Translator
Misty Lake.
Day 1 of the Amanojaku Hunt.
0600 Hours.
She didn't need to wait long for the arrival of the next goon.
Then again, she willingly entered a terrain known to inhabit many of them. Aquatic youkai and fairy alike, dodging the tail slap from one that belongs to the former category, Seija snaps a picture of the water turned into bullets that comes her way before landing with ease on one of the smaller islands.
"What's this? Are you trying to outlast me?" asks Wakasagihime, a woman with dark blue hairs and eyes, small fins for ears and a frilly green leaf patterned kimono which fades to teal at the bottom. Her tall blue grey tail whipped back and forth in a smug way at the thought, like a dumb mutt Seija thought but still she didn't answer the mermaid. "Sorry to say, but timeouts won't be an option!"
"Nah, just figuring some things out." Seija replied with cheek, tone meant to convey the little truth as some lie. Both of her hands were on the camera, one any resident of youkai mountain would notice belongs to the tengus. The fact it erased any bullet that it got a picture off was something anyone could understand. Hence the mermaid was trying to use banter time to think of another plan.
She wouldn't get the opportunity if Seija had a say in it. And she did, by shooting an array of arrow shaped bullets at the mermaid again. The mermaid however acted as fit of her namesake and simply delved deeper into the water to evade both the bullets and the sight of her opponent. Whether the rumors of her becoming stronger the deeper she goes is true or not, it still gave an advantage.
"How predictable, I mean, oh nooo...where could the fish have gone to?" Seija drawled in sarcasm, putting one hand on her cheek to convey faked horror. She didn't believe the mermaid to be dumb enough to fall for such a half-hearted act but the effect was all the same if her attitude got on her nerves. Sooner or later, the fish would jump out again and she'd rather they lose their patience first.
Or she could just leave. I mean why would she bother waiting for her? It would also be funny.
"Well, if you're not coming out. Then I'm going away," add in another faked shrug and a lazy spin in mid-air and Seija Kijin starts flying away. And stops to dodge another barrage of water bullets.
"Oh, I almost got you!" The mermaid says with a raised fist and a pout on her face, having returned to the surface to glower at the amanojaku looking down at her from above. Only to gain a prouder gleam in her eyes when she continues, "Is what I would say if you hadn't fallen for it!"
"Impossible," Seija replied with a flat tone, "What trap have I possibly been ensnared in?"
"Look around and find out!" Indeed the bulbouis bullets she had shot this time didn't dissapear after missing their mark. Instead remaining spread out in the sky. "Fish Sign: School Of Fish!"
"Woah!" For once Washa-the mermaid's whose name is too stupidly long got a genuine cry of surprise out of the amanojaku. As the lone rebel moves to dodge from one swift bullet to another, those surrounding her came closer together like a school of fish out to devour their prey. Having to graze the homing bullets, Seija is almost struck in the back by a faster barrage of bullets from the mermaid, bullets which also start to home in on her after they fail to hit their mark. And so on.
And so on, until they hit their mark. If it wasn't for Seija pulling out her purple umbrella.
"Take me elsewhere! Gap Umbrella!" Obeying the command of it's usurper. Seija dissapears from the mermaid's left and reappears on her right. Having used the border of her opponent's vision, she uses the one moment of surprise this gains her, to cover her enemy in a curtain fire off her own.
Just like her previous opponent, the bullets burn to the touch and drain the strength of her opponent the longer they are exposed to it. Unlike the tsukumogami, the mermaid lets out a shout of anger, "Why you!" and simply pulls out another spell card, refusing to fall so easily. "It's not over yet!"
"Tide Sign: Tidal Wave Of The Lake!" as per it's name, the mermaid gathers her remaining strength and in response the lake itself brightens up, with a flap of her tail the water reacts as if hit by an earthquake and large waves after waves come bearing towards her target with no visible way to pass through them or fly over them as their croaching terror seems to reach even the heavens.
Using the Nimble Fabric to avoid each wave would demand more time under the thing than it could currently allow. Likewise using the Tengu Camera's bullet erasing shots would be too slow.
