrage of kaname stones, which hit her in the hit-box, causing her to fall down defeated.

"What the…!?" Alice remarked, before a red laser hit her dead-center, defeating her as well, leaving a horrified Reisen, a shocked Nihilister, and Richard, who watched as Tenshi made herself known.

'Well, well. It seems that we finally come face-to-face, Richard." Tenshi remarked with a malicious smirk on her lips. 'I've been trying to catch you all night. And since everybody else is too busy fighting to interfere. I get the chance to fight you."

"You're not going to-" Nihilister growled, before Richard put a hand out. "Richard?"

"Nihilister, protect Reisen." Richard answered back firmly. "I want you to get her somewhere safe, as far away from our fight as we can."

"But what about you? She's literally gunning for your head!" Nihilister argued.

"I know, and I'm ready for her. I'm not going to run away." Richard declared. "Now GO! Before I make an order for you to do so!"

"...Tch. If you fucking die, I'll bring you back myself and roast you again for hurting Siege!" Nihilister threatened as she headed to aid the others, mainly Reisen, as Reisen made a retreat with her help.

Richard then turned around, before facing Tenshi, as she leapt off her kaname stone, and faced Richard down.

"I'm surprised that you're not running, despite the fact that I know that you won't be beating me." Tenshi remarked. "Perhaps you finally realize that your death will fix Gensokyo. No more Gappies taking advantage of our peaceful inhabitants. No more violent incidents! Gensokyo will return to the way it was! Once I kill you, your friends will turn into villains just to avenge you. And they will all pay, and learn, as Kappa Valley did-"

"Shut up." Richard remarked, before he then stepped forward, before Tenshi then finally realized the look that Richard's was giving her, as she was unnerved by the fact that compared to how he looked at her back when he left her be, it was as if that occasion was just a mere lap of water, compared to the tsunami of fear that she felt looking into Richard's cold eyes. "I'm not going to run away from you. In fact, you think I can't beat you? Just watch me prove you wrong. And don't you speak about my death helping Gensokyo. You just want to make Gensokyo a far worse place, just because it would amuse you. You think you're some bloody hero. But I know what you are. I know what you truly are: Tenshi Hinanawi. And you better come out, Yukari Yakumo, you want your damn ending, come and see it yourself."

Yukari then landed right before Richard, with a fan to her mouth. "Well, I must admit, in the end, you realize that the best way to end this is to do what I expected from you in the beginning." Yukari remarked. "I admit, I was surprised that you were able to keep things normal for a while. But thanks to that fact about you from someone who knows you well, I was able to spark the incident exactly as I needed. Once you die, Gensokyo will finally be able to sustain itself."

"You're sick… both of you are sick to the rotten core." Richard growled. "You toy with others' lives as if they don't matter at all to you. All those lives, all those men, all those women, all those children…! All for this! Is this what you're proud of!? A Gensokyo that has been kept on life-support with the blood of others!? This is your big fucking grand plan of instigating enough conflict to keep Gensokyo's wheels going!? Grease the wheel with a little blood from the innocent, and they go clink-clank as you wanted! You selfish bitches… You don't deserve a single bit of good that this realm has managed to retain!"

"As if someone like you could understand-" Yukari remarked back with a steely tone.

"Oh, I don't understand what fucking twisted logic you're running on, and I don't fucking want to know. I would sooner die than become someone like you." Richard spat with venom. "Let me tell you something, Yukari. You know how I managed to navigate the societal landmine you intentionally planted for me!? Because I lived in Gensokyo, I know this fucking place like the back of my hand. I knew mostly how the residents here would react to what I do. So I made sure that they would be able to see me in a better light, rather than be slandered by your biased truths. And my Gensokyo isn't a dystopian hell-hole disguised as a paradise for fantasy. We may have our bad spots, but we didn't have to resort to mutual murder to keep our realm going. We have enough fear, as well faith keeping us going. But I suppose that doesn't matter to a youkai like you, does it? It's never enough: You want more, and you want Gensokyo to thrive, not its residents. But its residents are what gives it life, and you ruined it all for your selfish wishes."

"Are you done talking?" Tenshi remarked, although there was a hint of understanding in her voice, even though she kept it confrontational.

"Fine, you want your villain, Tenshi Hinanawi? Yukari Yakumo?" Richard declared, before throwing his hands out. "Then have your fucking cake. I must offer you congratulations. Because of you, I had to avoid having to break a blood-brother of mine mentally, after his own personal hell, and even then, I feel like absolute shit for what I'm about to do. I feel truly like the criminal that you paint me as. I feel truly hollow inside for the first time I've been in this entire place. I literally can't feel anything but my utter hatred for the both of you. I will die exactly as you want me to. The incident will end, but I will not go down quietly like a dignified monster. I will make you suffer, Tenshi. I will carve every single ounce of hatred that I have into your very soul. You will suffer long after I perish, Tenshi Hinanawi, both physical and spiritually. I will not allow you to walk away unscarred from this encounter. You will suffer as I have suffered for the sake of Gensokyo."

Richard then summoned his silver arcane sword, before glaring at Yukari. "And as for you, Yukari… You better hope that it's Hell that I'm going to. Because this is the last time I'll be your damn pawn in your fucking scheme to ruin what's left of the good in this Gensokyo. I'll give you the very fight that you've been waiting for. Blood will spill from both sides, and you will relish every single moment of my torment. I hope you fucking *choke* on the popcorn you munch watching this. The only audience to this agonizing fight will be your sick mind, and I will die knowing that karma will kick your ass one day. You think you're above consequences… but even those below know how to make you pay. You better sleep with one eye open. One day, Gensokyo will rise up to the real truth. And they won't listen like I have. They will lynch you, demonise you. And there is already a Sage waiting to take your place. Someone who actually has a shred of decency. So enjoy your tenure, while you still can, Yukari. Its end is inevitable."

Yukari then merely chuckled, before she then walked away, as Richard and Tenshi began to circle around each other.

