"C'mon guys! It's three-on-one! Let's get her!"

"Love Sign: Mini Spark!"

The unmistakable roar of a rainbow-colored laser cut through the natural forest ambience like a hot knife through butter, silencing everything else in the vicinity.

…

Well, this was definitely not the way that she had expected her morning to go.

Marisa Kirisame surveyed the aftermath of her low-tier spell card, committing to memory the satisfying sight of a trio of smoldering villagers as they lie in defeat on the ground before her. The smoke was magical; so there was no threat of her sparking a fire. It would all fade away soon enough.

"You're all lucky that my mini-hakkero's calibrated properly. If it wasn't, there wouldn't even be ashes left of you."

The witch's hat bobbed as she stooped over the bodies of her opponents. "Now tell me, ze. Why's a bunch of village idiots causing trouble in this neck of the woods?"

One of the villagers, a young man who apparently still had an ounce of strength, propped himself up on his elbows to look at her. "We're here… to drive… to drive out the youkai…"

Marisa paused, then she cackled. "That right, ze? You might wanna get your eyes checked! I'm a human through and through."

"H-human? Yeah… right… Like any human could… live out here…" She could see him grit his teeth in pain, and it was obvious that he was struggling to speak.

"I am human, thank ya very much! Just 'cause I ain't inclined to hide myself away in the Village doesn't mean that I'm a freakin' youkai! I'm just an ordinary human witch, ze."

"Youkai… Witch… Whatever… We're just sick of your kind… All we want is for Gensokyo to be normal…"

Fat chance!

Normal. How could Gensokyo ever be normal? That was, like, the complete opposite of its purpose! Not to mention, a normal Gensokyo would have been unbearably boring.

…Though, she could imagine why a human villager might want something like that.

Marisa's grin tempered somewhat. "Yeah, I don't think that's ever happenin,' buddy."

The young man groaned as his strength finally gave out, and he fell back onto the ground, unconscious.

Marisa nudged him with her foot.

Damn. Prolly not getting much more out of them right now…

She sighed and reached into her hat. From within, she produced a long, thick length of rope.

Without missing a beat, she began to tie the rope around the wrists of the unconscious villagers.

"It's gonna be uncomfortable, but I've gotta get you back to the Village one way or another," she said, largely to herself. She doubted that they could hear her now.

Trying to fight her while ignoring spell card rules… What were they even thinking?

The Village guards would have to sort these guys out. Hell, it might even be worth saying something extra to Keine about it, just to make sure that they got their just desserts.

Marisa finished tying the other end of the rope to the body of her broom, and she took one more look around the area.

The basic weapons, extinguished torches, and weird bottles with rags in them that the humans had brought would have to stay here for the moment. She'd be back later to add them to her ever growing collection of stuff.

To the victor went the spoils, after all.

…

As she flew towards the village with the defeated men tied to her broom, Marisa couldn't help but wonder what the lines of smoke in the distance were from.

There were an awful lot of them.

…

...She would get to the bottom of this.

~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~

Sakuya Izayoi was having a burdensome morning.

Each new day brought a new slate of chores for the head maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Whether it was catering to her mistress's whims, ensuring the food supplies remained stable, or seeing to the ever needed cleaning, she was never short of work to do.

Today, however, instead of dutifully performing her tasks and tending to the residents of the Mansion, here she was, wasting her time on minor inconveniences.

Though, her mind chuckled darkly. I never AM short of time, am I?

Groans, whimpers, and cries emanated from the ground beside her. She hadn't killed any of the trespassers; doing so was a waste of her effort, and it was a waste of good blood.

Instead, her knives had dug deep, piercing through their limbs and effectively pinning them to the hard, dusty ground. They wouldn't bleed out. She'd intentionally avoided the major arteries and veins.

She was the head maid, after all. Perfect and elegant and precise. It wouldn't do for her to get sloppy.

And, if it was an uncomfortable position for them to be in, then she had done it right. They deserved it.

Sakuya let out an irritated sigh as she looked down on the living human waste that had dared to launch an attack on her mistress' manor. The pitchforks and torches were certainly a familiar sight. They were not the first mob to try their luck with the Scarlet Devil Mansion, after all.

