Border Capture

Prologue

Original Title: The World Only God Knows / 神のみぞ知るセカイ and Touhou Project / 東方Project

Original Concept by Tamiki Wakaki & Shanghai Alice

Written by: wrathie

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Author's Notes: Something that Kaiser Dude thought up a long time ago. So, I wrote this piece for you, buddy!

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It was not everyday that one can rightfully say that one was able to meet with a Video Game character but this was one day that Katsuragi Keima, the Capturing God could confidently say that he did.

What bothered him was that instead of meeting a girl from one of his games, it was this... thing instead.

Oh, what he would have given to meet with Yokkun, the one girl of his dreams who was perfect in every way... but that was being too selfish and from judging from his run of luck, it was probably too much to expect that he would be granted an opportunity such as this without some kind of catch.

In fact, he would be satisfied if the Video Game character that he would meet was alright if it was a girl and was a heroine!

It wasn't asking for too much was it now? He has played so many games that it would be almost impossible to keep track of the names and their individual stories if he was a lesser being.

But he was the Capturing God and he was able to remember every single and individual story that each heroine he had captured went through and he was confident that he would be able to 'recapture' any heroine that would step out to meet him today.

..

As to why Keima was awaiting such an arrival was that a hand had suddenly appeared in the middle of one of the games that he was playing out of the blue.

As one who was associated with demons and hell, or perhaps New Hell to be precise, he wasn't phased that much but excited at the prospects of something happening in that fashion.

In all of the games the he played, there are a few of them who had described this exact scene and he was expecting a girl to step out of the TV soon if things progressed in the same way.

A part of his mind was nagging at him and asking him why would that happen and he silenced that rational part of his mind by mentioning the two demons in his life, Katsuragi Elsi and Haqua de lut Herminium.

If it was those two, he wouldn't be too surprised if they were using this as an excuse to get him out of the room and to be tangled up in yet another complex situation that would take the time that he would rather be spending on games away.

'Alright, you can come out now...'

Keima muttered softly as the hand searched around, tapping on the TV screen as if to test how solid it was before a blonde head popped out of the TV to look at him in the eye.

The girl, no, woman was foreign to him, it certainly wasn't someone he had met before and unfortunately she was also not one of the heroines that he had captured before and Keima crossed his arms unhappily and demanded to know who was she and whether she came from New hell.

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'New Hell? Nah~ I'm not one of those Satori's... Hmm... you aren't surprised to see me like this?'

The woman smiled mischievously as she slowly emerged from the TV screen, dragging herself out before smoothing her purple dress, adjusting that puffy hat on her head before opening a parasol behind her.

She was wearing ribbons that were tied onto her golden locks and she had brilliant red eyes and for some reason Keima found this woman to be very... familiar, only he really couldn't place her. She was definitely not one of the heroines that he had 'captured' in his games... but why would she seem so familiar to him then?

'How about now? Boo!'

She made a face that was supposed to be scary but Keima simply told her to knock it off and explain why she was here and what business does she have with him.

'But a more important question is... who or what are you? Are you a demon? Did Haqua or Elsi send you?'

His questions were precise and held a commanding tone to them, which seemed to amuse the woman as she pulled out a fan from nowhere as she waved it in front of her to cool herself down.

'Hmm... you really are an interesting person... what if I'm a demon? Wouldn't you be scared of me?'

Smiling cheerfully and mischievously, Keima showed signs of alarm as he saw she sit down on what seemed to be a small cut in the air, black and filled with purple eyes. For her to show that kind of power and so confidently and casually meant that she was a powerful person. No matter who she was and for the first time in ages Keima felt intimidated by her presence and her confidence despite being in the relative safety of his room.

In this room she probably couldn't do anything without disturbing the others and for the first time Keima cursed that Elsi wasn't hanging around him like how she usually does.

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'It depends on what demon you are... I've seen a few in my time... and most of them are... not quite as elegant as you.'

Keima have a glib tongue and it seemed to have tickled the woman very much as she snapped her fan shut while smiling at his words.

'Well then, aren't you polite? If you've seen a few demons that might explain the lack of surprise when I came out this way... Honestly I never expected such a catch like you... so would you tell me, your name?'

