Panting heavily, down to a kneel, one hand clenching the wound to her stomach and the other on the sparking, crackling, blood red spear; the petite girl watches the ground as the sweat drips from her chin and hits the rocky surface below in a "pat pat pat." Steam rises from her breath and the girl laughs. Such a sad state to which she has been reduced. To her, a vampire, in her over 500 years of life she doesn't remember a single time when she sweat. Likewise, as she is technically undead, that her breath could produce steam was also incredible. If asked to which a devil like her would prefer, the hot or cold, without question she would respond with "the cold." Now she was not so sure.

A scream of rage and a colossal crash demand her attention return to which it should have remained all along; the contest of might in which she is currently involved.

With great effort the small yet old vampire pushes herself to her feet and gazes skyward, only to be met with a small crystalline shard grazing her cheek and spilling a small trickle of blood. Redoubling the grip on her spear, this tiny warrior regards this new injury with only small notice. Already is her body and attire in tatters. Cuts and scratches are abound, but even those in accumulation pale in comparison to the solid blow she received in her stomach. In the days of the distant past she was given the nickname "The Scarlet Devil" because the blood of her victims would stain her clothes. Long ago were the days of her rampages, but here she is again "The Scarlet Devil." Only this time it's her blood doing the staining.

Above another contestant is fighting her foe. In this land such fierce battles are not uncommon. This girl who is currently grounded was the aggressor, but she did not come alone. If there was an honor in the accepted flow of battle it isn't present today. Two-on-one would have been considered cowardly, but appearances mattered not to the vampire. Contrast to every ethical and proper code of conduct in which she believed, this fight she started with as unfair an advantage she could have achieved. In the the sky now her sibling is deep in the fray.

Also a vampire, this one is known as the "Sister of Scarlet." Always striking her as somewhat odd, perhaps this name was given simply because so little of her is known by outsiders. Reclusive in nature this younger sister spends the vast majority of her time playing alone in their basement. With as intimidating as their home already is, "The Scarlet Devil Mansion," perhaps only a rare few would be brave, or stupid, enough to venture into the subterranean levels. To some it might appear as though this sister was locked away, but that simply wasn't the case. Because of her condition the sister chose to seclude herself from contact. Almost completely hermit in her ways, she only has contact with a very small handful of people in her day to day life. Generally the sister met with one another on rare occasion. This night turned out to be very different.

The Scarlet Devil could think of only one occasion where the two of them fought together. Before moving to this mystical land of Gensokyo, constantly were they on assault by the forces of the church, otherwise known as "Exorcists" and "Vampire Hunters." As fanatical to their religious doctrine as they were to their prey, despite the overwhelming difference between human and vampire they were a most dangerous enemy. After their parents were slain, what only saved The Scarlet Devil was her younger sister's intervention. Despite being driven so far back into a corner, the Sister of Scarlet completely overturned the tide in a matter of moments. Such a being with so much monstrous strength was an inherent hazard to all whom shared her presence. So the miserable child chose to share as little presence with others as possible.

Now the two of them fight together once more, but they are losing.

Nimbly the sister avoids the ridiculously oversized projectile hurled her way, and she counters by throwing twin gears with four protruding blades of light. Both hit their target at least once, effectively dicing the victim into several pieces. However, that was the thing; the opponent in question did nothing to avoid what normally would have been oncoming doom. Static in it's behavior the opponent hasn't moved a single step this entire battle. Instead it simply stayed there, suspended in air, eyes closed and lightly breathing as if asleep. Those parts that were dissected from the main core simply regrow; the dismembered limbs dissipating in a haze.

A battle like this had occurred once before. In one of those rare instances where the devil mistress leaves her mansion, with the accompaniment of the head maid, they sought to dispatch an immortal. Such a dirty battle that turned out to be, but in the end the immortals (times two) were defeated. Though life-everlasting, their bodies weren't particularly different than mortal beings. Submission through pain was the only way to emerge victorious. This opponent is different, however. It disregards limbs as if they were fingernail clippings. What made matters worse, it's attacks sprang forth from an almost subconscious will. Did this being even know it was battling for it's own life?

"Arrrrrgggggg!" the sister roars at the ineffectiveness of her hit.

As is the case most of the time when the sister is thrown into battle, she is in a rage. However, battling for her is something that's supposed to be fun. Because of her overwhelming power it's become a game where the only thing that can excite her is the level of difficulty. The stronger the opponent the more fun she has. In this present case it's anything but. For the first time in her 500 year life she's on the receiving end of an unfair opponent. Instead of someone of unlimited strength, she faces against an unfettered defense which doesn't even flinch in the face of mortal blows. No matter what she fires at this unwavering opponent, the attacks don't diminish nor relent. This is not fun.

The Scarlet Devil wishes to join in the assault, but her injuries hold her at bay. The situation is bad. Had she'd known their pairing would have been this ineffective she'd never have dragged with her her kin. At the very worst she believed the only sacrifice would be herself, but at this rate she will drag her sister with her to the grave.

Before embarking on this battle she'd known the danger she faced, but not to what extent. A secret for which she's known for a very long time, a cruel and unforgiving fate which may not have been avoidable. Though a vampire, she possesses a very unique power. Vaguely do even her closest confidants know of the true nature of "Manipulation of Fate." In simple terms she can see the future, but there is so much more to it than that. For those who couldn't understand, the spear in her left hand should have been clue enough.

