A: Thank you for reading. Let's get into it, shall we?
[!]
*The air stills unnaturally around the maid.
[Fight] [Item] [Act] [Mercy]
HP 20/20
[Act]
Check: Sakuya Izayoi
*The head maid of The Scarlet Devil Mansion. Very fast and very deadly. Proceed with extreme caution!
"I'll make this quick."
*The maid starts by throwing a fan of daggers in your direction. They cut through the air at incredible speed. You dodge the one closest to you with ease, but you feel something is off. You jump and roll forward as a fist flies over your head. Sakuya attempted and failed to knock you out a second time, but you wouldn't make the same mistake twice.
*Now that she's behind, you run forward. As you try to escape and search for the exit, Sakuya appears to block your way. Another volley of knives seems to manifest from nothing, aiming at different parts of your body. You shift out of their way, and a few graze past you as they fly down the hallway. Suddenly, you felt a sting. A knife left a shallow cut across your right arm as it came from the opposite direction (-2 HP). Sakuya stares you down with a cold countenance.
"What, did you think I was playing around? I don't care if you get a few cuts or lose an arm, the only thing that matters is bringing you to Mistress."
*A dagger dances between Sakuya's fingers with perfect elegance. Not envious at all.
[Act]
Talk: Sakuya Izayoi
*You politely ask where the exit is. She was unimpressed by your question.
"Do you take me for a fool? I won't let you leave until you fulfill your obligation."
Conjuring "Misdirection"
*The maid in blue zips to one side to throw a flurry of red knives. As you prepare to dodge the incoming projectiles, her eyes glow crimson. Sakuya disappears and reappears on the other side of the large hall with a wave of larger daggers flying out and intersecting with the first wave. There was no windup, the knives just appeared like an invisible force threw them.
*You were caught off-guard, but you wove through the gaps in the attacks, only getting cut across the leg (-3 HP) and cheek (-2 HP) as a result. The maid doesn't let up the assault as knives occasionally appear mid-air for you to dodge. As you avoid the soaring blades, you notice that none of them get close to the marble pedestals in the room. Focusing back on the fight, a lull occurs, and Sakuya doesn't look close to being tired.
"All you have to do is follow simple directions, what part of it is so hard to understand?"
*The stopwatch ticks ominously through the dark halls.
[Act]
Compliment: Sakuya Izayoi
*You say she's really good at cleaning. It does nothing. But bonus points for being nice?
"Flattery won't get you out of this. Time is not on your side here, just give up."
Illusion Image "Luna Clock"
*Sakuya holds up their stopwatch and a spell circle forms behind her. When she presses the button, a wave of knives starts to head your way. As you dodge the knives, Sakuya teleports around as more blades fill the hall. When you are preoccupied with avoiding the overwhelming amount of daggers, the maid clicks the stopwatch again.
Maid Secret Skill "Manipulating Doll"
*As if the knives mid-flight gained consciousness and used their newfound thoughts for hatred of your existence and the need to cut you to ribbons, they instantaneously turned and flew towards you from all directions. You tried your best to avoid them all, but the damage keeps piling up.
*-3 HP
*-1 HP
*-2 HP
*-4 HP
*As the spell card ends, you stumble on your feet. You only have 3 HP left. The cuts dye your clothes and the carpet crimson. You hold the wound on your side, a consequence of not spotting one of the daggers in time. Breathing slowly, you watch Sakuya as you decide your next action.
*The smell of iron and pollen fills the air.
[Item]
Use: C. Bun
*You eat the Cinnamon Bunny in satisfaction, licking the crumbs from your fingers. The maid narrows her eyes at the lack of table manners. Your HP is full.
"How unsanitary. I'm done wasting time, I'll drag your bleeding body to Mistress if that's what it takes."
Silver Sign "Perfect Maid"
*Sakuya's form flickers in place, and a spiraling hoard of knives shoots out in all directions (How does she not run out at this point?) like a reverse vortex with her in the center. You weave between the rows but get pushed back due to the overwhelming numbers. Another cut appears as you try to dart between the daggers, slicing into your thigh (-2 HP).
