Yellow vapour steamed forth from every crack and dent in the cavern's floor, obscuring everything further than two feet away. To a human, it would have been a concern: the amount of sulphur in the air would at the very least resulted in laboured breathing if not death.
To Mima, such concerns were as distant as her past. As it happened, she was not thinking of breathing at all, but instead considered whether to weave a spell to enhance her vision. She decided against it. She was yet to encounter anything of interest in these depths, and by now was wondering if she ever would. Besides, the endless seas of bright colours were getting on her nerves. The last thing she needed to do was to see them more clearly.
Her outstretched hand struck against the uneven wall of the cavern. Hugging it, she found a narrow tunnel leading further down, curiously free of sulphur. The tunnel was lined with an unfamiliar material: as craggy and rough as the stone the cavern was burrowed into, but faintly purple.
Mima traced her hand over the surface, expecting to find traces of ancient spells which might have discoloured the stone. Nothing. Curious, but of no particular interest. She was here for one thing only: to discover any sources of power carelessly left behind during the relocation of Hell. Purple stone wasn't going to help her there.
With that in mind, she descended into the depths.
The walls became smoother as she proceeded, while the ground grew more uneven. It was almost like the two surfaces had swapped places.
Mima smiled to herself. Of all possible things, this minor irritant was the most difficult part of her journey so far. Bypassing the gossamer-thin barrier by the abandoned entrance had been child's play. Bypassing the new Hakurei shrine maiden had been even simpler. A slip of a girl from a distant branch family, forced to take the post after yet another main line had been snuffed out and still unaccustomed to Gensokyo. She hadn't stood a chance. Almost took the sport out of it.
Almost.
Though her clothes were as immaterial as she wished them to be, Mima gathered her skirts and stepped over the rocks, paying no more mind to why, of all possible humans, one particular family stuck in her craw. She had learned to rely on her instincts in such matters.
Whether allowing your ethereality to show was to declare your superior status, or a crass breach of etiquette that no self-respecting spirit should ever stoop to, was a matter of some contention among ghosts. Mima personally couldn't care less. She'd walk her own path as always, and if that part was to appear mostly human to better startle fools, she didn't see how it was anyone's business but her own. To further the illusion, she had allowed her fluid tail to congeal into a pair of legs, just barely visible from underneath her long skirt. As a bonus, having feet gave her a better feel of the ground and thus of any potential deposits of magic within in.
She gently landed over a particularly high cluster of rocks. Still nothing. Never mind that. The tunnel was widening again, to what looked to be another vast hall.
Mima wrinkled her nose as she kept moving, trying and failing to recognise the strange smell emanating from ahead. Though she couldn't remember it, she had been to Hell before — though probably not to this particular closed-off nook. The fact that she couldn't rely on her past experiences beyond the past two centuries frustrated her greatly. She could summon forth vague memories at times, but retaining anything before her fateful encounter with Komachi Onozuka was like trying to hold water in her hands: a few drops might remain, but the bulk of it would always flow away through her fingers.
She tried anyway, calling forth any memories of a hall within Hell with purple stone walls. Finding none, she was just about to roll her eyes at herself when she heard a flat, metallic knell from somewhere far ahead. Pricking her ears, she heard something that sounded like a large wheel rolling ahead, accompanied by a distant grunt.
She tilted her head, her curiosity piqued. There had been talk of stragglers in former Hell: Ministry officials left behind to oversee the abandoned area, oni who had refused to migrate and now roamed the realm as though it was a playground, even sinners who had evaded the kishin slated to move them and now haunted their former prison uninhibited. But this? She was far off the beaten path. Who, exactly, lurked in these depths?
She exited the tunnel, then halted. Though prepared for everything, she hadn't expected a field of flickering purple flames, so vast she could barely see the opposite wall.
She held her hand tentatively over the nearest flame. It did no harm to her skin; thus, she entered the field. The stench that wasn't quite sulphur was overwhelming, and she stopped breathing after the first gasp, glad to have the option.
A brief spell, and the flames were as transparent as spring water. Though their flickering was still distracting, it took her no time to locate the source of sound. An oni, rolling around a large bronze disc.
Smirking, Mima glided across the flames, halting on the oni's path.
The oni looked no different from close up than any other of her brethren. She had short hair and large biceps bulging underneath her rolled-up sleeves. One of her horns was a mere jagged stump, broken eons ago if Mima was any judge of it. She quickly dismissed the oni as unimportant and focused her attention on the disc. Immediately, she was struck by the powerful magic emanating from it, blasting her delicate senses. She was so overwhelmed by the power just within her reach she barely noticed the image of a beautiful girl etched to its surface, with a massive white jewel symbolising an orb of magic embedded between her hands.
One thing was clear. This was a treasure worth snagging.
The oni had paused and narrowed her eyes on Mima. She let go of the disc — which stayed upright even without the steadying hands, to Mima's vague interest but no particular surprise — and puffed out her chest like Mima was some silly human easily frightened by a show of strength. It was almost cute.
