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Faster.
I had to go faster.
Those were the words of my grandfather. The words he had driven into my mind since I could walk.
It wasn’t enough to draw my blade quickly. Merely drawing your blade quickly, merely swinging it swiftly, was something anyone could do.
It wasn’t the true essence of our bloodline. The true essence of our lineage.
Faster. Faster. How could I serve my Mistress if I was not swift enough? How could I call myself a Konpaku if I couldn’t do this much?
His steel grey eyes burned into my heart.
I was never fast enough.
I could always improve.
Never did he say I was successful. No matter how swiftly the edge of my sword cut the air, no matter how swiftly I reached one end of the training yard from the other, it was never fast enough.
Faster. I could always move faster. If I couldn’t, then I was not a worthy successor to our techniques. I was not a worthy successor to the Konpaku name.
These words burned themselves into my heart.
He’s gone now.
But I can always move faster. To cross Hakugyokurou’s grounds in seconds isn’t enough.
But I know I can move faster than her.
Her reach isn’t as long as mine. Even at range, when we’re restricted to danmaku, I can reach her more swiftly than she can reach me. By cutting apart my shots, I can double them before she can even blink.
So why?
Why can’t they reach her? Why can’t my blades find her? I cut through her barrage of knives only to be met by another in the very same instant Roukanken’s arc ceases. I close the distance, our weapons clash, only for her to be gone before I can follow through.
The Maid of the Scarlet Devil. The Vampire’s Dog.
I can see her movements. I can tell. She’s not faster than I am. While there’s no denying how skilled she is, I know I should be able to outpace her.
So why can’t I?
I’m in service of my Mistress. She asked me to stop any intruders.
Why can’t I stop her?
It hurts.
The knives strike me, and the point sends a surge of pain through my frame. They strike my phantom half and the hot-cold feeling of their edge doubles.
Even under the rules that prevent lethal action in these battles, I still feel the same pain as if I had truly been pierced.
Then there’s more.
There’s enough surrounding me to block my view of the night sky. A sphere of silver steel, points directed towards me from every angle. There isn’t a single gap. There’s no way to escape.
It’s only now that I understand my opponent.
I’m a fool. A hopeless fool. It took me this long to realize what she was doing.
Saigyouji-sama doesn’t deserve such a foolish guardian.
I truly can never move fast enough.
How can anyone, when their enemy can stop time itself?
The knives descend.
~
My eyes open.
My heart is hammering in my chest, as if it’s trying to escape. My breath is caught in my tightened throat.
My phantom half drifts over me.
I’m not lying on broken stone, surrounded by the gardens.
I’m surrounded by the warmth of my bedcovers, my back resting not on the hard, cracked pathway but instead upon a soft futon. Beyond are tatami mats, the moonlight filtering through the shoji to my right.
This isn’t that night.
It was a dream. A dream of a night passed.
A night where I failed.
I can almost feel the spots where the knives struck me. The vividness of the dream is still blazing in my mind.
Ultimately, Yuyuko-sama had unwittingly nearly unleashed a wicked youkai by her actions. Ultimately, for the sake of every living thing in Gensokyo, her plan had to be brought to a premature end.
But that doesn’t change the fact that I had failed.
It wasn’t as if it was some kind of consolation that her defeat was ultimately for the sake of all of Gensokyo.
I’m a Konpaku.
My duty is to Yuyuko-sama. If I can’t complete that duty, then I can’t complete my duty as a Konpaku.
After a few moments, I slowly sit up. My yukata slides down my shoulder.
I raise one hand, looking down at my pale palm, flexing my fingers.
My heart feels tight. It’s as if a fist is clutched around it, gripping it so furiously that my whole body tenses.
I’ll never be fast enough.
I rise to my feet, shedding my yukata and wrapping my chest, putting on a pair of hakama and locating my shoes outside the door.
I can’t sleep like this. I know I can’t. There’s no point in trying.
The memory of my shame alone tears me to pieces, like a thousand knives descending on me once again.
Roukanken is sheathed at my hip. So too is Hakurouken, on the other side.
Faster. His words come to my mind again.
If I can’t move faster, then I can’t fulfil my worth as a Konpaku. As her guardian.
The only answer in my mind is as clear as day.
I have to train.
Hakugyokurou’s grounds are illuminated by moonlight. Reflecting off of the leaves, the grass, it’s almost as if the Netherworld is bathed in silver.
Of course, given I serve as the gardener as well, I know my way around the grounds even on a dark night. I know exactly where I want to go to train.
It’s quiet as I walk. It isn’t a cold night, but the breeze feels mildly cool against my skin, causing trails of vapor to be left behind by my phantom half.
Given how hard I will push myself, it’s welcome.
Following a stone path, beneath the overhang of several large trees, I am nearly at my destination. A clear, open area, where I have already set up some of my equipment. I have to move faster, so I have to train.
“Youmu-chan?”
I recognize the voice. Of course I recognize the voice. Just because it comes suddenly and from behind me, doesn’t mean I’m frightened. I know exactly who it is.
The fact that I jumped and let out a noise like that doesn’t mean anything.
“Y-Yuyuko-sama?” I quickly turn to face her, clearing my throat and bowing swiftly, “I a-apologize, I must have disturbed you.”
Had she heard me, somehow? I thought she would be sound asleep. But it seems I was mistaken.
How foolish.
Saigyouji Yuyuko stands bathed in moonlight. It shines upon her gleaming pink hair, the blues of her yukata. It illuminates her features, the smooth, gentle, elegant angles of her face.
Yuyuko-sama’s beauty cannot be denied. I don’t think I could serve a mistress who is more lovely.
But, what am I thinking about? Why am I considering her beauty now? I keep my head bowed firmly. I should be thinking only of the fact that I awakened her when she should be sleeping.
“That’s not it at all, Youmu-chan, don’t worry,” she says, in her soft, gentle voice, waving her hand dismissively.
Reluctantly I raise my head.
Was she talking a moonlit walk of some kind, then? Yuyuko-sama doing such things would hardly be surprising. In fact, wandering around the grounds in the dead of night seemed perfectly in-character for my mistress.