*As you stumble back, you don't notice that you veered off to the side of the hallway. You back up until you hit something hard. One of the marble pedestals wobbles due to your added momentum, and the purple vase sits on top rocks side to side and then rolls off. You stare at the falling vessel and Sakuya's eyes widen. As it inevitably plummets, the maid quickly reacts by summoning a massive spell circle under her that envelops everything and everyone in the hall. The spell circle forms as the vase nears the ground and she activates her spell. All movement stops, the vase, the knives, and even your body is frozen in place.
*Sakuya stands still, a bead of sweat trickles down her brow. Her hands are outward, keeping the spell in place. The vase is almost touching the ground, and the daggers are paused mid-flight, heading towards other fragile decorations that would have been shattered or torn to pieces if not for her intervention. She dared not to move, as if her absolute concentration was needed to keep the spell stable. You wonder why she didn't teleport or remove the knives from the air. You see her grunt as the maid's eyes glowed red the entire time.
*It finally dawns on you what her ability was. She can stop or slow time. But you question why she isn't advancing. If this is her stopping time, should the maid have strolled up to you by now? You try to move, but you are frozen like a statue. You try to power through but only your head turns slightly. Sakuya gritted her teeth as she spoke slowly.
"Stop. Squirming. I can't… reverse it… if you… move…"
*You see the clock hands of her spell circle slowly move backward. The objects haltingly move backward at a grinding pace, as if the act of reversing the momentum of the daggers, the vase, and you simultaneously is a taxing process. You feel your body move without your input, and you don't like it. You resist the unwanted control of your body, and your Determination to keep your agency burns in your chest. Sakuya looked at the spell circle as it stopped moving backward.
"No... Please, Wait!"
*You can't move your body. You don't like this. You feel like a puppet on strings. You don't want this. You want to breathe, walk, play, sing, to do anything that YOU want. But was it your choice to begin with? The spell circle sparks and the constant interference of your stubborn willpower causes Sakuya to sweat bullets. It became a battlefield of the heart. To win this fight, one must overpower the will of the other. Sakuya had a great amount of Determination for a human.
*But yours is superior.
[Act]
Resist: Sakuya Izayoi
*You pull on every bit of your will and PUSH. The spell shatters.
*Time has resumed. Like a row of dominos, one action led to another. And it was spectacular. The purple vase lands on the ground and smashes into pieces, its crash echos down the corridor. The daggers continue their trajectory and tear up tapestries and curtains. More pottery turns into a modern display as their shards litter the floor. Suits of armor clatter and get punctured by silver blades. The carpet has a few holes and furrows as sharp knives dig into the flooring.
*You weren't spared from the carnage as you got caught by a few stray projectiles (-3 HP). Sakuya stood in the middle of the catastrophe, looking around with an unreadable expression. Her shoulders shake as her gaze finally pins on you.
"Look at what you did. All of these priceless objects, Mistress' favored decor, were ruined by your actions. I have had enough!"
*The anger of a thousand cleaning staff bears down on you.
[Item]
Use: SpdrDonut
*You take out-
*A dagger cuts across your hand (-1 HP), and you drop the donut on the carpet. Sakuya isn't waiting for her turn and goes on the offensive immediately. You dodge to the side as a row of knives land in the spot you were at a moment ago.
Wound Sign "Inscribe Red Soul"
*In a flash, Sakuya appears as she swings a dagger in each hand. Waves of cutting light arc out from her strikes as she expertly wields her favored weapons, threatening to dice you into bits. You keep up with the maid, her befuddling movements becoming more predictable to evade. But for every two strikes you dodge, one bites into your body.
*-2 HP
*-2 HP
*-1 HP
*The maid's eyes constantly shift from silver to red, jumping in and out of time to catch you unaware. You stay focused on the fight, keeping in mind that she could appear anywhere she desires. You duck as she slashes horizontally from behind. She appears again and starts another spell card.
Void "Inflation Square"
*In a split second, the entire hall was filled with knives, swarming throughout the room like a kicked hornet's nest. You dance around the typhoon of daggers, keeping track of any coming your way. As they fly around, a hemisphere of blades manifests to attempt to turn you into a pincushion. You try to weather the storm, but some things are too much to handle.
