Chapter 11: Minor Rules - Minor Spells

Korindou

The antique store was mostly deserted as usual. It was no surprise for its owner, but today, something was different. There was a girl within the store, an unfamiliar face and yet it also felt like he had seen her once or twice before. He said nothing as she browsed the collection of items within the store. Behind the counter, Rinnosuke simply read a book as a way to pass the time.

There had been a few oddities going on; a few rumours about events the past few days though he hadn't ventured out to verify them. Still, he can't just ignore them.

Turning his gaze up ever so slightly, Rinnosuke watched at the woman's fixation with one of the items on display. A rectangular object with images of monsters on them. Hell, even the title displayed on it was a big enough clue about the contents within it.

'Giant Monsters: All-Out Attack!'

"What an odd little thing." She said, turning her gaze towards Rinnosuke. "You there, boy. What can you tell me about this?"

"Just another object from the outside world. It's actually just a small part of something else from what I've seen." He replied before he decided to stand up and walk over. He took the case and then opened it to reveal what appeared to be a disc inside. "It works better when paired up with one of the screens." He continued, leading the way towards another area within the store.

"It takes some tinkering, but I finally managed to get one of these things to work consistently. Hopefully in the future, I'll be able to grab more." He said as he worked on a few cords. "They seem to relay images of spirits, however, so I'd be careful if I were you. This thing appears to store them in such a way that their lives are repeated to be watched by those of the present time. The images you see could… surprise you." Rinnosuke said, pressing a button before he decided to step away. He'll let her decide if she liked what she saw.

Many long minutes passed as he returned to his book and only the sounds of the television box could be heard throughout the store.

Rinnosuke shook his head. He hadn't even asked for the girl's name yet, had he? He watched as she watched, entranced by the moving pictures in that box. He hadn't seen these particular images, but the more it continued on, the more he became entranced himself. A story about guardian deities facing another creature that humans themselves created. Surely that couldn't have been real?

He didn't have much to do other than wait at the counter, reading a book and occasionally looking to the side when something interesting happened on the screen the woman was watching. So it became a bit of a surprise when the door to the shop opened again and two figures entered.

"Hey, hey, hey! Missed your best customer?" Marisa called out. Someone was following closely behind her though. A woman in a cloak and hood… how mysterious. This was someone Rinnosuke hadn't seen before as far as he could tell.

"New friend?" he asked.

"Eyup. What about you, Kourin? New friend as well?" Marisa asked, glancing over at the woman still engrossed by the moving images.

"A new customer. I thought she'd be someone you know already, but it appears I'm mistaken." He replied, placing his book down. "What are you here for?"

"Just showing my friend around. She's going to help me out with a bunch of magic in the near future so it's best to get her acquainted with everyone." Marisa nodded her head.

"Well, for as long as I can stay here at least. Don't forget, there was that little threat that your Shrine Maiden has to deal with running amok." Caster replied, pulling her hood back. Pale skin, purple hair, and pointed ears… definitely not a typical human as far as Rinnosuke could tell. But wait… a threat?

"How disheartening."

The voice came from the woman who had up until now, been watching the moving images without saying anything. Her gaze drifted over towards both Marisa and Caster, crimson eyes narrowing at the latter. Whatever it was she had been watching, it was mostly finished and she moved to approach the pair.

"H-hey… aren't you….?" Marisa started as the woman chuckled.

"The resemblance is uncanny isn't it?" she replied, pausing a few steps away. "I am certain that you have seen this form before. But the one you knew was a ghost was she not? This is quite different, I assure you."

"So… you ain't Yuyuko?" Marisa scratched the back of her head.

Rinnosuke tilted his glasses up. He wasn't too well-versed in the nature of every single person who visited this shop but he knew enough about names to know their relevance in Gensokyo. For now, he would choose to stay out of this.

"Is that what she calls herself? No matter, I have all that I need without her." The woman answered. She walked past the pair, Caster keeping silent as she headed towards the doorway.

