Work Text:
Bloomers.
Dress.
Socks.
Hat.
Broom.
Bag.
Shoes.
Ready!
It’s time to go to work!
Sure, the Human Village is pretty well-protected, for plenty of reasons and in plenty of ways. But that doesn’t mean that nothing ever happens there in the first place.
Usually it’s the less powerful, but sneakier types. Evil spirits, that kind of thing. The point is that when somebody has some kind of nasty creature is causing trouble for somebody, it’s only natural that they need someone to help them.
And that’s when Kirisame Marisa is on the scene!
That’s right, I offer all kinds of exorcism, for low low prices!
… Okay, if it was anything too serious, I’d probably waive the fee. Fine. I’ll admit it. If people are in serious danger, it’s no good to be charging up.
Even without the moral issues, paying when you might die or something is pretty hard.
It’s a pretty nice day outside today…
Is what I wish I could say, but as upbeat as I’m feeling not even good vibes can change the weather. It’s grey and dreary, and while it’s not cold out at all I definitely get the feeling it’s going to rain. The sky is dark, and under the trees it’s even darker. The air feels pretty heavy and damp, it’s definitely humid out right now.
But hey, it hasn’t yet, so that means it’s time to try and make some money. I already planned ahead after all.
Hanging around at home just because it’s cloudy out isn’t going to do me any good!
I swing one leg over my broom and take off.
Honestly, it’s something I never get tired of. The wind rushing through my hair like this, taking to the skies, it’s a pretty mundane thing for me by this point but sometimes even routines are still pretty fun.
Flight’s just one of those things.
Plus, the faster I rise, the less humid it feels. I don’t want to show up to the human village looking too bedraggled. Selling a service kind of comes with an image, you know? And a witch who’s all sweaty and has her clothing clinging to her really isn’t the kind of image I want to put off!
Even on a cloudy day, the view’s always pretty nice from up here. It’s kind of like flying over a green sea. Not that there’s any oceans in Gensokyo, of course, but you get sort of the same impression when you go over a lot of trees. At least I think it’s the same impression. It’s sort of like flying over the lake, but green, and a lake’s just a way smaller and less salty sea, right?
I’m not alone up in the skies today.
Even though the weather’s not the best, below me I can see them flitting around over the trees, or just beneath them. They look like little girls, but the wings give them away.
Since nothing’s really going on right now, the fairies don’t seem too interested in paying me any attention. Not that I mind showing them how danmaku’s really done, but I’m not going to stop unless they start it first.
They might be stupid, but there’s a couple I’m on pretty decent terms with. They tend to hang out around the lake, though, so I’m not expecting to see them here.
Even flying it feels kind of humid. Maybe I picked a bad day to show up?
Nah, someone’s bound to have something they need taken care of, right? Besides, I need to go shopping anyway.
I’m starting to see the blue-grey rooftops of the human village, now. It’s a little bit misty, but even if I couldn’t see them, it’s not like I haven’t flown this route hundreds of times.
As I get closer, I can’t help but notice there doesn’t seem to be a lot of people out on the streets right now. I guess that’s just what I should’ve expected, but there’s still some figures down below heading to shops and talking amongst themselves.
With any luck, I’d run into someone who needed a little mystical assistance today!
The scenery blurs a little bit around me as I come in for a landing, aiming over the town walls and to a nice open street.
Once I feel solid ground beneath my feet, I step over my broom and raise it to rest on my shoulder.
“That’s Kirisame’s daughter again, isn’t it…”
I can hear a voice from my right. It’s couple of ladies from the town. I’m guessing they think I can’t hear them.
“Why can’t she just use the gate? No wonder she lives out in the forest with the youkai.”
Ah, jeez, I really didn’t need to be hearing that right after I arrived. It’s not like they can’t have seen me coming to town before. Shouldn’t they be used to this by now? It’s been years!
I decided to head deeper into town to find a good place to set up my sign. Usually, if I don’t already know about something fishy going on, I either scope out what people are talking about or set up in the market district. Right now, I feel like I’m more likely to catch someone if I go for the latter rather than the former. People in need still have to get groceries, after all.
Just because something mystical is bothering them doesn’t mean they don’t need to eat, and I saw plenty of people over there as I was coming in for my landing.
There’s some kids up ahead. I only know a couple of their names, but this isn’t the first time I’ve seen them hanging out around here.
One of them, a boy with messy dark hair and bright eyes, is usually the first one of them to talk. Taro-kun, I think?
“Oiii! Kirisame Wiiiitch!” he calls to me, waving his arms as his friends gather around him, “Do it! You know what I mean!”
I sigh.
Shouldn’t they be paying me more respect? I’m their elder, after all.
I can practically hear the disappointment as I walk past them. Taro in particular seems to be the most deflated, I can catch his shoulders sagging from the corner of my eye.
Heh.
It’s not a big deal anyway!
Magic is my forte, especially if it’s flashy!
All it takes is channeling a little feeling down to my fingertips. That familiar warmth. Some spells require a lot more ingredients, but this kind of thing is no problem.
“What, didya mean this?”
My lips part into a grin as I look back over my shoulder, tossing my left hand into the air.
It starts as a flash of golden light, originating from my palm. The magical energy I’d channeled through my body is pushed out as nothing more than that to begin with. But then it spreads, with a faint whining sound, expanding outwards.
I’m most suited to water magic. It’s my natural affinity.
But, where’s the fun in that?
The growing light splits apart, breaking off into streaks through the humid air. Little stars sparkle into existence, arcing through the sky towards the small crowd of children, leaving behind purple and blue streaks in their wake.
Taro leaps into the air, thrusting his fist, and his friends follow suit, clapping and cheering.
Not everybody’s like those ladies who saw me when I first came in.
When a few of them reach up and try to catch the stars, they burst in their palms with a little flash of light, fragmenting into another little shower of even smaller stars.
I think I can at least a couple sets of parents nearby. One of their fathers doesn’t look too happy, but who gives a damn what he thinks.
In fact…
I give the parents a grin too, and wave. One of the mothers smiles and bows her head, the other dad waves back, but the disapproving one simply looks away with his arms folded as his wife doesn’t really react.
Oh well, their loss. Their kids properly appreciate it so I could care less.
Not the first time I’ve seen a father who doesn’t get it.
Anyway, there’s better stuff to focus on now. I’m coming up on the market district.
The Human Village is pretty big, and the Market District is just one example of that. It’s a broad street, lined with plenty of different shops, stalls, and restaurants all advertising their wares. I’ve been to pretty much all of them.
They’re not the only places to get stuff in the village. Some people work out of their homes, and there’s a few places closer to the walls. Like Kosuzu-san’s place.
But it’s the biggest concentration of businesses in the village. And that means it’s the best place for me to advertise my services.
Speaking of which, I just need to find a good spot. I keep track of every restaurant I’ve been to in the Human Village. I only dine and dash if I don’t plan on ever coming back, and they look like they can afford it. I want to make sure I don’t set up too close to any of those locations. I don’t need the hassle of the owner figuring out it was me.
They might get ticked off.
Anyway, even on a dreary, humid day like this, I’ve already seen people walking around the market district. It’s got the most regular foot traffic of any part of the human village, so it’s the most likely spot to find someone in need of an exorcism service.
