Mahou Ronin Sachiko - A Drifting Magical Girl Tale

Sachiko and Vivi dashed up to the trophy, which was currently placed on a wooden podium in front of a wide blue ranking screen. "B-but how could a trophy have a spirit?" Vivi called out.

"There's a spirit in everything" Sachiko told her "Everything from the highest cloud to the daintiest flower is inhabited by one of the kami".

"Oh, so you're saying how God resides within everything, like that Espinosa philosopher guy?" Vivi piped up.

"Gods. Anyway, on that topic some youkai even started as regular objects, from lutes to lanterns to clocks, before gaining spiritual power with age. Even then, we can't tell whether this Hannya is the spirit of the trophy, or if this trophy's just the Hannya's latest disguise" Sachiko went on.

"Ooh so close, yet so far" the announcer's voice suddenly said behind them. As the two tried to look behind, a huge icy blast sent both of them flying right through the screen, where they then fell down a snowy hill till Sachiko stopped by grabbing hold of a withered tree, catching and holding onto Vivi just before she fell off a high cliff.

The two getting to their feet, both inevitably looked over the cliff and saw it was an immense drop, all the way down through banks of fog and into what looked like an abyss with no end.

"Death's Door" muttered Sachiko, but she was cut from saying anything more when a giant icicle spear burst out of the ground, a split-second dodge barely saving her.

"Now isn't this a real cliffhanger? Not that your tales are to be continued!" the announcer's voice then resounded, with it changing from a male to female voice as it spoke. Sachiko and Vivi looked up to see a snow-clad, snow-skinned woman with midnight black hair standing above them, looking like almost the spitting image of a Yuki-Onna if not for the yellow fangs and horns poking out.

"Eh heh, guess I was wrong 'bout you being the trophy" Sachiko tried to laugh, then shuddered.

"I overheard you, ronin. Your official motive may be that you wanted revenge, but your real desire seems to be friendship just as much" the Yuki-Hannya then gave a dark laugh at her as she conjured up another freezing gale "Well if you want friends, you can make them in Hell!".

Sachiko and Vivi both ran in opposite directions to get away from the icy blast, unfortunately Vivi wasn't fast enough and was knocked off the cliff, only kept from plunging to her death by her clutching a protruding rock.

"Every romance I tried to form" the Yuki-Hannya spat out, as she glided over then raised her foot to stamp down Vivi's frigid fingers "Was shattered when none could withstand my world, any man ending up frozen solid. The very icy form I was born in meant I could never find love, so I'll eagerly freeze anyone who dares claim the adoration that should've been mine!".

Sachiko, acting almost without thought, flung magic fireball after fireball at the snow demon, only for her to effortlessly put them all out by wrapping her arctic winds around her. Still, this at least gave Vivi enough time to lift herself back onto the cliff top. The reporter tried to shoot the Hannya point blank in the face, but said Hannya just made the gun barrel freeze up with a glare.

"That's why I took the role of announcer in the tournament, 'cause don't we all need to do a little class-clowning to hide our true feelings?" the Yuki-Onna just laughed.

"Hannya, I," began Sachiko "I made friends today with an Oni poet and a drumming Dragon priestess, so don't, don't think there's no room left in my world for you. Please, I'll go with you, just stop these killings!".

"Don't mock me!" the Yuki-Hannya roared out, instantly tossing another icicle lance Sachiko's way. "You'd throw caution to the wind so easily? Who'd call a single meeting a 'friendship'? Hah, I thought you were once a samurai, but clearly I see I'm dealing with a schoolgirl!".

"Don't think so low of Sachiko, she's been patient enough to play nice with you, unlike me" another voice then said, as it was Garasha who came out of the blue with a flying kick at the Hannya, with her then swinging all her weapons at her in a rapid-fire flurry.

"And if that wasn't enough, look who else I brought along" Garasha hissed holding her foe by the hem of her snow kimono, as she then threw the Yuki-Hannya upwards. Before the snow demon could react she was pierced by a javelin, thrown by Junji from a watchtower "Haha! You can take my wing, but that won't stop me finishing our fight!".