"So, you decided to fight me alone. But it doesn't matter. The kappa wants us both dead. Maybe they'll kill me first, and spare you. The only people who can save you are about to be ambushed in the Moriya Shrine. Face it, you're a dead man." Tenshi scoffed.

"I may be dead, but you're going to wish that you can die." Richard remarked, before raising his blade. "And no amount of self-inflation is going to save you from me. I know your moves like the palm of my hand. I may not be strong as you, but my knowledge will overcome you as I did with other foes. I'm not fucking speaking in hyperbole when I said that I'm going to make you suffer in this battle. I'm going to carve the despair of every single one who died for your scheme, one by one."

"If only you knew that Sanae-" Tenshi was about to mock, before Richard rushed forward, before landing a pommel strike that disarmed Tenshi, and broke a part of her nose from the impact.

BORDER OF DUEL!

THE FATE OF GENSOKYO SHALL BE DECIDED!

Richard: 100%

Tenshi: 98% - 100% - 100%

START!

"Shut up and fight." Richard growled, as Tenshi clutched her nose. "Run your mouth when you can talk the fucking talk."

---

Siege, meanwhile, at the Moriya Shrine was fighting every single urge he had to retreat from the force there to switch fronts and try to wrap Reality around his finger using his Reality warping powers, but… doing so would likely anger Richard, but at the same time… at the same time…!

Siege clutched his head and chest, trying to resolve the conflict he was feeling in this moment for the best outcome possible, with as little to no repercussions as possible.

"Charge set! Ready to detonate on your command, Reimu!" Suika declared, planting a volatile danmaku bomb on the center of the shrine door, as Sakuya, Youmu, Reimu, and Siege stuck to the side of the shrine door.

"Alright go in 3… 2… 1…!" Reimu stated, before Suika detonated it, blasing the doors off its hinges. 'Go Go Go!"

As soon as the group went inside, they saw that Sanae was sitting before a kotatsu, as she looked fairly sullen, while Kanako was resting on the ground, as if she didn't seem to care one bit about what was happening outside.

"Good evening, Reimu." Sanae answered back.

"You alright, Miss Sanae? There's one hell of a fight going on out there." Suika asked Sanae.

"We're perfectly fine. This shrine is more secure than you'd think. Especially with all these fairies everywhere." Sanae answered back.

"'Everywhere'!?" Sakuya growled.

"I know that something is up, Sanae." Reimu stated. "Right now, Tenshi's spreading some sort of mist all over Gensokyo, and it's coming from the top of this mountain! And this suspicious behavior tells me you must be in league with her plans."

"...I'm not working for Tenshi directly. I can promise that at least… but we worked with her to spread that mist around." Sanae answered back calmly, as the news shocked the incident resolvers.

"You…" Reimu stated with a low tone.

"...I know that whatever I tell you, you won't accept it." Sanae answered back with resignation in her voice. "I betrayed Richard, I promised that we would be there for him… but in truth, we stabbed in the back by making this the focus of the mist. After I learned of how truly powerful he could be, and what lengths he would go to ensure his own survival, as well as those who help him… I couldn't let him find solace in Moriya Shrine. If he did, the fighting would come to us, and Richard would do anything and everything to ensure that he would survive. Forget the Moriya Shrine… the very top of Youkai Mountain will be nothing more than an indented crater, when the fight continues. Thousands of lives would be lost just within the first stages of the incident. I had to defer to the goddesses, for the sake of Moriya Shrine."

"This is for the best." Kanako declared, rising up. "With what he could possibly do for the sake of others, and the fact that he is reliant on others… aiding him will only fuel his desire to see his enemies pay. I can see the grief across his face. This is a mercy kill, one that even I have regrets doing, but if it's for the sake of the shrine, I will not hesitate." Kanako answered back. "Tenshi believes that she alone is enough to end Richard once and for all. As long as he remains unaided, he will die, and everything will return to normal… as much as it can."

"You would sacrifice a noble soul just for the sake of peace!?" Youmu exclaimed. "Richard is throwing his very life at stake here, and went to the Kappa Valley, because he intended to right his own wrong. And he is powerful enough to ensure no casualties."

"With what happened in Kappa Valley, and the pre-existing prejudices… Do you really think the Kappa will aid him? Or will they seek to kill him, after being lured in by Tenshi's words." Kanako answered back.

"Kanako, you…" Sakuya spat, as she stepped forward, brandishing her throwing knives. "You were the one who truly reduced their defenses to nothing, weren't you? You swung the gates right open for Tenshi's fairies to cause an apocalypse, so that it turns out that Richard could take the blame for Kappa Valley's current state. I should-"

"Sakuya, now not's the time to waste trying to get answers." Reimu interrupted. "If we hurry, maybe we can stop the kappa and the incident resolvers from-"

"I'm sorry, but even now, we can't just simply turn around." Sanae answered back. "...If Tenshi knows that we have betrayed her, after she finishes Richard off, she will destroy the entire Youkai Mountain and have it blamed on everyone who fought for Richard, and that would include us. The incident resolvers should have ended up defeated by either the kappa or Tenshi herself… It's just Richard against Tenshi now."

"...If you want to leave…" Kanako remarked, before she then summoned a mystical barrier that sealed the entire shrine. "...You'll have to beat us. And I do not intend to lose easily."

"Fuck. That." Siege suddenly spat with the greatest of venom in his tone as he got composed in the moment.

---

Richard and Tenshi began to continue clashing with each other, as Tenshi used a kaname stone as a makeshift shield against Richard's attacks, as Richard attempted to break through her guard, before he managed to use a flame-thrower spell to force Tenshi to guard rapidly, before hitting her with a powerful over-head wind-slicer, which hit her directly, opening him up to land several powerful spells one after another, firing a beam that knocked Tenshi back.

Richard: 100%

Tenshi: 55% - 100% - 100%

"What's the matter? All that arrogance about beating me, and you couldn't land a fucking scratch on me." Richard scoffed. "You really degraded from what you were back then. You're too complacent eating those heavenly peaches. I think they made you dull in your head."

