Chapter 3
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The house was silent, so silent a pin drop could possibly be heard had not the morning birds call out outside waking the day. Ran was already up, silently handling her tasks, diligently so cleaning the house that really didn?t need cleaning at all, and washing the plates that didn?t need washing at all again out of routine.
She had been diligent always, she never slacks off, and certainly never once rebelled. True, she objected to Yukari?s orders more than a fair share of times, but nothing out of the ordinary, consider she always complete them in the end. She has been the perfect companion, she will continue to be. Yukari looked, and thought to herself, in this silence that is her room, how long can peace last?
Gensokyo needed Japan, because without it, the sustenance of power, the supply of humans, their faith; Gensokyo will be doomed without them. It is a bit of a mockery really, consider how it all began. Gensokyo was made to separate the humans from the spirits, demons, and youkai, so that the modern world may progress without the relics and old myths of the past that were so cunningly constructed by nature and fear of the unknown of mankind. Mankind grown smart since then, the unknown becomes explainable, and the once fear which gave birth to the youkai that is attributed to that fear becomes useless, and thus must rely feeding on other fears? It is, however, to the youkai, a form of humiliation, it is like begging, a taboo among their kind.
Fear is sustenance, while the city lights shine and sanity prevailed, humankind has nothing to fear despite their wars and terrorisms, despite their pain and questionable faiths in falsified idols and western gods. Fear lifts its ugly face and bares its fangs when humankind is in doubt, when they don?t understand, it kills. Fear corrupts the mind, robbing it of logic, reason, rationale, until all that is left is the sense of survival; however, mankind has since lost that edge. Not surprising, consider the many comforts.
These days, she heard mankind can use ?computers? something which is entirely foreign to Yukari herself, but quite familiar with geniuses like Nitori the Kappa Engineer; and those things, those ?computers? can do almost anything, as long as it is supplied with electricity. Mankind is plugged in, a term she once heard an outsider spoke of, they are directed by electric signals made to control them, made by they themselves; he regarded it as insane, Yukari had to agree with the man from outside.
However, what transpired yesterday, when Setsu mentioned of the insanity, the cannibalistic disease that robs minds of all fear, all sanity, all logic and reason and rationale, is something else. It isn?t so much so as a fear of the unknown but rather what transpired to the normally evolved, unsubtle, rational humankind, it is both strange and foreign. Had the outsider been here now, Yukari would ask him this, ?what happens when mankind is unplugged from his known comforts??
The answer then, would be sanity lost, and a new world, with new rules will rise to replace it. Survival means everything, boil down to the skin and bones, and humankind, no??not just man? everything will then struggle to live, no matter how small the chance is, the desperation will course any living thing?s mind with blood and adrenaline, and force it to think first for itself. KILL THEM ALL, I MUST LIVE. The mind will be forced to take action, and no amount of logic will stop it.
?Today is the day, Lady Yukari?? Ran came in her room, hands carrying the clothes for her to change into, diligent as always; Yukari would have no problem leaving the house a few days in her care.
?Take care of the house while I am gone, okay?? Yukari spoke, voice still laced over with drowsiness.
?Of course.?
With that, she stood, dressed now, she progresses slowly outside the door as a manner of ceremony only, and opened a gap. She saw the girl, Setsu out there waiting? she gave a nod, and Setsu nodded back.
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(Gensokyo Hakurei?s Shrine, Reimu?s place)
?Good morning all, how was your sleep?? Yukari asked, out of courtesy perhaps, not that she cared how they really slept since Gensokyo is inhabited largely by nocturnal people.
?Sleep? You really think I had any?? Reimu asked, her eyes are visibly tired.
?You didn?t??
?Excitement.?
?Ah so, you are eager to go.?
?No, not one bit, I just can?t think up what to eat out there, and it troubles me since I can?t at least bring a pot for miso soup?guys?? Reimu looked, the crowd are seemingly flabbergasted, ?what is this miko thinking?? It seems, to Yukari and everyone else here, the honorable name ?eternal spring shrinemaiden? is really true, her mind seems to stay in that weather no matter what the conditions are.
