"Who are you? An intruder?" Patchouli exclaimed, taking a step back as books materialized in the air around her.
"Wait, Lady Patchouli! It's me, Shun!"
"Tsk, I don't know who you are, human... or are you even human yourself?" Patchouli raised her left arm, commanding the books to unleash laser beams and bullets.
Thinking quickly, I deflected the bullets with my swords and swiftly dodged the laser beams. I closed the distance between us, my dual swords ready for action. With a swift swing, I created three slashes, summoning small red slashes that moved toward Patchouli.
"Hmph, you've underestimated me," Patchouli sneered, taking a step back and materializing even more lasers and bullets.
"She's fast!?" I needed to be cautious...!
I dodged the lasers with nimble footwork and managed to avoid most of them, although a few bullets grazed me, causing sharp pain.
"Hmph, how naive..." Patchouli smirked summoning a red orb covered in blue lava. ("Sun Sign: Heat Wave Flare!")
The blue orb multiplied, spreading throughout the library. I deftly dodged the orbs, but the sudden change caught me off guard, and I was grazed by a laser wave.
I immediately stepped back and began running around the library, trying to evade Patchouli's attacks.
"Hmph, running around like a mouse... Fine, let's see if you can survive this!" Patchouli says casting her spell. Tridents materialized from the air, forming a dragon head with a trident body, and they started hovering towards me.
I managed to dodge the first trident, but to my surprise, it followed my movements. "This isn't the Patchouli I know! Is this some kind of joke?" I gritted my teeth, my blood sword glowing with intensity. With a swift motion, I created slicing projectiles to counter the dragon tridents.
"God, I'm already tired!" I muttered to myself, realizing that Patchouli was catching up.
"Interesting... Very well, human... Goodbye." Patchouli aimed her palms at me as the books around her began to glow.
"Damn, it... If this is a joke, I'll gladly give you one in return!" (Sword Sign: "Whispering Slashes.") In an instant, I disappeared from her view, leaving her momentarily confused.
"Where did he go!?"
"Above you!" I shouted, attempting to plunge her to the ground with a swift attack.
"It's a mistake to tell me where you're going!" Patchouli retaliated, pointing her arm upwards and firing lasers from above.
Once again, I disappeared from her line of sight.
"He disappeared!?"
I reappeared behind her, slicing her back with a swift cut.
"Urgk!" Patchouli vanished momentarily before reappearing on the ground, kneeling. "Hahh... Who are you..."
I landed on the ground, pointing my blade at her. "My name is Shun, the butler of the Scarlet Devil Mansion."
"...Lies... We don't remember hiring a butler like you!"
"Hahh... I see... How about we take a break for a moment?" I suggested, sensing her fatigue.
Patchouli glared at me but nodded in agreement.
"Good..."
"Are you perhaps... from another world?" Patchouli questioned, her gaze piercing.
"Another... Wait..." My mind flickered as I remembered a book I had read about different worlds. "Could it be... another Gensokyo?" I looked at Patchouli, realizing that she was different from the Patchouli I knew.
"Another... Wait..." My mind flickered as I noticed Patchouli's attire. Her hair was red, and she wore red pajama-like clothing with a black nightcap adorned with a crimson crescent moon.
"Hm? What's going on here?" a voice came from behind me.
I immediately turned around and my eyes widened in surprise. Sakuya stood before me, but her maid outfit was different. She wore a red and black ensemble with a black apron, short sleeves, and a white ribbon.
"Sakuya...?!"