"Heh, I wouldn't talk if I were you." Tenshi chuckled, before getting back up. "I'm just getting started. But I must say, you're truly as strong as they said. No wonder you were able to contribute a lot of damage against Rumia. Sanae wouldn't be the least bit surprised that this fight is happening. So pour every last drop of energy into this fight! Wear yourself out! Show me the weather that could have defeated so many youkai."

"Gladly." Richard darkly smirked, before he then charged forward, going for several quick slashes, before summoning a massive water spout that Tenshi dodged, before she then immediately then returned forward, and hit Richard with a kick under the chin, before then firing a triplet of stone drills in between quick attacks that kept Richard flinching, as the drills dug right into parts of Richard's body, damaging his internal body, and lacerating his skin, before Tenshi knocked him with a sweeping low kick.

Richard: 70%

Tenshi: 55% - 100% - 100%

Richard quickly recovered, before Tenshi then summoned a pair of rocks that floated above and below her, before he then back-stepped fast enough to avoid being hit by them smashing together, creating a spray of pebbles, before Richard then fired a metallic spear right towards Tenshi, which struck her deep, before he then kicked her right into the air, and clapped his hands together, creating a large ball of magma that hit Tenshi dead-on exploding, and sending her spinning through the air.

Richard: 70%

Tenshi: 10% - 100% - 100%

Tenshi then proceeded to float right into the air, before stomping onto her rock, creating a octet of spiraling lasers that spread out through the entire battlefield, as Richard carefully grazed past them, the energy hot enough to feel passing by him, before he then threw his own blade like a throwing knife, hitting Tenshi dead-on, knocking her down, as she remained down for a moment.

SPELL BREAK!

Richard took the moment to catch a breath, squeezing his eyes shut, and trying to use ice to help treat his internal injuries as well as possible, since they at worst was heavy bruising at this point, and used some fire to cauterize the lacerations shut, with several pained grunts.

Tenshi then got up, as she still seemed overly confident about herself.

"I must say, the fact that you are able to get this far means that you're putting up a better fight than most." Tenshi admitted. "But better is not enough for me. I still have two more cards in me, and you literally are on a one-life wonder, and I estimate that a few more good hits will take you out.

"You still haven't made me bleed enough to take me down! I've taken bigger and stronger foes with less of a problem!" Richard retorted back. "Besides, if you think you can win without the Blade of Hisou, then you have another thing coming."

"And speaking of what's coming…" Tenshi remarked, before she then summoned a kaname stone that fired a quarter of straight red lasers at Richard, which forced him to block with a magical barrier, before Tenshi went for a jumping attack, creating a ring of rocks around her, as Richard countered with a powerful rising cut, causing both attacks to land, as they were knocked away from each other.

Richard: 65%

Tenshi: 80% - 100%

---

Kanako and Sanae were fighting fiercely in the confined space of the shrine, which made it difficult for the group to maneuver through, resulting in the group taking a few hard hits, as Suika was unfortunately hit by a powerful danmaku blast from Kanako, and conked out hard.

"You cannot hope to win in this kind of trapped landscape." Kanako stated, as she drew a spell card. "'Divine Virtue of'-"

This was the last straw from Siege, as apparently neither one of them heard his words from earlier, as Siege suddenly ERUPTED in power, as he fired a beam that shot right through Kanako's card.

"No one. And I mean NO ONE IS GOING TO KEEP US FROM RICHARD! You think we're locked in here with you? No… no no no." Siege spake with venom as he brought out a familiar spell card.

Cue: Devil Trigger - DMC5 OST

"You're locked in here… WITH US! Declare Spell: Maxima Sign: MAXIMUM UNLEASHED RESTRAINTS!" Siege yelled as he erupted in golden light, as suddenly, his power erupted through the roof at that very moment.

Reverse Boss

Infinity Vanguard: Siege Sukui

Siege: 100% x7

"I'll end this fight in mere seconds. Sanae… Kanako… I'M GOING TO OBLITERATE YOU BOTH!" Siege exclaimed with unbridled fury over all of this situation.

"Oh no…" Sanae remarked, as she instantly fell into a sense of horror and reverence at Siege's menacing aura, as Kanako grit her teeth.

"...I don't care what you do to me." Kanako managed to answered back, although her voice was shaking from the primal fear that she was fighting. "...But as long as I can delay you… that's enough…"

"Oh, I actually misspoke. This won't be a fight. This will be slaughter… No… No, something much worse." Siege answered back, cracking his knuckles, as Kanako immediately summoned her onibashra. "This… WILL BE A MASSACRE!"

Siege immediately pulled out his first spell.

"Declare Spell: Infinity Sign: Power's Reign: Fire, Ice, and Darkness!" Siege exclaimed as from his spell circle, the power of the Power stone merged with Fire, Ice, and Darkness and blasted a huge array of danmaku blasts, at incredulous speed and numbers at both Sanae and Kanako.

Sanae immediately panicked, as she forced herself to weave through the patterns, as they were far more difficult than the ones that she had seen, as it indicated truly how grossly outclasses the two of them were against Siege in such a rage-like state, barely avoiding several close hits, while Kanako was forced to use her onibashra to erect a shield, only for said shield to barely survive the spell-card, as it destroyed two out of four of her onibashra, as Sanae barely managed enough hits against Siege to make him stop… only because he intended to launch another attack.

Siege: 95% x7

"Sanae. This is your last chance. You're clearly afraid of what I might do to you. Surrender the Moriya Shrine, and I'll let you and Kanako live. Persist… and you both very well might see death this day." Siege gave an ultimatum, next spell at the ready.

"This power…" Youmu remarked, witnessing how Siege so easily overwhelmed Kanako and Siege, while barely being damaged from their attacks, even from the basis of the Spell-Card rules themselves. "...This power is far more overwhelming than anything we have faced before…"

"So this… this is the kind of power that is an existential threat…" Sakuya remarked. "...No, this kind of power is far beyond a mere threat. It's as if we're standing before some sort of omnipotent being whose power exceeds our imagination… and he threw the restraints off the moment the lines were crossed…"

Reimu couldn't even speak, after witnessing what happened.