?Nonetheless?seriously now, care to fill us in?? Nitori asked, her backpack jammed full of stuff that only she knows how to use, mostly her own modified tools of choice.
?Yes, I had a better grasp of the situation now?it seems Eirin?s logical deduction was correct, it was a disease, this girl, Setsu Ijima is the only survivor.? Setsu nodded, seemingly intimidated by Nitori?s look as she looked at her back eye to eye.
?Setsu?nice name, look, what else can you tell us?? Nitori continued.
?It is a flesh eating disease? if the virus in the host does not nourish itself with victims whom are uninfected, they will turn on each other; and if that is not an option, it eats the host itself. Whatever that transpired was quite a blur however, and this happens rarely, since there are plenty of corpses about to be fed on?? Setsu started, and paused, thinking for a bit and then continued, ?Also?they are most active at nighttime, they run fast due to their metabolism I think, at daytime, they seemed more keen to sleeping and conserving energy.?
?Good?we are approaching in the day, so that leaves us with plenty of time to explore.? Yukari added.
?Ya~ze, thanks for bringing me along ~ze!? A rather annoying person stepped out from the crowd, which consists of 8 people in total including Setsu. This person is none other than human magician Marisa Kirisame. She sports a tall witch hat, black and her costume which resembled a maid?s uniform paired with short skirt, also black entirely save for the apron like centerpiece. On her face was written all over her excitement, and she carried a broom, as all classic images of witches seemed to do.
At her side, another magician, this one non-human but looks entirely like one save for the glowing irises in her eyes, is Alice Margatroid. She is a dollmaker, dollmaster to her special dolls Shanghai and Hourai, both which acts as her sword and shield respectively. She is capable of great magic, and like Marisa, she is fluent with magic using light elements and her specialty would be to summon dolls and use invisible wires to control them as though they have a life of their own. She however, remained silent, only looking at Marisa?s carefree attitude seemingly too aware of her.
At the left, stood Nitori, and otherwise no one else, she had not chosen a partner it seems despite being told so. As predicted, Eirin had brought along Reisen Udongein Inaba, a rabbit from Eirin?s homeworld, the Moon Capital. She was once a slave, working for an army that does not care about her welfare and views her as expendable as the waste on the ground; after escaping from her forced servitude, she came to the Earth while searching for Eirin Yagokoro, whom was exiled from the Moon Capital many eons ago. She had a pleasant personality, helpful, cheerful though not for herself. Her rabbit ears hung high on her head, drooping slightly as it came to the upper middle and hung seemingly lifelessly there as though it were fakes.
Nonetheless they are very real, and coupled with her flowing purple hair, and then her scarlet eyes which looked they can suck a person into a deep trance, she looked a whole otherworldly being. Her features are beautiful, and her body as slender as a model, with legs so long it would make any woman jealous, and wearing only a miniskirt doesn?t help. Of course, she wore a long blazer paired with an inner white working shirt, and had a tie tucked into the blazer itself; her clothing blending almost too tightly with her womanly figure, giving one full view of her Venus-like form.
She went forward, holding Setsu?s hands, and gave her a smile. Setsu smiled back, and she somehow felt compelled to say this could well be the first person she felt close to. ?My name is Reisen Inaba, please call me Reisen, Setsu-chan!? She shook her hands, and Setsu only seemed all to happy to smile back. How she missed such kind voices, she had last heard them since 3 months ago, when her mother tried to kill her; all these voices stop making sense to her.
She introduced herself, and just then, like the wind, a silent whoosh and an extra presence was added to group.
