[X] Try to contact Yukari and ask her about Elis and that mysterious Lady Shinki. Maybe she has some insight that would be beneficial?
Yeah, Yukari needs to know about Elis and whoever Lady Shinki is, Cirno thinks to herself.
But can I actually contact her?
Cirno takes out the communication talisman that Yukari gave her and stares hard at it. Nothing happens.
Maybe I need to try saying something? "Hey, Yukari, I need to talk to you! It's important!" Again, no response.
For about five minutes, Cirno tries all sorts of different ways to try to make the communicator work, from waving it around in the air to shouting at it. Apart from a few odd looks from Kratos, who watches the fairy curiously, nothing seems to work.
Right before she completely loses her patience, Cirno has one final idea.
Wait, maybe I need to put magic into it, kinda like a Spellcard? Huh…might as well. Holding it out, she channels a sliver of her power into the talisman. Instantly, it lights up in a blue glow. A hopeful expression appears on Cirno's face. "Hah, I bet that did it. Hey, Yukari, hurry up and respond already!"
A few moments of silence pass before a reply suddenly echoes forth from the talisman: "You just woke me up from a very nice nap. This had better be
very important…or else." Cirno blanches, Yukari's sleepy voice containing nearly palpable annoyance.
Taking a deep breath, the fairy nods her head and says, "It
is important, Yukari! I just got attacked by a crazy devil lady!"
A beat passes. "You what?"
"I was scouting ahead in this really creepy forest when I was attacked by this purple bat with red eyes," Cirno excitedly says. "I chased it around for awhile before it turned into a flying woman and launched a giant laser at me! I-I think she might be from Gensokyo or someplace connected to it. She said something about Reimu and luring me out before she fought me in a Danmaku battle! Oh, but I won, because I'm the strongest." The fairy puffs out her chest in pride before realizing that nobody was around besides Kratos, who was staying a fair distance away.
"You fought in an actual Danmaku battle?" Yukari asks, her tone no longer aggressive. Instead, it contains a hint of surprise, almost as if she was taken a bit off guard.
Cirno grins. "Yep! She wasn't following the rules either, but I guess since we aren't in Gensokyo, it kinda makes sense. She used purple lasers, Danmaku, daggers, and some sort of odd explosive kanji."
Silence for a few seconds. "I see," Yukari finally says, returning to a carefully neutral tone. "Cirno, I need you to focus for a moment; this is important. Can you give me more information? Her name, who she was working with, anything odd about her…?"
Thinking hard, Cirno tries to recall as much as possible. "Yeah, her name was Elis. She called herself the Innocence Devil or something like that. She was cheating and used Danmaku patterns that were impossible to dodge—"
"Of course she did," Yukari says, cutting her off. "Ignore that, what else was there?"
"Well, she did say something about someone called Lady Shinki…" Cirno trails off, waiting to hear what Yukari has to say.
For a long while, the talisman remains silent. Just as Cirno thinks she should say something, anything, Yukari slowly says, "Is that all, Cirno?"
Cirno shakes her head. "Nope, there's one more thing. Just when I had beaten her, she pulled out this really creepy-looking black Spellcard. She then chanted these really odd lines; something about giving magic and blood, maybe? After every line, stuff flowed out of her into the card. At the very end, she—I think she sacrificed herself to power the card. The sky then got pitch-black; the only thing I could see at first was the glow from the card floating in midair. Then, these really, really dangerous-looking flames appeared. Something told me I had to run or else I would die. But I couldn't! There were these invisible walls that trapped me in. Danmaku started coming from the card and from the walls in impossible-to-dodge patterns; if I didn't cut the Danmaku with my sword, I would have been killed. Oh, and everything got harder about halfway through. I don't know how long I was in there for, but it must have been at least four minutes, maybe more. When the Spellcard finally timed out, everything returned to normal, but the forest where we had fought was completely destroyed." Finished, Cirno shakes her head to clear the scary memory away.
An amused chuckle comes from the talisman. "It seems like you have gotten a lot stronger," Yukari says. "Even I will admit that you did well this time."
A wide grin splits the fairy's face in two. "Heh, I won't lose to anyone!"
Yukari makes a noncommittal sound before saying, "I see. I suppose that's a good thing, be—"
Suddenly, a new voice comes out from the talisman, cutting Yukari off. "Lady Yukari, it's an emergency! That human magician is here! I sent Chen to buy us some time, but I don't think she'll be able to stop her for long."