Snapping the fan open yet again, Keima watched as the woman leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands which themselves seemed to be resting on an invisible platform as she looked at him in fascination.

'As a gentleman it is polite to introduce myself... however, I would like to have the honor of knowing your name as well.'

Showing no signs of weakness or apprehensiveness, Keima was as suave as he could be as he was the Magician of Words as well, he had talked his way out of many situations and he was determined to do so for this one as well.

'Well, don't you really have a glib tongue... but you amuse me, alright, I will give you my name, my real name too if you give me yours, dear.'

The word dear was spoken sweetly and it was coated with so much sugar that it made Keima wanted to throw up but he never even flinched as he bowed to her before speaking his name.

'My name is Katsuragi Keima, it is a pleasure to meet someone as refined and as elegant as you.'

Laying it a little thick, Keima knew that there was really no such thing as too much flattery as the woman seemed even happier as she nodded in agreement to his praise.

'Ah yes, I wish the Vampire could hear you say that in front of her... She will have a fit. Now it is my turn, Katsuragi Keima, my name is Yakumo, Yakumo Yukari and I'm the one that will take away your freedom here.'

So said the woman and before Keima could associate the name of the legendary Gap Youkai, he was swallowed into a hole that suddenly opened up below him.

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'Well then, let us see how this interesting person would fare, shall we?'

Yukari spoke to no one in particular as she too took her leave, stepping into the Television just as the door was kicked opened by a furious Haqua du Lut Herminium and a timid Katsuragi Elsi as they watched in shock as they saw a woman putting one foot into the Television as though it was nothing.

'Ara ara... two other interesting people... are you the demons that boy was talking about?'

The two demons from New Hell was too surprised to answer and they only nodded their heads slightly as the purple dressed woman smiled in amusement at the two of them.

'Well then, as fellow demons... I suppose I am obliged to tell you this. I've taken the boy with me... so take him back if you can. I come from the lands of dreams protected by the great border... I'll be waiting for the two of you there~ So hurry up, before I get bored of him~'

With a mischievous giggle, the gap youkai opened her parasol and threw it at the two of them before diving head first into the Television and disappearing without a trace.

Of course it wasn't a normal umbrella that Yakumo Yukari had thrown at the two of them as it spun straight for the two of them, it's edges glowing with a strange yellow light that radiated a fearsome power that threatened to cut the two girls in two.

'Tsk!'

Materializing her scythe, Haqua barely managed to blocked the parasol with all her strength and only with Elsi's help did they managed to push away the parasol, it dropping to the ground into it's normal form as the two demons looked at each other helplessly.

'W-what do we do, Haqua?! T-they took Kami-Onii-sama!'

'I... I... don't know... Elsi...'

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Katsuragi Keima has been in a lot of dangerous situations before... but it was the first time that he actually had time to contemplate the situation as he fell down in darkness, wondering whether it was finally time for him to die.

Well it wouldn't be nice to die but Keima knew that he probably wouldn't be harmed just yet. He could compare it to like a cat playing with a mouse, the demon earlier was the cat and he was the mouse... if he kept on amusing the cat, he would be able to live...

As depressing as it sounds, Keima knew that was his only chance of surviving and that was not considering the very low possibility of his two other demon associates, Haqua and Elsi saving him before it got too dangerous.

In the ultimate irony, Keima had only a few hours earlier told the two of them to leave him alone for a day or two while he try to catch up on what he had missed while helping the girls with their mission of capturing Weiss.

Unless some urgent matter propped up, they were likely to follow his wishes and it would be hours, if not days before they realize something was wrong.

'Great... so I'm the play thing for Yakumo Yukari.'

Only a fool would not have heard of the all powerful gap youkai of Gensokyo of the Touhou Universe, that was why he found the person familiar... and although he was a firm believer in the powers of 3D gaming, this was no game and Keima was really abducted by the gap youkai in a whim of fancy.

Now he hoped that the rumours of men being killed after being captured were false or he would have to give up his title of being the Capturing God by default.

'… But to think that Gensokyo would really exist...'

Keima muttered to himself as he kept on falling, crossing his arms and wondering whether the other... girls were present as well. It was perhaps a stroke of luck that he has sufficient knowledge and understanding of the franchise, Touhou Project to know that it was mainly populated by girls who posed as heroines or enemies.