"You are a divine spirit, aren't you?" Caster said before she could leave completely. The woman paused, her face still keeping her smile as she turned her head halfway to address them.

"Indeed. I look forward to meeting you two again. Neither of you have properly met my other self, have you?" she wondered. "When the time is right, I shall allow you to witness my full splendor. So far, this aspect of the world intrigues me." The woman continued before continuing on her way.

Silence after she left. And then Rinnosuke spoke, "I think you scared off a potential customer."

"What?! Naaaah, she said she'll be back. It's nothing important." Marisa nodded her head, turning back towards Caster. "Besides, I think we'll be fine given what's happening so far."

"Are you that confident?" the purple-haired woman replied. "Admirable as that is, do not forget about the others at the shrine."

Marisa shrugged. Leading Caster deeper into the shop, they stopped at the monitor where the woman was originally staring at.

"What, do you two want to see what was in there again?" Rinnosuke called out.

"Well, since you volunteered." Marisa grinned at him as he sighed in response. "But it's nothing important and we're mostly wondering if you have something like a sewing machine? Apparently I could use a new look."

Hakurei Shrine – Steps to the Gate

Keine had opted to stay within the Human Village for now. Having mentioned that she intended to gather up a few supplies, Mokou and the Servant Nobunaga now found themselves close to the top of the steps, though two people seemed to be barring the way forward.

"What are you doing here?" Reisen said, the pointing an accusatory finger at the white-haired girl.

"What's it to ya? You ain't the boss here?" Mokou answered, taking another step forward. A chill ran through her spine though as someone materialized right beside Reisen. The woman was tall, with hair that reached the ground and what appeared to be a blindfold covering her eyes.

"Is there someone bothering you?" she asked, turning her head as if to look at Mokou.

"Ohh…? A Servant here? What faction am I running into, I wonder?" Nobunaga said, one hand moving to the hilt of her blade.

Mokou looked at her companion oddly for just a moment before looking back up at the pair barring her path. The Hakurei Shrine didn't employ Gatekeepers as far as she knew and though she visited rarely, she knew this was likely just some order to keep her away from that Lunarian.

"What? Was she kicked out of her house? That's why she's staying here?" she taunted the rabbit and expectedly, the response was quick. A magical bullet appeared at the tip of the rabbit's fingers, shot straight towards Mokou who deflected it with a wave of her hand.

"You wanna hurl insults now? Better back it up before I send you tumbling down." Reisen called out.

"Challenging me to a duel then? You were never that tough." Mokou answered.

"Ha! You're not worth even that! Rider, take care of her." Reisen turned towards her companion, who nodded her head and took a single step down to approach the duo.

"I thought unnecessary battle was to be avoided?" Rider said, holding the ends of her chains out in front of her.

"Yeah, but she's evil. EVIL!" the Lunarian Rabbit replied.

Before Nobunaga could respond in kind, Mokou held her hand out to stop her from volunteering.

"It's a Spellcard Duel. Annoying as it is sometimes, I think it's best you watch this first. You're still fairly new after all, and we don't want people trying to exterminate you for not following the rules," said Mokou. A ball of flame was conjured up in her free hand and she soon readied herself for the confrontation. She hadn't fought this person before, but in terms of experience, Mokou probably had this in the bag. This one looked just as new to Danmaku as Nobunaga herself. Maybe that's why there were here so close to the Hakurei Shrine.

"Hope you're not biting off more than you can chew because I'm gonna start with a Bang!" Mokou laughed. "Since you're new, I think we can start off easy. By the time I reach my second Spell Card, I'll have won this."

"I shall wager then. I'll only need two of these Spell Cards to beat you." Rider answered, getting down into a crouch above the stairs.

A Spellcard Duel; something to regulate just how much power should be used for the stability of this land. The rules are simple enough, as Rider had read through them. And though this was her first duel in this kind of setting, she had to admit that there was something to be admired about how it was organized. Dodge the attacks, make the duel look good, and ensure no one dies.