Two goddesses, one wearing a tall hat with two eyes by the edges of the tip, and the other had a wide ring of rope hanging behind as though it were floating majestically against the pull of gravity as she walked. The smaller one, Suwako Moriya, a Goddess of ancient lands was wearing her simple blue blouse with green frogs in a state of play paired with inner matching white long and loose sleeved turtle-neck shirt while having the sweetest smile ever walked out from under a tree. The other one, much taller, a womanly figure by the name of Kanako Yasaka, a warrior Goddess by class had on a red sweater of sorts, paired with matching deep sea blue pleated skirt pants covering down her ankles like fabric-made armor. She wore a smile of confidence, and an aura of said confidence as well, paired with her great ornament of holy rope behind her, and a mirror before her chest signifying her Godly status as all Kami of old Japan has; she is indeed a figure to be reckoned with.
It is often hard to tell the other one is a Goddess at all, short and blonde, cute and cuddly, almost unlike a status as grand as Goddesses should have. She wore a kind smile however, unlike Kanako, Suwako had the features of a mother; soft and caring, yet a pertaining childishness about her because of her height and small built made her all the more admirable from a distance. She walks also with a hop, and landed softly before Reimu, whom looked at her with a puzzled look.
?Reimu, Sanae will be taking care of this shrine as well as ours, so you best be thankful okay?? Suwako said, her voice was sweet as honey, chirping, crisp and a melody to the ears. At least, that is what Kanako seemed to think, everyone present could tell her face is somewhat redder than usual. Suwako does indeed have this unlikely charm beyond a child would have, yet, as it seems; she is a rank older than Kanako as a woman, both in Goddess status, and age. Sanae, the referred person is the resident shrinemaiden of Gensokyo, the second one to be precise since Reimu, and has a personality that is well liked by many of the human residents; much unlike the very lazy and narcissistic Reimu Hakurei in utter contrast.
?Make sure she doesn?t get my donations.? Reimu answered, totally indifferent to the situation, thankless if not any less. Suwako?s smile faded slightly, but turned about to face the crowd looking at the two?s sudden interference into the group.
?You will be heading to a place we came from, so everyone should be prepared. While we did left the place, it has been many years since then and because of Gensokyo?s time plane, we may have seen many changes during that time, so please be careful.? Suwako announced to the people around her, she waved her hands to get attention to her small frame and even more smallish voice, yet as it is, she didn?t really need to; all eyes and ears were on her, a small glorified glow seemed to emanate from her like a golden aura of peace that calms people around her.
?In addition, we have something to give you?? Kanako behind her suddenly said, the reddish hue on her face now gone, replaced with a solemn seriousness unlike a moment before.
?This is??? Everyone looked at the foreign object in their hand, resembling a talisman, a piece of paper with poetic Chinese writings in deep etched calligraphy strokes.
?A talisman of the wind, while it can be used only once, it would protect you by blasting away unwanted enemies? in close range at least. It will be activated if you are in danger and you think you are facing some undetectable or unreachable foe behind or from your position?call it a precaution, but outside, the Youkai are much like the demons in Makai? wild, untamed, and danmaku will only work so well.? Kanako explained, her hands placed across her chest crossed, voice as stern as she can make it.
?I see?thanks.? Marisa pocketed the piece, snapping it in half and folding it neatly inside her pocket. She turned to Suwako, whom stood silently gazing at the grounds of the Hakurei shrine.
?Is there something else you wanted to tell us? You looked strange earlier on?? Marisa, thought rough and seemingly uncouth for her personality, is as always, highly perceptive.
?Marisa! I?no, there isn?t anything important? it is just that?? Suwako stammered.
?You best blurt it out.? Marisa asked.
?This is not confirmed?but just take precaution?? Suwako paused, her face now stern as Kanako from a moment ago, ?It is unlikely that Gods move from place to place, ours was special?unlike our other peers, whom choose to die in silence and being forgotten by the humans whom once worshipped them in their own lands? we moved. In a very ancient law, there exist a passage, called the Kami?s Heavenly Dictation; this law spoke about ?replacements? a Kami must make before making pilgrimage to a foreign land, or relocating or taking over a shrine.? Suwako finished.