"Of course she is…" Yukari says, annoyance returning to her voice. "It appears my nap was doomed either way. Very well, I'll
deal with her momentarily." The youkai, obviously not pleased, puts a great amount of stress on 'deal'. Cirno shivers, glad Yukari's target isn't her.
"Cirno," Yukari says, causing the fairy to stare at the talisman intently. "As I said, you did well today. You were indeed right in contacting me. However, this new information confirms my suspicions; the real players are beginning to make their move. Cirno, you have now become a target for them; they'll be coming for you, the main source of interference in their plans. Elis should be proof enough of that, weak as she was in the grand scheme of things."
Cirno shakes her head stubbornly. "Hey, I beat her despite her cheating. I won't lose to anyone!"
Dark chuckling greets her words. "You barely won against what was likely a peon at best, and you had all the advantages you could ever have needed at your disposal. For example, imagine what would have happened if she had attacked you while the Chosen and her companions were nearby…Do you think you could have protected them and still beat her?" She pauses for a second to let that sink in. "I hope you are starting to grasp what I'm saying. If you want to protect your new friends from harm, do NOT let your guard down."
Stunned, the fairy is slow to reply. "Y-Yes, Yukari."
"Good. Contact me again if anything similar happens again." Without so much as a goodbye, the talisman goes dark as Yukari cuts the link.
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[X] Ask Kratos for advice on fighting. While you hate to admit it, he's still a better fighter than you. His help could be invaluable!
Cirno stares at the talisman for a long while, trying to process Yukari's warning. "They're coming for me? Not for Colette and the others, but for
me? Am…am I putting everyone else in danger?"
An image of what might have been flashes through Cirno's mind. Victorious after the long battle with Elis, the fairy looks down to see the bodies of those she cares about strewn amidst the burning remains of the forest. Some are filled with holes from the Danmaku; others are pierced by countless daggers. A few are barely recognizable after being blown nearly to bits.
This is…NO!!!
Wide-eyed, Cirno desperately shakes her head back and forth, trying to clear it. Her breath shortens as she realizes how lucky she really was to have fought Elis alone.
"Calm down." A calm voice suddenly comes from her side, startling the fairy. She turns to her left to see Kratos looking at her, his arms folded. "As usual, I see that woman is good at riling others up."
"K-Kratos!" Cirno hovers up and down in the air in agitation. "Is she right? Am I putting you and the others—"
The man holds a hand up to cut her off. "Enough. I suspect that while her words are true, we would be targeted regardless of whether you were here or not. From the sounds of it, those bandits had somehow heard of you, but they couldn't have amassed that many bandits in the short time you've been here. No, I fear that you weren't the first 'outsider' to come to this world." He stresses the word 'outsider' slightly, an odd look passing across his face momentarily before getting replaced by his usual neutral gaze. "I'll admit that I was suspicious of you at first, but you've done quite a lot since then to prove yourself to me. Hold your head high, Cirno." Having said what he wanted to, the man turns and begins to walk away.
Is this ok? Can I just accept this after what Yukari said? She stares at the mercenary's broad back for a few seconds before slowly shaking her head.
No, I can't. If I'm going to call myself the strongest, then I need to get stronger for everyone's sakes! The next time this happens, I want to be ready!
"Wait a second, Kratos," Cirno calls out, her mind made up. The man turns around and gives a curious look at her but remains silent, waiting. "Back in the desert, you offered to give me combat lessons. I—I want to get stronger so I can protect everyone! I really,
really hate to admit it, but you're the better fighter. Can you…" the fairy takes a deep breath and swallows her pride, "Can you give me a lesson now?"
A ghost of a smile appears on the man's face as he considers her offer. "You realize that this won't likely aid you should a similar opponent attack us, right? That is a type of battle where range is the key, from the looks of it."
Cirno shrugs. "Maybe, but I did manage to cut the bullets in half with my sword. Who knows, if I can do that, there might be more I can do with this thing." She takes out the sword and looks at it intently.
"Hmph, very well," Kratos replies. "Then let us begin by focusing on something that all beginning warriors struggle with—defense. I suspect this will help you not only in melee battles but potentially in your other battles."
The fairy holds back a groan. "Huh? Defense? But why defend when you can just attack and waste the enemy?"
Kratos nods slowly. "Yes, that is one option. If you are against weaker opponents, or those that can be overwhelmed with force, such as normal magic and range-using combatants, that is a solid strategy. However, even in your last battle against Elis, could you have won by going all-out?"
A chastised expression appears on her face. "No, I couldn't. I guess I get what you're saying."
