Rainstorms (open)

[recon5]

Hoshigaru could understand how the new Youkai might be feeling. The love of travel wasn't a gift that all beings had and even deities with ample worshipers tended to stay put rather than moving from place to place (except for the goddesses of travel, but those had to move as part of their divine duties). He considered using his powers to make the dissenters feel like staying but he was sure that the older ones would sense it. Better to wait until they were settled before trying anything supernatural.

He looked at the elder. "Take your time. The night is young and while the chief servant comes out early she is still human and will need to sleep til daybreak like the rest of them. If either of the mistresses appears I should be able to deal with her. I would not like to cause a schism if it can be avoided."

[Augen]

"Thank you kind sir," the elder said, bowing respectfully. "I regret to say, though, that we must return to the lake for now. Much effort doth be needed to change yon minds of my brethren. Until then we bid ye farewell, 'til the sun dawns the horizon once more." And with that he and all of the other sealmen pulled their skins over their bodies and zipped them up before returning to the water.

[recon5]

Well, thought Hoshigaru, I guess I'd better get started. He cast his powers over the area, being careful to avoid the Scarlet Devil Mansion itself. This time he removed the desire for food as that was what drove most creatures during the night. Only the most powerful or the most determined of beasts would be able to fight off his control and that meant fewer threats to deal with. He wasn't as concerned about the strength of the enemy as he was about their number as a large group of weak opponents was more likely to get some of its members past him.

A while later he picked up the first signs of movement in the distance and unfortunately for him it was the kind of threat he'd been dreading. It was a pack of Youkai wolves, each as large as an adult human. Chances were that only the Alpha had managed to withstand Hoshigaru's powers but that didn't reduce the threat as all wolf packs answered only to their Alpha. He counted off twenty pairs of eyes glowing red in the darkness and knew he had to act immediately. Gritting his teeth, he went down on one knee and sprinted towards the wolves at a speed no other Youkai could match on foot.

Get the leader first. Get the leader first. Get the leader first...

About twenty paces from the nearest wolf Hoshigaru rammed his heels into the ground and dragged his axe through it in a wide arc. The move sent a massive wave of earth and rock over the wolves, scattering most of them, but two of their largest broke through and sank their teeth into the Youkai's shoulders. His skin was too thick and hard for them to draw blood but their weight sent him off balance and he crashed into the ground.

Shaking his attackers off was simple enough but as he got up he found himself surrounded. The wolf Alpha glared at him for a moment before raising its head with a blood-curdling howl. Calling for backup, Hoshigaru thought as he gritted his teeth and crouched, preparing to attack again. The only comfort he could take from the situation was the fact that the wolves were focused on him and not on the lake.

[Augen]

"Illusion sign... Synhar," a voice from the shores exclaimed, calling upon a platoon of ghostly figures to fly torwards the attacking wolves. And along with these ghostly figures charged the girl who had summoned them, leaping at some of the wolves surrounding Hoshigaru and swiping her oar across their heads. "Wargs, eh? I am familiar with their kind... Hope you don't mind the assistance," she said, jumping back and landing in a combat-ready stance.

[recon5]

Spellcards again. Why does everyone have them nowadays? Help was help, though, so Hoshigaru resolved to make the most of it. He briefly grinned in response to the girl's statement. "Do I look like I can refuse?"

The ethereal army had managed to confuse the wolves for a bit and some fled while others began snapping at the apparitions. Hoshigaru locked his gaze on the pack Alpha and barreled towards it, effortlessly swiping two befuddled wolves out of his way as he went. Soon he was a hairsbreadth away from the leader's muzzle and he raised his axe for a killing blow... then something unexpected happened.

The big wolf jumped into his face, dug its claws into his shoulders and kicked off his chest, knocking him back onto the ground while it did a clean flip over him. As he fell, he caught a glimpse of the beast's maw opening wide as blue-white energy began to gather in its throat. He barely managed to roll to the side as a phenomenal torrent of magic poured from the wolf's mouth, cratering the ground with a blast that threw both of them some distance from each other. By chance each landed feet- first and they both dropped into combat stances immediately, the surrounding battle seeming to fade away as they warily eyed each other.

Hoshigaru decided to make the first move and took off towards his opponent again. True to form the beast pounced as he was near enough but this time he dived to the ground and it passed over him. He lashed out with the stiffened fingers of his left hand and felt both bones and flesh give way as they dug into the wolf's chest.

It's over, he thought.

He was wrong. As he got up he saw that new wolves had arrived. Worse still, while it was weakened the old Alpha was far from dead and even with the gaping hole in its ribcage the wily beast managed to rally its allies with a howl. Thirty five wolves now faced them, with any losses the first pack had suffered being replaced by fresh comrades all hungry for meat.

It was going to be a long night.