Kanako took up the rest and began, ?In essence, when we moved to Gensokyo, we didn?t do that. We both share the Lake Suwa region, Suwako the land, while I the heavens above and the mountains that surround the great Suwa region. We are too young as goddesses, call it a mistake if you will, but we have no idea what happened after we left. If demons or the sort were to occupy a holy region as ours, they will grow quite strong, and thus? become quite troublesome if you encounter them.? Kanako paused, ?You do know what that means don?t you, Yukari??
?Yes??
?What is she talking about?? Reimu asked, curious now.
?The place they came through is also the best place to get out to the real world when mass numbers like our group is gathered, it has high concentration of magical energy, and while my gaps can take you through, it would be a one on one basis? with this portal, I can bring all of you at once. The dangers lie in if there are any beings that took over the Suwa region? the Kami?s Path.? Yukari explained.
?Hey look, we ain?t got all day, are we going or not?? Marisa, without tuning in to the mood, blurted out loudly, breaking everyone?s attention and turning it to her.
?She?s right? we can stand here talking about precautions and demons, but the day will really be lunchtime soon and I really don?t wanna eat this bento at the shrine when I can be outside breathing non-Gensokyo air and non-spring-influenced-miko-odors.? Nitori followed, rather rudely if at all mannerisms concerned.
?Hey!? Reimu rebutted, but no one heard, everyone just nodded. The time to move has come.
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(Lake Suwa region, possibly minutes later)
?Alright, once you past through here, you are bounded to Earth, our next passage won?t be until full moon when the energy surrounding the Suwa?s Kami?s Path is fullest, so we must make full use of our time here?? Yukari said, her eyes darkened by the mythical fleeting shadows casted by her magic, dark miasma that surrounds her brewing like swirling mist in red and black completely shrouding what makes of everyone save their faces barely visible in the poor light.
With that, a hole opened, enough for four people side to side to pass through. It glowed brightly, and powerfully magic seemed to permeate into the open area before them, surrounded by trees and then dark things that laid on the ground, unidentified.
The crowd stepped through, Reimu first, before realizing she is falling quick to the ground, pulled by gravity. ?Whhaaa?.?? She sounded, heart pounding as she fell and hanged barely to the gap?s opening.
?I forgot to mention, you can?t fly here?that includes you Marisa? the magic is too thinly spread in this world compared with Gensokyo?s density.? Yukari explained, she herself floating however, sitting on top of a gap she opened.
?What?!? Marisa seemed genuinely disappointed. Alice, whom is beside her, floated about, surrounded by an energy field casted by her but maintained by her dolls, diligently working hard to keep their master afloat.
?How does she do it then?? Marisa questioned, looking at Alice.
?My dolls are magical and semi-ethereal, while it may surprise you, I am a youkai and hence my natural ability is to fly, no matter the conditions. It does take more concentration though to maintain my anti-gravitational field around myself?which reminds me, doesn?t your broom allow you to direct such a passive field to keep you floating?? Alice questioned, after answering as best as she could.
?My broom, unlike your dolls, is not a magical item or a ?being?. It can be told to fly, using the magic from me to boost speed and power, but only if a natural energy field is constantly present? as it is, I never been used to a non-magical environment.? Marisa answered sadly.
The two Lunarians, Eirin and Reisen, too floated. Eirin naturally so because there is quite simply hardly a condition and situation she cannot adapt to; an added bonus being she learned well to fly in non-magic layered environments long before she retired to Gensokyo. For Reisen, her natural ability as a youkai came into play, and with two arms folded nicely under Setsu, she carried her like a prince holding his princess in her arms. Slowly, the two floated downwards, and observed the surroundings as the miasma from the gap above their heads cleared out more and more.
Nitori jumped down, reaching the ground quickly with her limbs extended and retracting to soften the impact of the landing. As she landed, she pulled out what seemed to a remote control of sorts, and outcame from behind the gap, 4 bikes that came crashing downwards.
?Whoa!? She yelled, but to no avail? the bikes were falling, she did in fact miscalculated the need for a flight path as the bikes don?t float.