“Is something wrong?”
I swiftly avert my eyes at her question.
“Ah-hah, of course not,” I respond, immediately trying to dismiss any concerns on Yuyuko-sama’s part, “I’m… I’m fine, it’s just that I couldn’t sleep. You don’t need to concern yourself, ojou-sama. Eh-heheh…”
I find myself letting out an awkward laugh, scratching the back of my head. The last thing I want to do is make Yuyuko-sama worry about me. There’s no need for anything like that, I just have to-
She’s patting my head?!
I didn’t even notice she came close! But the feeling atop my head is undeniably her soft hand, running over my hair.
I can feel my cheeks growing hotter the moment that her hand makes contact with me. I can only be thankful that no-one else is around to see this.
“Now now, Youmu-chan, that’s no good,” she says admonishingly, as if she’s talking to a child. Why is she putting on that tone in the first place?!
“Yuyuko-sama!?” I cry out, half-involuntarily, as her fingers continue to stroke away at my hair, “Wh-what are you doing?!”
“I know you like early mornings, but even half-phantoms need to sleep!” she continues, brushing off my exclamation as if I hadn’t asked a question at all, “And more than that, if something’s bothering you, you should talk about it!”
I can’t help but look up at her, dumbfounded.
My mistress is beautiful and elegant. There’s no denying that she is a resplendent jewel in the netherworld. A Princess down to her core.
But, she also acts like this.
I very rarely know exactly what’s going through her head. She’s undeniably my mistress. My duty, my body, my heart, all exist in service to her.
But that doesn’t mean I can figure out what she’s thinking all the time.
“If you’re too tired in the morning from training, you can’t make breakfast,” she adds, “And I love your breakfasts!”
I don’t doubt her concern, but I’m entirely unsurprised by her fears of missing breakfast. My mistress’s gluttonous habits know no bounds. I can’t comprehend the sort of portions she eats. She may be a ghost, but that fails to explain how she can contain the sheer amount of food that she consumes on a daily basis.
“… Yuyuko-sama, that’s-I… of course. Of course, you want breakfast,” I sigh heavily, gaze falling to the floor, “I’m surprised you didn’t ask me for a midnight snack, since I was already awake.”
The long pause before she speaks again informs me that she’s seriously considering it.
That wasn’t supposed to be a suggestion!
“Mmmm, that sounds good, but I really think Youmu-chan should try and sleep more, okay?” she says, finally, “You can always train in the morning, after breakfast.”
…
It’s not as if I didn’t intend to. I can never train enough. Between my duties, I carve out as much time as possible to hone my blade, my speed, even more.
But it’s not enough. My failure, my shame, tells me that it’s not enough.
If I can’t sleep anyway, there’s no point in doing anything else. I have to train. I have to get faster. Even if I was able to sleep, this is far more important.
“It’s fine, Yuyuko-sama. It’s not as if I’m not used to being up late at night, anyway.”
Despite her concerns, I know what I have to do.
My worth as a Konpaku, as Yuyuko-sama’s blade, cannot be fulfilled if I don’t hone myself to the finest possible edge.
Her eyes don’t say it. She doesn’t speak it. Perhaps she doesn’t even think it.
But I know that my shameful defeat has left me unworthy.
The tightness clenching at my heart grows once again.
Her look of concern only grows.
“If you’re sure…” she says, hesitantly, “Remember, your mistress is happy to help if something is wrong, so Youmu-chan doesn’t have to keep anything bottled up inside.”
I shake my head.
It’s nothing she has to worry about.
I simply need to get better. I simply need to get faster.
That’s the only way I can make myself worthy.
“It’s something I have to do myself, Yuyuko-sama.”
I can’t read her expression as she regards me in the next few moments.
“I think I understand now, Youmu-chan.”
Her voice is soft, and quiet, as she slowly nods her head.
“I know what the best thing to do is, now.”
She turns to proceed back towards the mansion.
But, after only a few steps, my Mistress pauses to look back over her shoulder.
“Good night, Youmu-chan.”
I bow my head.
“Good night, Yuyuko-sama.”
The tightness in my chest has only grown.
It’s with this feeling that I turn to face my equipment.
My hand rests on Roukanken’s hilt, as Yuyuko-sama vanishes steadily across the grounds.
~
I can’t believe it.
I don’t even remember going back to my futon.
I can’t believe I overslept!
Is this just another show of what I lack? I’ve been awake entire nights before when I was required to! But this time I woke up so late that the sun was already well into the sky.
My morning routine, if I can even still call it that, is frantic. I dress myself as fast as possible. I rush to the kitchen as fast as possible.
“I’m sorry, Yuyuko-sama!” I apologize, “I can’t believe that I-“
…
…
…
I’m accustomed to uninvited guests. I suppose I should call them unexpected instead, given Yuyuko-sama is most often quite welcoming towards them.
For example, that gap woman-that is, Yakumo-sama, shows up unannounced plenty of times. She could show up right now and I wouldn’t be surprised, just dismayed.
But this isn’t Yakumo-sama.
The pink dress and mob cap, the batlike wings extending from her back. The youthful, childish appearance coupled with that pale silvery-blue hair and those bright red eyes.
The figure sitting before me is undeniably Remilia Scarlet.
Yuyuko-sama is sitting across from her, smiling pleasantly.
“I’m happy to see you’re awake, Youmu-chan!” she declares brightly, as if nothing is unusual about this situation at all.
“Wh… what is she-“ I cut myself off, inhaling deeply. I have to be polite towards our guest, “Yuyuko-sama, what is Scarlet-san doing here?”
“Hmph.”
The one who answers isn’t Yuyuko-sama, but the haughty, childish voice of Remilia herself.
“Your mistress invited me here, you know. It’s always a hassle coming to the Netherworld, the least you can do is greet me properly.”
I don’t know what to say. I find myself staring helplessly at Yuyuko-sama, desperately hoping she gives me some kind of explanation.
