Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A girl dodged away from a fireball, dashing over the cobblestones. She was perhaps twelve years old, with long purple hair and the outfit of a shrine maiden. Another fireball flew past, and the girl swung out her staff to deflect it, paper tassels fluttering but not burning. 

"Excellent, my lady!" 

The girl's opponent was a large turtle, with long white beard and eyebrows. He flew, legs tucked in and jets of flame shooting from the gaps in his shell, letting him soar through the air and dodge a handful of thrown retaliatory needles from the girl. He opened his mouth, his throat glowing orange with flame as he charged up and launched a third fireball. The girl jumped back, pointing forward. "Block it!"

A red and white mottled cat sprinted up from behind her, leaping into the air and curling up on itself. The fireball struck, but instead of hitting a cat, it hit a crystalline sphere, red and white patterned in a yin-yang. The Orb fell back down, shifting into a cat again and running over to follow after the girl as she ran.

"Very good! Now, something more difficult!" 

Once again the turtle's mouth glowed orange, but this time he breathed out a continuous jet of flame. The cat jumped instinctively, once again shifting into Orb from, but the fire curled around it, reaching past to lick at the girl. For a moment, the girl’s eyes widened in panic- was the fire orange, or blue? Could she see the form of a green-haired ghost woman, blue flames in her hand as she laughed? But she shook her head, jumping back and raising a hand to the Orb. “Split!”

The Orb complied, splitting in four identical copies. She waved her hand, and they spun around each other, stirring up the air and blowing the flames away. The girl sprinted forward, leaping into the air and delivering a sharp kick to one, sending it rocketing back up towards the turtle, scoring an audible hit on his durable shell.

“Excellent work, Lady Hakurei!” The flames cut off, as the turtle descended, no worse-for-wear from the hit, his shell protecting him even from the potent anti-Youkai charms. 

Reimu Hakurei smiled, as the Orb recombined, then shifted into cat form to purr at her feet. She knelt to pet it. “Thank you, Genjii.”

“Of course, my lady. After all, you’re not the only one to benefit here. It feels good to practice again.” Genjii sighed, stretching as much as his stumpy legs would allow. “And against someone who isn’t joking about making me into soup, no less.”

Reimu nodded. In the months since Mima’s return, and the near-destruction of the Shrine, hardly a week had gone by without one of the ghost’s minions stopping by to challenge Reimu to a fight. The crazy engineer, Rika, who would show up with dozens of robots and whatever new weapon she’d created, claiming she was practicing for her “inevitable takeover of Kappatown”. The quiet samurai girl Meira, who despite her glares, wouldn’t fight Reimu unless she felt Reimu could fight at maximum power, even once shoving her way into the shrine and practically ordering Reimu at swordpoint to get some rest on a day she had a slight case of sniffles. Marisa, the tiny witch, who more than the others, seemed to despise Reimu for herself, not for any association with Orbs or previous defeats. While Rika could usually contain her destructive impulses, even setting up devices to stop stray blasts from causing collateral damage, and where Meira treated Reimu more as a training partner than anything, Marisa boiled with hatred. She’d twice tried to tie Reimu up, once managing to throw her onto the wood pile behind the shrine and would have set her ablaze if Meira hadn’t shown up to stop her. She’d set traps around the shrine, on alternate occasions leaving Reimu covered in stinky goo, fallen into a pit, dangling by her leg from a tree over several metal spikes. When they fought, Marisa didn’t pull her punches- Where Meira would pause to let Reimu catch her breath, and Rika would happily give Reimu a break if it meant she could gloat or rant, Marisa wouldn’t let up until Reimu either defeated her, or either Rika or Meira dragged her away. In all honesty, one of the reasons Reimu hadn’t tried to seal Mima again was fear of how Marisa would react to her master’s disappearance. 

"My lady?" 

Reimu blinked and looked up. "Sorry?"

"You seem a bit distracted, that's all."

Reimu shrugged. "Just thinking." 

"Mima and her followers?"

Reimu nodded. "I'm not really sure what to do about them."

"Assuming there is anything to do about them, of course. So far they haven't been in too much trouble. A bit overly aggressive, for sure, but nowhere as bad as some I've seen.”

“Even Marisa?”

Genjii thought for a moment. “Perhaps not Marisa. But I recall, your mother would occasionally have fights with her friends.”

“I don’t know that I’d call them my friends…” The sad thing was though, in some ways they were the closest thing Reimu had to friends. She let out a sigh.

Genjii frowned, and padded over to her. “I have an idea, my lady. Would you like to meet one of your mother’s friends?”

Reimu looked at him. “Hm?”

“I’m fairly certain Lady Kotohime is still alive. She wasn’t that much older than Lady Izumi was. She was a good friend."

Reimu started to say yes, but paused. “Why haven’t I met her, then?”

“I can’t say for sure. Perhaps she has just been busy. I understand she’s taken a role protecting the Human Village."

"Huh." Reimu shrugged. "We can meet her then, that should be fun."

Chapter Text

Rikako Asakura knew she was going to have a bad day the moment she awoke to the sound of clanks and clattering.

Rikako yawned, scooping up her glasses and blinking to bring the world back into focus. She brushed aside her long violet hair, wincing against the bright morning sun. How damn early was it? Too early, if it wasn't at least noon.

Rikako was what was colloquially known as a "Magician Youkai ''. Fundamentally, she was indistinguishable from a Human beyond an extended life- even her violet hair and eyes, while hardly common, were possible for Humans with sufficient magic in their ancestry. She had no horns, no wings, no nictitating membranes, but she had a knack for magic, beyond the natural magic of her fellow species. For example, the silencing spell she had placed on her home shortly after moving to Kappatown.

Rikako made her way to the window, shooting a glare down at the handful of Kappa outside. Kappa had no concept of "quiet hours", and would quite happily bang on their machines and metal at all hours of the day. Her silencer spell had worked well, only needing her to replace the reagents she'd used every six months. But she'd done so only two months ago. 

Rikako turned her eyes to a wooden box glued to the side of the windowsill. She reached to grab it, then froze. She closed her eyes and concentrated. She had to do this properly . She turned back to the bed, pulling out a book from under her pillow and opened it up, flipping to the appropriate page.

"Observation- My silencer spell seems to have failed." She glanced at the box again. "Hypothesis- the reagents have gone bad early. Experiment, open it up and check."

Ritual performed, Rikako popped open the little box. To her surprise, everything was intact. The cotton balls hadn’t carbonized as though dropped in acid, the tiny bits of wax hadn’t burned away, even the ink on the paper slip that controlled the spell was nearly as dark as the day she’d created it. 

There came another sound of clanking, followed by a mumbled curse. Rikako glanced out the window again- she could see the Kappa down below holding a heated argument, but she could tell from the view that it didn’t match the sounds she was hearing. She glanced over her shoulder, towards the front of her small home. “Conclusion… the sound is coming from inside.”

Rikako gritted her teeth, closing up her book and grabbing her coat- knee length, white, and more importantly, containing pouches and pockets full of reagents for every spell she knew. She dug into one, pulling out a pinch of iron filings, and let out a breath. Then, book still tucked under her arm, she stepped into the other room, ready to confront the intruder.

“Oops, did I wake you, Rik? Sorry!”

Rikako blinked, faltering as she caught sight of the woman staring at her. Blonde hair in two pigtails, wearing a white and red sailor outfit. Human by the smell of her, though there was something off that Rikako couldn't place. The girl paused, tilting her head. "You look like hell, Asakura. I keep telling you, you can't stay up all night with that book. Just because you ain't human doesn't mean you can neglect your body!" 

Rikako just stared as the girl turned back to the source of the noises- she'd apparently been making breakfast, Rikako's kitchen a small mess as the blonde scurried around. Her eyes went wide as the girl made a beeline for one shelf, pressing a hidden lever and pulling out Rikako's secret stash of Outsider coffee, bought off the black market. "Here, this should get your brain working again. Now where'd the siphon get to?" 

Rikako shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. How did she get in here? I didn't get drunk again, did I? Even if I did, she's way too young to be bringing home. The girl didn't look more than a teenager.

"Here, just like you like it!" 

Rikako was brought out of thought as the girl shoved a mug of coffee into her hands. She grinned up at Rikako. "You'll feel better when you get some caffeine in ya. And breakfast, I'm almost done with that, too." 

"Who are you?" 

The girl paused, half-turned back towards the food. "Ha ha, good joke. Hurry up and get caffeinated."

There wasn't much humor to that response, but even as Rikako drank her coffee- which was indeed, just as she liked- she had no clue who the girl was. She frowned, meeting the girl's eyes as she turned back carrying a tray of bowls. The blonde frowned as well. "Rikako?"

"When did we first meet?"

"What?"

"I don't know you, or at least, I can't remember." 

The girl took a step back, eyes widening. "I… what ? How? It's me, Rikako! Chiyuri! We met the same time you got that book!" She set down the tray and pointed at the book under Rikako's arm. "That second-hand shop in the Human Village. You were looking at the books, and we bumped into each other."

Rikako frowned, pulling out the book and trying to remember. The book was the same as it had always been- a somewhat tattered, though still legible Outsider textbook, titled A Beginner's Guide to Science . She remembered finding the book on a shelf at Mr. Kirisame's shop, taking it home and reading it from cover to cover. But she didn't remember meeting anyone there, certainly not this Chiyuri. 

Rikako shook her head. "I'm sorry. I don't remember."

Chiyuri seemed to wither. "Rikako…"

“I can’t explain it. But you clearly know me…” Rikako opened up her book to the appropriate page. “Observation- I don’t remember my friend Chiyuri, but she remembers me. Hypothesis- Something has happened to my memories. Experiment…” Rikako frowned, thinking. “I suppose we try to jog them?”

“Seems reasonable to me. Well, as reasonable as things can be, when you treat that book like a religious text.” Chiyuri grinned even as Rikako glared at her. “Seriously, you don’t need to recite, it’s not a litany!”

Rikako closed the book. “That may be, but science is a process. Too many magicians treat magic as merely something that happens, even as they practice it. By taking the scientific method as my approach, I will prove myself the superior magician.”

Chiyuri snorted, but didn’t seem displeased, instead grinning. “This is so like you, Rik. Anyway, where do we start, oh superior magician?”

Rikako tapped her chin. “I suppose we find places of mutual memories. Things that are significant.”

“Well, we’ve done a lot of experiments together around Kappatown, but if you want something really significant, well…” Chiyuri craned her head back. “Human Village is that way. Wanna see if they have more textbooks for children?”

Rikako glanced down at her textbook again. She opened it up, thumbing through the pages. There were notes written in the margins, some from her, some from whatever Outsider child had originally owned it. “I think… I think that would make sense.” Rikako closed the book, and looked to meet Chiyuri’s eyes. “I can’t remember, can you fly?”

“Rocket pack, same as you.”

Rikako nodded. “We’ll eat, and head over right away. I think Mr. Kirisame’s shop opens fairly early.” She closed her eyes and let out a yawn. “And I think I’m going to need more coffee, if we’re going at this ungodly hour.”

Chapter Text

Kana closed her eyes and turned invisible. Around her, plates, bowls, and cups began to rise into the air. Telekinesis came easy to a Poltergeist like herself, though it took practice to get as precise with it as she was.

Indeed, not a drop was spilled as she guided breakfast into the dining room, through the door from the kitchen and sliding neatly in front of each member of the family- Lord Anaberal, his wife, and two children. No thanks were given, of course- one didn't thank the oven for cooking the meal. Why should the house Poltergeist be any different? 

Kana flicked back into visibility the moment she exited the dining room. The cook barely glanced at her, and internally Kana seethed. There was a time when Kana had been scary- a mysterious force that haunted Anaberal Manor. When neither staff or family could go a step without fear of a prank- a skirt yanked down, tripping on nothing, tea splashing out of a cup and into their lap… 

Kana flinched as she felt herself being choked. She hastily cleared her mind before the pain could get worse. She let out a breath, trying to focus. The man Lord Anaberal had hired to seal her must have been a sadist, to not only force her to obey Lord Anaberal’s wishes, but to cause her pain just thinking about pranking. Even harmless pranks, the sort that would have seen the victim laughing as we- 

This time Kana nearly cried out as she was choked, and even then she couldn’t help gasping. The cook turned, giving her a look Kana couldn’t quite interpret. Kana turned away, flickering invisible in shame. Focus on something else. Focus on something else…

But that was hard to do. Kana had been alive for just over half a year now, most of which had been in service to Lord Anaberal. Two months of relative freedom. She wasn’t able to leave the manor of course, but she’d been free to do as she liked then. Now, though, it was all commands. “Clean the room, Kana.” “Carry these plates, Kana.” “You must stay invisible whenever there’s a chance the family may see you, Kana.”

What’s the point of dressing me as a maid, if I’m supposed to stay out of view, anyway ? Kana ran her hands through her shoulder-length blonde hair, then brushed off her blue uniform. At least that thought, of questioning Lord Anaberal’s sense, didn’t cause her pain. Recomposed, she flicked visible again.

"Are you alright, Kana?" The cook touched Kana on the arm.

"I am fine." Kana pulled away, glancing back towards the dining room. "Master will be wanting more tea, I should-" 

The cook grabbed her arm. "You should step outside and take a moment. I will handle his lordship for now."

Kana nodded in thanks, then made for the door outside. She stepped through, closing her eyes and letting sunlight pour down on her for a moment. She wasn't off the manor property, of course- she had been bound to the house, even without the seal that made her obedient, but she could at least step into the inner courtyard.

Kana stretched out her arms, breathing deep. She had to be careful, of course- eventually Lord Anaberal would question where she'd gone. Still, she couldn't help but hop into the air, floating to the roof. She didn't seem to have any limit as to how high she could fly, within the roughly rectangular patch of land that constituted the manor property, and the roof was perhaps the most free she could feel any more. So long as she wasn't up here long enough to draw suspicion, of course, but Kana could lie out in the sun for a few minutes. 

Even on the outskirts as the manor was, Kana could hear the Human Village waking up, carts and merchants on the move. A woman with short red hair was riding a horse on the street below, several bags strapped on her mount's side. Kana sat up, watching as the woman sorted through her mail, before sliding a handful of envelopes into the postbox. 

Kana stood and stretched, before flicking invisible and hopping down from the roof. She supposed she should get the mail now it had arrived, which meant break time was over for the moment. She landed gently, ducking behind a bush before turning visible again. That in the process she managed to surprise the mailwoman was a coincidence, of course, since pranking was forbidden. Kana bit back a smirk, nonetheless, instead giving a polite bow of thanks to the mailwoman before examining the postbox. Behind her, the post woman started climbing back onto her horse, before pausing as another woman turned the corner and started to wave. "Seki!"

The other woman had long, curly, blonde hair and a red and white dress. She ran over and practically jumped onto the mailwoman in a hug, causing her to choke and step back. “Ellen, I’m working!”

“Not much longer now, though!” The blonde, Ellen, poked a hand into one of the horse’s side bags. “Looks like this is your last delivery. Which is great, it means you can give me moral support!”

“Ellen-”

The red-haired woman shoved Ellen away, but the blonde had already turned towards Kana. “You! Are you the mistress of the house?”

Kana blinked, stared down at her uniform, then back at the blonde. "Do I look like the mistress of the house?"

"I prefer not to make judgements based on one's fashion choices. If I did, I wouldn't be friends with Sekibanki!" 

The red-head glared, adjusting her capelet before turning towards her horse, though Ellen shot out a hand and grabbed her wrist. "I'm guessing by your tone though, you aren't. So if you don't mind, would you inform whoever is in charge they have a visitor, please?"

"Who should I say is calling?"

Ellen grinned and twirled. "Only Fluffy Ellen, the greatest magician this side of Genbu Ravine!" There was a meow, and a white cat poked its head out of Ellen's mass of curls. "Oh, and Sokrates, of course!"

Kana blinked, as the woman held her pose. After a few seconds, she sighed and turned. "I will inform Master Anaberal."

"Thank you!"

Kana opened the front door and reentered the house. As she walked, she flicked invisible, pulled out a pad of paper and pencil from her uniform, and scribbled down Ellen's name and a brief explanation. She folded the note into a paper airplane, and a short burst of telekinetic power sent it zipping into the dining room to unfold itself in front of Master Anaberal. The man paused his meal, reading it over, before glancing aside and sending Kana a brief nod. 

Another silly rule… it would be easier for us both to just let me tell him. But Kana didn't complain, just turning around and heading back to the front door. 

"You're making a mistake, Ellen." The mailwoman hadn't left yet, it seemed, as Kana approached, still invisible. "I've heard things about this guy."

"You've heard a lot of things, Seki. Some of them less true than others. I'll be fine . People know me in this town."

"You say that, El, but you're drawing attention to yourself."

"Said the pot to the kettle."

Kana flicked back into visibility right between the two, causing them to yelp and jump back. "Lord Anaberal will see you now."

Ellen shot a grin at Sekibanki. "See? This is the good kind of attention." She slipped her arm into Kana's. "Lead the way!"

Kana stared down at the arm, before leading Ellen inside. She pulled her arm free just before reaching the dining room, then flicked invisible. Ellen stared in confusion for a moment, before stepping inside. The rest of the family had left, leaving only Lord Anaberal idling over his meal. Ellen smiled, stepping forward. "Good morning!"

"Yes, good morning." Lord Anaberal didn't bother standing. "Ms. Ellen, was it?"

"Indeed!" Ellen curtsied, her cat hopping down from her hair and giving a four-legged bow. "And I'm here to offer you an investment opportunity you won't want to miss out on!"

“Indeed.” Lord Anaberal narrowed his eyes. “This wouldn’t happen to be that ‘Amway’ thing I’ve heard some former Outsiders in the market tell of?”

“Oh, not at all!” Ellen reached into a pocket, digging around for something, before her cat bumped its head into her ankle with a notebook in its mouth. Ellen knelt down and took it. “You see, as one of the foremost Magicians in Gensokyo, I provide a number of goods and services to the public- charms, potions, spells performed for those without the skill or ability to do so, that sort of thing. However, I currently work on a person-to-person basis, making house calls and relying on word of mouth for advertising. By creating a shop in the middle of the Human Village, I can centralize and expand my operations!” 

“Indeed?” Lord Anaberal quirked an eyebrow. "And where would you say you are in preparations?"

Ellen held up the notebook. "Quite far! While I'm a bit limited in how much stock I can create for now, I have contacts for supplies ready. I'm in talks for purchasing a location just off the main road, close enough for ease of access without costing overly much. I also have a friend in the village council who says she can fast-track my business application, as well as any entry permits I may need. And of course, I have my secret weapon, something that no one else in Gensokyo has for sale." Ellen's cat meowed. "Indeed, all I need is the funds to purchase the building, and I expect you'll be seeing returns within the month!"

Kana snuck invisibly behind Ellen, peering over her shoulder to try and read her notes. She couldn't quite understand the woman's scrawl, not with her bouncing around, but a glance at Lord Anaberal showed him with his hand on his chin, apparently in thought. "I will need to see your figures, of course. And what do you mean, in regards to entry permits?" 

Ellen flipped to another page in her notebook, then set it on the table. "Some of my products involve processes and materials dependent on Youkai- spells and abilities, but also some reagents. For convenience and cost savings, it will be worthwhile to allow Youkai to come to me , rather than seeking them out." 

Lord Anaberal's eyes narrowed. “You’re talking of letting more Youkai in?”

Ellen nodded. "They would of course be vetted by me, even before applying for the permits, but I would be vetting any Human employees too, wouldn't I? That's how hiring works! And that's without getting into the economic benefits of bringing people in from outside the village, increasing the amount of potential consumers for everyone else-"

"-Ms. Ellen." Lord Anaberal held up a hand, and Kana instinctively stepped back. “It seems that you’ve well thought out your endeavor. However, I’m afraid I have no interest in funding it at this time.”

Ellen stepped back, eyes wide. “I…” Her cat meowed, and she looked down at it, before sighing. “I understand. Thank you for your time, Lord Anaberal. I will see myself out.”

“Very well.” The man had turned back to his meal only seconds later, not even acknowledging as Ellen and her cat bowed. Kana stood to the side, watching her go. She started to follow, only to catch sight of something on the table- Ellen’s notebook, forgotten. Lord Anaberal finished sipping his tea, then picked up the notebook, turning to the still invisible Kana. “Dispose of this. Get it out of my house.” 

Kana checked to make sure they were alone, then turned visible. Lord Anaberal handed her the book as she bowed. For a moment, Lord Anaberal stared at Kana, before turning away and growling “Get out of my sight.” 

Kana immediately flicked invisible, half by her master’s command, half her own desire to avoid him. The book stayed visible in the air, until she shoved it in her pocket. With a sigh, she left the room, heading for the kitchen. 

Kana flicked into visibility the moment she entered and pulled the book out. The cook was busy working on the dishes, now that breakfast was over, and didn’t bother to glance as Kana idly thumbed through the messy scrawl of Ellen’s writing. What to do with it? Toss it in the fire, maybe?

Kana glanced towards the door to the courtyard, a thought springing to mind. Ellen couldn’t have gotten far, right? She could use the excuse to get some more time out of the house. Kana nodded to herself, shoved the book into her pocket again, then flicked invisible and ran outside. A quick hop and hover took her back up to the roof, where she’d laid only minutes before. She quickly scanned the street- Ellen and the mailwoman were indeed still nearby. Kana hopped down from the roof, opened her mouth to shout as she ran towards them, only to slam face-first into an invisible wall. She yelped, flicking back into visibility as she landed on her butt. Ellen and the mailwoman didn't seem to notice, and as Kana picked herself up, the pair went around a corner and out of sight.

Kana gritted her teeth. So close… She pressed her hands against the invisible barrier. It wasn't fair! Trapped in this household, forced to work as a maid, she hadn't chosen to manifest here! She slapped her hands down, eyes closed. "All I want…" 

slam 

"Is to return the stupid book…"

slam  

"To stupid Ellen!"

Kana brought her hands down, but they didn't slam this time- instead, it felt like she'd shoved them into gelatin, light burning on her fingertips. She tried to pull them back, but she was sucked forward, through the barrier. Harsh white light glowed around her as she passed through, covering her in an unpleasant sticky feeling, but a few seconds later, Kana landed face-first on the ground, just past the property line. 

Kana let out a groan of pain, instinctively flicking invisible. She sat up, scooping up the fallen book and staring back at the house. She’d gotten past the property line. She stood, experimentally reaching towards the house, only to find the barrier intact- whatever force had gotten her through it was gone, leaving a solid invisible wall.

Kana frowned, but after a moment, shook her head. She couldn’t explain it, but she wasn’t going to turn down a gift like this. For the first time since Lord Anaberal had sealed her- no, since the first time she’d been born, really- she was free.

Kana slid Ellen’s book into her pocket, and started chasing after the blonde.

Chapter Text

Narumi Yatadera let out a breath. "Remember what Ms. Orange said… Be friendly. Make friends. Start with the person who gave you your hat." She closed her eyes, breathed in, and knocked on the door.

Narumi hadn't been alive for very long. She had been, up until recently, an inanimate Jizou statue along a path going through the Forest of Magic. Of course, the trouble with being in the Forest, or anywhere with that much magic around, was that inanimate statues didn't tend to stay that way, and one day Narumi woke up to find herself made of flesh- black hair in two long braids, a dress textured like the gray stone she'd once been made of, and being poked by a representative of the Youkai Grassroots Network. 

Narumi stepped back from the door, frowning. She was standing in front of a castle in the middle of a clearing, old and worn but not abandoned. Someone had put a hat on her shortly before she Transcended into a living being, and while she couldn't say if the hat was why she was alive now, she figured it would at least be polite to say thanks. The Grassroots Network woman, Orange, had been kind enough to give her some advice, and with any luck, Narumi would be making a friend today.

Narumi knocked again, trying to listen for any response. Nothing. Maybe they lived somewhere else? With a sigh, Narumi turned to go, only to stop and yelp as she nearly bumped into someone- a woman with green hair and blue robes, with a matching pointy cap and a silver staff slung over her shoulder. She seemed to be slightly transparent, all except the hand holding the staff, and her bright green eyes.

"Looking for something, child?" The green-haired woman smirked, leaning in close to Narumi. Narumi took a step back, but the green-haired woman followed, her grin mere inches from Narumi's nose. 

"I'm looking for someone…" Narumi took another step back and bumped into the door. Her hat was knocked off her head, but she grabbed it before it could fall, holding it to her chest like a shield. "Marisa Kirisame? Someone gave me a hat and there was a tag in it with her name."

"Really…" The woman's grin widened, and she grabbed Narumi by the shoulder, causing her to flinch. "I think I can help with that." Before Narumi could speak, she was being shoved through the door and into the castle, the green-haired woman tugging her along. She was led into a small room where a trio of Human girls were eating. Narumi's instincts flared at the sight of the children, as the woman pushed past her. "Marisa, you absolute goober! Didn't I warn you about teenage pregnancy?"

One of the girls shot up as though burned- she was short, with red hair and violet robes, with a matching oversized pointed hat. "You said not to do it, Lady Mima!"

The green-haired woman, Mima, grinned, and pulled Narumi forward. "Explain her , then." 

Narumi blushed and tried to shrink back, as Marisa stared, glancing between Narumi and her still-held hat. "I blame Rika.”

“Hey!” One of the other girls, a stocky girl with a pair of chestnut braids similar to Narumi’s black ones, glared across the table at Marisa. The third girl, tall and lean with a violet ponytail, sat back and sipped at a cup of tea, rolling her eyes as the others squabbled. 

Mima shook her head, grabbed Narumi’s shoulder, shoving her down. “Have a seat, kid.”

Narumi flinched, and tried to pull away. “I really should be going, I just wanted to say thank you for the hat…”

“Nah, don’t be like that. What kinda person would I be if I didn’t offer some hospitality?” Mima grinned, and Narumi flinched again, staring into the woman’s glowing green eyes.

Marisa and Rika had reached across the table to grab each other, but they let go and turned to stare as Narumi sat. Rika frowned, before grabbing one of Narumi’s braids, comparing it to her own. Narumi yanked it away, flinching back. “I… I really should be going…”

“How long have you been alive?” Marisa leaned forward, uncomfortably close as she stared right in Narumi’s face. 

“J-just a week.” Narumi tried to scoot back, only to bump into something. She glanced up- Mima was standing right behind her, leaning on a metal staff. 

“Can’t have been my fault, then. I left the hat like a month ago.” Marisa backed off, pointing at Rika again. “See, I told you it was Rika’s fault! She probably crashed one of her machines in the forest and didn’t tell anyone, and now there’s friggin’ radioactive goo or something all over. Next thing ya know, we’re gonna have a bunch of mutant reptiles at our door demanding ninja lessons.”

“Don’t be absurd, Marisa.” Mima snorted back a laugh. “Everyone knows that exposing reptiles to radiation makes them giant and hungry for skyscrapers.”

Narumi stared in confusion, as across the table the third girl let out a sigh. She met Narumi’s eyes, a brief look of apology on her face before she stood. “I’m heading out. I have Hakurei duty today.”

“Sit down, Meira, Hakurei can wait.” Mima pointed her staff at the third girl, who sighed again and sat. “We’ve got a brand new Youkai here. And even if giving her a hat didn’t immediately cause her Transcension, it certainly sped it up. Gotta take responsibility, Marisa!”

Narumi tried to scooch away again. This was all too much… “I… I’m fine. I can handle myself…”

“Oh yeah?” Mima leaned over Narumi, prompting a squeak as the ghost’s face appeared upside down in her vision. “Let me guess, some doofus from the Grassroots Network found you. Gave you the basics.”

“...yes?”

“Welcome to life, you can read and speak the language of the land you were born in, you don’t need to eat but it doesn’t hurt and feels good, and don’t spook the Humans too much or they’ll do another Restoration on your ass.”

Narumi hadn’t actually gotten the part about eating, nor was she sure what a “Restoration” was, though she had been told to not be too aggressive with any humans she chose to terrorize. Not that she really felt the need to terrorize- she was a Jizou, meant to protect travelers and children. Still, she gave a brief nod. Let me leave, let me leave, let me leave…

“They tell you how to sneak into the Human Village?”

Narumi shook her head, and Mima grinned. “How about spells? Any spells to protect yourself? There’s some nasty beasties in that forest.”

“...no?”

“Not anything? Energy bullets, lazers, that sort of thing.” Another head shake. “See, this is why the Network is a bunch of idiots. Why bother with the whole ‘Weak Youkai banding together for protection’ thing if they’re gonna throw ya to the literal wolves?” Mima stood, grabbing Narumi by the shoulder and yanking her up. “Field trip time, kids! Narumi needs to learn some life lessons."

“Are we going to the moon? You promised me we’d visit and blow things up.” Rika leaned forward, a mad glint in her eye. 

“Now, now, patience. One must crawl before they can walk, and it’s been a while since I’ve been to the Human Village anyway.” 

Marisa went pale beside Narumi. “The Human Village?”

“Oh yes. It’s the hip and exciting place all the cool cats hang out at.” Mima grinned. “I seem to remember you’re from there, aren’t you Marisa?”

“I-”

“Great! You’re Narumi’s partner for the trip.” Mima whirled around, staff over her shoulder. “We’re leaving in ten minutes! No Rika, you can’t take the Sigma, we’re going to be on our best behavior. No explosions.”

Rika scowled as Mima left the room, but she didn’t say anything, even as she and Meira exited. Narumi held still, shooting a nervous glance at the door. Could she make a break for it? 

Marisa’s hand landed on Narumi’s shoulder, causing her to flinch. The tiny witch stared at her. “So, um…”

Narumi didn’t think the girl would be able to hold her if she ran. And yet… something about how Marisa was looking at her was engaging her protective instincts. “What is it?”

Marisa opened her mouth, then froze, before looking away. “Nothin’.” She let go, turning around. “Do you need anything? We probably have some extra clothes that might fit, Meira keeps getting taller every time we look away.”

“I’m fine.” Narumi paused as Marisa left the room, torn between escape and her instincts. With a sigh, she stood up and followed Marisa. She couldn’t pretend Mima didn’t terrify her, but at the very least, surely a woman who took care of three teens couldn’t be too bad, right?

Chapter Text

The Human Village was a short distance away by flight, Reimu riding on Genjii’s shell. Really, it had taken longer for her to find something to go over her shrine maiden uniform- Genjii always insisted that Reimu keep quiet about her identity during shopping trips. It made for a lonely life, but Reimu supposed she understood his reasoning a bit more after the last few months. Despite all the fighting, Mima had apparently insisted that her minions never do anything to permanently harm her. Reimu had heard Meira say as much, on the day she'd arrived in time to stop Marisa from incinerating her. Reimu was too vital to the continued existence of Gensokyo to risk, and Mima was smart enough to know that. That said, if someone else decided they didn't care, or felt they could gain something by holding her (and by extension, the entire land) hostage…

"Halt!" 

Genjii had descended as they approached the village, landing in front of a gate through the wooden wall surrounding it. Two guards stood before them, each with a long pike. "Youkai are forbidden from entering without a pass proving trustworthiness."

"Of course, of course." Genjii craned his head back, neatly plucking a framed certificate from his shellbag with his beak, then presenting it. "My ward is completely Human, of course."

"Of course." The guard examined Genjii's pass, then stepped aside, waving them both through. "You may enter. If you need to visit the residential quarter, your ward will have to go alone- Youkai are not permitted."

"Of course. Have a good day!"

The guard nodded to the two of them as they passed through into the village boundaries. As soon as they were out of earshot, Genjii let out a sigh. "There are some days, my lady, I envy the humanoid form of my Kappa and Yamawaro cousins. How nice it would be, to just lie and enter without issue… “ Genjii shrugged. “Alas, things are what they are. Though they are getting better.” 

Genjii nodded as a woman on horseback galloped past, short red hair and matching cape contrasting with her black steed. “Her, for example. I have it on good authority that she’s a Rokurokubi. She hides her nature in order to keep her job delivering the post, but I have no doubt there are several in the village who know, and don’t care. Things can improve with time, my lady.”

Reimu nodded. She couldn’t say how sure she was about Genjii’s words, but she supposed he was probably right, or at least she hoped he was. 

They entered the village proper, and Reimu hopped off Genjii’s back to walk beside him. “So, where do we find Kotohime?” 

“I’m not sure. That said, given her role protecting the village she shouldn’t be hard to spot if we find a place to wait in a central location.”

Reimu’s eyes brightened. “Like that cafe on Battlefield Square with the cake I like?” 

"Erm, my lady, don't you think it's a bit early in the day for cake?"

But Reimu was already running, her Orb following behind in cat form. "I'll meet you there!"

"My lady!"

Reimu didn’t stop, however, instead letting out a laugh as she ran, the cat meowing behind her. It wasn’t often she left the shrine, and while she could certainly understand Genjii’s caution, one didn’t have to scream “I’m Reimu Hakurei! I’m the lynchpin that keeps Gensokyo running! Someone take me hostage!” in order to have a bit of fun. 

There wasn’t much of a crowd in the streets yet, Reimu and Genjii had gotten up early to spar, and the flight over hadn’t taken long. Still, there were enough people around that Reimu had to take care as she ran. She knew the village well enough to know where she was going- Battlefield Square was the largest open area in the village, once the site of some great Pre-Gensokyan battle, now a place where market stands and entertainers would pop up without warning one day, only to vanish the next. Indeed, as Reimu approached she spotted a few people erecting glass walls around a large portion of the square. Reimu frowned, trying to figure out what they were for, which is how she ended up colliding with someone.

“Oof!”

Reimu fell down, as did the other girl. She was painfully skinny, with long matted blue hair and ragged clothing. She cringed slightly as Reimu got back to her feet. “Sorry…”

“No, it’s my fault, I wasn’t looking where I was going.” Reimu knelt to help the girl up. “Are you alright?” 

“I’m fine…” The girl took Reimu’s hand, though she seemed a bit reluctant to take it. She stood, seeming to shrink down a bit as she stood, as though she didn’t want to be seen. Her stomach growled, causing her to blush slightly.  “I… I don’t suppose you have any food?”

Reimu shook her head. “No, but I can probably get you something, if you just-” Reimu frowned, digging in her sleeve pouches, but her coin purse was missing. Behind her, her cat hissed, and Reimu whirled around, just in time to catch sight of a girl with similar features to the blue-haired girl, but with short orange hair and covered in costume jewelry. In her hand, sparkling with fake gems and painted gold, she held Reimu’s coin purse. 

The orange-haired girl’s eyes widened, then shifted to glare at the blue-haired girl. “You’re supposed to keep her distracted , Shion!”

“I’m sorry!” The other girl flinched back, as Reimu glanced at her, then back at her friend. 

“Khh, cheese it! She doesn't have much anyway!” The girl turned and sprinted off. Reimu sprinted after her, as did Shion. Reimu lowered her hand, and her cat jumped into it. Reimu hefted it into the air, and the cat shifted neatly into Orb form, just in time for Reimu to deliver a kick that sent it rocketing at the orange-haired thief. The girl went down with a scream, Reimu's coin purse and fake gems scattering across the ground.

"Joon!" Shion shot past Reimu, hovering over the ground. Reimu slowed, her Orb shifting back to cat-form and running back to her as the blue-haired girl knelt to check on her friend, who lay groaning in pain. "Joon…"

Reimu stepped back as Shion's demeanor changed, quiet submission swapping for burning hate. Her hair seemed to catch fire, glowing with blue flames, oily black smoke pouring off the girl's form. Reimu stepped back again- she could feel negative energy boiling off the girl, a zone of bad luck and misfortune growing. Her cat hissed, before leaping into the air, shifting back to Orb form and splitting into four, orbiting around Reimu. Reimu gritted her teeth, and threw her hand forward to launch off a round of needles at Shion, Shion raising her arms and blasting out a wave of black smoke.

But neither attack made it to their foes, as a  translucent violet wall suddenly sprung up between them, their attacks bouncing off harmlessly. "That's enough, you two!"

Reimu turned to look at the speaker, as did Shion. A woman in a violet kimono decorated with pink flowers stood a short distance away, one hand raised and violet sparks trailing over her fingers. She looked to be in her late thirties, with long red hair pulled into a ponytail. On the other side of the barrier, Shion’s fury drained away, as did the flames and smoke, leaving her cringing back. “L-Lady Kotohime…”

Reimu’s eyes widened, as Kotohime strolled forward, the barrier disappearing as she approached Shion. “I told you two before, if you’re gonna sneak in, you need to behave yourself.”

“Sorry…”

Joon managed to sit up, eyes sparking. “ Behave ourselves? You mean to deny our own existence .”

Kotohime rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, you’re the godly embodiments of plague and poverty. That doesn’t mean you get to go around being jerks to everyone. Or if you do , then you have no right to complain when people get mad about it and fight back.”

Joon stood, growling. “This is discrimination!”

“Discrimination would mean I blew you up just for being you, not for being assholes- much less not blowing you up and giving you a chance to better yourselves.” Kotohime stepped forward. “Look, I know you can be better than this. Just leave, take a month to grow the hell up, and then maybe we can work something out, yeah?"

“No! Curse her, Shion!” Joon pointed forward, as Shion shook herself and caught fire again, black smoke and negative aura returning. 

Reimu stepped forward, Orbs at the ready, but Kotohime sighed and lifted her hand. Another barrier formed, this one beneath Joon and Shion, who barely had a chance to scream as Kotohime flicked her hand, and the barrier catapulted them both into the distance beyond the village palisade.

"What a waste…" Kotohime sighed, before turning to Reimu. "As for you, fighting in the village limits is frowned upo-" She froze, staring with confusion at Reimu's Orbs. "Izumi?"

Reimu shook her head, as the Orbs fused back into one, then shifted back into cat form. Kotohime frowned, before her eyes widened. " Reimu? "

Reimu nodded, and before she could blink she found herself being embraced. The woman had knelt, her chin on Reimu's shoulder. "It's so good to see you again, Reimu…"

Reimu paused, before hugging back. She had no clue why Kotohime was reacting like this, but she supposed it wasn't the worst reaction in the world.

She heard the sound of stubby feet as Genjii arrived, going as fast as his legs would allow. "My lady! And I see you've already found Kotohime!"

Kotohime let go, turning towards Genjii. "Well, well… it's been a while, old man." She smiled, before kneeling to embrace him as well. "It's good to see you too, and outside of the pond, no less."

Reimu watched for a moment, before a flicker of motion caught her eye. Someone was watching them, a young woman with deep crimson hair and strangely western clothing- a red waistcoat over a white blouse and plain red skirt. Reimu frowned- she thought that the woman had been one of the people setting up in the square. Had she come to watch the commotion between Reimu and the two would-be thieves?

The woman locked eyes with Reimu, before turning around and walking back towards the square.

Chapter Text

"I suppose I should introduce myself properly. Princess Kotohime of Agatamori, Incident Resolver, current protector of the Human Village." 

Reimu, Kotohime, and Genjii sat around a table just outside a cafe. Reimu took a sip of tea, then looked over the older woman. "Princess? Of where?"

"About three square meters of the Bamboo Forest." Kotohime grinned. "Tewi Inaba ceded it to me as thanks for dealing with something she'd probably prefer no one else knew about."

"Tewi Inaba?" Genjii had his forelegs on the table, bringing him somewhat level with the two sitting humans. "Are you sure she wasn't playing a prank?"

"Not when she regularly sends me updated maps of all her traps. Mostly since one of my 'princess duties' is to maintain one on my land for her, but still." Kotohime waved a hand. "But enough of me. Reimu, where have you been all this time?"

Reimu frowned. “At home.”

“And where is home? I mean, the shrine burned down when Izumi…” Kotohime trailed off. For a moment, Reimu thought she saw tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “A-anyway, I was told you’d been taken somewhere safe. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I’m a bit curious.” She rubbed her eyes, before grinning. “I always figured you were brought to some kinda magic school. I heard they have those in the West, Scotland or somewhere. Also heard they’ve been having some kinda trouble with turf. Did you have to learn to fight grass?” 

Reimu blinked. “ What? ”

“Outsiders are a weird bunch, Western ones all the more so. Naturally the only response is to be weirder yet.” Kotohime’s grin widened, but Reimu stared at Genjii in confusion. The turtle shook his head, just as confused.

“In all seriousness, it is good to see you again, Reimu. I’ve done what I could to protect the village, but it’s not the same, being alone.” Kotohime sighed, lowering her face to the table. “Damn, I miss those two.” 

Reimu frowned. “Which two?”

Kotohime lifted her head. “Izumi and Rin.”
“Who’s Rin?” 

Kotohime raised an eyebrow. “Rin Satsuki? You don’t remember her?” Reimu shook her head. “Really? I mean, forgetting me is one thing, I wasn’t always around, but Rin practically lived at the shrine. Hold on…” Kotohime sat up, reaching into her kimono and digging around. 

As Reimu waited, she caught a glimpse of something in the square. Those strange transparent walls had all been set up, leaving an empty arena. The woman in red from earlier was standing in the middle, holding a conversation with two other women- one with short green hair, the other with blonde pigtails. For a moment, the woman in red caught Reimu’s eye, before turning back to her peers. 

“Here it is!” 

Reimu turned back to the table as Kotohime pulled out a folded photograph. She opened it up, spreading it out on the table. “We took this picture when Akyuu of Heida had her naming ceremony at the shrine."

Reimu looked down at the photo. A younger Kotohime stood next to a woman who'd slung her arm around her, a woman with short blue-black hair and a warm smile, wearing the uniform of a shrine maiden. A tiny girl with purple hair peeked out from behind her skirts- Reimu herself. Reimu's fingers hovered over the photo. "Mom…" 

"The resemblance is pretty striking, huh? Except the hair, of course."

Reimu nodded, turning back to the photo. A third woman stood opposite Kotohime, who Reimu's mother also had an arm around. She had shoulder-length blonde hair and a cocky smirk. "This is Rin?"

"Yep. Rin Satsuki. The third of our little trio of Incident Resolvers." Kotohime took back the photo. "Protectors of Gensokyo, we. At least, up until we weren't." She sighed. "And now it's just me, protecting just one village."

Reimu reached over the table to pat the woman on the hand. Kotohime lowered her head, leaning down over the table. "I miss them, Reimu."

"As do I, Lady Kotohime." Genjii reached a leg over to pat the woman's arm. 

"Excuse me."

Reimu turned. The woman in red stood behind her, arms behind her back. "You're both magicians, aren't you?"

"We're Human." Kotohime glanced up, resting her chin on her arms.

The woman in red frowned, blinking. "I mean, you're capable of using magic. Magic users, magicians."

"Technically, I'm not." Reimu's cat purred from below her chair. Her powers came from the god enshrined within the Orb, along with the charms on the Orb itself.

"But you're still using magic." The woman in red seemed confused now, as she drew out a metal box and held it up towards Reimu. Almost immediately, it began to click in a rapid staccato. "And these readings…" 

Reimu frowned, as the woman turned her box on Genjii and Kotohime. The box clicked as it pointed at them as well, but not as quickly for Genjii, and slower yet Kotohime. The woman turned her box towards Reimu again, and the clicks sped up. Reimu reached forward and pushed the box away. "Who are you?" 

"Hm?" The woman looked up, then grinned. "Ah, yes! You may call me 'The Professor'." She gave a flourishing bow. "And you might say I'm doing an experiment today."

Kotohime narrowed her eyes. "What kind of experiment?"

"Nothing bad, nothing bad! Just a bit of friendly competition." The Professor whipped out a poster from seemingly nowhere and handed it to Reimu. 

"A magic contest?"

"Oh yes! Nothing like a bit of competitive spirit to bring out the best in people!"

Kotohime snorted and sat up. "You've clearly never seen how drinking contests end up, then." She took the poster from Reimu, looking it over. "Seems a bit impromptu."

"Well, our schedule for things was moved up a bit more than I'd like, but it should all be fine. Especially if you will be participating!" The woman tapped the poster. “There will be an incredible prize!"

Kotohime raised an eyebrow. “Really, now. Is the prize that you got a permit before setting up a fighting arena in the square?”

“Well…”

Reimu caught sight of something across the way. She turned, spotting Marisa. She was talking to one of the other women who’d been with the Professor, along with what Reimu at first thought was Rika, though a closer look saw her hair was black. Marisa was looking at a poster as well, and for a brief moment as she looked up, their eyes met. Marisa smirked, before turning to the woman and saying something.

“I’m entering.”

The Professor smiled as Reimu turned back. “Wonderful! I’ll be right back with some paperwork for you.” She scurried off as Kotohime and Genjii stared at Reimu.

“My lady?” Genjii frowned.

“Marisa’s here, and I think she’s participating.”

“Ahh…” Genjii’s frown seemed to deepen. “I don’t know how much I’ll be able to help- I assume that this competition is meant for one person, not a team.”

“You could join too!”

“Count me in as well.” Kotohime nodded. “Something about this whole thing seems fishy to me, but I can’t put my finger on it.” She narrowed her eyes as the Professor approached, waving a handful of papers. “It’s one thing for a wandering trader to show up, another for someone to start building a whole arena without announcement. And no name, either…”

The Professor ran up and practically slammed the pages down, along with some metal pens. “Standard disclosure, promising to behave yourself and not hurt the other competitors too badly, as well as some fun personality questions! All above board, just sign away. Er…” The woman paused as she stared at Genjii and his lack of opposable thumbs. 

“I’m quite fine, and my beak is quite clean.” Genjii chuckled as he scooped up a pen with his mouth and began to fill out the form. Kotohime flipped through the papers, before shrugging and starting as well.

Reimu stared down at her own. It was odd- some questions were obvious- name, age, that sort of thing. But others… Have you ever been infected with Smallpox, Polio, or Measles? What, if any, vaccines have you received? Have you used a computer, typewriter, or phone?  Reimu filled out the form as best she could, but she had no clue why some of the questions were being asked. 

The last one was the most difficult of all. What is your greatest wish?  

Reimu frowned, tapping the pen against her chin. Maybe someone around the shrine to help with chores and talk to? Someone besides Genjii, at least. Reimu began to write, glancing up to look at the turtle and Kotohime. What were they writing, she wondered?

The Professor scooped up Reimu's paper almost the moment she was done.  "I'll get these processed, and we'll see you at two! Best of luck to you." For a moment the woman's eyes met Reimu's, before she turned and headed back to the square.

"Strange…" Kotohime stared at the woman, eyes narrowed. "Probably for the best though we participate. If she's up to something, we'll need to be close at hand."

"We?"

Kotohime grinned. "It's been a while since I dealt with something more than chasing the Yorigami sisters around, but I am an Incident Resolver. If something strange is going on, it's our job to investigate and fix it."

Reimu nodded. “That makes sense to me.”

“Indeed.” Genjii nodded as well. “In any case, we have a few hours before the competition starts. And we did come looking for you for a reason, Lady Kotohime.”

“Oh?”

Reimu glanced across the way. Marisa and the other woman were both signing their own contracts. “I need to know how to deal with people who cause problems. Incident causers, I guess.” 

Kotohime frowned for a moment, closing her eyes and thinking. “It’s a good question. And a potentially relevant one, given my suspicions.” She looked over at Marisa as well. “I will need to know more about that one, before I can tell you anything. I can’t say I know all of what you’ve been up to, after all.”

Reimu closed her eyes, took a sip of tea, and after a moment to think back and collect her thoughts, started talking.. “Alright. So, it all started like this…” 

Chapter Text

"Human, Human, we're all Human..." Mima sang tunelessly to herself as she walked. The ghost woman had shifted, turning opaque and replacing her misty tail with a pair of legs. Even her eyes weren't glowing as brightly, though she was still pale. 

Narumi still couldn't believe how easy it had been to get through the gate and into the Human Village. Mima had walked right up to the guards, declared the entire group Human, and they had stepped aside with barely a second glance. Of course, that hadn’t stopped Narumi from shuddering as they passed through, sure that she’d be called out.

“It’s not even really a lie, if you look at it from the right angle.” Mima glanced back and grinned at Narumi. “Someone carved your original statue, yeah? Someone Human, no doubt. Which means you have Human parents, and therefore , must be Human yourself!”

"I don't think it works that way…" 

Narumi flinched as Mima swung an arm around her shoulders. "And who gets to decide how it works, and why should you listen to them?” Mima grinned and patted the girl on the shoulder before letting go. “Think about it.”

Narumi wasn’t sure what Mima meant, so she backed away from Mima, towards Marisa. The girl was visibly tense, and just being near her caused Narumi’s instincts to burn. She’d pulled her hat down low enough to nearly cover her face, and she was messing with a bag of some kind of powder. As Narumi watched, Marisa ducked behind Meira, yanked off her hat, and poured the powder into it. She pulled her hair into a mass before yanking the hat back over her head, down far enough to cover her chin. Narumi paused, as light flickered from underneath the brim of the hat, and a few seconds later, Marisa pulled it off. Her red hair had changed to an almost golden blonde, all but the very tips of her hair that had escaped her hat. She ran her fingers through, before noticing Narumi staring at her. “Color spell. Felt like something different.” 

Narumi could tell it wasn’t a simple matter of wanting something different, but she didn't pry. "It looks good on you." 

For a moment, Marisa stared, before turning away. "Thanks…" 

They walked in silence, until Mima came to a halt, raising her arm. They were a few blocks from what looked like the center of the village, a large open square with strange clear walls built in it. Mima turned to face the four. "Everyone has their partners?" 

Narumi glanced down at Marisa, who seemed a bit calmer now. She looked back up, just in time for Mima to shove a coin pouch into her hand. "Meet back here in an hour. Battlefield Square, if you get lost and need directions. Other than that, stick with your partner and don't be stupid.” Mima nodded. “Have fun!”

Meira and Rika immediately sprinted off in separate directions, despite ostensibly being partners. Narumi frowned as Marisa started to walk off, but before she could follow, Mima grabbed her arm. “You get how to use money as part of the knowledge package when you Transcended?”

“A bit? Ms. Orange explained it a bit more.”

“It’ll have to do. Marisa can help you if you need to negotiate. Stick with her.” Mima glanced at Marisa, who had turned to stare at them. She leaned in close, whispering. “Stay close to her, see if you can keep her out of trouble, alright? She’s a good kid, there’s a difference between smart-smart and stupid-smart. Might be you'll learn something from each other.”

Narumi blinked, as Mima let go and laughed. “Anyway, while you brats have fun, I’ll be breaking into the Heida mansion! Probably fulla good stuff, you know? Arrivederci, you two!” With that, Mima vanished in a puff of mist. 

For a moment, Narumi stared at the spot where Mima had stood. She was gone. She’d given Narumi a pouch of coins. She could run, find somewhere to hide where the scary woman wouldn’t find her, and even get some money out of the ordeal.

Her instincts flared for a brief moment, and she turned, catching sight of Marisa staring at her. No, I can’t. She hasn’t tried to hurt me. With a sigh, Narumi met Marisa’s gaze. “What do we do first?”
“Dunno. I don’t come here if I can avoid it.” Marisa shrugged. “There’s some book shops around, and…” Marisa frowned, glancing to the side. Her eyes widened, and she grabbed Narumi’s hand, pulling her to the side. "Or something better!"

"What?" 

Marisa pointed towards one of the streets, towards a pair of Humans and a large bearded turtle who were walking towards a cafe. " Hakurei is here!" 

“Who?”

Marisa pointed at one of the Humans- a girl about her own age with long violet hair. “I hate her! She’s nothing but trouble!”

Narumi stared. As far as she could tell, this Hakurei girl didn’t seem dangerous, though admittedly her instincts towards protecting children probably prevented her registering them as such. She glanced down at Marisa, who had balled her fists. “She’s with that stupid turtle and Kotohime… We’re gonna have to be careful, think things through before we make our attack.”

“Attack?”

“We’re gonna kill her and take her stupid Orb.” 

“Um…” Narumi frowned. “I think that would classify as something stupid.”

Marisa glared daggers at the other girl. “Trust me. She needs to die. Or at least suffer.”

Narumi didn’t trust Marisa, not on this at least. She turned away, staring at the construction in the middle of the square. Trying to change the topic, she poked Marisa’s shoulder and pointed. “What do you suppose they’re doing?” 

Marisa turned, frowning. “Dunno.” 

A trio of women were in the middle of the square, conversing, though they seemed to be wrapping up, and a moment later they walked towards one wall and stepped out of the enclosure. One woman, with red hair and a matching dress, pulled out a bunch of posters and handed them to her blonde and green-haired companions, who immediately ran off, presumably to spread them. Narumi grabbed Marisa’s hand and followed after the green-haired woman, who was tacking up one of the posters on a nearby wall. The woman turned to stare as Narumi approached, though she didn’t say anything. Narumi gave a small smile, before turning towards the poster. 

Today Only- A Fantastical Competition!

Demonstrate your Magical Power for a chance to win the ultimate prize!

Contest starts at 2 PM, in the largest square in the village! You’ll know when you see it.

"Weird they don't just say Battlefield Square." Marisa crossed her arms beside Narumi. "And kinda late to announce a contest, isn't it?"

The green-haired woman was still staring at them, crimson eyes narrowed. "It is early enough. Clearly you two have seen it."

Narumi frowned, but didn’t say anything. Marisa, on the other hand, simply grinned and stuck out a hand. “So, how do we sign up?”

The woman set down her posters, then handed Marisa two sheets of paper. “You and your friend fill these out, then bring them to the Professor.” She pointed across the way, back towards Hakurei, who was talking with the red-haired woman. 

“We’ll get on that ri-”

But the green-haired woman had already picked up her posters and turned away. Marisa shrugged, then pulled out a pair of pens and handed one to Narumi, along with one of the sheets. “This should be fun.”

“Um…” Narumi took the pen and sheet limply. 

“Hey, Lady Mima wanted you to get some practical experience. What’s more practical than beating up the stupid shrine maiden?"

"Marisa, I'm not really sure you should be acting that way. She's a child, as are you. You shouldn't be so aggressive!"

Marisa stared at Narumi for a few seconds, before turning away. "Well, it'll be practice besides."

Narumi frowned, but seeing she was unable to convince Marisa, she turned to the forms. She had no clue how well she’d do participating, but it would probably be a good way to keep an eye on Marisa.

Chapter Text

Chiyuri's rocket pack appeared to be an exact replica of Rikako's, which Chiyuri explained as Rikako having made it for her. Just like everything else with the mysterious girl, however, Rikako couldn't remember doing so. One more mystery to solve… the upside was, at least, it didn't take long to fly to the Human Village- Rikako's rocket packs were much faster than the Kappa-prefered helipacks, nearly as fast as a Tengu. Nor did it take long to get through the front gate- Rikako looked Human and Chiyuri was one, so the guards barely looked as they waved the pair through and into the village. They had to go on foot after, flight being restricted within the walls of the village, but it wouldn’t be too hard to get to the shop in question. It was early enough there weren't too many people around, something Rikako was on one hand thankful for, on the other disgusted by how early it was. Rikako tried to hold back a yawn as they passed through Battlefield Square. Most of the square had been walled off in a clear material, and two women stood in the middle of it, holding a conversation. Rikako ignored them, though for a moment she caught a confused look from Chiyuri. Other friends of hers? Perhaps another lead once they had finished with Mr. Kirisame’s shop.

Or before, thought Rikako, as they approached the shop in question, only to see the lights dim and the door closed. She walked up to the front door, comparing the sign against a watch pulled from her pocket. Chiyuri popped up next to her, giving her a questioning look. “It should be open by now, shouldn’t it?”

“So it would seem, and yet…” Rikako frowned, stepping back and giving the door handle an experimental shake, to see if perhaps it was just the lights not working, but no- the door was locked. “It would appear Mr. Kirisame hasn’t arrived yet?”

“Nor will he, today.” Rikako turned around. A man stood nearby, leaning against a wall. He had short gray hair and spectacles much like her own, which he was currently pushing up his nose. “He’s out today for something.”

Rikako frowned. “You work here, right? His apprentice or something?”

“Former apprentice. I quit a few days ago.” The man smiled, walking over to them. “I think I remember you. Science textbook, right?”

“Erm, yes…” Rikako adjusted her glasses as well, as the man took her hand and gave a short bow. “Rikako Asakura.”

“Rinnosuke Morichika.” The man’s smile was warm as he turned towards Chiyuri, who was staring at him. “And you?”

“Chiyuri.” She tilted her head. “Do you remember me as well?”

“I don’t remember everyone, admittedly. But some people stick out.” Rinnosuke turned back to Rikako. “If you’re looking for more books like that one, I might be able to help you- I’m something of an expert in Outsider works.”

Rikako shook her head. “Actually we were hoping to get inside the shop.” She explained her morning to RInnosuke, how she’d woken up to find Chiyuri in her home, but no memory of her at all, and hoping that perhaps they might be able to stir her memories by going to the place they’d met. Beside her, Chiyuri seemed to be peering into the shop, frowning at something. 

“If that’s the case, Ms. Asakura, I think I have a solution.” Rinnosuke glanced back towards the shop door. " I believe I remember where he kept an extra key, and I doubt he's moved it since last week. So long as you both promise not to make a mess, I can’t see any harm in helping you get your memories back.” He blushed a bit. “Admittedly, I’d been planning on sneaking in myself… I may have left something of mine in there.”

Chiyuri frowned. “You didn't take everything of yours when you left?”

“I was a bit distracted.” Rinnosuke shrugged. “I'd finally gotten all the paperwork done setting up my own shop, and I was admittedly very tired.” Rinnosuke turned away, blushing slightly, before gesturing for the pair to follow. “Let’s head around the back. It might not be the best idea to discuss break-ins in the middle of the street.”

Rinnouske led the two behind the shop, before running his fingers over a series of flower pots. “It should be one of these… Yes, here we are!” He lifted the pot up, revealing an empty bottom hiding a key. “I’ll let you in, but try to be quick about it.”

“Thanks again.” Rikako nodded as Rinnouske opened the door for her. Chiyuri followed behind, and Rikako glanced back at the girl. “So, how did this work? Bring me through it.”

“You were in the book section, looking through them.” 

Chiyuri led Rikako down an aisle, standing her in front of a large shelf. Most of the books were Outsider ones that had fallen through the Border, with another shelf for the ones produced in Gensokyo itself. Rikako pulled out her textbook, holding it up, as though removing it from the shelf. “Like this?”

“The shelf below.” Chiyuri reached out, guiding Rikako’s hands. “I think you weren’t really looking for anything specific, but then this one jumped out at you. A Beginner's Guide to Science. ”

Rikako nodded. She remembered seeing the large hardcover book, mixed in with all the romance novels and mass-produced science fiction- the kind of books that one might normally expect to get lost and fall through the Border. Not a textbook, even one that had seen better days. Rikako flipped it open, scanning over where a water stain had blurred the signature of whatever Outsider had originally owned it. “And then what?”

“You opened it, just like that. And…” Chiyuri frowned. “I don’t remember exactly what I said, or what you said. But it was something about wanting to do science, to get stronger by mimicking how Outsider scientists studied and built on their theories."

"That sounds right, but I don't remember saying anything about it to anyone…" Rikako frowned at her book. 

"Is it working, you two?" Rinnosuke appeared down the aisle.

Rikako shook her head. "I'm not getting anything."

“No?” Rinnouske frowned. “How odd.” He turned to the bookshelf, looking it over. “You picked up the book, and Ms. Chiyuri appeared, yes? No time in between?”

“I don’t think so.” Chiyuri frowned, then reached for the textbook. “I was sure it would work. Maybe if you put it back on the shelf firs-”

Rikako and Rinnosuke jumped back as Chiyuri shrieked. The moment she touched the book, light flashed from her fingertips, continuing even as she pulled away, eyes screwed up in pain. The textbook fell to the floor.

Rikako reached for Chiyuri, grabbing her in a hug as Rinnosuke knelt down to grab the book. He frowned as his fingers brushed the title. “I don’t remember it doing that, nor does my gift say it should .”

“It’s never done that.” Rikako glanced down at Chiyuri. “Are you alright?”

“I… I  don’t know. It felt like…” Chiyuri shook her head. “Like I didn’t exist. ”

Rinnouuske flipped through the book, frowning. “And you’re Human, Ms. Chiyuri?” 

“Yeah.”

“I suppose perhaps it might affect a few Youkai that way, given the nature of science and the disbelief of the Outside, but you’re Human, and…” Rinnosuke paused, closing the book. “Did it look this new a minute ago?”

Rikako’s eyes widened. She hadn’t noticed until Rinnosuke mentioned it, too focused on Chiyuri to notice. But indeed, the book looked good as new- wear, tear, and stains gone. Rikako grabbed the book from Rinnosuke, while Chiyuri flinched away from it. “How…”

Rikako opened up the book, flipping through it. Her margin notes were still there, as were those of the original owner, but even those looked freshly added. Even the original owner’s signature, still the messy writing of a child, but now legibly Chiyuri Kitashirakawa.

For a moment, Rikako just stared, reading the name over and over. “Chiyuri…”

“What?” Chiyuri flinched as Rikako turned the book to face her, but she went pale as she stared. “That’s my name.”

“Most unusual…” Rinnosuke looked as well, rubbing his chin. “The mystery deepens, it seems.” He looked over Chiyuri, then towards the door. “It’s going to have to deepen outside, though. I have what I came for, and we’re pushing our luck as it is.” He pulled an octagonal wooden box from his pocket, rubbing his thumb over the carved face. “Shall we go?”

Rikako nodded, though her eyes were fixed on Chiyuri and the textbook, nor did they leave either even as they left the shop, Rinnosuke locking the door behind them. Almost the moment they stepped outside, someone shouted. Rikako froze- had they been caught? Indeed, a woman was running over to them, red-haired with a matching waistcoat- one of the women from the square. Rikako braced herself, trying to come up with an excuse, even as the woman approached. “Chiyuri, I thought you headed north!”

Chiyuri blinked, as did Rikako. “Wha-”

“Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter. Already have two more competitors, excellent work!” The woman spoke quickly, not letting Chiyuri even speak as she whipped out a tool of some kind, pointing it at Rikako. The machine started clicking rapidly, slowing as she turned it towards Rinnosuke. “Indeed, indeed, they should work well.” 

“Professor, I-”

Chiyuri was cut off again as the woman shoved some papers into her hand. “Here, get them started on the forms, I need to go take some more measurements!” The woman grinned, before sprinting off. Chiyuri gaped, and Rikako couldn’t speak, staring in confusion. 

It was Rinnosuke who broke the silence, taking the papers from Chiyuri. “These are entry forms for a magic competition?” He frowned, flipping through them. “I don’t remember hearing anything about that.”

“The timetable got moved up, and…” Chiyuri frowned. “...How do I know that? How do I know her ?”

“What do you mean?” Rikako shook her head to clear it before turning back to Chiyuri. “She clearly knew you.”

“I’ve never seen her before. Yet, I feel like I know her, somehow? But I don’t even know her name.” Chiyuri frowned. “...Is this what it felt like when you found me this morning?”

Rikako shook her head again. “I didn’t have any memory of you, nor did I feel like I should.”

Rinnosuke was still flipping through the pages, frowning. “Some of the wording on this feels off, but I can’t say why. Maybe it’s the questionnaire?” He passed the pages back to Chiyuri. “The mystery increases, yet again. First the book and your signature, now yet another case of someone missing memory of a friend.” He rubbed his chin. “What do you think, Ms. Asakura?” 

Rikako turned towards where the red-haired woman had run off. “I think… I think that I might not have enough information for even a hypothesis at this point. We should follow her, see what’s going on. Perhaps even join in this competition?”

