[15] “Got anything to help me make amulets easier?” They were her old reliable, and they’d track her opponents for her. But they weren’t her most powerful option.
[1] “Some sealing needles would be a big help.” A bit stronger, a bit sharper, and she could throw them as straight as an arrow, but they’d be harder to hit a fast-moving target with.

(14) Discuss the Immaterial Children Incident, and her part in it. Perhaps her paradoxical nature would lend credence to her crazy story, or she could frame it as a vision of the future?
(4) …No, don’t do that. She’d just be seen as a lunatic.

{11} Confess to the truth, for real this time. If she told her about being the Kiketsu princess - maybe Keiki could come up with something for her to disguise her better than baggy overalls, or something.
{8} …No, she’d gotten lucky enough with this already. She should just let that lie, and not risk a negative reaction from Keiki.

The needles were tempting. Very, very tempting. But her homing amulets had always been a nice crutch when her accuracy slipped, whether due to a lack of training or a lack of sobriety. And the former was certainly applicable when she hadn’t picked up these weapons in effectively a decade.

“Got anything to help me make amulets easier?” Reimu smiled mischievously up at the creator goddess. “I’ve got a trick that’ll make sure they never miss.”

The creator goddess smiled. “Well, it wouldn’t be a fresh weapon, but I definitely should have something.”

---

The makeshift workshop that Keiki had commandeered had every sign of being slapdash in its construction. Where shelving had been lacking, stools and chairs had been borrowed to make up the slack, and several cups of varying types had been placed to hold tools and brushes. There were two exceptions to the general disarray of the room; the first was the coffee machine, that had seemingly been run fresh upon Keiki’s awakening. It was adorned with an astonishingly lumpy object that Reimu took several seconds to recognise for what it was; an amateur mug, proudly proclaiming it’s bearer to be the ‘WOLD’S BEST SCVLPR”. Keiki eagerly poured a cup.

But it was the other object that really took Reimu’s attention. Though… did object really qualify? It was mostly a hollow torso and a head at this point, with various wires and parts sticking out loosely. And yet… Reimu knew what it was. Knew who it was.

Keiki turned over, and smiled. “You like her? She’s going to be the first of my commander units. Tactical operatives with strong flexibility and learning potential, so they can act in my stead.” The sculptor goddess took a long draft from her coffee cup-like object. “A lot of my existing soldiers are either designed to act in consistent formations of large forces or be adaptable as small squads, but this girl will be the first of my soldiers to be able to truly flex to any situation.”

“Mayumi…?”

Keiki’s eyebrows raised. “Oh, did you hear of her? Maybe Youki told you about her on the way over here?”

Reimu looked up at the goddess, and took a deep breath. She’d taken the plushie Genjii’s top half from her bag, and had been thinking of asking the sculptor goddess if she could repair it, but… there was no way she could ask that of someone already so overworked. She settled for squeezing the half-Genjii for support. “...There’s three things I need to tell you. Three very important things.” The goddess nodded, rummaging around in the drawers of a mobile pedestal cabinet.

“First… you’re probably wondering how I can be a youkai-exterminating miko when I’m a youkai myself, right?” Keiki nodded, without looking up from her drawer. “Well… the truth is, I’m one of the Immaterial Children.”

That got Keiki’s attention. “As in one of the ones Youki is looking for?”

Reimu nodded. “The go-shintai in me… It’s an ancestral weapon of my miko family. That’s why it’s come to me, and why I can use it, I think. I-I don’t know how to tell the old man, though.” She shivered. “He said he’d cut down the next person who claimed it without evidence.”

Keiki mulled it over. “I see… Can you summon the weapon?” Reimu shook her head. “Well… I don’t know if you’ll be able to convince him without it, but if you can, that’d be both evidence for you telling the truth and that his whole theory works. But, wait, what’s that got to do with knowing about Mayumi?”

Reimu took a deep breath. “This is going to sound insane… okay. I know why the Immaterial Children Incident happened. And it’s because we wished for it.”

She didn’t want to risk looking at Keiki’s expression. “The truth is, me and the other Immaterial Children were all humans, living the lives we were supposed to live. But then… something happened. We don’t really know what, only that… that our human bodies were instantly destroyed, and our souls were somehow falling apart.”

Keiki raised a finger. “When you say your souls were falling apart, you mean…?”

Reimu shuddered. “We started losing our memories, and we lost the ability to truly see or hear the world around us. I don’t even remember my old name. I-I’m sorry, it’s hard to describe.”

Keiki shook her head. “No, that’s a pretty good answer. Those are common symptoms of old or decayed souls that aren’t being reincarnated or otherwise replenished. But… why would that mean your next reincarnation was off-target?”

Reimu looked up. “Because it wasn’t our next reincarnation. Not… really, at least.” She looked up. “There was this… horned woman named Keine. I-I don’t remember much about her, but… I think I did, once. She had the ability to change history, and used it to change where we were born. To change us into youkai, who wouldn’t get our bodies destroyed next time.”

Keiki looked at her, with an expression Reimu found inscrutable. The jidiao miko took a deep breath. “I only remembered my past life today. Probably when my go-shintai found me, it re-awoke my memories.”

Keiki mulled over it, tapping her chin with a brush she’d pulled from a drawer. “So that’s why you’re a youkai miko, huh…? That’s… quite a story. What’s the third thing? I can’t imagine it’s more hard to believe than you being a time traveller…”

Reimu sighed. “N-no, it’s not, but… it’ll make me being a time traveller even harder to believe.” She took a deep breath. “...I don’t remember my name in my past life… but in this one, my name is Kicchou Reimu.”

Silence. After a moment, the brush dropped to the floor. Reimu flinched at the noise, hugging her plushie tight.

Well. That was it. Her secret was out, to perhaps the most dangerous of her family’s enemies.

Slowly, Keiki all-but breathed out a question. “Why… why would you tell me that?”

Reimu squeezed the half-plushie tighter. “Because, because I don’t have any other choice. I… I can’t protect everyone myself. I… I already failed once.” She screwed her eyes shut, trying to fight back tears. “And, and I’m even weaker than my past self, and if Saki or Yuuma find out about me they’d kill me. I, I had to hide in a casket just to try to get across the Gouyoku suburbs, but they figured it out and I have, I have to-”

Warmth. Gentle, and tender. She opened her eyes, looking down in shock at the arms around her.

Keiki gently reached up, patting her head. “Shhhh… it’s okay. Just let it out.”

Reimu sagged. “I-I’m scared. I-I shouldn’t be, I-I have to be brave-”

“You’ve been very, very brave, Reimu.” The goddess smiled, wiping a tear from Reimu’s eye. “You’ve worked hard to keep your secret from Yuuma, haven’t you? …It’ll be okay. I won’t tell them.”

Reimu nodded, sobbing. God, she wanted to go home. She wanted to see her Mama. “Y-you’re gonna keep it secret? You promise?”

The goddess gently chuckled. “You came to me because you wanted to protect humans, right?” At the little girl’s nod, she continued. “...Believe it or not, the last thing I want to do is hurt you. So just… let it all out.”

Reimu just… broke down. Completely and utterly. She started babbling, about the car trip, about how close she was to being found, about cutting off her horns, about the feeling of her very self slipping away. Keiki just let her cry, patting her gently, until the tears at last stopped flowing.

---

The water cooler in Keiki’s workshop had that somewhat plastic-y taste that old bottled water sometimes had. Reimu still gulped it down, having rather dried out her throat and her eyes both.