Why didn’t she tell me?!
“She’s right, I invited her just the other day,” comes my mistress’s happy reply, explaining absolutely nothing.
My hands fall helplessly at my sides. Certainly, it is my mistress’s decision if she makes any invitations, but by not telling me, she’s left me completely unprepared. Even if I hadn’t overslept, catering to a guest is much harder when you don’t know they’re coming!
Yakumo-sama is one thing, but this-
My heartbeat quickens. My world slows.
Remilia Scarlet isn’t alone.
I should have guessed as much the moment I recognized the little vampire girl. I should have known. But I was so caught up in my surprise I didn’t think about it until now.
The maid coming from the direction of the kitchen is clad in blue and white. She is tall, taller than my mistress. Refined. Elegant. Her very presence is like the edge of a blade, sharp, cutting through the room with her existence alone.
Izayoi Sakuya.
The living symbol of my failure as a member of the Konpaku family stands before me.
Those eyes of her when she looks back at me for only a moment, are the same cold, dispassionate eyes she regarded me with that night.
My entire body tenses. My heart tightens.
And then she looks away.
She’s focused on her mistress, now.
“Ojou-sama, they lack any of your favored ingredients here,” she says, “The kitchen is entirely unsuited to your tastes.”
“It’s fine, Sakuya,” the vampire replies with a dismissive wave of her small hand, “It’s not like I’m here for a meal, anyway.”
Managing to still my heart, at least somewhat, one question rises in my mind.
What are they here for? Yuyuko-sama said that she invited them, but why?
“Why did you invite me here today, Netherworld Princess?”
Remilia Scarlet echoes my thoughts moments later, folding her slight arms across her chest and cocking her head to one side as she speaks.
“I only came because I was curious, but all you’ve done is sit and chat since I got here. So what, exactly, am I here for?”
Yuyuko-sama smiles pleasantly.
“That’s just because I was waiting for Youmu-chan to wake up,” she answers, happily. At once I’m confused and terribly embarrassed, my attention torn fully away from Izayoi for the moment.
To begin with, why was she waiting for me? Surely any business she had with the Scarlet Devil wouldn’t require my presence in the first place.
Secondly, why did she have to say I was sleeping!? Sure, she mentioned she was happy I was awake before, but that was easy enough for Scarlet to miss. Now there was no way I could simply claim that I was preoccupied with duties elsewhere in Hakugyokurou’s grounds.
No, I was no longer given any possible escape route.
“Y-Yuyuko-sama, why…?!”
I can feel my cheeks heating up, my ears burning as I succumb to my embarrassment.
“Hmmm?”
I can’t often tell what she’s thinking, but the way Yuyuko-sama tilts her head makes it clear to me she has no idea that telling a guest that I slept in this late was so embarrassing.
“And why, exactly, is that?”
Remilia Scarlet raises an eyebrow, leaning forward with her arms still crossed.
As I try to recover from the humiliating knowledge that both the Scarlet Devil and that maid know that I slept well into the day, my mistress answers.
“I want a rematch.”
My attention is immediately on Yuyuko-sama’s words, and no-where else.
A rematch?
She must mean between herself at that maid, or between herself and the Scarlet Devil.
But then, why would she need me to be there?
“Oh? Well, it’s not as if I mind cutting loose,” Remilia Scarlet responds with a smirk, “Though I’d prefer if we could wait unti-“
Yuyuko-sama shakes her head.
“Not between you and me, Scarlet-san,” she says, smiling, her voice carrying a slightly admonishing tone, “Don’t be silly.”
A childish pout immediately finds its way to the Scarlet Devil’s equally childish features.
“I mean between Youmu-chan and your maid!”
What?
I don’t understand what I just heard.
Yuyuko-sama wants a duel between Izayoi and myself?
I…
The knives are falling down on me again. Roukanken’s edge refuses to truly reach her. She’s in one spot, and then she’s in another before I can even react.
The night of my failure comes to the forefront of my thoughts once more.
“Oh?”
I’m vaguely aware of Remilia Scarlet speaking, now.
“I suppose that does sound entertaining,” she remarks, thoughtfully, “Do you think so, too, Sakuya?”
“If it is what ojou-sama desires, then it will be done.”
The maid’s voice is firm and without hesitation.
“I will not lose.”
Remilia Scarlet claps her hands together.
“Well, then you have my answer, Saigyouji,” she declares with a nod.
And then all eyes are on me.
My heart is hammering again. Pounding in my chest. Each beat reverberating through my entire body.
I can’t fail again. I can’t. To lose against her again would only make my shame even deeper. But I’m find myself unable to move. Unable to speak. My body simply won’t respond. What can I do? How can I move swiftly enough when she can stop time itself? I’ll never be fast enough. I always need to improve. Will I simply fail again?
Will I demonstrate my unworthiness again?
That’s it, isn’t it?
I’m not worthy, am I?
This will simply be the last proof that I need. I can’t be a proper heir to the Konpaku family. I can’t serve as Yuyuko-sama’s guardian.
The steel maid’s eyes say it all. She must be able to tell how I’m feeling. She must know. That my limbs feel like lead. That my heart has fallen like a stone.
I can’t look any longer.
I must be a coward.
“Youmu-chan.”
It’s Yuyuko-sama’s soft, gentle voice. But I’m a shameful, unworthy coward. I can’t so much as look her way. I’m supposed to serve her, but how can I?
“I believe in you.”
My breath catches in my throat.
As I raise my eyes from the floor, I can see her.
She’s smiling at me.
Why does she believe in me? I failed her already before, against this very same opponent. I don’t understand what she’s thinking. I never do.
And yet, for some reason, I know she’s telling the truth when she says that she believes in me.
Yuyuko-sama believes in me…
…
Did I really nearly forfeit before the fight even began?
I can’t do that.
Even though I’ve lost to that maid before, I can’t possibly just give up this time.
If Yuyuko-sama believes in me, then I have to try.
“If Yuyuko-sama believes in me, then there’s no way I can back down,” I say, finally, “I’ll be your opponent once again, Izayoi-san.”
