The chick stirred. It slowly sat up, cheeping.

Kutaka cooed, gently lifting it into her hair. “About time you got up, little one. You missed calling in the morning, you know.”

The chicken goddess stretched, flitting back to her seat. It was going to be another quiet day at the checkpoint, it seemed. Most likely, that meant a certain shinigami was slacking off. While that was a problem, Kutaka couldn’t solve it without leaving her own post - which forced her to find ways to spend the time.

Shifts like this were… conceptually convenient, but rarely well-timed. A quiet shift would have been great yesterday, when she was still leveling out her tiredness from a rather stressful day before. But today, she was bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and bored out of her eggshell.

She idly turned her head, towards the Sanzu river. She could see what she was pretty sure was the figure of Komachi’s boat, with the vague lumpiness that indicated a vessel whose owner was lying across it. Honestly, there was a limit to how brazen one could be.

The goddess sighed, leaning up against her post. She began the slow tossup on whether she could reasonably leave her post to scold Onozuka. But… that would require this rather important checkpoint being left unattended. While she was unlikely to miss anything that came from the Sanzu or living world to one of the many Hells, the real risk was the other direction.

If she was at her post, Kutaka could take most of what tried to escape to the living world, at least long enough for backup to arrive. Many an oni or spirit saw her merely as poultry, right up until she kicked them hard enough to break boulders. But if she wasn’t at the checkpoint, they could squeeze out past the bottle-neck, and rapidly become exponentially more difficult to catch. And Yama knows that the next person in line wouldn’t be of any use.

Kutaka started shuffling some papers, trying to think of what she could do to pass the time… but her thoughts trended back to her layabout worker. She didn’t need much, just… something to happen. Anything.

The chirping of her passenger caught her attention, and she lifted him out of her hair to check on him. His eyes were locked on the river, and Kutaka turned to look, seeing… what may very well be exactly what she was looking for.

It was a glowing light, not of a spirit - business instincts - but of a living creature. A powerful one, too. It appeared to be rushing out across the water, producing massive waves in its wake. It was making a beeline directly for her checkpoint - with Komachi likely to be caught in its backdraft.

The shinigami didn’t seem to have noticed it yet. If she was caught in the waves, she’d be thrown overboard at least, perhaps even badly hurt. Fortunately, Kutaka did have an emergency alarm for exactly this purpose. She rushed over to that part of the desk, clearing the space around the button, and lifted her hand to strike-

…

……….

………………………………….Now!

As soon as she saw Komachi’s boat start to be lifted, she slammed the buzzer. The ringing sound resounded out over the field, giving the shinigami enough time to realize something was happening. She saw the boat flip multiple times in the air, dispensing its sole passenger in her own gyrations. The chicken goddess smirked as she saw the twin splashes.

The glowing light slowed - relatively speaking - as it hit the shore. Kutaka hopped out, standing firmly in the middle of the checkpoint. It was a kitsune, though not one the gatekeeper recognised.

She stepped out, picking up a form. People who weren’t expected needed to make some declarations. As the figure slowed down from rocketing to merely sprinting, Kutaka clicked out her pen. “N-”

The fox leapt right over her, snatching the form right out of her hands. Her hands were a flurry, filling out the form in seconds. She shoved it back into Kutaka’s hands, staring her down. Kutaka felt the intensity of the fox’s gaze as she inspected the form’s new contents.

“Name: Yakumo Ran… Species: Kitsune… Desired Target Hell: (E) The Animal Realm… Purpose of Entry: (D) Rescuing loved one (not deceased)...”

“Lady Niwatari.” The kitsune’s voice had a strained edge to it. “I need to get past, now.”

The chicken shook her head. “I’m sorry, Miss… Yakumo, was it?” …Where had she heard that name before? Kutaka read the next few lines of the form, hoping it’d rouse her memories. “But there is still a procedure to this. ...You intend to take someone back with you? You need to fill out-”

Ran shoved past her into the guardhouse. A storm of paper erupted inside. Kutaka took a moment to realize what had happened, and rushed inside to stop her.

From the flurry, a document was forced into her hands. It was… huh. The right form. The gatekeeper started to speak again, before more documents shoved themselves out.

“Ah… well, these forms do… make a logical pattern-”

The fox muttered something under her breath. “-one minutes, thirty-eight-point-seven-three-” Her head snapped up. “Please hurry, this is urgent.”

“Alright, alright, give me a minute. Not everyone can move that fast…” This must be a shikigami - this kind of efficiency and speed only made sense with one of the twin-minded. Kutaka began to shuffle through the forms, as the fox hovered over her, counting out the seconds.

Kutaka moved through the forms, carefully checking everything. She was sure this woman did want to rush, but her power made that infeasible. She was a risk by default; Kutaka couldn’t just let someone this strong waltz right in and out without understanding why she did so. Lady Eiki was counting on her; she couldn’t just let a kitsune in-

As she nearly finished the second last form, something clicked. A kitsune shikigami? To command such a powerful being’s loyalty to such an extent must mean that the person in question was even stronger. Wait… “Yakumo… where have I heard that name…?”

The kitsune’s glare only got more pained. “My master is Yakumo Yukari. I-”

“Hold on.” Kutaka paused, moving over to her flipbook. “Zo, ze, za… Yu, Yo, Ye… Yakumo… Yakumo - Ah! Yakumo Yukari- See Maribel Hearn. One second-”

The fox groaned. “You have been wasting my time for seven minutes and twenty seconds. Please, my daughters are-”

“Ah, here it is!” The chicken hissed through her teeth. “Ah, yeah. I thought so. Maribel Hearn, born - that has to be a typo - now known as Yakumo Yukari… the Tsugaru Strait incident, Sage of Gensokyo… Sorry, orders from up top are clear on this. I’m going to have to call Lady Eiki.”

A vein started to bulge out of the fox’s head. “How long?”

“Well, there’s apparently some disturbance in the Animal Realm she’s investigating, so… it could be a while. Once that’s settled, maybe she can spare some-”

“My daughters,” Ran growled, “are caught up in the very disturbance you’re speaking of, and their lives are at stake. Eight minutes now. I will be entering the Animal Realm before nine minutes have passed. The only thing that could change is what state I will be leaving you in.”

Kutaka glared at her. “Is that a threat?”

“And a promise.” The fox clenched her hand into a fist. “Do not make me do something we will both regret.”

The goddess stood up. “That thuggery only suggests you might deserve a more permanent stay. But if you insist…” She raised a leg, getting into a martial stance. “Don’t go crying to your boss when I kick you to the curb.”

---

[Ran left the checkpoint behind her after exactly eight minutes and fifty-seven seconds. A whole two minutes more than she projected.]

She’d done the best she could do to pass peacefully. It had taken much mental toil on both of her parts to not snap the infuriating bureaucrat’s neck, deserved or otherwise - but ultimately, she was just doing her job. The need for urgency had outweighed any necessity to be excessive, but it also had quelled any desire to leave the goddess in a state even close to comfortable …She’d have to make penance another time.

[But this was not that time. This was the time to push forward. She had a lock on Chen’s location, and the chance the nekomata would willingly separate from Kosuzu was statistically ridiculous.]

The fox ran on, muttering under her breath. Wondering about her young daughter - who she hadn’t seen in the flesh for all too long.

[And, of course, about the woman who stole her away. She bit back building rage. Because she knew her - better than anyone alive.]

Kudamaki Tsukasa. A relatively well-known kuda-gitsune acting as the servant to Iizunamaru. A craven and cruel thing.

[A shadow of what she had once been.]

…She tensed. The true name, her true name bubbled up. Even now, the reflexive urge to attach a Lady to it was strong. But the urge to curse it was stronger.

“...Say your prayers, Shirohime.” Ran spat out the name with venom. “The moment my daughters are safe… nothing will protect you from me.”

Tsukasa clasped her hands around her nose, holding back a sneeze. The wolf who’d come scouting with her looked mildly disappointed.

She shot him a glare. If this idiot started a fight just because he was bored… She shook her head, feeling the prickle of the collar on her throat. She couldn’t run even if she wanted to, and after all the indignities she’d been put through, she wasn’t keeping this collar on a second longer than she had to.

She peeked through the binoculars again. A door underneath the safe house was opening, and one of the Animal Realm’s strange vehicles emerged. Tsukasa watched it depart, hissing in annoyance.

“Damnit, they’re not here either…” She turned to the wolf, whispering. “They’re taking resources away from here. No way the human brat’s inside.”

The wolf perked up at that. “Then that means we’re going ahead with the assault?”

“Yes, yes… come on, let’s go.” The fox rubbed her forehead, as she crept away, towards the car. She didn’t exactly consider ‘blindly rush Haniyasushin’s home’ a plan, but apparently anything that didn’t involve braining themselves immediately was considered complicated by these meatheads. Ugh, being attached to them was a yoke she’d be glad to be free of.

And she just had to hope she could spot the brat with binoculars! Because the alternative was rushing around trying to find her, and god knows how difficult it’d be to get to her. Oh, if only she had a Hollow Psyche… Not for the first time, she regretted not bringing the book with her. Not that she was likely to get a chance to use it that wouldn’t result in that necrophiliac taking it for herself, and she’d never risk Kosuzu getting her hands anywhere near-

“Fox?” Tsukasa was shaken out of her thoughts. The wolf she was creeping with had asked her a question. After a few moments of her indignant glare, he asked again. “Didja hear me? I wanna know why you stole Ran’s kid.”

Tsukasa raised an eyebrow. “Why do you care?”

The wolf rolled his eyes. “What, you wanna just sit there and brood? Come on, it’s gotta be a hell of a story, right?”

Tsukasa growled, turning her eyes back. “We have a history. And not a pleasant one.”

…He was continuing to stare at her, even as they got in the van. She ignored him as she slammed the door, and turned to the driver. “Get us back to the main building, and get ready to extract when the time comes.”

The driver nodded. “Understood. What’s our exit plan?”

“Hey, fox-“

“Listen in on the comms. When it’s time to go, get us to the hermit or Kurokoma ASAP. Don’t care which, whichever keeps us out of a fight.” Tsukasa trudged to the back of the van, steadying herself as it lurched into motion.

One of the wolves in the back of the van called out. “Awww, come on. Why not take a route with some real fangs to it?”

“You can have your fun once we’ve delivered the human to your bosses.” Tsukasa snapped, waving her dagger in his face. “Until then, you’re going where I tell you to.”

A wolf with the voice of a real knuckle-dragger chortled. “Yeah, you ain’t gonna get any fun with a wet blanket like her around. Can’t you see she’s refine-erd?”

The wolves let out a collective guffaw. Tsukasa wanted to snap their necks, but she didn’t have any backup besides these idiots. She couldn’t afford any casualties. Yet.

“Yeah, she’s no good.” Another wolf chuckled. “She’s just another Kiketsu - all certain she’s better’n you, but too cowardly to try’n prove it.”

“Nah, she’s no Kiketsu.” the cave-wolf countered. “No Kiketsu’d be dumb enough to fall for the shock collar.”

Tsukasa bit back her tongue. Let them have their fun. All they had to do was distract - she’d point them right at a killbox, and enjoy a much quieter trip back to Keiga territory.

“She did steal Ran’s kid.” Her escort offered. “That’s gotta take some doing.”

“Did she steal the kid, or did someone else do the deed and leave her with the brat?” One of the wolves asked. “She strikes me as a stooge typ- ooooooohhhhh, now she’s glaring!”

Tsukasa broke her gaze, looking away. Right, if any of these bastards tried to ride back with her, she’d throw them into the road once they hit top speed. “Of course I did it, idiots. Nobody else could have.”

“Sure, sure. Stealing from the great Yakumo Ran, that’s not something an oni or a devil could do - gotta leave that to the gutter-fox, that’s the real professional!” The wolves burst out laughing, as Tsukasa’s eye twitched.

“I hear the boss wants to see if she can fight Ran. Man, that’d be an awesome fight. The Black Pegasus against the second coming of Tamamo-no-Mae!”

“The… the second… coming of Tamamo-no-Mae?”

Tsukasa’s voice crackled, with incredulity and rage. She launched herself up, slamming her fist into the back of the van. “Ran’s not even close to that! She’s just some spell geek! She’s not even fit to lick Tamamo’s geta!”

The wolves stared at her for a few moments, before they all burst out laughing. “Ooooh, jelly, are we? Come on, Ran was a big deal even when she had a single tail. Even now, the old boss tells stories about her.”

The wolves started sharing stories, Tsukasa seeming to drop out of their minds in exchange for telling stories about Ran. The knuckle-dragger was different. He leaned over Tsukasa, his foul stench clogging the air. “You know… they say all sorts of stories about Yakumo Ran, these days. Maybe she ain’t the second coming of Tamamo-no-mae - maybe she’s even stronger.”

