SolipsistSerpent
Endlessly Devouring
Rather than luring him away, maybe blow him up near the bigger one to weaken it and then send in the summons?
Flandre's Quest (Touhou) World - (Madness Quest)
- Thread starter Entropy Judge
- Start date
Well, dunno how fast Flandre can explode him if the bigger one try to nuke her at the same time, you know?
SolipsistSerpent
Endlessly Devouring
Maybe send in clones first from different sides as a distraction. Or just sneak, I'm not sure he'll nuke a single human-sized target that isn't being threatening.
I don't think they're that stupid.
And in the end, far less complicated to gank it if it's away from the big one.
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Votes are locked.
Dragonslayer
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
[X] Break the fast one first, then help the Bureau take out the big one if they need it.
- [X] Warn that doing so may cause a considerable amount of collateral damage.
Well, your secret is out - if not entirely, then mostly. Fate wouldn't be asking you this way, right now, if she wasn't asking for you to do something instead of just provide advice. You nod casually. "I can deal with it, yes." Carim and Verossa both make strangled noises, but Fate simply nods - further evidence that she knew. "And after, I can probably help you with the other one, if you need it." She gives you a penetrating look before smiling.
"We should be able to manage it ourselves, but I appreciate the offer. We'll be ready to strike in an hour, if there's anything you need to get ready. Alph?" The familiar glances at you before following her master as Fate turns to leave. You stroke Satsuki's hair one more time before, ignoring Carim and Verossa's curious stares, hopping off her bed and following as well.
"An hour … not quite dawn?" Fate looks back and shifts sideways so you can walk more alongside her than behind her.
"If they keep moving at their current speed and heading, it'll be shortly after dawn where they are. Will that make a difference?" You shake your head.
"There's probably going to be … rather a lot of collateral damage." Alph frowns at you. "I mean, it's going to depend on where it is - if it's ten kilometers in the air, there probably won't be much to worry about, but if it's at ground level, there's going to be a crater." Alph looks back and forth between you and Fate, but the mage doesn't react much. "So how are you guys going to kill the big one?" Fate smiles and doesn't respond immediately, but Shamal pokes her head out of a doorway and waves for you to join her. Inside the conference room, you see that Hayate and her Unison Device are both there already. The Device looks exhausted and unhappy, but unhurt. Hayate looks at you hopefully.
"Flandre believes she can handle the faster one, and has offered to help with the other if we can't deal with it. Any changes to the plan?" Hayate gives a relieved sigh and shakes her head.
"No, I don't think so. It doesn't seem to use magic, so no shield to worry about, and we don't have to expose a core this time, either. So it's just restraining it and teleporting it, and we should be able to do that with everyone here." You look around the room and cock your head as you focus on the unhappy-looking Hayate.
"So you're going to teleport the big one into the sun, but you don't think you can hold the little one still long enough to send it?" She shakes her head again.
"No, not that. First - well, first, once the Church Summoner gets here, we'll see if we can get this solved without having to kill two Guardian Dragons." You raise your eyebrows, but that makes sense - if they can get the dragons on their side, they not only increase their capabilities but don't have to expend resources. "We think we'll have to kill them, though. In that case - you're right about the faster one. It's too fast for most bindings to catch, and the ones that we could catch it with aren't strong enough to hold something that powerful. For the other one, though, the plan is to immobilize it, then teleport it into space, then shoot it with an Arc-en-Ciel." Her expression falls. "From what that one night-demon said, the Ancient Belkans couldn't kill these Guardian Dragons. But we've analyzed the Cradle and its weapons - they're all relatively straightforward magic cannons. An Arc-en-Ciel destroys its target by distorting and rupturing space-time within the affected area; just being durable or having a powerful defensive ability won't protect against it." You nod; it's actually a very good plan, and if the faster dragon weren't just so quick, you probably wouldn't be necessary. In fact, you're pretty sure you aren't even necessary, so much as a much more efficient use of resources than finding the requisite number of mages needed to hold the faster one in place.
"Why don't you just shoot this Arc-en-Ciel at the dragons directly?" Fate laughs quietly, earning a scowl from Hayate, but she keeps smiling softly as you look at her.
"There is a … slight problem with collateral damage when using the Arc-en-Ciel," she says quietly. You can't help it. You giggle, then break into full-scale laughter, ignoring Hayate's disapproving glare.
You glance at Fate as she reflexively clenches Bardiche once more. The Church's Summoner is probably going to survive, but he wasn't even able to attempt communication with the dragons; the moment he teleported to the planet they swept the area with their magical blasts. You might survive one of the faster dragon's blasts, but not multiple hits, and definitely not anything from the bigger one. "I'm ready." She twitches before taking a deep breath. Probably more concerned for her friends and familiar than she is for you, of course - they'll need to be relatively close to the dragon to bind and teleport it, and if you and she can't distract it well enough, it may well notice the source of its binding. She starts to say something, then shakes her head and activates the teleporter. You turn invisible and step through.
Immediately, you dive for the ground, narrowing your eyes against the sunlight, but the expected torrent of magical energy doesn't come. They must only attack when they sense something teleport in. You slow to a halt and right yourself, focusing on your target. It still swoops and darts erratically, but now that you know what it looks like you can keep track of the creature. It's much larger than you had originally thought, well over six hundred meters. Its scales are mottled blue and grey, like a sky promising to turn to storms, and nine multi-hued wings are placed equidistantly along its body, from left shoulder to right hip. Its head is quite reptilian, albeit with seven pairs of eyes running from above its mouth to just beneath its horns. It doesn't show any obvious intelligence, however, and you wait for it to complete its current circuit and fly up to look around, presumably for threats. Once it pauses to scan the area, you find its eye and crush it. The dragon ceases to exist, but the effects of its passing are noticeable - clouds ripple and disintegrate, after a short while snow starts racing down the side of the nearby mountains, and eventually a low rumble washes over you - but as high as it was, the actual physical destruction was almost nonexistent, limited to the avalanche and any damage caused by shards and debris from the creature.
"Now, Flandre." You drop your invisibility and dive forward, toward the second dragon as it looks around confusedly. The Bureau officers agreed with your initial guess that the creature is blind, but its ability to sense magic is quite keen. You flare your aura lightly and its head swings toward you, belching power even as you begin to close the distance. Fate appears behind it, magic circle forming beneath her, and then she swings a mana-blade scores of meters long down on the dragon. The blade shatters, but that doesn't matter. The dragon shrieks and thrashes its wings, feet, and tail wildly as it clutches its skull. Blinded, dazed, and confused, it won't notice Shamal and the others teleporting in … at least, that's the hope. And it does drop to the ground, shattering a small hill with its bulk, so perhaps it's not thinking clearly beyond its own protection. "Move!" The warning comes at the same time you see Fate flicker to the side, and you stoop toward the ground.