My heart has steadied, if only a little.
I can’t shake the memories of the falling knives. Of the way I simply couldn’t touch her.
But maybe, this time, I’ll be able to conduct myself as a member of the Konpaku bloodline should.
As a servant of the Princess of the Netherworld should.
~
The sun is beginning to set. The shadows of the cherry trees lining the gardens are growing longer. The orange light reflecting off water and stone paints the world in sunset colors.
Were it not for the situation, it would be the kind of relaxing atmosphere I enjoy when it’s time to begin gardening.
The grounds of Hakugyokurou are vast. There’s plenty of good places to stage a duel.
This is one of them. A clear, grassy spot, without any potential obstacles.
An even playing field.
Sometimes I come here to train.
Today it’s going to be more than that.
Roukanken and Hakurouken are sheathed on my back and hip.
Yuyuko-sama is beside me.
Walking just across from us are Scarlet and Izayoi. That maid is holding a pink, frilly parasol above the childish vampire.
When we come to a halt, she hands it to the Scarlet Devil, who takes it carefully in one hand.
“So this is where you’ll be fighting, hm?” she comments, “Well, it’s not as if the result will be any different, so the battlefield doesn’t matter very much.”
I can hear her voice, still.
“Could have at least picked somewhere with more shade. Hmph.”
I suppose since she’s a vampire, somewhere clear that gets plenty of sunlight isn’t exactly her cup of tea. I’m not sure if her complaint was intended to be heard, though.
‘It’s not as if the result will be any different’.
I don’t want to let the Scarlet Devil’s words come true.
Izayoi is across from me now. The both of us are facing one another from the opposite sides of the clearing.
Her gaze is like steel.
A gentle wind blows across the clearing. All that can be heard is the faint rustling of leaves around us.
“It appears that your mistress has deep confidence in you, Konpaku-san,” the razor-edged maid, “Regardless, the outcome will not change. I will win.”
There isn’t a single ounce of hesitation in her voice. She is a perfect and elegant maid, and an assassin with an endless array of knives. It isn’t simply a show of her confidence, to her it is a statement of fact that she firmly believes in.
But…
This is my opportunity to regain what I lost.
I have to take it. I have to give it my all.
“I can say the same, Izayoi-san. This time, I won’t lose.”
There’s no more words, now.
She bows.
So do I.
When we stand up once again, our eyes lock from across the clearing.
The wind blows.
My heart pounds.
The world stands still.
Roukanken leaves its sheath in my hand, with a sound of singing steel. My legs tense, my body tightening, and then releasing just as swiftly.
The air whips past me as a tear across the clearing, reaching my opponent in an instant.
There’s a glint of light above me. Before I’m even certain what it is, I’ve already swung Roukanken upwards, in an arc.
I can hear the clatter of metal striking metal, sending a trio of daggers spiraling off in different directions.
Another flash of silver from below…!
Roukanken’s edge tears through the air, intercepting not one, but two knives that Izayoi had drawn in the same instant.
I’m face to face to face with her, now.
“Oh?” Sakuya’s tone is still calm. I haven’t done much to truly pressure her, not yet. “Interesting. That was faster than last time.”
I grit my teeth, my arms tensing as I leverage Roukanken’s blade.
I’ve been training every day, ever night, to surpass myself. If I’m faster then last time, it’s only natural!
“Of course!”
I give one more firm push. With a flash of sparks, I’ve forced her knives out of the way.
But Roukanken’s blade can’t reach her.
Even though my eyes were on her the whole time, she’s already gone.
Memories of the last time she clashed well within me. It’s the same as before. Even when I reached her, she would disappear in an instant.
But that meant now she’d be…
Behind-!
Hakurouken leaves its sheath in my left hand as I twist my body, and I hear it grinding against the edge of a knife before I see it.
Another!
Another!
Another!
Roukanken and Hakurouken flash through the air, knocking three more knives aside, their tips burying in the earth around me.
She’s put some distance between herself and me again. But I can close it in an instant. Roukanken’s reach is longer, so I’ll strike with it first. I can attack more swiftly with Hakurouken, so I can follow up a deflection with another blow.
The instant I start to move, I’m suddenly greeted with a wall of silver. I can’t even see Sakuya beyond the points of her knives.
My mind races. I have only a single instant to react.
Up.
I have to go up.
My legs tighten, muscles tensing, and I send myself skywards. I don’t have to look, I can feel a blade just barely miss my left foot.
She’s trying to force me to stay on the defensive. If she can keep me from mounting a steady offensive, it’ll be far easier for her to batter me down.
Just like last time.
She was following me into the air, now, an arc of five knives over her head. I can’t see her hands clearly from this angle, but there’s no doubt in my mind they’re occupied by two more.
She’s forcing me to respond to her attack.
The arc of knives launches.
One hurtles past me, as I twist in the air to dodge it. The second is met by Hakurouken. The third, Roukanken.
And then she’s here.
I can’t let her keep up like this! I can’t let her pressure me so I can’t even use my own speed to respond!
I can feel the impact of her blow, even as I catch the edge of her knives on Hakurouken, send impact waves up my arms.
She’s trying to lock me in place so I can’t evade her remaining two knives.
But…!
I use her as my starting point. A springboard to push myself back. The knives pass only just in front of my face as I disengage, both of us sent backwards through the air.
I’ll reach her this time!
Our surroundings blur, and I’m on her just as she recovers! Roukanken’s edge cleaves through the air. Of course, I knew she’d stop it. I knew she’d greet it with another knife, no matter how rapidly I struck.
But as our blades clash, that leaves her open to the followup! A thrust from Hakurouken, before she can realize what’s-
Something slams into my midsection. Not a knife, but something blunt, hammering into my side and sending a wave of pain through my nerve endings, spreading out like the water rippling after the impact of a thrown stone.
An involuntary cry leaves my throat, and suddenly the world is rushing past me again.
I realize she must have kicked me.
“Your mistake was assuming I would only attack with my knives.”
I hear her calm voice above me as the ground reaches out to greet me.