However, it had been a while since such open hostility had been directed towards them.

It was… unfortunate that a few of the fairy maids had ended up being stabbed, but that was ultimately of little consequence. They were fairies; they would be perfectly fine tomorrow and ready to report to work. Though, given their temperament, Sakuya could only really question whether it was better if they didn't show up again.

The head maid looked out into the distance. Her view across Misty Lake was partially obscured by fog, but the plumes of smoke rising into the sky were impossible to miss.

She couldn't fathom why the villagers had chosen now, of all times, to rush recklessly into a battle that they could never win. Something was happening. An Incident perhaps.

Sakuya gazed back once more over the mess she'd created. It was all too much trash. Would they even be fit for consumption?

Regardless, she would leave the disposal to Meiling. That gatekeeper could always use some more work.

She sighed again. Then, she brandished an immaculate set of knives between her fingers.

Someone had to file a complaint with those responsible in the Village.

Her vision narrowed as the silver knives glinted in the sunlight.

And she had many, many complaints.

~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~

Fujiwara no Mokou has accumulated many nicknames over the course of her unnaturally long existence.

The Figure of the Person of Hourai, The One Immortal Human, The Demon of Fire, and The Phoenix of Ruin, just to name a few.

Thirteen hundred years was a very long time to be alive, even more so for someone like her. It was practically an eternity for a being that was never meant to see it. A prison of her own creation, where ennui was a real and present threat to her sanity.

In this cruel, bloated existence, Mokou has seen many sights. Done many things. Done many, many questionable things. More than enough to rightfully earn even her most brutal of nicknames.

If it was at all possible for the Yama to judge her soul, it was certain that she would judge it 'black.' Tarnished and stained by her actions so very long ago.

That was a fact, and, for the longest time, Mokou had come to accept it.

However…

Lately, her associated nicknames have come across quite differently.

The Smoking Hermit… The Guide of the Bamboo Forest of the Lost... The Yakitori Stand Lady… Auntie Mokou…

No longer was she some mysterious, menacing presence that children and adults alike avoided for fear of savage retribution. No longer was she an empty, uncanny husk of a person who would burn down an entire village, desperate to feel something, anything.

Here, in Gensokyo, she almost felt normal.

Fujiwara no Mokou exhaled sharply, snuffing out the last few embers of a small fire that had started within the Bamboo Forest. A vaguely circular area of scorched bamboo stems and blackened leaf litter stretched out around her.

"Gods damn, that fire spread fast!"

She simply couldn't imagine what was going through the head of the person who had started it. She hadn't seen it happen, to be fair, but fire was her forte.

If this had been an accident, then they were a complete and total idiot for letting it get out of control.

And, if it wasn't an accident, then…

…

Mokou scraped her foot along the burnt ground in annoyance.

Coming to Gensokyo was quite possibly the best choice she'd ever made. Even if she wasn't normal, at the very least she wasn't alone.

Keine Kamishirasawa had stubbornly worked through her barriers, cementing her spot as Mokou's best friend, and reuniting with Kaguya Houraisan had been… eventful to say the least.

There was always something going on, always a current of life flowing through the realm, and always a good fight to be had.

It was the closest she had come to feeling at home since she'd swallowed the Hourai Elixir all those years ago.

If there really were people out there that sought to ruin that for her, then she'd just have to beat the ever-loving hell out of them.

Mokou stuck her hands into her pockets and began to walk towards the edge of the Bamboo Forest.

The Human Village was her next destination.

Maybe Keine knows something…

Though, with how many responsibilities she's always juggling, she probably has her work cut out for her right now.

~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~

Within the cafe, all was quiet, save for the occasional quiet mumble and hushed whisper.

The humans who'd chosen to shelter in place were of a reasonable sort, it seemed. The one young child had fallen asleep, lulled by the lack of activity and the darkening of the room. The others, adults both young and old, had apparently decided that anything unnecessary had the chance to draw unwanted attention.

Sekibanki wasn't complaining.

Though she had offered to stay behind and watch over the cafe, she'd had no intentions of babysitting. They didn't need her to tell them what to do, and, likewise, she didn't want to supervise grown men and women like they were helpless toddlers.