"I… I…" Sanae remarked, as she was quivering heavily from the near-death experience from the spell-card alone, before she then slowly fell to her knees. "...I… I can't fight anymore… I'm sorry, Kanako-sama… but… I can't fight… against something this terrifying… something this powerful… This kind of power… we can't win against it."

"Sanae!" Kanako exclaimed, before Sanae slowly raised her head.

"I… I don't want to die… but I don't want to live in a world where Richard had to die…" Sanae answered back. "...I… I hate myself… I hate myself for betraying him when he needed me… but if I didn't… then nothing would remain of any of us. If Richard won… then Tenshi would make sure we would all pay for it. We would be footnotes in history, fated to disappear. I… I'm scared… I'm scared of what will happen to everyone if I dared refuse… I… I should have believed in Richard… but I'm too scared of what Tenshi would do for the sake of getting what she wants… but in the end, I ended up… I ended up…!"

"...Sanae, stop." Siege would speak, his tone switching from venomous to a sorrowful sympathy. "It's far too late for us to do anything about this… so I'm afraid I have to tell you all what Richard's plan was… what he told me before we began this final stage." Siege added, his tone drowning more in sorrow as he spoke. "...Richard… intends to land a double knockout, a draw, an outcome where neither side ends up victorious… as a matter of fact… I can sense him… right now… he and Tenshi are casting their final spells. Upon this, Tenshi will be defeated… while, simultaneously…. Richard dies." Siege stated sorrowfully.

"Richard… what?" Sanae asked, as her eyes shrank, while the incident resolver team were shocked.

"Richard…" Reimu started.

"...will die?" Sakuya stated.

"The outcome ultimately ends for the best… despite my best attempts to sway him otherwise." Siege spoke as the Reality aura suddenly flared, opening a viewing portal of the world's timeline. "For you see, if Richard wins, or Tenshi wins, the timeline goes to absolute shit either way… but yet, the middle ground… the draw… both events happening simultaneously… It's miraculous. The world takes a shift. A major shift. A shift for… what Richard's Gensokyo looks like. For many… many years." Siege stated as they all saw the prosperity versus the ruin of one side winning vs. a draw. "...I tried every outside influence I could think of to save my brother in arms… but any time I thought one up, it ended up ruining Gensokyo down the line… and so… I had to concede. …My heart is just as weary as the rest of yours, if not more so… but Richard really smacked Yukari across her face with this one. He ultimately won for Gensokyo, by making this a no contest."

Sanae looked down onto the ground, as she began to hold back several sobs, realizing what Richard was doing, while Reimu was completely shocked, and Sakuya and Youmu were stone-faced, trying to keep themselves safe.

As for Kanako, she immediately dispelled her own onibashra, and then floated down, looking defeated.

"...In that case… there is no point to all of this." Kanako stated, before she then chuckled bitterly. "All along, I thought that Richard was fighting to win… but instead, he ended up choosing to give his own life for peace…. What an idiot I am… I guess my own stubbornness will leave scars on this land."

"Kanako-sama… We can still atone for this. When Richard is gone… we will do our best to take care of those who were impacted by the incident." Sanae offered, as she wiped her own tears away. "...It's the least we can do… after all that we have done."

"...You're right." Kanako stated, before she then dispelled the barrier, and fell into a dogeza, an act that a prideful goddess like her wouldn't do. "...Moriya Shrine is yours, and by now, the fairies should have all been defeated."

Siege, meanwhile, was the most downtrodden of them all, as he, even in his strongest form of his power, was trying to keep his composure and not break down in a mess of crying or a fit of rage… but he suddenly felt Tenshi's power spike… and Richard's power heavily decrease.

"No… NO NO NO!" Siege yelled in horror as in an instant, he dashed off at insane speeds to Kappa Valley.

As Siege dashed off, he didn't notice the fact that Byakuren, Nue and Mamizou were heading for the Moriya Shrine, as they stopped for a moment to look at Siege.

"Looks like things just got easier for us." Mamizou remarked. "Without that man protecting the others, we can-"

"Something isn't right." Byakuren stated. "Hold off the ambush, I must inquire with Reimu and the others."

---

With Richard, the fighting had continued, as both sides were racking up damage, even though Richard managed to defend himself well enough to avoid taking too much damage, as he countered several of Tenshi's moves, in order to take down Tenshi more quickly.

Richard: 35%

Tenshi: 20% - 100%

The two of them then engaged in a clash of projectiles, as Tenshi threw stone drills at Richard, who shot back with metal lances, as the projectiles were repeatedly canceling each other out, before Tenshi tried to hit Richard with a laser blast, only for Richard to shoot himself into the air with wind, and then landing an ax-kick that hit Tenshi's head, before Richard knocked her flying with an earth pillar that sent her flying again, and down for the count once again.

SPELL BREAK!

"You actually think that you can beat me without your sword?" Richard growled, before he then walked over, and punted the Sword of Hisou to Tenshi. "Pick that up. I'm sick of you treating this entire battle like a game. You want me dead, try harder. I will not be looked down by the very person who made this place a hellhole. Mark my words, Tenshi. I will not let you go simply. I will butcher your very body until your corpse can't be identified as anything other than red mush. And when I'm done, I'll make Momoi consume every single portion of it, before I behead her. And every Celestial responsible for this, they will all die bloody deaths by my hand."

"You… You monster…!" Tenshi growled, before she then rose to her feet, as Richard merely smirked, knowing that he finally got under her skin.

"That's right, that's how you fight. Hate me, Tenshi, because I hate you far more than you ever will be able to hate me." Richard answered back. "You pushed me this far, you created this 'monster' yourself. Now, take responsibility for it, by either killing me… or dying by my hands. Engarde, Tenshi Hinanawi. You either win, or die."

The two of them began to fight more strongly, as their battles began to shake the very earth around them, as Richard was taking hit after hit, even though he was able to avoid getting outright slaughtered from Tenshi's furious assault, as she was using the Sword of Hisou with intent to kill, as blood began to spill between both sides.