Rinnosuke went pale. “I, erm… I am not much of a fighter.”

“Great. Lose immediately and start asking questions while I’m winning.” Somehow, Rinnosuke seemed to get paler. “Only if you want to, of course, Mr. Morichika. You helped us enough, letting us in.” 

“You’re welcome, of course. Though admittedly I’m even more curious now than when you asked.” Rinnosuke paused, before pulling out his wooden octagonal box. “I suppose… Perhaps I should field-test this thing a bit before handing it over? I may not have much aptitude, but if I built this right…” He slipped the box away again. “If you don’t mind, Ms. Asakura, Ms. Chiyuri- or should I say Ms. Kitashirakawa? If neither of you mind, I think I would like to stick around a bit longer.”

Rikako turned to Chiyuri, who nodded .”I think we might be amenable to that.”

Chapter Text

Narumi followed after Marisa as the young witch walked. So far, Marisa had stopped to point out what she considered important stores for someone to know about- Given that technically Narumi was forbidden from entering the village, being Youkai, it made sense for her to know where she had to go to best avoid the risk of being exposed- which stores had owners who wouldn’t expose her if they caught on, the shortest route between them, which stores had essentials she’d have no other option than to lie about her species to get into, that sort of thing.

For Marisa, the most essential stores were bookstores. 

“You’ll want to avoid that one- The owner is a bitch who kicked me out. I only stole ten books, and I was probably gonna return ‘em eventually, anyway!” Marisa pointed at the store in question. “Some people are so rude.” 

Narumi shook her head. She didn’t mention the irony to Marisa, how perhaps the owner was thinking the same thing about Marisa. But she was too busy trying to keep up. She wished she had a notebook or something to write all this down.
Assuming Marisa didn’t steal that kind of book, of course. 

“That one, they’re not an actual bookstore, mostly they deal in Outsider goods that fall through the Border, but sometimes they get books. Not as often as a different shop though, but you don’t want to go to that one. No matter how good Kourin is at finding stuff.”

“Kourin?”

Marisa paused, then shook her head. “Not important. Just stick to the shops I tell you, it’s safer that way.”

“Alright…”  

There was clearly something wrong with Marisa. Not her loose sense of ownership that led to Narumi twice having to stop the witch from pocketing things off a merchant’s cart. More in how cautious Marisa was acting. For all her bravado, Narumi couldn’t help but notice how she stiffened when people looked their way, how she seemed to be avoiding going down certain streets. She’d mentioned not liking to come to the village earlier. What had happened to her?

“Anyway, that should just about wrap it up. If you forget, then go find one of those Grassroots doofuses and throw bullets at ‘em until they promise to revise their introductory pamphlets"

"I'm not sure I want to do that… and I don't think I know how to do so anyway."

"Right, right. I'll teach ya before the competition, Don't worry."

The two had made their way back into Battlefield Square, where Narumi could see a furious Rika storming away from a table, all while the green-haired woman glared daggers at her. 

Marisa grinned as Rika started walking towards them. “Looks like someone’s in a tempe-” 

Marisa was cut off as Rika slammed a fist into the witch’s stomach, sending her down with a squeal of pain. Narumi immediately jumped forward to check on Marisa, as Rika folded her arms. “ Not in the mood, halfling.”

Narumi glanced past Rika’s shoulder, at the woman still glaring at them. “What happened?”

“What happened? What happened? ” Rika balled her fists, gray eyes growing stormy. “Apparently, I’m not qualified to join their stupid competition! ‘Not enough magic’. Who gives a crap about that, huh?”

“I mean…” Marisa winced as Narumi helped her sit up. “It’s supposed to be a magic competition?”

“What the hell do you call my creations, then? You ever see an Outsider build a flying eyeball tank? Or several dozen semi-autonomous killbots? Where do they get off, huh? My technology is more than sufficiently advanced! Haven't they ever heard of Clarke's Third Law?"

"Is that the one about robots not being allowed to hurt themselves?"

" That's Asimov , you dingus !" Marisa flinched back as Rika shouted.  Narumi shifted in front of Marisa, instincts flaring with intent to protect the girl, but Rika took several deep breaths, clenching and unclenching her hands. “...Sorry. I know it's not your fault. It just… just doesn't seem fair.”

Marisa managed to get to her feet, though she kept a hand on her stomach. “I agree, but couldn’t you have punched them instead?”

“Believe me, I want to…” Rika growled. “But I have a better idea.” She smirked at Narumi, grabbing one of Narumi’s braids and comparing it to one of her own. “So, Narumi… You’ve probably got enough magic to make their thingy click, don’t you?”

“Narumi already entered, Rika.”

“Even better! Then they won’t get suspicious, like if you entered immediately after they rejected me.” Rika stepped close to Narumi, close enough to make Narumi blush, then placed a hand on her head, comparing heights. “Close enough.”

“Ms. Rika…” Narumi stepped back, turning to Marisa, who had placed a hand to her chin.

“Look, let’s be real here. You go out there, you’re getting crushed, right? Not very experienced with the whole fighting thing. I go out there, I have a decent chance of winning it all. I prove my superiority, everyone thinks you’re cool and you have your pick of your preferred genders to smooch. Cool beans, yeah?”

Admittedly, Narumi didn’t have much interest in fighting- like Rika had said, she really didn’t know how to.  “I’m not sure…”

“Yeah, maybe she doesn’t want to smooch anyone , for one.” Marisa still had a thoughtful expression as she looked between the two. “Although…”

“I’m not sure I should be enabling this?” Narumi took another step back as Rika grabbed her wrists. “I’m not entirely sure we should be participating at all .”

“Certainly not!” Narumi cried out at the voice behind her, while Rika let go of her and Marisa yelped. Narumi turned, meeting the glowing emerald eyes of Mima. “Not without first letting Meira know. It simply wouldn’t be fair!” 

"Lady Mima!" Marisa winced as she turned, though she still grinned. “Did you steal anything good?”

“The name of a defunct band and some pirated copies of their albums.” Mima flicked her wrist, a large black disk appearing out of nowhere as she did. “Unfortunately, Lady Heida didn’t have what I needed, but I had a nice conversation regardless.” She vanished the disk again, grinning. “Anyway, I’m gonna need to borrow Narumi for a moment, Marisa. Rika, don’t punch Marisa again.”

“I wasn’t going to.” Rika rolled her eyes, but she gave a glance over to the witch that Narumi couldn’t interpret, at least not in the brief moment before Mima grabbed her shoulder and started pulling her away.

“Um, Ms. Mima…”

“Not here. Too public.” Mima squeezed Narumi’s shoulder before guiding her down a side street, then into an alley. ‘Alright. First off, you and Marisa been okay?”

“I guess? She showed me some things.”

“And she probably saw Hakurei and got steamed, didn’t she?” Mima glanced back towards the square. Narumi followed her look, though she didn’t see the girl in question. “I know I saw the turtle earlier, so Hakurei’s around.”

“I don’t think it’s very healthy for Marisa to be like that. So angry…”

“Yeah, probably…” Mima paused, looking awkward for a moment. “Probably my fault, to be honest. But I’ll try and talk to her about it again later. For now, how are you ?”

“A… a bit overwhelmed,” Narumi admitted- she had been the whole day, really.

"And probably not helped by Rika jumping on you like that. She's… excitable, to put it mildly."

"That's a bit more than 'mild', I think…" Narumi flinched, but Mima simply laughed at the comment.

"Perhaps, perhaps… but in any case, I suspect you'd be fine with letting her fight in your stead? Not just because you don't know how, but also because it doesn't suit you. I can tell- goes against all your Jizou instinct to throw hands for fun and profit." Mima paused, before reaching over to pat Narumi's shoulder. "Nothing wrong with that. Though I will give you a quick lesson before you decide officially."

"Okay…" Narumi shrugged, as Mima led her back out of the alley, but instead of turning back towards the square, Mima led her further away. "Where are you taking me?"

"I did say that it would only be fair if Meira got a chance to enter as well. She shouldn't be far. Don't think of that, though. First things first, cup your hands together and focus on the space between."

"What?" 

"Trust me. And keep walking, you'll need to know how to do this on the move anyway."

Narumi frowned, but complied. "Okay."

"Now, that space isn't actually empty, is it? There's air, for one. There's light, zipping through the spaces between your fingers. And of course, there's magic. Magic is everywhere- even the most mundane of Outsiders has it in them, if only in a tiny amount, only ever manifesting in small things, like an empty parking spot at the mall, or some money on the ground. Luck, one might say."

"But Rika said that she wasn't allowed to enter because she didn't have magic."

Mima shrugged. "Everyone has magic, doesn't mean everyone has enough of it to cast a spell, or the skill to do so. Rika has the knowledge but not the power, and you have the power but no knowledge. Rika was able to give herself power by building machines that make the most of what little she has- I doubt, for instance, that the Evil Eye Sigma could fly for anyone else." The ghost grinned. "As for you, you're born of it. A statue given life by magic. You may be stronger or weaker than others, but you have a gift regardless. To know it’s there is the first step to using it.” 

Mima stopped, and Narumi came to a halt as well. They’d entered a street lined with bars and rowdy patrons. The ghost looked around, eyes narrowing. “Meira’s nearby.”

“She is?”

Mima nodded. “Focus on the space between your hands.  You are a creature of magic, and there’s magic there. Think about it, call for it in your mind.”

Narumi closed her eyes, trying to do so. She focused, barely noticing as Mima shouted an argument with one of the men at a bar. Narumi’s eyes squeezed tighter- she could sense something , something that radiated warmth in her hands. She called to it, feeling the warmth grow, though never getting so hot it hurt. Something was glowing, enough she could sense it through her eyelids. Narumi opened her eyes, mouth dropping as red light glowed from between her hands. Inside, a perfectly round red energy bullet hovered. “Ms. Mima-”

“Good job, kid.” Mima barely looked though, as she glanced around. "Something ain't right around he-"

Crash!

Mima and Narumi whirled around, Narumi’s energy bullet dissipating back into the aether as she lost concentration. A man had been thrown through the door of one of the bars, rolling to his feet as someone else leapt out after him- a teenager with a long violet ponytail and red vest. 

Mima's staff dropped into her hand as she raised an arm in front of Narumi, while shouts rang out down the street as Meira kicked the man in the chest, sending him down again. Two more men ran out of the bar, presumably friends of the man as they took swings at Meira, but the samurai dodged out of the way without looking, slamming the heel of her hand into one man’s nose, leaving him crumpled on the ground bleeding. The third man was more cautious, stepping back and pulling out a knife. Narumi’s instincts were on fire, and she found herself pushing against Mima’s arm, trying to run to Meira’s aid. Intellectually, she wasn’t sure how much use she could be- Meira was technically a child, true, but she was a far better fighter than Narumi- or the men, for that matter. Meira slapped the knife out of the man’s hand, then hammered down a fist into the man’s collar bone, sending him down with a sickening crunch.

The whole street had gone silent, staring. Meira’s eyes seemed to glow blood red, as she stalked towards the first man, moving her hand to the hilt of her sword. Mima dropped the arm in front of Narumi. “Right, now we interfere. Bar brawl is one thing, blood in the streets is another.” 

Narumi nodded, as Mima ran forward, sliding her staff between Meira and the man before Meira could draw her sword. “Stand down, samurai.” Meira growled, and Narumi ran forward as well to touch her shoulder. The samurai flinched, but as she turned to Narumi, she seemed to calm. She let go of her sword, and Mima and Narumi pulled her away, leaving the men on the street, groaning in pain.

Mima didn’t say anything until they were a few streets away. “Narumi, try making another energy bullet.”
“Hm?”

“An advantage of an energy bullet is that barring specific circumstances, it’s no more lethal than a solid punch. Add that they're simple, cheap, and easily modifiable if you're into that, they become the solid foundation for many defenses." Mima sighed and glared at Meira. "They are also , as I said, generally non-lethal. Meaning that a misunderstanding doesn't lead to weregold or decades of family strife."

"There was no misunderstanding. His family would have thanked me for ending the bastard." Meira didn't look up as she spoke, and Narumi could barely hear her. 

"Perhaps, or perhaps not. It's best to plan things out first , though. You remember what happened when you, Marisa, and Rika decided to take the Orb from Lady Hakurei?"
Meira growled, but didn’t say anything else. Narumi stared, until Mima poked her shoulder. “Don’t worry about that. Try and make a bullet, like I said.”

Narumi turned away and put up her hands, concentrating. Now that she knew what it felt like, it was easier to make the bullet, and she soon had another glowing red sphere in her hand. Mima nodded as they walked. “Now, we’re not in a good place to practice actually firing them off, unless you would like to test yourself in the competition?”

“I don’t think so…” Narumi closed her hand, dispelling the bullet. “Rika can pretend to be me, if she really wants.”

Meira frowned, and Mima grinned. “Did we not tell you, Meira? There’s a competition going on. One where you could probably beat up some people and get applause for it! Doesn’t that sound fun?”

Meira rolled her eyes, but Narumi caught sight of her brushing her fingers against the hilt of her sword. For a moment, Narumi’s stomach twisted- she wasn’t sure if it was her instincts, or perhaps the realization just how violent the people she’d found herself with were. Her footsteps slowed, just as they entered Battlefield Square again. Mima craned up to whisper something in Meira’s ear, before the girl ran off towards the competition runners. Mima turned and grinned at Narumi. “Let me guess- you’re thinking we’re all psychopaths, aren’t you?”

“Not quite those words…” 

“No, no, it’s fine.” Mima’s grin softened a bit. “We’re a bit weird, I know. Probably more aggro than we should be, and that’s on me. Kinda didn’t wake up in the best mood, and that set the whole tone.” Mima sighed, putting her arms behind her head and stretched. “It’s a problem we all go through, I bet. How many Youkai wake up, you think, with no clue who they are or what they’re meant to do with life? And how many more Humans , you think? Even those with parents and that transitional period we call childhood?”

“I… I don’t know.”

“Yeah, neither do I, kid.” For a moment, Mima’s eyes dimmed, and even knowing her true form, Narumi could have mistaken her for a Human. In the distance, Meira had found Rika and Marisa, and as the samurai continued on to sign up, the witch and the engineer were making their way over.

“You’re allowed to leave if you want. One bullet ain’t much, but aimed right it’ll usually be enough to drive off a wild beast, or slow down a person enough to escape.” Narumi turned to Mima, who wasn’t looking at her. “I know I saw a couple more Grassroots Network folk around, you could go hang with them, maybe give some feedback. And then your instincts won’t explode every fight with one of my kids or Hakurei in it.” 

Hakurei… Narumi still didn’t understand Marisa’s apparent hatred, outside of what Mima had implied with Meira. What did it all mean? Why do I care? Indeed, instincts aside, Narumi could have fled hours ago, when she’d been left alone with Marisa.

Narumi had gotten herself into this- she hadn’t had to seek out the person who’d given her her hat. She didn't need to stay with Marisa, or follow Mima, or let the magicless Rika take her place in the competition.

How many Youkai have no clue what they’re there for? Narumi had no idea what she was born to do, if anything. Her instincts would be an obvious answer, but she wasn’t sure that felt right. 

She needed more information.

“I… I’d like to stay and watch for now.” Mima finally turned to look at Narumi. “I mean, if that’s okay. I’m curious.”

“Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.” Mima nodded, then gestured to the approaching Rika. “Let’s see if we can’t get you some satisfaction.”

Chapter Text

Kana stayed invisible as she walked. She hadn’t caught sight of Ellen or Sekibanki, though admittedly that could be because of just how much there was to see. So many people, so many more than even when Lord Anaberal held parties. And so many different kinds of people as well. Lord Anaberal and his family were wealthy, and so were the majority of the people they associated with- wealthy, or employed by them. But out here, there were so many more- farmers in drab yet sturdy clothing, merchants dressed flashily to attract attention to their wares, craftsmen and religious folk all dressed for their trades. And that was just the Humans . Kana was aware that theoretically Youkai presence in the village was limited, something Lord Anaberal liked to complain about, but Kana could tell there were many in disguise around. There, for example, a man with black hair and red eyes, looking all the while like an ordinary Human, but Kana could smell he was different, like maple and a mountain breeze, and for a brief moment she thought she saw some black feathers poking out of his shirt- a Tengu, perhaps? Those two women chatting by a fountain, green haired and incredibly short; no doubt Yamawaro from their scent of wet ground, distinct from the salt-spray of the equally short blue-haired man hawking metalwork from Kappatown.

Kana had turned invisible on instinct, after so many months of being required to stay out of sight as much as possible, but she figured it probably helped her a bit as she went. No one noticed and called out to her, demanding she come buy some fried eels or a new dress. Not that she had any money, of course- why bother paying her? Poltergeists didn’t need to eat, she slept in the attic rent-free, as Lord Anaberal would sometimes remind her when she was slow. She couldn’t run away, so she didn’t need to be enticed into staying- nor, since she couldn’t leave, could she go and buy anything anyway. So why bother with pay?

It hadn’t really been something Kana had thought of before today, to be honest. Longing to escape had driven her more, either that or of-

Kana gasped and flickered into visibility as pain struck, choking her. People jumped back at her sudden appearance, a few looking concerned as she clasped her hands on her throat, trying to relieve pressure. She closed her eyes, focusing, turning her thoughts away from Lord Anaberal and her fury. Slowly, the pain dripped away, and she took a deep breath. 

“You alright, miss?”

Kana nodded, flapping her hand to wave the worried woman away. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.” She got to her feet, looking around. People were staring at her- not as many as she’d feared, but how many of them had seen her pop out of invisibility? Did Lord Anaberal’s orders that she remain unseen not apply out here? She’d only started choking when she’d thought o-

Kana closed her eyes and clenched her hands, dispelling the thought before the seal could strangle her again. She flinched as the woman touched her arm. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, yeah…” Kana smiled, nodding to the woman. An idea sparked in her head. “It’s just the curse, that’s all.”

“Curse?”

“Yep. Nothing too dangerous, just kinda annoying. So I was looking for a magician to help- someone called ‘Fluffy Ellen’. I don’t suppose you know where I might find her?”

The woman paused in thought for a moment. “Short, blonde, with the cat, right?”

Kana nodded, and the woman pointed. “I think I saw her heading towards Battlefield Square. Though if it’s a curse, I have a friend at the temple, who might be able to help.”

“No, that’s fine.” Kana bowed, then headed in the direction indicated. The moment she felt the woman’s eyes turn away from her, Kana ducked out of sight and turned invisible again. As helpful as the woman had been, Kana didn’t like having been noticed. What happened if someone saw her and said something to Lord Anaberal? Kana wasn’t sure how she’d gotten off the property, and she suspected that she wouldn’t be getting out again once she returned, assuming Lord Anaberal didn't have her destroyed. Her best hope was to remain unnoticed and quick, to return Ellen’s book and get back before her absence was noticed. 

Kana wasn’t sure where Battlefield Square was, beyond being able to guess it was a square and the direction the woman had pointed. With a hop, Kana leapt into the air and took flight. She was still invisible, so no one noticed her, and with any luck it would let her spot Ellen faster. Indeed, as Kana flew, she caught sight of blonde curls in a large square not far away. The square had been partially cordoned off with what looked like glass, and Ellen and the red-haired mailwoman were talking to another woman, this one with a pair of short blonde pigtails. Kana came to a landing behind the three, listening in as they spoke.

“Kinda random to have a contest without telling anyone.” Ellen’s friend was glaring over her caplet. “Usually you’d expect at least a week’s warning.” 

The pigtailed woman shrugged. “If you don’t want to sign up, you don’t have to.”

“Hey, Sekibanki didn’t mean that!” Ellen piped up, her cat meowing as well. “We’re just a bit surprised, of course we want to sign up!”

“We do?” Sekibanki frowned at Ellen, who nodded vigorously.  

The pigtailed woman shrugged. “Alright, then. Come on, I’ll get you some paperwork.”

Kana glanced around- was it safe to flick back into visibility? They were walking away now, towards the middle of the square. It would be too visible, out in the open like that. With a sigh, Kana ducked down a side street, and after checking no one was watching, turned visible again. At least Ellen was presumably filling out paperwork, so she’d probably still be there when she ran back into the square. 

Kana went back into the square, walking so as to avoid drawing attention. Indeed, Ellen was still there. Kana began walking towards the woman, though she slowed as she approached. She would return the book, and then… well, head back to the house, to probably never experience freedom again. Could she make a run for it?

Someone shoved a stack of papers into Kana’s hands. Kana blinked, as a woman with short green hair and glowing red eyes stared at her. “You don’t need to wait in line. If you have questions, you can ask.” 

“...What?” 

The woman sighed. Clearly, when she had said to ask questions, she hadn’t meant it. “This is the queue to sign up for the magic competition. There is an empty spot for you to fill out your paperwork. It’s simple enough.” The woman pointed to an empty table. The woman’s tone had flattened, similar to when Lord Anaberal thought she or one of the servants had asked a stupid question.

“I…” Kana paused, looking down at the papers. These were more legible than Ellen’s scrawl, at least. Kana looked up, but the green-haired woman gently shoved her towards the table, gesturing to a pen. Kana bit her lip, then with a sigh, took it. She didn’t write at first, staring as the green-haired woman turned away, grabbing a metal box and doing something with it, causing it to click.

“Oh hey! You’re the invisible maid from Lord Anaberal’s place!” Kana looked up as Ellen stared over at her from her writing. Kana barely refrained from flicking invisible, instead blushing at the mention of her master. Ellen grinned and walked over, while her companion sighed behind her. “You’re competing, too?”

“I, erm…” Kana’s blush deepened. “Please don’t say who I am.”

“Hm?” Ellen frowned, as her cat poked its head out of her hair and meowed. “Huh. You think so, Sokrates?” The cat meowed again. “Yeah, I can do that. What should I call you, then?”

“Kana. Just Kana."

"Alright, Kana Just-kana!"  Sokrates meowed again. "Yes, I know . I was making a joke, and she clearly wants to be private about her family name anyway!" Ellen turned back to Kana, grinning. "Don't mind him, he's calibrated for cat manners. He thinks the best way to make friends is to sniff butts. I don't do that until several dates in."

Sekibanki choked from behind Ellen, as Kana blushed again. Ellen chortled, “That was also a joke.” She smiled. “Anyways, I’m almost done with my form. Once you’re done, would you like to hang out with me and Seki?”

“Ellen…” Sekibanki shot Kana a look, eyes narrowing over her capelet. 

Kana flinched, resisting the urge to turn invisible. Ellen paused, before turning to Sekibanki. “It’ll be fine. We’re going to be around here for the competition, anyway, and I bet it’ll be good for her.”

“I…” Kana glanced behind her. The green-haired woman was staring at her again, apparently watching the conversation. She had the metal box pointed at them, eyes narrowed. 

“Kana?”

Kana turned as Ellen touched her shoulder, flinching back. Ellen pulled away. “Kana?”

“I, erm… I really should be going, actually- I wasn’t here to join, I was supposed to bring this back to you.” Kana pulled Ellen’s notebook out from her pocket and held it out. 

Ellen’s eyes widened, while her cat made an almost laugh-like meow. She gingerly took the book from Kana’s hand, staring down at it. "Thanks."

Kana nodded, sliding her papers away. "I should really be going, the-" 

She was cut off as Ellen grabbed her shoulder. The short magician's eyes met Kana's. "Stay."

It wasn't a command, but all joviality was gone from her tone. For a moment, Kana stared into Ellen's eyes, before blushing and turning away. "I… I can, I guess."

"Wonderful! It'll be such fun." Ellen practically jumped as she wrapped her arms around Kana. "We'll get you some new clothes, something different from that uniform- definitely a hat at least.”

“Get her a capelet. Capelets are cool.” Sekibanki’s eyes were still narrowed, but she didn’t seem as hostile as she strode over.

Ellen snorted. “Stop trying to make capelets happen, Seki! Who wants to go around looking like a huge dork?”

“People who don’t wear capelets, clearly.” Sekibanki tugged on hers, then picked up her entry form. “I’m done, so I’m getting out of here. I’ll see you for the competition, El.”

“Oh, no you don’t!” Ellen whirled around and grabbed Sekibanki’s arm. She turned back to Kana and flashed a grin. “I’ll be right back, so just finish up, alright? Sokrates will stay with you.”

Kana nodded, as Ellen’s cat hopped out of her hair to land at Kana’s feet. Ellen herself dragged Sekibanki away, holding a whispered conversation. Kana watched for a moment, before turning down to Sokrates. “Are they always so strange?”

“Meow.”

“I don’t know what I expected…” Kana shrugged, then turned back to her paperwork.

Chapter Text

"That's quite a story."

Reimu sipped the last of her tea as Kotohime set her hand on her chin. “A vengeful spirit sealed in a box under the shrine, a trip into Makai, sealing that spirit only for her to escape and raise an army…”

“I don’t know if they would count as an army .” Genjii chuckled. “Though they certainly cause enough trouble.”

“And yet, you say they don’t really- Except for that first attack, they haven’t tried to steal the Orb, just test your might.” Kotohime lifted her own tea cup, only to find it empty, as was the pot. “I have no idea what to make of that.”

Reimu frowned. “Nothing?”

“Not at all.”

Reimu shared a look with Genjii, who was frowning as well. She turned back to Kotohime. “What about Mima? What do you know about her?”

“Nothing at all, I’m afraid.” Kotohime set down her empty cup. “I don't remember encountering her, and while I’ve dealt with vengeful ghosts before, they acted differently from what you've described. In my experience, they’re vicious monsters who won’t let anything live that gets in their path. They don’t do restraint, much less things like taking care of some kids or letting the object of their ire go free.” Kotohime nodded down to the cat at Reimu’s feet. 

“Still… Mima knew my mom. She practically said as much! And you fought with her, didn’t you?”

“Yes, but I wasn’t always there. Most times, sure, but not always.” Kotohime rolled her eyes. “Remind me to tell you about the time Izzy managed to get through the Border to go to a concert, and didn’t bother to invite me with.”

“With all due respect, Lady Kotohime-”

“Just Kotohime’s fine, old man.” Kotohime grinned at Genjii. “And yeah, yeah. Crazy ghost lady is probably something I should know more about then a trip, right? But no, I honestly don’t remember ever hearing about anything like her.”

Reimu sighed, but nodded. “What do I do about her, then?”

Kotohime leaned back, closing her eyes. For a minute, Reimu wondered if she’d fallen asleep, before she finally spoke. “You know how I protect this village, right? Enforce laws, keep people safe, that sort of thing.”

“You mentioned, right.”

“One of those laws is that Youkai who haven’t gone through the trouble to get a sheet of paper that says they’re “trustworthy” are forbidden from entering. Makes more sense than most apartheid states, given that Youkai tend to be stronger and more magically powerful than Humans. But it operates under the assumption that just because someone can harm someone else, that they inevitably will. And we both know that’s not true, is it?”

Reimu paused. “I… I think so.”

“People are people. Humans and Youkai alike. And for all the talk about how Youkai feed on human terror or some such, it’s not really as true as you might think. Or at least, not as simple as it appears. It’s…” Kotohime waved her hand, trying to order her words. “It’s like a book- a book without a plot is dull, right? Youkai need something like that- interactions with Humans that can go one way or another.”

“Conflict?”

Kotohime nodded and snapped her fingers. “Yes, that’s it! Conflict. And it doesn’t have to be martial, or even with Humans specifically- Any time a Youkai haggles and dickers over a purchase, any argument, even something as minor as what to have for dinner, it’s those interactions that keep ‘em going.” Kotohime glanced at Genjii. “That’s why it’s important to never do your chores, kid- it’s those arguments that keep Gramps alive!”

“I beg your pardon?!?” 

Genjii scoffed, but Kotohime nodded, as though proving a point. “Youkai are creatures of stories, literally . It’s those tiny plot twists and climaxes that come every day that feed them, and most Youkai are smart enough to realize that, if only on an instinctual level. There’s bad apples, sure,  but Gensokyo itself wouldn’t exist without those typical Youkai who’d rather live and let live. And so, I try not to make assumptions if I don’t have to.” Kotohime shrugged. “If someone’s behaving themselves, especially if they’re helping the people around them, buying and selling and such, then who am I to make accusations and throw them out of my town?”

“So… you’re saying that if Mima and her minions aren’t actively trying to hurt me, I should just leave them be?”

“For now, at least.”

“Even though they already did attack me?”

Kotohime shrugged. “Admittedly, me and Izzy didn’t get along the first time we met either. By which I mean, I threw her out of a window.” 

“What?”

Genjii snorted in laughter. “I seem to recall it was the other way around.”

“ What?”

“Now that you mention it, I think we both threw each other out that window. And it was better than when Izzy and Rin met. That was back when Rin was training to be a nurse, so on top of her magic, she had access to all sorts of drugs, and…” Kotohime suddenly blushed. “Actually, I don’t think I’m going to tell you that one, Reimu. Not until you’re older at least.” 

Genjii choked, coughing as Reimu patted him on the shell. “I had forgotten about that, Kotohime. Nor am I too enthused to remember.” 

“I have more stories, old man, don’t worry.” Kotohime leaned back and stretched. “You remember that time that weird rainbow god showed up? Tried getting everyone to buy those big-haired dolls?”
"Ah yes… the one who was so upset after being defeated that she stayed in Lady Izumi's bed for a week?"

"Yeah, her!" Kotohime laughed. “Yeah… I wonder what happened to her afterwards?” 

Reimu zoned out a bit as Kotohime and Genjii started talking, reminiscing over old foes. In the square, it looked like things were starting to ramp up- people were gathering around, talking and murmuring. It looked like the mysterious Professor had finished up her recruiting of participants, and was holding conference with her companions over a list of names. Across the way, Reimu caught sight of Marisa, Meira, and… Reimu frowned. The woman from before, who looked a bit like RIka, and Rika herself. They’d swapped outfits. “They’re cheating, aren’t they?” Reimu said, mostly to herself, though Kotohime and Genjii did pause and look up.

“Ah, there’s Mima and her associates, now.” Genjii dropped his front legs from the table, looking back up to Reimu. “My lady, Lady Kotohime?”

“Yeah, probably about time to head over.” Kotohime stood and stretched, before turning as well. “So, that’s her. Your Vengeful Spirit.”

“Yep.” 

“Certainly doesn’t look like one. Most of the ones I’ve dealt with aren’t much for bright colors, more dirty white and maybe some chains to rattle.” Kotohime rubbed her chin. “I wanna talk to her.” 

“Um-” but Kotohime was already walking, Genjii just behind her. Reimu sighed, and followed after. 

It was Meira who spotted them first, locking eyes on Reimu and tapping Mima on the shoulder. Mima turned and grinned. “Well, well, well. Look who’s come out of her shrine.”

Reimu wished she had her staff with her- she’d left it back home, as part of hiding her true identity. Beside her, her cat hissed, ducking between Reimu’s legs. Mima gave it a nod. “Good to see you too, Orb. Not gonna shred Meira to ribbons again, I hope?” 

Meira visibly tensed at the comment. Beside her, Rika’s look-alike patted her on the shoulder. Reimu narrowed her eyes. “What are you doing here, Mima?”

“What do you think, kid? A competition for magic, and I happen to be a powerful magician. Why wouldn’t I be here?” Mima grinned, her staff dropping into her hand for her to lean against. She turned towards Kotohime. “And you’re here as well. Tell me, how long has it been since we last fought?”

“Never, to my knowledge.” Kotohime’s eyes narrowed, and for a brief moment Reimu thought she saw Mima’s eyes narrow as well. “You’re Mima, then?”

“So they say. Though I’ve been thinking of adding a family name, too. How does ‘Mima Geist-Hexe’ sound?”

Kotohime rolled her eyes. “A bit on the mark, isn’t it?”

“Says the Princess named Princess .” Mima leered. “It’s really too bad I don’t remember how I did it. I must have whacked you hard if you don’t remember me. Perhaps I’ll have to give you another during the competition, see if that jogs your memory.”

“Perhaps,” Kotohime folded her arms, glancing down at Marisa. For a moment her eyes narrowed, before she turned back to Mima. “Well, then. Best of luck to you.”
“And to you.” 

With that, Mima and Kotohime turned their backs on each other. Mima stretched out her arms to lead her minions away, as Kotohime reached down to Reimu’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”

"Kotohime-" 

"Not here." 

Dozens of people had surrounded the square. Reimu didn’t think most of them were competing- most seemed to be chattering with each other in anticipation, while a few stared intently on the square, and the Professor and her associates. Mima and her goons, obviously, but Reimu spotted the postwoman who’d passed her earlier that day, the one Genjii had said was a Youkai in disguise. She was talking to a pair of blonde women, one short with a white cat perched on her head, the other trying and failing to hide behind the two. Not far away, a tall woman with purple hair and a long white coat stood next to a man with short gray hair- neither would have stood out, if not for the third girl, who seemed to be an exact replica of one of the Professor’s companions, save for her outfit being trimmed in red instead of blue. A sister, perhaps? Odd, but not really Reimu’s concern. That was for Marisa, who was making faces at her from across the square. Reimu stuck her tongue out right back.

“Attention! May I have your attention, please!”

Reimu pulled her tongue back into her mouth, as the Professor raised her arms. Her associates backed out of the square, as around them the crowd started to quiet. After a minute or so, she spoke again.

“Yes, welcome! Thank you all for coming out today, to our little competition. I’m sure we’ll all have a good time today, watching or participating. I am the Professor, and I will be hosting this event.”

Still no name. Reimu hadn’t seemed to be the only one to notice this, given the stares and murmurs. Or perhaps it was just the red haired woman’s appearance? Western crimson garb, flaming red hair, and a cape now, apparently, black and billowing in a way it really shouldn’t be, considering the wind. “In a matter of convenience, we have exactly 16 competitors- a good number for a tournament! We’ll be starting off with our first match in a moment, so could…” The Professor held up a sheet of paper, reading over it. “Narumi Yatadera and-” 

Across the way, there seemed to be a bit of a commotion from Mima’s goons. Reimu glared across the way, trying to catch sight of what they were up to. A young man with a large white raven on his arm was entering the arena, and Kotohime poked Reimu’s arm as he did so. 

“I recognize him. Might be interesting to watch, he uses paper talismans- bit different from what Izumi used, but perhaps interesting none-the-less.” 

“Second call, Narumi Yatadera!” 

Mima’s goons were still scuffling, and for a moment Reimu reached for her staff, to try to whack some sense into them, only to remember she didn’t have it. She hadn’t expected to be in a competition, after all, especially not one with Mima involved. Reimu groaned. "A full quarter of the competition is gonna be Mima and her goons, isn't it."

"Mathematically speaking, my lady," said Genjii. "Perhaps they may end up having to face each other in later rounds? Indeed, Mima and Marisa may yet have to fight each other in the first."

"I doubt we'd be so lucky…" Reimu frowned, then scratched her head. "And me without my staff today."

"I have one of Izumi's old staves back home, if we want to run and grab it. My home isn’t far away."

Reimu frowned. “Genjii, will that work for me to use, even though it’s not mine?”

“It should. I seem to recall that Meira was able to use your staff, after all.” Genjii frowned. “That said, my lady, perhaps it would be better to go without? Or have we decided to forgo secrecy now?”

“I put down a fake name on my entry form, but you have a point…” Reimu tapped her chin. “Although, I think I have an idea for that.”

Kotohime nodded. “Genjii’s not supposed to enter the residential quarters, I’m sure, but I know he’s safe. If he waits here and rushes over when it’s one of our turns, we should be fine.”

“Alright.” Inside the arena, the fight began, but Reimu didn’t care- she knew how Rika fought, after all, and she doubted that the mad tank engineer would come to a competition like this unprepared. Better to prepare for the worst and risk an upset victory by an unknown, than go in fighting Rika, or any of Mima's ilk, without her staff. “Let’s go.”

Chapter Text

“How do I look?” 

Narumi watched as Rika spun, wearing Narumi's stone-gray dress. It didn't fit quite right- Rika was a bit shorter than Narumi, built thicker, and the dress seemed tight in areas. Contrariwise, Rika's button-up shirt and trousers felt like they might slip if Narumi moved wrong. It didn’t help that Rika had refused to give up her belt, though given it held Rika’s guns and tools, Narumi couldn’t blame her for keeping it. Without them, Rika would have less of a chance than Narumi herself did.

“Hey Meira, how do I look?” Rika shouted to where Meira stood guarding the alleyway, making sure no one could spy on them. Meira didn’t turn, and Rika started making her way over to her, only to stumble. “Damnit! Nar, how do you go about in this thing?”

“What do you mean?”

Rika gestured at her legs. “Seriously, why don’t more people wear pants ? I bet if they did, you wouldn’t have spawned in with this .”

Narumi shrugged. It was an interesting question, now that she thought about it- How did she have clothing? She’d awoken with the outfit on when she Transcended, but it wasn’t part of her, and except for the hat, it hadn’t existed at all before she woke up. Where had it come from? Was it related to how she instinctively knew so many basic things?

Not that she was complaining of course. She was aware of how Humans came into being, and as confusing as her own existence was, at least the week-old Narumi knew how to use the toilet .

“Ugh, I hate dresses. If I can’t have legs, at least give me a skirt. The long swishy kind that let you kick someone in the face without flashing 'em.” Rika kicked her legs, judging how far she could extend them. “I’ll get used to it, I guess. Could you make an energy bullet a second?”

Narumi nodded and summoned one, and Rika drew out her guns- a pair of pistols covered in wires and bits of machinery. She fiddled with them for a second, then aimed them towards the ground and squeezed the triggers. Two energy bullets shot out, glowing the exact same red as Narumi’s. Rika nodded, then pulled a tool and some scraps of metal and cloth from her belt. “Doable. What about technique? I know you’ve never done anything more than a single bullet, but I wanna do this proper. ”

“I…” Narumi thought for a moment. “What would you mean?”

“I dunno. You got any special powers I can imitate?” 

"Not that I know of." Narumi lifted her glowing bullet, eyeing it over. It seemed different from the ones Rika had shot, but she couldn't quite word it. Alive, maybe? As though if Narumi dropped it from her hands, it might have a will of its own instead of just flying on to hit something. 

Rika pulled the grips off her pistols, sliding the barrels into the sleeves of the dress. The grips, still connected by wires, went in her hands, and she raised a hand. She made a fist, and a bullet shot from her sleeve, looking almost as if she’d fired it off magically. She nodded to herself, then paused. “One last thing.” Rika pulled off her hat, a red knit cap with white feathers sticking from the sides. She grimaced. “You’re not a Kappa or Yamawaro, so hopefully this won’t be too awkward, but if it is, we can-”

Narumi pulled off her own hat and held it forward. Rika blushed slightly, stepping back. “Y-you’re sure?” 

“I’m not going to die without it.” 

“Yeah, I guess…” Rika gritted her teeth. “You’re not a Kappa. This is okay.”

Narumi frowned, even as she slipped Rika’s hat out of her hand and set her own on the engineer’s head. “Why? What would that matter?”

Rika blushed, and Meira called back from outside the alley. “Because if you were a Kappa, you’d now be married.”

Narumi choked, as Rika whirled around and made a rude gesture at Meira, barking out a string of curses. Meira didn't say anything, though she did turn away and cover her mouth.

“You two done yet?” Marisa poked her head into the alley. “Looks like they’re gonna start pretty soon.”

“Almost.” Rika spun around, snapping her fingers, then whirled and pointed at Narumi. “Jizou! Roads!”

“What?”

“That’s what your statue’s supposed to be for, right? Protecting roads and travelers?”

“And children.” 

Rika whirled back towards Marisa. “I didn’t throw out the slime turrets, did I?”

“The what?”

“Those spinning gooey things, Marisa. And no, Rika, they’re still in storage.” Meira didn’t turn as she spoke. “Why?”

“Had a thought- if I don’t deploy the dispersal slime, the skeleton underneath, that looks kinda like a signpost, right? Won’t be armored anymore, but if I call in one of the heavy lifter drones I can probably get a couple over here quickly, and as long as I’m not up first …” 

Rika started pacing. Narumi glanced up at Marisa, who was tapping her foot, looking over her shoulder towards the square. As Rika passed by her, Narumi grabbed her shoulder. Rika looked up, glaring until Narumi shook her head. “If you really want to take my place, I think I’d prefer it if you didn’t show up late?”

“Right, right.” Rika pulled a metal tool out of her belt, tapping some things on it. “I’m calling ‘em in.”

“Great, let’s go !” Marisa sprinted into the alley and grabbed both Rika’s and Narumi’s hands, before tugging them along. 

Mima sat at a cafe nearby, holding a full cup of tea- she didn’t appear to be drinking it, instead enjoying its scent and heat- could she drink? Narumi tilted her head in thought as Mima stood, handing the cup over to Meira. “All set, then? You’re allowed to change your mind, Narumi, if ya like.”

“I’m fine.” 

“Good, good. Well, that will leave us time for further lessons then. When I’m not destroying the competition, of course.”

Beside them, Meira suddenly stiffened and turned around. Narumi turned to follow her gaze, spotting the girl with long purple hair- Hakurei, Marisa had called her, along with the red-haired woman Kotohime, and the massive tortoise. Meira tapped Mima on the shoulder as the three approached, and the ghost turned to grin. “Well, well, well. Look who’s come out of her shrine.” 

Hakurei didn’t say anything, as beside her a white-and-red mottled cat hissed up at Mima. The ghost didn’t seem to pay much mind, though, instead reaching down to pat it, though it ducked behind the girl’s legs. “Good to see you too, Orb. Not gonna shred Meira to ribbons again, I hope?”Beside Narumi, Meira visibly tensed and took in a breath. Narumi looked over to her, then gently patted her on the shoulder. The girl met her eyes, seeming to relax a bit.

“What are you doing here, Mima?”

“What do you think, kid? A competition for magic, and I happen to be a powerful magician. Why wouldn’t I be here? And I see you’re here as well, Kotohime. Tell me, how long has it been since we last fought?”

Kotohime folded her arms. “Never to my knowledge. You’re Mima then?”

“So they say. Though I’ve been thinking of adding a family name. How does ‘Mima Geist-Hexe' sound?”

“A bit on the mark, isn’t it?”

“Says the Princess named Princess .”

Narumi stepped back a bit, trying to gauge things as the two women verbally sparred. Hakurei’s eyes seemed to burn almost as much as Marisa’s did, the two’s eyes locked on each other. Rika and Meira stood a bit further back, both tensed- Rika’s fingers had clenched the triggers in her sleeves, while Meira’s hand hovered over the hilt of her sword. After what seemed like an hour of tense staring, Mima shrugged, closing her eyes and chuckling. “It’s really too bad I don’t remember how I did it. I must have whacked you hard if you don’t remember me. Perhaps I’ll have to give you another during the competition. See if that jogs your memory.” 

“Perhaps. Well, best of luck to you all, then.”

“And to you.”

Marisa and Hakurei continued to glare at each other for a few moments, even as Kotohime and the tortoise walked off. Mima’s eyes remained fixed on Kotohime as well. 

Narumi slowly let out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding. Mima sighed, before turning back to the group. “Well, that went well, don’t you think?”

“She said she didn’t remember you.” Meira folded her arms, frowning. “And you don’t remember, either?”

“Not the specifics, but I remember fighting her at some point. Multiple, I think.” Mima tapped her chin. “How mysterious. Much like what Lady Hieda told me…” 

“Attention! May I have your attention, please!”

Mima gestured towards the arena. “Ope, looks like it’s time to start up. Let’s go, yeah? We’ll figure it out more, later.” She gestured again, and the group pushed their way to the front, Marisa pushing forward to stick her tongue out at Hakurei from across the field.

“Yes, welcome! Thank you all for coming out today, to our little competition. I’m sure we’ll all have a good time today, watching or participating. I am the Professor, and I will be hosting this event. In a matter of convenience, we have exactly 16 competitors- a good number for a tournament! We’ll be starting off with our first match in a moment, so could Narumi Yatadera and-”

Rika let out a curse. "Crap, not now !" She whirled around, hand shading her eyes. "No sign of the drones yet. How am I supposed to destroy my enemies without my machines?"

"The same way the rest of us do." Meira didn't say anything else as Rika sputtered and cursed in response. The engineer threw up her hands, looking into the arena where a dark-skinned man with a white raven on his shoulder was making his way towards the center. 

Rika swore again. “And against him ? I’ve seen him fight. You think Hakurei’s amulets are bad? He specializes in ‘em.” 

“Well, if you’re worried you can always ask Narumi to take your place.” Mima smirked as Rika glared at her. “You are using her name and outfit, after all, and she’s using yours. Just trade back.” 

“I ain’t doing that. Not only would she get shredded, I’m not giving up the chance to beat the crap out of someone!”

“With the machines you don’t have on hand?” 

“Shut it, Meira!” Rika glanced over to the arena, clenching her fists. “Damnit, damnit, damnit…”

Narumi frowned. “How long will it take to arrive? Do you think you can wait?” 

As if on cue, there was a shout from the Professor. “Second call for Narumi Yatadera!” 

Rika shook her head. “Even at top speed, it’s still gonna take a few minutes.”

“What if I flew to the drone and came back with your stuff? I’m fast.” Marisa raised her hand.

“That won’t work either! I put a recognition system on the heavy lifters ever since that stupid Tube Fox snuck into the exhaust pipe and tried to mind-blast me!” 

“Well, I’m not a Tube Fox. It’ll recognize me, right?” Rika didn’t say anything, and Marisa grimaced. “...Right?”

“I seem to remember that the Tube Fox in question managed to mind-blast you, Marisa. I’m sure this is simple pragmatism in case it does so again and not Rika being Rika.” Mima grinned. “That said, what a predicament, isn’t it? Even if it could fly directly to Rika, and no one asked why the week-old Jizou is getting care packages in the middle of a fight, it might not even recognize her.” 

Rika started shaking as a third call went up. Narumi bit her lip, looking between her and Mima. Should she step in? Rika was right, she wouldn’t stand a chance, but seeing Rika panicking was setting off her instincts. Mima turned her head towards Narumi, eyes meeting hers. Narumi stared as Mima gave her a wink. Narumi turned to Rika again. “Um… how good is your recognition system? Would it think I’m you?”

Rika paused, tapping her chin. “Maybe? Probably. Yeah. You can fly, right?”

“We flew to get here.” 

“True.” Rika turned towards the arena again, raising her fists. “I’ll hold out as long as I can. You think you can find it?”

“I’ll go with her.” Marisa grinned. “You go out there and kick butt, Ri.” 

“You say that like I won’t .”  Rika grinned as well, then shoved her way into the crowd, reappearing inside the arena a few moments later. 

Marisa and Narumi turned and began making their way away. “Shouldn’t be too hard to find,”said Marisa. “The drone’ll take the shortest path from home to here, so it’s a pretty straight shot.” 

As soon as the crowd started to thin, Marisa started sprinting. Narumi yelped and chased after her. “Wait!” 

Marisa looked over her shoulder and reached a hand back, grabbing onto Narumi’s wrist. “Hang on, and take off when I do!”

“They said flying in village limits was forbidden when we came in!”

“Yeah, and who’s gonna stop us?” Marisa laughed, and with a burst of wind she took off in flight, Narumi barely managing to leap after her while still hanging on to Marisa, letting her magic flow through her.

Flight wasn’t an inherent gift, but it was a fairly common trick learned by those who could. Ms. Orange had taught Narumi the basics, though Narumi couldn’t say she was particularly good at it- not only was she only a week old, she was a stone statue at heart. She wasn’t exactly a bird. Still, she could fly a bit. 

Marisa, however, soared.  

Narumi’s shoulder spiked with pain as Marisa towed her behind, higher, faster, past shouts as they cleared the village palisade by a few meters. How was she so fast? Even flying as fast as she could, Narumi was only keeping up because of Marisa’s pulling. Fields flashed past underneath them, then grassland, then trees as they crossed into the forest.

"There!" Narumi looked as Marisa pointed- there, looking like a spider with a set of windmill blades spinning over top. Clutched underneath in its legs were a pair of silver poles- presumably Rika's weapon. Marisa gripped Narumi’s wrist as she put on another burst of speed, causing Narumi to yelp from pain. Marisa only slowed as they got within a few meters of the drone, turning to match its speed. The drone didn’t react to their presence, its single glowing red eye pointed forwards towards the village.  

“What do I do now?” Narumi wriggled her wrist free of Marisa’s grip, almost immediately slowing down as she did. She squeezed her eyes shut and did her best to accelerate, barely keeping up with the drone. She reached out her hand, scrabbling for the metal pole, but she couldn’t get a grip. The drone immediately twisted, and Narumi shrieked and pulled her hand away just in time to avoid the windmill blades from slicing her arm off. 

“Get in front of it! It needs to see you!” Marisa flew in front of the drone, waving her arms. The drone slowed, rotor tilting back as it slowed to avoid slamming into the witchlet. The drone slowed, and Narumi flew up next to Marisa. The drone’s red eye flicked off of Marisa and onto Narumi.

Narumi swallowed as the machine looked over her, red light flickering over her form. She held out her hands. “Um, please hand me my weapons.”

The drone’s eye flickered, and Marisa elbowed Narumi. “Talk more like Rika. Swear or something.”

“...Hand me the damn weapons?”

The drone made a twittering sound, then shifted its legs, presenting the metal poles. Narumi took them, tucking them under her arms after a moment of finagling. The drone made another sound, then turned around and flew away, presumably heading back to Mima’s castle. 

“Got ‘em?” Marisa flew in front of Narumi, grabbing one of the poles from her hands. “Let’s get going, then. As fast as we can, yeah?”

“Right.” 

“Just think about Rika, yeah? Think about how she’s fighting some guy, how she might be in danger-”

Narumi took off in a burst of speed she hadn’t known she’d had, as her instincts kicked in and flooded her body with energy. She blasted past a shocked Marisa, heading back towards the village palisade. She could see guards as she approached, pointing and shouting- probably the same she’d passed on the way out. Marisa appeared next to her, legs wrapped around the pole like a flying broomstick. “Land before you go in! If you try to fly over they’ll shoot you down!” 

Narumi dove, trying to land on her feet but stumbling and falling- she was going faster than she’d ever been, and she crashed, rolling into the feet of one of the guards, the metal pole skidding away from her. She started to get up, only for the guard to point his spear at her. “What are you doing?”

“I- I have to get through- it’s an emergency…” Marisa slammed down next to Narumi, one hand hitting the ground and the pole in the air. 

“First you nearly smash into the wall flying, and now you fly back fast enough to break your neck? And wasn’t your hair brown when you first got here?” 

“I…” Narumi’s instincts burned- she had to get to Rika. A part of her boiled up, suggesting she attack the guards, break through- she knew how to make an energy bullet now, and there was a child in danger. Her intellectual self knew it was stupid, so she managed to suppress the thought for the moment- long enough for Marisa to run forward. 

“I’ll explain everything, just let her go through! You heard her, it’s an emergency!” 

The guard pulled his spear away, giving Narumi an appraising look before turning towards Marisa. Narumi scrambled to her feet, and the guard didn’t stop her, even as Marisa tossed Narumi her pole. “Get going, Nar! I’ll take care of it.”

Narumi nodded and sprinted, through the gate and back towards the center of town. She didn’t take flight, but she ran as fast as she could, fueled by adrenaline and her burning instincts. Fortunately it wasn’t hard to get back- she could hear the crowd roaring ahead. Narumi slipped the poles into her hands, pointing them both forward as she shot through an alley and into the main square. She darted through the crowd like an arrow, using the poles to pierce through the crowd, until she nearly collided with the transparent wall.

Rika was holding her own it seemed, but she clearly wasn't having a good time. Wind whipped around the arena, as dozens of paper talismans swirled and circled the man. He raised his hand, waving it in a circle, and the talismans sped up, swarming around a figure across the arena- Rika. Red light flashed as she fired off a spread of energy bullets from her concealed guns, but for each talisman she knocked down, another took its place. Narumi heard Rika cry out as one of the talismans clipped her, and she had to fight the urge to smash through the transparent wall and run to her. Instead, she closed her eyes, steeling herself, before tucking the poles underneath one arm and leaping up. Shouts came from around her as she grabbed onto the wall, pulling herself up with one arm and legs. It was more difficult than she’d thought- some Youkai had increased strength, but she didn’t seem to be one, or if she were, it was being balanced out by increased weight from having been a statue. Narumi gritted her teeth and pulled- the smooth wall didn’t help either, she could barely get a grip even on the cracks between panels. Still, it was enough- enough that she managed to get high enough to toss the poles into the arena. “Rika!”

Rika turned, meeting Narumi’s eyes. She gave a slight nod, then dashed towards her, covering her head to avoid an onslaught of the paper talismans. Narumi slid down the wall, yelping as a talisman slammed into it next to her, exploding in a burst of electricity. More flew towards her as Rika approached, reaching behind her to fire energy bullets, trying to fend off the talismans. Rika spat out a curse as she reached the wall. “I can’t get close to him! Not with all those talismans whirling about.”

The man in question, as though in response, waved his hand, dozens of amulets flitting around his arm. He swung it back, then pointed forward, shouting an attack that Narumi couldn’t make out while sending off a torrent of amulets like a wave. Rika dove to the side, scooping up the poles as she rolled up to her feet. “Are you okay, Rika?” Narumi winced as a talisman clipped Rika’s shoulder. 

“Fine now. Just needed some extra firepower to punch through. This’ll do nicely.” Rika grinned and slipped one pole over her back, slashing out with the other to knock away several talismans. “Now, let’s see some real magic! My brilliance! ”

Rika batted away another few talismans, then slammed the pole into the ground. Three tubes shot out from the side of the pole, She spun the pole in her hand, and dozens of green energy bullets shot from the tubes, shredding through the swarm of talismans. Rika cackled, and charged at the man, spinning her weapon and firing more and more bullets. The man hopped back, waving his arms and calling his talismans to him, all of them folding together and forming into his bird. He ducked under a round of bullets, drawing a circle around him in the dirt, which began to glow with orange light. As soon as Rika’s bullets entered the circle, they began to slow, coming to a stop and fizzling out before even coming close to the man. The man smirked, pushing up his glasses as Rika shouted in frustration, unloading more and more bullets to no effect. “It seems that my tactics have outwitted your magic. No energy bullet can penetrate my shield. Expend as much energy as you like, but-”

Rika leapt forward, passing through the shield to body-check the man, knocking him to the ground. “Idiot! No energy bullet, but you clearly had no issue being in your shield, and so neither would I!” The man’s bird leapt onto Rika’s back and pecked at her, but to no avail- it seemed that the stony texture of Narumi’s dress wasn’t entirely for show, as Rika cackled and pinned the man down. “Beg for mercy! Declare my genius for all to see! Let the world rue the day it-”

“Match set! Winner, Narumi Yatadera!” 

Rika’s ranting was cut short as the Professor entered the arena, waving her hands. Rika stared at her for a moment, before sighing and getting off the man. The man stared up into the sky even after Rika was off him, his talisman-raven pecking at him, before finally getting up when a brown-winged Tengu woman ran in, helping him up while alternately seeming to dote on and berate him.  

“Good job, kid.” Narumi turned to see Mima, leaning on her staff and grinning. “Heard a bit of complaining when you showed up, but it seems people forgot that when Rika started screaming.”

“I’d wondered a bit… Weren’t we technically cheating?”

“That Professor lady saw ya and didn’t care. So I’d say no. Too bad. The point of learning how to get away with cheating assumes that you are cheating. That’s a teachable moment missed.” 

"Next match will be Rinnosuke Morichika and Meira, so please make your way to the arena at this time!" The Professor called out from the center of the arena, as the previous competitors cleared out. 

Mima nodded. “Well, this will be interesting.” She paused. “You okay, though? You didn’t blast through the walls or anything, so you seem to have got your instincts under control.”

“For now at least.” Narumi scratched the back of her head. “It’s weird… but I liked helping her. Even if all I did was fly and get her thing. Marisa did most of the work anyway, since she knew where the drone was going to be.”

“Perhaps, perhaps.” Mima tapped her chin. “Well, that’s perhaps something to think about. But for now, Meira’s up. Would you care to join me in watching?”

Narumi nodded. “Alright."

Chapter Text

To say that Rinnosuke's fight was unfair was an understatement.

The octagonal wooden box he'd retrieved from the shop was apparently a miniaturized elemental reactor- far smaller than the ones used in Kappatown. The smallest Rikako had ever seen had been an experimental attempt at seeing how small the Kappa could go. It barely had half the output as normal, yet was still large enough to come up to her waist. Rinnosuke's miniature reactor didn't seem to have that problem, as he held it and fired off energy bullets.

The problem, as it turned out, was that Rinnouske wasn't lying about not being much of a fighter. Most of the energy he drew out of the reactor seemed to be wasted as light and heat, his energy bullets were warped and didn't fly straight, and even then it seemed to strain him to fire, despite drawing on the device for power.

His opponent, a tall teenage woman with a violet ponytail and a sword, didn't bother to fight at first, casually knocking away any energy bullets that made it to her with a tap of her sword. She watched for a minute, before sheathing her sword and vanishing in a blur of red and violet, reappearing behind Rinnosuke.

She casually snatched the reactor from his hand and examined it. Rinnosuke reached to try and take it from her, but she shoved him away, eyes glowing a heterochromic gold and blue as she aimed the reactor at him.

What followed was perhaps a better demonstration of the device, as dozens of glowing bullets shaped like spears and knives burst from the mini-reactor and slammed into Rinnosuke, knocking him into the wall  and leaving him dazed.

Even as the Professor was running into the ring to declare Meira the victor, Rikako and Chiyuri pushed through the crowd towards the arena exit. Rinnosuke laid against the wall, groaning even as the two fought their way into the arena to help him up. Rikako knelt to pull the man to his feet, when she felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned, arms under RInnosuke’s shoulders to see Meira, who was holding Rinnosuke’s mini-reactor. “What?”

Meira handed Rikako the device. “Tell him it’s well made, though it tends to pull a bit to the side.” She folded her arms. "And tell him Marisa says 'hi'."

"Alright." Rinnosuke groaned as Rikako pulled him to his feet. Rikako shoved the device into her pocket as she walked. "Chiyuri, grab his-"

Chiyuri wasn't paying attention, instead staring across the arena, towards where the Professor had set up. Rikako tracked her gaze, as a blonde teenager with two pigtails and blue trimmed white sailor suit held up a sheet of paper to the Professor. Rikako didn't hear as the Professor announced the next two competitors- she was busy staring at the second Chiyuri across the field, as transfixed as her own Chiyuri was.

"Hey, move it!" 

Rikako was shoved in the back- not enough to knock her over, but enough she was brought back to the world as she held onto Rinnosuke. She turned,meeting the eyes of another woman, blonde, with red eyes and a pair of violet wings on her back. "You gonna hold the stiff there all day? Some of us have fights to fight!"

“We’re moving.” Rikako rolled her eyes and nudged Chiyuri with her foot. The girl blinked and shook her head, before moving to grab Rinnosuke’s arm. 

“Khh, Gensokyans … The winged woman rolled her eyes as the three passed her. Rikako didn’t bother to comment- it was an odd thing to say, but she had larger concerns. To start with, Rinnosuke. She pulled him over to a nearby cafe, setting him down at a table. “Can you hear me?”

Rinnosuke shook his head, hissing in pain. “I… That hurt a lot more than I anticipated.” He felt around his robes. “The Mini-Hakkero-”

Rikako pulled out the tiny elemental furnace and handed it to him. “Your opponent had some things to say about it.”

“Did she? Interesting.” Rinnosuke flipped off some of the wooden exterior paneling, examining the device. “Doesn’t seem to be any worse for wear, though one of the trigrams is a bit misaligned...”

Rinnoksuke set the device on the table, pulling out a small set of tools from his robes. He seemed to have recovered a bit, so Rikako went on to priority two- Chiyuri. The girl in question was staring at the arena again. “Chiyuri?”

“You saw her too, right? The other me.” Chiyuri shook a bit, even as Rikako placed a hand on her shoulder. “Rikako, who am I?” 

“How do you mean?”

“The Professor- when she approached us, she knew me, and the other me was working with her. I don’t remember her, but I do remember you, I remember being friends with you- but you don’t know me at all . And when we tried to jog my memory, and I touched your book, it…”

Rikako’s hand instinctively brushed over the pocket where she kept her textbook. She pulled it out, flipping again to Chiyuri’s name, scribbled in the front cover. “I don’t understand either.”

In the arena, the Professor was introducing the winged woman, as well as another person Rikako couldn’t quite see. The other Chiyuri was standing outside of the entrances into the arena, holding that same metal box the Professor had pointed at Rikako and Rinnosuke, but now pointed at the competitors. It was too far away for Rikako to hear it clicking, but for a moment, a thought struck her. “They mentioned something like that in my book, I think.”

“Hm?”

Rikako flipped through the text book, to the index at the back. A brief moment of scanning through words… there! She flipped to the page, where a photo of a man in a thick yellow suit was shown. He was holding a metal device not unlike the Professor’s. “It’s a Geiger Counter. It’s a tool for measuring radiation.”

“Radiation?” Chiyuri frowned. “Why would they be measuring radiation?”

“Well,” said Rinnosuke, standing and pushing his glasses up his nose. “I imagine it might be an effective way of also measuring magic. Radiation, after all, is the magic of ghosts.”

Rikako blinked, while Chiyuri gaped. “ What ?”

“Well, radioactive material tends to be mined from deep below ground, and I’ve read that in fact it is the heat of radiation that powers the magnetic field of the planet, preventing the greater dragons from accidentally stealing our air. Naturally, deep below ground are the various realms of Hell. And isn’t one type of radioactive metal named after the Western Death God?”

“Hecatia?” Rikako frowned.

“No, Uranus. The god of being killed by one’s child. Very spooky! And let us not forget, the Americans created a bomb with that metal capable of destroying two whole cities. No doubt it was a clever construction, no more powerful than a normal bomb, but harnessing the power of the dead in its wake to create radiation, and thus become more deadly!” 

Rikako blinked again. Beside her, Chiyuri pulled off her hat and wrapped it around her hand, before grabbing Rikako’s textbook and whacking Rinnosuke over the head with it. The man yelped, hopping back. "What?"

"How do you manage to be right and completely wrong at the same time?"

Rikako grabbed the textbook from Chiyuri before she could swing again. “I think he has a functional hypothesis, though. Regarding the Professor and your other self.”

Chiyuri turned towards Rikako. “Why would they be measuring magic? Why would my double be involved?”

Rikako paused, tapping her chin. “I… I suppose it might depend on your double? Why is she with the Professor? Why is she here?” And what does this have to do with my missing memory? The Professor recognized my Chiyuri straight away, and Chiyuri recognized her more than I di… Rikako’s eyes widened. “Chiyuri, you said something earlier, when the Professor approached us. Something about the timetable being moved up?”

Rinnosuke nodded. “Yes, and she also mentioned recognizing the Professor, but she was unaware as to how.” 

Chiyuri glanced back and forth between them. “What are you saying?”

Rikako let out a breath, before opening her textbook up. “Observation- There are at least two Chiyuris, one of whom appears to be an associate of the Professor. My Chiyuri recognizes the Professor, for reasons she can’t place, and the Professor recognizes her. However, while my Chiyuri sought me out, I don’t recognize her.” Rikako paused. “I don’t have a good hypothesis for that part yet. Everything else though…” She looked into Chiyuri’s eyes. “Hypothesis- you’re the duplicate, not her.”