*-2 HP
*-3 HP
*-1 HP
*-2 HP
*As injuries start to mount up, soon enough, you reach 1 HP. The spell card ends, and you slump to the floor. You gasp for air. Your vision goes darker as your blood, which Reimu took her precious time to cultivate, spills onto the ground. You weakly tug a silver dagger from your arm and drop it, the weapon clattering on the floor. Sakuya stares at you with a blank expression, waiting for you to do something. Satisfied, she walks up to take you away.
'Please. Promise me you would be safe, will you?'
*You really are terrible at keeping promises.
[Act]
Get up.
*You stand. You can't feel your arms or your legs, your vision flickers in and out of consciousness, and the ground is slick with your own blood. Yet, you get up. Sakuya stops in her tracks.
"What? Why do you keep going? What do you hope to gain from this? Did giving up even once cross your mind?"
*You cough and spit out a mouthful of blood. Looking up at the maid, you give a weak smile. One word leaves your lips.
"Nope."
*The answer leaves the maid silent. Sakuya was stunned by your shameless honesty. After a few seconds, she nodded her head.
"I see."
"Deflation World"
*A massive circle appears, and you watch daggers materialize and launch towards you. The knives leave afterimages behind, moving so fast that they barely register in your eyes. The afterimages were formed into solid moments in time as the silver knives move forward, leaving no room to dodge at all. You felt the familiar sensation of many blades piercing through you.
*Your SOUL shatters.
…
*You float in nothingness. The feeling was an old acquaintance as giant white letters tell you of your fate.
GAME OVER
*You stare at the two words as you wait for Asgore's voice to call out to you, but you hear something else.
*Ring Ring!*
*Your phone rang in the void. The sound continued until a voice appeared on the other side.
"heya, is this thing on? are ya' there, frisk? …welp, i'll just leave a message, then."
"...it's been a while, hasn't it? the monsters are doing well while you were gone. papyrus finally repainted his ride, and managed to not crash it for about a week."
"tori is kicking butt as a teacher, the kids follow her wherever she goes. but don't worry, the lady said you are still her favorite."
"speaking of kicking butt, undyne passed the officer's exam, so expect paps to get lots of tickets from now on."
"asgore is still being 'hounded' by suits from other countries wanting to do 'diplomatic talks'. heh, he's been complaining that it was less tiring with you around."
"alphys is still on tour with metaton, trying to get souvenirs for their girlfriend and dancing on stage respectfully."
"and me? i'm doing my usual nine-to-five. my current shift is in the park, those benches can't be slept on by themselves. it's been great."
"...frisk. the last chat we had, ya' know, the one about 'going on a journey' and all that? i meant what i said, 'you have us, no matter where you go.' even if you're alone, i know that you would be alright. but the others are more 'sappy' than a maple about you leaving, so you better call back soon."
"and bring back some snacks, will ya? that's the least you could do for my lazy bones, we could eat and 'rib' about the new places you went and what nerds you met out there."
"SANS! WHERE IS THE SPRINKLES? YOU FORGOT TO FEED ROCKY, AGAIN!"
"ah, sorry paps. it must have slipped off the ol' noggin, i'm a bit of a 'bonehead' after all. i'll catch ya' later kid."
*Click! Beep Beep.*
*You hear the message cut out and bittersweet nostalgia washes over you. One breath in and then out, and you focus on your goal. You want to go back, to do it right. A burning feeling in your chest expands as your Determination, the power that lets you get this far, pulls you back to the living.
*Filled with Determination, you go back to your previous SAVE.
Sakuya Izayoi stares at the body of Frisk, the child. Their blood pools on the red carpet, their form unmoving as if like a marionette with its strings cut. The child was dead. There is no doubt about it. The maid walks up to the fresh body and thinks about how it got to this point. The kid had been a more arduous problem than she thought at first. They dodged attacks with practiced efficiency, took hits that would down a human adult, and was too stubborn to give in to her threats. But with enough cuts, even the most skilled and powerful would fall. She was supposed to bring a kid who went against fairies as an opponent. Whatever happened to that image?
'It's a pity. They were not bad as a maid.' She inwardly admitted, feeling like she missed out on a prospective assistant she could train if only she asked them to join the maid staff. Her mind goes through many potential scenarios.