All I need to do is keep my eyes out for anything unusual, and make sure my sign is nice and visible.
I think this should be a pretty good spot. It’s right next to a popular grocer, and I’ve never left the shop without paying. So I think we’re on pretty good terms.
I reach into my bag and pull out a bamboo pole, stabbing it firmly into the ground before setting the other one up across from it.
Between them, it reads ‘Kirisame Exorcism Services!’ in nice, bold strokes on a bright red banner. That should be plenty eye-catching.
I didn’t used to do it like this, but after some recent incidents within the village walls it became more and more profitable to show up even when I hadn’t heard of anything strange going on beforehand. People got jittery.
There’s a couple times they paid me to do absolutely nothing. There wasn’t any youkai or wicked spirit or anything else giving them trouble, they were just paranoid. But, if they have the money to spare there’s no harm in putting on a little show, right?
Anyway, time to see if I can get any customers. If I have to, maybe I can even do a little convincing towards someone who isn’t sure if they’re struggling with a mystical threat or not.
All’s fair when it comes to the exorcism business!
When there’s not a problem, you make it look like there is!
I take a seat, interlacing my fingers and leaning forward. Just got to keep an eye out for anybody in need.
That’s right, shouldn’t be too much work. I’ve got sharp vision and a good sense for these kinds of things.
So it should be any second now.
Yep, any second now.
Maybe even right now!
…
I have no idea how long it’s been, but it’s only gotten cloudier and more humid. Ah, jeez…!
I slump forward, thudding against my table.
No-one? It’s not like I assumed they’d flock to me in droves, but some people around here are pretty paranoid! Not one person even walked up to ask a question?! I can still see people walking by, even if there’s less of them. It’s just that no-one is even approaching me!
Was this really a bad day to try and push my exorcism services? Maybe I should have given Voile a visit instead, I could have nabbed some books that way and I’d mostly have been inside instead of out when it looked like it was going to rain any second now.
Draping my arms across the table, I look out towards the street again. If anything, I’m starting to see less people out… Damn it.
This really is starting to look like a waste of time. At least I can get my shopping done, but I was hoping to make some money, not just spend it.
“Ah, jeez…”
I guess I should pack up soon if I want to beat the rain. Maybe after I’m done shopping I can still drop by Voile and see if I can find anything new to take home with me. It’s not like anyone will notice.
At least, not until I’ve already left.
Just as I get up to start packing up, though, I spot a familiar face out of the corner of my eye.
Dark hair, up in a red bow. Taller than me, dark, shiny eyes and a pretty face. Red and white clothes, of a very familiar style.
My hand shoots into the air as I wave.
“Oiii, Reimu!”
She turns to face me.
“Marisa?”
Reimu and I have known each other for ages. Come to think of it, the both of us were pretty young when we first met.
“I’m surprised that you’re out, given it’s looked like it’s going to rain all day,” she comments as she approaches, tilting her head, “I would’ve thought you’d be holed up inside, messing around with mushrooms.”
It’s not like I’m just screwing around when I use mushrooms. They’re ingredients for my research!
I shrug.
“Gotta get groceries sometimes, and I figured I’d see if I could drum up some business while I was at it,” I reply, “What are you doing?”
Reimu folds her arms.
“I have to pick up some food.”
Ah, right, one of the handful of things that can get her butt moving.
“Really? I would have thought you’d be holed up in your shrine, given that you’re broke.”
I give her a smirk.
“Shut up.”
There’s a lot I could say about Reimu’s money problems. It’s not exclusively her fault, the Hakurei shrine is in a pretty bad place for regular visitors from the human village to make it and that’s not really something she can do anything about. But it’d be a boldfaced lie to say she didn’t have a hand in her own misfortune.
And even I’m not that bold.
My smirk splits into a grin, and Reimu just sighs again. I didn’t expect her to take too kindly to my teasing, but she poked fun at me first. I have every right to mount a counterattack.
“So, I’m guessing business wasn’t too good today?” she asks, evidently deciding to leave the topic behind.
Ah, man…
My grin falters a little and I slump back down on the table. I really can’t deny it, it was a bit of a mistake to come out here and set up today. I’d thought that maybe even the gloomy weather would motivate some people to think they were dealing with spirits, but that simply wasn’t the case. At least I’d already planned on heading out for shopping, but I could have skipped on the setup.
“Yeah,” I can’t stop myself from sighing, “I thought the gloomy weather might bring out some people who needed exorcism services, but it looks like that just wasn’t the case.”
“They really should come to me for that kind of thing,” Reimu replies, irritation clear in her voice.
When I glance up at her, she’s pouting. She’s totally pouting.
It’s not my fault they don’t!
“What, you want them to give you more work?” I ask, sitting up, “The Lazy Day Miko is asking for more duties to fulfill? That’s news to me.”
Reimu averts her eyes with a frown.
“It’s not that I want more work, it’s that they should view me as the Hakurei Miko,” she folds her arms, still averting her eyes.
“Even if that means you’ve got less time to lay around and do nothing?” I question, raising an eyebrow.
“You know what I mean,” she replies with a scowl.
“Sure, sure~”
I wave my hand in the air, rising to my feet.
“Anyway, since you’re here, and I’m not getting any business, we might as well go shopping together. It beats doing it alone, right?”
She pauses for a moment before replying.
“I suppose so, it’s not like you’ll actually take no for an answer anyway.”
She’s got that right.
“Let me just pack up!”
Exactly how I fit my banner and my table in a bag small enough for me to carry with one arm for a whole shopping trip isn’t for the average person to know. It’s a secret privy only to the heirs to Kirisame Marisa’s wisdom.
And there’s no heirs yet, nor am I planning on there being any time soon.
Anyway, it doesn’t take me long to pack up my things, slinging my bag over my shoulder.
“Alright, let’s go!”
There is one nice thing about a gloomy day like this, and that’s the fact that the shops aren’t too crowded. The shops are still open, but you don’t have to hang around waiting in line as long to get your groceries.
Of course, depending on the shop, sometimes showing up at night gives you the same advantage. Not that many of them would admit it to their fellow townsfolk, but I’m plenty aware that a lot of these shopkeepers participate in the village’s Night Market.
Youkai spend money too, after all. And not a lot of them are particularly interested in eating people these days.
As we go from shop to shop, I have to admit I feel a little bit guilty about poking fun at Reimu’s lacking funds. Not enough to stop, but the fact her shopping list is so tiny definitely drives home how little she can actually afford for food.
Still, got to pick up some food myself. There’s some real nice prices on chicken and beef today, and I’ve gathered plenty of regular mushrooms back home. There’s no other use for those aside from eating them, except when they’re toxic. But I’ve been at this long enough to recognize the poisonous ones on sight.
You don’t get anywhere using mushrooms for magical experiments if you can’t figure out which ones are going to kill you if you abuse them too much.
“Hey, Reimu,” I turn towards her, “If you’re looking for some real low price meat, that grocer’s selling beef for dirt cheap today. There was a mix-up between farmers and the delivery people, so he’s got way more then he wanted, right? So he just wants to get rid of it fast before it spoils.”
