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Story Mode; Set out on a Journey
Topic Started: Jan 29 2012, 03:22 AM (257 Views)
Soul Devour
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Relax and enjoy a hot cup of tea as you read the story of your heroine.
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Soul Devour
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The Day Before - Gardens of Hakugyokurou:

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=YQlExMZ5RKs&feature=youtu.be

“Youmu, please come have some tea with me.”

The one who states this is a beautiful woman with bright pink hair and eyes and is dressed in a white and blue kimino. From a distance, one could possibly mistake her for the numerous cherry blossoms in full bloom throughout the gardens. Not far from her, tending to some nearby trees, is her gardener and guardian, a white-haired girl in a short green dress with two swords of different lengths fastened to her back. Next to her was a particularly huge transparent cloud-like object, which seemed to share some kind of special relationship to the girl.

“...Ah! L-Lady Yuyuko! Of course, I would be happy to join!”

The Elegant Ghost: Yuyuko Saigyouji

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Half Phantom Gardener: Youmu Konpaku

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With Yuyuko leading the way, the two headed into the nearby shrine to enjoy the tea at their own leisure. However, Yuyuko could not help but notice how strange Youmu had been acting for the whole day. While it didn’t seem as though Youmu’s mindset of working hard wasn’t particularly affected, Yuyuko felt that as her mistress she should try and find what was bothering Youmu, to help put her at ease.

“Youmu, what seems to be troubling you?”

“Um...do I really look that troubled to you?”

“Yes, you do, and that won’t do at all! I know you like to be serious about whatever you do, but that’s only going to cause you and me both stress and worry. Please Youmu, at least share with me what’s wrong.”

“W-well you see...when I awoke this morning, there happened to be a strange letter by my bedside. There was no indication of where the letter came from, no clues to whom the sender was and the contents within disturbed me moreso. It spoke of...um...a war in Gensokyo...and that I was to be chosen to participate and that I could fulfill my greatest desire should I win. In addition, apparently this war would be to begin tomorrow! I’m nervous as to why someone would want me to join in some war that’s going to effect Gensokyo and what kind of plans they have.”

As Youmu explained her troubles and her current mindset, Yuyuko patiently listened while drinking her tea, occasionally nodding as Youmu spoke.

“The person holding this war, who is calling themselves the ‘Game Master’, told me that I need to respond tonight as to whether I will participate in the war or not, in order to make arrangements for an alternative person. If there is a war in Gensokyo, I feel as though I should answer the call to protect it, and yet, I don’t want to leave the you and the Netherworld unprotected, should this war spread. And so, I’ve been contemplating whether I should join this war or stay here and guard Hakugyokurou. Ah, and here is the letter.”

As Youmu finished, she placed her hands, which had become quite animated doing her explanation, back on her lap and lowered her head in thought. There was a moment of silence as Yuyuko both carefully thought over what Youmu had said and read the contents of the letter presented worth and then...

A sigh.

“Ahhhh Youmu, you worry far too much! It seems like according to these rules that this war is only taking place in a few set locations of Gensokyo, so there’s no need to worry about me. Not only that, it’s been quite boring lately, you should go and join this war to enjoy yourself. Plus, winning whatever you want most is nice little prize, don’t you think?”

As Youmu looked up in surprised, she noticed that Yuyuko was wearing a big smile, as to say ‘Please don’t forget to think about yourself once in a while’.

“You really don’t mind if I join in this war, Lady Yuyuko? What if something in the war goes horribly wrong? I would not be able to forgive myself if anything you should happen to you!”

Another sigh.

“Oh Youmu...fine, fine. Then let me put it to you this way. As your Lady and Mistress, I, Yuyuko Saigyouji, want you, Youmu Konpaku, to participate in this war as a representative of the Netherworld and the Hakugyokurou Shrine. I shouldn’t even know to say such a thing though...I’m quite capable on my own...don’t you think there could be people in Gensokyo who would need help much more than I?”

Surprised again at Yuyuko’s last comment. Youmu looked down at the ground in shame, realizing that she was worrying far too much about Yuyuko, and not worrying at all about the residents of Gensokyo, who were far more at risk to this war than Yuyuko could ever be.

She’s right...I shouldn’t let myself think of the lives of some are more important than others. My sword is one that is meant to be used to protect everyone, not just myself or Lady Yuyuko. Yes...I need to fight not as a representative of Hakugyokurou but as a defender of Gensokyo.

Bowing deeply towards, Youmu apologized profusely to Yuyuko for her selfishness.

“Lady Yuyuko! I’m deeply sorry for only thinking of myself and not the needs of others! I would be happy to fight in this war not only as a representative of you, but as a protector of Gensokyo! Please let me!!”

Slightly surprised at the dramatic turnaround of Youmu’s desires, Yuyuko let out a sigh before speaking.

“Oh Youmu, you don’t need my permission. Follow your heart, do what you think is right. I believe in you, you know. But since you let me know that you’re going to be out of the shrine for a while...”

With a giggle, Yuyuko added one request for Youmu to complete during the war.

“..Could you please bring back some souvenirs?”

“Eh? Souvenirs...?”

And with that, Youmu and Yuyuko both began making preparations for the battles ahead.

The Next Morning - Day 0:

Youmu awoke the following morning to find that in addition to letter from the day before, there was a strange gold emblem next to the letter with a small note attached on the front.

Thank you for your timely response! In order to show your acceptance to the other Servants of this war, please wear this gold pin I’ve prepared for the duration of this war, or until you yourself are defeated. Once again, good luck!

...

Hmm...interesting...Lady Yuyuko should see this as well.

Youmu quickly got dressed and headed over to speak with Lady Yuyuko, who was already drinking her morning tea as she sat at a table.

“Ah Youmu, you’re up early. Why so tense? Didn’t we already talk about the war yesterday?”

Youmu procured the note and emblem she received and Yuyuko took a look at both of them while thinking out loud.

“Wow, whoever is running this war thing sure is sneaky. Didn’t think they’d get in twice...”
As she listed Yuyuko speak, there was one thing odd that Youmu couldn’t help but ask Yuyuko about...

“Er...if I may Lady Yuyuko...why exactly do you have such a big grin on your face? It’s almost as if you know something I don’t...”

“Eh?”

Yuyuko rapidly turned to Youmu and laughed off the suspicions that Youmu had.

“Ahaha! Not at all! I just find it funny that this person was able to not only get past your detection not just once, but twice! That’s pretty funny, don’t you think?”

Youmu’s face rapidly flushed over and she could only look down in embarrassment at her failures as a protector to Yuyuko.

“I-I apologize Lady Yuyuko! I’m not worthy to protect you, since I can’t even stop an intruder who snuck into our home twice! Please, just give me one more chance, I promise I won’t fail you again!”

Seeing that her joke went too far, Yuyuko hung her head and sighed.

“Jeez Youmu, lighten up. I’m not mad, I promise. But we really should get you ready for this war. You’re heading to the Human Village for clues, right? If we don’t get you moving, it’ll be too late to do anything of importance.”

“A-Ah...you’re right! Let us hurry along!”

After being seen off by Yuyuko, Youmu made for the physical realm of Gensokyo to begin her journey in the war she had so quickly been called into. Thinking that the best idea would be the gather allies for the coming battles, she made for the Human Village, with the hopes that perhaps some other Servants would be present there. Sadly, this seemed to be all for naught, as Youmu was unable to find a being wearing the same emblem as her which signified the mark of a servant in this war.

Well, I’ll just gather info from the humans here for the rest of today...

And so, Youmu spent the rest of the day asking about the war and seeing a confused look from everyone she spoke to. What strange war has she been dragged into, where no one seems to even believe a war is going on?
Edited by Soul Devour, Jan 31 2012, 04:02 AM.
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Day 1:

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=sfR3xvHgAI8

Youmu could be seen sighing at the lack of information she had obtained. Despite the strange occurrences that had happened during the day, Youmu was no further along than when she first arrived at the Human Village.

First a bunch of dolls rampage through the Human Village multiple time, then there’s a sudden increase in the level of gravity here. Something definitely seems to be going on, but it seems like nothing worth noting is occurring here. Well, perhaps the Myouren Temple will prove me wrong...

After focusing herself for the journey and walking for a couple hours, Youmu arrived at the entrance to the temple grounds, where she stealthily took cover in some bushes, hoping to gain precious information. However, all she could see was a girl with rather large red eyes and turquoise hair sweeping away debris from the ground.

Hmm...well, perhaps I’ll learn something if I stay a bit longer...but if I’m going to stay here, I should get myself into a slightly more comfortable po-

*CRACK*

Oh no!

“Who’s there!? Come out, I know you’re hiding somewhere! My ears can’t be fooled!”

I have to retreat! Damn, what a waste!

Not wasting a moment, Youmu quickly escaped the temple unseen and headed back to the Human Village, when she spent the rest of the day wondering how better handle herself the next day.
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Day 2:

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=cZ4BgP5Kc3U

Youmu could be seen sitting at a bench deep in thought, wondering how to make her next move.

Hmmm...so far, I’ve been unsuccessful on finding out anything about this war. Perhaps I should consider asking for help from someone...but everyone here doesn’t seem to believe me...
-
...Wait a second, there is one person in the Human Village that I haven’t spoken to that might be able to help me! I’ll go to visit and speak with her, surely she can at least help me a little bit!


With a new resolve in her heart, Youmu got up and rushed over to the house of the one known as the chronicler of Gensokyo, hoping for some hint on where to head.

“Ah Miss Youmu, it’s so good to see you, may I ask what brings you here?”

Sitting a table was a very small and frail looking girl wearing very elaborate clothing. Despite her appearance, she seemed very cheerful and friendly, happy to have a guest meet her.

Memory of Gensokyo: Hieda no Akyu

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Seeing that the girl was ready for Youmu to speak, Youmu told Akyu everything that had happened to her from a couple days ago, the letter and rules she had received and the pin and note that followed it.

“So you see, I wondering if you, the one who knows all of Gensokyo’s history, would have any further clues to help me resolve this incident.”

Akyu, who was dividing her time between listening to Youmu and studying the items she had bought, nodded at the conclusion of Youmu’s explanation and looked down to finish looking over the materials near her. After a couple moments of silence, Akyu looked up, with a smile on her face. Youmu also began to smile, thinking that she had finally gotten herself a lead but...

“Unfortunately, I have absolutely no knowledge on this ‘Touhou Grail War’...”

Youmu’s happy expression quickly faded back into one of depression. Seeing that Youmu was deeply effected by her words, Akyu quickly tried to recover Youmu’s spirits.

“B-But, not all hope is lost, you see? L-Look, it mentions Rinnosuke in these rules, right? If you go there, I’m sure you’ll be able to learn more about this war!”

Still unsure if Akyu was just trying to cheer her up or if it was an actual lead, Youmu carefully questioned Akyu.

“...Really?”

“Really!”



After a couple moments of silence, Youmu’s expression brightened up again and she thanked Akyu sincerely for her help, bowing deeply.

“Thank you so much, Lady Hieda, I truly appreciate the help you’ve given me. I’m sorry to suddenly say this, but I must be off now.”

Nodding, Akyu said her goodbyes as Youmu departed.

“Take care Miss Youmu! And please visit again if you get the chance!”

STOP MUSIC

After grabbing a small lunch to eat, Youmu set out for Rinnosuke’s Item Shop and upon arriving, was greeted by a black-white magician who had just exited the shop.

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=oiMIpOqcwRg

“Ah...Miss Marisa! Is it really you?”

With a grin, the magician answered her back.

An Ordinary Black Magician: Marisa Kirisame

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“You bet! Youmu, it’s good to see you! What are you doing here....unless...”