Now that the initial burst was fading… shame was creeping up on her. She’d just burst like a dam in front of Keiki. Neither half was particularly proud of that. A miko like her wasn’t meant to be weak like that, and the Kiketsu in her roiled in such a clumsy reveal of not just her big secret, but a prime selection of her other faults and weakness.

Keiki, meanwhile, had made sure she was alright… and gone straight back to rummaging through the drawers. Reimu cleared her now wetted throat, and tried to think of what to say. “Do… do you believe me?”

Keiki turned to her, thinking it over. “...Well, you’re certainly a jidiao, so I believe that part. I believe at least that you believe your story. And I believe that for such a young kid, you’ve had a very long, very stressful day for it being just around lunch time. I’m not the monster the gangs make me out to be; I did come here to save people, you know.”

Reimu nodded. “But… you’re not going to-”

Keiki shook her head. “What, blackmail your mother with knowledge you exist? No, that’d be counterproductive.” She smiled. “If you need the cynical reason, well… you’re not very much like your mother. And I think I’d vastly prefer for you to one day be able to take her place, rather than get snuffed out by a pack of wolves before you’re ready.”

The jidiao scoffed. “What do you mean different? Reckless and too trusting?”

“Try ‘kind to humans’ and ‘honest to a fault’.” The sculptor gave a half grin. “Those two traits alone would make dealing with the Kiketsu a much more pleasant experience for all involved. Ah, here it is.”

She pulled out a series of gloves and brushes, proffering one to Reimu. “Are you right-handed? Here, put this on your left.”

Reimu did as directed with the glove, and the others in the set flared to life and took to the skies. She stared in amazement as she flexed her fingers, watching all of the gloves do the same.

Keiki chuckled. “The brush and the gloves are attached to the rest of the set. They’re smart enough to grab their own papers and dip in the ink, as well.” She smiled. “Normally, we use them for mass-producing livery and the like, but they should work just as well for painting amulets.”

Reimu nodded. “Yeah, they’ll be a big help.” She looked up at Keiki, thinking. “...You said you believe I believe my story? What does that mean?”

Keiki rubbed her chin. “Well… simply put, while I believe you’re not trying to trick me, there could be other things. Like someone has brainwashed you into believing the story, maybe even that being an Immaterial Child was a deliberate abduction to create agents on the surface. Now I know what you’re going to say-” She said, cutting Reimu off. “But I simply don’t have the resources to chase that threat anyways, not when I’m so stretched and it's so far away. But if it’s true that the Immaterial Children can remember their past lives, all you need is a more reliable source. One trusted by the Yama herself.”

Reimu’s eyes widened. “You mean Ak-the Child of Miare.” Keiki nodded. “You want me to track her down, first?”

“Or just wait for someone else to track her down. I doubt she’s anywhere in the afterlife, Eiki’s looked just about everywhere for her.” She raised her finger. “But if your story’s true, she’ll try to make her way back to you eventually. When she does, just bring her to Eiki, and get her to relay the story to me.”

Reimu nodded, briskly. “Okay, I’ll do my best.” She looked around for a second. “Uh- do you have any ink?”

The goddess began to reach for an ink pot - then looked pensive. “...Reimu, do you still have those horns you mentioned earlier?”

She stuck her hand in her pocket, pulling out the horns. “Um, yes… they’re right here.”

Keiki picked up one of the horns, turning it over in her hand. “...I see, I see…” She turned to Reimu, grinning. “Wanna see a cool trick?”

Before the miko could respond, A golden aura appeared behind Keiki, manifesting in the shape of a dragon. Keiki proffered the horn, and it swallowed it whole.

Reimu cried out an objection, but Keiki paid her no mind, reaching into a drawer. “Let’s get some sand… a bit of chlorine, roll the dice on that old theory…” She grinned, tossing the materials down the dragon’s throat.

The light-creature glowed, brighter and brighter. Reimu had to shield her eyes, but Keiki stared at it, unblinking. Eventually, the beast leaned forward, leaking a white-hot material from its maw. Keiki held her hand out, with the material pooling in an orb just an inch above it.

Reimu watched, fascinated, as the orb began to spin, faster and faster. Keiki’s eyes were gleaming, unblinking, as she dived her fingers in the whirling vortex, beginning to shape and mold it like - like clay on a potter’s wheel, the miko realised. She split it into two parts, making the shapes of a jar and its stopper, carving in grooves and gentle curves.

When it was shaped, the sculptor goddess, at last, closed her eyes, and focused.

Create!

The molten material instantly turned solid, two unbroken glass pieces of a deep red hue. They came to a rest in the goddess’ hand, and she proffered it to Reimu, grinning. “So it is gold that gives jidiao horns their colour. I’ll have to keep that in mind next time.”

Reimu looked at the ink pot. “Um… what did you…?”

The goddess’ face oozed smugness. “See, you’re a youkai-exterminating miko who’s also a youkai herself, right? So if you use your powers too strongly, you might get some... blowback from it. But!” She grinned. “But if the tools you use to channel that power are made of your horns and scales, then it should… resonate with you, let’s say. You could still hurt yourself, but you’d have to try a good bit harder, at least.”

She placed the pot in Reimu’s hand. “Of course, it’s hard to do that efficiently with paper amulets, but a glass ink bottle should help build that connection in the ink itself.” She grinned. “Now, let’s get that filled up, and I’ll make the gohei while you work on your amulets, shall we?”

---

Reimu stared, down at the gohei.

It was made of lacquered wood, with almost-imperceptible gold flecks throughout. The paper streamers were plain white paper, but a little bit of the jidiao gold had painted small patterns across it. She found herself smiling, looking at the gohei.

“It’s… perfect. Thank you.” The goddess grinned, admiring her own handiwork.

“Glad you like it as much as I do.” She turned as the door opened. “Ah - Bishop, is the guise ready?”

Bishop walked in, wearing an ever-so-close-to-neutral expression. “Lady Keiki. The clothing, as requested.” He placed it down, in front of Reimu. The girl nodded, getting up and moving around the corner.

As she began to put it on, Bishop turned to Keiki, and very pointedly spoke just loud enough for the jidiao to hear. “...Lady Keiki. This girl has not performed some foul Kiketsu trickery on you, has she?”

The goddess shook her head. “...Think of it as an investment, Bishop. It’s very likely she will one day lead the Kiketsu, after all - even with her clash of styles, Yachie's very much the nepotistic type. I’d rather have her as an ally than an enemy.”

The haniwa soldier took a moment to respond. “...Assuming those are the only options, the former is the most preferable in almost any situation.” Reimu pulled her head around the corner, and stuck her tongue out at him.

With a last fix of the clasp, she rounded the corner more fully. “How do I look?” The cloak was something fairly standard-fare among the humanoid members of the Kiketsu - light and easy to move in, darkly coloured, and lined with many pockets. She’d stuffed a good set of amulets in there, and the whole of the gohei fit neatly inside. And she could easily pepper the enemy with amulets without revealing her shell, or her tail if she was careful.

Bishop took a moment to assess. “In literal terms, like a teru teru bozu on a pair of legs.” The miko stuck her tongue out again. “On deeper assessment...The spitting image of an insurgent, Kicchou.” The haniwa finished, deep distrust in his voice.

Keiki nodded. “Now, remember; don’t let Youki know about your miko powers. Not until you’re ready to help him out, okay?”

Bishop turned down the hall. “Konpaku Youki is approaching. Sir Youki, the youkai spawn is in here.” He jammed his thumb in Reimu’s general direction.

After a few moments, Youki stuck his head in. He’d been redressed in the time they’d been talking. “Oh? That cloak?”

