/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>46396454
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Koa…

She’d occasionally bring tea and snacks and hang out with me when Lady Patchouli would give her a break; we'd have pleasant conversations. Putting my arms up, I defend against the onslaught of elongated succubi nails before clinching her arms and throwing the girl onto Sakuya's knives, the one already lodged in my chest stinging with the sharp moves, my Sichuan breathing technique—the very thing that stopped the dreaded HSE's incense—stopping me from collapsing due to pain. Sakuya doesn't even look at wounded Koa, throwing her knives—

—they’re immediately directly in front of my face, something I'm very used to as I hit their plain sides and disperse their inertia. Sakuya, strict and overwhelmingly loyal to her duties; it's incredibly irksome how much you target me, knowing fully well I'd be the first to respond to any thread—yet… you do it from a place of respect. Always keeping me on edge, waiting for the moment we'd fight side by side. Lunging forward, I release my ki in an explosion, meeting Sakuya face-to-face with kicks and punches, the woman fighting in equal measure with her knives coming from everywhere at the same time, deflecting and parrying the melee attacks.

One slip, a blade stabs my shoulder…

But this is not a lone fight. My ki screams and without looking, I turn sideways, a red spear puncturing the spot I was a second ago, jabbing instead Sakuya's abdomen. Teeth clenched, I kicked up and took Gungnir, using it to fight Sakuya and Remilia at the same time, defending and parrying claws and blades, small cuts sprouting everywhere and joining the knife in the spurting blood. Lady Remilia, it was a pleasure to walk this world with you; though you didn't talk to me as much as you used to after we 'adopted' that vampire hunter for fun, I’ll always respect you and your strength… Not really your eccentricities, but oh well.

Ki screams once more, a tiring chorus—body worn down all over, veins feeling void—and I grab Sakuya's forearm and force it deep into Lady Remilia’s mouth, stabbing Gungnir through them.

A good distraction.

A fraction of a second, I jump away from them—

—only for a beam of scarlet the thickness of a house to drown them in light, blinding my eyes. Lady Flan laughed out loud, dashing towards me, her gaze that of an animal… But you're not one, Flan. You're just a sweet little girl, but not even your sister, who was all you had, trusted you.

Five hundred years in that basement…

It hurts to be all alone in this world, doesn’t it?

The weight behind Flan's blows is matched only by being buried beneath a mountain, her crazy Danmaku burning my skin and speed making me fight for my life—my eyes go wide as she breaks my defenses and thrusts forward, mouth wide open, and before I can do anything, she takes hold of my shoulders, straddles her feet on my abdomen, and sinks her sharp fangs in my neck, tearing open my throat.

I scream, wide-eyed and terrified, warrior spirit reaching for the closest weapon: getting hold of Sakuya's knife, pulling it out, and mercilessly slashing open Flan's chest in an upward motion, opening the vampire in two. Not one ounce of blood spills, her smile diabolical as she watches me back away, huffing and puffing, my vision blurry as I let go of the knife and take hold of my mangled neck, a flamethrower of blood leaving me. This is bad… Terribly bad.

… Can a ghost even die?

“Yes. Yes, they can.” Patchy's voice calls my attention forth.

Facing me are the residents of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, not a wound or drop of blood in sight. Lady Patchouli—no, Sekai—watches. “Why are you doing this…?” I shakily ask, mouth filling with the liquid of life.

“Your courage is beautiful, Mother Meiling; resisting and fighting these insurmountable odds without giving up. When I'm born, I wish to have an ounce of this ferocity.” I confusedly groan: rebutting a question with flattery…? After trying to kill me? “I'm not trying to kill you, Mother Meiling. I'd forsake sweet life before killing one of my parents…” The softness in which she says those words, Patchouli's face twisting to a sorrowful expression—it makes me forget for a second I'm profusely bleeding. If so, why's she doing all these things?! Why did she say those words to me? “They were lies, Mother Meiling.” I halt. Completely. Sekai approaches, unbothered by my fighting stance. “About ten seconds, yes…”

Then, Sekai lunged forward.

And hugged me. Tightly.

“Right here, right now, I'm alive, Mother Meiling! And I love you!” So shocked and unable to understand what's even going on, I miss everyone coming closer to me and—

—the whole Scarlet Devil Mansion is hugging me.

… B-Bwuah…?

“I'm not even angry. I'm being so sincere right now—I love you so much…” The pain in my body utterly vanishes. W-What is even happening?! “… And—about now.”

Suddenly, a spell destroys the copies hugging me.

… That spell was Lady Patchouli’s magic.

The most confused I've ever been, I free fall from the skies.