Marisa rushed over to Youmu to take a very, very close look at a certain glinting object pinned on Youmu’s shirt.

“As I suspected, another war-goer! Are you hear to relax at Rinnosuke’s for free too?”

A yell could be heard inside the store at Marisa’s careless statement.

“Hey, I heard that! Don’t give anyone strange ideas!”

Still grinning, Marisa took a hold of Youmu and dragged her inside. Youmu cried out in protest but was unable to stop the rampaging magician from doing what she wished.

“Hey Rinnosuke, Youmu’s in the war too! Isn’t that neat?”

Sighing, the man inside adjusted his glasses and answered Marisa before turning his attention to Youmu.

“Who exactly do you think you’re talking to, I already knew that Miss Youmu was in the war. How are you, Miss Youmu?”

Store Owner of Kourindou and Interim Game Master: Rinnosuke Morichika

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“A-Ah, I’m doing well! It seems I have gone to the right place after all! If it’s not too much trouble, I have a lot of things I wish to ask you, Mr. Rinnosuke.”

With a smile, Rinnosuke answered Youmu back, hoping to ease her tension.

“Please don’t hesitate to ask then! And Rinnosuke is fine Miss Youmu.”

Fidgeting nervously, Youmu also returned the favor.

“I-In that case, please just call me Youmu.”

“In that I case, I shall, Youmu.”

Youmu blushed ever so slightly at being called her first name by Rinnosuke, to which Marisa scowled and pushed matters along.

“Hey, hey, let’s get back to business, ok?”

After a sigh from Rinnosuke and a surprised sound from Youmu, the day continued uneventfully along for the three, who discussed more matters regarding the war they were in.
Edited by Soul Devour, Feb 27 2012, 01:32 AM.
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Youmu 3:

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=NsSCmToQUtU

“S-so cold...”

Marisa could be seen huddled next to the heater draped in a large number of covers. Rinnosuke and Youmu could also be seen nearby, wearing heavy clothes. The amount of oil that Rinnosuke had left for the heater was starting to run unexpectedly low for some unknown reason. Since his next order wasn’t to come in for a couple more days, he had rationed the remaining oil to last until he received more. However, the store was still freezing and Marisa appeared close to her breaking point.

“You know...if you didn’t use so much of the oil on your own, this wouldn’t have happened...”

Rinnosuke tried to let Marisa know that this was her fault, which proved to be a very, very bad idea.

“Ehhh?! Are you trying to blame me for this? I’m a dainty lady who needs warmth and heat! I had to use that oil! And besides, you keep the shop too cold in the winter anyways with the amount of oil you use, I was just helping you out!”

“Helping me out?! I do quite fine on my own in the winter! I don’t need you coming in and screwing everything up and then proclaim it was all to ‘help’ me!”

“Ha! If I didn’t visit your shop, you’d be closed down within a week’s time! You never have any customers so you should be thankful I come in to shop!”

“Shop!? Stealing my items and saying you’ll pay me back later is not shopping!!”

Youmu watched painfully as the two argued and attempted to quell their anger...

“Um...if you could calm down...”

...But it seemed as though she didn’t have the courage to jump in against two vicious animals...

“Jeez, I can’t take it anymore, I’m dealing with this my way!!”

Having enough of Rinnosuke’s complaining, Marisa stormed outside the shop, with Youmu and Rinnosuke in pursuit. Youmu, seeing that whatever was about to happen couldn’t possibly be good, pleaded with Marisa to calm down.

“Miss Marisa, please get a head of yourself! Just take a deep bre-”

“Shut up! I’m cold and I wanna be warm! So I’m gonna do this!”

With that, Marisa brandished a vial she had been carrying and quickly chanted a spell before the others could react. As soon as she finished, she hurled the vial onto the ground, causing the surrounding area to ignite in a fiery blaze.

“There! Much better! See, isn’t it a lot better than being cold?”

Rinnosuke and Youmu could only stare dumbfounded at the reckless actions of the magician. After a moment, Rinnosuke was able to collect himself enough to chew out Marisa.

“W-what the hell are you doing?! What if my shop catches on fire!? How the hell are we supposed to leave?!!?”

Marisa only sighed and walked over to the fire’s edge and sat down.

“Jeez, you complain so much. Just enjoy the fire. At least you don’t have to burn oil now, right? Ahhh...so cozy...”

“R-Rinnosuke...perhaps she’s right. At the very least, we can stay warm now without any worries, right?”

Trying to calm down the shopkeeper, Youmu pointed out the benefits of the fire they now were experiencing. Seeing that Youmu was trying her hardest to cheer him up, Rinnosuke lowered his head and shoulders and gave a sigh of defeat.

“Fine, fine. I don’t know why I even bother trying sometimes...”
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Youmu 4:

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=x_c8cd1F5TE

Youmu continued to watch Marisa who was deep in thought while staring directly into the fire she created the day before. Seeing that she might injury her eyesight if she continued to look into the fire so closely, Youmu spoke up, trying to prevent Marisa from hurting herself.

“Miss Marisa, may I suggest that perhaps we take a few steps back from the fire? It’s probably not too healthy to be so close to it and-”

“Something’s missing...”

“Eh?”

Marisa reached into one her pockets and pulled out the Hakkero cannon she treasured dearly and turned to walk about from the fire while talking to Youmu.

“Hey Youmu, when you think of summer, it’s not just warm, right? There’s usually something more...do you know what that is?”

Youmu looked back at the magician in confusion and asked Marisa to clarify further what she meant.

“I’m not quite sure I follow you, Miss Marisa...isn’t summer naturally just a hot season?”

“No, it’s more than just the temperature! It’s the atmosphere, you see!”

“The atmosphere...? W-wait, what are you doing with your cannon?!”

Marisa raised the Hakkero towards the sky and braced herself for the recoil she was able to experience and then unleashed a powerful spellcard.

“Time to make this place really look like summer! Spellcard Attack! Ritual Sign...”

“W-wait a second, Miss Marisa this seems like a bad idea!”

Youmu rushed over to try and stop the crazed girl but was stopped by the rapid discharge of mana Marisa and the Hakkero were releasing.

“ORRERIES SUN!”

With the spell named, a huge glowing ball of energy released from the Hakkero and made it’s way quickly to the sky, brightening all of Gensokyo for a moment before settling in the sky above Rinnosuke’s Item Shop. With the fire and the sun in the sky, the area truly gave an aura of summer to those in it.

“There, much better! I’m gonna go change into something more summer appropriate, you should too!”

“H-Huh? W-wait a moment please, Miss Marisa, I can’t keep up with you!”

Without letting Youmu get a word in or letting her catch up, Marisa hurried into the Item Shop. Youmu followed her and stopped when saw Rinnosuke, to tell him of Marisa’s latest action.

“Um...R-Rinnosuke?”

Rinnosuke looked up to see a worried look on Youmu’s face and inquired on her issue.

“Yes Youmu? Is there something I can help you with?”

Slightly nervous at Rinnosuke’s possible reaction, Youmu cautiously proceeded to talk of what just occurred outside.

“M-Marisa was acting strange outside, she was just staring at the fire she made yesterday, as if something was wrong with it. All of a sudden, she told me that the place wasn’t summer-like enough and decided to pull out her Hakkero and a spellcard. I tried to stop her, but the mana discharge was unexpectedly violent. So now, there’s this strange sun over top your item shop...er...R-Rinnosuke.”

Sighing, Rinnosuke and Youmu looked over to see Marisa walk out of the room in new set of creme-colored clothes and the former went to complain about her actions.

“First you set the forest around my shop on fire, and now you fire a sun into the sky to make it seem like it’s summer...do you enjoy causing trouble for me? And why are you wearing those clothes? It’s winter!”

Seeing that her outfit went unappreciated, Marisa fired back at Rinnosuke.

“W-What?! Clearly I’m wearing this because it looks and feels like summer outside! Jeez!”

“A forest going up in flames does not make it summer! Can you think rationally for a moment!?”

“If I’m just going to get yelled at, I’m going outside, bye.”

Seeing that Marisa was clearly overreacting to Rinnosuke, Youmu followed her out, pleading for her to calm down. Not looking to be overdone, Rinnosuke scrambled from his chair to catch up to the two, who had already gone outside. He stopped however, when saw that Youmu was talking to Marisa and the magician was quietly listening to what she was saying. Rinnosuke sighed, wondering how Youmu had so much more skill with handling Marisa than him.



Marisa sighed, looking more calm thanks to Youmu’s words of advice.

“I just wanna have some fun, you know? Is that so wrong? It’s been a while since I’ve been able to get out of the house and do anything like this. I know that some of actions are a bit irrational but that’s just who I am.”

Listening intently, Youmu responded back softly to Marisa, who seemed to be a funk now.

“I can understand that as well. I too have missed visiting everyone during this winter and want to enjoy the time we spend together. But you have to realize that your actions may have serious consequences if you continue to act recklessly. I’ve come to realize that we may end up fighting each other in this war, and I’m ok with that, we’ve fought many times before and those fights themselves have been great fun. But if you go too far...you may end up doing something you can’t take back. Let’s enjoy ourselves, but not lose control of the situation, alright?”

Still looking a bit sad, Marisa went to answer Youmu when she happened to notice the silhouette of a person which looked very familiar. Curious, she called out at the mysterious shadow.

“...Um...Sakuya...this that you?”

“Indeed, it looks like Miss Sakuya...why can we only see her outline though?”

Perfect and Elegant Maid: Sakuya Izayoi

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The silhouette of Sakuya remained umoving and spoke a sentence to the two.

"L-Let's be friends, ok guys?"

Youmu tilted her head and answered the question with another question.

"Friends? Sure, but aren't we already friends Sakuya?

Before Youmu could hope to get an answer, another person called out to Sakuya, causing it to turn to see who was speaking.

“So you came here, eh? Well, I suppose typically that wouldn’t be a bad idea but...hey wait!”

Not waiting to let the young woman finish, Sakuya went into a full sprint and headed deep into the burning forest, hiding herself for the remainder of the day. Now knowing for sure that the person was who she thought it was, Marisa rushed over to the visible girl and hugged her tightly.

“ALICE!!!”

Seven-Colored Puppeteer: Alice Margatroid

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“Alice, I’m so glad to see you! Why has it been so long, why don’t you ever visit!”

“Ah, Marisa, please calm down!”

Releasing Alice from her grip, Marisa smiled happily at seeing her close friend again after such a long time.

“I’ve missed you, you know? Afraid you rot away in that house of yours...”

“...!”

Not expecting to see such a joyful Marisa in front of her, Alice turned away to hide her blushing face and stammered out a response.

“Y-you k-know that I t-t-take care of m-myself! J-Jeez!”

Seeing that she was being ignored, Youmu spoke up to try and get Alice’s attention to greet her properly.

“Miss Alice I believe? It’s me, Youmu, do you remember me?”

Smiling, Alice gave a small bow as she reassured Youmu.

“Of course, I try to remember everyone I meet in Gensokyo! It’s great to see you again, both of you. Ah, is that...?”

Marisa turned to see who Alice was referring, only be disappointed that she meant the shopkeeper of the Item Shop.

“Oh, Kourin? Yeah, that’s him.”

Rinnosuke walked over to where the three were gathered and introduced himself to Alice.

“You’re Miss Margatroid, correct? Marisa has told me a lot about you. I don’t believe we’ve meet, I’m Rinnosuke Morichika, humble owner of this shop. If there ever anything I can help you with, please, feel free to ask me.”

Nodding, Alice turned back to Youmu and Marisa to excuse herself after her long trip.