Keiki jumped in. “Well, she couldn’t exactly go around with those heavy overalls, could she?”

He turned to Keiki. “...Did you see-”

Keiki shook her head. “Of course we’re not gonna watch the poor girl change, Youki.”

He glanced at Reimu, then back again. “Then you definitely didn’t-?”

Bishop glowered. “Please do not imply Lady Keiki is a voyeur of underaged girls.” He turned to look at Reimu. “...Street rats are unlikely to develop any desirable traits for such an act, anyways.”

Keiki chuckled, giving Reimu just enough time to communicate one of the few pieces of sign language known to people who have no need to talk to the deaf. “It’s just a cloak, Youki. Don’t overthink it.” She turned to Bishop. “What’s the tactical situation?”

He saluted. “The Kiketsu have fully routed from the Gouyoku territory. However, fresh troops from their main territory appear to be gearing up to come from the south. In turn, the Gouyoku have arrayed themselves along both the waterways and the city streets.” He rubbed his chin, musing. “...In my assessment, both have concluded that Yachie’s secret asset has entered this reservoir, and are now preparing to either assault the reservoir or defend it.to retrieve the asset.”

Keiki nodded. “Then these two better get a move on if they don’t want to get caught in a siege. After all, little Reimu’s home is in Kiketsu territory, right? Is it better to take to the waterways or the streets, do you think?”

Bishop raised a finger. “Conventional wisdom would be to take the waterways for safe passage, at least until within Kiketsu territory. The eagles need range, distance, and line of sight to be most effective, and the tunnels enforce nothing but close-quarters combat. The otters are another story, but if she is native to Kiketsu territory, you may pass them unharmed.” He sounded rather disappointed by the prospect.

Youki shook his head. “But this is not a conventional situation. The eagles will be there in force to make up for their lack of numbers. It’s better to take a quick jaunt across the streets than to risk getting cornered by them. And besides, I’m not at all afraid of cutting the birds down from the sky.” He gestured to the long katana on his back. “Hyakunentou needs the space to truly be unleashed, anyways.”

Keiki put her hands up before either of the men could get into a fight. “How about you, Reimu, which do you think would be easier to cross?”

[ ] The streets above. She’d probably blend in quite well with the red hues the metropolis glowed with.
[ ] The waters below. Better to have the home-field advantage, just in case.

[11] The streets above. She’d probably blend in quite well with the red hues the metropolis glowed with.
[ ] The waters below. Better to have the home-field advantage, just in case.

“We’ll take the streets.” Reimu nodded, firmly. “Better for Youki to fight at his best.” Besides, Reimu’s Kiketsu experience would definitely do well in the sewers, but her miko skills would thrive in the skies. Not to mention there was every possibility that the Gouyoku were creating some form of countermeasure in the sewers.

Youki nodded. “And I certainly will fight at my best, you can be sure of that.” He nodded. “Shall we be off, then?” He turned to head to the door, Reimu tip-tapping behind him.

Keiki waved them off. “Good luck, you two! Stay safe!”

As they ascended up the steps, Bishop let out a deep sigh. “...So you truly believe that she is one of the ‘Immaterial Children’?”

Keiki nodded. “...There’s no other way Kicchou would get her family aligned with a god of youkai extermination. ...Funny, isn’t it? After Eiki came through, I thought we’d never hear of them again.”

“And then we hear about them again from one person, while another claims to be one.” The haniwa exhaled. “Twice in twenty-four hours was rather shocking. And to think it’s Kicchou’s hatchling…” He shook his head.

“Well, that’s why it’s a good thing she told us, isn’t it? She trusts us almost as much as she trusts her own mother. There’s a lot that can be done with that, I think.” Keiki chuckled. “And I’ll correct you on one thing there.”

“Oh?”

The sculptor goddess gave a sly grin. “It was actually three times, Bishop. Once from Youki, once from Reimu, and once… from Go-san.”

---

Youki focused, his hands gripping his blade. Reimu stepped back, and watched as he aimed, ever so carefully… and swung.

The blade itself hit nothing. The air past the blade, however, rippled in a gigantic crescent. The birds above didn’t spot it in time - some dissipated immediately, while one thought he was fine until a flap tore his body apart.

Reimu whistled. “So that’s cutting the air, is it? Nice showing, gramps.” He bowed for effect, then kept walking forwards.

Reimu floated behind him. The swordsman had no concerns with drawing attention with his low, slow footsteps, but Reimu didn’t want to draw any herself, and under the red glow of the city’s many lights, she’d be easily blended in as a loose bit of cloth.

She looked up at the sky. “...But still…”

The sky was filled with eagles. So many, in fact, that she’d wondered how they could be filling the sewers as well, until she saw a red glow pass underneath the grate. Kurokoma had joined the struggle, and if they went in there, the odds would be even worse than they previously expected. Undoubtedly they were in some form of loose cooperation, perhaps amounting to little more than “you take the top half, I take the bottom, and whoever finds the prize tells the other”. The Kicchou in her doubted Kurokoma being able to stomach anything more complicated.

Moreover, the eagles were, mostly, flying in dense flocks, turning the sky into dazzling purple constellations. This seemed to be very, very deliberate, in that they covered almost the entire border between Kicchou and Gouyoku territory.

The exception, which Reimu couldn’t help but feel they were being herded to, was a small park that was somewhat of a salient of the Gouyoku battleline. It protruded further into the Kiketsu territory than anything else, because the large, open spaces were far better suited to the Gouyoku than their green-wreathed counterparts. And nothing was fought over as fiercely as a park; for the animal spirits of the realm, it was a precious resource that truly felt like the wilds.

The park only had one major building; a clock tower, old and sonorous. It had been looming ever closer as they made their way towards the park, and as Reimu got closer, it was all-too-easy to see why; the silhouette on the steeple, with the glowing green eyes.

Reimu shrunk back behind a corner as soon as she saw Yuuma. “Sh-she wants to catch us herself!” Youki just nodded, putting away his longer katana and drawing Hakuroken again.

“...Quite. But I don’t think she quite knows what she’s dealing with.” He chuckled. “I’m quite sure we’ll get by just fine.”

He split the air once again, creating a ripple through the skies. An eagle on the far side, in full sight of Yuuma’s gaze, squawked as its form was sliced apart.

The reaction was immediate. The eagles jumped to investigate the sudden death, eyes whirling around, and the cold green glare turned to face the sudden death. Youki gestured Reimu forward, and the two began to move.

Step by step, they began to dash from cover to cover. Youki’s air-cutting had the birds in a complete panic, and while Yuuma stayed atop the highest perch, Reimu could see her head turning more and more frantically, trying to spot the mystery assailant. While most of the cut-downs were obviously far away from them, when their cover afforded it, he’d strike someone close to them, to throw the eagles into even more of a frenzy.

As they hunkered down, in one thicket particularly close to the clock tower, Reimu’s mind began to race. They could very easily escape now, but if that happened, he’d drop her off and go straight back to getting himself killed. Would she have to sneak away and follow him? How the hell would she manage that with what was sure to roughly a thousand otters trying to keep her safe? She began to consider alternate possibilities, sending the otters to assist and protect him, maybe, or trying to turn Kurokoma against Toutetsu -

She felt a prickling feeling on her hand. Her head turned, slowly.

A centipede was crawling on her arm. As if sensing her attention, it turned its head up at her.

Reimu, human and youkai, had in her reactions been largely average to indifferent on bugs. Most of them were no threat to her, whether they were supernatural or not - most of the insectoid youkai were small fry, of little concern to her.