That meant that he still have a fighting chance if he could only locate one of them for help against this fickle youkai.

It wasn't much of a hope, but he would rather die trying than to wait for help from those two demons.

'…. Such misfortune.'

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It was a while before he saw something other than darkness and the moment he did so, he was blinded by the darkness as he was dumped unceremoniously on the ground, kicking up a storm of dust and leaves as he found himself in the middle of a dark forest.

'…'

Rubbing his head in pain as he got up slowly, checking for any broken bones or injuries, Keima was glad to see that he was more or less intact as he surveyed the area around him before pulling out one of his PFP from one of his hidden pockets to check for damage.

'Whew... it's alright.'

It was fully charged too and Keima found himself optimistic about the odds as he started to survey the area around him which was quite disturbed due to his sudden landing into the place.

'I wonder if Yakumo Yukari is watching me now. If you are, please say something, Yakumo-san.'

Still referring to her politely, Keima was gratified to hear her voice come from nowhere as she explained to him that she would be looking forward to see how he fared in Gensokyo.

'… I trust that you would not harm me just yet... entertainment is important to you, oh great Border Youkai.'

Being a little sarcastic, Keima took opportunity of the pause in her speech, evidently surprised by him knowing her as well and Keima pressed his advantage fully.

'Of course I would have heard of the Border Youkai, the one behind all the spiriting away, Yakumo Yukari, but to think that she herself could have came to approach me is indeed a surprise.'

Keima made himself sound confidence and it was working as Yakumo Yukari herself stepped out of a gap and surveyed him curiously again.

'Who... exactly are you... to have met demons... two very cute ones at that... and for them to be at your beck and call... who... are you?'

Narrowing her eyes as she now seemed to view Keima as a legitimate threat to her and perhaps Gensokyo as well as he merely shrugged and stated his title.

'People call me the Capturing God... is there anything I could be of service to you, Yakumo Yukari?'

Speaking her name confidently while crossing his arm, Keima tried to imagine it was Haqua or Elsi in front of her and not this... This Youkai who might possibly kill him very easily and he was gratified to see her nod her head but then she quickly shook it as well as she seemed more curious than ever.

'No, I don't... and I've never heard of any Capturing God before... but if you really do have demons at your beck and call... perhaps I should kill you instead... you're a dangerous being to leave around Gensokyo...'

Yukari raised her hand and Keima felt his hair stand up at the sudden surge of killing intent but nonetheless he never even flinched, accepting his death as he stared at it straight in the face.

He would live as a God and die as a God, that would suit him just fine!

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'Yakumo Yukari, what are you doing here?'

Hearing a foreign voice call out to her, Katsuragi Keima was taken by surprise when all of a sudden a small doll was tossed in front of the two of them and it exploded the moment it touched the ground, causing Yukari to jump backwards a little as she started at the new comer, another blonde girl, this time dressed in what can only be described as cute lolita fashion complete with a small headdress as she looked at Keima evenly before studying Yukari.

'Up to your old tricks again? I'm sure that Reimu did remind you that you should not harm any humans from beyond the border... especially if you are the one who kidnapped them.'

Speaking in a calm and quiet voice, Keima recognized the girl, she was... known as Alice and one of the more... 'normal' of the bunch of girls that populated the land known as Gensokyo.

'Hmm...'

Watching Yukari considering the situation, Keima was startled when the gap youkai giggled as she remarked at how interesting this has became.

'Alright than, Katsuragi Keima... I shall acknowledge your prowess as a God, if you are really one... and we'll see whether you can get out of this place alive... Alice, if you wish to defend him, you'll have to do better than that...'

The gap youkai laughed before she jumped into a gap and disappeared from sight. With the disappearance of that elder youkai, Alice's shoulders relaxed and she took a deep breath to calm herself down, flicking her hair behind her as she looked at Keima suspiciously.

'You are... Katsuragi Keima, am I right? Who are you... to have Yukari pay so much attention to you... and why did she call you God?'

Keima on the other hand had gotten to his knees and raised a hand up to clasp Alice's hand, causing the seven coloured puppeteer to blush red in shock as she shook her hand away, shocked and stunned at what he was doing as she felt her heart beat faster at being touched by a... human boy like that.

