/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>45614870

It was unnerving, thinking of a being that could put all these women on edge as much as they were, so as they took to the sky and entered into a gap together in the skies above the mountains Hana couldn’t help but let her mind wonder at the terrible visage she was about to see. Something that even her mother was weary of? Something that took the combined might of all the sages and more to put down? Something that required secrecy of the upmost level to merely contain lest it grow out of control?

Hana soon found her answer as they exited over a forest spanning the area beyond the mountains. Hana quickly realized that it wasn’t a forest she knew, there was little magic in the air and everything felt wrong. In the distance there was a town large and unlike the village in its entirety, speaking of the village she couldn’t see it between the mountains nor could she see the Moriyan shrine in the distance. The forest below felt devoid of the vital lifeforce of the fairies and despite the tranquility of feeling a distinct lack of youkai energy that she never even noticed suffuse the air it was wrong. This was not her world.

With a wave of her fan a barrier was erected in a wide area, Hana could see its purpose before it spread outwards in a sphere around her, obstruct the eyes of what goes on inside. This only compounded her anxiety, it made her nervous enough that she didn’t notice the red and white figure that floated to her side behind the group of women that hovered on their half of the sphere, waiting for… something terrible.

Reimu spoke, her voice soft like it always was when she tried collecting herself, despite her mother’s voice reaching her ears Hana was too preoccupied with the strangeness of the situation to bare her fangs. She instead listened to her mothers placid voice, “Hana… I have much I want to say, but listen closely for the next thing you are about to hear is important.”

Gulping her retort, Hana desperately wanted to take comfort in the familiar hatred she focused on the task at hand, “You’ll be faced with a wall of power that you can’t hope to win against. Not alone, not even with the blessings of our god. I don’t care for this, but it’s necessary and its something that must be done every year. I’ve kept this from you, because its not something you needed and… It doesn’t matter, this will be your world soon enough.”

A presence, large and terrible pressed itself against the sky as if a gale was upon them. However, what met the women was not a storm, but a man. Well at least it took the shape of a man. There was no way such a force was anything less than a god propped up by the faith of an untold amount of people, and such a being served another?!

It was a miracle alone that Hana didn’t let the tears in her eyes become a sob, Hana felt a warm hand on her shoulder that gripped her tight. A warm voice cut through the storm of fear, “Its fine, its just a danmaku duel like any other. Don’t let him scare you and… don’t… no, what he says is the truth, but don’t let him get into your head, I know you’re strong as they come Hana… just do what you know how to and exterminate this youkai, okay?”

Hana hated to admit it, but there was something comforting in her mother’s voice. Hana would like to say she took her place alongside the others and faced this being with grim determination, but she couldn’t do so easily. She was wracked with indecision as her mother took her place at the side of women she so openly disparaged in her own time, women that openly plotted against each other every other day of the year.

As she hovered somewhere behind their backs, looking at every which way to move she was fearful as the sounds of bells, fanciful little things like the ones Lampy wore, rang out into the sky calling for vengeance. Out of a vortex that had formed in the sky came down a crimson chariot who’s sledded feet burned with a lingering fire as it shot down from the clouds. It was pulled by several unassuming beasts, each one as powerful the animal yakuza boss yet shackled by nothing more than reigns of mundane looking canvas. Surrounding the sleigh were those vile little things, the gnomes, all had their hats replaced by leather hats and goggles like what the craftsman wore. They had no wings but from their clogged feet came a sparkle of magic as if they skated upon the air. Most terrible of all was what was in the sleigh, a being radiating pure power, a divine aura cloaked in a suit of red velvet and white trim.

Unlike the imitations that Seiga wore, or what she saw in the shops in the village this suit was simple, warming, and paradoxically filled her heart with joy just as much as his fluttering beard and red pointed hat did. That was when it greeted her ears, “Oh-ho-ho-ho, on Dasher, on Dancer, on Prancer, and Vixen! On Comet, on Cupid, on Doner, and Blitzen!”