Reimu glances over to the grocer. I can already see her eyes shining. And I definitely hear a grumble from her stomach. The fact she blushes like that makes it obvious she heard it too.
“R-really, huh…” she starts, trying to act as if I didn’t just hear her stomach growling, “Well, I might as well help him deal with that problem. He’d be wasting money and food if he doesn’t sell it all…”
I knew she’d immediately lock onto a good deal. That’s the Hakurei Miko for you.
I can practically see the stars in her eyes when she’s actually made the purchase. Maybe those kids would think that’s a good show, too? Red meat at an affordable price for the poverty miko has to be a pretty rare event. Maybe it’s momentous enough to record in Hieda-san’s Chronicle?
“Just so you know, it’s not as if I’m desperate,” Reimu asserts, after we’ve finished picking up our groceries, “I just know a good deal when I see it.”
“Uh-huh, right, sure.”
She can’t hide the truth.
Given I didn’t have any customers, and I haven’t seen anybody being careless with their belongings, I guess this is probably it for my excursion to the Human Village. After all, I’d like to get back before it starts raining, and the humidity’s only gone up.
Looping my bags around my right arm, I stretch the other up over my head.
“Mmmmnnnn~ Think it’s about time I head home,” I say, with a glance towards Reimu, “Are you planning on sticking around? Looks like it’ll rain soon.”
Just as Reimu is about to open her mouth, a couple of kids run by.
“Uweh, it’s the youkai shrine maiden!” one, a boy, cries out, pointing towards Reimu.
“Watch out, she’ll put a curse on you!” declares the other, a girl, before they go rushing off down the street.
“Why you-Get back here you little brats!” Reimu practically growls, cutting herself off and immediately breaking into a sprint after them.
Damn.
On one hand, calling those kids little brats? Totally warranted.
On the other hand, that was hilarious. I can’t help it, I have to bring a hand up to stifle my laughter.
“Don’t you laugh!”
Sounds like Reimu heard me anyway.
“Hmph, when I find those brats, I’m going to give them a piece of my mind,” complains Reimu. She’s up at the corner, scanning the street for any signs of the kids who had run by, “They… shouldn’t be…”
She trails off after a moment, her scowl having turned into a frown.
“What’s going on over there?”
What does she mean? I jog to catch up to her, reaching her within a few more steps and following her line of sight.
A bunch of the townsfolk have gathered around, down the next street over. They’re looking down at something on the ground…
That’s more people in one spot then I’ve seen all day. I can’t help but wonder what’s happening.
As lazy as she is, neither can Reimu.
Once we get closer, I find myself breaking into a sprint.
I can see through the crowds, just a bit, enough to see that the thing they’re gathered around isn’t just a thing. It’s a person.
Red and white checked kimono. A gold apron.
I don’t know her quite as well as Reimu, but that doesn’t matter right now.
“Kosuzu-chan?!”
I can hear Reimu’s call as we reach the crowd. Most of them move, but we have to push past a few people.
Motoori Kosuzu is lying in the street.
She’s not moving.
I involuntarily draw a sharp intake of breath as I reach her. She’s younger then Reimu and I, barely old enough to even run her shop. Her eyes are shut, her lips parted slightly, red hair a mess, pooling around her head.
“What are all of you idiots doing? Get some help!” Reimu snaps over my shoulder. This close, I can immediately tell that Kosuzu-san is still breathing. I didn’t really doubt she would be, but at the same time…
There’s no need to think about that right now.
I don’t see any signs of injury on her, either. Unless she was just dropped here, it looks like she just passed out in the middle of the street.
That’s certainly not good, but I can’t help but be relieved that she’s not physically harmed, at least.
“Reimu,” I glance back towards her, “She’s breathing fine, she’s unconscious.”
I can see her grow visibly less tense as her dark eyes travel over Kosuzu-san's prone form.
But soon enough, she’s standing up straight and addressing the townsfolk once more.
“Did anyone see what happened?”
It’s not just a request, it’s a demand.
As the crowd anxiously murmurs among themselves, I think I can see Kosuzu-san's eyelids fluttering. She’s stirring, just a little.
“Hey, hey, are you alright?!”
Maybe grabbing her shoulders like that isn’t necessary, but I don’t think I can stop myself.
“Mmmnn…?”
Her eyes are open just a bit. She’s starting to wake up.
“Kirisame-san…?”
Her voice is uneven. She sounds groggy, like she just woke up from sleeping heavily. But at least she’s awake.
“Are you okay? Kosuzu-san?”
She doesn’t seem very with it, though. What could have happened? It looks like she was just in the middle of the street… She has a bag at her side, too. It looks like she was just running errands, I see a couple leeks protruding from it.
“Did anyone see anything?!” I hear Reimu repeat angrily from behind me. I had a feeling the townsfolk wouldn’t necessarily be forthcoming given her reputation, but this seems a bit much. Did they see something that spooked them?
Finally, somebody answers.
“She just collapsed walking down the street, but something, er, something seemed strange, it wasn’t like she fainted…”
“That’s right. She just fell suddenly. No-one could wake her up.”
“There wasn’t even anyone near Motoori-san…”
It seems like a young man who had witnessed what happened stepped forward to try and explain. Not that it seemed as if he had a lot of information, but at least he had seen something. And the fact that more people were backing up his story made it more likely to be the truth.
“I was just getting ready to head home,” Kosuzu murmurs, shaking her head. It sems like she’s a little more aware now.
When I place a hand to her forehead, I don’t feel a fever either.
This doesn’t seem natural at all. I don’t need to say it, I’m sure that Reimu is thinking the exact same thing.
Kosuzu-san is in good health, as far as I know. And no fever makes it a little unlikely she just came down with something, especially when she felt good enough to go out and run errands.
Which leaves a significantly more sinister option far more likely.
She’s shaking her head again, as if trying to clear her mind.
“Nnng, I was… did I fall down? My head…”
She places her right hand to her forehead, wincing slightly.
“It’s all jumbled up…”
I would like to give her a little more time to recover, but more than anything else I want to know just what happened.
“Kosuzu-san, do you remember anything out of the ordinary?” I ask her, briefly glancing at Reimu and the crowd. From what I can tell, it looks like no-one saw anything different from what that other guy said.
She doesn’t even have any books on her, so I doubt it’s a youma book, either.
Kosuzu shuts her eyes tightly, inhaling deeply as she attempts to clear her head.
“I-I was walking home after picking up some groceries, um, then I think I heard someone say something to me…”
She trails off. Someone spoke to her?
“Do you remember what they said?”
She shakes her head.
“No, I just remember hearing my name,” she replies, frowning to herself, “Then I think I fell… and then, um, you woke me up? Wh-what happened, why did I…”
She trails off.
I agree with her, it doesn’t make any sense at all. I doubt every single one of the townsfolk who stepped forward is lying, and she doesn’t seem to be suffering from having taken a blow to the head.
Though I guess we need to wait until someone with more experience can confirm that.
“Make way! I’m from Eientei!”
Speaking of which, here comes one now.
The purple hair, the red eyes, even if she’s hiding her signature characteristics I can recognize her in an instant. Given who she works for, I guess I could say I don’t have any doubt in her skills.