What did she owe them, really? Though they'd shown her adequate courtesy as their server and 'fellow villager,' that level of acceptance was shallow at best, and it was only under the assumption that she was human. She was certain that their view of her would sour if they learned what she truly was.

She knew. She knew because she had seen it happen many times before.

This… This was a favor for Eric, not the villagers.

Very few knew of her nature as a youkai among humans. Even fewer believed she was anything more than a walking, talking threat to the safety afforded by the Village. Eric, it seemed, thought differently.

He was the first human in a long while to have given her the benefit of the doubt. To have given her a chance. To have given her a place to feel welcome, despite being a youkai.

She was simply paying back the favor now. And if the sheltering villagers were under her protection as a consequence? So long as they were calm and quiet, it didn't make a difference.

Thus, the current state of things suited Sekibanki just fine.

Just fine, except for the smothering blanket of uncertainty that had settled over the cafe.

Even she was affected by the overwhelming incertitude.

Sekibanki shifted.

Logically, there were only two possible outcomes today. Either nothing bad happened by the time everything was taken care of out there, or something bad did find its way to the cafe before the situation was resolved.

The problem, really, was that they wouldn't know which one until it actually happened, leaving her and everybody else in this cafe stuck. They were trapped in the in-between, the awkward, apprehensive waiting period where nothing was certain.

A Limbo of the living.

One couldn't quite relax because of the potential threats. However, one couldn't justify remaining on high alert the entire time, either. To do so would be exhausting, waiting for the dangers that might not come.

It was this waiting that really grated on Sekibanki.

The rokurokubi leaned her back against the bar of the cafe, arms crossed over her apron and frown ever-hidden by the collar of her cloak.

Now, she wouldn't have described herself as impatient. Time held less weight for youkai than it did for humans, and between her and her friends, she considered herself to be the most stoic member of the Grassroots Youkai Network. However, she did like answers.

There was a certain satisfaction in knowing. This apprehensive waiting period was depriving her of the gratification of knowing how this would all turn out.

It created a sensation like chafing in her mind, and it put her oddly ill at ease. It was smothering. It was suffocating. It-

"Yah…" There was a yawn to her left. Involuntarily, Sekibanki looked over.

The night sparrow, Mystia, stretched her arms across the counter, settling her chin down on the wood as her body slumped forward. She stared blankly ahead, sheer boredom evident on her face, a stark contrast to the gloomy demeanor she'd maintained all morning.

It was a petulant move, like a child sulking on a dreary, rainy afternoon.

Mystia…

She had never met the night sparrow before, though she had heard about her more than once in passing. A youkai like her… At first glance, there was really no reason for her to still be here. If anything, she ought to be out there right now, reveling in the chaos.

It was… curious to say the least. Somehow, she seemed to know Eric as well.

Did she have her own debt to pay?

…

Sekibanki stepped her way over and claimed the seat beside Mystia, smoothing out her apron and skirt as she sat down.

Mystia cast her a quick, dubious glance. Then, she turned back with a huff. "It's a bit dull around here now, huh? Are you gonna try to 'lift my spirits', too?"

Sekibanki had no interest in small talk. As always, she got right to the main course. "What's up with you? Why are you still here?"

Mystia seemed taken aback by both her absolute bluntness and the way she'd completely ignored her own questions. "Why am I here? Why are you here?" she retorted.

Sekibanki glanced down at her apron as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I work here. Why wouldn't I be here?" Then, she pointed at the night sparrow. "But you don't. So, why?"

Mystia's talons clicked against the counter. "Well, where else am I supposed to be? Am I not welcome here, now?"

Sekibanki paused. "You've got a home, right? Wouldn't you rather be there?"

"Pfft… That's just a place to sleep. What do I care if something happens to it?"

Sekibanki said nothing.

Mystia's feathers ruffled at her lack of response. "What's with that look? Ever heard the saying 'Free as a bird?' We bird youkai can make our nests anywhere. It wouldn't make any sense for us to get too attached."

Sekibanki tilted her head. "You were crushed about losing your cart, though."

