Author's Note:

While working on this chapter, I went back through some of the earlier ones on FFN, and realized the notation I was using for Spellcard battles was coming up as... blank, for some reason. Like, it was actually erasing the symbols entirely.

Great. Fantastic. Glad that happened while I was sick with COVID, so I wouldn't be in the headspace to notice. Ugh... I went back and fixed it. For now, I'll have to settle with the symbols that work. Hopefully that sticks once it goes through. Please let me know if it doesn't.

~ STAGE 19: Scarlet-Colored Longmen ~

[START]

The first thing Luka expected to see when they left the Tengu Village was Aya teleporting in front of them with a notepad at the ready. No way would that opportunistic crow let this sort of scoop slip past her. Even as the village turned into a distant dot, she was waiting for it. That Aya didn't show felt like the biggest surprise Luka had gotten all day.

With that conversation avoided, Luka decided to open one of her own. "So, what happened back there with you and Tenma? Sounded like you knew each other."

"I've known a lot of people." Kasen's expression was bright, but also a little too forced. "We were just catching up, that's all."

"That so?" Luka knew a lie when she heard one. The timing for when Tenma had shooed her off, that was a clear tell there was something going on that she wasn't allowed to hear. "Nothing at all else?"

"Do you have something you want to ask?" Kasen's wasn't the tone of someone who wanted to answer willingly.

"... Just feeling like the idiot being led along, is all." She couldn't help it. All these important people talking, presumably about her, and for what?

Of course, that word seemed to hurt Kasen's feelings, getting a frown out of her. "I'm sorry to leave you feeling that way. I promise you, we'll find some answers soon enough. I'm sure of it."

Kasen had sounded so sincere, it made Luka feel a little guilty.

"I hope so."

Knowing her luck… No, better to not think that way. Luka shut out her negativity as best she could, focusing instead on the sky around them.

Touching a cloud wasn't something she really thought she'd ever do (fun fact: it just felt like strolling through a humidifier). Maybe because of the surrealness of the situation, she was starting to grow numb to how high up she was. Or maybe it was sheer exposure therapy. Either way, her brain had picked one heck of a time to break free from that shackle.

Her ears popped, her head was spinning, and a strange new lightness filled her chest; like feathers had replaced her heart and lungs. Luka couldn't help but silently bask in the sea of clouds all around them. How unreal it felt, to feel the world in the sky rush past her.

At that moment, a twinge of envy came over her. Everyone in Gensokyo seemed able to fly at their own whim. This feeling, it was something anyone could do. Anyone could tap into the liberation, the sense of complete freedom as they defied the very law of gravity itself. Reimu's words might've been truer than she thought. For just that moment, Luka shifted in her spot, and dared to think she could reach out and walk among the clouds. But just as the feeling came, her thoughts caught her by the shoulder.

You can't fly, remember? Her own voice gently whispered.

"..." Luka grimaced, gritting her teeth hard. Yeah, of course she couldn't fly. She was a normal girl. A normal girl sitting atop a giant flying eagle piloted by a magical hermit that could probably do the same. Searching for answers to a question that probably defied that entire premise. What was her 'normalcy' worth, here?

… Maybe, she—

"—Kume, aren't you getting tired?" Kasen suddenly spoke. "Let's land for a moment."

Luka caught a slight crane at Kume's head, as if the bird was also confused by Kasen's comment. He followed her order nonetheless, curving toward the mountain. As he did, Luka noticed Kasen's gaze tracking something in the clouds. She made the mistake of following that stare.

A silhouette, practically swimming through the skybound ocean. The shape was obscured by the clouds, but Luka could identify a few features that told her it was a woman. The flowing form made Luka think of a giant, long fish. It seemed like she'd noticed them, because she was heading right for them.

"What the—?" Luka quailed. "Is that a—"

"Quiet." Kasen shushed.

The mountain had long since vanished into the white clouds surrounding them, which made it a little amazing that Kume found a surprisingly flat space to perch on. Once he landed atop the dark rock, with mist surrounding them, Kasen stood up straight as if to announce her presence. "Enough with the silent following. It's impolite to stalk."