A centipede was not much of an exception, to her past self. They were just slightly long, slightly grosser bugs, not much worth paying attention. But… her current self was an exception. When her current self saw a centipede, only one word would play in her mind.

Oomukade.

The moment she saw the centipede, her body froze. Oomukade. Her heart began to race. Oomukade. She tried to hold back, to suppress the rising urge of instincts, but neither part could suppress the building fear, to remove the threat, to fight, to flee, to get away from - from the-

Oomukade.

Oomukade. Oomukade. Oomukade oomukade oomukade oomukade oomukade oomukade oomukadeoomukadeoomukadeoomukadeoomukadeoomu-

The centipede began to crawl further up her arm.

[ ] Fight.
[ ] Flight.
[ ] Flick NOT AVAILABLE, INSTINCT TOO HIGH.

[11] Fight.
[5] Flight.
-[X] Just give it a good ol' whack.
-[X] Inflict a healthy dose of Miko style ultra violence upon this many legged abomination.
-[X] Try to be as quiet as possible.

She could feel a burgeoning flame build in her. Roiling in her throat.

What little remained of her common sense choked it back, instead grabbing an amulet and bringing her other hand down on the disgusting thing. There was a loud clap, a small flash of light, and she shuddered from the stinging feeling of the amulet.

“What was that?!”

The eagles began to approach their hiding place. Trying to quietly toss the amulet and the disgusting remains stuck to it, she couldn’t meet Youki’s confused look.

After a moment, he just shook his head, and prepared his blade. “Stay here.” He crouched, his hands at the ready, waiting for the perfect moment…

It came. There was a flash of steel, a few panicked squawks. The gentle sizzling of dissipating spirits.

Reimu looked up - and saw the squatting figure on top of the clock tower look over, her green eyes gleaming. There was… something wrong about her silhouette, now that she was closer.

“You gonna show yourself, or are we gonna have to drag you out of there, Kiketsu?”

Youki stood, stepping out of the clearing. He didn’t utter a word, just staring up at the matriarch.

“...An old man? And a flesh-and-blood human? …Nah, you’re not it, are you?” Yuuma squatted yet again. “You wouldn’t fit in the casket, I’m sure of that.”

In lieu of a response, he drew Hakurouken, priming it. Yuuma chuckled.

“You suggestin’ the secret is that little butterknife, old man?” Even from here, Reimu could see the gleam of her teeth. “Somehow, I doubt that. Because I wonder why you wouldn’t just fight out of the sewers yourself. Would have saved you a lot of otters… and Yachie a lot of scales.”

Yuuma stood up, and the subtle wrongness of her silhouette became clear. The green shell on her back, and the tail. The mix of familiar and horrifying shook the young miko.

“Those pendants of hers were delicious though. Can’t quite breathe fire yet, maybe I just need a few more scales. Orrrr maybe one of her horns’d work. I’m sure she’s spotted the little ‘chink’ in our armour and is coming right this way.” She cackled, drawing her weapon to the ready. “...Well, old man? Shall we put you to the test?”

He kicked off, and the battle was begun.

He hit the wall, running straight up it at full speed - increasing his momentum with every step. Yuuma threw her spoon up to block, but was still knocked skyward as he reached the peak. She countered with a whirl of her steel, nearly knocking him back down the tower.

Reimu stayed low, as the two began to clash in earnest. Youki, feet planted firmly at the top of the tower; Yuuma, whirling around him to find a weak point. Well, this was it. The eagles seemed, at least temporarily, distracted by the fight, cheering their invincible boss on, and as much to the untrained eye it looked like it could be even, Reimu’s intuition only redoubled itself.

Youki would die here - unless she acted. But could she do it without being unmasked…? Slowly, she began to clutch at her amulets, and made her move.

[ ] Fill the sky with danmaku; Lock down any mobility advantage.
[ ] Get close, and launch a sneak attack; Throw her hard off balance, even for a moment.

[11] Fill the sky with danmaku; Lock down any mobility advantage.
[14] Get close, and launch a sneak attack when she wasn’t looking. Throw her hard off balance, even for a moment.
[X] Make sure to disguise your scent.

When she was certain the two were fully engaged, she made her move.

She leapt up like a shadow, all but flowing up the tower. The Kiketsu could move like water, and though it wasn’t her typical method of attack to do it covertly, grace had always been something Reimu had been blessed with.

As she ascended, she masked her scent. She’d already nearly been sniffed out once, and she was in no rush to do it again.

She reached the tip of the tower and hung there, waiting for the right moment. The battle was already going poorly, with Youki hard-pressed to keep up with the whirling taotie dervish, scratches already peppering his robes. Reimu bided her time, waiting for the perfect moment… and leapt into action, firing off a wave of amulets.

The sound of rustling paper alerted the taotie, causing her to twist and face her new attacker with shock. Youki’s eyes also widened, but he nonetheless swung his blade, managing a solid hit on Yuuma.

Reimu kept up her barrage, holding the taotie back-but not her spork, which drew a gleaming crescent as it smashed into her face. The world spun, and Reimu hit the roof hard, flat on her stomach.

“Well well well. What do we have here?” One of the three Yuuma’s dancing in Reimu’s vision mused, their maws radiant with razor-sharp teeth. “Some little brat who thinks she can play assassin?”

Reimu felt a kick in her ribs, hard and sharp, then someone grabbed her leg, pulling her into a hanging position. The first parts of her pounding brain that managed to knit themselves together dimly registered relief that her cloak folded over herself, masking her tail hanging limp.

The three Yuumas coalesced into one, chuckling menacingly. “You know, you’re just about the right size to fit in that box back in the waterways. Are you Kiketsu’s secret? What are you, some miko’s kid she kidnapped? A wannabe Keiki-hunter?” The wound in her stomach looked bad, but it wasn’t even enough to slow her down. Worse, her twisting to face Reimu had meant Youki’s slash had been caught on her scales.

She couldn’t even see any marks from her amulets.

She felt her body swing, the floor moving away from her. The cement of the ground immediately around the clocktower filled her vision as she looked down.

“No sudden movements, old man. Y’see, brat, That was a good attack, I will admit. For a Kiketsu, you managed to sneak up pretty close to me.”

The taotie looked down at her, chimeric tail flicking. “But I’ve been fighting a lot of your sneaky otters today. Didn’t you notice my new gear? It means not even the very best of you Kiketsu stand a chance of getting one up on me.”

Reimu’s blood was rushing to her already beleaguered head. On some instinct, she twisted her body, reaching for the one thing part of Yuuma she could, and bared her fangs.

Her teeth sunk into the taotie’s ankle, causing her captor to let go with a litany of curses. Reimu tumbled forward, righting herself in front of the frost glass of the clock. Her head still spinning, she tried to press herself against the glass, get a few seconds of safety to get her bearings.

Then she saw Yuuma. The taotie had leapt off the balcony to dodge a swing from Youki, and was now grinning menacingly at Reimu.

“Trying to hide, eh, ankle-biter? Sorry, that’s not gonna work! You start a hunt, you best be prepared to FINISH IT!”

Bringing her gleaming weapon to the ready, the taotie dived, faster than Reimu had ever seen, cackling maniacally.

[ ] Brace against the wall and hit her with a barrage.
[ ] Dodge the attack and let her crash through.

For the botched sneak-attack, Reimu’s taken one strike. However, for the thought of masking her scent, she’s given Yuuma one strike too.

Three Strikes, and you’re out.