The dragon may have been thrashing in genuine pain, but if so that didn't stop it from getting ready to fight back. Its wings furl and begin spitting bolts of magic from the 'wrist' of each wing. More problematic is the veritable wall of power that it spews from its mouth. You snarl as it washes over you, burning through Loki's Barrier Jacket - but it's only a curtain, not a field, and you pass through, scorched and furious but alive. Then it whips around and hunches forward, pointing directly at the location Hayate and the others were supposed to teleport to. Orange chains lock around it, trying to tear it away, but it holds itself still as power gathers along its wings. You hurtle forward and slam onto the dragon's head, impaling it with Laevateinn … perhaps three centimeters. It's just too big … but the gathering energy spreads toward its head, and you grin - and when the glossy sheen of power washes over you, you simultaneously flare your aura and pour power into Laevateinn. The resulting explosion launches you away, and then something else sends you spinning until Fate catches you. You look up at her for a moment, temporarily confused by her worried expression, then look down at the mess of your body: one leg missing, the other strangely crystallized; a gaping hole in your left side; and you only still have Laevateinn because the explosion launched it into your lung. You shrug and, after making sure you still can fly, float away and look at the dragon.
The explosion barely harmed it, it seems. Shook it, sure, and disrupted its aim, but it doesn't seem that badly hurt by having part of its head engulfed by an explosion. But it is slowed down, and as more orange chains loop themselves around it, silvery spears hurtle toward it. Most are deflected, or fail to penetrate, but some do pierce it, resulting in a cataclysmic roar from the dragon's throat. But most importantly, two massive green magic circles appear above and below the dragon, and before it can completely recover, it vanishes. Fate looks up into the sky - away from the sun, thankfully - and after several long seconds, a strangely purple star erupts in the sky, and she sighs in relief. That probably means it worked.
You follow her down to Hayate and the others, admiring the craters the dragon's wild attack on the binders made - only failing because you diverted is primary blast and Hayate's shield was enough to block the rest - and mostly ignoring Hayate's scolding lecture on your reckless attack. You do hear that they're planning to visit the night-demons' fixed portal and see if anything can be done about that, though ….
What do you do?
[ ] Ignore it, not your problem anymore. Besides, you have important things to do, like sleep, and coddle Satsuki, and ignore the Sankt-Kaiser.
[ ] Go through it and talk to the spokes-demon if it's still around. After everything that's happened, it deserves to be abused verbally for a bit.
[ ] Other?
- [X] Warn that doing so may cause a considerable amount of collateral damage.
Well, your secret is out - if not entirely, then mostly. Fate wouldn't be asking you this way, right now, if she wasn't asking for you to do something instead of just provide advice. You nod casually. "I can deal with it, yes." Carim and Verossa both make strangled noises, but Fate simply nods - further evidence that she knew. "And after, I can probably help you with the other one, if you need it." She gives you a penetrating look before smiling.
"We should be able to manage it ourselves, but I appreciate the offer. We'll be ready to strike in an hour, if there's anything you need to get ready. Alph?" The familiar glances at you before following her master as Fate turns to leave. You stroke Satsuki's hair one more time before, ignoring Carim and Verossa's curious stares, hopping off her bed and following as well.
"An hour … not quite dawn?" Fate looks back and shifts sideways so you can walk more alongside her than behind her.
"If they keep moving at their current speed and heading, it'll be shortly after dawn where they are. Will that make a difference?" You shake your head.
"There's probably going to be … rather a lot of collateral damage." Alph frowns at you. "I mean, it's going to depend on where it is - if it's ten kilometers in the air, there probably won't be much to worry about, but if it's at ground level, there's going to be a crater." Alph looks back and forth between you and Fate, but the mage doesn't react much. "So how are you guys going to kill the big one?" Fate smiles and doesn't respond immediately, but Shamal pokes her head out of a doorway and waves for you to join her. Inside the conference room, you see that Hayate and her Unison Device are both there already. The Device looks exhausted and unhappy, but unhurt. Hayate looks at you hopefully.
"Flandre believes she can handle the faster one, and has offered to help with the other if we can't deal with it. Any changes to the plan?" Hayate gives a relieved sigh and shakes her head.
"No, I don't think so. It doesn't seem to use magic, so no shield to worry about, and we don't have to expose a core this time, either. So it's just restraining it and teleporting it, and we should be able to do that with everyone here." You look around the room and cock your head as you focus on the unhappy-looking Hayate.
"So you're going to teleport the big one into the sun, but you don't think you can hold the little one still long enough to send it?" She shakes her head again.
"No, not that. First - well, first, once the Church Summoner gets here, we'll see if we can get this solved without having to kill two Guardian Dragons." You raise your eyebrows, but that makes sense - if they can get the dragons on their side, they not only increase their capabilities but don't have to expend resources. "We think we'll have to kill them, though. In that case - you're right about the faster one. It's too fast for most bindings to catch, and the ones that we could catch it with aren't strong enough to hold something that powerful. For the other one, though, the plan is to immobilize it, then teleport it into space, then shoot it with an Arc-en-Ciel." Her expression falls. "From what that one night-demon said, the Ancient Belkans couldn't kill these Guardian Dragons. But we've analyzed the Cradle and its weapons - they're all relatively straightforward magic cannons. An Arc-en-Ciel destroys its target by distorting and rupturing space-time within the affected area; just being durable or having a powerful defensive ability won't protect against it." You nod; it's actually a very good plan, and if the faster dragon weren't just so quick, you probably wouldn't be necessary. In fact, you're pretty sure you aren't even necessary, so much as a much more efficient use of resources than finding the requisite number of mages needed to hold the faster one in place.
"Why don't you just shoot this Arc-en-Ciel at the dragons directly?" Fate laughs quietly, earning a scowl from Hayate, but she keeps smiling softly as you look at her.
"There is a … slight problem with collateral damage when using the Arc-en-Ciel," she says quietly. You can't help it. You giggle, then break into full-scale laughter, ignoring Hayate's disapproving glare.
You glance at Fate as she reflexively clenches Bardiche once more. The Church's Summoner is probably going to survive, but he wasn't even able to attempt communication with the dragons; the moment he teleported to the planet they swept the area with their magical blasts. You might survive one of the faster dragon's blasts, but not multiple hits, and definitely not anything from the bigger one. "I'm ready." She twitches before taking a deep breath. Probably more concerned for her friends and familiar than she is for you, of course - they'll need to be relatively close to the dragon to bind and teleport it, and if you and she can't distract it well enough, it may well notice the source of its binding. She starts to say something, then shakes her head and activates the teleporter. You turn invisible and step through.
Immediately, you dive for the ground, narrowing your eyes against the sunlight, but the expected torrent of magical energy doesn't come. They must only attack when they sense something teleport in. You slow to a halt and right yourself, focusing on your target. It still swoops and darts erratically, but now that you know what it looks like you can keep track of the creature. It's much larger than you had originally thought, well over six hundred meters. Its scales are mottled blue and grey, like a sky promising to turn to storms, and nine multi-hued wings are placed equidistantly along its body, from left shoulder to right hip. Its head is quite reptilian, albeit with seven pairs of eyes running from above its mouth to just beneath its horns. It doesn't show any obvious intelligence, however, and you wait for it to complete its current circuit and fly up to look around, presumably for threats. Once it pauses to scan the area, you find its eye and crush it. The dragon ceases to exist, but the effects of its passing are noticeable - clouds ripple and disintegrate, after a short while snow starts racing down the side of the nearby mountains, and eventually a low rumble washes over you - but as high as it was, the actual physical destruction was almost nonexistent, limited to the avalanche and any damage caused by shards and debris from the creature.