Before they knew it, the two combatants were already in the midst of it. Flames clashed and were intercepted by the long chains of Rider's weapon. The chains themselves seemed to come from multiple directions two at a time, pulling back and striking at her opponent like that of a snake.

Her opponent was going all in for pure power, however. Mokou's entire body was a projectile in of itself, flaming wings seemingly erupting from her back as they propelled her towards Rider, who dodged and weaved through the direct attacks seemingly without any trouble at first.

It was Rider who activated her first 'Spell' first. She had grabbed one end of her chain, before suddenly driving it like a spike through her own neck.

"Wha-?!" Mokou paused.

The blood pooled… not onto the ground though. They were forming symbols in front of Rider and a bright light flashed in a blinding display. A horse stood where Rider was at. She was atop of it now, doing exactly what her Class suggests she could do. And then it unfurled its wings, sending a powerful gust of wind throughout the surrounding area.

"Spell Card. Bellerophon – Bridle of Chivalry." Rider said simply before her mount flew up high. Mokou leaped up as well, not daring to remain on the ground for whatever Rider had planned. The sudden curve and turn towards her however, caused Mokou to stop in her tracks. The flying horse was now aiming at her directly, moving much faster than expected.

It almost collided with Mokou, barely grazing her from the wind pressure alone. Mokou had to twist about to avoid it completely, only to notice that it was turning around for another strike.

"Tch!" the Immortal frowned. Did she have to use her own Spell Card to respond?

Down below, a small audience had gathered. Nobunaga sat atop the steps, watching the duel unfold before her eyes, Reisen sitting down beside her doing the same. Reimu and Archer had come out of the Shrine as well, the former crossing her arms as she arbitrated from a distance. They're not doing that bad at all.

"So…" Nobunaga started, turning towards the Lunar Rabbit. "This is new. I'm still unsure of what the heck these rules are that they're apparently following."

"As long as newcomers arrive, I'd imagine it'll take some time for everyone to get acquainted with them." Reisen answered, looking back at the girl. "Any further questions, and you can ask the Shrine Maiden at the back there." She said, gesturing over towards Reimu. "For now, just enjoy the show. We may have been slinging insults, but sometimes it's necessary if you wish to make it sound more interesting. It gives these duels a bit more… stake?" she shrugged.

"Huh, interesting." Nobunaga said, following the advice almost immediately. She stood up and walked directly towards Reimu and her Servant.

"I sense you are another Heroic Spirit." Said Archer. "If you have time to be lectured on the rules, then you've come to the right place."

Reimu quickly elbowed him on the side before her attention turned towards the red and black-clad girl. "The rules themselves aren't that hard to follow. Though I suppose I should ask for your name and… uhh… what your Class is?"

"Indeed. The Fujiwara girl there already knows my true identity, but I suppose I can restate it here now. Nobunaga Oda, Archer Class. Ex-Servant of the death goddess, Izanami." She said proudly.

There was silence. It wasn't too surprising, though something about what she said caught Reimu's interest. It wasn't the fact that the one standing before her was the great warlord of the Sengoku period who tried to unify all of Japan; the existence of the other Heroic Spirits certainly made her appearance here a possibility. Nor was it the fact that she was the Servant of the current incident-causer. No, what caught her attention made Reimu look at her own Servant as well.

"Maybe it's best you all use your actual names at this point." Reimu said, rubbing her temples with her fingers. "Three Archers… why are there three? Well, four really if you think about the younger version of that golden idiot. Weren't there only supposed to be two sets of Heroic Spirits right now?"

Nobunaga shrugged. "I mean, I wouldn't say a complete set of two would be here. My Master was missing a Lancer and a Rider last time I checked. And I don't think she summoned any more."

"Other containers would be replicated then I suppose…" said Reimu's Archer. "But I don't think that's how the Holy Grail works."