It’s probably for the best she keeps that medicine seller getup on, don’t need to spook the townsfolk by suddenly revealing she’s a moon rabbit.
She’s already at Kosuzu-san’s side, kneeling and swiftly placing a hand to her forehead.
“She doesn’t even have a fever.”
Reisen glances at me for a moment, but slowly nods.
“No fever… Are you nauseous, Motoori-san? Do you feel any pain anywhere, particularly the back of your head? Do you feel dizzy?”
Kosuzu shakes her head.
“I just feel groggy… l-like I just woke up.”
Reisen’s frown deepens.
“Did you get enough sleep last night?”
“I-I think so…”
No-one saw her get hit. She doesn’t have any symptoms aside from feeling sleepy. There’s no doubt in my mind that she was definitely attacked, but by what?
Hold it.
“Kosuzu-san, where are your bells?”
Usually, she ties her hair up with a pair of bell ties. In all the commotion, I didn’t even think about it, but her hair’s been down the whole time.
“Ah? What?”
Kosuzu-san reaches up.
“They’re gone?”
I have a feeling I can guess what might have happened, now. If she passed out randomly with no visible force attacking her, then she’s missing something from her person, wouldn’t it stand to reason that whatever force knocked her out also took the bells?
I don’t know why, but maybe…
“Are you missing anything e-“
Before I can finish my question, I see it out of the corner of my eye.
Reimu is already moving.
Somebody at the back of the crowd, from the same direction Reisen came from, is falling. It’s a man this time, probably in his forties if I had to guess. I get to my feet, but he’s hit the ground before either of us can reach him.
“Damn it!”
I’m sure she feels it, if I do.
As Reisen goes to check the man on the ground, it’s like there’s a darkness drifting over him. A faint, shadowy mist, not visible to the eye per say but more the kind of thing you feel. Something you know is there, even if you can’t really touch it or see it. It’s a faint trace leading away off down the street and disappearing.
“Reimu, there was something there, wasn’t there?”
I might be a witch, but Reimu is the Hakurei Miko. She’s even more in tune to spiritual presences then I am.
“I see it,” she says with a scowl, glaring at the space over the fallen man. At a glance, I can tell he’s still breathing. This has to be what happened to Kosuzu.
With Reisen already checking on him, I don’t think there’s any reason to hesitate. Kosuzu’s okay, this guy’s already getting some attention.
My broom is already in my right hand.
It’s time to chase this thing down!
I swing my leg over my broom. My feet leave the ground.
I’m off already, the wind tearing past me as I launch myself down the street. I can’t really see it, not exactly. It’s more like I can feel the presence of those dark misty lines. I can’t literally touch them, but I have a sort of sense of where they are.
And that’s enough for me to track them!
I’m pretty sure Reimu is not far behind, but I’m not pausing and looking back to check. If this thing’s attacking people, then we have to stop it fast. She might be a slacker, but she’s not going to ignore something happening right in front of her.
I can’t deny there’s part of me that still hopes I get there first, even if I’m mostly concerned with just catching it in the first place.
The invisible mist twists around a corner.
I follow, leaning inward towards the bend, placing one hand firmly on my hat, my eyes narrowed as I trace the presence.
Ahead, someone falls down, unconscious. This time it’s not just an invisible presence on the edge of perception.
I can see it. It’s gone from a barely-noticeable haze that exists outside the visual spectrum to a tangible darkness, drifting off of its latest victim and hurtling further down the street.
I’ll catch you!
Now that I can see it properly, all I need to do is take aim and shoot it down. It might not have much of a physical presence, but that doesn’t matter when it comes to magic.
I’ll burn a hole straight through it!
Nice, flashy, and above all else, explosive! That’s how magic should be, and that’s how I’ll resolve this incident right here and now!
Tracing the visible form of the mist with my eyes, I thrust my right arm out and take aim. I don’t need the Mini-hakkero for this, as fun as it would be to blow it away like that. The streets of the village are a little too cramped.
It’s not too different from before. I send the magical energy down my arm. To the palm of my hand. It’s funny, the process for a spell like this is so similar to something that doesn’t even do damage. It’s all about what you put into it, really.
It’s a straight shot, and while I don’t know if it can pass through walls, I’m not going to give it the opportunity to show me.
I’m ready, time to-
Damn it!
There’s no mistaking it. Just beyond the shadowy mist is a very familiar face. Golden hair, not too far off my own, that blue and white and red dress, those blue eyes-
Why did she have to be here today?! She barely comes to the human village in the first place, and now she’s here on a day like this?!
If I unleash my spell now, it’ll go straight through the shadowy presence. I’m sure it’ll hit.
But if I do that, I’ll hit Alice too.
My hand tenses, and I grit my teeth. It’s going right for her…!
“Alice!”
I have to call out to her. I can see her turning.
“Look out!”
It’s all I have time for. The mist is almost on her.
I catch movement, the sight of a dozen glinting shields, the shapes of dolls taking position directly in front of her.
The mist slams into them, parting and washing over the barrier of dolls like a wave. Its form breaks as it twists outwards and away, unable to penetrate the hastily-erected shield. So, it definitely can’t pass through solid objects?
Or maybe it’s just because Alice’s dolls and their weapons have so much magical energy in them. Regardless, she’s okay, and I just need to get around her and take the shot!
Wait, it’s not behind her? I thought I saw it going around her, but it’s gone.
“Marisa?!”
I hear Alice’s voice, and I realize where it must have gone.
Up.
There it is.
Right in front of my face.
I thought it would just keep going. I didn’t think it’d turn around and make an attack.
Damn it.
Damn it damn it damn it!
I feel something pulling at the edge of my mind and-
~
“Marisa?! Marisa?! Marisa!”
Ah, jeez, my head…
Everything’s foggy. I’ve been asleep for a really long time? No, that’s not really it… what’s this feeling?
Alice?
That’s Alice, calling my name. She sounds kind of frantic. Did something happen?
Man, my whole body feels heavy, and when I open my eyes up everything’s kind of blurry. How long was I…
Asleep?
Was I asleep?
It’s hard to remember right now. My head feels like all my thoughts are slowed down.
But if Alice is here… then maybe…
She’s right there. As my vision clears, I can see her right in my face. I don’t really know why she looks so worried though.
My arms feel heavy, but I raise them up, slowly draping them over her shoulders. I can see her go rigid.
It’s always pretty easy to make her flustered.
“Ali-“
Before I can even finish speaking, Alice stands up straight.
“So you’re fine, then.”
I only have a moment to yelp before I hit the ground. The ground? Wait this isn’t…
Memories come flooding back to me pretty quickly, now. Chasing down the shadow, until it turned around and got me from above…
Damn it, I’m one of Gensokyo’s top incident resolvers, and I got caught by something like that?
A tight knot of frustration builds up inside of my chest. I can’t believe it. I shouldn’t be letting myself fail like that.
My hands tighten, and the knot in my chest only grows heavier. I don’t do everything I do just to become victim myself. I don’t spend my time experimenting with magic just to fall flat on my face. I don’t work this hard just to look like a joke.
A few of Alice’s dolls are still around me, peering at my even though she’s turned away, now.