"Now, Flandre." You drop your invisibility and dive forward, toward the second dragon as it looks around confusedly. The Bureau officers agreed with your initial guess that the creature is blind, but its ability to sense magic is quite keen. You flare your aura lightly and its head swings toward you, belching power even as you begin to close the distance. Fate appears behind it, magic circle forming beneath her, and then she swings a mana-blade scores of meters long down on the dragon. The blade shatters, but that doesn't matter. The dragon shrieks and thrashes its wings, feet, and tail wildly as it clutches its skull. Blinded, dazed, and confused, it won't notice Shamal and the others teleporting in … at least, that's the hope. And it does drop to the ground, shattering a small hill with its bulk, so perhaps it's not thinking clearly beyond its own protection. "Move!" The warning comes at the same time you see Fate flicker to the side, and you stoop toward the ground.
The dragon may have been thrashing in genuine pain, but if so that didn't stop it from getting ready to fight back. Its wings furl and begin spitting bolts of magic from the 'wrist' of each wing. More problematic is the veritable wall of power that it spews from its mouth. You snarl as it washes over you, burning through Loki's Barrier Jacket - but it's only a curtain, not a field, and you pass through, scorched and furious but alive. Then it whips around and hunches forward, pointing directly at the location Hayate and the others were supposed to teleport to. Orange chains lock around it, trying to tear it away, but it holds itself still as power gathers along its wings. You hurtle forward and slam onto the dragon's head, impaling it with Laevateinn … perhaps three centimeters. It's just too big … but the gathering energy spreads toward its head, and you grin - and when the glossy sheen of power washes over you, you simultaneously flare your aura and pour power into Laevateinn. The resulting explosion launches you away, and then something else sends you spinning until Fate catches you. You look up at her for a moment, temporarily confused by her worried expression, then look down at the mess of your body: one leg missing, the other strangely crystallized; a gaping hole in your left side; and you only still have Laevateinn because the explosion launched it into your lung. You shrug and, after making sure you still can fly, float away and look at the dragon.
The explosion barely harmed it, it seems. Shook it, sure, and disrupted its aim, but it doesn't seem that badly hurt by having part of its head engulfed by an explosion. But it is slowed down, and as more orange chains loop themselves around it, silvery spears hurtle toward it. Most are deflected, or fail to penetrate, but some do pierce it, resulting in a cataclysmic roar from the dragon's throat. But most importantly, two massive green magic circles appear above and below the dragon, and before it can completely recover, it vanishes. Fate looks up into the sky - away from the sun, thankfully - and after several long seconds, a strangely purple star erupts in the sky, and she sighs in relief. That probably means it worked.
You follow her down to Hayate and the others, admiring the craters the dragon's wild attack on the binders made - only failing because you diverted is primary blast and Hayate's shield was enough to block the rest - and mostly ignoring Hayate's scolding lecture on your reckless attack. You do hear that they're planning to visit the night-demons' fixed portal and see if anything can be done about that, though ….
What do you do?
[ ] Ignore it, not your problem anymore. Besides, you have important things to do, like sleep, and coddle Satsuki, and ignore the Sankt-Kaiser.
[ ] Go through it and talk to the spokes-demon if it's still around. After everything that's happened, it deserves to be abused verbally for a bit.
[ ] Other?
A Wise Hermit
Well, Sometimes.
[X] Ignore it, not your problem anymore. Besides, you have important things to do, like sleep, and coddle Satsuki, and ignore the Sankt-Kaiser.
Unless the night-demons somehow have other reserve bases stashed away somewhere, I pretty sure that the TSAB will be able to handle this. If they can't, they always have the option to ask for our services.
Unless the night-demons somehow have other reserve bases stashed away somewhere, I pretty sure that the TSAB will be able to handle this. If they can't, they always have the option to ask for our services.
- Location
- London
[X] Ignore it, not your problem anymore. Besides, you have important things to do, like sleep, and coddle Satsuki, and ignore the Sankt-Kaiser.
[X] Go through it and talk to the spokes-demon if it's still around. After everything that's happened, it deserves to be abused verbally for a bit.
A Wise Hermit
Well, Sometimes.
I don't see why we need to personally go and consolidate our power over the spokes-demon. Chances are is that he's trying to look for us as well, so let us ignore him; Let him sither in anger a little bit more.
Let the TSAB get him, and then after we're done with fluffiness then we can go to talk to him after he's captured. I'm just not seeing a reason to do it ourselves, and denying counsel to him is a good way to spite him.
Let the TSAB get him, and then after we're done with fluffiness then we can go to talk to him after he's captured. I'm just not seeing a reason to do it ourselves, and denying counsel to him is a good way to spite him.
[X] Ignore it, not your problem anymore. Besides, you have important things to do, like sleep, and coddle Satsuki, and ignore the Sankt-Kaiser.
Yuyuko's Visit
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
The front doors of the Scarlet Devil Mansion swung outward and Yuyuko drifted slowly inside, settling on her feet as the doors shut with an echoing boom. She looked around the empty entry hall, but the only light sources were carried by the wispy phantoms that attended her, so she couldn't see much, even after advancing into the middle of the room. The gatekeeper had been most courteous, and had even let her enter without an invitation after she had explained the reason for her visit, although she had been told to stay in the entry hall.. "… But this is odd. Mysterious and spooky, even! Maybe I should go exploring to find out what is wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong, Lady Yuyuko." The words were accompanied by an immediate increase in the level of light, and Yuyuko turned around to see the chief maid of the mansion standing behind her, iron lantern in hand. She put her hands over her heart in mock distress.
"Oh! What a shock! You nearly killed me!" She grinned at Sakuya, but the white-haired maid simply bowed her head and walked past her.
"If you will follow me, Milady will see you in her office." Yuyuko frowned but followed the maid, humming to herself in an effort to improve the mood. Her phantoms were cheery sorts, and the strangely gloomy atmosphere of the mansion was putting them out of sorts.
"… Are you sure nothing is wrong? The mansion isn't usually like this." She studied the halls as they walked, trying to keep track of where they had gone, but something felt wrong about that. Was the bleak ambience affecting her, too, or was something more sinister afoot?
"Nothing is wrong, and this is how the mansion normally is. If we aren't expecting visitors, unused areas of the mansion are kept dark. If someone does have business to conduct in those areas, they are lighted appropriately." Yuyuko looked meaningfully at the unlit sconces set into the walls and sighed to herself. It was not an entirely unexpected reaction to her presence - she had told the gatekeeper she was here for business relating to Yukari, after all - but it was … disheartening, considering her friend's worries. She thought about the vampire she was going to meet and considered again her surroundings. Remilia didn't seem like the sort of person to deliberately cultivate such a dreary atmosphere; menacing, yes, and hostile, of course. But this … almost depressive feeling? She shook her head. Had something come through the portals that was a threat to Gensokyo? That was hardly something she could ask Sakuya, of course, so she simply followed the maid in silence. After several minutes they stopped in front of a door as unassuming as the rest, and Sakuya gently knocked twice. "Milady? Lady Yuyuko is here to see you." The door opened, swinging out into the hall.