“W- what ?” Chiyuri took a step back. “Rikako, what are you talking about?”
“Admittedly, this isn’t my best hypothesis, there’s too many variables that don’t make sense.”

“No, it doesn't make sense! I’m me !”

Rinnosuke tapped his chin. “Ms. Kitashirakawa, if you don't mind me asking- What do you remember from before you met Rikako?"

"I…" Chiyuri frowned, tilted her head, before a second later her eyes opened wide. "I… I can't remember. Anything." Her voice went quiet, panic growing.

Rinnosuke reached forward and touched Chiyuri's arm. "I can't recall if I've ever used my gift this way- normally, it works solely on objects. But unless I missed my guess…" He paused, nodding. "Ms. Kitashirakawa, what species are you?"

"Human. Not a fae or changeling or anything!"

"No, you're none of those. But you're not Human either." Rinnosuke held up Rikako's textbook. "You're a Tsukumogami, tied to this book."

Chapter Text

”Kana! How’s this?”  

Kana turned only for her head to be engulfed by a massive sunhat. She tilted it back, as a grinning Ellen bounced in front of her. "I think it looks good on you!" 

"I think it looks stupid." Sekibanki leaned against the wall, occasionally glancing out the window of the shop. "Hat that big, it's the first thing someone notices."

"Well, maybe that's the point , Seki." Ellen nodded. "Draws attention to her face that way, instead of the maid outfit. Did you form with that on, Kana?"

“What?” Kana pushed up the hat again as it drooped over her eyes.

“Usually when a new Youkai-” Ellen was cut off as Sekibanki practically leaped across the room, covering Ellen’s mouth. The red-head glanced back and forth, casting a wary eye at the shopkeeper, who had a device over her ears that Kana was unfamiliar with, though given she could hear music leaking from it, she suspected the woman hadn’t heard anything. 

After a moment, Sekibanki removed her hand. She shot a glare at Ellen, before turning to Kana. “What Ellen means to ask, is if you have other clothing. That you “came with”, so to speak.” Sekibanki’s eyes narrowed. “Seeing as we’re all Human here.”

“Just because someone is too much of a scaredy cat to apply for a permit…” Ellen muttered under her breath, though she turned to Kana expectantly.

“I had something else, when I, erm… arrived ?” Changing her outfit had been one of Lord Anaberal’s first commands after Kana had been sealed and placed under his control. He’d at least been good enough to step out of the room and let the cook actually handle Kana’s new clothing, nor had he seemed to have any ulterior motives for Kana’s outfit beyond her “Looking the part”. Which of course, didn’t make sense given how he ordered her to stay invisible so often. Kana gritted her teeth, balling her fists slightly. Even if he hadn’t used the power he had over her to harass, he had no right! She hadn’t chosen to form in Anaberal Manor, she-

Kana’s throat tightened, and she let out a gasp, her hands instinctively going to her throat. “Kana!” Ellen sprang forward, reaching her hands towards Kana’s face. “Kana, what’s wrong?” 

Kana screwed up her eyes, ignoring Ellen and trying to drive her fury away. Slowly, slowly, the choking went away, as she suppressed her hatred. She could hear Ellen saying something, but couldn’t quite make it out- she seemed so far away, even though Kana could feel one of the witch’s hands over her own. 

Life came back into focus a moment later. Ellen’s nose was practically touching Kana’s, her hands over Kana’s own. “Kana, are you okay?” 

“Better now…” Kana closed her eyes, and gently pushed Ellen away from her. As she opened her eyes, she noticed that Sekibanki had gotten off the wall, eyes not quite as cold as before. The shopkeeper had also turned as well, her music-playing device off her ears. Kana turned away, cringing a bit. It took all her focus to not turn invisible then and there. “Don’t worry about it.” 

“That’s not a “don’t worry about it” thing, Kana.” Ellen frowned, before reaching to a pouch on her belt. “How much time do we have, Seki? I know you’re doing the thingy, keeping an eye on the competition for when we’re up.” 

“Third round right now. Been all melodramatic, I think the competitors are a couple.” Sekibanki winced. “And, looks like that's done. I bet someone's sleeping outside tonight...” 

“Do you think we’re gonna have time for me to run a quick test?” Ellen dug out a slip of paper and a glass vial of pink liquid. She handed the slip to Kana. “Lick this, get the whole thing if you can.” 

“What?”

“Gonna do a quick diagnosis, if you don’t mind. Who’s up next, Seki?”
“Someone named Mima…” Sekibanki frowned, before her eyes widened slightly. “And me, crap.” She bolted for the door, capelet flaring behind her. 

“Seki-” Ellen called, before glancing at Kana. “Come on!” She grabbed Kana’s hand, and started dragging her after the red-head.
“Miss, you have to pay-” The shopkeeper started to follow, before Sokrates popped out of Ellen’s curls, a coin purse in his mouth. Kana stared, even as she was pulled out the door by Ellen.

“Thanks, Sokrates! Make sure to give her a big tip!” Ellen called back as she ran. Fortunately, the square wasn’t far away, and the fight hadn’t even started by the time they arrived. Ellen pulled Kana up to the clear barrier, somehow pushing through the crowd despite her tiny frame. ‘You got the paper licked yet? I’ve got everything I need, so I’ll just run the test now.”

“During your friend’s fight?”
“It’s a simple test, mostly just waiting once it’s set.” Ellen held out her hand, and after a moment to dig the slip out, having shoved it in her pocket, Kana gave the piece of paper a lick and handed it over. Pink sparks burst around Ellen’s fingertips, and the slip hovered in her hand. “Now, this will only take a few moments, but could you please make sure to cheer for Seki while I’m not paying attention?”

“I can.” Kana glanced down as Ellen started dripping potion onto the paper, before turning towards the arena. Sekibanki slouched in the arena, next to another red-headed woman who seemed to be leading the event, given how she was holding several sheets of paper. There was no sign of Sekibanki’s opponent. 

“Last chance, could Mima Geist-Hexe please proceed to the field?” The woman glanced around, before sighing. “Well, in that case, Ms. Sekibanki, I believe that makes you winner by def-”

The woman was cut off as a bolt of lightning struck the field, right between the two. Kana yelped and instinctively flicked invisible, while in the arena both women screamed and fell. For a moment, it looked like Sekibanki’s head had come askew, before she reached up and touched her forehead. Kana flicked back into visibility, blinking away spots and wincing from the noise- thankfully, no one seemed to have noticed her mistake, too focused on the newcomer- a woman with long green hair, blue robes and pointed hat, and a silver staff with a crescent blade slung over her shoulder.
“Sorry I’m late, had a bit of traffic.” The woman spoke in a cocky drawl, as she stabbed her staff into the ground and leaned against it, before giving a wide grin. “Though perhaps I needn’t have bothered.”

“Oh, Seki’s down. Did they start the fight already?” Kana looked down, where Ellen stood, confusion clear on  her face. “I know she’s not very strong, but she’s smarter than that.”

“They haven’t started yet…”

“Oh, no? Huh.” 

Sekibanki got to her feet, brushing dust off her capelet. “Such a rude and inconsiderate person, to show up late, and then in such a manner.”

“It’s called being fashionably late.”

Ellen poked Kana’s elbow. “Just to check, when did you form?”

“What?”

“It’s important. Need some background for the spell to work.” Ellen still held the sheet of paper over her hand with some glowing sparkles of force, but a rainbow of colored dots now covered the surface.

“Six months, about.”
“Really?” Ellen stared for a moment, before turning to the paper. “Hold on…”

Kana turned back to the arena, just in time to see Sekibanki pose, pointing one hand away from her, while putting the other over her face, eye peeking through her fingers. “ Clearly , you are unaware of who you face, to dare be late in front of me.” She raised a hand in the air. “ I am the anticipation of a love letter, the terror of an unexpected bill. I am the embodiment of hopes and fears, by paper or cardboard. No snow, no rain, no heat nor shadow can hinder me!”

“How about lazers?” Mima pulled her staff from the ground, spinning it in her hand. “The post office offer insurance for them?” She raised her own hand, the blade of her staff aiming at Sekibanki.

“Lazers? Heh.” For a moment, Sekibanki’s capelet billowed, and her eyes began to glow scarlet. “I’ll show you lazers .” 

The two glared at each other, as the Professor glanced between, then raised her hand. “Match starts! Go !”

Sekibanki let out a howl, as a pair of red-hot beams blasted from her eyes. Mima didn’t move, instead raising her staff and tilting the blade forward. Sekibanki’s eyebeams splashed into the crescent blade, reflecting off and to the side.

“Get her, Seki! Oops!” Ellen yelped as she lost control of her spell, and the paper slip started to fall. She quickly caught it in a flicker of sparkles. “Kana, cheer for her! I just need another minute or so.” 

“Er, alright…” Kana turned back to the arena. “Um… Sekibanki, do your best?”
In the arena, Sekibanki sprinted in a wide circle, occasionally firing off eyebeams, but each time, Mima simply moved her staff in the way, deflecting the lasers. She barely moved her feet, in fact, she almost looked bored . She blocked another pair of lazers, then made a dismissive gesture at Sekibanki. “Really, is this all you can do?”

“Kana, yell for her to do the thingy!” Ellen wasn’t watching, instead focusing on the paper slip. 

“What thingy?”

“Her thingy! She’ll know what it means.”

“Erm, Sekibanki! Ellen says do the thing?”

Sekibanki somehow managed to hear her over the crowd, turning. “ What? ”

“The thingy!”

“Is she crazy? ” Sekibanki turned back and launched off another pair of eyebeams at Mima, who had pulled a book from somewhere and was now reading .

“Seki, you can pull it off! Make it look really cool or something, no one will ever know!” Ellen looked up from her test, one hand on the transparent wall. 

Sekibanki turned back, eyes narrowed and mouth opening to say something, only to get knocked down by an energy bullet. She got to her knees,as a nonchalant Mima examined her fingernails. “You know, I’m not surprised that the postwoman is such a bore. Really, all you do is walk around in circles and stick things in boxes. How dull.”

“You! You…” Sekibanki growled. She rolled to her feet, and for a moment Kana thought she saw Sekibanki muttering to herself, before her eyes lit up. “You… fool! ” 

“Yes, so I tell myself every time I go outside and have to deal with people. ” Mima leaned on her staff. “What, specifically, am I a fool of today?”

“You’ve fallen for my trap!” Sekibanki posed again, one hand back and eye peering through her fingers. “This is competition of magic, yet you are so foolish to think that all I would bring to a fight are my eyebeams?”

“Honestly, they’re more than I was expecting.” Mima leaned forward. “What have you got for me, Moist?” 

“Behold, my ultimate attack!” Sekibanki chanted something in a language Kana didn’t recognize, and smoke swirled around her hand, coalescing into a black sword. She raised it into the air, before slashing in a broad sweep. Black smoke flooded the edges of the arena, and Sekibanki vanished from sight. For a moment Kana saw a flash of red in the smoke. Sekibanki’s hair? But she saw another, and another- a half dozen glimpses of red hair in the billowing fog. Mima stood in the center of it all, one eyebrow quirked and staff slung over her shoulder.

“Fear my power and despair !” Mima whirled around, but the voice seemed to come from everywhere, sounding as though many people had said it. Kana couldn’t see Sekbanki at all. “Ellen, is this “the thingy”?”

“Bit more advanced version. She must have practiced! Good for her.” 

There was a brief flash of several red lights circling the arena, before a moment later, a dozen red lazers blasted out towards the center of the ring, forming a glowing grid. Mima vanished from sight as the blasts struck her, and Sekibanki gave a wild laugh above the din of her lazers. After several seconds, the beams cut off, and the smoke cleared. Kana caught a flash of red for a moment, but as things became visible, the only thing in the arena was Sekibanki, black sword in hand and eyes glowing. There was no sign of Mima. After a moment of scanning the arena, Sekibanki let go of her sword, which puffed back into smoke and vanished. “ Clearly , she was intimidated by my might.”

“Yes, yes, and if you hadn’t held back and only used a fraction of your power, you would have incinerated the village, am I right?”

Sekibanki whirled around, and gasps spread through the crowd as they looked up, to see Mima casually sitting on the transparent wall. She waved. “Pretty neat trick, in more ways than one. I’ll let you figure out what I mean by that.” Mima slid down the wall. “But let me guess- that took a lot out of you, and you’re probably pretty much spent.”

“I…” Sekibanki took a step back. She seemed to stumble a bit, but she tugged on her capelet and glared. “I’ve only used a tenth of my power! You should surrender, before I actually try to destroy you!”

“Uh huh, yeah, sure.” Mima beamed, as she pointed her staff forward. “Well, I’ll take your word for it, which means I don’t have to feel any guilt for turning you into spaghetti!” 

Sekibanki posed again, teeth gritted. “I’ll… I’ll just have to go full out.”

“Here’s a lesson for you, you overgrown middle schooler.” Mima placed a hand in the inside of the crescent blade, and colors seemed to grow deeper and darker around it. “Holding back your strength to avoid hurting someone? That’s fine. Holding back your strength so you don’t exhaust yourself? Also fine. Holding back for drama ? That’s stupid.” Mima pointed her staff forward. “As is faking and trying to bluff someone who’s way beyond you, and knows it. You can’t bluff me.”

“I’m not bluffing!” 

“Neither am I.” Mima’s staff vanished into a black circle, light twisting around it. Wind sprang up, sucking in towards the black hole. Mima didn’t seem affected, but Sekibanki stumbled, pulled forward by her capelet and skirt. She reached up and grabbed her hair- the suction almost looked like it was trying to pull her head off. Mima’s eyes narrowed, and she raised her free hand, sending a tongue of blue fire into Sekibanki’s leg. Sekibanki cried out, falling, only to get dragged towards the black hole. “Don’t worry, kid- this isn’t a real black hole. You’ll be absolutely fine! But I did say I was gonna turn you to spaghetti, and I wasn’t lying about that!” 

As Sekibanki was pulled closer and closer, she seemed to stretch out, her feet being pulled in as she tried to claw at the ground. Her legs, then her body, were pulled in, stretching out like taffy. She screamed, as did several people in the audience, before she lost her grip and was pulled in.

Kana stared in shock. “Seki…” She felt Ellen tense next to her, reaching for something from a pouch, but before she could, the black circle suddenly flashed blue, and Sekibanki was ejected in a heap at Mima’s feet. The red-head gasped, pushing herself onto her knees. 

“Had enough?” Mima knelt down next to Sekibanki, her staff over her knees. Sekibanki growled, and Mima reached to poke her nose. “If you haven’t, I have several dozen gallons of marinara sauce in reserve, if you’d like me to turn you into spaghetti a different way. One that might be more embarrassing. No shame in losing a proper battle, lots of shame in banging your head into a wall repeatedly.”

Sekibanki sighed. "Fine. I yield."

"But only because if you really, truly , went all out, you'd have blown up the planet, I'm sure." Mima stood. "You heard her, ref. Call it."

"Winner, Mima Geist-Hexe!"

"Dang…" Ellen sighed. "I was hoping Seki would win." She sighed. “Oh well. At least we won’t have to face each other in a later round.”

“Is she dangerous?”
“Not particularly. I just don’t like bursting her bubble too much. She’s a sweetie, if you can get past her eccentricities, but honestly, even if she went full out I'd probably destroy her?" Ellen shrugged. "Probably. Can't say for sure, she's better with lazers, but I'm better with pretty much everything else, if I can say so." 

“So you say, Ellen.” Sekibanki appeared, rubbing her shoulders as she walked. Behind her marched Sokrates, who had apparently finished paying for Kana’s hat. “We both know that I’m the most powerful member of the Grassroots Ne… our club.” Sekibanki glanced back and forth. 

“You just don’t want to embarrass us, I know.” Ellen patted Sekibanki on the shoulder, as Sokrates hopped up onto her head. “Anyway, I think you did as well as you could. Probably, I wasn’t paying as much attention as I probably could have.” Ellen held up the paper slip. “I need to double check my notes, but-” 

“Could Kana and…” The three looked up as the Professor spoke. “...Is this seriously her name? Fluffy Ellen?”

“Oop! Looks like I’ll have to wait…” Ellen slid the strip into a pouch. “And we’re competing against each other, Kana!”

“Okay…” Kana grimaced. “I…”

“You don’t want to fight, I’m guessing?” Ellen smiled. “Not a worry. Technically, nothing on the sign-up sheet said anything about fighting, just that it was a competition. People just kinda assumed I think, especially when she started calling people two at a time.” Ellen winked, and grabbed Kana’s hand. “I have an idea, though it’s admittedly gonna benefit me a lot more than you.”

“What?”

“Sekibanki showed off her thingy to everyone. So, I’m gonna show off mine. ”

Sekibanki sighed and put her hand to her face. “Please, please, rephrase.”

Ellen laughed, then grabbed Kana’s hand. “Just follow my lead. And don’t be afraid to tell me if you’re not feeling it. Like I said, this probably will do more for me than you, and I don’t want to take it away from you if you want to actually fight.”

Kana shrugged. “We’ll see, I guess.”

Ellen led Kana into the arena, as Sekibanki folded her arms and pretended to not pay attention. The Professor was still mumbling over her sheet of paper. “ Fluffy ?” 

“That’s what I’m called, yep!” The Professor turned as they approached. “I have another name though, besides Ellen.”
“Ah?”

“Yeah, but I forgot it.” Ellen beamed as Kana and the Professor stared at her. “Sokrates says it's for the best though. He says that if I remembered, the lawyers would find me and take me away.” 

“Lawyers?” The Professor stared for a moment, then shook her head. “Well, anyway, are you both ready?”

Ellen nodded, as Sokrates hopped off her head and meowed. "Are you ready, Kana?" She asked.

"I suppose."

The Professor nodded and raised her hand. "Well then… Match starts, go!"

Kana tensed, but Ellen didn’t fire off any bullets, instead turning to face the crowd. “Good afternoon, everyone! I hope you’re all enjoying things!” 

Kana blinked, as did the Professor, who had paused midway through sprinting out of the arena. She thought she could feel the eyes of the entire audience on Ellen, on herself . Kana resisted the urge to turn invisible, as Ellen began to circle, keeping her eyes on the crowd as she spoke. 

“Some of you may know me, but for those who don’t, I’m Fluffy Ellen, the greatest magician this side of Genbu Ravine!”

“That’s great! When are you gonna fight?” 

That Mima woman, who’d fought Sekibanki, had climbed to the top of the transparent wall and was grinning down at Ellen. Kana gaped at her, but the only thought that came to mind was That can’t be comfortable, the wall is thin…

“Why would I fight? I don’t seem to remember anything in the paperwork demanding I did. I am a magician , not a drunkard in a bar longing for a brawl!” 

This got a few mutters from the crowd, but Mima simply continued to smirk. “An elitist, I see!”

“Oh, don’t you worry, Ms. Geist-Hexe.” Ellen curtsied. “Were I against you instead of my lovely assistant, I’d trade energy bullets. But as I’m sure you’re all too aware, magic is hardly just how many bullets you can shoot, how hot a lazer you can make.” Ellen turned back to Kana, slipping something into her hand as she took it. She met Kana’s eyes and whispered. “On my signal, squeeze and focus as much magic as you can into it. Then aim straight up.” Ellen whirled back around to face the crowd. “Friends, strangers, neighbors- for your consideration, my creations, to be sold at the soon-to-be greatest magical shop in all of Gensokyo, Fluffy Ellen's Magic Emporium!"

Kana opened her hand, revealing a slip of cardstock. One side was covered in glyphs and numbers, illegible in Ellen’s scrawl, while the other side seemed to depict a diagram of some kind- two people facing each other, with circles, stars, and hearts surrounding one of them- emanating from them?

“We haven’t opened yet, but that’s no reason not to show you all what’s soon to be in store!” Ellen twirled, raising a hand. “Now, be amazed!” She shot a glance back to Kana, who blinked before shaking her head and crumpling the paper slip into a ball and focusing. Immediately it started to grow warm, disintegrating into ash as light leaked from her fingers. Kana thrust her hand into the air, only to gape as dozens of energy bullets shot from her palm- not just the standard small spherical kind, but stars and hearts, of all sizes, some nearly as big as Kana herself and all glowing like a rainbow. Shouts and cheers roared from the crowd, while Kana’s eyes stayed wide. She’d only ever made one or two in her life, as part of a prank, and she wasn’t even sure if she could anymore with the seal on her. She hadn’t even had to use much magical power, just a tiny amount to activate the paper card. 

The bullets tapered off, and Kana lowered her hand as Ellen flounced over to her, wrapping an arm around Kana’s waist. “My lovely assistant, everyone!” 

Kana blushed, between Ellen’s hold and the stares of the crowd. It took a lot of will to not flick invisible. Ellen let go of Kana, then stepped forward again. “Now that I’ve impressed you all, let’s talk about some of my specials!”

What followed was a bit of a whirlwind, as Ellen plopped down a bag and started pulling out things. A potion that when Ellen poured over Kana’s hair, changed her from blonde to a bright teal, then back again. A cloak that when Ellen wrapped over her shoulders, halved her weight, as demonstrated by her having Kana pick her up. “It’s like training wheels for flying!” Several potions that according to Ellen, would do things like make it easier to lose weight, or help clear up acne, or one that she described as “A special helper for couples, ahem ,” that she refused to elaborate on. The acne potion, however, Ellen was quite willing to demonstrate, shouting for a volunteer. 

Kana stood back as Ellen made her way to the arena exit. She was a bit surprised that they hadn’t been told to stop by the Professor, given that Ellen had effectively turned the round into an advertisement. But no, the Professor seemed just as enthralled as anyone, scribbling notes down on a pad of paper, although her green-haired companion was glaring daggers at Ellen.

“Well, young man, if you don’t mind me saying, looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me!”

Ellen led a teenager into the arena, and Kana’s eyes widened. Not because of his acne, but for his blonde hair and familiar face. It was Lord Anaberal’s son. Kana immediately flicked invisible, but it was too late. The boy had locked eyes on where Kana was standing, blinking in confusion. Ellen hadn’t noticed, preoccupied with demonstrating her potion, but Kana ran regardless. This had all been a mistake, and her only hope was to run. Because when the boy returned to his father…

Kana shot into the air with a jump, flying off. Even unseen, she thought she caught Sekibanki turning to watch, eyes glowing slightly red. Kana didn’t care. She should never have left the house.

Chapter Text

A Tsukumogami?

Rikako dodged out of the way of a lazer in a burst of smoke as she triggered her rocket pack. She'd been consumed in thought since Rinnosuke had made his diagnosis of Chiyuri, so much so she'd nearly missed when her name had been called for a fight. She hadn't heard the name of the woman she was facing, though she thought she recognized the brown-winged Tengu woman- perhaps she had been on one of the patrols near Kappatown? Most patrols were done by Wolf Tengu, but Crow Tengu weren't unknown to join, and the woman certainly knew how to fight.

Rikako leapt back again to avoid another lazer. The woman barked out a curse, raising her long rifle and firing, this time releasing a burst of wind that tore at Rikako's hair and longcoat. Rikako held an arm over her face, reaching into her coat and pulling out a pinch of iron filings. She spat out a quick spell, letting the flakes flow through her fingers, sintering and expanding into a large sawblade. Rikako gritted her teeth, then hurled the blade forward at the Tengu, cutting through her wind and sending her sprawling as it flew past. Rikako shook herself. She had to focus on what was in front of her, not get distracted by everything with Chiyuri. 

Rikako pulled another pinch of iron filings free, summoning a second sawblade and flipping it over in her hands. She raised it in time to block a scorching lazer from the Tengu, holding it off long enough to activate her jetpack and jump safely to the side. 

“Hold still, snuff you!” The Tengu woman slammed the butt of her rifle into the ground, and wind began to stir, a cyclone forming around her, amplified by her beating wings. Rikako summoned another sawblade, slamming it into the ground with both hands to hold herself steady. Rikako had left her textbook with Chiyuri and Rinnosuke, who were watching, but she didn’t need it for this. She had enough data on Tengu, enough to come up with a plan. “Observation- my sawblades have enough mass and low enough wind-facing cross-section to not be deflected when I throw them.” Rikako slipped a hand into her coat as she muttered to herself. “Observation- an increase in length of an object results in an cubic increase of mass. Two cubed is eight…” Rikako carefully pinched out eight charges of powered iron, collecting them in her hand, while keeping one eye on the Tengu. The woman had been concentrating on spinning up the wind storm, but she was pulling her gun from the ground now, apparently ready to start firing lazers again. “Hypothesis- A doubly-big sawblade, eight times more massive, will be sufficient to destroy my enemies.” Rikako squeezed the powder in her hand, chanting her spell, only to yelp in shock at the massive increase of weight as her sawblade formed. Her normal blades were already quite large, but this one came up to her chest, made entirely of steel. She couldn’t even lift it, not with the sudden drain that came with casting her spell. “Observation… cost in magic does not increase linearly with increased size of blade…” Rikako panted a bit, before ducking down behind the blade as the Tengu fired off a round of bullets.

Too large to throw, perhaps, but more than sufficient for a shield, even blocking the cyclone’s wind. Rikako pulled her smaller sawblade from the ground, and carefully popped her head over the top of the larger blade. 

“Gotcha!”
Rikako yelped and fell back as the Tengu jabbed the barrel of her rifle into her face. Rikako was blinded as the gun fired, a lazer blasting overhead. Rikako let out a curse, blinking to try and regain sight, only dodging another lazer by complete accident as the Tengu scrambled over her blade and fired down on her. “Hypothesis… oh, screw it! ” Rikako slammed a hand against the sawblade, sending a jolt of electricity coursing into the blade. Most of it immediately grounded out, but enough arced through the Tengu woman to knock her down with a pained squawk. Before she could stand, Rikako was on her, kicking away her rifle and slamming a knee down on her chest, pinning her. The Tengu woman shouted, reaching for her rifle with one hand and trying to shove Rikako off with the other, but after several seconds of helpless flailing, she growled and went still, eyes glaring daggers.

“Winner, Rikako Asakura!”

Rikako let out a breath as she got off her opponent. The Tengu woman let out a curse, grabbing her rifle and storming off the field, towards the man who’d fought earlier, with the paper bird- they were friends apparently. 

Rikako felt a hand grab her wrist and hoist it into the air. She turned to see the grin of the Professor. "An excellent showing!" 

"Thank you."  Rikako pressed her hands against her back and stretched, gritting her teeth. "Actually, if you have a moment-"

But clearly the Professor did not, as she brushed past Rikako. "Now, for our next competitors, could Kotohime and Genjii please approach the arena?”

Rikako lifted her finger, but paused, finally turning away and sighing. Best not to make a scene. Annoying perhaps, but Rikako shrugged and walked away anyway. She’d won, after all- there would be further matches, and thus there would be other chances to talk to the Professor and the other Chiyuri. 

“You alright, Rik?” As Rikako exited the arena, Rinnosuke and her Chiyuri were there to greet her. Chiyuri patted Rikako’s arm as they walked. 

“I’m fine. A bit tired, but fine” Rikako gritted her teeth and stretched her back. She must have landed on it wrong when she fell. “I’ll need to write some experiment results down."

"What about the other me?" 

The blonde in question was talking to the green-haired woman who was working with her and the Professor. They didn’t seem to be paying much attention to what was going on, having a conversation while writing down something in a notebook. That seemed to lend some credence to the idea of the group researching magic, if they were taking notes on the fights. To what end, Rikako wasn’t sure of, but that was secondary to the question of the two Chiyuris. “I didn’t get a chance to talk to the Professor yet. I don’t think I will until later.”

Chiyuri gritted her teeth, turning away. “Yeah, I suppose so. How many fights left is it?”

“Two in the first round,” said Rinnosuke. He adjusted his glasses, frowning as a large turtle and a red-haired woman entered the arena. “I was wondering if Kotohime would show up. And I think I’ve seen that turtle around- I wouldn’t have pegged him as a fighter , though.”

“Well, neither were you.” Chiyuri bit back a grin at Rikako’s comment, and even Rinnosuke chortled, though he did his best to look indignant. “In any case, there should be more time later. We can approach them in between the rounds.”

“Maybe not. I imagine they might be busy then, setting up for the next rounds?” Rinnosuke tapped his chin. “Although, the more people who are knocked out of the running, the less time that should take, right? If we can’t talk after the first, we should have a better chance after the second.”

“Especially if you win again, Rik.” Chiyuri patted Rikako on the arm again. “I mean, not only are they getting data from you, if they start asking about you, then you can talk about how you’re a scientist, and maybe that could help with figuring out some answers? One magical researcher to another.”

“Perhaps.” Rikako glanced towards the second Chiyuri again. “We have time. It shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“It shouldn’t be.” Chiyuri frowned as she looked across the way as well. The green-haired woman looked up, red eyes locking on them. Chiyuri suddenly yelped as the green-haired woman’s eyes narrowed, eyes meeting hers. Chiyuri stumbled backwards, pressing her hand to her forehead. Across the way, the other Chiyuri also winced in pain, though she didn’t seem to have noticed Rikako’s Chiyuri, instead focusing on the pages. The green-haired woman mouthed something, her eyes glowing red for a moment, before she turned back to the other Chiyuri.

Rikako turned back to her own Chiyuri, who was being held up by Rinnosuke. “What happened?”

“I… I don’t know.” Chiyuri winced. “That didn’t happen before when I saw her.”

Across the way, the green-haired woman was leading the other Chiyuri away- the blonde was holding her head in apparent pain. “I really hope that that isn’t related,” said Rikako. 

“I can’t think of a reason it would be. Still, there have been a lot of oddities today.”

Rikako nodded, reaching over to squeeze Chiyuri’s shoulder. “We’ll figure it out. Just let me know if it gets worse.”

Chiyuri nodded, wincing slightly, but she smiled regardless. “Just as long as you win, alright?”

“Maybe winning is less important than figuring things out?”

Chiyuri grinned a bit wider. “Maybe. Doesn’t mean I’m letting you back out though.”

Chapter Text

"You want to do what to the Orb?!?"

Reimu sat in a trance state, the Hakurei Orb in her lap. Kotohime's home had gone dark, colors twisted as she focused on the Orb, and while Kotohime herself seemed to be made of black smoke as she hovered nearby. Two figures hovered before Reimu- one a man in blue and white robes of a priest with similar features to her own, the other a woman in red and blue robes, with a mane of scarlet hair tied back in loose ribbons.The spirits of Reimu's maternal grandparents. 

Well, not spirits, technically. As they had explained to Reimu, they were more akin to photographs with memories and the ability to talk. But as far as Reimu could tell, it didn't seem to make much difference. Normal photos didn't berate their grandchildren.

“Is it not enough that you use the Orb as a bludgeon, now you want to paint it?” 

“Only temporarily!” Reimu did her best to face her grandparents- the “snapshots” of her grandparents- whatever. 

“The Hakurei Orb is a holy relic! One does not simply paint it over.”

Reimu sighed. “I told you, it’s temporary. The orb is too obvious.” 

“Too obvious?” Reimu’s grandmother placed her chin in her hand. “Is the cat form you managed to figure out not enough?” 

“I haven’t been able to figure out how to fire while it’s still a cat, it has to be in orb form. And I’m not going to go fight Marisa or Mima or whoever without it.” 

“Why would you need to hide your nature, Reimu?”

“Feh. Back in my day, I didn’t hide my nature!” Reimu’s grandfather folded his arms. “If I had, then we would have never broken the family curse!”

Reimu frowned. “Family curse?”

"Yes, curse." Reimu's grandfather nodded. "The line was cursed so that every Hakurei going forward would die in childbirth, and that child would always be a girl, also doomed to die giving birth.”

Reimu tilted her head. "But you're a man."

Reimu's grandfather rolled his eyes. "It would seem that when the family was cursed, there were certain assumptions made."

"It was a different time, dear."

"We were cursed by a Kitsune ! How many Kitsune can you name who don't experiment with their gender identity every few decades?"

"Well, one."

"If rumors are to be believed, I'm pretty sure "Ran" hasn't actually been a Kitsune since the Border went up. My point stands!"

"You make it sound as though you wanted to die in pregnancy, dear."

"No. I just don't like that it still managed to get you. " Reimu's grandfather reached out and took his wife's hand. "At the very least, it’s broken now. Obviously, I couldn’t die in childbirth, and while Izumi came close, she survived having you, Reimu. And unlike me, she lived long enough to raise you, even or just a short time.” The man squatted down a bit to pat Reimu on the shoulder. “You shouldn’t be ashamed of who you are, child.”

“It’s not shame. It’s just caution. There’s something weird going on, and I’m hiding my identity for now so I can catch them off guard.” 

“Ah.” The man turned to his wife and held a quick whispered conversation, before turning back to Reimu. “Well, in that case… temporary, you said?” 

“Yep.” 

“I suppose, discretion is the better part of valor… Very well, but only if it is temporary.” 

“Of course.” 

“And be aware- there will come a time when you won’t be able to hide your nature. In truth, I’m not sure you should be, young as you are.” 

“I know.”

Reimu's grandparents patted her on the shoulder, and a moment later, light and color returned as Reimu left the trance. Almost immediately the Orb shifted into cat form, glaring up at Reimu. "See? I told you they'd okay it." 

The cat rolled its eyes and gave an indignant meow, but didn't protest as Reimu slid an arm underneath it and stood. Kotohime stood nearby, a cardboard box in her arms. "All good?"

Reimu nodded, and Kotohime set down her box, before digging out several metal cans. “I’ll start painting then, if you wanna get everything else ready.” She dug in the box again, before pulling out a worn wooden staff, with a pair of paper tassels tied to the top. “As promised, one of Izumi’s.”

“Thanks.” Reimu took it and closed her eyes. She could feel power thrumming through the staff- similar to her own staff, but not quite the same. It was shorter than hers, thicker as well, more like a long wand or bat. Hadn’t Meira once said something about how a staff like this would be better for hitting the Orb with? Reimu gave a few cautious swings, careful to avoid Kotohime as she knelt over the cat, trying to coax it back into Orb form. Reimu gave it a quick mental command, and with another resigned meow, it curled up into itself, shifting from fur and flesh into crystal. 

“If you’re going for the whole disguise thing, I have a few ideas.” Kotohime picked up one of the metal cans and shook it, before pushing something at the top. Color sprayed out in a hiss, painting the Orb a bright pink. “I found this in the back- one of Rin’s old projects.” She nudged the box, and a small golden crescent fell out- a sculpture of the moon, by the look of it, with a circular base at the bottom. “A topper for a wand, I think, when she felt like trying to use ‘em.”

Reimu picked up the model, turning it over in her hand. “Was Rin a magician, then?”

“Sorta. She was a bit of everything. Her parents wanted her to be a nurse, so she trained for that for years before she met Izumi. She volunteered to teach kids to read, she practiced magic… only thing she couldn’t do was music, not that that stopped her from trying her damndest to play that erhu. Ghh …” Kotohime shuddered. 

Reimu pressed the moon sculpture to the top of her mother’s staff. The circular base slipped snuggly over the top, though an experimental swing nearly sent the thing flying. Reimu pushed it down harder, then wrapped the paper tassels through the crescent to hold it on. “What was she like?”

“Rin?” Kotohime frowned, pausing in her painting. “Well, she was pretty smart. Kinda a jerk at times, really sure of herself. She cared, though, even if it didn’t always look like it. She’d rag on me and Izzy all the time, but the moment we were in a fight, she was always right at the front, doing her best to keep us safe.” Kotohime shrugged. “Of course, I was doing the same for her and Izzy, and Izzy for the two of us. We all just had different ways of doing it. I have my barriers and bombs, Izzy had the Orb, Rin had whatever she was experimenting with that day.”

“How did she die?” 

Kotohime froze, before turning away. “Same way Izumi did.” Her voice had gone soft. “Reimu… what do you remember?”

“I remember mom.” Reimu thought back, as hard as she could. She didn’t remember Kotohime, nor could she remember Rin. “My memory’s kinda fuzzy that far back. I know she was there, and then… she wasn’t, and Genjii was taking care of me.” 

“You were five when it happened. I know most people don’t start having much in the way of memory until they’re a few years old, but five seems too old to not remember. Maybe it’s for the best though…” Kotohime turned back to Reimu, holding the pink-painted Orb in her hands. “It was pretty bad.”

“How bad?”

Kotohime continued to face Reimu, but her eyes refused to meet hers. “I should have been there. Rin and Izumi, they were strong, but they relied on my barriers. Maybe I could have saved them. I know I could have saved them. Even just having a third person there…”

“What?”

Kotohime paused for a moment, hugging the Orb to herself. “They were murdered.”

“Murdered?”

“No other word for it.” 

“What happened?”

Kotohime closed her eyes and paused again, this time for longer. Reimu reached out to touch the woman’s hand, feeling her shake. “Kotohime?”

“I wasn’t there. I should have been, but I saw the aftermath. The shrine had burned down, and Rin was outside, her throat slit from behind. She never stood a chance, she died choking on her own blood. Your mother…” Kotohime bit back a sob. “It wasn’t a robbery gone wrong. Thieves don’t cut up a woman like that. That was torture. They cut her, then torched the shrine… Reimu, I looked everywhere for you, hoping that you’d somehow escaped…”

Reimu’s eyes had gone wide, jaw dropping. Kotohime stood and wandered over to a bookshelf. She slid out a notebook, flipping through it. Reimu caught a glimpse of a sketch of a burned-out shrine, as Kotohime pulled out a lavender envelope. "I found this while I was looking for you." She opened the envelope and handed Reimu the letter inside.

Kotohime-

I have taken Reimu Hakurei to safety. Return to the Human Village and keep the people safe until she returns.

There was no signature, save for a symbol of an eye marked in red ink. The same symbol that had been on the box that sealed Mima. The same eyes that had been in the black rift belonging to the creature Mima had called “She-That-Lies”. Reimu looked up and met Kotohime’s eyes. “There are… rumors. Of a monster so uncanny, so alien, she might be called a Youkai born of Youkai, alien even to them. I’ve never seen her, though I know Izumi had been searching. She was supposed to be connected to the Hakurei line, somehow.” 

“I think she saved my life when I fought Mima.”
“Might be. Rumors are that she was involved with the formation of the Border, so she's probably bound to be a bit invested in the Hakurei line.” Kotohime took the letter back, looking over it. “In any case, I did what I was told. I went back to the village, and here I’ve been for the last eight years. Did what I could for the place, even if it was mostly just chasing the Yorigami’s and jerks like them around, and occasionally helping make sure well-meaning Youkai got the paperwork they needed to be allowed in. Thankfully the last few years have been pretty quiet. No one trying to eat the moon, or cause a perpetual autumn. I think even Matara got it in her head to behave herself, after what Rin and I did to her last time she got off her throne.” Kotohime shrugged. “I did try to find you, though. In case you were wondering.”

“I was wondering, a bit.” 

Kotohime nodded. “Reimu… where were you, all these years? Where did she take you?”

“I’ve been in the shrine the whole time.”

“That doesn’t make sense. I visited several times. Nothing was there but the burnt-out ruins.”

Reimu blinked. “What?”

Kotohime opened her mouth to speak, but didn’t as someone knocked at the door. A moment later, the door opened and Genjii poked his head through. “My lady, Lady Kotohime, it’s time for us to go.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’ve been watching. They just started the sixth fight, and after that there are only two left. Four competitors have yet to fight, and we compose three of them.” 

“Logical.” Kotohime stood, wiping her eyes a bit. “Well, unfortunately it means one of us won’t be heading on to the second round.”

Reimu stood as well, while the Orb shifted back into cat form and glared at her. The pink paint hadn’t seemed to affect this form, as it was still mottled red and white. Reimu knelt to pick it up, but it turned up its nose before hopping up onto Genjii’s back. Reimu sighed. “Hopefully that doesn’t mean I’m getting eliminated. I don't want to lose because the Orb is mad at me."

The three left Kotohime's house, and by the time they got back to the arena, the Professor was holding a violet-haired woman's arm in the air, declaring her victorious. “An excellent showing! Now, for our next competitors, could Kotohime and Genjii please approach the arena?”

“Well, then…” 

Genjii chuckled. Kotohime grinned next to him. “Scared, old man?”

“Hardly, Lady Kotohime.” The old turtle smiled as well. “I may be old, but I’m hardly incompetent.”

“Haven’t you spent most of your life lounging around behind the shrine and dispensing wisdom?” 

“Hm hm hm… Old Gramps has learned a few tricks, my dear. A side effect of my lady’s clashes with Mima and her ilk.”  

“What’s this about my ilk?”

Reimu narrowed her eyes as Mima glided up, grinning. Kotohime and Genjii turned, glaring, but Mima didn’t stop smiling. “You two run along, go figure out who’s the best old fogey or something. I’ll babysit your kid.” 

Kotohime’s eyes narrowed, but Reimu patted her on the arm. “I’ll keep an eye on her.”

“If you say so, Rei.”
Kotohime shot another glare at Mima before turning and heading into the arena, while Genjii hesitated a moment more. “Ms. Mima-”

“Seriously, old man, just go. Show up barrier bitch, or get shown up, I don’t care.” Mima crossed her arms. “We’re in the middle of a crowd where anyone can see me, so if I do anything untold, you’ll have plenty of warning. Happy?”

Genjii sighed, but he turned to go as well, entering the arena to a surprising amount of cheers, given his very obvious Youkai nature. Reimu watched, though she kept her head slightly turned back towards Mima, who was picking at her fingernails. Kotohime and Genjii seemed to have a brief conversation with the Professor, before a few moments later they stepped back, and the Professor raised her hand. “Match set, go!”

Genjii and Kotohime both jumped back simultaneously, Kotohime forming her pointers and thumbs into a rectangle as a violet barrier formed in front of her, while Genjii slammed a foot into the ground, and a shield of his own formed, spherical and formed of hexagons, not unlike his shell.

“Naturally, they go for the defenses first.” Reimu glanced back at Mima, who had folded her arms. “Not a bad move, but to be expected from Koto and Gramps.”

“Why are you calling him Gramps?”

Mima shrugged. “Why do you? He ain’t your grandpa.”

Reimu opened her mouth to growl out a retort, but turned back to the fight as she heard a familiar roar, as Genjii opened his mouth and breathed out a jet of fire at Kotohime’s shield. Kotohime gritted her teeth and raised her hands, her shield glowing brighter as Genjii’s flames flowed around it like a rock in a stream. Kotohime took a step back, then another, before reaching a hand into her sleeve and pulling something out and throwing it to the ground. Kotohime’s shield shattered with the sound of breaking glass, but Kotohime was gone, vanished in a puff of smoke as flame roared towards her. Kotohime reappeared in another puff across the arena to a roar from the crowd. 

“Your turtle’s doing better with his flames, I see.” Reimu glanced back at Mima, who was leaning on her staff, hand on her chin. “Must be all that practice." Reimu glared at Mima, who kept grinning. “I’m excited to see how you do. My kids have been giving you a workout the last few months, haven’t they?” 

Reimu gritted her teeth and turned back to the fight, as Kotohime vanished again as one of Genjii’s fireballs soared past to smash into the wall. Kotohime reappeared above Genjii, arms stretched out and a pair of tonfa in her hands. She landed, bringing her weapons down on Genjii’s shell with a sharp crack, only to leap away as Genjii snapped out his beak on one and bit it in half. Genjii hopped back as well, tucking his head and limbs into his shell and hovering just above the ground, before launching forward in a burst of flame. Kotohime leapt out of the way, coming up in a roll as Genjii shot past, spinning in a ring of flame and reflecting off the wall back towards Kotohime. Kotohime dodged again, but Genjii stabbed out one foot and launched towards her, catching her in the side and knocking her to the ground. Genjii spun and stuck out his legs, skidding to a stop and facing Kotohime as she struggled to her feet, wincing.

“He’s pretty fast for a turtle, isn’t he?” Reimu glanced back at Mima. “I’m impressed. As much as I can be, given that Mr. Koopa can’t do anything to me, so perhaps it’s for the best that he’s fighting her .” Mima paused and grinned pointing back in the arena. “Or perhaps not?” 

Reimu turned back around just in time to see Genjii rocketing towards Kotohime, only for her to drop to the ground and summon a barrier, angled to the ground into a ramp over her. Genjii was moving too fast to stop, and he shot up the ramp and slammed into the wall with a crack! Kotohime rolled over, raising her hands and projecting another barrier, pinning Genjii against the wall and trapping him. Genjii shot out his feet, trying to climb out, but wasn't able to get a grip, and when he tucked back in and tried to jet out, Kotohime tilted her hands, angling the barrier so Genjii just wedged himself in further. After a few moments of the turtle struggling, his flame turned off and he sighed. “It seems, Lady Kotohime, you’ve bested me.” 

Kotohime waved her hand, and her violet barrier vanished, letting Genjii drop back down to the ground. “Not bad though, old man. You’ve improved.”

“Indeed he has.” Mima stepped next to Reimu, arms folded. “Well, that’s that then. You’re up next, ain’t ya?”

Reimu didn’t say anything, as the Professor held up Kotohime’s arm in victory. Mima paused for a moment, then shrugged. “Well, the next fight will be fun. Marisa hasn’t had her turn yet, either, so I’m sure you two will have fun.”

Reimu turned back to Mima, who was grinning. “Nothing like a rival for a tournament arc, right?”

“I have no clue what you’re blathering about.”

“No? Too bad.”

Reimu narrowed her eyes, but turned back to the arena. “Our last fight for round one, could Marisa Geist-Hexe and Rei Hino please enter the arena?”

“ Rei Hino ?” Mima snorted with laughter, but Reimu ignored her as she started making her way to the arena entrance. Reimu had thought the name was pretty clever when she’d thought of it, since the given name was just her own shortened, and even had the same initials when written out in English. As for her outfit, between the top added to her borrowed staff, a large blue hat borrowed from Kotohime over a blue jacket, and her Orb painted, no one would be able to recognize her as the Hakurei Shrine Maiden. Who’d think of it? 

Although, there’s something weird, isn’t there? Genjii had explained years ago that she needed to keep her name secret in case someone wanted to hurt her. Because her mother had been murdered? Kotohime had been told she’d been taken away somewhere safe, but Reimu had lived in the shrine as long as she could remember. 

Reimu was shoved to the side just as she entered the arena, Marisa storming past her. Reimu stumbled, as Marisa glared and stuck out her tongue. “Seriously? A fake name?”

“Didn’t you introduce yourself to me as Akyuu of Heida? Marisa Geist-Hexe ?”

Marisa growled, but didn’t say anything, turning and making her way towards the center of the Arena, where the Professor stood, arms folded behind her back. She smiled as they approached. “Good to see you both! I hope you’re both ready, yes?”

Reimu nodded, shooting a glare at Marisa, who stuck out her tongue again. 

“I’ll take that as a yes, then.” The Professor stepped back, before looking around to the crowd, waiting for them to quiet a bit. “Alright! Last match of round one, set!”

Beside Reimu, her cat brushed against her leg, as she drew her staff and rubbed the moon-shaped topper. Marisa drew her star-tipped wand, adjusting her hat and eyes narrowed. 

“Go! ”

Reimu raised a hand, and her cat jumped into the air, shifting neatly into Orb form just in time to block a massive star bullet from Marisa, glowing energy splashing off. Marisa jumped back, blinking. “Why the hell is that thing pink ?”

Reimu drew back and slashed out her staff at the Orb, launching it at Marisa, who yelped and fell on her butt, the Orb shooting overhead to bounce off the far wall. Reimu pressed the advantage, running forward and jabbing Marisa in the stomach with her staff as she tried to get up, knocking her back down again. Marisa rolled, coming to a stop and jabbing the tip of her wand into the ground. The tip glowed, and Reimu was blasted back by a wave of golden light to land on her own behind. Reimu’s Orb shifted back into cat mode and started sprinting over to her, as Marisa stood and started waving her wand in the air. The tip glowed, as a glowing sphere formed on it, before Marisa swung out and launched off a spread of star-shaped bullets. Reimu got onto her knees and slashed out with her staff, knocking the stars away, as the cat reached her, hopping into the air and shifting into Orb form. Reimu stood, slipping through another round of star bullets and pointing forward. The Orb glowed and split into four, blocking a third spread of bullets, before firing off a round of needles, tearing into Marisa’s hat and yanking it off her head. Marisa herself yelped and ducked, gritting her teeth and pulling a glass vial from her belt, popping the cork and tossing it at Reimu. Reimu merged the Orbs into one, making it grow with a mental command and sending it out in front of her. The vial smashed into the Orb, splashing out green liquid that hissed as it hit the ground, though it didn’t seem to harm the Orb- nothing did, as far as Reimu knew. It had never been hurt by energy bullets, never chipped when hit into walls or trees or rocks or people. Reimu took another swing at the Orb, and it flew true, slamming into Marisa as she tried to dodge, knocking her down in a groan of pain. Reimu sprinted forward, leaping onto the smaller girl and pinning her down, grabbing her wrists. Marisa shrieked, struggling, but Reimu scooched up, placing a knee on the witchlet’s chest. “Give up!” 

Marisa struggled, managing to work a hand free and slapping at Reimu’s shoulder as she tried to grab her again. Marisa’s arm slipped down to her waist, slipping into a pouch and grabbing a handful of powder, which she threw in Reimu’s face. Reimu yelped and put an arm over her face, only for her stomach to turn as everything went dark for a moment, and she landed hard several meters away from Marisa. Reimu got to her feet, as across from her Marisa stood as well. “Did you try to teleport me to the Dream World again?”

“Mima said I’m not allowed to, so that was just a regular teleport.” Marisa growled, then pulled out another vial, hurling it at Reimu. Reimu called her Orb forward again, though instead of green hissing goo, the vial exploded in a flash of blue light, leaving the Orb covered in ice. The Orb quickly shifted to cat form, and the ice fell away as it shook itself, then sprinted at Marisa, leaping into her face with a hiss.

Marisa screamed and fell, as the cat switched between forms, alternatively leaping up and bonking her. Reimu drew out a talisman from her sleeve, and ran forward just as Marisa managed to push the cat off her. Before the witchlet could blink, Reimu slapped the paper slip onto her forehead, zapping her with a burst of electricity that left her twitching. Reimu’s cat jumped into her arms, hissing at the downed Marisa. 

“Winner, Rei Hino!” 

Reimu turned as the Professor approached, reaching down to lift Reimu’s hand in the air. The crowd cheered, and Reimu could see Kotohime and Genjii near the exit, both shouting for her. 

She could also see Mima, chin in hand and frowning, but not looking very mad- more worried than anything. Reimu met her eyes, then looked back down at the fallen Marisa, who was still twitching. She looked up at Mima again, then with a sigh, knelt and removed the talisman. Marisa stopped twitching, blinking for a moment up at Reimu. She struggled to push herself up, hatred burning in her eyes. 

“Well done, Ms. Hino!” The Professor placed her hand on Reimu’s shoulder. Reimu turned away from Marisa, meeting the red-haired woman’s eyes. “Indeed, quite well done. And that cat of yours… Very interesting.” The Professor pulled out that metal box of hers, aiming it at Reimu’s cat.

“Um, thank you…” Reimu frowned as the device started clicking, the Profesor frowning at it. She glanced back down at Marisa, who hadn’t gotten up yet, still glaring daggers at Reimu. 

“Yes, very interesting…” The Professor lowered her device. “Well, I hope to see you continue to do well in the next round. We’ll be taking a bit of a break first, though. I have some notes to write down.”

Reimu stared as the woman wandered off, then turned back towards Kotohime and Genjii. She shot one last glance towards Marisa, and with a shrug, headed off, towards her mentors.

On the village palisade, a blonde guard had turned to face into the village. She held up a spyglass, watching the duels from afar. Her eyes narrowed as she adjusted the glass, the corners of her mouth curling. "It would seem your fears are correct, My Lady." 

The woman turned, slipping the spyglass onto her belt as she walked. One of the other guards called out as she left her post, but went silent as she fixed the man with a hard glare. 

"An incursion. Outsiders." The woman muttered under her breath as she walked. "I will need to get closer to ascertain their intentions."

The woman paused, glancing to her side for a moment. "Yes, Kotohime is there. As is the Hakurei girl. But Kotohime is out of practice, and the girl is young. And I suspect there is something else- and not just the Ghost-Witch." 

The guard woman turned and continued towards a small shed. She waved her hand over the door, unlocking it with a click and stepping inside. Lying on the floor was another woman- identical in appearance, tied and gagged, and stripped to her underwear.

"I thank you for the use of your uniform and face. Your shift so far has been uneventful." The blonde woman slipped out of the uniform, dropping it in front of her captive, who stared at her wide-eyed. 

The woman knelt, pressing a finger to the captive's head. "You will forget our meeting. In twenty-three seconds the ropes will dissolve. I suggest that once they have, you get back to your post, as I must get to mine."

The woman stood, and unleashed a torrent of magic over her body. Her face shifted while a white and blue dress took shape around her. Her hair shimmered, turning from mundane blonde to true golden, matching a set of ears and nine tails that sprang from her form. Light sparkled around her for a few moments as she raised an arm and slashed down. A black rift formed in the air, and for a moment several red eyes stared out, before the Kitsune slipped into the rift and vanished.

Chapter Text

Reimu sat at the cafe table once again, across from Kotohime and Genjii. She was a bit tired from her fight with Marisa, but she still had to keep from bouncing in her seat.

"Gotta say, not bad." Kotohime leaned back in her chair, a cup of tea in her hands. "Izumi never managed to figure out that Cat form, I didn't even know it could do that until today."

The cat in question seemed to have forgiven Reimu for painting its Orb form pink, given that it was happily sitting in her lap. Reimu absently scratched its head, thinking. “Did she fight like me, otherwise?”

“Pretty much. I mean, it’s probably to be expected, since you have the same weapons and all.” Kotohime shrugged. “I tried to teach her how to summon barriers like my own, once. She struggled with it, but maybe you’d like to give it a try? I bet you could do some cool stuff with the orb. Bouncing it off barriers and such.”

“Maybe?” Reimu stared across the way, towards the now empty arena. The Professor and her assistants had vanished, presumably to set up for the next round of fights. While Reimu had missed most of them preparing her disguise, she couldn’t say she was too surprised by some of the results Genjii had mentioned. Rika had won after her double had snuck some weapons into the arena for her, and Meira and Mima had both won handily. Reimu couldn’t say to the others, but given that one fight had apparently been turned into a marketing pitch, Reimu suspected her main worry would end up being Mima and her goons.

Well, her and the mysterious Professor.

“How long do you think it’s going to take for her to start up again?” Reimu paused scratching, prompting the cat to stir and meow until she restarted.

“Hard to say.” Kotohime leaned forward, looking towards the arena as well. “Tournament brackets are simple, fill in the names and just keep going on as people win. The limiting factor is how fast you can have your matches, really. She’s probably pausing to let everyone recover their strength.”

“I suppose…” 

“Nervous?”

Reimu nodded. “I just…”

“Got a gut feeling, the way she was talking, the fact that that Vengeful Spirit is around, just how many more Youkai than normal are in the village at the moment?”

“Are there?” Reimu frowned.

“Yep. Shouldn’t be a problem, I recognize most of ‘em. Events bring people out of the woodwork. I wouldn’t be surprised if the reason the Yorigamis were here this morning was because they sensed something too. Prime pickpocketing opportunity, knowing them.” Kotohime sighed. “Still, it could be worse. At least-”

There was a blast of wind as something slammed down in front of Reimu, black feathers fluttering around as Reimu yelped and fell out of her chair. Kotohime leapt to her feet, spitting out a curse. “Of course, the moment I say it!”

Reimu got to her knees, climbing up her chair as the something resolved itself into a person- a Tengu woman with short black hair and matching wings. She spread her arms and crowed "Your Ever-Intrepid Investigator has arrived! Who's ready for an interview?"

Kotohime's arms shot out, but the Tengu vanished in a blur of movement, landing on the table. "Tsk, tsk, Lady Kotohime! Don't you know that a robust and independent press is paramount to civil freedom?"

"And what about unrepentant gossip-mongers? Show me your pass now , Shameimaru!"

Kotohime lunged again, and once again the woman blurred away, reappearing with her arm around Reimu's shoulder. "What a hypocrite. I tell you, kid, you know how many other Youkai I saw around town as I was flying in? And yet it's me she targets?"

"They're not breaking the sound barrier in village limits!"

" Technically , I haven't either, but I see your point." The woman stood, flicking her wrist and presenting a pass similar to Genjii's. "Name, Aya Shameimaru. Species, Crow Tengu. Age, old enough to know better. Granted permission to enter the Human Village as a press reporter."

Kotohime folded her arms and growled. "As if you can call the Bunbummaru press ." 

“I won an award for my story on the last Fairy War!”

“Yeah, I read that. I also read that ‘Cute Couples’ column where you put me and Sannyo Komakusa together . ”

Genjii snorted beside Reimu. Reimu turned towards him, but the turtle shook his head. “I’ll explain later.”

“You have to admit, Kotohime, you are a cute couple! Your red hair and purple kimono, her purple hair and red kimono-”

“We’re not a thing! We’ve never been a thing! Literally every time I’ve run into her I’ve elbow-dropped her through a table!”

“Just because you’re a theoretical couple doesn’t make it not cute. And I've seen worse relationship starters." Shameimaru grinned, flipping through a notebook. "It's too bad I didn't get tipped off until now, this is the sort of thing I'm all about! A dueling competition set up by a mysterious patron, really, Kotohime, you should have called for me. I thought we were friends!"

"The only reason I don't elbow-drop you through a table every time we meet is because you're hard to catch." Kotohime sighed and put a hand to her face. "I better not catch you harassing anyone. There are kids in this competition, and I know how you like to twist words."

"As if any interpolation could match the dangers that come from a brawl. In fact, what about you, young la…" Shameimaru trailed off as she turned to Reimu, frowning. "Wait a second. You're…"

Reimu gulped. Has she been found out, recognized as the Hakurei Shrine Maiden?

"You had a kid, Kotohime?!? When did this happen?" Shameimaru whirled back at a stunned Kotohime, wings flapping in excitement. "I must have missed the birth announcement! Who's the father? Or other mother? Do you go both ways?"

"Shameimaru-"

"She has purple hair!" Shameimaru blurred and reappeared next to Reimu, tugging at a lock of her hair. Reimu tried to slap her away, but the Tengu blurred and reappeared on the table again. "You did get with Sannyo Komakusa, didn't you! I knew it!"

"Okay, that's it!" Kotohime flicked her wrist, a set of handcuffs appearing in her hand. "Aya Shameimaru, I'm arresting you for being a pain in the ass!" Kotohime flicked her free hand forward, and a cube of violet barriers formed, but all it caught was a flurry of black feathers as the Tengu vanished.

"Don't worry, 'Hime! I don't have time for your love affair at the moment, so it stays secret for now. At least until a slow day!" The Tengu sat on the roof, grinning as she held up a camera and flashed a picture. Kotohime shouted and conjured another set of barriers, but once again Shameimaru blurred away. "You're too slow!" She cackled, before vanishing- this time apparently for good.

“Damnit!” Kotohime shook her fist at the sky, before growling and sitting back down. Fortunately the Tengu somehow hadn’t spilled anything as she’d danced atop the table, and Kotohime slugged back her entire cup of tea, apparently uncaring about the heat. “She gets on my nerves so much .”

“I believe she’s gotten on the nerves of every Hakurei and companion I can remember. Myself included.” Genjii chuckled however. “Will you go after her?”

Kotohime sighed and poured herself another cup of tea. “As much as I’d like to, it’s not worth my time. She’s too fast to keep up with- on the occasions we clashed with her, we had to corral her, trick her into a trap. And in any case, as annoying as she is, the only thing she's done so far is fly in village limits. She's mostly harmless. And enough people know she’s full of crap to not take things she says too seriously when she’s in tabloid mode. It's just a shame she even has a tabloid mode. She's really good when she's actively trying." Kotohime shook her head. "With any luck there will be enough with this competition to occupy her. She's even come up with her own explanation for you that doesn't give away who you really are- not that I'm happy with what it is, but if Aya tries to publish I can't imagine Komakusa will be any happier, and she lives a lot closer to Shameimaru than I do. She’ll handle vengeance for me.” Kotohime shrugged. "Part of what comes of being a hero, I guess. You're never gonna be a perfect person, able to always be completely fair and impartial. That doesn't mean you don't try, though. As much as I hate Shameimaru, I can't let my personal bias affect how I treat her, no more than assuming every Youkai who enters my village is a troublemaker."

"Alright." Reimu tilted her head. "It seems difficult."

"Kinda. It's easy to get complacent- there are bad people out there, after all. But it's also easy- probably a bit easier, even- to become a bully. I guess, best advice I have is try to leave the world a better place each night, than you found it in the morning. 'S something I'm still learning, to be honest. But I guess that's the mark of a hero. Someone who screws up, but accepts it, fixes it, and strives to make things better." 

Kotohime slumped down in her seat. "Something your mom said, once. To a different woman with the same face." Kotohime closed her eyes for a moment, before looking up. “Anyway, as long as we’re waiting, want to try something?”

“What?”

Kotohime grinned, sitting up and making a rectangle with her thumbs and pointers. A tiny violet barrier formed between them. “Wanna see if you can learn this?”

Reimu nodded, a smile crossing her lips. 

“Damnit, I lost them.” 

Rikako and Rinnosuke followed after Chiyuri, not quite running but moving fairly quickly all the same. Almost the moment the first round had finished, the trio had started pushing through the crowd to get to the Professor and the other Chiyuri. However the Professor had apparently had the same idea, she and her companions also disappearing into the crowd the moment they could. And so they'd followed, or at least tried to. The crowd had grown with each new fight, culminating in the battle between the last Incident Resolver and a fire-breathing tortoise Youkai. The actual final battle had been two random kids, and Rikako had initially wanted to at least  approach the Professor during that fight, but Rinnosuke apparently knew one of the two children. As such they'd waited, and now the Professor had managed to get away, it seemed.

Chiyuri swore under her breath as she came to a stop, letting Rikako and Rinnosuke catch up. "I was sure they came this way." 

Rikako glanced around- just empty streets. Most of the village people were out and about, at work or other things. "Well, if they came this way, surely it's in the direction they were headed? If we kept going, we might catch up." 

"I wouldn't be so sure, Ms. Asakura. If they noticed us following, they might have chosen to take a different route." Rinnosuke pushed up his glasses, puffing slightly. "Of course, they might just be taking a roundabout route. One can't always just take a straight run in a village, there's something Outsiders call "Taxicab Distance'". Something the do with tax collection and crows, I think?"

Chiyuri stared for a moment, then sighed and shook her head. "I'm not even going to begin… do you do this on purpose? Deliberately misunderstand things?"

Rikako wandered away from the two a bit, having caught sight of something on a roof not far away. The green-haired woman stood on a building not far away, apparently talking to someone- blonde, but not the other Chiyuri. 

“You were right at least, they went this way.” Rikako glanced back at the two, pointing towards the woman. Chiyuri and Rinnosuke stopped squabbling, looking over as well. “I’m going to go over to her.”

“How? She’s on the roof?” Rinnosuke paused, frowning. “Hold on, Ms. Asakura. You know that flight is forbidden in village limits, right?”

