NOVEL NEXT Part 4: Uninvited
At the Hakurei Shrine, two people sat on its veranda. One was a blonde, short woman wearing a witch hat and all black and white clothes. Her expression was that of a peaceful smile, as she gazed up at the sky. The woman sitting next to her let out a sigh. She had long, brown hair, and at the front, two tube-like ornaments adorned her hair.
"Sure is peaceful, huh, Reimu?" The black-and-white girl spoke. She reached to her left, picking up a cup of green tea and taking a sip.
"Yeah." The red-white girl, Reimu Hakurei responded. "It's always nice when nothing's happening, because it means less work for me, and that all the youkai are behaving themselves."
"I guess, but don't ya want somethin' to happen? An incident? Some youkai stirrin' up trouble in the Village? Some new plot from the folks at Moriya?" The black-and-white suggested, tapping her foot.
Reimu let out an aggravated sigh. "Not everyone is as antsy and impatient as you, Marisa. If something does happen, I'll curse you for a hundred years."
Marisa Kirisame, the other girl, chuckled nervously. "Aw, come on. Ya wouldn't do that to your best and lovable friend, wouldja?" Reimu didn't respond, taking a sip of tea. Marisa grumbled in irritation, and continued "Even the fairies ain't stirring up trouble today. Doesn't that bother ya? Somethin' oughta be happenin' somewhere, right?" She prodded.
"Marisa, absence of an incident isn't in and of itself an incident. Don't make up things that aren't there." Reimu stated flatly. "Until something does happen, I'm not moving. You're free to as you like."
"Fine. After I finish this tea, maybe I'll stir up somethin' myself. Cause a little mayhem, boom, boom, BZZZZZZZT!!" She exclaimed, mimicking the sounds of one of her special techniques.
Reimu started "Like I told you before, if you start something-"
Suddenly, there was a loud, powerful humming noise, and both girls stood up. They glanced at each other, then Reimu pushed off the ground, flying into the air, while Marisa got on her nearby broom and kicked off. Once they were high enough to see a fair distance, Reimu growled "What... the hell... is that?"
In the distance, the Scarlet Devil Mansion was visible, although it was clear that something was amiss. A swirling vortex of glowing energy shimmered into existence around the roof of the clock tower. As Reimu and Marisa watched, dome-like magical barriers began to expand and surround the mansion. One after another, they got bigger and bigger, stacking inside each other like Matryoshka dolls, each one a different color. Red, orange, yellow... Soon all the colors of the rainbow were present, a seven-layer dome barrier now encasing the mansion. Massive spikes of energy erupted from the outermost dome. Next, millions of tiny orbs of energy flew into the air, seemingly coming from within the tower. They surrounded the outer dome, falling into a grid-like pattern, before clean, red beams interlocked between every orb, creating a sort of net around the outer dome.
"What the hell is goin' on?!!" Marisa yelled, trying to speak above the deafening sounds of the many magics being cast.
Reimu shouted "I don't know, but I bet we're about to find out!"
It seemed the mansion wasn't finished, however. Giant ofuda, sacred slips of paper with prayers of protection on them, plastered themselves all over the outer dome. Next, thousands of silver knives materialized around the outer dome, hovering in midair, as if waiting. Then, in the innermost dome, the water around the mansion began to rise, eventually filling the inner dome and submerging the mansion completely. From the ground around the mansion erupted gigantic, thick trees, which coiled themselves around the mansion like snakes. There was a creaking sound as the vines slammed into each other, leaving no space in between. Finally, a colossal purple magic circle, with intricate sigils and letters, expanded underneath the mansion. From it, billowing purple miasma spewed, eventually blocking the view of the mansion from outside of the domes.
Reimu and Marisa still heard the sounds of sorcery coming from the mansion's direction, but they could no longer see what was happening. Marisa sat, aghast, on her broom. Reimu's gaze hardened into a glare. "This reeks of an incident." She murmured. "Something big. We need to go check that out, now."
Trying to regain her composure, Marisa asked "Y-...Ya think they're tryin' to keep somethin' in?"
Reimu pulled out some ofuda from within her dress, responding "No. I think they're trying to keep something out. I intend to find out what." With that, Reimu flew off swiftly towards the mansion.
"H-hey!!" Marisa yelled. "No fair, you got a head start!" She called after Reimu, flying on her broom in pursuit.
Patchouli gasped, coughing and hacking violently. Koakuma rushed to her side, exclaiming "Miss Patchouli!"