[Augen]

"Dammit... There's too many of them," Vandater said, having lost some of her Synhar. "Maybe these wolves need a little morale boost," she said, charging torwards the leader and swinging her oar across any wolves that might be on the way. "Taste my savage fury," she yelled, leaping into the air and attempting to deliver a downward kick onto the alpha's skull.

[recon5]

The old beast saw Vandater coming but exhaustion and the pain of its wound kept it from simply jumping to the side. Weakly it looked up and growled at its attacker, baring its teeth in defiance and arcing its back for as much of a counterattack as it could muster. The wolf was determined to defy death until the very end.

For the pack.

It was not to be, however. One of the newcomers barreled into the Alpha and knocked it aside, an act that resulted in sacrifice as Vandater's foot crushed the smaller wolf's abdomen. As the injured leader landed and struggled to pull itself upright the largest of the new wolves leaped in front of it and took command of the extended pack with a few crisp barks. Its wounded rival gave a weak whine of protest but was silenced with a glare. At the new leader's command, the next four largest newcomers interposed themselves between it and Vandater and began bombarding her with their crude magic blasts. Other wolves ran to either side of her, attempting to flank her or to attack her from behind.

The new Alpha was bent on winning this fight. A victory would gain it the acknowledgment of its rival's subordinates and thus add a large number of able hunters to its pack. The old Alpha would be forced to aid the transition if it wanted to survive, perhaps with an open display of submission. All gain and no loss, or so the new leader thought.

----

Hoshigaru was suddenly out of the spotlight but he had other problems. Some wolves from the first pack were hitting him with everything they had, almost as if in retribution for their leader's defeat, and he had his hands full trying to keep from getting hit by their bodies and their shots. In the heat of battle he failed to notice two of the wolves' magic shots blending with each other and when he slashed the resulting energy ball it exploded with a massive blue-white flash.

This time he managed to keep himself upright and by a further stroke of luck he spotted one of his attackers flying past at arm's reach, having been thrown towards him by the explosion. He grabbed it by the scruff and hurled it back into the light, being rewarded with a meaty thump and a chorus of yelps. His view cleared soon after and he saw that his projectile was dead along with two other wolves that had gotten in its way. The unlikelihood of the result amused him and he found himself grinning even as he prepared to face the next round of attacks.

[Augen]

Vandater was caught off guard. She had no time to dodge the wolves' energy blasts... So instead she decided to deflect them. She spun her oar in front of her, sending a couple of blasts back at the wolves before a blast knocked the oar out of her arm, another one took out some flesh from her forearm and the side of her torso, and another hit her square in the stomach and sent her flying backwards about 20 feet closer to the water.
Coughing up some blood, she slowly stumbled to her feet and began limping torwards the the water. "Heheh, come and get me now," she called out torwards the wolves, holding her side where the blast had damaged her. "I'll show you... Come at me! All of you!"

[recon5]

This was it. This was the moment that the usurper had been waiting for. The prey that had overwhelmed its rival was now weakened and one more attack would bring the creature down, cementing the new Alpha's position as the head of a vastly enlarged pack. With a triumphant howl it began to run towards Vandater and its minions fell in behind it, a bestial cavalry charge whose footsteps echoed in the night.

----

Hoshigaru's heart sank as he looked up from his own fight and saw the flood of lupine shadows thundering towards the lake. He had failed to protect the newcomers and every one of their deaths would weigh on his conscience for a while. His mind raced as he tried to plan a response and his confusion made him vulnerable. Magic blasts scorched his hide and his clothes, then muscular bodies rammed into his own and took him down beneath them. Claws and teeth raked his skin and even though each wolf was easy to pry off a new one latched on every time.

The Youkai soon decided that he could think no further. He had to pull out his trump card now if he wanted to turn the tide. With a sudden surge of strength he literally burst out of the wolf-pile, scattering bits of his attackers over the ground. As he landed he drew magic power into his axe, causing it to glow with a reddish light.

Moments later, he swung his weapon and a vast wave of magic coursed from it, growing as it went until it seemed like it could encompass the whole Scarlet Devil Mansion... but it hadn't been aimed at the building. Instead, it sliced across the wolves' ranks even as their new Alpha prepared to pounce on its quarry, obliterating the rear third of the pack. The survivors were dazzled and even their leader stopped in its tracks and turned to look at the devastation. Unfortunately, it realized soon enough that it still had most of its subordinates and it barked at them to get back in line. The pack surged towards Vandater with a new resolve. Nearer and nearer they drew to the lake's edge.

Hoshigaru had failed. He had given everything he had but it hadn't been enough, and now he had nothing left to give. His sealed body couldn't produce that kind of magical power repeatedly and the attack had sapped all his strength. Wearily he sank to his knees and he decided that he would at least give the newcomers the honor of watching and remembering their deaths.

Then he would sleep as much as the nightmares allowed, and hope to do a better job with the next band of visitors.