---

Just reiterating the rules in a proper updorf:

1: If you're adding write-ins to an existing vote, please just reference your original vote and write it in again. Do not write in a vote twice if you're not changing that part.
2: If you're undoing a previous vote that YOU made, write in the undone vote as [UNDO] (vote text) and write in the new vote with the standard [X]. Do this as many times as you like, as long as you do both parts.

These just make it as easy as possible for me to count votes; if everyone follows the rules, I should be able find the tally by the sum of ctrl f "[X] vote" minus the sum of ctrl f "[UNDO] vote".

[0] Brace against the wall and hit her with a barrage.
[18] Dodge the attack and let her crash through.
- [X] Stay focused on her.
- [X] Keep a grip on the cloak while we’re doing this.

Reimu had taken far, far too many Blazing Stars in her time to think standing her ground was a good idea. That was nothing but a good way to get your ribs cracked.

She pushed her legs up against the wall, finding what purchase she could, waiting for the right time. As the taotie lunged, she found herself oddly… calm. Focused.

After all, what was that old phrase? Shoot and I’ll move?

When her intuition kicked in, she threw her whole body to the side. She felt the prongs ruffle her hair, but rather than shaking her, she just smiled, at the shocked expression of her hunter.

No. Not her hunter, not her prey. Just the youkai she was fighting today.

There was an ear-piercing shattering of glass, and a teeth-rattling BOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG as Yuuma slammed into the tower’s bell. Reimu looked down into the hole she had created, grinning at the dazed youkai struggling to manage the usually simple tasks of both staying upright and stopping her brain from leaking out her ears.

She pulled out a talisman, throwing it into the air. It zeroed in on the taoties bleeding ankle, producing a hiss of pain and tumbling the matriarch as her recoil overcame what remained of her balance. Maybe her resilience was just skin deep.

A part of the roof above collapsed, bringing with it two gleaming blades and a very, very angry half-phantom. As the taotie dived for cover, his focus was on the floating young miko. “Stay. Out. Of this.”

Reimu folded her arms, taking one look at the wounds on his body before deciding to reply. “You needed the help, Gramps. Don’t pretend you didn’t.”

He didn’t respond, instead turning to the taotie and unleashing a wicked series of slashes. The taotie was still regathering her senses, but she managed to block the worst of his attacks, even if she was pushed back.

Reimu could already see that the tide was turning. What footing Yuuma regained with her senses, she lost equal speed with the bevy of cuts across her body. And the tight space of the inside of the clock played to Yuuma’s disadvantage, giving the smaller and lighter combatant less room to manoeuvre. Blocking an attack was no longer a simple matter of getting bounced sky high; the walls behind her would bounce her right back. It was clear that the duel would end in Youki’s favour…

So why did she feel so uneasy?

With another slash, Yuuma stumbled, her leg fully giving out on her. Youki prepared the Hakuroken, aiming the slash to all-but tear her in half, along a battered seam of the spork. Reimu’s eyes darted around the room, looking for the trap, or the trick, or -

Or the frosted glass on the far side turning purple with spectral light.

“To your left!”

Youki turned, slashing as an eagle crashed through the glass. The eagle never got a chance to cry out, dissipating. Yuuma stumbled back to her feat, managing to briefly push the swordsman away and get some distance.

“Good going, bird-brains! Get the ankle-biter too!”

Reimu cursed, turning back to the entrance she had flown through and tossing out some more amulets. The eagles about to come through the bottleneck were quickly slain, but the remaining clock faces were smashed through as well, and soon she was throwing amulets in all directions.

Of course. While some part of Keiki’s construction techniques forced the spirits of the animal realm to treat the manufactured objects as solid, it only reinforced them against spiritual infiltration. Glass was still glass, and anything would break if you hit it hard enough.

And few things hit harder in the animal realm than a dive-bombing eagle spirit. After all, who cared if it broke their body apart? They were just going to come back anyways. Terminal velocity wasn’t exactly a risk when one was long past the relevant terminus.

Reimu retreated to the space above the bell, turning in whirling trying to catch the flock of approaching eagles. “Hey, old man? You doing alright down there?”

A slightly strained grunt from somewhere below the bell was all she got in response. Reimu turned, firing off another set at an approaching v formation. “If I keep this a duel for you, you sure you can win it?” A more affirmative grunt, and Reimu’s own intuition concurred.

“Alllllright then!” She grinned, reaching into her pocket. “It’s time to show you oversized purple pigeons an extra-special trick!” She pulled out a card, throwing it into the air. “It’s time for your very first spell card!”

[ ] Dream Sign “Duplex Barrier”
[ ] Tortoise Sign “Tortoiseshell Hell”

---

In case you don't remember, these are the first spell cards of stage 4a/stage 4 in TH8 and TH17 respectively.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvYT64b5Xlc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5y1kp9hhXs

Yknow what? I’m willing to play ball on this.

Firstly, this isn’t a spirit check. It’s just a tactical choice. But to everyone who’s declaring old spell cards, or brand new spell cards, I’m going to give y’all an opportunity.

Everyone, pick one of the two primary spell cards offered, that votes still ongoing. That is still these two options, and it’ll determine which result of these two originally intended options will be the one that plays out. So if you pick the right choice, it’ll have the effect of giving Yuuma the third strike, and if you pick the wrong choice, it’ll give y’all your second.

[ ] Dream Sign “Duplex Barrier”
[ ] Tortoise Sign “Tortoiseshell Hell”

However, I’m willing to allow you all to declare your very own spell card for Kicchou Reimu specifically. I’m allowing this specifically because it may allow me to do something I wanted to do more smoothly. Let’s see what you all come up with.

{ } Write in new spell card here.

Come up with anything and everything that works for K. Reimu, and I’ll pick one I really like, and file away the others for potentially later.

[15] Dream Sign “Duplex Barrier”
[3] Tortoise Sign “Tortoiseshell Hell”

Dream Sign “Duplex Barrier”

Reimu focused, her talismans beginning to whirl out in pulses. The first few waves took out the closest assailants, driving the eagles back a few steps, and temporarily blunting their charge.

Then the amulets disappeared in front of them, seemingly just before the tower. The eagles paused, then scoffed, preparing to fire their own danmaku into the now-open holes of the clock tower’s faces.

Then the amulets came from behind. Any momentary arrogance the eagles had was quickly dashed, and they began a full rout, scattering from the confusion of the teleporting amulets.

Reimu opened her eyes, already satisfied with the retreat. In the distance, she could see the purple specks being met with a wave of green, further destroying any remaining morale. She alighted on the floor of the belfry, nodding contentedly.

A yelp of pain, and an accompanying grunt, sounded from the far side of the room. Reimu ran around the bell, coming to a grim scene.

Youki had been thrown back, against one of the walls, and was struggling to pull himself up. But that was nothing compared to the damage he’d inflicted on Yuuma. The taotie had taken a slash that would have left a human struggling to hold themselves together, and was starting to leak a green mist alongside her oily blood.

They turned to look at the intruder, and Yuuma was the one to speak first. “Ankle-biter?! What the hell happened to you?”

Reimu blinked. Now that she had mentioned it… something felt wrong. Like the room was smaller than it was before.

She found her eyes drawn to her reflection in the gears of one of the clocks, quite shocked by what she saw. She looked… as old as she had been before this whole mess started, more than a head taller than she had been. And there were crystalline planes of red light, forming loose shapes on her - mimicking one of her old sleeves on her right arm, pantomiming a magnificent horn rivalling her mother’s finest on her left, and forming a massive yin-yang symbol behind her. She reached up and touched the ethereal horn, feeling a light tingling as her hand passed through the phantasmal prisms.

