CHAPTER 33: Frogs are friends? Pt.2
…
A pond…
a very large one, with a river connecting through middle ends…
frogs swimming throughout the entire body of water.
"a realm… within a realm…" I said.
"IS THAT POSSIBLE?" Ven asked
"Well, don't ask me. I don't know a lot about it, this is something surprising." I answered.
I never expected anything like that, the fact that another realm could project another one… that knowledge could probably also be helpful in finding our creator…
…
"Ven…"
"YES?"
"Not a single thing comes out of here, Kanako must know nothing."
"WHAT FOR?"
"This could be something that we still cannot comprehend, and could lead to even deeper details, But if Kanako were to know about it, she could get all crazy that it's a divine place, she would never let us in."
"UNDERSTOOD, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE WOOD?"
Shit… I can't just juggle between the wood and the realm. But as I was thinking, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs, female voices conversing with each other as they got increasingly clearer to listen.
"Shit! Ven, Go!" I exclaimed as quietly as I could, "Make back to base!"
Venetian nodded and ran downhill the mountain in direction to base. And as I turned to the stairs, the girls were already there.
"Plyush-san! What took you so long?" Asked Kanako.
"Um, well… I took my stuff back and uhh, I tried looking for the trees in my way. I Came by to ask more about these Fir trees."
"Oh Sure, come in, we went to the village to buy more tea, would you like some?" Sanae asks.
"Sure."
"So what is really special about these trees that are so special?" I asked with cup in hand.
"We are originally from the outside, We had to move because we were losing faith and followers very rapidly by the end of the century, we heard of Gensokyo before and their deity and gods protected status, so we moved, ever since, we have more followers than ever!" Suwako explains.
I listen as I take a sip of my tea.
"However, we still kept some traditions from back then and we created new ones to keep our status intact. Onbashira was already fulfilled as we do it every six years, but the one we made is fairly new, The 'Ka no shukufuku no gishiki' protection ritual." Suwako keeps saying.
"If my japanese is not too bad… that would mean, smoke protection ritual?" I said
"Censing blessing ritual actually." Sanae corrects me.
"With the boards, we make a small scale replica of the Temple back when it first started, we anoint the outside with a special sake liquor as offering, stuff the inside with incense herbs and aromas, and let it sit a day before our ceremony. That day, our followers bear witness to our ritual to show them that the shrine shall prosper for millenia to come, that's when we place the scale shrine in the middle of the front patio and light it on fire. The smoke then shall fly to the farthest heavens to bless the dragon god for our protection and prosperity." Suwako continued.
"Interesting… When is this ritual?" I asked.
"By the end of your week" Kanako says.
Hearing that I choked with the tea as I held the cup in my mouth, but just a little caught I got my composure back on.
"Huh?!"
"That's why we need you to find the trees ASAP," Kanako says, "even since we made this ritual, it has kept our status intact, but I believe even missing that day would decrease our followers significantly." Kanako responds.
"A week is not gonna be enough to get enough wood!" I protest.
"You brought that on yourself, but luckily for you, you only need about 2 trees to replace the stolen boards, we have enough to complete about a third of the scale." Suwako says as she eats some dango.
"Which is why I came here, I would like to know which are the places where it is more likely to appear."
"Well… we have heard of rare sightings from our followers somewhere around the base of the mountain, but we normally collect them throughout the mid area of the mountain, but I highly doubt that would help you." Sanae says.
"Anything works," I said as I lowered my cup to the table, "finding it would be the most of my priority, but with help of my companion, I'd shorten my time significantly."
"Well don't get too cocky just yet!" Kanako says," You have till the seventh day from now on, if by morning of that day you do not get the wood… You shall be Humiliated to our divine punishment…"
Suwako then leans over towards me.
"You are gonna wear a froggy suit and hop around like a frog, we had little time to think about that." She whispers.
"oh boy…" I sigh.
"Well, I believe I must get going, Thank you very much for the info."
"Right then, good luck in your current endeavor!" Kanako says before I exit the shrine.
"Odds are quite against me, and the deadline is not gonna be any help full, this is quite bad, just a tad bit bad…" I scrambled around my mind.
Night crept in the mountain, Darkness flooded my surroundings ten times as hard as the treetops where as dense as a jungle, and with the unusual moon that flies over Gensokyo, barely some light creeps in between. But my eyes faintly bleed a light forward, and granted I have a refined vision to see through smoke, darkness is not a problem, but this darkness is too dense. I may have experience at night with the raiding I've done in the past, but this is too much.