"T-that's different!" she protested. "Imagine seeing years of time and effort going up in smoke! Even the most enlightened hermit would feel something from that."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"No, it's… I…" Mystia glanced around furtively. "I'm doing this as a favor, I guess."

Sekibanki raised an eyebrow.

"Like, most humans are afraid of me. As they should be! And the ones that aren't? They don't seem to like me very much, anyways." Mystia's voice grew quieter. "But him? He's the only one who's really made the effort to try to be friends with me. There was no reason for him to, but he did."

She sighed. "Eric's weird. He's weak in some ways, but not in others. He's oddly pushy about certain things, and way too… um…" Mystia trailed off.

"Idealistic?" Sekibanki tried.

"Yes! That! He's way too idealistic, and he tries too hard at stuff he's not good at. But… Do you know what he said to me last night? After he and the crazy- um… After he and the doll lady finished putting out my burning izakaya? Just after the Hakurei miko blew me out of the sky?"

"No."

Mystia looked almost sentimental. "He told me, 'If you ever need anything, anything at all, all you have to do is ask.'"

That… certainly sounded like him.

"I guess that's why I'm still here. I'm paying him back, in a way. I don't… want to see his cafe go the same way my cart did."

Sekibanki just stared at her.

Mystia seemed to squirm under the scrutiny. A light dusting of pink coated her cheeks. "Yeah, big surprise. I've got a sense of empathy. So what? Are you gonna rub my nose in it?"

"Nope. Just surprised."

"Ugh, whatever." Mystia brought a hand up to her forehead, but her embarrassment did not escape Sekibanki's view.

She couldn't shake the feeling that seeing her like this was a rare sight.

"And what about you?" the night sparrow asked after a moment of recovery. "Don't you have a house or something that needs defending?"

Sekibanki blinked. Her home. Of course. Her whole reason for working in the first place.

It was a quaint little bungalow, not that it held much more than the bare necessities. She wasn't the type to accumulate much, and there were few creature comforts that really made her want to spend time there.

Though, it was nice to have a place to come back to. And it was hers. She ought to be there right now, keeping an eye on her house so that nothing bad happened to it.

On the other hand...

"I like seeing people get what they deserve."

Something drew her to the cafe instead. Something told her that she was right where she needed to be. Something allowed her to make peace with the fact that her home could be gone when she returned.

Something about all of this was more fulfilling than she'd expected, and Sekibanki simply decided to go with it.

"He deserves to see her, and he deserves a place to come back to. That's all."

Mystia scoffed, though there was a hint of good-natured teasing in her voice. "You can stop trying to act cool, y'know. It's impossible with that freakishly huge cape."

Sekibanki thought for a moment. "Is it worse than your tragedy of a hat?"

"My hat is cute, thank you very much!"

From there, the conversation between the two youkai soon devolved.

Between poking fun at each other's appearance, snide remarks, and genuinely playful banter, Sekibanki found herself enjoying the back and forth. The night sparrow might have been prideful and childish, but she was far from bad to talk to.

She would have fit right in with the rest of the Grassroots Youkai Network.

Sekibanki let out a relaxing sigh. Eric could rest easy knowing that his cafe was doing just fine. There was nothing to worry about with two youkai watching over it.

…

Nothing to worry about, that was, until a brick came sailing through the glass front door.

~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~

Footsteps pounding on cobblestone. Wind rushing past his ears. Shouts and echoes. Alarm bells and clashes of metal. Screams and shattering glass and roaring fire.

It was all a horrible cacophony. A terrible symphony of daily village life coming unraveled and splintering into tiny, miserable pieces.

Breath in. Breath out. Breath in. Breath out…

Eric deliberately managed his breathing, keeping it steady and deep as he dashed down alleyways and across plazas, heading for the Human Village's east gate. In an effort to stay as far away from town hall as possible, he stuck to the side streets, skirting along the periphery of the village.

He kept his head on a swivel, taking great care to remain aware of his surroundings. Seeing all that he could, even if he disliked what he saw.

It was like a scene straight out of a nightmare.