"Come in, Yuyuko. Sakuya, back to your work." Remilia's voice was flat and disinterested; Sakuya bowed and vanished, and Yuyuko stepped into the better-lit office. The door swung closed behind her. Remilia stood beside the desk, waiting for her guest to approach. Yuyuko walked across the spotless room and sat down in the waiting chair. Remilia gave a perfunctory bow and poured the two cups of tea before sitting down. Yuyuko took a sip of the tea - harsh and strong, not the green tea she was fond of. "You're here on Yukari's business again?"
"In a way, yes. I don't think she wanted me to come here, but I think it's important that this be cleared up before your next big party." Remilia nodded and waited for her to continue. Yuyuko pursed her lips for a moment; in some ways, talking with someone who could see the future was worse than talking to a mind-reader. She shook her head - there was no sense in playing around or irritating Remilia by obfuscating things and being coy. "… Yukari has … concerns … about these portals of yours. And your plans for them. In particular, the lack of oversight you operate under." She paused, waiting for Remilia's response. The vampire stared at her for a long moment before slowly reaching for her teacup and taking a long sip.
"You mean to say," she began after setting the cup back down, "that Yukari is getting scared because I'm doing something she can't twist to her own ends." Yuyuko fought back a wince, not sure whether Remilia's lack of visible emotion was a good thing or a bad thing. Or whether Remilia's summation matching her own thoughts was good or bad.
"Something like that," she said, and for the first time since entering the mansion, she saw someone display an emotion. She knew some youkai believed that Remilia was little better than an extremely powerful fairy, fickle and childish, and that Patchouli was the real mind behind the mansion's activities, but they were too foolish. Remilia had been a power long before she had taken the magician into her service.
"'Excuse me, I'm here on behalf of my friend, who is the shadow ruler of this realm. Are you planning to supplant her or foment rebellion against her?' Is that about right?" Yuyuko winced; rather than amusement or anger, what she heard in Remilia's voice was bitterness. "Always, always it's about her and Gensokyo. All the time. … What a waste." She sighed and shook her head. Yuyuko frowned.
"You know how important Gensokyo is …." She trailed off as Remilia waved dismissively with wing and claw.
"Gensokyo isn't the only sealed world. I doubt it's even the most prosperous. It probably is the safest, I'll grant. But it's hardly necessary. It's even possible for some creatures to survive in the outside world without the benefit of a sealed realm. … You should know this already. But, since you've come all this way to disrupt my work, I might as well bark on command like my master wants." She pushed her chair over as she rose and walked to a small cabinet. Yuyuko frowned as Remilia opened a drawer and began sifting through papers, eventually returning to the desk with two of them. Yuyuko read the first one, eyes widening.
"… A contract to not reveal anything I've seen to anyone except an agreed-upon individual. And one for Yukari, too." Remilia nodded.
"Yes. With the qualification that you can share the information if you truly believe it is absolutely necessary for Gensokyo's survival, so long as you require similar contracts preventing rapid spread of the information. And, of course, once the information is widely known, the contract will be null and void." Yuyuko studied the contract intently, but it was remarkably straightforward; no loopholes for her to abuse, but neither were there any traps.
"… So I simply write Yukari's name here, right? And then sign it?" Remilia nodded and Yukari picked up the pen, dipped it in the inkwell that was provided to her, and wrote the names. As usual, nothing felt different … but then, she wasn't trying to do anything against the contract right now. Remilia stood abruptly and walked to the door. "Eh? Aren't you going to keep this?"
"You can keep it if you like. Or burn it, or whatever. Once signed, it's in effect, so keeping the original is only really necessary if you want to keep the specifics of the agreement handy. Anyway, come along, come along." Remilia waved for her to hurry up, so after a moment's though she picked up both contracts and carried them with her. She frowned at the doorway - no longer did it show the dark hallway she had entered from, but a balcony overlooking the mansion's library. A small hand pushed against her back and she walked through; Remilia shut the door and walked in front of her. "Ask Yukari how handy it is to just be able to walk through a door and end up across the house, especially in a mansion as big as this. Besides, it's not like I've had much to do over the decades." They stared out at the rows of bookshelves, stretching farther than Yuyuko's eyes could see, and then Remilia shook her head and walked down a small stairway to the ground floor.
"Yukari said she couldn't look into the area you were using for your experiments …." The vampire nodded and turned so she was walking backward, her expression upgraded to 'neutral'.
"Indeed, I'd hoped we managed to make it right. Good to know that that worked." She grinned at the confusion on Yuyuko's face. "Now, is that real confusion, or do you just want confirmation on a theory you have? Hehe, well, I guess it doesn't matter." She spun back around. "You see, the best defense is someone not knowing it's there, so there are a heap of spells trying to keep that from happening, but we've also put a lot of effort into making sure that no one can get through - not without doing a very convincing imitation of Marisa, anyway. Not that a single Master Spark would break through the wards we set up, either."
"So what you're doing is dangerous." Remilia's barking laughter echoed off the shelves.
"So is Marisa's Hakkero. For that matter, so is a depressed human villager with a grudge and an axe." She glanced at Yuyuko. "Seriously, get Yukari started on making Reimu a grandmother already. If this project of hers isn't going to be done in the next decade, having as many back-ups as possible is just good sense. I've tried telling her that, but maybe she'll listen to you." Yuyuko winced at the vehemence of the vampire's argument, and decided against telling her that Yukari was considering Sanae as a temporary replacement, if anything should happen to Reimu. "Anyway. There are a number of defenses around the project area. First, if you aren't keyed to the area, you simply can't access it because space warps you past it. If you somehow manage to unravel the space-distortion, you have to get past a solid curtain of iron - and there's another distortion on the other side. We don't want someone accidentally getting in, so the only way that could happen is if someone has a natural, passive ability to undo space distortions and let them pass through solid objects. This person would also have to have the ability to do that without setting off alarms from the wards simply tracking people's passage, and then they would have to accidentally on-purpose activate the portals, because we don't simply leave them active. Except that fucking magician …." Yuyuko glanced at the vampire, confused at the muttered imprecation, but Remilia simply shook her head and reached back to grab Yuyuko's arm. Thus connected, they took two more steps. Suddenly, the circular area they were in changed - they were surrounded by desks heaped with papers and books, and freestanding doorways without doors. "Tchah! Patchy! I thought you were going to clean this place up." The magician sat at the lone clear desk, writing or drawing something.
"I've had an attack of indecision. I don't know what aesthetic I should go for." Remilia snorted and shook her head. "So this means I won the bet, right? You'll make me whatever I want?"
"Unless you want to give me a spanking instead. And no Yogurt Pomme Pomme or Ultimate Hamburger. Those just lead to trouble." Patchouli chuckled.
"Will you make me a Ruby Pie? While wearing a cute maid's uniform?" Yuyuko smiled patiently; people put up with her apparent cluelessness, so she could put up with this good-natured joking.
"… Well, what do you plan on doing with these … portals?" Remilia narrowed her eyes and stared at Yuyuko for a moment, then shrugged.