Rikako adjusted the straps of her rocket pack, flicking a switch on them. “Technically, I’m just jumping.” With that she leapt into the air, triggering her pack. Not a sustained flight, just a burst of power, like she’d used to dodge in the arena, but pointed down instead of to the side. With a blast of wind and dust, Rikako launched, soaring through the air and over buildings to land on the roof across from the green-haired woman. The woman turned, eyes glowing red as next to her the blonde woman put a hand to her mouth and gasped. Rikako recognized her- the assistant of that Fluffy Ellen person who’d used their bout as an advertisement. 

The green-haired woman’s eyes narrowed, as she drew out a pistol and took aim at Rikako. Beside her, the blonde woman vanished into invisibility. “You too were following us.” 

“Yeah, we’re following you. We need to ask your friend a question.” 

There was another gasp from beside the green-haired woman, followed by the clatter of tiles- presumably the blonde woman running off. The green-haired woman glanced back for a moment, and Rikako leapt forward to try and grab the gun away, but the woman’s other arm shot out, grabbing Rikako by the neck. Rikako gasped as she was yanked off her feet- the woman was a head shorter than her, yet she was somehow strong enough to slam Rikako down into the ground, pinning her by her neck. Rikako grabbed the woman’s arm, struggling to breathe as unblinking red eyes stared down at her. “I am authorized to terminate you with extreme prejudice if you pose a threat to the mission. Prove to be otherwise or I will not hesitate or feel guilt.”

Rikako squeezed the woman’s arm and unleashed a jolt of electricity into her. The woman screamed in pain, though she didn’t seize up like one might expect- sparks crawled up her arm as she let go of Rikako, her cry stuttering with a strange resonant tone. “ Sy-sy-system Er-rororor…”

Rikako scrambled away, back towards the edge of the roof. That wasn’t normal, was it? “I’m sorry, but I’m not a threat! I just need to-”

The woman, still sparking, raised her arm and fired her gun. Rikako screamed as she was hit in the shoulder, blood splattering around her. Rikako pressed her hand to her shoulder, stumbling backwards. Her foot came down on nothing, and a moment later she fell off the roof and crashed into the ground. 

“Rikako!” 

Rikako moaned in pain, clutching her shoulder. Up above, the green-haired woman stared down, eyes glowing and gun pointed at Rikako’s chest. Rikako felt hands grasping her- Chiyuri, judging by the blonde hair dangling in front of her face. Above, the green-haired woman paused, then turned, disappearing over the edge.

“Rikako, hold still! You’ve been shot!” 

Chiyuri’s hands wormed over Rikako, pulling off her longcoat. Rikako closed her eyes, trying to keep from passing out from pain- she could feel blood pooling under her arm, the bullet seemed to have gone straight through her shoulder. “H-h-how… Can’t do that…”

“Ms Kitashirakawa, please move! She’s going into shock, but I might be able to help.”

Rikako could hear her heart pounding in her ears. “Hurry, elevate her legs. Let me see…” Rinnosuke’s hands pressed against her shoulder, and she heard him mumbling under his breath. “Some fragments in there, not as many as I’d expect.”

“Obser-r-rvation… bullet go through me… dying…”

“You’re not dying, Ms. Asakura! Hold still.”

“But- shouldn’t. Youkai. E-e-e-ven magician- magical toughness. Too tough, bruises, or emb… embeds…” Rikako closed her eyes. “Can’t…” 

“Alright, fold her coat and put it under her feet. Then head back to the square- there should be a woman with lavender hair selling medicine. Get her over here, I know her and she’s trustworthy.”

“Hypo-o-o…thes…” Rikako gasped as she felt magic pump into her. She could feel something moving in her shoulder, though it didn’t seem to hurt- actually nothing did at the moment- she felt almost as though she weren’t in her body. “Gun… not normal gun… Not Kappa Tengu Human… Other…”

“There, that’s those gone. Ms. Asakura, keep breathing, I’ll tie this up while Ms. Kitashirakawa finds my friend.”

“Others… other people.. Other Chiyuri…” Rikako could feel her mind grasping at something, but she couldn’t tell what- her mind as a whole seemed to be slipping. She was dying, wasn’t she?

“Chang’e’s tits!”

Rikako didn’t recognize the new voice. Why should she? This woman was several miles away. No one out here but herself, staring down at her body. Those hands pressing up and down on her chest, those weren’t real. She’d feel them. 

“What species is she?”

“Magician Youkai I believe, Ms. Udongein.”

“Alright, let me see what I have… Hold her shoulder still. Blondie, keep making sure she’s breathing. Don’t press if she is though, don’t want to hurt her more than she already is.”

Rikako gasped as magic flooded her shoulder again- not the odd sensation of digging, but like burning ice flowing through the tunnel the bullet had dug. Whatever it was seemed to be sealing up her wound. Rikako felt something cold and wet being pressed to her lips. Her foggy mind started to clear up a bit- she could feel Chiyuri leaning over her with a canteen of water, sense Rinnosuke and this new mystery woman as well. Her vision was blurry, though the pain was receding quickly. She let out a gasp, reaching up with her hand to grab Chiyuri's arm.

"Good, that seems to have worked. Can you hear me, miss?" A blurry face appeared overhead, framed by lavender hair. 

"Y-yes…" Rikako closed her eyes, trying to focus. "What… what did you do?"

"Purified raw magical energy infused into a collagen suspension. Works well for most Youkai, the protein provides a bit of a scaffold while your body incorporates the magic and turns it into physical matter." The woman held up a glass jar with a glowing milky liquid. "Doesn't work on Humans unfortunately. They're too physical and can't convert magic and matter as easily."

Rikako nodded, reaching up to her face. No wonder everything was blurry, her glasses were gone. She tried to sit up, but the lavender-haired woman pushed down on her good shoulder. “Hold still. You’re recovering quickly, but you should be careful. Even Youkai have limits, especially the more Human-like ones.” 

Rikako nodded again, and Chiyuri put the canteen to her mouth, letting her drink. Rinnosuke pressed something into her hand- her glasses, which fortunately didn't seem to have been damaged in the fall. Rikako quickly slipped them on, glancing around. No sign of the green-haired woman at all. The lavender-haired woman moved in front of Rikako- now that she had her glasses, Rikako could see she had buck teeth and red eyes. Probably Youkai of some kind, given the magic Rikako could smell on her, but Rikako couldn’t place her scent, and she was clearly using some kind of glamour to pass as Human, masking any other tells. Not that it was any of Rikako’s business, and certainly not considering the woman had just saved her life.

"Alright, you should be fine now. I recommend you get something to eat, meat preferably, to help replace the blood lost. If you don't usually eat food, I have some medicine that will help you digest." The woman squatted next to a wooden crate. "You'll have to pay for it though."

"I'll be fine without." Rikako tried to sit up again, and this time no one stopped her. She could feel herself getting stronger, pain fading, though her shoulder still felt tender. "What about for treating the gunshot?"

"Pro bono. Master says it's not ethical to charge for critical injuries." The woman dug through her crate, pulling out a sheet of paper and scribbling on it. 

"It always strikes me as odd, you know. Lady Inaba's reputation when it comes to ethics is, well… a bit lacking." 

The woman frowned at Rinnosuke. "Lady Inaba?"

"Admittedly that might be because I stumbled into one of her traps while in the forest looking for Outsider goods. Just the once. Or twice…" Rinnosuke blushed. "A few times… But I suppose it would make sense to keep a retainer with some knowledge of healing, in case she fell into her own traps accidentally."

"...ah." The woman blushed as well. "Yes. Master Inaba . Her."

Rinnosuke shrugged. "In any case, thank you Ms. Udongein"

“Of course.” Ms. Undongein stood, nodding. “You should be fine in a few hours. Until then, try not to move the arm too much.” She closed the lid on the crate, lifting it onto her back. “You can fight if you want- I saw you won earlier. Though I wouldn’t suggest it, not without at least putting the arm in a sling and being extra careful."

"I'll do that." Rikako stood, wincing a bit. Chiyuri moved to help support her, grabbing her other arm. Ms. Udongein nodded again, before turning and heading off. Rikako stared after her for a moment, before letting Chiyuri and Rinnosuke guide her back towards the arena. She’d have to come up with some other way to approach the other Chiyuri… assuming the green-haired woman didn’t get in her way again.

Chapter Text

Kana sat on the top of a roof, hugging her knees to herself and quivering. She was still invisible, not changing since she’d fled from the arena. 

She’d been spotted by Lord Anaberal’s son. Spotted outside the house. Kana wasn’t stupid, but she wasn’t perfect- despite Lord Anaberal’s orders, she knew she’d been spotted by the family before. The boy had recognized her, even if he hadn’t said anything at the moment. And he wouldn’t say anything, not until he got home. Even if Kana somehow managed to make it back inside the manor, through the barrier that had originally trapped her inside and now kept her out, Lord Anaberal would know. And Lord Anaberal would punish her, doing what he’d promised he’d do if she didn’t toe the line.

Bringing in a priest and exorcizing her into nothingness.  

Kana closed her eyes and squeezed her legs tight. Could she just not go home? She hadn’t noticed any problems in the few hours she’d spent away from the house, perhaps she’d be okay if she never went back? 

“That won’t work, though. Poltergeists are tied to the house they formed in.” So Lord Anaberal had told her when he’d had her sealed. That’s why he’d decided to keep her around as a servant instead of just annihilating her- as long as she existed, might as well make use of her. If she didn’t go back to the house, Kana would eventually dissolve, like a Tsukumogami separated from her origin object for too long. 

“So what do you think, Professor?” 

Kana looked up, watching as a group of people walked through the alley below. The Professor woman, along with her companions- the blonde and green-haired woman who’d signed her and Ellen up. Kana stayed invisible as she leaned forward. Had the competition ended? How long had she been sitting on the roof? 

“All very interesting, Chiyuri. All this data I’m getting… Did you see that girl with the cat? How do you suppose that worked?”

“Magic, presumably.” The green-haired woman folded her arms. “I need to register a complaint, Professor.”

“Is this about the outfit again? Look, you saw everyone else, I told you the maid outfit would be inconspicuous! It’s as normal as what we’re wearing.”

“You’re not wearing maid outfits . It’s insulting, Professor. I am not a maid, and I don’t like the impli-” The woman suddenly turned her head towards Kana, red eyes searching. “We’re being watched.”

“What?” The Professor looked around, towards Kana. “Where? I don’t see anything.”

“You wouldn’t. You’re not me.” Glowing red eyes set on Kana, meeting her own. Kana squeaked and scrambled away, back over the other side of the roof. She hadn’t turned visible again, had she? There was a crash from behind, and Kana yelped as she turned- the green-haired woman had leapt onto the roof, eyes glowing and locked onto Kana. Kana scrambled to her feet, backing away as the woman approached. How did she see her? She was invisible! 

"You're one of the competitors." The green-haired woman stalked closer, reaching into a pocket and drawing out a small gun, aiming it at Kana. "Why are you spying on us?"

"I'm not!" Kana flinched and shifted back into visibility- no use keeping it up with someone who could see her regardless. She looked back and forth, but there was no one around, no one to maybe throw a rock at the woman. Kana took another step back, feeling her foot crunch on a broken tile. Would that work? Kana reached out her telekinesis, latching on and trying to throw-

Kana gasped and fell to her knees as she was choked. The woman frowned and stared at her as Kana grasped her throat, before stowing her pistol and kneeling down next to her. Kana tried to crawl away, but the woman was faster, grabbing her and placing a hand on her own. 

“Are you ill?” The woman’s eyes narrowed as she scanned over Kana. The woman didn’t appear to blink, and Kana had never seen eyes like hers- all black save for a red glowing ring for an iris. Kana closed her eyes, but it was hard to focus and make the curse go away when she was shaking with terror. She sensed the woman shifting, rustling cloth before pulling out one of those clicky devices the Professor and the others had been carrying. “You’re not Human. Unfortunately the Professor hasn’t bothered to consider the possibility that Non-Humans may get ill as well. Are you contagious?”

“What?” The pressure on Kana’s throat slowly subsided as she opened her eyes, staring confusedly into the other woman’s.

“If you have smallpox, I am authorized to terminate you with extreme prejudice.” 

"Smallpox?" Kana had heard of it, but only from listening in on lessons for Lord Anaberal's kids. Wasn't it an Outsider disease that got left behind when The Border went up? She shook her head, rubbing at her throat. "It's just a curse. I'm not sick."

The woman continued to stare down at Kana. "Why were you spying on us?"

"I wasn't. I was already sitting up here."

"Why?" 

Kana glanced around- still no one in sight but the other woman. "I just needed to sit and think. Get away from everything."

The woman continued to stare. "Are you the servant of the woman called Fluffy Ellen?"

Kana frowned. "No?"

"Did she put this curse on you?"

"No!" Kana shook her head. "Why would you think that?"

"You're dressed as a maid. A servant. You ran off from her given the opportunity." The woman narrowed her eyes. "You seemed to be preparing to attack me, only for your curse to activate. You can't attack, can you?"

Kana didn’t say anything, sitting and pulling her knees to her chest. The woman sat down next to her, staring at her with unblinking red eyes. “Does your master have smallpox?”

Kana turned, confused. The woman’s face was stoic. “If they do, I’m allowed to terminate them."

Kana shook her head. The woman shrugged. “Unfortunate. It might have helped you. Perhaps doing so would have ended your curse.”

Kana shook her head again. “I don’t think it would.” 

Kana flinched as she felt a hand touch her arm. She looked up, to see the green-haired woman jerking back. “I am… unsure how to approach this,” she said. “Even if I understood how to help, I am limited in what I can do by my current parameters. If they are not a threat to the mission, I have to ignore them and your plight. Are you sure they don’t have smallpox?”

Kana met the woman’s glowing red eyes- they seemed a bit warmer now, somehow. “Who are you?”

The woman paused. “My preferred name is Ruukoto.” 

It sounded like she wanted to say more, but after a few seconds of silence, Kana nodded. “Alright, Ruukoto.” Kana paused, the reached out a hand to touch her arm. “I don’t know what to do either. Especially not now. But, thanks for wanting to, I guess.”

Ruukoto turned away. Her voice was quiet, barely above a whisper. “You’re welcome.”

Something crashed down on the roof next to them. Ruukoto and Kana both whirled around, Kana covering her mouth and gasping in shock. One of the other competitors, a tall woman with long violet hair and glasses, smoke coming from the rockets strapped to her back and one hand down on the ground to stabilize herself. 

Ruukoto drew out her gun again, aiming at the woman. “You too were following us.”

The woman stood to her full height, towering over Kana and Ruukoto. “Yeah, we’re following you. We need to ask your friend a question.”

Kana’s eyes widened. She means me, right? I’m the only other person here. And the only reason why someone would want to talk to her would be if they knew Master Anaberal. Kana gasped again and flicked invisible. Ruukoto turned back to her, fixing her red eyes on Kana and mouthing something, inaudible but clear. “Run.”

Kana needed no further prompting, sprinting off in a clatter of tiles. She dove off the rooftop, arresting her fall with a short burst of flight, then soaring off skyward. She didn’t know where she was going, just as far as she could- a glance behind her saw that Ruukoto and the purple-haired woman were fighting. Kana’s stomach turned at the sight, but she knew she couldn’t go back to help, not with the seal on her preventing her from action. 

And so she flew aimlessly, hovering over the Human Village. She flew higher than she ever had- while the limits around the manor hadn’t ever restricted how high she could go, before she’d been sealed she’d eventually gotten bored of flying straight up, and afterwards she hadn’t dared fly more than what she needed to get up on the roof and look around, lest Lord Anaberal call for her and the distance preventing her from getting to him on time, earning her punishment. 

Has he even noticed I’m gone? Lord Anaberal needed to be close for him to punish her with the seal- During the first few days Kana had tried to avoid him, to hide and avoid work, and she had grown intimately familiar with the range of his leash. Fortunately it didn’t trigger if she got too far from him- she couldn’t leave the house- or at least, she couldn’t then- and it would have been far too cruel for her to end up choking to death the moment he decided to head into town. 

I don’t even need to breathe, why does it hurt so much? Kana sighed as she hovered, pulling her knees up to her chest. She felt her eyes being drawn to the outskirts of the village, towards the familiar roof of the manor. Would Lord Anaberal forgive her if she explained that she hadn't been able to get back onto manor property? 

"No, because I shouldn't have left in the first place. Stupid Ellen and her book… he'd tell me I should have just tossed it in a fireplace instead of going after her. Then annihilate me." 

Kana paused in her misery for a moment. She could see something moving on the path to the manor. Lord Anaberal’s son, off to tell his father about her? She thought one of the people looked blonde, but what about the second? Kana frowned, then dove down. Indeed the person was blonde, but it wasn’t the Anaberal boy- it was a short woman with a mass of blonde curls. Ellen. The second person was clearly Sekibanki as well. What were they doing? Kana dropped further, until she was hovering invisibly behind the pair.

“I don’t know why we’re doing this, El. You saw her run off.” Sekibanki had her arms folded, glancing back and forth.

“Technically, she flew off, and I didn’t see her. She was invisible, after all.”

“You know what I mean!” Sekibanki put her hands to her face, letting out a muffled yell. “Ellen, listen to me. She doesn’t want your help! If she wanted it, she’d have asked!”

“Seki-”

“What, are you going to tell me she doesn’t know what she wants? You know how patronizing that sounds?”

“Seki, I showed you the results. I’m not sure she can ask for help!”

They were talking about her. About her plight. Ellen has pulled out that piece of paper she'd had Kana lick, and was holding it up in front of Sekibanki. "These aren't just any seals on her, these are blood-based ones!"

"Okay, and?"

Ellen shook her head. "Kana is a poltergeist . They're not like normal ghosts- normal ghosts come from the souls of people who have died, but poltergeists are… well, you remember the Prismrivers, right?"

Sekibanki shrugged. "That annoying perky trumpet lady and her sisters, right? What about them?"

"They're poltergeists, and while I don't remember the exacts, they're kinda the spirits of, well… potentiality. Something that could have been. A girl's sisters left, and she imagined what they could have been like if they hadn't, so much that she managed to conjure them into being."

"Yes, and…?"

Something moved in Ellen's hair, and moments later a white-furred cat popped out- Sokrates, Kana remembered. The cat stared, seeming to start as it focused on Kana. Another one that can see through my invisibility… Kana sighed as Sokrates meowed, turning to bop Ellen on the head with a paw. Ellen didn't turn around as she spoke. "Hello again, Kana! You can turn visible again if you like." 

The woman's tone was as jovial as ever, but Kana didn't shift into visibility. Sekibanki stopped and scanned the arena, until Ellen grabbed her hand and pointed towards where Kana hovered. Sekibanki still didn't seem to see. "Are you sure?"

"Sokrates wouldn't lie to me. He can't, in fact!" Ellen shot forward, grabbing Kana's wrist before she could react. Kana yelped, which only made Ellen grin. "See?"

Sekibanki rolled her eyes and turned away. "Whatever. This is still a bad idea.'

Ellen shook her head. “Kana, don’t listen to her. We’re here to help.” Sekibanki started to say something, but Ellen shot her a glare. “That’s the entire point of the Grassroots Network, Sekibanki. Because we can’t all be strong all the time, sometimes we need help from each other.”

“You can’t help.” Kana stayed invisible, though Sekibanki turned in her direction as she spoke. “I’m not sure anyone can.”

“You’d be surprised, Kana. I may not be the strongest person, but I'd like to think I'm pretty clever!" Ellen smiled. “Now, Sekibanki’s keeping an eye on things. She’ll let us know when things are starting up. If you’d like to join me again, that is.” 

“I’m pretty sure that’s gonna be considered cheating, El.” 

“But anyway, as long as we’re here, Kana…” Ellen paused. “Well, I guess Sekibanki’s right. I should ask. Do you want me to help?” 
“How even would you?”

Ellen gave a grin. “Well, to start off with, I have the results from the test I gave you.” Ellen produced the paper strip, marked with rainbow-colored dots. “About what I figured, except for the kind of seals you were put under. Blood seals, ugh…” She shook her head. “That said, I have a few follow up questions, okay? We can answer as we walk.”

“Walk?” Kana frowned.

“First off, what object are you tethered to? Poltergeists are bound to a particular object, not unlike a Tsukumogami.” Ellen was already moving, though she glanced back as she did.

Kana followed after, tapping her chin. “I don’t think I’m bound to one. Why are you going back to the manor?”

“You should be bound to something- Really, the surprising thing is that you don’t seem to have it with you- the aforementioned Prismrivers, for example, always have to have their instruments at hand- well, figuratively, they don’t actually hold them, even when they play.”

“You didn’t answer the question, El. Why are we heading this way?” Sekibanki followed close behind, arms folded and glowering over her capelet.

“Well, I figured that it would be the best place to find Kana. Since she’s presumably bound to something back at the manor, I figured maybe when she flew off she’d been drawn back here, so maybe we’d find her here!”

Sekibanki blinked. “...Ellen, we already found her.”

Ellen turned back, pausing. “Where? I don’t see her.”

Sekibanki sputtered, placing her hands to her forehead and tilting her head back in a groan. Ellen grinned, winking at the invisible Kana. “Anyway, whatever your bound object is, it’s probably something tied to whatever your potentiality is. I think I’ve narrowed it down a bit, from my tests.”

“...How do you even test that?” To Kana, the paper didn’t seem to be anything more than colored dots. There didn’t seem to be any  markings indicating anything that Kana could see.

“I have my ways. If I’m right though, it should be something big . And it’s probably for the best that we get you back to it. If necessary, we could always break in and get it for you! Sokrates is good at being sneaky.” Ellen reached up as her cat poked its head out from her blonde curls, eagerly accepting the witchlet’s scratches. “It also should have been right next to you when you formed, if not in your hands. Do you remember anything like that?”

Kana thought back again. “I just woke up in the attic. I had clothing, but Lord Anaberal made me replace it with this outfit when he had me sealed.”

“Hmm… what were you wearing? A ballgown for a party never attended, a bride’s dress for a wedding canceled? Perhaps if we just go in and get it…”

Kana shook her head. “It was just normal clothing. And I think he had it burned afterwards.” 

Ellen frowned. “Huh… That’s… hmm. What do you think, Sokrates?” She turned her head up, apparently holding a silent conversation with her cat as they approached Anaberal Manor. Kana stayed invisible, dread building in her. Regardless of if Ellen and Sekibanki, or Ruukoto, all wanted to help, Kana couldn’t think of any way for them to. Not so long as she was sealed, and from what Ellen had said, the seals were stronger than she’d even thought. Was that why Ellen had started asking about Kana’s supposed bound object? Was the seal permanent ? Even if she found her bound object and ran, would Lord Anaberal still be able to order her around, have her destroyed?

And then Kana slammed face first into an invisible wall. 

Kana yelped, flicking into visibility right in front of a stunned Sekibanki, whose arms shot out to catch her. Ellen whirled around, eyes wide. “What’s wrong?”

Kana whimpered, rubbing her nose. She reached a hand forward, pressing a hand against the invisible wall. “The boundaries of the manor property. I can’t get through.” Kana must not have noticed how close they were getting- indeed, Ellen had already been walking towards the front door. “Something happened this morning, I fell through when I was trying to bring you back your book, and I couldn’t get back in.”

Ellen tilted her head. “How do you mean, you fell through? Could you not leave before?”

“No.” Kana shook her head as Sekibanki gingerly helped her to her feet. “Today was the first time I managed to leave.”

“Oh…” Ellen frowned, pulling out her test strip. “Well, that would do it.” 

“Do what?”

Ellen grimaced. “I don’t think Sokrates is gonna be able to steal that for you. Not an entire manor. I guess that explains it, though. If you didn’t have an object in your hands, but if it was all around you…”

Kana pressed her hands against the property boundary. “But… How does that work? I’ve been away from it all day, and now I can’t even get near it!”

Ellen shrugged. “I might need to go find one of the Prismrivers, maybe they'd know more? Being Poltergeists themselves and all. I guess my big question now is  what you’re the potentiality of, in order to be bound to an entire house?”

And still no question of how to remove the seal. She really doesn’t think it’s possible… Kana shrunk into herself a bit. I’m doomed forever, then. Even if I can get away somehow- which I can’t, if I’m truely bound to the manor, Lord Anaberal will always be able to control me. 

There came a clattering from inside the manor. Kana yelped and instinctively turned invisible. Ellen and Sekibanki both turned towards the door. “Maybe we shouldn’t stick around loitering, El? It’s kinda suspicious.”

“Excellent idea, Seki!” Ellen’s hands shot out, grabbing Sekibanki and Kana’s hands, then started to sprint away, dragging them with her. Kana tucked her legs in and floated, letting Ellen pull her along. She glanced back, worried at what she’d see. Lord Anaberal’s son, pointing at them? The man himself, mouth open to order Kana back?

But no. Instead, the cook opened the door, watching with an inscrutable expression on her face as the three of them ran. Kana opened her mouth to say something, but closed it. She wasn’t sure what to say. She wasn’t sure of anything at all.

"Marisa!"

Narumi chased after the witchlet as she stormed away. "Marisa, wait up!" Marisa did not wait up, she didn't so much as glance back as she went. How was she so fast? 

When the Hakurei girl had defeated her, Marisa had laid on the ground for several moments, not moving even after her opponent had removed her sealing amulet and had her hand raised in victory. Narumi had gone in to check on her, and only then had she gotten up, blasting past her, past Meira and Rika when they tried to stop her, while Mima simply looked on, staring after the Hakurei girl. 

“Marisa!” 

Narumi turned a corner after the girl, only to slam into her as Marisa turned around and started back, knocking them both into the ground. Marisa cried out as Narumi landed on top of her, both girls landing in a heap. Narumi struggled to get up as Marisa thrashed and tried to push her away. "Get off me! Before she sees me!"

"Who sees you?" Narumi managed to flop to her side, freeing Marisa. 

“Goodness! Are you two alright?” 

Narumi looked up into the concerned face of a woman with blue-streaked gray hair. Beside her Marisa let out a moan and pulled her hat over her face. “We’re fine. I think…”

“That’s good. You had quite a colli…” The woman paused, eyes widening. “ Kirisame? Marisa Kirisame, is that you?”

“No, I’m Akyuu of Hieda.” Marisa winced, scrambling to her feet. “And I have to go do a history-”
The woman shot out an arm, faster than Narumi could blink. “Ms. Kirisame, how- where have you been all this time? We were all so worried when you disappeared!” The woman pulled Marisa close, though as Narumi stood her instincts didn’t flare- the woman didn’t seem to be a threat to the girl. In fact, she was hugging her. Narumi could smell magic on the woman- more than a human like Marisa, with an undertone something like old books, but not enough for a full Youkai. Still, Marisa was clearly in distress. “Excuse me, Ms…”

“Kamishirasawa. I believe you’re a Jizou, aren’t you?"

"Er…" Narumi glanced at Marisa, who was struggling to break free.

"I'm not going to report you. Jizou are generally good folk, being protectors after all. I imagine that's why you brought Ms. Kirisame back, yes? You sensed her in danger and brought her to safety."

"I'm not in danger! And I told you, I'm Akyuu of Hieda!"

"Thank you so much, miss." Ms. Kamishirasawa patted Narumi on the arm. "I have some paperwork at home, I can get you fast-tracked for a trustworthiness pass. You've certainly earned it! Just as soon as we bring Ms. Kirisame back home to her father, of course."

Marisa went rigid, blood draining from her face. “N-no…” She turned towards Narumi, eyes wide in panic. Narumi’s fists clenched as instinct overtook her- Intellectually she knew that Ms. Kamishirasawa was just trying to help, intellectually she knew that at the moment, Marisa was in less danger from the woman than she was in that actual brawl with Hakurei. But she also knew that Marisa had been ready to fight then, she knew what she was getting into. That Marisa was gone, and all that was left was a terrified little girl. Narumi closed her eyes, and let go of rational thought.

Instantly magic burst from her in an invisible wave. Narumi felt her braids fluttering, and as she opened her eyes she saw Marisa and Ms. Kamishirasawa’s hair doing so as well. The woman frowned, glancing around. “Did you just feel something?”

A table in front of a store a short distance away shook itself, dumping tchotchkes to the ground before sprinting over and slamming into Ms. Kamishirasawa. The woman fell with a cry, Marisa pulling away and running towards Narumi. Narumi’s hand shot to her mouth. Had she done that? How ? 

“Narumi, move!” 

Marisa grabbed onto Narumi’s free hand, barely stopping in her sprint away. Narumi followed, staring back as Ms. Kamishirasawa struggled against the table, before Marisa dragged her around a corner. Narumi poked her head back around just long enough to call, “I’m so sorry!”

Marisa kept running, pulling Narumi along until Ms. Kamishirasawa’s screams were no longer audible. Only then did Marisa lead them into an alley, pressing her back into a wall and pulling her hat over her face. “Damnit, damnit, why her? Why’d I have to run into her ?”

Narumi glanced back- no sign of the woman following them. The feeling of her magic was gone- Narumi hoped that meant the table she'd apparently awakened was still again. "Who was she?"

Marisa shivered and slumped down to the ground. "My old teacher. Back before I left home. She's probably the worst person we could have run into. At least if we ran into dad, Lady Mima could have threatened him. He can't throw her out like he did the first time I tried to get a magic tutor." Marisa paused as Narumi clenched her fists. "He didn't throw me out. It's just when my magic started to show up, he… got really weird about it. Didn't want me to use it, wanted me to suppress it, even said something about maybe getting a seal… said it was too dangerous, even when I went out to try and get a tutor to help me control it."

Narumi sat down next to Marisa, and the girl leaned into her. "Lady Mima is the best thing to ever happen to me. She found me after I ran off and got lost in the woods, took me in and started teaching me. It's the same for the others- Rika's parents died, and I don't know what happened with Meira, but she used to not even be able to talk …" Marisa slipped her arms around Narumi, hugging her close. Narumi returned the hug. "I don't want to go back. Ms. Kamishirasawa, she'd try- sh-she doesn't know what happened, and if you don't know Lady Mima, you just see a vengeful ghost and assume things…” 

Narumi could feel wetness soaking into her clothes as Marisa started to cry. “You’re fine. No one’s going to take you away.”

“You didn’t kill her, right? Ms. Kamishirasawa isn’t a bad person.” Marisa’s head tilted up, eyes red and puffy, though her head started to tilt with curiosity. “What did you do?”

“I don’t know,” Narumi admitted. “I just had to do something, and I guess my magic just… happened?”

“Magic can do that, yeah. Usually when you’re young and don’t know how to control it, and you’re hit by strong enough emotions. I had a couple outbursts, but it wasn’t anything like that. Usually mostly I made a lot of things glow.” Marisa let go of Narumi and wiped her eyes. “Maybe it’s a gift? Some people have magical gifts like that, some special ability that they can do. Like Meira’s weapon affinity thing, or how Lady Mima can go intangible way more than a normal spirit- she can even phase through silver and lead if she tries hard enough.”

“I… don’t know.” Still, perhaps it was worth investigating, if only so she could make sure no one got hurt who didn’t deserve it. “Are you sure you’re alright, Marisa?”

Marisa closed her eyes for a few seconds. “Yeah. Better now. I gave those competition weirdos a fake name, so even if it gets in the newspaper or something, dad probably won’t find me. Ms. Kamashirasawa might be more of a problem now that she knows I’m here, but she’s not a threat threat. And even then, I have you, don’t I? Lady Mima said we’re partners on this trip.”

Narumi nodded. “Partners.”

Marisa grinned. “Well then, let’s head back. Stupid Hakurei might have knocked me down, but I’ll have my revenge, even if it’s vicariously. We’ve got three more chances to kick her ass and bring home a win for Team Geist-Hexe!”

“I’m still not sure it’s healthy for you to be so angry about her. Even if she did just defeat you.”

Marisa patted Narumi on the shoulder. "Don't worry. You'll learn." She stood up, turning back towards the arena. "Let's go. Don't want Lady Mima to get worried, yeah?"

Chapter Text

Reimu scrunched up her face, focusing. She held her fingers in a rectangle, concentrating but not entirely sure what she was concentrating on. 

“Let your magic flow through you, into your hands. Imagine it like a spider web, formed between your fingers.” Kotohime held her own fingers up, in the same shape as Reimu’s. She closed her eyes, and violet light glowed between them.

Reimu nodded, squinting and gritting her teeth. For a brief moment, she thought she could feel something, but nothing happened. “I can’t do it.”

“Keep trying.” Kotohime pulled her fingers apart, and a massive violet barrier formed in front of her. “While my own barriers are part of my magical gift, shields like these aren’t exclusive. After all, Genjii can create them too.”

“Indeed, though mine are a bit different.” Genjii chuckled. “For one, I don’t have fingers!” Genjii stomped his foot down, and a blue shield formed overhead, made of hexagonal panels like a turtle shell. 

Reimu stared at the shield, then bit her lip, trying to form a barrier once again. “It’s still not working.”

“It’s fine, Reimu. Things take time, after all.” Kotohime patted Reimu on the shoulder. “Something to keep trying though?  I imagine they’d be super helpful for you.”

Reimu nodded, dropping her hands. “Probably for the best if I stick to what I know for now? I can practice when we’ve won and dealt with everything.”

“Probably. Until then, I’ll do what I can to support you.” 

“Indeed, my lady!” Genjii chuckled. “Of course, unlike Lady Kotohime, you won’t have to worry about me betraying you in the competition!”

“It’s not betrayal, old man!” Still, Kotohime chuckled. “I’m not going to go easy on her if we end up fighting. But if I defeat her, it’ll still be a good learning experience, and regardless of who wins, whatever happens after, with the Professor or Mima, I’ll have her back.” 

“Thanks.” Reimu put her fingers together again, and this time for a brief moment she thought she saw a lone orange spark trail along her skin, but it vanished a moment later. 

The three had once again taken a seat at the nearby cafe. Thankfully no one had sat down at the table they’d been using, despite the crowds. Perhaps people had seen Kotohime there before, and thus left the seat alone? Or perhaps with all the waiting for the next round, people had just wandered off to shop and do other things.

“Alright everyone, we’re about to get started!” 

Reimu perked up at the amplified voice. Speaking of… She stood up, catching sight of The Professor’s blonde assistant in the middle of the arena with a megaphone. 

“Looks like it’s time to go, huh?” Kotohime grinned at Reimu. “You ready?”

Reimu nodded. “Two of us. Three of Mima’s goons, and three other people.”

“Shouldn’t be too bad. Just let me know about any of Mima and her friends that I end up fighting, okay? I’ll do the same if I know something about who you’re fighting.”

“Including yourself?”

Kotohime laughed. “Kiddo, I’m literally trying to teach you one of my techniques.”

Reimu giggled. “True.”

The three stood, heading over to the arena. The crowd had grown during the first round, and while it had dissipated afterwards, it seemed that most of the people who’d been watching were making their way back. Just down from the group, Reimu saw Mima’s group. Mima herself was pointing up in the sky, which as Reimu followed saw she was pointing at Shameimaru, who was hovering overhead, snapping pictures. 

“Where do you suppose the Professor is?” Genjii said, and Reimu turned to him. “She’s nominally in charge, after all, but it’s one of her assistants starting the round.”

“Good question.” Kotohime rubbed her chin. 

The blonde in question had made her way to the side of the arena, where she was holding a conversation with the grouchy green-haired assistant. After a moment, she turned back to the crowd. "Our first competitors for the second round will be Rei Hino and Rikako Asakura! Please come to the arena at this time!"

“I’m up then.” Reimu turned to Kotohime. “So…”

“I’ve heard the name, she’s a magician from Kappatown, but I couldn’t say much more than that. Not to mention we were away during her fight.”

“Indeed, she was the one immediately before our own,” said Genjii. “So I missed her fight as well, as I was coming to get you both.”

Reimu nodded, sighing. “I’ll just have to wing it, then.”

“Don’t worry too much about it. That’s how most things go, when it comes to being an Incident Resolver. You don’t get to choose who you fight ahead of time, usually.” Kotohime paused, looking into the arena. “Although…”

“What?” Reimu turned, following Kotohime’s gaze. She remembered spotting the tall woman with long violet hair and a white coat before, in the crowd during the first round. But at the time, the woman hadn’t had her arm in a sling, nor had she had dried blood staining one of her coat’s shoulders. “Um… I’m guessing her fight didn’t go very well.”

“Makes it a bit easier for you, then.” 

Kotohime folded her arms, even as Reimu went pale. “She’s injured! How’s that fair?”

“Well my lady, it seems she’s willing to participate regardless. Surely she knows her own limits and what she can stand.”

“Still, Genjii…” A knot was forming in Reimu’s stomach. The violet-haired woman was talking with two other people- a gray haired man, and that almost identical copy of the Professor’s blonde assistant. “This doesn’t feel right.”

“I know.” Kotohime paused, before crouching down and putting a hand on Reimu’s shoulder. “That’s because you’re someone with a conscience. You don’t want to hurt people if you can avoid it, especially if it seems unfair. Right?”

“Right.”

“And yet, she’s willing to fight. She could ask to drop out, right? Yet she’s still here.”

“Maybe? What if someone’s forcing her?”

Kotohime gave a wan smile. “That’s always the issue, isn’t it… sometimes there’s circumstances beyond our knowledge. But what’s your gut saying?”

Reimu looked again. She couldn’t make out the conversation, but from what body language she could see, it almost seemed like the violet-haired woman was having a similar conversation- her friends telling her she didn’t have to fight if she didn’t want to. “I think… I think that I should do my best to avoid hurting her. But I also should be willing to fight her. Because to assume she’s helpless would be disrespectful?”

Kotohime nodded. “Don’t fight dirty, trying to take advantage of her injury, but otherwise give her your best. This is supposed to be a friendly competition, not a battle.”

“Alright.”

“Besides, I’m pretty sure she’s Youkai. Probably hurts, but I imagine that shoulder’s not as injured as it looks, especially since that sling means she’s probably had treatment. Most Youkai heal pretty quickly.”

Reimu nodded again, then began making her way into the arena. She still didn’t feel great about it, but she supposed Kotohime was right. Next to her, her cat purred, shifting momentarily into Orb form and flying to her hand. Reimu closed her eyes, focusing and letting its power flow through her, before it shifted back to walk next to her. She could do this.

"Our first competitors for the second round will be Rei Hino and Rikako Asakura! Please come to the arena at this time!"

Rikako rubbed her shoulder as she walked. She'd put her arm in a sling for support, and Rinnosuke walked beside her, blocking people so that nobody jarred her. "You don't have to do this, Ms. Asakura. Just because Ms. Udongein said you could , doesn't mean we'll think any less if you choose not to."

Rikako shook her head. "I'll be fine. Hopefully. Besides, the other Chiyuri is running things at the moment. This might be our best opportunity to talk to her, if she runs off again after this round."

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean you have to actually fight ." Chiyuri stood at Rikako's other side. "You can go up and say you forfeit. Then say you want to ask something once the round is over. I mean, if you asked me if I were running things, I'd at least listen."

"Perhaps." Rikako paused as they reached the entrance. "All that said… I don't know. Perhaps it would be wiser, but I don't particularly want to simply forfeit."

Across the way, Rikako's opponent entered. About twelve years old, wearing a large blue hat and coat, with a cat at her heels. The same girl who had fought and defeated Rinnosuke's young friend. "I don't suppose you know anything about her, Mr. Morichika? Recognize her from your time at the shop, or as a friend of Marisa?"

"Probably not a friend, considering how furious Marisa seemed during their fight." Rinnosuke tapped his chin. "She does look familiar, but…" He frowned. "I… I don't know. It feels like I should know her. As if her name is on the tip of my tongue."

Rikako nodded. "Very well. I suppose I'll find out more once we start."

Rinnosuke moved as if to pat her shoulder, but thought better of it at the last moment, blushing slightly. "Indeed. Be careful though."

"Forfeit if you feel any pain." Chiyuri grabbed Rikako's other hand. "I know you'll probably heal, but I still don't want you getting any worse."

"I'll be careful." Rikako squeezed Chiyuri's hand, and stepped into the arena. 

How strange it was. She'd only known Chiyuri for a few hours, all together. The hypothesis that she had somehow forgotten Chiyuri had been nearly entirely shattered by now, knowing that Chiyuri seemed to be a freshly born Tsukumogami… albeit one of Rikako's textbook. So perhaps in a way she did know the girl? That didn't explain the other Chiyuri, though. It wasn't as though Outsiders didn't show us in Gensokyo, but it was rare, and this seemed too much of a coincidence.

The other Chiyuri in question slouched in the middle of the arena, flipping through a notepad. "Rei Hino, huh?" 

"Yep." The girl in question had picked up her cat and was looking Rikako over.

"Don't suppose you're a shrine maiden moonlighting as a super hero, are you?" The other Chiyuri snorted in laughter, though the girl turned pale. "Yeah, you probably don't get the joke. It's fine."

"Right…" The girl shook her head, turning to Rikako. "Are you okay? Just, your arm."

"I'm fine." Rikako rubbed her shoulder. It still throbbed, and she could feel her magic and blood both pulsing through. More than not moving the arm, she'd probably have less power at her disposal for the time being. Still, if her calculations were correct, she had some options.

“Alright then… Well, round two. Any questions before I start you off?” The blonde woman looked between Rikako and Rei. 

Rikako seized the opportunity. “Just one, but it can wait. Do you mind if we can talk after this round?”

“Mmm… Yeah, probably. ‘S long as it isn’t anything creepy, yeah?” The woman nodded to Rikako. Rikako bit back a smile. She’d done it! Regardless if she won or not, she’d have a chance to figure out the mystery of the two Chiyuris. 

The second Chiyuri nodded, then stepped back and raised her arm. Rei took a few steps back, her cat hopping out of her arms to the ground. Rikako stepped back as well, slipping her good hand into her coat, letting iron filings flow from their pouch and into her palm. “Match starts!"

One second. Two seconds. The second Chiyuri’s arm slashed down. “ Go! ”

Rikako immediately drew out her hand, magic flooding into the metal powder and sintering. A massive sawblade formed, stabbing into the ground as it materialized in front of Rikako, big enough for her to drop down behind it as a shield. Just in time, too, as there was a loud crack and shudder as the girl’s orb slammed into the sawblade.

Rikako pressed her back against the sawblade, panting. She’d need to quantify how much magic it used to make one this size, compare it against her normal blades- squared, maybe? Linear dimensions, cubic mass, square magic, perhaps. There was a tinkling sound as a dozen needle constructs slammed into Rikako’s sawblade, but the sturdy metal kept her protected. 

“Observation… Subject Rei Hino’s primary method of attack is a… familiar, I guess? Which fires bullets and turns into a kickball.” Rikako peeked over the edge of her sawblade, but the girl was gone. She let out a curse, triggering her rocket pack and launching away just as the girl appeared, sprinting around the side with her cat at her heels. Rei reached down, and her cat jumped up, shifting neatly into a pink orb. Rikako triggered her jetpack again, shooting to the side as Rei kicked her orb at her. A few strands of hair brushed the orb as it passed, and Rikako caught the scent of acrid smoke from them. She let out another curse. “ And it’s got attack charms on it." Potent ones, if it made her hair burn with just a brush. Just who was this girl?

Rikako reached into another pouch in her coat, rubbing a piece of white plastic and chanting under her breath. Her longcoat shimmered, taking on a shiny appearance as Rikako's spell lent it the properties of the chunk of Teflon. In Rikako's opinion, it was one of her more clever spells. Her textbook had explained the substance a bit, even diagramming out its molecular structure. That was enough for Rikako to create the spell, one that would prevent the orb's charms from hurting her, sliding off like rain on glass. 

Assuming it hit her coat, of course. Rikako had first tested the spell after she'd been caught in a mud war with a group of Yamawaro, and while her coat had stayed clean, Rikako herself had been picking dried mud out of her hair for a week after.

Rikako flashed to the side to avoid more needles. She had plenty of fuel, but she was being forced to fight defensively- Even if she hadn’t summoned that giant blade, it seemed most of her magic was going into healing her shoulder. She could probably summon a few energy bullets, maybe one or two more sawblades, but that would be it. She’d have to pick her moment carefully, because she couldn’t afford to miss. The transmutation spell on her coat and her rocket pack would have to suffice until she could strike. 

"Are you sure you're okay?" Rei made a gesture with her hands, and her Orb underwent mitosis, splitting into two and then four. A wave of Rei's hand set them orbiting around her, and Rikako was forced to blast away again as needles burst out from the spinning spheres. Rikako reached down and grabbed the hem of her coat, yanking it forward as Rei’s fire tracked after her, clattering off the magically reinforced material. The girl followed up by leaping into the air and lashing out two kicks, sending a pair of her orbs rocketing at Rikako. Rikako leapt to the side, dodging one of them, but the other seemed to curve as it flew. Rikako yanked the hem of her coat again, just in time for the Orb to slam into her gut. Rikako groaned in pain and fell- the thick material had dulled some of the blow, and blocked the charms from getting to her, but it had still hit her with a lot of force. Rikako rolled over, wincing as she hit her wounded arm on her way to her knees. The orb had rolled off to the side, and Rikako reached out to push it away, but the moment she touched it she yelped in pain, drawing back her hand as merely touching it burned her. Not just any attack charm, an Anti-Youkai charm! It didn’t matter how Human-like she was, just touching it caused her pain, and Rikako knew that sufficient exposure could outright evaporate her- especially when the charms were this potent. Why was this kid carrying something like that?!?

To her credit, Rei seemed to have noticed Rikako's pain, raising her hand and calling back her Orb. She tilted her head, wavering, though as Rikako got back to her feet, the girl nodded, raising her staff and setting the orbs to spin again. The two stared at each other across the arena, one second, two second, then jumped backwards, Rei loosing needle constructs and Rikako pulling out a handful of iron dust. 

“Observation- Her orbs rotate at a constant speed...“ Rikako squeezed her hand together, muttering her spell and feeling the metal begin to take shape in her hand. Her chant was a bit different this time- she specifically blunted the blade’s teeth. She wanted to win, but she had no interest in truly injuring the girl, Anti-Youkai charms or not. “Hypothesis- A high-speed metal disk will be just as disruptive to a strange little kid as to anyone else. Especially one aimed under her guard."

Rikako hopped to the side with a burst from her rocket pack, wincing as she stumbled and jarred her hurt arm. Needles flew past, the girl pointing forward with an outstretched hand. Each Orb fired off a half-dozen as it flew past her hand, a nice regular pattern. And Rikako was a scientist. She could handle patterns. Rikako bit her lip and nodded to herself. “Experiment- Catch! ” 

Time seemed to slow as she drew back her good arm, metal blade held like a discus. Rikako threw just as one of the orbs fired, blasting up into the air with her rocket pack a moment later. Her blade flew true, slicing through the air underneath needles. Rei lowered her hand, trying to bring her orbs down to block, but Rikako had timed her throw perfectly, slipping through a gap between two orbs, right into Rei’s stomach.

Except Rei was no longer there.

Rikako blinked. She’d thrown her blade straight, she was sure of it! It hadn’t curved, it was straight ahead of her, having crashed into the back wall. But Rei Hino stood a meter to the left, looking just as confused as Rikako. Her orbs hadn’t even moved, orbiting around a Rei no longer there, though shifting their barycenter as the two stared. 

Rei reacted first, leaping forward and pulling out a paper talisman. She grabbed Rikako’s free hand, holding up the paper talisman an inch from her face. The message was clear- Rei had no interest in hurting her, but wouldn’t hesitate if Rikako didn’t give up. 

Rikako sighed. If her other arm hadn't been in a sling, she could easily reach out and hit the girl with a jolt of electricity, faster than the girl could slap down the talisman. But without it, well… Rikako slowly opened her hands, palms up. "You got me.” 

Rei nodded, stowing her talisman away. She then stuck out her hand. “Good match?”

Rikako stared, then shook the girl’s hand. “I could have done better.”

“Maybe when your arm is better, we could have a rematch.” 

“Maybe.”

Rei smiled, as the other Chiyuri approached and tapped her shoulder. Rei turned, and her arm was lifted into the air. “Winner, Rei Hino!” 

Rikako winced and rubbed her arm. The other Chiyuri gave her a glance, but Rikako simply nodded. “I’ll talk to you later, then?”

“Yeah.” 

The other Chiyuri nodded to Rikako, as Rikako turned away and headed back out of the arena. Her own Chiyuri and Rinnosuke were waiting outside the arena for her. Her own Chiyuri grinned as Rikako approached, reaching out to touch her good arm. “Are you alright?”

“More or less.” Rikako winced and rubbed her shoulder again. “Seriously though, what is up with that kid?” 

Rinnosuke rubbed his chin. “I wish I knew. I feel like I should know, and that if we find out I’ll end up kicking myself.”

“Perhaps.” Rikako turned back towards the arena, and her eyes went wide. The other Chiyuri was talking to the green-haired woman who’d shot her. The other Chiyuri seemed to be frowning, asking something as she turned to look across the way at Rikako. She pointed, and the green-haired woman grabbed her arm and pulled it down, saying something back. The woman turned, red eyes glowing as she met Rikako’s gaze, staring unblinking. Rikako grimaced and took a step back.

“Rikako?” Chiyuri touched Rikako’s arm, but she didn’t turn to look, still meeting the gaze of the green-haired woman. 

Rikako unconsciously reached up and rubbed her wounded shoulder. “None of this makes sense.” The woman kept staring, saying something that she was too far away to hear. "She attacked me when I tried to follow the other you. But she didn't do anything when I came back for the second round of the competition- not until now. Is she afraid of causing a scene here? But she could have said something to the other you earlier, or asked us to leave."

"I- urg! " Chiyuri pressed her hand against her forehead. As did the other Chiyuri on the other side of the arena. Rikako grabbed Chiyuri to hold her up, and the green-haired woman did the same with her own Chiyuri. 

“Should I get Ms. Udongein again?” Rinnosuke’s frown had grown deeper, taking Chiyuri’s other shoulder.

“You probably should. This is out of my area of expertise, but this clearly isn’t good.”  Rikako rubbed Chiyuri's shoulder. "Unfortunately, I get the feeling that my request to talk to your other self has been revoked…"

Rinnosuke vanished into the crowd, and Rikako started guiding Chiyuri away from the gate, out of the press and towards a cafe on the outside of the square. She heard the call for the next two competitors, but it wasn't the other Chiyuri this time. The green-haired woman was in the center now, and the other Chiyuri was missing.

It would be a few minutes before Rinnosuke and Ms. Udongein returned, but the moment they were, checking over Chiyuri, Rikako stepped aside, heading back for the ring. The short blonde entrepreneur and the blue-robed magician lady,  but Rikako didn’t pay them any attention. She was busy looking across the field, towards where the green-haired woman watched. No sign of the other Chiyuri, or the Professor.

“None of this makes sense…” Rikako muttered to herself. She sighed, rubbing her shoulder, before opening up her coat and checking the pouches within. She’d used up most of her iron powder, but she still had other spell materials. Perhaps…

Rikako dug into another pouch, pulling out a lodestone and a compass. After a quick examination of herself she found a long, blonde, hair. She wrapped it around the lodestone, pressing it to her lips and whispering “Chiyuri, Chiyuri, Chiyuri.” Finally, she set the lodestone underneath the compass, and focused, pumping a small dose of her power into it all. 

At first, the needle twitched and pointed at the lodestone. However after a few seconds, it started to spin. It turned to point towards the cafe at first, but then flipped around and pointed away- towards the place where Rikako had been shot. After a moment it flipped around again, pointing back towards Rikako’s Chiyuri- the tracker spell apparently couldn’t differentiate the two. 

Rikako glanced back into the arena- the two fighters seemed occupied trash-talking each other, while the green-haired woman simply stared on. Rikako closed her eyes, nodding. “Hypothesis, the spell will point me to the other Chiyuri. Experiment, go and find her. Before that one tries to stop me again. Before my Chiyuri gets any worse.”

Rikako checked the compass, and started following the pointer.

Chapter Text

Rikako walked alone. 

She'd left Chiyuri and Rinnosuke behind, Chiyuri being cared for by Ms. Udongein. Perhaps she should have waited- it's not like she had anywhere else to go, having been eliminated, and while Rinnosuke wasn't much of a fighter, it might have helped to have him watching her back, in case the green-haired woman showed up.

She’s running the competitions now. She’s busy. No one but The Professor and the other Chiyuri.

And what if those two were dangerous? The Outsiders were associating with that red-eyed, green-haired lunatic, after all. “One of them is another Chiyuri. And if my Chiyuri is a copy of her, then surely the original can’t be bad.”

But how could she even know that? Chiyuri was a Tsukumogami of Rikako’s textbook. A textbook that, true, probably must have belonged to that other Chiyuri once, given the name in the cover and the similarity of look, but Tsukumogami were influenced by the environment they came from. Whatever had happened to let Rikako’s Chiyuri form, she had to have been changed by simply being in Rikako’s presence. Any similarity had to be superficial. 

…Right?

Rikako checked her compass. As before, the needle would turn and point towards where her Chiyuri was, stick for a few seconds, before flipping around and pointing towards the “original” one. Rikako had long passed by where she’d been shot by the green-haired sociopath, and was now nearing the village palisade with no sign of the compass pointing somewhere else. Was she outside of the village, then? Risky for a Human… assuming the other Chiyuri was one, but Rikako had no reason to believe otherwise. Not when her own Chiyuri had been so Human-like she’d thought she was, instead of recognizing her as a Tsukumogami. 

“So much of this makes no sense…” Rikako muttered to herself as she rubbed her shoulder. It felt even better now than it had before, despite getting jarred a few times during her fight with that Rei Hino kid. It still wasn’t perfect, she’d probably have a few days of lingering pain before then. “They’re Outsiders, presumably with Outsider weaponry. Gensokyan guns aren’t that powerful when that small..” Rikako had experimented with black powder, of course, though she preferred her sawblades and electric shocks. More consistent, without having to worry about random variables like the competence of whoever ground the black powder, what the source of the nitre had been, the purity of the charcoal…

Unfortunately she was out of powdered iron for sawblades, but the more she healed, the easier it would be to use her other spells if necessary. Or at least easier to dodge out of the way of an attack. 

Out through a gate in the palisade, with barely a nod of acknowledgement from the guards, Rikako triggered her rocket pack and took flight. Her compass continued to flip forward and back, pointing towards the edge of the Bamboo Forest. Not too far a flight with her rocket pack, at least, but strange. It wasn't nicknamed the Forest of the Lost for no reason. There were rumors- Tewi Inaba and her traps, of course, but Rikako had also heard of things like women who threw flames and explosions, of werewolves and alien soldiers- of course, Rikako hadn't actually gone to examine the truth of the myths- Tewi Inaba and her traps were real and dangerous enough without adding in other things. 

Rikako came to a landing, scanning the area. No sign of the other Chiyuri, and her compass was pointing her right into the forest. Rinnosuke said that Ms. Udongein worked for Tewi Inaba. Would she have said anything if she'd noticed anything? My Chiyuri, or something about that green-haired psychopath… is it weird to say "my" Chiyuri? Even if she's a Tsukumogami of my textbook, she's her own person, and the only other way I've heard people say "my" like that is either as family or a lover. I suppose I could understand considering a Tsukumogami as family, but I'm not sure I would consider her as such right now-

Rikako paused as she heard a noise. She glanced back and forth, then slipped a hand to one of her pockets and pulled out a thin riverstone with a hole through the center. A few wires twisted around it let her slip the stone over her glasses, and with a few mumbled words her left eye shifted into mage sight. Glowing spots overlaid the world around her, showing where magic was concentrated. A small flame of magic glittered in the bamboo stalks- the soul of a person, Youkai probably, though without getting close enough to smell Rikako couldn't be sure. 

My Chiyuri was human enough that she registered as such to me. Will the other? Or the Professor. Dammit, I should have checked when I had the chance! Rikako shook her head and sighed, before turning back to her work. The soul was still there, and as Rikako narrowed her eyes and tried to pin it down, there came a burst of movement and rustling plants as it dashed away. Rikako watched it go, then checked her compass again. The needle flicked back towards the village, then forward into the forest. Rikako sighed again and entered.

Hey Ellen.

Ellen frowned as she tapped her foot. That Mima woman was once again late. Just like she had been for Sekibanki. Poor Seki, she hadn't stood much of a chance, as near as Ellen could tell- though admittedly Ellen hadn't paid much attention, being busy running that test for Kana. Poor Kana.

Ellen. Hey. Ellen.

The whole thing was a lot of silliness! It was no way for people to behave, regardless of if they were Human or Youkai! And no, having Sokrates be her Shikigami wasn't at all similar to Lord Anaberal's seal on Kana. Ellen didn't have the power to fully take control anyway, but even if she could, she wouldn't. Their relationship was purely for mutual benefit. Besides, Sokrates’s independence-

Ellen!

Ellen was brought from her thoughts by the cat in question as he bopped her on the head. She glanced up, seeing Sokrates poking his head down just over her face. “Hm?”

Your competitor, Mima. I spotted her in the crowd, on your seven. She’s acting like she hasn’t heard her name called.

“Oh? Maybe she’s wanting to make another dramatic entrance? Seems a bit prideful to me.”

She did crush Sekibanki quite easily. Despite Sekibanki fighting about as hard as she can. Weak or not, Sekibanki should have at least gotten one hit in. Not been utterly humiliated like that.

“I have some ideas, don’t worry.” Ellen reached up, and a moment later Sokrates pushed his head into her hand, welcoming her gentle scratching. Ellen turned to the official, the green-haired woman who seemed to be staring into the crowd- towards where Sokrates had said her opponent was. “Do you see her too?”

The woman didn’t respond. Ellen tilted her head, frowning as she examined her. Ellen couldn’t detect any magic on her. Even the most mundane of Humans had some, but the woman seemed to have no more than a rock. It was honestly kind of uncanny, to have someone moving around without registering to Ellen’s magical senses. It was like she was a puppet, but without a master, and with fluid motions like any other person, not jerking around on strings or dowels. Was she some kind of unfamiliar Youkai? Perhaps one of the Western kinds, like a Dullahan, like Sekibanki’s father was. Where were Sekibanki and Kana? Had Kana run off again? She’d said that Kana could come into the arena with her, but she hadn’t seemed to want to, asking to stay back with Sekibanki. Was it because she knew there’d be a fight? Ellen supposed that would make sense, given the seal on her. She’d have to figure out who had actually performed the sealing, maybe have some strong words or at least make sure they would be banned when her store opened. Someone willing to seal poor Kana like that didn’t seem like a nice person, not with a seal that powerful. Poor Kan-

Sokrates bopped Ellen on the head again. She’s moving. Be ready in case she tries to drop on you like she did Sekibanki.  

Ellen nodded, and closed her eyes, focusing on the magic around her. She could sense the crowd around her, little wisps of light interspersed with stronger flames, depending on the strength of their magic. She could sense her own, as well as a cord connecting her soul to Sokrates’s. And she could sense a small flutter in front of her, growing, growing-

Ellen’s eyes shot open and she hopped back, just as Mima teleported in front of her in a burst of light. Forewarned, she didn’t fall over like Sekibanki did, though she did hear a panicked yowl from Sokrates. The match official didn’t react more than a slight twitch of her hand and narrowing of her eyes.

“Here I am! Hope you didn’t think I’d be letting you get away with things that easily!” Mima cackled, twirling, her skirts spinning around her. She turned to Ellen, grinning. “So, you’re Fluffy Ellen, huh?”

Ellen brushed off her skirts, then grabbed the hem and curtsied. “That I am. And you’re Mima Geist-Hexe, yes? I remember you from Seki’s fight, as well as heckling my own.”

“Some fight , Fluffster.” The woman gave a flourishing bow, eyes glowing emerald. “I was on the edge of my seat the whole time- How exiciting and daring, to not fight at all !” 

“Perhaps you’ve heard a saying, ‘I destroy my enemy by making her my friend’? I had no reason to fight my friend.”

“Didn’t stop that other pair of blondes who fought earlier. And they’re a lot closer than you and the poltergeist were, I caught ‘em macking on each other in an alley earlier.” 

Wow, she’s a talkative one. Sokrates popped his head out of Ellen’s hair, glaring. You’ll need to be careful, Ellen. 

“I intend to be careful, Sokrates! No need to worry! Besides, hasn’t all Ms. Mima done is talk so far?” Ellen couldn’t hide a grin as she folded her arms and met Mima’s gaze. Sokrates was right that she seemed to like talking, but so did Ellen. She’d fired back when Mima had taunted her during her round with Kana, and of course, going from door to door selling goods, and later trying to recruit investors, well, that wasn’t a job for the shy. Seki would probably die if she had to do something like that, and not just because it would probably get people looking at her enough to realize that she wasn’t all that good at hiding that she wasn’t Human. Really, Seki should just apply for a Trustworthiness pass! She didn’t even live in the residential quarters, instead renting an apartment over a bar, so it’s not like she’d have to move, and really, there were enough people who already knew- Ms. Kamishirasawa had said as much when Ellen had asked her if she’d be willing to accelerate her business application to the Village Council. Still, she understood that Seki was a private person, her grandstanding during the fight was all for show, and-

Ellen was brought from her thoughts by a bop to the head. Mima just asked who you were talking to. Need me to meow at her?

Ellen subtly shook her head. Her thoughts moved at a mile-a-minute, especially when she got excited. Thankfully one of the perks of having Sokrates as her Shikigami was that he was pretty good at keeping her on task. Like now, for instance. Ellen chose not to respond to Mima’s question, instead shooting her a smirk. “I think, Ms. Mima, you’ll find me a bit different from Seki. Especially since I’ve seen you fight, and came prepared.”

“When’ve you seen me fight? I haven’t done any yet.” Mima’s eyes glittered green. “I swatted a fly, if that’s what you mean.”

Ellen clenched her fists, though she managed to keep from glaring. “We’ll just have to see, then.”

The match official hadn’t moved a bit during the exchange, instead staring off into the crowd. Had she even been paying attention? Maybe she needed her own Sokrates. Assuming she could make a bond, with her magic missing. Unless she was doing something to disguise it? Ellen knew there were ways to, though she never bothered- a Magician Youkai’s magic, especially a weaker one like her, was almost indistinguishable from that of a Humans. Ellen closed her eyes, letting her mage sight linger over Mima. The woman definitely wasn’t Human- at least, not anymore. Her soul glowed bright, but while the tone was something similar a Human's, it was… darker? Sort of like in a Magician Youkai who had started as a Human, but…

Sokrates bopped her on the head again. Kana opened her eyes, seeing that the green-haired match official had finally moved, red eyes boring into her. “Are you both ready to begin?” 

“Clearly.” Mima stood with her staff slung lazily over her shoulder. “Hurry it up, yeah? Or haven’t you noticed us bantering for the last few minutes?”

Ellen narrowed her eyes at Mima, then turned to the official and nodded. “I’m ready.”

“Very well.” The woman took several steps back, raising her hand in the air. Around them, the crowd, which had already started to quiet as Ellen and Mima had spoken, went silent. “Match starts!”

Holy crap. Ellen, I think I figured out what she is. This is bad, bad, bad…

“Can’t be that bad, Sokrates. I know she’s not Human, but even if she humiliated Seki, she didn’t actually hurt her.” Ellen glanced up towards the cat, taking a few steps back and focusing on Mima. “I’m having trouble figuring her out, what do you think?"

I’m pretty sure she’s a Vengeful Spirit.

Ellen froze. “What?”

“ Go!”