Everywhere he looked, there was smoke. Raised voices and the sounds of combat echoed through the streets, heard but unseen. Broken windows and ruined storefronts stared back in dismay, and the fearful and injured alike fled towards what they imagined to be safety.

Yes, even on these side roads, there were others who scrambled from place to place, no doubt taking the same sort of precautions as he. Stay away from the mayhem, and they would stand a much better chance at leaving unscathed.

That plan did have some glaring holes in it, as even the outskirts of the village bore the damage wrought by smaller groups of rioters. However, for the most part, this section had been spared the fires that burned ominously near the middle of town.

…

Indeed, it was the center of the village where the chaos truly was. Eric had only managed a quick peek when he'd first left the cafe, but it was just as bad as he'd imagined it to be.

The town hall had been under siege. A large group of villagers had been in the middle of forcing their way inside, streaming through the doors and breaking windows to create entrances where there were none.

Scattered groups of the village guard had been fighting back, but with his limited time, Eric hadn't been able to determine if they were winning or desperately fighting a losing battle.

Multiple buildings had been set ablaze, lofting soot and embers high into the sky and threatening to spread uncontrollably.

Ironically, it was the buildings near the center of town that were the most susceptible to fire. The more 'traditional', Eastern style of their construction meant that they were composed mostly of wood and paper, rendering them highly flammable.

The exceptionally dry conditions furthered this problem. Only a single, well-placed ember was needed to spread the blaze to the next one, and then the next. Like dominos, growing the conflagration one by one.

Eric had fled quickly after that. If fire could make such quick work of buildings in the Village, then what about the trees of a bone-dry Forest of Magic? Just what would be waiting for him there?

He had to hurry. There was absolutely no time to waste.

…

Eric swiftly ducked behind a building.

He was nearly there. The east gate was only a few more roads away, less than a minute at full sprint. It was only a handful more steps until he could breathe easier and gain a proper look at the distant Forest of Magic.

He would be at Alice's soon.

Eric peeked his way out from around the corner. The only problem, now, was that the next intersection, the most direct route between him and the gate, was occupied.

A small group of troublemakers were in the process of vandalizing the area. Armed with what appeared to be crude wooden bats and handfuls of large stones, the malcontents were making short work of any fragile structures unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity.

A window shattered, much to the joy of the vandals.

Whether they were a part of the malicious group that had started everything, or simply taking advantage of the situation, he couldn't tell.

He also wasn't sure how they would react to his presence. There was a chance that they'd ignore him, as they seemed far more concerned with creating property damage than anything else. However, that was not a theory he was particularly wanting to test.

Eric needed a detour, and though he could have simply flown his way over the village walls, he was determined to conserve as much of his mana as he could. He had to be as useful as possible.

His gaze turned towards the opposite end of the alleyway. If he was right, then there was another street just beyond, running parallel to the village walls. Surely, that would lead him to his destination.

He sighed. Avoiding confrontation was just in his nature. Perhaps he was simply lucky that he'd managed to find an alternative solution.

…

It was near the end of this quiet alleyway that Eric encountered his first real obstacle.

One man stood in his way. In his right hand was a claw hammer, and on his face was a scowl. "Hey, I recognize you! You were holding hands with that youkai who's got all them dolls!"

Eric immediately froze. Oh gods, he did not have time for this!

Where did he even come from? What did he-?

"Looks like someone's got to beat some sense into that skull of yours!" With no further warning, the man charged forward, taking a mighty swing at Eric's head.

He was serious about trying to hurt him!

Eric stepped back quickly, out of range of the hammer. The man's momentum threw him off balance as he stumbled forward at the end of his swing.

The man swung again, bringing his arm back across in a wide arc. Just as before, Eric backed out of the way.

Can't get hit! Can't get hit!

Another swing, and another miss. "Grr… Hold still you coward! Quit running away!"

Eric's heart raced. He wasn't here to fight, damn it! All he needed was quick passage through the Village while saving his mana.

Of course, it was just his luck that this guy had decided to pick a fight with him.

The man paused, and Eric considered his options. Avoiding the conflict altogether would have been preferable. So, too, was simply running past him. However, even if he managed to slip around the guy, there was no guarantee that he would be able to outrun him.