I guess I can’t just sit in the dirt and mope about screwing up, can I?
I reach out for my hat.
It’s not there.
It’s not on my head. It’s not on the other side of me. It’s not behind me.
“… Alice, where’s my hat?”
She doesn’t turn around.
“After you fell, I didn’t see it,” she responds, flatly.
I’m suddenly reminded of the way Kosuzu-san was missing her bells. My eyes widening, I reach into my bag-
It didn’t just take my hat.
All the money I had on me is gone, too!
I’d had a suspicion when I noticed anything was stolen at all, but now I’ve confirmed it in the worst way possible. This spirit isn’t just knocking people out, it’s robbing them!
“That bastard took all my money!”
I can’t help but vent my frustrations out loud. It’s not like that was all of it, but that was at least five thousand yen. Five thousand! That damn thing took that much money and my hat? First it attacks Kosuzu, and now…!
“The thief has been robbed,” Alice comments, still facing away from me, “How ironic.”
This isn’t irony. This isn’t irony at all. I borrow things, and I borrow them from people who can handle being borrowed from by surprise. I don’t just rob random people of their grocery money!
“That’s different,” I fold my arms with a frown, “I just borrow things, I don’t steal them.”
Alice finally turns to me, returning my frown with one of her own.
“And you do so without any intention of returning them? Don’t act like I didn’t notice another book missing after last time.”
Ah, so she did figure it out. Oh well, nothing to be ashamed of!
“Like I said, it’s just borrowing! Until I-“
She waves her hand, cutting me off almost immediately.
“You don’t need to say it again, Marisa,” she says with a heavy sigh, “I’ve heard it too many times already.”
…
She’s been saying that a lot, recently. I guess she doesn’t even want to hear an excuse anymore.
Not that it’s an excuse, I’m totally just borrowing.
Before I can say anything else, she’s speaking again.
“You’re not hurt, are you? You fell off your broom…”
I look myself over, stretching my arms. Aside from my hat and the monetary hit, I think I’m perfectly fine. Nothing hurts, and I guess being knocked out meant I didn’t even have to feel it when I hit the ground.
At least I’ve still got the mini-hakkero, too.
“I think I’m fine!” I declare as I get to my feet.
As if in response to my assurance, I suddenly feel a stinging, tingling sensation just below my left knee.
Alice spots me wincing almost immediately. I’m pretty sure it’s just a scrape, no big deal compared to the robbery, but maybe she doesn’t think so?
“Let me see.”
I shrug, before pulling up my skirt just enough to expose my knees. Sure enough, leaning forward I can make out the red streaks of a small, but fairly nasty scrape.
Before I can do anything else, one of Alice’s dolls has already approached and plastered a bandage over it. She pats me lightly with her tiny hand before floating away, back to her creator’s side.
Did she have it ready even before I knew I was hurt in the first place?
“Thanks, Alice!”
I’m still pretty pissed off about getting robbed and all, but I still give her a grin.
She looks away quickly.
“Don’t mention it.”
I can’t delay any longer in trying to track this thing down, anyway.
“Hey! Marisa!”
That’s Reimu.
I’ll admit it, there’s a part of me that’s kind of reluctant to have a chat right after an embarrassing crash like that.
But if we’re going to stop this thing and get my hat and my money back, it doesn’t really make sense to try and avoid it.
“You’re awake?” she asks, landing nearby. She only briefly glances at Alice before returning her attention to me.
“Without my hat and my money, but I’m awake,” I answer with a frown. I’m really going to teach that stupid thing a lesson when we catch it.
“So that’s what it’s been doing,” Reimu sighs heavily, “I lost track of it right after you fell. It looks like it found someplace to hide.”
She places her right hand to her forehead.
“And here I was hoping we’d be done with this nice and quick.”
I can tell she’s already tired of this. It’s not like that’s a surprise, Reimu’s one of the laziest people I’ve ever known.
“What exactly is it?” Alice asks, cocking her head. One of her dolls mimics the same motion, “I saw a dark mist, but nothing else.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s an evil spirit, of some kind,” Reimu responds, “… Wait, you saw it?”
That’s right. With every person it attacked, it was definitely becoming more visible.
“Every time it touched somebody, I could see it more clearly,” I point out, “Each person that fell made it more visible. I’m sure that bastard was getting stronger the more people it knocked out.”
I’m certain that was the case. It was as if the more people it took down, the more present it became. It went from an invisible presence I could only just barely detect due to my work as a witch to something that I could actually see. If I had to guess, it was something with weak ties to the material world to begin with. But the more it attacked, the more its presence became tangible, the more it was tied to this world. The more powerful it became.
On one hand, that’s not good. On the other hand, that makes it way easier to track down.
“Tch, and you let it knock you out? This is getting to be way more of a hassle…”
Indignation rises inside of me.
“I didn’t let it do anything!” I clutch my hands at my sides as I speak, “It took me by surprise, and I couldn’t shoot it when it was heading for Alice!”
“You got taken by surprise by a weak evil spirit?” Reimu raises an eyebrow, “That sure sounds like letting it happen.”
She’s absolutely trying to get back at me for teasing her earlier. I can tell.
“I don’t think that she’s at fault for being surprised.”
Alice!
She’s actually defending me in this situation? I didn’t really expect that!
“She is, however, to blame for lamenting being robbed when she’s a thief herself.”
Ah…
My arms sag at my sides.
I should’ve known she wouldn’t let that go.
“Ah, jeez! Whatever, we’ve got to track this thing down, and we’ve to do it fast!”
Almost as if in response, there’s a roll of thunder.
Immediately all three of us, plus all of Alice’s dolls, are looking skyward.
I knew it was coming, but I was seriously hoping we’d have a little more time!
It comes all at once. The sky opens up and it just pours, like a curtain falling over the entire human village.
I’m already running for the nearest overhang, but given how hard it’s raining I think my clothing is soaked through already.
Reimu’s soaked, too, and fuming over it.
Alice…
Her dolls are all holding tiny umbrellas. By positioning themselves over her, each umbrella has interlocked, creating the same sort of coverage a single full-sized one would give.
Even the raindrops are huge, seriously, what’s with this? It feels almost like I’m being hit by danmaku!
Until suddenly it doesn’t. I’m already soaked, but I’m not being bombarded by way-too-huge raindrops anymore.
It’s Alice.
Several of her dolls, who I guess weren’t necessary to keep her out of the rain, have come over to me, holding tiny umbrellas over my head. It’s not as many as she’s got, but it’s enough to keep clear of most of the rain.
“Hey, Alice! Thank you!”
After I call to her, she just looks away as we reach a nearby roof overhang. I can practically feel Reimu seething on the other side of me.
“You had enough dolls to cover her, but not the both of us?” she complains as she waves her arm, trying to shake the water out of one of her sleeves, “What’s with that?”
“I didn’t bring enough dolls to spare,” Alice responds flatly, “I could only cover one of you, and I chose Marisa.”
Heheh, of course she did!
Even if she just looks away when I grin at her again.
Reimu just folds her arms, glaring.
I stare out into the street. It’s raining so hard, it’s difficult to see the buildings across the way. I can hear it coming down like a thousand little hammers against the overhang above us.
