Only the phoenix rises, and does not descend...
?Thanks again for helping me Miss Renko. This probability stuff could be useful for my father's business,? the young man said with a bow.
?No problem, Shirou. I'm glad I remembered that course myself. Never thought I'd use it,? Renko said with a laugh.
The elderly woman in the hallway smiled at the two. ?It's good to see you two young ones getting along. Are you sure you wouldn't like to stay for dinner young Renko? I think the whole family will be here....?
Renko fought very hard to keep from rolling her eyes at the woman's unsubtle hint. It helped that Shirou was rolling his own. ?Sorry grandmother, my ride'll be here soon, and I wouldn't want to ditch her.?
The older woman blinked at the outside world terms Renko used, but managed to keep her pleasant smile. ?That's too bad. Well perhaps another time young lady.?
Shirou waited until the elderly lady was out of earshot before saying, ?Sorry, she's kinda old fashioned.?
Renko smiled, ?Nah, don't worry about it. My parents can get like that too. Anyway I'll see you next week, and good luck with the herbalist's daughter.?
?Uh, thanks.? The young man blushed and waved as Renko stepped outside.
Renko waited a few seconds in the street before Maribel wandered out of an alleyway. ?Ah, you got out early Renko??
?Yeah. No reason to start teaching him something new with only a few minutes left,? Renko frowned. ?Though it sadly did give his grandma time to suggest I settle down with him.?
Mary shook her head and laughed. ?Still the most eligible bachelorette in the village despite your age, eh Renko??
Renko tapped Maribel upside the head. ?You of all people should know I'm hardly a bachelorette. And you're older then me Mary.? She frowned. ?And really, the only boys that age who are interested in me are those white knight wannabe's, that are more interested in looking cool saving me from 'that witch' then the real me.?
Maribel frowned as well. ?They're still calling me that??
?Yeah, sorry.? Renko said giving Mary a hug to ease the sting. ?Even though I'm twice the witch you are....?
?You've got a better cover story,? Maribel said. ?Oh well.? She began walking back towards the alleyway. ?We'd better get going or we'll be late to our classes.?
Renko smiled ruefully. ?Yeah. Three years in college, four years here and we're still in class.?
Mary sighed. ?Too bad I can't cut classes anymore. Today's going to suck.?
?Huh??
?Ran, wonderful person that she is, is giving me combat training again.? Mary said with narrowed eyes. ?And it's against Youmi apparently, since I 'need training against armed opponents.'?
Renko shrugged. ?At least you know in advance when your combat training is. My combat training still usually happens whenever Marisa busts into the library and fires lasers at me. 'Tradition' they say.? She frowned. ?Though Juri said she wanted a match today. I wonder if our tutors have been passing notes.?
Mary considered the matter. ?Probably not. Something must have happened that reminded them about physical combat. Maybe that dust up in front of the mansion.? She waved her hands and a gap appeared in the alley. ?Anyways we'd best be off.?
Renko took her friend's hand and followed her into the darkness, like she had so many times over the years.
---
Renko scrambled away from the sword. ?This can't possibly be safe!?
?It should be fine so long as you've been practicing your physical wards Renko,? Alice said calmly.
For some reason, this didn't comfort Renko.
It didn't help that Juri was obviously toying with her. The maid had produced a life sized doll that looked exactly like her, and had assumed a twisted grin to match the doll's face. The two figures had been circling, and darting in and out with sword attacks ever since.
It was creepy as all hell.
For the last ten minutes Renko had been forced on the defensive. She'd been either dodging Juri's strikes, flying to gain range and occasionally tossing out star bullets to try to regain momentum. Nothing had worked.
Finally Juri and her doll (whichever was which) moved close to each other. Renko sprang into action. ?Stardust Memory!? she called out, tossing out one of the cards she'd designed. Several streams of star bullets formed and streaked towards her foes, followed by a massive star shot, that while slow and comical looking, had a very confusing hit radius.
There was a massive crash and Renko saw Juri falling backwards. ?Yes!? she cried out...
Right as the real Juri dropped down and slashed her across the chest.
There was a hard impact and Renko went flying right into a bookcase, which proceeded to shower her with books. She cursed as one particularly heavy grimoire bounced off her head.