'If only they didn't refuse Mistress' invitation. If only they just stayed in their room. If only I just stopped time instead of momentum. If, if, if, I could go so far with 'if'. The child made their choice, and I made mine. It's not like I can go back in time,' Sakuya concluded solemnly as she finally reached the body.
As she knelt down, her ears heard something unexpected.
*Thump*
A heartbeat. The sound rang in her ears as she stopped. 'How is that possible? Are they still alive?' Sakuya thought in surprise. The heartbeat gets louder and the maid catches something happening on the child's body. A glowing light emanated from the chest. Every time the heart beats, it glimmers brighter.
'Is this what Mistress was looking for? I need to get this to her, quickly,' Sakuya reasoned. But before she got any closer, the heartbeat got increasingly louder.
*THUMP*
The light illuminated the hall like a small star, its golden glow similar to the domain of Amaterasu, banishing the shadows to fill the hallway with radiance. Sakuya distanced herself from this sudden situation, hoping this light would die out after a few seconds. It did not do that. Instead, the star expanded. It subsumed the body of Frisk, crept across the carpeted floor, engulfed the curtained windows, covered the shattered remains of the vase, and continued to grow like a forest fire. It soon reached the ceiling, yawning open, threatening to consume even Sakuya.
The head maid of The Scarlet Devil Mansion responded.
"Sakuya's World"
She slows time down to crawl, thinking it will be enough to get Mistress out of the mansion at least. But the light continued, barreling through the domain of Sakuya like it wasn't even there. No matter how much she tried, the light ignored her spells and caught up to her. As it took her, she said out loud. "What is this!?"
The light consumes the hall, then the entire mansion, past Misty Lake, and the Forest of Magic. It went past Yokai Mountain, taking the human village and the bamboo forest, and then reaching the Edge of Gensokyo.
It continues further, it takes Japan, the eastern sea, the world, and then beyond. When the light has gone far enough, everything within its confines stops in place. A single heartbeat sounds out.
*THUMP!*
A Heart of Will,
A Soul of Determination,
Turns back the Clock.
Akyuu sat in her study, writing inventories. Usually, the town leader would have this job, but the scholar needed something to distract herself in the morning. The days have gone by without much to note, other than the preparation for the next winter snowover. She brushes one last number and the scholar stretches to get the blood flowing. Now that her voluntary work is done, she poured herself some morning tea as a reward. She took in the fragrance and sighed, her worries were put aside as she took a sip.
"Hieda! The Dragon Statue! Something is wrong with it!"
Keine barges into Akyuu's study and the chronicler chokes on their red tea. She pounds her chest to stop the burning sensation and stares back at the teacher. Now the source of her worries has reappeared again, coming in to metaphorically slap her on the back of the head for not paying attention. Her head started to ache. Akyuu stood up and stated, "What's wrong with it?"
Keine Kamishirasawa answered, "The eyes changed color again, but it's something new!" Akyuu didn't need any other description, she walked beside Keine and requested, "Please, take me to it."
The Historian and Hakutaku left the Hieda household and went to the crossroads. A crowd gathered around the statue, a mix of worry, fear, and curiosity upon both villagers and some disguised yokai. When the villagers saw Akyuu, they parted with recognition and relief on their faces. She walked up to the statue and could see what was causing the commotion.
The Dragon Statue itself didn't change from its usual gray, but the eyes have shifted again. The red was still there, but now a glittering yellow drifted in the eyes of the statue, like flakes of gold floating in a pair of red glass marbles. This stunning change transfixes Akyuu. "I've never seen this before. What could this entail?" Keine asked the scholar, but she shook her head and responded. "I have no clue. I know there are other versions of the red weather event, like the purple typhoon. But this is beyond my knowledge."
A villager yells out "Hey, the eyes are changing again!" and points at the eyes that are, indeed, shifting color again. Akyuu and Keine watch as the golden motes grow and take up the entirety of its eyes. Akyuu stares in shock at the dragon's newfound presence. It's like the statue took up the mantle of the deity, its golden eyes looking down on the mortals that surrounded it.
She could not tear her eyes away from the spectacle. "What is the meaning of this?" Keine asked but Akyuu did not answer, as she only stared into the eyes of the statue. She could not hear anything, it was like there was only the statue and her alone in a vacuum. Then the eyes became blinding. Akyuu shielded against the overwhelming light. She hears a heartbeat.