Richard then managed to bring down Tenshi again, who was barely able to handle the situation, as Richard was bleeding, but still standing, as Richard had his blade raised to finish Tenshi's last life off.

Richard: 15%

Tenshi: 5%

"I know that you still have a Last Word in stock, Tenshi. I know you wouldn't be so careless to fight me without one…" Richard remarked. "But while you're on the ground, I may as well scar you for what you have done to me!"

"Richard! Stop!" Aya exclaimed, as she and Momiji rushed over to Richard, who stayed his blade for a moment to look at them. "You've been set up! We'll explain later. We managed to get through Moriya Shrine safely, and the traitors have been dealt with by your comrade. Just, just run back and let us handle this! We can-"

"No, I can't allow that." Richard answered back, before looking at Tenshi, who was about to get back up. "I cannot let Tenshi get away with what she has done. My heart won't allow it. I will not give her the satisfaction of watching me run away. I will face her down, and I will end this incident along with her."

"You don't understand-" Aya tried to argue, before Richard then sliced through Tenshi with his blade, causing blood to spurt out, as Tenshi fell down defeated.

SPELL BREAK!

"I understand very clearly. I will take down her Last Word myself." Richard answered back, before the ground began to rumble beneath them. "Don't get this wrong. I'm doing this, because this is the only way I can atone for what I have done. Aya, what you wrote in the newspaper… you were just conveying the truth. You don't deserve to suffer for this entire affair. If you truly wish to do right in my memory… take care of those hurt by the incident. Let everyone know that those who were against me had no true sin against me. They fought for Gensokyo as we did, only for different ideals."

Richard then turned to Momiji. "And Momiji…" He stated, before he then gave a sorrowful smile. "...Please keep your promise to me."

Suddenly, earthen pillars began to rise out of the ground, as one of them took Richard and Tenshi on it, as they all ascended right into the stratosphere.

"RICHARD!" Aya cried in horror, as she watched Richard disappear into the skies.

As Richard began to feel gravity take him, he began to think back to his entire life in Gensokyo, both the one he grew up in, and the one he was in, as it strengthened his resolve to end the battle in a draw.

"...Everyone. I'm sorry." Richard muttered under his breath, before they finally finished their ascent, as Tenshi slowly began to rise up to her feet, before getting the Sword of Hisou back into her hands.

"I don't know whether you're stupid or you're intending to finish this once and for all." Tenshi remarked with a stony expression. "Either way, you will die, Richard. And because of what you said, I think that I truly want you dead for personal reasons."

"Go ahead. I'm not going to let you win, so that you can make everyone suffer for your fucking amusement." Richard breathed, as he collected himself for one final battle. "If you're going to kill me, kill me. Because at least I won't have to see Gensokyo burn because of you, when I die. I won't exist anymore, because Yukari knows it, and I know it, I'm going to Hell by the end of this."

"Damn right you're going to Hell." Tenshi snarled back. "All these Gappies that went here, and none of them are as terrible as you, or as smart with their powers as you. You're the greatest threat to Gensokyo, and I will be the one to kill you."

"Greatest threat." Richard scoffed. "You should look in a fucking mirror someday. I thought that you had some decency, but you know something, you would be right if you believed that I lost all faith in you from the moment those words left your damn mouth, when you said that good people deserve to die for this realm of discord. You don't get my sympathy, and even if you give me any, I'll know that it's a big fat lie, like everything that you tried to use to get me hooked on your scheme. You and the fucking Celestials don't deserved to be worshipped as you are."

"Fine then. Then die hating me. It doesn't matter since you will be gone, and so will everything you have done." Tenshi remarked, before she then pulled out a spell-card. "'Scarlet Weather Rhapsody of all Humankind'."

Tenshi then floated into the air, before she then proceeded to fire a massive barrage of lasers across the entire battlefield, as Richard was forced to graze repeatedly to avoid the attacks, before Tenshi began to gather energy, before attacking Richard with a powerful spreading beam of red energy, as Richard couldn't dodge in time, forcing him to block it with his barrier, which barely survived the attack, as cracks began to form on it.

Tenshi then proceeded to drive her laser across the ground, creating sparking spots of energy that erupted into fountains of red fiery danmaku orbs, as the surprise attack managed to knock Richard right into the air. As soon as he was launched into the air, Tenshi fired the beam of energy right at him, as it hit him dead-on, destroying his barrier, and singing his entire body, as it also shattered his own ribs, causing him to hack blood up, before falling to the ground.

Richard: Border of Death

Tenshi: 1000%

Richard then tried to get up, using his own blade to get up, barely staggering to his feet, as blood dripped down his mouth onto his own chin.

"Damn… Damn it…" Richard cursed. "I can't… I can't lose right now… Not like this… I…"

Tenshi merely walked over, before using a kaname stone swing to send Richard flying, as he hit the ground of the pillars hard, breaking several more bones, as he tried to get up again, only for Tenshi to step right onto his back.

"If only… If only I was stronger… I could have… I could have… prevented all this… death…" Richard wheezed, as he tried to resist Tenshi's hold on him.

"...Since you're going to die already, even if I don't deal the finishing blow… I may as well tell you something." Tenshi stated, as she made her own reluctance finally known. "...I… I didn't want it to come to this. What I said the last time we truly were still friends… It was my true feelings about Gappies… but not you."

"...What?" Richard croaked back.

"You were the one Gappy that could have made people believe in Gappies once again… but I couldn't let that happen. From how smart you are, I know that you understand most of the truth about Arturo as I did. He's the kind of person that we couldn't let into Gensokyo." Tenshi shook her head. "If people like you were left unchecked, then when they die, the people will believe that Gappies in general are just simply misunderstood people who want to find escape from their own lives, regardless of reason, ignoring the vices they carry with them. If this is allowed to continue… there wouldn't be a Gensokyo."

"...You… This wasn't… the way…" Richard tried to argue.