“Sorry you two, but I’m a little tired from traveling here...and I’m actually quite hot because of the...climate changes...in the area. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to rest up inside.”

“Awww, don’t be that way Alice.”

Marisa scratched her head in thought and sighed before continuing.

“I suppose you have a point though. Let’s talk later then, ok?”

“Sure, I’ll see you later then.”

With those words said, Alice departed for the item shop to recover herself from the events of the day. Marisa and Youmu also decided to relax for the rest of the day and went inside to enjoy a light dinner with Rinnosuke.


Edited by Soul Devour, Feb 6 2012, 12:50 PM.
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Youmu 5:

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch?v=B3_9dHxu7ig

Another uneventful day passed at Rinnosuke’s Item Shop, where the girls lazed about and enjoyed the radically different weather the place was experiencing. Youmu spent time helping Rinnosuke cleaning up the store, while the Marisa played hide and seek with the shadow of Sakuya.

Alice sat against the wall outside the store with Shanghai and gazed at the others, admiring their energetic spirits.

“They’re all so carefree...don’t they have any worries about this war? Then again, I guess I can’t talk either, since I’m being just as lazy as they are. A little rest is good though, right Shanghai?”

Shanghai nodded instinctively to Alice’s question before continuing to stare along with Alice. Listening carefully, she could hear Marisa yelling at the hard-to-see Sakuya.

“Dammit, whatever you’re using is too unfair Sakuya! Take it off if you’re gonna be the hider in hide in seek!”

Closing her eyes, Alice sighed softly with a smile on her face and drifted off to sleep. Youmu stepped outside to see the now-sleeping Alice and called upon Rinnosuke to help move her.

“Thank you Rinnosuke. I must say, Miss Alice certainly sleeps a lot, perhaps even more than Lady Yuyuko does...don’t tell her I said that though...”
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Youmu 6:

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=ysvt2G7CYds

“Ah, another wonderful day of summer to take in! Isn’t this great guys?!”

Marisa could be seen with her shoes and socks off laying on a picnic blanket that Rinnosuke had bought out. Sitting with her was Alice, Youmu and the silhouette of Sakuya, who Marisa studied carefully as she ate sandwiches that Alice had made for the group.

“You know, it’s pretty weird seeing you eat the sandwich like that. If you were totally invisible, it’d be like the sandwich was disappearing out of thin air! Isn’t that crazy guys?”

All of the other girls could only look at Marisa with varying expressions ranging from confusion to mild annoyance. Youmu stared up at the sky at the glowing sun that was still shining brightly.

“It’s crazy that we’re able to enjoy ourselves like this considering that it’s freezing cold everywhere else in Gensokyo. I never thought that such a thing could be done so easily. It’s kind of scary when you think about how strong we all are.”

“Ha, it’s not that bad. We all have control over ourselves so it isn’t a problem! Besides, since everyone here is so strong, there’s no way anyone could hope to invade and try to take over Gensokyo! It’s a good thing that we’re all so strong, ze!”

Marisa took out another sandwich from the plate sitting in the middle and delicately bit into, savoring all the flavors within it. She couldn’t help but squeal in delight at the deliciousness it held.

“Mmmmmm so good! Alice, how on Earth did you manage to make these so damn tasty? This is way better than anything I’ve had before, I’m going over to your place for dinner more often!”

Seeing her cooking complimented so highly by someone she held dear, Alice couldn’t help but turn away and blush slightly. Sakuya, who up to this point had been quiet for...obvious...reasons, also was curious to how Alice managed to cook something so simple, yet so amazing.

“Indeed...”

“Woah, she speaks!”

Ignoring the cries of the black-white magician, Sakuya continued.

“I know their only sandwiches, but the taste rivals...no...it actually exceeds my own skills! Where did you pick up such skills?”

Even Youmu jumped in, curious to how Alice managed to become a skilled cook.

“Yes, I’m curious as well, if you don’t mind me asking, Miss Alice.”

Slightly nervous at all the attention she was getting, Alice stammered out a response.

“W-Well...y-you see. I happened to have a lot of free time...so I took up cooking as a hobby. With my dolls to help me, it’s actually quite easy, it’s like having a full staff of cooks on hand at any time.”

Marisa seemed genuinely impressed from the explanation where as the shadow of Sakuya merely nodded her head while raising her hand to her chin. Youmu on the other hand, looked slightly puzzled...and a bit worried.

“Miss Alice, it may not be my place to say, but it seems like you spend an awfully lot amount of time in your home by yourself, judging from the time we’ve spent together...please make sure to come out once in a while to visit us all. Lady Yuyuko always tells me that I should live every day of mine to the fullest, not leaving behind any regrets and I feel like these days we spend together, just relaxing, chatting, dueling, and just enjoying each other’s accompany are the kind of days I want to live.”

Youmu turned her gaze back to the sky and the rest of the group fell silent, taking in the swords-woman's words. After a couple minutes, Marisa patted herself off and stood up.

“Alright then, we gotta enjoy ourselves as much as possible then while the day lasts! It looks like the fire is getting weak so let’s have some more fun while we can!”

The day continued on with the four girls all spending their time frolicking and taking in the precious summer that was about to fade away. Marisa could be seen teasing Youmu by trying to hide her ghost-half from her, Alice and her dolls took a nap on the picnic blanket still laying out and Sakuya sat in a tree with a book in hand that Rinnosuke had recommended to her. A couple hours passed and the day began the slowly end when an unexpected visitor had arrived.

“W-why is the area around here on fire?! That’s totally not safe!”

The girls and Rinnosuke, who were inside now to enjoy the dinner Rinnosuke and Alice had made, went outside to greet their guest and were surprised at the identity of the one who had appeared.

“Ohh, Sanae, you came at the perfect time! We were just about to have dinner! Come inside to join us!”

Marisa greeted the green-haired girl with excitement and rushed over to get a closer look at her.

“A pin! So you’re in this war too!”

“Aha...ha...yes, so it seems...”

Deified Human of the Wind: Sanae Kochiya

Posted Image

Sanae looked around at all the other guests currently in surprise, shocked to see so many others had gathered together.

“Wow...so let’s see. There’s Marisa...the puppet magician...Alice something...I think.

“Margatroid. But Alice is fine.”

“...the half-ghost from the Netherword...”

“Youmu Konpaku. We’ve only met a few times I believe.”

“...and someone else who looks like they’re completely failing at hiding...”

The shadow, hearing that, stumbled a bit before speaking up.

“S-Sakuya Izayoi...”

“Wow, this is really something! Did the fire trap you guys in or something?”

With a smirk, Marisa answered.

“Nah, just enjoying ourselves. Fire trap you out or something?”

Sanae tried to send back the confident smirk Marisa held, but could only manage nervous laughter instead.

“N-no...I had other...things...holding me up.”

Seeing that the conversation was holding up dinner and causing it to cool down, Rinnosuke cleared up his throat to get the attention of everyone.

“Ahem...well, I’m sure you all have a lot of catching up to do but can it wait until tomorrow? Dinner is going to get cold.”

Not wanting to miss out on another meal by Alice, Marisa quickly switched focus and agreed without compliant.

“Ah, you’re right! C’mon guys, let’s hurry up and eat!”

With Sanae now present, the group headed inside to eat and talk further before resting up for tomorrow, closing out a perfect day.
Edited by Soul Devour, Feb 7 2012, 04:53 AM.
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Youmu 7:

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=tlDbNbTK6d8

At Rinnosuke’s there was an odd tension building between the newly arrived Sanae and the rest of the girls. Alice had created another doll to add to her army and Youmu seemed to raise her guard, as if to prepare themselves for combat. Unlike the rest of them, Sanae seemed far more interested in the war then they were. While the others all had personal reasons for fighting, it seemed like Sanae merely wanted to fight for the sake of fighting and even spoke of the war as if it were some kind of game. This was troubling to a number of the girls who, while they enjoyed dueling each other, took the fights very seriously and meant them as a means to grow stronger in order to protect Gensokyo. Hearing Sanae talk only of fighting with no regards to the safety of Gensokyo made them concern themselves about whether she should be trusted to win this war and what consequences they may face if she did.

“Sanae...I have a couple questions...”

Marisa spoke up to Sanae, with a serious expression on her face. Sanae seemed a bit surprised and laughed nervously at why Marisa was getting so tense. Behind her, the others were watching the conversation unfold, curious to how Sanae would respond.

“Ha..ha...y-yes? What’s up?”

“You seem to really want to fight in this war...more so than anyone else here at least. It seems like you know something about this war that we don’t...mind telling us?”

Sanae gave a small look of fear, worried that they might discover the true origins of this war and that someone was just imitating something they saw.

“I-I have no clue what you’re talking about! I just happened to get an invitation to something called the Touhou Grail War and saw that there was a great prize for the victor!”

Marisa looked a bit saddened by Sanae’s response and continued on with the second question, the question that would seal whether Sanae could be an ally or if she was an enemy.

“I see...then my other question...why do you fight? Is it just for the prize? Is that the reason you’re participating in this war? Nothing else?”

Sanae bit her lip, looked down slightly at the ground, and answered a quiet, but firm voice.

“...Yes. That’s the only reason. I just want to win, that’s all.”

STOP MUSIC

Seeing that it was pointless to continue questioning her, Marisa turned and took a few steps back.

“I guess it can’t be helped then. Sorry Sanae, but it looks I’m gonna have to take you out of this ‘game’.”

“...Eh?”

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=nrjyojI0Ja4

Before she could even react, Sanae was pelted by a large number of star-shaped bullets that Marisa had summoned in front of her. Sanae was knocked slightly back by the attack and slightly injured, but was more confused at why Marisa had suddenly attacked her.

“W-Why Marisa?! I thought we were friends!”

Marisa sighed.

“We are, but it seems like I need to get it through your head that something like a war shouldn’t be treated so casually like a game. I intend to have fun with this myself, but I at least know where my priorities lie. To go and say that you only care about the prize and not about the well-being of Gensokyo, that is something I can’t let slide.”

Consumed in her thoughts, Sanae was unable to spot the second round of bullets heading straight at her and was again nailed and painfully thrown back. It seemed like it wasn’t her lucky day, as she was prompted smacked to the face by Marisa’s broom as she sped to and past Sanae at a rapid pace.

“J-Jeez, that really hurt! At least give me a moment to f-gah!”

Sanae, who was trying to complain to Marisa about the rough treatment she was receiving, was unaware of Sakuya, who had rushed in front of her still partially hidden, and received a stab wound to the arm. Sakuya became fully visible after that strike but did not let up in her pursuit and scored two more hits on the same arm, one on the other arm, two to Sanae’s right thigh and two hits on the abdomen. After she finished her attacks, Sakuya back-flipped away from the shrine maiden, and skillfully hid her knife again.

“Please understand that we hold no anger to you. We just want you to know that this isn’t the proper way to handle such a serious matter.”

Clutching her stomach and panting heavily, Sanae steadied herself and wondered what she could possibly do to avoid taking anymore damage. She wasn’t given much time to think, however, as the sun that had been over the item shop for the last few turns suddenly began to shake and started to descend towards the ground.

“Y-you gotta be kidding me, that thing is falling now?”

Despite Sanae being the only one to ask the question, everyone else seemed surprised at new development. Alice, Sakuya and Youmu all quickly reacted by trying to outrun the enormous ball of energy, with Sakuya declaring a spellcard to help aid her retreat.

“Argh, not good! Time Sign! Private Square!”