The mercenary gives her an approving look. "In our travels, we are bound to fight against enemies that simply can't be defeated by offense alone. Some will be too powerful to do so while others may have special abilities that make such a strategy impossible. In those fights, and even in general, prioritizing a strong defense wins far more battles than all-out aggression." He pauses for a moment as a thought comes to him. "For instance, do you remember our duel? By focusing on blocking and parrying your blows, I was able to deal free damage to you at very little risk to myself. The focus here is using a strong defense to transition into a few powerful counterattack blows before recovering back into a defensive position again. By fighting like this, you can overwhelm even the strongest opponents…so long as your defense holds true. Come, I'll demonstrate again." He takes out his sword and makes a come-on gesture to Cirno.
A serious look appears on her face as she summons her sword. "Alright, here I come!"
*Cirno's combat abilities improve slightly! Further sessions may lead to far greater improvement…*
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A few hours later, Kratos wipes a sheen of sweat off of his brow. "Let's end it here," he says as he sheathes his sword. "I think you're making progress."
Grinning happily, Cirno says, "Yeah, I agree. I still can't block your attacks, but I'm starting to understand what you're talking about."
Nodding in approval, the mercenary opens his mouth to say something before slowly closing it, a look of realization dawning on his face. "Cirno," he says, staring at the fairy seriously. "I've been taking it for granted up until now, but…you haven't been wearing armor, have you?" The fairy tilts her head for a moment before shaking it no. Kratos sighs. "Well, I suppose that's one way to help you get stronger in a hurry, though it'll take some getting used to on your part."
A thoughtful look appears on Cirno's face. "Armor, huh? Well, I don't know if I'll like it, but I'll try it out if you think it'll help."
"Yes, that would be wise," he says dryly. "The only problem is where to find armor in your size…Hey, you can make a sword out of ice, right? Surprisingly, it's able to hold up to actual steel in combat. Why not try the same with armor?"
Cirno thinks for a few seconds. "I could try it, but I need to model it off of something first. If I make something for the first time without doing that, it breaks immediately." An annoyed frown appears on her face as she remembers the axe back in Izoold.
Kratos begins unstrapping his heavy chest armor. "Here, take a look at this." It takes him about four minutes to undo it, but eventually he sets it on the ground with a light clanging sound.
Floating down, Cirno circles around the armor and studies it carefully, noting how it all fits together. Moments later, she gives a confident nod. "Alright, I got it. Here we go!" Summoning her power, she makes an identical copy made of ice that clangs down on the ground next to Kratos's.
Crossing his arms, the mercenary shakes his head in amazement. "Impressive."
"Hehe, right?" With a thought, the armor disappears and then reappears on Cirno, already strapped on. The fairy's eyes widen as the weight bears down on her, but she manages to stay airborne. "Woah, this is
heavy…also, is it just me or is it a bit big?"
Giving the armor an experienced glance, he nods. "That's because it is. Can you shrink it to fit you better?"
Concentrating, the fairy molds the armor to fit her a bit better, making sure to remember what the end result is for reference. "There, that feels a bit better, and it's a bit lighter now. Alright, I'm going to test it out, hold on!" Taking off, she flies around the sky a bit, getting used to the slight loss in speed. She then attempts to push herself faster and faster until she almost reaches about 80% of her max speed without the armor. Satisfied, she floats back down to Kratos. "Phew, I think it could work, though it's a bit slower than before. Then again, I guess I can make it go away just like I do with my sword, so maybe I could get rid of the armor if I want to go really fast?" She shrugs.
"That's…actually, that would be an impressive advantage," the mercenary allows. "Still, there are other types of armor we could try. For example, perhaps Colette's lighter armor would suit you better? We might want to ask her later. For now…" He takes out his sword once again, causing Cirno to tilt her head in confusion.
"What're you doing, Kratos?" She asks. "I thought we were done?"
He nods. "We are, but I need to test your armor's durability first. Cirno, can you summon it on the ground?" After she does so, the mercenary lines himself up. Taking a deep breath, he brings his sword up and smashes it down at the armor. His eyes widen as the blade bounces off the center, barely leaving a dent in the armor. "Even stronger than I suspected," he mutters to himself. He then proceeds to launch a series of attacks, including a few Artes like Demon Fang. All of the attacks are repelled by the armor, though by the end it does look more than a bit beaten up. Finally, he looks over at the fairy with an impressed look on his face. "Well, it passes the physical damage test, at least. Cirno, can you summon the armor again without damage?"
