Mahou Ronin Sachiko - A Drifting Magical Girl Tale

"Okay remember, bigger they are, harder they fall. When an opponent tries to come at you all arrogant, know that's just an outer shell over a great big emotional weaknesses in their centre. Anyone thinking their invincible's begging to be tripped , they're bound to make an oversight somewhere" Sachiko's advice kept echoing through Vivi's head.

At first glance, Tenago barely looked any different from your usual mountain village. It had the same dirt roads with stones sticking out, wooden huts, a couple of red bridges over trickling streams, trees slowly sprouting back to life and a decent enough handful of people out on the streets, if not tending a rice-field.

One feature that did stand out was a pristine white building that a long, silver-haired youth was trying to place a thornbush back on top of. The beetle-cart making it's way into town, its big bug stopping and bending down onto a small patch of grass, Sachiko caught sight on this silver-haired man and quickly ran over to help.

"S-Sachiko, wait up!" Vivi said trying to catch up.

Sachiko proceeded to do a few bounding leaps up to the top of the strange white building, before helping this man fix the thorns in place. "Oh, Holy Wisdom thanks you, kind stranger. Not that I mean to complain about touching the Sign of our Saviour, but thorns, er, aren't exactly the easiest things to pick up, as you can see" he said, looking down at some small bloodstains.

Now that Sachiko could see this man up close, she noticed his solemn black robes, tinted with green decoration, a bracelet with thorns on the outside that reminded her of Vivi, and lastly a pair of white, feathery wings, making her think he was at least part-Tengu.
She just grinned and twitched her tails "Hey, always happy to help Mr, er, Holy Wisdom?".

The man just laughed at that. "Forgive me kind traveller, I did neglect to introduce myself. I am Akiyama Tenshi, one of the Divine's humble servants. Ah, you have no idea how grateful I am to say that out loud, for so long open faith in Salomonity was punishable by death" a bleak look briefly came over his face "But now with the Lifting of the Veil, us believers in the Trinity need not hide from Himikoku, as Himikoku did from the world".

"Yeah, 'cause it's us Followers of Light this country'll be casting out next" a basket-headed monk with a flute shouted up from below, before strolling on, the two paying no attention to him.

Sachiko lighted up at that. "Well, with all the big fuss over letting foreigners back in, good to see someone's completely happy about it. By the way, 'cause I didn't introduce myself either, name's Sachiko".

"Yeah, 'believers in the Trinity', right" Vivi scowled as she stormed over to the front of this building, that must've been a church. "If that's the case, how come you're claiming you have Sophia's Tomb?!" she ranted up at Tenshi.

"I... assumed that was basic scripture" Tenshi hesitated then muttered. "That Sophia Salomonis, Our Lady of Divinity, fled persecution in her homeland, her sister Kyrie sacrificing herself in her stead, and came to our blessed village where she lived till her hundreds".

Vivi face burned so red after hearing that, she could've blown up like a volcano.

"I see, perhaps we were just... raised in different Sects" Tenshi said downcast, but soon glided to the ground and said to Vivi. "Um, would it clear things up with you, dear visitor, if I showed you to our Good Saviour's Tomb?".

"Ahaha, by all means" Vivi smiled on the outside yet seethed on the inside.

As Sachiko hopped down afterwards, she nudged up close to Vivi and said "Aw, shame you're mad at him and all, he's kinda cute, I'd just love to brush his pretty hair! Ooh Vivi, what's Salomonity's position on celibacy?".

Vivi could only groan at that. "Thought you already had a thing with Junji, Sachiko? Please tell me you're not going to be like this in every town we go to".

"Well, this village is quite a way from Kanaoka, 's not like he'd know" the fox maiden shrugged.

"Right. And here I am being nowhere near as lucky with boys" Vivi sighed, moving on as Tenshi lead the way. "By the way, Salomonity's position on sex and marriage varies by Sect, but in this village... guess it's whatever bizarre thing they want it to be" she said back to Sachiko, who now was the one who had to catch up.

"Pardon my eavesdropping, but you were inquiring about our views on celibacy?" Tenshi spoke up as they made their way to an upward path, from which one could have a fair view of the village below. "Perhaps you're wondering about a significant other, who may not be accepting of a possible conversion to Salomonity?".

"What? No, I was just wondering if you'd-" Sachiko began but got swiftly cut off by Vivi.

"Yes, exactly that! And nothing else" she hissed at the now frowning fox girl.

"Do not fret, for if it is True Love, Our Lady shall welcome it- I believe we're here already" Tenshi said, as Sachiko and Vivi both looked up to see a fierce Red Oni, dual-wielding clubs and with a lion-like mane blocking the way. "Peace be with you, Yoshinaka, I was simply showing some curious guests around the Holy Tomb".