Sakuya’s eyes suddenly shifted from their normal blue hue to a blood red and her movements seemed to rapidly increase, as if she was teleporting from the giant sun. However, it seemed like she would only get so far from the orb. Alice also tried using an ability of her own to try and reduce the damage of the sun and quickly summoned a shield to try and absorb part of the attack. As the sun landed, everyone in the area was seemingly effected by the power the sun possessed and suffered injuries, except for Marisa who appeared unscathed by the attack. Sanae was on the other end of the spectrum, and was knocked unconscious by the attack, causing the others to rush to make sure she was ok.

STOP MUSIC

“Phew....it appears she’s only out cold. Still, we should carefully move her inside so that Rinnosuke can treat her.”

Youmu quickly assessed what to do about Sanae and then shifted the subject slightly.

“That was quite the attack...although I’m surprised that both the store and you were ok, Miss Marisa.”

“Heh, guess I just got lucky, ze.”

Marisa sighed, a bit upset about the day’s events.

“Man, that wasn’t fun at all...I feel kind of bad bullying her. I’ll have to make sure to visit her more often so she doesn’t feel like this was personal. You guys are coming too, right?”

Youmu, Alice and Sakuya seemed a bit confused by why Marisa would say such an obvious thing and gave back the obvious answers.

“Of course!”

“I would love to.”

“Yes, that sounds good.”

After moving Sanae inside and letting Rinnosuke tend to her, the girls headed outside to try and clean up the mess made from the falling star while thinking about occurred that day.

I can’t help but sense that Miss Sanae wasn’t being honest with us...what was she hiding...? Come to think of it, it’s the same feeling I was getting when I asked Lady Yuyuko about the war...
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Youmu 8:

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=Dk9uTcplETw

Following the day of the first battle, there was a moment of rest for everyone involved to collect themselves. Sanae had suffered some minor bumps and bruises and was currently resting up in bed, with the others taking turns watching her, making sure that she would have a safe and full recovery. The others spent their time aiding Rinnosuke with a number of chores that needed to be done, since the Item Shop was not normally equipped to have a large number of guests living there for long periods of time. Sakuya helped Rinnosuke deal with the housework involved, since she was an expert as a maid, Youmu applied her sword skills to a hand axe in order to gather wood for burning because of the lack of oil for the heater, Alice used her dolls to buy food from the Human Village and bring it back to be cooked and Marisa...was Marisa.

At the moment, she was the one in charge of watching over Sanae, but she was struggling to stay awake due to the strain of all the other tasks she was assigned to help with. Slowly but surely, her conscious faded, and eventually, she could be seen leaning against the back of her chair, arms crossed in front of the bed where Sanae also slept. Marisa was able to nap for about 30 minutes before she was rudely awakened by Alice, who had come in to bring Marisa some food. The commotion was apparently a blessing in disguise, as it caused Sanae to stir in her sleep and awaken for the first time in nearly a day.

“Mmm...Marisa...Alice?”

“Oh, Sanae! You’re finally awake! How are you feeling?”

Sanae tried to raise herself to a sitting position, but winced in pain as she was about halfway up and clutched her stomach where she had taken a few stabs. Seeing that she clearly still wasn’t ready to move on her own, Marisa and Alice quickly went to aid her in laying back down. Sanae seemed a bit upset at being so helpless, but Marisa and Alice let her know that they probably shouldn’t have been so aggressive towards her. After seeing that she was back in a comfortable position, Alice let the other two know that she was going to tell the others that Sanae had at least awakened. Marisa and Sanae didn’t wait long, as Alice returned very quickly with Sakuya, Youmu and Rinnosuke, all looking very relieved that Sanae was feeling somewhat better.

Since Sanae still couldn’t get out of bed, the others all decided to eat dinner together by Sanae’s bedside and laughed and joked with each other about times past to keep the mood light. Although Sanae was unable to win the war, she was still happy that she was spending time together and it seemed that the others all shared the same sentiment. After dinner, Sakuya recommended that the others let Sanae receive more time to rest so that she could recover faster. They all agreed, knowing that the safety of their friend was definitely a top priority, above even the war that they were all apart of, and said their goodnights to Sanae before departing outside to clean up the dishes and finish the work needed to be done before they retired themselves.
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Youmu 9:

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=su2N5tmYhQo

With a new day upon them, everyone, except Sanae, at the item shop went back to work, keeping up with all the mundane tasks that needed to be done. The work continued to be tedious and boring, but the characters enjoyed the time spent together. On this particular day, Marisa and Youmu could be seen shoveling the snow outside, although what Marisa was doing couldn’t exactly be seen as helpful.

“Miss Marisa, please stop throwing those snowballs at me! We have work to do and y-ow! Hey, I told you t-kyah!”

“Ohoho...that was an awfully cute cry you gave right now Youmu. I wonder if I’ll get to here it again if I continue to nail you.”

Youmu blushed at her embarrassment before snapping at Marisa and fighting back.

“Y-You will not insult me any further, have at you!”

“You’re gonna have to do better than that to hit me! Time to unleash my new special spellcard! Love Sign!!”

“W-Wait, what are you doing?! M-Miss Marisa, w-w-w-wait a second!”

“SNOW SPARK!”

Youmu shut her eyes turned away in fear before realizing the absurdity of the attack name and slowly looked to see what Marisa was planning, only to watch as Marisa dumped a large bucket of snow on top of her head.

“C-Cold!”

“A direct hit! Looks like you lost this danmaku battle Youmu!”

“That wasn’t a danmaku battle at all!!”

The two continued their snowball fight for a while between being interrupted by two new guests who rushed into the area looking concerned for someone or something.

“Hey! Is Sanae here??”

The one to address the pair was a young looking girl who wore a very large hat with two...eyeballs...on top of it. The other person was a more mature looking woman in a red shirt and black skirt with purple hair.

“Jeez, I knew her carelessness would get her in trouble.”

The Highest Epitome of Native Gods: Suwako Moriya

Posted Image

The Avatar of Mountains and Lakes: Kanako Yasaka

Posted Image

Youmu and Marisa both quickly realized why the two Gods were probably here and quickly led them to where Sanae was resting. Suwako immediately started crying when she saw the bandaged Sanae and rushed over to hug her.

“Sanae I’m so sorry! It’s all because I didn’t say goodbye to you when you left! Please forgive me!!”

“L-Lady Suwako...”

Kanako, on the other hand, sighed.

“This is why you need to be more serious. Why do you have to worry us all the time?”

“Lady Kanako...I’m sorry. Sorry that I was so selfish...”

Kanako sighed once more before heading over to join Suwako in comforting the shrine maiden.

“Jeez...we’re just glad you’re ok. Rest up, ok? We’ll stay with you for the night.”

Seeing the number of guests grow from six to eight in a matter of seconds and also noting that the two new guests were also Gods, Rinnosuke decided that the only appropriate course of action would be to hold a feast for dinner tonight. The idea went off without a hitch, and the group spent the night partying away, not concerning themselves with anything but to enjoy themselves and everyone around them.
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Youmu 10:

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=fvrOsU9gEIs&feature=youtu.be

Morning bought forth a departure of the many people gathered at the Item Shop. Sanae, with Kanako and Suwako’s help, was finally strong enough to make the trip back to the Moriya Shrine and all the other girls all were also getting ready to continue their journeys in the ongoing. After a light breakfast and lunch to offset the heavy dinner from the night before, the Moriya Trio, said their goodbyes to everyone and set off, eager to return back to the somewhat normal lives they lived.

“Sanae! We’ll make sure to visit you once this is all over! Don’t get too bored without us around!”

“Thank you Marisa, and everyone else too! Lady Kanako, Suwako and I will throw an incredible party for everyone when they come! Don’t forget!!”

“Heh, don’t worry, we won’t!”

After giving one last wave, the three flew off to their home, the two Gods keeping an eye on Sanae to make sure she wasn’t struggling. After they were finally out of view to everyone present, the girls went to finish their own preparations. Sakuya was the first to leave, and she was to serve a scout for the rest of the group.

“I’ll see you all soon, if the one messing with the mana at the Misty Lake is there, I’ll be sure to hold them back.”

After finishing sprint out of the item shop at a rapid pace, the other three girls also departed, eager to see if they would encounter the person causing trouble at the lake. It took the three a little over an hour to reach the waterfront and quickly spotted Sakuya looking over some strange snowmen, smiling in a very creepy way. After Sakuya reported to them that she had no luck in finding the culprit, the group decided to set up a camp for the night and deliberate on their next course of action.
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Youmu 11:

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=BWzJaJFuOzs&feature=youtu.be

With the arrival of a new day came new goals for the party of four to meet. The previous day of travel proved nearly fruitless for them all and they had hoped their fortunes. The only clue they had of the person that might have been at the Misty Lake were the five snowmen chilling by the lakeside. It didn’t take very long for anyone in the party to realize who probably was the creator of these snowmen, who were exceptionally well made.

“...It’s that idiot fairy isn’t it?”

Marisa looked carefully at the snowmen, knowing this level of detail could only be achieved by someone who had mastery over the ice elements. Alice quickly agreed, recalling a time that she saw a similar snowman.

“Yes...come to think of it...I remember destroying one of these snowmen back at my home a couple weeks ago, when this war had just begun. There’s no mistake, these were definitely made by the same person...or in this case...”

Youmu jumped in to finish to Alice’s sentence.

“...Cirno. So now we know that she is apart of this war and that she was the one who had caused the mana in the environment to change so much...wait a second!? It just changed again! Could she still be here, hiding from our view?!”

Marisa went over to whisper in Youmu’s ear, as to prevent her from being more embarrassed than she was about to be.

“Er...can’t you see that it’s Alice that’s doing that right now? I mean, she’s right in front of you.”

“A-Ah...r-right...”

Youmu’s face and ears reddened up quickly and she quickly went silence. Marisa laughed at the misfortune Youmu faced before going silent for a second herself. Alice too was thinking deeply about the events that had unfolded within the past 24 hours. Even Sakuya was lost in thought, wondering what action to take next. It was Youmu, who had collected herself, who broke the silence that plagued the group.

“A-anyways, since there’s a good chance we might run into Cirno, we should probably eat a quick lunch before setting out! There probably won’t be a safe time to relax after we move. And I’m sure there’s no rush to reach Cirno, Sakuya’s speed is nearly unmatched, so we should easily make it in time.”

The girls all looked at Youmu and again thought of the actions to take at the moment. It was Sakuya who decided to speak up in response.

“...Perhaps...let’s be quick though, time is of the essence.”

The girls quickly unpacked lunches they had prepared for their trip together and with haste, knowing that a moment wasted could lead to a lost opportunity. Sakuya finished ahead of everyone else and bid them farewell for the moment and set out for the Scarlet Devil Mansion. The rest of the girls, knowing that it would be unwise to leave Sakuya alone to fight, hurried to finish their meals and also set off. The trip between the two areas was very uneventful, as a strange anticipation was building between the girls, eager to face the person who had been at the lake. After about a half-hour, they emerged near the gates of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, where the expected culprit was in pursuit of Sakuya, who could be seen fleeing back into the nearby woods.

“Yo Cirno! Looks like we found you!”

Unnatural Chill: Cirno

Posted Image

This time, Cirno looked to see two girls charging at her, one wielding a pair of swords and the other a broom. The girl with the swords quickly closed the distance between them and slashed Cirno in the torso twice, although she seemed fairly unfazed by the attack.

“W-what? How can a fairy have such a tough body?”

“Move out of the way Youmu, it’s my turn!”

Youmu quickly sidestepped away from Cirno to leave her completely unprepared for a broom to the face. Just like Youmu’s attack though, Cirno seemed nearly unharmed by the beating she took.

“Heh, I see you haven’t been slacking off Cirno!”