Tsukasa growled, pulling out Kosuzu’s test tube. The wolves saw it, with a collective ‘oooooooh’ rising from the gaggle of idiots.

“What now, gutter-fox?” Knuckle-dragger asked. “You gonna jump in and hide?”

Tsukasa shook her head, firmly. “Not a chance.” She gave a vicious smirk. “You will, though.”

As her thumb flicked the flask open, her other hand swept around the room. The wolves in the back vanished, instantly. There was a gust of air through the van. The moment it had settled, she flicked the test tube shut.

She took a moment to inspect her handiwork. The wolves in the back of the van were all crammed inside, confused and afraid. She glared at them, her single eye bigger than any one of them. They shrank back in response.

“You think Ran is the successor of Tamamo-no-Mae? You dare?” Tsukasa’s voice was venomous. “None of you have a single light going on in your damn heads, do you?”

She heard the wolf in the passenger seat leap at her. Her dagger flicked out. The wolf yelped, falling to the ground in pain.

She strode over, tipping the test tube. The wolves tumbled head-over-tail. “Tamamo-no-Mae does not need a successor in some lowly youko who thinks her greatest achievement is bootlicking the gap hag. Tamamo had a daughter of her own, you know.”

The wolves huddled together, quivering, as she continued. “A daughter with fur whiter than snow. An unrivaled talent with magic, a being of grace and beauty second only to her mother’s - and only because she was yet to reach her full potential. She claimed a kingdom all her own, and she ruled over it absolutely.”

The fox smirked. As the wolf on the floor tried to stand up, she brought her foot down on his head. “Plenty of others tried to take it from her. They called her a witch, a tyrant, and any number of other things. They all fell. Crumbled into the dirt beneath her heels, begging her forgiveness for ever thinking they could challenge her.” She ground her foot on the wolf’s cheek, dragging his head along the floor of the van. “And that was all before she grew her fourth tail! By her eighth, she was virtually unstoppable.”

She snarled. “But she never reached her ninth. Never her full power. One year out from her ninth tail, one year out, two rotten witches stole everything from her. The lowly fox who claimed she’d wanted to learn from her only criticized and complained about her magic, trying to show her up at every turn with trickery and showmanship. The gap hag made my subjects revolt, demanding treatment not a single one of those bastards had the pedigree to deserve.” Her hands were shaking. “And when I finally had my chance - finally got the chance to put that fox in her place - her master went berserk, and destroyed the entire damn kingdom!”

Her foot lifted from the wolf’s face, only to slam down again. And again, and again, and again. “I had to go crawling away in hiding, just to survive! I went from eating dishes cooked by the finest chefs in the land, to scavenging scraps of meat like a common beast! And while that happened, I took the blame for Yakumo even showing up! I was reduced from Tsugaru’s shining light to the conspirator of its downfall! I was belittled and degraded and stained!”

Her foot smashed through the wolf’s head a final time, dissipating it into red mist. It slammed into the floor, denting it beneath her. She shook, trembling with rage. The wolves within her tube all cowered.

“...That’s why.” She panted. “That’s why I stole Ran’s brat. If Ran will deny me my tails, my kingdom, my birthright, it’s only fair I ruin something of hers in exchange. Don’t you agree?”

All was quiet. She lifted the vial, glaring balefully at the wolves. They all nodded, hastily.

Tsukasa grinned. “Good! That settles that, then.” She clambered forward, into the seat next to the driver. All of the red had drained from his face, and he couldn’t bear to look at her.

She smirked, twirling the test tube in her hands. “Well, I’m enjoying the peace and quiet. So I think all you whelps can sit in there and wait while we get in position, no?” She locked a baleful eye on the wolf next to her. “Now step on it, trash. Or you’re next.”

Reimu cursed as the gohei was ripped from her hand, hitting the thief with a Yin-Yang orb. She tried to reach for the dropped weapon, but two wolves pounced towards her, forcing the miko to leap back. She hit them with a gout of flame in her retreat, but the ground had been lost, and the wolves pressed in.

She hissed, lifting a talisman and slamming it into the ground. A barrier formed in between them and the wolves, at a sloppy, tilted angle. The wolves snarled and snapped, stacking atop each other, until the barrier was the only thing holding back a tide of gnashing maws and scraping claws. Still, it held for now, giving Reimu a moment to catch her breath.

Her eyes flicked back to Mayumi. The haniwa was quivering behind her, splayed out across the ground. She’d lost a leg after losing the arm, as well, and their radio had been struck from Reimu’s hand some time ago. She crawled back, shivering.

Reimu pulled back, helping the haniwa sit up against the door on the back of the wall. “It’ll be okay, Mayumi. We’re gonna get through this.” Mayumi just shivered. Reimu turned back around, doing her best to stay calm and assess the situation.

The two had dived into an alley for a defensible position, but the wolves seemed endless at this point, and the door that’d give them a much-needed bottleneck had been locked. And picking or bashing it open would take time Reimu didn’t have to spare. “I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you, Mayumi. I promise you, I’ll get you back to Keiki.”

…They were big words. If only she could back them up. Now would be a really good time to Re/Awaken - if only she could figure out how. She’d only managed to do it once before, and that had been fighting Yuuma. And the number of eagles she’d fought over that entire day wasn’t even close to the number of wolves she’d fended off in the last half-hour alone. So whatever it was that allowed her to crystalize, it wasn’t happening as is. Maybe she wasn’t desperate enough?

The barrier cracked, under the strain of the pack. Reimu stepped back, looking to see where they could retreat to, but felt her tail brush up against the wall. There wasn’t any more ground for them to gain - any further back, and they’d be completely trapped. It was hard to imagine how things could be more desperate… but maybe that was what she needed. She took a deep breath, preparing to push them back one last time.

A particularly large wolf broke a hole through the barrier. It lunged at Reimu, jaws agape. She charged her ying-yang orbs, readying a spell-

A pillar of stone shot from the ground, smashing into the wolf’s chest. It dissipated instantly. More stone pillars emerged on the far side of the barrier, sending parts of the pack flying.

On Reimu’s left, a blue-haired figure emerged, offering a steadying hand on her shoulder. She looked up in shock. “K-Keiki?” She’d just looked behind her a moment ago, and she hadn’t heard the door open. How had-

Her answer came in the form of a gap, which opened on the near side of the barrier. As another wolf leapt through the first hole, an octagonal sign emerged from the gap, blocking it. There was a metallic clang, and the wolf fell down, clearly concussed. Yukari emerged from Reimu’s right, chuckling.

More holes were being gnawed through, but Reimu surged forward. “Yukari!” She ran diagonally for the right wall, and was met with a gap in just the right position. She emerged on the far side of the barrier, bathing the wolves’ side of the wall in a gout of flame. They broke, turning as a full rout, and Reimu landed, sweeping her tail across the ground, and sending a wave of danmaku after them.

As she straightened up, she lifted her right arm to summon her orbs back. …it was covered in a sleeve of red crystals. She paused, staring at it, before Yukari leant in to examine it with her.

“So, that’s Re/Awakening, is it?” The sage hummed, looking at the crystalline sleeve. “...My word. No wonder it’s so powerful.”

Reimu spun around, giving Yukari a hug. The elder youkai was momentarily surprised, but smiled and gave her a gentle pat on the head. “We heard you two were in quite a bit of trouble. Keiki, how’s Mayumi looking?”

“She’ll be okay. Thank goodness.” Over Reimu’s shoulder, she could see Mayumi clinging to her mother for dear life, sobbing. The sculptor stood up, lifting Mayumi with her, and rushed over to Reimu. “What were you two doing out here? Whether the wolves had their trick or not, this was horribly dangerous.”

Reimu sagged. “I-I’m sorry… it was my fault.” She pulled away from Yukari, looking down. “How’s the larger fight going?”

Yukari looked up. “We’re starting a counter-offensive. We’re setting up a forward position only a few streets back from here. It’s not quite up to Keiki’s aesthetic standards, but it’ll hold off anything it needs to.”

“We’re taking you both back there, now. We’ve set up a medbay there for treatment” The sculptor goddess gently ran her hand through Reimu’s hair. “I’m sure you know this was a mistake… but we’ll just bring you home and call it at that. You’ve both suffered more than enough already.”

Reimu looked at her arm. The crystals were beginning to dissipate. She gripped her fist, tightly, as she walked over to her gohei and picked it up.

Yukari knelt down, smiling. “You’ve done well, Reimu. Mayumi’s safe, and you’ve probably beaten more wolves on your own than any of the haniwa. It’s time to get some rest, alright?”

The sage of the gap clicked her fingers, opening a gap. She took Reimu’s hand, standing up. “Come on. We’ll drop Mayumi off at the medbay, and then I’ll take you to your mother.”

Yukari’s hand was worn, and gentle. There was something deeply comforting about it, almost bewitching. And yet…

“...No.” Reimu pulled her hand away, as the two elders looked back at her. “I want to fight. I want to fix this.”

Keiki shook her head. “Absolutely not. It’s too dangerous-”

“Unless I can Re-awaken, right?” She looked up at the others. “I managed to do it a bit there. If I can fully tap into it… I’m sure I can turn the tide.”

The sculptor goddess shook her head, worry starting to crease her face. “Don’t you dare, Reimu. You get stronger, sure, but you still only beat Yuuma with Youki. Besides, do you even know how you did it just then?”

“I have one idea.” The young miko locked her gaze on the Sage of the Gap. “Yukari… team up with me!”

Yukari looked rather surprised at the request. Reimu nodded, thinking back. “I know… you’re not the same person. But… you still fight the same. It’s… familiar. A-and you control boundaries, right? Maybe you can even help me Re-awaken more directly, too.”

Yukari looked at her, clearly conflicted. Reimu pressed on. “You’re stronger than Youki - way stronger! And I already know how to fight with you. Together, we’re an unbeatable combination, Yukari - I promise!”

The sage… sighed, leaning forward. “You’re not going to let this go, are you? …If your mother asks, you put me up to this, alright?”

Keiki’s head snapped to Yukari, her lips drawing back into a snarl. Reimu was rather shocked by the vitriol in her voice. “If she gets even slightly hurt -”

“I’ll make sure she pulls back at the first sign of trouble.” Yukari nodded. “But if we could just order her home and expect her to stay there, we wouldn’t be out here, no? Besides, we’re strapped for resources, and my usual backup is… occupied. We need a turn of fortune - and if I understand things right, nothing’s better for that purpose than a Re/Awakening.”

Reimu turned to the sculptor goddess. “There’s two big attacks, right? If you let me and Yukari take on one of them, we can beat up anyone there. I’m sure of it.” She thumped her chest.

Keiki groaned. “Reimu…” She set Mayumi down, kneeling next to the young girl. “If you go out there and get seriously hurt… I’ll never forgive myself.”

She pulled Reimu into a hug. “So… Promise me, Reimu. The moment things seem like too much to handle, trust your instincts and come back home. Promise me that you’ll come back safe.”

Reimu nodded, firmly. “I will. Trust me, Keiki - I’ll turn this fight around.”

Yukari hummed. “Which fight, specifically?” The young jidiao looked up at her. “We have Saki attacking the factory on one side, and Seiga ransacking the library on the other. Where would you go, young Reimu?”

[ ] The Train Station. If they let Saki destroy it, they’d just end up losing more territory later. They needed to save as much of the factory as they could, to get all the Haniwa casualties back on their feet. She was absolutely the top priority to rebuff, by any means necessary.
[ ] The Library. Seiga getting away with any of the books was a disaster in the making. And Reimu knew all the adults would be happier with her attacking what was probably the less dangerous target… if Seiga didn’t have any other new tricks.

[3] The Train Station. If they let Saki destroy it, they’d just end up losing more territory later. They needed to save as much of the factory as they could, to get all the Haniwa casualties back on their feet. She was absolutely the top priority to rebuff, by any means necessary.
[15] The Library. Seiga getting away with any of the books was a disaster in the making. And Reimu knew all the adults would be happier with her attacking what was probably the less dangerous target… if Seiga didn’t have any other new tricks.

“We’ll go to the library.” Reimu said, nodding firmly. “I really don’t like the idea of Seiga getting any more power than she already has.

Keiki breathed a sigh of relief. “At least you’re not throwing yourself at that mad pegasus…” She released Reimu from the hug. “Please, stay safe, Reimu.”

Reimu chopped off a salute, turning to Yukari. “Last time, I could beat Seiga on my own… but I’m not as strong this time. Are you… you know?”

The youkai of the gap raised an eyebrow, but nodded. “I am always ready for a fight. Besides, if your theory is correct… we’ll be able to see your full potential, no?”

“Reimu…” The jidiao turned to see Mayumi leaning back, pulling her torso away from resting on Keiki’s shoulder. “S-sorry… I can’t help. I’m just…” She flailed her stumped arm, helplessly.