"Dunno who you are, convict," she rasped. "But you got in the way of the wrong enforcer."
"Convict? Hardly. Just an ordinary traveller." Mima raised an eyebrow. "And enforcer? Really? Aren't you in the wrong Hell for that?"
"Location doesn't matter as long as you're on the Ministry payroll." The oni narrowed her eyes. "As I think you well know."
Had the self-proclaimed enforcer truly recognised her? Unlikely, but then, Mima was very memorable. She certainly didn't remember this run-of-the-mill oni, but why would she?
In any case, she smiled. "And here I thought you were a looter stealing everything not nailed down."
The oni's nostrils flared in indignation. "You thought wrong. I'm here to catch sinners such as this one." She rapped her knuckles against the disc.
For the first time in several years, Mima was surprised. "That piece of metal is supposed to be a sinner?" Now that the oni mentioned it, underneath all the swirling magic pulsed the tell-tale signs of a soul. That would make things trickier.
"Why else would it be in Hell? There's a bunch of suckers sealed all over the underground. I'm here to make sure those still locked in stay here, and that those who aren't," she emphasised her words by punching the disc, producing another resonant clang, "are gathered together and shipped where they belong."
Mima looked over the disc with fresh eyes. Even knowing it was alive, it was doing such an excellent job imitating an inanimate hunk of metal that it honestly might have fooled her had the oni not spilled the beans. Impressive, almost. Definitely someone she would like to introduce herself to.
She smirked and folded her arms. "I think not."
"What?"
"I think that instead you're going to be a good girl and leave this... sinner in my custody."
The oni barked with sudden laughter. "You're challenging me? You're either mad or stupid."
So, the oni hadn't actually recognised her. More's the pity.
"I'll have you know," the oni continued, "I have never lost to a non-oni in a fair fight. Never."
In other words, she had lost to a non-oni in an unfair fight. Even the boasting of the oni inevitably revealed hilarious truths. Besides, did she really assume Mima was going to fight fairly? Oh, that was just precious.
Mima straightened her back. "Do you have any conditions you want to lay down, or should we just begin?"
The oni blinked. "You're serious."
"I never jest."
The oni licked her lips. Whether it was due to excitement or sudden apprehension, the smile on her face widened. "Fine. Let's make it honest. A show of strength, with none of that magic crap."
"Fine by me."
The oni laughed again. "You are mad."
Perhaps it was the oni who was truly mad, Mima thought as they assumed their positions on the field. As straightforward as they were, a clearly venerable oni such as this one ought to have had a drop of cunning, or at the very least expected subterfuge under the circumstances. But who was Mima to judge? She was no enma.
In any case, she was going to be kind today, as a thanks for the oni to leading her to the disc. She'd give her the straightforward fight she wanted, even. Or at least, something resembling one.
With a smile, she cast her spell.
Immediately, her physical shell felt more sturdy, less easily malleable but much faster, all prepared for dashing and sneak attacks. It was yet another spell that had come to her unbidden during hours of repose. This one had given her less mileage than the bulk of them, but she enjoyed using it when she could.
She waited for the oni to dig her heels into the rocky plain, then lunged.
She had this to say of the oni: she had good reflexes. She didn't hesitate upon seeing the punch coming, and immediately tilted to the side, ready to strike back at Mima's unguarded left side.
Of course, by the time the oni's fist landed, it struck thin air.
Another point in favour of the oni: she didn't look surprised. Well, not until Mima, smirking with satisfaction, channelled all of the white aura around herself to her hand and struck the oni between her eyes.
Magic truly was the great equaliser. For all her heft, the oni was lifted off her feet and sent flying backwards, disappearing from sight into the field of flames.
Mima allowed the aura to dissipate, waiting for the oni to re-emerge. She didn't.
Well, whatever. Perhaps she had fallen into a sulphurous cleft beyond sight and died. Even if she hadn't and was just biding her time, oni didn't do sneak-attacks. Mima would be well warned by an angry roar if the fool returned while she was inspecting her bounty.
Speaking of which...
She walked to the front of the motionless disc, adjusting her sleeves and making sure her hair was presentable. The metal was curiously warm under her touch where she allowed her fingers to trace the outlines of the engraved girl.
"Are you a tsukumogami, then?" she asked in a low voice. "Can't imagine an object like this being abandoned. Or even who could have made it, or for what purpose."
The metal shuddered.
She stepped back just in time to witness a ring of purple flames emerging from the ground around the disc. They rose high enough to lick the orb in the middle, then faded as the orb began to glow.
The image's eyes snapped open.
A wisp-like vapour poured out of the orb, quickly assuming the shape of the girl in the image. She was a light grey and almost transparent, like a weakling ghost, but this notion proved deceptive the moment she opened her eyes: they were a vivid purple only ever seen in natural world in the most violently coloured irises and chrysanthemums, with the blank look of youkai entrapped underground for too long.
Mima nodded quietly, appreciating the theatrics. Curiously, she still couldn't tell just what kind of a youkai the spirit was.