“Ugh, why are you and everyone else attacking me?!”

Following her attack, Marisa quickly flew away on her broom to safety, so that the last member of the group could unleash her own attack.

“If physical attacks aren’t gonna work, how about some danmaku then?!”

Alice raised up her right hand in preparation and gathered a small amount of mana before unleashed a wave of rainbow colored bullets at Cirno. Cirno didn’t waste any time, however, and began evasive maneuvers to avoid the attack as best she could. For the most part, she was successful, as only a portion of the attack was able to hit her. Still, she knew that she was badly outnumbered and quickly fled into the mansion, hoping that she could find a bit of time to recover for tomorrow.

“Tch...she got away.”

Marisa was slightly annoyed that Cirno was able to so easily escape the group. Sakuya took note of where Cirno went and let the group that their were no worries, since it seemed that Cirno was still in the general area.

“For now...let us set up camp at Hong’s gatehouse. It doesn’t seem like she’ll be attacking us tonight.”

The group nodded and rested up, curious what tomorrow would bring.
Edited by Soul Devour, Feb 12 2012, 07:11 PM.
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Youmu 12:

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=D0h2hBq-a9o&feature=related

Youmu readied herself, shifting herself to a more defensive stance upon seeing her target suddenly show themselves.

“Looks like the battle is about to begin...”

“Hah, don’t think just because it’s 4 on 1 that I plan on running away! The strongest will never back down, ever!”

Much to the surprise of the group of four, Cirno had decided to show herself, ready to face the inevitable fate that await her. She already knew that this battle was a hopeless one, and yet she felt it was her duty towards the other fairies and Daiyousei to try and fight on, regardless of the circumstances.

“You know, you may be an idiot fairy, but I’ll say this, you’re pretty brave...are you ready to face your destiny, Cirno?”

“Ha! Don’t think you’ve won just yet Marisa! I’ll make you work hard for this victory!”

“You don’t say, ze? I guess we’ll see about that then...but first...”

Marisa raised her left hand and flattened her palm, readying herself for an unknown action.

“Sorry Youmu, it’s nothing personal.”

“Eh?”

Before Youmu could realize what was happening, Marisa directed the open hand to its left, where Youmu was standing next to Marisa, and quickly declared a spellcard.

“Light Sign, Mysterious Beam!”

In an instant, an ultra-bright beam of light shot out from Marisa’s hand, causing Youmu to close and clutch her eyes in pain, shocked by the sudden action from Marisa. Afterwards, Marisa quickly absorbed some mana from the environment, partially recovering from the spellcard. Seeing that things were about to get dicey, Cirno released a share of her own mana to create a light-blue barrier around her, that seemed to drastically decrease the temperature around her.

“I’m not done yet! Try this for size! Spellcard Attack, Ice Sign!”

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=fdUOV3oLJTg&feature=related

“Don’t try and act before those who come ahead you! That flimsy barrier is all you shall get summoned!”

Sakuya, noticing Cirno trying to declare a spellcard, quickly rushed in front of the ice fairy, and with one swift motion, stabbed a pair of knives she weld directly into the body of Cirno, producing some small cuts. However, as the attack was going off, she noticed that the subzero temperature within the shield was rapidly freezing her hands, and declared a spellcard to try and avoid being affected to deeply by the cold burns.

“Time Sign! Private Square!”

Sakuya’s eyes flashed red for a moment as the speed of her movements seemed to exponentially increase and she was able to jump back from the barrier before taking full damage from the attack. Sakuya could only look at the smiling fairy enraged.

“Haha! You guys say you’re gonna beat me with such weak attacks? What a terrible joke!”

“You!! I’m not finished with you yet!!!”

Sakuya dashed immediately back at Cirno and again plunged her knives into the ice fairy, drawing a little more blood. Yet again though, the barrier caused more damage to Sakuya and yet again, she used a spellcard to avoid taking more damage.

“PRIVATE SQUARE!”

“Pathetic! Those three losers hit harder than you!”

“How dare you!!”

A third strike was initiated by Sakuya, who like the previous times, drained more of her mana to escape the grasp of the ice barrier.

“Why!? Why won’t it break?!”

“You can’t cut through the cold! It’s impossible!”

“SILENCE! I’VE HAD JUST ABOUT ENOUGH OF YOUR CHATTER!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH”

Seeing that her current mode of attack wasn’t working, Sakuya’s eyes switched back to their crimson glow and she rapidly went into a pattern of attacking and then jumping back to avoid heavy damage, all along the way with Cirno standing proudly and taking the hits like they were nothing, despite the increasing number of cuts and blood spilt.

“Ha...ha...dammit...Private Square...

..Private Square!!!”

“Out of mana already? So boring...”

“SILENCE! I’M THE PERFECT AND ELEGANT MAID, THE CHIEF SERVANT OF THE SCARLET DEVIL, I WILL NOT LET MYSELF BE DEFEATED BY A MERE FAIRY!! ILLUSION SIGN!!”

Sakuya spread her arms out, ready to deliver a punishing blow to the cocky fairy and finished the declaration with pure rage.

“KILLING DOLL!!!!! ….I SAID KILLING DOLL DAMMIT!! WHY, WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!?”

“Give up. You’ve lost.”

“I-Impossible...no...this is...impossible...I...I MUST AT LEAST MAKE YOU WASTE A BOMB HERE!!!! AAAAAAAARGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!”

With all of her reasoning lost, Sakuya charged feverishly at Cirno and with no regard to her body, she struck Cirno with all of her might eight additional times with the knives she wielded before her hands could no longer move from the frostbite she had developed. Seeing that it was pointless to try and continue on, Sakuya jumped back one last time and fell to one knee, exhausted from her assault. Cirno, on the other hand, was still standing strong, despite the numerous cuts she had received.

“D-Dammit...is this...really...all I...can do?”

“WHO’S NEXT! THE STRONGEST CAN TAKE A LOT MORE THAN THAT!”

STOP MUSIC

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=DghIg7JPgUE

“Then I shall show you the foolish nature of your ways! See as you discover firsthand that the things my Roukanken and Hakurouken, forged by youkai, cannot cut are next to none!”

Cirno barely was able to see Youmu running at her before she was sliced by Youmu’s longsword, the Roukanken. Youmu saw that her attack only slightly nicked Cirno and immediately followed through with her shortsword, the Hakurouken, ignoring the damage she was taking from the extreme cold within the barrier. After seeing that her first 2 attacks did little damage, Youmu jumped back for a moment to reassess the situation.

“H-How can you be so durable...you’re just a fairy!”

“Hah! It’s BECAUSE I’m a fairy that I’m so durable! I’ve taken so much abuse in my life! You think a couple stabs and slices can really bring me down! This is why I’m the strongest!”

“You talk too much! Silence yourself!”

Hearing enough from the fairy, Youmu collected herself and dove back into the barrier to continue her assault, dealing more minor injuries to both her and Cirno with each swing of her blade. Seeing that Cirno showed no signs of pain despite her numerous injuries, Youmu too began to break down.

“HAH! Dammit! Why?! ARGH! These swords! HAAAH! Are not to be taken so lightly...hah...hah...!”

Noticing that Youmu was completely out of energy following her twelfth strike, Cirno took a chance to jump back from the swordswoman, not giving her another chance to attack again.

“That’s two of you now. I’m still feeling great you know! Can you really hope to stop me?!”

STOP MUSIC

“Haha...”

Marisa couldn’t but chuckle at the fairy’s extreme confidence, knowing that she had yet to really experience a true attack.

“W-What’s so funny Marisa?!”

“Cirno...what did you tell me once?”

“...!!”

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=2CxpqOAhltM

“Looks like you remember...lasers, huh? Let’s see how well you can handle those!!”

Marisa hopped onto broom and flew high into the sky, preparing herself for the onslaught of attacks she was about unleash.

“I hope you’re all ready for this as well! I’m holding nothing back now!”

With those words, Marisa rose the Hakkero high above her head and went into a deep concentration, chanting the words needed for the powerful spell to activate. After several moments, she snapped her eyes open and named her attack for everyone to hear.

“Love Sign! Non-Directional Laser!!”

Eight balls of light shot up from the Hakkero and quickly flew around Marisa to form a large circle while slowly rotating, four going clockwise and four going counterclockwise. Seeing that the summon was a success, Marisa used her free hand to point down below at everyone watching her.

“Bombs away!!”

Before anyone could realize it, the slave familiars that Marisa summoned all started firing lasers from all directions, making it impossible for even a focused battler to dodge the incoming barrage. Youmu attempted to partially reduce the damage of the attack by raising her sword in anticipation of the blow, but the sheer force of the laser easily broke through her stance and she was struck completely by the laser. Sakuya, on the other hand, desperately tried to use Private Square to at least dodge part of the attack, but her lack of mana simply made it impossible for her to do. Alice had a secure plan for dealing with the laser, as she quickly crafted a special magic barrier that absorbed part of the laser before breaking, reducing the damage Alice took somewhat. Cirno’s ice shield also seemed to be effective against the laser, as it managed to deflect a portion of it harmlessly away. However, Cirno was badly burned by the part of the laser that did manage to get through. Seeing that her attack was mostly effective, Marisa gleefully readied for the second strike.

“Time for round twooooooo!!”

Again, the slave familiar fired off the lasers, ready to harshly strike everyone again. However, Youmu, who seemed to have partially recovered from the attack, quickly let loose an enormous amount of spiritual energy, a bomb, to consume the attack.

“I won’t let you strike us again Marisa! Take this!!”

“Not bad, Youmu! But you’re not the only one with bombs!”

Youmu’s bomb was quickly met by Marisa’s own bomb, which consumed the attack and rapidly rammed violently into the ground, causing everyone to suffer even more damage, although Alice and Cirno again were able to reduce the damage. With the threat gone, the slave familiars continued their extermination, or at least, they tried to without success.

“Dammit, I’m the one who’s wasting a bomb now?!”

“Hah! Well, you got me to use one as well, so I guess you didn’t completely fail!”

Sakuya and Cirno, seeing that the attack might be fatal, fired off their own bombs. This time, Marisa had no answer for their attack and watched helplessly as her lasers were consumed, leaving only the familiars themselves and the two bombs still in flight.

“Shi-!”

Both bombs nearly went off at the same time, and Marisa was barely able to structure a poorly made shield to weaken the attack before she took damage. As the bombs’ light disappeared, Marisa looked to the ground to see Sakuya collapse and fall unconscious, thoroughly defeated by all the attacks that had gone on. However, three others still stood and Marisa wasted no time in firing off even more lasers.

“EAT THIS!”

Two additional volleys were shot back to back, both crushing the remaining survivors as Marisa watched in silence. As the lasers faded away and the slave familiars disappeared, Marisa went to the ground to see that Youmu had fallen to the ground, defeated but still conscious. Alice seemed heavily injured but still hanging on and able to survive for at least one more day.

“Brilliant...Marisa...I stood no chance. It seems I still have much to learn.”

“Heh, you did your best Youmu. Maybe next time, ze? By the way...where’s Cirno...?”

“YOU!!”

STOP MUSIC

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=aYQl33f4xGI

“Eh?”

Marisa didn’t have time to react as her hat was pelt by a number of icicles, freezing it and knocking it to the ground. As she turned to see who still had the courage to continue on, she was stunned to see that Cirno was still holding her ground, despite being bruised, bleeding and burned.

“Y-You...”

“I...I am....the strongest...I won’t lose.”

“Heh...even now, you won’t give up? Don’t you see that you’ve already lost? This battle is ov-”

“SHUT UP!”