"You're right. Maybe this wasn't how it should have gone." Tenshi answered back. "But… this is the only way it can end. The entire cycle of Gensokyo trusting Gappies. Once this is done, Gensokyo will be finally safe from your kind, because they will either become like you, or they will die like the rest. They won't have the chance to grow into threats like you could be. I know how many people will die from this… but compared to the lives that it will save going into the future. It's a small price. I may as well be the one who is hated for all of this. I'm the arrogant one who challenges everyone for the sake of fun. A 'heartless' wretch like me, is the perfect villain to play for all of this… just like you do. Everyone will learn a lesson from all of this, even the winners."

Richard slowly weakened his own struggle, as he could not refute Tenshi's words, as he merely clenched the ground with all of his strength as if trying to convey his own anger at the situation.

Tenshi then turned to walk away, in order to let Richard expire alone.

"So, you can at least die knowing that you died a far better death than any Gappy deserves." Tenshi stated. "And out of respect for the fact that you stood your ground to your last breath… I promise that Eientei will not be harmed, and neither will Reisen."

Richard merely closed his eyes, as he began to internally pray for a miracle.

---

All across Gensokyo, Richard's wish began to touch the hearts of several people within Gensokyo, as they began to feel a strange sensation that connected them to him.

First of all was Keine, who was being helped by Sin, as she felt a certain feeling that Richard needed aid, as she stopped for a moment, after finishing off the last of the fairies that were in the area.

"...That sensation… Richard?" Keine remarked with surprise.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Sin asked. "You look as if you have seen a ghost. Everything alright?"

"Everything is fine… it's just that… I have this feeling that someone is calling for my own faith." Keine answered back, trying to describe the feeling within her.

"Faith? Not the strangest thing I heard. You do what you need to do." Sin stated. "I'll just help to get the remaining people who are still stuck out here to safety."

Keine nodded, before she found a quiet and secluded corner, before she then closed her eyes, and pressed a hand to her chest.

'Richard… wherever you are… I know that you're still fighting strongly to end this incident.' Keine thought deeply. 'I pray for the fact that you can still fight on, so that you can save the Human Village and everyone within it.'

At the same time that Keine finished her prayer, a golden orb of light materialized above her, before it then shot off towards the Kappa Valley.

Meanwhile, at Eientei, Eirin was defending the mansion with Crow, who was putting a great counter-offensive that managed to keep the fairies at bay, and minimized the casualties of the moon-rabbit soldiers that were guarding the facility.

At the same time, Eirin was struck with the distant sensation of Richard's prayer, as she immediately turned to one of the moon-rabbit squad captains.

"Take care of the front for me. I need to do something." Eirin ordered the captain, who crisply saluted back, before the Lunarian Doctor moved around, before conveying her own feelings.

'Richard, I know that death is imminent for you…' Eirin thought strongly. 'But I know that you have what it takes to make the right choice. You would not die in vain… Your sacrifice is for the sake of everyone in Eientei, especially Udonge… I pray for your victory… you must win… You must win so that she can give your child a future that is not tainted by misery.'

As soon as Eirin was done making her returning prayer, another golden orb manifested above her, before it too shot off towards the Kappa Valley, just as Eirin returned to the front-lines.

"Took you long enough." Crow remarked, before throwing a flashbang that halted the advance of a group of fairies coming their way, as the soldiers gunned them down quickly. "What the hell were you doing?"

"Something that must be done for the sake of Richard." Eirin simply responded, nocking an explosive arrow that exploded into a blast of danmaku that cleared a hole through the fairy formation.

Deep under the ruins of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Richard's prayer also reached her, mostly because of the fact that she could barely speak, or hear anything outside, as she only had her own thoughts to keep her company, making her extra sensitive to Richard's spiritual call for help.

'Richard… Is that you?' Flandre thought. 'No… you're calling for help. Your plea… it feels so desperate… Are you… Are you going to die…?'

The rubble began to shake, as Flandre was beginning to become unsettled, as the thought of Richard dying actually made her feel horror, due to the fact that Richard was one of the kindest people to her, especially as a Outsider, who usually treated her like some sort of unstable monster, and even helped her overcome a part of her own shyness.

'No! No, don't die! I don't want you to die!' Flandre frantically thought. 'You're someone hurt like me… and yet you help others despite your own inner miseries… I… I don't want you to die hated by everyone… you didn't want any of this to happen. Sister… Sister is just not thinking right… she… she would never hurt someone generous like you… Please… Please… don't die…'

Flandre's own plea created a golden orb of light that shot out towards the Kappa Valley, as Flandre began to weep at the prospect of Richard dying.

Meanwhile, Yuuka watched the battle die down from the Garden of the Sun, as she took one look at the sunflower that Richard planted, as it was still standing strong, while she felt Richard's plea from her very soul.

"I never thought that he would put himself in such danger for the sake of everyone…" Yuuka remarked, before she then sighed. "Good does not simply exist in Gensokyo… There is always someone who would seek to exploit someone with a sense of justice and turn them into the very monsters they swore to destroy. We are all monsters… because that's what we are deep down, no matter how we try to pretty ourselves to be otherwise."

Yuuka then clasped her hands in prayer. "But just this once, only because this boy gave me hope to face tomorrow with my head high, rekindled a sense of hope that good will not die this day… I will pray for him." Yuuka stated. "I may not be one of faith, since I only believe in what I see… But I hope that what I shall entrust to him… will be enough to help him through this crisis. It is the least I can do for him right now."

Yuuka's prayer then created the orb of light, which joined the other three over at Kappa Valley, as Aya and Momiji saw it, realizing that they were witnesses to a phenomena most peculiar.

"...What… What is this?' Aya remarked with surprise, before the four orbs of light merged together into a shining bright golden star that slowly ascended through the skies. 'Wait, no… No, it can't be… Richard is actually… able to use the power of faith…!?"

"Of course… It makes sense now. He seems to be a pious soul as well, and from what I have heard from Myouren Shrine, he spent so long praying before the Buddha statue for forgiveness that his prayers eventually got an answer… maybe this is that answer." Momiji tried to explain.