"If you say so" the Oni guard nodded and grunted, side-stepping to let the three pass through a circular gap in the cliff. This Yoshinaka's attention seemed to be briefly distracted by Sachiko's swaying tail and twitching ears, but he just as quickly returned to his post.

"Before you, Our Lady's final resting place here on Earth," Tenshi then gestured at a large mound ringed with flowers and with a thorn tree growing from its top. "And beside it, a memorial to her sacrificed sister Kyrie" he then pointed to a smaller mound.

"Wait, how come the one who sacrificed herself gets the smaller mound- Hey, whoa!" Sachiko was caught off-guard as Vivi's hand clamped over her mouth.

"Naturally all of this is, er, quite the experience, hehe. Would you mind if Sachiko and I talked in private for a bit?" Vivi asked.

"Ah yes, the divine aura is of great magnitude. Please, do so" Tenshi smiled at the two.

Vivi then pulled Sachiko into an alcove and whispered. "But Sophia not dying upon the Thorns undermines the whole point- ergh, is there some magic or another that can read auras, or something like that, so that can find out who's really buried here?".

"Um, sorry, I can only really do foxfire, lightning and illusions, the Amano mostly trained me in Combat and Etiquette, not Magic" Sachiko looked down. "We could get an Onmyouji... on second thoughts no. They're Court Mages, we'd have to trek all the way to a big city to find one. Death's Door has its Necromancers, but ah, you can see why they wouldn't be a good idea...".
"Oh I know, we could find a Yamabushi! They're mystical hermits, whose holy ground Mura Shisan is in this Land of Dragons, so there's gotta be one on pilgrimage around here, they'd be great!".

Vivi finished that up with "Okay, magic mountain monks, sounds like as good a plan as any" before she and Sachiko came back to Tenshi.

"This, however, is but the second of the sacred sites our village has been graced with. Down in the valley, we can find the Gate to Hell" Tenshi all of sudden announced, making the two girls' mouths hang open. "Once every year a vision of our Lady comes down to us from Heaven, where as a Rite of Passage she sends our youths into Hell for three days, in memory of her own suffering".

"But Sophia suffered so we wouldn't have to" Vivi snarled under her breath "Now I know there's something up with this village... more so than before".

"This Coming-of-Age Rite isn't for a couple of months" Tenshi followed up with "But I can show you, if you'd like, to the site of the Gate".

[ ] Visit the Gate, then come back to the Tomb with any willing Yamabushi.
[ ] Visit the Gate, then inspect this 'Hell' with any willing Yamabushi.
[ ] Visit the Gate, then inspect this 'Hell' yourselves.
[ ] Don't visit the Gate, come back later to the tomb with any willing Yamabushi.
[ ] Write-in.

"Er, okay sure" Sachiko nodded at Tenshi's, um, offer.

"Very well" the priest said and smiled, as he lead them down a winding trail, which headed through a grove and into a cloud of mist. Being careful to keep track of him, the two women finally arrived at the gaping maw of a cave, which much of the mist appeared to be spewing out from. The cave's entrance arched high above, with stalactites drooping from its roof as big as grown adults. Deep within this cave, their squinting eyes could make out a flickering flame.

"Well, this is the Northern part of the Land of Dragons. We're kinda close to Death's door, so a 'Hellgate' wouldn't be that out of the blue" Sachiko's voice trembled as she muttered that.

"Or it could just be a volcanic vent" Vivi near-silently snarled.

"This is as far as visitors are allowed," Tenshi then stated firmly "Both as per our own doctrine's command, and... for your own safety".

"Our own safety?" Vivi raised her voice "But didn't you say villagers go in here as part of a coming-of-age rite?".

"Yes, but do not worry, the proud youth are more than able to handle its perils" Tenshi turned around and said more softly to her "After all, I spent my three days in Hell years ago, and I'm still standing here before you".

"To give Tenshi credit, this wouldn't be the only village I know of to have dangerous customs" Sachiko then responded. "I once heard of this place where all the local youths have to, literally, jump off a bridge!".

"I suppose doctrine also forbids you from telling us what this Hell of yours is like?" Vivi had to grumble.

"You assume correctly," Tenshi let out a low chuckle at that "But the doctrines have good reason to be written so, for even if I could find words to describe what I encountered down there, in the pits, well it'd be best for your imaginations if I didn't".
"Now, dear travellers, would you happen to have accommodation in our town?" the priest asked "for if not, then you are by all means welcome to stay the night at our Church" he then bowed.

"Really? Aw, you're so sweet!" Sachiko cheered "'Specially with us being kinda strapped for cash. Hey, if you're ever feeling cold at night, just tell me and I could lend you my tail as an extra blanket-Hmmmmph! Hmmm-mmmmpppphhhh!" the Ronin futilely tried to speak as Vivi promptly held Sachiko's jaw shut with her hand.

