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Playtime! => PbP Games => Play by Post General => Campaignment of Scarlet Devil => : Prime32 December 24, 2010, 05:52:48 PM
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Summer in Gensoukyou. It's been almost 2 years since the Hakurei miko's last trip to Makai. In that time, little of consequence has happened. Occasionally a youkai or even a fairy might cause trouble, but they were such small-fry that "exterminating" them didn't even count as a workout. Genji spends most of his time sleeping in the pond at the back of the shrine, while Mima hardly ever shows up any more.
The birds are quiet. Morning came to Gensoukyou hours ago, but they cannot tell...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRgqdalnwZQ&hd=1
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(http://i56.tinypic.com/258b0uv.png)
The Hakurei shrine has, for generations, been a base for the best Youkai hunters of Gensokyo. Feared by human and Youkai alike, the priests and priestesses of Hakurei have gradually become estranged from the rest of Gensokyo. However, at this moment the current Hakurei miko has other worries.
"Gweeeeh..." Reimu is rolling around in her futon, rather discontent with the current state of things. She woke up a good while ago, and hasn't been able to fall asleep again since. "Geez, it's still the middle of the night..." If this keeps up, she just knows she'll feel like crap the rest of the day. "Isn't this some kind of medical condition? I don't know any doctors, though..." A situation most troubling, indeed. And on top of that... with a loud growl, her stomach lets her know that it wants to be fed. "Gweeeeh..."
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(http://images.wikia.com/touhou/images/0/0e/Th075marisa01.png)
Marisa Kirisame was born, like most other humans, whitout any special talent, an ordinary person, fated to live an ordinary life no matter what she did, while all manner of great individuals existed around her, possessing all kind of wondrous powers. But well, if Marisa was to be ordinary, then she would be an ordinary magician! Stealing Collecting every magic item and scripture she could get her hands on, training hard for endless hours, performing all kind of experiments, and managing to get Mima to guide her, Marisa became able to face head on the greatest names in Gengyoko head on. Even if she had received her fair share of defeats, she could make sure each of her battles was a blazing show of magic!
Her family, and most of the other humans disaproved of Marisa's endless quest for magic mastery, but she had found her path, and would stick to it for better or worst. Taking residence in the forest of magic, Marisa spends most of her time either in solitary study and experimenting or traveling trough Gengyoko in search of a good challenge for her magic skills, be it youkai extermination, battle challenges, or the odd firework request for some special event.
For the last couple of years however things had been pretty dull. After Reimu and Marisa beated the God of Makai herself most troublesome youkai had learned to lay low and don't cause ruckus. Boring. No worthy challenges. Marisa had crafted several spellcards and was itching to use them, but she seemed unable to find anyone in the mood for a full power battle. Even trough Reimu had came up with that non-lethal system thingy.
But today when Marisa woke she felt something diferent. She was hungry, and didn't felt sleep, and the clocks and magic trinkets in her house confirmed it was suposed to be morning already, but the sky was dark. Or at least looked dark. Closer examination revealed a tick fog covering the heavens themselves. Surely this was not a natural event, not at this time of the year. It could only mean one thing. A new problem to solve!
Grinning to herself, Marisa dressed up in typical magician black clothes, grabbed her room, hakkero and spellcards, and set off for the Hakurei Shrine. She could go and investigate this by herself, but dragging Reimu Harukei, the lazy shrine maiden possessing impressive natural talent, with her would be much more fun!
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After some walking Marisa reached her destination. With her excitement she hadn't even had breakfast. Well surely Reimu would offer her guest something to bite. But she was nowhere to be seen from the shrine's entrance. Don't say she was still asleep when the skies themselves were cursed??? Or, worst, that she would've already gone to investigate it while leaving Marisa behind!
YOH REIMU GET UP ZE! IT'S ME, MARISA ZE!-screamed the magician at the top of her lungs while waving her hat in the air.
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(http://i54.tinypic.com/2qmj6hh.png)
"Gya-!?" A yelp of surprise comes from the shrine as the trespasser suddenly starts yelling at the top of her lungs. A while later, one of the windows is thrown open, revealing a rather agitated (or rather, positively fuming) Reimu throwing off a blanket, dressed in simple nightwear and with a bad case of bed hair. "Marisa! What on earth do you want in the middle of the night? I don't have any tea or sake yet!
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Throwing a sigh of relief that Reimu was indeed sleeping, Marisa puts back her hat and points her broom towards the sky, grinning.
Now, I know you're poor, but don't you even have a watch or something in your shrine ze? It's way past night time ze! Just take a look up ze! Something is blocking the heavens and making everything dark ze! It's your duty to investigate what's hapening ze! And also to get some refreshing beverages to your guests ze!
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(http://i53.tinypic.com/24or7tg.png)
"Watch? You know the small ones at Kourindou don't work, and a western big clock like yours just doesn't match a Japanese shrine. ...Wait, what? What are you... eh?" The sky being dark is perfectly normal at night. It's also perfectly normal for the sky to be cloudy, or even completely covered in clouds sometimes. What's not normal is for those clouds to be completely blood red. Her expression darkens, and she turns away from the window. "...I'll be out in a minute. How long has it been like this?"
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A Soul As Red as a Ground Cherry (http://www.youtube.com/v/X8zqhTb_sC0)
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Marisa's grin gets even bigger seeing how Reimu starts to get serious, and she sets her broom back on the ground, anticipating the start of an adventure.
No idea, it has been that way since I woke up ze. But while I traveled here from my house I noticed they seem to be spreading from a central point from some place in the land ze. My intuition tells me it's some pretty powerfull magic ze. That red tone isn't natural at all, so I don't believe it's any fairy or god's doing ze. It's surely some powerfull youkai mage ze! If we follow the path of the clouds I'm sure we'll find the culprit ze! C'mon, it will be fun ze!
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(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
After a bit more than a minute, comes out filly dressed and carrying... a tray with two cups of tea, two bowls of rice with apple slices, and a plate of tofu. Setting it on the Porch, she kneels down next to the tray and motions to the food. "There, help yourself." Taking a sip of tea, she glowers out at the red-cloaked horizon. "This certainly is an incident, isn't it? Haah... What a bother." Her laundry won't dry if the sun doesn't shine, and she can't even tell if it's going to rain or not.
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Marisa's stomach growls at the sight of the food and sits down on the porch with Reimu, seting her broom and hat to the side.
Thanks for the food ze!
Eating from one of the rice bowls while taking sips from the tea, she can't stop admiring Reimu's peacefull state, despite the current situation. How did she manage it?
You have to admit things had been pretty dull for a while now Reimu ze! Doesn't the idea of a new challenge exictes you ze? To save the day and be an heroine again ze? Are you really satisfied just loofing around everyday sipping drinks and eating snacks ze? Don't you sometimes long for a new adventure ze?
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(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
"Mmn." The red-white priestess answers with an indeterminate sound as she eats her own rice. "For you, it's all just fun and games, isn't it? ...For me, it's work." She doesn't further clarify, though, and simply continues staring at the sky as she eats. Once she has eaten her fill, she stands up and dusts off her skirt, ready to put the dishes back and go. "Ah well, it can't be helped."
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Marisa makes a wondering face for a moment.
But... Doesn't work imply geting rewarded somehow for it ze? You do lots of youkai extermination, but your donation box seems to always be empty ze. I've heard that in the outside lands, shrines get plenty of offerings for their work ze!
Then the black-white magician finishes her share and stands up, puting back her hat and grabbing the broom, fully grinning again.
Well, let's get go ze! Marisa Kirisame and her Red-White Shrine Maiden companion depart to a new adventure ze! Epic battles shall be fought ze! Mysteries shall be unraveled ze! And hopefully we'll get back by dinner time ze! I don't feel like sleeping in the open ze.
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(http://i52.tinypic.com/f0w6xt.png)
"Yeah, yeah..." While Marisa is busy monologuing, Reimu has already taken off and is flying in a random direction, trusting her gut feeling as always.
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Wh-No fair starting ahead like that ze!-screams Marisa while mounting her broom and taking flight after the shrine maiden, not wanting to be left behind. Leaning forward, she does her best to try to get ahead of Reimu, as if it was a race. The cold wind on her face felt good, and she wondered whetever Reimu had formulated any plan of action to find the originator of the mist or was just following her guts.
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After flying around at random for a while, the two notice that the clouds seem to be at their darkest in a certain part of the forest. Investigating, they discover clouds which grow darker and darker, at their centre a point of deepest pitch. This appears to be the source of the mists, but now that you look... is it moving?
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(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
"When there's three hundred yen in the donation box~" Absentmindedly humming a tune as she flies along, Reimu's mood seems to have at least lightened somewhat. "Well, I guess going out at night isn't bad for a change... Hmm?" Curiously, the red-white shrine maiden eyes the moving dark clouds. "What's that? Just a single random youkai wandering around, isn't it? Even my instincts aren't that good, are they?"
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Yeah, it would be boring if this was already the true culprit. Probably it's some youkai taking advantage of the situation. Or perhaps it is the true culpirt, but she'll led us in an exciting chase troughout half of Gensoukyou ! Well, just one way of finding out ze!
Marisa proceeds to lower altitude and starting to circle the darkening clouds, whitout actualy entering them. Whispering a small incantation, a black arcane circle is summoned behind Marisa, and she starts channeling an Illusion Laser in her left hand, small blue lighting crackling around her arm. She proceeds to scream at the point of pitch darkness.
(http://i.ytimg.com/vi/HJeVeteq5zo/0.jpg)
HEY, WHOEVER IS DOING THOSE DARK CLOUDS! COME OUT IN THE OPEN IN TEN SECONDS OR I'LL HAVE TO PUNISH YOU WITH THE POWER OF LOVE!
Ok, perhaps there were other ways to finding out if it was the true culprit, but this one was the fastest and flashiest!
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The shifting darkness suddenly comes to a halt, and a girl's voice comes from its centre.
"Who's there? Why are you shouting?"
It sounds rather annoyed.
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(http://i52.tinypic.com/f0w6xt.png)
"She's shouting because she ate too many weird mushrooms," Reimu replies in a voice that makes it unclear whether she's serious or not. "So," Ignoring the spectacle, she flies close to the center of the darkness. "Did you cause this incident?"
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Me? I'm just an ordinary magician ze. Anyway what the shrine maiden over there said. Are you the one who made all this darkness?
Marisa follows Reimu, testing if her charging illusion laser can lighten things up.
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"She's shouting because she ate too many weird mushrooms," Reimu replies in a voice that makes it unclear whether she's serious or not. "So," Ignoring the spectacle, she flies close to the center of the darkness. "Did you cause this incident?"
"Is that so? ...eh? Now there's two of you?"
The darkness which Marisa's magic could not penetrate dims to reveal a little girl in a black dress, her arms spread wide. On closer inspection her eyes are red and her mouth is filled with pointed teeth.
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd54/Prime32_temp/Mirror/iyd4io.jpg)
Me? I'm just an ordinary magician ze. Anyway what the shrine maiden over there said. Are you the one who made all this darkness?
"Inci... I don't know what an incident is, but yep, that was me!" Her proud grin soon fades, and she cocks her head in puzzlement. "What, can't you see?"
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(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
"No. Humans can't see in the darkness." With a sigh, Reimu lightly points her gohei at the girl. "Well, if it was you, then stop it. This darkness is really inconvenient."
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"Oh?" ??? "But I've seen people who only come out at night."
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(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
"Those are either youkai or stupid humans. You can eat those if you want, but it's a bother to me. I usually only go out by day."
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"Oh, is that so..."
She furrows her brow, clearly deep in thought. After a few seconds she points at Marisa.
"Can I eat the noisy one then?"
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Go ahead and have a bite ze! I'm really delicious!
Grinning in anticipation for a duel, Marisa pulls one of her spellcards, ready to blast the new mysterious girl as soon as she tried something suspicious.
"A darkness summoning youkai heh? Let's see how long she can stand to my cosmic magic!"
(http://blog.seiha.org/images/iamp1/iamp1%20(42).jpg)
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(http://i52.tinypic.com/f0w6xt.png)
"You can eat her as much as you want. I'll watch. If you end the darkness first, I'll even hold her for you."