Without much fanfare, the fishy figure who had been trailing them descended from above, her form slicing through the gloom. The 'flowing' look Luka had spotted was actually some kind of decorative clothing, resting atop her shoulders like a mantle. She really did remind her of a fish, though; her colors and look made her think of a pink betta. Scarlet and pink frills with a lengthy black skirt dancing in the winds… Luka couldn't shake the image of a fish doing laps in a tank as she floated around them. A fish with a very nice hat…

Her voice echoed. "A hermit? And an odd companion with her, as well. Not obviously a youkai, but not clearly a human, either." As she moved, Luka almost felt like the air around them was shifting with her. Or, was it the other way around? "To come this far…"

"I don't mean to interrupt," Kasen interrupted, "but it's a bother to try to listen to you from up there. Would you mind coming down?"

Wordlessly, the woman descended. Seeing her face, she didn't look all that threatening, actually. Though, her red eyes peering past short deep blue hair gave Luka an odd feeling about her.

Seeing her up-close, Kasen seemed to settle. "I see, just a messenger from the Dragon Palace. Is there some reason for you to be following us, oarfish?" (Oh, you thought so, too.)

"Mm, just curious, to be honest. I was hoping to peek over here and not be spotted, but it seems like you've foiled that idea." She looked a bit put-on-the-spot. "To be honest, I was just going for a swim and saw you by coincidence. I wasn't intending to investigate too far. Though, since I'm here, I might as well ask: why are you two so close to Heaven?"

Kasen looked like she regretted calling her out now. "It's just a brief visit. We're here to see someone, that's all."

"Aah? You say so, but the mood you gave off just now said otherwise." The oarfish stroked her chin. "... Well, it's not really my business whether a hermit sneaks into Heaven or not. Though, I'm a little concerned about that girl behind you. She gives off a rather pathetic vibe."

(Oh, we're doing this?) "Hi, I'm Luka East, and I'm not saying mean things about people I just met."

"Hi, I'm Iku Nagae, and I'm just giving you a warning." She chuckled a little. Oh good, the divine had humor. "Heaven really isn't a place you should be going into unprepared."

"Yeah, I've heard that like, three separate times. I think I get it."

Kasen cleared her throat. "She's with me. That should be enough, right?"

"Normally. But, things have gotten a little more hectic in the aftermath of recent events. I'd feel a little guilty if I let her run by without assessing her ability to handle herself first."

"... You want to fight me?" Luka asked, knowing the answer but hoping otherwise.

"Mm, a duel should suffice." Iku nodded.

Crap. Of course, how could she forget? Every godly place had some stupid trial in-place for the brave to 'prove their worth', or whatever. Luka thought of Kasen's earlier comment calling her a 'messenger'. To what, the 'Dragon Palace'? That had to mean she was tough, right? And if she already couldn't beat Aya, then…

"Does it have to be her?"

Kasen must've noticed her discomfort, because she stood in front of Luka before she could answer.

Iku smiled apologetically. "I'd prefer it, but I get the impression you've decided otherwise."

A smirk formed on Kasen's face. "Your sharp intuition serves you well." With a hop, she descended from Kume's back and began walking towards Iku. "I'll assure you that I'm more than capable of protecting this girl for such a brief visit."

Wait, was Kasen planning to fight for her instead? Luka hadn't really thought about whether Kasen could fight or not. She seemed too nice to be shooting bullets or throwing punches and kicks, but then again, the sweet hearted hermit seemed to be full of surprises.

"Phew." Luka got comfortable. "Well, it'll be nice to just watch a Spellcard battle for once." The lightshow was infinitely nicer to play audience for rather than participate.

"Actually, it may be best for you to go on ahead, rather than watch us fight." Kasen interjected.

Luka (and Iku) reacted confusedly to that. "Wait, why?" (Killjoy!)

"Just trust me for now. Things may get a bit… messy." Kasen glanced back with a reassuring look. "Just wait for me once you get up there. I'll catch up shortly." Her eyes met Kume's. "Kume."

With just that word, the bird understood. Unfurling, his wings lashed against the air, and he took off, only just barely giving Luka enough time to grab and hold on for her life. By the time her seating was stable enough for her to look back down, the battlefield she'd left had been once again obscured in the clouds.

… Once it was clear she'd left, Kasen let out a sigh. Iku, for her part, tilted her head.

"You're confident. I could've just struck her from the sky when she tried to leave, you know."

"I'm aware. I appreciate that you didn't."

"If you could tell that, then do I need to also say I can hold back enough so as to not injure any bystanders?" Iku commented.

"You're not the one I'm concerned about." Kasen answered flatly.

Iku studied Kasen for a moment. "You're in a foul mood."