"Heida. Something happened with the dragon statue. It's back to normal." Keine spoke to a paused Akyuu, who was holding onto her teacup. The scholar blinked slowly and then said, "W-what? What did you say?" The teacher raised a silver eyebrow. It seemed like Keine caught Akyuu in the middle of a tea break and didn't hear her.
"I said that the dragon statue was back to normal. It's going to be a cloudless day," Keine said casually, hoping the good news would lighten Akyuu's mood. It did not brighten her morning. If anything, she looked utterly confused. The scholar looked around her study frantically and then said, "How? Why am I here? What about the golden eyes?" Keine answers, "I don't follow... Are you okay, Heida?"
Akyuu stammered and looked down at her cup full of red tea. She placed it down on her desk in haste, causing the cup to tip over and spill its contents over her hard work. "Ah! No, no, no! I just got that finished!" The scholar whined in despair as she had to do the paperwork again.
In a remote area of the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, a Princess and a Loner battle to the death. It's not for intentional malice of either party but to alleviate boredom. When one is immortal, there are worse ways to stave off the ever-present enemy that was monotony.
But Kaguya Houraisan was using this current battle for a different purpose, to relieve anger. As she uses the Brilliant Dragon's Necklace, Kaguya thinks about the cause of her irritation. The headache. Constant migraines have surfaced for over a week now. They flare up daily like the changing tides, and everything at her disposal has failed to ease them. 'Yagokoro-san has tried everything! Why won't you go away!?' The ex-royal inwardly protested as she waved a Jeweled Branch, causing the colored Danmaku to shoot out in all directions.
Mokou, her opponent, laughed. "Come on! What's the holdup!? Don't tell me you are willing to lose our bet!" as a barrage of fireballs explodes out of the ground like an erupting volcano. Kaguya clicks her tongue and flies around the bombardment. "That won't happen. The title fits a meatheaded brute like you, Fujiwara. All power, no elegance." The princess answers, hiding any sign of her affliction behind a haughty attitude.
The pyromaniac retorted, "Ah, but this power is my own. You need to use your treasures to match up to me!" as she dodged lasers from the Buddist's Diamond Bowl. Kaguya snorts derisively and responds again, "I don't need to use my treasures to beat the likes of you, I simply refuse to stoop to barbaric methods. And whose elixir did you use to gain your current form? I can't seem to recall."
Despite her callous words, the Princess was impressed by her rival's fortitude and strength. Mokou has monstrous power and is the perfect punching bag, but Kaguya knows a single slip-up would turn her into ashes in the wind. 'So exhilarating!' she thought. Even with death no longer being a consequence, the simple notion of fighting for one's life gets the blood pumping. Perfect for a morning like this, what could possibly ruin it?
Then there was a sudden popping within her ears as if changing altitudes. The headache that has plagued Kaguya has vanished. Her eyes widened as she halted her next attack.
"It's gone? It's Gone! I'm finally free!" Kaguya joyously said out loud, causing Mokou to also pause. "Uh… Have you gone crazy or something? Get back to the fight!" The girl says crossly. The princess lifts her nose at her rival. "Oh, I will. I feel a lot better. That means I'm going to leave not a hair left from this battlefield, I'll win our wager, and I'm going to visit the village to celebrate." She stated as a new surge of Danmaku formed, vibrating with eagerness to annihilate.
Mokou didn't know what this old lady was on about, but she smiled at the prospect of going all out. "Alright then, LET'S GO!" she screamed as a tornado of fire started to form from her feet. Both laughed uproariously at the next round to come.
However, Kaguya didn't know that the headache would be the least of her problems. As she continued her assault, a sinking feeling started to settle in her stomach. Like the tide analogy, how could she have known that the receding waters would indicate something far more devastating? She felt something was wrong, but the headaches were gone! So she continued with the fight, unaware of the incoming wave.
As she barely evaded the flaming whirlwind, she landed a few hits on Mokou. Kaguya increased the pressure despite the burns she was accumulating. What injuries she gained from the onslaught, she knows her rival is receiving as well. Burning away your own body to fuel attacks is quite clever, but that obviously has drawbacks in staying power.