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Rumia stares at Marisa's spell card in confusion.
"What's that? Some kind of seasoning?"
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A sweatdrop appears on the back of Marisa's hat.
Hooeee, you never heard of danmaku duels? This is a spellcard ze. It shoots shiny stuff in crazy patterns when you put your energy on it. If I hit you enough then I win the duel ze! Simple huh? If you don't have any spellcards I can sell you some of mine cheap!
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(http://i52.tinypic.com/2zf3juv.png)
"Geez, just get on with it already! Look, you there. I sent this stuff about Danmaku battles out to all the important Youkai in Gensokyo. If you didn't get it, we'll walk you though it. Just hurry up, I need to do my laundry!" A slip of paper flies from Reimu's hand, landing on Rumia's forehead. It is not an ofuda, however - Marisa may recognize it as the paper containing the rules for Danmaku battles she herself got a while ago. "There, just read that.
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Rumia's eyes slowly move upwards, widening as she spots the sheet on her head. "Okay!" she shouts, snatching it.
She stares at the instructions and begins to scan them intently. Then after a few seconds she raises her hand. "Sensei, one question!"
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(http://i52.tinypic.com/2zf3juv.png)
Impatiently, Reimu asks, "Yeah? What is it?" She'd probably be tapping her feet on the floor if there was a floor under her.
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"What's 'read'?" she smiles.
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(http://i55.tinypic.com/huob2g.png)
There is a short pause in which everything is still and Reimu's expression seems frozen. Then... "Wha- Gimme that!" Snatching the paper from Rumia's hands, Reimu instead begins reading it to her hurriedly (http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Perfect_Memento:_Draft_of_Spell_Card_Rules). "Got it? See, it's easy. If you can't write, she'll write your spellcards down for you," Reimu finishes, pointing at Marisa.
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Marisa takes out her hat and proceeds to pull from it scrolls, inks, feathers and precariously balancing them over her frilly dress and broom. Puting back her hat, she holds feather and scrolls in her hands, standing ready to write.
So you're a night bird, right ze? How about...Darkness Sign? Perhaps something moon-related? You also seem to like to mark your territorry...
In a few minutes, Marisa pulls out three shiny new black cards
Moon Sign "Moonlight Ray"-Because you can never have too much lazers ze!
Night Sign "Night Bird"-Classic bullet hell!
Darkness Sign "Demarcation"- For a cool finish!
Those will be free samples. If you want more you'll have to pay me ze!
Marisa hands the three spellcards to Rumia, while guarding again her drawing materials. The witch then turns to the shrine maiden.
So Reimu, I made the cards, you beat her now ze!
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(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
"Alright, alright, I'll be your opponent." Now somewhat more relaxed, Reimu pulls out a number of needles, her Yin-Yang Orbs floating around her lazily. "It can't be that hard if it's cards Marisa made."
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Marisa makes a sarcastic smile toward Reimu in return for the comment on her work, then turns to the darkness youkai and starts cheering her on.
Kick her shrine maiden's ass girl! You can do it ze!
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She points at Marisa. "If I win I get to eat her, right?"
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(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
"Yeah, whatever. If she lets you."
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Rumia smiles wide and licks her lips. "Alright, here I go!"
Apparitions Stalk the Night (http://www.youtube.com/v/KNHyjs2R8Y4)
The shadows around her begin to shift and swirl, condensing into a solid black ring that fades to purple at its edges.
"Wheee!" As it spins faster, strands of darkness break off and lash out at Reimu like whips.
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Swiftly retreating in midair, Reimu's orbs begin spinning around her as well, bludgeoning the tendrils of shadow that follow her. "Can't see her very well..." As she flies backwards, a number of ofuda appear in her hands and are instantly lauched at the darkness. As they leave her hands, Reimu herself shoots upwards, high into the air, and stops at a safe distance while observing her shots as they enter the darkness.
(http://i56.tinypic.com/4hcgna.jpg)
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Most of Reimu's magical missiles exit the darkness on the other side, but a few do not.
"Owie!"
It occurs to Reimu that Rumia did not place a spell field before beginning her attack.
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(http://i54.tinypic.com/2qmj6hh.png)
"Wha- Ah, geez. She's not very smart, is she?" With a swift gesture of Reimu's hand, a barely noticeable shimmer encloses the immediate surroundings. "Spell Field, set. Haa..." There is no-one else around, but precautions are precautions. With the spell field in place, Reimu allows herself to drop down at high speed before abruptly stopping herself at roughly Rumia's altitude. "Alright, let's start with Persuasion Needle." At her cue, countless thin needles of orange energy shoot from her Yin-Yang orbs, all pointed to the center of the darkness, roughly where the amulets entered but did not come back out.
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Marisa laughs at the situation from a safe distance.
(http://danbooru.donmai.us/data/c241f67efe2faab6fed8ace81040b6f8.jpg)
Well, I guess you can make death-proof rules, but you cannot make stupid-proof rules ze!
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An instant before the needles connect...
"Uh... go, magic card!"
Moon Sign "Moonlight Ray"
...A loud burst knocks most of them away. Reimu can clearly see Rumia floating in the shape of a +, a rather Marisa-like beam of energy coming from each hand. "There you are!" As she spots the miko she brings her hands together; the lasers follow her movement and sweep across the field to zone in on Reimu.
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(http://i52.tinypic.com/hx2pox.png)
"Hm. Really one of Marisa's spell cards. Well, I should be able to dodge it just like Marisa's then..." Flying forwards in between the beams while her Yin-Yang orbs continue firing, Reimu sharply drops down at the last second, allowing the lasers to meet just behind her back. "Know one, know them all~" As she spins in midair, she swerves to fly in a different direction, releasing a swarm of homing amulets towards Rumia.
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Rumia flails her arms like mad, trying to take down the amulets. Lasers go everywhere, one passing within an inch of Marisa's head, but she can't manage to track their curving paths.
Reimu's attack impacts on Rumia with a series of flashes. Unable to maintain her concentration, her spell breaks with a loud bang.
The youkai raises her card into the air and waves it about, but nothing happens.
"Magic card! Magic card!"
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Marisa is completely unphased by the grazing laser. How could one of her own crafted spellcards turn back on her?
Damn, those were some nice lasers, but I guess a rookie like this youkai can't really hope to intercept Reimu's homing amulets ze...
Seeing how Rumia seems to have misheard the spellcard duel rules, Marisa shouts her:
You can only use each spellcard once per battle ze! Quick, switch to another one before Reimu attacks again!
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A panicked Rumia nods and fumbles through her cards. "Uh... 'THE MARK ACTION'!"
Darkness Sign "Demarcation"
The darkness around Rumia thickens as it becomes infused with magic, then lets out a pulse. A black shockwave strikes Reimu before she can avoid it, buffeting her about. It keeps going for another meter or two, then suddenly comes to a halt and begins to shimmer. Reimu finds that she and her opponent are enclosed by a barrier like dark glass.
The darkness around Rumia begins shifting again, but this time less evenly...
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(http://i53.tinypic.com/24or7tg.png)
"Wha- Eh?" Reimu reflexively shields herself with her arms as the wave of magic buffets her, but it doesn't seem to have affected her the way a hit by a bullet would. More surprising is the border behind her. "Boundary magic?" Watching the shifting darkness warily, Reimu shoots a single needle towards the spell's boundary at an angle to test it, ready to move once the darkness does.
[spoiler]Does the needle bounce? :smirk[/spoiler]
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The needle deflects off the barrier, seeming to lose some power in the process.
The energy around Rumia lets out another pulse, this time not a shockwave but a thick mass of darkness. It's uneven, with some parts almost transparent, and through one of them Reimu can glimpse her opponent already charging another.
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(http://i52.tinypic.com/hx2pox.png)
"Hmph." Shielding her face with her arms, Reimu dives towards a transparent patch in the wave of darkness, the Yin-Yang orbs spinning around her. Once she is through, she releases a host of amulets and needles in a wide cone, drawing red streaks of light behind them as they fly through the darkness - either directly at Rumia or to the border of the marked zone, where they ricochet back. Though they may lose some velocity, they should still be fast enough to fill the air. "This is what you'd call a bullet hell, right?"
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As the barrier is repeatedly struck by Reimu's magic it cracks a little. However, seconds later it is met by Rumia's attack and instantly mended.
"Aaaaaaah!"
Trying to fend off the miko's assault, Rumia unleashes another burst, at closer range this time. As she does so, whips stir up from the darkness again and begin lashing with greater speed than before.
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(http://i52.tinypic.com/hx2pox.png)
"Didn't work..." Diving again, Reimu weaves among the dark whips and danmaku again, shooting volleys of homing amulets. As she approaches the other end of the barrier, her orbs switch to shooting needles at one spot, which Reimu flies toward at top speed. "Haaa-!" Before Rumia's next attack mends the boundary, the miko uses her full momentum to kick at the damaged part of the barrier, shooting another wave of amulets behind her as her foot makes contact.
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"Hey, ow, no, ow, fair!" Rumia shouts, her words punctuated by amulets.
She refocuses all her efforts on the hole in the barrier, trying to hit Reimu. Unfortunately, she is so focused on this that she fails to notice a rebounding barrage of attacks travelling towards the back of her head.
Seconds after Reimu has exited the field, it shatters into a million pieces.
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(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
"If you make a barrier, people will want to break it. If it's not strong enough, then it'll break. It's not fair or unfair, that's just the way it is. Calmly floating in midair, Reimu turns to face the girl in the middle of the crumbling sphere. "Come on, declare your next card. You had three, right?"
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Marisa, who had been trying to gaze inside the darkness ball all this time untill it broke, sighs at Reimu's comment,
Don't give the youkai ideas ze! The last thing we need is yet more people trying to put seals and barriers all over Gengyoko... Wait, that means that we get new problems to solve, and I can even pull some kind of profit out of it ze!
Grinning again, Marisa resumes cheering the youkai:
Go darkness-girl! Kick that shrine maiden's ass and then seal her off or something so I can rescue her! Remember, the last card is always the best card ze!
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Rumia stares at the card in her hand. "This is my last one." :(
"Night birdy!"
Night Sign "Night Bird"
As she raises it above her head there is a brilliant flash of light. And then... she is nowhere to be seen.
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(http://i52.tinypic.com/hx2pox.png)
"Hmm?" Unable to see Rumia, Reimu floats near the border of the spell field, slowly circling the area as she keeps an eye out for the last spellcard. "Night bird... You know, you're bird-eyed too, Marisa."
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Without warning, something large rams into Reimu from behind.
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(http://i54.tinypic.com/2qmj6hh.png)
"Guh-!?" Reflexively flying away from the point of impact, Reimu spins around and shoots a barrage of amulets in the direction she was hit from. "Invisible danmaku? No..."
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Reimu turns to see what struck her.
It's Rumia, the darkness around her condensed into a transparent black aura with no leaks. She rolls away from the miko's attacks with speed she certainly did not possess before, the few that make contact merely chipping at her armour.
"Let's play pretend!" she giggles. Darkness spreads from her arms like wings. "I'm a birdy, and you're a worm!" She flies at Reimu again, her mouth opened wide.
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(http://i52.tinypic.com/hx2pox.png)
"Eh... worm, you say?" Having recognized the threat, Reimu once again calms down, floating in midair with no attempt to evade Rumia. "No thanks. Playing a worm sounds boring. I'd only be able to wriggle." As Rumia comes closer, Reimu suddenly flies to the side with lightning reflexes, leaving a batch of homing amulets flying to meet Rumia's head-on charge.
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Rumia manages to block the attack with her "wings", though they crack a little. She then soars above Reimu and begins flapping up a strong wind. Shards loosened by the miko's attack begin to rain down upon her like daggers.
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(http://i52.tinypic.com/hx2pox.png)
As her Yin-Yang Orbs start spinning faster around her, Reimu Watches the barrage with a bored expression, though her eyes betray attentiveness. "Mhm, worms are boring." A wave of orange needles shoots from the orbs to meet Rumia's attack while Reimu shoots upwards, weaving through the bullets that weren't countered by her needles. As she draws near Rumia, she starts flying in an arc, trying to get above Rumia without coming too close. "I think I want to be the hunter."