'I apologize for not introducing myself, my name is as what Yukari-san had said, Katsuragi Keima... may I have your name, lady who have saved me?'

He was lying it a bit thick but from his analysis of this girl, from the way she tried to act confident while being really insecure of herself, he would need to pull out all the stops to be chivalrous for her to even notice him in the first place.

Flattery would really work here and Keima was gratified at some success as the girl slowly allowed him to take her hand, which he quickly kissed before letting it go.

'Alice, Margatroid Alice... that is my name, Katsuragi-san.'

She managed to introduce herself as well, a little breathless at his action and it seemed that he had made quite an impression on the first resident of Gensokyo that he had met.

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Now, let the curtain be raised on the story of a life time where we have here:

Friendship

'Thank you for helping me again, Patchouli.'

The black witch smiled at the coughing purple wizard as the shield that she projected over them disappeared and the former laughed when the asthmatic witch mumbled something about how they were friends.

'Yeah, we are friends... and friends help each other... don't they? But you came here, to help Keima too, didn't you?'

The black witch grinned as the other magician looked down before nodding wordlessly as well, holding up her spellbook as she looked at their adversary, smiling at how it was really getting interesting now.

'He helped many of us... and he's different from... others... he's like Reimu...'

'Only he's a guy da ze!'

Marisa laughed at how the moving great library choked and she admitted that she too, found that it was odd defending a boy of all things... but stranger things have happened.

'Well, let's go then!'

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'I said... that I'll help you out, for a while. It'll be payment for helping me with Keine.'

The girl with long white hair grumbled as she summoned a fireball in her hand before throwing it at an offending youkai that happened to poke it's head out of the bushes in sheer bad luck.

'For a while, I said... any more and you'll have to pay interest to me.'

She smirked dangerously as she advanced forward, determined not to let any one, human nor youkai near him without passing through her.

'Now then... time to deal out the punishment!'

Romance

'I... I think I really...'

The silver haired maid looked at herself in the mirror while touching her chest, unsure of the feelings that she was feeling as she studied her face.

It was red and burning up the moment she thought about the strange boy that was their guest for so long... and Izayoi Sakuya realized the simple truth.

She had always been... silently watching him, his every move and his every action and although she clearly stated that she hated him... there was no reason for her to do so in the first place...

'As... he is the first person... to treat me... like a real woman...'

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'Why are you here again?!'

The seven colored puppeteer asked the intruder as he simply shrugged, his features half revealed by the moon light as Alice sat up from her bed.

'W-Were you up all night?'

She answered her own question as she looked at the basin of water and the number of wetwipes that were drying beside the bed and she blushed red, glad that he could not see her blush under the darkness.

'T-Thank you... for doing so much for me...'

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'… S-Stupid... I-I t-thought you didn't need me anymore! W-why did you come back here?!'

The red-white shrine maiden threw herself at the boy that had just 'happened' to pass by with all of her strength and the two of them tumbled down the front steps of the shrine, rolling around in the dirt before the girl managed to be victorious and was able to sit on his chest as she pointed a finger angrily at him.

'D-Don't... you ever expect to leave from here alive if you plan on doing the same thing as last time! Y-You... you...'

'Broke my heart?'

The boy asked at the red-white, who turned as red and white as her name as she hurriedly waved her hands in front of her in protest.

'N-No! W-Why would I feel anything for you?!'''

Drama

'I said that you aren't supposed to go see him again!'

The Scarlet Devil ordered the headmaid before flying off in a huff and the head maid simply acknowledged the order with a single nod. It was like always, she would follow her mistress's orders like always... or... would she?

It was odd how she... detested that order, wanted so much to... just ignore her command and to... talk with him again, about something, anything... about how the world worked over that side... about him, about what... he did and what... he can do for her.

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'Ehh...~'

Looking at the two girls who had crashed landed at the shrine grounds, Moriya Suwako called the resident god to the scene, Yasaka Kanako and the two of them spend several moments poking at the two weird girls who were wearing skull shaped ornaments on their head before they stirred and sat up straight groggily.

'Ah! Y-You're devils!'

One of them shouted while one of the girls blinked in confusion.

'Y-Yes we are... right, Haqua-chan?'