Mokou knelt on the ground, heaving heavily from the toll of battle. Kaguya flew down to deal the finishing blow. "That has been entertaining, but you lose this one. Before I end this, I want to hear you say it, Fujiwara. Like we agreed upon." the princess spoke as if victory had been a foregone conclusion. Mokou grunted in annoyance. "Really? You got to be kidding me. I was in the lead at the beginning!" she complained but Kaguya still waited. The pyromaniac relents, "Fine! I'm the Queen of-"
"Did you hear that?" Kaguya interrupted, trying to discern something. As Mokou yelled at Kaguya for mocking her, the princess heard it again. 'Is that a taiko drum? No. It's a heartbeat.'
The wave reaches the shore and crashes. Kaguya felt like she was struck by a mochi hammer. Her vision spins as she gets tossed across eternity. She is so disorientated that she can't tell from left and right, up and down, forward and backward, and past and future. The wheel of eternity, made only to spin forward, was pulled back. "What in the depths of Makai!?" She cursed as she continued to spin.
"Hey! We're going to fight, and I want to put in a bet!" Mokou stated towards Kaguya, who was sitting in her usual spot. The mage awaited a response but did not expect her eternal rival to look ill.
'Are you implying that looking at me sickens you!? Oh, you are going to regret it!' Mokou gritted her teeth in outrage. She calmed down and continued, "It's a simple bet. If one wins, the other has to respond to the title, 'The Queen of Swine,' for a week! So, how about that?" Mokou waited for a response. The worst thing she could say was 'no.'
"Hurk!" Kaguya covered her mouth and ran off to find a bush. Mokou witnesses a… double rainbow. At first, the mage thought that the princess had taken the joke too far, but the more she watched her, the more fury died out and turned into concern.
"Hey, uh… Maybe we could do this fight later. You good with that?" Fujiwara no Mokou only got a grunt of agony in response as Kaguya fell onto the grass. Mokou left to get Eirin.
On the Sanzu River was a rowboat. On that boat is a soul of the dead and a laid-back ferryman. "So," Komachi Onozuka said to fill the silent air. "How did you die, Oda? Did a war general betray you or something?" The shinigami said jokingly, and the soul chuckled a bit. "No, I was caving with a friend. We were deep in an unexplored cavern and my friend thought he could squeeze through an opening." The apparition explained and Komachi nodded and made noises of acknowledgement.
"Hmh, very dangerous." She stated and the soul went silent before continuing, "Yes, it was. I should have stopped and warned him that one of the walls looked unstable. I trusted him for being more knowledgeable on cave diving than me. I should have said something! I should have listened to my doubts! If I had, the cave-in wouldn't have happened and claimed our lives!" The ghost lamented, guilt rolling off their ethereal form. Komachi didn't judge, it wasn't her job to do so. Her job is to calm the spirits before they land on Higan.
Komachi says, "I understand. That guilt must have eaten away at you. But know that your selfless thoughts will put you and your friend in the good graces of my boss. She likes the charitable types, you might get the express-way to Heaven." She smiled but the soul didn't look as sure about that statement. He states, "I just wish I could do it all over again."
The Shinigami laughs and responds, "Wish I could do that. It's not like life is a game cabinet. Insert Coin, press Continue! How crazy would that be?" She looked towards the riverside and saw that weird girl stacking stones again. Suddenly, a drumming noise came out of nowhere. The girl slipped and tipped over her hard work. Komachi tried to keep a straight face when the young voice started letting out expletives and threats to the drummer's life while throwing a stone into the river.
She broke, "Hahaha! That always gets me. Did you see that, Oda?" Komachi looked back and saw that she was alone on the rowboat. "Oda?" the Shinigami said in confusion, searching around and finding nothing. If he jumped the boat, there would have been a splash. She searched through her pocket and noticed that it was lighter. "My ferryman's toll! Where did it go!?" Komachi exclaimed as that would cut into her income.
…
"Hey, Oda! I've found something!" His friend spoke and he climbed down from his position. "I'm coming," Oda responded, his headlamp revealing what his friend saw. A nagging feeling tugged at his subconscious when he gazes at the small gap. His friend crouched down to look through. "I think there is a unique formation down here, it's a tight squeeze but we might find something cool!" he stated while preparing to crawl through to get to the other side. Oda was no stranger to tight places, as he had once gone through a hole significantly smaller than this in another dive. But this one gives an off vibe about it.