In that moment of calm, he looked the man over, and he felt his body brimming with something that he couldn't quite describe. Strangely enough, though, he couldn't say that what he felt was fear.

He'd… seen worse. He'd almost died to worse. This man was nothing compared to a pack of bloodthirsty beast youkai. And though Eric was alone this time, he felt no reason to fear him.

And, the longer he delayed here…

The image of Alice's house in flames gnawed at the back of his mind.

No. He would see this through. He wouldn't allow some random guy from the village to keep him from seeing Alice safe.

If it was a fight this man wanted, then it was a fight that he would get.

Eric ducked another swing of the hammer and shoved the man backwards, hard.

He stumbled, clipping his shoulder on one of the walls of the narrow alleyway. However, he did not fall, nor did he drop his weapon.

It was exceedingly obvious that the man in front of him was not an experienced fighter. Though, neither was he.

Combat… wasn't something that came innately to Eric. His aptitude was far more suited for defense, his natural inclination a hasty retreat.

Eric managed to sidestep yet another bludgeoning attempt. This time, he responded by sending one punch into the man's ribs and another into his shoulder.

He'd never actually been in a proper fistfight before, either. This was entirely new territory for him.

His opponent recoiled at the impact, and he tried to whip his arm back around in response. His arm went too high, however, as Eric was able to go low and land another punch to his stomach.

Combat was something to be avoided. Something that he simply wasn't good at.

Or, so he'd thought.

As he dodged and weaved his way around the man's aggressive attacks, he found himself realizing something. His movements were surprisingly smooth, his coordination greatly improved. He felt far more in tune with his body than he remembered, it was far easier to get it to move the way he wanted it to.

Eric leapt back, avoiding a devastating overhead strike.

It was a small surprise, but after a moment of retrospect, it started to make sense.

It had taken him nearly a month to conjure basic danmaku. Day after day of failed attempts to manipulate his mana and bring forth any sort of offensive magic. However, that wasn't all that he'd been working on during those almost daily training sessions.

Alice had insisted that he work to improve his agility and cultivate a working mastery of flight. Outlasting the opponent's spell cards was another way of claiming victory, after all. At the time, he couldn't shoot back, so it was critical that he could reasonably achieve this alternative win condition.

Trying to dodge Alice's complicated danmaku had felt like he was being put through the wringer, and though the bruises had hurt, he found himself glad. Such rigorous maneuverability training was really starting to pay off.

Not only had his dexterity and dodging ability improved, but so too had his senses been sharpened. Keeping track of dozens of danmaku bullets was an arduous task, especially when your opponent wove such complex patterns like Alice preferred.

He felt more than prepared for a situation like this. A single weapon was far easier to follow, and it left far more opportunities for a counter-attack. The exaggerated way the man was waving that hammer around only made it easier.

His opponent grazed his arm with a surprise punch thrown by his off hand, but that left Eric perfectly open to land another solid hit to the man's jaw.

Eric wasn't particularly strong. 'Strong for his size,' as some would say, but that was all. Perhaps if he was strong, then the fight would have already been over.

However, he was also fighting a villager, not a soldier. He wasn't trained to brush off hits like a true fighter.

By the way he winced, he could tell that the man in front of him had definitely felt the blows that he'd been given.

The attacker rubbed his sore jaw, naked frustration evident both on his face and in his voice. "Why? Why do you have to stand in my way!?"

Eric did a double-take. "What do you mean? You're the one who attacked me!"

Then, he reigned himself in. Maybe, just maybe, there was a resolution to this that didn't involve one of them lying unconscious after all.

"Look, I really don't want to keep fighting you. I'm just trying to get somewhere, to make sure that someone is okay. I know you must understand what that's like." Eric tried to reason with the man, now that he was a little worse for wear.

His opponent stilled for a moment before sucking in a harsh, painful breath. His hand clenched around the handle of the hammer. "I just want my family to live a life free from the terror of the youkai. Is that… Is that too much to ask?"

"...No. It's not." Eric answered. "I get where you're coming from, I really do."

"People on the Outside, they don't have to worry about monsters like we do. Why is it- Why can't it be like that here?" There was a hint of desperation bleeding into his voice.