?Pretty good Renko. Your wards obviously survived the hit,? Dinah said as she and Alice floated down.
?Your dodging wasn't bad either,? Juri said as she sent her duplicate back to its dimensional pocket. ?My accuracy is pretty good, even if most of my opponents simply collapse weeping.?
?Now, now Juri. You shouldn't brag too much,? the mistress of the house said with a giggle as she flew down from the rafters.
?Of course my mistress,? replied the maid with a smile, as she sheathed her blade. Flandre proceeded to latch on to Juri's back in a completely unladylike manner.
Renko shook the rest of the books off, then dusted herself. ?Thanks for the compliments, but I still got slashed.? She checked the tear in her dress where the blade had hit. ?Fatally too if you'd bothered to charge the blade.?
?Don't be too hard on yourself,? Alice stated. ?Most melee masters in Gensoukyo actually can't magically enhance their blades as well as Juri can. Remember even as a weak magician you're levels above most youkai. I think you'd do passably well against someone like Rumia or Wriggle even.?
Renko cast a quick mending spell then stood. ?Yeah, it's just I'm going to be weaker then all of you because I have to match power to power right? Professional magicians need to learn tricks.?
?As much as I hate saying it, don't underestimate power,? Alice stated with a frown. ?Marisa's managed to get away with that for a long time.?
?And don't assume tricks are all magical in nature,? Dinah added. ?Juri beat you through misdirection there. That's one of the specialties she learned from Sakuya. I use knowledge to focus on my targets weaknesses, which allows my weaker magic to affect much stronger targets. Just because magic can do everything doesn't mean you should try to do everything with magic.?
?Hm...? Renko thought about that for a moment. It made sense, but she really had no idea what to try as her trick. She didn't really think she had the poker face to pull off the misdirection techniques, and it would be a while before she'd memorized the weaknesses of every different being in Gensoukyo. ?It's too bad I can't change the power of my eyes around. That mystic eyes of death perception thing would be kind of cool.?
?The what?? Juri asked.
Renko realized she'd just said that out loud. ?Ah sorry. From a couple of video games. The guy had eyes that could see ?death? as lines and points and could instantly kill people with that. Since I'm pretty good at aiming weak shots I figured it'd be a cool trick.?
Alice and Dinah frowned. ?Hm.... That's a crazy way of seeing things,? Alice said.
Dinah nodded. ?Best call in the others then.?
Renko waited as Koakuma, Marisa, and Patchouli showed up. Those three tended to wander in and out of her training sessions, but whenever Renko asked an odd question to their minds they'd come join what Renko had mentally termed the magician huddle. Normally Renko wasn't able to follow the conversation, but today seemed to be one of the exceptions.
?Hm... Changing your eyes' powers is definitely possible. After all Flandre and Remilia can both use their powers and the standard vampiric charm ability,? Koakuma said as she flipped through books.
Patchouli nodded. ?True, though for input manipulation you'd have to both know the spell, and actually be able to willing your rewire your brain to fit the assumption you're making. Given that you'll be fine when the spell wears off it shouldn't be an issue, but believing what you're seeing might be difficult. Marisa, you know the most about physical death. What's your take on this problem??
?I don't see how ya could do that death thing myself,? Marisa stated with a frown. ?I can't see death as a line or a point. It's more a miasma. Heck, even a timer would make more sense.?
Renko found it amusing how much research they'd put into an offhand comment. ?Wasn't really that serious. Just thinking aloud about something that would be a nice power.?
?It sounds like my power actually.?
Everyone turned to stare at Flandre.
Flandre continued on. ?Well I can't really see the lines that well, but I can see the point that holds things together. It's not death really, it's where all the tension lies, but if you poke that point the thing goes pop! Like this!? Flandre gestured towards a table, ?Kyun!?
The table cracked all through the middle and crashed to the ground. Juri frowned at her mistress. ?Please my lady, think of the cleaning occasionally.?
?Ah sorry, Juri,? Flandre said with a light smile.
Renko looked at the broken table and shuddered slightly. Given what Flandre's mind was like with that power maybe it wasn't something she should look into after all.