"Well, originally and entirely, they were for Flandre. You might be aware that her reputation is not particularly high; she's considered a lunatic and a monster even among youkai. So she can't really come outside and play, especially since most of the ways she likes to play are rejected by Gensokyoans, and most people can't play with her very well. So, these portals! We find a world where she can play to her heart's content, where it doesn't matter what people think because we don't have to worry about what they think. If Flandre wants to obliterate a city, it doesn't matter. If she wants to try and make human friends, she's welcome to do so - and if they betray her trust, killing them won't matter, because they aren't Gensokyoans." Yuyuko frowned, piecing together what she knew of what had happened so far - what Yukari had told her.
"But … you're planning on telling people about the portals soon, aren't you?" Remilia nodded.
"Yes. In large part because Flandre's choices have presented a need - not only the two Illyasviels, but also the two Tohsakas, and the Mid-Childans as well. But also, because announcing these portals is an opportunity." Yuyuko's frown deepened.
"So you are planning on having it out with Yukari." Remilia blinked, then laughed.
"Oh, please. If I decide to kill her, she won't have any warning. No, this is an opportunity for youkai. You've noticed it, haven't you? They're bored; their powers are waning. The Spell Card system keeps them alive, but doesn't nourish them. And I have access to worlds where they can thrive, flourish. Maybe even grow. And maybe there are some youkai who … just don't fit in Gensokyo, despite its inclusiveness. Of course, there would be … restrictions. I can't very well let all of Gensokyo leave at once - and certainly, I don't want them dirtying my mansion! So what will happen is that I'll explain things to the leaders of the different communities - the oni, and celestials, and tengu, and so on - so they can make informed decisions on whether their kind should be involved. And then they can work things out with Yukari so that this doesn't become some kind of false Incident, or otherwise imbalance Gensokyo."
"And so no one tries to bring home pet reality warpers that will cause an incident," Patchouli said, and Remilia shivered. Yuyuko cocked her head curiously.
"No fairies. Never, ever, at any point, will any fairies enter this space, or a use a portal. I'm not dealing with the headaches their shenanigans cause." Yuyuko nodded sagely; whatever Remilia was referring to, she probably didn't want to know.
"I see. Then … another question. How difficult is - all this? Constructing these 'portals' and moving between worlds?" Remilia tilted her head and looked up at the ceiling.
"It's time-consuming to initially set them up, although I've gotten better at it. If things are properly set up, it should only take me a few hours to find a compatible world. Then Patchouli helps set an anchor, because she's better at magic, and we want it as inconspicuous as possible, so it's actually offset from the true entry point. Keeps us safe from the locals' attention. But in terms of power …." She frowned and cocked her head at Patchouli. The magician shrugged.
"It depends. Anchored worlds are easy to get to and only consume a single tome. Finding a new world depends on how 'close' it is, and how stable the connection is. I think the most difficult world we've found required a human magician's lifetime worth of magic to find and anchor." Remilia nodded, and Yuyuko frowned at the pair's nonchalant agreement, but cleared her face and smiled when the vampire turned back to her.
"I see. … Well, Yukari can't see into here, so I should probably go and make sure she doesn't worry any more." Remilia grinned toothily.
"Of course, of course; I'll make sure to put some thought into any other objections that might be made and have them ready come the party's time." Yuyuko nodded again, and was relieved when stepping away from the sequestered pair brought her out into the library proper, unable to see the now-disquieting portals.
"… I'll just … find my own way out, thank you."
"Nothing is wrong, Lady Yuyuko." The words were accompanied by an immediate increase in the level of light, and Yuyuko turned around to see the chief maid of the mansion standing behind her, iron lantern in hand. She put her hands over her heart in mock distress.
"Oh! What a shock! You nearly killed me!" She grinned at Sakuya, but the white-haired maid simply bowed her head and walked past her.
"If you will follow me, Milady will see you in her office." Yuyuko frowned but followed the maid, humming to herself in an effort to improve the mood. Her phantoms were cheery sorts, and the strangely gloomy atmosphere of the mansion was putting them out of sorts.
"… Are you sure nothing is wrong? The mansion isn't usually like this." She studied the halls as they walked, trying to keep track of where they had gone, but something felt wrong about that. Was the bleak ambience affecting her, too, or was something more sinister afoot?
"Nothing is wrong, and this is how the mansion normally is. If we aren't expecting visitors, unused areas of the mansion are kept dark. If someone does have business to conduct in those areas, they are lighted appropriately." Yuyuko looked meaningfully at the unlit sconces set into the walls and sighed to herself. It was not an entirely unexpected reaction to her presence - she had told the gatekeeper she was here for business relating to Yukari, after all - but it was … disheartening, considering her friend's worries. She thought about the vampire she was going to meet and considered again her surroundings. Remilia didn't seem like the sort of person to deliberately cultivate such a dreary atmosphere; menacing, yes, and hostile, of course. But this … almost depressive feeling? She shook her head. Had something come through the portals that was a threat to Gensokyo? That was hardly something she could ask Sakuya, of course, so she simply followed the maid in silence. After several minutes they stopped in front of a door as unassuming as the rest, and Sakuya gently knocked twice. "Milady? Lady Yuyuko is here to see you." The door opened, swinging out into the hall.
"Come in, Yuyuko. Sakuya, back to your work." Remilia's voice was flat and disinterested; Sakuya bowed and vanished, and Yuyuko stepped into the better-lit office. The door swung closed behind her. Remilia stood beside the desk, waiting for her guest to approach. Yuyuko walked across the spotless room and sat down in the waiting chair. Remilia gave a perfunctory bow and poured the two cups of tea before sitting down. Yuyuko took a sip of the tea - harsh and strong, not the green tea she was fond of. "You're here on Yukari's business again?"
"In a way, yes. I don't think she wanted me to come here, but I think it's important that this be cleared up before your next big party." Remilia nodded and waited for her to continue. Yuyuko pursed her lips for a moment; in some ways, talking with someone who could see the future was worse than talking to a mind-reader. She shook her head - there was no sense in playing around or irritating Remilia by obfuscating things and being coy. "… Yukari has … concerns … about these portals of yours. And your plans for them. In particular, the lack of oversight you operate under." She paused, waiting for Remilia's response. The vampire stared at her for a long moment before slowly reaching for her teacup and taking a long sip.
"You mean to say," she began after setting the cup back down, "that Yukari is getting scared because I'm doing something she can't twist to her own ends." Yuyuko fought back a wince, not sure whether Remilia's lack of visible emotion was a good thing or a bad thing. Or whether Remilia's summation matching her own thoughts was good or bad.
"Something like that," she said, and for the first time since entering the mansion, she saw someone display an emotion. She knew some youkai believed that Remilia was little better than an extremely powerful fairy, fickle and childish, and that Patchouli was the real mind behind the mansion's activities, but they were too foolish. Remilia had been a power long before she had taken the magician into her service.
"'Excuse me, I'm here on behalf of my friend, who is the shadow ruler of this realm. Are you planning to supplant her or foment rebellion against her?' Is that about right?" Yuyuko winced; rather than amusement or anger, what she heard in Remilia's voice was bitterness. "Always, always it's about her and Gensokyo. All the time. … What a waste." She sighed and shook her head. Yuyuko frowned.
"You know how important Gensokyo is …." She trailed off as Remilia waved dismissively with wing and claw.