The miko shook her head, firmly. “Mayumi, if you’d asked me before today, I’d have said the one thing the Haniwa Corps aren’t ready for is fighting living humans. Last time, you were badly thrown off the first few times you faced off against them. You had a whole squadron of haniwa at your command, and you were still br- beaten and forced to retreat.” …Granted, the one to break- er, to beat Mayumi specifically had been Reimu, but… she didn’t need to know that part. “I’d be too worried if you came with me against someone like Seiga.”

The haniwa sagged. “B-but-”

“I’ll be safe, Mayumi. I promise.” Reimu gave a cocky smirk. “Me and Yukari are an unbeatable duo when we get going. We’ll get this cleaned up in a wink.”

Keiki adjusted the haniwa’s position in her hands, looking between the girls with a concerned expression. “...Well, regardless of team strength, you’re in no shape to keep fighting, Mayumi.”

At length, Mayumi sagged. “...I know, Lady Keiki. Reimu… come back safe, alright?” The haniwa mumbled out her last few words. “…And thanks for protecting me.”

Reimu swung her gohei over her shoulder. “It’s what I’m here for. Alright…” She gave one last nod to Yukari. “Shall we be off?”

Yukari ascended into the air. “By all means, young Reimu, lead the way.”

---

Short update, sorry. Working on the next one, though, which will be a full chapter.

“Need a squad to defend the artillery on the easternmost hill!” One of the haniwa operators bellowed. “Got a pack coming up.right now!”

Chen nodded. “We already sent Sikamea squad to defend, but they’re not gonna get there in time. We need an interception force-”

Kosuzu snapped up a dossier. “How about the Barracuda squad?” She offered it to her sister. “They’re fast, right?”

Chen’s eye bounced between the dossier’s summary page, and the team’s position on the map. “...Send them.” She turned her head to an otter, who sent off the message quickly, and handed the document to the haniwa who’d spoken up.

Kosuzu grinned, wiping a bit of sweat off her brow. The desk she’d laid the dossiers out at was arranged roughly in line with the map itself, with the various positions reflecting their rough placements. And she’d given them all a quick scan, as well - not enough to fully understand their contents, but enough that she was able to help pass them out to whoever needed them.

It was hard work, but she was helping. And that alone thrilled her. She felt like she was actually making a difference, and helping to turn the tide, handout by handout. Heck, she was probably helping more here than Reimu was, in her own way. Heh, now that was a thought.

Grip reduced to 2.

The last few dossiers got handed out even faster. Before long, Kosuzu had cleared the desk. She and Chen shared a thumbs up, and trotted off to get another task from Yachie.

As she got closer to the jidiao and the speaker next to her, however, it was clear that something was wrong. Yachie was wreathed in her own smoke, and the speaker was trembling in her hand. The voice coming through it sounded like Yukari’s.

“We’ve broken through the Library defensive lines. Literally as we were talking, in fact.” Yukari chirped. “Frankly, Yachie, she’s outperforming everything I expected. This sure is an incredible power.”

“How fascinating.” The matriarch’s voice was dripping with vitriol. “Now turn around and come straight back here.”

A younger female voice spoke up. “We gotta drive them back from the library. And there’s nobody better for the task than me and Yukari. Seiga’s bad news wherever she goes - we gotta get rid of her ASAP.”

Kosuzu’s ears flicked. It sounded like Reimu… but not the young jidiao she knew. More like the miko she’d once been. Did Reimu have an older sister? …That didn’t make sense, did it?

Yachie’s tail lashed. “All the more reason I don’t want you there.” Her body began to glow with that oppressive aura again. “Turn. Around.”

“Seiga already managed to turn the war in the Animal Realm on its head.” Yukari’s partner countered, seemingly unaffected by Yachie’s aura. It might not work over the phone. “Do you want to find out what she can do with Keiki’s restricted section?”

Yachie didn’t respond to that at first, before ultimately sighing. “Why is it you’re only good at debating at these times…”

Kosuzu felt the urge to speak up. “Um, Lady Yukari? And… Miss?” The jidiao’s eyes snapped to her. “Could you make sure my Grampa’s safe, too?”

“Miss?” The young lady seemed rather surprised. “Can’t you tell who I am, Kosuzu?”

“...Reimu?” The young fox hazarded. “Why do you sound like that? Did Yukari age you up or something so you could fight better?”

Yukari gave a chuckle. “Something like that. I believe you’ve seen her Re/Awaken for yourself, Yachie? Needless to say, she’s doing fine.”

Yachie groaned, rubbing her forehead. “Reimu…”

“I’ll be fine, mom.” Reimu’s still-oddly-mature voice was confident. “Believe me, with Yukari as backup, there’s not many people who can back us up without being in the way. Has Ran arrived yet, by the way?”

Chen spoke up. “She was delayed. I believe she’s twenty minutes out now, approximately.”

Kosuzu felt her heart jump into her throat.

Yachie’s eye flicked over to them. “Are the dossiers distributed? …Then take a break to compose yourselves.” She looked away. “But send Ran in as soon as you can. Maybe she can convince her master to stop dragging my daughter into danger.”

“Technically, Reimu’s the one dragging-” Yachie slammed the receiver down, storming back into the middle of the room.

Kosuzu shook her head. “Ummm, that’s- fine! There’s gotta be some other way we can help-”

“I said LEAVE.” The oppressive aura made Kosuzu jump, trembling.

Chen saluted, gripping Kosuzu’s shoulder as she spun her around. “Of course, ma’am. We’ll be ready if you need us.” She whispered in her little sister’s ear. “Come on, Kosuzu. Or we’re gonna be dragon chow to drag Lady Yukari back.”

The little fox trembled, but didn’t resist. When she was led out of the room, her thoughts weren’t about Reimu’s supposed rapid aging, or Yachie’s stormy demeanor.

Instead, her eyes were locked on the clock.

Twenty minutes to go.

---

“So that’s what Re-Awakening is?” Yumemi said, finishing off her third glass of juice.

Chen nodded emphatically. “Yeah. You get these crystals all over you, you grow bigger, and you get way stronger.” She paused, considering a bit more as she sipped at her glass. “...Maybe smarter, too. Akyuu did beat a shinigami in chess after all.”

“And you get to change fate itself?” Chen nodded, leaving the young scientist awed. “Wow… hope I get to see that one day. Maybe you’ll get the chance, Kosuzu?”

The fox jerked up, looking away from the cup that had been set out for her. “Huh? Oh… yeah. It’d be good to know how to do it.”

Chen gave her a pat on the head. “Worried about meeting Lady Ran?” She gave a reassuring smile. “You don’t have to be, Kosuzu. It’ll all be good, I promise.”

Kosuzu looked down. Her tail hung limp, and her fingers drummed anxiously on the Bluebell Grimoire in her lap. Yumemi scooched her chair over, putting her hand on Kosuzu’s.

“I’ll wait with you, if you want.” She gave a gentle smile. “I finished off a formula for Haniwa coolant before I was sent on break. We have actually helped now… even if it isn’t fighting alongside Mayumi and Reimu.”

Chen nodded. “You’ve both done well. I’m sure your mothers will be proud.”

Kosuzu nodded. “Thanks, but… it’s just… a lot to think about.” She shook her head. “But I’m glad you two are here as well. Both of you.”

She waved her hand, trying to shift the topic. “Um, anyway! If I wanted to Re-Awaken, how do I do it? It’s gotta be some secret technique, right?”

Chen shrugged. “It’s not really clear. Something about getting your two selves in sync somehow, while under enough stress. Lady Yukari wants to experiment with using her ability over boundaries to help, but it’s not something that we understand yet. And she’s only seeing it for the first time with Reimu right now, so… I wouldn’t expect anything any time soon.”

Kosuzu hummed, trying to think. “I don’t know if there’s a way for me to bring my past self and current self into some sort of special sync to help with a fight. I wasn’t much of a warrior last time.” She gave a small, shaky smile. “A-at least I’m pretty ready on the stress front!”

The nekomata gave her a rub on her shoulder. “Akyuu seems to be able to trigger it just by talking about history. I’m sure we’ll figure out something for you too. And if we don’t… well, Lady Yukari will be extra invested in making sure you keep up.”

Chen sighed. “...Really, it’s probably a good thing you’re all friends. Once people start realizing how powerful you all can be…” She looked away. “...Keep your friends close, alright? Two Immaterial Children on opposite sides of a territory dispute… if fate’s turbulent around you all, what happens when you truly fight each other?”

Kosuzu gulped. They drank for a bit in silence.

Eventually, Yumemi hopped up. “If Lady Ran’s coming, we should get some snacks going to talk over. Any recommendations I should send to the chefs, Chen?”

“Fried tofu will be a good start. I’m pretty sure both Lady Ran and Kosuzu love it.” Kosuzu’s tail was wagging a bit at the thought. It had been a while since she’d had that, and… apparently her mother enjoyed it too? Ah, but… but if she ate too much, would Ran get mad at her for pigging out? “You know where the kitchen is, right Yumemi?”

The young girl paused for a moment to think. “It’s down that hallway in the east wing, isn’t it?”

One of the haniwa guards rumbled to life, making Kosuzu jump a bit. They’d been so quiet and still, Kosuzu had almost started thinking of them as statues. “It is in the east wing, but that leads west… if you wish, we can lead the way.”

Yumemi grinned. “Yeah, let’s get going! We gotta get back before Lady Ran gets here in… what, ten minutes?”

Chen hummed, before shrugging. “Fourteen, If she isn’t delayed again. Though at this point, the only delays would be beating up some wolves.”

Kosuzu waved Yumemi off, leaving Chen and her alone again. The fox took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves.

She looked down at the table, picking up Seiga’s hairpin to examine more closely. She’d taken the hole-cutting tool around wherever she could today - she wasn’t letting that mistake happen again. …Her real mother wouldn’t think bad of her for stealing, would she? No, no, this was a special case. She’d see the reason, surely. Hopefully. …But if Ran was angry at her, what would she do?

Kosuzu shook her head. Her mind was a mess right now. There wasn’t anything she could do to change how Ran would view her in only a few minutes. She needed something to distract herself. She looked over at her big sister, trying to gather her thoughts.

[ ] Ask about Yukari’s Little Spirits comment. That had been a little weird, hadn’t it?
[ ] Follow up on Chen’s story about the Restrictions.
[ ] Learn more about her mother. She had an impression, and a largely positive one, but she still didn’t know her all that well as a person.
[ ] Something else?

If I'm reading it right, we're neck and neck on the vote? Gonna say that not long from now, from now, the vote's gonna close. Whoever's in the lead at that time, or if it's tied, the first vote after, will be the plan going forward.

And in the meantime... the last Epilogue of Yester/Youmu has had it's first half posted. The beginning of the end? Or the end of the beginning?

>>/shorts/2998

[14] Ask about Yukari’s Little Spirits comment. That had been a little weird, hadn’t it?
[0] Follow up on Chen’s story about the Restrictions.
[13] Learn more about her mother. She had an impression, and a largely positive one, but she still didn’t know her all that well as a person.

“Um!” Kosuzu straightened up, nervously. “Ch-chen? Can I ask you something?”

The nekomata looked over at her, as Kosuzu continued. “Do you remember what Yukari said about the little spirits? …Did she really mean the otters, there?”

Chen looked… suddenly nervous. “...Um.” Which meant that she didn’t, and they both realized it. “I-I don’t know what she meant, honestly. All I have are guesses.”

The fox scooched closer. “So, what are your guesses? She said it like it was a good thing…”

“I was surprised she let anything slip, honestly - she’s usually pretty guarded at the best of times. Look,” Chen shifted her seating position, “I don’t know if we should be discussing this. Lady Yukari must have had a reason not to tell you. Even if it’s just that you’d worry about it or something like that.”

“I’m… really just looking for something to talk about.” Kosuzu countered. “Mom’s only a few minutes away, and the more I think about it, the more nervous I get. So… if there’s anything you might know, Chen… please tell me.”

Chen squirmed under the fox’s gaze. “Alright, alright… enough with the puppy-dog eyes. I’ll tell you what I’m thinking.”

She took a moment to think, examining the detailing in the ceiling. “...You know the spell your human grandpa said he cast? That made something that let him see you and Ran?”

…Kosuzu blinked. Then slapped her head. Ugh, how had she not even spotted it then? No wonder he was so accepting of her being a kitsune, he’d seen her in Ran’s arms, not Tsukasa’s. “Yes, yes I do. Sorry, go on.”

Chen’s concerned look didn’t leave her face, but she continued, slowly. “Yukari asked him more about the spell. The way it works is… the spirit you’re casting the spell on loses its identity. Loses its memories. And in so doing, it gets smaller, and smaller, and weaker and weaker… until it can’t be detected at all.”

The fox paled. “That- that sounds like what was happening to us! At the end of the last timeline!” Chen’s lips were drawn into a thin line. “Th-that can’t be a coincidence, can it?”