"Speaking of which, that so-called Grail is likely the cause of this Incident right? If I deal with it… eventually, I'll have solved it and everything might go back to normal, right?" Reimu said.

"Who knows? This event isn't exactly common." Reimu's Archer replied.

A loud explosion blasted off in the distance as everyone on the ground looked up at what just happened. A phoenix-like shape rushed straight for Rider's Pegasus, the two attacks colliding with each other in a tremendous display of force.

Whatever Mokou's Spell Card was this time, it seemed to have tipped the balance enough that Rider fell from the sky. She hadn't reached her second Spell Card either, but it was clear this was her loss.

"Well, well, looks like we have a winner. I was kinda rooting for her though." Reimu stated. "What's she doing here, I wonder?" she glanced up as Mokou descended gracefully from the sky.

"Probably to kill me again." Kaguya said, stepping forward from inside the Shrine to stand behind Reimu. "She must have heard I was staying here for a bit and thought to give me a little visit to do just that."

"How nice." The Shrine Maiden frowned. What is this, a repeat of that old incident?

"Unfortunately, I don't have time to play these kinds of games. So if you're here to pick a fight….again-!" Kaguya raised her voice as Mokou approached so she could hear, "…I'm not interested right now."

The white-haired immortal stopped some distance away, tapping her foot repeatedly on the ground as she looked at Kaguya and her current companions. "What, too busy now? You were the one always hiding at your place before last I checked."

"Be that as it may, I doubt you came all the way here just to see me. Persistent though, aren't you? Am I not allowed to do things by myself without being hounded by my eternal rival?" Kaguya replied, tilting her head up smugly.

Nobunaga observed, piqued ever so slightly by this strange rivalry. Maybe she could make this a little more awkward.

"I think she's more concerned about your new suitor or something. Could be jealousy, but hey, who am I to judge?"

"What? No!" Mokou exclaimed.

"Ohoho…. So that's where your concerns lay? Rest assured we are still in the introductory phase. You needn't worry about myself being too rash about this decision."

"Yeah, I'm not worried about you. It's the poor bastard trying for your hand. I thought he'd be here, so I can tell him not to bother with you." Mokou continued.

"Heh, poor bastard indeed." Reimu said, laughing lightly as she walked over to the donation box while the two immortals bickered. She hadn't touched the contents yet but a fair number of gold coins and jewels were casually scattered within it now. "I kinda wish he was here first. Annoying as he was, he's pretty wealthy. Why can't you give me donations like he did?" she looked at her Archer.

"Don't be greedy," he answered, shaking his head. "You don't want to end up dependent on precious stones and the works of other people."

"Yeah, okay mom. Didn't need to lecture me." Reimu answered, her expression dull as she turned towards the fallen Rider. Reisen was helping her up, and it seemed the injury was relatively minor. In terms of implementation of the first duel with Spellcards involving these Heroic Spirits… she'll give it a passing rank.

"Anyways, as I said a few moments ago... names. I want everyone's real names now. Keeping track of which class you're all at will just frustrate me even if you all think it would be easy to remember." Reimu said, leaning back beside the donation box.

"Did I not explain it before? Knowing everyone's true names is like having everyone reveal an essential aspect of themselves, a weakness to be exploited as some would call it." Archer said.

"Yeah, but if everyone knows everyone specifically, then everything is equal. It's all about keeping the balance and all that." Reimu answered with a wave of her hand. "Besides, this ain't a competition. You're all free to stay here as long as you keep that balance up."

Archer chuckled, earning him a frown from the Shrine Maiden.

"What's so funny."

"We aren't used to being summoned where there is no competition between us. It will be difficult for the others to get used to it."

"They can wait if they're not comfortable with it I suppose. But what about you? Can I at least know your name." asked Reimu.

Archer hesitated as if to ponder if he really should. But he shook his thoughts out of his head.

"Try not to use it often. It'll sound weird. You can keep calling me Archer to differentiate me from the others if you wish." He said.

Reimu nodded her head.

"Emiya."