Hurriedly she extended her arms, hoping to grab at least one. Alice yelled quite suddenly, ?Dolls Sign; Dolls Army!? and from her arms, 4 non-ethereal dolls seemed to materialized from thin air, and rushed forward, invisible lines attached from behind to her fingers and the rings she wore; they rushed for one of the bikes.
Together, the dolls held the handlebars, and then one under the back wheel with one above it, holding the pillion seat?s handlebar situated behind the black bike. Nitori seemed lucky, she caught it but only then realize the weight was more than she anticipated. Her arms folded, despite being generally elastic, while extended it cannot summon much strength unlike her pure blooded peers of Kappas. Her being simply cannot stand the power of gravity and a modified bike that has a heavier engine attached. The other two, safe to say that it never saw any use in this field, was destroyed before any action was managed.
?Oooooh?.this is bad?really bad? what will I do now?? Nitori pushed the bike off her, which fell nicely about her backpack. It was scratched, but functional. She looked almost teared eyed, from the pain of bike crushing on her shell perhaps, but it was more of the fact she disappointed everyone with her clumsiness? she isn?t normally so, how did all this happen in a flash?
?Hey hey, don?t sweat it, we can always walk!? Marisa said, now using her latent energy, and placing her Hakkero down on her feet, facing the ground. The Hakkero is a small magical tool which channels her energy into beams of light and shots of power, it is her primary weapon. Her other weapon would be her broom which she is fairly good at using on hand to hand combats. She picked it up as she landed, the Hakkero humming softly as the energy disappeared.
?You do realize we are ?walking? the whole of Japan? Japan is not Gensokyo?s backyard or the magic forest, you can?t get across it as though you were heading to Eientei.? Nitori remarked, Eientei being the place which Eirin operates from and is her home.
?Oh?is that so??
?It is so.? Nitori added, looking downtrodden at her mistake? was it the fish? She didn?t felt so good this morning and her thoughts were messy since yesterday? they say the children feed the fishes with strange things, if she wasn?t used to the strange things she may have a bad stomach? and Kappas can?t stand bad stomachs due to their watery diet, the water in their bodies just get corrupted badly.
?Okay, guys?attention please.? Yukari announced, breaking the mood.
?From here on, we will be moving separately? I know this may sound unfair, but Setsu, Marisa, Alice, and Nitori are in the same team. We must finish securing the Great Suwa Region and the Greater Outer Suwa Region beyond those hills there.? Reimu pointed to a mountain, place around far east. It was a mountain that stood the test of time, and was once a source of many ancient fables and chronicles of old Kamis and Youkai at war with each other. It was also rumored to be the source of the first few Kamis of Japan, an ancient source of holy energy.
Greater Suwa was once home to many rivaling Gods, and before the dawn of the Brightened Age, which is when Suwako Moriya was born from the well of holy energy above the hills of Suwa Region, and much later Kanako Yasaka; it was a place of Godly carnage. Ancient villagers and warriors would make blood sacrifice to demonic Gods in the forms of crude snakes and some even evolved animal youkai which sated the blood of humans and put on sheepskin to get more from the petty villagers. It was in the Brightened Age, when the a form of renewal and reformation, around the 1400s, when great warmongers and generals breaking free from a corrupted kingdom and government of a dying dynasty that such immoral acts were purged. With the aids of proper Kamis and Elementals, the war purged the Suwa Region of ?pretenders? which sought holy energy to feed from and harbored the birth of new Gods, including Suwa?s very own Suwako, named after the land itself.
This place, hence is a favorite hunting spot for Gods and demons themselves, naturally attracted by the powerful energy that is present in the air. If only it were pure magic, then the girls could fly as they wish, but it is not. It is quite simply the sort of energy that rouses the air like purified oxygen would, a simple spit of fire would set it ablaze, but not always.
?Wow? that looked really far from here.? Marisa said, placing her hand over her eyes and staring at the Mountain ahead, which has black clouds streaming above in a circular fashion, as though the mountain itself was spewing black clouds from its tip. As all magicians seem to know, this is a sign of bad omen, it normally means something is corrupted in nature, and that expands to many a times, conditions that are dangerous and unpredictable.