It’s not just that being out in the rain is no fun. If that was all, given there’s an incident to resolve it’d be a minor issue in comparison. I don’t like being out in the rain, but I can deal with it. If I have to, I can even use a little magic to make myself a rain shield. It’s not flashy, it’s boring as hell. But it gets the job done.
The problem is the visibility.
With how hard it’s raining, it’s like a particularly wet veil has been thrown over my eyes. I’m sure there’s some youkai out there who’d have no issue finding their way around in this weather, but we’re two humans and a youkai magician.
No way that’s happening.
If would be a different story If our target was something with a more physical, tangible presence, too.
But it’s nothing more then a hazy dark mist.
In this kind of weather, it’ll be impossible to track something like that, even if you’re relying on its aura to find it rather than its appearance.
It pisses me off.
Of course it had to show up today and attack Kosuzu-san. Of course it had to make a scene right before it started pouring. It just had to. And of course I had to screw up and get knocked out.
“…”
I slide down the wall, unable hide my scowling, my arms resting on my knees.
At least it’s dry under here.
“… Are you cold, Marisa?”
It’s Alice.
I shake my head. Out of all the things I’m feeling right now, cold isn’t one of them. It was pretty warm and humid to begin with.
“I’m fine, but thanks for asking,” I say.
“It’s just common decency.”
After replying, she looks away again.
I’m frustrated over being taken down like that. Pissed off about losing my hat and my money. Pissed off about the rain.
But this is the perfect opportunity to cheer myself up a bit.
After all, Alice has just opened herself up to be teased.
“Common decency, huh?” I smirk as I lean towards her, “Is that it? That’s aaaaall that’s on your mind?”
“Yes.”
Her answer is nearly immediate, as she looks back towards me. But her weakness has already been revealed. I can see the slight color in her cheeks, hear the wavering in her voice. I’m striking her right where she’s most vulnerable!
“Even though you might get all wet too, Alice-chan is offering to warm me up?”
I’ve put on a playful, cheery tone, hugging myself.
“Wh-why would I get…” she trails off, shifting in in place awkwardly, averting her eyes again. Perfect. I’ve really got her on the ropes now!
“Aaah, just hearing that is making me feel warm inside!”
I just need to keep going, giving an exaggerated sigh of delight as I wrap my arms around myself tighter. It really is getting to her. I’m sure she knows I’m teasing, but that doesn’t matter when her heart’s in my sights!
I certainly don’t dislike the idea either, but I don’t really need Alice to get her clothes soaked through on my account. And I’m not actually cold regardless.
Even if I was, seeing her reaction would have warmed me up regardless.
“Well, Alice-chan… I’m ready…!”
Leaning closer, I spread my arms wide.
I can see her cheeks practically glowing right now. Perfect! I knew I’d strike her right in her-
I don’t really know how to interpret the noise she just made, but I can’t help but let out a muffled yelp when her bag collides directly with my face and knocks me flat on my back.
“…”
Maybe I made her a little too flustered.
When I sit up, she’s buried her face in her hands. Even still, I know she’s blushing furiously.
“…”
Cute.
“Will you two stop flirting, already?”
I look over my shoulder to see Reimu fold her arms over her chest with an irritated huff.
“If it’s raining this hard, it’s probably not going to last,” she continues, “So if we want to catch this thing we should be ready to start looking as soon as it stops.”
Alice seems to have mostly recovered from my teasing in time to respond.
“Since it tried to attack me, I suppose I can help,” she raises one hand, one of her dolls drifting into the air alongside it, “I’m not about to send my dolls out in the rain, but once it’s stopped I’ll have them fan out through the village. Since it’s visible now, I should have no trouble spotting it that way.”
With the both of us and Alice’s dolls doing the searching, there’s no way that we’ll let it escape a second time.
As soon as the rain stops, we’ll find it!
…
If by stop, Reimu said ‘slow down enough to actually see’ at least it’s starting to do that. The storm’s dying down to a drizzle rather than a torrential downpour, little by little. It doesn’t seem like it’s going to stop, but at least it’s not like being hit in the face with an extra watery blindfold right now.
“Looks like this is as good as it’s gonna get,” I comment as I extend my hand out from beneath the overhang, “And we don’t want to waste any more time, right?”
Reimu nods.
Alice hesitates for a few moments, before nodding slowly. Already, several of her dolls are drifting over her, producing tiny umbrellas once again.
She was really hoping it’d completely stop, huh.
The streets are pretty empty-looking when we emerge from the overhang. Given how hard it was raining, it’s not exactly a surprise. On one hand, this might make it easier to spot the evil spirit.
On the other, if there’s nobody out on the streets it might not come out looking for targets.
Still, it’s getting late, and that’s going to make it even harder to find. There’s no point in just sitting around and hoping it comes out.
We’ve got to make the first move.
Besides, I’m already soaked, a little drizzle isn’t going to bother me.
I’ve got to get my hat and money back!
I hope astride my broom, as Reimu lifts off of the ground.
“I’ll take the east, you take the west, Marisa,” she says, gesturing with her gohei, “Alice?”
Dolls fan out from behind Alice. I wonder if I can work out whatever space-warping spell she uses to store so many of them. She’s surrounded by them all the time, but she seems like she just pulls them out of no-where too.
“I’ll have my dolls fan out through the streets.”
Each one of them is equipped with another tiny umbrella.
“Once they’ve found something, I’ll have them send up a signal,” she continues, “Unless you’re blind and deaf, you shouldn’t be able to miss it, so it’s entirely on you if you don’t notice.”
“Right!”
Without waiting for anything else, I take off. Now that things have cleared out, it’s time to hunt that bastard down and get my stuff back!
The light’s getting a bit poorer. Unfortunately, with all this cloud coverage, we don’t even get to have a sunset.
But it’s not too dark yet. I can still see pretty well down below as I drift over the village, casting my eyes downwards towards town.
And besides, we really can’t afford to waste any more time.
It’s not just about the thefts, though I’m definitely ticked off about that.
It’s the fact it was getting stronger in the first place.
Reimu is right, that’s definitely what was happening. It was trying to escape, there was no reason it would start getting easier to see rather than trying to hide itself.
It started with just knocking people out and taking things from them. But if it’s getting stronger, who’s to say it’s going to stop there? It was already going out of its way to directly harm people, something most youkai don’t really do anymore.
If it keeps getting more powerful, it could start doing something a lot worse then just knocking somebody out.
I don’t really want to think about what’d happen then. If it attacked one of those kids, or Kosuzu again, or even Hieda-san…
Ah!
There it is! A red and blue light launching up from the streets, flashing brightly like a firework before disappearing. That must be Alice’s signal!
I lean down, tucking my body against my broom. Time to get there in a flash!
Pouring a little bit of magic through my body, through the broom clenched between my thighs, I brace myself…
And the humid air tears past me, raindrops whipping past my body as a rocket downwards towards the street! I’m not giving it a chance to get away this time! I’ll-
Huh?!
I pull up as I near the street, curving my flight pattern upwards, cancelling my spell as I slow down.
I can see Alice’s doll. Even the angry expression on her face.