"That's… I don't know… But it doesn't have anything to do with me, does it? I'm a human just like you! Why attack me?"

"Because I realized… That nothing will ever change for me if I don't make it happen." He looked at his hammer solemnly. "And that means taking the fight to people like you. I can't just let this chance slip away."

Eric furrowed his brows. That was probably the most misguided thing that he'd ever heard. "Like me? Like I said, I've got nothing to do with any of that. That's just… how Gensokyo is."

"But you're okay with it! You're just as bad as the rest of them!"

"I'm-?"

"Stop talking!" With a look of desperation and determination in his eyes, the man lunged forward once more.

…

Eric stepped out of the alley, gingerly rubbing his tender shoulder. He breathed sharply through his teeth as he gently tried to roll the joint.

He had let his guard down, and because of that, the man had finally managed to score a hit, crashing his hammer into Eric's shoulder with killing intent. He had to thank the gods that it wasn't broken, but there was sure to be a large, ugly bruise there in the morning.

Eric shook his head as he looked back at the slumped form of his opponent, breathing but unconscious against the wall of the alleyway.

The fight had ended immediately afterwards. Perhaps it was only because of the mix of blinding pain and flaring anger that had accompanied the hit, but Eric had retaliated quickly and fiercely, landing a lucky haymaker that had knocked the man out cold.

Objectively, he had deserved it. You can't just go around attacking people who have nothing to do with your grievances. The joy of victory over such a person was difficult to ignore, even for someone like Eric.

Though, there was something bittersweet about it.

Yes, even now, Eric couldn't help but feel a little bit guilty. The guy… didn't seem like a bad person at his core. Stubborn and belligerent as he was, he had only been acting in his family's best interest. His only sin was that he'd been misguided.

It was hard not to relate. Eric's motivations were similar, after all.

He only wished that he would have come to his senses earlier. That he wouldn't have stood between him and Alice. Maybe, then, this whole fight could have been avoided.

Eric continued to hold his arm as he picked up his pace, running through the streets once more. The east gate was a mere stone's throw away, and it felt like he'd already wasted too much time.

He would see Alice safe, and nobody could keep him from that.

His resolve hardened.

Nobody.

~~~~~~Author's Notes~~~~~~

Happy Halloween!

Ahhh, things are going down, and it seems like some of the residents of Gensokyo are rather quick to notice. Guess it can't be helped when they're literally going out of their way to try to 'distract' our friendly neighborhood overpowered Touhou characters.

Did they really think that they stood a chance? Well, people tend not to do much 'thinking' when they've been whipped up into a frenzy and told 'this is how you save your world.'

And now, because of that, we see some Incident Resolvers begin to converge on the Village.

On another note, I don't think Sekibanki and Mystia have ever interacted in canon before. However, I think Mystia wouldn't be too different than the other people Sekibanki hangs out with, and Mystia would probably have a little fun with someone who can bite back a little in banter. Heck, I just think Mystia would be a neat addition to the Grassroots Youkai Network.

And, of course, they both feel as though they owe a little bit of a debt to Eric in their own ways. Not that he would ever think of it that way or try to 'collect' that debt. Still, that is why I could see them both sticking around and keeping his cafe safe under their watch.

I say that Eric is really not a fighter at heart, nor is he really all that good at it. However, some of that may just be his own estimation of himself. He's actually pretty quick to learn, and with all of the training that Alice has been throwing his way the past month or so, he's started to pick up on things like getting a better 'battle sense.'

Is he 'good' at fighting yet? Probably not. Is it enough to come out on top when pitted against someone who's sloppy and desperate? Yeah. Though, as we can see, he's not without mistakes.

The important thing to know is that he can fight and that he can win under reasonable circumstances. Cultivating power and ability is a long process, and he's finally starting to see himself make progress that can be applied practically.

Anyways, I'll stop rambling here. And, I'll leave you with questions.

How is Alice actually doing in all of this? What does the brick through the window mean for Tradition's End? What will the fires do to a drought-stricken Gensokyo? Can Eric actually get to Alice's house given the circumstances?

Thank you for reading! Comment or review if you want! Have a good day!