?Anyone has problems with the team ups?? Reimu asked, uncaring for Marisa?s lack of attention as she took in the view. Natural, considering she has never seen the outside world before, and she is naturally curious as a cat.
?No.? Eirin answered bluntly, and turned around, not waiting for Reisen at all as she walked north.
?So, I guess that means she takes that direction.? Reimu seemed troubled, Eirin seemed to think not so well of her?
Reisen ran up to Setsu, and placed something in her hand. It looked like a covered syringe. ?Setsu, if something is not right, use this? it is a blood serum made from your blood, it can cure almost everything, infections or wounds, but it works only once like that talisman from that woman, Kanako earlier? use it wisely.? Reisen said, and promptly bid her goodbye as she gave chase to Eirin, whom is already in a distance.
?Such a diligent rabbit? if only her master treats her better?? Alice commented, looking at the girl with short hair, dressed tardily in a salvaged robe, probably from one of the families in Gensokyo and seemed poorly mannered. Setsu only stared, mostly in awe, as she looked closely Alice had the most wonderful hair, eyes that are clear as azure crystals and features as beautiful as the dolls she wields about her; stoic and almost featureless, save for the rosy pink lips and long eyelashes that truly brings out her otherworldly beauty.
?Yeah, Eirin is so cold these days, she is always like that when something interests her. I guess this time it must be all consuming disease.? Marisa added, she bent downwards and looked at the black stuff she is stepping on.
?This is??
?Magma.? Nitori answered, using what seemed like a prodding tube stabbed onto a ground, and a meter attached to it on a screen display which had a needle inside that climbed up and down dramatically. She looked hard at the stuff, which is hardened now, set in stone. ?Pure unfiltered magma, no source, not local, because there are no volcanoes in Suwa region?, she thought to herself.
?The trees are still here? where did it flow from?? Marisa asked, fully aware the magma originates from Lava, which is the sort of stuff that is pretty hot and spews from volcanoes when erupting. Magma would be the molten rock which is like an all consuming terror wave and heated catastrophe that burns all and consumes all in its flowing path.
?If the flows match anything, it is here? from the ground.? Nitori pointed to a hole, black and deep, probably around 10 feet vertical downwards, and has a oddly purplish hue of energy rousing off it like an aura of unknown origin.
?Smells like youkai energy? but different.? Alice added.
?Are those bad youkai or good ones?? Marisa asked.
?What do you think? Stop being blunt, Marisa.? Alice chided, but Marisa took no heed and reached down the hole, touching the surface of the wall softly, feeling up the texture of the cooled molten rock.
?Smooth??
?Of course.?
?Guys, I will be moving with Yukari to South, so catchup with us there.? Reimu shouted.
?Okay, good luck.? Marisa waved back and saw that Reimu entered a gap. Convenient, if she only has that.
?I will take the bike, the other is for Nitori, Alice will ride behind Nitori okay?? Marisa turned to Alice and said. Alice seemed disappointed, but nodded nonetheless in agreement.
?Alright, we haven?t got all day? let?s go!? Stepping on the bike, Marisa revved the engine, knowing full well how to operate the thing as she read about it some time ago in the books she borrowed. The handles give power to the beast, like her Hakkero, when turned, a jolt of energy will make it move faster. If she holds the two bars behind the handle, she will stop; easy.
She hopped on, and balanced easily. Compared with her broom, this widened seating makes it really comfortable and easy, if only she can shoot while riding? that?d be perfect.
Nitori, being the person who modded these things from scratch, clearly knew how to operate them. Stepping onto one, and Alice behind her sitting rather easily behind, she peddled the thing to face East.
?Hold tight?? Nitori warned, and revved the thing.
The last thing she could really hear was Alice?s girlish scream as the thing rode with its head lifted, doing a wheelie across the soon grassy surface onwards to East Greater Suwa.
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Oh ho ho, Riders on the storm~