Remilia had a pained look on her face as she watched, but she murmured "Thank you, Patchy. I know that...was probably the most powerful magic show you've performed in a while. Koakuma, please, escort Patchouli to her bedroom and see that she gets some rest." Koakuma nodded, and helped Patchouli stand up, her expression one of worry.
"This... this is all I can do... for you..." Patchouli breathed heavily, turning to Remilia. "I hope... it's enough..."
Remilia nodded. "More than I could have asked for. Go ahead and lie down." As Koakuma and Patchouli began to stagger away, Remilia looked around the library. Books were strewn everywhere, some on the floor, some on the nearby table, some even resting atop the bookshelves, their spines facing upward, pages spread. "Patchouli, it seems, can get quite terrifying if she's serious." Remilia stated, more to herself than others.
"Mistress, would you like me to clean up?" Sakuya asked, bowing.
"Please do, Sakuya." Remilia replied. Only a few moments after Remilia had spoken, the library was suddenly orderly and clean again, with no fanfare or sound whatsoever. Sakuya appeared in front of Remilia, and spoke "It is done, Mistress."
Remilia, unsurprised, nodded, and replied "Dismissed." Sakuya promptly vanished. She then turned, where Meiling stood, Flan standing behind her and holding her hand.
"Sis? What's going on?" Flandre asked. "Are we playing hide-and-seek with the mansion?"
Remilia walked over to her sister, and gently took hold of her shoulders. "Sadly, no, Flan. At the moment, we are all in danger, and so I have asked Patchouli to protect the mansion as best she can. For now, I want you to stay near Meiling, okay? Don't leave her side no matter what."
Flandre paused, then nodded. "Sure, sis. I can do that."
Remilia's gaze turned upwards, toward Meiling. "Meiling. I have good reason to believe that you, more than any of us, are the one being targeted."
Meiling tilted her head. "Me, mistress?" She asked incredulously. "Pardon my saying so, but aren't you or Flan more valuable?"
Remilia shook her head. "No. Whoever it is knows who YOU are. The only theory I have is that the attacker sees and hears through centipede scouts. Which is why I am asking you: If you see any centipedes, destroy them immediately."
Meiling saluted. "Yes, Milady."
Remilia's gaze softened. "Meiling."
Meiling gave a start, and she replied "Y-yes, Milady?"
"If whoever let the secret out was one of us..." Remilia began.
"Milady, I don't believe that's-"
Remilia repeated herself, slightly louder. "IF the informant was one of us
. ...I need to know that when the time comes, you will do what is necessary."Meiling's face grew somber. "Milady. I don't understand. Are you implying-"
"Yes." Remilia interrupted. "I need to know that you will do what must be done. Regardless of who it is, regardless of when or where. For the good of this household, and for your own good as well."
Meiling averted her gaze. "I...I will do what I must, Milady."
"Meiling." Remilia said sharply, making Meiling jump. "Look me in the eye, and promise me."
Meiling met Remilia's gaze, and she gulped. "I — I promise that, whatever the outcome, I will do my duty, and protect this household at all costs."
Remilia exhaled. "Good. At this time, I don't believe whoever told our attacker was someone of this household. The fairy maids don't care about such matters, and I trust the rest of you. This is, for all intents and purposes, an external threat until further notice." She rubbed her temples, feeling the beginnings of a headache. "For now, let's just-"
There was a loud bang outside, and Meiling and Remilia turned, Remilia bristling with apprehension. "Someone is here. I will go look, you two stay here." Meiling and Flan nodded, their eyes following Remilia as she walked out of the room.
Flan tugged on Meiling's dress, and said "Hey, hey, Meiling."
Meiling looked down at Flandre with a smile. "What is it, Flan?"
"Hey, are we really in danger? Me and sis are strong. I don't think we should be worrying so much." Flan stated anxiously. "If any bad guys come, can't I just make them go boom?"
Meiling's smile faded a bit, and she replied "I don't think so, Flan. The kind of bad guys we're up against might not even stop after a hundred booms. They're really really strong."
"Stronger than sis?" Flan asked curiously.
"Stronger than even Remi." Meiling nodded. "But it's okay. Because Patchy's taking care of us, and she's pretty strong herself, when it counts. I don't think we need to worry right now, but if something does happen, you heard your sister: don't leave my side."
Flandre gazed in the direction her sister had left, and after a brief pause, she replied "I won't."