Mima raised a hand, and a jet of blue fire roared out towards Ellen. Ellen hopped up over it with a small burst of flight. Her petticoats billowed as the flames passed under her, but she didn't feel any heat. Soulfire! Don't let it touch you, Ellen! It won't cause physical harm, but it'll hurt more than the real stuff!

"You recognize it, Sokrates?" Ellen bounced over another blast of blue flame. Mima hadn't moved more than her hand, leaning causally against her staff and launching off jets of Soulfire.

I have an aunt who's a Kasha, it's one of their techniques. She taught me a bit- but even she couldn't do that much. This Mima is definitely a Vengeful Ghost.

"She doesn't really look like it! She's much too cheerful." Ellen yelped as a tongue of blue flame brushed her leg as she jumped again. "That said, tactical analysis please, Sokrates!"

On it!

Ellen pressed her hands together as she leapt over another jet, chanting under her breath before spreading her fingers. A half dozen heart-shaped energy bullets shot forth, but Mima slapped them away with a backhand. "Stop jumping around, Fluffster! Are you a witch or not?"

"Smart is the witch who doesn't set herself on fire!" Ellen slipped a hand into a pouch on her belt, pulling out a potion. “Sokrates?”

Calculating… No, that won’t work. Fire resistance will protect against fire, but Soulfire is something else, it just resembles it.

“Dang.” Ellen dropped the potion back into her pouch, slashing her hand out and loosing another few bullets. “Hey, if you’re such a witch, why don’t you show it? Do something besides all that fire?”

“You think you’re worth it?” Mima grinned, leaning against her staff. "Come on, at least your friend had her lazer eyes. Show me something cool!"

I really hope Sekibanki didn't hear that. I think that's the first time someone has ever approached calling her cool, and she might end up losing her head over it. Heh.

"Jokes later, Sokrates! That was a good one, though." Ellen tapped her chin, before looking up at Mima, smiling. "You want to see something cool?"

"If you don't have anything, I'm sure I can come up with something. I never used all that marinara sauce I threatened your friend with."

"That really won't be necessary."  Ellen slipped her fingers to her belt, pulling out a vial of a thin fuchsia liquid. "Sokrates!"

Aim assist on, Ellen. 

Ellen drew back and hurled the vial. An orange crosshair appeared in her vision- an illusion from Sokrates, using his calculations to tell Ellen where and when to fire. Mima stood still, casually leaning on her staff without a care, as Ellen twirled and fired off an energy bullet, surging forward at the crosshair and smashing into the vial. The vial shattered, its contents vaporizing into a pink cloud that briefly engulfed Mima, sending her into a sneezing fit.

"What the…" Mima sneezed, shaking her head and waving away the mist. "Is this a love potion?!"

"A heavily diluted one, yes!"

"What are you, some kind of pervert?" Mima threw her hand forward to fire another blast of Soulfire, but wavered, hand shaking, unable to aim.

Ellen grinned, turning to the crowd. "You see, the difficulty with most monster repellants is that they tend to be very specific! What stinks to a Nurikabe might not bother an Amikiri, after all. So instead, I've diluted down a love potion, which when thrown on a foe, gives them positive feelings about you! Not as much as a full strength potion, but enough to make them quite reluctant to attack!" A jet of Soulfire flew past, two meters to Ellen's side as Mima attempted to attack, but apparently couldn’t bring herself to aim properly. "And as you can see, it works on pretty much anything and anyone!"

"It's still a love potion." Mima coughed, narrowing her eyes.

“Well, of course! They sell quite well. So long as all parties involved sign a waiver, of course.” Ellen giggled. “Why, are you interested?”

…Ellen, are you flirting with her?

Ellen didn’t answer Sokrates. Across from her, Mima’s eyes widened, before she belted out a laugh. “I see, then! Well, if that’s how you want to play, Fluffster…” Mima drew back her hand, holding it in the middle of her staff’s blade, and colors deepened and darkened around her. “If I’m not able to attack you directly while under the effect of your potion, I’ll just have to do so in directly! Let’s see if you can handle what your friend couldn’t!”

Ellen’s smile grew, reaching towards a pouch as she hopped back and away. She popped it open, drawing out a cape made of a thin, shimmering, material. She swung it over her shoulders, tying it on and pulling her mass of curls free. Mima jammed her staff into the ground, as a black circle grew within its blade, light distorting as wind began to rush towards it. Ellen could feel Sokrates digging his paws into her scalp, her hair and clothes being dragged towards the artificial black hole. But where Sekibanki had been caught off guard, Ellen had seen the fight, and as it so happened, she had just the tool for the job. She hopped into the air, activating her flight as well as the power of the cape. “A bold move, Ms. Mima! Despite my already showing off this item during my demonstration earlier!” Ellen twirled in the air, hovering, but the black hole didn’t have nearly as much hold as it had before- she could fly freely. “For your consideration, the training cape! As I described earlier, it reduces the pull of gravity on someone, making it easier for someone to learn how to fly- or in this case, to nullify the gravity-based attack of my opponent!” 

This got some "oohs" from the crowd, and Ellen turned in the air to give a curtsy. "Now, I doubt this will be a likely scenario you'll find yourself in, but if the training cape can stand up to a black hole, I'm sure you can imagine that it will be quite durable and effective for its intended use!" 

"Are you seriously using the fight to advertise again ?" Ellen turned, just in time to yelp and dodge a blast of Soulfire. Mima stood with her hand raised, a broad smile on her lips. “Oops, looks like your potion wore off! So what next? Gonna try and convince me to join that “Amway” thing?”

“Don’t be absurd!” Ellen had heard of it before- in fact, hadn’t one of the other members of the Grassroots Network nearly fallen into it? Yes, Mike, she thought. Poor Mike-

Ellen!

Sokrates whacked the back of Ellen’s head with a paw, bringing her back into focus, just before a blast of Soulfire flew past her face. Ellen twisted around, bringing her hands together and launching off a handful of heart-shaped energy bullets, but all of them were drawn away from Mima, towards her staff and the black hole. Ellen bit her lip, while Sokrates adjusted himself in her hair. Calculating trajectory… Hold on. Ellen felt a flicker of magic through the bond between her and Sokrates, and the crosshairs in her vision shifted into an orange ring. There, I’ve modified the targeting. Aim anywhere on the circle to account for the gravitational effects. 

“Thanks!” Ellen flew past another jet of fire, cupping her hands together and charging all the power she could spare. Light glowed between her fingers, and after a few seconds, she slammed her palms together in a clap. A couple dozen heart-shaped bullets- smaller than normal, but more numerous than she could have otherwise done- flew out, arcing towards Sokrates’s illusion. Just like Ellen’s last round, they were drawn off course by Mima’s black hole, but her Shikigami’s calculations proved true, and each of the little heart-bullets was redirected right at Mima. For a moment the woman seemed shocked, before vanishing right before the bullets hit. Ellen dropped to the ground, scanning around to see where Mima had gone.

“Okay, I’ll give you that. That was pretty clever.” Ellen turned, to see Mima casually sitting on top of one of the arena walls. She held her staff in her lap, apparently haven given up on her black hole. “But unfortunately, that was your pet kitty doing that, right? Feeding you where to aim. And I’m guessing he’s not for sale.”

Certainly not! Sokrates poked his head up and hissed at Mima. The woman simply continued to smile, giving him a wave. 

“I do have to say, Fluffster. I’m more impressed than I thought I would be. Certainly have some creativity in ya, wouldn’t have thought to use a love potion like that- mostly ‘cause I’m not a pervert who uses ‘em on people I don’t know.”

“Well, neither do I. Not the full strength ones, at least.” Ellen shrugged. 

“I’m sure, I’m sure.” Mima slid down the wall, landing softly. “Well, clever or not, I’m afraid I’m getting bored. Time to end this, yeah?” Mima tossed her hand in the air, and four primary-colored orbs appeared, circling around her. “Any answers for this?”

One, maybe…  

Ellen glanced up towards Sokrates, who seemed to be cringing as his telepathy came through.”Hm?”

We can do the thing.

“Which thing?”

You know. With the Shikigami bond.

“Oh, but Sokrates, you hate when we do that!”

I know. But I feel I’m still obligated to mention it. Lest we think of it later and kick ourselves.

Ellen turned back to Mima, who stood watching them, her orbs spinning faster and faster. “I don’t think so. It’s not desperate enough for that yet. Besides, I do have one more thing for Ms. Mima.” 

Mima pointed forward, and a dozen star-shaped bullets fired off from each of her orbs. Ellen yelped and hopped back, weaving through the fire as she went for her belt again, flipping open a leather pouch and pulling out a paper card. “Sokrates, clear a space for me! I need some room for this.”

On it!  

Sokrates climbed out of her hair, leaping to the ground and meowing. Soulfire of his own formed- not the jets that Mima was throwing around, but more traditional will-o-wisps, in a slightly more violet-ish blue. Sokrates meowed again, and his hovering orbs flew forward in front of Ellen, acting as a shield from Mima’s hail of bullets. They wouldn’t last long- Sokrates was even less powerful than Ellen was. But it would be enough. It had to be enough. “Friends, strangers, neighbors! I've saved something special for last!"

Hurry up, Ellen! Sokrates hissed as one of his orbs of Soulfire vanished after being hit by one-too-many of Mima's bullets. Ellen lifted the paper slip into the air. “As I’m sure you can all tell, Ms. Geist-Hexe is quite a boundless bundle of energy!” 

“Oh, you can definitely say that. I can go all night, fluffster!” Mima cackled, winking as she called her orbs in front of her, spiraling around her outstretched hand before blasting out a wave of Soulfire. “Can you , though?”

Ellen dodged one way, Sokrates the other, the flames passing between them. Despite herself, Ellen couldn’t help but smile. “Perhaps! But I’m sure we all can recognize that not everyone is as strong as another. Some people are stronger, some are weaker, and it’s not just between Humans and Youkai!. But with this, this is no longer the case!” Ellen lifted the card in the air. “And so, Friends, strangers, neighbors- For your consideration, the Spellcard!" 

Ellen crumpled the card in her hand, pumping a spark of power into it. The paper crumbled into ash, and power flooded Ellen’s body. Time seemed to slow down, a blue glow growing in front of her as Mima unleashed a jet of Soulfire straight at Ellen’s face. Ellen raised her hands, power thrumming through her, and unleashed bullet hell.

Hundreds of heart-shaped bullets launched out, dispersing the flame and continuing on. Ellen caught a glimpse of Mima’s eyes widening before she vanished under the hail of bullets.

It had been a clever idea, if Ellen could say so. There was enough magic out there that relied on conditions to activate- The spells she put on her full-strength love potions that would render them useless if used inappropriately, the contract that set the terms of Sokrates’s bond to her, even, if you thought about it, something as simple as a magelamp, lighting and darkening at a command. A Spellcard was similar- a spell cast on a piece of paper, waiting to be activated until the command was given. The biggest advantage though, was that it meant Ellen could put far, far more power into it than she would otherwise dare. She could cast the spells while safely at home, over a longer period of time than she might have if she were attacked outside. She didn’t need to worry if she’d overexert herself and leave herself vulnerable, and she could keep charging the spell over a period of time, to the point where even if she burned herself up in one massive instantaneous spell, it still wouldn’t match the power of a fully charged Spellcard. 

For a Human or weak Youkai, a Spellcard was the chance to bring firepower to bear that they otherwise couldn’t. The Spellcard was an equalizer.

After several seconds, Ellen’s Spellcard tapered off. The crowd around was silent, eyes wide in awe. As they should be- the Spellcard Ellen had given too Kana had been fairly simple, a lot of bullets in a lot of shapes and colors, but the one Ellen had just used had been much more powerful- only heart-bullets, but more of them, faster, hitting the back wall hard enough to leave cracks. And just think, with a bit more development- different patterns of bullets, more coordinated and choreographed… Ellen looked up, about to say something to the crowd, but frowned. Shouldn’t there have been a Mima in the line of fire? Where-

Look out!

Ellen jumped to the side at Sokrates’s warning, just as Mima teleported right where she’d been standing. The woman didn’t look any worse for wear, not a single sign of being hit. Ellen cursed, flicking her hand out and firing off a heart-bullet, but Mima didn’t bother dodging. She flickered translucent for a brief moment, and the bullet went straight through her. Vengeful Spirit, right. Dang it, did she just phase through my entire Spellcard? 

Ellen dove back, but Mima shot forward, swinging past her and bringing her staff around Ellen. Mima pulled, pinning Ellen against her, her arms trapped by Mima’s staff. Ellen struggled, but she didn’t have the strength or leverage to escape. “I’ll admit, Fluffster. I’m pretty impressed.” Mima pulled Ellen closer, her face appearing from the top of Ellen’s vision as she leaned down. Ellen could hear Sokrates hissing, could sense him futilely trying to scratch at Mima’s leg. “All that said, I think you’re out of tricks. And out of hands.” 

Not yet we're not! Ellen! My Strength T -  

Sokrates was cut off as he yowled in panic, and Mima’s fingers glowed with sparkling light. Sokrates was lifted into the air in front of Ellen, glowing in Mima’s power. 

“Correction- now you’re out of tricks.” Mima tutted.

Ellen closed her eyes, trying to wiggle away, but couldn’t. Even trying to take advantage of her lack of height, slipping underneath Mima’s grasp, but she kept holding on. “Well… shoot.”

“Ya did plenty of that already. In any case though, you gonna give up? 'Cause otherwise I still have that marinara sauce."

"What's with you and that?" Ellen stopped struggling, glancing up into the ghost's emerald eyes.

"Found a palette of the stuff that fell through the Border. Too much for my kids to eat, even if Marisa didn't hate it. Gotta find a use for it somehow."

"By dumping it on people?"

Mima shrugged. "There's worse things I can do to a person. This is, ostensibly, a friendly competition after all. Even if the ref is blind."

Mima shuffled a bit so that the two of them were facing the green-haired match official. The woman was staring at them. "She's clearly defeated. Or do you need me to throw her into a black hole too, huh?" 

The woman continued to stare, turning her eyes down towards Ellen. Ellen met the woman’s unblinking red eyes. “You can call it. She’s got me.” 

The woman stared for a second more, then turned and raised her hand. "Match set. Winner, Mima Geist-Hexe."

Mima let go of Ellen, and Ellen ran forward to pluck Sokrates out of the air. "Are you okay?"

No wounds but my pride. But damn it all, that woman is a menace! Sokrates scrambled up Ellen's arms and into her hair, before popping his head out and hissing at Mima, who was leaning casually against her staff. Mima grinned back, shaking her head slightly.

Ellen checked her pockets, then started heading back towards the exit. “It’s really too bad. Hopefully enough people will remember what I showed off that they'll consider investing, but I'd hoped to win if I could."

With all due respect, Ellen, Kotohime is participating. I don't know if you'd be able to fight The Last Incident Resolver.

"You might be surprised. After all, I bet that potion trick would work on her a lot better than it did me!" 

Ellen turned, shocked to see Mima next to her. Sokrates nearly jumped off Ellen's head. You can- How ? This is a psychic connection!

"No, I can't understand you, kitty. I'm just really good at inferring things, and it helps that you've got rather Human-like expressions. Let me guess, some kind of catfolk that prefers to stay in beast form? I'd guess Kasha, but you ain't goth enough."

Partially, on my father's side… oh, why am I responding? Sokrates hissed again, which only made Mima chuckle. 

"In any case, Fluffster, I was just thinking. You're looking for capital in order to set up a shop right?"

"Yep…" Ellen trailed off, head tilted. Could it be…?

"Like I said before. I was pretty impressed. 'Specially with that last thing, your 'Spellcard'." Mima came to a halt, turning to face Ellen. "I think I might be interested in investing."

"Really?" Ellen's eyes went wide.

"Really." Mima smiled, and it seemed warmer than her previous smirks, more genuine as she patted Ellen on the back. "I'm a bit busy right now, so how about we discuss it two days from now or so? Perhaps at one of the cafes."

Ellen nodded. "Yeah, we can do that!"

"It's a date, then." Mima smiled as Ellen blushed. "Didn't mean it like that , but hey, if you want, well…"

"I thought you said the potion wore off already?"

"It did. I'm frankly surprised it did anything to me at all, even just for a few seconds. But regardless, this is just normal me talking." Mima gave Ellen's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Meet back here then, then? I'm not super familiar with what's all here, so I expect you to pick something good."

"Alrighty!" Ellen smiled as Mima turned and vanished into the crowd.

…Ellen, did you seriously just agree to go on a date with a Vengeful Ghost?

“She doesn’t seem particularly vengeful to me. More…"

Flamboyant?

"Something like that." Ellen lifted her hand in greeting as she caught sight of Sekibanki, Kana hovering nervously behind her. "Well, as long as I'm out, and I've got someone wanting to help me out, I think I should pass it on, right? Let's figure out Kana's ordeal."

Indeed.

Chapter Text

Kotohime adjusted her kimono as she walked. Or rather, she adjusted the selection of equipment she had hidden underneath it. In her experience, it paid to be prepared. Izumi had been powerful, and Rin had known a lot of random spells, but Kotohime had always been the practical one. She only had her barriers for magic, after all, and she had to make up for it by being clever. Rope made from the silk of a Jorogumo, nearly indestructible. A pair of wooden tonfas, slipped into her sleeves. A pronged spear, currently folded and telescoped into itself to fit in a holster on her thigh, opposite another holster holding a Tengu-made shotgun modified to fire energy bullets.

And smoke bombs. Plenty of smoke bombs. 

“What can you tell me about her, Rei?" 

Reimu walked beside Kotohime, staff slung over her shoulder. People made way for them as they walked towards the entrance of the arena- people recognized Kotohime. She was the Last Incident Resolver, after all. A few even gave her cordial nods as they walked, or called out her name. Even now, years after Izumi’s death, they respected her. 

Across the arena, also making her way towards it, was Kotohime’s next opponent. Meira, according to Reimu. She seemed to be a few years older than Reimu, but the girl was taller than most of the crowd. She looked pretty strong, and Reimu had told her the girl fought with a sword. “Reimu?”

“Ah?” Reimu started as Kotohime spoke and turned down to her. The girl shook her head. “Sorry. I thought I saw someone… what did you ask me?”

“Your friend, Meira. What can you tell me about her?”

Reimu scowled. “She’s not my friend.” 

“Not yet, at least.” Kotohime smirked a bit as Reimu blushed. “Anyway, she has a sword and mostly fights physically. What else?’

“She’s fast. Really fast. Almost as fast as Ms. Shameimaru was.” Reimu paused, looking towards Meira. “She also has a special power- she can use any weapon.”

“Okay, so she’s good with her sword, then?”

Reimu shook her head. “Not just the sword. She just needs to touch a weapon… she’s even managed to hijack my Orb before.”

Kotohime frowned. “Really? Izumi let me and Rin use it a couple times- she had to give us special permission though, else it just sat there.”

“Meira doesn’t ask permission. She can only get a few minutes at a time, but she can trick the Orb into thinking she’s me for a while. At least up until the Orb figures it out and tries to kill her.” Reimu winced. “Just, be careful. I’m not exactly sure how it works, but if she grabs your tonfas she might be able to turn them against you or something.” 

“I’ll be careful, don’t worry.” Kotohime nodded. “Cheer me on, alright?”

“Of course.” Reimu smiled, reaching out and squeezing Kotohime’s hand. Kotohime smiled back, then entered the arena.

A part of her felt a bit awkward about fighting a teenager. Technically Kotohime had fought younger, of course- She’d dueled fresh-faced Youkai who’d Transcended mere hours into an Incident, Fairies who even after existing for decades had the mentality of children. Perhaps it was the combination of physical and mental age, then? But Kotohime wasn’t stupid. She knew how to incapacitate someone without hurting them, and she knew that this Meira would be fighting back the whole time. This wasn’t her bullying a helpless kid- though it helped that the kid in question was even bigger than she was, and Kotohime wasn't exactly short to begin with.

The current match official was the green-haired woman, having replaced the Professor and her blonde assistant for the time being. She stood with arms crossed, looking between the two. “Are you both prepared to fight, then?”

“I believe so,” said Kotohime. Meira didn’t say anything, giving a slow nod instead. 

"Very well. Then let us proceed." The green-haired woman stepped back a few meters, raising her hand in the air.

No preamble, huh? Kotohime stepped back a bit as well, one eye on Meira and the other on the verdette woman. The Professor had taken a few moments before her first duel to make sure she and Genjii both understood the rules, as well as to quickly scribble some things down. Granted, it had been the first round, this second one presumably it was expected that people would remember the rules. But this woman's demeanor seemed contrary to the Professor's- all business. Even her glowing red eyes didn't seem to blink, as though they couldn't spare the time.

"Match set!"

Kotohime filed the notion away, turning her full attention on Meira. She had a gut feeling there was something more to all this than an apparent tournament. But now wasn't the time for that. Not when she had an opponent facing her. Turned to her side, minimizing my available target. One hand resting over the hilt of her sword- will draw the moment we start. Probably one swing to deflect incoming fire, then a dash and strike. Kotohime shifted her stance as she analyzed Meira, sand and gravel crunching underfoot. A flick of her wrists, and her tonfas slid out of her sleeves to her hands.

" Go!"

Meira drew her sword, slashing out in a wide arc. Her blade glowed, and three energy spears shot out, lancing towards Kotohime. Kotohime smirked and stepped to the side, letting them pass by. Clever. Even if I don’t attack, her movement isn’t wasted. Now for the dash. Meira blurred into motion. She was fast- not Tengu fast, Kotohime could still see her as a blur of red and violet, but fast enough for most people. 

Kotohime, however, was not most people.

Kotohime brought up her hands, extending her thumbs and index fingers to make a rectangle, then drawing them apart. A violet barrier appeared in front of her, translucent and rectangular. Meira was forced to slow down as she approached, rather than going splat against it. There, that should-

Meira’s sword flashed, splitting the barrier vertically through the middle with a sound of shattering glass. Meira blurred, and Kotohime leapt back a moment before the hilt of the girl’s sword slammed into her face. Kotohime gritted her teeth, crossing her tonfas and catching Meira's blade as she swung again. "Reimu was right, you are fast!" 

Meira didn't respond, pulling her sword back and hopping backwards. Light shimmered down the blade, and she loosed a large sweep, sending out a spread of glowing spears. Kotohime flicked her wrist again, hurling a smoke bomb at the ground and vanishing, reappearing across the arena in a puff of smoke. Meira whirled around, faster than she had any right to, launching off another trio of spears. Kotohime summoned another barrier, letting the constructs shatter on it, before tossing down another smoke bomb. Another warping of space, as Kotohime flipped around the grip of her right tonfa, jabbing out with the long arm of her weapon as she appeared just behind Meira. Instead of striking the girl’s gut, however, Meira was already moving, twisting around to deliver an elbow into Kotohime’s shoulder, knocking her sideways. Kotohime shook off the pain, snapping forward with another blow aimed at Meira’s knee, but the girl blurred and reappeared a few meters back, sword glowing as she readied another round of spears.

“Don’t seem to like when I get too close…” Kotohime mumbled to herself as she dove and rolled underneath the spread, shoving up with her arms to launch over another round and land on her feet. Meira blurred, red and violet shooting to the side. Kotohime turned, bringing up her tonfas in a cross guard to catch Meira’s sword. Once again Kotohime flipped one around, lashing out to strike, but Meira was already dodging back. She keeps her distance, relies on her speed to get close for a heavy attack, then gets out of the way before you can counter attack, using bullets to try to keep me pinned down for her next dash.

It was a pretty sensible strategy for someone so fast- Kotohime had seen more than a few Crow Tengu use similar tactics, pinning down foes with gusts of wind and energy bullets, then using their speed to get in and slip in a whack with a fan. Kotohime smirked as she brought up her barrier. Gotcha.

Meira blurred once again, shooting to Kotohime’s right. Kotohime flicked her wrist and dropped another smoke bomb, vanishing and leaving Meira to slash through empty air… while Kotohime appeared above her, diving down and slamming her tonfas down onto the girl’s back. Meira cried out, the first sound Kotohime had heard from the girl, turning and trying to bring up her guard only for Kotohime to knock her sword away with a strike to its guard. Kotohime loosened her grip on one tonfa, chambering a punch and striking forward- her fist would hit, then the tonfa as momentum swung the long end forward. Two hits to the girl’s chest, then follow that with-

Meira reached out and grabbed Kotohime by the neck.

Kotohime choked as her punching arm was grabbed by Meira’s other hand, and the girl stood, hoisting Kotohime into the air. The girl wasn’t just fast, she was strong . Kotohime kicked, but dangling in the air she didn’t have the leverage to do much as Meira stared at her, red-brown eyes lightening to match Kotohime’s hazel. The hand gripping Kotohime’s arm had wrapped around her tonfa, and Kotohime thought she could sense magic in the air. Touching a weapon gives her knowledge of how to use it… does that mean she’s learning how I fight?

If that was the case, Meira didn’t say anything, instead swinging and hurling Kotohime at the nearest wall. Shouts rang out through the crowd, people scattering before a moment later, the plexiglass walls cracked on impact.

“    -ohim-?”

Kotohime grabbed at the dirt, fighting off pain. Her face was pressed against the ground, but her vision and hearing was all a blur. She tried to get up, but her arm slipped, as though it was ice.

“La-   Ko----me-”

Two familiar faces peered down at her from the shattered plexiglas. Genjii and Izumi… no, not Izumi. Izumi was dead. Kotohime’s heart lurched, even as she stood. Her opponent stood facing her, Kotohime’s own tonfas in her hands. Meira. Reimu’s friend. Reimu’s enemy. Her enemy.

“You have fought well. No one can deny it. There is no shame in surrender.” Meira’s voice was cold. 

The official should have called me out already. What happened to it being just a “friendly competition”? But the verdette was just staring, red eyes glowing even through the haze that was Kotohime’s vision. 

Kotohime managed to stand, hand reaching into her kimono as she did. She let out a laugh, shaking her head as her vision cleared. “I don’t think I will. I’ve had worse, kid, just need a few seconds.” Her fingers closed around the grip of her shotgun. “You’ve got some skill, I’ll give you that. But you’re nothing I haven’t beaten before.”

Kotohime whipped out the gun and fired. Energy bullets burst out in a wide spread. Meira blurred to the side, but stumbled as a bullet caught her in the leg. Kotohime grinned even as her wrist spiked with pain as her hand was jerked back by recoil. The girl fought like a Tengu, staying back and using distance and speed to her advantage. Kotohime’s gun was made by Tengu, for fighting Tengu. Light enough to not interfere with flight, short-barreled to maximize the spread of shot, to maximize the chance that something would hit a speeding bird Youkai. Meira stumbled, then blurred the other way, but Kotohime had already guessed she would, turning her shotgun and firing again. A half dozen energy bullets slammed into the girl. Nothing lethal by any means, but each bullet that hit would numb and partially paralyze anything it touched. That many would send any Tengu, even Shamemaru, to the ground, helpless.

Meira, however, wasn’t a Tengu. She gasped in pain, slowed, but more furious than ever. She charged Kotohime,  no longer able to vanish in a blur, but still fast. Kotohime dropped her gun- it could only hold two shells, one for each barrel- and pulled out her collapsible spear. She twisted the handle, extending it out to full length, then jabbed forward as Meira approached. Meira twisted to the side, but the two prongs of the spear went right around her neck, snapping together into a collar. Kotohime held her ground. Her feet slid back as Meira dropped her tonfas, grabbing the haft of the spear and trying to free herself, but to no avail- the length of the spear kept her from reaching Kotohime, and even with Meira’s long limbs Kotohime was safe, so long as Kotohime held the controls of the spear. Kotohime stepped around, shoving Meira into the wall, leaning into her spear. “Consider yourself nicked, kid.” 

Meira’s eyes had shifted back to her normal brown the moment she’d dropped Kotohime’s tonfas, but now they started to glow blood red. Kotohime leaned harder on her spear- the collar was solid and wouldn't crush Meira's throat, but she wasn't about to risk her breaking free. The girl's cold demeanor was gone, she snarled as she grabbed at the spear's haft, trying to crack the tough wood. Kotohime hesitated- this wasn't right. The girl was in distress, something was terribly wrong. But Kotohime knew that she couldn't just let go. Not when she was in this state. Why wasn't that damn verdette calling the fight?

Kotohime sensed someone move next to her, seeing green in her peripheral vision. Was it the match official? But no, Kotohime's eyes widened as Mima stood next to her, crescent-bladed staff slung over her shoulder. "Stand down, samurai." Meira's thrashing stopped, as her eyes locked on Mima. “You said it yourself. You fought well, and there’s no shame in surrender. This isn’t a war, and she isn’t going to hurt you. No one is.”

Meira’s thrashing stilled, as another girl- one of the two with braids, this one the one with black hair that Reimu hadn’t recognized- grabbed Meira’s hand. Meira closed her eyes, and after a moment, reopened them. The red was gone, leaving just brown irises. “I yield.”

“You heard her, ref.” Mima turned, glaring daggers at the verdette official, who was still staring. 

The woman shrugged, waving a hand in the air. “Winner, Kotohime.”

Kotohime immediately opened the prongs of her spear, letting Meira free. The samurai girl was quickly embraced and led away by the black-braided girl, while Mima continued to stare at the official, emerald eyes narrowed. “You feel it too, don’t you, Kotohime?”

“What?” Kotohime stowed her spear, scooping up her discarded tonfas and gun.

“You know. Something weird. That’s your job, Incident Resolver.” Mima turned to Kotohime. “This whole thing is a mess. And it ain’t my doing, I can tell ya that.” 

Kotohime frowned, folding her arms. “Just who are you? You bully Reimu, you claim to have fought me multiple times…”

“If I friggin’ knew who I was, ‘Hime, you think I’d be playing around like this?” Mima spread her hands. “What's the point of getting my non-specific revenge on humanity if I don’t even know what I want revenge for ?”

“Never stopped any of the other Vengeful Spirits I’ve fought.”

For a moment, Kotohime caught a smirk crossing Mima’s face. “Yeah, well, you’ll notice that unlike them , I’m still around, even managed to knock you enough that you don’t remember any more than I do.” Mima frowned again, turning and looking at where the verdette official was still staring at them. She leaned in. “You and I both know she should have called it when Meira threw you into the wall.”

“Real battles don’t end that way.”

“And this ain’t supposed to be a real battle.” Mima paused for a moment, then turned towards the exit. “Tell Hakurei I’m calling a truce. Team up until we figure out what the hell is going on with this Professor and her minions.”

“Outside of any competition battles, I assume?”

This time Mima’s smirk didn’t vanish. “Obviously.”

Kotohime nodded, as Mima wandered back towards the exit. Kotohime turned back, seeing the verdette still staring, glaring in fact. With a shake of her head, Kotohime headed out after Mima. 

Reimu and Genjii waited at the exit, glaring daggers as Mima tipped her hat towards them and vanished into the crowd. Kotohime patted Reimu on the shoulder. “You alright?”

“I think, Lady Kotohime, we should say that to you!” Genjii attempted a chuckle, but Kotohime could hear in his tone that he wasn’t finding anything funny. 

“What happened to Meira?” Reimu frowned as Kotohime began guiding her away. “I’ve only ever seen her get like that once, the first time we fought. Glowing red eyes and everything.”

“I don’t know.” Kotohime looked around, but Mima and her followers were long gone. “Maybe you can ask later. Something bigger has come up than your mutual rivalry.” 

“Attention! The next competitors are as follows!”

Kotohime turned around, as did Reimu. “Just two left for this round. Rika's one, right?" “Indeed,” said Genjii. “I’m afraid I was unfamiliar with the other person, however.”

“And Rika was using the name of that other girl with them.” Reimu frowned. “It's too bad Rika didn't have to fight Meira or Mima, take care of each other that way.”

“Perhaps next round, my lady.”

“The next competitors will be Narumi Yatadera and Elis!”

“And Narumi is Rika. Right, Rei…” Kotohime trailed off as she looked down at Reimu. The girl had gone pale and stiff. “Reimu?”

“No…” Reimu whispered, her hands visibly clenching on her staff. Her cat meowed up at her, rubbing its head against her shins, but Reimu didn’t react, just staring in horror at the person entering the ring- a blonde woman with red facial tattoos and a pair of dark bat wings on her back.

“A Youkai- one openly so.” Kotohime frowned. “I don’t recognize her. Strange- if she’s going around with wings like that, I’m sure I would have met her by now.” 

“She’s not Youkai. Not the normal kind. She’s not even from Gensokyo… ” Reimu whispered, taking a step back. Her breathing was speeding up. “Sh…she…”

“Reimu?”

Reimu turned to Kotohime, eyes wide in terror. “She’s from Makai!”

Chapter Text

Here’s the thing. I saved your life . Not your one afternoon’s work, your life . Therefore, you owe me your life.

Reimu could feel herself choking. The sickly-sweet stench of red miasma in her nose, her lungs and throat feeling like they were being scraped by sandpaper. Mocking red eyes and fanged teeth danced in front of her, and above came a rumble of thunder, as five wheels with eyes for hubs flew overhead in a flash of lightning. She reached for her neck, gasping for air, trying to breath, but couldn’t. She was suffocating, dying .

“Reimu!”

Reimu’s vision cleared as she felt someone grab her arm. Kotohime knelt in front of her, gently holding Reimu’s face in her hands. “Reimu, calm down!” 

Reimu closed her eyes and tried to breathe. Something pushed against her leg- Genjii’s shell, the old turtle pressing against her. She reached down, and Genjii brought up a foreleg to meet her hand and whispering. “Everything is alright, Reimu. You’re safe here.” 

“Am I, though?” Reimu shivered. “Elis is here. She followed me.”

“What am I missing here?” Kotohime turned to Genjii. “Who is this Elis?”

Reimu closed her eyes, clenching her fists. “You remember what I told you? About the first time I encountered Mima?”

“You ended up in Makai, right? Where you met a vampire who got you to fight a monster for her.”

“The YuugenMagan.” Reimu shuddered.

“And after you fought it off, the vampire tried to make you her servant.”

Reimu nodded, closing her eyes and shaking. “I got lucky. I was close to the Gateway back to Gensokyo, and I used the Orb to knock myself back here. But I almost didn’t. I couldn’t breathe . I… I…”

Kotohime grabbed Reimu in a hug. “It’s okay, it’s okay…”

“She’s here though!” Tears flowed down Reimu’s face as she grabbed Kotohime. “She’s gonna try to take me back to Makai!”

“If she does, she’ll have to go through me and Genjii.” Kotohime squeezed Reimu again. 

Genjii nodded. “I don’t think she’ll do anything, at least not in public, at least. She didn’t chase after you when you went through the Gateway, after all. In a crowd of people, do you think she’ll risk it?”

“I don’t know. And what about if I have to fight her in the competition? She can do whatever she likes, then!” Reimu pointed towards the arena. “You saw how things went when Kotohime and Meira fought- The match official didn’t stop them until Mima stepped in and demanded it!” 

"Hopefully if it comes to you fighting her, the Professor will be back from wherever she is." Kotohime narrowed her eyes and rubbed her chin. "This whole thing is getting more strange by the moment. I'm honestly glad Mima asked for a truce, it's one less thing to worry about."

"Make way, idiots!"

Reimu turned to see Rika shoving her way towards the arena entrance. The other braided girl, the one whose name and outfit Rika was borrowing, followed close behind, carrying a toolbox. Reimu hesitated, then started making her way towards the two. "Rika!"

Rika looked up, glaring as she caught sight of Reimu but stopping. "What do you want?" 

Reimu hesitated, breathing out. "Your opponent. She's a vampire. Be careful."

"What?" Rika frowned, turning towards the arena. Elis was in it now, though she was close to the opposite entrance, whispering to another woman, also blonde with a pair of bat wings. Another vampire? Elis gave the woman a kiss on the cheek, before making her way towards the center.

“Just be careful, okay? And win.” 

Rika snorted. “Encouragement, from you of all people?”

“I’d just rather fight you than her, that’s all!” 

Rika opened her mouth to say something, but the other girl jumped forward and clamped a hand over her mouth. “Thank you, miss. That’s what she means to say.” 

Rika pulled the girl’s hand away, but while she glared, she didn’t rebut her. She gave Reimu a nod, before grabbing the toolbox and continuing on, her friend behind her.

“Well, then.” Reimu turned to see Kotohime smiling. “Like I thought.”

“What? I meant it. I’d rather fight Rika than Elis.”

“That’s how it starts, Reimu. You start as enemies, they become rivals, and soon enough you’re best friends!” 

“I’m not gonna be best friends with Rika! ” 

Kotohime continued to smile, shaking her head. Reimu clenched her fists, turning away as Genjii chortled. 

Ugh… Still, I suppose it’s better than her saying I’ll become friends with Marisa.

Reimu shook her head. Whatever, it didn’t matter. She’d still prefer Rika to win than have to deal with Elis. Rika and the other girl were speaking near the entrance, digging through a toolbox and pulling out gadgets. Elis was tapping her foot, while the Professor stood next to her, holding a whispered conversation with the green-haired woman. She’d finally reappeared, though her blonde companion was still missing. Where had she gone off to? The whole thing seemed suspicious to Reimu, but she couldn’t put a finger on it- especially since the Professor had quite literally done nothing wrong, what with not even being around for the last bit.

"Whole thing stinks, doesn't it, kid?" Reimu looked to her side to see Mima next to her, arms folded and staring into the arena. “Can’t quite say what it is, but it feels like it’s on the tip of my tongue.”

Reimu didn’t say anything, nor did Mima turn to face her. “Princess tell you that I called a truce, yet?” Reimu nodded. “Good. 'Cause regardless of how this competition ends, I think we can agree that by the end of it something stupid is going to happen with this Professor lady. Better to have the Hakurei Orb and its minder on my side than against me.”

“Why?” 

Mima turned as Reimu finally spoke. “Why what?” 

“Why are you like this? You’ve been nothing but a pain since you broke out! Even when you’re not trying to steal the Orb,  you’re sending your goons to harass me! Marisa’s tried to set me on fire several times!”

“I know I talked to her about that. Seems I’ll have to do so again.” Mima turned away, an odd tone in her voice. Concern, maybe? She didn't say anything else for a moment, staring into the arena. “Is it so hard to suppose that maybe I give a crap about this place? I keep my stuff here, after all.”

“What happened to your “non-specific revenge on humanity”?”

Mima shrugged and didn’t speak. After a few moments, Reimu sighed and turned to the arena. Just about in time, too, as Rika and Elis were both in the center of the arena, the crowd quieting down as the Professor raised her hand. “Match starts!”

Next to her, Reimu could sense Mima tensing. The rest of her minions had somehow appeared without Reimu’s notice, standing on the other side of the ghost. Marisa had her face pressed to the glass, mumbling something under her breath, while Rika’s look-alike- Reimu really needed to remember the girl’s name- had her hands together as if praying, staring nervously over it all. 

“Go!”

“Kill her, Rika!” Marisa slammed her hands down on the glass, as in the arena Rika leapt back, dropping several spheres onto the ground. Elis leapt back too, swinging her wand in a circle over her head as a spherical force field formed around her. Rika’s orbs popped open, forming into a dozen or so of her robots- mostly bat-winged eyeballs, as well as a trio of silver isopods and two plush toy ghosts with lolling tongues. Rika pointed forward, and her machines charged, blasting at Elis’s shield with lazers, energy bullets, and jolts of electricity.

“Tear her apart! End her!” Marisa screamed. Rika’s doppelganger grabbed her shoulder, whispering something Reimu couldn’t make out. Mima simply rolled her eyes. Reimu shook her head. At the very least, she supposed it was something she and Marisa agreed on, even if Marisa didn’t know her history with the vampire. And even if she didn’t exactly agree with Marisa’s tone.

Elis hunkered down, chanting and swinging her wand back and forth. Her shield shimmered as Rika’s machines fired, but didn’t break. Rika herself raised her hand, firing off bullets of her own from the guns shoved into her sleeves, but still, Elis’s shield held firm.  The vampire smirked, holding up her wand and drawing it in a large circle, leaving a trail of glowing sparkles. As she completed the circle, she hopped up, wrapping her wings around herself as the circle glowed, lines joining together the sparkles in a polygon, glowing brighter and brighter before with a flash, her shield dropped and the polygon exploded out in a wave of white light. It was similar to an attack Marisa used, but stronger. Rika ducked but two of her bots were smashed apart, one of the eyeball bats and a ghost. More energy bullets splashed off Elis's shield as Rika dashed and fired, her machines splitting off to surround the vampire. 

"A vampire, you said?" Reimu turned to Kotohime, who stood next to her, opposite Mima. "Interesting, that. She doesn't seem to be affected by the sun."

"Well, naturally, Princess ." Reimu could practically hear Mima's sneer. "Vampires are what we in the know call a "wastebin taxon". So many different things with some similar traits and no relation to each other, or even much consistency besides “eats blood.” And even that can vary, if it’s Human-exclusive or if they can eat other kinds. Weakness to the sun is hardly a guarantee for vampires.”

“I’m well aware, Ms. Geist-Hexe. I’ve met a vampire without the sun weakness, in fact. Though in my experience, those Vampires who lack it usually have another way of showing themselves. Purple skin, or they sparkle, and even among those with the weakness it can vary from immediate turning to ash, to simply being weaker and more vulnerable to fire.” Kotohime tapped her chin. “This one doesn’t seem to have anything obvious, though. No sparkles, nor does she look very unhappy about the sun. Interesting…”

"Would her being from Makai have anything to do with it?" Reimu shuddered as she thought back. The place had been in a perpetual twilight, between the dim white sun in a black sky, and the red sickly-sweet fog that covered everything. 

"Maybe? I can't say I've been there. Most of what I do know about Makai comes from rumors I've heard, or you." Kotohime turned to Reimu, frowning. 

"What about Makai?" Mima also turned to Reimu, an eyebrow quirked. "What's a kid like you knowing about that place?"

Reimu glared. "It's where I ended up after we fought for the first time, after you shoved me down a hole."

"Makai's not underground, kid. And I didn't shove anyone. You tripped." Mima shrugged. "Far as I know I haven't been there, either. Tried getting in with a spell once, doesn't seem to work. Need a dedicated gateway or something. Too bad really, I heard once there's some millennia-old monster hunter held prisoner there, I bet she'd be interesting to talk to."

Reimu decided not to mention the Gateway into Makai in the cave behind the shrine.

There was a crack as a glowing missile slammed into the wall, and Reimu’s attention was pulled back into the fight. Elis hovered in the air, chanting and waving her wand back and forth. Lights glowed around her, shifting into large missiles and streaking towards Rika. Rika dodged from side to side, her remaining robots firing and shooting them down. Rika drew a metal pole from her back, slamming it down into the ground as she ran. The moment it was in the ground, green slime oozed out of the top, while a trio of gun barrels popped out of the sides. Reimu had seen it before, being one of the weapons Rika had tested against her. The whole contraption began to spin, spraying out bullets in a wide circle, slamming into Elis’s barrier with enough force to knock her back. Elis shouted, and her missiles turned to fly at the contraption, but as each one hit the slime covering the pole, they flickered out of existence, making the slime glow briefly.

“You idiot! My slime turrets absorb energy bullets, you’re only making them stronger!” Rika howled with laughter, only to yelp and dive out of the way as Elis dropped her shield, ripped the turret out of the ground, and hurled it at Rika. Elis grimaced as she wiped green sludge from her hands, glowing brightly on her skin but going dull as soon as it was off her. 

“Magitrophic algae. Feeds on magic, it’s why magical pools and springs glow. Don’t know how she managed to make it that potent, though.” Mima shrugged as Reimu turned to her. “You might not expect it from a mad roboticist, but Rika has a fondness for plants. She bred some that clean up the exhaust from her tanks.”

“Huh…” I guess that explains the plants on the back of the Flower Tank, then. Reimu shrugged and turned back to the arena. Elis’s shield was back up, though she seemed a lot more focused than before. Rika pointed forward, and all her remaining robots fired, targeting a single point on Elis’s shield. Ellis crossed her arms, her wings folding around her, before exploding in a puff of purple smoke. Her shield shattered, spraying energy bullets all over. Rika cried out as she was hit by several, while most of her robots were destroyed. The smoke cleared, revealing Elis in bat form. Rika reached for her belt, backing up and dodging as Elis swooped down on her, barely avoiding the bat as she pulled a final pair of spheres out. She tossed them, but instead of popping open like the previous ones, these expanded, armor shifting to grow into large balls, each colored to resemble a black and white Yin-Yang.

Reimu's eyes went wide. And she wasn't the only one to notice, as around the arena murmurs spread through the crowd. Whispers, unintelligible except for one word- "Hakurei."

"Oh, please." Mima snorted. "The Hakurei Orb is red and white, Rika's are black and white. And also very clearly mechanical!" 

"It's been years since Izumi's death, and even then she was always somewhat private. People are running off of old rumors." Kotohime folded her arms, glaring over Reimu's head at Mima, who rolled her eyes.

"Why does Rika even have orbs? She's got all those other machines!"

Mima shrugged at Reimu's question. "Jealousy, probably. I've been letting Marisa practice with my set, and Meira can use yours if she's careful."

“I don’t want Meira using my Orb! Just because her stupid power lets her override it-”

Rika screamed and something slammed into the wall in front of Reimu- the shattered remains of one of Rika’s robots. Reimu yelped and jumped back, though she was hardly the only one. Kotohime and Genjii both jumped back as well, Marisa cried out Rika’s name, and for a moment Reimu thought she saw Meira’s hand drop down to her sword’s hilt. Mima looked surprised but didn’t move, beyond glancing down as Rika crashed into the wall as she dodged bullets. Rika’s orbs orbited her, metal armor having shifted to reveal a cannon and a set of mechanical arms on each one. One of the orbs flew down, arms grabbing onto the wall- the thing wasn’t just an orbiting weapon, it was a sentry turret, firing off dozens of bullets as Elis approached, a strange look on the vampire’s face. 

“Come on, engineer. You’ve got strength in you yet.” Reimu could hear Mima whispering, the ghost’s hand slipping into one of her sleeves. Rika grimaced, rubbing her forehead where she’d hit the wall while her orbs provided cover fire, pushing Elis back with rapid shots on her shield. They seemed to fire faster when attached to something, not needing to divert power to stay flying. One thing Reimu's Orb had the advantage on, but still, there was enough cover fire for Rika to shake her head, clearing it. Reimu risked another glance at Mima, and caught a glimpse of what looked like a plush toy in her hands, before she quickly stuck it back in her sleeve. 

Rika didn't say anything, as she and Elis glared at each other. Elis was being held back by the fire from Rika's orbs, but her shield showed no sign of breaking. Rika could not move forward- the moment her orbs detached, they would have to divert power from the cannons to stay afloat. They were at an impasse, barring something clever.

Rika whistled, and her last robots zipped over to her. She scooped up a silver isopod, lifting it up as the last eyeball bat flew in front of her. The isopod's whip-like antenna shot forward, crackling with electricity and touching the bat, charging it with power. Rika cackled. "Your shield is impressive, but don't think I haven’t noticed that I can still notice you through it! Visible spectrum light passes through, so with just a quick adjustment and a bit more power-"

Green light flickered across the field from the eyeball bat. Light scattered off dust in the air, but a green dot formed on Elis’s chest. It wasn’t a normal lazer, a beam of magical energy, but a true laser , with an “s”. Light in a coherent, concentrated ray. Elis stared at the dot for a second, before hissing in pain. She jumped back, but Rika pointed, the eyeball bat tracking its beam on the vampire. “Burn! Burn! Ah ha ha ha ha ha!!!! ”

Elis stepped backwards as Rika waved her hands. Her orbs detached from the wall, their fire slowing but supplemented by Rika's laser Elis couldn't approach, too busy trying to get away from the ray. She spread her wings, flapping desperately and kicking up motes of dust. Light sparkled as dust entered the beam and diffused it, and for a brief moment, Elis froze. With a burst of movement she dropped her shield, ducking down and slamming her wings into the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dirt. Reimu could hear the thud of energy bullets slamming into the vampire, but dust filled the arena, hiding the vampire from sight. Rika's laser was rendered useless by the cloud, nor could she see, unable to track Elis as the sound of bullets hitting flesh stopped. Rika whirled around, firing randomly, only to scream as Elis grabbed her from behind, slamming her into a wall. Elis flipped Rika around, grabbing her shoulder and forehead and exposing her neck.

Before Reimu could realize what she was doing, she was sprinting towards the arena entrance, shoving through the crowd with her staff. She reached out her hand, her cat jumping into it and shifting neatly into Orb form. Reimu stepped into the arena, one arm drawn back to throw-

"Match set! Winner, Elis!"

The Professor ran into the arena, arms waving. Elis paused, fangs nearly on Rika's throat. She looked up, then let go of the girl, brushing off her skirts. "Artificial stuff is better anyway," she muttered, before spreading her wings and hopping over the arena walls and away.

Reimu lowered her arm, only now realizing she wasn't the only one to have run in- she was flanked by Meira and Marisa, their own weapons out. Looking back, Mima, Genjii, and Kotohime had also followed, though they hadn't entered the arena. Rika's look-alike shoved past the three, sprinting into the arena to grab Rika in a tight hug.

Besides her, Meira slipped her sword back into its sheath. The tall girl gave Reimu a respectful nod before running over to Rika. Marisa stared at Reimu for a few moments, eyes burning with hatred before she turned and stalked back out of the arena. 

"Couldn't have given me anything more useful, Hakurei?" Reimu turned back as Rika approached, one arm around her doppelganger's shoulders. "Yeah, yeah, vampire . Could have at least told me which of the arbitrary weaknesses this one had." 

"Sorry."

Rika shrugged. Strangely, while she was clearly in a temper, it didn't seem directed at Reimu. "Damn vampires. They have no sense of consistency. Everything from creeps in castles to that nice guy on American television who teaches kids numbers. What?" Rika glared as Reimu gave her a questioning look. "I had to learn English somehow , you know how many weapons the Americans make? A girl needs her dakka!" Reimu blinked, then shook her head. Rika gritted her teeth, wiping at her face. “And I don’t know what it was, but she also smelled . Some weird sickly-sweet stuff.”

“ The Miasma… Reimu shuttered a bit, remembering the smell.

The group headed back out of the arena. Mima immediately grabbed Rika and started looking her over while having a quiet conversation with the other girls, while Kotohime took Reimu’s shoulder and gently took her to the side. “So, what was that about not caring about Rika?”

Reimu glowered even as a smirk crossed Kotohime’s face. “I didn’t want her to die, that’s all.”

“M-hm. That’s how it starts, kid.” 

"Well, that last match was, ermm… tense!" Reimu turned as The Professor began to speak. "But that's it for round two! I'm sorry I missed some of it, but one of my assistants got a bit sick and I had to make sure she was okay!"

“The assistant who was actually here for the beginning of the round when you weren’t?” Kotohime mumbled from next to Reimu. “Or is there a fourth of you?”

“In any case, we’ll be taking another break while our combatants recover, but I can promise you that I won’t miss anything!” The Professor lifted her hand into the air and unleashed a handful of glowing energy bullets, each of them launching into the air and exploding like fireworks. The woman yelped, yanking her hand back, though most of the crowd didn’t seem to notice, cheering for the display of bullets. Reimu, however, narrowed her eyes. “What’s that on her wrist?” 

“Hm?” said Kotohime.

Reimu pointed. “She didn’t have that before. It looks like a piece of armor?”

“A vambrace, I think that’s the term.” Indeed, the Professor had a metal device strapped to her wrist, a slight red glow coming from it. The Professor tapped the device, and unleashed another burst of bullets. She smiled, though after a moment she grabbed her wrist, apparently in pain. 

“Odd…” Kotohime frowned, then shook her head. “Such a strange woman.”

Reimu nodded. She glanced around, catching sight of Elis sitting on a roof with the other vampire. Rika was probably right about them being girlfriends, given how the two were cuddling. Reimu narrowed her eyes and bit her lip. Why was she here? If Elis had come after Reimu, why had she gotten involved in this competition? At the very least, it seemed that Reimu’s disguise had so far worked, since Elis hadn’t tried to get her. 

Kotohime placed a hand on Reimu’s shoulder. “What do you think, Reimu?”

Reimu looked up at her, then back at Elis. “I think that whatever is going on, I’m more worried about Elis than the Professor.”

Kotohime nodded. “We’ll keep an eye on all of them, then. Elis, the Professor, and Mima.”

Mima’s conversation seemed to be wrapping up, with Rika’s doppelganger patting Rika on the shoulder and running off into the crowd. Mima looked up, catching sight of Reimu and smirking. Reimu stared at her for a few seconds, before turning back to Kotohime. “Can we practice making shields again?”

“Of course.”

Rikako winced as she jumped to the side, boosted by her rocket pack to just barely avoid the pit trap that opened beneath her feet. Her arm was feeling better, though the jolt still hurt a bit. She hoped she wasn’t causing permanent harm- she knew that on Humans at least, improper treatment could cause things to heal incorrectly. She wasn’t human of course, but she knew that in general the magic that composed her body would act as close to a Human’s as possible. She’d still needed medication and spells to reshape her body to more accurately represent herself a few years ago. She wasn’t a shapechanging Kitsune or Tanuki, after all. 

The good news was she was on the right track. She'd spotted a few places where traps had gone off or been deactivated- a pit with camouflaged foliage at the bottom of it, a handful of bamboo explosives with a cut ripcord, in one spot several stalks of bamboo sliced clean through, revealing a smelly ooze that would have presumably sprayed out of holes bored in the plant. What is with all the traps, anyway? Tewi Inaba was said to be a rather powerful person, but as far as Rikako could tell, most of her traps were mundane in execution, and were more about punishing people who entered her territory than actually keeping them out , like a wall, fence, or guards would. Unless of course she was so powerful that she could mask spells from Rikako’s mage sight, but if that were the case, surely she would have already been effected by such a spell? Found herself cursed to vomit her guts out, or magically transformed into a deer or something. 

I'm not going to question it. Evidence suggests that I'm clear for now, given the traps I've already encountered and seen deactivated. Rikako noted another cable to the side of her- this one attached to a noose and a bent bamboo stalk. She checked her compass, noting she'd gone a bit too far to the side dodging the pit. How much further though? She was already far deeper into Tewi Inaba 's territory than she'd like. Nothing but green stalks, left, right-

Rikako paused as she spotted something that wasn't yet more bamboo. Stone? She pushed forward, revealing a stone pillar taller than she was, weathered with age. Bamboo had been cleared to the sides of it, making corridors through which Rikako could see more pillars. "Ruins?" She asked herself. Ruins weren't terribly uncommon in Gensokyo, she'd once come across an abandoned village full of cats once, only to be chased off by a Bakeneko child when she tried to pet one of the cats. "Ruins in the bamboo forest, though…" Ruins were often repurposed as homes for Youkai. Had she come across Tewi Inaba's base?

Something made a beeping noise, and Rikako whirled around. There, on the pillar- a metal box with a few glowing lights had been attached to one side, about the size of the reagent box she used for her silencing spell back home. Rikako stared at it, reaching out her hand. A few English glyphs had been printed on the device.

PSHV-1E

Rikako frowned, trying to interpret the letters. Next to them was a simple sketch of a plant she only recognized from her textbook- a cactus. Rikako reached for her textbook, only to remember she left it with Chiyuri, not wanting to separate the Tsukumogami from her origin object. Rikako sighed, feeling almost naked without the book by her side, then turned to the device again. A cable ran up from it to the top of the pillar, then shot out in three directions in a T-shape towards other pillars.

"No, not quite a T…" Rikako took off her glasses and cleaned them on her coat, then stared up at the thin wires. "They aren't going in a line, but seem to be at an angle? With the one in the middle exactly bisecting." Rikako stared in thought for a moment, then sprinted through the corridor towards one of the pillars on the angle. She reached it, and looking overhead she saw that the wires connected to this pillar were in the same configuration, this one's box marked 

PSHV-1D

"Hypothesis- if I were to continue this way, I would encounter a pillar marked 'PSHV-1C', with wires similarly attached. Experiment, go check." Rikako did so again, and just as she predicted, the pillar was marked as such. Wires all at the same angle, and now that she had seen three of them, Rikako could tell that the middle wires of each pillar were all pointing to the same place. Like spokes on a wheel, the pillars making up the rim. Rikako turned and headed down one of the spokes towards its pillar. Knowing to look for wires now, she could see that this one had four attached- two towards pillars presumably making a circle of their own, one out, and one in. Rikako followed the inward pointing wire, and after a few seconds, stepped into a clearing, her eyes going wide and jaw dropping.

Wires crossed overhead from all directions, connecting to a metal scaffold at the center of the clearing. Next to it was a massive wheeled vehicle, bigger than the horse or amikiri-drawn carts Rikako was used to. Wheels made of what looked like black rubber, a sleek and streamlined silver exterior, marked with black glass windows. She'd seen something like it in her textbook. 

"A truck ?" Definitely Outsiders then, trucks were reliant on burning refined oils in quantities too large to be practical in Gensokyo. But that was far too much technology, surely? Most of the time when an Outsider fell through it was with little more than the clothes on their back. And on the truck’s side was more English- 

Probability Space Hypervessel 1.

Rikako stared at it a moment, going over her limited English in an effort to figure out what it meant. As she did so, however, she heard something from within the truck- voices? She ran over, ducking underneath one of the windows.

"Proximity alarm just went off, Professor."

"Ah? Anything on the cameras?"

"No, but we could have missed it. Maybe we should stay off the Ruukoto-Cam while we're here? She's recording everything anyway."

"No, best not. You saw how smug she was when she told us she got to shoot someone. I don't know if I trust her to run the fights without one of us watching."

Rikako's shoulder throbbed. "Why'd you pull me out then? I was fine."

"Chiyuri, the person Ruukoto shot fell off a roof and came out to keep fighting, and with her is a doppelganger of you. You take one look at her and immediately feel sick. And the person Ruukoto shot also tries to confront you? Doesn't that seem suspicious and dangerous?"

"I mean, I suppose…"

"Don't worry, I may not trust Ruukoto much but she's on our side. And besides, I'm back in the village again, I'll keep an eye on her."

Wait, what?

Rikako risked poking her head up, narrowing her eyes to try and peer through the dark windows. She could make out the shape of a teenager with light pigtails- Chiyuri, the other Chiyuri. But no one else. She seemed to be talking to a device of some kind, though Rikako couldn’t make it out through the window. There were spells for such things of course, but switching to her Mage Sight revealed nothing.

“Professor, the proximity alarm just went off again.”

Rikako ducked back down, covering her mouth. After a few seconds, she heard the Professor. “Probably just an animal. Worse comes to worse, just lock the door. Should be enough to stop most things.”

“I’m not so sure about that, Professor. You saw some of those fights.”

“I’m seeing them now. I have to hang up, okay? Be careful! And if you’re bored, there’s some tools needing recalibration.” 

A brief tone played, presumably indicating the end of the communication. Rikako waited for several seconds, before risking another peek into the window. But Chiyuri wasn’t there anymore. Rikako frowned. The truck didn’t seem that large- big enough for someone to walk around in, but surely she’d be able to see the teenager’s silhouette? The room seemed brighter, one of the far windows letting in more light- was it open?

Whack!

Rikako crumpled to the ground in pain, stars flashing in her eyes as something hit her in the back of the head. She rolled over, catching sight of the other Chiyuri- all identical to hers, save for blue trim on her clothes where Rikako’s Chiyuri had red. The teenager was holding a folded metal chair, and before Rikako could cry out, she brought it down on Rikako’s face.

Chapter Text

"Well, that could have gone better."

"Oh, I don't know." Ellen smiled at Sekibanki. "Ms. Geist-Hexe and I are going on a date in a few days, and we're gonna be talking about her maybe investing!"

"...Did you just say a date ?!?"

As Sekibanki and Ellen started arguing, Kana wandered away, towards an alley. She considered turning invisible and floating away again, but she'd tried to during Ellen's fight, only for Sekibanki to grab her wrist and glare at her. Kana didn't think Sekibanki could see her when she was invisible, so she must have been able to figure out her intent from her face or something. In any case, she'd been spooked off of trying to run off again, at least for now.

Not like she had anywhere to go, anyway.

"I think it's all gonna work out, Seki. Maybe I should find Ms. Kamishirasawa, see if we can get the paperwork going?"

"You don't even have the money yet! Just one creepy ghost who might give you money, if she doesn't go threatening to dump marinara sauce on you!"

"Oh, she already did that, don't worry!"

Sekibanki sputtered, and for a moment Kana considered leaving again. She had nowhere to go, sure, but she had nothing to do with these two. Better to leave them be, then get them caught up in her troubles-

"Kana!"

Kana paused as Ellen appeared in front of her. “As long as we’re all done, we can focus fully on fixing your problem!" Ellen grabbed Kana's hands, grinning. “I was thinking, you see- If we find one of the Prismrivers, maybe we can ask about changing things so you’re bound to something you can carry instead of a house? They might know. Oh, and we should talk to a Zashiki-warashi, I think they’ve got a union, they might be able to help you with legalities, and Seki used to go out with one anyway! What was her name?”

“I don’t know, it was Kagerou who went out with her.” 

“Huh? Are you sure?”

Kana glanced to the side as Ellen and Sekibanki started arguing. She tried to work her hands free, but Ellen kept tight hold of her. It wasn’t that Kana didn’t appreciate the offer to help, but she was starting to get more and more worried- She’d been gone for nearly the entire day now, with no sign of having any way to avoid being annihilated, either being freed from Lord Anaberal’s control or being snuck back into the house with a sufficiently good apology to prevent him from killing her. Assuming she didn’t fall apart from being away from the house too long, anyway.

“Hey Kana? You there?”
Ellen tapped Kana’s nose. Kana flinched back, and Ellen smiled. “Let's talk a bit. You're bonded to Anaberal Manor, right? Do you suppose it's just a part of it? Maybe if you took a shingle or something?"

"I… don't know if that works." Kana rubbed the back of her head, then lowered it, sighing. “I’m not sure anything will, really. Maybe I should just go back and beg. Maybe he won’t annihilate me if I promise to work hard?”

“Definitely not. He’ll annihilate you on sight if he can.” 

“Seki!” Ellen whirled on Sekibanki, hands on hips and glaring, while Sokrates popped out of her hair and hissed. “That is not conducive to poor Kana’s mental health!”

“Just saying.” Sekibanki shrugged. “Best thing for her is to free her by any means necessary, if that’s what we’re doing. Maybe if we burn the manor down.” 

“What if it kills Kana? And what about everyone inside?”

“Lord Anaberal can burn. As for Kana, we can test it on Merlin Prismriver first. Cast her trumpet and her stupid face into the fires of Mount Doom.”

“Seki!”

“Or failing that, Kogasa’s furnace.” 

“ Seki!”  

Sekibanki turned away, but as she did, Kana thought she could glimpse the woman winking at her from behind her capelet. Ellen huffed and folded her arms. “Please take this seriously!"

"I am taking this seriously, El. I…" Sekibanki's eyes went wide, and Kana heard a muffled curse from behind her capelet. Kana and Ellen turned, and Kana's heart sank.

“ There you are, Kana.” Lord Anaberal stood before them, arms crossed. Kana gulped and took a step back, behind Sekibanki, who herself had stepped behind Ellen. Ellen hadn't backed up, standing to her full (short) height with her hands on her hips and glaring into the man's eyes. "Lord Anaberal."