Marisa took a step back, a bit intimidated by the fairy’s fierce backlash, and stood silent with the others as they listened to Cirno.

“Y-you...you don’t understand what it’s like...to always be called an idiot. To always be told that you’re nothing. Everything thinks that just because I’m a fairy, I’m nothing. I’ve always been played around with, I’ve always been laughed at, I’ve always been the idiot. AND I’M TIRED OF IT!!!!”

Cirno calmed herself before continuing.

“That’s why...I won’t lose. No matter what. I have to win. I want to show the fairies and Dai-chan that they can rely on me, that I’ll always protect them, that I’ll be there whenever there is danger and stop whoever is hurting them!!! THIS IS THE PROMISE I MADE!!!! AND I SHALL FULFILL IT AT ANY COST!!! SO THIS FIGHT ISN’T OVER YET, NOT BY A LONG SHOT!!! COME ON MARISA, FIGHT ME!!!”

“Heh...so that’s how it is...I misjudged you.”

Marisa went to pick up her frozen hat, brushed off the ice fragments still covering it and then donned it once more, ready to fight the opponent in front of her.

“Well then...I guess I have to accept your offer then. Fine, I’ll go all out so that you have no regrets when I beat you, got it?!”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, let’s do this!!”

Youmu and Alice, knowing that Cirno was definitely in no condition to continue any further pleaded with Marisa to not give in.

“Miss Marisa, don’t do this!! You’ve already won, there’s no point in taking this any further!!”

“Yes, Youmu is right! Please Marisa, just calm yourself. Don’t listen to that fair-”

“SHUT IT! I’m not going to step on her courage and valor now. We fight, until the very last spell card. However...”

Marisa pulled out a single card, and rose it to her face.

“We won’t need more than a single card each, right Cirno?”

“Yeah...I’ll show you my strongest attack!”

“Don’t let me down now!”

“Then I’ll take you out before you can strike back!!”

“Heh, you can try!!”

With those words of challenge tossed at her, Marisa propelled herself high into the sky, higher than even the clouds could reach and again fell back into concentration, quickly chanting out the most powerful spell she knew. Cirno wasted no time and took advantage of the defenseless Marisa while she could.

“FREEZE SIGN!!”

Before she could finish, Marisa opened her eyes, the ritual complete, and held out her Hakkero in front of her and began pouring mana into the Hakkero, charging it for the ultimate attack of love.

“MINUS K!!!!!!!”

Three seemingly harmless ice bullets were fired by Cirno, which slowed progressed in front of her before stopping completely and exploded, bringing forth an intense barrage of ice danmaku towards Marisa, who only smirked in excitement.

“NOT BAD CIRNO!! BUT CAN YOU HANDLE MY ULTIMATE ATTACK OF LOVE?!?!

STOP MUSIC

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=2vPUpC4UN80&feature=related

Marisa thrust out her right hand with the Hakkero firmly in her grasp and as she recited the spellcard, the Hakkero glowed brightly, ready to set forth an attack of absolute destruction, an attack that no one in Gensokyo could hope to survive.

“SPELLCARD ATTACK! MAGICANNON! FINAAAAAAAAL SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARK!!!!”

In an instant, an enormous beam of light shot out from the Hakkero, increasing in further in size and intensity as it approached its target. Cirno had been preparing a counterattack, however, and was ready to take on the laser with her own tactics.

“You think something like that will hit me?! TRY EATING THIS MARISAAAAA!!!”

A massive blast of energy of came forth directly from Cirno, a wave of energy so powerful that it would easily engulf Marisa’s attack should it reach it. Yes, in any normal situation, Cirno would have averted defeat...

...However...

Marisa looked on at the bomb, and put on a grin, knowing that this was Cirno’s final resistance against the Final Spark and knowing that she had a way to change this normal situation into a truly bizarre and abnormal one.

“Not bad Cirno, I’m impressed you would save a bomb for this attack!

...However! Did you think I would be foolish enough to not have a bomb of my own ready in the event you tried countering my spark? IT’S TIME FOR THIS TO ALL COME TO AN END!!”

With those words said, Marisa used her free left hand to fire back her own bomb, which mixed with the Final Spark and doubled the laser’s already insane size. Cirno’s own bomb and her spellcard were powerless to stop the gigantic laser and were quickly negated by the spark, leaving only Cirno to stand bravely against the attack set to strike her. Marisa couldn’t help but smile, proud of the opponent she had been blessed to fight.

Heh, well, if nothing else, your determination and courage are truly the strongest. Even now, you’ve beaten me thoroughly in that.

Seconds later, the laser rammed violently in the ground, obliterating the snow-covered landscape and anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in its incredible power. Even the land surrounding Marisa’s attack wasn’t left untouched, as several large trees near the point of impact were uprooted and thrown back. After a few more moments of the laser causing havoc on the land, the power of the Hakkero finally faded, leaving only a massive cloud of dust where the laser had stuck. Marisa looked behind her to see that Youmu, Alice and Sakuya were still safe, despite the attack that had just struck.

Is...is it over? It’s so dusty...I can’t see anything where I hit. Where’s Cirno...?

As Marisa descended back to the ground, she noticed a silhouette within the dust. Positive that the silhouette had to be Cirno, Marisa called out, wanting to congratulate the little fairy on taking on her strongest attack without flinching.

“Ah, Cirno, that was amazing! You were right, you truly are the strongest! ...Hey Cirno, you should thank people when they are paying you a compliment! Cirno? Why are you being so quiet? Come on say someth-”

STOP MUSIC

And as the dust finally cleared up, Marisa understood why Cirno had gone silent...

“...Eh...?”

http://img853.imageshack.us/img853/9169/c1cdf25b3fbdbc429defdfc.jpg

“CIRNO!!!”

“S-see...M-Marisa? I t-told...you...t-that I’m...t-the...s-stron...ge...”

With those words, the crippled Cirno collapsed onto the ground and began fading back into nature...

“CIRNO!!! HEY WAKE UP CIRNO!!

...!”

W-wait...c-calm down Marisa. It’s just a fairy. Fairies are eternal, they’ll always reincarnate no matter how many times you crush them! Ha...ha...that’s right. She’ll be ok...

...But...

...But then...what’s this terrible feeling that’s come over me...

...it’s almost as if...


“It’s almost as if you truly killed her, isn’t that what you’re thinking, Marisa Kirisame?”

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=oehAX-jSsFk

At those words Marisa movements and thoughts came to a complete stop, and she could only gaze upon the one who had finished her sentence.

Supreme Judge of Hell: Shikieiki Yamaxanadu

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/9692/samplea22c7d3980bd0c7df.jpg

“W-why are you here? Shouldn’t you be in Hell? What business do you have here? Can’t you see I’m busy her-!”

Shikieiki abruptly cut off Marisa’s complaining with a swing of her short sword and then promptly answered her questions solemnly.

“My business here is what it always has been; to the judge the souls of the dead and to determine whether they will be granted access to Heaven, if they will wander the gardens of Hakugyokurou, or if they shall be purged to the depths of Hell, never able to escape an afterlife of pain and suffering. Surely you can understand what this means?”

At Shikieiki words, Marisa could only take a step backwards, before tripping on Cirno and having her hat knocked onto Cirno’s disappearing body.

“A-are you trying to say that Cirno is...no! That’s impossible! Cirno is just a fairy! Fairies reincarnate all the time! Even for you, this isn’t a funny joke!”

Shikieiki took one step forward...

“I think you should know that I’m not one to joke. Marisa Kirisame, must I really say it? Are you that blind to your sins?”

...and another step forward...

“N-no...I c-couldn’t have. It’s not possible!!!”

*Step*

“Marisa Kirisame...you...”

*Step*

“DON’T SAY IT!”

And with one last step forward, Shikieiki stopped and directed her sword towards Marisa.

“You are the one who killed Cirno. This is the one and only truth.”

Unable to accept the words the Yama of Death spoke, Marisa clutched her head and screamed in agony towards the Heavens as she burst into tears.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!”

Seeing that Marisa had broken down in front of the truth, Shikieiki proceeded towards what was left of Cirno, ready to make her judgement on the fairy who’s life had suddenly been cut short.

“Cirno, the Unnatural Chill of Gensokyo...you, a fairy who has lived a life full of mischievousness towards others, shall now be judged by me, Shikieiki Yamaxanadu, the highest judge of hell. Be proud of the strength you possessed as a fairy, for it is this strength you displayed towards me in battle that has convinced me to honor you by judging your death directly. Unfortunately...this same strength was constantly being misused by you and you chose to make the lives of many others more difficult. Power is not something to be played with and those who wield it have a responsibility to use it justly. I cannot say that you have done such a thing.”

Shikieiki closed her eyes, gripped her short sword with both of her hands and held it to her face, ready to bestow Cirno with the verdict she had determined fair for the ice fairy.

STOP MUSIC

“And so, it pains me to say this, but...”

Hearing that Shikieiki was about to make her judgement, Alice, Youmu, and Sakuya, who had managed to regain consciousness after hearing Marisa’s scream, desperately called out for their dear friend to regain her composure.

“MISS MARISA, ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO LET IT END LIKE THIS?!”

“MARISA, YOU SAVED ME, YOU CAN SAVE HER TOO!!”

“MARISA, NEITHER I NOR ANYONE IN THE MANSION WILL FORGIVE YOU IF YOU LET HER DIE!!”

Marisa, who had been crying furiously at the sin she had committed, attempted to pull herself together at her friend’s words, aware that she couldn’t let things end like this and stood with a look of determination in her face, despite the tears that stained it.

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=5F92dJiDQ8o&feature=related

“You. I’ll show you. I’ll show that I’m not just an “Ordinary Black Magician.” I’ll show you that Cirno isn’t gone yet.”

Not even turning to face Marisa, Shikieiki answered her back.

“Fool. Can’t you see what’s right in front of your eyes? Are you that disillusioned by her de-”

“I’LL PROVE TO YOU THAT CIRNO ISN’T DEAD!” Roared Marisa as she bought forth the Hakkero, the tool that had ended Cirno’s life not 5 minutes ago. “WATCH AND LEARN FROM THE HARDEST WORKING RESIDENT OF GENSOKYO!!!”

Following that yell of determination, Marisa fell into a deep silence, closing her eyes and muttering to herself the words of a spell she had been trying to learn from a fellow magician, a magician capable of harnessing every element of nature.

Patchouli, Sakuya, Youmu, Alice...everyone...please answer my call! Please, don’t let Cirno die like this! I beg you, please! PLEASE!!!

Understanding what Marisa was intending to do, Shikieiki screamed back at Marisa the consequences of what she was about to do.

“YOU FOOL! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE SACRILEGIOUS NATURE OF THAT SPELL? IF YOU DARE CAST IT, YOU WILL BE ETERNALLY DAMNED TO SUFFER NOW AND FOREVER!!”

Ignoring the yells of the Yama, Marisa calmly opened her eyes, held forth the Hakkero at the remnants of Cirno, and spoke the name of the spell she had bet all her hopes on!

“SPELLCARD ATTACK!!”

As the energy of nature rapidly flowed towards the Hakkero, Marisa was strained by the insane spiritual complexity of the spell and began coughing up blood and stumbling in pain. Seeing her falter, Shikieiki moved in to stop her.

“YOU THINK I’LL LET YOU FINISH?! SPELLCARD ATTACK!”

The three girls could only struggle as they were unable to climb to their feet to try and aid Marisa, leaving her to strain herself in trying to finish the spell.

D-damn! Hurry up! Why can’t I cast this spell any faster?! I need to cast it now!!

“JUDGEMENT!”

No...! Dammit! I’m not going to make it?!? Is this really how it’s all going to end?! What have I been fighting for then!??!