"It's that obvious? I thought I was hiding it well."

"You can't hide an atmosphere that fierce from me. Actually, it took me a second to realize you were a hermit."

"Is that so? Sorry for the confusion." Kasen smiled apologetically. "I hope you won't mind if I blow off a bit of steam. Given my opponent, I think I can cut loose just a bit."

"Hmm." Without further comment, Iku spread her arms, and the air around the two shifted. The sky darkened and rumbled, the very atmosphere around them growing grimmer and more tense. Her hagoromo began to dance, crackling with blue light. "Then, shall we?"

Kasen, undeterred, merely smiled. "Ah, I never introduced myself." She took a ready stance, raising one left and extending her arms outward. "Kasen Ibara. Let's make this a good match."

In the hidden mists, at the halfway point between Heaven and Earth, the sound of roaring thunder meeting with an unknown and forgotten force would ring out.

"Man, this seriously sucks…"

Fighting in Gensokyo was scary. Weirdly exhilarating, but also absolutely terrifying. Watching other people fight, though? That part, Luka admittedly liked. Spellcard duels were like fireworks shows mixed with MMA, but with magic instead of grappling. The displays were beautiful, meaningful, and cool as hell. It was a sport Luka could spectate for hours and never get bored of. Being denied that felt like she was getting robbed. It was the coolest part of being stuck in another world against her will.

"I bet Kasen's got some really cool Spellcards, too." She moaned, resting atop Kume as they continued up the mountain. "Kume, you've probably seen her fight, haven't you? Am I right?"

The bird made a weak piping sound, which Luka interpreted as a tired 'Sure, please shut up.'

Breaching through the uppermost layers of the sky, Luka was surprised at how warm she felt. Leaving her tattered jacket behind, she expected the ascent to lead to chilly winds freezing her solid. Instead, it felt like she was sitting while wrapped in a comfortable blanket. Maybe that was what Heaven's temperatures were like.

She wasn't sure what she expected to see when they arrived. The word 'Heaven' usually came packaged with images of choirs and angels and a big fancy gate. Obviously, though, Gensokyo's would probably be a little different. But, how? It couldn't be that much wilder than anything she'd seen so far.

Once they broke the skyline, her jaw dropped.

The sky below became an ocean to this separate world. Countless islands floating amidst the sea, forming a vast network. Lush greenery atop each one, clear waters running and shimmering. Everything radiated with an auroral light, as if the very nature of being in this place purified the soul. A shining label for all inhabitants to recognize: 'Yep, you're in Heaven'.

"Holy…" Maybe that was a little too literal a response. She felt even smaller than normal, like a dirty animal making a mess of a fine carpet. Was it fine for her to be in a place like this? Then she caught herself. "Focus, Luka." She patted Kume on his back. "Let's land. We'll wait for Kasen on the closest island."

Kume seemed to nod, aiming himself at a flat landform floating atop the cloudy sea. Knowing Kasen, she probably wouldn't take too long to catch up. Once she did, they'd go look for Suika, and everything would be fine. Though, even as she thought that, for just a quick moment, her cynicism wondered if things were going a little too smoothly…

FWOOM!

A sound like a cannonball shooting right past her head. Kume screeched, braking to a halt and nearly flinging Luka off. She had just enough time to process what it was.

"A ro—?!" A giant rock, with rope tied to it for some reason. Immediately snapping to the direction it'd come from, Luka had just enough time to see another one. Aimed right at her, with only a second from impact. "SHIT—!"

Her reaction speed was improving. Luka braced her arms in front of her, and forced her hardest 'This will not kill me instantly' mentality. Right as it collided with her, flames exploded, cushioning the impact, but not absorbing it entirely. With a deafening crack, Luka felt her feet leave Kume's back, and her body tumbled into the open air.

Splotches of black blinked across her vision, a dull ringing filling her ears. With a gasp Luka's senses reset, and she realized she was in free-fall. Kume was a rapidly shrinking shape far, far above her.

Quickly, she angled herself to see where she was falling. Thankfully, they were over one of the islands, so she didn't need to guesstimate where she'd fall if she pierced the clouds. No, it was as easy as not dying on impact. At terminal velocity height.

On the bright side, if she screwed this up, she was already in Heaven. Immigration paperwork couldn't be too bad, unless they had a Purgatory clause.