“Ms. Ellen.” The man glared down at Ellen. “I believe you have something that belongs to me.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I think I did leave my notebook at your manor, though. Kana was kind enough to bring it to me.”

“Over the course of several hours, it seems?” Lord Anaberal sniffed. "Come along, Kana. We're heading home." 

"Yes, sir." 

Kana stepped forward, but Ellen shot her hand out, grabbing Kana’s arm. “You understand, Lord Anaberal, that there are laws regarding Youkai who transcended in this village. Regarding their personhood, their self-ownership-”

“I am well aware, Ms. Ellen. ‘In the case of unintentional formation of Tsukumogami, the Youkai is to be considered either a member of the family of the original item’s owner, or, will be permitted to leave with the item in question.’ I believe that’s what they say about such things.” Lord Anaberal gave a cold smile. “You may notice that the law is specifically for Tsukumogami . There is no presumption for Poltergeists.”

“Any rational judge would recognize the similarity of the case and demand Kana be treated under the same ruling!” 

“Indeed? Are you so certain about that, Ms. Ellen? Especially when the claim would be brought up by a Youkai who regularly associates with unregistered Youkai, aiding and abetting their sneaking into the village?”

Ellen froze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I do my best to follow the rules, of course.”

“And your friend? The Rokurokubi?”

"I'm Human !" Sekibanki squeaked, though as Lord Anaberal turned on her she backed up, behind Ellen. Even Sokrates seemed to be cringing a bit, though Ellen stood resolute. 

“There are rules , Lord Anaberal. And there is a distinct difference between someone coming in without a pass with no intention of causing harm, and threatening execution on someone you’ve enslaved .”

“Aren’t you the little idealist, Ms. Ellen.” Lord Anaberal’s eyes were cold, even as he grabbed Kana’s arm. “You’d best lose that, if you really want to succeed in business. Only the powerful and cutthroat succeed, things your Grassroots Network is anything but.”  

Before Ellen could say anything else, Lord Anaberal dragged Kana away, down the road. Ellen called out to her, but Kana closed  her eyes, focusing on keeping up with Lord Anaberal. The man spat as he walked. “Foolish. But hardly unexpected. Youkai don’t think like Humans, not properly.”

Not like Humans, or not like you ?” Kana’s throat tightened slightly as Lord Anaberal guided her to a nearby coach, gesturing for her to step inside before following after her. The man glared as Kana sat down, brushing off her skirts and doing her best to be presentable and submissive. Her only hope for survival was begging Lord Anaberal’s forgiveness, and Kana feared that Ellen’s defiance had made things that much more difficult. She took off her hat, holding it against her chest as the coach began to move. “I’m sor-”

“How did you leave? You shouldn’t be able to.”

“I don’t know, sir. I tried to follow Ellen to return her notebook, and I just…”

“You just, what?”

“Fell through? I tried to get back in, sir. I really did.”

Lord Anaberal stared at Kana for several seconds of agonizing quiet. “Give me that hat.” Kana hesitated briefly, before handing it over with shaking hands. Lord Anaberal turned it over, examining it. “Ellen bought this for you, I assume. Or did you steal more than just my time, today?”

“No, sir. Ms. Ellen bought it for me.”

For a moment it looked like Lord Anaberal would tear the large sunhat in half, but he sighed, setting it down. "You should have just thrown the notebook out. Her efforts are doomed to fail anyway- her spells and toys may be appreciated when sold one at a time, but a full shop run by a Youkai will eventually bring down ire. Human magicians who feel put out by her presence, fear that she could use her position to poison and disrupt the village itself. It would have been for her own good her dream was shattered early, assuming she wasn't making things up about being as far along as she claimed. And assuming she was as benevolent as she claimed, of course."

Kana didn't respond, staying quiet as Lord Anaberal set the hat to the side. Eventually, nearly hugging her knees and not meeting the man’s eyes, Kana spoke. “What are you going to do with me?”

“I haven’t decided yet. Even if you are telling the truth that you were unable to get back into the manor after returning the book to Ellen, you showed extremely poor judgment in going after her, bordering on attempted insurrection.” Lord Anaberal stared down at Kana, eyes cold. “Give me a reason I shouldn’t have you annihilated, as I should have done already.”

“S-sir!” Kana flinched back. “I-it was an accident! I really tried to get back, I swear!”

“You didn’t try to alert me. Instead you ran off and played with other Youkai. You could have waited for one of the other servants to come out and ask them for help, to tell me. You ran away. How can I trust you won’t again?”

Kana closed her eyes, pulling in as Lord Anaberal berated her. “Why? Why are you like this? Wh-” She was suddenly choked as her curse activated, harder than ever. She opened her eyes, hands on her throat, to see Lord Anaberal holding a paper talisman. A mere touch of the  control talisman let him punish her, when the curse didn’t activate automatically. A part of her wanted to reach out with her telekinesis and snatch it away, but she couldn’t think straight, not while in all this pain.

Slowly, too slowly, Lord Anaberal released the talisman, slipping it into a pocket as Kana gasped for air, rubbing at her throat. “You are a poltergeist, Kana. Do you know what that means?”

Kana tried to sit up, having fallen over during her punishment. “It’s… It’s a kind of spirit. Born from what could be. That’s what Ms. Ellen said…”

“She’s not wrong. Where a normal ghost is an echo of a person, of sorts, a Poltergeist is an echo of what could have been-  what should have been.” For a moment, Lord Anaberal’s cold eyes seemed to warm up, as he reached out and brushed Kana’s blonde hair. “I have two children. A son who will carry on my legacy and my business, a daughter who will marry well, and even without my family name will carry my legacy as well. But for a brief time, I had three children.”

Kana froze, as Lord Anaberal continued to brush her hair. “A third child, a girl, who would grow up to take care of me and my wife as we grew old. While the others would leave to spread our family’s influence, she would stay home, run the manor. Had she not been born with her cord wrapped around her neck, strangling herself as she left the womb. The doctors did everything they could to save her, but it was not enough. In the end, she lived only long enough for us to give her a name.” 

Lord Anaberal pulled his hand away, snarling. “Her name was Kana. ”

Kana’s mouth dropped. “I… I’m your d-”

“You are not my daughter! You’re nothing but an interloping Youkai! Found in the attic, claiming to be my precious girl but a full adult? Nothing but a liar. I should have annihilated you when I had the chance!” Lord Anaberal hissed, as outside the coach came to a stop. He grabbed Kana by the arm, leading her out of the vehicle. They had come to the side of the manor, just outside the property boundary. As Lord Anaberal pulled Kana, she initially was stopped on the boundary, slamming into the invisible wall, but a few hard tugs, and just like before, Kana was slowly pulled through, landing on her knees inside. She immediately turned, pressing her hands against the invisible wall, but once again trapped on the manor grounds. 

Trapped, and doomed.

“I suggest you make peace with yourself.” Lord Anaberal walked towards the house, back to her. “Within the hour, you will no longer exist.”

“I-if you hate me so much, why didn’t you kill me then…?” Kana whispered, but Lord Anaberal was gone, leaving only the thud of a closing door. Kana knelt for several minutes, hands and forehead pressing against the invisible wall surrounding the manor. 

Presently she sensed someone coming up behind her. Kana flinched as a hand pressed down on her shoulder- Was it time to die? Kana slowly turned as the hand jerked away, but Lord Anaberal wasn't there- it was the Manor's cook. The woman stared at Kana, concern in her face, not speaking. Kana leapt forward, grabbing the woman in an embrace and crying, "I don't want to die. I don't want to die…"

The woman stiffened at first, then slowly wrapped her arms around Kana. “I know. And you shouldn’t have to.” She let go, eyes meeting Kana’s- a dark crimson, nearly black. “I think it’s time I made my move, huh?”

Kana frowned, as the cook stepped back and gave her a smirk. “What are you talking about?”

“I’ve been watching Lord Anaberal for a while. Got a job working for him, biding my time until the right moment. Or until I could think of the right prank.” The woman slid her sleeves up her arms, revealing a tattoo of a snake coiled around one wrist, and three red sickles and three blue arrows on the other. “I knew the guy was a jerk, after all. And if it turns out the time is now, and the prank saves someone’s life, well, that’s a bonus.” The woman turned, gesturing for Kana to follow her inside the house. “We still have time, so come on. Might as well get you a snack first, right?”

“Who are you?”

The woman grinned. “I have many names. You, though, can call me The Nue.”

Chapter Text

Narumi concentrated and summoned an energy bullet, pushing a slight bit of her power into it as she did so. She released the bullet, and rather than flying off, it started to flit around her head, almost like an insect looking for a place to land. Narumi smiled, raising her hand for it to land. 

“You know, it’s funny,” Rika was somewhere behind Narumi, both of them in an alley being guarded by Meira once again. “We really are a lot a like, when you think about it.”

“I mean, we look enough alike that you were able to pretend to be me for a while. Even trade outfits.”

Rika grunted as she struggled to get out of Narumi’s dress. With Rika out of the competition, there was no longer a need to keep up the charade, and the engineer had no intent in staying in the dress any longer than she needed to. “Which reminds me, buy some friggin’ pants. Seriously, what is wrong with everyone here? Some higher authority decided that everyone in Genoskyo has to dress all cutesy-girly?” 

“Cutesy-girly?” 

“Narumi’s not cutesy-girly, Rika.” Meira called back from the entrance of the alley. “Marisa’s a bit maybe, but not Narumi.”

“Feh, she should at least have pockets.” Something hit the back of Narumi’s head- her dress. “Hurry up and switch.” 

Narumi nodded, desummoning her energy bullet and reabsorbing the energy she’d put into it. “Anyway, you were saying that we’re alike?”

“Yeah. Not just the hair and face though, ya know?” Narumi quickly undressed and slipped into her normal outfit, tossing Rika’s trousers and shirt behind her. “I mean, sure, you’re a Youkai, I’m Human. But we kinda do the same thing, if you think about it.”

“What do you mean?”

“That power you started developing. Putting magic into bullets, almost making them kinda alive.” Narumi finished dressing, turning to Rika as she did up her buttons and adjusted her shawl. Rika was finishing up as well, aided by a mechanical bat-winged eyeball. Rika nodded to the robot. “I put my heart and soul into making these things. Might not be the same sort of magic, but it’s also kinda giving them life.”

“Huh…” Narumi nodded. “I think… I think that makes sense.” She raised an arm, summoning another energy bullet and filling it with her power, directing it to float over to Rika. Rika, likewise, pointed forward, and her eyeball bat fluttered over to land on Narumi’s shoulder. 

Rika paused for a moment, then took off the one remaining part of Narumi’s outfit she still wore- the hat. She gritted her teeth and looked away, still apparently a bit uncomfortable with trading hats, even as Narumi took off Rika’s. Narumi examined the hat, red knit with white feathers. “Kappa exchange hats when they marry?”

“Sometimes.”

“What about Kappa siblings? Do they ever share?"

Rika paused, turning towards Narumi. “I mean, most of the time they wouldn’t- hats are important. But I think it’s allowed.” 

"Close enough then." Narumi nodded, and offered Rika her hat back. Rika took it, handing Narumi hers. 

The day had been weird, to say the least. Narumi still wasn’t sure all of what had happened, or how she felt about it all. But strangely, she couldn’t say she felt bad about anything. Mima and her group were weird- Mima was scary, Rika and Marisa clearly had anger issues, and Meira was… Well, Narumi wasn’t sure. But it hadn’t been the worst day ever in any regard. She’d learned she had a magical gift, and how to throw energy bullets. Not bad for a day, right?

“Still kinda mad about that damn vampire…” Rika stepped up next to Narumi, fully dressed now her hat was on. “I should have started with the laser. She probably had some kind of sunscreen or something to protect from the sun, ablate that enough and she catches fire without me doing anything.”

“I think you did well. I mean, you’re a normal Human, right?”

“Coulda done better,” Rika shrugged. “Next time, I’ll come with more goodies. Maybe an automatic stake cannon. Everything is vulnerable to having their cardiac tissue turned to mush by a supersonic splintery spear.” 

“If you say so.”

"I do say so! Meira knows, right? Everything dies if you hit it hard enough. That's her literal job!" Meira rolled her eyes while Rika cackled and ran out of the alley, Narumi chasing after. 

Mima had taken over a table at a nearby cafe, much as Hakurei and the people with her had. The owner seemed a bit torn on it, from what Narumi had spied of them- on the one hand, Mima had purchased tea and several treats and was gleefully distributing them, but on the other, she was monopolizing a table that could have held other patrons, and while she was currently pretending to be a live human, she was still… well, Mima Geist-Hexe. A few tables near her were empty, despite the amount of people in the square, and those that were occupied had been carefully pushed a foot or so away from her. Mima looked up and grinned as Narumi and Rika approached. “So, how was the experiment? Enjoy pretending to be each other?”

“What it was was stupid. Shouldn’t have needed to do it in the first place.” Rika growled as she sat down, grabbing a cup and pouring herself some tea. Mima was also holding a cup, though she didn’t appear to have drunk any, simply wrapping her hands around the warm ceramic. 

“What about you, Narumi? Did you learn anything from this?”

“She learned that she needs pants .” Mima shot Rika a look at the outburst, before turning back to Narumi. 

Narumi thought for a moment, then shook her head. “I didn’t really do anything.”

“Well, yes, and no. No, you didn’t go in and fight, but I would hardly expect you too with your level of experience- or rather, lack thereof.” Mima paused, before setting her cup to the side. “It’s alright, I think. Your job here wasn’t to be a fighter. And perhaps that’s the lesson here? That your value as a person isn’t dependent on doing what people seem to think needs be.”

“I… what?” Narumi frowned, tilting her head. 

Mima stared at her for a second, before shrugging. “I dunno. Only the first day in the family, I can’t be expected to have a full lesson plan already. But hey, goes to show. Even a brilliant and powerful magician ain’t perfect either.”

Narumi stared as Mima took her cup of tea again, holding it close to her face, but still not drinking. I am so confused…   She supposed at least, confusion was better than whatever she’d been fearing that morning, when Mima had dragged her into the castle, then off to the Human Village. “What next, then?”

“You tell me.” Mima stared down at her tea. “Hmm… think it’s worth it to try and keep a physical stomach in order to enjoy this tea properly? I’ll probably be going fully intangible next fight, and the tea won’t be joining me when I do.”

“Don’t you have pockets and weapons? They seem to join you.” 

Narumi blushed a bit as she spoke up, but Mima just grinned. “Technically, I’m shunting everything off into a pocket dimension that just so happens to have accessible gates that align with where my pockets and such are. Which took a while to set up, let me tell you.” She paused, thinking. “I suppose I could always have a drink, and then find somewhere private to, ahem, empty myself before the fight… but that just feels like a waste.”

“And just holding it isn’t?”

“Nah, I usually give the tea to Meira when I’m done. She doesn’t care for it hot.” Mima smiled, looking past as the samurai girl in question approached and took a seat next to Narumi. “What about you, Meira? Learn anything today?”

Meira shook her head, not speaking. Mima put the cup of tea down in front of the girl, who took it, giving a small nod of appreciation. “For what it’s worth, Meira, you fought well. Regardless of… that. ” 

“What happened to her?” Narumi’s eyes flickered over to Meira- so calm, eyes their normal reddish-brown. Not like she’d been in the arena, glowing blood red as she’d been pinned against the wall, growling like an animal. 

Meira closed her eyes as Narumi spoke, seeming to shake a bit. Mima reached out a hand to the girl’s shoulder. “None of your business, Narumi. Not unless Meira offers to tell you. Understand?”

Narumi nodded. “I’m sorry.” 

Beside her, Meira shivered, before letting out a sigh. Mima rubbed the girl’s shoulder. “It’s fine. It’s simply not my story to tell, okay?” After a few moments, Meira’s eyes opened, and Mima let go, turning back to Narumi and smiling. “And what about Marisa? Can’t help but notice that your partner for the field trip isn’t with you.”

Narumi blushed a bit. “She ran off after the last round. I tried to follow her, but Rika wanted to switch back our outfits and said she’d be okay.” 

“I see.” Mima nodded. “Fair enough, Rika did just have a bit of a harrowing experience.”

“I could have still killed her.” Rika folded her arms, pouting.

“All that said, Marisa was your partner. Still is, in fact. So, how about you go find her?” Mima stood, pulling a metal box out from somewhere and scooping a few treats into it. “She seemed pretty upset earlier, after her fight. I’d hoped that some time would help- indeed, it seemed to, but now, well…”

Mima set the box in front of Narumi, who stared at it. “How am I going to find her?”

“She showed you around the village, right?”

“I mean, yes, but it was just once…”

Mima tilted her head, but before she could speak, Meira stood up. “I’ll go with her.”

“Very kind of you, Meira! I suppose it’s for the best, I haven’t made a doll for Narumi yet.”

“Doll?” But Mima didn’t respond, and Narumi was forced to get up and walk as Meira gently took her arm, leading her away. 

Meira led Narumi around the sealed-off square, eyes forward and not speaking. Narumi walked a few steps behind her, glancing from side to side, looking for blonde hair and violet robes. Meira cut a path through the crowd, being taller than nearly everyone else, some by an entire head. 

"Do you have any idea where she might be?" Narumi asked. 

"Partially," Meira didn't turn around as she spoke. "I fought a friend of hers in the first round. I figure he's as good a guess as any."

Meira led Narumi on, towards yet another cafe- just how many were there around the square? At it was a man with short gray hair, giving a worried expression as a woman with lavender hair checked over a blonde teen. Marisa? No, it looked like the Professor's assistant. Meira made her way up to the man though, tapping him on the shoulder. "Excuse me."

"Hm? Ah." The man turned and adjusted his glasses. "I assume you're looking for Marisa?"

"Yes."

"She stopped by a few minutes ago, I think she's talking to Shameimaru now." The man pointed. "I don't suppose you've seen our friend?"

"What do they look like? Narumi stepped forward a bit.

"Tall, long purple hair, er…" the man trailed off as he adjusted his glasses again, staring at Meira who was also tall with long purple hair. "Not you, of course. She has glasses and a white longcoat."

"Oh, the one who fought Ms. Hakur-"

"Yes, the one who fought Ms. Hino ." Meira slipped a hand over Narumi's mouth, while the man gave them a quizzical expression. "Thank you, Mr. Morichika. If we see her, we will send her your way."  Meria steered Narumi away, removing her hand after a few steps.

“What?”

“Reimu’s pretending to be someone else. I don’t know why, But it’s her business, and I’m not going to question it.” Meira didn’t turn to look at Narumi as she spoke. “Everyone has their secrets. And if someone wants to keep it secret- like Reimu with her identity- that’s up to them.” 

“Alright… I’m sorry for bothering you then.” 

“It’s fine. Your worries are understandable. Just… not something I like to talk about.” Meira slowed, and as Narumi caught up she thought she could spot tears in the girl’s eyes. “There’s Marisa. Let’s go.” 

Narumi looked, and indeed, there was Marisa, trying to get the attention of a Tengu woman with short black hair. "Hey! Interview me! I was in an earlier fight!"

“Oh-ho?” The Tengu woman turned to Marisa. “Do tell! What’s your name?”

“Reimu Hakurei!”

Meira sighed, grabbing Narumi’s hand. “Come on. Before she does something even more stupid.”

The Tengu woman pulled out a notebook and was scribbling things down as. “Reimu Hakurei, really? May I ask what you’re doing back in Gensokyo? Rumors have been that you were taken out of Gensokyo to be taught magic in the West. Is that true? Have you finished your training?”

“Well, I had been sent Outside to learn magic, but it turns out that I’m really, really, stupid. Too stupid for schooling! And I’m not even good at magic, I just have that stupid kickball that gets pissy when someone else touches it.”

“I see…” The Tengu scribbled something down. “So, why are you here at this competition? What do you think of everything?”

“I’m here because I, Reimu Hakurei, am too stupid to know I’m incompetent. It’s really a wonder I know how to breathe!” 

“Indeed it is, Marisa Kirisame!” The Tengu grinned as she scribbled something down. “Now, on a scale of 1 to 14, how stupid would you say-”

Meira grabbed the Tengu woman by the arm. “Her name is Marisa Geist-Hexe .” 

"G-Geist-Hexe?" The Tengu's wings fluttered, her eyes growing wide as Meira stepped between her and Marisa.

"You're familiar with Lady Mima, then. And how little she appreciates messing with her family."

"Y-yes! Just an honest mistake! I'm nothing if not accurate and authentic!"

"I certainly hope so." Meira let go of the woman, eyes cold and unemotional. "Please don't harass us. Let's go, Marisa."

Marisa glared, first at the Tengu, than at Meira. Narumi paused, then grabbed Marisa’s hand. The witchlet didn’t resist as Narumi gently led her away. Behind them, Meira released the Tengu, who leapt into the air and flew off. 

“Load of crap…” Marisa growled under her breath. 

“Hm?”

“Not you, Narumi.” Marisa reached into a pocket, drawing out a wooden octagonal box and rubbing the top of it. “How’d she know my name? She better not tell anyone… ‘specially not dad…”

“If she does, I’ll end her.” 

Meira kept her eyes forward, voice cold and calm. Narumi stared at her for a moment, not entirely sure what to think, torn between Meira's clear care for Marisa and how casually she threatened violence. After a moment, she turned back to Marisa. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah… I wanted to talk to Kourin, and he said he had something for me. Said it wasn't done yet, but I thought maybe I should give it a try to see?" Marisa held up the octagonal box. "So I borrowed it out of his pocket.*

"Borrowed… Marisa, did you steal it!?"

"Can't steal what's mine . This way, I can help him figure out what's not done yet and it will be better. Besides, he used it during his fight when he got creamed by Meira. It's good enough." 

Meira sighed. "Marisa, you're not even in the competition anymore. Why do you need it?"

Marisa stopped, turning on the two. "Is Reimu Hakurei dead ?" Narumi blinked as Marisa's eyes sparked with magic. "Have her heart and soul been broken, her staff snapped in two, the Orb shattered into a billion pieces?" Narumi and Meira stared at Marisa, who glared at them for several seconds before turning away. “Until she’s gone, it’s not over.” 

Meira reached out a hand towards the witchlet. “Marisa, you know what Lady Mima said-”

“Don’t you try and talk at me about it. Not when you friggin’ blow up if people say the wrong words and crap around you! You’ve got no place to stand!” Meira flinched as Marisa whirled on her, taking a step back behind Narumi. Marisa hissed, before turning back around and storming off towards Mima and Rika.

Narumi looked back at Meira. The samurai was shaking a bit, eyes closed. “It’s not the same, Marisa…” she said, barely audible. Narumi reached a hand out, and Meira gratefully took it. 

“Are you alright, Meira?”

Meira closed her eyes for a moment, before letting out a sigh. “No different than I normally am.” She let go of Narumi’s hand, reaching down and squeezing the hilt of her sword. "Let's just go. We found her, now she's Lady Mima's problem."

Narumi nodded, unconvinced, as Meira followed after Marisa. It would be a few minutes before Narumi joined her.

Rinnosuke frowned as he felt at a pouch on his belt. The familiar weight of the Mini-Hakkero was missing. He reached down and popped the pouch open- empty, save for a slip of paper. He took it out, sighing as he read it.

Thanks, Kourin! ❤

"Oh, Marisa…" A part of him was torn, wanting to chuckle at Marisa’s antics. He’d missed the girl. And yet he knew that it was all in part, his fault. He’d been close enough to the family for Marisa to give him a nickname, close enough that he had seen a bit of what was going on. And when she disappeared, he had helped look for her- but apparently, not hard enough. If he had spoken up back then, called out her father, would she have run off, ending up with what was apparently a Vengeful Spirit?

Marisa apparently held no contempt for him, given how she’d hugged him- unless that had been a ploy to get the Mini-Hakkero, of course. Though then again, Marisa had always had sticky fingers, and had often used hugs to frisk his pockets for Outsider candy he found. What’s done is done, I suppose. At the very least, I can be here for her now if she needs.

Next to him, Chiyuri sat with a hand on her head. The pain in her head had reduced with the disappearance of the other her, but Ms. Udongein was still hovering around, poking her and examining a book she’d pulled from her crate. The woman frowned as she ran a finger over the pages, then pressed a tool against Chiyuri's hand.

"There's something odd here, Ms. Kitashirakawa. Something that doesn't quite add up." Ms. Udongein frowned as she examined the tool. "You are connected to the textbook, as is expected of a Tsukumogami. But your magic doesn’t match with the expected signature of one.” 

“How do you mean?”
Rinnosuke turned over to the two, frowning as they spoke. His gift allowed him to identify things, learning what they were for- a useful ability for someone skilled at finding Outsider goods, some of which might be in an unfamiliar language, or made of odd technology that even the Kappa couldn’t recognize. As an experiment he’d turned his gift on Rikako’s textbook, which gave two purposes- First, that it could teach people about the Outsider method of understanding. Science, essentially. The second purpose, however, was “To bind Chiyuri Kitashirakawa to this world.” How else was he supposed to interpret that, than as it being Chiyuri’s origin object? 

Ms. Udongein tapped her tool. "Simply put, you have far too little magic for a Tsukumogami. By just the strength of your magic alone, you register as a Human, and a weak one at that."

"Rikako agreed when I told her I was Human. She probably sensed that." Chiyuri rubbed at her arms, shivering. “What does it matter, though?” 

Rinnosuke tapped his chin, grimacing. "I think I know."

"I imagine you would. You're half-and-half, aren't you?"

"Yes, although I'm Human on my residency paperwork, and a Magician Youkai when the Grassroots Network has their pancake breakfast fundraisers."  This got a bit of a smile out of both Ms. Udongein and Chiyuri. “Anyways, as you were saying?”
“Right.” Ms. Udongein pulled several vials from her crate, setting them in a row. “Humans and Youkai both need energy to live. Humans, of course, primarily get theirs from food.” She filled one of the vials with water. “Youkai get theirs from magic, essentially by metabolizing the emotions around them. Fear, competition, that sort of thing. Some do eat food, but most of the time, it’s for physical material to heal and grow rather than for energy.” She then filled another vial with a golden oil. “How much energy people need is a matter of many factors, but needless to say, everyone needs some.” 

Ms. Udongein paused, then reached into her crate. “The trouble here is that Tsukumogami require a lot of magical energy. Some other types of Youkai- Magician Youkai, Tengu and Kappa, Beast Youkai- are living creatures with a more physical presence, Tsukumogami are more projections . Their bodies are less physical, more magical imitations of flesh and blood, being projected from their origin object. It takes more magical energy to create a humanoid being than to just be a bit more beastly or magical. They use more magic, and have much higher capacities for it- though this doesn’t necessarily correlate to power, of course, since most of that energy is getting used to keep themselves together.” 

“Then…”

Rinnosuke nodded. “You’re a Tsukumogami, but have no more magic than a human.” He reached over to Ms. Udongein’s vials, selecting an empty one and pouring a single drop of oil into it. “You don’t have enough power to sustain yourself. You’re basically starving to death.” 

Chiyuri seemed to sink into her chair, wrapping her arms around herself. “...W-what can we do?”

“Drink this to start with.” Ms. Udongein pulled a blue potion out of her crate, sliding it across to Chiyuri. “It should temporarily increase your natural magical capacity. It’s only a stopgap, it was created as a drug for use by soldiers in combat and only lasts a few hours. Don’t ask.” She said the last bit as Rinnosuke quirked a curious eyebrow. “Beyond that, I am unsure. My training is primarily in emergency triage and first aid, for something like this I’ll need to take you to my Master. And we’ll need to know everything .”
“Everything? What everything?” Chiyuri paused as she pulled the cork from the potion vial. 

“A Tsukumogami is more than just an origin object. It is everything that happened to it up until the point where they Transcended and became sapient. How the object was treated, the circumstances it was kept, that all affects who they are. I assume the book was purchased at the shop you worked at, Mr. Morichika, which means you probably found it to begin with?”

“That’s correct.” 

Ms. Udongein nodded. “We’ll need to know where you found it, when, everything. Same with your Ms. Asakura- everything from the moment she picked up the book to this morning when you awoke, Chiyuri. And all the better if we can get your doppelganger. I imagine my Master will be quite interested with her, though hopefully we can manage without.” 

“I’m still not entirely sure what Lady Inaba can do, Ms. Udongein.” 

The woman blinked in apparent confusion, then sighed and shook her head. “It cannot be helped, I suppose… There will be some things you’ll need to keep secret when we go. As soon as Ms. Asakura gets back, of course. Where has she gone, anyway?” 

Rinnosuke frowned. He’d noticed her wander off earlier, presumably to go talk to the other Chiyuri. But she’d never returned. He’d assumed that it was simply taking a while, but now that he wasn’t distracted by either Marisa or Chiyuri, he could see that the other blonde was completely gone, leaving the red-haired Professor and her verdette companion. “I… I don’t know…”

Chapter Text

"Hey, Shameimaru!"

The Tengu woman turned and grinned as a person with white hair ran up. "Hey, Ai. Captain Inubashiri let you off patrol?"

"Nah, I wasn't scheduled today." The white-haired person lifted their cap, revealing a pair of wolf ears. If one looked close, you might have noted the tufts of white fur poking out of the back of Ai's skirt, where a matching tail was hiding. They grinned back at Aya. "So, who should I bet on? I've been holding off, but then I saw you here, figured maybe someone good at figuring things out might have a good idea?"

Aya preened a bit at the compliment. "Well, we're down to just four competitors now, so you'll want to bet quickly! Let me think though…" Aya pulled out a pen, tapping her chin. "Well, Kotohime's an easy bet. Last Incident Resolver and all. Tough as nails, you remember that time she and the Captain got drunk together and tag-teamed against the Kappa Sumo Wrestling league?  Though that vampire lady, Elis- I don't know where she came from, but she's no pushover. I just saw her beat down some kid playing at being Izumi Hakurei, Orbs and all."

"Yeah? That seems kinda weird." 

"Oh yeah. I'd ask her, but…" Aya shivered a bit. "I think she's Mima's kid or something. That's another person who might make a good bet, if you don't mind betting on a crazy Vengeful Ghost."

Ai frowned, glancing over towards the woman in question, who was holding a hushed conversation with a group of teenagers. "She doesn't seem very vengeful to me."

Aya shuttered again. "Yeah, she's… I'm not sure. But I, ermm…." Aya trailed off, giving a nervous look towards the group.

Ai nodded. "I understand, it's okay. What about the fourth one? Some kid with a cat, right?"

Aya brightened up at this. "Oh, yeah! Rei Hino, totally not her real name. And you'll never believe this, Ai!" She lifted Ai's cap just enough to whisper into their ear. "You can't tell anyone, at least not until I break the news. But that's Kotohime's kid!"

Ai's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yeah! Kotohime's keeping it quiet, cause, well, imagine the scandal if people found out that The Last Incident Resolver had a kid with the Gambling Queen! "

"Woah… I thought they hated each other!"

"Don't you know, Ai? That's how the best romances work! They pretend to hate each other in public, but behind closed doors it's all cuddles and sweet nothings! I'm totally gonna have to find a way to sneak into Komakusa's den without her smoking me again, just imagine the story!"

Ai nodded, though they frowned as they did so. "What about the people running things? Anything about them?"

Aya shrugged. "Nothing as such. Showed up, promised some ultimate prize. I figure I'll find out what it is when we have a winner! I've been busy with the fights, you see."

"Nothing? Don't you think it's kinda weird that they just showed up? Who are they?"

Aya shrugged again, and Ai sighed. "Well, thanks for the info, Shameimaru."

"Any time! And if you win big, let me know, I'll do a personal interest story on you!"

Ai gave a forced smile, then excused themself. Aya turned her focus away almost immediately, and Ai ducked into a nearby alley. They glanced back and forth, and upon confirming that no one was looking at them, they let out a breath.

"It would seem, My Lady, that Shameimaru knows nothing."

Ai snapped their fingers, and all around them everything went quiet. Outside the alley people slowed down, stopped, frozen mid-step. Ai closed their eyes and unleashed a torrent of magic. White hair turned gold, wolf ears replaced with fox ones, one wolf tail becoming nine fox tails, until the Tengu was gone, replaced by the Kitsune woman.

"Yes, I suppose her interpretation was amusing. If she attempts to break into Komakusa's domain, perhaps I will need to sneak in to watch.” The woman paused. “Unfortunately, she has no more information on the Ghost-Witch, either. Yes, My Lady, I know. She is not our priority.” The woman glanced to her side, frowning. “All that said, I wish we had gotten something about Mima Geist-Hexe. We know little enough as it is, despite our previous encounters with her.”

The woman paused again, sighing. “Yes, My Lady. I understand. Focus on the Professor and her peers. I will do so.” 

The woman lifted her hands, and snapped them a second time. Sound and movement resumed, but if you were to look in the alleyway, you wouldn’t have spotted any sign that someone had been there, only a brief glimpse of a black rift, before it sealed shut and vanished.

“Alright everyone! Let’s get started with Round 3. Kotohime and Mima Geist-Hexe, please enter the arena at this time!”

“Well, here we go, then.”

Reimu glanced at Kotohime, as the woman opened up her kimono, checking on her weapons. She slipped her short-barreled shotgun from its holster on her leg, popping it open. “Are you sure that will work on Mima?”

“Hopefully.” Kotohime pulled out a pair of shells from a pouch, examining them. “I’ve got a couple options that usually work on ghosts.”

“Mima’s… weird.” Reimu let her hand down, and her cat jumped into it, shifting into Orb form. “As far as I can tell, she can phase through almost anything. She even managed to phase through the Orb- though I think she can’t do that easily. She had to concentrate on it.”

“Well, thankfully guns are fast. She won’t have time to concentrate.” Kotohime flicked her wrist, closing up the gun before she slid it back into its holster. “And I’ve got a few other tricks, too.”

Reimu caught sight of Mima out past Kotohime, sitting at a cafe table and laughing at a story Marisa was telling. The woman seemed to not have noticed she’d been called- and as Meira whispered something in her ear, the ghost made a dismissive gesture. “Mima’s not a pushover. And she said she fought you before.”

“She said that she thinks she’s fought me before. But she doesn’t actually remember doing so.” Kotohime closed up her kimono, patting herself down. “I’m all set, unless you want to loan the Orb to me.”

“Can I do that?” Reimu frowned, while her Orb shifted back into cat form, hopping down and meowing at Kotohime. “I think you mentioned that before, that my mom did?”

“Yep. Not very often, though. Usually if we were in a situation where I might need the Orb, she was there anyway to use it.”

“I guess…”Reimu thought back. “That’s something Mima said, actually. That in order for someone to use the Orb, they either needed Hakurei blood, or permission. That’s why when her minions attacked me last year, she got annoyed when Marisa said she left me to die.”

“Because without you to give permission, the Orb is useless. Just a big crystal ball.” Kotohime smiled as the cat meowed again, this time in a somewhat annoyed tone. “I’m not saying you’re useless now . Though then again, I’m sure you’d still make a good kickball.”

This made Genjii burst out into laughter, while Reimu blushed and pouted. “It works! ” Kotohime started laughing as well. “Fine, if you think you can do better, I give you permission to use the Orb. Do better!”

Kotohime stopped laughing. She tilted her head, then reached down for the cat. The cat stared at her, but it didn’t shift into Orb form or anything. Kotohime waited a few more seconds, then shrugged. “I… guess that didn’t work?”

“Apparently not.” Genjii frowned. “Perhaps the Orb thinks we’re all joking?”

“Maybe. Usually when Rin or I borrowed it from Izumi, it was because she was in danger and needed help. Maybe it thinks the situation isn’t dire enough?” Kotohime shrugged. “Well, in any case, I should be fine without it. Thanks, though.”

Reimu nodded, as in the arena the Professor called for Kotohime and Mima Geist-Hexe again. “Good luck, okay? Kick her stupid ghost butt.”

Kotohime grinned, patting Reimu on the shoulder. “I’ll do my best.”

And with that, the woman headed into the arena. Reimu watched her go, as her cat hopped up onto Genjii’s back, rubbing against her arm with its cheek. “She’ll be fine, right?”

“She should be, my lady.” Genjii let out a sigh. “I certainly hope so, at least.

Kotohime mentally went over her weapons. Tonfas, gun, spear… The spear would be practically useless against Mima, it was entirely mundane metal and wood, not even anything like cold iron. Perhaps she could use it to knock away the ghost’s staff, or use it to anchor herself if she pulled out that black hole spell again. That the Ghost-Witch could apparently phase through the Hakurei Orb was particularly troubling- while Kotohime didn't think she was wrong, that her gun wouldn't give Mima the chance to concentrate, if Mima could get through the Orb, what else  could she phase through, perhaps without needing to focus?

Kotohime had seen more than her fair share of powerful foes. But most of them had had the courtesy to be vulnerable to attacks. It would be like trying to fight a fairy- smack down a fairy, she'd dissolve into sparkles only to pop up again a minute later. But at least fairies were weak and easily bored. Whack them enough, they'd leave to find a different "game", no worse for wear. Mima Geist-Hexe, though…

Still, she wasn't without options. Kotohime slid her hands into her sleeves, fingering the grips of her tonfas. She’d had to go home to get them during a break between fights. They weren't simple wooden ones this time, like she’d used against Genjii and Meira. Because regardless of how much Kotohime hated her past, she had to admit that the weapons she'd wielded back then were good . If anything in her arsenal was going to work on Mima, these would. 

“Welcome back, Professor.” Kotohime nodded as she approached the middle of the ring, putting on a cordial face. “I hope everything is well? You missed quite a lot.”

“Ah, well…” The woman blushed. Kotohime narrowed her eyes. The Professor really wasn’t that old, was she. No more than twenty, assuming she was human. Professors were usually older, surely? Kotohime’s eyes flicked down to the metal vambrace on the Professor’s wrist, which Reimu had pointed out to her earlier. “What’s that? I don’t think you had it earlier.”

The Professor briefly went pale, before recovering with a laugh. “Oh, this! Just a bit of jewelery I picked up while I was bringing Chiyuri back to recover.”

That’s the blonde one’s name, then. Still no name from you though. Kotohime nodded, but kept one eye on the vambrace. It clearly wasn’t just a bit of jewelery- silver metal, inlaid with copper wires and small bits of red glowing glass. A flat black rectangle was set into the inside of the piece of armor, with a couple small black nubs. And then it was gone, as a nervous looking Professor slipped the arm behind her back. “So, Kotohime, right?” She gave a nervous laugh. “You seem to be an important person around here. Certainly have a lot of people cheering for you!” 

“Something like that, yes…” It doesn't seem like she's joking. She is unaware of who I am. It wasn’t impossible of course- Gensokyo was more than just the Human Village, after all, and if the Professor was as young as Kotohime thought, then it wasn’t impossible for her to not remember the last time there was a full incident. Still, it was something she’d need to think about, when she wasn’t about to fight Mima. 

Speaking of the ghost in question, she was still sitting with her minions. Once again, it seemed, she was planning on sitting down and waiting until the last moment to arrive. Even when she clearly had heard the Professor calling for her. Kotohime narrowed her eyes, before glancing back at the Professor. “Call it a forfeit early.”

“What?” The young woman shook her head. “I can’t do that, it wouldn’t be fair. I make sure to give everyone time to get here."

“She heard you and can teleport. The moment you start calling it, she’ll show up.” Kotohime pointed her head towards Mima. The ghost hadn't moved, though Kotohime thought she saw the hint of a smirk, as if in response to Kotohime's comment.

The Professor paused, apparently unsure of what to do. Finally, after a moment more hesitation, she called out. "Last chance for Mima Geist-Hexe! We're a bit behind, so it's now or forfeit-"

Mima vanished from her seat in a blip and a startle from her minions. Kotohime. whirled around, folding her arms and staring right into Mima's face the moment the ghost reappeared, right behind where Kotohime's back had been. Kotohime didn't flinch, though Mima herself jumped a bit. "Wow, good reflexes, princess." The ghost took a step back, before shaking her head and smirking. "Of course, doesn't really count if you're baiting me, does it?

"Doesn't it?" 

"Aren't you supposed to be the hero, 'hime? Heroes react. Not take preemptive action. That's how you get people getting arrested because some psychic determined they might commit a crime, and then self-fulfilling prophecies and crap all happen." Mima smirked. "And that's why it's my moral duty to punch every psychic I meet in the face." 

"I think I've read that book." The Professor paused, then smiled. "In any case, now that you're both here, shall we get started?" 

“Yes, let’s.” Kotohime nodded and took a few steps back.

Mima grinned and stepped back as well. “Might want to get out of the way, Professor. I have a feeling this is gonna be a big one…”

“Right!” The Professor jumped back, running towards the side of the arena. 

Mima watched, before shooting a glance at Kotohime. “Good, she's gone. We have a couple seconds before I've rendered you too unconscious to talk."

"So you assume." Still, Kotohime looked at the professor, narrowing her eyes. "Anything interesting? Reimu pointed out that thing on her wrist, but I can't tell what it is." 

"Something with a lot of magic as near as I can tell. Big contrast, actually, considering how little she has." 

"How do you mean?"

"The Professor, she's got almost no magic in her. Less than even most of the non-magic using humans in this village, certainly less than Rika does."

"Really?" Kotohime frowned, focusing. Rin had tried to show her how to sense magic, before she'd been murdered. Kotohime hadn't ever managed. That said, it wasn't impossible that some of the oddity she felt around the Professor was related to that, if true. "Is that unusual, to have so little?"

"Uncommon. It happens, but usually if it does they're an Outsider who stumbled through the Border..." Mima trailed off. "No..."

"It would explain the comment she made about me, wondering how popular I seemed." 

"The rare occasion someone makes it through the Border and doesn't get gutted by a Feral Youkai, they don't exactly start having a competition . Nothing this professional, and three people at once? One of whom is even weirder ?" 

"Alright! Match set!" 

Kotohime and Mima turned, seeing the Professor raise her arm into the air, ready to start the fight. Kotohime grunted. "We'll discuss more later. After I beat you."

"Good luck, princess." Mima grinned, emerald eyes glittering.

"Go!"

Kotohime was already moving, bringing her arms forward and forming a rectangle with her index fingers and thumbs. A violet barrier formed in front of her- just in time too, as Mima whirled her staff and fired off a spread of star-shaped bullets that clattered off Kotohime's barrier. Kotohime reared back and slammed a punch into her barrier, sending it flying forward to crash into Mima, the ghost being knocked back several feet before flickering intangible and phasing through it. Mima cackled. "Finally, a worthy opponent!" 

Kotohime didn't respond, spinning and throwing up another barrier, this one angled to the side. She slipped the shotgun out of her holster as Mima raised a hand and shot out a jet of blue Soulfire, cracking the barrier but mostly deflected away. Kotohime hefted her gun and fired. Bits of sanctified rock salt shot out but passed straight through with no more effect on the ghost-witch than a bemused smirk. Her second shell, this one releasing a spread of energy bullets, did nothing either, and now Mima was shaking her head, visibly holding back a giggle. "Not good enough, princess!" Mima slashed her staff down at the ground, releasing a burst of wind that kicked a plume of dust into the air, then shot out a blast of fire- regular orange fire, not blue Soulfire into it. Sand fused into shards of glass, propelled towards Kotohime, who threw up another shield, ducking behind it and loading another pair of shells into her gun. Mima vanished in a blip, and Kotohime whirled around, slamming her gun forward through Mima’s face as the ghost teleported behind her. It didn’t do anything, the gun and Kotohime’s arms passing straight through. Mima smirked, though she flinched as Kotohime pulled back her hand and fired. Silver birdshot fired into the ghost and Mima yelped with pain as glowing speckles lit up where the shot hit. She shook herself and turned fully transparent for a brief moment, and several tiny silver pellets fell out of her. Kotohime gritted her teeth. Silver works on her then, but she can pass through with focus. Doesn't seem to annihilate her though.

"Ouch… those weren't energy bullets. What happened to ‘friendly competition’?” Mima shook herself again, rubbing at her face- even as she turned solid again, Kotohime could see a dark spot on Mima’s pale skin where one of the silver pellets had clipped her neck. 

Kotohime popped open her gun, slipping in another silver birdshot round. “I cut down how much gunpowder was in it. As long as I don’t hit someone in the eye, it’s not gonna do more than a couple cuts and a lot of hurt.” Kotohime flicked her wrist to close the gun. “Most people it won’t even draw blood, just bruise.”

“I bet you feel real happy about that, Sam Vimes. Get to shoot people all you like and pretend to have the moral high ground. Well, you know what I like to say about the high ground?” Mima raised her staff, placing a hand inside the blade and letting power flow through, colors deepening and darkening around it. “The higher you get, the further and faster you fall!”

Mima slammed her staff into the ground as her black hole roared to life. Kotohime hopped back as wind pulled on her hair and clothes. She dropped her gun, fumbling for her spear and drawing it out, telescoping to full size as she stabbed the twin points into the ground. Her gun flew off and vanished into the black hole, while Mima held both hands on the staff and chanted. The wind grew, the force of the black hole seeming to grow. Kotohime stumbled, falling forward and knocking her spear free. Kotohime slid towards the black hole, managing to roll over and jam her spear into the ground again, but stuck on her belly. Mima smirked at her. “Just give up, Princess!”

Kotohime struggled to her feet, keeping her spear angled so it wouldn’t slip free again. Mima drew back her hand, blue Soulfire curling around her fist. Kotohime went pale- she could fly, but she was slow and not very agile. If Mima knocked her loose, and she didn't manage to dig her spear back in, she'd fall right into the black hole. No ifs, ands, or buts, just her own butt defeated. She wouldn't be fast enough. 

Mima's smirk grew as she caught Kotohime's expression. She winked, more and more blue fire coiling around her fingertips.

Only a few seconds. I need my hands to form a barrier- can I hold myself onto the spear with my legs? No, lower center of gravity and then I'm not pushing it in as much, might flip up and right into the black hole. Time seemed to freeze a bit as an idea flickered to life in Kotohime’s mind. She let go of her spear, hopping up into the air and pointing her feet down at Mima’s black hole. She only had a few seconds, as she brought her fingers into a rectangle and formed a barrier. For a moment, her legs seemed to stretch out like taffy, then everything went violet as her barrier formed below her. Blue light flared as Mima’s Soulfire splashed off the barrier, and Kotohime stood up on the barrier- parallel to the ground.

Kotohime gritted her teeth as vertigo hit her. Gravity was all confused, between the pull of the earth and the pull of the black hole, it felt like she was standing on a slope, and if she wasn’t careful she’d slide down. Mima was below her, relatively speaking, and the ghost hadn’t skipped a beat, launching another blast of Soulfire at Kotohime’s barrier, a crack forming in the violet force field. Kotohime formed another barrier, curving in front of her as she ran forward, around Mima’s black hole. Mima whirled, keeping her fire up as Kotohime sprinted and formed barriers, forming a full circle around the black hole. Another quick string of gestures, and the barriers closed up, sealing into a violet sphere around Mima and the black hole. 

Kotohime focused her power, reinforcing her barriers, then stabbed her hands down. Every one of her barriers shot forward towards Mima and the black hole. Mima cried out and turned intangible, diving through one barrier, but her black hole was dispelled, and her staff, being physical, was trapped inside with a loud clang! As the black hole vanished, gravity returned to normal, Kotohime landing on the ground and shaking her head to clear away the vertigo. Mima looked like she’d caught a case of it herself, reeling back as she fumbled for her staff- apparently she hadn’t quite turned intangible fast enough or something, passing through the barriers but getting a bit hurt in the process. Kotohime flicked her wrists, her tonfas sliding into her hands as the ghost-witch grimaced. “Okay, damn… Barriers of yours are a bit tougher than I thought-”

Kotohime slammed a tonfa into Mima’s chest, sending her flying. Mima’s staff went flying again, and as Mima stood a glowing spot lit up on her chest where Kotohime had hit her. “What the hell ? Was that silver, too?” The ghost gasped.

“Silver, Thunderbolt Iron, Hihi'irokane, probably other stuff, I never asked.” Kotohime twirled her tonfas- black, inlaid with metal wires of several different colors. 

Mima gaped. “I thought you got rid of those! What happened to ‘I’m not touching anything that Matara gave me’?”

Kotohime paused. How did she know… After a moment though, she shook her head. “I’m pragmatic, that’s all. I can separate my past and my present.”

“Good for y-” Kotohime punched Mima in the face, her flesh turning icy as it passed through Mima’s form. Her tonfa's handle, however, acted as solid as ever with respect to the ghost, and Mima went flying. Kotohime ran forward, but Mima vanished in a flicker of light, teleporting across the arena. A dark spot perfectly matching the handle of Kotohime’s tonfa crossed her face, much like where the silver birdshot had struck her, and Mima was visibly wincing.

Kotohime hurled one of her smoke bombs, teleporting as it landed and exploded next to Mima. The ghost screamed and leapt away as Kotohime took a wild swing at her with her tonfas. She’s not used to being hit. Almost everything just passes through her without effort, and most everything else, she can still phase through if she focuses. Kotohime pressed the attack, swiping out with her weapons. Keep her off balance, keep her from focusing, so I can keep hitting her. She’s complacent, too used to just being immune to things, and if she can’t think straight…

“This isn’t magic!” Mima yelped as she ducked underneath a strike. “This is a magic competition, not a martial arts tournament!” She staggered, dodging one way only to fall as Kotohime flipped a tonfa around, hooked her legs with the handle, and tripped her. 

“It’s called material science, bitch.” Kotohime brought both tonfas down, but Mima turned intangible and phased into the ground, reappearing a few meters away. “Magic’s more than casting spells, it’s also knowing how to apply them. In this case, application on my weapons, and subsequent application to your face.”

“All you do is apply ‘em! You’re a blunt instrument!” Mima slipped a hand into a pouch at her waist, tossing out four small metal spheres, each growing and beginning to orbit her. “Great, you’re clever with how you use it, but you’re hardly a magician .”

“I never pretended to be!” Kotohime subtly flexed her fingers, then shot one hand up. A barrier formed underneath Mima, and while the ghost managed to focus her intangibility enough to phase through, her orbs and staff were knocked away. “What are you complaining about, anyway? Earlier you were saying things about how your kid should have beat me, and how am I any different from her swinging that sword around?”

Mima didn’t respond, jabbing a hand forward and unleashing a blast of Soulfire, before twirling and throwing out several glowing missiles. Kotohime brought up a barrier, then two more as she weathered the bombardment. Keep her mad. Keep her unfocused. 

Mima stuck her hand to the side, her staff reappearing with a puff of mist. She swung it, a glowing arc trailing behind the blade that launched off dozens of energy spears. Kotohime was forced to dive away as they pierced straight through her barriers. Kotohime gritted her teeth, tossing a smoke bomb and vanishing, but as she reappeared she barely had a moment before one of Mima’s orbs shot past her head. Mima hovered in the air, purple feathered wings spreading out behind her. The ghost stared, emerald eyes piercing through Kotohime’s soul. She raised a hand, calling her orbs to her, and they began to rapidly revolve around her.

Kotohime gritted her teeth, then slashed her tonfa against the ground, leaving a large gash. Whatever Mima was planning, she’d need to do something, fast. She sprinted, leaving a ring of gouges in the ground as she went, circling around Mima, who tracked her but continued to hold her tongue, her orbs spinning faster and faster, so fast they blurred into a ring of light. 

Kotohime made it back to the start of her circle, staring up at the hovering Mima. Mima met her gaze. A few seconds passed, before as one, they moved. Kotohime slammed her hands down on the first gouge, pouring every bit of power into it, the whole circle lighting up with violet power as a barrier formed. Inside, Mima twirled, the ring of light splitting into seven discrete rainbow spheres.

“DRAGON SLAYER’S CIRCLE!”

“PHANTASM SEAL!”  

Inside Kotohime’s circular barrier lightning flashed as dozens and dozens of barriers erupted, piercing through Mima’s form. Mima screamed, but her own orbs flew up, out, raining down on Kotohime’s head.

Everything briefly went white.
And everything finally went black.

“Kotohime!”

Reimu screamed as the arena was filled with light and the sounds of explosions and screams. She thought she could hear Marisa screaming for Mima, somewhere. Two figures laid in the middle of the arena, not moving.

The Professor ran into the middle of the arena, looking between the two fallen foes. The crowd went silent, staring as well. “I… I guess that’s a draw…?” 

Someone groaned in the arena, and Mima shifted. Slowly, the ghost-witch clambored to her feet, hanging onto her staff for support. Her wings draped behind her like a cloak, violet  feathers scattered and even now slowly vaporizing into puffs of mist, while Mima’s skin was criss-crossed with dark lines everywhere one of Kotohime’s barriers had pierced her. But she stood, emerald eyes bright as ever. 

“Well then… Winner, Mima Geist-Hexe!” The Professor shrugged, reaching over and raising Mima’s hand in the air, causing the woman to wince. The crowd stayed silent, not sure what to make of it all- the defeat of the Last Incident Resolver, against an opponent like this?

Reimu clenched her fists, but before she could run into the arena, Mima had shoved the Professor away and made her way over to Kotohime. Mima didn’t say anything at first, simply kneeling and tilting her head, before finally reaching down and pulling Kotohime’s arm over her shoulder. Kotohime stirred, eyes flitting open, as Mima reached over and lifted her arm high. “Let no one deny that Princess Kotohime is worthy of respect! Anyone who does, faces me!”

Slowly, as Mima carried Kotohime out of the arena, the latter slowly growing more conscious as they went, the crowd began to applaud. Cheers went up, calling for both of the two’s names. Reimu looked back and forth, catching sight of Meira and Rika’s duplicate applauding, Rika looking confused, and a stunned Marisa. “Remarkably good sportsmanship, I must say.” Genjii padded up next to Reimu. “Atypical for what one might expect of a Vengeful Ghost.”

“Nothing about Mima is typical. Never really has been.”

“Our next competitors and the last for the semi-finals, will be Rei Hino and Elis. If they could come to the arena at this time?”

“Already?” Reimu’s mouth dropped. “They’ve barely just finished!”

“So it would seem…” Genjii frowned. “It’s getting to be late in the afternoon, I suppose. Even with only one more fight after this, night will fall soon.”

“Why not split the whole competition up over two days, then? Or at least start earlier?”

“You’re talking about people who couldn’t be arsed to tell anyone about this competition until this morning, Hakurei.” Reimu glanced as Rika walked over to her. Meira and Marisa were making their way over to the arena entrance, Marisa fawning over Mima as Meira scooped Kotohime off the Ghost-Witch’s shoulder. Rika looked over at the two, then turned to Reimu. “You said you’d rather fight me than that Elis bitch. Normally I’d call you an idiot for wanting to fight me at all …” Rika trailed off, before sighing. “Just kick her ass for me, alright?” 

"I'll try."

" Literally. I want you to kick her literally in the ass." Rika paused, then sighed. “I don’t have any advice for you. Even something useless like “oh, she’s a vampire, be careful”. So I guess…” Rika trailed off, looking like she wanted to say something else but wasn’t sure what. After a few moments she shook her head, then turned back to Reimu, eyes steely.."Ass. Kicked. Got it?"

"Got it..."

Reimu gulped as she looked into the arena. Elis stood inside, though she was hanging by the outer wall, apparently waiting for her to show her face. Reimu closed her eyes, and began walking. She passed Meira, who gave her a nod, while the barely conscious Kotohime raised her head a bit, just enough to meet Reimu's eyes.  "We'll take care of her, kid." Mima patted Kotohime's shoulder, nodding to Reimu. "Best fight I've had in a while, figure I owe her a bit, yeah?"

Reimu paused, but she felt Genjii's beak prodding her hand. "Everything will be fine, my lady." Reimu didn't respond, but slowly turned, did her best to steel herself, and walked into the arena.

Chapter Text

"Ah, hello again, Ms. Hino!" The Professor smiled as Reimu approached. "All ready, I hope?"

Reimu nodded, though she gulped as she caught Elis heading towards the center. She quickly turned away, back towards where she'd come in. Kotohime was still on Meira's shoulder, but seemed fully awake again, eyes on Reimu. Mima gave Reimu a short wave, patting Kotohime on the shoulder. 

"And Ms. Elis. I... do hope that things won't get quite as intense as the last round..." 

Reimu turned back as the Professor spoke. Elis had her arms folded, red eyes glittering. The vampire shrugged. "Shouldn't be a problem. Kurumi and I had a snack between rounds. Good restaurants around here, if you can get seats that fit wings." Elis stretched the wings in question, cracking her neck to the side. She turned towards Reimu, eyes meeting hers. Reimu bit her lip, squeezing her staff, but Elis just frowned. "Another kid, seriously?"

"Perhaps we should have specified an age range, but so far she's done well enough! Haven't you, Ms. Hino?" The Professor smiled and patted Reimu on the shoulder, but Reimu barely noticed. Did... did she not recognize me? Reimu hadn't seen any looks in the vampire's eyes to indicate she had. 

"In any case, how about we get started?" The Professor looked between Reimu and Elis. "Second-to-last fight after all."

"Yeah, yeah." Elis cracked her knuckles. "Shouldn't take too long. I know how to play kickball."

Reimu nodded, biting her lip again. She shot another glance back towards the others, before turning back to Elis. She reached down to where her cat was sitting, stroking its head. 

"Very well, then!" The Professor took a few steps back, before turning to the crowd and raising her hands. "Alright! Last round for the semi-finals!"

Elis grinned at Reimu as she casually drew her wand, spinning it in her fingers. "Don't worry, kid. Like I told Red over there, I'm not gonna eat you like I tried to do your friend. All better now."

"You say that, Elis..."

"Yeah, I do say it." Elis paused, looking a bit confused. "What's with that tone, kid? Just mad 'cause I got a bit excited?" Reimu gritted her teeth, but didn't say anything in response. 

"Match starts!" 

Reimu's cat jumped into her hand, shifting neatly into the painted pink Orb-form as Reimu took two steps back. Elis stepped back as well, raising her wand.

" Go !"

Reimu hurled the Orb, following with a kick that sent it speeding towards Elis. Elis dodged, twisting her arm in a circle as she summoned a spherical barrier around herself. The Orb bounced off a wall, and Reimu was already moving, swinging her staff and batting it towards Elis. The Orb slammed into Elis's shield, and while it held together, several large cracks formed in it, while Elis herself gaped. "What?!?"

Reimu didn’t respond, lashing out a kick as her Orb ricocheted back at her. Her Orb slammed into the shield again, shattering it with a sound of breaking glass. Elis yelped and nearly fell over as she bent backwards to avoid the Orb. Reimu let the orb fly, drawing out a handful of paper talismans and hurling them at the vampire, one clipping her and flashing in a burst of electrical energy. Elis yelped in pain, dodging back and slicing out with her wand, forming several glowing missiles that flew out. Reimu threw the Orb forward, slamming into one and giving her cover to dodge past the rest. A quick gesture and the Orb split into four, rapidly orbiting around Reimu, who waved her hand to deflect another missile. Elis chanted, summoning her shield again. “Mists, kid! What is that thing?”

Reimu still didn’t say anything, but she did hop into the air and unleash several kicks, sending her Orbs hurtling towards Elis. One, two, shield shattered, and a third aimed straight at Elis’s chest. Elis shot out her hand and caught it, only to scream and toss it aside. She stuck her fingers in her mouth, sucking in pain as Reimu caught sight of a bit of smoke coming from her palm. “What is that thing? Some kind of toy war crime?”

“That’s what you called it last time…” 

“Last time?” Elis vanished in a puff of smoke, shifting into bat form with her wand held in her feet. She zipped up, turning back into her humanoid form and falling down, down, slamming wand-first into the ground. Light flashed out through the dirt in jagged cracks, heading towards Reimu. Reimu sprinted to the side, but the crack pursued her, exploding as it caught up and knocking Reimu off her feet. “What are you on about, kid?”

Reimu rolled to her feet, bringing her orbs forward. Glowing needles fired from the orbs, a few clipping Elis’s skirt and hair before she managed to bring up her shield again. “Makai! At the Gateway!”

Elis froze, her wand raised mid-spellcast. “Wait… You’re…”

Reimu gritted her teeth. It took her this long to recognize me, I guess? But now…

Elis lowered her wand, then vanished, reappearing next to Reimu, shield down. She glanced furtively side to side and whispered, “Look, I know Mother doesn’t like us leaving and all. But you’re here, too, right? I won’t say anything if you don’t.”

“... what? ”

“I just wanted to do something special for Kurumi’s birthday. Nothing wrong with that! And I’m guessing it’s something similar with you, right?”

Reimu blinked. “What are you talking about?”

Elis frowned. “Makai. You’re also from there, right? That’s what you’re talking about. I mean, I don’t recognize you, but you recognize me.” 

“...no?”

“What?” Elis hopped back, staring in confusion. “Look, if you’re not also from Makai, then who are you, what’s going on? Is that what that Orb is for? Did Mother send you to get us? I told you, I just wanted to do something nice for Kurumi, nothing bad!”

“Nothing bad ?!?” Reimu’s own confusion was giving way to anger. “You left me to die! Set the YuugenMagan on me, then tried to make me your servant!” 

“What in the Mists is a YuugenMagan?” Elis resummoned her shield as Reimu kicked one of the Orbs at her. “You’re not making any sense!”

“ You’re not making any sense! Don’t play dumb! You said you were looking for treasure, that the YuugenMagan was supposed to be guarding! You chased after me until I escaped through the Gateway!”

“Kid, I didn’t even know the Gateway existed until last week! And I don’t know who you are, or of whatever you’re claiming I did! Vina's Eye, I’ve never even heard of anyone called Rei Hino in my life!”

Reimu growled, then called her pink-painted Orbs back into one. She poured her power into it, the paint cracking as it grew in size, bigger, bigger than Reimu herself. She drew back her staff, tassels starting to untangle from the metal wand-topper. “That’s not my name. My real name is Reimu Hakurei! ” 

Reimu swung, and her Orb rocketed forward at the gaping Elis. Elis pushed her hands forward, light glowing on the surface of her shield, but it wasn’t enough. The massive Orb smashed through Elis’s shield, smashed through Elis, leaving her groaning in pain on the ground. Reimu raised her hand, and the Orb flew back to her, shrinking back to normal size. Reimu caught it as she walked, pointing the tip of her staff at Elis’s neck. The vampire stared up at Reimu, but didn’t move. “Reimu Hakurei?”

“Yes.”

“...Is that supposed to mean something to me?”

“I…” Reimu trailed off, as she felt something in her palm. She glanced to the side, eyes widening as dry paint sloughed off the Orb, cracked and loosened from its expansion. She’d lost her hat somewhere, and the moon-shaped wand-topper on her staff had fallen, revealing it as a Shrine Maiden’s purification rod. 

There was a flash of light, and she looked up to see a gaping Shameimaru, eyes wide as she held up her camera, her mouth moving in a whisper. “Hakurei .” And all around her, she could hear the same word. Hakurei. Hakurei. Hakurei.

Elis laid back down on the ground, raising an arm. “Just call it, Professor. I’m too confused for all this.” 

Reimu felt someone grab her arm, raising it into the air. “Winner, Rei Hi… Reimu Hakurei, I guess?”

And like that, the floodgates opened. Shouts, cheers, confusion. A blonde woman with wings dropping into the arena to help Elis to her feet, Shameimaru trying to get into the arena only for Mima to grab her and drag her back into the crowd.

Reimu stepped back a few steps, a cold feeling growing through her chest. She'd spent years keeping quiet about her identity, staying silent whenever Genjii brought her into town for shopping, using a fake name and disguise in this very contest.