---
Yuyuko watched with interest as Maribel used a gap to dodge out of her servant's reach and return a few weak bullets in return. It seemed Ran's training had focused on skill and defense. Probably good for one as fragile as a human.
Youmi of course was doing splendidly as a trainer. Yuyuko's young half ghost servant was pushing Maribel's limits perfectly. At each pass she started with an attack just strong enough to force the young gap user on the defensive, then she started increasing her power until Maribel was forced to think up a strategy to disengage. Youmu might have become the finest Konpaku swordsman at the end of her training, as she was able to test all of Youki's methods under combat, but Youmi was a fine trainer. It was certain that her heirs would lose none of the Konpaku techniques.
Yuyuko giggled lightly at the irony there. She idly wondered if the yama had more of a sense of humor then most would give the judge credit for.
Ran gave her a look. ?Did I miss something??
?Ah, possibly,? Yuyuko smiled behind her fan. ?But it's nothing you could have known, Ran.?
Ran frowned slightly. ?This is one of those things only people who can see people's souls can appreciate isn't it??
Yuyuko pretended to be hurt by the kitsune's words. ?It's not my fault Yukari told me not to tell anyone. But yes, this is slightly related. It should become obvious in a couple of minutes.?
Ran didn't look much happier, but she accepted that and returned her eyes to the fight. ?Well if I miss it please tell me. I'm a little concerned at how flippantly Maribel's treating her travel powers. She's not establishing as strong a mental connection to the area as she should.?
Yuyuko turned her own attention back to the battle ?You sure it isn't just a human thing, Ran? Humans can become very used to certain routines. Like riding a horse. The actions become reflex.?
?Hm... You might be right. I don't understand human reflexes well,? Ran sighed. ?But it's still dangerous. She needs to think about some of the more complicated boundary manipulations. Her altering of the boundaries between us when she slapped me could have driven us both catatonic. If she hadn't unconsciously separated our physical and mental states first, she would have turned both our minds into a jumbled, incoherent mess.?
Yuyuko felt some mild concern at Ran's statement, but the ghost wasn't prone to strong emotions anymore. ?I'll tell her to be a little careful, since it doesn't seem like she needs that power.? Yuyuko watched as Youmi switched her attack pattern and charged right after Maribel teleported. ?Ah, here we go.?
If Maribel had some time to consider her options the rapid counterattack would have thrown her off balance. However, Youmi had gotten careless and just gone straight for the attack. This meant that in addition to panicking and falling on her butt, Maribel tossed out a set of bullets from a gap. Bullets Youmi was now running straight into.
With a jarring skip the white haired girl moved to the side and continued her attack, placing her swords right up against Maribel's throat. ?Good Match,? Youmi said. ?Almost caught me.?
Ran's eyes narrowed at the move. ?That was too fast even for a Konpaku style master. That was... a time skip? .01 seconds I'd guess, given her normal speed.?
?Very good, but then you were always great with numbers Ran,? Yuyuko stated. ?Some powers are more intimately tied to souls then others, such that even hell's fire can't fully purge them.?
?I can appreciate the irony.? Ran managed a light chuckle. ?I would have never guessed given how carefree she is.? Ran stood as the two fighters began walking up the hillside towards her. ?I don't suppose Youmu's soul is out there as well??
Yuyuko tapped her fan shut against her hand. ?Actually she got reincarnated a while ago. After all, unlike Sakuya she was already mostly pure, and she hadn't lived nearly as long. But she reincarnated in a very strange place.?
Ran glanced at her for details, but Yuyuko didn't want to speak on the matter any more. Fortunately, Ran had to give her student an evaluation before she could bug Yuyuko again.
?So, did you have fun?? Ran asked with a malicious grin.
?I hate you so much,? Maribel replied as she rubbed muscles sore from running.
?I warned you about that,? Ran said with just a bit too much relish.
Youmi stretched her arms, ?Well, you weren't too bad for a newbie.?
Yuyuko coughed lightly. ?And your own performance, Youmi??
?Um,? the white haired girl flinched. ?I'm sorry for getting distracted again Miss Yuyuko. I'll pay more attention, even during training fights. I promise.?