With those words, Shikieiki thrust her sword forward, ready to strike at the heart of the one struggling in front of her.

“THE LAST JUDGEMENT!!!”

Finishing her spell long before Marisa could, Shikieiki summoned a thin purple beam of justice from her sword, capable of instantly killing any being who had committed a grievous sin. As the beam rapidly approached Marisa, she could only close her eyes...

Cirno...I guess I’ll be seeing you soon...I...I’m sorry Cirno. I failed you...

STOP MUSIC

...

“GAHHH!!”

Hearing an unfamiliar scream, Marisa snapped her eyes open to see who had taken the attack.

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=S-2j8NRi6iY&feature=related

“You...you’re...!”

“What?! Impossible....but you’re just...just...”

“MARISA, PLEASE SAVE CIRNO! PLEASE SAVE MY BEST FRIEND!”

Best Friend to the Bitter End: Daiyousei

Hearing the pleads of the green haired fairy, Marisa’s surprised face finally reverted back to its normally confident and smug expression and she then looked firmly straight ahead, at the friend she was going to save.

“THIS IS IT!!! FIVE ELEMENTS SIGN!!!!”

At those words, the five elements of nature, wood, fire, earth, water, and metal, manifested themselves around the Hakkero, forming a powerful seal capable of killing...or reviving...anything the caster wished.

“No! I can’t let you do this! Spellcard At-argh! Y-you stupid fairy, how dare you?!”

Shikieiki, who had been preparing for another spell to strike the magician with, was promptly struck by a large number of blue dagger bullets, interrupting her concentration and paving the way for Marisa to finish her spell.

“DO IT NOW MARISA!!”

Nodding back at the green-haired fairy, Marisa spoke the final words needed to cause a miracle and braced herself for the recoil.

“PHILOSOPHER'S STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE!!!!!!!!!!”

In an instant, the five elements surrounding the Hakkero unleashed themselves, traveling beyond the speed of light to where Cirno laid. As they all stuck her body in unison, a massive flash of light enveloped all of Gensokyo, blinding each and every resident, regardless of their location.

I-impossible! She’s just a human! How can she use such advanced magic?! How could someone like me lose to a mere human and fairy!?

Fade Music to Nothing



Just as quickly as it had appeared, the flash of light quickly faded and disappeared into nothing, as if its occurrence was merely an illusion of the eyes. But...

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=DeZgg3B0UwQ

...Laying where the source of the light had both appeared and disappeared...

...Was Cirno, completely uninjured and in a deep sleep.

“A-Ah...”

Marisa, who was still clenching the Hakkero, suddenly felt tears form in her eyes and immediately rushed over to Cirno, with Daiyousei matching her step for step. Once they were close enough, they threw their bodies at the little fairy, overwhelmed with emotion.

“C-Cirno...t-thank goodness. T-thank goodness...I’m so glad that you’re ok...”

“Sniff...Cirno...you p-promised...why did you h-have to w-worry m-meeee...”

With those words, the human and fairy broke down in tears, hugging the ice fairy with all their strength, ignoring the coldness of her body. A moment later, the ice fairy twitched and finally opened her eyes again to look upon the two holding her dearly.

“...Eh...?”

Still weak from everything that had happened to her, the little ice fairy could only speak very softly to the ones embracing her.

“Dai-chan? Marisa? What’s going on...why are you guys hugging me so tightly...a-and...”

As she spoke, the little ice fairy suddenly began choking up herself.

“W-why do I feel like c-crying so badly?”

With that last sentence, the ice fairy herself finally broke into in tears alongside the other two holding her.

For what seemed like an eternity, they cried, all thankful that they could be together for a just little longer. In those moments, the ice fairy no longer felt frigid, or even cool to the touch. To the human and green-haired fairy, that ice fairy felt as hot as the sun, and they never wanted to let go of that warmth.



Looking at the scene in front of her, the Yama of Hell could only sigh in silence, with the knowledge that she had been thoroughly beaten. Knowing that it was no longer her place to interfere, she quietly departed the area to head back to Hell. The other three girls also took their leave into the mansion, leaving the magician and two fairies to comfort each other.

...Or so one would think... as one other being watched over the scene in peace, clearly pleased at the end result of what had just happened.

...

You’ve grown strong Marisa...I must say that I’m quite proud of you. It seems I don’t have to watch over you and protect you anymore...

Marisa...continue to grow and protect those who you love. Never let them ever feel sadness, anger, or misery. Show them the way to a better tomorrow. With your attitude, I know you can do it. After all...you’re my precious, beloved student.

Thank you for putting up with all my selfishness. Thank you never forgetting about me. But most importantly, thank you for being who you are.

Goodbye, Marisa.
Edited by Soul Devour, Mar 13 2012, 12:42 AM.
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Youmu 13:

http://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=MXUlWGB4dF8

Outside the Scarlet Devil Mansion stood two young women gazing at each other without moving an inch. One could tell that these two were about to be engulfed in battle, ready to take down the other without mercy. Looking from afar stood Sakuya, Youmu, Cirno and several residents of the mansion, waiting in anticipation of the battle that was about to begin.

“Remy, are you sure this is a good idea? Alice isn’t looking so well...it might be dangerous to let her continue to fight in her condition.”

The Unmoving Great Library: Patchouli Knowledge

Posted Image

“Well, if we interrupted the fight, that might convince whoever is behind this to step out of the shadows to keep us from interfering. Hehehe...I think I like that idea...let’s see if this gets their attention.”

The Scarlet Devil: Remilia Scarlet

http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/6539/54021cebaa46beeec082f20.jpg

Remilia raised her hands in front of her in preparation for an attack, but a voice promptly called out at her actions, fearful of what the devil was going to attempt.

“Mistress, what are you thinking?! You could seriously injure them!”

Realizing that Sakuya herself was still recovering from the beating she took the previous day, Remilia lowered her stance and looked away in frustration, knowing that harming her own friends could only lead to worse things. Marisa and Alice seemed unfazed by the antics going on behind them and continued to stare at one another for several minutes before Marisa finally broke the silence.

“Is there no way you’ll give up, Alice? Do we have to do this? You’re still so injured...why?”

“...You and I are both servants in this war, meaning that we must fight until one of us is defeated. Those have been the rules of the war and I will follow them through to the end.”

“I’m not asking about that, why are you fighting like this?! There’s nothing to gain in a fight like this!”

“Maybe to you...but I must fight. And you will fight me back or be defeated.”

“Tch...so it’s really come to this...Alice...I don’t understand...”

“...”

“...Fine, I get it. Let’s continue this war then...”

Marisa pulled out her Hakkero, depressed that she was forced to fight yet another friend of hers. After pouring some mana into it, she then absorbed some mana from the area, preparing herself for the battle.

“Are you ready Marisa?”

“...”

“If you won’t say anything then I shall strike first!”

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=Jm8wAacwsgo

With those words, Alice leaped from her current position to the sky and quickly fired off a number of rainbow bullets straight at Marisa. Marisa didn’t even bother to dodge the attack and instead countered the attack with a precise barrier that deflected the bullets away towards the nearby forest, hemorrhaging the trunk of an unlucky tree. Alice was unsurprised by the counter and flew directly towards the magician, firing more bullets along the way as she rapidly approached the girl. This time, Marisa decided that standing still wouldn’t be the smartest idea and crouched herself to avoid both the incoming attacks and Alice herself.

“Woah! That was a bit close!”

Regaining her composure, Marisa went on the offensive and fired her special star bullets towards Alice. The density of the attack was very weak however, and could only bounce harmlessly off Alice’s natural magic barrier as she flew back around for another attack. Marisa didn’t allow herself to get stuck on the ground again though, and had hopped on her broom as soon as she finished the attack to share the same advantage Alice was enjoying. While she was trying to ascend, Alice continued to blast more danmaku at Marisa, however, they could not keep up with the speed at which Marisa was traveling and harmlessly passed by her.

“D-Dammit, stop playing around with me! Doll Sign! Rainbow Colored Doll Barrage!”

This time, Alice and her three dolls united for a combination attack and the four unleashed a flood of rainbow colored orbs at Marisa, who had finally reached a suitable attitude.

Crap...she’s really serious about this...I need to be careful...

Seeing that there was no time to try and dodge such an attack, Marisa switched strategies and blew away the orbs with a pair of lasers that she fired from her hands. This time, it was Alice who had no time to dodge and quickly called upon the three dolls she had in front of her to take the attack. The sacrifice worked, but left the dolls completely destroyed and Alice unprotected.

“Y-you...killed them...”

“W-What? They were just dolls Alice!”

“You killed my precious friends....h-how...HOW DARE YOU!”

Furious at losing her dear companions, Alice instantly summoned four similar dolls to her side.

“N-Now...now I’m not alone again...”

“What are talking about Alice?! I’m right here!!”

“S-SHUT UP!!”

Seeing that her bullets were being completely ineffective, Alice directed her dolls to gather around Marisa and readied a special ability for Marisa.

“FOCUS POWER! TRIP WIRE!!”

From Alice shot a red beam that latched on to the nearest doll to her and then continued to connect itself around the other dolls in the area. After the chain was completely, many more red beams shot out from the dolls, creating a cage that greatly restricted the movement of Marisa within it. Alice began to fire more danmaku at Marisa but was shocked when she saw the magician recklessly weave through the deadly red lasers and bash each doll set out, destroying them and the spellcard they maintained.

“N-No...why...why are you killing my friends...why Marisa?! WHY YOU?!?...I-I don’t want to be left alone...no...NO!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH”

Her mental stability slipping, Alice’s spiritual pressure flared up, and she ruthlessly chanted a spell to take revenge on the one who was destroying the friends she had created.

“LAST WORD!!! CURSE SIGN: EERILY LUMINOUS SHANGHAI DOLL!!”

In front of Alice, the powerful Shanghai companion that never left Alice’s side appeared, ready to aid her master in any way that she could.

You gotta be kidding me...has she completely lost it?! All I did was take out a few of those dolls she carries with her...

Marisa couldn’t think too long, however, as Alice ordered Shanghai to fire powerful lasers at Marisa, who could barely dodge their scorching power while staying on her broom.

“Alice! Please, I beg you! No more!!”

“SHUT UP! FIGHT ME!!”

Dammit...you fool...

“Tch...”

Marisa pulled out her Hakkero and rose it to the sky, calling forth the same spell she had used the day before, the spell that served as a catalyst for events Marisa wished to forget.

Please...let her come to her senses with these strikes...

“Love Sign...NON-DIRECTIONAL LASER!!”

Like the previous day, the eight slave familiars emerged from the Hakkero and surrounded themselves around Marisa, ready to punish anyone who had threatened her. Marisa commanded the group to quickly act, as to try and end the battle without any further incident.

“FIRE!! NOW!!”

Right on cue, the lasers were unleashed towards Shanghai and Alice and both appeared to be headed for a painful experience. Shanghai was the first one stuck by the laser and was badly injured by a single hit of the attack. Alice tried to craft a barrier to prevent the attack from hitting her but realized that the speed of the laser would be far to quick for her to make the shield in time. At the last second, however, Shanghai jumped in front of Alice to take the attack, being seared once more by the lasers and crippling her further.

“S-Shanghai...”

“N-No...please...hang on Shanghai!!”

Shanghai nodded weakly at her master and turned again to face Marisa, who could only look on in anguish at the emotional trauma she was causing.

I...I have to hurry and end this...I can’t let her suffer like this...I need to breakthrough to her somehow...

“...Dammit...DAMMIT...FIRE!!”