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"Huh? No!"
Rumia stops flapping and charges at Reimu again, straight upwards.
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(http://i52.tinypic.com/hx2pox.png)
"When the hunter shoots the bird, the bird doesn't get to say anything about it." Flying upwards, though at lower velocity than Rumia, Reimu's orbs release a constant stream of needles right at Rumia's face, and just as Rumia draws near, the miko deftly flies to the side, allowing the faster youkai to charge past her.
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The youkai cries out as she is blinded by the needles, hurtling past Reimu to plunge into the scarlet mists above.
She appears again moments later.
"Grrrr...TAKETHISTAKETHISTAKETHISTAKETHIS!"
Flapping her wings harder, she fires a storm of blades at her opponent. More dangerously, her motion also stirs up the mists around her, fanning them towards Reimu in a corrosive cone.
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(http://i52.tinypic.com/hx2pox.png)
"Tch." Luckily, now Reimu has room to retreat downwards, and she allows herself to fall at full speed while showering the girl with needles and homing amulets on the way down. As she nears the ground, she stops shooting and spins once. From some hidden space in her sleeves, a single yin-yang orb about half the size of those orbiting around her shoots straight upwards through the cloud at Rumia. Fianlly, just before she hits the ground, the priestess swerves abruptly and evades to the side and up. Somehow, her instincts tell her she doesn't want to get into that cloud.
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As the talismans pass through the cloud they begin to disintegrate; by the time they reach Rumia there is nothing left but ashes. The needles are another story though, and the youkai is forced to defend. Unfortunately, putting your arms in front of your face tends not to help your ability to see things coming, especially when darkness is making them a few inches thicker. The yin-yang orb strikes her directly in the stomach, sending her flying.
...but when she comes to a rest her armour is still intact.
"Oh, is that all? My turn now, my turn!" :D
Her aura flares, if darkness can flare, as she charges a beam of light in one hand and a whip of shadow in the other.
"You're a worm! Worms shouldn't try to beat birdies, that's silly!" she shouts as she shoots towards Reimu like an iron comet.
And then...
Poof. The energy surrounding her vanishes, as does her speed. It seems this spellcard had a time limit. Hovering feet from Reimu, Rumia grins awkwardly.
-
(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
Floating forward, Reimu raises her hand and brings it down on Rumia's head in a chopping motion, although not very hard. "I'm a hunter." With a blink of her eyes, the spell fied around them vanishes. "I guess it's weird to pretend to be something I already am, though. Anyway," Reimu says, crossing her arms. "My victory. Don't eat Marisa. And make that mist go away."
-
"Aww. Um, mist?..." She looks up, as if noticing the red clouds for the first time. "Oh. How do I do that?"
-
(http://i52.tinypic.com/2zf3juv.png)
Raising an eyebrow, Reimu looks at Rumia impatiently. "How am I supposed to know? We found you where the mist is darkest, so didn't you make this mist in the first place?"
-
(http://www.nekowaiwai.com/images/touhou/1268809192949.png)
Winning by time-out... You're geting old Reimu ze!
Marisa slowly flies around the shrine maiden and youkai, grinning with a mischievous smile.
Anyway, after seeing your battle I say it's pretty clear this little youkai couldn't have created an incident of this magnitude. I bet she's actualy lower than an human, and just happened to have a great natural affinity with this mysterious mist. There's probably several youkai out there trying to take advantage of this incident, but the true creator would be someone with at least six spellcards!
-
Rumia nods. "Yeah, the tasty lady is right. I didn't make this stuff, I've got a..." She frowns and pronounces the next word slowly. "affibimity. But... hey! Who are you calling lower than a human?"
-
(http://i52.tinypic.com/f0w6xt.png)
"Whatever. We're wasting time." As Marisa and Rumia quarrel, Reimu has already turned her back to them, flying in a random direction as her gut feeling takes her. "Geez... It probably would've been faster to just use a spellcard. Then again, I'd have wasted a card on someone who's not even the culprit."
-
Oh, well, we'll play again some other time whatever's-your-name darkness gir zel!-answers Marisa to Rumia, speeding up behind Reimu while leaving behind a trail of stars that form a group of shiny letters on the sky.
Stage one completed!
-
Before long, the pair can see the human village. It's unusually quiet, with few people on the streets.
{Continue/Investigate?}
-
Marisa descends into the strangely peacefull village, aproaching one of the humans on the street.
(http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20051017101319/touhou/images/c/c3/Th06marisa_portrait.jpg)
Say, ain't this place awfull quiet? Is there any trouble around here ze?
-
The man jumps back, startled. "You!"
-
(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
"Hmm?" Noting the stranger's reaction to Marisa, Reimu floats idly to her side. "What's wrong? Did you steal his house or something?"
-
"No, not her, you!" he shouts angrily, pointing at Reimu. "Aren't you the Hakurei shrine maiden? Why aren't you doing something about this?"
-
(http://i53.tinypic.com/14l53d5.png)
Glaring at the man, Reimu replies, "I am. Why do you think I'm not at the shrine?"
-
The man looks appalled. "Do you have any idea what time it is? It can't take more than five minutes to walk from that shrine of yours, and you can fly!"
A bit of an exaggeration...
"The youkai are more active in this evil mist - while you were goofing off we could have been attacked!"
As if on cue, a rustle comes from the nearby bushes.
-
Not liking to be the one being suprised by things sneaking around, Marisa instantly summons her magic circle, wich suddenly glows in a searing white.
IIILLLLUUUUSSSSIIOOOONNN....
(http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQcR-JkmbcXYincVoShXktMhVQ0XPYr4SeXHsljDqqKr_xVZ_ht&t=1)
LLLAAASSSSEEERRR!!!
You over the bushes! Tell us who you are or I'll shoot! Wait, maybe it was the other way around ze...
Marisa aproaches the bushes to see if she caught something with her attack.
-
[spoiler](http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd54/Prime32_temp/Mirror/783ac5e7058f7409c66e50d820c1c3d5.jpg)[/spoiler]
A girl lies there, blackened, an umbrella on the ground next to her. She appears to be out cold.
The man stares and blinks.
-
Marisa stares and blinks as well, then puts on her serious face and faces the Youkai:
You have something to do with this darkness? If not, I'm afraid I don't have time to play with you, the villagers seem to be geting unrested and me and Reimu need to find a clue ze.
-
(http://i53.tinypic.com/14l53d5.png)
Though she seems mildly surprised at the knocked-out girl and Marisa talking to her even though she's obviously knocked out quite thoroughly, Reimu takes the disturbance in stride and largely ignores it in favor of venting at the villager. "No, I don't know what time it is, because there's no sun! Have you ever even been to my shrine? If you think you can do it better, then do it yourself! The eigth edition of that Hieda book came out a long time ago, right? If you don't, put a charm on your door and shut yourself in or something! Just stop whining to me and stopping me from doing what you want me to do!" Yelling at the man doesn't seem to calm her down much, though, so she turns away in order to resume flying. "Marisa, you coming? We don't have time for this idiot and whatever that is."
-
Wait just a second, let me just check the loot she dropped, it may be some interesting magic item ze!
Marisa picks up the fallen umbrella from the mysterious girl and uses her magic training to try to check for any special properties. Specially if it can be used to channel magic blasts by any chance.
-
The umbrella feels wet and sticky...
-
(http://www.nekowaiwai.com/images/touhou/1268809192949.png)
Hmm, this sure seems interesting ze! I'll take it, I'm sure it has some hidden magic for me to investigate when this is all over!
Mounting back on her broom, Marisa opens the umbrella over her head and tries to do a lady-like pose as best as possible while rising trough the air.
Ok, I'm ready! Lead the way Reimu ze!
Then back at the nearby villager:
If that girl wakes up and asks for her umbrella, tell her I'm burrowing it for some time ze!
-
"But... you can't..." the man stutters as Marisa flies off.
Before she can get too far he manages to shout "The lake! I heard there's something strange going on at the lake!"
-
Oh, now you say it ze! Ok, I'll go have a look at it.
With finally some concrete directions, Marisa takes off to the lake, whitout expecting to hear Reimu's opinion on the matter.
-
(http://i52.tinypic.com/2zf3juv.png)
Mumbling angrily to herself, Reimu falls behind as she gets the clue to the new destination late, and she doesn't make much of an effort to catch up either. "Just what do you want with that weird useless umbrella...?"
-
Lunate Elf (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9cmTMtTe7c)
The trees thin as Reimu and Marisa approach Misty Lake. They can hear laughter coming from up ahead.
-
(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
"Brr... It's pretty chilly here, isn't it?" Largely ignoring the laughter, Reimu prefers to fly straight ahead while complaining. "I'd bet that idiot villager sent us here on purpose to make fun of us, but somehow I get the feeling we're on the right track anyway..."
-
Of course we're on the right track! There's something laughing in the middle of the lake, I say it's worth taking a look ze!
Marisa speeds up ahead in direction of the voice, holding her umbrella forward as a shield.
-
Suddenly you catch a glimpse of movement from the trees to the left and a spray of danmaku breaks through, almost knocking the umbrella out of Marisa's hand.
-
Here's something for us to warm up Reimu ze!
Marisa throws the umbrella in the air to free her hands, and then flies upwards while spinning around herself and whispering an incantation to her mini-hakkero:
Weapon Select: Piercing Type-Illusion Laser
(http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg138/oslecamo/Extras/b329e3fcfd5d8c6f8be8ed44b15056e8.jpg)
After unleashing four simultaneous lasers and a good spray of danmaku back at the area from where the suprise attack came from, Marisa grabs the descending umbrella in mid air and surveys the scene, seeing if she caught something, readying herself to dodge in case of a new attack. Hopefully one of the four piercing lasers would've caught the attacker even if she had taken cover.
-
(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
"Again with your lasers... you're noisy," Reimu comments with a sigh as a number of amulets appear in her hand and she looks towards the source of the earlier bullet spray. "One of these days you'll shoot someone who was carrying a mirror if you keep firing without looking."
-
A group of astonished fairies stare up at Marisa.
"Who are you?"
"Do you want to play?"
"I'm so sorry, we didn't know you were there!"
-
Marisa lands and makes a pose with the umbrella:
(http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg138/oslecamo/Extras/fcf6353345784aeb0a81ad7b56226b0c.jpg)
I'm the hero Marisa Kirisame, here to save the day!
I'm the ordinary magician hero, going forth with a bang!
I also run a do-anything shop in the magic forest. Pass by it if you ever have a big problem to solve ze!
Now I don't have time to play with you little kids, but by any chance, do any of you know who made all this darkness over the skies? Or perhaps have you seen any powerfull looking youkai around the lake ze?
-
The fairies gape in awe. They would remember this for days.
After a moment, one of them nudges another. "Dai-chan..."
The tallest of the fairies steps forward awkwardly. "Cirno says she fought something on the island. None of us has been able to get through, there's weird clouds around it that hurt when we touch them."
"I don't even remember there being an island."
-
Marisa playfully spins the umbrella above her shoulder while puting a thinking face.
I don't remember there being an island in the middle of the lake either, but it wouldn't be the first time I saw a place pop up from nowhere.
So where can I find your friend Cirno? I would like to have her guide us towards this new island ze!
-
She brightens. "I'll show you!" Her wings flicker as she floats off the ground then flies towards the lake with surprising speed. The other two fairies follow behind her.
-
Marisa follows the fairies, puting the umbrella back in shield mode in case it's some kind of elaborate prank.
Lots of people helpfull today ze! Normally I would need to beat them up a little for they to cooperate.
-
Fairies flit around the lake, hurling danmaku at each other cheerfully. As the group passes, one or two decide that this is some kind of game and fire a burst at Marisa and Reimu.
-
(http://i55.tinypic.com/huob2g.png)
Perhaps out of reflex, perhaps out of annoyance, Reimu twists through the gaps between the bullets, deflecting those that come too close with a weak barrier, and fires a burst of homing amulets back at the faries in retaliation. "Stop that! We're not here to play!
-
A bluish blur on the surface of the lake quickly becomes larger until you can make out... ice? In summer? A group of fairies sit on it, apparently listening to one dressed in blue who is gesturing dramatically.
Your green-haired companion breaks off and flies down to them. "Cirno!"