The nekomata shook her head. “He didn’t know anything about black fire, so it’s not the exact same. We can’t be sure, of course. It may be similar effects - he didn’t remember much about the book in general, aside from the spell.”

She sipped at her drink. “The spirits made that way are called Hollow Psyches, apparently. And in theory, they’re the worlds’ most perfect spies. On their own, they can’t even be detected if you don’t want them to be.”

Kosuzu looked down. “...I think Tsukasa was using something like that on the night she met me, too… I think that’s part of what Yukari was looking for in my dreams last night.” She sighed.

Chen hummed. “If that’s the case, that might be where they’re coming from… but I think we can safely say there’s a flaw. Surely she would have fled the moment she sensed we were around? For that matter, why would Yukari see that as a good thing? How could they help you? And if they’re so undetectable, how does Yukari even know that they’re there?”

Kosuzu thought back as well. “She said spirits plural, so maybe there’s more than one? Much easier to spot a pile of sand than a grain of it. …Did Grampa say you need to make more than one?” As Chen shook her head. Kosuzu started to slip deep in thought. “Stranger and stranger… but maybe that’s a sign we’re completely wrong here.”

Her big sister gave a dismissive shrug. “Probably. For all we know, she meant she’s got a bunch of flea spirits to watch over you.”

The fox shuddered. “Ewww! Don’t even-”

An alarm sounded, blaring loud enough for Kosuzu to grab at her ears. Chen leapt to her feet, scanning their surroundings.

“Alert. Alert. An attack force has struck the northwest. All units on high alert.”

---

The alarm was a piercing wail. It set Tsukasa’s ears ringing, even from outside the complex.

Still, it didn’t slow her down. She prepared her shots, focusing on two windows in the east wing.

[Stellar Fox and Subtle Fox]

One shot sent was large, and powerful. It shattered the whole window it went through, and sent danmaku in all directions as it bounced around the hall. It was the perfect vanguard to any expeditionary force.

The other was a single bullet, piercing a small hole in the corner of a different window entirely. This was the one Tsukasa leapt for, shifting into her tube-fox form and easily clambering through it.

She turned her eyes to investigate the room. There - her target, the young red girl. Her two bodyguards had formed a defensive wall in front of her, blocking the shots of Tsukasa’s larger hit, and leaving their backs exposed. One was a heavy-set, lumbering model, while the other was smaller, and likely more agile. They hadn’t heard her enter at all.

She snaked forward, not making a single sound with her steps. Twenty meters. Ten meters. Five.

The young girl’s head was whipping around, trying to see past the guards. When Tsukasa stepped away from her last piece of cover, the girl caught her in the corner of her eyes. “Y-you! Behind us!” Tsukasa saw her moment, and dashed.

The two haniwa spun around, but she was faster. She leapt, clambering on the back of the bulkier one, and brought her knife down in vicious stabs. The haniwa yelled in pain, as his arm went limp, its nerves severed.

The other backed away, pulling out a radio. “Alert! Intruder sighted in the e-”

Tsukasa kicked off her victim’s back, sending him stumbling forward into his comrade. The radio clattered to the floor, as Tsukasa descended upon them both, powering danmaku through them.

Through their yelling and cursing, she smirked. “You know, I was really expecting better about your reaction times. I guess that little one’s a special model?” She kicked the radio away, already starting to be filled up with sounds of concern for the speaker. “But it doesn’t matter now. You’re no help to that little girl.”

Speaking of… her eyes turned, down the hall. Yumemi had broken into a run, trying to get to the end of the hallway. A single bullet impacting on the back of her leg was enough to get her to tumble.

“My my my. You thought you could run?” Tsukasa smirked, casually striding over as the girl tried to get to her feet. “Too bad, Yumemi. You’re my ticket out of this mess - I’m not letting you get away.”

The girl pulled out some kind of firearm, pointing it at Tsukasa. The fox chuckled, pausing her advance.

“Is that supposed to scare me, kid?” She smirked, leaning in. “Do you really think that gun’s gonna be enough to stop me?”

Yumemi cocked the gun, doing her best to steady her nerves. “Y-you hurt Kosuzu. You stole her. I’ll… n-never forgive you for that!”

Tsukasa waved her hand dismissively. “Yes, I did steal her. And it’s exactly that expertise that brings me here today.”

She shifted to her fox form, the bullets flying where her head would have been only a moment before. Her jaws wrapped around the girl’s hand, biting viciously, and causing the girl to drop her weapon.

She shifted back, crushing the gun under her foot. “The guards are all busy fending off the wolves, and nobody else knows I'm here.” She loomed over the girl, grinning. "You’re mine, Yumemi. And without my favourite punching bag, I'll need a fresh one."

…How interesting. This girl was clearly related to the soothsayer, but she didn’t have the same weakness her sister did. She was more scared of the wolves than she was of knives and the like.

Tsukasa smirked, whipping out her kunai and grinning. It didn’t matter. Sometimes, you used the weaknesses that were already there… and sometimes you had to make new ones.

---

Kosuzu looked up, as Chen shook her. Her ears were still ringing.

“Kosuzu!” Chen gripped her shoulder, trying to get the girl’s attention. “Come on, there’s a safe room just south of us. Let’s go, alright? Just ten minutes, and Ran’ll be here anyways.”

The young fox blinked. “B-but what about Yumemi? She’s still in the east wing-”

“Her guards will get her there too, I’m sure.” Chen said, firmly. “She’ll be fine, Kosuzu, I promise.”

[ ] Follow Chen to the south safe room. Yumemi would be fine.
[ ] No! Yumemi was under attack! Someone had to go and help her!

[0] Follow Chen to the south safe room. Yumemi would be fine.
[20] No! Yumemi was under attack! Someone had to go and help her!

“No!” Kosuzu pulled away. “Yumemi’s in danger!”

She started running to the door, only for one of her hands to be grabbed by Chen. “Kosuzu, calm down! Everyone’s in danger, that’s why we’re heading to the safe room!”

The young fox spun around, pulling on it. “No! That’s not what I mean! Tsukasa’s there! She’s in danger right now!”

“What?” Chen tried to pull her back. “Kosuzu, what are you talking about?”

She couldn’t explain it. The sudden, nauseating feeling in her chest. But she knew - knew - Yumemi was in danger, and Tsukasa was the cause of it.

She kept trying to pull away from Chen. “We-we have to go. We can’t leave her!”

Chen tugged her back, slowly. “Come on, Kosuzu, we’re going to the safe room!”

“No!” Kosuzu planted her feet, yanking with all her might. “I’m not going there until Yumemi’s safe!”

There was a crackle. Kosuzu fell backwards, Chen’s grip on her suddenly eased. She heard Chen let out a grunt in confusion too.

She looked up. Suddenly, rather than looking at Chen directly, the nekomata was on the other side of a gap. Kosuzu had landed in a different room of the complex.

The gap started to close. Chen clambered to her feet, yelling out for Kosuzu, but she didn’t make it in time to get through the tear..

Kosuzu blinked. What had that come from? Yukari herself? …Not directly. Maybe it was a defensive measure she’d placed on Kosuzu, to prevent her from being taken somewhere she didn’t want to go.

For now, it was what she needed. Kosuzu clambered to her feet, and ran.

---

“Kosuzu! KOSUZU! Yakumo Kosuzu, get your furry little tail-” The gap sealed shut, leaving Chen on the far side.

Ten Minutes. All she had to do was keep her safe for ten more minutes. And now she was gone.

…Ran was gonna skin her for this.

---

“Lemme go! LET ME GO!”

Kosuzu’s ears perked up. She picked up the pace, running even harder for the sound.

Yumemi’s voice was soon accompanied by other noises. The sound of sirens outside the mansion, the rumble of a wolf, and the subtle grunts of labor.

As the kitsune rounded the corner, she saw a hallway in a pretty terrible state. One of the windows had been shattered, the blaring of police sirens filling the sunless midday air. And right by that window, she saw them - Yumemi, a red wolf, and her moth- no. Not her mother. Tsukasa.

She’d tied Yumemi’s arms up in knots, and had seated the girl on the back of the wolf. In the corner, two half-broken haniwa were cursing the kidnappers. Kosuzu felt her hands tremble. She reached into her shirt, feeling the shape of Seiga’s tool in her pocket. It was oddly comforting, in the moment.

…So whatever that moment of intuition had been was right? Looking at the scene, it was pretty clear what had happened. Mo-Tsukasa had ambushed Yumemi’s guards before they were able to call for help. Or at least before they could complete their call. The kitsune saw a radio on the floor, a short distance in front of her. It was still blaring out requests for information. She focused, cast a silence spell along the floor, and crept forward.

“Seiga’s under assault at the library.” The wolf muttered. “Apparently they’ve seen the Dragon Miko there, and a blonde lady in purple.”

Tsukasa hissed through her teeth. “Knew she’d be here somewhere. It’s fine - we make for Kurokoma and the factory, then.”

“You’re evil! Rotten! Despicable!” Yumemi squirmed, desperately trying to get out of the rope.

Tsukasa spun her knife around, resting it under Yumemi’s chin. Both of the young girls froze, afraid to make any move. “Careful with that tongue of yours. Or should I cut it off so you’ll stop complaining?” Yumemi duly quietened, while Tsukasa chuckled. “Good girl. I should have done this with Kosuzu sooner. Maybe then she wouldn’t have been as much of a layabout.”

The radio was within arm’s reach now. Could she…? No, she probably couldn’t silence the call without setting someone off. But maybe she could distract them?

She focused, casting another silence spell over the window. The outside noises abruptly stopped, causing the three to turn their eyes in that direction.

Kosuzu grabbed the radio, pressing its button and whispering into it. “Yumemi has been captured. In a hallway within the east wing, between the kitchen and a smaller dining hall.” She placed the radio back down, and began to charge a wave of danmaku.

The wolf pawed at the empty space. “Why’s it suddenly gone quiet?”

Tsukasa reached through the spell, snapping her fingers. “...It must be a silence spell. But we can see the courtyard perfectly fine, and there’s enough ruckus out there that they couldn’t hide anything that way. Why would they need to…?”

Her eyes whipped around. Kosuzu let her danmaku fly.

Tsukasa threw herself to the side, narrowly dodging Kosuzu’s bullet wave. She fired back, forcing Kosuzu away.

“Koko?!” Tsukasa’s voice was tinged with shock. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Let Yumemi go.” Kosuzu’s voice was trembling, and she wasn’t sure whether it was rage or fear. “I won’t let you do to her what you did to me.”

Tsukasa sighed. “What on earth are you talking about, Kosuzu?”

Kosuzu growled. “You- you lied to me. You stole me from my mother. Didn’t you? Didn’t you?!”

The older fox shrugged. “Ahhh, I saw this coming… they’ve been feeding you some real rot, haven’t they?”

Kosuzu… hesitated. “R-rot?”

Tsukasa waved her hands airily. “Yakumo’s been coming around, hasn’t she? Feeding you some big story about being actually that Ran’s daughter, rather than mine. Am I right?” She smirked. “Honestly, I was expecting something like this might happen.”

Kosuzu’s hands trembled. “Wh-what are you talking about?”

“Come now, Kosuzu. Love-bombing’s the oldest trick in the book.” Tsukasa’s voice was cool and calm. “I bet Yukari’s been fawning all over you, hasn’t she? Maybe got her puppets doing it as well?”

“B-but, my dreams… I-I remember-” Kosuzu started to tear up. Uncertainty was starting to creep into her voice. “I-I remember being Ran’s daughter- remember that night where-”

“Where I spirited you away? How convenient. I bet Yukari was with you every step of the way, wasn’t she?” Tsukasa shook her head, tutting. “No better way to fill a kid’s head with lies than false memories, is there?”

“E-even if they’re lies… y-you’ve been abusing me.” The kud- the kitsune protested. “You- you kept me from anyone who could help…”

“I’ve told you before, haven’t I? You did that yourself.” Tsukasa countered, stepping away from the wolf. “You’re a tube fox, aren’t you? Your dear friend here - the wolves would've long let her go already if you hadn't tried to 'rescue' her. She’s only getting hurt because you got involved, you know.”

Kosuzu shook her head, desperately. “N-no, I didn’t- I-I didn’t mean to-”

“Shhhhhhhhh…” Tsukasa knelt down, getting eye level with the younger fox, and taking a gentle, motherly tone. “I know you’re confused. You’ve heard so many preposterous things these last few days, you don’t know what’s up from down anymore.”

She spread her arms. “Just come back to me, Koko. I can sort it out. It’ll all be okay, I promise.”

Kosuzu trembled. Her head was swimming. Slowly, she started to step forward.

“Don’t listen to her, Kosuzu!” Yumemi yelled out. “She’s lying to you!”