"Gensokyo isn't the only sealed world. I doubt it's even the most prosperous. It probably is the safest, I'll grant. But it's hardly necessary. It's even possible for some creatures to survive in the outside world without the benefit of a sealed realm. … You should know this already. But, since you've come all this way to disrupt my work, I might as well bark on command like my master wants." She pushed her chair over as she rose and walked to a small cabinet. Yuyuko frowned as Remilia opened a drawer and began sifting through papers, eventually returning to the desk with two of them. Yuyuko read the first one, eyes widening.
"… A contract to not reveal anything I've seen to anyone except an agreed-upon individual. And one for Yukari, too." Remilia nodded.
"Yes. With the qualification that you can share the information if you truly believe it is absolutely necessary for Gensokyo's survival, so long as you require similar contracts preventing rapid spread of the information. And, of course, once the information is widely known, the contract will be null and void." Yuyuko studied the contract intently, but it was remarkably straightforward; no loopholes for her to abuse, but neither were there any traps.
"… So I simply write Yukari's name here, right? And then sign it?" Remilia nodded and Yukari picked up the pen, dipped it in the inkwell that was provided to her, and wrote the names. As usual, nothing felt different … but then, she wasn't trying to do anything against the contract right now. Remilia stood abruptly and walked to the door. "Eh? Aren't you going to keep this?"
"You can keep it if you like. Or burn it, or whatever. Once signed, it's in effect, so keeping the original is only really necessary if you want to keep the specifics of the agreement handy. Anyway, come along, come along." Remilia waved for her to hurry up, so after a moment's though she picked up both contracts and carried them with her. She frowned at the doorway - no longer did it show the dark hallway she had entered from, but a balcony overlooking the mansion's library. A small hand pushed against her back and she walked through; Remilia shut the door and walked in front of her. "Ask Yukari how handy it is to just be able to walk through a door and end up across the house, especially in a mansion as big as this. Besides, it's not like I've had much to do over the decades." They stared out at the rows of bookshelves, stretching farther than Yuyuko's eyes could see, and then Remilia shook her head and walked down a small stairway to the ground floor.
"Yukari said she couldn't look into the area you were using for your experiments …." The vampire nodded and turned so she was walking backward, her expression upgraded to 'neutral'.
"Indeed, I'd hoped we managed to make it right. Good to know that that worked." She grinned at the confusion on Yuyuko's face. "Now, is that real confusion, or do you just want confirmation on a theory you have? Hehe, well, I guess it doesn't matter." She spun back around. "You see, the best defense is someone not knowing it's there, so there are a heap of spells trying to keep that from happening, but we've also put a lot of effort into making sure that no one can get through - not without doing a very convincing imitation of Marisa, anyway. Not that a single Master Spark would break through the wards we set up, either."
"So what you're doing is dangerous." Remilia's barking laughter echoed off the shelves.
"So is Marisa's Hakkero. For that matter, so is a depressed human villager with a grudge and an axe." She glanced at Yuyuko. "Seriously, get Yukari started on making Reimu a grandmother already. If this project of hers isn't going to be done in the next decade, having as many back-ups as possible is just good sense. I've tried telling her that, but maybe she'll listen to you." Yuyuko winced at the vehemence of the vampire's argument, and decided against telling her that Yukari was considering Sanae as a temporary replacement, if anything should happen to Reimu. "Anyway. There are a number of defenses around the project area. First, if you aren't keyed to the area, you simply can't access it because space warps you past it. If you somehow manage to unravel the space-distortion, you have to get past a solid curtain of iron - and there's another distortion on the other side. We don't want someone accidentally getting in, so the only way that could happen is if someone has a natural, passive ability to undo space distortions and let them pass through solid objects. This person would also have to have the ability to do that without setting off alarms from the wards simply tracking people's passage, and then they would have to accidentally on-purpose activate the portals, because we don't simply leave them active. Except that fucking magician …." Yuyuko glanced at the vampire, confused at the muttered imprecation, but Remilia simply shook her head and reached back to grab Yuyuko's arm. Thus connected, they took two more steps. Suddenly, the circular area they were in changed - they were surrounded by desks heaped with papers and books, and freestanding doorways without doors. "Tchah! Patchy! I thought you were going to clean this place up." The magician sat at the lone clear desk, writing or drawing something.
"I've had an attack of indecision. I don't know what aesthetic I should go for." Remilia snorted and shook her head. "So this means I won the bet, right? You'll make me whatever I want?"
"Unless you want to give me a spanking instead. And no Yogurt Pomme Pomme or Ultimate Hamburger. Those just lead to trouble." Patchouli chuckled.
"Will you make me a Ruby Pie? While wearing a cute maid's uniform?" Yuyuko smiled patiently; people put up with her apparent cluelessness, so she could put up with this good-natured joking.
"… Well, what do you plan on doing with these … portals?" Remilia narrowed her eyes and stared at Yuyuko for a moment, then shrugged.
"Well, originally and entirely, they were for Flandre. You might be aware that her reputation is not particularly high; she's considered a lunatic and a monster even among youkai. So she can't really come outside and play, especially since most of the ways she likes to play are rejected by Gensokyoans, and most people can't play with her very well. So, these portals! We find a world where she can play to her heart's content, where it doesn't matter what people think because we don't have to worry about what they think. If Flandre wants to obliterate a city, it doesn't matter. If she wants to try and make human friends, she's welcome to do so - and if they betray her trust, killing them won't matter, because they aren't Gensokyoans." Yuyuko frowned, piecing together what she knew of what had happened so far - what Yukari had told her.
"But … you're planning on telling people about the portals soon, aren't you?" Remilia nodded.
"Yes. In large part because Flandre's choices have presented a need - not only the two Illyasviels, but also the two Tohsakas, and the Mid-Childans as well. But also, because announcing these portals is an opportunity." Yuyuko's frown deepened.
"So you are planning on having it out with Yukari." Remilia blinked, then laughed.
"Oh, please. If I decide to kill her, she won't have any warning. No, this is an opportunity for youkai. You've noticed it, haven't you? They're bored; their powers are waning. The Spell Card system keeps them alive, but doesn't nourish them. And I have access to worlds where they can thrive, flourish. Maybe even grow. And maybe there are some youkai who … just don't fit in Gensokyo, despite its inclusiveness. Of course, there would be … restrictions. I can't very well let all of Gensokyo leave at once - and certainly, I don't want them dirtying my mansion! So what will happen is that I'll explain things to the leaders of the different communities - the oni, and celestials, and tengu, and so on - so they can make informed decisions on whether their kind should be involved. And then they can work things out with Yukari so that this doesn't become some kind of false Incident, or otherwise imbalance Gensokyo."
"And so no one tries to bring home pet reality warpers that will cause an incident," Patchouli said, and Remilia shivered. Yuyuko cocked her head curiously.
"No fairies. Never, ever, at any point, will any fairies enter this space, or a use a portal. I'm not dealing with the headaches their shenanigans cause." Yuyuko nodded sagely; whatever Remilia was referring to, she probably didn't want to know.
"I see. Then … another question. How difficult is - all this? Constructing these 'portals' and moving between worlds?" Remilia tilted her head and looked up at the ceiling.
"It's time-consuming to initially set them up, although I've gotten better at it. If things are properly set up, it should only take me a few hours to find a compatible world. Then Patchouli helps set an anchor, because she's better at magic, and we want it as inconspicuous as possible, so it's actually offset from the true entry point. Keeps us safe from the locals' attention. But in terms of power …." She frowned and cocked her head at Patchouli. The magician shrugged.