-
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v604/MeowMix/fb5e6a828963242bda2eab02a645198c.jpg)
Over at a small distance an small fairy is gesturing to the other fairies in a very excited manner. The lake is entirely frozen and the unnaturally cold environment interacts with the warmer air to produce plenty of mist.
As Reimu and Marisa approach closer, they could make out the details of that fairy who is hogging the attention of the large group of fairies surrounding her.
"And red dragon, huge with red smoke pouring out of its nostrils is only all size and no substance. I am agile and dance around it while firing my danmaku and the dragon cannot dodge it. It just took all my attacks! And eventually it felt true pain and ran away! So I gave chase and it struggled desperately. See see! Here's a big nasty welt from its tail when it hit me!" gestures the ice fairy as she shows off what looks like a coin-sized reddish welt on her forearm.
"OOOOHHHHHHH" gasps the fairy audience in awe as they flutter about trying to look at Cirno's 'battle scar', and some whispers are loud enough to be heard properly, something about Cirno being the strongest.
"What happened then? Tell us tell us Cirno!" pleaded some of the fairies.
"Well, I used my Spellcard at the last moment when the red dragon is finally down to its last life and PEW! It exploded into red mist. So if you look around, its kinda my handiwork. Cool huh!" Cirno continued her story.
Cheering loudly, the other fairies clapped in amazement.
-
Brrr, it's the summer, how can it be this cold?-wonders Marisa as she notices the whole lake is frozen.
Noticing the bragging ice fairy surrounded by her companions, Marisa flies down and gracefully lands on the ice near her. She then asks in a calm voice, as if the whole scene wasn't anything suprising to her:
(http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/295/7/8/marisa_kirisame_by_mikuhoshi-d31abhg.jpg)
So, you're the one making it cold ze?
-
(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
With a raised eyebrow, Reimu approaches from behind Marisa. "More importantly, did you say this mist is your fault?" To someone smarter than the average fairy, she doesn't look like she's quite buying it. However, on the off chance it's true...
-
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v604/MeowMix/Face2.jpg)
Looking at Marisa, Cirno nods and pats her flat chest a few times. "Of course I make this place cold! I am an Ice Fairy after all!"
Frowning and then shaking her head at Reimu's obvious question, Cirno replies with a smirk. "This is the Misty Lake, of course there is mist here. Are you an idiot?"
-
(http://touhouradioplayproject.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/marisa-bio.png)
So cold of you! It's summer, there should be no ice or mist anywhere ze!
-
(http://i52.tinypic.com/2zf3juv.png)
"Who's the idiot? Or maybe you're deaf? I'm talking about that mist!" Impatiently, Reimu points up at the scarlet clouds obscuring the sun.
-
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v604/MeowMix/Face10.jpg)
Cirno offers her hand to Reimu. "Hello idiot!"
"Like I said many many times, this red mist is the work of a big red dragon! I chased it off and it came back and I fought it and it go boom! Then this big big mist blot out the sun!" Cirno continues, chest swelling with pride. Looking at Marisa, she shakes her head.
"This is the Misty Lake, it is misty because it is cold and why? I do not know."
-
(http://i55.tinypic.com/huob2g.png)
"Wha-? You're the idiot! You just said the dragon exploded into red mist! At least get your stupid stories straight!"
-
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v604/MeowMix/Face3.jpg)
"Oi oi look here you armpit flasher, I said it that the red dragon exploded. Get your ears cleaned!" :shakefist
-
(http://touhouradioplayproject.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/marisa-bio.png)
You can drop your bluff, Ice fairy. You couldn't possibly have turned a red dragon into mist... Because I hunted down all dragons in Gengyoko two years ago! I didn't leave a single one behind, so I know you're just making this story up ze.
-
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v604/MeowMix/Face3.jpg)
"Argh you're pissing me off! Who are you two anyway? I definitely defeated a dragon, that glowing thing is definitely a dragon!" yells Cirno as she stomps on the frozen grass.
-
Sensing Cirno's rising agression, Marisa mounts on her broom again and starts readying for combat, while dramatically pointing to the skies.
(http://i.ytimg.com/vi/_6L6E7TLy10/0.jpg)
I'm ordinary magician Marisa Kirisame, the hero that will pierce the misty heavens! So if it was you who caused this whole incident, I shall punish you with my power of love!
Also, mushrooms don't grow on the cold ze. Even if you didn't make the mist, you've clearly frozen the lake, and that's bad for my business ze.
-
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v604/MeowMix/4d6a0603689ae3af0c4eb5b218b07f9b.jpg)
"Fine, if that is what it takes to make you listen to the Strongest, so be it! Spell Border Activate!" yells Cirno as the air turns sharply colder for a moment as the chilly mists rise up and swirl around the large forest clearing. Dissipating quickly, what the mist left behind is a very thin but seemingly strong wall of glass-clear ice that rises some hundred feet up and humming with magical energy.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v604/MeowMix/Face9.jpg)
"As the host, I'll let you the guest start with the first spellcard!"
-
(http://i55.tinypic.com/huob2g.png)
"You're both idiots! There aren't any dragons down on the ground!" Turning away in exasperation, Reimu throws her arms up in the air. "Fine, fight it out if you want! Just make it quick, we're in a hurry."
-
A fairy that knows about spellcard duels? You're a worthy target ze!-says Marisa while pulling a card that Reimu easily recognizes even at distance, and fiting it behind her Mini-Hakkero, aproaching both to her own chest while starting to whisper.
Concentrate my mind
Mutter the spell to Mini-Hakkero tenderly
Aim at someone I don't like
Now unleash my annihilation of love!
MASTER SPARK!
(http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg138/oslecamo/Extras/sample-0c76b0788ee35c4329cf571a3bd85852.jpg)
A massive colourfull beam of pure mushroom-and-love-fueled energy is shot towards the Ice Fairy, making the lake's surface and the duel barrier themselves shake with its power.
-
(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
Watching from the sidelines, Reimu shakes her head. "Opening right away with her biggest spell... as expected from Marisa, no sense of strategy." Shrugging, she looks back at Marisa. "I just defeated a youkai without needing any cards. Are you saying you really need your most powerful spellcard to fight a fairy?"
-
Over on the frozen lake, something cracks a few paces before Cirno's feet as the gigantic laser beam flashes towards her. At the right moment Cirno raises her arms in a manner resembling an attempt to block a punch and a huge slab of ice from the lake rises up at an oblique angle, allowing the beam to hit it at an angle and showers the area with ice shards as the slab gets thinner and smaller.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v604/MeowMix/Face8.jpg)
"Gwoah....argh..." grunts Cirno as she holds her hands up at the slab of ice in an effort to reinforce the cracks and missing bits with more ice. "Just...a little bit more..." Cirno strains after what seems like an eternity of being under the blast ray of powerful magic.
"AHHHH!!!" Cirno roars as she feels the magical assault begin to soften up. Drawing a small bit of extra energy, she shoves the now barely man-sized slab of ice forward and ducks down as it explodes, sending more showers across the frozen lake surface, even the hole where the huge slab originated from quickly froze over from the mist.
"You...you're good...my...turn. Ice Sign! Icicle Fall!" smiles Cirno as some smoke from the after effects of Marisa's attack singed her. Raising her hands outwards, shards of ice formed from the gathered water vapors and mist and begins to fire outwards and forwards. Each shard is as sharp as a flint rock dagger as it flies true outwards. A pretty dense danmaku of ice flies towards Marisa, some pieces hitting the icy spell barrier and drops onto the ground, others rebound with the right force and angle to come flying towards Marisa from the back.
Strangely enough, there is a large gaping hole in front of Cirno where no ice shards fly through.
-
Marisa snickers at Reimu:
(http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg138/oslecamo/tralha/2b064c38b5b7b6752c25c79fffd7886f.jpg)
Silly girl... Master Spark was once my strongest card, but I haven't been idle for the last two years like certain shrine maidens. Its still a pretty good opener ze. As the starter of the duel, it was my duty to make it flashy!
While talking, Marisa carefully studies the new pattern incoming at her. The empty spot looked tempting... Too tempting. Clearly a trap. She wouldn't take the bait.
Instead, Marisa suddenly turns to the side and flies alongside the barrier at max speed, while releasing small volleys of magic missiles at the Ice Fairy, dodging her danmaku with Marisa's honed reflexes.
-
Beloved Tomboyish Daughter (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeQBs9AGvo8)
{OOC: Pretend that came earlier... -_-}
-
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v604/MeowMix/Face3.jpg)
"Tsk..." Cirno clicks her tongue in annoyance as she tries to dodge Marisa's danmaku at the same time. Fortunately her smaller size and short bursts of agility make grazing possible, if at the cost of her not being able to continue attacking. In short moments, Cirno's first spellcard expires as some danmaku hits her right in the face.
As if a response to Marisa sticking near the spell borders, a single beam of freezing energy shoots form from Cirno's outstretched hands as the Ice Fairy drags the laser around to chase Marisa with its intense beams.
"Just because you don't come any closer does not mean I am not prepared!" yells Cirno as the single beam of energy suddenly splits into three, with the two rays by the sides opening further from the middle. While it looks smaller than the Master Spark, three is however better than one. And when Marisa grazes these beams, she'll find frost growing on and inside her clothes and the air around her semi-frozen like jello.
-
Lasers? She thinks she can take me down with lasers? Marisa not only dodges the rays by flying between their open spaces, she spirals around them while closing in with Cirno to maximize grazing!
Hmmmm, that's refreshing ze! Now three lasers is pretty good but...
Weapon Select: Piercing Type-Illusion Laser
(http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg138/oslecamo/Extras/b329e3fcfd5d8c6f8be8ed44b15056e8.jpg)
...Four is even better!
Marisa fires back four rainbow lasers at mid range, togheter with a hail of basic danmaku.
-
The tri-laser combined into a single thick stream as it shortens itself and turns into a huge ball of ice. Rolling the ice before her, Cirno rushes at breakneck speed towards Marisa, heedless of the danmaku and lasers grazing her through the rolling ball of ice as it explodes just before it reaches its target.
But the ball is not the point.
(http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/7923/35ca079ffec2720441c8dc3.png)
"Four is good, but if it does not take down the Strongest, it is useless!" a colder voice echoes from this little fairy's lips as it fires the tri-laser at point blank range grazing Marisa's sides and hitting her broomstick with a solid "Thunk!" turning into an iced broomstick, freeze-locking it.
-
Marisa quickly jumps off from her broomstick as it freezes before the ice can catch up to her, giving a sigh for the loss of her favorite way of flying, but aparently not worried she's still dozens of meters above the ground.
You know, there's more than one way for magic girls to fly ze. Let's see if I still can do it...
Two feathery wings suddenly sprout from Marisa's back, making her rise above Cirno, while Marisa conjures six orbs and puts them on an hexagram formation around herself.
Weapon Select: Spread Star
(http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg138/oslecamo/Extras/9138c0a6e31e019ad6baf63642970752.jpg)
The orbs start chaotically spinning around Marisa, each one releasing danmaku on it's own, surrounding the Ice Fairy in an inescapable cloud of shots.
-
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v604/MeowMix/27a6797e3a9fae175d6f43b60b347bd7.jpg)
"Hail Sign! Hailstorm!" Cirno pulls out another spellcard as a blaze of danmaku flies forth from her hands, knocking as much danmaku from Marisa as she could, but taking in just as many shots herself.
-
Hmm, let's see how do you deal with this- "Light Blast: "Shoot the Little Moon"!
Shouts Marisa, as she sends her magic orbs around to Cirno's back and below, from where they start shooting lasers aimed at her and the sky while grazing Marisa herself! She keeps shooting a small danmaku barrage from her hands to pin down the resourcefull fairy from multiple angles.
-
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v604/MeowMix/4c8d8709154ec61227a5c7f65bb22912.png)
"Ow! That's it, take this! Freeze Sign! Perfect Freeze!"
A blast of chill radiates from Cirno as even Marisa's danmaku freeze in the air, along with Cirno's own danmaku. And for a moment everything seems to be standing still, all the danmaku in its intricate or chaotic pattern (depending on who is firing it of course) can be seen in its frozen state. But just as sudden, the frozen shots defrost and start firing in other directions!