Yuyuko ruffled the girl's hair. ?Try to take battle more seriously. You're the first Konpaku who managed to avoid being too serious, I'd hate for you to get stabbed.?
?Right my mistress,? Youmi said with a smile.
Maribel sighed wearily. ?So tell me, if you actually manage to get this wonderful spellcard system back on track, why do I need to know this??
?First, because as Yuyuko said, it would be terrible if you got stabbed,? Ran answered. ?Not everyone plays by the rules. Secondly, many danmaku fights actually include some physical combat. Some youkai find that more fun. Also it helps you dodge, something you need to master, because unlike Renko you're utterly terrible at physical wards.?
Maribel sighed again. ?She's better then me at dodging too.?
?Well you've got a bigger array of tricks then she does,? Yuyuko offered in a conciliatory fashion. ?Even if she has gotten better at teleportation, since last we spoke.?
?No, I still beat her at that,? Maribel said. ?Though I feel there's so much I don't understand about my power.?
?Don't worry to much about that,? Ran said. ?It took Chen and I 200 years to learn what we have, and it took longer for Yukari to develop the techniques. Concentrate on the basics. In about 8 years or so we can move on to the advanced concepts.?
Maribel just shook her head. ?This is worse then my graduate program. Oh well, at least it pays better.?
Yuyuko and Youmi looked quizzically at the girl from outside as an odd tone began playing from her pouch. She pulled out a small device that Yuyuko had seen Yukari use before and began speaking into it. ?Hey Renko. Got out early??
After a moment she said, ?I think we're almost done.? There was another pause. ?Hm, I could ask them. Yuyuko and Youmi are here with me though.? Strangely Maribel nodded, though the object of her conversation wasn't here anyway. ?Okay, I'll ask first.?
Looking up from the device Maribel said to the others, ?Apparently Flandre's inviting me and Ran over for dinner. And someone from Eientei is supposed to show up.? She grimaced slightly as she turned to Yuyuko. ?Er, I don't know how they'd take you and Youmi coming over, sorry. But if you want I can ask.?
Yuyuko shrugged. She didn't mind that particular rift that much. She'd never gotten along with either of the vampires. ?I don't imagine they have enough food if too many more guests show up, so I'll pass. Thank you for speaking on my behalf though.?
Ran considered the matter a moment. ?Sorry Yuyuko, but this could be important. You'll forgive me if I go without you??
?Don't worry about it Ran. I understand.? Yuyuko smiled and grabbed onto her gardener. ?It's fine, I've got Youmi to keep me company. I'll just prank her.?
?Ahahaha, please don't say that so casually Miss Yuyuko,? replied Youmi with a weak grin. It really only made Yuyuko want to prank her more.
?Do you want help back home?? Maribel asked. Yuyuko was always amused at how the human asked those questions while Yukari as a youkai had just assumed Yuyuko could make her own way.
?I'm fine. Go ahead with Ran. And if it's Reisen give her my regards and tell her I'm expecting to meet her again soon. She'll twitch amusingly.?
Maribel raised an eyebrow but didn't press the point. She waved goodbye then walked a distance away to teleport out. ?So I might finally get to meet Princess Kaguya?? she asked Ran as she left.
?Probably not. Eirin's paranoid, so she's probably keeping Kaguya close to home. I bet the princess is screaming bloody murder right now. But I'm going to call Aya and...? And then the two were gone.
?Hm... They seem to be getting along better,? Youmi remarked.
?Indeed,? Yuyuko replied. It was good to see those two working together again, even if it wasn't really 'those two' anymore.
?Miss Yuyuko, do you think there would be some way for us to fix our relations with the Scarlet Devil Mansion?? Youmi asked. ?It would be best if we didn't need to worry about conflict as we moved about Gensoukyo doing our duties.?
Yuyuko really didn't care about relations with the vampires, but still.... ?I don't believe Flandre will ever like us, but perhaps you could have a match with the gatekeeper. I believe she'd appreciate it.?
The young girl nodded seriously. ?I'll keep that in mind Miss Yuyuko.?
Perhaps the two warriors would find an understanding in battle.
Still, Yuyuko thought as she flew home, while the past couldn't be reclaimed, it looked like Gensoukyo was changing for the better. She wondered what it would look like in a few years time.