And then there were the orbs. The Yin-yang orbs.

Six of them, hovering in a ring around her. Reimu blinked, feeling memories surging back. Of incidents she’d forgotten, and battles once lost to time.

She held her hand out, letting one rest in her palm. It didn’t sizzle, or burn, or do anything it normally would do to a youkai; it just rested there, peacefully. Reimu took a deep breath, a torrent of emotions storming just below the surface.

Some part of that surface, however, was still clear enough to catch the sign of movement. Yuuma had staggered to her feet, and was now whipping her jidiao tail around to catch the miko off-guard. Reimu ducked out of the way, leading the chimera's tail to crash into the giant clockwork. The cog’s teeth found their prey, and bit with merciless cruelty.

Yuuma howled in pain, being unceremoniously trapped within the grinding gears. She tried to pry the crumpled appendage free, but found no luck. Reimu snorted at her misfortune. “For all your talk of thinking like a Kiketsu, you sure don’t move like one.”

“Oh yeah?” Yuuma managed, still struggling in vain to release her tail from the tower’s iron grip. The green glow from one of her eyes had faded already. “And what are you, then? You don’t look like any Kiketsu I’ve ever seen, even with that weird-ass horn thing.”

…What was she? It was a good question, and nothing Reimu could find in either life’s memories offered any clues as to what was happening here. …And the personal details of her past life were still a mystery; she still didn’t remember her old last name.

But, well. She did remember a title. She chuckled, drawing another spell card.

“Me? I’m the Wonderful Shrine Maiden of Paradise.” She grinned, lifting the card into the air. “And you’re just the first in a long list of youkai that will learn the hard way not to mess with me.”

She focused on the card once more, new ideas flowing through her. The orbs flowing around her picked up their pace, beginning to glow red-hot. “Well, it’s not fair to use a spell card on a stationary target, but I’ve had a long, long day because of you, Yuuma, so I don’t really care right now. Your pets have had their first spell card… now it’s time for you to have yours.”

Dragon Sign "Dichromatic Flame Orbs"

The orbs took off, streaking red trails as whirling dervishes of fire. Yuuma desperately tried to get out of the way, but she was trapped, giving her no choice but to bear the attack directly. They pummeled into her, each one producing a gout of green mist from both her mouth and her stomach. They bounced off her, but only seemed to home back into her again and again, trailing fire all around them. When Yuuma staggered forward at last, it wasn’t because she had freed herself; instead, the orbs had managed to force her to retch up a pile of scales, and her jidiao features withered away. The taotie crumpled to the floor, and at last, lay still.

Reimu waited, the orbs coming back to her; not just to rest in her palm, but to sink back into her flesh. She felt her body ache and groan as the floor began to get closer; it was clear she’d overdone it. She felt her knees give out, starting to tumble forward-

Until a hand stopped her. A very, very familiar hand, though more bruised and scarred than she’d ever seen it. She looked up, slowly, tracing up the arm and the tattered sleeve to see a wonderfully familiar face wearing completely-unmasked, tear-stained relief.

“Reimu...”

Kicchou Yachie knelt down, pulling her daughter close.

“Thank the gods you’re okay.”

Reimu blinked, finding tears filling her eyes as she looked up at her mother. “Mama?”

Her mother nodded. “I’m sorry, Reimu. You’re had a terrible, terrible day…” She held her daughter close, wrapping her tail around her. “But it’ll all be okay now.”

She looked up, and Reimu followed her gaze. What specks of purple remained in the skies were in full retreat, and now the spectral green of the otters was everywhere. “We’re just securing the park. You’ll be safe from here on out.” Yachie looked over at the swordsman, staggering to her feet. “...I assume you’re one of Eiki’s lackeys?”

The swordsman took a hacking breath, nodding. “Y-yes ma’am. Konpaku Youki, of Hakugyokurou. Was sent to slit open the belly of the beast. Took a lot out of me, though.”

Yachie nodded. “Well, you have my thanks for that, and for your escort as well. I’d say you shouldn’t have dragged her into danger, but…” She gave a wry smile. “I fully expect she did a lot of that herself.”

There was a groan from the downed Toutetsu, and at once, Yachie was at her feet, putting herself in between her rival and her daughter. Reimu felt her heart pounding in her chest; even that wasn’t enough? She tried to summon her power again, but it wasn’t coming to her. Her body only ached even more.

“Urgh… Yachie?” The taotie groaned, staggering to her feet. “...The hell are you doing with that ankle-biter? She some miko’s brat you picked up somewhere?”

Yachie stepped forward, and Reimu immediately could feel the pressure. Usually when her mother was dealing with enemies, she was rather talkative, even chatty. Whether angry or sad, she did her best to keep up an air of suave, unshakable confidence.

But now the Kiketsu Matriarch was dead quiet. The only sound was her heels clicking on the stonework. A few otters who were climbing into the tower stopped, watching what was about to happen.

Yuuma threw her arms wide, chuckling in spite of her beleaguered condition. “Oooh, you here for a big kick-back? Finally get sick of old Yuuma, eh?” She kept chuckling, even as the jidiao seized her collar.

“Sir Konpaku. Thanks to your sword, it can’t devour anymore, correct? At least for a time?” Yachie turned to Youki, who nodded stiffly. She turned back to Yuuma, thinking.

The Gouyoku matriarch shrugged at her counterpart. “What? You calling me ‘it’ now? That’s so terribly rude, Yachie. Come on, we’re old battle buddies, aren’t w-?”

Yachie leaned forward, and kissed the taotie full on, silencing her. There was a series of gasps from the assembled otters, and a contemplative sound rumbled from the half-phantom’s throat. Reimu, for her part, stood dumbstruck at the sight. The most shocked aside from her seemed to be Yuuma herself, whose eyes darted around in confusion.

Then Toutetsu’s expression changed. She began to move and thrash, trying to pull away, sweat dripping across her body. Her throat began to glow from within, and a particular smell began to fill the air.

The smell of roasting mutton.

Flames began to lick out of the slits in the taotie’s stomach, as her whole body cooked from within. Yachie’s eyes were blazing with fury, her nails viciously digging into her prey, refusing to let her escape. The Gouyoku matriach screamed, howled, whimpered… and at last, sagged. Only then did Yachie break her burning kiss, smoke still pouring out of her as she gasped for breath.

She placed Toutetsu down, with the taotie’s back to one of the eagle’s holes, wiping her lips with satisfaction. “You know, Yuuma… I genuinely do think it’s a shame that you’re going to survive that.” She turned, raising her tail up to poke the smoking yakuza. At last moment, she flicked her head back, giving a devilish grin.

“But on that, I think we can both agree.”

Her tail pushed Yuuma in the chest, and the taotie fell back, out of the impromptu window. The otters out that side looked down, watching the matriarch tumble. There was a sickening thump, and the spectators flinched in unison.

Yachie paid it no mind, instead kneeling down and picking up her daughter. “Bring Sir Konpaku to Riverside Hospital, and let’s make sure he gets the best of care.” After a moment's thought, she nodded. "I'll meet you there, in fact. Reimu probably needs a checkup as well."

Smiling, she leapt off the tower, carrying her daughter in her arms.

Riverside Hospital was absolutely bustling with activity. Inasmuch as ghosts could get injured, there were a number of afflictions that could hurt a ghost but not break their body. The Keiga took pride in toughing it out through the pain, and the Gouyoku just fully destroyed their incorporeal forms to regenerate them later, but the Kiketsu were more cautious and skittish, and sought to treat their wounds - if only because it improved general uptime. With such a strenuous day having pushed them to the limit, there was no shortage on wounded, and Reimu found herself dizzying at the bustle of the otters around her.

