Hong Meiling Sleepwalks Through the Heavens

Marisa Kirisame immediately swooped up further into the air and held her spell card high up in the air, yelling, “Love Sign, ‘Master Spark!'”

She then immediately whipped out an octagonal-shaped device from her pocket and pointed it straight at Hong Meiling.

This is Marisa’s signature weapon, the Mini-Hakkero. It is categorized as a mini-elemental furnace, and it fits snuggly in Marisa’s palm. It is engraved with eight Taoist trigrams, and powerful lasers can be unleashed by fueling it with magic.

For such a Western-looking magician, it’s strange for her to possess something so Eastern. However, it is no surprise when Marisa’s title in [Embodiment of Scarlet Devil] is [Oriental Western Magician].

Suddenly, a humungous laser with a diameter of up to three meters was seen being shot out of the Mini-Hakkero violently as pure, vicious magic clawed towards her.

Using your best move off the bat? Meiling huffed.

Marisa’s Master Spark boasts incredible range, incredible speed, and incredible, destructive power. She is able to shoot out star-like bombs and grenades too, but they fall flat in comparison to her signature display of love.

Meiling immediately flew sideways to avoid the oncoming laser, and the laser itself razed an entire section of the Scarlet Devil Mansion’s roof.

Shit, Meiling wiped away cold sweat from her forehead. Remi will not be happy when she sees that… maybe she can beat up Marisa right here and right now?

However, it was silent in the mansion. Remilia Scarlet is not the type of vampire to act as if her entire roof had not just been blown off by an unadulterated display of love. Even if she doesn’t pounce on Marisa, surely, she would send Sakuya Izayoi out instead?

And Sakuya would’ve come out here even without Remi’s orders… oh, I know! She clicked her fingers in realization. They’re preparing for the fight against Reimu Hakurei – Remi can manipulate fate, and she must be anticipating her! Yup! This makes perfect sense!

As she was deep in thought, Marisa launched another spell.

“Star Sign, ‘Meteor Shower!'”

In an instant, an uncountable number of star-shaped danmaku rained down upon Meiling.

Gritting her teeth, Meiling dashed through the barrage of danmaku, swerving side-to-side to avoid getting hit.

Leaping and dodging in the air, she whipped out her own spell card and yelled, “Colorful Sign: Vivid Color Downpour!”

She willed the spell card to hover in front of her, and pushed it towards Marisa with both palms.

Immediately, small, rainbow shards shot out of Meiling’s palm, speeding towards Marisa one after another.

Meiling may not be proficient in terms of ranged attacks, but with how much rainbow danmaku she was generating, it became denser and more numerous than Marisa’s own danmaku.

The shards pierced through Marisa’s star danmaku, causing it to explode. The shards would then shatter, which then shoots out additional danmaku that flew towards Marisa.

Watching the approaching iridescent danmaku, she immediately sat down on her broom and swerved to the side, avoiding Meiling’s attacks. However, Meiling did not relent, and continued directing her palm wherever Marisa went.

I need to get closer to her, Meiling huffed. I need to get into melee range!

Moreover, I suck at aerial combat – if I can drag her down to the ground with me, I can win!

Watching Meiling approach bit-by-bit, Marisa gritted her teeth, Just because I prefer long-ranged battles, it don’t mean I can’t fight up close! I’ll show ‘ya!

She steadily navigated her broom through the endless rainbow-colored rain before an opening presented itself.

“Blazing Star!”

Marisa concealed a magical propulsion device inside her broom, and when she injects her magic into it, it allows the broom to move at unimaginable speeds.

The concept of [Blazing Star] is simple – ram into the enemy as hard and as fast as possible with the broom.

With such terrifying levels of acceleration, it is equivalent to being run over by an industrial truck. No matter man or monster, they would most likely be incapacitated after tanking a blow so powerful.

Meiling watched as Marisa began to accelerate towards her, and glanced towards the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

No, I can’t have her ram straight into the mansion, but I can’t dodge either-!

The air shook violently as Marisa’s face drew nearer and nearer, and Meiling gulped at her haphazardly-thought strategy to defeat her.

Marisa also thought that Meiling would dodge the oncoming comet, and she would take advantage of Meiling’s downtime and brute force her way into the mansion.

However, Marisa’s eyes widened as she realized that Meiling was not planning to move at all.

Tsk, no matter what, you can’t escape without an injury or two!

The tip of Marisa’s broomstick was just about to plunge straight through Meiling’s abdomen, but at the very last moment, she pushed her right palm forward, resisting the impact of the broom.

The broom pushed itself violently against Meiling’s palm as violent star-fire continued to blaze in front of her. She immediately felt a sharp, searing pain coming from her palm, as if it was about to be melted off from the sheer heat coming from Marisa.

Marisa continued to inject her magic into the propulsion device and gritted her teeth, staring daggers into Meiling.

…Huh?

There was no panic in the gatekeeper’s expression despite how blackened her palm was. With a single push, she pushed the broom forward despite its immense force as she took out another spell card with her left hand and shouted: “Chain Sign: Adamantine Sealing Chains!”

Two golden chains sprouted from the edges of her right palm, and she willed it to launch towards Marisa at blinding speeds.

Marisa’s eyes widened – never would she expect that this strange looking gatekeeper would be able to activate spell cards in such a perilous situation, and with such a peculiar spell card too…

Marisa immediately wanted to retreat, but found that her broom was not budging.

Looking down, Meiling’s fist had the edge of her broomstick in a death grip. Of course, if Marisa willed all of her magic to escape, then Meiling would be forced to let go lest she didn’t want to have a hand anymore.

But this moment of weakness was all she needed.

In just the blink of an eye, Marisa was bound by Meiling’s chains, and Marisa immediately felt the magic in her body leaving her.

It was like a flame struggling to stay alive in the absence of oxygen, and the flame pathetically died out.

Marisa was petrified – she was nothing without her magic, and without her magic, she couldn’t maintain flight either.

Marisa’s broom fell, and so did she. Of course, Marisa would never hit the ground with the chains still wrapped around her, but her broom landed on the floor and broke in half.

Grasping the chains on her hand, she looked at her right palm, which was seared and painted with roasted blood. Fresh blood still spurt out of her wound, and stinging pain could be felt.

Meiling pulled the chain up bit-by-bit, and Marisa was hoisted up bit-by-bit as well.

With Marisa’s body bound in her arms, she smiled, I won. I won a fight against the Marisa Kirisame.

Despite technically cheating, if Marisa didn’t try to get into melee range of her and kept a safe distance, it would be difficult for Meiling to will the chains to capture Marisa. After all, Marisa would call herself the ‘Second-Fastest-Person-in-Gensokyo,’ right next to Aya Shameimaru.

If she continued to launch powerful lasers and cast star-like danmaku to rain down upon her, Meiling might just lose. After all, Meiling wasn’t proficient in long-ranged combat, while Marisa was.

But no matter what, I am the winner now.