Action

Dodging under the rain of danmaku with ease, the shrine maiden of paradise seemed unstoppable, at least till she sensed the impending trap and she teleported back to where she started from, clicking her tongue at how Yakumo Yukari was playing with her borders as well.

'Fuufuu~ Nice try Reimu, but you have to do MORE than that to get pass me.'

The gap youkai gloated but she paled a little as Reimu pulled out her gohei and chanted, activating a spellcard of her own as colorful orbs surrounded her in a circle, glowing dully but spinning faster as she charged at Yukari herself.

'Well now, let's see who can finish each other first, Yukari! [Spellcard: Fantasy Heaven]!'

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'So... you said that you'll fight for him, eh?'

The elder youkai smiled in amusement at the two demons that had challenged her to a fight, not even knowing what they were getting into and she cackled to herself as she sat on her throne before nodding to their challenge.

'Very well... let me see what you two can do... Two spells. If you survive two spells from me, I'll let you know where he is. Though I'm sure he wouldn't want to leave yet.'

Ignoring the protests from one of the girls, Yakumo Yukari raised her hand and her servant Yakumo Ran appeared briefly before she shot forward as Yukari declared her spellcard: [Shikigami: Yakumo Ran]!

But her eyes did widen in surprise when one of the girls,the one wearing her scythe simply muttered to herself before a spellcard appeared in front of her, floating briefly before she slashed it apart, declaring her spellcard herself.

[New Sanzu: Perfect Score]!

Her scythe glowed with purple power and with a single swift moment, hundreds of circular blades were shot at Ran, causing the fox youkai to divert from her course and to instead try to navigate the maze while from the demon, the purple scarf that she surrounded herself with shot forward as well, splitting about to attack Ran.

'… Hmmm!'

Well well well... who ever expected that?

Family

'In this village, we are one big family together and we stick with each other in time of crisis... why can't we help you when you are in need of help?'

The blue haired woman smiled as she adjusted her hat, offering her hand to the bewildered boy in front of her.

'Yes, I do understand that by harbouring you I might be in the receiving end of Yukari's wrath... but I've decided a long time ago to help all the humans in the village and there is no reason for me to break the promise now.'

She smiled happily as she once again gestured to the boy who seemed a little less apprehensive at accepting help from this weird, motherly figure in front of him.

'Now let's go, shall we? I'll introduce you to everyone!'

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'We have to go, Haqua-chan. We just have to. He's my brother!'

The younger devil pleaded at the older one, who seemed a little nervous at their prospects in dealing with such a monster but the incessant pleading was slowly making it difficult for her to concentrate on her research.

'A-Alright, alright! We'll be going soon! just let me finish my research! Geez!'

Snapping at her after her patience finally snapped, the other demon added on in a small voice.

'I... I never said that we'll never go and save him... just that it's suicide if we go without being prepared...'

Heartbreak

'Why?! W-Why must you go?! D-didn't you say that you'll be here for me?'

It was not the first time that he had heard the question proposed and demanded from him and it wasn't the last time that he would say the same words.

'I'll always be there for you, in your heart. I'll be the person that you imagine pushing you forward, the person who cares deeply for you even if no one seems to, the person who would do anything just to see you smile in the darkest of your days... but I'll never be the one that would be walking with you in the rest of the way... I know...'

The boy stopped briefly as he slowly eased the girl's hands from him as he smiled reassuringly and confidently.

'That it's difficult to move on after you seemed to have gotten something precious... but I'm sure that you'll catch up with me... one day.'

And with that, the boy was gone, as if he never existed there and the girl was once again left alone, no, never alone, she will never be alone if she believed in him.

'T-Then...w-would you be there... when I need you the most... again?'

She sobbed weakly and for a brief moment, one small heartbeat that was gone as soon as she felt it, she swore that she felt someone ran a hand through her hair and whisper: 'Of course I will.'

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All this and more, in the next instalment of: Border Capture.

Disclaimer: In no circumstances will the author be held responsible for any false promises or any disappointment created by the trailer above.

Authors Notes: Treat the above disclaimer as well as the status of this story seriously. There isn't any plans for me to take this project up as it's Kaiser Dude's plot bunny, but this is for him! So I'll update this whenever he starts on it. No point rushing him on it, okay?

That said, R&R and responses would be nice, it won't be just encouraging me, it'll be encouraging him as well!