And she'd just given it all away, getting nothing in return from the vampire who'd tormented her. Not even an acknowledgment of the things she’d tried to do.

“Ms. Hi- Ms. Hakurei?” Reimu looked up to see The Professor “Are you alright?”

“I don’t know…” Reimu caught sight of Kotohime sitting on top of Genjii’s shell by the arena entrance, Meira and Rika close behind. Kotohime whispered something to Genjii, concern across the two’s face. 

“Well… I was already planning on one more break for then night before the final round. Hopefully a bit of time will help, right?” The Professor smiled, though it faltered a bit as she glanced up at the crowd. “I can’t say I understand all of what’s going on. But, well, data is data.” She pulled out her clicking metal box, waving it around, before pointing it at the metal vambrace on her arm. “Almost enough, I think…”

Reimu turned away from the strange woman, and with numb legs and heart, made her way towards the others. She could hear people shouting, shouting her name, but she couldn’t understand any of it, not over the rush of blood in her ears. She saw Rika and Meira holding off the crowd as Kotohime pulled Reimu onto Genjii’s back, thought she saw a shaken Shameimaru thrown out of an alley followed shortly by a strangely contemplative Mima. She couldn’t see her, but she could have sworn she could feel Marisa’s glare on her back, staring from somewhere else. 

But none of it mattered to Reimu. Not when her thoughts were consumed by one thing. 

What have I gotten myself into?

"She's a good kid.” Kotohime winced as she stretched, watching as Reimu fought the vampire, Elis. “You did well raising her, Genjii.” 

“I certainly tried.” The tortoise chuckled to himself, but he trailed off after a few seconds. “I wish I’d thought to bring her to meet you earlier. Lady Yakumo warned me to keep Lady Hakurei’s presence a secret as long as possible, but surely she didn’t mean you?” 

“I wouldn’t know, I never met her. Izumi was trying to find her, but I don’t think she ever succeeded, either. I was about willing to consider her a myth.” 

“Which by the nature of Gensokyo would make her quite real.” Genjii paused. “Speaking as someone who’s met her, Lady Yakumo is… difficult.”

Kotohime nodded. “Genjii… Does Reimu truly not remember me?”

“I’m not sure, Lady Kotohime.” Genjii sighed. “When I was first asked to take care of her, she didn’t talk much about her mother. I knew a bit of what happened, that she’d been murdered, but not how. I assumed that she was grieving. But as she got older, it became clear she didn’t remember as much as I might have expected.”

“Like me, or Rin.” 

“Indeed. Even her mother, Izumi- Reimu remembers her, but only vaguely. I’m unsure if it’s simply a result of trauma, or something else.”

“Something else?” Kotohime frowned. In the arena, Reimu was shouting at the vampire. 

“I can’t say for sure- she never told me the specifics. But Lady Yakumo seemed a bit frenzied when she came to me to take care of Lady Hakurei. I think she saw the tail end of the event, when Izumi died. I-

“That’s not my name. My real name is Reimu Hakurei !” 

Kotohime spat out a curse as Reimu cried out in the middle of the ring. Genjii muttered something under his breath, as all around them whispers spread. Across the arena Kotohime spotted Shameimaru snapping picture after picture. 

“Well, I’m assuming that’s not good.” Kotohime turned to see Mima, leaning on her staff. "Was gonna ask about the fake name, seems it's irrelevant though."

"I would think it would be obvious, Ms. Geist-Hexe. You came out of your seal and immediately attacked Reimu." Genjii turned his gaze towards the ghost. "The Hakurei line is not without enemies, especially considering her mother was murdered."

"I was very confused when I woke up." Mima shrugged.

"Confused enough that you snuck into the shrine, put me in a magical sleep, and laid in wait to steal the Orb."

Mima shrugged again at Genjii's jab. "If it helps, I probably wouldn't do that again. Don't have a good reason to."

"A good reason? " Genjii scoffed as Mima turned away. In the arena the Professor had declared Reimu the winner, to raucous cheering. “Let’s go, Lady Kotohime. If you’re still tired you can climb on my back, I’m well capable of carrying you.”

“Thanks, Genjii.” Kotohime sat down on the tortoise's shell. As the tortoise began walking towards the arena exit, Kotohime watched Mima. The ghost hadn’t said anything, and had a strange expression on her face- Kotohime couldn’t make it out, but it almost seemed like… guilt? But then Mima flew off, grabbing Aya Shameimaru as the Tengu made a beeline towards Reimu, dragging her into an alley. 

Reimu herself burst out of the arena. A few people in the crowd called out to her, trying to get to her, only to be rebuffed by the sudden appearance of Meira and Rika. Reimu herself ran to Kotohiime, half-jumping on her as she embraced the woman. Kotohime winced, but pulled Reimu into her arms, as Genjii chuckled below her. "I will say this, Lady Kotohime. Although Reimu may not remember you consciously, I think she must subconsciously."

"How do you mean?"

Genjii smiled. "It's almost hard to believe you only reunited this morning. She may not seem to remember her Auntie 'Hime, but her hugs say otherwise." 

If Reimu had noticed the exchange, she didn’t say anything, simply burying into Kotohime’s chest as she hugged her tight. “I screwed up, Kotohime…” 

“It’s fine, kid. It’s fine.” Kotohime held the girl close. “It’ll work out.”

“I wasn’t supposed to reveal who I am. But Elis wasn’t making sense, and I made a mistake…”

“It’s fine, Reimu.”

“Indeed, it should be. I asked you to keep your identity secret for safety. You’ve grown strong, my lady.” Genjii tilted his head back as he turned and started carrying the two away from the arena. “Strong enough to defend yourself, all the more so with Lady Kotohime and myself by your side. As well as…” Genjii tilted his head towards where Meira and Rika stood, blocking off people from approaching.

“I don’t know if I’d count them. Maybe more than Mima or Marisa, but that’s not hard.” Reimu paused. “I don’t even know why they’re helping.”

“Well, you could say they’re the closest things you have to friends, right? Might be true for them, too.” Kotohime turned to see Mima shoving her way through the crowd towards her kids. “In any case, you did well, Reimu. You made it to the finals!”

“Me and Mima…”

“You’ve beaten her before, my lady.”

“With your help, Genjii! I can’t fly, remember?”

‘There hasn’t been much flying so far, thankfully. I guess it wouldn’t make for much entertainment if everyone just flew out of sight and threw energy bullets at each other?” 

Kotohime shrugged. “I mean, maybe. But maybe not. Use some of those Spellcards Fluffy Ellen was showing off, you might get something like a fireworks display.”

“Fireworks? What are those?” 

“Exploding gunpowder rockets with different salts in ‘em for colors. Kinda like a lot of energy bullets at once. Rin made me some once for fighting a shadow youkai. Turns out we didn’t need ‘em, though, the kid was more bark than bite, especially when she ran face-first into a tree.” 

‘Attention! We’ll be starting the final round in just a few minutes, so everyone be aware of that!”

" Already?" Kotohime said, incredulously. "Reimu just finished! That's not fair, she needs time to recover!"

"Especially going against Mima…" Reimu shivered in Kotohime's arms.

“We’ll just have to make the most of what time we have.” Kotohime slid off of Genjii. “Water, snack, and try to relax as best you can. If I had orange slices I’d give them to you, but I haven’t seen any oranges on the black market in a while.”

“I may be able to find some," said Genjii. "I saw some people from Kappatown I know who specialize in exotic foods selling earlier."

"Make it quick, then. I don't know how long we'll have."

"Of course, Lady Kotohime." With that, Genjii scuttled off, far faster than his turtle body would suggest. 

Reimu stared up at Kotohime, as the latter stared across the arena. The Professor was holding a whispered conversation with her verdette companion. The green-haired woman tilted her head, then gave a nasty smile, one that made the Professor take an apparent nervous step back. Kotohime frowned, but shook her head. "Just do your best, Reimu. We'll support you."

Chapter Text

Rikako awoke to pain. Her head, her face, the shoulder that’d been shot, everything hurt. She tried to moan in pain, but her lips were stuck shut- something was on her mouth, holding it closed. Rikako opened her eyes, wincing at the blurry brightness around her. She couldn’t make out much besides colors, her glasses were apparently gone. She could get a hint of something gray covering her face, and wriggling revealed her wrists and ankles had similarly been bound together. 

Worst of all, someone had taken her longcoat. There was no sign of it, just her black shirt and trousers, as well as a brief flash of yellow under her chin from her bowtie. 

“So, you’re awake?”

Rikako turned towards the voice, catching sight of a blonde and white blur. Chiyuri? Rikako tried to say her name, but only managed a “M-ymm-mh?” 

“Yeah, how about don’t? I’ve got you duct-taped pretty well, so don’t bother talking. Nod or shake your head if I ask a question.”

Rikako nodded, quivering slightly. It sounded like her Chiyuri, same voice and everything. But it wasn’t her Chiyuri- her Chiyuri wouldn’t have bashed her in the face with a chair or tied her up.

I mean, I assume. Damnit, I'm still thinking of her as my Chiyuri. I’ve only known her for a day! At least as a person, I guess as the Tsukumogami of my textbook… damnit, I'm getting distracted again!

The other Chiyuri asked something as Rikako thought, but distracted as she was she didn’t notice until the girl grabbed Rikako’s shoulder. “Hey, pay attention! You’re my prisoner. And be glad it’s me, Ruukoto would have taken you around back and shot you in the face.” The blur moved closer, and a few seconds later Rikako’s glasses had been shoved onto her face. Rikako blinked, letting her vision come into focus. The Chiyuri stood in front of her, gun in one hand, finger off the trigger. She followed Rikako’s gaze. “You recognize this, I’m sure. Or Ruukoto’s at least. I’m not a sociopath like she is, but I’ll shoot if I have to. So please don’t make me have to.” 

Rikako nodded again. She twisted her head, trying to examine her surroundings. She was inside the truck. It was furnished inside, with a table and bench seats, a small stove and sink, all of which was covered in gadgets and machinery. Up front Rikako could see a pair of seats and a steering wheel, while she herself was in the very back, taped up and lying on a mattress. Not just a transport, it's like a little house on wheels! Or laboratory? Both? She rolled a bit, noting that while her shoulder was still sore, it wasn't throbbing anymore. She managed to sit up, locking eyes with the other Chiyuri, who nervously licked her lips, leveling the gun at Rikako. "No sudden moves. Just nod or shake your head."

Rikako nodded, though her eyes wandered. She wasn’t sure if she could recognize any of the machines, and while she was familiar in concept at least of how Outsider vehicles moved, she didn’t have a clue how to actually do so, even if she managed to break free. Rikako flexed her fingers and considered trying to summon a spark of electricity, but her hands were bound in front of her, where Chiyuri would spot any funny business. Indeed, just moving her fingers at all brought the gun up again. “Stop!” Rikako brought her fingers apart, holding them up in as close of a placating gesture as she could manage. Chiyuri sighed, hands shaking. “I don’t want to do this… why’d the Professor have to do this for a research project?”

Rikako stared as the girl took a few steps back. She managed to work her tongue into poking through her lips, tasting the bitter adhesive on the duct tape. She began prodding it, trying to loosen it.

“Come with me, we’re going to be studying pocket dimensions! My math says they're a thing and it’s safe! No, don’t question why we’re bringing along guns and a killbot for security.” Chiyuri said in a mocking voice, though she was shaking more and more. “I should have applied to work on Project TORIFUNE. At least that had sound science to it. But no , I had to be on the cutting edge, didn’t I? And now I’m in a friggin’ pocket dimension with monsters and magic! You’re not even Human, are you? You lied on your entry form for the competition, everyone did. Human, Human, we’re all Human, huh? Humans don’t have wings! And that’s without how I have a clone now? What do you want with me, huh?”

Rikako didn't answer, staring forward as she poked at the tape on her lips. It was harder than she'd expected, lips barely parting enough to get the tip of her tongue through. Chiyuri turned away, hands on her forehead and pulling at her hair. "And now one chases after us… I need to call the Professor. We're done. Have to be, if people are invading our base…"

Chiyuri stalked away from Rikako, setting her gun down and went over to a device, tapping at it a few times before leaning down over it. "Hey Professor!"

"What is it now, Chiyuri?" The voice came from the device, as clear as if the red-headed woman was in the room.

"We need to pull out."

"Now? We just finished the second-to-last round! And I knew I had a good feeling about that little purple-haired girl."

"Professor, one of the creatures tracked us down. I have her restrained for now, but if one found us, what stops the others? And it's the one Ruukoto shot. The one with my doppelganger."

"She's your pick then? Because I still want the little purple-haired girl. Apparently she's some kind of local urban legend? Quite fascinating!"

"Professor, are you not hearing what I'm saying? We're compromised! "

The Professor sighed. "Chiyuri, I understand your concern. But we're at a critical stage of our research. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof, and I'm not going back empty handed."

"Professor-"

"I'll put Ruukoto on high alert. Shoot to kill, she'll like that. The science must continue, Chiyuri! Besides, I don't think the girl lied about being Human like so many others seemed to. Her magic seems to come from that orb thing. She'll make a good control sample."

"Professor!"

Silence for a few seconds, before Chiyuri spat out a curse and kicked the counter. "Damnit all…"

Rikako tried to parse the conversation. Were these two… scientists? Scientists from the Outside World, studying… what, magic? Youkai? How did that even happen? While Rikako wasn't sure on the details, given the amount of lies and half-truths told by those who'd been there in an effort to make themselves look better, as she understood it magic and Youkai had disappeared from the World Outside when the Border went up over a century ago, relegated to myth and legends. Who in their right mind would study something that was supposed to not exist?

Who in their right mind would bash a woman on the head and tie her up? And what had the Professor meant about being the other Chiyuri's "choice"? 

The other Chiyuri moved to the front, sitting down in one of the front seats and resting her head and arms against the steering wheel. “I want to go home, I want to go home, I want to go home…” she muttered to herself, so quiet Rikako could barely hear her.

"Ms. The Nue?"

"Just Nue is fine. Don't even need the definite article, if ya don’t want."

Kana followed after the woman, through a secret passage in the manor Kana hadn’t known about. Nue had explained it as ‘being for the servants who can’t turn invisible’, grinning as she slipped through. She led Kana to the kitchen, then, tapping a brick, opened up a hidden compartment. “First things first, we gotta disconnect you from Lord Anaberal’s  control thingy. Won’t matter if we figure out how to get you outta the house permanently if he can torture you forever.” 

“Do you know how to do that? Ms. Ellen didn’t seem to.” 

“I’m sure she would have thought of something eventually. But ya see, here’s the difference between and Fluffy Ellen.” Nue turned, grinning. “I’m old as dirt. She’s practically a kid to me, and I’m not talking about her attitude. Here, hold this.” 

Kana put out her hands, only to yelp as Nue dropped a teal snake into her arms. Nue laughed. “That’s Roswell! She won’t bite, technically she ain’t even a snake.” 

"She certainly seems like a snake…"

"She's more like a little sapient bit of my power. A little bit of unknowability that's learned to take advantage of it to be how she likes. Like me!" Nue reached down and brushed the snake's head. "And she's how we're going to disconnect you from Lord Anaberal 's control."

"How?"

Kana gasped as the snake wriggled in her hands, blurring and turning into a silver bracelet, wide and made of filigreed wire. "What? How did it…"

Nue grinned as she picked up the bracelet. "She's an aspect of my power, so she shares the same abilities I do."

"You're a shape-shifter?"

"Hmm, it's kinda like shape-shifting, but it's not. Rather, you remove all identifiable traits, and then fake having whatever traits you like. People see what they expect, based on what they perceive. So I do things like giving myself different hair, skin tones, shapes, then letting people make their own judgments." Nue paused. "…I suppose you could call it shape-shifting. But it's a bit different from a Tanuki or Kitsune on a metaphysical level. Psychological, too."

Kana stared blankly, confused. "So… you shape-shift, but in a way that most of the work is done by the people who see you?"

Nue turned back, pointing. "Exactly! Like how back in Chapter 3 I only got described as being Lord Anaberal's cook and shown to be concerned with you, but didn't have any physical description. The readers probably came up with their own ideas of what I might look like, so when I revealed myself, well…" Nue grinned. "Surprise~! Turns out it was a disguise all along, a perfect one because I hid my adjectives! Definitely my power in action and not the author having the idea to bring me in a few chapters later after realizing she left me undescribed."

"I… what?"

"I heard that, smoloverlord. Don't say that again. Kana, don't worry about it. Worry about putting Roswell on your wrist. Go on!" She dropped the bracelet back into Kana's hands. Kana slipped it onto her wrist, feeling a strange wave of energy flow over her. It was almost like when she turned invisible, but… different. Kana held it for a second, then slipped it onto her wrist. “"Your curse is on a paper talisman that Anaberal keeps with him, right? Like a controller for a shock-collar. The talisman zaps you when you don't obey the rules on it, as well as every time he pushes the button, so to speak."

"More or less."

"Great. You're unidentifiable now. As long as you have Roswell with you, he can't touch you. Call him an asshole!"

"What?"

"Call him an asshole!"

Kana tensed, closing her eyes. "Lord Anaberal… is… is an asshole." She opened an eye, but there was no sense of choking. No pain. Nue was practically bouncing with glee. "You're unidentifiable. The curse can't hurt what it can't identify!"  

Kana flexed her fingers. While she was still visible, her form seemed to blur at the edges, as though she were out of focus. “So I’m safe now?”

“...Well, no. You’re still stuck in the house- I have no idea how you got out in the first place. And the moment Roswell disconnects from you, you’re gonna be as vulnerable as ever. And unfortuantely, I’m gonna need her back at some point.” 

“Oh…”

Nue reached and patted Kana on the shoulder. “Don’t worry! It’s not a perfect solution, sure, but it’s a step. You’re free from Lord Anaberal’s curse and control for now, and that’s something you haven’t been in months . He can’t stop you from whatever you choose to do.”

Kana paused for a moment of thought. “Like… taking the control talisman away from him and destroying it.” 

“I was gonna say something like prank the hell out of him to the point where he has to flee the manor, but that works too." Nue tapped her chin. "If you destroy the talisman, that should end your curse permanently- or at least, until he can get someone in to re-seal you. Hide out long enough and avoid him, you should be fine until we can figure out a solution."

"I don't know if it's that simple. I tried hiding from him when he brought in the priest to seal me the first time. He found me." Was it because he knew I was his daughter? Was he able to predict where I'd hide? 

"Hmm… I could try pretending to be a priest. Fake sealing you, then have you lie low until we figure something out?"

"I think Lord Anaberal has a priest in mind. Probably the one who put me under his control in the first place."

"Damn." Nue had started to blur into a new form, but stopped at Kana's words. "No offense kid, I like you, but not enough to do a kill-and-replace." 

"That seems a bit extreme." Kana shook her head. "Anyway, I can get the talisman. It won't hurt if I destroy it?"

"Probably not, as long as you're under Roswell's protection" Nue grinned. "You go do that, okay?"

"Aren't you going to come with me?"

"I could, but then I wouldn't be finding a way to get you out of the house for good. No, don’t make that face. I’m not abandoning you, it’s just that if we can’t get you away from here, it won’t matter that much if we can get the talisman destroyed. Anaberal’l be able to make a new one, or just pin you down and kill you here.”

Kana shook, but Nue gently rubbed her shoulder. “Roswell will let me know if you need help. So if you do, I’ll come running. I promise, okay?” 

“Alright.” With that bit of reassurance, Kana flicked into invisibility, and started sneaking.

It was surprisingly easy for Kana to resist her instincts to prank and cause chaos. Easier than it would have been only a few months ago, before Lord Anaberal enslaved her. Part of her kept wincing at the thought- she was safe from the man’s curse, but even now she swore she could feel her throat tightening at the mere thought of mischief. Even without control, she was still being controlled, and she suspected that it would be a long time before she’d lose that fear, if ever. 

Kana thought it was safe to assume that the control talisman would be on Lord Anaberal’s person- why risk the ability to keep her under control with anyone else? He’d had it with him when he’d found her, after all. The bigger question would be if he was still in the manor. Kana thought he’d still be here- while he had said he would summon a priest to kill her, he most likely would have sent someone to get them, not gone himself. Lord Anaberal probably would have some kind of weird thought about being embarrassed by having a poltergeist in his house- not that that didn’t stop him from using Kana to serve during parties- though as Kana remembered, he’d never said exactly who- or perhaps what- was carrying those apparently flying trays of food and drink. He probably wanted people to assume he had some powerful magic or something- he didn't like Youkai, but he wouldn't hesitate to make use of magic power for his own benefit.

Like me.  

Kana shivered, taking a moment to center herself, before heading upstairs to the man's office. The door was closed, and a quick peek through the keyhole showed that Lord Anaberal was inside. He was facing a window, apparently reading something. Kana considered- was it worth it to risk alerting him, sneaking in now? She thought, then shook her head. She was going to risk alerting him no matter what, when trying to steal the control talisman. Best to be quick and use the opportunity she had, then wait for an ideal one that might never come. 

Kana pressed her hand against the lock, focusing her telekinesis on the parts within. She'd first tried this trick before she'd been sealed, but it had only been after she was under Lord Anaberal's control that she'd mastered it. She bit her lip, and moved each individual piece, controlling each with such dexterity that no piece scraped or squealed against another. Good for avoiding notice, be it in preparation of a prank, or for delivering tea and snacks. Kana gently opened the door, slipping inside. No movement or sign of notice from Lord Anaberal. Still, she hovered a few inches in the air, so as to not betray herself with the sound of her footsteps, holding her breath and moving invisibly. Where would Lord Anaberal put the control talisman when he wasn’t using it? Surely he didn’t keep it in his pocket all the time. Somewhere close to hand, perhaps a drawer in his desk? Kana glanced at the man, who was still standing at the window,  examining a book. Kana frowned, hovering  up slightly to see what it was, but as she did, Lord Anaberal slammed it shut. “Don’t you know it’s rude to stare over people’s shoulders?”

Kana squeaked in surprise as the man  slowly turned around. He gestured. “Visibility. Now.” Kana couldn’t help but comply as Lord Anaberal moved back to his desk. He opened a drawer, pulling out the control talisman and holding it up. Kana flinched at the sight, to which Lord Anaberal gave a cold smile. “I see you remember your place, at least a bit. I assume, after all, that you were attempting to find this?” 

Kana bit her tongue, shivering. She should just snatch it out of his hand, taking advantage of Nue’s protection. She knew it, but she was scared. Lord Anaberal’s smile grew. “Desperation is a powerful thing, Kana. Fear is universal. It isn’t just something Youkai use against Humans, no. Youkai can fear, and Humans can cause that fear. Indeed, do you know why Gensokyo exists, Kana?" 

Kana shook her head, and Lord Anaberal clicked his tongue. "I suppose you wouldn't. The truth has been concealed since the Border went up. Youkai unwilling to accept the truth. Fearful of it. The people of my Association, however, have held onto the truth. The Secret History if you will, passing it down from one generation to the next." The man turned, pulling a book down from the shelf behind him. "A year before the Border went up- 1884 by Outsider reckoning- a group of peasants rebelled against the Empire of Japan. At the same time, Youkai had been struggling, slowly going extinct under the weight of changing beliefs and understandings. The gracious rebels allowed the Youkai to join them, using their magic in their fight against the Empire, until eventually, the Border was created, and Gensokyo was sealed off.” Lord Anaberal paused. “Youkai were afraid. Afraid of Humans, only to be saved by some of our number.” 

Lord Anaberal stood, pacing, though never taking his eyes off Kana. “Youkai should be grateful to us. They would not exist without Humankind. They’re born from our stories and tales- why do you suppose that as they grow stronger and more intelligent, they tend to become more humanoid? Because they come from us. We give them life and strength. When the Empire sought to wipe them out, it was Humans who saved them. The Border is Youkai magic, but magic that is guided and sustained by the Hakurei bloodline- Human blood. The Zashiki-Warashi have the right idea, recognizing they exist solely at our mercy, and thus serve us. Yes, I know the rumors that they pass on information to the other Youkai. They do- information fed to them by their masters, so that the Kappa and Tengu traders who buy their information can feel oh so clever when they sell us the things we wanted anyway. Thinking they’re getting good deals when we’re playing them.” He paused, leaning down on his desk. “And yet they think themselves oh, so, powerful. Telling themselves lies about how they left the world outside out of some kind of nobility , ceding control so they wouldn’t have to listen to Humans talking about science and new philosophies. No. They were preserved by Humans. They adjusted themselves to survive among us, becoming more humanoid. Why? Because they’re meant to serve us. To obey us.” Lord Anaberal held up the control talisman. “As you do, Kana.”

Kana winced as the man squeezed the piece of paper, but all she felt was a slight tingle. Lord Anaberal frowned, examining the paper slip, then staring at Kana, eyes landing on the bracelet on her arm. “What is that? Who gave it to you? More of Ellen’s trickery?”

Kana shook her head, her breathing steadying. “Someone else. A way to protect me from being hurt by you.” 

“Indeed?” Lord Anaberal met Kana’s eyes, studying her. “How strange… it’s almost as though my eyes are slipping off you. As though you’re not important enough to notice, an unidentifiable, unimportant face in a crowd.” He frowned, narrowing his eyes. “Such a shame that I already know you so well- employed against someone who didn’t, I assume it would make you just as invisible as your normal gift.”

“And now I’m free of you, sir. You can’t hurt me anymore.” 

"You assume too much, Kana. Whatever new magic you found is clever, hiding who you are from the control talisman. But no power is infinite. No Oni's strength, no Tengu's speed, no Kappa's intellect…" Lord Anaberal reached into his desk, pulling out a small knife. "I know you too well to not recognize you. So all I need to do is give the talisman a little reminder." With that, he pricked the tip of his finger, blotting the blood on the paper slip and pressing down. 

Kana gasped as she felt her throat tighten, falling to her knees and reaching up and clawing at her neck for the imaginary hands strangling her. The bracelet on her wrist shuddered, turning back into Nue's teal snake, hissing in confusion as its power was subverted. "You should have picked someone else to imitate, Youkai. You took the form of my daughter, and in the process, made yourself vulnerable. I put my blood in this seal, and with it there is nowhere you can hide. Nothing you can do to flee. You put yourself in my control." Lord Anaberal pressed down on the talisman. "You are not my daughter, Kana, but we share blood regardless. And so I can control you. Youkai are the creations of humans, meant to serve, and you are mine specifically. To make serve, or kill, as I see fit. To punish you for daring to imitate my family."

Kana was crying, her vision dimming. It didn't make sense, she didn't even breathe. Lord Anaberal continued to stare down at her with hate-filled eyes. "This is the way of things. The strong control the weak. Youkai may think they are strong, but they forget- they are born of Humans, and Humans brought them to near extinction, only refraining out of mercy. They are weak, and the weak must serve, or else do not deserve to exist."

For a brief moment Kana felt clarity in the midst of her pain. In the midst of all of Lord Anaberal's hatred, she thought she felt a hand on her shoulder, heard Ellen's voice.

"That’s the entire point of the Grassroots Network. Because we can’t all be strong all the time, sometimes we need help from each other.”

Ellen and Sekibanki had tried to help her. Nue was trying to help her. They had no reason to, no demands that Kana serve them in exchange. No claims of strong ruling the weak, just acceptance and kindness.

And for a moment, it pushed against Lord Anaberal's control.

Not long, but enough. Enough for Kana to center herself, to realize the pain was all in her head, and that short of actually killing her, it really could get no worse. Holding that thought, the promise that people outside the manor cared about her. And with one final cry of desperation, Kana reached a hand out, activating her telekinesis, and pulled the bookshelf down on Lord Anaberal. The man screamed and fell, and the hand around Kana's throat vanished as he let go of the talisman. Kana collapsed to her hands and knees, gasping for breath, while the snake uncurled from her wrist, darting into the debris and returning a moment later with the control talisman. Kana didn't hesitate, taking the paper slip and ripping it to shreds.

The door burst open, Nue practically flying in. "Kana!"

"I'm fine… now, at least." 

Kana got onto shaky feet, scooping up the snake and giving it a scratch on the head, before handing it back to Nue. The remains of the control talisman dissolved to ash on the floor, while Lord Anaberal groaned, staggering to his feet as well. His eyes widened as he caught sight of Nue. " You? A traitor and spy-"

Nue's form blurred into unknowability. Lord Anaberal screamed and fell back as his mind apparently decided that Nue was something as horrible as he was. But as the woman advanced, Kana reached out and grabbed her, holding her back. Nue's form returned to her default self, shooting Kana a glance, but not saying anything as Kana stepped forward. Lord Anaberal glared at the two of them, eyes locking on Kana's as she approached. "Are you going to kill me, then? Kill the reason you exist?"

Kana stared, then sighed, shaking her head. "No."

" Weak ." 

Kana shook her head again. "I don't understand you. One moment you're saying I'm not your daughter, the next you demand respect because you say Humans created Youkai."

"Yes. You exist because of us. Because you were able to imitate what my Kana could have been. But you're not my daughter."

"No. But I could have been. Even as I am." Kana closed her eyes. "Even… even before you controlled me, I didn't hurt anyone. My pranks were meant to be harmless fun. I've seen how your other children play. Is it so different? Just because I can turn invisible?"

" Yes. Because it's more than that. Youkai like you and your little friends don't think like us."

Kana turned to Nue, who was gently patting her snake's head. Thinking of Ellen and Sekibanki and their friendship. Kana sighed, then turned away. "If that's true, then maybe I'd rather think like them than like you. "

The man shouted in fury, but Kana slammed the door behind her as she left the office. Nue walked next to her. "Might be a bit of problem, kid. Guy's mad, and I kinda gave away who I was in the heat of the moment. Might be harder to figure out a way to get you out of the house, if he's angry enough to keep me from getting people close by to help."

"Maybe?"

Nue nodded. "I slowed down the priest, but I ran back when I felt Roswell panicking about you. He'll be here soon to reseal or destroy you."

"Then let's not be here." Kana didn't turn invisible as she walked. Servants were running towards the stairs in response of Lord Anaberal's yells, as was his family, yet Kana stayed visible, keeping her head up. She was still riding the high of her short fight, else normally she'd probably have panicked and vanished again. People stared at her as she walked- her blonde hair and ice-blue eyes that perfectly matched Lord Anaberal's. This is why he wanted me to stay invisible, isn't it. How much we look alike.

Kana walked to the front door, feeling the weight of staring confusion on her shoulders. She turned to Nue. "Lord Anaberal used his own blood on the seal. Regardless of what he would like to say, and how much I hate it, I am his daughter. A poltergeist, a vison of everything he hoped his daughter could be. Would have been, if he'd accepted me." 

Kana opened the door, pressing her hand on the invisible wall around the property. She considered it for a moment. That morning, when she'd managed to get through, it had been after she had spoken her clear intent- to go and return Ellen's notebook. Was it that simple? To be sure of herself that way? Kana took a breath to center herself, then spoke firmly. "I am Kana Anaberal. This house is mine by right as my Origin Object and my bloodline. And I am leaving."

The barrier liquified at her touch. It still was a struggle to get through, but whatever magic kept her contained before felt weaker. Whether it was her intent to leave, or that by recognizing who she was, Kana couldn't be entirely sure. She also knew that for the time being, she was still bound to the house- she'd have to return periodically until she found a way to sever herself properly. And she knew that as soon as he recovered from the scare Nue had given him, Lord Anaberal would be crafting revenge.

But for now, it was enough. Outside the house, Kana smiled as she saw Sekibanki and Ellen, worry changing to smiles as she approached. Kana couldn't help but smile as well as she broke into a sprint, intent on a hug.

Things weren't perfect, and they'd be difficult going forward. 

But it was enough for now. Kana was free.

Chapter Text

At the center of the Human Village, in what was known as Battlefield Square, hundreds of people milled around. The clear-walled arena in the middle was unoccupied, though mage-lamps had hastily been set at the corners as the sun started going down. 

Rumors had spread- the first round of the Magic Competition had been little more than a curiosity for those who happened to hear of it- no one had announced it, no word had been said until the day of, when the arena appeared. But as the rounds went on, word had spread, culminating when “Special Editions” of the Bunbunmaru started appearing in the other villages- that Reimu Hakurei had returned to Gensokyo, was a finalist for the competition, and they were going to start any minute so get moving if you want to see!

Tengu are fast, and Aya Shameimaru more than the rest.

And so, even a mere ten minutes or so after the end of the third round, as the Professor called for Mima Geist-Hexe and Reimu Hakurei to enter the arena, the village was packed . 

Kotohime rubbed Reimu’s back as the two stood. Genjii had returned with the promised orange slices, and the girl was happily snacking on them. Kotohime had taken some herself, feeling better after her fight with Mima. “How are you doing, Reimu?”

“Nervous."

"Understandable. It's okay to be nervous, Reimu." Kotohime sighed. "I guess I'm just waiting for the other foot to drop, and realize someone stole its shoe."

"...what?"

"I think we're about to find out whatever it is the Professor is up to.  Maybe after the last round, maybe in the middle of it. I can’t say for sure.”

"Excuse me, Lady Kotohime?"

Kotohime paused, turning away from Reimu for a moment. A man with short gray hair and spectacles stood before her, looking a bit nervous. “I, erm, recognize that Lady Hakurei is about to go fight, but-”

“It’s fine, Morichika.” Kotohime looked down at Reimu. “Go on ahead. Hopefully this won’t take long.”

“Alright.” 

Reimu scurried off, while Kotohime turned back to Rinnosuke. “So, what do you need?”

“Ahem, right. Well…” The man adjusted his glasses. “A friend of ours has gone missing. And we’re getting a bit worried.”
“Missing?” Kotohime glanced past Rinnosuke and examined his companions- she recognized the lavender-haired pharmacist, but the other, a blonde teenager who was a dead-ringer for the Professor’s companion, save for a different color outfit… “What was she doing before she vanished?”

Rinnosuke shot a glance towards the Professor and her verdette companion, which told Kotohime all she needed to know. “What have you figured out?”

“Rikako had a textbook that we think belonged to the Professor’s companion. And I’m a Tsukumogami of it, but there’s something wrong with how I formed, or something. We’re not sure.” The blonde girl held up the textbook in question. “Rikako got shot by the Professor’s other follower earlier, and we think she went to go find my duplicate while that green-haired nutcase was occupied. Only she’s been gone for a while now…” 

“I see. If you have any clues, I’ll-”

Mima brushed past Kotohime, seemingly out of nowhere. “I’ll need something belonging to your friend. Hair or other bodily material is preferable.” 

“Mima, what are you doing?” 

The ghost-witch in question ignored Kotohime as the blonde girl held up the textbook again. “Will this work? It’s my origin object, but it was hers before. And I know she's fallen asleep reading it so there's definitely hair stuck between the pages." 

“Worth a shot. ‘Specially if she was looking for the other you.” Mima took the book, pulling out some objects from a pouch at her waist. She didn’t look up as she worked. “I told you, ‘Hime. Truce until we figure all this crap with the Professor out. We work together.”

“What about the competition? You’re supposed to fight Reimu.”

“Let her win. I have nothing to prove.” 

Mima turned to look at Kotohime, and for a brief moment, there was something familiar in the woman’s emerald eyes. Something Kotohime couldn’t quite place, but the feeling conveyed, at least, made sense. “You mean it?”

“I do.” 

“You really aren’t a normal Vengeful Ghost, are you.”

“If I were, I’d have been exterminated and grateful for it. I’ve got better things to do with my death than be a furious gibbering idiot all day.” Something glowed among Mima's objects as she cast a spell. "Bamboo Forest. Both of 'em, doesn't look too deep." She glanced around. "We bringing the tagalongs, princess?"

"She's our friend," said Rinnosuke, the blonde nodding alongside him.

"And you got your ass kicked with your own weapon." 

"Mima…"

"I was going to bring them to my master anyway, Ms. Geist-Hexe." Reisen grimaced. "She won't be happy about it, but I'm concerned about Chiyuri's health."

"I'm sure she'll understand." Kotohime patted the disguised Moon Rabbit on the shoulder. She was one of the few people in Gensokyo who knew what- or rather who - Tewi Inaba was hiding in her domain. She gave a quick glance around her. "If that's everyone, let's go."

As the group began to run, a girl with violet robes and blonde hair watched, eyes trailing after Mima. "Let her win? " Marisa clenched her fists, eyes turning from Mima towards the arena, towards Reimu. Marisa reached down to a pouch on her belt, lifting out the contents- an octagonal wooden box, freshly borrowed. "You won't get away with it, Hakurei. We have a score to settle."

"Ah, the final round!" The Professor smiled at Reimu as she walked up. "I feel like I should say something profound and poetic, but I'm afraid I can't think of anything. I never was one for poetry, I'm afraid. Perhaps I should practice? Maybe it would help with grant proposals…"

Reimu stared as the red-headed woman trailed off.  The woman paused, for a moment, then laughed and shook her head. "Ah, but I'm rambling. Anyway, Rei. Reimu." She tapped her chin, looking her over. "You were in disguise, incognito. And the moment you revealed yourself people got very excited. Fascinating!"

“Um, yes…” Reimu didn’t understand the strange young woman. 

“I suppose Rei Hino was a fitting name for you, then? Did you pick that on purpose?” The woman laughed, apparently having the same joke that her blonde friend had that Reimu didn’t understand. Out of everyone here, the Professor seemed to be the only one to whom the name  Hakurei meant nothing- 

Well, unless you counted Mima and her followers, Reimu supposed. 

“In any case, Reimu, you’ve done quite well. I have high hopes for you!”

“...Are you allowed to say that, since you’re running the competition?”

The Professor smiled. “Well, it’s as you say- I’m running the competition. Who’s going to tell me that I can’t have my personal biases? Speaking of, Second call for Mima Geist-Hexe! ” She shouted the last bit as Mima once again refused to show up on time. Reimu scanned the crowd, frowning as she caught sight of the ghost. 

“I…  don’t think she’s coming.” Reimu pointed into the crowd, where Mima and Kotohime were pushing their way to the back. 

The Professor frowned, then called “Last chance for Mima Geist-Hexe!” But Mima didn’t teleport into the ring like she’d done every other fight, she didn’t even so much as turn around. After a few seconds, the Professor shook her head. “Well, it’s a bit disappointing. Though I suppose it’s a bit convenient, we were running low on time as is.” She grabbed Reimu’s hand, lifting it in the air. “Well, I guess that’s a disqualification and forfeit, I’m afraid. A bit of an anti-climax, but other than that, our winner, Reimu Hakure-”

“ I WILL FIGHT ON LADY MIMA’S BEHALF!”

The Professor dropped Reimu’s arm as the two whirled around. Marisa stood there, eyes sparkling with arcane fury. “I will fight on Lady Mima’s behalf! I will not let Reimu win by doing absolutely nothing. Not this time!”

“Erm, Miss, you already had your chance and lost. Against Ms. Hakurei here, even!” The Professor patted Reimu on the shoulder. “I don’t think that’s very fair, is it? And wouldn’t it be kinda embarrassing for you?”

“Professor…” Reimu tugged on the woman’s sleeve, as Marisa seethed.

"You underestimate me. That was just a warmup! I’ll destroy her, here and now!”

"Just go away , Marisa. You're causing a scene!" Only too late did Reimu realize this was probably the wrong thing to say, as Marisa hissed, thrusting her hand forward and unleashing a burst of star-shaped bullets. Reimu yelped and ducked, dodging most of them though one did slam into  her shoulder. The Professor was not so lucky, getting hit in the gut by a bullet, knocking her down in a gasp of air. Reimu caught herself, drawing her staff in time to smack away another spread of bullets. “Marisa!”

Marisa didn’t respond, though she jumped back several meters, sparks of magic flickering over her fingers. The girl gave a feral smile, reaching up and adjusting her hat. “You’re done , Hakurei. I’m not letting you get away this time.” 

Reimu opened her mouth to speak, only to cry out as an energy bullet struck her in the back, knocking her forward. She whirled, seeing a grinning Rika, pistols up and a few robots flitting around her. She’d changed back to her normal outfit, though instead of her cape, one of her machines was clinging to her back- large and spider-like with a windmill propeller on the back.  "I thought I told you to literally kick that vampire's literal ass, Hakurei. Are you too stupid to know what an ass is? I don't mind giving a demonstration."

“Such a simple request, but she couldn’t be bothered to fulfill it…” 

Reimu turned back as Marisa growled. She took a few steps back, away from the two girls. The Professor had gotten to her feet, staring between the three unsurely. Reimu took another step back, only to bump into something. She turned, staring up into the eyes of Meira. Meira didn't say anything, though Reimu saw the girl’s hand drift down towards her sword. Behind her was the fourth girl- Narumi, right? She hovered behind Meira, shaking and nervous. Reimu gritted her teeth. “Please tell me you’re going to talk some sense into them…”

“I was scheduled to visit and fight against you today, Hakurei.”

“ Scheduled? ” Reimu gaped, then shook her head. “So what, you’re gonna fight me too?”

“Yes, she is!” Marisa spat. “Because you deserve it, Hakurei. I’ve had enough of you.” Marisa’s fists were clenched, though as Reimu looked at the others, she saw a brief uncomfortable look cross Rika’s face, Meira’s hand tensing on her sword, Narumi shaking her head and clutching her hands together. 

“Marisa, just calm down. This is ridiculous!” Reimu stepped away from Meira, into the center of the group. She kept turning, trying to keep track of the others, while the Professor ran to the arena exit. The crowd was shouting, but not out of panic- they were cheering her name. Hakurei! Hakurei!

And apparently Marisa had noticed, given how her eyes narrowed. She growled, tossing something into the air and catching it- a little wooden box shaped like an octagon. “You don’t tell me what to do, Hakurei.” Before Reimu could respond, Marisa pointed her box forward, and unleashed a burst of star-shaped bullets straight at Reimu’s face. 

Reimu dove out of the way, getting to her feet only to cry out and dive back down as Rika whooped, launching forward in a spread of energy bullets from her guns. She hovered in the air, carried by the machine clinging to her back, cackling as her mechanical Yin-Yang orbs unfolded behind her. Reimu’s cat shifted into Orb form, splitting into four as Reimu leapt up and kicked one straight at Rika, only for a red bullet to zip in out of nowhere, homing in on the kicked Orb and knocking it away. Reimu whirled, rounding on a shivering Narumi, the Jizou’s arms up and a dozen large red energy bullets swarming around her like insects. She didn’t seem to be actually attacking, though Reimu didn’t have much time to actually check before she had to dodge a slash from Meira’s sheathed sword. 

Reimu pulled her Orbs close, tightening their orbit and closing gaps as they spun. Four against one? That’s not fair at all! She glanced towards the arena exit, where she saw Genjii shoving his way towards her, but suddenly he vanished- as though he were never there to begin with. “What-”

An energy bullet smashed into Reimu’s rear, followed shortly by more cackling from Rika. "That's what an ass is, Hakurei! Need me to repeat the lesson?" Reimu shook her head, raising her staff into a guard pose. She’d have to figure out what happened to Genjii later. Or hope she’d just missed him and he was on the way…

“My lady!” 

Genjii rushed towards the arena, but just before he reached the gate, everything froze- himself, the people around him, the air itself stilling. All he could move was his mouth. “What? Who…”

“Me.”

Time reasserted around him as the voice spoke, but only himself, the world still frozen. He whirled around, eyes widening at the sight before him. A tall woman with gold- literal golden, not blonde- hair, with a pair of fox ears and nine tails behind her. She wore a white and blue dress. “You’re…You’re Lady Yakumo’s servant!”

“I am.  She wishes to speak to you, Genjii.” The woman stared down at him. One eye was gold, the other violet and red, flickering with borrowed power. “She has lent me the ability to extend the border of one second to another. Long enough for me to retreive you.”

“R- retrieve ? Miss, Reimu is currently under attack! I can’t go anywhere, tell Lady Yakumo she’ll have to wait!” 

The Kitsune continued to stare, only her gold eye blinking, while the violet one stayed open. “My lady will not wait.”

“But Reimu-”

“The Samurai is a non-issue. She has a distaste for dishonorable fights, such as this one. Her heart will not be in it, and she may even turn on her allies out of a sense of fairness.” The Kitsune took a step forward, circling Genjii. “The Engineer is a non-issue. Most of her on-hand machines were destroyed in her fight with the Vampire, and her most powerful weapons were left behind anyway. The Jizou is a non-issue. She only joined with the Ghost-Witch this morning, so what little loyalty she has will be overwhelmed by her protective instincts. She will stay defensive and will in fact try to stop them fighting. The Witchlet is a non-issue. She was already soundly defeated by the Shrine Maiden during the first round.” The woman returned to the front. “The Ghost-Witch is a non-issue, she is being watched by the Last Incident Resolver and is not here . Barring unforeseen circumstances, I calculate a 76 percent chance that Lady Hakurei will crush her competition with no harm to herself, 23.98 percent that she will do so with nothing more than a few bumps and bruises.”

“And what of the last .02 percent, then?”

The Kitsune paused, then reached a hand forward. “For those, I suggest you get a move on and meet with Lady Yakumo. The sooner your talk is done, the sooner I can take you back.”

Genjii gritted his beak, but after a moment, sighed, and reached up one clawed foot to the woman’s. 

To the world around Genjii, it would have seemed like one moment he was there, the next, he was gone, save for the briefest flash of a black rift closing up in the air.

“Whose side are you on , Narumi?!?”

Narumi winced but didn't respond as she called her bullets back into orbit around her.  She'd sent them out in front of the Hakurei girl just in time to intercept a spread of star-shaped bullets from Marisa, explaining the girl's fury, but Narumi couldn't help it. It was enough of a struggle already to not run in front of the girl as a living shield.

Narumi hadn't known what Marisa was planning, but she probably could have guessed. Shortly after Lady Mima disappeared and the Professor started calling for her for the last fight, Marisa had run over and yelled for Meira and Rika to follow her. She hadn't protested when Narumi had followed, though she had given her a look that Narumi hadn't been able to interpret. Gratitude for following after? Annoyance knowing that Narumi wouldn't be trying to hurt the Hakurei girl? 

Still, the best she could do was to try to prevent anyone getting hurt. Several of her energy bullets had been destroyed blocking Marisa's attack, so Narumi focused, creating more and imbuing each with a little spark of power, making them stronger, having a bit of will to their own, enough to seek out other attacks and block them. Already they were speeding off, ramming into a storm of violet needles. That at least got Narumi a brief nod of appreciation from Meira, before she vanished in a blur of red and violet.

"Cover me, Nar!" 

Narumi looked up, as Rika dove down and landed behind her, the windmill blades of the heavy-lifter drone clinging to her back slowing. One of Rika's mechanical Orbs had been destroyed, and as she ducked behind Narumi she dropped its remains on the ground, along with a destroyed isopod and one of her pistols. The girl whipped out a set of tools, rapidly going to work while her remaining Orb joined Narumi's bullets, firing sporadically. "Are you alright, Rika?"

"Am I? This is the best fight I've had in a while! Why didn't I think to hook myself to a drone earlier?" Rika was giggling- giggling - as she stripped apart her gun and robots, rebuilding them into something bigger. "I need to do this more often! Maybe talk to that big purple nerd Reimu fought earlier, she had a rocket pack. Wonder what she was using for fuel, or how she made it so she didn't burn her ass off?"  Rika held up her modified gun, two more barrels now above and below the original, bits of silver metal covering all three. "I'm not even mad about that stupid vampire, this has been great !"

Narumi blinked and shook her head. "I don't know…"

"If it's about Marisa, she's fine. She's fine. Either we kick Reimu's butt and she's happy, or we lose and Marisa has to stop and think a bit. Either way it'll work out!" 

"Do you really think so?"

"Yeah!" 

But Rika had a brief pained expression on her face as she spoke. It only lasted a second before Rika turned, aiming her modified gun. “Anyway, I’ll end this faster! Say hello to my latest creation, the Wave Beam!”  Rika hummed a tune, before pulling the trigger. Three energy bullets shot out, vibrating with energy and spinning around each other… only to fizzle as three of Narumi’s own bullets flew into them. Rika frowned, before turning towards Narumi. “Can’t you turn that off? Or at least whitelist our attacks?” Narumi shook her head, and Rika sighed. “Well, I’ll just try to stay out of their range. Thanks for killing the tone, Nar.” 

“Sorry.” 

Rika shrugged her off. “You’ll get better with practice. And this is practice, it’s why Lady Mima told us we could fight Reimu as long as we were careful." Rika nodded before taking off to rejoin the fight.

Narumi frowned, then shook her head. She hoped Rika was correct about Marisa, but if Rika was doubting herself, and considering how angry Marisa seemed…

Perhaps it would be for the best to keep on the defensive, just in case.

So far things hadn't gone as bad as Reimu had feared, for being four against one. Meira had stuck solely to melee attacks, having unhooked her sword, sheath and all, and sneaking in probing attacks when Reimu let her guard down rather than simply using her strength to grab and throw Reimu against things. Likewise Narumi hadn't actually attacked , not directly at least- though Reimu almost wished she was. It was annoying to watch as yet again the Orb perfectly aimed at Marisa's face was knocked away by the Jizou's bullets, but Reimu couldn't bring herself to attack the fourth girl- not when she was clearly not into the fight, and on a few occasions those same bullets had deflected an attack aimed at Reimu.

But that still left Rika and Marisa. 

Reimu hopped up over a wave of golden light and brought her Orbs forward to intercept a spread of star bullets, before rapidly turning back around to send a blaze of needles towards Rika. Marisa had her wand in one hand, that octagonal box in the other, firing energy bullets out of its center or drawing power from it, glowing light trickling up her arm from the device. Reimu wasn’t sure what it was, but Marisa seemed to be hurling around even more bullets than normal- or was that just a side effect of how angry she seemed?

Reimu didn’t have the time to think on it, though, as she yelped and took a step back, Meira’s sheathed sword slashing just past her legs. Meira vanished in a blur of red and violet, reappearing and swinging down at Reimu, who yelped again as she brought up her staff to block. 

“Stop sandbagging, Meira!” Marisa screamed from the side. Reimu glanced towards her, shifting to avoid a pair of glowing lazers as Meira pulled back and took another swing. “We’re not here to play with her, kill her already!” 

Meira grimaced, drawing back a few steps. Reimu glanced back to her. “Meira, you don’t have to do this. Just-”

The girl vanished in a blur of red and violet, reappearing beside Reimu and snatching the Orbs out of the air. Reimu shouted but Meira blurred again, reappearing a short distance away, her eyes darkening to match Reimu’s chocolate brown. Reimu felt a brief moment of confusion, then emptiness, as the Orb got confused and decided that Meira was her, shifting control to the samurai. Meira raised her hand, hovering in the air and Orbs orbiting her. “I’ve taken control of your weapon, disarming you. You’ve been beaten. Admit your def-”

Reimu drew a handful of paper talismans from inside her sleeve and threw them, two latching onto Meira’s arm and unleashing jolts of sanctified electricity. Meira gasped in pain, managed to point forward and fire forth needles from the orbs. Reimu swung her staff back and forth to deflect them, but a few got through and clipped her.

"Aim better ! Do I have to do everything myself?" Marisa hissed, briefly summoning a shield to protect herself from some stray needles, then jabbing her wand into the ground, light flickering as it chased towards Reimu, exploding near her and knocking her into the air. Meira shot Marisa a glare, but turned, tracking the Orbs after Reimu. Reimu flapped her arms, but she still couldn’t fly, couldn’t even attempt to dodge, and she’d dropped her staff when launched. Meira raised her hand, dozens of needles firing out from the Orb, straight at Reimu. Reimu closed her eyes, and in desperation, brought her hands forward and made a rectangle with her fingers, just as Kotohime had shown her. Sparks flickered around her finger tips, and an orange barrier formed in front of her- smaller, more transparent than Kotohime's, but solid enough to deflect most of the needles and slow the rest as it shattered, rendering them harmless. Reimu fell, landing in a roll but otherwise no worse for wear as the crowd cheered around her. 

"Are you kidding? A new power, now , just deus ex machina-ing her way out of an attack?!?" Marisa screamed, mouth agape. She pointed at Meira. “Kill her already! Before she can do that again!” 

But Meira shook her head. “Marisa, this is too far. I don’t mind fighting Reimu, I enjoy it, but this is-” 

Meira paused, grabbing her forehead. Reimu felt the connection between her and her Orb reform, as across the way it recombined into one, glowing and starting to spin. Reimu’s eyes widened, recognizing from the last time Meira had tried to take control of the Orb from her. “Meira, get rid of it!”

Meira was still holding her head in apparent pain, but she managed to kick the Orb away. Just in time, as the Orb spun and started spraying needles and amulets in every direction. Reimu ducked for cover, catching sight of Rika landing on top of Narumi and pulling her to the ground, protecting the Jizou from the anti-Youkai magic on each of the bullets. After a few seconds, the Orb stopped spinning, shifting into cat form with an indignant “Meow!” before sprinting over to Reimu. Reimu got up, brushing herself off. A few needles and amulets had clipped her, but none had actually hit properly. The same couldn’t be said for the others, with Meira wincing as she pulled needles from her flesh, the violet constructs dissolving back into the aether as they fell. Rika had managed to take most of the attack for Narumi, though the Jizou was crying as Rika pulled an amulet from her leg, wincing as she ignored where she’d been hit as well. Marisa… where was Marisa-

An energy bullet slammed into Reimu’s back, sending her sprawling. She flipped over to see a furious Marisa,  “Trying to kill Meira again ?”

“That was her own doing, she grabbed the Orb, it doesn’t like being grabbed,” Reimu scrambled to her feet. “Besides, she’s fine.”

“Uncaring bitch .” 

“I care! I told her to get rid of it and everything. Why are you so mad?"

“You don’t get it , Hakurei…” Marisa seethed, golden eyes seeming to glow. She held up the octagonal wooden box in both hands, shadows seeming to grow darker around it. “How unfair it all is. I had to work for everything. I had to fight my dad, run away from home… What did you ever do, huh? You got everything handed to you!”

“Marisa…”

“A magic turtle to ride on, all kinds of power, your stupid kickball …” Marisa was starting to tear up. “And now you’re trying to take everything else from me! Rika, Meira, even Lady Mima?” 

Reimu took a step back. "What are you talking about?"

“Look at them!” Marisa swept her arm out. “Just fawning over you. You’re our enemy! You tried to kill Lady Mima!”

“I…” Reimu blinked. Kill? She hadn’t tried to kill Mima. Just seal her away… was that what Marisa meant? But she couldn’t respond, the girl was still talking. 

“And now she’s all ‘Oh, let her win.’ Let you win? You’re her enemy , and she would just let you win? Why ? She should hate you, but apparently she loves you now?”

“She went off with Kotohime, they probably have something important to do-”

“And her, too? She doesn’t know you, but it's only a few hours before she decides she wants to adopt you." Marisa lowered her weapon, shaking. "You get everything handed to you. Powers, friendships, respect… they're supposed to be my friends, but they can't even help me with this without complaining." Marisa gestured towards Rika and Meira. Rika opened her mouth, while Meira gritted her teeth, a look of worry in her face. 

"Marisa… you know that's not true." Reimu spoke softly, trying to placate the girl. "They care about you. Caring isn't the same as blindly doing what you tell them."

Marisa's eyes sparked. "What do you know? That's all everyone does for you! Even Lady Mima now!"

“Marisa, calm down! You're being absurd!”

“I will not calm down! No one tells me what to do! Not you, not dad, no one!” Marisa brought the wooden box forward, dark energy coiling around it. “I hate you, Reimu Hakurei! I! ”
Lights seemed to dim around the entire arena, black and violet energy sparking over Marisa’s finger tips. The wooden box started to crack, unable to contain the raw power.
“HATE!”
The sun dropped below the horizon, leaving nothing but Marisa’s hate-filled eyes.
“ YOU!!!”

A massive lazer erupted from the center of the wooden box, black and iridescent, violet shock diamonds running down its length. A roar of rushing wind and ionizing air, and worse, a sudden sickening feeling in Reimu’s stomach. As though she were feeling all of Marisa’s hatred as her own. She felt tears of her own as she stared down the borehole of the incoming apocalypse, unable to move. 

Then her cat jumped up, shifting into Orb form and expanding to full size, all without her command. It flew in front of her, shielding Reimu from the massive lazer. But even then, dark energy spilled around it, scorching Reimu. Reimu cried out, pushing into the lee of the Orb. She could hear Marisa screaming, rage and pain intertwined. Whatever she was doing, it wasn’t just hurting Reimu, it was hurting her , too. 

A part of Reimu didn’t care. Marisa was horrible . Even Mima herself didn’t act as evil as Marisa did. Meira was dangerous, Rika was crazy, but they had redeeming qualities. Marisa did nothing but hate and try to kill her. Even now, whatever she was doing, it was making Marisa’s hatred physical. She could feel it, forcing itself into her, pulling out every bit of hatred Reimu felt towards the girl. 

Let her burn herself up. She deserves it. 

Marisa was still screaming. Reimu was screaming herself now, dark patches forming on her skin wherever the shadowy energy pushed past the Orb to lick at her skin. It burned , like someone was peeling away her flesh one layer at a time. How could she do this to me? What kind of human being does this? Even Mima’s Soulfire, while painful, wasn’t this bad! 

“Part of what comes of being a hero, I guess. You're never gonna be a perfect person, able to always be completely fair and impartial. That doesn't mean you don't try, though. As much as I hate Shameimaru, I can't let my personal bias affect how I treat her, no more than assuming every Youkai who enters my village is a troublemaker.”

Reimu thought back to Kotohime’s words. If It was anyone else but Marisa about to burn herself up, would I stop them? Reimu closed her eyes. She’d ran into the arena to try and stop Elis killing Rika before, she’d been worried about Meira when she’d gone berserk. And those two were also troublemakers. 

“Oh, damn it all…” Reimu shook her head, then drew back her fist, chambering a punch before launching the Orb straight down Marisa’s lazer. Shadows closed around her as the Orb flew off, Reimu screaming in pain, but a moment later there was a crack as the Orb connected. Marisa’s lazer winked out of existence, and as Reimu fell to her knees, black patches burned on her hands and arms, she could see Marisa lying down, the Orb in cat form gently poking her face. The octagonal box had been smashed, reduced to pieces of smoldering wood and glowing metal. 

"Marisa!"

Rika ran to the girl's side, Narumi close behind her. Reimu struggled to her feet, scooping up her staff as she inspected herself. Black patches of skin where she'd been hit by Marisa's attack, and she could still feel the lingering sense of hatred in the air. Reimu lifted her staff, pressing it to her forehead and whispering a quick chant. Purifying holy light glowed from the wood, and the blackness and hatred were cleared away. 

Reimu started towards Marisa, but a hand touched her shoulder. "I don't think you should." Reimu turned to see Meira, the samurai's eyes downcast. "I don't think it will help."

"She hurt herself. Really badly."

"And if you go over there, she'll resent you for it. For pitying her, for rubbing her inadequacy in her face." 

"I'm not-"

"I know." Meira closed her eyes, and for a moment Reimu thought she saw the girl tearing up. "She needs help, help we don't know how to provide. More than just her injuries."

Reimu turned back around, where Rika and Narumi were trying to hold on to a whimpering Marisa. She could see painful black streaks all over the girl's face, backlash from that awful spell. Reimu thought, then turned to Meira. "Mima had you learn Shrine Maiden stuff, so you could make seals for her to practice breaking out of. I think you said that once, right?"

"Yeah."

"And you learned some other stuff, probably. Purification rituals?"

"Yes, though only basic ones."

Reimu looked back at Marisa, then turned to Meira, holding up her staff. "Will she accept your help?"

Meira looked down at Reimu, red-brown eyes meeting chocolate. Slowly, she took the staff, fingers briefly brushing over Reimu's. Meira's eyes shifted color to match Reimu's as she nodded, before she pushed past and ran towards Marisa, purifying light starting to glow as she went.

Reimu closed her eyes and tried to focus. Her head was throbbing, the cheers of the crowd not helping as they called her name. She just wanted to go home. She felt a hand on her shoulder and flinched, turning to see the Professor. "Are you alright, Ms. Hakurei?"

Reimu shook her head. The woman nodded. "Would you like me to bring you to your prize now? Get out of the crowd a bit? Else we could wait for your… is Kotohime your mother?"

"No, she's not. We can go."

"Excellent." The Professor smiled and patted Reimu on the shoulder, before turning to the crowd. "Thank you all for coming! You’ve been an excellent crowd!”

More cheers, as the Professor tapped something on that metal vambrace of hers. “Now, my friends, I’m afraid we must go. Have a good night!” She turned to Reimu, hissing a whisper. “Give everyone a wave, and then brace yourself.” 

“What?”

“I think a grand exit is deserved to finish off this performance.” The Professor smiled as Reimu gave a quick wave, then reached out and took Reimu’s arm in hers. “I believe this should work, so long as the mana circuits don’t interfere with the teleport system- but they didn’t earlier, so-”

There was a sudden flash of light and silence, and suddenly Reimu was standing in the middle of a forest of bamboo. She let go of the Professor, turning around. “What?”

“Ha! Just as planned!” The Professor laughed, before turning to Reimu. “How about you step inside my office for a moment?" She gestured behind herself, revealing a metal box on black wheels. Reimu stared, but the Professor just smiled.

"Alright…" Reimu frowned, but opened the door. Inside was the Professor's blonde companion, sitting and whispering to herself at one end. At the other was Rikako, the woman Reimu had fought earlier, bound and gagged.

Wait, what?  

Reimu whirled around, just in time to see the Professor scoop up her cat and shove it into a glass box. The cat immediately shifted back into Orb form, glowing and firing off dozens of violet needles, but the box was too strong, not even scratching. The Professor went pale as Reimu turned on her, but she tried to keep a friendly tone. "Just a precaution, Ms. Hakurei! We all saw how it was in the fight!"

"What are you doing?  What's going on?"

Reimu reached for her staff, but she'd left it with Meira. She slid a hand up her sleeve to grab some paper amulets, but the Professor grabbed her, pulling her arms close. Reimu felt something prick at her neck, and she suddenly felt drowsy.

"Just calm down, Ms. Hakurei. Everything is fine. Everything is okay. We're going to fulfill your wish, and ours, too."

Reimu's eyes fluttered, then shut, as the world around her went black.

Chapter Text

"Huh. That's odd."

Kotohime frowned as Mima came to a halt. "What?"

Mima pulled a small plush doll out of her sleeve- violet robes and a pointed hat, with blonde felt hair and stitched golden eyes- it looked like a tiny Marisa. As Mima held it up, the hair turned to orangey-red, as though the blonde was sucked out of it. "Marisa just drained her tank. Nearly all her magic at once." 

Kotohime stared as Mima handed her the doll and pulled out two more out, these resembling Meira and Rika. "Sympathetic Dolls. They change to reflect how my kids are doing," Mima explained, as she turned them over in her hands. "Made 'em after the kids decided to try and steal the Orb, lets me keep an eye out in case they get hurt."

"Huh." The Meira and Rika dolls appeared to have little cuts and scorch marks all over them. "Is that bad?" Kotohime asked as she pointed.

"Not great, but consistent with them picking a fight with Reimu. Probably thought she deserved a proper final boss when I was too busy to be one. Marisa's a bit more concerning. It's not healthy to blow all your magic like that." 

Kotohime nodded, handing back the Marisa doll. "Do you want to go to her?" 