Remilia strode swiftly to the front entrance, a red spear shimmering into existence in her hand: her spear, Gungnir. She was about to throw the door open, but then she remembered - the mansion was currently underwater. She cried out in frustration, as another bang rang out from beyond the door. "Sakuya!" She yelled.
Sakuya, as always, appeared instantly. "Yes, Milady."
"Are there any ways out of the mansion that won't involve me drowning?" Remilia growled.
"Yes Milady. You may have forgotten, but the basement has many underground passages. You might use those to escape." She bowed.
"Come with me. I'll have you be my guide." Remilia turned on her heel, heading back to the stairwell.
"Yes, Milady." Sakuya bowed again, following after Remilia.
As Remilia walked down the stairs, she asked "Sakuya. Have you seen any other centipedes?"
"I have seen but one other, Mistress. As you requested, I destroyed it on sight." Sakuya replied.
"Good. I don't know who's daring to come and threaten the mansion but I won't have it. We're going to ensure they regret it for the rest of their miserable lives." Remilia growled, a slight red glow surrounding her now.
"I agree, Mistress. Regarding the letter that was sent to Meiling the other day..."
"Huh? A letter? We don't get letters." Remilia glanced at Sakuya, now picking between several tunnels that lie before them.
"No, Milady. However, someone did deliver a letter, leaving it near the front entrance. The only words written on it were 'I'm hungry', signed by a 'Himemushi'.
As Remilia picked a path, she responded "And you believe this Himemushi person is the one threatening us?"
"I highly suspect it. They are either the direct perpetrator, or one of their associates. I did ask the kappa to try and identify the handwriting, as well as inform us of any other details on the paper that might help." Sakuya continued diligently following Remilia, and briefly interrupted herself. "You'll want to take the second from the left, Milady."
Remilia grunted a simple "Hm", following Sakuya's instructions.
"As we now know, our attacker uses centipedes for reconnaissance, and it peaked my interest. During the evening yesterday, I consulted one of the many youkai cataloguing books in the library, and I believe I may already know the species of our attacker."
At this, Remilia stopped at the final doorway out. "Is that true?"
Sakuya bowed. "It is, Milady. Shall I?"
Remilia nodded, turning to face Sakuya. "Proceed."
Sakuya cleared her throat, and began. "To most, the dragon is considered the most powerful and ancient creature in youkai history. They have been portrayed as the divine rulers of the world, ensuring balance and peace. Few would dare stand against them, for fear of annihilation. However..." Sakuya's expression darkened. "There is but one youkai who not only challenges the dragons, they hunt them."
Remilia stared in disbelief. "There is a youkai that hunts dragons? Are they extinct? At the very least, they must be quite stupid."
"I thought the same, Milady. However it seems a few of their kind have survived and most of their whereabouts are unknown. They possess certain qualities that make hunting dragons child's play to them. It is rare that their quarry escapes."
As she heard this, a bead of sweat traced down Remilia's face. "And... the name, of this youkai?" Remilia asked quietly.
Sakuya paused, then replied "Oomukade, Milady. A giant centipede."
Remilia stared. "A centipede. How exactly does a centipede defeat a dragon?"
"Supposedly," Sakuya sighed, "These oomukade possess immense and dreadful magical power, and that magical power is tempered and refined by their naturally negative aura. There is...one other thing, Milady." Remilia's fist clenched tightly, having a feeling that what she was about to hear wouldn't be good news. "The oomukade, they don't hunt dragons for sport. It's not a display of power or for bragging rights, or any other vain thing. Their purpose is simple. They hunt the dragons — as food."
Remilia's blood ran cold. "Food? They kill and EAT dragons?"
"Yes Milady." Sakuya nodded.Remilia's fist grew tighter, her fingernails beginning to draw blood from her palm. "How insolent. How disrespectful, disgusting, abhorrent."
Sakuya tried to continue. "Therefore, Milady, with regards to Meiling—"
Remilia interrupted. "Sakuya. Do not finish that sentence."
Sakuya stopped, then replied "...Yes, Milady."
Remilia spat coldly "I shall not let such a disgusting, lowly creature make a meal of my gatekeeper. Such a thing would throw shame and ridicule on this mansion, but even more importantly..." She threw the exit door open, Gungnir in hand. "...I will not lose a beloved friend this way."
"It's not budgin', Reimu." Marisa moaned.
"Then hit harder." Reimu replied, aiming a kick at the outermost barrier. "Use your laser thing and blast it open, if you have to."