Cirno grins. "Sure!" Moments later, the armor is once again in pristine condition. A red circle suddenly appears under the mercenary's feet, causing Cirno to float backwards a bit nervously. "Uh, Kratos…? What are you—?"
"Fireball!" A series of flaming balls launch themselves at the armor and explode as they reach it. Unsurprisingly, the armor visibly melts a little, but otherwise holds its form well enough to continue functioning. Kratos sheathes his sword with a small smile on his face. "As expected, sustained fire attacks would be able to overcome it, but that's still pointless, considering your ability to recreate it instantly. While it won't protect you completely from magical attacks, it should still serve as a fair bulwark to all but the most powerful spells."
"Then let's try something a bit different, huh?" Cirno floats down in front of the armor with an excited look on her face. "Time for some Danmaku!" A stream of Danmaku spreads out and hits the area around the armor. The bullets that do hit the armor bounce off and ricochet in odd directions. A beat passes before Cirno gives an excited holler. "Oh man, it can even block Danmaku!" She then summons an Icicle Stream, which has a lot more effect as the bullets punch a continuous hole into the armor, but fail to completely pierce all the way through. A thoughtful look appears on her face as she repairs the armor. "Alright, so it's not perfect, but it can even stop my Icicle Stream. How about this one?" Grinning eagerly, she uses a point-blank Ice Blast. The shotgun-like attack completely devastates the armor and blasts a hole straight through the front of it, though the shards that make it through are greatly slowed due to the armor's impediment.
Kratos puts a hand on Cirno's shoulder. "That's enough," he says, his mouth twitching slightly at the corners in amusement. "I think we can call it a success, either way."
The fairy unsummons the armor with a shrug. "Yeah, I'd say so. It's a lot heavier than I expected it'd be, but I think I can get used to it in time."
"Don't forget we can always check the shop in Hima," Kratos reminds her. "We'll talk to Colette later on and see if she has any of her old armor; it might be helpful to compare a lighter armor with my heavier one. After all, while you can fight in melee range, your speed is one of your greatest assets. While the ice armor appears to be easily removable, that still can prove dangerous if your reaction time is too slow in putting it back on."
"Did somebody say my name?" The pair turns around in surprise to see Colette standing there, giving them both a curious look. "Sorry if I'm interrupting, but I heard a lot of noise and thought I'd come see what you're doing."
Kratos shakes his head. "No, we just finished. I realized that Cirno hasn't been using armor, and thought it might be wise to address that."
Grinning, Cirno summons her armor on her body. "Look what I can do!" She twirls around, catching the evening sun's reflection as she does so. "It's a bit heavy, but it's really strong!"
Colette claps her hands in amazement. "Wow, that's amazing! I can't believe you can make something like that." She stares at the armor with appreciative eyes for a few seconds before remembering something. "Oh, so then why did my name come up?"
Suppressing an amused snort, Kratos says, "Do you happen to have any of your old armor still? This armor," he points to Cirno's shiny armor, "is actually based off of my own. While it makes sense for a front-line fighter to wear this kind of heavy protection, Cirno might be more suited for something similar to your own."
The blond-haired girl nods excitedly. "Sure, let me go grab a set!" She turns and runs towards camp, but only makes it a few steps before she trips and falls to the ground. A sheepish expression appears on her face as she stands up and dusts herself off.
"Take your time," Kratos says. "No need to rush."
"R-Right," Colette replies before she turns around and jogs to the camp.
A few minutes later, Cirno finds herself holding a set of leather armor, complete with greaves, torso, and cap. "Huh, this stuff looks kinda thin," she says as she looks at the armor. Turning to Kratos, she tilts her head. "Are you sure this can actually protect people in battle?"
He nods. "Yes, though it's a different sort of protection than the armor I use. My armor is meant to be as sturdy as possible, theoretically able to reflect all but the strongest blows. As a tradeoff, I have to carry a lot of weight around when I fight, not to mention when I walk around. Leather armors and lighter metal armors aren't meant to be in the thick of battle. They can absorb or weaken a blow here or there, but the point of such armor is to provide a reasonable level of protection while still allowing for high mobility in battle." He then reaches down, grabs the leather cap, and gently sets it on Cirno's head. "Here, it'll make more sense if you try it on…the actual armor, this time. The size is a bit off, but it'll do for an example."
Cirno shrugs and begins donning as much of the armor as possible, with a few tips from Colette and Kratos while doing so. Unlike the heavy metal armor, there aren't any confusing series of metal clasps, just a buckle or two to help secure the pieces together. Within two minutes, the fairy finishes putting the armor on.