-
(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
"Geez..." Down below, Reimu appears to be playing Old Maid with some other fairies. Wherever she got the cards is a mystery. "Just hurry it up, you two~. It feels like we've been here for a month already."
-
(http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg138/oslecamo/Extras/cbdc6a54a07631af5f7e8fa2a975cbef.jpg)
I blame it on the fairy. Cleary she's frozen time ze!
Not willing to have more of her own danmaku frozen, Marisa stops shooting and lets herself drop to the ground while grazing the random danmaku storm, flaping her wings on the last moment to don't crash land. When she rises again you can see she's retrieved her broom from the ground, mounting it again and then rising again at top speed towards the ice fairy, the wings and broom combined for even faster flight, spiraling to dodge the danmaku!
Brute Broom-Punishment of the idiots and impulsives!
At the last moment, Marisa dismounts her broom and swings it directly at Cirno's head hoping to catch her by suprise with a pure melee attack instead of a magic one!
-
(http://i55.tinypic.com/huob2g.png)
"Aah, geez! Just hurry it up already!" Reimu's patience is over. From her sleeve, she pulls a single card to end this farce. "Spell card!"
(http://i56.tinypic.com/312juzc.png)
(http://i54.tinypic.com/2mww6mt.gif)
-
Time slows down to Marisa as she hears those dreaded words.
(http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/238/562882-marisa__2__screen_large.jpg)
So it comes down to this Reimu ze...
Marisa pulls out a spellcard she hoped she would never have to use. Her secret only non-failure atempt to replicate Reimu's natural cheating holy powers. But still unstable. Unknown. Untested.
If I must go down, I shall do so with a bang ze: [HOLY S***! SIGN]- APOCALYPSE MAIDEN...!
[spoiler]
(http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg138/oslecamo/Extras/83c111d436e311e244460dc07b2338c7_4575.jpg)
Drop Dead Easy!
I... Regret... Nothing ze!
[/spoiler]
-
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v604/MeowMix/768ca39f5bd3a7c9529da31bdb6d0553.png)
"Melee! JUST THE NAME OF THE GAME!"
Icicles and shards of sharp ice that had littered all over the arena begins to float up.
Just as the shards float around her, in the split seconds that Marisa speeds towards the ice fairy with her broom, a sword materializes from Cirno's hands.
"Take this!" roars Cirno as ice sword contacts with the broom, the clash erupting into a massive explosion that threatens to shake the spell battle border into pieces.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v604/MeowMix/96ac3f40e3b61421485277131d658101.jpg)
Flying backwards from the explosive impact, a parry of epic proportions. Cirno lifts her weak and trembling arm as all the ice shards start flying towards Marisa without much room to dodge them.
"Here I come Normal Magician, do you have enough danmaku? Snow Sign "Diamond Blizzard" grunts Cirno as she faints on the frozen lake, her shards relentlessly pounding away, reforming and firing itself again.
[spoiler]Sorry guys, job searching, interviews and stuff took all time away.[/spoiler]
-
Marisa struggles to keep hold of her broom as she's violently pushed back from the epic parry. This fairy was suprisingly strong despite her small size! Thanks the gods Marisa had placed so much wards on her broom, otherwise it would've surely shattered with this impact.
As she watches Cirno struggle to fire one last massive spellcard, Marisa can't stop herself from grinning with satisfaction. This is how a proper duelist should be, giving it her all! The hail was too massive for Marisa to dodge in her current state, still catching breath from that high speed charge, but she couldn't afford to fall now. With honed instincts, she quickly pulls out her mini-hakkero and places a spellcard on its back in the fraction of second before the ice danmaku reaches her.
There's no such thing as enuff danmaku! [Magic Sign]-Stardust Reverie!
(http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg138/oslecamo/Extras/stardustreveriewings.jpg)
The mini-hakkero releases multiple circular barrages of star-shaped brightly-colored danmaku just in time, clearing off the ice danmaku headed towards Marisa and filling the battefield with a true fireworks show!
When the spellcard ends, Marisa dismisses her wings and mounts the broom, flying towards the fainted fairy.
You've fought well ice fairy, but for the victor, the spoils! Your friends told me that there was something strange going around the lake, and I want to know what and where it is so I can go check if there's valuable things to steal solve it!
-
"The dragon came from the mansion on the island in the middle of this lake. Now leave me alone. You won by luck, next time you will not be so lucky." Cirno crosses her arms and pouts, flying away.
-
Hmm, I wonder how strong that fairy would be if it was actually winter... Well that'll have to wait for another time ze. You heard the fairy Reimu, the culprit's on the center of this place! Let's go!
Just stoping some time to look for and retrieve the umbrella, Marisa mounts again on her broom and starts flying towards the interior of the lake.
Brrr, I'm too lightly dressed for this kind of weather. I should find some place that serves tea soon ze!
-
(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
"Took you long enough. I was just about getting ready to eave you behind." Leaving the cards behind with the fairies, Reimu has already gotten a small headstart on Marisa while she was talking to Cirno after the match. "I told you there's no dragons down on the ground... Anyway, you really are sloppy. Using three cards just to fight a fairy."
-
Odd, Marisa can't seem to find the umbrella anywhere. Maybe one of the fairies took it.
At any rate, there's still a wall of that red mist around the middle of the lake; there don't appear to be any gaps.
-
Marisa quickly catches up with the shrine maiden.
Well, what's the point of having spellcards if you don't use them Reimu? This was my first good duel in two years ze! Totally worth it! Even if I lost my new umbrella during it.
Then whe she notices there don't seem to be any gaps to pass trough, she decides to create one!
I'm breaking trough! Illusion laser!
Marisa lets out a basic magic beam at the mist wall in an atempt to create an opening.
-
(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
"Mm. I guess we're on to something. At least, someone wants to stay in there." Remembering that the mist seemed to be caustic to the black Youkai girl, Reimu can think of better things to do than touch the wall, though. "Marisa, do the ho-" She doesn't get to finish the sentence, however, as Marisa has acted on her own accord. "Well, I guess you'll use your lasers even if you're told not to."
-
A small hole opens in the wall briefly, before closing again.
-
Marisa starts charging up two illusion lasers by her sides, lighting up the darkness.
(http://www006.upp.so-net.ne.jp/deeptake/touhou2/laser_mr.jpg)
Try to keep up with me Reimu!
And with this she launches herself at the fog wall, releasing the twin illusion lasers at the last moment to pierce a hole for her to go trough!
-
Marisa gets through, but it burns!
-
THE GOOGLES! WHY DIDN'T I BRING THEM?
(so, what does Marisa sees? Or is she still inside the mist wall?)
-
(http://i52.tinypic.com/f0w6xt.png)
"Because even you don't expect you to charge right through a cloud of acid mist? Geez..." Pulling six square charms out of her sleeves, Reimu throws each of them in a different direction and conjures a cube-shaped barrier of light blue force around her. "So about how thick is that wall, anyway?" Then, she proceeds to move through the cloud herself.
-
As soon as Reimu enters the cloud she can feel it eating at her barrier, but it's at a manageable level. It's not long before she has joined Marisa on the other side...
Shanghai Teahouse ~ Chinese Tea (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ar5rh0rvLz0)
...finding the coast of an island pressed up against it. Green grass grows here, with paths leading in various directions, though a haze of the mundane sort prevents you from seeing where they end. Sheets of light fall from gaps in the mist above to fall precisely on flowerbeds along the path.
A flash of red catches your eyes - something is moving nearby.
-
(http://i52.tinypic.com/2eq3laa.png)
Dismissing the barrier after making it through safely, Reimu carefully lands on her feet on the island's shore. Though she says nothing, her posture seems to say "check it out, the mist didn't even touch me". Looking around, she does have to admire the beauty of the garden. "Hmm... what nice flowers. More importantly, looks like we found either the culprit or the only one who shielded themselves from the mist. I guess we know the next one to ask, then... Mm?" The brief glimpse of red among the mist catches Reimu's attention as she muses, and she starts moving towards it.
-
(http://images.wikia.com/touhou/images/a/a0/Th09marisa_portrait.jpg)
Was kinda expecting a castle or some cavern in a mountain ze...
Says Marisa as she applies some mushroom-based medicine on her burns, from a flask retrieved from her hat. Thankfully her clothing was mostly black, so the damage there didn't stand out so much.
Then she notices something moving on her field of vision, and hastily puts away her mushroom medicine flask back in the hat. Seeing how Reimu seems to have caught the glimpse as well, Marisa hurries after her shouting:
Don't let it get away!
-
A redheaded woman in Chinese clothing hums cheerfully as she sprinkles the flowers with a small watering can.
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd54/Prime32_temp/Mirror/1894aab63b6ec2d097d2010f7d8a64ce.jpg)
She flinches as Marisa cries out, then turns.
"Miss Sa... Ah, intruders!"
She immediately fires a burst of danmaku from her palm.
Back at the lake
At the edge of the lake, near where Marisa and Cirno fought shortly before, a pile of mud (or is it manure? Probably mud) shifts and moans. A curious fairy approaches, before running away with a shout.
"M-m-mud monster!"
By the time a group comes to investigate, however, it is gone.
-
(http://i54.tinypic.com/2qmj6hh.png)
"Wha- Hey!" Though she's caught off-guard, a quick leap to the left manages to avoid most of the projectiles, and a hastily activated minor barrier deflects the rest. "Hey! What kind of way is that to treat guests? Anyway, you there! What do you know about this mist stuff?" Waving her gohei angrily at the red-haired woman, Reimu flies over the flowerbeds towards her.
-
She's clearly performing some secret evil ritual with those flowers to fuel the mists ze! We have to stop her now!
(http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQzxekAHRcYto7wKbT7EUN6auK0NMS5ePmwI_DH2b2pcF3bjcmO&t=1)
Marisa spins in mid air releasing a volley of multi-colored lasers from behind Reimu, aimed at the chinese woman. Taking care to don't hit the shrine maiden of course.
-
Evidently mistaking the gardener for someone with the opposite colour scheme, Marisa FIRES HER LAZORS. In response, the woman hurls her watering can in their path.
The first attack strikes the can and there is a loud roar as it explodes into an enormous torrent of water that blasts out in all directions. While the two are caught off-guard, more danmaku breaks through the still-falling white curtains.
-
(http://i52.tinypic.com/hx2pox.png)
"Hey!" Beleaguered by danmaku from the front and behind and with the ground below her, Reimu takes the only remaining way out - up. Pushing off the ground, the red-white miko launches herself in the air to avoid fire both friendly and unfriendly as she sets up a spell border. "So that's how you're gonna be?" Maneuvering herself into position, she produces scores of amulets from her wrist to form a barrier around her and shoots the remainder towards the curtains of water. Visual concealment? Pah, she has homing attacks.
(http://i52.tinypic.com/2rw46z4.jpg)
-
Reimu's attacks strike a pair of fairies (in... maid outfits?) which vanish with a picchu~n.
"Sorry, gotta run for now!" the woman shouts as she dashes off into the mists.
-
(http://i55.tinypic.com/huob2g.png)
"Wai- Hey!" With no further danmaku headed her way, Reimu charges straight ahead in the direction the redhead left, firing amulets from her assembled barrier into the mist. "You won't get away with just that after attacking me out of the blue!"
-
Damn, she got away!
Marisa acelerates at max speed after the running red and green woman, releasing as much lasers and danmaku forward as she can whitout slowing down.
(http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRO79cCLlvd5jRDBzB2aIdV6rymZOReN4zR6tHSKnhZv4ZGJmzy&t=1)
-
"Stop following me already!" she yells.
As the chase continues more maid fairies appear with determined expressions, attempting to dive-bomb you.
-
Anyone who atempts to run away like this is clearly hiding something valuable ze!
When more fairies appear, Marisa gets on top of her broom and summons six laser orbs for maximum spread.
Weapon Select:Piercing Type-ILLUSION LASER!
(http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/361/c/c/illusion_laser_by_sareii-d35r93j.png)
If you think your friends can even slow us down you're sorely mistaken ze!-roars Marisa in triumph as her lasers pierce trough multiple fairies at once in point-blank range, creating a safe path for the magician.