Marisa scoffed in offense. "Laser thing?! First of all, it's called a Mini-Hakkero, and secondly—"
"Would you just fire the stupid laser already?" Reimu grumbled, kicking the barrier again.
Marisa rolled her eyes, and held up her Mini-Hakkero, an octagonal device with marks around its frame. "Masterrrrrrrr—"
"I'd prefer if you didn't do that." A voice came from their left.
Marisa and Reimu turned to see the mistress of SDM, Remilia Scarlet, standing there, with her maid, Sakuya, behind her.
"You!" Reimu growled. "Now what are you up to? What's all this? If you're trying to mess things up again like you did that time—"
"Now is not the time for argument." Sakuya stepped forward, gazing at Reimu and Marisa with disdain. "There is an immediate threat to this household, and we would kindly ask you to leave."
"Oh yeah? Why don't ya make us, then?" Marisa grinned. "What, is Patchouli in a huff again cuz I borrowed her books? Did the little sister escape again? Or are ya talkin' about the sun, still? Cuz ya do know that that's never goin' away, right?"
Remilia sighed, and said "I'll take it from here, Sakuya. Dismissed, go ensure Meiling and Flan are safe."
Sakuya bowed with a "Yes, Milady," and disappeared.
Marisa tilted her head. "Meiling? What's the deal with her? She get caught up in some shady youkai's plan or somethin'?"
"While I don't have to tell you anything..." Remilia growled, staring Marisa down. "I will at least say this much. Meiling is in great danger now. These precautionary measures are to protect her, and nothing more than that."
Reimu stepped forward, shoving Marisa out of the way. "I don't believe you. For all I know this could be another one of your crazy schemes that gets out of control."
Remilia shrugged, giving them a fanged smile. "Believe me or don't. It doesn't matter." She glared at Reimu. "No one is getting in or out of this mansion until further notice. We're on lockdown, and given who we think the suspect is, you, frankly, should be panicking as well."
Marisa spoke up. "Suspect? What, like a crime or somethin'? Is this like that time we helped Satori out?"
Remilia rolled her eyes. "I'm afraid it's more than just an evil spirit throwing a temper tantrum. Unfortunately, to disclose what kind of youkai is attacking us would be to share things I am not at liberty to say, nor would I do so. But be aware...this youkai is incredibly powerful when it gets serious. And I do mean towards the upper limits of powerful."
Reimu retorted "So you're going to tell us that an incredibly dangerous youkai is out and about in Gensokyo, that we should be panicking, and then just walk away without giving us any details?"
Remilia nodded, grinning wider. "That's right."
Reimu kicked the barrier, hard. "You brat! Quit acting like a spoiled kid!"
Remilia laughed, and replied "Oh, but I am spoiled! Can't you tell by where I live?" As she smiled again, she pointed out: "In every incident in the past, you've made your way toward the perpetrator, starting with no information. I don't see why this time should be any different. Though I will give you a statement, if that's what you'd like."
Marisa glared. "Oh yeah? And what's that?!"
Remilia's expression grew cold. "You're starting to bug me. Go and skitter off somewhere." With that, she turned around, and headed back into the tunnel, leaving Marisa and Reimu to glare silently at her as she disappeared.
Reimu sighed in frustration. "Argh. I always hate dealing with their crew, they're such a pain."
Marisa nodded in agreement. "Almost as bad as the lunarians, huh? Do ya think what she said at the end there meant anythin' or was she just screwin' with us?"
Crossing her arms, Reimu replied "I don't know. But right now, I don't care. I don't like taking that vampire at her word, but I can't get in to take a look for myself. I could disable this barrier, but it'd take time, and more effort than I'm willing to give. For now, we'll have to trust that they have it handled, and that they really are only doing it to protect their own."
Marisa shrugged nonchalantly. "Even if there WAS a threat like that out there, I think we could probably handle it, yeah?"
At this, Reimu thought back to the Lunarians. Her gut was telling her that something was wrong, and she simply replied "I'm not sure. I guess we'll see." With that, Marisa and Reimu flew off.
From outside the domes, behind a nearby tree, a figure stood. "Damn it. I knew they weren't going to just keep their noses out of it after that. These damn barriers, if I could just get through!" The figure growled, then a grin came across their face. "Oh well. I have plenty of time. I'll wait them out as long as I need to. They can't stay in there forever." With that, the figure slinked off, deeper into the woods.