[Augen]

Panting, Vandater dashed into the lake, so that the water was about waist-high where she was. She looked back to see a big chunk of the hind ranks obliterated, but the rest still charged right at her. And as they drew closer, she waitied for their bodies to reach the shallows of the lake... And when they did, Vandater laughed quietly to herself. "Heheh... Idiots... Illusion sign, VATERVARD," she yelled, before dashing under the water, leaving the wolves completely lost with no sense of direction. All they could see now was endless water.

Vandater surfaced at the shore and retrieved her oar before walking torwards Hoshigaru. "Hey... Are you alright," she asked, obviously quite wounded herself. "I set up an illusion... Now's our chance to take 'em out."

[recon5]

Now Hoshigaru was as confused as he was tired but he allowed himself to smile as relief flooded his soul. Somehow the girl had managed to turn the tide and the wolves were foundering helplessly in an expanse of water that seemed both real and unreal at the same time.

"No." he replied, digging the head of his axe into the ground and pushing on it to raise his tired body. "You take them out. I see that my worries were unfounded, more so if all of your people have such power. I myself am spent so I will wait here and watch you finish the battle. You deserve it more than I do and besides, it doesn't look as if you will have much trouble."

With some effort he managed to seat himself comfortably and he breathed deeply, feeling his strength start to return. He was covered with scratches and bite marks but thanks to his tough skin he didn't have anything near the kind of wounds Vandater displayed. However, he was also completely exhausted after using his strongest attack and he was in no condition to fight anything.

[Augen]

"Heh... Thanks... I'll take care of them... But I couldn't have beaten them without you," she said, giving the Hoshigaru a thumbs-up before turning and walking back torwards the water. "Heheh... Water sign, Helvetevinka," she said, before stepping back into the illusion field and into the wolves' view. "Here I am," she said, spinning her oar and getting into a combat stance, mostly to divert the beasts' attention from the oncoming wave. "Let's finish this."

[recon5]

Vandater's distraction wasn't necessary as the wolves were completely taken in by her illusion, some of them even beginning to drown when the wave hit. Their frenzied yelps died in the crash of falling water and soon the lake had a color matching its name.

Hoshigaru had regained enough strength to sit upright without leaning on his axe and he watched the massacre intently. Once again he was impressed by just how much power a simple card could produce. The system seemed to have made the beings in Gensokyo much stronger than they had been in his day, back when they simply used their magic at will.

A soft clapping caught his attention and he turned to see a girl standing beside him, dressed in a loose pink nightgown with a matching hat. She was the Scarlet Devil Mansion's resident spell-caster and her presence surprised Hoshigaru as she was known for being a shut-in. Fatigue and boredom marked her face but her mind was alert and her speech was clear. "Mid-level illusion with elemental followup- crude but effective. Her casting is smooth and precise and has the feel of a natural talent. Remilia was right when she said I'd want to see this. You've certainly brought some interesting guests."

Hoshigaru smiled. "Thanks for the compliment. Does that mean they get to stay?"

The magician answered without looking back at him. "I'll have to speak with Lady Scarlet about this. As they seem to be quite a territorial race I believe they'll guard the lake well and thus take some of the burden off our door guard. Perhaps they'll even manage to stop that thieving witch once and for all. In any case, their arrival will drive out some of the more temperamental creatures and that can only be a good thing. I can offer no guarantees but I'll see if I can negotiate some sort of settlement."

She took a deep, staggering breath as she finished and this amused Hoshigaru as he knew of her reputation for poor health, then she turned and flew back to the mansion before he could say anything. While her action offended him just a bit, the Youkai was satisfied as her words meant that the newcomers could stay put while the decision was being made.

[Augen]

After a short while, Vandater staggered out of the scarlet waters, injured now more than ever, as even she was not fully immune to her elemental magic. The footsteps she left behind were as red as the leftovers, and her limp and they way she struggled to stay standing suggested more than a few broken bones. "Heh... I'm back," she said, putting her oar in the sand and using it for support. "Did I miss anything?"

[recon5]

Hoshigaru grinned as he replied. "Nothing much, really." He had recovered enough to feel normal although he didn't think he would be able to fight anything like the wolves until morning, at the very least. "Your people have just been given a bit more time do decide what they want to do. The folks at the mansion aren't trying to evict you just yet and their mage seems to approve of you staying."

He was quite surprised at the girl's willingness to drag herself back to him although her injuries were clearly much worse. She needed healing and rest, and with daylight approaching Hoshigaru was sure that the strongest beasts of the night would be heading home. There would likely be no further attacks until the mansion's own guardians emerged, and this time the newcomers would have nothing to fear from them.

"Better get back in the water or something. You don't look too healthy and I don't think you'll survive if anything happens. Go and rest and let me handle anything else that appears. This near to daybreak I doubt anything stronger than a scavenger is still out hunting."