As Tenshi was about to fly off, the golden star finally made its way towards Richard, before it then crashed right into him, creating a massive burst of golden light that made Tenshi stop, before she then turned around, and saw that Richard had a golden aura around him, before he then slowly rose to his feet, before his blade turned golden as well, into a true blade of legend, not unlike that of Excalibur itself.

Cue BGM: Now In My Sepia [Metal Remix] by Kieran Zane Roberts (Monster Girl Quest)

"I can hear it…" Richard muttered quietly, as he slowly tapped his blade down onto the ground. "I can hear the cries of the people who still rely on me… through my prayer to Gensokyo… They all tell me to fight on… Even though my bones are mere moments from breaking, even if my own heartbeat is fading… And my strength slips from my hand… their words… their words are enough to rouse me to stand up and fight again…!"

"You… You still can fight!?" Tenshi exclaimed. "You are at the edge of death itself! You shouldn't be able to muster the strength to fight! How… How can you possibly possess the strength to defy death!?"

"Because that's the power of hope itself." Richard answered back, as his eyes snapped open, as there was fiery spirit roaring inside of them. "Hope gives one the strength to carry on, when all else fails. Even the weakest can win against the strongest, as long as they keep the hope to fight on. It sounds childish and impossible, but hope is the reason why some people do not lose so easily, because that's the weight of the world on your shoulders, pushing you onto your feet, and holding your hands. Much like I have helped others, others have come to me in my time of need. That is true strength, Tenshi Hinanawi! The strength to fight for what's right for everyone!"

"I won't let you win!" Tenshi exclaimed. "I have gone too far to stop now!"

"Then show me your resolve, Tenshi!" Richard shouted back. "Right now, let us throw away our hatred and sorrow, and settle this once and for all! Everything on the table! Nothing held back! We'll fight until the light of day breaks upon this miserable land! I shall bring hope upon Gensokyo, by defeating you at the crux of your plan! Gensokyo will not suffer any more! Not while my last breath has yet to leave me!"

"RICHAAAAAAAAARD!" Siege yelled as he suddenly rushed into the scene, as his eyes were a mix of fury and sorrow as he saw the state of his friend, as Siege had something in his hand, a spell card.

"Siege! Stay out of my fight! This has to be-" Richard exclaimed.

"...I didn't come to interfere. You and I both know this is the best outcome." Siege would say. "Declare spell… Kinship Sign: Infinity Transfer."

Suddenly, Siege reverted back to normal, as the power of his Infinity Vanguard form suddenly rushed towards Richard, imbuing him even farther with the power, at the cost of ensuring his death after Tenshi was taken out.

"...I know this is how it's supposed to go… so take my strength, and you win Gensokyo a future!" Siege said as tears streamed down his face, giving Richard a salute.

"...I will." Richard stated, before a warm smile appeared on his face. "...Thank you, Siege."

Siege… with a heavy heart and a sad smile, would then rush off, likely to mourn and weep the eventual coming of Richard's death, as he didn't want to see it in person.

Richard: Survival (2:00)

Tenshi: 1000%

Tenshi quickly reactivated her spell-card, as she fired her barrage of lasers, this time with far more density than before, as Richard grazed through several waves of the lasers, before using his blade to literally erase them with superior power, as he managed to reach Tenshi, before hitting her with a super-sonic barrage of slashes, that hit Tenshi all around, damaging her greatly.

Richard: Survival (1:41)

Tenshi: 798%

Tenshi then began to gather energy into her attack, before launching a barrage of red beams that simultaneously activated one after another, as Richard began to evade the beams with unbelievable reflexes, before he then cut down one of the beams into two with a single slash of his blade, and then swinging his blade up across the ground, creating a massive shockwave across the ground, that hit Tenshi, stunning her.

Richard: Survival (1:12)

Tenshi: 734%

Richard then immediately began to fire a barrage of elemental spells one after another in a flurry of spells, as Tenshi was hit by an assorted variety of elements, which including getting hit directly by a sun-ray that singed her, and a massive crescent moon projectile that cut through her several times, and a rain of stars that pelted her everywhere.

Richard: Survival (0:52)

Tenshi: 432%

Tenshi then recovered quickly, before raising her hands, creating an entire lattice of falling stones, before dropping it at a rapid rate, bombarding the entire arena, as Richard dodged between the attacks, before firing a barrage of slash waves with his blade, which managed to damage Tenshi further.

Richard: Survival (0:34)

Tenshi: 253%

Tenshi then proceed to sweep through the battlefield, creating a beam of energy that emanated from the Sword of Hisou, sweeping it across the entire battlefield with rapid horizontal and vertical swings, that managed to keep Richard back for a while, before Richard then charged in at throttling speeds, and landing a thrusting strike that managed to knock Tenshi flying.

Richard: Survival (0:14)

Tenshi: 67%

Both Richard and Tenshi began to notice that Richard's golden aura was flickering now, as Richard began to feel the fatigue begin to pile onto him, as he barely stopped himself from falling down, getting onto a knee, before pushing himself up.

"It seems that all of this is not enough to defeat you… but this power gave me one last trump up my sleeve." Richard remarked, before he then drew out a spell-card from nothing itself, as it glowed golden. "My spell-card, which will be far more than enough to defeat you! I may not have had a chance to use it before, but I have known that the only way it will end is with this final blow! So prepare yourself!"

Tenshi immediately braced herself, before drawing a Spell-Card of her own, as the Sword of Hisou began to glow a menacing red.

Richard: Survival (0:05!)

Tenshi: 67%

"Declare Spell Card: Finality Sign 'Duel at Camlann'!/Non-Perception 'Sword of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception'!" Richard and Tenshi declared at the same time, as both of them began to charge forward at each other, as the ground rumbled from the force of their attack, as Richard's aura disappeared completely, channeled right into his blade, which was shining ever brightly from the power supplied into it.

Richard: Survival (0:02!)