"Hah ah, thanks but no thanks, an inn'll be fine with us" Vivi smiled over Sachiko's muffled protests.

Vivi finally let go, with Sachiko wasting no time in gasping for air. "Yeah, inn, okay. Oh right yeah, almost forgot something" she then said "Hey, we were curious, have you seen any Yamabushi around here? Oh, it's just that Vivi's doing a report on Himikoku for her newspaper, so I figured she might like to cover a Yamabushi".

"Sachiko... Well guess this doesn't give too much of our plans away to him" Vivi hissed under her breath.

"Huh, 'newspaper'? Hmm, but as for Yamabushi, why yes, I do believe I've seen a few in the area" Tenshi said in return "I've tried speaking to them on Sophianity, I believed it'd interest them what with their religious devotion, yet I haven't had much luck with that. You can look for them around the stony ledges to the south, we've spotted a couple there".

"Great, thanks!" Sachiko beamed, then took off with Vivi in tow.

"If he's the slightest bit onto us, y'know..." the dragged-along Vivi muttered.

"Relax! We've just dealt with a hannya, what much worse could we face here?" Sachiko said back.

Knowing Sachiko's... tendencies, it was perhaps no surprise what illusion she then crafted.

Yoshinaka the Oni Guard's eyes were promptly hooked on the sudden appearance of a female Oni, with pink skin, looping horns, toned abs, one hand by her head and the other on her hips, and a sultry smile. Sachiko even added the illusion of lovehearts coming from her.

Yoshinaka had to raise an eyebrow, as he slowly approached this 'newcomer'. But when he got close enough, him being about to speak, a large rock was swiftly dropped upon his head, a blow a regular Oni could've shrugged off, were it not followed by a sudden kick to his side that sent tumbling down a dirt slope.

With its guard collapsed in a heap, the three girls wasted no time dashing towards the tombs of 'Sophia' and 'Kyrie'. "Alright Nagisa, quickly before that Oni wakes up" Vivi whispered fast.

"Hey, this is a sacred Shugendo rite, does it look like I can just snap my fingers and off it goes?" Nagisa hissed, but looking hesitantly over her shoulder she then said. "Right, okay, I'll try to keep it short".

Nagisa then sat down cross-legged, making frantic gestures as she blew on her conch horn, then chanted words that sounded like nobody else had spoken them in centuries.

"Er, may I ask what exactly you're doing?" Vivi scratched her head.

"Quiet, you'll knock me off my concentration again!" Nagisa grunted, then took a deep breath "I'm trying to get in sync with the spirits in the area, see if they can remember who is was that died here".

"They can remember that far back?" Vivi's eyes widened.

"As far back these mountains were formed" Sachiko then piped up "Don't underestimate the local kami!".

Her chanting finished, Nagisa suddenly shot up, her eyes a cat-like gold. "I see... two priestesses, Isabelle Christophe and Maria Cruz, having sailed from lands far away. They came to this village to hide, when expression of the Teachings of Trinity became ruled punishable by death". Nagisa then collapsed, here eyes turning back to their regular colour.

Vivi breathed a sigh of relief. "Whew, so it was just two preacher nuns' graves. Yep, thought so" she smugly smiled to herself "Though wait, that still doesn't explain that 'Hell' of theirs...".

Nagisa then leaped up, grabbed Vivi by the arm and shouted "Quickly, we've gotta get outta here!". Before Vivi could protest, it fast became clear why.

Great lances of thorns began to erupt out of the larger Tomb, with the thorn-infested corpse of a woman dressed in stark white nun robes, lance-like nails stuck in her hands and an actual lance stuck in her heart, blood and water gushing from it. But to Sachiko, the most telltale marks were her horns and fangs, the former in slight cross shape.

"I have risen..." the corpse nun's voice creaked out.

"No, your decayed flesh may have risen, Hannya" Sachiko snarled out "But your soul decayed centuries ago, leaving only your hatred!".

"Silence... in the presence of the Divine" the Hannya that'd been Isabelle Christophe kept creaking out. "The unbelieving... must be converted. Behold... as I resurrect the dead".

With an extended bony hand, Isabelle commanded the corpse of Maria Cruz to rise, her own ghostly soul being swaddled in black bandages, thorns shoved into her eyes.

"Vivi! Nagisa! Get out of here!" Sachiko cried out as she drew her fan, dancing around with it to launch out fireballs as she twirled. Though her flames may have helped burn through the thorns, they were put out straight after by the holy water Isabelle bled.


Even if Sachiko had not succeeded in doing any real harm to the Hannya, she had bought enough time for the others to make their escape. Nagisa had fast flown out of there with Vivi running for her life not far behind.