Still, there was a celebratory air to the bustle. As harrowing as the day had been, the capture of the park was a massive win, and the shock of seeing their unbeatable leader fall had shattered the eagle’s morale, allowing for the gains to be aggressively secured and pushed in from. Many of the otters were already cheerfully suggesting practising their physical therapy in the park’s water features, despite that requiring a trip across the entirety of Kiketsu territory.

Reimu watched all the goings-on from her mother’s arms, as they walked towards two check-up rooms that had magically become available the moment Yachie had asked for them. She could have walked there herself, but her mother seemed disinclined to relinquish her daughter, and Reimu was similarly disinclined to be relinquished. Instead, she snuggled in close, and let Mama take her where she may.

With the rooms matter aside, however, there was still the matter of doctors. Treating living beings was not much in the purview of afterlife doctors, and there was only one member of staff with the appropriate experience and recent-enough practice. Reimu insisted that Youki get treated first, which had brought a self-evident sigh of relief from the doctor when he realised he wouldn’t be stuck checking a hardy Youkai child’s bruises when there was a man halfway to death’s door to treat.

While they scurried to get the appropriate supplies for the arduous process of stitching the old man up, Yachie had decided to instead call a doctor directly to their beach house and have Reimu treated there. Having to make the appropriate arrangements for this was what finally pried mother and daughter apart, with Reimu being left to her own devices while Yachie spoke personally with the relevant medical staff. Conveniently, this gave Reimu and Youki a few minutes to talk, while the nurses scurried to get the necessary supplies to treat him.

Reimu anxiously looked over the old man’s injuries. “You sure you’re gonna be okay, gramps?”

Youki chuckled, pulling himself upright. “Well, I won’t be swinging my swords for a little while… but I’ll recover, you can be sure of that.” He sighed. “And… as much as it pains my pride to admit it, I have you to thank for that, lass.”

Reimu smiled a bit awkwardly. “...Keiki asked me to. Not that I wouldn’t have helped anyway if I could, but she’s the one who gave me the Miko stuff.” She rapped her gohei on her palm contentedly, before pausing in thought. “...Really hope Mama isn’t too mad about that.”

That was a remaining question mark. Her mother had said… surprisingly little about Reimu’s new equipment, or the loss of her horns, or… anything, really. Even when Reimu talked about having confessed her secret to Keiki, Yachie had just given her a sad, knowing smile, and said they’d talk about it later.

For his part, Youki managed a one-armed shrug. “She’s probably just glad you’re safe. Though I bet she wants to make sure you’re well clear of the animal realm before Keiki gets her claws any further into you.” He looked up at the ceiling. “...Maybe she’ll leverage some favours with the Yama, now that the Kiketsu are the only reason I survived.”

Reimu stuttered. “U-uh, we’re still happy to help you with your other tasks-”

Youki chuckled. “There’s no need, lass. You helped me hunt Eiki’s prey, you helped with Yuyuko’s task, and… well. You’re an Immaterial Child, aren’t you?”

Reimu blinked. “Wh-what? How do you know? Uh, I mean- ummm…” A delayed realisation hit her, and she furrowed her eyebrows. “No, wait. How did I help with Yuyuko’s task?”

Youki chuckled. “Well, it wasn’t exactly a task from Lady Yuyuko herself. More a favour for an… enigmatic friend of hers. Apparently, a certain go-shintai was sent off last night, into the Animal Realm, and no-one knew what happened to it. When Yuyuko realised I'd already be in the area, she asked if I could look for it while I was here.”

Reimu’s eyes lit up in understanding. “You mean the Yin-yang Orbs?” The half-phantom nodded. Reimu focused, trying to pull one of the orbs out of herself, and managed to do so, with it manifesting in her palm. “That’s how Keiki knew I could help you, too. She said she could sense it in me.”

Youki nodded. “Indeed. But there was another thing about them - they’re bloodline weapons. Like the Hakurouken.” He smiled. “Which means that… my theory about the Hakurouken being able to sense my grandchild has been proven.” He looked up. “...I wonder if Yuyuko expected that would be the case. That the Yin-yang Orbs were seeking out their heiress.”

Reimu paused, wondering what to say. “U-um-”

“Before you say anything, lass, I wanted to ask you something.” He reached over, holding out Hakurouken. “I have… a certain hunch that you or your otters will run into my grandchild sooner or later. And when that happens… perhaps you could be the one to bear her blade to her?” He proffered the blade to Reimu, looking pensive.

[ ] Take Hakurouken. It was very possible they would find Youmu first.
[ ] Leave it with him. He should hand it over himself.

{ } Explain why the incident happened, from her eyes.
{ } Don’t talk about the… crazy time travel stuff. No need to push her luck before they found Akyuu.

---

Don't see it as three updates, see it as one split into three parts. I hope you've all enjoyed this, this will likely be the last updort in this thread. The next thread will be titled with a VERY indicative name of who we're going to be accompanying next.

>>205979
I'm going to be blunt, I was expecting a PARTICULAR type of conversation based on this, and now I feel almost let down.

>>205976
You do realise that you've literally given Yuuma a reason to call Reimu 'Yachie's ankle-biter', right?

>>205974
There were a lot of good names, but this one won because it was A: a good excuse to have the yin-yang orbs come into physical play, B: fit nicely with the transformation, and C: didn't include a certain wordplay in it that makes no sense for her to invoke quite yet. But all the suggestions have been stored for later, I promise you that.

[7] Take Hakurouken. It was very possible they would find Youmu first.
[9] Leave it with him. He should hand it over himself.

{17} Explain why the incident happened, from her eyes.
{0} Don’t talk about the… crazy time travel stuff. He trusted her now, no need to push her luck before they found Akyuu.
- {X} Make sure to drop Youmu's name in case he finds her.

After much thought, Reimu pushed the sword back to him. “...Gramps, keep it with you. I will be looking for them, but…” She looked him in the eyes. “You should hand it to Youmu yourself.”

Youki blinked, his eyes shrinking to pinpricks as he looked over at Reimu. “...Youmu?” His voice was hoarse, weak with shock. “That was what my daughter wanted to… how…?”

Reimu rolled the yin-yang orb in the palm of her hand. “...It’s a long, long story, but… we’re the Immaterial Children for a reason. We had to be them.” She looked up. “...We changed history, and overwrote ourselves.”

She began to talk, going through what she remembered. Of the earnest, but scatterbrained half-ghost gardener. Of the past, of the apocalypse, of what they had to do just for a hope of preventing it. He listened, quietly, not saying a single word.

“...I only remembered all of this this morning. Probably because of the yin-yang orbs.” Reimu concluded, rubbing her head. “And… I don’t know where the other children are. All I know for certain is what I am. I don’t even know if they’re all okay… but I have to hope they are.”

Youki said nothing, for a long, long time. He turned his eyes up to the sky, deep in thought. Reimu sat by, and waited for him to put his thoughts together.

“...It’s quite a story, lass. One that beggars belief, frankly.” The old man kept examining the ceiling. “But… A girl named Youmu, eh? Well… that would line up with what my daughter wanted to call her.”

Reimu nodded. “...I’m glad about that. And… if she’s like me, then she’s kept some details from her past life in her. Maybe her hair, maybe her name…” She nodded. “We can at least look with a little bit of a lead on where she might be.”