Kosuzu looked up at her friend, feeling tears fill her eyes. “Y-Yumemi, I’m sorry… I-I did all this to you-”

“No! She did this, not you! You’re not like her, Kosuzu!” The time traveler squirmed, trying to get out of her bindings. “You’re not a tube fox like her! You’re smarter than that, you’re kinder than that, you’re better than she’s ever been! She’s just trying to-”

Tsukasa spun, striking Yumemi with a vicious backhand. The young girl spat blood.

Kosuzu froze.

“How could you possibly know, hmm?” Tsukasa asked, tapping her knife up to Yumemi’s chin. “You know nothing about me, rat.”

“Let her go.”

Kosuzu’s voice even surprised herself. Tsukasa turned back around, looking at Kosuzu. “Oh come now. Surely you don’t still-?”

“I-I don’t know what to believe.” Kosuzu’s voice was shaking again, and this time, she knew why. “I don’t know whether I’m your daughter’s, or Ran’s. I don’t really have a clue at all.”

She looked up, glaring at Tsukasa. “But I don’t have to know which to know that you’re the worst person I’ve ever known! I don’t care what Yukari wants from me. I don’t care if she makes me her perfect slave to serve her every whim, because it’d still be better than what you’ve done to me! I won’t let you hurt me - or hurt my friends - ever again. EVER!”

She locked her gaze on Tsukasa. The air around her felt like it was crackling. “So I don’t care who I am, and I don’t care what you say. Let. Yumemi. GO.”

Grip reduced to 1.

The elder fox growled. “So… you intend to be defiant, no matter what?” The motherly aura dropped. “I would have thought seven years would have been enough time to crush every last ounce of spirit you had.”

…Seven years. Not ten. So it was all a lie, then. Kosuzu managed a small grin. “Unfortunately, I had some spirit in reserve. Somewhere you could never get it.”

Tsukasa twirled the dagger in her hands, before starting to advance on Kosuzu. “No matter. If I can’t break your spirit my usual way… I’ll just break your body first.”

Tsukasa’s approach was halted when the heavy footsteps of charging soldiers echoed up the hall. The wolf jumped at the sound, as did Tsukasa. “Reinforcements are coming! We have to leave!”

Kosuzu smirked, watching Tsukasa’s face turn to disbelief. She knelt down, picking up the radio, and waved it in her kidnapper’s face.

Tsukasa scowled, before slowly coming to a smirk. “I see. So that was your plan, hmm? Well, I’m sorry to say, your plan doesn’t account for one thing. We’re all ready to go.”

She saddled up on the wolf. “If you want to make sure your oh-so-precious friend doesn’t suffer a terrible fate… you’re gonna have to do better than catching me in an argument while the haniwa come around.” She grinned, as the haniwa burst through the hallway doors. “Why don’t you try catching me for real?” With a final yell from Tsukasa, the wolf set off, sprinting away from the grounds.

There was a part of Kosuzu’s head yelling. Telling her that this was a trap, that following her was stupid and reckless. But Kosuzu didn’t care. The fox kicked off, rocketing after the kidnappers.

“I’m coming, Yumemi.” Kosuzu gripped the grimoire tight to her chest. “I’ll stop her. Once and for all.”

---

Reimu focused, whirling her orbs around her. The two wolves trying to attack her dissipated into mist.

She stepped through the gap Yukari provided, aglow with red crystals. Several wolves - and human spirits as well - stared at her, stunned into silence by her abrupt entrance. It was odd, being so completely undisguised in her nature as she stepped in. It was also just as strange being full-grown, when yesterday she’d entered the same building as a child.

She heard Yukari hum, turning back to look at her. “Something wrong?”

The sage waved her hand, a small bit of sadness on her face. “Nothing much. I just realized we’re not likely to make it back before Ran does.”

Reimu chuckled. “What, don’t wanna miss out on the big moment? …You can double back, you know. I’ve got things from here.”

“Now now. We’ve already upset your mother as is. I can’t imagine her reaction if I stopped babysitting you right outside Seiga’s lair.” Yukari chuckled at the jidiao’s predictable expression. “Most of my partners in battle are either my direct servants… or rather flaky. It’s a pleasant surprise to find someone new I mesh so well with.”

Reimu blushed a bit. “Sh-shut up, Yukari.” The sage chuckled, as the two made their way in.

They found their target in the center, leaning over a cart half-loaded with books. A smaller wolf was yelping at her, trying to get her attention.

“L-lady Seiga! We-we’ve lost contact with the interception squads! Th-the Dragon Miko’s coming, I’m sure of it!”

“Yes, yes, honestly, you’ve all been prattling on about this…” Seiga muttered, flipping through a book. “Like I said, we’ve made preparations. We’ll have this cleaned up in one fell swoop.”

“P-preparations?” The wolf turned, eying the duo approaching him and Seiga with fear. “N-now might be a good time to use them, boss…!”

The hermit hummed, flipping through an ominous-looking tome. “There’s several defensive lines between here and the front. Any sign of the Dragon Miko, and we’ll hear of it long before they break through those.”

“How fascinating.” Yukari smiled, floating closer. The wolf that was badgering Seiga started to say something, before he vanished into a gap. “But say they circumvented that. What would you do then?”

“We’ve got guards posted at every entrance.” Seiga still wasn’t looking up from her book. “And even if she does make it here, she’ll be completely exhausted by that point.”

Yukari hummed, looking between the distracted hermit and the puffed - but nowhere near exhausted - jidiao. “Well, you never know. Maybe the Kiketsu will find some secret entrance, or use some sneaky trick. If they do that… What will you do then?”

“In that case…” Seiga snapped the book shut. “In that case, I have some special traps prepared for the little hellion. I’ve got some fun tools for her ceramic sidekick as well… and even the little kit, if the moment comes.” The hermit chuckled. “Personally, I’m hoping the Miko gets through. One talisman on her little noggin, and I’ll get to see the true power of the Dragon Miko, all for myself.”

“You want to see the power of the Dragon Miko?” Seiga froze, as Reimu started to advance. “Your spell hurt Mayumi, and countless good soldiers. Believe me, Seiga. If we weren’t in a library, you’d already be feeling it.”

The hermit whipped around, eyes flickering between the two intruders. “Wh-?” She grabbed a radio at her hip, yelling into it. “Yoshika! Get here now!”

“Don’t bother, she’s been fully disabled.” Yukari smirked, enjoying Seiga’s panic-stricken expression. “No matter how much hermits try to hide their age, the primitive nature of their spells always gives up the game. Looking at your Yoshika’s command talismans was less ‘tactical espionage’, and more ‘archaeological study’. Such a shame, such a shame…”

Reimu raised her gohei, leveling it at Seiga’s chest. The hermit was sweating profusely. “...So that’s why she was raiding the library. She’s trying to catch up.”

“Indeed.” Yukari hummed. “And if her spell over the wolves - which I assume is either hermetic or alchemic in nature - is any indication, she very well could ‘catch up’ - at a rapid pace, in fact. Perhaps it’s best we nip it in the bud, hmm?“

Seiga desperately fired off some danmaku, leaping over the cart. She broke off into a run, desperately calling for wolves to assist.

Yukari turned to Reimu. “Well, young Kicchou… how would you like to handle this?”

[ ] Show her the full power of the Dragon Miko. She had - quite literally - asked for it.
[ ] Yukari had one trick in particular which echoed what the wolves had done today. And even if that hadn’t been Seiga’s idea, there were few people more deserving to be on the receiving end.

[4] Show her the full power of the Dragon Miko. She had - quite literally - asked for it.
[17] Yukari had one trick in particular which echoed what the wolves had done today. And even if that hadn’t been Seiga’s idea, there were few people more deserving to be on the receiving end.

“She’s all yours, Yukari.” Reimu gestured, grandly. “Considering the Keiga stole one of your most powerful techniques, maybe you could show the hermit how it’s really done?”

Yukari gave a haughty laugh. “Oh, you mean that one, Reimu? It’s not exactly an ‘indoors’ sort of spellcard, though…”

“I’ve got it.” Reimu thumped her chest. “I wouldn’t suggest it if I didn’t.”

“Very well.” The sage floated forward. The wolves had formed a defensive phalanx between Yukari and Seiga, with the hermit casting some form of magic. The blue lasers spreading out in a star pattern reminded Reimu of a spell card, but the exact name escaped her.

Yukari opened a small gap with a sweep of her leg. The laser that had looked likely to hit her went straight inside, and vanished. “You know, they say imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, but I very much didn’t appreciate you using that train, today.”

The miko focused, planting her gohei into the ground. Hexagonal panels sprung up, corralling the defensive lines tighter. Seiga saw the barriers, assumed roughly the right gist, and scrabbled for a hairpin that wasn’t there.

“And an imitation is just that. An imitation. It can’t possibly compare to the original. It can’t possibly compare to this.”

[Unmanned Abandoned Railroad Car Bomb]

Yukari smirked, throwing wide a massive gap in the air. The wolves looked up into it, hesitant… only to scrabble against the walls when they saw what was coming through.

The first train car was too fast, obliterating the front line. It slammed into the ground, with a sickening crunch. The other cars piled up behind it, crashing over each other.

And then… an explosion. Loud enough to set the whole library trembling. Reimu flinched, feeling hot wind blow over her. But the barriers held.

As the dust cleared, the only figure left in the space was Seiga, collapsed in the middle. Reimu floated in, closer, to inspect the hermit.

She gave a groan. The miko smirked, turning to Yukari. “I think that’s mission accomplished here.”

“Indeed.” A small gap opened under Seiga, sucking her in. Yukari turned to Reimu. “...And I bet you’re feeling relieved.”

“What do you-” Reimu gasped, feeling her body start to groan in protest, shrinking back to its usual size. She stumbled, Yukari gently supporting the girl.

“Your boundaries were splitting again. I assume you’ll all tend to do that when your battles are won?” Yukari chuckled. “But it’s undoubtedly taxing on your body… For now, I think you need to rest, Reimu.”

Reimu’s head was pounding, but she shook it as fiercely as she could. “N-no, we still have more to do-”

“And we have many other people to do that more.” The sage asserted. “You’ve fought hard, Reimu. You can take a break now.”

A few of the remaining human spirits stepped out. Yukari gave them a hail. “I assume you all are staff here?”

“Most of us, though there are a few civilians as well. They had us loading up the vans for that... strange woman.” An old man - Kosuzu’s grandfather - stepped out. “We’re grateful for your assistance, Lady Yakumo, Dragon Miko.”

Yukari bowed. Reimu did her best to do the same. “Lady Keiki’s forces are on their way. And with their local leader defeated in such dramatic fashion, I’m sure morale on the wolves is plummeting. It won’t be long until the relief’s here in full.”

“Of course, we’ll start unpacking everything immediately.” Mr. Motoori bowed in return. Then, he straightened up, a clear question on his face. “If you don’t mind me asking, my granddaughter-”

“-Should be safe back at the home base, with her mother in this life only a few minutes away. I’m sure the soldiers will bring you there once all is said and done. Now, with that said…” She took a moment to assess Reimu, before continuing. “I have to bring the young miko back to your Goddess’ abode.”

The librarian bowed again. “Thank you, Lady Yukari. I hope to meet you there.”

Reimu stumbled a bit as Yukari turned, struggling to keep up with her. “H-hey, w-wait, we can keep fighting! We- we should at least clean up a path to the main base-”

Yukari turned to her, offering a hand to steady the girl. “Reimu, you’ve been fighting for an hour, with barely a moment to rest. With the toll that Re/Awakening puts on your body, I’m frankly amazed you’re still standing. You need to get back to safety.”

“I-I can still fight. I-I’m the next Hakurei Shrine Maiden…” Reimu panted. She grabbed Yukari’s arm, ineffectually trying to push her away. “J-just give me a few minutes, ‘n’ I’ll be good…”

“Hmmm… I want to take you back, but you want some rest…” The sage appeared deep in thought… before she smirked, suddenly hoisting the young girl up into her arms.

Reimu blinked. There was a small murmur from the library staff behind her. “Wh- Yukari! Put me down!”

“Now now…” Yukari grinned. “It’s not every day one gets to give a princess carry to an actual princess, even a yakuza one.”

“Yukari, put. Me. Down,” Reimu repeated, feeling heat rushing to her face. “Th-this isn’t funny!”

The sage shook her head, and gave an all-too-knowing smile. “Now now, I do actually have a good reason to do this. Three, in fact.”

“Reason one: You’re a high-value target who’s unable to effectively defend herself. Escorting you to safety is simply my highest priority.” The sage opened a gap, slipping back outside the library by stepping through it. A few wolves whipped around to meet her, only to be blasted away by danmaku. “Reason two: In your current state, it’s doubtful you can even fly straight. Carrying you back is both faster and safer.”

Reimu scowled. “And what’s the third reason?”

The smile got wider. “Well, for all your talk about wanting to be put down… do you really want to be? Your disguise might be on, but I can still feel your tail wrapping around me.”