"I Should've brought a flashlight…" I said to myself.
Come to think of it, I am a bit biased on how I perform at night. With proper equipment and at least some moonlight, It's perfect. One could say that at a certain level of darkness, night is tolerable, But thick darkness that one could cut with a knife…
"Jesus, why is it to d-"
*Donk!
"OWW!"
…
Wait…who said that?
Did I… But I don't see no one here.
"Ow ow ow!" A female voice rang from the dark, But then, darkness started to disappear and got more visible, still dark but I could now distinguish moonlight. I bumped heads with a little girl, short haired blonde with a red ribbon and a black dress. How many blondes are in Gensokyo?
"Sorry mister!" the girl apologizes as she still rubs her head.
I did not feel much of the bump as my hat absorbed most of the shock, but it was a hard one nonetheless. But as I look more closely, this girl is levitating…
"You there, where are you the one making it dark here?"
"Apologies I was looking for… wait," The girl then stopped to look at me closely, "You're that new Youkai Everyone's walking about!"
"I would not say Youkai…" I protested
"I heard stories of this beast born from smoke, elusive and mean looking, Cirno told me you almost ate her…" she says.
"The ice fairy? that happened not because I was hungry, but that brat dunked me and the Hakurei maiden in water."
"So you are fierce enough to go against the Hakurei miko! Mister, have this fight with me!" The girl exclaimed.
"Hey look, I don't have time for fighting a little girl! I got things to do."
But after I said that, the girl then summoned various Danmaku and launched them in my direction, fortunately I had the reaction to dodge flawlessly. I looked to where she was standing and she started levitating, whilst doing this peculiar stance in the area, like a T.
"I, Rumia, Youkai of darkness, challenge you to a Danmaku duel!" the girl once more exclaimed.
"If I win…"
She then shows a sharp looking smile, showing teeth as sharp as needles.
"I will eat you!"
Great…
The least I wanted now was time wasting things, and now I'm being challenged by this girl. but it may be a good opportunity to get used to Danmaku…
"Well then, let's take it somewhere clearer…"
I then Phase-shift and fly through the treetops and to the sky. Rumia follows behind.
As I exit the forest and levitate in the sky, Rumia blasts through the trees and keeps a far distance from me. As we both levitate, in a sort of standoff, I take initiative and make a move in my place.
I take back my humanoid from back from the smoke and with claws out, I make a circular motion in my place and pose in an attempt to intimidate her.
she responds by summoning a black sphere around her, so dense I cannot see her through. "Did it work?" I thought to myself.
But as soon as I finished thinking, Hundreds of Danmaku projectiles came out the sphere and arranged themself in a pattern behind the sphere and stood there, after arranging themselves, they all spread out to my general direction.
"Nevermind…"
The fight initiates mostly a dodging game, Rumia concentrates heavy volume of fire to my direction, which generally when around my direction, I dodge accordingly, but the sheer volume positioned me closer to Rumia.
The sphere surrounding her phases out revealing her once more, this time she takes her distance and launches lesser Danmaku, but these home towards me, I soon realize this because as I pass through them, they soon stop and boomerang back. One projectile grazed me and I barely had time to react. I dodge some but I get hit from the back with the last one. I lose stabilization in the air momentarily and get it back, but I then realize that even more projectiles come in my direction, So I reacted by expelling smoke to every direction to phase out my core to avoid getting hit.
"Two can play that game!" Rumia said.
To which she then rose up and posed in the sky. the surroundings started to dim and darken. Combined with the smoke, saying blinder than a bat was the understatement of the century, the only light that glowed on the void, was the Danmaku Rumia flailed around to hit me, In retrospect, the patterns Rumia made where impressive, but at the moment, I was more worried about getting hit.
However, I came to realize something. The attacks were starting to slowly decrease in volume, homing projectiles no longer worked, and the Danmaku moved slower than before. My smoke was Definitely acting up in battle.
However, in a certain way, I had the upper hand, despite the blind environment, and being 2 hits away from forfeit, I had a plan.
a dirty plan of sorts…
I needed to know where Rumia was, so I could get her attention. I howled, howled up to the night and stood patiently to notice something I was theorizing, so I closed my eyes
…
A clear sensation… moving throughout the purple fluid…
She was in my territory, and no darkness could stop me.
…
"There!" I looked in the upper right diagonal direction.
With a swift circular motion, I summoned various smoke "Danmaku" as purple as the smoke in my surroundings so they passed through unnoticed, aimed where I sensed the smoke be disturbed, and shot away.