Youki nodded. “I… thank you, Reimu. You’ve given me more hope today than I thought I would ever have.” He leaned back, sighing contentedly. “I’ll have to spend some time recovering, but… If there’s anything you need, I’m happy to help. Just say the word.”

“Well…”

“Sorry, sorry!” A nurse otter scurried in, throwing off Reimu’s train of thought. “Mr Konpaku, we’re all ready to begin your treatment.”

Several other otters rushed in, putting a mask on Youki’s face. Reimu sputtered. “W-wait, I wanted to ask-”

One of the nurses flailed their paws “Sorry, lady Reimu, but I really, really do not want the Yama thinking we’re not giving him the very best of care. Any more questions can wait until later, okay?” The otters pushed him away, with Reimu trying to follow.

Youki managed a chuckle. “Sorry, Reimu… I think our time’s up.” He raised a hand, pointing in the direction of the Sanzu. But… if you want some more answers… why don’t you go to Gensokyo yourself?”

---

Reimu was tired. Very, very tired.

There was a large, beachfront party going on at the expansive Sanzu riverbank.The otters were cheering a day won, a princess saved, and a park reclaimed. There was a lot of things to be cheering for, honestly, and the noise of the bustle reminded Reimu of many a post-incident afterparty.

But neither of the Kicchou family attended. Getting home had seemingly finally broken the adrenaline Reimu had been running on all day, and she’d all but limped into the fluffy comfort of her own bed. A checkup had promptly followed, both for Reimu and, from the doctor’s insistence, her mother; by some miracle, neither of them had any serious injuries.

“My my, the net was made out of poison ivy? Oh, but you’re not supposed to touch that with your bare skin, you know!”

Her mother was on her bed right next to her, chatting idly with a very, very angry Kurokoma. Reimu could hear just enough of the conversation from her bed; the pegasus was in all but a frothing rage.

“...Well, you should consider yourself lucky. After what we did to Toutetsu… oh yes, we did quite a lot. I don’t know if they’ll be calling her the unbeatable matriarch anymore… Hmm? Oh, it’s a sec-ret! Maybe you should ask her yourself?” Yachie chuckled, gently ruffling her daughter’s hair.

“Well, I’d love to stay and gloat some more, but there’s a lot of things for us to celebrate over here, so we’ll be doing our best. Say hi to Keiki for me!” The jidiao abruptly hung up, cutting the pegasus off mid-yell. “...And that’s that. Not much left to do for the night but rest, I think.”

Reimu groaned from her aching muscles. She was lying out flat on her stomach, but turned her head to look up at her mother. “...You’re not going to join the festivities, Mama?”

Yachie smiled gently. “...There’s no place I’d rather be than here, Reimu. I can promise you that.” She leaned down, kissing the girl’s forehead.

Reimu could already feel sleep overtaking her, but struggled to stay awake. “Mama… um… do you…?”

Her mother sighed, looking out. “...Right. I need to talk to you about that. About a month ago… a woman calling herself Ichi visited the Kiketsu.”

Reimu tried and failed to push herself up, to look at her mother, but only managed to agitate her bruises, drawing out a groan. Yachie took that as permission to continue. “Ichi… is something I don’t quite understand. At the very least, all she presented to me was some kind of apparition that kept her out of my control. Ichi spoke of the future, of you being an Immaterial Child, and that you’d be put in great danger… I thought she was just some secret manipulator wishing me ill in a harebrained scheme.” The jidiao sighed. “But it was only a few days later that we were cut off. And it’s only recently that I fully understood her words.”

Reimu did her best to turn on her side. “...What did she say?”

Yachie gave a sad, sad smile. “...Many things. But the one she told me most bluntly was that the ways of the Kiketsu would be what put you at risk.” She sagged. “And that played out at least twice today.”

Reimu cocked her head. “Twice? I mean, Yuuma figured out the car plan, but…”

“...I saw you sneak up to attack her, as well. It was a perfect manoeuvre… but Yuuma had been hunting us all day. It was just another Kiketsu attack to her. And even then, if you hadn’t managed to get Keiki’s assistance…” Reimu saw a small droplet hit the bed in front of her. “...Ironic, isn’t it? The day you finally start to act like a ‘Kiketsu’ like I’ve been trying to make you… is the day that being a Kiketsu could only put you in danger. And… all I’ve been able to think about since is that fact.”

The Kiketsu matriach took back a shuddering breath. "...We've become... predictable in our duplicity. Everyone knows and expects us to be underhanded, and accounts for it already. ...Maybe I'm more like the other gangs than I'd like to admit." She gave a lonely smile to Reimu. "...But you're different, Reimu. And that's what will keep you safe. You're the one Kiketsu that it takes more than eating a few otters to predict."

Yachie gently reached over, patting her daughter’s head again. “...Reimu. The whole… the reincarnation, and the future being in jeopardy… Ichi warned me about that too. It’s… a lot to take in. But…” She curled her tail around Reimu’s. “You’re still my daughter to me. No matter what. And if you need to deal with it… I’ll trust whatever you feel you need to do. Just… remember that you’ll always have a home in the Kiketsu.”

Reimu sighed, curling up. Another weight that had been hanging over her all day was lifted. “...thanks, Mama.”

Yachie smiled, looking out. “...These other children… you’ll want to be looking for them, won’t you?” Reimu nodded. “...That might be best. Yuuma will be wanting a piece of you, and when Kurokoma hears about what I’m hearing is getting called the ‘dragon-miko’ then she’ll be wanting to fight you as well. But let’s not worry about that tonight, okay? We can talk about where you need to go in the morning.”

Reimu wanted to argue. To ask more questions, about Ichi-san, about what Mama knew. But sleep’s siren call was getting stronger and stronger. She sighed, snuggling closer into the plushie in her arms, as her mother leant down next to her, humming an old lullaby.

…Right, the plushie. It wasn’t Genjii - that plushie was sitting in Mama’s room, with a sewing needle to stitch the beleaguered parts back together. His medical attention could wait until the morning. Reimu had stumbled into her room without him, but had found herself picking up one of her other plushies. The vague memories of one of her friends.

She looked down at the plushie - the purple otter, with the flower behind its ear.

The one named Akyuu. After all, Akyuu was the one who was meant to revive their memories, right? And yet Reimu had regained her memories in another way entirely. What had happened to Akyuu? Was she alright…?

Still, the troubles of those thoughts weren’t enough to stave off what felt like a month’s worth of exhaustion; and as much as she pondered Akyuu’s safety, her own safety put her heart at ease. Some part of her knew Akyuu would be fine… and if she wasn’t? Well, Reimu would be able to save her.

With that last thought, she finally drifted off to sleep. Dreaming of the surface world, of sipping tea late in the night, gazing up at the moon.

END OF ARC 1

---

The next thread is ready and waiting for you all at >>206017!

There's a couple more things I might add to the end of Reimu's story part. If I do, they'll go over to our shorts section, as a series of little epilogues from the perspectives of other characters. But that's no reason to hold y'all away from the next big vote.

If you're looking for a new thread to check out, why not join the discussion over at >>/gensokyo/17154? I feel like a story like Redo/Reimu gets you thinking about what's changeable about a character, and what's absolutely core to them - what are your thoughts?

And of course, my other story is still kicking along at >>/others/69334 . It's going nowhere near R/R's pace, but it's still a part of my threadwork, don't doubt that!

Thank you all, again, for sticking with me through this thread. We did this whole thread in about nine days - absolute insanity! I'm just glad you're as hyped for this as I am, guys.

Special thanks to Kosuka, once again!