There was a few moments of silence. Reimu spent the time trying to look anywhere other than at the sage.

“It’s okay, Reimu.” Yukari’s voice was more soothing than Reimu would ever admit, as the sage ran her fingers through the young jidiao’s hair. “You’ve done better than anyone would have ever expected you to. I’m very lucky to have a partner like you on my side… but you’ve earned your rest, and you need to take it.”

The miko gave up, turning to Yukari with a face redder than her shell. “...We are not going to meet Kosuzu like this.”

The sage chuckled, sitting back on the lip of one of her gaps. “Oh, so I can carry you until then?”

“...Shut up.”

The sage kept holding the little girl in her lap, as they gently rose above the city skyline. Reimu… just gave up the point, leaning into the youkai of the gap and closing her eyes. Between the grueling fight against the wolves, and the rush to head off Seiga, she really was exhausted. But not so tired that she’d fall asleep, of course.

…It was weird, being carried like this. It felt like it was bringing back memories she didn’t remember having - memories that she doubted were real. It reminded her of the old Yukari, even if she was quite sure her Yukari would never have carried her like this at a similar age.

But… that didn’t mean it wasn’t… comforting…

A minute later, Reimu’s breathing had slowed, and Yukari felt the jidiao’s tail fall loose. She smiled down at the young miko in her arms. She was more than a little scratched up, and her clothes were torn, but she seemed at peace at last.

She really did look like a Hakurei, sleeping in her arms like this. Since the barrier had first come up, Yukari had… not made a point of spending some time with the newborn heirs, but it had happened regardless. In the first few weeks, for one reason or another, she’d cradled each one, in her arms. None of them were old enough to remember it, and the Hakurei Goddess violently opposed the presence of most youkai near untrained mikos, which made it rather odd that Yukari somehow kept finding herself with the newborn heiress in her arms. But… however seriously she took the inadvertent tradition, it was comforting to finally do the same to young Reimu.

…Right, it was time to check on the others, and report their success. Yukari opened a small gap, just enough to transmit her voice to Chen, and the nekomata’s voice back to her. She kept it quiet, so as to not stir the little girl she was carrying home. “Chen. Mission accomplished on the library front - We’re coming back now. Please inform Yachie-”

“Lady Yukari!” Chen’s panicked yell went straight into Yukari’s ear, causing her to flinch. “Kosuzu’s in danger!”

---

Chen skidded as she hit the corner. She briefly hit on all fours, trying to regain her balance as she ran for the doors.

“I see.” Yukari’s voice would have sounded completely calm to most people. “And Kosuzu went out following them?”

“Yes, Lady Yukari!” Chen raced past the lines of cars. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to trigger that spell you placed!”

“Don’t worry about it, you couldn’t have known. I should have accounted for - not the time.” The sage’s voice carried guilt far more than it did condemnation, but it didn’t linger on either. “What is their current trajectory?”

“They’re heading in the general direction of the factory, according to the scouts! Can you meet us there?”

“Not in time to help. I need to bring Reimu back to base - she’s out of commission.” The gap briefly tilted down, revealing an exhausted and rather scratched-up Reimu to Chen. “Bringing her into danger in this state is simply unforgivable. Besides, even at full speed-”

“They’ll get to more wolves before you can get here.” Chen grit her teeth. “Nnnnyah…”

The nekomata reached the part of the garage she was supposed to. She looked around, trying to spot her target.

“I’ll be along as soon as I can.” Yukari replied. “Focus on getting to Kosuzu before she’s caught out. I’ll contact Yachie and get her to requisition you-”

“She’s already done it, Lady Yukari! I got the best driver she had.” The revving of an engine sounded behind Chen. She turned to see a sleek car reversing up to her, a back seat door open.

Chen all but threw herself inside. The driver immediately floored it, pressing Chen into the seat and shutting the door behind her from the force of acceleration. She paused, noticing the green glow, and stuttered. “Wait, you are the driver? I asked Lady Yachie for the best driver in the Alliance-”

“-and if we’re chasing someone down, I’m it,” the otter spirit confirmed. “The name’s Kaze. Buckle up.”

Yukari’s voice continued to sound, as the gap swooped in beside the nekomata. “Inform me as soon as you’ve reclaimed Kosuzu. Give continual updates of your position to Ran - and keep track of how far away she is.”

“Yes ma’am!” Chen yelled into the gap, as she pushed herself up. “Any further tasks?”

“Inform me if circumstances change. I’ll be waiting.” Chen nodded, and the gap closed.

She turned to the driver. “Go as fast as you can-” There was a sudden moment of weightlessness, and a flash of light. The car shot out of the garage at a horrifying speed, landing with a thud halfway across the road. The driver’s swerve not to crash into the buildings on the far side sent Chen tumbling over herself, scrabbling for purchase until the car was firmly back on four wheels.

Kaze didn’t even bother to look back. “Don’t need you to tell me to gun it, cat. Just hold on tight, and don’t bite off your own tongue.”

---

Kosuzu flew between the skyscrapers.

Beneath her, the wolf carrying Yumemi and Tsukasa ran through the streets. Kosuzu was keeping track of him from above - further above than she would have liked, but the only way to keep pace was to move as the fairy flies.

With that said, it appeared the skyscrapers were thinning out a bit. They were coming up to a strange non-structure - a series of bridges twisting, splitting, and turning, extended over lanes and lanes of nearly entirely empty asphalt. The whole… thing was a mess of winding roads and tracks, a tangled knot of the city Kosuzu hadn’t seen before.

She swooped lower, diving between the uplifted roads. The wolf ran up one of the many bridges into the knot, with the kitsune in hot pursuit. Tsukasa’s eye was on her, as she got in closer, charging up a powerful spell.

The wolf suddenly swerved, leaping off the bridge it had been ascending only a moment before. Yumemi screamed, as Tsukasa clung to both her and the wolf. Kosuzu gasped, letting the spell dissipate as she fell back. She swerved to the side, swinging around the edge of the bridge.

She yelped as a dagger passed, only inches away from her face. She fell back, giving the edge a wide berth - earning her false mother’s smirk.

She cursed, swerving down to get level with the wolf and its passengers. No sooner had she levelled out, though, than the wolf swerved and jumped again, this time leaping up onto one of the bridges above her. Rather than swooping up to follow, however, Kosuzu ducked underneath the road it was running, listening to its footsteps above.

Kosuzu’s mind was racing. These roads were for vehicles, right? As fast as she could fly, and as fast as the wolf could run, neither compared to the speeds that crazy otter had gone. So they must be trying to get to a vehicle of some sort - something, somewhere, on one of these roads that would get them out of here for good.

Her eyes spotted exactly what they needed to. Right near the bottom, next to one of the tunnels, was a large, box-like vehicle with a telltale red glow. That must be their getaway car.

If they got in that, there was no way Kosuzu was keeping up without a vehicle herself. There had to be something she could do…

[ ] Cut the kidnappers off before they got to the van.
[ ] Sabotage the van. …Somehow?
[ ] Hide somewhere in or on the van.

[9] Cut the kidnappers off before they got to the van.
[10] Sabotage the van. …Somehow?
[2] Hide somewhere in or on the van.
-[X] Sneak under the van and open holes in anything that looks like a container.
-[X] Use the hairpin to cut the tires.

Part of Kosuzu wanted to fight head-on, but… no, there were too many issues.

The biggest being that she really couldn’t take them head-on to begin with. Not the whole group, and not with a hostage in tow. She desperately wanted to help Yumemi right away, but… caution prevailed over aggression. She’d find a way to help, no matter what it took.

She flew down, getting close to the large box-like vehicle. She… really wasn’t sure how it worked, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t do some damage. Nothing on the outside looked obviously important, but… then again, she could only see five sides.

Kosuzu tore the sealing bindings off of Seiga’s hairpin. If Seiga really had some secret ability to punish her for using it, she’d just have to hope Reimu and Yukari were keeping her busy. She bit into the hairpin as she reached the vehicle, and shifted shape into fox form.

This gave her the room to crawl under the bulky thing. There wasn’t much space, and even less light from this angle - but light would give away her position too much. She focused on crawling around, feeling for anything she might be able to drain.

Eventually, she found a fairly large container, and readied the hairpin. It was definitely made for human hands, rather than fox paws, but a combination of paws and teeth were allowing Kosuzu to scrape along the underside, hoping to make a puncture.

She was rewarded, eventually - with a pungent liquid that made her head spin pouring down. The little fox crawled away, fighting the urge to cough or shake off the bits that got in her fur.

She saw a red glow approaching the car, and heard Yumemi’s protesting voice. She paused for a moment, before continuing to creep underneath.

“Alright, I think we lost her.” The mounted wolf came to a landing just behind the car. “Come on, let’s get inside.

“Come on, Lil’ Red.” Tsukasa’s voice carried a cloying tone. “We’re just a short drive away from your new employer. Ugh… what’s that smell?”

There was a splashing sound, as Yumemi’s shoes hit the ground. A voice Kosuzu didn’t recognize - probably the driver - sounded.

“Hey, we got a fuel leak or something. Just lost most of it in a few seconds. Trying to figure out if it’s a bug or something.”

The mount-wolf let out a concerned murmur. “I’ll look under the truck.” Kosuzu blinked, rushing out to the front and hiding behind a wheel to avoid being seen.

Above, Kosuzu heard Tsukasa’s voice, muffled by the car. “Do we still have enough to get to Saki?”

“Should be. Close enough that we can give them the slip at least. But if there’s a leak… they may be able to follow it.”

So it wasn’t enough yet, then? Well… she did have other ideas. Kosuzu turned to the tire she was hiding in front of, and lifted the hairpin again.

The kitsune heard the driver-wolf sniffing, before breaking into coughs. There was the metal thumping of a paw feeling for holes. “...Can’t find anything. If this is our gas, ‘Slike the hole was made by Seiga’s thing and it’s gone now.”

“She did say Kosuzu stole it-” Tsukasa hummed. “If so, where is she now?”

The hole in the front tire was easier to carve than the one underneath the car, having both more space and light. It still wasn’t easy to maneuver, though, as she drew a rough circle on the wheel.

Still, her efforts were rewarded. And punished. As soon as she finished the circle, she was hit with a loud hiss, and a gust of air. The whole car lurched in towards her, forcing her to scramble back.

“They cut a tire!”

Kosuzu scrambled to her feet, hearing the sound of a wolf in hot pursuit. She shifted back, lifting into the air, in hopes of getting some distance.

She wouldn’t get her chance, with the wolf pouncing up above her and cutting her off. She was chased back to the ground by the gnashing jaws, firing danmaku wherever she could in hopes of beating it back. But with the more open space, it was much harder to keep the wolf in her sights, and she was only pushed further down.

She planted her feet in the entrance of the tunnel, framed by the shadow of the van. The wolf rounded, preparing for another pounce, but Kosuzu was ready herself, charging another spell.

The roar of an engine and the screech of tires made her jump. The van launched forward, rushing at her. Kosuzu switched back to fox form to huddle against the wall, claws clutching into the stonework to not be torn off by the wind. The crunch of metal and pained yelp told her that her opponent hadn’t been so lucky.

She turned to looked at the van. The doors were still open out the back, with Yumemi lying across the floor and Tsukasa beside. The tube-fox smirked. “Oooh, good dodge, Ko-ko. Very tight squeeze to get through that, I’m impressed. You sure you’re not just a tube fox? You’ve been mistaken before.”

“Shut up.” Kosuzu once again returned to human form. “I-I’ll beat you! I will!”

The kidnapper shrugged. “Come now, no need to get so worked up. Just relax and think this through, will you? You really shouldn’t rush into a fight if you’re just going to get hurt, Ko-ko.” Tsukasa waved her hand. “Besides, that’s not the real problem, is it?”

“Wh-what?” The kitsune hesitated. “What do you mean?”

The older fox sat on the lip of the car, smirking. “Don’t get me wrong, I get the whole knight-in-shining-armour stick. But I don’t have time to play today - your backup’s only a few minutes away at most, maybe even less.”

Kosuzu scowled. “So you’re afraid of them?”

“Reasonably cautious, dear Ko-ko - and unlike you, I have no need to take a fight here. Escape is victory, after all!” She let out a twisted giggle, as she stood up. “Ahhh… granted, I’ll miss my favorite punching bag, buuuuuut I’ve got a fresh one right here!”

She kicked Yumemi in her side, making the girl gasp out in pain. Kosuzu let out a feral growl, rushing forward.

Tsukasa lifted her hand, charging up a spell. “Well, driver, we’ve got the fresh meat we needed - get us out of here, will you? Sorry, Ko-ko, the ‘victim’ slot is all booked up. But don’t worry, I’ll be back when I’m done with her. Toodles!”

“No!” Kosuzu leapt for Tsukasa, as the car began to speed off again. The kuda-gitsune fired a large, glowing ball of light, which shot off barrages of green stars in return. It struck the young kitsune in the chest, pounding into her to the tune of the tube fox’s echoing laughter.