For a moment, my entire existence is dyed in the red-and-white shades of pain, and my vision blackens, as I crash to the earth.
I hadn’t even considered it. Not for a single instant. I was stupid.
Especially in the air, she doesn’t need to worry about keeping her balance.
For the moment, any movement feels like I’m being kicked all over again, but I open my eyes.
She’s there just above me, knife raised.
My pain is forgotten in that very same instant.
I twist my body. Steel rings off of steel as my katana greet her daggers.
It hurts.
But I’m back on my feet.
I have to find an opening. I have to trap her in the instant she returns from stopping time.
I can’t let that kick go without an answer!
It’s trivial for me to reach her, this time. Roukanken’s reach and our proximity means that we’re practically already next to one another.
Roukanken’s arc meets a knife I didn’t even see her draw, and she’s already set several in the air to answer me.
But this time I’m not simply trying to force her deflection out of the way. I need to force her onto the back foot, even for only an instant.
“Don’t you remember, Izayoi?”
Roukanken was forged by youkai. A katana of impossibilities, a weapon created by inhuman beings for the sole purpose of cutting through the wielder’s foes. Honed for a singular, unchanging purpose.
“The things that my Roukanken cannot cut-“
I force my right arm forward. The silvery knives wielded by the perfect and elegant maid are no doubt unnatural in their own right.
But that doesn’t mean they can stand up to my Roukanken!
“-are next to none!”
Metal against metal. The sound of shearing steel.
I’ve cut through Sakuya’s knife at its base.
Her unflappable expression changes.
Those cold eyes widen, just slightly.
I had never had a moment to try it, before. The last time we fought, I was simply forced to deflect every knife that greeted me as swiftly as I could.
But this time, it’s different!
She disappears, just as I thought she would. Just as I thought, the knives she’d prepared fling themselves at me, though they embed themselves in the empty spot I had only just occupied as I spring back.
She’s moved. In that situation she needed to disengage as soon as possible and get out of my sight at the same time. It’s trivial for her when she can stop time itself.
But that means…!
“Turning Angle Cut!”
I twist my body in the same motion as I swing Roukanken in an outwards arc, activating my spellcard. A whistling sound cries out from my blade as a sliver of light escapes it, twisting with the same motion as my body as it curves to reach behind me.
There!
Just as I thought, she’s there! She hadn’t expected me to guess! Certainly, she’s already created a wall of knives while time was stopped, but that doesn’t mean she has the chance to respond!
The light that left Roukanken finds her in an instant.
Even as the knives surge towards me, she’s knocked clear off her feet.
As I throw myself to the side, the knives whipping past me, I see her recover in mid-air, flipping in order to land on her feet.
But she’s not as steady. She has to catch herself as she lands.
I hit my target.
The first time we fought, I didn’t touch her. Every time I came close, every time one of my danmaku neared her, or the edge of Roukanken or Hakurouken nearly reached her, she would be gone, or a knife would suddenly appear to take the blow instead.
But this time, I took her by surprise.
This time, I was able to guess just where she’d be after she stopped time.
And now I just need to keep up the pressure!
With a swing of Hakurouken, I create another edge of light, and follow it with a swing of Roukanken. Both tear through the air towards Izayoi.
But I don’t expect them to hit.
She darts out of their path easily, a trio of knives appearing in the air around each of her hands.
But that’s fine. That’s what I expected was going to happen.
My thoughts travel. From me, into my other half. They reach it, and form it. Normally, it’s merely the shape of any other spirit, a part of my soul apart from my body.
But I can change it.
I can create another me.
A copy in greyscale. A second Konpaku Youmu, created from myself, sent away from me in the same moment that I launch another attack from Roukanken’s edge.
I’ll cut her off from the other side while she’s distracted!
With a swing of Hakurouken, I divide the wave of light that left Roukanken, splitting it apart and sending both halves of the attack tearing towards Izayoi from slightly different angles.
I just need to keep her occupied!
My phantom half has already reached her other side.
It’s as if Izayoi has been trapped between myself and my reflection.
I place one foot forward, then tear the air apart ahead of me as I send myself hurtling towards the maid. Across from me, at the very same moment, my copy mirrors my actions.
Reach her.
My phantom half can reach her. I can reach her. My blades can reach her.
I can wi-
It hurts.
It hurts like I’ve been stabbed. A sharp, hot pain not just in my chest, but all over my body. My shoulders, my sides, my stomach, my back. It’s a dozen points of weight-hot pain reaching under my flesh.
It’s my phantom half.
Silvery knives have been embedded up to the hilt into my doppelganger, all over my other body.
It’s just as painful as if they’d struck the rest of me directly.
My phantom half is part of me. Anything that strikes it is the same as hitting me directly. So it’s only natural that in that form, I’d feel it.
But I thought I could take her by surprise like this. I thought I’d put her off balance using Turning Angle Cut.
I probably did. But it wasn’t enough.
I falter. I’m not sure where Izayoi went, but I can see the glint of her blades above me as they travel downwards.
Have I lost?
Have I failed again?
…
No.
I haven’t.
I can’t let it end like this. Not so fast. Not when it’s my chance to regain my worth.
I slam my right foot down, pushing off the earth beneath me. The knives strike the spot where I nearly fell, tips embedding deep into the soil.
Izayoi is ahead of me, now.
“You were still able to evade?” she remarks, tilting her head, a knife balanced on her fingertip.
She’s so calm. So collected.
But I know I can hit her now. No matter how she looks, I saw her eyes widen. I saw her take a blow she wasn’t prepared for.
I just need to try again!
“When it’s a matter of the Konpaku family’s honor, of Yuyuko-sama’s honor, I can’t let myself lose again!”
My grip tightens. My phantom half returns to my side, now having resumed its usual form. As much as I wanted to take advantage of being able to attack her from multiple angles at once, it’s clear that using my phantom half that way just creates another target for her.
I’ll have to pierce through her defenses in another way.
She’s gone in an instant. I don’t need to look to know there’s knives around me. The brief shine of the setting sun against the silver blades is all I need.