"I sensed something was wrong, like seriously wrong!" Nagisa shrieked out and cowered behind her wings, the two arriving back at the more deserted than ever town square. "But even then I didn't think it could be a Hannya! This is the first time I've even encountered a Hannya, how am I supposed to know what to do?".

"Oh yeah, real insight coming from Miss Mystic" Vivi spat out, but then shrank back and said "Yeah, okay. I've only 'met' a Hannya once before, and back then we had a Shinsengumi, two other warriors and the Abyss of Hell on our side... waitaminute, that's it!".

"What's it?" Nagisa tilted her head owl-like.

"Hah, there's a 'Gate to Hell' right in this town- no wait, for all I know it could just be another part of that Hannya's lair" Vivi muttered then slumped back down. "Probably where it snacks on all those young people going through this town's 'Initiation Rite'".

It was then, from out of the stark white Church, that Tenshi strode out carrying a candle into the night air. "Ah, there you are Victoria dear guest, and the hermit Nagisa too, we are humbled to see you again".

Nagisa then shuddered at the sight of him "L-likewise".

"Though it appears your friend Sachiko still strays from us, I was just wondering she here could've gone off to" Tenshi began to say, only for Vivi to immediately jump on him and hold him at sword-and-gunpoint. Which would've been more impressive if said sword wasn't wooden, but she made do.

"Nagisa, hold down his wings!" Vivi commanded. The Yamabushi in turn sunk her claws into the priest's wings, him wincing yet trying to endure it, and pointed her own firearm at his head.
"Alright, spill the beans! Right now Sachiko's fighting for her life against that Hannya you call 'Sophia', and that 'Hell' you keep talking about might be our only chance at stopping her!" Vivi roared out.

Tenshi did look like trying to say himself, his mouth forced to move, yet he wasn't able to get any words out. But Nagisa twitched, then without warning knelt down and reached into the priest's mouth, chanting as she did so.
"A-ha!" she then exclaimed, as she then pulled out what almost looked like Tenshi's entire spine from out of his mouth. Vivi was naturally put off by the sight, only for her to open her eyes and see what Nagisa'd actually pulled out was a long, thorny tendril.

"Ack, Heavens Above!" Tenshi sat up then spat out, looking like he might really cough out his entire spine this time. But then he looked around at Nagisa and said "Yamabushi, my... my fondest blessings!".

Vivi looked confused, yet Nagisa just smiled. "No problem, I could sense something spiritual was off with you" she said.

"I can at last speak freely" Tenshi sighed, saying "That False Messiah placed that curse on me so that I wouldn't reveal her true nature to anyone. As Priest of this town, it was my sad duty to lure poor travellers to that Hannya, allowing her to satiate her revenge on the outside world".

"T-then what was that 'Hell' for?" Vivi stuttered.

"Originally a docile cave, over the years it was corrupted by her boiling Wrath. The youth of the town enter down there on her orders, as one final mark of proof that they remain loyal to her" Tenshi gravely intoned. "I tried to show both yourself, Sachiko and Nagisa its entrance, in hopes you would pick up something was wrong".

He was then cut off, as Yoshinaka the Oni began lumbering his way, yet something was now... off about him, with a crown of thorns now between his horns. Far in the distance they could spot the revived corpse of Maria Cruz, peering at them.

"Tenshi, I, I don't know what I'm doing anymore!" the Oni yelled out, as his club-wielding arms began moving on their own.

"Fear not, dear friend, you shall be exorcised!" Tenshi raised his voice, drawing out... a noose and a pile of silver Yen. "Demon be gone!".

"Ahem, we are fighting a demon, not a cow. Or loan sharks" Vivi said staring at Tenshi's weapons of choice.

[ ] All three of them took on the possessed Oni.
[ ] Vivi fled towards Sachiko, leaving Nagisa and Tenshi to deal with Yoshinaka.
[ ] Vivi and Nagisa fled towards Sachiko, leaving tenshi to deal with his friend.
[ ] Vivi told Nagisa to assist Sachiko, saying she and Tenshi would deal with Yoshinaka.
[ ] Write-in.

Speaking of Sachiko, face to face with the Hannya of Isabelle Christophe, she tried-

[ ] -Immediately pulling out her sword.
[ ] -Jumping on the lance sticking out of Isabelle, then launching spells at her face.
[ ] -Tried electrifying those nails.
[ ] -Created an illusion, a long supper table to sit down at, recalling what Vivi had told her about Sophianity.
[ ] -Created an illusion, a legion of Imperial soldiers, recalling what Vivi had told her about Sophianity.
[ ] -Created an illusion, Lilithia Princess of Darkness herself.
[ ] Write-in.

(QM's Note: You can vote for two choices in the second vote if you''d like, seeing how some of them could go together.)