As the pierced Hannya was about to hit the ground, she was struck again, this time by a mighty blow from an oddly customized spiked club.
"Snow devil woman
Know no wall or shield in Hell
Stops an Oni's club!" proclaimed Motoharu.

The Oni's swing was able to knock her all the way over the seemingly endless cliff, with the five warriors running over to stare down at where it had fallen.

"Yeah, tell the Judge of Hell Sakurai Junji sent ya!" the wounded Ryu roared.

"My my, did I not tell you a Hannya like this would be no match for a Shinsengumi?" Garasha simply smiled and folded her frontmost set of arms.

"Hate to spoil the mood, but I dunno" Vivi spoke up "For all the build-up you guys gave that Hannya, that almost felt... way too easy to me".

It was then the ground below started rumbling. "Oh tell me I didn't just jinx it" grumbled Vivi.

With each almighty tremor, a great beast climbed all the way up to then tower over the five. The Hannya had re-emerged from atop of what looked like a mountain of corpses, all looking like unfortunate young men, with axes and split wooden planks also coming out of it. As for the Hannya herself, not only had her horns, fangs and claws grown far longer, she'd grown four extra arms, her muscles now bulged and her white skin was covered in searing red 'cracks' like a chipped porcelain doll.

"She-she never even got to this form when I fought her" Junji could only stutter, before the Hannya unleashed her now lava-like breath at him. Though his other wing may have been spared, he shrieked his loudest from the to-the-bone burns the left side of his face now had.

"Ahahahahahaha! Things are really 'heating up' right now!" the Hannya let out a ear-splitting cackle.

Motoharu, not even needing asking, ran over to try and carry Junji out of there, only for the Hannya's lava-breath to now sear him. For a while it looked like he could endure it, if not without strain, but then the demoness lashed out with its claws, one of which...

"Motoharu!" Sachiko screamed out.

"Y-you sacrificed..." a stricken Junji could barely find the words.

...pierced straight through the Oni's chest.

Looking at the others one final time, Motoharu said his last.
"Junji, please survive
Ronin, our rematch... must wait
So I leave this life".

The Hannya then simply flung his corpse into the abyss blow. "One down, four to go! Who's next?!" her demonic voiced screeched out, followed by a bout of infernal laughter.

"Y-you..." Sachiko could only snarl. This was more than a mere fan and some spells could handle, she'd have to pull out her very soul, the sword-

[ ] Tokiarashi.
[ ] Yorukasai.
[ ] Sakkakuhime.
[ ] Yume Masamune.
[ ] Write-in.

Which held the power to-

[ ] Cut through grief, and infuse foes with it.
[ ] Cut through time itself, achieving limited time travel.
[ ] Knight illusions, turning them physical.
[ ] Spit fire and lightning from its tip like a fountain.
[ ] Beckon to fallen allies to launch a single strike per battle.
[ ] Slice open wormholes for fast teleportation.
[ ] Write-in.

And the form it took was-

[ ] A standard two-handed katana.
[ ] A katana and wakizashi combo.
[ ] A great and towering nodachi.
[ ] An ancient yet alive tsurugi.
[ ] Write-in.

This brings up to a crucial part of the Tale of the Kitsune Ronin, Sachiko Baishou the Hannya Bane: the first time she unsheathed her blade as a Ronin!

[ ] "My blade is the one true judge over illusion and reality! Come forth, Sakkakuhime!"
[ ] "Now you shall cease to know what is reality and what is fantasy! From the depths of my soul, Sakkakuhime!"
[ ] "I shall take the world you know and slice it in two! The dream without end, Sakkakuhime!"
[ ] Write-in.

In a blast of blinding light, Sachiko drew out the sword forged from her soul, a great double-edged blade marked by rust yet still burning with a ceaseless aura!

But that wasn't all, as another white-hot light surrounded her, condensing into a suit of samurai armour. This armour-
[ ] -was a strong crimson, frilled and elegant, and shone like the Sun! Its helmet bore the sign of a flame!
[ ] -was a dark turquoise, spiked and bulky, and rumbled like a Storm! Its helmet bore the sign of a lightning bolt!
[ ] -was a light lavender, slender and serene, and glowed like the Moon. Its helmet bore the sign of a star...
[ ] Write-in.