"It depends. Anchored worlds are easy to get to and only consume a single tome. Finding a new world depends on how 'close' it is, and how stable the connection is. I think the most difficult world we've found required a human magician's lifetime worth of magic to find and anchor." Remilia nodded, and Yuyuko frowned at the pair's nonchalant agreement, but cleared her face and smiled when the vampire turned back to her.
"I see. … Well, Yukari can't see into here, so I should probably go and make sure she doesn't worry any more." Remilia grinned toothily.
"Of course, of course; I'll make sure to put some thought into any other objections that might be made and have them ready come the party's time." Yuyuko nodded again, and was relieved when stepping away from the sequestered pair brought her out into the library proper, unable to see the now-disquieting portals.
"… I'll just … find my own way out, thank you."
Not ... terribly happy about that one, but I think a lot of that is on Yuyuko. I don't get her very well.
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Talking to the Spokes-Demon
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
[X] Go through it and talk to the spokes-demon if it's still around. After everything that's happened, it deserves to be abused verbally for a bit.
"Are we leaving right away?" Fate and Hayate pause in their conversation to stare quizzically at you. "To see the night-demons." Fate frowns and Hayate gives you a worried look.
"Er, we were - but you don't have to come, Flandre, and your leg …." You look down at your crystalline limb as Hayate trails off. Shamal approaches you hesitantly - right, she is a doctor - but you wave her back as you experiment with your leg. It doesn't work properly, of course, and your ankle and toes don't articulate, but it doesn't hurt and it doesn't seem to be expanding, either. After a few seconds, you shrug.
"It'll be fine. If there's a problem, I'll just break it off and regrow it." They all give you looks with some degree of horror in them. "So, we're leaving now?" Hayate sputters helplessly before turning to Fate, who sighs and shrugs.
"We … had been planning on waiting, because we were going to ask if you wanted to come along but thought you might want to wait to have your leg examined, but if you're ready to go now …." You nod and she gestures with her head to approach. Everyone clusters around Shamal, and she focuses for a moment. Her rings gleam and threads emerge, forming two circles, one above your heads and the other below your feet - and then they collide, and you're standing on a hilltop overlooking a shattered city.
"That's the city Lady Vivio was protecting when the night-demons overran her position," Verossa says from behind you. You turn to look at him; he should probably still be in a hospital, rather than up and about, and even his guards look worse for wear.
"Verossa! What are you doing out of bed?" Hayate scowls and wags her finger at him, and he smiles self-deprecatingly.
"I'm actually in better shape than Carim right now, and she wanted to come along." Hayate's head drops and she bangs her staff against her skull.
"Inspector Acous, you will stay in as protected a position as you can manage?" He grins at Fate's question and nods.
"Right next to Hayate. After all, I am injured, and I may need someone to help hold me up." Hayate squares her shoulders and scowls, and one of Verossa's guards shakes his head. Verossa frowns at you - at your leg - as you float past him to the work crew excavating something. Locals, for the most part, digging by hand; they actually have a small tunnel that goes into the hillside. One of the workers stares at you for a long moment before dropping her pick and folding in on herself. Some of the other workers glare at you, but most seem utterly disinterested in your presence. The now-sobbing woman is helped away by some of her comrades.
"We're going into that tunnel, right?" Everyone is giving you a searching look instead of responding, and you sigh and roll your eyes. "Look, there's no point in my trying to explain myself to them, especially since I'm likely as not going to say something they won't like. Yes, not saying anything would probably be a problem, but it's not my problem to deal with. So let's just get this over with and you can try explaining things however you want after I'm gone. So, underground?" Verossa nods stiffly and you fly down, ignoring the workers as they shuffle back. There are lights available for people going into the tunnel, but you simply summon a few danmaku bullets and float slowly so the others can catch up.
No one says anything as you progress underground, at least not to you; for all you know, of course, there could be a lively telepathic conversation going on behind you. But the few times you look back, all you can tell is that something bothers Verossa quite a lot about being down here. Maybe he just doesn't like being underground? Whatever the reason, he doesn't slow you down - really, what takes so long is the simple fact of distance to your target, although you grin once you reach an area you've been through before. From there, it's a simple matter of following the broken lights to the night-demons' portal. It's still active, and there's a small guard posted on this side: four of the biggest brown night-demons you've seen, all wearing rough-looking plate armor but carrying exquisitely-made weapons … weapons that are definitely not sized for the current wielders. They aren't immediately aggressive, however, despite the others' reactions, and you float forward, looking warily for evidence of hidden greens. Before you can entirely finish, however, the spokes-demon limps through the portal. "Well, well. Come to gloat?" It sounds tired, but not quite defeated. You're pretty sure you know what Fate and Hayate are going to say, although you're not quite as sure about Verossa. Still, you're here for a reason, too.
"Not really. I mean, not really much of a point to it, you know? I'm not exactly going to count this as one of my most hard-fought battles; I'm mostly going to just be annoyed at how irritating it was, and most of that had more to do with people on my own side and not things you actually did. If I remember you -"
"Flandre!" You turn and glare vilely at Fate, but the spokes-demon chuckles.
"No, do please continue. I had supposed it would be too much to hope that you would decide to take control of us after having proved your superiority - one of our past rulers did that, you know? Fought us, proved she didn't need us, and then ruled us anyway. Died of old age, I believe." You snort.
"Fate, these things are just like me - evil and unrepentant of the fact. The big difference is that while I'm intelligent enough to understand why holding myself back is a good idea, these things are dumb. They wanted me to rule them, based on a few minutes of appraisal - and the only way they could think to get my attention was to slaughter every child on this planet that looks vaguely like me. And it almost didn't work! They are incompetent, stupid, and uncontrollable; all they're good for would be as bodies to absorb your enemies' attacks, and if you need those so badly that you're considering allying with these cretins, might I suggest instead that you use the Gadget Drones?" You turn away from the humans and face the spokes-demon once more. "You thought that I would lower myself to rule your pathetic kind? Thought that I would serve as a mere figurehead, a rallying point to worship and serve as a focus? You know nothing of me, thing. You simply saw potential, and your desperation blinded you to reality. To bind myself to a worthless, self-less, powerless group such as your own, when I have worth and goals, when I have my own self, when I have power? You would give me nothing I cannot take for myself, and would restrict me. You think me just a child, when I am a full-born nightmare, a disaster wrapped in flesh. Were I sorcerous, I would curse your kind entire; instead, I merely rely on your words - you will all die. Slowly, suffering, and not by the hand of men or my own hands. Death will be your lot; you will die, and should be forgotten and unmourned, your passing to less than dust not even celebrated, for such is the worth you have." The spokes-demon chuckles, bows - and then turns to Fate and Hayate.
"We have been repudiated. In lieu of a proper ruler, I don't suppose either of you would be willing to master us? You both have quite the potential - although you are Belkan, so we would have to do something about that staff and the book." Hayate stiffens and glares, and Shamal raises her hands as if to fight as well. The night-demon sighs and shakes its head before focusing on Fate instead.