But she’s pointing at…
It’s just some guy. He’s probably only a few years older than I am, early twenties I’d guess. He doesn’t look particularly special.
He’s got a sack on his back, and in his hands is a simple wooden box. At first glance, I’d guess he got caught out in the rain after running errands.
“Alice, I don’t think this guy’s the evil spirit,” I comment with a sigh, “How did you screw that up?”
I glance from the insistently-pointing doll to the man she’s pointing at.
“You just need to go home, and watch out for-“
Hold it.
That wooden box is pretty weird, isn’t it? What’s he carrying it around like that for?
Something’s off here.
“On second thought, what’s in that box?”
I narrow my eyes as I float closer.
And he immediately turns and starts running.
Well that answers that, huh?
I lean forward, close to my broom, and launch myself after him.
What does he even get from running?
Seriously, it’s not like he’s got any chance at escape!
I’m not Shameimaru or Konpaku, but I’m plenty fast in the air to catch up with an ordinary guy on the ground.
I don’t even have to move at top speed to catch up to him, which makes it a lot easier to do this!
The moment I’ve gotten past him I turn sharply, my broom hitting him in the chest with a resounding thwack.
All the momentum he had is suddenly working against him, his legs going forward as his torso goes backwards.
He hits the ground pretty hard, clutching that box to himself like his life depends on it. Jeez, he’s that desperate that he’s using his entire body to protect it?
The bag on his back hit the ground first, the loose tie at the top coming undone…
I land, stepping off of my broom as I watch its contents spill out.
Money. A lot of money, in fact. Some jewelry. A couple familiar sets of bells.
And to top it all off, my hat.
“You sure have a lot of explaining to do, don’t you?” I ask, my eyes narrowed. I think I can put it together based on what I’m seeing, but I want to hear it from the culprit himself.
As I approach and reach for my hat, Alice’s doll gets there first. With a little tugging, she frees it from the man’s bag, raising it up and offering it to me.
“… Thanks.”
I’m not always sure how capable of independent action Alice’s dolls are. She’s said she needs to order them, but sometimes it seems like they already know what she wants.
“Alright then, I’ll ask again!”
I return my hat to my head, then sweep my arm down to point straight at the man on the ground, clutching the box.
“What’s in that box?”
The fact he glares at me that intensely gives me the feeling he’s not so willing to talk.
“I don’t have to tell you, witch! You live out in the forest with youkai, you’re barely even human!”
Wow, he really is a charmer, huh? It’s not like I really need to get it from him, to be honest. I could just kick his ass and be done with it.
But still, I’m kind of curious what this idiot was thinking.
He stumbles to his feet, losing more money and random valuables from the sack on his back. I don’t see anything I’d be interested in taking, it’s just villagers’ jewelry and stuff. It’s going to be hard to figure who the money needs to go to, though, huh.
“You wouldn’t understand, anyway! I need to take every advantage I can get, even if it means trampling over others!”
This guy’s a serious drag to listen to.
“So using an evil spirit to knock people out and steal from them is how you plan to get ahead?”
I sigh heavily.
“That’s right!”
He’s just given up on trying to hide it at this point.
“It doesn’t just steal objects, it steals their consciousness! It’s the perfect thief!”
So that’s what it was doing. No wonder there wasn’t any physical harm done to its targets, it was basically putting them to sleep on the spot.
Some people would say it’s hypocritical to think this guy is trash when I steal stuff all the time. First off, it’s borrowing. There’s a big difference.
Second, I don’t take stuff that people need for their daily lives.
I don’t care what somebody might think, that puts me way ahead of this asshole.
“Alright, that’s all I needed to hear,” I raise my broom in one hand, “Hand it over or I’ll kick your ass and take it anyway.”
He steps back, clutching at the box.
“I won’t let you have it!” he cries, “I’ll escape, and crush anyone in my way to the top!”
Before I can reach him, he’s turned on his heel and sharply backhanded the doll drifting behind him.
I don’t really know how Alice makes them exactly, but I do know that pained expression as she’s swatted out of the air and hits the ground aren’t fake.
He’s really got a thing for digging his own grave, huh.
Just as I’ve started moving, a red-and-white blur lands ahead of him.
“So you’re the culprit.”
It’s Reimu, her gohei brandished at her side.
“Tch…” the moron between us has to realize how much trouble he’s in, and yet…
“The youkai miko too?!”
He really has to make things harder for himself regardless.
“Sure is funny that somebody working with an evil spirit is slinging that kind of stuff around so much,” I comment as I approach him, “Talk about no self-awareness.”
I didn’t even notice Alice arrive, but she’s here too, now. Scooping the doll he slapped off of the ground with both of her hands, her blue eyes narrowed.
“After you’re done,” she says, without looking up, “I’m going to hurt him.”
“If… if it’s just going to be like this…”
I can hear him murmuring as we approach.
“Then we’ll rob your mind!”
The box is opened.
The black mist is pouring out immediately. This time it’s like a cloud, flowing out over the street and completely overtaking my vision.
Damn it, I can’t even aim like this! I have to do it before it takes my consciousness again, but-
The mist is gone as quickly as it appeared.
“Reimu!”
Her gohei extended, a golden-glowing hexagonal barrier around the thief, Reimu glares sharply at the thief. For a moment I think she’s already dealt with it, but when the barrier vanishes she lets out a heavy sigh.
“It got away.”
This stupid thing seriously managed to escape? At least Reimu’s barrier blocked it from touching any of us, but now we don’t even know where it went.
And that moron’s laughing his head off, now.
“Playing with that crooked dollmaker freak, living with youkai,” he declares, sounding like he’s lost it, “You try to say you’re better than me when you do things like that? Hah!”
It’s really about time this guy shut up.
I’m approaching him again, my hand curling into a fist.
“I wanted to get ahead. Do you know how painful it is to be forgotten all your life, to live with almost nothing?!”
Whatever patience I have left is completely snapped.
“Now everyone will! My partner will rob them blind! Not just their belongings, but their consciousness as well! It’ll take everything from them, and-“
I have no doubt in my mind that he’s probably physically stronger than I am.
But he’s not paying attention.
So I don’t hesitate one bit.
My fist hits him right in the nose, and I can feel something crack as he falls to the ground with a strangled yelp.
He’s on the ground, now, clutching at his bleeding nose as tears begin to well in his eyes.
“Shut up, already.”
It was more than worth the dull pain in my knuckles, as I wave my hand to ward away the throbbing sensation in my right hand.
“Somebody had to do it,” remarks Reimu, glancing down at the trembling man on the ground dismissively, “I wonder if he realizes just how much trouble working with an evil spirit has really landed him in. Well, he’ll learn soon enough.”
He’s not going to be running his mouth for a while.
But that idiot’s not our main concern.
The evil spirit is gone. I can’t pick up on any trace of it.
“Damn it, how do we find it now?” I glance back over my shoulder, “It’s probably still in the human village, but if we want to catch it before it gets much stronger…”
“Did you forget?”
It’s Alice. When Reimu and I look towards her, she’s still holding the doll who got hit in her hands, gently.
“My dolls are already spread out all over the village,” she continues, “As long as that spirit stays here, it’s going to be no problem tracking it.”