With a sweep of Roukanken, I open a path to my right, scattering the hurtling daggers. Another wall of knives immediately greets me as I escape the first.
As I turn and push forward to evade, there’s yet another.
She doesn’t even appear to move, returned to the exact same place as she began every time she stops time.
“Illusion World-“
She raises one hand before her face, her cold eyes suddenly gleaming red between her fingers. A blue aura like the face of a clock spreads behind her.
Her voice is like ice.
“-‘The World’.”
The entire world around me is overtaken by blades. This is on an entirely different level then her previous attacks. It’s not merely a wall of knives, it’s a multilayered storm of them, twisting and turning in different directions.
If that’s how it’s going to be-
“Flashing Scattered Flowers!”
The words leave my lips as the knives bear down on me. My body tightens, coiling like a striking snake, the world blurring around me once again. If this is her world, then I’ll surpass it…!
Knives shatter on Roukanken’s edge. Swept aside by Hakurouken. I’m doing it. My body is burning from the effort, but I’m cutting right through Izayoi’s offense to reach her!
And then she’s there. Those red eyes gleaming.
“Killing Doll.”
An arc of knives surrounds her. She’s deliberately moved into my range while I was in the middle of fending off her other spellcard, to try and take me by surprise.
The knives around her launch towards me, so close-
Gritting my teeth, I place both hands on Roukanken, Hakurouken’s tip buried in the earth.
I have to counter. I have to counter at this close range. I have to put my whole being into ensuring these knives don’t reach me.
Bringing Roukanken’s edge up from below, I swing it in a crescent arc. Sparks fly, one knife is cut in half while others are sent off in different directions to embed into the dirt.
She’s behind me!
I draw Hakurouken from the earth and twist, barely in time to intercept a thrust from one of her daggers aimed at my back.
I lock eyes with her.
That calm visage has cracked again. Her jaw is clenched. Those red eyes burning as she glares past are clashing blades.
Then we’re apart again, facing one another, the space between us widened once more.
My breathing is heavy. My muscles are burning. Each spot where a knife struck my phantom half is still aching, protesting with every movement.
But I broke through that relaxed demeanor of hers.
The mere fact she’s suddenly become so much more aggressive means that I’ve been pressuring her. If I can just keep it up, if I can just find the right moment…
Maybe this time really can be different.
“I suppose there’s no denying that your training has truly paid off,” the maid says, her head tilted. The way that the shadows now fall over the clearing, the only thing that I can see is those burning red eyes against her darkened silhouette.
“But it won’t be enough.”
The very instant she stops speaking, a wave of knives has appeared in front of me. Then another to my right. My left. Behind me.
I’m almost completely surrounded by silver points.
They come crashing down.
So I go up.
Pushing away from the ground beneath me, I tear back into the sky. The earth retreats beneath me as the mass of silver converges on the spot I once occupied.
Izayoi is here to greet me.
The intensity in her crimson eyes is like a blood red sun.
And then she’s gone again, just as fast. It’s obvious, she has to be behind me!
But I’m surrounded. A sphere of knives from every angle, above and below me.
I have to try and defend!
Roukanken flashes. A knife splits. Another is cast aside.
Hakurouken flashes, sending a silvery dagger skittering off into the distance.
Again and again. Flashes of sparks each moment the blades make contact.
Faster.
Faster.
Faster.
I have to try and deflect them all.
Pain erupts through my left shoulder, and my grip on Hakurouken loosens. I’m rushing back towards the ground.
A knife buried up to the hilt.
I missed one.
It’s not a real injury, but the pain remains the same as if it was. My nerves screaming out through my shoulder, my grip on Hakurouken loosening further.
But I can’t let go, and I can’t stop.
She’s coming. I need to delay her attack so I can recover and land safely. Those blazing red eyes are hurtling towards me from above.
With a sweep of my right arm, I call my phantom half to my side, interposing it between me and Izayoi. It immediately releases a volley of blue spheres of light, sending them careening towards Izayoi.
It’s obvious she won’t get hit.
But she’ll be forced to compensate for the chance she might be.
When I hit the ground, this time I’m on my feet. The shock of impact jolts up through my legs, to my core, but I can keep my footing.
She’s already here…!
Her blades bearing down on me in her hands, I have to answer.
Sparks fly with each clash, Roukanken and Hakurouken sweeping across in front of me and catching her knives. Being caught by them as I try to return the favor.
And then she’s gone again. In her place is several dozen more knives, tilting towards me and erupting right into my path.
Both of my legs tense, in spite of their soreness, and I lunge to the side to avoid being struck. Everything aches.
I don’t think I can take many more direct hits.
But, if I can take her down first…!
Knives striking the earth in my wake, I pour as much strength as I can into my legs and tear across the clearing towards her.
Hakurouken returns to its sheath, both my hands on Roukanken’s hilt as I bring the blade up.
Izayoi is gone again.
The fact that I can predict her appearing behind me doesn’t make it any easier to counter.
But it’s not impossible!
The knives appearing around me aren’t my concern. With the speed I was moving at, my phantom half has lagged just a bit further back than usual.
And when I bring Roukanken down, so does it!
Izayoi’s eyes widen as the blade comes crashing down onto her right shoulder, the impact rocking through her whole body. The moment it happens, she’s already disappeared again, and I return my phantom half to its original form before I cut through the knives and leap through the gap to relative safety.
My mistake the first time I used my phantom half was overthinking it. I set up for a pincer attack when all I needed was to take her by surprise.
But this time, appearing behind me was the biggest mistake she could have made!
She’s ahead of me, now.
All semblance of her calm, collected demeanor has vanished.
Her left hand clutches at her right shoulder.
Her crimson eyes are burning in their sockets as she glares at me, her bared teeth clenched.
With a swing of Roukanken, I send a sliver of light towards her. Then another. And another. Her body twists as she moves between them, but the third I cut apart to send its fragments careening towards her.
I have her on the back foot, now.