"… Have you any interest in living alongside other people? If that is impossible, would it be possible to move you to another planet?" The spokes-demon laughs, at least until the laughter sputters into choking, and when it calms down it spits to the side.
"And the worthy one called us stupid."
What do you do?
[ ] This isn't going anywhere; destroy the portal with Laevateinn and go back to the ship.
[ ] Boring! Tell Fate you're done here and want to go back to the ship.
[ ] The night-demons seem resigned to their fate, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're done. Stick around in case something actually interesting happens.
[ ] Other?
"Are we leaving right away?" Fate and Hayate pause in their conversation to stare quizzically at you. "To see the night-demons." Fate frowns and Hayate gives you a worried look.
"Er, we were - but you don't have to come, Flandre, and your leg …." You look down at your crystalline limb as Hayate trails off. Shamal approaches you hesitantly - right, she is a doctor - but you wave her back as you experiment with your leg. It doesn't work properly, of course, and your ankle and toes don't articulate, but it doesn't hurt and it doesn't seem to be expanding, either. After a few seconds, you shrug.
"It'll be fine. If there's a problem, I'll just break it off and regrow it." They all give you looks with some degree of horror in them. "So, we're leaving now?" Hayate sputters helplessly before turning to Fate, who sighs and shrugs.
"We … had been planning on waiting, because we were going to ask if you wanted to come along but thought you might want to wait to have your leg examined, but if you're ready to go now …." You nod and she gestures with her head to approach. Everyone clusters around Shamal, and she focuses for a moment. Her rings gleam and threads emerge, forming two circles, one above your heads and the other below your feet - and then they collide, and you're standing on a hilltop overlooking a shattered city.
"That's the city Lady Vivio was protecting when the night-demons overran her position," Verossa says from behind you. You turn to look at him; he should probably still be in a hospital, rather than up and about, and even his guards look worse for wear.
"Verossa! What are you doing out of bed?" Hayate scowls and wags her finger at him, and he smiles self-deprecatingly.
"I'm actually in better shape than Carim right now, and she wanted to come along." Hayate's head drops and she bangs her staff against her skull.
"Inspector Acous, you will stay in as protected a position as you can manage?" He grins at Fate's question and nods.
"Right next to Hayate. After all, I am injured, and I may need someone to help hold me up." Hayate squares her shoulders and scowls, and one of Verossa's guards shakes his head. Verossa frowns at you - at your leg - as you float past him to the work crew excavating something. Locals, for the most part, digging by hand; they actually have a small tunnel that goes into the hillside. One of the workers stares at you for a long moment before dropping her pick and folding in on herself. Some of the other workers glare at you, but most seem utterly disinterested in your presence. The now-sobbing woman is helped away by some of her comrades.
"We're going into that tunnel, right?" Everyone is giving you a searching look instead of responding, and you sigh and roll your eyes. "Look, there's no point in my trying to explain myself to them, especially since I'm likely as not going to say something they won't like. Yes, not saying anything would probably be a problem, but it's not my problem to deal with. So let's just get this over with and you can try explaining things however you want after I'm gone. So, underground?" Verossa nods stiffly and you fly down, ignoring the workers as they shuffle back. There are lights available for people going into the tunnel, but you simply summon a few danmaku bullets and float slowly so the others can catch up.
No one says anything as you progress underground, at least not to you; for all you know, of course, there could be a lively telepathic conversation going on behind you. But the few times you look back, all you can tell is that something bothers Verossa quite a lot about being down here. Maybe he just doesn't like being underground? Whatever the reason, he doesn't slow you down - really, what takes so long is the simple fact of distance to your target, although you grin once you reach an area you've been through before. From there, it's a simple matter of following the broken lights to the night-demons' portal. It's still active, and there's a small guard posted on this side: four of the biggest brown night-demons you've seen, all wearing rough-looking plate armor but carrying exquisitely-made weapons … weapons that are definitely not sized for the current wielders. They aren't immediately aggressive, however, despite the others' reactions, and you float forward, looking warily for evidence of hidden greens. Before you can entirely finish, however, the spokes-demon limps through the portal. "Well, well. Come to gloat?" It sounds tired, but not quite defeated. You're pretty sure you know what Fate and Hayate are going to say, although you're not quite as sure about Verossa. Still, you're here for a reason, too.
"Not really. I mean, not really much of a point to it, you know? I'm not exactly going to count this as one of my most hard-fought battles; I'm mostly going to just be annoyed at how irritating it was, and most of that had more to do with people on my own side and not things you actually did. If I remember you -"
"Flandre!" You turn and glare vilely at Fate, but the spokes-demon chuckles.
"No, do please continue. I had supposed it would be too much to hope that you would decide to take control of us after having proved your superiority - one of our past rulers did that, you know? Fought us, proved she didn't need us, and then ruled us anyway. Died of old age, I believe." You snort.
"Fate, these things are just like me - evil and unrepentant of the fact. The big difference is that while I'm intelligent enough to understand why holding myself back is a good idea, these things are dumb. They wanted me to rule them, based on a few minutes of appraisal - and the only way they could think to get my attention was to slaughter every child on this planet that looks vaguely like me. And it almost didn't work! They are incompetent, stupid, and uncontrollable; all they're good for would be as bodies to absorb your enemies' attacks, and if you need those so badly that you're considering allying with these cretins, might I suggest instead that you use the Gadget Drones?" You turn away from the humans and face the spokes-demon once more. "You thought that I would lower myself to rule your pathetic kind? Thought that I would serve as a mere figurehead, a rallying point to worship and serve as a focus? You know nothing of me, thing. You simply saw potential, and your desperation blinded you to reality. To bind myself to a worthless, self-less, powerless group such as your own, when I have worth and goals, when I have my own self, when I have power? You would give me nothing I cannot take for myself, and would restrict me. You think me just a child, when I am a full-born nightmare, a disaster wrapped in flesh. Were I sorcerous, I would curse your kind entire; instead, I merely rely on your words - you will all die. Slowly, suffering, and not by the hand of men or my own hands. Death will be your lot; you will die, and should be forgotten and unmourned, your passing to less than dust not even celebrated, for such is the worth you have." The spokes-demon chuckles, bows - and then turns to Fate and Hayate.
"We have been repudiated. In lieu of a proper ruler, I don't suppose either of you would be willing to master us? You both have quite the potential - although you are Belkan, so we would have to do something about that staff and the book." Hayate stiffens and glares, and Shamal raises her hands as if to fight as well. The night-demon sighs and shakes its head before focusing on Fate instead.
"… Have you any interest in living alongside other people? If that is impossible, would it be possible to move you to another planet?" The spokes-demon laughs, at least until the laughter sputters into choking, and when it calms down it spits to the side.
"And the worthy one called us stupid."
What do you do?
[ ] This isn't going anywhere; destroy the portal with Laevateinn and go back to the ship.
[ ] Boring! Tell Fate you're done here and want to go back to the ship.
[ ] The night-demons seem resigned to their fate, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're done. Stick around in case something actually interesting happens.
[ ] Other?
[X] The night-demons seem resigned to their fate, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're done. Stick around in case something actually interesting happens.
Well, he's facing it with dignity, I'll give him that
[x] The night-demons seem resigned to their fate, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're done. Stick around in case something actually interesting happens.