Death Dance (1)

It had been a day since the intense fight with Lady Flandre of this world. I was now under Reimu's protection, and any fairy foolish enough to pick a fight with me ended up sliced in half.

It was a disturbing sight, but at least fairies were immortal and would eventually regenerate.

As I continued my stay in this unfamiliar Gensokyo, it became increasingly clear that finding my way back home was not going to be easy. I sighed as I wandered around the garden, feeling a sense of restlessness and longing to return to my own world.

The garden itself was far from pleasant, as it was filled with thorn-covered black roses, giving it an eerie and unwelcoming atmosphere. "Unpleasant..."

"What are you doing here, Human?"

I immediately turned to the voice and saw Lady Remilia approaching me with a mischievous smile.

"Milady... No, I mean... Remilia," I stammered

Her eyes widened with amusement. "Fufufu~ Homesick, are we?~" she teased.

I looked away, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I guess," I replied, trying not to show too much vulnerability.

Remilia chuckled softly, her crimson eyes studying me with curiosity. "Gensokyo can be quite overwhelming for newcomers. But don't worry, you'll get used to it eventually," she reassured me.

"Thank you, but this Gensokyo is different."

Remilia chuckled again, her eyes glinting with curiosity. "Fufufu~ Interesting... I heard you fought my little sister."

"Almost died," I admitted, recalling the intense battle with Flandre.

She laughed, her amusement evident. "Of course~ No human would've survived her except Reimu and Marisa."

"Speaking of Marisa... where is she?"

"Who knows?~" Remilia replied with a shrug.

The two of us fell into thoughtful silence for a moment, and then Remilia spoke again. "Human... How about we duel our swordsmanship here."

I turned to her, only to realize she was already far away from me. "Since when did she...?" I thought to myself.

"If you win, I'll give you something that you might need for yourself. But if you lose... you will stay here and serve me as your butler," she proposed with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Despite knowing that I was no match for Lady Remilia's power, I couldn't let this opportunity slip away.

As I hesitated, thoughts of what would have happened if Reimu hadn't saved me from Flandre flooded my mind.

I would likely have been chopped to death or burned to ashes. But now, facing another powerful opponent, I had to make a stand.

I also don't want to remain weak... always fainting mid-battle... thinking about it, I feel like a disgrace as a butler.

I reached into my pocket and retrieved my crimson crystal and the youkai steel blade. I used the edge of the sharp crimson crystal to draw blood from my thumb.

The crystal absorbed the blood and transformed it into a crimson sword.

Remilia grinned, unfazed by my actions, as she swiped the air, conjuring a spear made of black flames. "Are you ready, human?"

I nodded, "As ready as I'll ever be."

With that, our intense duel resumed. Remilia moved with grace and precision, while I focused on channeling the power of the crimson sword. I aimed to create openings in her defense and find opportunities to strike.

We clashed, our swords meeting in a flurry of sparks. The power of her black flame spear was overwhelming, but I refused to back down. I dodged and weaved, countering her attacks whenever I could.

Remilia's grin widened, clearly enjoying the challenge I presented. "You're quite tenacious, I'll give you that."

As our intense battle raged on, I couldn't help but feel frustrated by Remilia's seemingly lackadaisical attitude. "You're not taking this seriously."

"Oh? Observant~" she replied, raising her spear as black flames of spears materialized in the air. She pointed the spear at me, and the black flames began to converge and shoot towards me with deadly precision.

I did my best to block and parry them, but a few managed to graze me, causing me to step back in pain.

She chuckled, unscathed by my glare. "If I took this seriously, you would've already died," she said, her voice tinged with arrogance. Without warning, she appeared behind me, delivering a powerful kick to my back.

As I turned around to face her, she sliced my front with her spear, drawing blood.

"Argh!" I winced in pain, clutching my wounded back. I immediately dash back (Blood Sign: Tendril Chains!)

Chains made of flowing blood emerged from the ground, tracking and pursuing Remilia's movements.

"Interesting," Remilia remarked, gracefully evading the tendrils as she flew upwards. She then snapped her fingers, and everything around us went black and white.

My whole sight turned red, and I suddenly noticed claw projectiles covered with black flames hovering toward me.

Reacting quickly, I dodged the incoming claws with all my might. My crimson sword shone brightly as I channeled my energy.

(Blood Sword: Crimson Tempest) With a single sweeping motion, an enormous shockwave of crimson energy resembling a sword slash erupted from my blade.

The tempest cut through the air, creating a devastating force that engulfed everything in its path toward Remilia.

She managed to avoid some of the energy, but the shockwave still grazed her, causing her to stagger back.

She chuckled seemingly impressed. "You're not as weak as I thought."

"Because... I won't lose."

"Good. Then let's continue."