The Search for Shrooms - a Touhou Project Fanfiction

Chapter 5

      After helping Reimu with sweeping the floor and emptying a bottle of sake, Marisa headed straight for the Kourindou. The moment she entered the cluttered shop ,she noticed the head maid of the vampire. "So me and Alice aren't the only ones interested in the shroom incident" - she thought. This was important as she learned that this fungus grew in the mansion's basement. After a quick exchange of words, the devil's dog left Marisa and Rinnosuke alone. 
- So ya know nothing? - Asked Marisa.
- Unfortunately not... Or maybe it's actually good that I don't know a lot. I mean ,why would I want my perfectly fine, peaceful life dragged into some kind of incident?
- Well, that may be smart. But resolving those is, well... Important for maintaining Gensokyou's balance and barrier. It's also a load of fun and great practice for my spells. And someone's gotta be the best incident resolver! 
- What about Reimu?
- She doesn't seem to be interested in this... Or she tries to keep everything for herself. Probably the second one ze...
- Anyways, sorry for not being much of a help, but I need to keep the store running. Also I have some shroom weeding to do in the back there.
- Well, ok. And I learned quite a lot here. Now I know that they grow near the outside world's stuff  and the folks of that misty mansion are onto something.
- So what is your plan for now?
- I'm going to attend a party. Devils' party. There must be something there. I can sense it.
- So, good luck them.
- Thanks. Good luck with those shrooms back there, ze!
- Thanks...
         Reimu was there too. Marisa happily mingled with her after she overheard a conversation between her and Sakuya. Both of them noticed something weird about the way Remilia dazzled everyone with the presentation of her sister. On her way to the mansion, she also saw Alice acting pretty strange. She was preparing her dolls near the venue but didn't actually take part in the event. The Ordinary Magician played the role of generic guest perfectly. Mainly, because she had a lot of fun. And then, when the party's end was drawing near, she sprung into action. She noticed the disappearance of the maid halfway through the event and she was not the only one. The red-white miko rushed back to her shrine. "Did she notice something?" - wondered Marisa, as she started to bring her plan to life. When the rest of the guests were leaving, she sneaked up into the great library. There she was. The not-invited purple witch. If Marisa remebered corretly, she was supposed to be doing research on the issue of the shrooms here, in the mansion.
- Hey, thief rat. You should leave now like the rest of the participants.
~ The sorcerer of weekly elements - Patchouli Knowledge
- You're not the only one who practices spells. My new way of combining elements and the research of magic with the forces of nature.... Now I have enough power to stop you from trying to take all the findings of that blue-capped fungus for yourself! Isn't that right, Koakuma?
A red haired demon with black wings emerged from behind the bookshelves.
~ The devil's apprentice - Koakuma
- Of course, Patchouri-sama. 
- Two versus one?! How is that fair?! - exclaimed Marisa.
- We're not going to do anything that will violate the spell card rules but Remi is busy now and I can't have you ruining our plan.
- I will not surrender! - shouted Marisa eagerly, like a dragon transforming princess or prince with strange familly issues - I defeated both of you once, will do it twice!
- And not alone! 
A thousands of dolls came out of their hiding. As Marisa was indulging Patchouli in the convesation, Alice had been placing her dolls in the area.
- Now, how's that for a strategy? - asked the dolls' handler, sarcastically, if it wasn't obvious enough.
- Hmph. You exceeded my expectations - neighed the purple librarian - Now, Koakuma! Be ready!
- Yes, master Patchouri - said the redhead and smirked.
Danmaku flew between the bookshelves. The violet hag whispered an incantation and the blond witch on a broom was enfolded with dark blue coat of light and magic walls. The books, the furniture disappeared. It was only her and Patchouli. A lot of sigils and orbs appeared, as of nowhere and then the duel began. Stars and bullets. Lasers and beams. Marisa swiftly doged a couple of balls of fire and took aim. A quick turn and Marisa fired her lasers. A spell card battle to behold. Bewitching and colourful stars cloaked in the veil of magic were shoot. Patchouli dodged some of them but she wasn't in condition to deal with all of it by dodging, so she summoned a dazzling whirlpool of water which trapped the other witch's attack in floating barrages which then she further transformed into her own danmaku and fired back at her opponent. Meanwhile Koakuma summoned books to her aid. Some of them opened and sprout out some kind of magic tentacles and orbs. Alice dealt with this spell quite easily with her formerly placed dolls. Red beams of energy and bullets of destructive magic flew towards the little devil. She couldn't handle Alice's dolls but she needn't do that. Alice may have disspelled Koakuma's attack easliy but it was just a cover up for the other completily different attack. Other books, now not protected by the first spell, coated themselves in darkness, grew fangs and sprung into Alice. Was it enough to beat her? No. She was ready. She studied magic for a long time. A simple spell and... Thr dolls suddenly appeard around their owner. Were they invisible? Or maybe it was some kind of magic cloak? Nonetheless, it was enough to beat the accursed books. Alice had a clear view of Koakuma but instead of focusing on her, she used her dolls to perform a spread attack. She knew Koakuma was anticipating something. So instead of doing the obvious, she thought of something else. Of course, that redhead was fine but what she didn't think about, was what happened behind her. The puppeteer  used her spell card on Patchouli's barrage dealing with it once and for all. It revealed Marisa avoiding bullets and flying between springing spikes. At first Patchouli didn't bother with that and tried to dodge and protect herself from Marisa's attack and then it hit her. Marisa wasn't aiming for her. Kakuma was too busy with Alice and didn't see that coming. She was down. If Marisa was really trying to take down Koakuma, then Alice... The great unmoving librarian turned quickly and focused. One of her strongest spells.
- Royal Flare! - she exclaimed but that wasn't everything. She combined the sun spell with water element. That some really powerful danmaku. Alice pulled her dolls and instead of using spells she tried her best to dodge it. 
- Master Spark! - a powerful shout was heard. Patchouli was stunned and Alice just smiled and used her most basic nonspell. 
The spell card broke.
Alice and Marisa were victorious. Koakuma and Patchouli were laying on the floor, defeated.
- Well... I will question them now, Marisa - said Alice.
- Why you?
- You're not interested in that commotion beyond that door? - The fellow magician pointed at the door leading to the main hall.
- Hmm... - Marisa thought for a while and then walked towards the grand doorway. She opened the way and dust from the library blew into the other room. There, she saw Reimu and Remilia. Clearly after a fight. And, obviously, Reimu came out victorious.