Tenshi: 67%

The two seconds slowly passed, as the two of them began to make their attacks, the world itself beginning to slow, as if the attack distorted the realm itself by sheer power.

Richard: Survival (0:01!)

Tenshi: 67%

Eventually, both of their attacks landed, as Richard's blade found purchase right through Tenshi's stomach, causing her to stiffen up, while Tenshi's blade pierced right through Richard's own stomach as well, as the energy of the blade began to sear more of his own inner organs away from the burning energy of the attack.

Richard: 0%

Tenshi: 0%

DRAW!

End BGM

Tenshi coughed up blood, before she then slowly collapsed on Richard's astral blade, falling onto the ground, as blood pooled under her, as Richard barely managed a triumphant smile, slowly falling down onto the ground, as he clutched the Sword of Hisou, that was plunged through him, as he began to writhe in agony, and gasping in pain, as he tried to get the blade out of it.

"It hurts…! The pain… The pain is overwhelming me…!" Richard cried, as he wriggled across the ground, as his own blood split from his wound, his hands gripping the blade of Hisou as hard as he could manage in his dying state, only to fail to do so, as his hands slumped to the ground. "Somebody… Somebody, put me out of this unbearable agony…! I can't… I can't handle it…!"

Eventually, his struggling managed to exhaust him, as he fell still, barely able to move his head, as he began to lose feeling around his own hands and feet, as the cold embrace of death began to take him slowly.

Cue BGM: Sayonara Heaven Piano Remix (Takashi Yoshida)

"...It's done…" Richard quietly whispered. "...With this… Gensokyo will be saved… no more will have to die for this…"

Richard then closed his eyes, as tears began to run down his face. "...Why… Why did it have to come to this, Tenshi…?" Richard answered back. "...Why… does all of this have to end with the land bathed in the blood of others… Is it really worth it to cause all of this suffering for a future that you don't even know would even be one that everyone would want…?"

Richard was responded by silence from Tenshi, who was bleeding on the ground, unconscious from Richard's own blow, before he then began to chuckle weakly, before hacking up more blood.

"...Of course. You can't hear me at all. I really… hit you with everything I got in that one blow." Richard stated, before he then became silent for a moment. "...But… despite everything… despite all of the hate that I had for you… you didn't take everything that I had for you.. I… I still understand you, Tenshi. I still understand why you have done this… and… and I couldn't deny that you did what you thought was right."

Richard then let out a shuddering sigh, as his voice became weaker.

"Perhaps if I came here sooner… then either I would have been able to stop you from doing all of this… if only I was before Arturo… I could have stopped the faith in us Outsiders falling that low to justify all of this…" Richard remarked. "Perhaps then… we wouldn't have been enemies… but friends instead. And I would have changed you for the better. But it's too late now… you'll move on to the future, bearing the burden of the role that you have chosen for yourself… and I… I will be gone from this land for a long time indeed. My death…. Will not be undone for a while."

Richard then let out a gentle sigh, relaxing his body, as his own vision began to dim from his own body shutting down from his blood leaving him, and he couldn't even make any movement anymore, not even able to speak.

'If one was to ask if I regretted this choice… I cannot say that I have.' Richard thought to himself. 'Perhaps no-one will know how I truly died… but I think it's better this way. At least people won't feel like I died for them, and blame each other for it. Disappearing as quietly as I came… A fitting fate for something as ephemeral as me in Gensokyo's lifespan…'

Richard's eyes began to slowly close, as his own senses dulled to the point that the only thing he could hear was his own barely audible and shallow breathing, and his own weakening heart-beat, as he began to think about Reisen and her child, as it brought him sorrow.

'Oh, Reisen… you didn't deserve all of this… you'll think that I died a noble death… but I died a selfish death for the sake of others… To rip apart such a love… I truly… only regret that.' Richard thought to himself. 'If only I could be there to watch the child that I cared for, grow up in a world that I had a part in restoring… Nothing would truly matter. But to give your child such a thing, I must die… And I hate it so much, but I can't deny my own fate.'

Richard's mind began to slip, as his breathing cut out finally, and his heart was making its last few beats, before it would fall silent.

'And now… Gensokyo… is finally back into the hands… of everyone within it.'

As soon as Richard finally perished, his body began to melt away into golden particles that were scattered by the four winds, as they faded away into the night sky, before the pillars finally fell towards the ground, as the bloodied Sword of Hisou clattered across the ground, with Aya and Momiji the only ones who saw Tenshi's bloodied body and her bloodied sword.

"No no no NOOOOOO!' Aya cried, before she then collapsed on her knees, holding her eyes. "Richard! Please forgive me! It's all my fault… If only I didn't-"

"Didn't what?" Lord Tenma remarked, as she came over to the two tengu, with a group of tengu following after her. "Shameimaru, Inubashri, there are eyewitnesses that say that you've shirked your own duties, and ended up getting quite a few of our men killed trying to push an advance that is rushed."

"L-Lord Tenma! It was the only choice! We can't just leave the Kappa to die! We were just-" Aya tried to explain.

"Your orders were to protect the Tengu Village! You are both under arrest and to be tried before the Tengu military court." Lord Tenma answered back. "You better hope that there is someone to speak for you… or else the punishment for your disloyalty will be severe."

"But-" Momiji tried to say, before Aya raised a hand to stop.

"...There's nothing we can do." Aya answered back with a solemn tone. "...What's done is done. We may as well come along…"

Lord Tenma gestured towards a group of tengu, as they immediately placed restraints around Aya and Momiji's arms, before then grabbing onto them, as the entire Tengu force left Kappa Valley.

Siege slowly descended down to the scene, as he picked up the bloodied Sword of Hisou, looking at it for a moment, before then tossing it to the ground. He had half a mind to kill Tenshi right then and there for what he had done to Richard… Yet despite everything, he couldn't find a reason to do it, since he knew that wasn't what Richard wanted.

"...Magina… I need to ask you something right now and I'm going to do something I've never done before…" Siege spoke silently as he got on his knees, and prayed to Magina.