-
(http://i55.tinypic.com/huob2g.png)
"Well, stop running away!" Though slower than Marisa, Reimu continues the chase at full speed slightly behind the witch, allowing Marisa to take care of most of the fairy maid assailants and alternatingly dodging the rest or ramming them with her amulets and/or Yin-Yang Orbs.
-
"You know, you can follow me but you won't find anything!"
-
(http://i52.tinypic.com/2zf3juv.png)
"It's you we're trying to find, so just stop running already!" With that Reimu does a double-take. "-So, is there something here we'd want to find?"
-
There is no answer to that question you can make out.
After another minute or two she skids to a halt in front of a wrought-iron gate, and turns to face you. On the other side you can see an elaborate Western-style building that might be a mansion or university, painted in a dull reddish colour.
...Now that you can see the woman more clearly, you can read the character on her hat.
-
(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
Landing in front of the redhead, Reimu lazily points her gohei at her. "Hmph. About time. Well, thanks for leading the way. So, why is it that the sun only shines here? Are you the culprit? Is the culpruit hiding out in that mansion?" She raises an eyebrow as she recognizes the character on the redhead's hat. "Ah... so you're that 'red dragon'? Heh... Fairies."
-
(http://www.usuallydead.com/stories/touhou/visualexplan/visualexplanimages/eosdmarisaport.jpg)
You know, I heard that dragons like to protect treasure hoards. I bet that mansion is filled with lots of nice stuff ze!
Turning to the woman, Marisa says:
Ok, we're not interested in following you anymore. Just let us pass ze!
Then rising slowly in the air Marisa tries to pass over the walls and take a closer look trough the nearest window to the interior of the building.
-
"Fairies? So that was a scout? I thought there'd be at least three of you." Glancing around warily, she spots Marisa apparently colliding with thin air above the wall.
"I can't let you do that." she says with a smile.
-
(http://i52.tinypic.com/2zf3juv.png)
"Scout? Marisa got in a fight, and the fairy bragged about defeating a red dragon... Anyway, stop talking in riddles! Or do I have to beat you up to get a straight answer out of you, miss red dragon?"
-
The tip of Marisa's broom suddenly collides with something invisible, making her violently stop in mid flight. She isn't exactly suprised tough. It would be too good if a simple land barrier was the only thing keeping strangers away from the house in a land filled with flying creatures.
Backing away and landing near Reimu, Marisa asks the mysterious woman:
(http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/6906/263535-swr_marisa_large.jpg)
So you're the guard of this place? You better let us pass, we're really in an hurry. That shrine maiden isn't joking, she'll really kick your ass if you try to stand in our path ze!
-
"I'm just a normal person who guards." she mumbles.
"Wait, defeated?" She blinks.
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd54/Prime32_temp/Mirror/Konachancom20-205412920blush20crying20fire20hat20hong_meiling20touhou.jpg)
"I didn't lose to a fairy!"
-
(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
"Hm?" Reimu raises an eyebrow at the guard's response. "That's a pretty suspicious reaction, isn't it..."
-
(http://www.deviantart.com/download/192127927/marisa_kirisame_by_sasuke4eva619-d36dyuv.jpg)
So then, you're a normal person. I guess you'll have to punish us here ze.-answers Marisa calmly.
-
So then, you're a normal person. I guess you'll have to punish us here ze.-answers Marisa calmly.
"What does that have to do with it?! You know, you could just leave."
"Hm?" Reimu raises an eyebrow at the guard's response. "That's a pretty suspicious reaction, isn't it..."
One of her eyes twitches a little.
"Who do you think you're talking to?"
-
(http://i52.tinypic.com/2zf3juv.png)
"I'm talking to a chick who attacked me out of the blue, hasn't given me a straight answer, and might have been beaten by a fairy! Who do you think you're talking to?"
-
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ks4P8xAWIWs/RxG4dX4E-uI/AAAAAAAAAC0/Unl_LvREC_Y/s400/Th075marisa01.png)
Just leave? After geting all the way here ze? NO WAY! We will be geting inside that mansion. And you can either shut up and let us pass or REIMU HARUKEI, SHRINE MAIDEN OF PARADISE here at my side will kick your ass, normal person!
-
A vein bulges in her forehead. "That's it." She slams her palm against the gate, creating a ripple of prismatic light. "Spell border, set."
Shanghai Alice of Meiji 17 (http://www.youtube.com/v/_uFKRIaNCzU)
Stamping her foot into the ground, she shifts her arms into a fighting position as it slides forward.
"I am the gatekeeper of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Hong Meiling, and you shall not pass!"
-
"Gatekeeper, huh? Well, at least she set up a field first, unlike that blonde..." Calming down, Reimu allows herself to slowly sink and finally lands a certain distance away from Meiling. "Well, Marisa already introduced me, but... I'm the safekeeper of the Hakurei Barrier, Hakurei Reimu. So, I know a thing or two about barriers. First of all, a barrier can only be as strong as whoever's supporting it, and vice versa. If the one who protects it fails, the barrier's done for. So... shall we see how strong that barrier of yours is?"
Noting that her opponent didn't make the first move, three amulets appear in Reimu's hand. The throwing motion she makes is rather lazy, but force doesn't matter with magic shots, after all.
(http://i56.tinypic.com/f9np75.jpg)
-
Like a stroke of lightning, the gatekeeper's elbow slams into Reimu's gut before she can complete the motion. As the amulets fall from her target's hand, she drops low and unleashes a sweeping kick intended to knock her off her legs.
-
(http://i51.tinypic.com/2lsuq89.png)
"Guh-" Gasping for air after the blow to her gut, Reimu allows the kick to sweep her off her feet and stretches out an arm downwards, as if to catch herself - instead, she slams a square-shaped amulet on the ground. From the point of impact, a barrier of blue light extends along the ground and starts spinning as it violently launches upwards. Though it passes through Reimu harmlessly, her opponent finds herself entirely less fortunate. Using the room gained this way, the shrine maiden rolls backwards to get back on her feet and reaches into her sleeve. "You want melee, huh?"
-
Reimu finds the edge of the barrier closer than she expected. Meiling created the spell border centred on the gate... meaning that half of it is inside the barrier.
She also finds her opponent springing to her feet and launching a fist towards her.
-
(http://i52.tinypic.com/hx2pox.png)
Regaining her bearings, Reimu casts a look back at the spell border she finds herself with her back to. "Tch, sneaky." However, her attention is forced to return to the attacking opponent. Luckily, she's shorter than Meiling, so Reimu dives forward and down, under the punch, aiming to drive her head into the latter's stomach as she pulls the card out of her sleeve and tosses it to the ground between Meiling's feet. "Spell card."
(http://i51.tinypic.com/s63sd4.png)
"Let's see if you live up to that hat." The corners of Reimu's lips tug upwards as a magic circle expands on the ground around the card, stopping just short of the spell border's end. From the center of the circle, right under Meiling, a pillar of white light blasts upwards and outwards, freezing movement inside the circle for a few seconds before exploding outwards in a burst of light and danmaku.
-
Floating up in the air, Marisa calmly watches the duel, taking mental notes of both combatant abilities.
(http://images.wikia.com/saimoe/images/3/3d/Marisa_kirisame_profile.jpg)
Hmm, nice to see Reimu finally geting serious about this ze! Now that was a pretty nice binding circle from her, gotta memorize the patterns...
-
"Whoa!" Meiling is caught off guard as the circle explodes, tossed high into the air.
The light clears just in time for Reimu to see the guard's body start to fall, her eyes unfocused and her limbs flapping limply.
-
(http://i52.tinypic.com/hx2pox.png)
"What, did I kill her? No." Reimu doesn't buy it - or even just that she won so easily. After all, the spell border's still there. Though she doesn't press the attack, she does take the opportunity to fly higher and get her bearings, ready to give Meiling a face full of Persuasion Needles if she decides to make a comeback.
-
Suddenly the falling body flickers and vanishes. A voice shouts from above Reimu "Spell card!"
She looks up to see the gatekeeper, energy condensing between her swirling arms. "Chi Sign: Star Bullets!"
With a bang, a large energy ball shoots towards Reimu. It's more like a cannonball than a bullet really...
-
(http://i52.tinypic.com/hx2pox.png)
Reimu's head snaps upwards at the spellcard declaration. "Thought so." Then, her expression turns to surprise at the projectile. "Wait, you call that a bullet? Isn't that more like a cannonball?" The flying shrine maiden drops into freefall and releases a wave of homing amulets in a fan motion before diving to the side and up. Albeit this brings her dangerously close to the so-called bullet, it's better than if she had taken a surprise attack... and puts her in a good position to sen a flurry of needles after her amulets.
-
"It's a bullet!"
She fires another two at Reimu in succession, shielding her from the amulets by plowing through them.
-
(http://i51.tinypic.com/2lsuq89.png)
"Ah, call them whatever you want! Having gained some maneuvering space with her drop, Reimu manages to merely graze the first so-called bullet, putting her in a position to fend off the second with a well-angled barrier and, admittedly, more effort than anticipated. However, now she has a clear shot. Turning around her, the Yin-Yang orbs release a flurry of needles at Meiling as Reimu produces more amulets from her sleeves.
-
Meiling attempts to block Reimu's attacks by holding her fourth shot in front of her, but some manage to get through. She flinches, and the bang of Spell Break can be heard as the attack dissipates.
Not wasting any time, Meiling flies straight through Reimu's attacks, casting aside all defence for a frontal assault. She dodges easily, and then...
A Chi Bullet strikes Reimu in the back and explodes.
-
(http://i53.tinypic.com/24or7tg.png)
"Melee again? You really are a one-trick dragon." As Reimu dodges, she turns her head slightly to the side, seeing something in the corner of her eye... then one of the chi cannonballs catches her unaware in the back. "Kuh-!?" Rocked by the explosion, Reimu reflexively drops lower. "That was... a bullet from the spell! Hey! Bullets are supposed to disappear when the spell breaks!"
-
"Haaaa!"
The first bullet has still not hit the ground. Now Meiling has used the distraction to drop down and kick it back towards Reimu, significantly faster than before.
"That card doesn't create bullets. It's a body-fortification technique." She grins. "This attack is formed from my chi... and so is the mansion's barrier. I've been waiting for a chance to try that trick out."
She jumps back up.
-
(http://i54.tinypic.com/o7k3mo.png)
"Chi-?" When the first so-called bullet returns to her, Reimu is prepared. Casting glances at the chi cannonball and the mansion gate, the shrine maiden drops into freefall before she is hit. Maintaining the spell border is trivial, but a barrier around a huge mansion and throwing around chi balls like that willy-nilly... "Ah, got it." Just before hitting the ground, Reimu conjures a barrier to break her fall and aid her in rolling to her feet in front of Meiling as she slaps an amulet into the latter's face in a continuation of the motion. "You're neither a dragon nor a human. You're just a youkai."
-
"Gah!" Meiling winces in pain and staggers back, tugging at the talisman on her head. "I may be a youkai, but that doesn't mean I'm a jiangshi!"
-
(http://i52.tinypic.com/hx2pox.png)
"Well, duh. You wouldn't be flopping your arms around like that." Reimu throws a palm strike at her opponent's chest, more to push her back than to injure, and casts a look over her shoulder for the chi projectile. As her Yin-Yang orbs once more begin spinning, they release a stream of energy needles at Meiling point-blank while Reimu hops backwards lightly and takes to the air again.
-
The gatekeeper finally manages to rip off the paper. As the needles fire she falls onto her back, causing most of them to graze her; it's hard to tell whether or not it was deliberate. And then she pulls something out.
"Spell card! Rainbow Sign: Rainbow Wind Chime!"
Jets of multicoloured chi flare from her hands, sending her into a spin as projectiles of every colour spray outwards. Soon the field is filled with bullets, making tinkling noises wherever they land.
-
(http://i54.tinypic.com/o7k3mo.png)
"Rotation type?" Moving backwards, Reimu releases a wave of homing amulets in either direction, then tries to follow Meiling's rotation and brings her arms up in front of her to minimize her exposure to the projectiles as she waits. She can't hope to be faster than the opponent at the center of this card, though, and feels the projectiles rip into her clothes even as she narrowly avoids direct hits. "There has to be an opening. Definitely..."