As she leaped to dodge another molten breath attack from the Hannya, Sachiko quickly looked behind her to see Vivi escaping with Junji. It was good to see the Ryu still knew the line between Pride and Foolishness, plus it gave Sachiko an idea.

"Behold, foul demoness! See how effortlessly my magic heals all wounds!" she grinned as she conjured up an illusion of a fully-healed Junji, touched him with her sword and set him on the Hannya. "And my powers don't stop there, for even the barrier between life and death crumbles before me!" She did the same with an image of Motoharu.

"Such power..." Garasha whispered to herself, though Sachiko couldn't make out from her tone if the Shinsengumi had fallen for it too or was helping out with her deception. "I shouldn't be falling behind, so here goes. Be ensnared in the web of eternity! Cut the threads of time, Tokisasaru!".

With that Garasha dropped the weapons she'd been using and called forth three katana and three wakizashi for her six arms. Silken armour wrapped tight around her, while a great web-like Shinsengumi coat and flag sprung from her back.

"Hah, you only give them me the pleasure of maiming and killing them all over again!" the Hannya roared out to Sachiko, picking up an axe from below and tossing it straight at the fake Junji, while with a swipe of her claws she sent the fake Motoharu flying into the abyss.

The fox maiden winced, though calmed herself and dashed up to the top of the icy slope, whereupon she conjured a group of five miniature dragons, which she all sent flying at the Hannya. Again the demon simply shredded them with her claws, but it at least brought enough time for Garasha to run up, jump atop those axes attached to the Hannya's, er, base, before she sprang up to make direct eye contact with her and brought all her swords down on her at once.

It was with that the Hannya suddenly froze, a sticky dew substance now all over her, as Garasha then delivered a near-hurricane of slashes upon her. While to Sachiko's eyes none of them looked to be damaging the demon, as the Hannya was able to move those myriad cuts all at once caught up with her. The defenceless monster was sent into a frenzy as she felt every single slash at once.

But Garasha's luck ran out as the Hannya rammed the Shinsengumi with her horns, sending her flying all the way back into the wooden watchtower, too far off for Sachiko to easily go and check if she was still alive.

Alright, time for my coup-de-grace, thought Sachiko. "Behold the full extent of my powers, as from the Abyss I call forth the Goddess of Death, rejected from Heaven, ruling in Hell, to steal your very soul!".

The Hannya turned around to see the giant rotting corpse of a goddess behind her. From a second the demoness stood still, before shrieking out "You won't claim me!" and breathing lava on the great wraith. However, as she saw she'd been able to dispose of this 'death goddess' surprisingly easy, the Hannya just laughed again and said "Ah, I knew it all along! Even if you could grant them some form, you were throwing nothing more than mere illusions at me!".

But while the Hannya's back was turned, Sachiko had cast a fire spell to melt the deep snow around her, before calling down lightning to set electricity on all that water, and then watched as the sparkling torrent flowed straight into and all over the Hannya, electric water even pouring into her eyes.

"Little too real for ya?" Sachiko called out.

That and along with Garasha's time-stored sword whirlwind was more than the Hannya could take, as she let out one last shriek then fell all the way down into the abyss.

It was then Sachiko could then hear a strained voice in the wind "Ronin... was it wrong for a... monster like me, to ever desire love?".

"No, of course not" Sachiko firmly stated "It was, just wrong that it all had to end like this. You, Motoharu... let's just hope Garasha can make it".

The Ronin, sword again sheathed and armour vanished, ran straight over to the Shinsengumi, only for her eyes to widen when she saw Garasha slowly getting back on her feet! "Y-you're alive!" Sachiko smiled as wide as she could.

"No mere Hannya blow pierces Shinsengumi armour" Garasha smiled back. "You know, you'd make a fine Shinsengumi, if you're ever interested... Sorry, I'm getting off topic. Anyway, with that demon gone, let's focus on getting back to Kanaoka. I must rest up, the tournament isn't over after all".

"Huh?" Sachiko gasped "Oh yeah, the Tournament! B-but, how are we gonna explain the announcer vanishing?".

"All can be arranged" Garasha almost chuckled.