I could sense my smoke be disturbed by the path my Danmaku traveled, and as it went further away, It suddenly stopped on its tracks.
"Ow!" A voice exclaimed in the open.
Soon, the darkness started fainting out again, and got another look on Rumia, who was shaking off the smoke and coughing.
"You are not too bad for a newbie, But I had the first Hit, This time however, You'll be my next meal!"
Rumia then gets farther and stays, and then strikes her T pose again, but sigils appear behind her in a circle, glowing and charging up.
"Darkness Sign, Demarcation!" She shouts, and more Danmaku spouts out.
So these are the spell cards huh…
"It really is mysterious Asia…" I said to myself, before charging towards Rumia and her Danmaku.
"ow… You're no fun!" Rumia exclaims as she rubs her head
"What did you expect from challenging a raider?"
"You fight like no other, but you are rough!" She said,"You are too forward! Least you could've done was let me catch a breath."
"I have things to do, so sorry YOU brought this to yourself" I responded as I shook dust and dirt off my clothes.
"And besides, why did you want to eat me? aren't youkai mostly fed to humans?
"I didn't want to eat your stinky butt anyway! I just wanted to pay back what you did to Cirno!" She pouts.
"Well tell her to consider herself lucky, otherwise I would've not stopped Reimu from her usual plan." I said.
"Careful around here, Good night."
After that I went back to my business. Rumia fled somewhere around the forest, but this time she refrained from using her powers, so now everything was visible once more. From where I'm located, I'm just a few meters away from reaching the end of the forest and reaching the rocky hills.
But yet, That Youkai was exceptionally strong for her appearance. I don't want to imagine how a divine being would fight, and more so, how Reimu's fight style would be since she is the Incidente resolver around here, her experience shows it, and I do not want to be on the receiving end…
…
Experience…
I gotta learn the Danmaku ropes, so far, the fight was mostly on me using my usual strategies, but chances are my usual attacks are not gonna work for many times In a row. I gotta learn how to harness and shoot that energy.
That Idea Venetian had… Sounded very promising, perhaps Patchouli could be of aid.
*Thud!
This couch is quite stiff, I wonder where I got it in the first place. not that it matters, I just laid backside flat on it, though… I totally prefer something more comfortable and squishy, I gotta pass through that store Reimu told me about, perhaps they have a kotatsu left.
"So… What were you Investigating while I was gone? What progress do we have?" I asked Ven
"SO FAR PROGRESS HAS ALLOWED ME TO FORMAT A THEORY AND CONCEPT THAT COULD HELP US TRACK THE ENERGY THE CUBE PICKS UP, BUT WITH THE LIMITED INFO I'VE WITNESSED AND WHAT YOU GAVE ME, I CANNOT DO MUCH OTHER THA FORMULATE." He responds
"Well, you gotta get somewhere else to investigate, all these machines are clouding the space here." I waved all around the room.
"YOU ARE RIGHT, I CANNOT GET GOOD READINGS IN THIS CURRENT LOCATION."
"And how did you meet Nitori in the first place?" I asked.
"IT HAPPENED RIGHT WHEN YOU LEFT." He responds
"RIGHT WHEN REIMU LEFT, THE GENERATOR HAD TROUBLES DUE TO THE COLD, I HAD TO ENSURE THE GENERATOR WAS WORKING DURING OUR STAY SO I HAD TO DO SOME FIELD REPAIRS, NITORI HAPPENED TO COME THAT DAY WENT TO MEET ME BECAUSE OF THE RUMORS. SHE OFFERED ME TO FIX THE GENERATOR AND WE COLLABORATED ON IT."
Pillbox settlement, Youkai Mountain, 1 Week ago.
"THE FUEL HAS FROZEN, AND SOME PIPES ARE CRACKED"
"I got some heating liquids in my bag, hold on." Nitori said, as she then went to her bag she left on the side of the Generator.
"It's gotta be there somewhere" Nitori said as she shuffled through her bag.
"So… what brings you to Gensokyo?" She asks.
"NOT SURE, I ACTIVATED PROTOCOL IN THIS LANDS, I JUST HAPPENED TO MEET MY PARTNER RECENTLY, WHO COMES FROM THE OUTSIDE."
"Really? You woke up here?"
"AFFIRMATIVE."
"Surely your partner does have business here?"
"UNFORTUNATELY, THAT IS CLASSIFIED."
"Huh?" She exclaims as she returns with a bottle.