This left the Gap Umbrella as Seija's only hope to vanquish this impossible spell card. All she had to do was use the tool to manipulate the border between Here and There instead of Left and Right. A feat she wasn't eager to try due the immense toll the thing already had on her when doing the latter.
The point was to get stronger after every fight. Not be drained piece by piece until exhuastion comes, something guaranteed to happen if she were to win the umbrella only to be immediately challenged yet again by one of the onlookers currently witnessing this match when they sense weakness in her and then think themselves lucky for the opportunity to have an easier go at her.
No, she had to do something else. And her mind lit up the moment she saw her solution.
Waksagihime expected the amanojaku's body to be carried away by the waves any minute now, the moment her opponent hits the water her scales would have told her about it. Yet it has been a solid ten seconds or so and still her opponent's whereabout were bizarrely unknown to her.
She didn't need to wait long however, before she heard their voice again.
"Guess whose taming this BOMB!" one with the unmistakable tone of victory.
She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the amanojaku appear and descend off the top of her latest wave. The way the fresh water splattered harmlessly beside her, how the morning sun covered her under a crimson gleam and the way she was gripping on for dear life on top of a dead tree in order to brave through the waves. It was a sight that would not leave her mind for days to come.
Nor would the bruise on her forehead, when the alleged surfboard smashed into her face-first.
DRAMATIC FINISH!
"Wooh! Yeah! I'm the man!" Seija shouted in victory as she kept herself back first on the board, now lazily letting herself float on the lake since her opponent's been conked out and no small fry would bother after a display of strength like that. Unless they were an idiot or thought themselves stronger. Unfortunately the water suddenly turned ice cold, making her have to return to the air, which is the only warning she got before a concerningly large chunk of ice narrowly missed her.
"Great, out goes the fishhead and in comes the worms for brains.." she said at the sight of her foe.
"That's Cirno to you!" A childish voice announced in anger, belonging to a small girl with blue eyes, blue hair, a blue ribbon and a blue dress with six icicle-shaped wings on her back.
"Cir-who?" Seija asked, her face showing an ugly smile conveying her amusement at the 'joke'.
"Huh? You don't know me?" Cirno crossed her tiny arms over her chest, giving the amanojaku a look of disbelief and disgust unfitting of such a face. "What are you, stupid or something? Now I feel bad for not introducing myself. Let me spell it out then, just for you!"
She promptly took on a bizarre pose, breathing in some air and puffing her arms up like a certain frog would towards their predators. Most likely she thought herself intimidating this way. "Check it out! I'm the strongest fairy in all of Gensokyo! The embodiment of "Recklessness is courage" and the one who's going to win the prize on your head fair and square!"
"Fair and square, you say?" Focusing on the only part she deems interesting, Seija questions her, "So you won't be using Impossible Spell cards then? Even though you can only use them now?"
"Huh? No! Why wouldn't I use my strongest moves on you?! You're the bad guy!"
"Tsk, how disappointing." Seija waved one hand like a fan, and raised her eyebrows in condescending doubt, "Didn't you say the words "fair and square" what a liar you are.."
"What? Wait, no!" Oh, Seija had to resist an evil grin at seeing the fairy's shocked face. The way the girl furrowed their brow in intense concentration at such a simple question was hilarious.
"Oh, so you are not using impossible spellcards? Or are you not not using them? Or not not not-"
"Shut up! I'm gonna pound your head with the foot of justice!" the girl doesn't answer Seija's teasing, instead moving past the would be headteasers with their usual knucklehead logic.
"Huh, first time I saw someone out stupid their way past me." Seija out loud, on purpose.
"I can hear you, idiot!" Why, that's the point. Even so Cirno fumed, "And I'll make you regret it!"
It seems Seija won't be able to make a total fool out of the ice fairy, a real shame that is. Still a fight is a fight, and with the meathead already so angered. Their accuracy will also suffer for it.
"Now then, enough of this. Give me everything you have! I'll turn it all upside down!"
And so the battle between Gensokyo's 'weakest' and 'strongest' begins.