As she spoke, the rest of her dolls drifted over to the man on the ground, producing spears as they did. In a matter of seconds, they had pinned him to the street by his clothing, driving the tips of their weapons deep into the earth.
“Alice!”
That’s perfect! That’s right, she’d already sent her dolls all over town, and now that that thing’s visible it shouldn’t be a problem!
“Alright, it’s time for some payback. I’m going to burn this thing out of the sky before it can touch anyone else!”
I hop astride my broom, as Reimu lifts off the ground.
“If it’s an evil spirit, you should really let me handle it, you know,” she comments.
Like hell!
“After it attacked me? No way,” I say as I lift off the ground, gripping and tossing the mini-hakkero to myself, “I’m gonna take it out in style.”
“We’ll see.”
There’s always a competitive edge, even when it’s something like this. But I’m not going to let Reimu take revenge for me.
The red and blue signal, just like before, rockets into the air.
There!
I lift off, hurtling into the sky, immediately taking stock of its location. That way, further to the east… The drizzle whipping past me, I hold my hat on with one hand as I launch myself forward. The world blurs around me, and I can see the faintest hint of a blackened mist…
Another signal. I don’t think it’s attacked anyone, not without quickly it’s moving. So where is it going? Is it really just trying to escape?
Whatever the case might be, I can’t let that happen!
Another signal from one of the dolls. This time I almost didn’t need it, I can practically see the mist weaving through the streets.
And I can see where it’s going too.
It’s aiming for lots of things to steal, and someone it can really hurt.
No wonder it’s going there.
The Hieda estate.
It’s an obvious target, for something can steal with a touch and knock out whoever it wants. The Hieda can afford losing some money and jewelry, and if it were only that maybe I wouldn’t be so concerned. They’re loaded, it’d probably be nothing to them.
But this evil spirit doesn’t just steal objects.
It’s gotten stronger. As another doll signal goes up, I can see the shape of a shadowy human torso and arms emerging from the mist. It’s not just a hazy blackness, there’s something in there.
Hieda no Akyuu’s health is pretty bad. Sure, I heard she’s getting treatment from the doctor and her rabbit in the Bamboo forest, but that doesn’t change the fact that she’s a lot weaker than the average person.
If she was robbed of her consciousness by this evil spirit, would she even be able to wake back up?
I can see Hieda, too. She’s outside, sitting out front, one of her servants beside her. I guess she decided to watch the rain or something.
It’s heading right for her now.
Oh no you don’t, you bastard! I’ll shoot you down before you can get there!
Wrapping my legs around my broom, I take aim with my mini-hakkero. Damn it, it’s making itself a hard target, I can’t just shoot through one of the buildings and hope I’ll hit. I’ve got to make sure it’s out in the open, I have to be sure I’ll burn it away!
I grit my teeth as another doll signal goes up. It’s almost there. I’ve only got a short window to take aim and burn it.
I can see Hieda’s eyes widening, her servant ushering her to her feet to try and flee back inside as it closes in.
Damn it, can I really hit it from this angle? I don’t have a choice, I have to-!
Gold.
A flash of red and white.
Reimu’s put up a barrier! She must have been flanking it from below, I was wondering which was she’d gone!
With a shrieking sound, the black, misty spirit collides with the barrier, and immediately rockets upwards.
I follow it, rocketing skywards.
It’s moved away from the village.
Perfect!
I can see the human-like shape within the mist when it stops. Reimu’s anti-spiritual barrier probably did a number on it, it’s trying to recover.
I’m not going to give it that chance.
“Alright, you son of a bitch!”
I place one hand on my hat, leveling my mini-hakkero at it.
I’m going to burn it all away in one shot.
The featureless face turns towards me, and it’s moving again.
It wants to knock me out? Fine.
This time it’s not going to reach me.
“I’m gonna burn you out of the sky with nothing but love.”
That’s right.
Love’s one of the most potent emotions in the world, after all. Burning, blazing, rainbow love.
A piercing light that’ll go through everything.
The magical energy washes over my body, swirling, gathering in my mini-hakkero. I can feel the air around me tingling, vibrating as the energy swirls and builds within it. The eight trigrams on its surface taking on that rainbow light.
A circle of twisting symbols spreading out from the center. A thin line of magical energy visible, emerging from the middle of my mini-hakkero.
More energy. More power. It’s getting closer, so I’m going to let it know just how I feel.
The mini-hakkero blazes with rainbow fire.
“Here’s what I think of you, you bastard! Love Sign-“
A growing sphere of light from the core of the circle, as the evil spirit’s thin, gangling arms reach towards me.
Time to really put some feeling into it.
“MASTER SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARK!”
The light explodes forward like a shooting star. The rain scatters, and the brilliant rainbow of love tears across the sky. The evil spirit is instantly engulfed.
It doesn’t matter if there’s no physical body.
It doesn’t matter if it’s just hazy remnant of negative feelings, or whatever’s going on.
My annihilation of love is going to burn right through it.
Its arms are blown away. Its head. Its torso. The remaining mist composing its form.
My Master Spark blazes right through it until there’s nothing left.
And the beam of light constrains to a single point, collapsing in on itself until all that remains is a thin line, before winking out entirely.
The evil spirit is gone.
That’s what it gets for stealing my hat.
~
It’s actually a pretty tidy wrap-up, this time.
Hieda-san is fine. The spirit never got to her, and although she was a bit shaken by being targeted, I got the impression it was an incident she thought worthwhile to record more than anything else.
Kosuzu-san is fine too. She got her bells and her money back. She held onto Reimu’s groceries, too, so I don’t have to see her whine about losing out on her affordable red meat because of an incident.
Redistributing the money back to everybody wasn’t the easiest process, and of course there’s bound to be some mistakes…
But I think everybody mostly got back what they lost.
Turns out that the more people got knocked out, the longer it was taking for them to wake up, too. Hieda-san really could have been in serious danger.
When we got back to the bastard who’d started this whole thing, he was absolutely terrified. He wouldn’t speak unless it was to beg to be taken as far away from Alice as possible.
When he was, he was eventually willing to admit that somebody had left the box to him, outside of his home.
He didn’t seem to have seen who did it.
When he was dragged off to face his punishment, he seemed glad about it as long as Alice wasn’t going to be involved.
The rain’s stopped.
Since we both live pretty close by one another, we’ve ended up walking the same path home.
I have to ask.
“Just what did you do to him?”
Alice, surrounded by her dolls, glances towards me and shrugs.
“I wonder about that, hmm…”
So she’s got no intention of letting me know, huh.
I fold my arms.
“Fine, be like that,” I say with a half-serious huff, “I’ll work it out eventually.”
There’s a few moments of silence as we walk along.
It’s pretty late by now, and while it’s humid after the rain it’s not too bad at. I can see some fireflies, and hear some night-loving insects and birds calling.
The atmosphere’s not bad…
“… Hey, Alice-chan.”
She glances towards me again.
“Do you want to have dinner together, tonight?”
I see a smile cross her soft lips.
And she nods.
I’m a Witch, and an incident resolver. And there’s still some unanswered questions about what happened.
But tonight’s not the night for that.
I’ll spend tonight with Alice.