Gungnir was the signature weapon of the All-Father Odin in Norse Mythology. Though the weapon alone was impressive, what truly gave Odin his Godhood was his power of a seer. By sacrificing one of his eyes he was allowed to see all past, present, and future. Born with similar ability, the Scarlet Devil can peer beyond her sight and come to know of many things. However, without being gained through sacrifice this ability is limited in the small vampire. Her knowledge of hereafter events is incomplete, thought that isn't to say she can't change the future. Many of times she has successfully done so in the past, allowing her to ultimately escape the clutches of the church. Also had it allowed her to see through the illusion of the Lunatic Moon Rabbit. However, even a one such as Odin faced a fate to which he couldn't escape at the time of Ragnarok. So too does this Scarlet Devil. The inclusion of her sister in this fighting force was her hope, but such measures were painfully wasteful.

Facing a projectile too large and too fast for her to avoid, the Sister of Scarlet smashes though it with her bare hands, a feat impossible to anyone but her. Unfortunately it doesn't break clean and she is pelted by countless lesser shards. Though far from critical neither are they negligible. Actually, this seems different than normal physical damage. Those shards of crystalline mass don't damage or cut, but stick, each encasing but a small portion of her body. However, the effect is immediate as she cannot safely avoid the next barrage of smaller blasts. Not only have the masses increased her weight, but also dulls her limbs. She's slowing. The end is approaching.

Unfortunate for the sister, she realizes her compromised mobility too late. Something that should have been easily avoided pierces her shoulder. Unprepared for the hit she loses concentration and begins to fall to the earth. Plummeting suddenly has granted her a bit of luck as she somehow avoids the rest of the missiles in her decent. Regaining herself before crashing into the ground, the sibling vampire grabs the instrument still embedded in her shoulder. It shatters nearly effortlessly.

Summoning her weapon, an odd shaped device materializes in her hands. To describe it would be to say it appeared as two ends of a tail. However odd and unimposing, the colossal pillar of flame which sprang from it's tip gave testament to it's power. Swinging it in a clumsy arc, the sister throws a soaring wave of fire that dispels the newly assembled oncoming shards. In it's wake she charges, closing the distance between the two.

At the moment she stands before her opponent the Sister of Scarlet grabs her opponent's eye. Not the eye that exists in one's skull, but the Eye of Existence. Visible only to the her, the Eye of Existence is the central element of any physical or conceptual entity. Destroy this and you destroy it's self. Countless times has the sister used this to destroy just about whatever she wanted. Toys, people, magic. No matter what's eye she grasped, never did it fail to break.

The sister brakes her opponent.

Beginning at the being's central core, a crack emerges and quickly spreads through it's frame. By the time it reaches it's outer ends it shatters, leaving the sister all to herself. Her opponent is now a sprinkling glitter drifting in the air, completely obliterated.

At first the vampire is unsure of her victory, as if she expected this predetermined rule to not apply. Once she is sure she's the only one to remain standing, a laugh escapes her lips. Quickly it's followed by more. Scared madness fades in favor of hysterical madness, as if the fear and uncertainly she before felt never existed. Again it was fun.

Blood rushes through her throat and spills from her mouth when a crystalline spike pierces her chest. The opponent is once again before the vampire, completely unharmed and again in it's state of sleep. As if it smelt the scent of blood, a cavalcade of spikes descend upon her. The sister is pierced through her neck, stomach, and arms and legs. Helpless since the initial impact, the Sister of Scarlet simply watches in amazement as her body is destroyed. At the point defeat is certain does the onslaught cease.

Her mortality drawing to a close, the defiled vampire stares at her vanquisher with fading sight. A mad grin escapes her lips as if she's somehow delighted at her defeat. The power to remain in float vanishes, and she falls to the ground. Uncontrolled and motionless, the once great being of destruction hits the ground with a dull thud. This is her end.

Forced to watch with full knowledge of the outcome, the Scarlet Devil silently morns the loss of her sister. If there was anything that could have changed this outcome she would do it. If her presence in those final moments would have made a difference she would have leapt in no matter the injury. Far before the moment of her incapacitation was this moment decided. At the time she asked for help was this fate sealed. This fate of destruction was unavoidable. Now it's her turn.

But no attacks come. The opponent does not turn it's attention to the sidelined combatant but instead simply rests. Could it have perceived that the Scarlet Devil is no longer a threat, or did it simply forget about the initiator of this combat? If she so wished the vampire could turn away and survive, but could she live with herself after that? Abandoning her sister to this invulnerable juggernaut was not something that could simply be forgiven, but was it necessary for her too to throw her life away?

No, nothing was in vain. While her own fate might be cruel, a much larger one was at stake. What the Scarlet Devil saw beyond her own destiny was the destiny of the world. If left unchecked, this creature who just ended her sister would bring ruin upon all those of this world, not simply Gensokyo. Her very demise would inspire those who are yet to be involved; a rallying call to the true direness of this threat. While this creature might be asleep, once awakened this planet Earth may face a mass extinction unlike any it's known before. All life shall be slaughtered, and only the actions taken after this night can change this apocalyptic outcome. This shall not be the end, but the beginning.

Sunlight peeks over the horizon announcing the first signs of day. Ultraviolet rays peck at her skin causing slight irritation. In about half an hour it could cause burns. Such are the weaknesses of being a vampire. If this battle continued that far, they'd have no choice but to flee. For seven hours the Scarlet siblings fought in an attempt to take advantage of the night, and if they'd survived just a bit longer they'd both be going home. But such an opportunity has passed.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this sister," the Scarlet Devil speaks to the departed. With pathetic strength she beats her bat-like wings and takes flight. "I won't leave you alone ever again!"