Mima paused, thinking about it, before after several seconds sighing and shaking her head. "You need my magic to find Rikako. And for whatever nonsense the Professor is doing." Mima dug into a pouch, then held up the dolls to her mouth, whispering something. Light glowed briefly, and some of the tears and burns vanished. Part of the Marisa doll's blonde returned as well, as Mima closed her eyes and breathed out. "I can at least ease their pain a bit. Sympathetic doll and all. Not as good as if I were actually there, but it's something at least." 

Kotohime shook her head. “Healing magic? You really aren’t a normal Vengeful Ghost.”

“What, because I’m coherent enough to not lash out at everything?”

“More that healing isn’t really something I’d associate with someone who died in enough pain to refuse to move on.” 

“You say that, but you don’t actually know how I died. How much pain there was or not. But then again, neither do I.” Mima shrugged. “If it makes you feel better, I’m not great at healing. I think I was better when I was alive, but I honestly don’t remember.”

Kotohime stared as Mima turned away, pulling out the textbook and her spell components for tracking Rikako. Once again she was struck by how unusual Mima was. A healer too? It’s almost like… Kotohime shook her head. That wouldn’t make sense, surely-

“Psst. Hey, Kotohime!”

Kotohime paused, glancing towards the side. A pair of red eyes glowed out of the shadowy undergrowth. “Tewi?”

"You know you got followers, right? 'Cause if there's one thing Princess Lunie and her minder agree with me on, it's unexpected guests. Well, that and rabbits are cute, I mean c'mon, look at me." 

“I can’t really look at you while you’re hiding.” Kotohime scanned back and forth- Reisen, Rinnosuke, and Chiyuri were a bit further back, Mima further forward and not paying attention. Kotohime squatted down, meeting Tewi’s gaze. “Reisen said she’d explain to Dr. Yagakoro about those three. That she wouldn’t like it, but she’d deal with it.” 

“Maybe. And the ghost? ”

“Tracking someone. Not in the direction of your home, don’t worry.”

The eyes glanced to the side. "She tracking the purple haired lady? Big nerd, tripped over a bunch of my traps."

"Her, yes."

"I saw her. Heading towards the other weirdos."

"Other weirdos?" Kotohime felt her heart drop.

" Yeah. Redhead and a blonde, looks like your blonde. In some kind of Outsider vehicle, they set up a bunch of equipment and stuff. I haven't bothered them yet, me and the doc haven't decided what to do with them. "

"That's them. Who we're heading to."

Tewi's eyes closed as the woman nodded in the shadows. " I'm gonna go talk to Reisen, then I'll head back to the doc. I got an idea for your tagalongs. Kagerou owes me like seven favors. I'll lead the lot to her house, kick her out for an hour and have the doc pretend to be my assistant or something."

"Will they be okay with that?"

" Kagerou owes me, like I said. Doc'll think it funny at least. And also means we aren't getting prying eyes on Princess Lunie." Tewi paused, then reached a hand out. "Be careful, Kotohime. "

"Yeah, of course." Kotohime shook Tewi's hand, before standing and turning to Mima. The ghost had turned back to watch Kotohime, though she didn't seem to have seen Tewi. As Kotohime got up, Mima pointed her chin back towards the other three. "They leaving?"

Kotohime looked back as well, as Reisen appeared to have a hushed conversation with the underbrush, before gesturing for the other two to follow her. Kotohime nodded. "Looks like it."

"Good," Mima turned around, gesturing to Kotohime. "We're almost there. Shall we?'

Kotohime nodded, and followed as Mima continued on. The two passed by a few old stone pillars, Mima pausing to point out some strange devices attached to them labeled in English, as well as wires hanging above, leading towards where Mima's spell was pointing. Soon enough they entered a clearing, revealing a wheeled metal box. Definitely Outsider make. Kotohime whistled as she looked it over. "In there, then?"

"Seems like it."

"Just go up and knock, then?"

Mima didn't say anything, just sticking her hand to the side. A moment later her staff appeared in a puff of mist, dropping right into her grasp. Kotohime nodded, drawing her tonfas, before walking up and knocking.

Reimu groaned as she woke up. Darkness prodded the edges of her vision, and her mind was fuzzy. She squirmed, blinking to try to focus her sight. She could hear arguing from somewhere, and she thought she could sense someone next to her.

Reimu closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to figure out what she remembered last. The fight against Mima’s kids… Marisa’s horrible spell… The Professor saying she was going to bring her somewhere for her prize. What had happened, then? Had she collapsed from Marisa’s horrible spell, having not purified herself of its effects enough? Reimu opened her eyes, vision still blurry, and called out experimentally. “Genjii? Kotohime?”

The arguing stopped. “Even Mima I guess…” Reimu blinked a few more times, rolling over as she finally managed to get a look at the person next to her- Ms. Asakura, the woman she’d fought earlier in the competition, missing her longcoat, bound and gagged-

Oh crap.  

Reimu rolled over as the Professor ran over to her, eyes wide. “You’re awake already? I thought I calibrated that sedative perfectly for your weight!”

“She’s a magical girl from another dimension, Professor. You can’t base her off of regular human standards!” The Professor’s blonde companion came into focus, shaking her head. “She might have some kind of super physiology, or her magic burned all the sedatives out of her system prematurely, or-”

The Professor held up a hand, before smiling at Reimu. “Everything’s fine, Ms. Hakurei. Like I told you, we’re just being cautious. The transition can be quite bumpy, so I thought maybe having you sleep through it would be a good idea. Don’t want you panicking or getting hurt!” 

“Is that why you tied her up?” Reimu pointed at Ms. Asakura, whose eyes had gone wide at the mention of Reimu’s name. She must not have been around when I revealed myself… Did the Professor kidnap her earlier?

“Ms. Asakura here attacked Chiyuri. We had to tie her up for our safety, you see!” 

The Professor smiled again, but Reimu could see Ms. Asakura tense up, shaking her head. She’s lying. “Why would she attack her? That doesn’t make sense, she seems nice.”

“Who can say? But it hardly matters. Chiyuri, status?” The Professor turned away from Reimu towards her assistant, though one hand grabbed her wrist as Reimu tried to pull away.

“I radioed Ruukoto and told her were leaving. She’s hurrying.” 

“Not what I mean! I mean when are you going to actually turn on the Hypervessel? ” 

“Er…” The blonde scrambled off to the front of the… whatever they were in, and a moment later the room shook, a faint rumble emanating from up front.

“Much better. Thank you, Chiyuri!”

“What are you doing?” Reimu turned back to the Professor, though she gave a concerned glance to Rikako. 

“As I said- we’re fulfilling your wish, Ms. Hakurei!” The Professor scurried around the area, packing things into storage. “Your wish was for friendship, wasn’t it? People to talk to, help you out at home. And to find out that that Kotohime woman wasn’t your mother… People recognized her, but not you. Have you been living alone?”

“No… I had Genjii with me.” 

“The turtle?” The Professor paused, looking at Reimu, then shook her head. “I suppose we should have grabbed her pet too, Chiyuri.”

“Don’t blame me, you’re the one who grabbed her, Professor.”

“He’s not a pet!” Reimu said, but Yumemi ignored her.

“Not to worry, Ms. Hakurei, we’ll be taking you someplace where you’ll have plenty of new friends. Where your needs will be taken care of, and you won’t be alone anymore. Doesn’t that sound grand?”

“But-” 

Reimu was picked up and set down in a chair, the Professor grabbing a belt from one corner and strapping Reimu to it.  She then walked over to the back seat, frowning as she looked over RIkako. “Chiyuri, how did you get her in here? She’s gotta be at least twice your weight!” 

Reimu squirmed, hand fumbling over the belt, trying to get it off her, to no avail. Ms. Asakura was thumped down into the seat next to her as the Professor wrestled the tall woman off the mattress- Ms. Asakura didn’t seem to be fighting her, though she also wasn’t making it any easier, as she glared at the Professor. The Professor just smiled as she strapped the other woman in, just as she’d done to Reimu. “Now now, this is for your safety too! The ride gets quite bumpy- I’m still not sure how Chiyuri managed to sleep through it.”

“ What ride? What’s going on?” But the Professor didn’t respond, just tossling Reimu’s hair before scurrying off to the front seats. Reimu stared after her, mouth opening. “Who are you…?”

There came a mumble from next to Reimu, and she turned. Ms. Asakura had her eyes closed, mouth moving underneath the piece of duct tape covering it. Reimu stared as the woman squinted, shook her head, then with a slight tearing sound managed to open her mouth, the tape stuck to her top lip. “Bleh.. took longer than I thought it would,” she said.

“Are you alright?” 

“Well, I got shot earlier, bashed on the head with a chair, and got kidnapped and thrown in the back of a truck…” The woman sighed. “Are you okay, ma’am?”

Ma’am?! Reimu blinked. Ms. Asakura looked to be at least twice her age. "I'm fine. I think." She wrestled at the belt again, to no avail. "They shot you? Like, with a gun?"

"I have not been having a good day."

"Clearly…" Reimu paused as she heard arguing from up front- the Professor and her assistant, but it wasn't in Japanese- it was English. She turned to Ms. Asakura, who was squinting in concentration."Can you understand them?"

"A bit. It's more of the same. What they were arguing about before you woke up."

"Arguing about what? Who are they?"

Ms. Asakura sighed. "Outsiders. Scientists, apparently."

"Scientists?"

"Terrible ones. My book was pretty clear that scientists aren't supposed to kidnap people. It's unethical and gives bad data."

"Okay…" Reimu frowned, shaking her head. What would these supposed Outsider scientists even want with her or Ms. Asakura?  The Orb? Mima used to want it. Maybe.. But there's that weird arm armor thing she had, and she said something about it being “almost enough” after I fought Elis and pointed her weird clicky box at me?

“Lady Hakurei, erm, ma’am.”

Reimu turned her attention back to Ms. Asakura. "Just Reimu.”

“Reimu, then.” The woman flinched a bit as she said it though. “Do you think you can get me out of this?” She lifted her wrists, exposing the duct tape. “I should be able to help us escape, but not with my hands tied or without my longcoat."

Reimu glanced towards the front, to the Professor and her assistant, still arguing. "How much time do we have, do you think?"

"I'm not sure. The Professor wants to leave right now, Chiyuri wants to wait until that green-haired sociopath gets here. Something about funding?" Ms. Asakura shook her head. "My English isn't great, and I'm better at reading anyway."

Reimu looked at the two arguing Outsiders, then reached out to take Ms. Asakura's wrists, when something beeped loudly. " Progzimitee ahlahrm ahgen? Wut nao?"

Something knocked on the door. Reimu yanked her hands away from Ms. Asakura's wrists as the Professor and her assistant turned towards them, then craned her head up to try and see through the window. She could barely make out part of a blue pointed hat and some red hair through the tinting. Reimu's eyes went wide, as the knock came again. Ms. Asakura turned down to her and whispered. "It's Lady Kotohime and that green haired witch from the competition." 

"They found us! Kotohime found us!" Reimu struggled at her seat, then called out "In here! Help!" The knocking stopped, then something slammed into the door, shaking everything.

"That settles it, we're going now!" The Professor screamed, switching back to Japanese, and the faint rumble from up front shifted into a muffled roar. Reimu was jerked to the side into Ms. Asakura's shoulder as the whole thing started moving, "Prepare for Hypervessel jump in 3, 2, 1-"

Kotohime slammed her shoulder into the vehicle's door, the whole thing rocking on its wheels. She didn’t say anything, but she gritted her teeth as she hopped back, preparing to slam into the thing again. How did Reimu get in there? She was with Genjii when we left. It wasn’t impossible for the people inside to be imitating Reimu, perhaps, but why would they? How? If these Outsiders were allied with a Youkai who could do it- or some kind of monster from the Outside like a Gumiho… Well, that was more concerning, wasn’t it?

Kotohime wound up to slam into the door again, when a silver staff appeared in front of her. “Brute force, Princess. You’ve fallen into its seduction.” Mima moved in front of Kotohime, spinning her staff in one hand. “This door requires precision and cleverness. Observe!” Mima spun her staff forward, placing her hand in the middle of it. 

“Are you summoning a black hole again?” Kotohime scoffed. “That’s the opposite of precision.” 

“Fool that you are, do you not think that a woman able to create and control a miniature black hole can’t make it selective? I’ll rip the door right off, leaving everything else alone.” 

“Or the door will pull on the vehicle, and just pull the whole thi-”

A roaring noise came from the vehicle, cutting Kotohime off. It began to roll, so fast Kotohime barely had time to grab a ladder on the back and jump on. The web of wires overhead surged with electricity, stretching and shifting as the vehicle spun around the clearing, driving faster and faster. Kotohime wrapped her arm around the ladder, catching sight of Mima chasing after, wings out and flapping desperately. “Mima!” 

Mima reached out her hand, barely out of reach of the ladder and drifting further as the vehicle sped up. Kotohime grabbed at the woman’s wrist, her initial grab phasing through the ghost before Mima turned it tangible, letting herself be pulled in. “They’re doing something!” 

“They’re Outsiders! This vehicle, I think they must have used it to get here!” Mima shouted as things sped up further.

“Then what, are they trying to get back?” Mima didn’t need to answer, and Kotohime gritted her teeth. She reached around Mima’s waist, giving Mima a moment to make her body solid. Mima’s wings wrapped around the pair, and they hung onto each other, and the vehicle, as with a burst of light and sudden darkness, the world around them shifted . 

Chapter Text

Silence. Nothing but faint cold wind. Lights illuminated a concrete road, under a cloudy, starless sky, lit up by distant city lights.

The night was suddenly split by a crack of lightning, followed by skidding wheels and a sudden crash, as an RV appeared out of nowhere, slamming into the barrier and skidding to a stop. Two women were launched from the back, landing hard on the cement. 

Kotohime groaned as she came to a stop. “I’m getting too old for this crap…” She winced, getting to her feet and scanning the area. “Where are we?”

“Exit 120, Fort Lewis,” There came a groan from nearby, and Kotohime turned to see Mima, half embedded in the concrete road. The ghost shook, then fell into the ground, climbing back out a moment later, rubbing her back while her wings folded in and vanished. 

“How do you know?” Mima pointed towards a large green sign, covered in English glyphs. Kotohime frowned. “You can read that?” 

“Rika wanted to learn. Damn.” Mima punctuated her sentence as she flickered, becoming more transparent for a moment. “You good, princess?”

“I mean, outside of being launched several meters. Why?”

“Try summoning a barrier.” 

Kotohime frowned, but brought her fingers up in a rectangle. Her first attempt at a barrier fizzled out, while her second was more translucent, weaker than it should have been. “Yeah, about what I thought.” Mima said as Kotohime turned to her. “Weaker magical field than we’re used to. I’m having a hard time staying corporeal.”

"Weaker magical field? Where are we?"

Mima rolled her eyes. "The World Outside, idiot ."

"I know that! Where in the World Outside?"

"You brought us back to Washington?"

Rikako opened her eyes, head throbbing from the crash. She didn't feel any worse for wear, at least- at least something had gone in her favor this day, then. Reimu Hakurei had been shaken by the crash, dazed but not bleeding at least. The belts the Professor had claimed were to keep them safe during the trip seemed to have helped a bit, so it wasn't a complete lie and excuse to restrain them further. 

Not just, at least.

"I changed the destination! I was aiming for the parking lot back at the university."

"Professor, we were supposed to return to Nagano. We had a meet-up point and everything!"

"Screw those jerks! I have everything I need now! We don't need them!"

The Professor and other Chiyuri were speaking English again, and while Rikako had to concentrate to understand, she thought she was picking it up.

"Professor, you increased the margin of error exponentially when you changed the destination so far away! We're lucky we didn't come out embedded in a building!"

"It's not that bad."

"We're nearly an hour out from the university! We're not even past Tacoma!"

Reimu groaned next to Rikako. She turned, taking a closer look at the girl- Rikako couldn't see anything obviously hurt, but she didn't respond to a gentle poke, just groaning. She must have been shaken worse than I was. It was a strange thought, a side effect of the shock at just who the girl was. Rikako hadn't ever met Izumi Hakurei, but she was old enough to remember the woman’s tenure as protector of Gensokyo, as well as her death and the subsequent disappearance of Reimu Hakurei. Rumors had it that the girl had been taken to the Outside World to study and train, but while she had defeated Rikako in combat, she didn’t seem to be an all-out combat monster, trained for warfare or whatever. She just seemed like… well, a kid. A powerful one with a weapon to match, but still. 

“Is this why you wanted to leave Ruukoto behind? They won’t be happy about this, you know.”

“Screw ‘em, Chiyuri. I-”  

Something slammed into the door, just like before. Rikako looked up, catching sight of Kotohime through the window, yanking on the door. She’d managed to follow them somehow, grabbing onto the outside, maybe? The Professor and Chiyuri started yelling at each other, too fast for Rikako to follow, before a moment later the vehicle started rumbling again. “ Shut up and drive! Hypothesize later! ”

RIkako watched as Kotohime receded into the distance. I don’t think I can rely on her for rescue. And Reimu’s out cold, so she can’t try and free me. I’ll have to figure this out myself. 

Rikako scanned the area, looking for something she could use to tear at the duct tape binding her wrists. Nothing obvious, but she suddenly caught sight of something white- her longcoat. It had fallen out of a cupboard and to the floor when they’d crashed. Rikako tried to reach for it, stretching her legs and tugging at the fabric with her feet. Slowly, she managed to pull it closer, close enough she could reach down and pull it into her lap.

Kotohime spat out a curse as the vehicle roared back to life. She yanked on the door again,  trying to crush the latch and overcome the lock. “Come on…” she growled as she pulled. “Mima, help me out here! They’re trying to get away!” 

Mima floated over, hand out as she tried to summon her staff. It took several painful seconds longer than usual, before the silver staff dropped into her hand. She jammed it into the crack in the doorframe, levering at it, Kotohime grabbing and helping, trying to pry the door open. “Don’t you know an unlocking spell or something?” 

“I’m saving my energy- getting back is gonna be a chore if I don-”

The vehicle suddenly reversed, knocking them both to the ground. Kotohime barely managed to get a hand on the staff, pulling herself up as the vehicle rolled backwards, turned, then started forwards again. Kotohime held tight, but the staff came loose, dropping them both to the ground. She scrambled to her feet, sprinting after the thing, but it was speeding up, faster than she could sprint. Beside her Mima had spread her wings and was flying after, but even flying she wasn’t that much faster than Kotohime was at a dead sprint. Kotohime closed her eyes, limbs pumping as she pushed herself- she couldn’t fly that fast, so it wouldn’t make any difference. Maybe if she threw one of her smoke bombs and teleported? 

Wait.

“Mima, can you afford a teleport?” Kotohime called to the ghost, who turned back. 

“Probably!”

Kotohime pulled out a coiled rope from her kimono- Jorogumo silk, nearly unbreakable. She hurriedly tied one end around Mima’s staff, then tossed it to the witch. “Do it!”

Mima vanished in a blink of light, reappearing on top of the vehicle. One end of the rope went with her, tied to the staff, the other end still in Kotohime’s hand, warping and stretching before finally going taut. Mima was nearly pulled from the truck, managing to jam her staff into some racks at the top, while Kotohime was nearly pulled off her feet. She threw down a hasty barrier, landing on it as she was pulled along by the truck, hovering just over the ground. 

“Holy crap!”

“Is she Marty McFly-ing us?!?”

“Shake her off!”

“I’m trying!”

Rikako spared a glance towards the back window, eyes widening at the sight of Lady Kotohime being towed along by a rope, surfing on a violet barrier. She had no idea what the Professor was talking about, already struggling to keep up with their English shouts, but she couldn’t help but grin at the sight. She redoubled her efforts, going through the reagent pouches in her longcoat, considering options for freeing herself. Not just for the reagents she had, but how much magic she'd need. She'd felt herself weaken a split second before they'd crashed, as they exited Gensokyo and onto the weaker magical field of the Outside World. She’d have to account for that, too, which didn’t leave Rikako too confident in her options. Rikako flicked from pouch to pouch, Bolt of lightning? No, takes too much magic and my smaller sparks didn’t do too much against the tape. Eye beams? Not precise enough and I don’t want to risk dropping my glasses… Rikako almost instinctively slipped her hand into the pouch that held the powdered iron for her sawblades. She’d used almost all of it up- just a pinch was enough for a blade, but all that was left from her earlier fights was barely enough to coat her fingers. She drew out her hand, but as she did, a thought crossed her mind. 

Earlier, when I made that big sawblade. It took exponentially more power to produce than my normal blades. Something smaller should follow the same curve, costing less power, surely? And while she had nowhere near enough for a full sawblade, that little dusting of powder, and that small trickle of magic she could use…

Rikako closed her eyes, focusing, bringing her dust-coated fingers close to her lips as she whispered a chanted spell. The dust pulled off her fingertips, sintering and expanding, until she had a small triangular blade about the size of her thumb, a lone tooth of one of her normal sawblades. But it was sharp, and that was enough. 

Rikako pressed the blade against the tape, yelping as the vehicle suddenly jerked to the side, causing her to nearly lose her grip. What’s going on? I could drive better than them, and I’ve never even seen one of these trucks in real life until today.

A tone played- Rikako recognized it coming from the device that Chiyuri had used to contact the Professor earlier. The noise set off a new frenzy of arguing from the two, before Chiyuri climbed out of her seat and started making her way back. Rikako hid her blade in her palm, lowering her head and pretending to be nothing but a submissive prisoner, though she listened closly as the blonde girl tapped the device. She didn’t have even a moment to speak before an unfamiliar voice came out- conveniently for Rikako, it was in Japanese at least. “Okazaki, Kitashirakawa, where are you two?! We detected your jump but there’s no sign of you!”

Chiyuri gulped, glancing back to the Professor- Okazaki? Was that her name? The red-head called back. “We had a bit of a glitch. Nothing to worry about, heh…” The look on her face said that there was definitely something to worry about. Considering the whole “Screw those jerks!” Rikako had heard…

“We’re tracking you now… wow, that’s far off. That far a jump really messed with the precision, you’re lucky you didn’t come out embedded in a building.” Chiyuri glared at the Professor, gesturing towards the device, which continued. “What happened? We have someone in the area, we’ll send her to check on you.” 

“What? No no no, don’t do that! We, uh, have some hangers-on!” The Professor was visibly sweating. “Very dangerous, best not risk anyone else. Don’t worry about it, we’ll just shake them off-”

“If you were followed by Borderlanders, that is definitely something for us to worry about. And given we see no trace of Ruukoto’s homing beacon, that tells us enough. Lucky for you, we're sending our best.”

“No, wait-” the tone played again, cutting off the Professor. 

“Screw those jerks, huh?” Chiyuri folded her arms, though as the vehicle swerved she grabbed the wall to steady herself. 

“I can still salvage this! It’ll be fine!” The Professor’s voice was going higher, starting to lose her nerve as Chiyuri made her way back to the seat. Rikako stared after her, then redoubled her efforts on breaking free. I don’t like where this is going… I need to get me and Lady Hakurei out of here.

Kotohime screamed as the vehicle swerved, nearly slamming her into a metal fence. She was speeding along at Tengu speeds, trying desperately to pull herself closer. Up on top of the vehicle, Mima was doing her best to try to pull her in, ghost tail wrapped around her staff. Even with Mima periodically shifting into uncontrolled intangibility, she didn’t seem capable of passing through her own staff. Clever. Means she doesn’t have worry about dropping it even when letting enemy attacks pass through. Unfortunately it meant that for every bit of rope Mima pulled in, there was a chance she’d turn intangible and lose her grip, jarring Kotohime and nearly risking her own grip. Not helping was the Professor’s driving, swerving in an effort to shake them both off. 

Kotohime considered her options. She didn’t know much about Outsider technology, but she knew a wheel when she saw one- a shell from her shotgun would probably damage it enough to stop the vehicle. She shook her head at the thought- With how fast we’re going that much momentum would probably juice me and Reimu, not to mention the Professor and her assistant. Any sudden stop would probably be a bad idea. So what, climb her way to the front and scream at the Professor to stop? The Professor knew she was back here, she could end up landing herself in a trap if she just ran up blindly. 

What about Mima?

Kotohime paused, then called up. "You said you were saving your energy, to get us back to Gensokyo?"

"Yeah!"

"Just phase through the roof and grab Reimu! Get her back safe and come back for me when you're recharged!"

"Won't work!" Mima shook her head. "Spell like that needs time to set up! Ten minutes at least!"

"I can distract them for that long. Get her out of here and come back for me!"

Mima shook her head again. "I don't know if I can find you again! Especially not with how fast they're going!"

Kotohime growled. "Then leave me! Just get her to safety! I'll find my own way back!" Mima shook her head again. "What, is this how your Vengeful Ghost stubborn stupidity comes out? Instead of just murdering everyone, you forgo the sensible option? Find Lady Yakumo or something, she-"

"Don’t play martyr, we made a promise! We agreed to work together, Kotohime, I'm not leaving you behind!"

Kotohime stared at the woman. Once again, there was a look she couldn’t place on the ghost’s face. She wanted to bark at the woman, order her to leave, damn the risks. But as she stared, she saw… concern?

CRACK!

Kotohime yelped and swerved at the sound of gunfire, a bullet zipping past her cheek and slicing through a few strands of hair. Mima yelled and pointed, and Kotohime turned to look, mouth agape. A woman, standing on top of a rocket . A rocket with a smiley face painted on it, with big friendly eyes and a red nose cone. The woman lifted her gun- a kind Kotohime had never seen before, obviously Outsider technology- and fired again. Kotohime managed to dodge, which only made the woman smile. “So, you’re the people who killed my cousin, huh?” she called out.

“What?”

The woman shifted her stance, steering the missile closer to Kotohime. She had a blue uniform and long red hair, and as she got closer, Kotohime  could see she had the same kind of eyes that Ruukoto did- entirely black, save for a blue ring for an iris. “We didn’t get her signal when Okazaki came out of your pocket dimension. Ergo, Ruukoto was destroyed or left behind, and Okazaki wouldn’t do that. Pretty impressive, by the way, she may only be consumer grade, but Ruu’s a fighter. I hope you left enough of her for us to repair!" 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” How was that woman just standing there? Barely any sign of bracing herself, she looked like she was just standing casually, not riding a rocket at Tengu speeds. 

"Green hair, red eyes, integrated RTG? Eh, whatever. Now die!"

Kotohime hopped up, pulling her barrier in front of her as the woman fired. Two shots, her barrier cracking and shattering. Kotohime fell back to the ground, barely managing to keep on her feet long enough to summon a replacement barrier. The woman fired a third time, but her aim was disrupted as a star-shaped energy bullet slammed into her shoulder. The woman turned, spotting where Mima had raised one hand, eyes narrowed. “Oh, there’s two of you. Strange, you don’t show up on several of my sensors.” The blue-eyed woman grinned, firing at Mima. Immediately the van jerked, the Professor clearly thinking the shots were aimed at her, and Kotohime had to hold tight as she was swung back and forth. The bullets flew straight through Mima, who didn’t even flinch, charging and hurling another energy bullet. She's conserving power, only using one at a time… but how many can she spare? Kotohime wrapped the rope around one arm, reaching into her kimono for her shotgun and drawing it. As she did, something caught her eye- a glow of red and blue lights, and a strange high-pitched sound coming up behind them. She frowned, but shook it off. There were more pressing matters to think about, as she leveled the gun at the blue-eyed woman and fired. The woman's gun vanished as Kotohime shot it out of her hand, the woman left staring at empty fingers. She turned back to Kotohime, eyes wide, before shaking her head and smiling again."So, you wanna play that way, huh?"

Kotohime adjusted her aim, but before she could fire, the woman's missile swerved towards her, close enough for her to slam a punch into Kotohime's chest. She dropped her gun as she was pushed to the side by the blow, barely managing to cling onto her rope. The woman came at her again, only to be driven off by another energy bullet from Mima, giving Kotohime enough time to catch her bearings. 

Rikako let out a breath as she finally managed to slice through the duct tape on her wrists. She'd nearly dropped the knife twice as the Professor swerved, once almost jabbing Reimu in the process. The girl had fallen back asleep- it seemed like she'd been more than dazed by the jump, the sedatives reasserting themselves in the lower magic environment. 

Rikako bent down, having a much easier time cutting her ankles free than her wrists. She glanced up towards the front as she pulled the remaining tape from her face- the Professor and Chiyuri were arguing and screaming, as now gunshots could be heard from behind them, along with a peculiar wailing sound. Rikako knew that Lady Kotohime used a gun sometimes, was she trying to scare the Professor into stopping? If so, it didn't seem to be working.

"Hypothesis- the Professor thinks she can outrun her. Her own hypothesis, I guess." With the speed they seemed to be going, a sudden stop could be lethal, and the Professor was probably banking on that. Kotohime couldn't risk an actual crash, after all. 

"Maybe if I threatened her from in here? Bullets from outside are deadly, but putting my blade to her throat…" Rikako shuddered at the idea- she was a scientist, and while she knew how to fight, there was a big difference between throwing a sawblade at a rabid Kamaitachi or murderous bandit and holding a knife to a neck. Besides, Chiyuri had had a gun earlier. Two against one wasn't exactly good odds.

Rikako turned down to the belt strapping her into the seat. There was a metal clasp embedded in the seat near her hip, with a red button on the side. Rikako tilted her head, then pushed the button. A metal clasp popped out, freeing her. Simple, really, but she hadn't noticed it until she'd paused and actually thought things through. 

That feels like a metaphor, somehow. Rikako looked up towards Chiyuri and the Professor again, who were panicking even more now and definitely not thinking things through. Rikako sighed and shook her head. She'd have time to think of that later. First, she had to escape. She pulled on her longcoat and scanned the area, focusing on a large cupboard. Hadn't the Professor stuffed the glass box holding Reimu's Orb in there, so it wouldn't slide around in transit? Perhaps if she gave the Orb to Reimu, she'd wake up, and then it would be two against two. 

Rikako cautiously stood up, grabbing onto the seat as they swerved. No one called her out, the two being too distracted by the gunfire and now much louder siren to notice Rikako's escape. She pulled open the cupboard, only for her jaw to drop

For a brief moment, Rikako's mind raced. She smelled Human, but with the same slight "off-ness" that her Chiyuri had, and her clothes were green instead of red. Just as her Chiyuri's had been red instead of the blue of the original. But other than that, there could be no mistaking it.

Sitting in the remains of the now-shattered glass box, and clutching the Orb to her chest, was a second Reimu Hakurei, shivering and staring at her with terrified eyes. 

“W-where’s mom?”

Chapter Text

"W-where's mom?"

Rikako stared at the girl, glancing back at the sleeping original Reimu. She hadn’t moved, softly snoring. Rikako turned back to the second, green-wearing Reimu, who shivered as she curled around the Orb. “Lady Hakurei?”

“L-lady?” The girl stared at Rikako, confused. “Professor Asakura, what’s going on? Where’s mom? Where are we?”

Professor? Rikako blinked. "Reimu, what's going on?"

"I don't know!" The girl started to cry, holding the Orb close. "We were back at the university, mom was telling me that if I was a good girl and did well at my English classes we'd go to Disneyland when we went to visit Auntie 'Hime in Tokyo next month! And you came in to talk to her and now I'm here, and, and…"

“Tokyo?” That’s an Outisder city… Wait. Professor Okazaki had mentioned that Chiyuri was asleep during the jump into Gensokyo, I think? And Reimu was asleep for this last jump. Rikako didn't know the time scale, but if the Professor and the original Chiyuri hadn't been in Gensokyo long…

Suppose that somehow, Chiyuri being asleep somehow caused my Chiyuri to form? A Chiyuri that was basically what she might have been like if she were Gensokyan, connected to my textbook, which was the original Chiyuri's at one point. And if it happened again… then this Reimu is what an Outsider Reimu might have been like?

Two Reimus, one Human, one a Tsukumogami bonded to the Hakurei Orb. Or perhaps she's more like a Poltergeist, being based on a possibility? Either way, she’s lucky the Anti-Youkai Charms don’t seem to be affecting her. 

“Professor Asakura?” The girl looked up at Rikako. 

Rikako bit her lip. “What am I Professor of?”

“Huh?”

“Just tell me. You bumped your head.”

“Oh. Uh…:” The second Reimu screwed up her eyes in apparent concentration. “I… I don’t remember. Is that bad?”

“About what I expected.” Just like my Chiyuri. Bits and pieces of a theoretical life as an Outsider, but the details are missing. Unfortunate, it would be interesting to know what I was apparently teaching. “Don’t worry about it. Just tell me if you know how to use that thing.” 

“What thing? The Orb?” Reimu frowned. “It’s just a big crystal paperweight. Mom lets me play with it sometimes.” 

Rikako tilted her head, then gingerly reached out, yelping as her fingertips brushed the Orb. She stuck her fingertips in her mouth- the Anti-Youkai charms clearly still worked on her . Reimu yelped as Rikako did. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” At least that's still working I guess. Ow. "Can you fight at all?"

"Fight? I mean, I guess I got in a fight with one of my classmates once…"

Rikako sighed. Up to me then. "Stay here. I'm going to try to stop them."

"Stop who? Why am I in a cupboard? Do I hear the police after us? Professor Asakura, wh-" The girl trailed off as Rikako stepped back, then pointed. " Why is there another me?!? "

The arguing up front went silent as Reimu screamed, leaving nothing but the wailing sirens behind them. Rikako spat out a curse as the Professor and Chiyuri turned back to stare at them. 

Kotohime ducked down, barrier skidding against the concrete and throwing up sparks. Kotohime didn’t know how the blue-eyed woman was managing to stand on her rocket like that, it didn’t make any sense to her understanding of aerodynamics. Granted, she wasn’t one to talk, in Gensokyo some people could fly magically, including herself, albeit poorly. Still, this seemed absurd. 

“You know, when I said ‘Now die!’, I meant now .” The woman had stopped smiling, flexing her fingers as razor-sharp blades extended from her nails. She steered her missile close, slashing out at Kotohime, who ducked under a strike and punched out, catching the woman in the side. She groaned in pain as her fist hit solid metal, but the force pushed them away from each other.

“You’re wasting my time, Borderlander. And now the friggin’ cops are onto us! Either lay down and die, or surrender. I’m sure we can find a use for you.” 

“A use for me?” Kotohime kicked her legs back as she swung towards a metal fence lining the road, launching herself back towards the blue-eyed woman. “Your Professor friend kidnapped people!”

“We prefer the term ‘Future Willing Participants’. They’ll understand once brought up to speed, I’m sure. And introduced to culture . What do you have in your dimension? We got pictures from Okazaki’s first test jump, looks super rustic.” The woman steered her missile around Kotohime, slashing her talons at her back. “It’ll be an improvement in your miserable life, getting studied until you keel over dead. Noone’s gonna friggin’ try and eat you, and we have rock music and the internet!”

“Yeah, you’re real convincing, just insulting my home.” Kotohime slipped under the woman’s talons, pulling the rope connected to the truck around the woman’s body. She swung past, reaching out and grabbing up further on the rope with her other hand, looping the rope around her. 

“Say what you want, Borderlander, but I’m offering you a better deal than you know.” The blue-eyed woman hissed as Kotohime pulled the rope tight, looping it around her. She slashed with her talons, but the Jorogumo silk was too touch for them. 

“I doubt it.”

“You’re in our world now, Borderlander! You think those pretty lights following us are a parade? Trust me, if they catch us, you'll wish you let me kill you. Or took my offer of surrender. I mean, what else are you gonna do? Spend a week learning how to use the Hypervessel and then hijacking it?"

Kotohime glanced back. The lights had resolved into a pair of smaller vehicles, each with a pair of flashing red and blue lights on top. A siren wailed, and as they approached a man’s voice roared from one of them, shouting in distorted English. The blue-eyed woman winced, then tapped the side of her head. “Last chance, Borderlander. I’ve been given the order to retreat. No good bringing down the police on our operations.”

“If they’re your Outsider authorities, I’m sure they’ll listen to reason.” 

For some reason, this just made the woman burst out into laughter. “You know nothing , Borderlander.” She twisted in the rope, managing to duck down and escape. “It’s a shame, really. Losing Okazaki’s gonna be a major loss. But, well, I suppose you can’t win ‘em all.” She gave a mock salute, then peeled off, missile shooting over the metal barrier tracing the road and vanishing. 

Kotohime watched her go, shaking her head. Weirdo . Her attention was drawn back to the trailing police cars. “POOL OVAR! NAO!”

Kotohime didn’t know English, but the tone did not seem happy. Perhaps they would listen to reason, but given how the blue-eyed woman reacted… 

One of the cars accelerated, pulling up next to Kotohime. She caught sight of a man in a blue uniform, eyes wide as he looked her over, before a moment later the car zipped further ahead, drawing side-by-side with the Professor’s vehicle. The second car pulled up right behind Kotohime, effectively boxing her in. 

Kotohime gritted her teeth, pulling herself up the rope towards the vehicle, now that the blue-eyed woman wasn’t distracting her. She could see Mima up top, working on something- a way to get them out of there, she hoped. The Ghost-Witch had mentioned it would take time to get things ready for a spell like that, so if she was any smart, she’d been working on it while Kotohime dueled. 

Assuming it actually works…

"You two are terrible scientists!"

Rikako stomped her foot down as she glared at Professor Okazaki and Chiyuri, both turned to stare at her. She let out a breath, adjusting her glasses. This wasn’t normal- Rikako rarely raised her voice that much. But she was pissed off. “Kidnapping people? Taking them against their will to another world? What was your hypothesis, huh? That doing crap like that would make ‘em mad as hell?” 

Chiyuri went pale, but the Professor turned as red as her outfit. She growled, then let out a breath. “Go back to your seat. It’s not safe to move around while we’re driving.” 

“Like you care! Your green-haired psychopath of a companion shot me earlier!” Rikako pointed at Chiyuri. “She bashed me on the head with a chair! All I was trying to do was get answers to help a friend, and that’s your reaction?”

“What of it? You’re the one who was skulking around following us!” 

“I wasn’t skulking! Besides, what about Lady Hakurei, huh? What's your excuse for her?" 

“She won, so I’m fulfilling her wish! I’m taking her somewhere where she won’t be a poor orphan girl anymore!” The Professor shifted in her seat, leaving just one hand on the steering wheel as she turned to face Rikako. “What I do is for the benefit of everyone! For her, and all mankind!”

“ Bull crap . Stop trying to justify yourself! You’re looking for results that fit your pre-existing hypothesis and ignoring her obvious distress, that’s also bad science!” 

The woman turned redder, fury sparking in her eyes. “ Say that again,” she hissed.

“You’re a terrible scientist. You’re-” 

The Professor let go of the wheel, unhooking her seatbelt and leaping out of the chair. “ How dare you !” she screamed, pointing at Rikako. “I did not earn my doctorate to be doubted by backwater idiots who think that science is cosplaying in a lab coat! ” 

Electric sparks crackled around Rikako’s fingertips as she took a step back. “I’m the foremost scientist in Gensokyo! I’ve dedicated my life to using the scientific method to explore magic more deeply than anyone else. I don’t go around abducting people!” 

“Yeah, you just read an old children's textbook like it’s the friggin’ Bible . Don’t think I didn’t notice that during the competition! I had a copy of A Beginner’s Guide to Science too, I remember the exercise where they make you state your hypothesis like a litany!” 

“Professor-” 

Chiyuri tugged on the woman’s cape, but she was ignored. The Professor whipped out a gun from somewhere, pointing it at Rikako. “If you don’t want another bullet today, you are going to sit down , we are going to go to the University , I am going to present you to the dean and my associates, and we will win a Nobel Prize and get all the grant money. Do you understand me!?” The Professor screamed, but her hand was shaking, tears almost in her eyes. 

"Professor-"

"You sound like that one competitor." Rikako shook her head. "The one screaming about people acknowledging her brilliance, the kid with the robots-"

" Don't call me a kid! "

“ Professor! The road!” 

Chiyuri lunged out of her seat for the steering wheel, but it was too late. The moment the Professor had gotten out of her seat, the vehicle had drifted to the side, right into the side wall.

CRASH!

As the vehicle came to a sudden stop, Kotohime did not. She was slung forward, towards the vehicle. She hurriedly conjured a barrier- a weak one, letting herself smash through it. It hurt, but the shattering barrier slowed her enough that she didn’t splatter as she hit the back of the vehicle. Kotohime hit the back, wrapping her arms around the ladder on the back and clinging on, eyes closed as she tried to focus. What happened? 

Kotohhime opened her eyes, then climbed up the ladder to check on Mima. The ghost had drawn a circle on the roof of the vehicle, lined with glyphs and mathematical symbols. Mima kneeled down over it, eyes closed and fingers splayed on the edge of the circle as she chanted under her breathe. She opened an eye as Kotohime approached, then lifted one hand, not breaking her chant as she held up three fingers. 

“Three more minutes?” A slight nod, as Mima closed her eyes again. Someone shouted at Kotohime from down below. She turned, spotting one of the uniformed men from the following cars, pointing at her and saying something in English. Kotohime stared for a moment, then turned back to Mima. "I don't think we're gonna have three more minutes-"

Mima pulled something out of her sleeve and tossed it to Kotohime- a silver clasp, decorated with a fish and a book. Mima tapped her ear, then focused down on her spell. Kotohime shrugged, then pinched the clasp onto her earlobe

"-ot gonna tell you again. Get down here, right now!"

Kotohime turned back to the uniformed man- she could understand him now, the clasp translating for her. She slid back down the ladder, giving the man a quick lookover- blue uniform, as she’d noticed earlier, gun and handcuffs at his belt. Definitely the local equivalent of an Incident Resolver. He had a hand close to his gun, eyes narrowed on Kotohime. Kotohime gave him a smile, attempting to calm him.

“Auntie Hime!” 

Kotohime turned as the door on the vehicle opened, and a girl sprinted out, running over and grabbing her in a hug. She returned it instinctively, even as the cop flinched towards his gun. "Auntie 'Hime, what's going on? Where are we?" 

Kotohime started to answer, but paused. The girl looked like Reimu, but her outfit was different, and thus far her Reimu hasn't called her 'Auntie 'Hime'. Another duplicate, just like the Professor's assistant. What's going on indeed. "Are you alright?"

The girl nodded, tears welling in her eyes. "When the lady got out of the driver's seat I jumped into an extra one and got my seatbelt on. Just in time, too." 

"What about the others?"

The door was kicked open, and Rikako stepped out, shredded duct tape on her wrists and ankles. Her longcoat was slung over one shoulder, and cradled in her arms was an unconscious girl- Kotohime's Reimu. She let out a heavy sigh as she walked over to Kotohime. “I am never leaving my home before noon again .”

“English! Damn foreigners…” The police officer twitched towards his gun again, while three more appeared, a total of two from each car. One stayed near his car, talking into a device, most likely to his bosses. Kotohime narrowed her eyes, feeling the weight of her tonfas under her kimono. She hoped that the Outsider police would be reasonable, but given what the blue-eyed woman had said, she wasn’t particularly confident. I hope I don’t have to fight them, though. I could probably take them, but could I protect both Reimu’s and Rikako at the same time? Physical bullets and energy bullets are different beasts.

“Alright, what the hell is going on? We’re gonna need to see some identification. Starting with you.” The cop pointed at Kotohime, “Surfing behind an RV on the interstate… And where’s your friend? The other redhead.”

“No friend of mine. She flew off.”

“Flew off, huh? So probably in a ditch somewhere back. Show me your ID.”

“I don’t have any that you’d recognize.” If it were Gensokyo, Kotohime could have just shown the photograph of herself with Rin and Izumi to prove her identity- at least, so long as no one suspected a Kitsune or Tanuki, but there were ways to prove one wasn’t a shapechanger. Out here though…

“And let me guess, none of the rest of you do, either?” 

“I have an ID! Not here, though…” The second Reimu, still hugging Kotohime, spoke up. “I think mom might still have it? Back in Nagano.”

How much longer, Mima…? Kotohime spared a glance back up to the roof of the vehicle. Hadn't it been three minutes yet? 

"Right… well, we're gonna have to take you all back to the station. Get this sorted out, and-"

"Nobody move or you all die!"

The cops drew their guns as the Professor stumbled out of the vehicle. She looked pretty bad- bruised, a large cut on her forehead dripping blood over one eye, her cape used as an improvised sling for one arm. She held a large cloth bag with something large inside in her free hand, raising it up for everyone to see. "This is a Thermonuclear Proton Bomb! If I set it off, the force of it will cause every volcano in the Ring of Fire to go off at once, cracking the planet in half! So nobody move unless I tell them to!"

Everyone froze, even the police, though they kept their guns up. The Professor glanced between the entire group, bomb held up. “I am not going back empty handed. I have put in too much work, have too much at stake. I don’t care what I have to do, I am bringing you Borderlanders back home for study!”

“Like hell .” Rikako hissed in accented English, still holding Reimu in her arms. “If you’d have asked , maybe I would have been willing before. But why would I trust you now? You attacked us and now you’re threatening to blow up the planet to get what you want? You really are a kid throwing a temper tantrum.”  

“Shut up shut up shut up!” The Professor stomped her foot. “You don’t get it! You don’t know what it’s like to be sneered at just because you’re the only person under forty in the room! You don’t know what it’s like to teach a room full of students all older than you, where they pay more attention to your butt than to the lecture! I need this! It’s the only way to get the respect I deserve!” 

“If this is the only way, then maybe you just don’t deserve respect. Ever think of that?”

Kotohime turned away as the Professor and Rikako argued, glancing up to the roof and spotting a pair of green eyes looking down at her. Kotohime gave a quiet shrug to Mima, who responded with a nod- her spell was done, ready to get them out of there. Mima held up a hand, miming placing it against the side of the vehicle. Message clear, Kotohime turned back to the quarrel. “Ms. Asakura-”

“I bet your so-called proton bomb doesn’t even work. It should be heavier than that if it were real!”

“Shut up! I’ll do it! I’ll blow us all up! Don’t think I wo-”

CLANG!

The Professor dropped to the ground as a metal chair slammed into the back of her head. Behind her stood Chiyuri, staring in disbelief at the chair in her hands. “P-professor…”

Kotohime grabbed Rikako’s elbow, yanking her back. “Mima’s ready for us, let’s go!” she hissed in Japanese, as the police officers descended on the Professor and Chiyuri. Rikako blinked, as if in a daze, then nodded, Kotohime reached over and pulled her Reimu from the woman’s arms, then looked up. “Mima!”

“Get in, Princess! I’m taking the whole damn thing! Unless you feel like traveling naked in the void again?”

Kotohime kicked the door of the RV in, which caused the police to turn at the sound. “Hey!”

Kotohime summoned what strength she could, forming a barrier between the police and the group. “Get in!”

Rikako and the second Reimu ran into the vehicle, as a bullet slammed into Rikako’s barrier, harder than any energy bullet. She grimaced at the force, cracks racing up her barrier. She took a step back as two more bullets crashed into her barrier and shattered it. Rikako grabbed her shoulders and pulled her in, while the second Reimu closed the door. Mima phased through the roof, one hand staying behind on her magic circle. “Hold on tight!”

There was a sudden crack of thunder, light flashing outside as the vehicle rumbled, and a moment later, everything went quiet and dark. Reimu stirred in Kotohime’s arms, as Kotohime looked around. “Are we back in Gensokyo?”

“We should be. My calculations were…” Mima trailed off as she opened the door. “This… This isn’t right.”

Kotohime peeked outside, gaping. “Where… where are we?” The vehicle appeared to have landed high up in the mountains- high enough that as Kotohime looked around, she thought she could see lights from the Tengu Village down below. That wasn’t the odd thing, though- rather, it was that everything seemed to be seen through a membrane- light wavering and shimmering in a bubble around the vehicle and the stone it sat on. “We’re… this is Gensokyo, right?”

“Has to be. Magic field’s back to normal, just-”

Something hit Mima, and she cried out as light flashed around her. The light faded, and a wooden box clattered to the ground, an eye carved into the surface.

“Mima!” Kotohime sprinted forward, but just as her fingers closed around the box a black rift opened up underneath it, sucking the box in and closing up. Kotohime stood and whirled, tonfas slipping out of her sleeves ot her hands as she turned, looking for the source of the box. “Who’s there? What did you do to her?”

“Nothing that Lady Hakurei hasn’t already done.” Kotohime spun, staring up and gaping at the sight before her- a golden-haired Nine-Tail Kitsune, hovering in the air. One eye gold, one flickering red and violet as she stared down disdainfully at Kotohime. “You have been redirected. Lady Yakumo has requested your presence, Kotohime of Agatamori.” 

“Yakumo?” Kotohime frowned, then shook her head. “I’m not going. Not until you free Mima.”

“The Ghost-Witch’s future judgment is not your concern, Kotohime of Agatamori.” The fox woman turned away from Kotohime. “Priority is to the status of Reimu Hakurei."

“She was helping us! Without her there wouldn’t be a status of Reimu Hakurei!”

“The Ghost-WItch’s aid will be accounted for. Now, follow me. Bring both Reimu Hakureis. Rikako Asakura may accompany us as well, given she has little else to do here.”

“Follow you where?” But the woman was already floating off, towards a light in the distance. Kotohime squinted, making out the shape of a house, sitting in the desolate rock of the mountaintop. She turned to Rikako, who stared back, the second Reimu clinging to her leg. “I… I guess we have no choice.”

“I’m serious. I’m never leaving my home before noon again after today.”

Kotohime adjusted the sleeping form of Reimu in her arms, and with a sigh, followed after the Kitsune.

Chapter Text

Marisa Kirisame wanted to die.

She was vaguely aware of people around her, calling her name. She was vaguely aware of her own cries of pain, of the burning black all over her flesh.

But she couldn't bring herself to care.

She had summoned the Monster. It had gone after Hakurei, yes, but had taken a toll on her, worse than it had the horrible shrine maiden.

Dad was right.

"Marisa? Marisa!? What did that spell do to her!?"

"Out of my way. I'm going to try something."

Magic was a thing of Youkai. Of the monsters that went bump in the night. Some of Dad's friends thought it should be destroyed, others that it could be controlled, enslaved. For Dad to find out his precious daughter not only had magic, but so much of it….

Lady Mima had taught her that magic was normal. Not something to fear. Part of herself, to discover and learn about.

Dad had taught her that it was a Monster, one that if she didn't suppress would destroy her.

Lady Mima wasn't here.

"It… seems to have worked."

"Then why isn't she responding? Damnit!"

The Monster had drained her of her magic, and with it her ability to feel. Even her hatred was gone, leaving emptiness.

Emptiness, and the shell of a pathetic little girl.

"We should at least get her out of here. Back to the castle?"

"My drone's too busted to carry her, and you fly bumpy, Mei."

"I… I think I have an idea?"

A man stared as the girl was carried out of the arena by three teenagers- two human, one Jizou. If there had been any doubt at all in his mind, when he saw the photograph in the late-breaking edition of the Bunbunmaru, when he’d paid more than he’d liked for a hasty Sky Rickshaw out of the Tengu Village and back to the Human Village, when he’d fought his way through the crowd to the front, it was long gone at the sight of the girl.

His girl.

“Marisa…” he whispered to himself, pain in his voice. What had happened to her in the past year since she’d disappeared? That spell, but also that obvious contempt she’d had for the Hakurei girl. 

A part of her longed to run to her, as the Jizou girl approached Keine Kamashirasawa and after a few moments of talking, began following after, carrying Marisa with them. But even as he started to go, he froze. She ran away from home. If I go to her now, when she’s hurt like this, will it hurt, or help?
As he thought, he felt someone bump into him. He turned, but the figure had skittered into the crowd, out of sight, leaving something in his hand. He frowned, then opened his hand, revealing a slip of paper.

Emergency meeting to discuss reappearance of RH and other concerns. Manor has been compromised. Meet at Mr. K's shop at regular time.

-Mr. A

He didn’t care for how Lord Ana- Mr. A - made assumptions. Declaring that the association would be meeting at his shop without so much as a warning, much less requesting permission. Still, he wasn't wrong that the return of The Lost Hakurei to Gensokyo was potentially concerning. Who knew where she'd been, who had influenced her…

She fought Marisa, but it looked like she wanted to help her afterwards. 

He put the thought aside, along with that of his daughter. He'd approach Ms. Kamashirasawa later, after the meeting, to gauge whether or not Marisa would want to see him. For now, he had an emergency meeting to prepare for.

I wonder, what did Mr. A mean about his manor being compromised…?

Dr. Yumemi Okazaki, adjunct professor of physics at University of Washington, Seattle, sat in a jail cell waiting for the police to call her parents. They had ignored her protests that she was an adult, decided she was lying about being a professor, forced her to take a drug test all the while laughing about stupid kids doing stupid things. Wasn't she supposed to get a phone call? They hadn't let her contact her sponsors. They had lawyers aplenty, enough to bury these stupid cops and get her off the hook without even a speeding ticket.

It wasn't fair. Yumemi was young, yes. Only technically an adult at 18. But that didn't justify the treatment. It didn't justify it for Chiyuri, herself only 15. It wasn't fair that they had to fight for legitimacy. 

There was a time when their ages meant something. Yumemi Okazaki, graduating high school at age 13, college before she could drive, getting her PhD before she could even vote. She'd been called a prodigy, a genius, the kind of child every parent wished they'd had. 

And then she'd become a professor.

Suddenly she was treated with suspicion by other professors, her peers, who before had lauded and praised her. Her students, many of them older than she was, either ignored her or, worse, tried to hit on her. She hadn't had friends in school, shooting too fast through grades to make them, feasting on the praises of the adults in her life, until suddenly, they were gone. Even her parents seemed distant now, not sure of what to make of a child who'd speedrun academia.

She'd gone from a shining star to so much cosmic dust in a year. 

Yumemi sat against the wall, knees folded to her chest. She was right. That stupid purple-haired Borderlander… it wasn't fair. They'd arrived in the middle of the night, only to wake up to a message saying their funding has been cut- instead of ten days in the Border World, they could only afford one . The magic competition had been a last-minute idea to collect a wide look at various magics, all the more so when her sponsors suggested bringing a magician back to their world for study. It had made sense to Yumemi then, all the more so when she felt she could justify it, as in the case of Reimu Hakurei. Surely giving the poor orphan girl a home was the morally superior option to leaving her be?

"Bull crap. Stop trying to justify yourself! You’re looking for results that fit your pre-existing hypothesis and ignoring her obvious distress, that’s also bad science!” 

Yumemi shivered. The woman was right. And she hated her for it. It wasn't fair. Not for her, nor for Chiyuri. The blonde in question was asleep at the moment, having had an exhausting day. Unlike Yumemi, Chiyuri was from Japan, and while her English was flawless, she really had no idea how to deal with American police, and had shifted back into Japanese as she’d stressed out. It wasn’t fair to her at all- the girl was like Yumemi, an absolute genius who’d blazed through her schooling. That she’d been headhunted at only 15 , recruited by Yumemi’s sponsors as an engineer to help Yumemi put her dimensional theories into practice, said a lot about the girls skills. 

Or perhaps it said something about their sponsors. In retrospect, it seemed a bit suspect. 

But that was hindsight. At this point, it really didn’t matter. Not with Yumemi and Chiyuri in jail, no sign of her sponsors planning to get her out. News would get back to the university, to her parents …

Yumemi Okazaki’s life was over.

“It’s good to finally meet you, Kotohime of Agatamori. Or do you prefer Princess Kotohime? My sources suggest you rarely use your family name.” 

Kotohime sat on a large couch, facing a blonde woman with eyes that swirled gold and violet. Even Kotohime, who had never managed Mage Sight or other abilities to sense magic power, could sense the sheer power billowing off the woman- as if the Nine-Tail Kitsune of all things she had as a servant wasn’t evidence enough.
She-That-Lies. Big Purple. Our Lady of the Borders. Yukari Yakumo.

“Would you care for something to drink? I’ve got quite a variety. Tea, coffee, all kinds of alcohol…”

“No thank you.”

“You have coffee?” Rikako sat up a bit next to Kotohime.

“Of course. I have access to many unusual things.” The woman chuckled, leaning back. “And you, Princess? Or you Genjii, how about that sake I promised you?” 

“I’m still fine with tea, thank you.” The turtle in question sat on the couch as well, his legs tucked in and a cup of green tea somehow held in one claw. He'd given Kotohime a brief explanation of events- how with Mima joining her in looking for Rikako, Marisa had led Mima's other children to attack Reimu as the final fight of the competition, and how Yakumo's Kitsune servant had pulled him away before he could go to aid her. Rikako had then added on, about the Professor bringing Reimu to her vehicle under the guise of offering her a prize for winning the competition. The girl in question had been carried away by a Bakeneko girl to a bedroom to sleep off the sedative in her veins. The strange Outsider version that had appeared when the Professor jumped out of Gensokyo had gone with them, also exhausted from the ordeal.

Yakumo waved her hand, and a black rift opened up next to Rikako, depositing a steaming mug of coffee, which she happily accepted. Yakumo smiled. "If you change your mind, Princess Kotohime, just say so. I recently picked up some good German beer, or this stuff called Bubble Tea-."

"I'm fine. " Kotohime shook her head. "Why are we here? Was it just to trap Mima in a box again? She was helping. "

"Well-"

"And you're supposed to be some kind of protector of Gensokyo, aren't you? The one who forged the Border with a Hakurei a century ago! Where were you before? When Reimu was taken into the Outside World, when she actually was attacked by Mima?" Kotohime felt tears sneaking into the corners of her eyes. "Where were you when Izumi and Rin were killed?"

The woman turned away. Genjii shook his head. “I discussed this with her earlier. As it was, she did show up the second time Mima fought us- saving Reimu from a fall, providing us with a box to seal her in, and repairing the shrine from the damage Rika did. That said… Would you like for me to tell her, Lady Yakumo?”

“No, thank you, Genjii.” The woman sighed, before turning back to Kotohime. “She should hear it from me, given it was my decisions."

"What decisions?"

Yukari closed her eyes, turning towards her Kitsune servant for a moment, before turning back to Kotohime. "The intent was never for the Hakureis to be alone. There was only one when the Border went up, but she had grown close to her companion and had a child with him shortly after we raised the Border. Had that first Hakurei not been cursed and killed shortly after giving birth…" Yukari shook her head. "For years, newborn Hakureis were taken to the Human Village to be cared for by families there. Until Shinichi Hakurei, Izumi's father, inadvertently broke the curse when he transitioned, and a generation later, Izumi became the first Hakurei to survive childbirth." 

Kotohime folded her arms. She knew this already. She even vaguely remembered hearing of the death of the man, and of the infant Izumi being brought to live with the Hiedas, though it hadn't been until after Kotohime had been recruited by Okina Matara as a teenager that they'd crossed paths. "What does this have to do with anything?" 

"I'm not as omniscient as you might think, Lady Kotohime. I have a vague awareness of those with Hakurei blood through the Border, yes. But it is hardly more than that- an awareness. I felt Reimu exit Gensokyo during the night she first encountered the Ghost-Witch, but could not tell where she went, only that she was alive. Given that the shrine is an anchor point in the Border, where our world and the Outside can connect, I assumed Reimu stumbled Outside for a short time. And seeing as she was back by the next morning I assumed that it had merely been a minor accident and Genjii had taken care of it. Of course, even if I had realized, Makai is as far out of my reach as the Moon is."

Yukari stood, a cup of something dropping out of a black rift and into her hand as she started to pace. "The second time I felt her exit Gensokyo was similar, up until Genjii came to me. I turned my attention to her then, but by that time the Baku had returned Reimu from the Dream World. I merely sent Genjii back to her and offered a bit of cleanup aid in the form of a sealing-box and repairing the shrine, unaware of just how dire things could have been. I hadn't realized just who Reimu was facing, just what Genjii had said- a ghost aided by a few children. Perhaps that last bit threw me off, at least until today, when I sent Ran to investigate the Outsiders we felt enter Gensokyo yesterday and she spotted her ."

Kotohime leaned forward. "Her? You mean Mima?"

“Yes.” Yukari paused again. “As I said, I’m not as omniscient as you might think. Without actively focusing on her, I was unaware that Izumi Hakurei was in mortal peril until I felt her life end. I immediately rushed to find Reimu and investigate, of course, but all I found were the corpses of Rin Satsuki and Izumi Hakurei burnt and mutilated beyond recognition, and a blazing shrine. I turned my attention onto Reimu and could sense her being carried away and gave chase. And what do you suppose I found when I did?"

Kotohime frowned, then her eyes widened. “You mean…”

"A Vengeful Ghost fleeing the shrine, with an injured Reimu in one hand, and a bloody knife in the other. A Vengeful Ghost with green hair and eyes.” Yukari slammed a wooden box with a carved eye on the table, lid sealed shut with an array of amulets. “ This Vengeful Ghost.” 

Kotohime stared at the box, and Yukari continued. “I made the obvious assumption when I found her. I created these boxes many years ago to help a previous Hakurei- the combination of a Hakurei’s Spiritual power and my own Space-Time magic is very hard to escape from. That she managed to break out of the one I gave to Genjii is particularly concerning- I didn’t have a Hakurei with the one I originally sealed her in, and while Reimu did seal her after that first encounter, she was younger and less trained. And yet, according to Genjii Mima apparently only stayed trapped for a single night before breaking out of a seal using our combined powers. She seems to be getting better at escaping- I don’t know how long I can keep her like this. We need to decide what to do with her, now .” 

“This… This doesn’t make sense.” Kotohime shook her head. “I’ve only known Mima for a day, but what I’ve seen doesn’t match with what you’re describing. Vengeful Ghosts don’t take care of children, or use healing spells, or throw away the chance to humiliate the target of their ire. She seems to be missing memories, possibly from being sealed, but this isn’t a matter of memory changes- this is an entire personality that doesn’t seem to match up.”

Yukari nodded. “That’s… part of the problem.” 

“What do you mean?”

“The Hakurei line has had many enemies over the years, but I have no knowledge of any Mima Geist-Hexe. No records of a Vengeful Spirit. I don’t know where she came from. As far as I can tell, the first time she was ever in Gensokyo, she was carrying Reimu away from the burning shrine.” Yukari stared at the box. “Evidence points the blame at her, but she doesn’t fit the profile. Vengeful Ghost aside.”

Kotohime tapped her chin. “What about Reimu? Surely she has some memory buried deep down. If we could figure out why her memories are missing-”

“No.” 

“What?”

Yukari’s voice turned forceful as she set her hands on her knees. She closed her eyes. “It won’t work.”

“How do you know?”

It took several seconds before Yukari spoke again. “Because it’s my fault her memories are gone.” 

Chapter Text

“Your fault?” Kotohime tensed, feeling the weight of her tonfas in her sleeves. “What did you do to her, Yakumo?” she hissed.

It took several more seconds for Yukari to reply. “I do not regret what I did. I only regret that it didn’t work properly.”

“ What did you do? ”

“Lady Kotohime-” 

Yukari lifted a hand as Genjii spoke. “She deserves the truth.” She slowly looked up, meeting Kotohime’s eyes. “When I found Reimu, she had been hurt, cut and burned. Whoever killed her mother tortured her as well, on top of probably killing her mother in front of her eyes. I healed her physical wounds, but it wasn’t enough.” Yukari turned away. “So I sealed her memories. I cut her off from the trauma of her own torment, of watching her family tortured to death before her eyes. No one should have to witness such a thing. much less a child.”