I have to keep pressuring her. I have to push her into a scenario where she’s unable to evade another hit. I have to find the key moment where she can’t stop a decisive blow.
I know, right down to my core, that’s the only way I can take her down.
The one thing I need to do, the one thing I must do, is land a direct hit against her. While she’s taken two blows from me, she’s managed to strike me with many more.
For her, she can unleash hundreds of knives while time is stopped to overwhelm me. For her, she can rely on the sheer number of attacks.
Normally I’d be able to corner an enemy and strike them dozens of times in the span of a scant few seconds. But against Izayoi, with her ability to stop time, I need to find the perfect moment to strike.
I’m well aware that she’s going to be prepared for another attempt to catch her between myself and my phantom half. So I have to try and keep her moving, keep her too preoccupied to effectively evade. As I move forward, I release another barrage of slashes through the air and send them tearing towards her.
If I can keep her from focusing, if I can keep her from composing herself, I-
She’s behind me again.
But this time she’s so close, I can’t even turn quickly enough to respond. I suddenly feel her hand on the back of my head, and the world is rushing up to meet me once more.
I turn, the only thing I can do to keep myself from being slammed into the earth face-first. My body still protests, a dull throb rocking through it, when I’m sent to the ground.
My jaw clenches. My body tightens. But her foot is on my back, her hand on my head.
I see her over me. I see the knife glinting in her hands. She has me pinned to the ground beneath her. Even though I’ve managed to strike her twice, even though I thought I was crushing through her offense, she’s still managed to catch me like this?
Then…!
“Jack the-“
I cut her off in the middle of her attempt to bring the knife down and use a spellcard at the same time by unleashing a flurry of shots from my phantom half. They’re unfocused, haphazard, but all I need to do is get her off of me!
She’s gone.
But in her place are a dozen knives poised over me.
They fall.
I move. I push myself from the ground as fast as possible, throw my whole body to the side and to my feet as fast as I can.
I can feel them strike me. One, two, three points of hot pain blazing their way through my back, right shoulder, and left leg.
I can’t do it.
There’s no way.
I hit my knee, my body shaking. Every single strike against me has been building up. Each time I take another blow, it joins the others. In battle, it’s not just a single injury that can put a stop to your fight. It’s the accumulation of them.
I drag my gaze upwards as I try to steady myself. Sweat is pouring off of my forehead. My legs are shaking. Roukanken’s tip drags against the grass.
I’m pathetic.
I can barely even move, now.
Is this all I can do?
No matter how hard I trained, even though I struck her twice, the outcome really hasn’t changed.
She’s a monster.
And I’m a failure.
A failure as a Konpaku. A failure as Yuyuko-sama’s servant.
She stands across the clearing from me, those red eyes blazing, a stopwatch in her hand.
Hundreds of knives surround her. Each one is pointed at me.
Her burning eyes are fixed on me, a hand clutched to her face.
“Disappear.”
If only I could.
The knives fall.
I shut my eyes.
I can’t go any faster, grandfather.
I can barely even move anymore.
I can’t surpass myself any longer.
What use am I, if I can’t even do this much?
What was the purpose of those lessons if all I can do is fail?
I’m sorry, Yuyuko-sama…
…
‘I believe in you, Youmu-chan.’
…
I’m such an idiot.
Yuyuko-sama… she wouldn’t believe in me for no reason, would she?
There is something I can do.
The moon is out, after all.
I open my eyes.
Roukanken blazes red as the light of the moon reflects off of its edge.
That’s right.
There’s one more thing I can do!
On its own, it won’t be enough. But it’ll give me one last chance!
“Matsuyoi-“
I raise Roukanken, its blazing edge burning bright in the dying light as the moon rises. The final and most splendid technique of the Konpaku family, the final lesson my grandfather ever gave to me-
“Reflecting Satellite Slash!”
I bring Roukanken down.
The sliver of red light reflected by the moon reaches out. Between Roukanken’s edge and the lunar body, the light is reflected hundreds, thousands, millions of times. No, beyond even that.
Roukanken’s edge surpasses all numbers. An infinite blade, even for a single instant, is no less infinite.
The light comes down. It isn’t merely light. It’s Roukanken’s edge. The youkai-forged blade is, for this single instant, occupying every single space between myself and Izayoi.
The wall of knives shatters in an instant. Fragments of their blades scatter, for the moment reflecting Roukanken’s edge themselves.
And then they’re gone.
The light is gone too.
“Tch…!”
Izayoi is for a single instant stunned.
She’d seen my last technique before. But not like this.
She’s going to stop time. I know she is.
I can see the blue light, the clock face-like aura, emerging from behind her.
This is my final chance.
Reach her.
Reach her.
Reach her.
Here I come, Izayoi Sakuya!
Both hands grip Roukanken’s hilt. My whole body tenses, and pushes forward.
Faster. Faster. Faster. Surpass your limits. Go beyond yourself. Don’t simply believe you can move faster some day.
Reach that time in the here and now.
Faster than sound. Faster than light.
Then, move even faster than that.
Reach beyond, surpass everything, and take her down…!
This is it!
She’s there!
I bring Roukanken down, and-
Glass cracks.
It spiderwebs out from the center.
The clock shatters.
-I come to a halt.
My body burns.
Everything went towards my last swing. Absolutely everything.
I manage to straighten, looking back over my shoulder.
Behind me, a burning scar has been left in the earth. A thin line of glowing glass.
Izayoi Sakuya stands at the end of it.
Her legs tremble.
She takes one step forward.
She falls.
I won.
I’m still standing, no matter how much everything hurts.
And she isn’t.
“… Did you see that, Yuyuko-sama?”
I find myself speaking, even though my mind barely comprehends my own words.
“I’m worthy…”
I’m falling?
My legs can’t hold me up any longer.
The entire world goes dark.
~
I feel something under my head.
It’s soft, and cool to the touch.
Slowly, I open my eyes.
There’s something blocking my view of the sky above. It’s dark out, so I know it must be night already, but most of my vision is taken up by something I can’t identify.
“You did it, Youmu-chan!”
