An invitation to Gensokyo

Chalter 11: Hakkero Buster Cannon

The blast from the master spark blew away most of the forest, along with Nitori, who shrieked as she fell into the ravine. Ran held Chen close to make sure the same thing didn't happen to her, while Yukari simply continued to watch. The dust settled, and there was no sign that Ryusashi was able to escape in time. Marisa let out a hearty laugh. "Ha! See? What's I tell ya? My victory was assured from the beginning! Not even a spec of him left!" She said as she continued laughing. Ran fell onto her knees, a single teardrop went down her cheek. "Ryusashi..." she said quietly to herself and Chen began to cry. "Does this mean I have to eat more mushrooms?" Chen ask sadly, but Yukari just smiled and pat her head. "Of course not, the fight's not over just yet you know." She declared. Ran, Chen, and Marisa looked at her, puzzled. "Huh? What do you mean it's not over yet? He's gone! Not even dust is left! My Master Spark totally incinerated him!" She yelled confidently, Yukari just smirked at her a little. "Oh? You're one hundred percent sure about that? I most certainly would have stepped in if you had put his life in any real danger, but I didn't." She said, hiding her mouth behind her fan. Marisa began to scan the area frantically, thinking the next shot would come form somewhere she didn't expect. After a couple minutes, Nitori had managed to climb out of the wall of the ravine, noticing something falling from the sky. "What's that up there?" She said, and everyone looked up. Marisa had to block the Sunlight from getting into her eyes, but she could make out a tiny black dot in it's centre. "There's no way... there's just no friggin way!" Marisa said, realizing what Yukari had meant. Yukari laughed loudly. "It was a stupidly risky move, but it certainly looks like it's paid off!" She said happily. Ran's eyes widened as she realized what happened, and Chen smiled. "It's him, lady Ran! Ryu's all the way up there!" She cheered, and Marisa's jaw dropped. "How in the hell did you get up there?!" She screamed, making Yukari laugh even harder. "You! You helped him, didn't you?! That's cheap! Marisa said accusingly, but Yukari simply shook her head. "Me? Oh no, I had nothing to do with this. In fact, it was the force behind YOUR master spark that sent him flying that high. Anyone could've figure that out." Yukari explained, but Marisa just shrugged it off. "Whatever, he's in an even worse position than he was in before. He can't fly, so he's totally exposed up there." She said confidently before firing another Master Spark at him. Yukari smirked. "I'm sure that this is all part of your plan, Takano-kun. Don't disappoint me!" She thought to herself.

However... Ryusashi didn't plan any of this. It was by sheer coincidence that the Master Spark threw him so high into the air. The wind rushed past his ears as he came falling down, waking him up. He went to sit up, but he wasn't laying on anything and only managed to flip himself forward. He flailed his arms, attempting to gain some sort of control over his decent before noticing the ever quickly approaching beam from Marisa's Master Spark. He looked around himself quickly, his Hakkero Gun was not too far away from him, but just barely out of reach. He began breathing heavily, at that height, the atmosphere was too thin to breathe in any air. Ryusashi air-swam to reach the gun, and grabbed onto it. He took aim, but he couldn't hold the gun steady. His vision began to blur as his lungs burned, screaming for air. He was on the verge of blacking out, but he knew that if he did, he would be disintegrated. He tried his hardest to stay awake, but he couldn't. His eyelids were getting heavier and heavier, until he couldn't keep them open anymore. Everything had gone black. Ryusashi was practically dead already, and he came to accept it. "RYUSASHI!ITS MUCH TOO SOON TO GIVE UP!" A voice boomed in the back of his mind, forcing his eyes open. In front of him, stood a man, holding a large wooden training sword. And in front of him, a small child who also held a wooden sword, with small tears in his eyes. "That's... me." Ryusashi thought to himself as he looked down at the bruised boy who was propping himself up on his wooden sword. "Master Sanger... I just can't do it!" The young Ryusashi said before falling onto his knees, sobbing in frustration. Sanger was Ryusashi's old fencing instructor, a man with a strong sense of Justice and righteousness. He was always an inspiration for Ryusashi in his younger years. "Ryusashi! You're unable to use this technique now, so you must hone yourself until you are able to!" Sanger said with an angry sounding voice, even though that is not what he means, it's just a normal tone for him. "Even if you say that, how can I get better at something I can't do?!" Ryusashi said through his sobbing. Sanger walked up to him, and placed his hand on Ryusashi's shoulder. "Listen to me, young lad. There will come a time in your life where you find something you believe in. It might not be today, or tomorrow, or even this year. But even so! You must be ready to take up your blade, and fight for what you believe! With your life on the line!" Sanger told him, encouragingly, and Ryusashi's tears stopped. "So when that time comes, you will have to be ready, do you understand?" Sanger continued, and Ryusashi nodded with a smile, wiping the tears from his eyes. He then went to continue swinging his sword at the wooden training post as the real Ryusashi stood beside his old master. "I'd hope you haven't forgotten my teachings, young lad." Sanger said, turning to Ryusashi. He was shocked, he thought this was some kind of afterlife. "I... of course not, Master Sanger." Ryusashi replied nervously, and Sanger smiled at him. "Well, why are you wasting your time here? You've found what you believe in, haven't you?" Sanger said, looking directly into his eyes. "What you believe in, doesn't have to be an idea, or an object." Sanger placed his hand on Ryusashi's shoulder, and pointed over the horizon. "Your belief could lie with someone whom you care deeply for." His finger pointed a white robbed figure. A woman with short blonde hair and nine fluffy tails. A woman who Ryusashi thought he would only meet in his dreams. She turned and smiled at him, before fading away as she walked over the horizon. "So, Ryusashi. Are you willing to fight for her?" Sanger asked, Ryusashi clenched his fist and nodded. Sanger chuckled. "Then stop wasting your time here, and return to her. She's waiting for you."