"Hey, you're right!" Cirno says in surprise. "This does feel a lot lighter!"
Giggling, Colette says, "Well of course, silly. There's no way I could carry around as much armor as Kratos and Lloyd do and still be able to fight. I fight a bit like you do, actually. I can fight in melee combat, but I also have other abilities I can use at range to fight. With Kratos and Lloyd in front, it's usually better if I stay out of their way. I'm a bit clumsy, after all."
Kratos snorts. "Regardless, why don't you test that armor, Cirno. Fly around a bit."
Giving an eager grin, the fairy takes off and makes a few zigzags in the sky, testing her mobility. She then speeds up and zooms away in a straight line, traveling almost out of view before turning around and coming back. Nodding in appreciation, she lowers herself back down to their level. "I can almost move as fast as usual with this stuff on! That's really cool…though I don't know how useful it'll be."
The mercenary shrugs. "It's not meant to be the most durable, just the most convenient type of protection. I'm sure the blacksmith in Hima will have many more types of armor, especially those that offer a better balance of protection and mobility, though perhaps without the best advantages of either. For now, I suggest you consider using either the leather armor or your ice armor until we get there."
"But what should I choose?" Cirno asks, obviously conflicted. "They're both really good!"
Colette pats the fairy on the back. "Just think about how you want to fight, Cirno. If you want to fight with your sword more, go with the ice armor. If you want to cast spells or attack from a distance, go with the leather armor."
"Okay, let me think for a few minutes, then," Cirno replies.
What do I want to use? My ice armor seemed really strong, and even reflected Danmaku bullets, but I can't move as fast in it, though I can always make the armor go away if I need to move, I guess. The leather armor lets me move really fast still, but I don't think it'll be nearly as good as the ice armor. Then again, maybe I don't need armor after all? I'm the strongest, and who says the strongest has to use armor?
What will Cirno decide to do about armor? *Note, this decision will only last until Hima, at which point Cirno might get the chance to look at other armor types.*
[] Go with the ice armor! It's really strong, and who knows what kinds of bad guys we'll be facing? Even the strongest needs to be prepared!
[] Go with the leather armor! While it isn't nearly as strong as the ice armor, it will still protect me from some attacks, and I can still move really quickly in it!
[] Who needs armor? The strongest doesn't need any armor to beat the bad guys up! At least for now, there's no need for armor.
[] Write-in?
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Quite a lengthy update this time, eh? This time, it was front-loaded with all the juicy plot goodness, and had a bit more relaxed tone once training and armor stuff came up.
For reference, yes, as a matter of fact you are quite capable of contacting Yukari whenever you wish to (she may not respond, but she'll know you tried at the very least). However, as with all things, just because you
can do something, it doesn't necessarily mean you
should. She's a youkai that doesn't take kindly to interruptions, especially when she's sleeping. You had important things to talk about this time, but it still almost turned out poorly for our favorite fairy. Be careful not to waste her time with trivial matters or else she might very well make you regret it. This isn't to say that she's not a potentially valuable resource of information, but one that shouldn't be abused unless it's absolutely necessary.
That being said, Cirno may not completely realize that fact. Be warned.
In terms of the important stuff that was covered with Yukari, I'll let you guys do the analysis as per usual. However, I will say that while she was a bit more direct this time, there is still plenty of information that might not have come up…or might only have been hinted at. Keep that in mind as you think about things that have been revealed thus far.
And now for the armor. While I like the idea of giving her 100 different armor choices, obviously that won't be practical for this point in time. Once we get to Hima, maybe she'll be able to choose from 4-6 or so. For now, understand that you're being given three equally good options, with the potential to write something in if you really have an unexpected solution in mind.
The next update will bring yet another exciting episode of Keine-sensei version 2.0…aka Raine the Demon Teacher. Considering how well Cirno did last time, it probably won't be a bit deal for everyone's favorite fairy, but what subject will be covered still remains to be seen. Who knows, perhaps you guys will learn something as well! :3
In terms of the next update, I have a bit of a dilemma due to how busy my weekend is (I have Monday and Tuesday off, so that's good!). If possible, I'd like to get the next update out by Friday, but we'll have to see how it works. I'll be shooting for that, but if it fails due to time constraints, then I'll plan on finishing the update on Monday.
As always, I look forward to seeing your awesome discussions, Omakes, and whatever else you guys come up with!