Yuyuko-sama’s voice? Coming from above me…
…
I feel my cheeks immediately begin burning, my ears hot. This is Yuyuko-sama’s lap, so above me is-
“Y-Yuyuko-sama?!”
I sit up immediately.
“Y-you don’t have to-I… that wasn’t…!”
I can’t manage to articulate myself in the face of my mistress.
She was letting me use her lap as a pillow?! I… that’s…
Before I can say anything else, Yuyuko-sama’s arms are suddenly thrown around me. She pulls me against herself, closely, to her body.
I can feel my cheeks growing even hotter, now. She’s really hugging me? But I… shouldn’t it only be expected that I’d try my hardest?
“You won!”
The memory flows back into my mind.
I struck her head-on. Roukanken would have cut her in half at the midsection, if not for danmaku rules.
Even a monster like the Scarlet Devil’s Dog couldn’t stand up to that.
Yuyuko’s grip on me loosens, and I briefly glance over my shoulder.
I can see Izayoi bowing her head deeply to Remilia Scarlet.
She must be apologizing…
“Yuyuko-sama, I…”
I trail off when my attention returns to my Mistress. She tilts her head.
“… I’m finally worthy to serve you, again.”
But Yuyuko-sama just looks confused.
Shouldn’t it be obvious?
“I mean… my failure that night, it was shameful, I shouldn’t have-“
Suddenly she’s pressing a finger to my lips.
“Don’t be silly, Youmu-chan. You were always worthy!”
What?
I don’t know what to say.
The whole point of this was to regain that worthiness, wasn’t it? After I’d lost it, when I was defeated on that night.
So how is it possible that I was always worthy?
“Just because you lost, that didn’t mean anything. You still fought your hardest, right?”
Yuyuko smiles pleasantly.
My resplendent mistress never once considered me unworthy.
I can believe that much. Maybe she didn’t think about it that way. But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t. It’s my duty to protect her and carry out her orders, and I was unable to.
It’s only tonight that I’d regained that honor.
“Even if you hadn't won tonight,” Yuyuko continues, reaching out and placing a hand on my head, “That wouldn’t have changed anything. I’m just happy to know how dedicated you are.”
She strokes my hair. I can’t make the words come out. I can’t form anything.
Even though I’d failed, it wasn’t tonight’s victory that let me regain my worth.
Because I’d never lost it in the first place?
But…
I…
“Youmu-chan is amazing. You fight hard, you work hard, and you still found time to learn how to cook amaaaazing food between all the training and gardening!”
She’s praising me like this. I wanted to be praised. I wanted to be congratulated for regaining my honor in victory.
But this is more than that.
She’d have praised me no matter what. This is how she already felt.
I…
I…
Oh no.
This is no good.
I can feel them. I can feel tears welling up in the corner of my eyes.
I shouldn’t be crying. I’m still filled with pride over my victory.
But I can’t stop them.
Yuyuko-sama really didn’t care at all that I lost that night. No matter what, she still thinks I’m a wonderful, loyal servant.
The outcome of this fight didn’t change that in the least.
I bury my face in Yuyuko-sama’s chest, throwing my arms around her as it all comes pouring out of me. The stress of the fight, the feelings of worthlessness that I felt before, the elation of victory, the happiness at Yuyuko-sama’s words…
It’s all flowing out of me in the form of tears.
It’s embarrassing.
I shouldn’t be conducting myself like this in the presence of guests. I shouldn’t be using Yuyuko-sama to cry on.
But I can’t stop it.
I can feel her gentle, cool hand stroking my hair…
“She’s the victor, and she’s the one in tears? Hmph.”
It’s Remilia Scarlet.
As fast as I can, I remove my face from my mistress’s chest, sitting on my knees and bowing my head.
“I-I apologize for my conduct!” I try to act as if I wasn’t crying, but I’m sure it doesn’t work.
The Scarlet Devil simply sighs.
“Don’t bother. Your mistress clearly doesn’t mind,” she responds with a dismissive wave of her hand, “… Congratulations.”
Ah?
“Sakuya is practically unbeatable, and yet you still managed to carve out a win,” she continues, flatly, “I don’t know what else I’m supposed to say.”
The maid is beside her.
She bows her head.
“I apologize for my shameful defeat, ojou-sama.”
The vampire sighs.
“You’ve already apologized enough, Sakuya. This is why people call you a dog sometimes, you know.”
The maid goes rigid at that.
Does calling her a dog really get to her that much?
It’s almost funny, even after all that.
Izayoi clears her throat, before turning to address me.
“… While I still find being defeated before ojou-sama shameful,” she begins, “You fought well.”
I’m taken aback for a moment. After how she behaved during the duel, I can’t really believe she’s here commending me for my skill.
“Thank you,” I manage to string the words together. My throat still feels tight from crying, “I can say the same of you.”
Is that a smile on Izayoi’s lips…?
“If that’s all, we’re leaving. Come, Sakuya.”
Before either my Mistress or myself can say anything else, Remilia Scarlet has already departed.
Izayoi follows closely afterwards.
“My, she didn’t even say a proper goodbye. She must be sulking~”
My mistress’s playful voice comes from behind me. When I turn, she’s risen to her feet already, smiling as she offers a hand down towards me.
“Let’s go back, too, Youmu-chan.”
I find myself smiling, too.
I didn’t regain my worthiness tonight.
I’d never lost it in the first place.
I take her cool, gentle hand.
“Yes, Yuyuko-sama!”
~
Just because my mistress says I’m worthy doesn’t mean that I can stop training.
The morning sun rises as I breathe heavily. Roukanken’s edge points towards the ground. Sweat drips from my body.
I’ll be taking my morning bath, soon, and then prepare breakfast for Yuyuko-sama and myself.
My gaze turns towards the light as it grows in the east.
…
Grandfather, wherever you might be.
I know that I can always improve. I know that I can always be better.
But right now…
I think if you’d seen me, you would have been proud.
I turn back towards Hakugyokurou, ready to begin the rest of my routine.
It’s a brand new day.