By the time she’d managed to straighten up again, the whole van had disappeared, the sound of its motor resonating through the tunnel. Kosuzu took off, flying deeper inside, racing after them.
She took corners as tightly as she dared, her clothes flapping against the walls. She swooped back and forth around pillars, trying to move as precisely as she could. Every meter, every inch mattered.

…Or so she tried to convince herself. But the sound only got more and more distant, more and more hollow, until she could barely tell which way it was coming from anymore. There was simply no way to catch up on foot. Kosuzu felt tears starting to build in the corners of her eyes. Yumemi was gone, again.

She’d failed her. She kept pushing on, desperately, but the echoing of the tunnel taunted her, mocking her. It almost sounded like the engine was louder behind her than it was in front of her. Like she was going in a big dumb loop, or-

Her ears perked up. The sound was coming from behind her. As she turned, she saw a car with a green glow, and heard Chen’s voice.

“Kosuzu!” The nekomata stumbled out of the car, stumbling to her knees. “O-oh… th-thank gods you’re safe…”

“Ch-chen, are you okay?” Kosuzu knelt down to check on her. Her sister’s claws were clutching the asphalt, trying to cling to it for dear life.

“L-lady Yukari… f-found her…” A small gap had opened up near Chen. “F-found her. In a tunnel under the interchange.

“We got here as fast as we could.” Kosuzu looked up, to see an otter leaning out of the driver’s side window. “Get in, kids. I’ll take you back to base.”

“No, wait-” The young kitsune shook her head. “We can still chase them down! We can save Yumemi!”

The otter looked at her, as she elaborated. “Th-they went down this tunnel, a-and they’re heading to Saki, I think. They’re in this big, boxy car. I managed to get to it first, spilled a lot of the fuel and - and I think I popped one of their wheels? O-or something?” Kosuzu looked ahead. “Their car’s faster than me, but- but we can catch them! I’m sure of it!”

“Absolutely not.”

Yukari’s voice spoke up from the small gap. It floated over to the bookkeeper. “I am not letting you go into enemy territory, Kosuzu.”

Kosuzu glared at the gap. “B-but, but Yumemi’s in danger!”

“You’re in danger too,” Yukari retorted, “and if you go out and get captured… your poor mother would be beside herself. I’m sure we’ll be able to mount a rescue soon enough. The other teams won’t be that far behind, right Chen?”

Chen… hesitated. “Kaze, how far does this tunnel go?”

“A couple of miles. Pops right up near the factory the Keiga took over.” Kaze hummed. “...I’m guessing you don’t wanna give the boss the bad news?”

Kosuzu spun around to him. “C-can’t we chase them down?”

“It’ll get real tricky if they get out of here. Nobody is in a position to intercept on the far side - Keiki’s only just starting a counteroffensive, most of the others are falling back and who knows where they’ll go from there.” Kaze saw the kitsune’s anxious look, and sighed. “Look, even if we chased them down… we’d be going right into enemy territory.”

Chen nodded. “We can’t pursue ourselves. Even if we get in there, they’re just going to break the car down when we stop to retrieve Yumemi. We won’t have any backup, or any way to escape.”

“I can’t help, either. I’m still getting Reimu out of danger,” the sage continued. “There’s no way to safely extract you even if you went to rescue her, Kosuzu. And if you get captured again… it’s simply unthinkable.”

Kosuzu looked down. She was so close! This was the crazy driver otter, right? Surely he’d be able to help if they just listened to her! But… but her mother was only a few minutes away at this point. Did she really want to-

“...No, wait.” Kosuzu looked up. “There is a way out. Ran’s on the way, right?”

Chen stiffened, as Kosuzu continued. “Chen, you know where she is, right? And vice versa?” Kosuzu hefted the Grimoire. “I’ve seen her spells here. She’s got lots and lots of them!”

The nekomata stared her down. “Kosuzu, are you seriously suggesting we take on the entire-”

“We don’t have to beat everyone,” the young fox countered, powering through. “We just need to find Yumemi and stall for a few minutes. And when my mom gets there, she can get us all to safety!”

Chen spoke up. “Kosuzu, that’s crazy! What are you thinking?!”

“I’m thinking about what happened to me!” The nekomata flinched, and Kosuzu regretted it the moment she said it. But still, she pressed on. “I’m thinking about what Tsukasa did to me. She… she did everything she could to break me. To make me doubt myself, make me think everyone was against me. I can’t… I can’t stand by and let someone else get hurt the same way. I won’t.”

Chen sagged. “...Kosuzu…”

She couldn’t meet her sister’s gaze. “I-I know. This plan… it’s desperate, stupid even. There’s every chance it could go horribly wrong. But I can’t - I won’t - let Yumemi go. If I do… if I just let myself do that… I’d never forgive myself.”

There was a moment of tense silence. Kosuzu held her breath.

It was Yukari who broke it, with a long sigh. “...You’re too much like Ran, Kosuzu. Too much.” She let out a groan. “...Chen.”

The nekomata saluted. “Yes ma’am?”

Every note of Yukari’s voice conveyed reluctance. “If you did infiltrate into enemy territory… How long would Ran take to get there?”

Chen hummed. “Assuming we’re going to the factory… five-to-six minutes, depending on its exact position.”

She turned to Kosuzu. “...I can’t beat Saki, I know that. But I can definitely stall for that long.” She looked down the tunnel. “...Not looking forward to it, though.”

“Chen, don’t you dare try to take her head-on if it can be at all avoided.” Yukari chided. “Saki is incredibly dangerous. Ran will be furious if you get hurt.”

“Of course, Lady Yukari. But I’m Lady Ran’s shikigami, this is what I’m here for.” She thumped her hand against her chest. “I’ll move mountains if it can help her daughter.”

“...Chen…” Yukari sighed. “You really don’t get it, do you… Listen. The primary goal is stalling. Hit and run tactics. Misdirect - talk slowly, if you must. Do not fight her directly, if there is any other possibility. Is that understood?”

The nekomata nodded, stiffly, but Kosuzu could see the steel in her eyes. The kitsune started to tear up again. “Chen-”

“I wasn’t there for you last time, Suzu.” The nekomata gave her a determined look. “But I’m here now. And if this is our second chance… I’ll take it.”

“I’ll make my way over, too.” Yukari confirmed. “Kosuzu, Chen… above all else, just promise me one thing. That you’ll come back safe.”

Kosuzu took a deep breath, steadying herself. “We will, Lady Yukari. We promise.”

The van petered out, giving up its last gasp only a few hundred meters after exiting the tunnel. Yumemi heard the fox muttering as the machine slowed to a stop. “Can you move it any further?”

“Well, we don’t have the gas, but I can call-” The wolf’s voice abruptly turned fearful. “Short answer’s no, Miss Kudamaki.”

“Then you’re carrying her.” Tsukasa turned to the sitting girl, pulling her up. “Time to go meet your new employer, Yumemi!”

“P-please, let me go…” She begged, trying to pull away. “I-I just want to go home-”

The cold steel of the blade was pressed against her neck again. Tsukasa smiled, sweetly, running her free hand’s fingers through the messy cut at the back of Yumemi’s hair. The young girl’s eyes were drawn to her lost braid, now hanging over Tsukasa’s shoulder like a hunting trophy. “You will do what you’re told, Miss Okazaki. Now come on, let’s get going, shall we?”

She was escorted out of the car at knifepoint, her heart pounding to the point of drowning out all other noises. The city outside was in ruins - windows were smashed, and every window Yumemi could see glowed from fire without or within.

Their target was easy to spot. A large building next to a quarry, with a hole of twisted metal torn in its side. A water tower perched on the roof dominated it’s smoldering silhouette, leaning slightly from structural damage. Yumemi could see red lights moving through the hole, far off in the distance.

As she was escorted over from the back door to the driver’s side, she heard something ceramic crack beneath her feet. Dread clutched at her, stiffening her entirely. Every instinct in her body told her not to look down, not to wonder, just to keep walking. But that only gave her mind free reign to throw horrific fancies in her head - never mind the thought of taking another step and breaking something else. A snicker, followed by the prod of the dagger in her back was ultimately what got her moving again.

Perched up on the wolf, they took off, flying just above the dust and debris. Yumemi looked back, at the tunnel they’d exited. “Kosuzu…”

Tsukasa chuckled, poking her in the back. “Hope you didn’t leave a game of shogi unfinished, or anything like that. You’re not gonna see her again for a long, long time.”

The young girl looked up at her. “N-no, I-I… sh-she…” She gulped, trying to summon up her defiance. “Sh-she won’t let you-”

“You think she’s gonna catch up on foot? I thought you were supposed to be a smart kid.” Tsukasa cooed, before breaking into giggles. “No, I’m sorry to say you’re on your own, Mi-mi. There’s no knights in shining armor, no heroic rescues… Nobody’s coming to help you. This time, the human’s serving the dogs.”

Yumemi quivered. “Why…? Why are you doing this?”

“Because I can, Mi-mi!” Tsukasa cackled. “See, there’s nothing I hate more than the Yakumo. I will do anything, anything, that I can to make them suffer. And if I can’t break her myself… I’ll just break you, and leave you as ‘Kudamaki’ Kosuzu’s final failure.”

The fox cackled, as Yumemi looked back at the tunnel. …Maybe she was right. Maybe there was no hope. Maybe she’d never go home again. Yumemi sniffled, turning back towards the factory, and tried to think of anything else to distract her.

Someone… anyone… help me…

There wasn’t much to focus on. The distant sounds of sirens, and the less distant sounds of burning buildings. The smell of ash and gasoline. The roar of a car’s motor, somewhere behind her, and-

She slowly opened her eyes, turning her gaze to the tunnel. It was suddenly aglow with the lights of an approaching car. The vehicle rocketed out from the tunnel, speeding down the highway. It was piloted by a green otter, an orange-haired girl Yumemi didn’t recognize was clutching to the top of it, and in the front seat…

Yumemi felt the tears starting to flow again, for a different reason.

“Kosuzu… You came.”

---

“They’re over there!”

As they swerved past the van, Kosuzu couldn’t help but grin. They’d been forced to abandon their vehicle! They were still out in the open!

“Good going, kid.” Kaze kept his gaze on the target. “We might just be able to get away with this…”

Grip reduced to 0.

“Does that mean we can finally slow down?!” Kosuzu turned to what she could see of her older sister. Chen had re-applied the disguise of the Kakkushi-seki to hide her true identity, but the scratch marks she was digging into the paintwork showed there were far more claws than one would suspect.

Kaze kept his eyes locked on the target. “We can, as soon as we cut them off.”

The car launched down the street, rapidly closing in on the kidnappers. Tsukasa spun around, firing her large, star-spewing danmaku at the rescuers.

The whole car lurched left and right, swaying to avoid the largest of the bullets. The smaller ones rattled the vehicle, denting the paneling and cracking the glass, and Kosuzu heard Chen yelping and hissing as she scrabbled to keep her footing. Part of Kosuzu wanted to duck and hide, but she leant out of the vehicle, adding her own shots to try and push back Tsukasa.

It wasn’t long before they were neck and neck with the kidnappers, and then shooting past them. Chen leapt off the car, charging a spell card.

Kaze hit the brakes, spinning the car around to directly put themselves between the factory and the kidnappers. Kosuzu clambered out as soon as she could, looking up at the fight.

[Kishin “Soaring Bishamonten”]

The nekomata whirled in circles around the kidnappers, firing rings of danmaku to corral them. The wolf was too slow to break in time, crashing into the rings. It’s form dissipated, sending both Chen and Tsukasa surging forward to grab Yumemi.

Tsukasa got to her first, grabbing the girl by her shirt and yanking her back. Chen rushed for Yumemi as the tube-fox fell back. “Give the girl back, Tsukasa!”

“Hardly.” The fox snapped. She whipped out her knife again, bringing it under Yumemi’s chin. “Don’t try anything dumb, brats.”

“Let her go, Tsukasa!” Kosuzu stepped out. “It’s over!”

Tsukasa shook her head. “Then why don’t you try coming over and taking her? One wrong move, and this girl’s clothes are gonna get even more red.”

The trio paused, as they’d expected to. Kaze spoke first. “...A stalemate, then.”

Kosuzu turned to Yumemi, trying to give her a reassuring look. A stalemate was dangerous, but it took time that Tsukasa didn’t have. “We won’t let you get away with this!”

“I’m sure you don’t want me to.” Tsukasa smirked, looking over Kosuzu’s shoulder. “But I think they might.”

The sound of opening doors behind Kosuzu was accompanied by a crimson light. Kosuzu didn’t even have to turn around to know who was coming up behind them. She still turned, slowly, to see exactly how many wolves there were.