There was barely a moment for Alice to react as the lasers barrelled upon her and Shanghai. Shanghai, seeing that her master could ill-afford to take any damage, bravely jumped in front of the attack and took every bit of the attack for her master before plummeting back to the ground.

“...S-Shanghai?!”



“SHANGHAI!!!”

Dammit...did I not hold back enough?! I need to finish this NOW!!

“AGAIN, FIRE!!”

This time, Alice, broken from Shanghai’s defeat, didn’t even bother to move from the attack and took nearly every part of the attack, minus the the damage absorbed by her barrier.

This...this will end it all. I’ll be there soon! Just hold on!!

Marisa could only silently motion for an attack, hopefully that this would at least knock some sense into her. Alice, with tears in her eyes, turned to meet the laser and gritted her teeth, not letting Shanghai’s sacrifice go in vain.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!”

With only seconds to spare, Alice fired off a bomb at the laser in a last ditch effort to stop it.

“DAMMIT, ALICE!”

Marisa painfully rose her hand and fired off her own bomb to counter the attack made by Alice. Before Alice could realize it, her own bomb had been completely negated and she stared down two powerful attacks that would likely end everything for her.

“No...N-No...NO!! I DON’T WANT TO DIE!!”

Fearful for own life now, Alice summoned yet another doll from her stock, which bravely sacrificed itself to lower the damage of the bomb to a more manageable level. Alice still took the hit and managed to hang on, but only barely now, and still had the lasers to deal with.

“NO, NO!! PLEASE, DON’T HURT ME!!”

This time, Alice summoned two dolls in front of her, which like the previous one, managed to slightly reduce the damage of the laser. However, they alone were not enough to stop it and it continued onto Alice, now only seconds away from finishing her off.

“AHHHHHGGGHHH!!”

Using every bit of mana remaining in her body, Alice called forth every remaining doll she held, desperately trying to stop the laser. However, with her body and spirit horribly ravaged, the dolls were torn apart like paper and the beam of light buried itself into Alice, knocking her from the sky and violently onto the ground.

STOP MUSIC

“ALICE!!”

Marisa wasted no time to fly to Alice, with the others watching now in pursuit to make sure that Alice was alright. As she descended, she noticed that Shanghai, while badly damaged, was still in one piece and was at least able put one thing on her mind at ease.

“But...”

But is she ok!?

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=Uxt6G2e_N5c&feature=youtu.be

Marisa landed next to Alice’s body and quickly rushed to her side, seeing that despite all the damage she took, Alice still managed to stay conscious.

“Alice...dammit...ALICE! Speak to me!”

“M-Marisa...”

“?!”

“I...I’m pathetic...c-compared to you...”

“What are you talking about?! You’re an amazing magician and puppet master!”

“B-But...that’s all I have. My magic and my dolls. Nothing else...”

“I’m right here in front of you though! Are you saying that I mean nothing to you?”

“No! You’re everything to me! You’re the only person I live for!”

“...!”

“I...I was so alone...in that horrible place...I just had myself and my dolls...my life...was just miserable...”

“...”

“But...but...you came...you saved me. Despite my actions towards you...you just...accepted me...without questioning a single thing about me. I...I was so happy! I finally had a reason to live! You gave me that reason!”

“Then why?! Why do you say you have nothing?!”

“...I’m a Youkai and you’re a Human...”

“What?”

“Isn’t it obvious? One day...you’ll leave me alone...I’ll truly be by myself then...forever alone. I...I don’t want that!! I just can’t handle the idea of living again like that! I don’t want to lose you! You’re...you’re...”

Alice was unable to go on, and broke down in tears, afraid of the inevitable day where she would be left behind by Marisa to live her life alone again...

“Jeez...you’re such an idiot.”

“Eh?”

Marisa tightly embraced the weeping Alice and poured every ounce of strength into holding the girl as tightly as she could, trying to transfer all of her feelings into her. After a moment, Alice returned the embrace and the two held each other, trying to forge an unbreakable bond.

“Alice...you’re not alone...look around you...do you not see it? Everyone here...we’re all your friends...Reimu, Youmu, Sakuya, Cirno, Sanae, Patchouli...everyone in Gensokyo. We won’t ever let you feel like you’re alone. I promise you. Alice I-”

Before she realized it, Alice had locked her lips onto Marisa’s, trying to take in every bit of the moment that she could. After the initial surprise had past, Marisa accepted the kiss, leaving the two drowning in ecstasy for what seemed like an eternity.

“Marisa...I love you...”

“Yeah, I know.”



The group watching the scene saw that the two deserved some time alone and went back inside the mansion, quietly blessing the two and the happiness they shared.
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Youmu 14:

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=gtL0SyZfph0

“You...you’re leaving already?”

Alice solemnly asked the black magician if what she had heard was true, hoping that they were just rumors. Marisa could only lower her hat and put on a bitter smile, sad herself that their goodbyes had to be said so suddenly.

“Yeah...Reimu’s still out there. I need to put an end to this war. It has caused too much pain to everyone here. Sanae, Sakuya, Youmu, Cirno...you...I need to find the Game Master and make them answer for what they’ve done. It’s unforgivable.”

“I...I see...”

Tears started welling up in Alice’s eyes, afraid to say goodbye to the one she loved so deeply. Marisa read the situation quickly and hurried to embrace her, trying to comfort her despite what had to be done.

“Hey, now, don’t cry. I’ll be back soon, I promise. Everyone else here will keep you company, don’t worry.”

“P-Please...be careful...”

“Of course, who do you think you’re talking to?”

After gently letting her go, Marisa turned to everyone else who had gathered for her departure and said only a few words before hopping on her broom.

“I’ll see you guys soon. Cirno, take care of everyone else, alright?”

“You got it Marisa! I’ll do my best!!”

“Heh, don’t forget about yourself too. Thanks.”

With that, Marisa kicked off the ground and blazed out of the area at an insane pace, faster than one could normally travel in the war.

“Ah, everyone, I would ask that you all stay here for a while...I have things I wish to discuss. They can wait until tomorrow though, since I want the Moriya Shrine Maiden here as well.”

Upon seeing that Marisa was out of sight, Remilia spoke up, requesting everyone’s aid. The girls all turned and looked at each other puzzled at what Remilia wanted.

“I have a few people aiding me, in order to figure out who the culprit behind this war is. I would ask for your assistance as well. Surely, you all agree that the person behind this needs to be taught a lesson?”

Without any hesitation, the one’s present all nodded, eager to show the culprit why they shouldn’t play with the residents of Gensokyo and everyone went inside to prepare themselves for the final stages of solving the mystery of the Touhou Grail War.
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Youmu 15:

http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=tfz9xJCF1Dg

The four defeated girls, as well as the residents of the Scarlet Devil Mansion all sat at a grand table, discussing everything related to the war. Unfortunately, most of the girls still did not know much regarding the war and the conversation dragged along slowly, as everyone eagerly awaited the arrival of their last guest.

“As you have requested, I have bought Miss Sanae Kochiya to the mansion, Lady Patchouli.”

The Librarian’s Assistant: Koakuma

Posted Image

“Thank you, Koakuma...it seems like the most important person has finally arrived.”

Sanae appeared from behind Koakuma and smiled happily at seeing the many friends she had recently dueled with mere days ago.

“Ah, everyone! It’s so good to see you all again! Let’s see...Alice, Cirno, Sakuya, Sanae and...Youmu. So that means it’s just Marisa and um...who else?”

Sakuya spoke up to aid in Sanae’s recollection.

“Reimu. Reimu is the seventh servant in this strange war. In regards to that topic...you know something more about this war, don’t you? We were all discussing it right now and couldn’t help but feel that when we fought you, you were hiding something from us. What exactly do you know?”

“Eh? N-Nothing at all! It’s just a war with a great prize...haha...”

“Sanae. Alice was nearly driven insane by this war and Cirno nearly died. Will you truly keep things hidden from us even now?”

Suddenly, a voice boomed out from the shadows, clearly displeased at the sentence the maid just spoke.

“You got some nerve speaking of hiding things! Sakuya Izayoi and Patchouli Knowledge!”

Busting into the hall was a girl with blue hair, wearing a green hat and blue dress, gasping for air.

Super Youkai Warhead: Nitori Kawashiro

Posted Image

“I’ve come for the Optical Camouflage Suit you’ve stolen!”

Nitori boldly pointed at the maid and magician, with a fury in her eyes.

“Er...yes...well...h-here you go...”

Sakuya removed the suit she had been wearing for the duration, to which Nitori rushed over and snatched it out of her hands and rubbed the clothing to her face, happy to have it back in her possession.

“Auuuu...thank goodness...it’s not broken.”

“Er...Nitori? Were you following me?”

“Yeah, I heard you were going to the Scarlet Devil Mansion and figured this would be the best opportunity to get the suit back. Looks like I was right!”

“I...I see...er...w-well anyways...”

Sanae coughed to clear up the atmosphere and then continued on in a serious tone to Sakuya.

“Is this true? Both of them were seriously injured?”

“I would not joke about such a grave matter.”

“...”

“Sanae?”

“This war...is actually based off a game that comes from the world outside of Gensokyo. In it, seven teams made up of a servant and master fight each other to the death for an item known as the Holy Grail, a divine item said to grant the winner whatever they wish. However, it’s just that, a game, and there really isn’t such a thing as the Holy Grail...although since this is Gensokyo we’re talking about, I guess anything could be possible. But from what Lady Suwako, Lady Kanako and I have discussed, someone seems to have gotten a hold of this game in some form and is playing with the residents of Gensokyo as if they were their puppets. Perhaps they are simply bored and mean no harm to Gensokyo, but just bear in mind that what we were apart of is all a lie. At least, that’s what me and the others think it.”

Youmu jumped up at Sanae’s conclusion, shocked to think that they were being toyed with so easily.

“W-What? Impossible! Then what have we been fighting for?! C-Could it be possible that...no...why then?”

Alice turned and looked at Youmu with a look of curiosity on her face.

“What’s the matter, Youmu?”

“...I don’t want to believe it...but I can’t help but feel as though Lady Yuyuko knew the whole time about everything behind this war...she was acting strange from the day I received the first letter and she was pushing me to join this war. She was being very evasive too whenever I questioned her about it...”

“EH?! So this Yuyuko is the culprit?! I’m gonna freeze her up good then!”

Daiyousei tried to restraint the raging Cirno, who showed great contempt at hearing that she had been fooled once more.

“C-Cirno, I’m sure she had her reasons!”

“Hold on everyone,” Sanae rose her voice to gather everyone’s attention once more and continued. “I don’t Yuyuko is the culprit. It’s not like her. Chances are the person involved would have to have some contact with the outside world, since otherwise they would have no clue what the Holy Grail War even was. Does anyone have any clues?”

Sakuya thought for a moment and recalled a certain man with many strange items not found in Gensokyo.

“Rinnosuke Morchika? His item shop holds many unique items, it’s not impossible that he made up such a game.”

“I don’t think it’s him, he is far too kind hearted to want to put your lives at risk.”

Remilia spoke up at last, bored at being left out of the conversation for such a long period of time.

“Mistress?”

“Well, this will do for now. There’s a few other girls involved in this who are doing some legwork to figure out the culprit’s identity. I would say within a day or two at most, we should know for sure who’s done all this. For now...we have so many people here...why don’t we hold a little winter party?”

Patchouli chuckled at the fickleness of the vampire girl and took a sip of her tea before calling her out.

“Always looking for an excuse to party, eh Remy?”

“Hey, shut up, this is a good opportunity. Sakuya, go ahead and make preparations. Alright everyone, enjoy yourselves for tonight! Let’s all have a good time!”

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