-
Suddenly there is a flicker from the heart of the spell. A pulse travels down the wall of danmaku that Reimu had been keeping pace with, as it reverses direction and moves towards her!
-
(http://i54.tinypic.com/opa82v.png)
"There!" As the wall of projectiles reverses direction, Reimu is fast to act. Starting forward, she puts her gohei away and draws another set of amulets as she charges straight through her opening, feeling the rainbow-colored danmaku slash through the air left and rightof her. Then she dives, aiming a spinning kick at Meiling's side just as the amulets from earlier close in. "Haa--!"
(http://i54.tinypic.com/95ygxt.jpg)
-
Marisas eyes sparkle with interest at the new wave of danmaku.
(http://touhouradioplayproject.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/marisa-bio.png)
Oh, pretty! I bet those would sell for a good price back at the village ze...
-
Her view obscured by spinning and light, Meiling doesn't catch sight of Reimu until she is almost on top of her.
"Keh-"
She raises her leg into a kick, attempting to strike at Reimu without dropping her barrage. There is a collision. CROSS COUNTER! But wait.
Meiling's foot has made contact with Reimu's head... while Reimu's is still an inch from hers, her leg too short to reach.
She smirks as the shrine maiden is tossed aside. "You're not there yet. You're just a child compared to 4000 years of history!"
The spellcard continues. Also, she's now firing danmaku from her feet as well.
-
(http://i51.tinypic.com/2lsuq89.png)
"Pfah-!" Reimu's amulets fall from her hands as she drops to the ground, but she doesn't have the time to stay down. Jumping to her feet, she surges forward and grabs Meiling's leg by the shin. She grins as she spits out a bit of blood. "No fool like an old fool. Look behind you, old woman." The waves of homing amulets Reimu released earlier are now flying in a spiral pattern, homing in directly on the gate guard.
-
Meiling can't dodge out the way in time, not with a miko on her foot. The amulets home in and explode.
Immediately, the hail of projectiles stops. She's wide open.
-
(http://i54.tinypic.com/opa82v.png)
The attack has worked. Not as it was supposed to, but it worked. Pressing the attack while Meiling is stunned, Reimu yanks at the leg she has grabbed to further pull the latter off-balance, then lunges forward and executes a double punch on the latter's throat and solar plexus. With a flick of her wrists, four needles appear in each of the miko's hands, and she releases them at point-blank range as she takes back into the air.
-
Meiling's spell shatters immediately. As Reimu drifts away, she climbs back to her feet and slaps her face to regain her composure.
"So that... kind of move isn't going to work." -_-'
She raises a card to the air. Light bleeds from it, forming a large orb.
"Let's try this then. Spell card!"
She fires it high into the air, where it detonates with a flash.
"Colorful Sign: Colorful Rain!"
She then moves to attack Reimu in melee once more.
-
(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
Hovering in the air during the short break as Meiling regains her bearings, Reimu fiddles around with some amulets and stashes them away as Meiling declares her third spellcard. "Rain, huh? Looks like you always lose your useless stuff right when it could actually be useful, Marisa." This time, the miko knows better than to retreat towards the edge of the spell border and instead waits for Meiling to come closer, evading upwards and to the side while keeping an eye on on the point in the air where the orb exploded.
-
And the rain falls down, in vivid shades. One drop lands on Reimu's shoulder, where it releases its energy in a pop. It's not quite as potent as the last spellcard, but it's enough to leave bruises. And this time the danmaku isn't all she has to deal with.
Meiling flies towards Reimu... and then suddenly she is much closer than a moment ago, aiming a punch at Reimu's face. She's paying the "rain" no heed.
-
(http://i52.tinypic.com/hx2pox.png)
"Geh..." That kind of danmaku could get troublesome. As Meiling's fist is about to connect, however, a light blue barrier interposes itself between her and Reimu, stopping her mere centimeters, if that, short of Reimu's nose. "Warding amulet," she comments simply as she reaches through the barrier to grab Meiling's forearm. "Prepared it while you were down. Haa!" Yanking at Meiling's arm to pull her closer, Reimu reaches for her other forearm, then throws herself back to turn in midair and interpose the larger woman between herself and the rain. "Sorry, I don't have an umbrella. You'll do." With that, Reimu once again pulls and smacks her forehead against Meiling's.
-
The rain striking Meiling doesn't seem to have the same effect. As she is knocked back, some drops onto her forehead... healing the bruise Reimu just inflicted.
Revived, the gatekeeper suddenly twists out of Reimu's grip. Landing on the ground she snaps up her leg.
"Haaaa!"
Reimu backs away from the kick, but a spinning disc of chi extends from it to strike her anyway. Not letting her chance escape, Meiling immediately unleashes a flurry of blows from her arms and legs.
-
(http://i51.tinypic.com/2lsuq89.png)
"Guh... you and your Tai Chi! I'm a miko, not some kung-fu fighter!" Hovering at eye-level with Meiling, Reimu doesn't bother blocking the former's strikes - instead, she takes her gohei again and pulls a card of her own out of her sleeve. "Spell card!"
(http://i56.tinypic.com/20p5vmt.png)
A multitude of small orbs of light, shimmering brightly in all colors, explode violently out of Reimu in the attacking Meiling's face. That, however, is not the spell card - it's just a side-effect of its activation that Reimu used to get some space. The miko closes her eyes and spreads her arms, an anchor in the middle of the spell. As the orbs spin around her in orbits, providing both defense and offense, they start merging together into larger orbs and spinning faster and faster, blocking the colorful rain.
-
Meiling reacts quickly to the attack. There's no time to dodge, but she leans with the attack to lessen the impact, before performing a backwards flip and landing in a position to study her opponent's latest move.
As her stance shifts into a crouch, her breathing slows and her outline seems to shimmer and glow. She continues, drawing back her arm into a fist, and the ground around her becomes drier as nearby raindrops begin to curve towards her and flow into the aurora.
For a moment, the only sound is dripping.
-
(http://i55.tinypic.com/2cffgj4.jpg)
As Meiling builds up her aura, the spinning lights continue merging into five large orbs, each as big as Reimu's body, shimmering in bright gradient colors. Snapping her eyes open, she too draws her arm back into a fist, then dives forward to charge. "Haa--!"
But she has no intention to punch or be punched.
-
"Jaoooo!" Meiling shoots forward to meet her opponent, her fist flaring with light.
-
(http://i54.tinypic.com/opa82v.png)
As the combatants fly towards each other, Reimu veers to the side to evade the collision and instead thrusts her arm in Meiling's direction as they pass each other. "Concentrate!" On command, the orbs of light leave their orbits and instead home in on Meiling's back and sides.
-
An instant before the orbs strike, the glow around Meiling's fist cuts out... and the glow around Meiling's foot flares up as she spins into a back kick.
"Haaaaa!"
There are two colorful explosions.
-
(http://i54.tinypic.com/opa82v.png)
Twisting in midair, Reimu drops further down and to the side until she is flying face-up, her back almost scraping along the floor as she watches the kick hit air a couple of inches above her nose. As she passes under Meiling's leg, retrieves her gohei and holds it right in front of her chest, activating a quick and weak barrier in anticipation of the impacts right above her.
-
The rain above Reimu's head vanishes, accompanied by a distinctive bang.
Soon after, Meiling picks herself up from the explosion, breathing heavily.
"Ha... this isn't going to be easy, is it?" she says, looking at the orbs still floating around Reimu.
-
(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
The explosion sends Reimu skittering along the ground as well, throwing up a cloud of dust that is gradually dispersed when smaller motes of light once again start orbiting around her. Rising back ino the air, she rubs her back carefully. "Ow... that was pretty reckless." Rising to about half again her own height, Reimu stretches out her arms to the side and watches Meiling get up through half-closed eyes, breathing slowly and calming her pulse as the orbs once again spin faster and merge into five large orbs. "I've broken three cards of yours with two of mine... well, though I used one of them just to get some room from your frontal attack. I've hit you five times and you me three times, not counting projectiles and the like. What do you think?" For a while, Reimu remains where she is, waiting for Meiling to make a move as she mutters, "Two left... crown and root, was it?"
-
Meiling glances at her cards and winces. "Two left..."
She faces Reimu. "I think it's time for me to get serious." She tosses a card into the air, then jumps up after it and kicks off from it as it explodes. Light streams from her hands as she begins to spin, enveloping her until her body can no longer be seen.
"Colorful Sign: Extreme Color Typhoon!"
Something resembling no less than a rainbow-coloured drill has just fired itself at Reimu.
-
(http://i54.tinypic.com/opa82v.png)
"Looks like a single-shot type..." Not wasting time, Reimu thrusts out her arm at Meiling's color drill. "Concentrate!" The orbs fly forward with a hum of power, drawing an arc around the danmaku and homing in on the guard youkai, and Reimu follows in the middle.
-
The orbs strike Meiling from all directions... and are deflected away. Her attack continues at full speed, tossing Reimu aside like a bowling pin.
...a floating bowling pin.
-
(http://i51.tinypic.com/2lsuq89.png)
"Deflected-!?" Reimu is tossed to the edge of the Spell Border like a ragdoll, but there is no sound of spell break. "That was close... spinning to deflect attacks, huh? Then..." Reimu floats in place, her orbs reforming as she waits for Meiling to turn around and target her again. Raising her right arm, she waits without flinching. Then... "...I just have to hit the center! Concentrate!" This time, the five orbs of light move in unison, and in a straight line. As one, they shoot forward at the torrent of swirling color, colliding head-on in coordination instead of from the sides.
-
The condensed orbs fly directly at Meiling, the magical fields screeching as one flattens against the other. She hasn't stopped, but she's slowing down...
[spoiler](http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd54/Prime32_temp/Mirror/sample-111638d12898cf016209ceb8aa8fce79.jpg)
"Allow me to explain!"
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd54/Prime32_temp/Rough/rumia_explains_things.png)[/spoiler]
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(http://i54.tinypic.com/opa82v.png)
"What, that's still not enough for you? Geez!" Vaulting away from the spell border at her back, Reimu hurls herself... straight at the clash of her an Meiling's spell cards. She twists in midair, passing harmlessly through her own danmaku, and delivers a straight flying kick to Meiling's torrent of colors.
For a moment, only the flash of light is visible from outside the border.
-
The spell explodes. And then the other spell explodes. And then the explosions explode. There are many explosions in many colours, and they are deafening and pretty. Reimu is thrown against the border, while her opponent is thrown towards the mansion.
As the shrine maiden starts to pick herself up, through the smoke she can just barely make out her opponent doing the same.
-
(http://i52.tinypic.com/hx2pox.png)
Getting up on all fours, Reimu shoots a wave of homing amulets to her left and right, then charges towards Meling without getting to her feet, simply flying close to the ground. As she approaches her opposent, the miko spins around to deliver a low flying kick to Meiling's legs and pull her off-balance.
-
As Reimu's leg sweeps around, the dust cloaking her opponent swirls and blows aside. Before she can recognise what she is seeing, something drops down from above. Reimu's kick strikes a startled fairy, and moments later Meiling's heel comes down hard on her spine, slamming her into the ground.
The gatekeeper quickly follows up, flipping Reimu into the air before she can recover and then delivering a powerful punch that sends her to the top of the arena.
Meiling shoots through the air, matching her enemy's speed. She's sweating hard, but at the same time she seems to have something of a glow about her. Literally.
"It comes down to this! This is my last spell card; if you can survive then I'll allow you to pass."
Reimu begins to slow, but Meiling is still travelling upwards.
"Spell card..."
Reimu has just begun to fall as Meiling comes to a halt above her. Her hair seems to flare out and waver, though there is no wind. Drawing back her hand she crumples the card, and it flares with rainbow colours that flow down her veins before bursting forth until her entire hand seems converted to light.
With speed greater than any in the battle before, she fires herself downwards towards Reimu.
[spoiler](http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd54/Prime32_temp/Mirror/82f7b2e5b980f9ef921fbea4fbb1e223.jpg)
"Attack Sign: Roc Fist!"
A shaft of light erupts with a roar, spraying out as it collides with the spell border. The fight is over. Meiling can no longer continue, but what about Reimu?[/spoiler]
-
Marisa can't stop smiling at the sight of a properly explosive finish.