Oda looked at the side of the hole, noticing it was crumbling a bit. He should trust his friend, who has been diving for many years. Oda knows that if it's risky, his friend will avoid it. And so he was caught between showing concern to his friend or shutting up and trusting his judgment.
As his diving partner was about to place his arm on the sidewall to leverage himself, Oda's mind was filled with scenarios of disaster. His heart beats in his ears, and he gains the determination to do something. "Hey! That wall looks unstable, be careful!" He yelled, and his friend froze. After pulling him out of the hole, his friend inspected the wall and nodded. "Yeah, that is bad. This wall acts like a brace, keeping the crumbling roof from falling on us. Let's get out of here and get to safety."
After they left the cave, they contacted local authorities about the decaying hollow, Oda's friend clapped his back for potentially saving his life, and they decided to dive into a bar instead. Oda didn't think he did anything that big. He just had some epiphany, that's all.
In New Hell, there was chaos. The Yama for Gensokyo's hell, Eiki Shiki, was going through her list of recently deceased. "No, there were a few names here. I'm sure of it!" Eiki stated as she read through the scroll to find any evidence of the wandering souls in and near Gensokyo. Taking providences nearby in the real world was risky, but it would ease the costs of running her branch long-term if they get some extra tolls.
Eiki did her due diligence, signed the right forms, and sent in a request. After seven to eight business days (Which is every day, but that's semantics.) she got the approval! It has been good, getting extra tolls as Gensokyo was near a city. That is AT FIRST.
The Yama searched through the backlog of names that were supposed to die moments ago, but some of the names just vanished like they were never there. She knew some names were missing, and if she didn't find out what happened to them, something worse than a group of ten Kishin assassins would knock at her door: An Auditor. She shivered at the prospect and then jumped when a knocking came from the doorway anyway.
She calmed her breathing and spoke, "Y-you may enter." She inwardly cursed at her stutter. She may be by the books, but she heard that the higher bureaucrats could smell fear. When the door opened, she expected a formally dressed person ready to chew her up for the paperwork errors, not Zanmu Nippaku, a relatively lesser yet still problematic individual.
"Lord Shinigami, I have the scrolls on the currently deceased. Where should I put them?" Zanmu asked politely, and Eiki eased her nerves. "Right here. I'm sure I sent one of my own workers to get them, do you know what happened to them?" Eiki asked leadingly, and the Oni set the crate by the Yama's workstation.
"Oh, I relieved them. I needed to talk to you about something, so I might as well bring this with me." Zanmu said bluntly. Eiki raised her eyebrows at her words, she is in a different branch than her, so for the Oni to convince her subordinate to relieve their responsibility must mean she has something important to say. "Oh, what is it?"
Zanmu states, "The souls of the damned are in an uproar, similarly the spirits in the Animal Realm have become restless. It seems like something we should investigate. Might you know something about this?" After her report, Eiki responded calmly, "Oh, that is something. I'll take note of that. Thank you for hauling the scrolls." But on the inside, she was screaming. 'What. Is. Happening!?'
As Reimu approached Misty Lake, she could barely make out the outline of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. But something caught her eye. In the distance, a glowing mote was coming from the mansion. She assumed it was a window reflection until the light got bigger…
A beacon of light grew from the mansion and Reimu was surprised how big it was getting. It turned into a tidal wave of light that emanated from the mansion and passed by the Hakurei before she could react. She looked behind and noticed it was gone. Reimu said out loud, "What was that light?" Her tag-along, Aunn, responded with, "What light?"
Reimu looked at Aunn like she was an idiot. "The light that went past us? It came from the mansion." The Komainu tilted her head in confusion, "Weird. I didn't see a light." The shrine maiden wondered if they were speaking the same Japanese right now, how could she not have seen it?
"Never mind, we will get answers there." Reimu asserts, hoping that light might not be a sign of something nefarious happening at the mansion.
Remilia opens her eyes and rises from her coffin bed. "Hmm. Something's different." She looked around her room and found nothing was out of place. The Vampire had a dream that she gave an order to her maid and then walked around her hallway. 'A strange dream. But was it really a dream?'
