Chapter 6: Remote Sacrifice
“Danmaku is about speed, huh?” My philosophy on spell card battles always was that the most strategic one would win. But what use is strategy if I don’t even have time to execute my plans? I did have something that I had been working on in this respect for some time now. However, it was far from completion, and I was still tweaking the mechanics of it.
“It’s not even a spell card! If I were to use that in battle I would certainly win, even if it is a bit dangerous.” A bad habit of mine was that I would always think out loud. If anyone had been in my house at this time, surely they would label me insane and send me to see a psychiatrist. Luckily for me, the only one to hear my crazy ranting was Shanghai.
I decided I would need a second opinion on the matter, so I called my good friend Aya over. Within a few minutes, she came barging in with that annoying way she addresses everyone; by their last name. “Ello Margatroid! What’s up?”
“Would it kill you to knock first?” I told her angrily.
“Well why did you call me over? Got a scoop for the Bunbunmaru?” Aya said with anticipation.
“Not everything in life is a story Aya.”
“Not unless you make it one!”
I realized the uselessness in arguing with her and just got to the point. “Aya, I just need a second opinion.”
“Alright.” She said with dying enthusiasm.
I grabbed my doll and we headed into the Forest of Magic. The Forest of Magic was filled a vast number of trees, which blocked most of the sunlight. This made it a haven for youkai to lurk, but they were the least of my worries.
After approximately ten minutes of wandering around, Aya entered the shoes of a kid sitting at the back of a car. “Are we there yet?”
I sighed and told her that we were looking for a relatively empty area.
“But we’re in the middle of nowhere!” Aya complained constantly until I finally snapped.
“That’s the point!” I retorted. “This spot is good enough.”
“What is it that you want to show me which requires calling me over during the weekend and walking to an entirely desolate location for almost half an hour?!” Her temper was at its limit.
“It isn’t completely desolate, with the trees and all, but I suppose that won’t be the case in a moment’s time.” I had Goosebumps while saying that, realizing that it might actually be true.
“What are you talking about Alice? Spill it already!” Aya always addressed me by first name when she was the one being annoyed as opposed to her being the annoying one.
“This.” I showed her the doll that I had lugged around all this time. On the surface, it was just another generic doll that I made. The mechanics inside however, are a tale for another day.
“A doll?” Aya inquired. “I’ve known you for quite some time; it’s not like that’s an uncommon sight.” As I’ve mentioned before, Aya was one of my oldest friends. I knew her ever since elementary school, when I first moved here from Makai.
“Aya, you told me danmaku was about speed. Well, I decided to consider that maxim. I want you to be my test subject. After all, you’re the fastest-”
“Fastest in Moriya High,” she intervened. “Margatroid, hit me with anything you got! I’ll graze it to Youkai Mountain and back! Whenever you’re ready!”
I was glad that her enthusiasm had returned. Even though I knew Aya was fast, I was still hesitant she might not be able to handle what was in store. Putting that doubt aside, I pulled the string on the doll. Instantly, an orange-yellow laser fired forward. Aya barely grazed it, her clothes slightly ruined.
“Wow,” was all she could say while still dazzled at what had just happened. “Are you trying to kill me?”
“Of course not,” I defended. “I know you’re fast enough.”
I observed the surroundings and assured that my hypothesis was correct. Everything in the path of the attack had been vaporized; there wasn’t a trace of the trees, vegetation, or anything else. I went to examine the damages to my doll and noticed that only ashes had remained.
“Margatroid, what in Gensokyo was that?!” She asked in awe.
Realizing that Aya was not the brightest pea in the pod, so I explained the mechanics in terms she could comprehend.
“I stored powerful magic in the doll. I then enchanted it with a seal to prevent it from activating prematurely. The string that I pulled broke that seal, and the magic that was trapped inside gets released with an incredible force. The end result is what you just witnesses with your own two eyes. It is the Remote Sacrifice. My inspiration comes from Marisa’s Master Spark.”
“I rather endure the full blast of a Master Spark than try and dodge that again; it was seriously too close. If you want a second opinion on this matter, for that was the reason you called me here, I highly recommend never, ever, using it again! You could seriously hurt someone!”
I had been thinking of the dangers of my Remote Sacrifice way before this lecture from Aya, and I would have to agree with what she said.
“I’ll pick my opponents carefully,” was all I said.
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