Spreading her arms like a flying squirrel, Luka tried to push the image of herself taking flight. Of course, she couldn't, and it turned into the usual glide. That was fine, as long as she could soften the landing some. She imagined pulling at a parachute, aiming her 'flight' at the small of her back and trying to slow herself as much as she could.

With a yell, Luka aimed for the safest landing zone she could make out: a field of beautiful, pure white flowers. Maybe it was because she'd done it before (thanks, Aya), but the landing was a little tidier. Rolling like a tumbleweed, Luka scattered pale petals everywhere, leaving a messy trail in her wake until she finally came to a stop.

Breathing heavily. Nothing broken. Lying on her back, Luka was alive. "... Oh, my god."

"Nope, just me."

An precocious voice accompanied by the sound of a rock crashing into the dirt. Of course. Of course it was happening a second time.

Turning to look, Luka saw a short girl who contrasted greatly with the giant floating rock she was standing on. A similar rock to the one she'd been slammed by, actually. Looking at her reminded Luka of a rainbow overlaying the sky, with a cloud-patterned blue-and-white dress adorned by multicolored shards. Brushing her long azure hair aside like parting that sky, her scarlet eyes looked down at Luka curiously. "Huh. You didn't fly. I thought all mortals could fly now?"

"... … …"

The violent Luka in her head contemplated pulling one of her guns and blasting the girl repeatedly in the face with danmaku. The remaining council members reminded her that losing her temper hadn't ended so well the last time, and so the move was voted 9-1 in favor of not enacting violence.

"Okay," Luka forced herself to her feet with a grunt, "can I ask why you just threw a rock the size of a small car at me?"

"You came here to fight, right?" She replied.

Luka could only stare through her. "... What?"

With a proud huff, the weird girl put her hands on her hips. "Everyone who's come here lately has wanted to punish the evildoer who was responsible for the earthquakes and irregular weather." She smiled daringly. "Shrine maidens, witches, dollmakers, and gardeners… They all came to play the same game, and were super fun! Though in the end, I beat them when I got serious." She grinned, as if bragging about some high score. "You're the same as them, aren't you? Here to play incident resolution? Though, you're a little late, since we wrapped up pretty much everything by now."

"—Wait. Stop. You're going too fast, here." Luka rapidly processed the bucket she'd just gotten dumped on her. It was a celestial they'd mentioned as the culprit, wasn't it? Then, for some idiotic reason, her brain decided to zero in on… "That was you? You were the one who wrecked Reimu's shrine the first time? The reason she started crashing at my place?"

"Yes, yes! That was my fault!" She said it so cheerfully, like it was a point of pride. "To be honest, you don't look all that strong, but I'm sure it'll be a while before mortals come up to Heaven to play. So, why don't we squeeze one more match in?"

"?" Luka felt like she was getting verbally stunlocked. "Wait, just hold on a—"

With a snap of her wrist, the girl summoned something to her hand. A metal bar, like a sword handle. Flicking it to her side, scarlet flames erupted from it, solidifying into a blade.

"Now, come! I've made trouble for you, right? So let's settle the debt with this duel!"

Luka stammered. Of the descriptions the celestial had provided, Luka recognized three. And she only needed two to see the grim picture they painted of her odds. "Would you listen?! I said—"

Before she could properly refuse, the thought of defending herself connected with the girl's desire for a fight. And she felt that understanding click in her mind, as the half-consented duel was declared—

【BORDER OF DUEL】

Luka East (Aggressor) - ✦✦ [✦✦]

Tenshi Hinanawi (Defender) - [✦✦✦✦]✦

(Oh no. No, no no no—)

"Here I go!" Tenshi cried out.

Before she could get in another word, several smaller stones suddenly shot from the ground around her. Red light erupted from them, firing volleys of bullets at Luka instantly.

"SH—" Luka dove, running away from the barrage and ducking her head. "Hey! Cut it out! I'm trying to—"

"What?" Tenshi called out from above, her rock now floating a good distance from the battlefield. "Can't hear you! You're still talking? We're fighting, aren't we?!"

"Argh…!"

This idiot, strong enough to tussle with the strongest people Luka knew, wasn't even paying attention to what she was saying.

And Kasen was still nowhere to be seen.

Author's Note:

What? You thought we'd make it through a route of Scarlet Weather Rhapsody without a fight against the final boss? Well, Luka hoped she would.

The power gap's a bit higher than normal… I wonder if I'm being a bit too cruel to her…