(http://th01.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2011/054/5/7/marisa_kirisame_by_poisonfrost-d3a9bi2.jpg)
And this was just the gatekeeper ze! Who knows what else is waiting for us inside this mansion? There's no turning back now. I won't let Reimu's sacrifice be in vain! I'll make sure that... Wait, what were we doing here again? Meh, nevermind, I'm sure there must be something worth stealing researching in this place ze.
Whitout stoping to check if Reimu's ok, Marisa flies over the gate to peek trough the mansion windows, looking for any valuable stuff.
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(http://i51.tinypic.com/2lsuq89.png)
There is no response from Reimu as she is battered about, only interposing easily broken barriers meant to soften the blows between herself and Meiling's fist.
In the moment of spell declaration, time seems to stretch. Reimu looks up at her opponent, and her expression shifts to one of mild surprise and boredom. "What, a single-shot? Seriously?" Crossing her arms in front of her face, palms facing outward, a spellcard appears before Reimu. "Spell card!"
The battlefield is engulfed in a pillar of light, and when it vanishes... Reimu is floating in midair, just as she was in the moment of Meiling's declaration. The air around her wavers like an optical illusion, outlining two nested cubic barriers enclosing her, into which Meiling is sunk up to her shoulder. The distance between her and Reimu can't be much longer than the length of her forearm, and yet... only her wrist and fist emerge from the inside of the inner barrier, hovering ineffectually inches away from Reimu's face.
(http://i56.tinypic.com/2ngsbpu.png)
"Hey now, the last spellcard is supposed to be the hardest. I thought you were a barrier keeper, shouldn't you know this? A single blow like that has no chance of getting through a good barrier. I didn't even need a hard one, it's enough to just make you not reach. Hey, Marisa, you listening? Geez, she's already going in..." Tuning to float towards the mansion herself as well, Reimu wills her own spellcard and the border to pop like soap bubbles. "Like I said, a barrier's only as good as the one keeping it, and vice versa. I'm in charge of the Great Hakurei Barrier, so of course I'd be invincible. Well, thanks for leading the way."
-
"Hey... wait... are you sure you want to go in there?" Meiling says as she limps after them. "That... that was just a demo compared to what you'll face in there!"
-
(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
"I'd be disappointed if it wasn't. Didn't I just tell you? I won't lose to anyone as suspicious as you people." Casting a look over her shoulder, Reimu proceeds to follow after Marisa. "I guess I was too reckless... I should've been able to do that without spellcards. Hey, Marisa, wait for me! geez... she's already forgotten why we came here, hasn't she?"
-
"But... I was supposed to fight both of you."
Meiling sighs and rubs her aching head. "Oh well, time for tea."
"...who took my tea?"
The first few windows Marisa peeks through look in to a hall, with what appears to be a drawing room at the building's corner. The walls are varying shades of red, like the exterior.
-
Marisa finishes up siping the tea she found laying around during the battle while looking trough the windows.
Hmm, has a certain french flavour... Well, break's time over ze!
Charging up her magic, Marisa rises over the mansion to gain make some distance, as she prepares several star-shaped danmaku.
(http://www.scenicreflections.com/ithumbs/Touhou%20Marisa%20Kirisame%20Wallpaper__yvt2.jpg)
And then proceeds to fly at max speed to one of the mansion windows, shooting the stars in front of her to break the glass and make a grand entrance!
Of course, should the stars fail to break the window, she'll stop before hiting the wall.
-
(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
Inside, Marisa finds... Reimu, floating unhurriedly through the halls. At the crash of Marisa's entry, she turns her head to look at the witch with a bored expression. "Ah, Marisa. There you are. Geez, you're so noisy..."
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(http://images.wikia.com/touhou/es/images/0/0e/Th075marisa01.png)
Hmm, seems like nobody's home ze. Quite strange to have such a big mansion and nobody inside. Well more time for us to explore the place! My adventuring senses tell me that the treasure is always in the dungeon ze. Now I guess that would demand us first exploring the other rooms, solving puzzles and collecting keys, but we're a in hurry today ze!
With this words, Marisa takes aim down and fires a barrage of rainbow-colored lasers at the hall floor seeking to punch a hole trough it.
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(http://i52.tinypic.com/2zf3juv.png)
"Wha- Hey! Marisa! We're not here to ransack the place!" Calling out, Reimu starts going after Marisa... until she notices a flight of stairs down and emerges in the basement, waiting for Marisa to finish her entering and breaking. "Seriously, that girl... Well, if there's someone here, they'll go intercept her eventually, so I might as well use her as bait." As she follows the witch around on the latter's plundering tour, Reimu takes a look around at the walls. "...Well, I guess it wouldn't be bad to get ahold of something valuable."
-
Large double doors lie ahead, slightly ajar.
-
Having finished blowing up a hole in the ground, Marisa quickly flies trough the basement until noticing the suspiciously ajar doors.
(http://media.steampowered.com/steamcommunity/public/images/avatars/4c/4cbd6e9f6d9bcc0b8299a739fd8b6a912e330f1e_full.jpg)
First dibs on whatever's on the other side ze!-says Marisa as she lands on the floor and kicks the doors open to inspect the new room.
-
A refreshing musty smell rushes forth to meet Marisa's nose.
As her eyes adjust she can make out a vast chamber, bigger than the mansion itself looked from the outside, divided by oddly dappled walls and columns.
...no, not walls. Bookcases of incredible size. There's a skylight or two, but with the mist overhead it doesn't do much to brighten the place up.
Voile, the Magic Library (http://www.youtube.com/v/QEQ6AEFM8FU)
You hear faint voices coming from behind, but as soon as you cross the threshold there is a slight tingle in your ears, and they cut out instantly. A silencing spell? On the other hand, the sound of the door slamming open echoes throughout the room...
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Marisa doesn't seem to care about silenced voices as she blink a few times to make sure she isn't hallucinating as she sees the most valuable treasure room she ever saw. Books as far as the eyes could see... Could it really be true? Books, specially magic books, were quite hard to come by in Gengyoko, demanding weeks of exploration to find a single volume, and yet here there were more books that Marisa even imagined that existed, ripe for the picking! Still not believing it, she mounts her broom again and starts flying trough the bookcases, examining them close up.
Bohemian Archive in French Green, The Clow, Touhoumicon, Library Master's Guide, Unlimited Magic Works, Perfect Memento in Figured Sense... So many books! I'll just borrow some later ze.
With this words Marisa picks up a big volume and after some quick looking finds a reading desk with a lamp. Turning it on, she instals herself reading like she owned the place.
(http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg138/oslecamo/Extras/a8008b42d6f08b57cb64b77ff1d3029d.jpg)
Well Reimu whoever owns this library is surely a great mage, and she would surely have the knowledge to pull that mist thingy. So if we just sit here I bet she'll come to us ze!
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(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
"Are those really titles of books? They sound pretty lame... You really are a nerd." Reimu floats among the aisles with a skeptical expression, scanning random book titles absent-mindedly.
"Isn't there anything about making tea or something useful like that...?"
-
Suddenly Marisa gets another buzzing sensation in her ears. Moments later the book sprouts fangs from its cover and bites down on her hand!
Out of the corner of her eye, Reimu spots movement from the upper shelves of the bookshelf behind her.
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(http://i54.tinypic.com/2qmj6hh.png)
"Ah-!" Swerving in midair, Reimu turns and flies after the movement she saw. "Hey, you there!"[/url]
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...and is immediately pelted with books which launch themselves out of the case.
-
Aaahhh! A book with teeths? Are we in some children's story?
Marisa bites the book back and wrestles it from her hand, throwing it as far away as possible before breathing in relief. Then she notices the shrine maiden being attacked by other volumes.
Remote control and transmutation of books? Brilliant ze! I mean, watch out Reimu! There must be someone nearby making this happen, otherwise the books would've attacked us sooner ze! We gotta find the culprit!
Marisa takes to the top of the library on her broom, trying to get a good field of vision over the bookcases, searching the mage pulling the strings, and keeping watch for any more book-danmaku. Then she starts a small flame on her right hand.
(http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/107/e/a/Marisa_Kirisame___Bad_apple_by_Dakkun.jpg)
Hey whoever's the master of this library ze! You better appear or I'll start a nice fire in this place!
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As Marisa rises, the buzzing gets more intense. All around her, books begin rising from the shelves or materialising in thin air...
-
STOP THAT DAMN SOUND!-screams Marisa as she suddenly charges at top speed over the bookcases shooting illusion lasers in front to break trough any sudden obstacles in her path. She also keeps an eye down to see if there's somebebody hiding behind all the books and tries to sense any stronger/diferent magic aura in the library.
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(http://i54.tinypic.com/2qmj6hh.png)
"What the- kya!" Twhack. A thick tome smacks Reimu clean on the forehead before she manages to bring up a barrier to bounce the rest off of. Among the flying books, she catches a glimpse of one entitled Cooking With Rice, and she starts forward to grab it out of the air and allow herself to fall downwards, raising it up to protect her head from the falling books.
-
Black mist begins to creep along the tops of the bookcases towards Marisa, before something starts to emerge from it.
Roiling shadows rise into the rough shape of a person wrapped in a tattered cloak. It speaks in a deep hiss that smells of brimstone.
"So you have come, humansss, to my domain. You foolsss have no underssstanding of what you do. Leave this placcce, or feel my power."
A pair of lights glow red from within the cloak's hood. It sweeps out its arm, and the ground at Reimu's feet collapses into a pit.
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(http://i53.tinypic.com/2zfmyc6.png)
"..." Reimu looks down without much in the way of a reaction as a pit opens up beneath her feet... but she doesn't fall. After all, she already was floating above the floor before the pit opened. "...I can fly, you know." She locks her eyes ont he ragged apparition and throws an amulet to the side with a flick of her wrist. The amulet silently flies among the bookshelves, homing in on the back of the figure's head.
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Marisa turns to this newcomer.
(http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20051017101319/touhou/images/c/c3/Th06marisa_portrait.jpg)
"Are thou the library master? Ah, doesn't matter, I'll just take you down ze!" Weapon select: Cold inferno!
Marisa's surrounding orbs suddenly turn to a dark blue, and start spewing forth saphire flames in front of her. Marisa charges towards the demonic figure, her flames not causing any burns, but rather freezing the books on her path inside blocks of ice!
"Show me your power ze!"-cackles Marisa as she advances to engulf her in the cold fire.
-
You know, it's certainly a threatening-looking pit. There's even a fairy skeleton at the bottom. Wait, a fairy skeleton? And with wings still attached?
"Huh? Um... you, uh, you could not comprehe- Oof!" An amulet to the back of the head cuts the shadowy figure off in mid-sentence. Oddly, the space around where it hit seems to be crumbling...
Its gaze darts to Reimu, sweeping its arm out in a dramatic gesture. "You dare attack-"
RIIIIIIP
[spoiler](http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd54/Prime32_temp/Other/chibi_koa.png)
"Me?"
"Oh, oh pay no attention to the girl behind the big shadowy guy thing or shoot her or anything like that because that would be bad and we don't want bad things I just thought it would be funny because the maids don't come in much but when they do come in it's fun oh it's no use I can't scare you you'll get to Miss Patchy so I should tell her and you're probably here about the mist and I'd better go bye!" She takes a deep gasp to refill her lungs, then throws something to the ground which releases a huge cloud of sulphurous smoke.[/spoiler]
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(http://i52.tinypic.com/f0w6xt.png)
With a bored face, Reimu just looks at the motor-mouthed demon, until she tries to make her escape. "...Geez, you're noisy." With a swing of her arm, she releases a wave of homing amulets towards the cloud of smoke as she flies closer in no hurry. "So, what was that you said about the mist?"
-
(http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/102267495/28785947)
Oh, a demonic familiar? I always wanted to get one of those ze! I guess I'll just have to defeat this Miss Patchy to gain her ownership. And borrow some books later when there's not so much noise around ze. Oh, yes, and take care of the mist I guess.
Marisa then provides covering fire to the shrine Maiden, bombarding the sulphurous cloud with a spiral of multi-colored stars from her orbs.