…It was an army’s worth. Too many wolves to count flowed out into streets, still bleeding out of every hole in the factory’s walls. And right at the front, backlit by the sinister glow, was a woman with pitch-black wings.

“Howdy, folks!” Kurokoma Saki smiled. “Welcome to the factory!”

---

One more update for this thread... and then it's boss fight time!

Kosuzu gulped. “You’re… the Keiga matriarch?”

“Yep!” Kurokoma looked her over. “And you must be the little kit I’ve been hearing about.” She tipped her hat. “Nice to meet you, kid.” She turned to Chen. “And you are…?”

“A faithful servant of your most dangerous foe.” Chen landed on the ground, in a fighting stance. “And I’m here to take Yumemi back.”

Saki looked over the trio, and their battered getaway vehicle. “Oh really. And how’s that going for you?”

Chen took a moment to consider. “Well, all things considered,” she mused, “I’d say it’s better than I expected.”

Saki let out a barking laugh at that, as did several of the wolves. “Good line, kid! Good line!”

The disguised nekomata gave a nervous smile. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, Lady Kurokoma.”

“Well, with the old one-eyed salt going and handling the fight with Keiki, I gotta get entertainment where I can. And please, call me Saki.” The matriarch waved it off. “No need to get all hoity-toity or anything.”

Tsukasa’s voice cut through the conversation. “I’m glad you’re all having such a good time. But can you take the collar off already, Saki?”

“Once we’re sure the kid’s ours, I’ll take it off.” Saki stepped over, inspecting the little girl in front of her. “Good to see ya again, ‘Crisis’!”

“I’m not gonna make anything for you!” Yumemi yelled. “You’re bad guys!”

Saki snickered. “Awww, it’s cute you think it’s a choice. But this is the Animal Realm, kid - human spirits are the tools of the strongest beasts. If you wanna get out of here alive… you’re gonna have to play by my rules, capiche?”

Yumemi didn’t meet her gaze, as a few wolves stepped up on either side of her. Saki turned, facing Kosuzu and the car. “Alright, boys, take the girl, get her to the hideout we prepped. I wanna see her make some real firecrackers. Take our would-be rescuers, too, but just lock ‘em up in the factory. Maybe they’ll be worth something at the negotiating table.”

“Hold it!” Chen held out her arm. “Kurokoma Saki… I challenge you to a duel!”

Saki raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Chen stepped forward. “I’m sure you know what I mean. A single duel until knockout - if I win, we get to take Yumemi and leave.”

Saki hummed. “Oh yeah? And what could you possibly offer in exchange?”

Chen gestured. “Kosuzu here is an Immaterial Child, like the Dragon Miko. That’s no small part of how she’s been so disruptive in your campaign to acquire Yumemi. I happen to know exactly how Yukari managed to acquire one for her own shikigami.”

The pegasus raised an eyebrow. “And that’s the bargain you’re offering?”

“Tempting thought, isn’t it?” Chen gave a shrug. “The Immaterial Children have aberrant power hidden within them. Granted, it’d take a few years for the kid to grow, but that’s nothing for the chance to stand against the Haniwa-Kiketsu Alliance.”

“Very tempting, very tempting,” the matriarch conceded, “but tell me, what’s stopping me from just beating it out of you later?”

“Oh come on, Saki, where’s the fun in that?” Chen gestured in the direction of the front lines. “The biggest brawl the Animal Realm’s ever seen is going on right now, and you’re hanging back here breaking furniture. Why not take a real fight to mix things up a bit? We can even do it inside, mix your work and your play.”

The pegasus stepped closer, flaring out her wings. “...You have no reason to offer this challenge, kid. Surely you don’t think you’ll win?”

Chen smirked. “You have no reason to refuse it, Saki. Surely you don’t think you’ll lose?”

The pegasus closed her eyes for a moment, deep in thought. Then… she burst out into booming laughter.

“Man, kid, you’re full of good lines!” She chortled. When her eyes opened, they had a hungry gleam to them. “Alright, kid. You’re on.”

---

The station built into the factory was a wreck. Toppled carriages and twisted metal beset the crumbled and charred walls. Two tracks lead into the factory, merging at the station as a terminus point. One of the tunnels was completely destroyed by rubble, while the other was still standing, though the lights within had broken.

Water was cascading down parts of the rubble, leaking from the water tower above. The throngs of wolves were perched on every piece of footing that could be found. Kosuzu, Kaze, and Yumemi were all sat together, on a stopped conveyor belt with deep bite marks in it. Kosuzu was holding Yumemi’s hand, trying to calm the sobbing girl, while Kaze was atop both of their laps.

Chen and Kurokoma stood at opposite sides of the merged tracks. Kurokoma spread her arms wide. “Last chance to back out, kid. There’s no way this ends well for you, y’know.”

The nekomata was stretching. “I’m not backing out. But you don’t mind if I do just a touch of warming up, do you?”

As the rumbling started to settle, the young scientist looked to Kosuzu, pleading. “Th-this is all going to go okay, right? Chen will win?” Kosuzu nodded, squeezing the girl’s hand.

“Just one second…” The fox raised her free hand, casting a silence spell over the trio. “It’s gonna be all right, Yumemi. Chen doesn’t have to win - she’s just gonna stall until my mom gets here.”

Yumemi gulped. “A-are you sure that’ll work?”

“Chen’s really fast. She just has to keep Saki busy.” Kosuzu lowered her hand, petting the otter on their laps. “It’ll work, I promise.”

“A-a-a-a-as l-l-long a-a-a-a-” Kosuzu looked down. Kaze’s steely gaze had crumpled the moment they’d stepped out the car, and he was now wide-eyed and fearful. As the two girls looked at him, he swallowed and tried again. “Th-the wa-wa-wa-wa-”

“The water?” Yumemi looked over at the cascading leaks. “What about it? Are cat youkai scared of water, too?”

Kosuzu narrowed her eyes. “And shikigami are weak to it… or at least, I’ve heard it’d break her up. But Saki wants a fight, anyways. She’s not going to try a cheap-shot with it - Chen just has to be careful.” She put her finger to her lips, and dispelled the silence around them.

“-stretching, already?” Tsukasa was pacing anxiously near a doorway into the factory proper. She glared at Chen with daggers for eyes. “No amount of yoga will give you any chance of winning here.”

Kosuzu noted the fox was picking at her collar. Chen had noticed it too, giving a small smile as she straightened up. “No chance? That’s factually incorrect.”

The nekomata’s voice took on a slightly different quality. Her posture shifted, becoming more calm and controlled. She looked up at Tsukasa, smirking. “Considering the terrain, I calculate this fight has a roughly 11.3% chance of unambiguous victory with no outside interference from the spectators. 3.7% chance of doing so without long-lasting injuries.”

Kurokoma raised an eyebrow at that. “Your boundless optimism aside, those are pretty specific numbers there, kid. What, you a robot in disguise?”

“A computer would be a more accurate comparison, but you are in broad strokes correct - both about my analytical ability, and my disguise. And considering it will break in the fight regardless, there’s no reason not to reveal myself now.” She tapped her ring, causing the illusion to dissipate.

Tsukasa gasped, as the nekomata formed. “You- you’re-”

“I am Yakumo Chen!” The nekomata’s voice had a reverberating quality, a duality in it’s tone and timbre. “I am the servant of Yakumo Ran! And I will win this fight!”

“Y-Yakumo…” Tsukasa paled. “Saki! It’s a trap of some kind!”

The pegasus inspected Chen, getting into a fighting stance. “Oh yeah?”

“Th-the Yakumo- they’re planning something!” The fox’s voice was reaching a hysterical pitch. “This-this is a distraction of some kind!”

Kosuzu felt her heart leap into her chest. Saki hummed, taking a moment to think.

“There’s no need to give this nekomata a duel! She’s trying to set up a trap for you!” Tsukasa jabbed her finger. “Just attack her en masse, already!”

Saki inspected Chen, up and down. “Is this true? Are you preparing a trap for us?”

Chen shrugged, a bead of sweat trickling down her face. “It would be more accurate to say that help is on its way. Don’t get me wrong, I’m playing to win here. But let’s just say that the longer the fight goes on, the worse things are gonna be for you.”

“Izzat so?” Saki paused, deep in thought. “Hmmm… a fight with a time limit…”

Both fighters became blurs, to Kosuzu’s eyes. Saki’s feet slammed down on where Chen had been standing only moments before, while the nekomata had leapt straight up into the rafters.

The matriarch laughed. “I like it! Come on, kitty-cat - if I’ve gotta take you out quickly, I’ll give you a punch that’ll take nine lives at once! And then I’ll take your backup head-on, too!”

The wolves howled in unison, causing the whole building to shudder with the noise. Chen managed a smirk, claws digging into the broken support. “I hoped you might say that, Saki. Try to keep up, won’t you?”

At once, the two were off, mere blurs clashing against each other. The crowd broke into cheering, eager for the fight. The two girls and the otter huddled closer, terrified.

Kosuzu spun her eyes around trying to keep track of the movements. It was easier to spot where the walls had just been cracked than it was to keep track of either fighter.

But among the hooting and the hollering, there was one person that Kosuzu could see who wasn’t watching the fight. Kosuzu’s eyes focused on the only other fox in the room. Tsukasa was looking up, her face a picture of deep thought.

Kosuzu followed Tsukasa’s gaze, feeling a chill creeping up her spine. The kuda-gitsune’s eyes were locked on the water cascading to the floor, tracing its path up. Up through a hole in the roof surrounded by a throng of spectating wolves. And behind them… the water tower.

Tsukasa realized she was being watched, and met Kosuzu’s eyes. And then… she smirked, gave the kitsune a wave, and took off into the depths of the factory.

Kosuzu leapt to her feet. “No, no, no no no no no…!” The other two looked at her, as she sputtered. “Stay here, alright?” Before either could ask, she took off, launching herself after Tsukasa.

In the deeper parts of the factory, the damage largely wasn’t because of the crashed train - pieces torn with fang and claw, or dented by hoof were the rule, not the exception. Pipes running through the roof hung low, torn from their supports. Individual pieces of equipment still attempted to run, gears grinding and screeching.

But in a room of jagged stone and steel, it wasn’t hard to spot the living. Kosuzu focused, firing off danmaku as the older fox passed between two rows of machines. Tsukasa ducked under it, pirouetting into the air to fly backwards and meet Kosuzu’s gaze.

“Ah, if it isn’t the apple of my eye.” Tsukasa’s voice was dripping with sarcasm. “What brings you here today, my dearest daughter? Couldn’t stand to watch your precious cat get flattened?”

“She’ll be fine, but-but Saki’s gonna be mad if you ruin the fight!” Kosuzu dived in for an attack, missing Tsukasa by only inches.

“And who said I was going to?” Tsukasa rolled her eyes, falling back past another row. “I’m just going to inspect the tower for any… structural damage. After all, if it was tipped over, that’d leave your ‘big sister’ dead in the water, wouldn’t it?”

“You’re not gonna make it up there.” Kosuzu pulled out the grimoire, breaking into a run as she prepared another spell. “I won’t let you!”

“You can’t beat me, Ko-ko.” Tsukasa shrugged, firing danmaku at a door behind her. The handle and lock were blown off, leaving it free to swing open. “You don’t stand a chance.”

“I don’t have to!” Kosuzu ducked down, narrowly avoiding a blast from her once-kidnapper. “‘Escape is victory’... you taught me that! And that’s all I need to know. I’ll stop you, Tsukasa - maybe not forever, but just long enough!”

“Oh yeah?” Tsukasa raised an eyebrow. “Long enough for what?”

Kosuzu managed a small grin. “Long enough for my real mother to get here.”

Just for a moment, she saw it. She saw Tsukasa’s expression crack - she saw fear, true fear, on the kuda-gitsune’s face.

And then it was hidden again, under a mask of smug confidence. “Is that so?” Tsukasa smirked, grabbing ahold of the door. She threw it wide, floating through it. “Well then Ko-ko… I’m looking forward to that moment. Because by the time she gets here? Your friends will be dead or gone, and you’ll be wishing you’d never been born at all.”

She turned back around, throwing a vicious smile over her shoulder. “If you don’t want to disappoint dear mama Ran… you better hope you can keep up.” With those last words, she took off into the factory, with Kosuzu in hot pursuit.

---

It's been a long, long ass while... but finally, we're coming up on the climax of the arc.

So, yes, the equivalent of the boss choice this time was actually way back in We'll start the next thread and

>>212140

Thank you again for all the wonderful pictures, Kosu!

This one came as no surprise to me personally. Kosu approached me with the idea of all the original ICs dressed as their moms for halloween, including Marisa hidden as a sheet ghost. Then I was the one who came up with an idea for how she could still fit the theme.

We've actually already got draft designs of Marisa's options waiting in the wings. We've been sitting on them for a little while, in fact.

But if you want to see them, there's only one way forwards! onwards, to thread ten! >>212143