"DUE TO THE NATURE OF RECENT EVENTS, WE FOUND OURSELVES IN A TIGHT SITUATION TO WHOM WE CAN SHARE INFO. WITH THE INTEREST THE TENGU AND THE SCARLET DEVIL THEY FOUND ON THE TANKER."
"I heard about that, the Tengu sent out a team to find him, and also they tried to interrogate a human."
"HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT?" Venetian asked.
"Well, I just happened to pass by when the commotion happened in the box, when you locked both Tsukasa and Momiji."
"YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW A LOT… ANYTHING YOU WANNA SHARE I DON'T KNOW?" Venetian sounded defensive as he asked.
"I have things I know and don't know, but I'm sure you also have things you don't know."
"WHAT ARE YOU GETTING AT?"
"I am curious about your workings, the foreigner of the mysteries of gensokyo, but what are you curious about?"
"..."
"Let's work a deal, a classic win-win scenario, can't go wrong with that..."
"IN THE END, WE WORKED OUT SOMETHING: SHE WOULD AID ME WITH MY ANALYSIS, AND IN RETURN SHE IS ALLOWED TO ANALYZE MY INNER WORKINGS AND CONSTRUCTION, PERHAPS SHE COULD FIND AREAS TO UPGRADE." Ven Explained
"If you had any feelings whatsoever, you should feel ashamed, you basically sold yourself like a prostitute." I responded
"BUT UNLIKE YOUR WAY OF MIND, I WOULD NOT CONSIDER THOSE ADVANCES OR SERVICES."
"..."
Ouch…
"Can't say anything, never knew you had a smart-ass slot in your coding."
"I LEARN FAST."
Hearing him say that, despite his monotone voice, it's like he attempted to sound comedic, I cannot help myself to smile a little.
"Yeah you do…"
*Knock Knock Knock!
" *Grumble grumble"
*Knock Knock Knock
"hmmm…"
*Bang Bang!
"Ven! Will you get that please…
…
…"Ven?"
I lift my chest up the couch to get a look where he is.
In one of the corners of the Pillbox, sitting amongst Nitori's machinery and trinkets.
He is suspended… I think?
*Bang Bang!
"Coming!"
God! Finally in the rest of my own shelter and someone is bothering? Who the hell even knows about this location, and who would go for the trouble of bothering 2 strangers…
Whatever has brought someone here, I don't want them here.
I pick up my gun from my haversack and go to the door. I turn the valve latch open, at the same time I cock back the hammer, I open the door slightly and peek my face…
"Good morning!" I was welcomed by Yukari's presence.
"Oh!" I exclaimed, and then took a good look.
"Shit!" I thought the moment I saw Yukari, in my few moments I just threw the gun backwards onto the sofa, and remembered it was cocked, and perhaps loaded…
…
Phew…
"Are you gonna let me out here or…" Yukari said in a patient tone.
"Right, do come in." I responded.
I fully open the door and stand to the side, Yukari takes a step in but notices all the junk around the room.
"Where did you get all this?" She asked
"Not mine, Venetian struck a deal with someone, long story." I responded
"Well, Do tell, we got plenty top of the morning." She said in a curious tone.
"Speaking off, one moment…" I said, as I now walked towards him.
He is still sitting, eyes off and still. I gotta wake him somehow.
*Tap Tap
I touched his forehead multiple times, but no response…
*Thunk!
A mild knock on this forehead again.
...
"hmmm" I grunted in thought.
I looked around and tried to find something hard around here. I took a look at a certain Object that is beside Yukari, who is now in the middle of the room. aside from her, was something with a stick.
"Pass me that stick thing besides your feet." I asked her.
She takes a look to her right side, then her left and her sight is fixated on the thing.
"Open your hand real quick" She responds.
I hold my right hand open palm up, Yukari then summons a gap above my hand, and the thing appears to have crossed another gap into my hand. I had little time but I managed to grip the thing with the stick. It was my club.
"Much obliged." I thank her.
And with a swing I smack Ven in his side of the head, the sound was quite loud and metallic sounding, but a few moments later, Ven's eyes turn yellow again and stands upright.
"..."
"Next time, have a power button on ya." I mock Him.
"WAS THE POSSIBLE DAMAGE WORTH IT?" He responds.
"Worth getting a switch." I respond back
"WHAT IS IT YOU REQUIRE?" He responds once more In his signature tone.
"Yukari's here, Help me with this mess."
Ven then notices that indeed Yukari was in our humble settlement.
"APOLOGIES FOR THAT, WE WILL ATTEND YOU IN A MOMENT."
"Don't worry, I saw worse from more unusual folks. but do hurry!" Yukari responds.