The vapour reformed to create a soft smile on the spirit's face. "Thank you." Its voice was like an echo calling from a deep well.
Unwarranted or not, such gratitude could be of use. "Think nothing of it. Have you been here for long?"
The spirit's smile fell. "I have... long since lost count."
That figured. Whether it genuinely was the case and simply felt like it, time moved very differently in Hell. A day outside could easily be a millennium inside. "I'm heading back out once I'm done here. I could guide you." For a price, of course.
For a moment, the girl faded into an indistinct cloud, then returned with her hands joined in prayer. "I thank you, but I ought to stay here. My penance is not complete."
"Penance? I thought they were done giving it here." If the spirit was interested in lingering in actual Hell, why was she pleased Mima had stopped the oni?
"It's not... an official penance. It is rather something I find necessary for my soul."
Mima shrugged. It was no skin off her nose if the spirit was insane. "In that case, would you mind helping me out? I'm looking for knowledge." It behoved to ask nicely before bringing out the big guns.
Fortunately, it seemed the spirit was the obliging sort. "Gladly!"
Mima snapped her fingers. An array of lights appeared behind her and solidified into a floating seat. She sat down and crossed her legs. "So, who do I have the pleasure of addressing? And how exactly did you wind up down here?"
The spirit's reaction wasn't what she had been expecting. For several moments, she stared at Mima without a word, like something about her request had been beyond rude. When she next spoke, however, her tone was perfectly mild. "I'm terribly sorry I didn't introduce myself sooner. I am called Kikuri."
After the plant or the deity? Either way, Mima nodded. "Mima. I'm a goddess."
If Kikuri found her joke funny, she didn't show it. "...Mima. It's a pleasure to meet you."
She fell into a deep reflection that lasted long enough for Mima to quirk her eyebrow. Upon noticing this, the vapour once again divided, but after reforming, Kikuri spoke as if she had merely paused to catch an unnecessary breath. "As I said before, I have been here for a very long time. ...As long as I remember, in fact." She hesitated and looked away as soon as she was done.
Mima kept her expression level. So, the spirit was lying, and inexpertly so. She'd listen to the tale regardless and see if she could pull the truth out of it with her wits alone. "Right. So you've always been like this?"
Kikuri visibly hesitated, then appeared to come to a decision of some sort. "...No. It's faint, but I do have memories of having had a body once. A body I was born in, I mean."
"Got separated from it, huh? Happens to the best of us." This might be mildly useful, but frankly, Mima's interest was waning. "So, you probably know the lay of the land pretty well?"
"What do you seek?"
"Knowledge. Power. Treasure if you have neither of the first two. I'm not too picky."
"You will find at least one of the three if you cross these fields and continue down the path." Kikuri hesitated again. "There is a spirit much more ancient than I who dwells at the shrine in the depths. I... cannot guarantee she will give you anything, but you can tell her that you aided me and perhaps—"
A tremendous roar filled the air, drowning out Kikuri's words. Mima turned around just in time to see a large figure rushing towards them.
By the looks of her, the oni had indeed fallen into flames. Her clothes, her hair, and even her skin smouldered, fuming more yellow clouds into the air. She lurched towards Mima and Kikuri, her hands curled into boulder-like fists, her eyes aflame.
Mima clicked her tongue. "And here I thought we'd seen the last of her." She got up and began gathering energy in her palm.
Energy she never had time to release. As the oni began running towards them at full tilt, Kikuri retreated back towards her disc. Instead of vanishing back within, however, she curled up her body and raised her index fingers to the jewel on her headdress.
A beam of red light emerged from the jewel, travelling so rapidly through the air Mima could barely follow it as it struck the oni in the neck. A blink, and the oni was no longer there, but flying backwards with the expression of naked rage giving way to stupefaction. Once again, she disappeared into the smoke.
Mima waited in silence for a moment, then decided to assume the oni had fallen straight back into whichever hole she had clawed her way out of. She quirked her eyebrow at Kikuri. "Guess you didn't really need my help before."
Kikuri's eyelashes fluttered. "I find moving around by myself tiresome, so I intended to allow the oni to take me a bit further before chasing her off. Even so, I appreciate your sentiment in thwarting her before."
"Right." Mima looked around, then pointed at what she assumed was a fresh direction. "Is the shrine you spoke of over there?"
"Yes. It is a long journey ahead, but since you have made it this far..." Kikuri closed her eyes. "Please tell Lady Konngara that I send my regards."
"Can do."
"And perhaps..." Kikuri sighed, sounding like a distant gust of wind, and began to retreat. She was already half absorbed back into the disc before she continued. "Perhaps you might come see me again on your way back to the surface?"
"Sure." There might yet be more to gain from speaking to this strange youkai. "No promises, though."
Kikuri smiled. "I would truly appreciate it."
Mima nodded and turned to leave.
"Awazuki."
Mima turned back.
Kikuri had returned fully within the disc, looking every inch an inanimate object. She made no moves to re-emerge and clarify her utterance.
After two more moments of silence, Mima shrugged and walked away.