She pondered until she felt the chains of fate shift again. "Huh, so the child will live? So, you finally show your hand, Dreemurr-chan." Remilia smiled wide, knowing that her little guest had done something to prevent their death. 'I need to know more. How did you break from your fate, Little Dreemurr?'
Her chamber doors open and Sakuya walks in. "I'm here Mistress and I managed to bring our guest to their room." The head maid reported. Remilia looked over to Sakuya, that feeling of deja vu was scratching against her mind. "I see. Have you noticed anything odd about the child, yet?" The Mistress asked.
Sakuya shook her head and answered truthfully, "Other than being difficult to control, I have not spotted anything unordinary. Please forgive my ignorance." Remilia digested her maid's words and nodded, "Very well, bring them here post-haste. Our little shrine maiden would soon be at our doorstep, and I want to examine the child before she takes them away. Complete this task, no matter what."
Sakuya bows and turns around. Remilia felt she was supposed to say something before the maid left but chose not to. She got up from her bed and decided to leave her chamber to head to the ballroom, she needed to look presentable before the big conflict, and there was no better room for a dance.
Things are truly getting interesting.
*You stand before the SAVE point, its luminescence dimming back to a soft glow. You look around and, as expected, you are back in the guest room. The soft snoring of Meiling fills the bedroom as you ponder what to do next.
*You know now that Sakuya is no slouch when it comes to combat, so she must be avoided for now. You think about the many knives that cut through the air and shake your head. You feel your heart thump in your chest and breathe slowly to ease it. This isn't the first time you ran into opposition and it won't be the last. You will find the exit, or you will befriend everyone here.
'Are you sure that this strategy will work?'
*You smile at the memory. No matter your path, your Determination will see it through. You run up to the door and unlock it, when you get into the hallway, excitement burns in your chest as you close the door behind you.
Hong Meiling jolts awake to the sound of a door slamming shut. She looks over to the bed and finds that her charge is missing. The guard gazes at the door and then at the table, the keyring she left there was also absent.
"Damnit, I fell asleep! Izayoi-san is going to kill me!" Meiling gets up and stares at the mirror of the vanity table. She notices a new feature attached to the bridge of her nose. "Is that a bandaid? Wait, there's no time to think about that! Find that kid, Meiling!" The guard runs over to the door and reaches the hallway. She looks left and right, thinking about heading towards the direction of Mistress' room. But she felt that was not where the child went, plus Sakuya would come from that direction.
"The entrance it is, then!" Meiling declared as she ran (to get away from Sakuya) to find the child she had sworn to watch.
A child ran down the hall, their fate now uncertain. With their ability to turn back time, Gensokyo's fate unknowingly became intertwined with their own. As they explore the halls, a pitch-black room underneath the mansion stirs with agitation. A voice called out from the darkness.
"Huuu.. I'm so bored. Is it lunchtime yet? Where are the servants?"
"..."
"I wish I could play with someone."
A: "All eyes will be on you." Thanks, Suika, you damn drunk.
Frisk has finally got their first GAME OVER and the table got flipped! Some have noticed it, but many haven't. Are you surprised by the selection? (Poor Kaguya...)
As for Sakuya, come on, you knew that fight would be a slaughter. It's no surprise she gets first blood. Before you type "Why didn't she remember the time reversal!?" It's a simple answer: She's not a time traveler. Sakuya can manipulate time, but she can't travel through it. Believe me, I checked EVERYWHERE. She can't reverse decaying and shattered objects or injuries, therefore she can't reverse information, which is crucial for time travel.
Don't get it twisted, Sakuya's ability is HORRIFYING. But she is like a scalpel to Frisk's sledgehammer to the skull. She can beat the kid in a fight, but she can't overpower the SAVE as she doesn't know how it works or is even aware of it.
Whew, sorry for the rant. I really thought A LOT about this fight. Sakuya is one of my favorite characters in Touhou and I want to write her as favorably as possible (Totally not a biased Author,) but Frisk had the bigger hax.
Once again, thank you for your kind words and for giving your love and attention to this silly tale. I really appreciate it.
I'll see you later, our little Frisk will meet a new friend soon :)
