Chapter 13.3 - Undisputed Power

Undisputed
Reimu felt liquid pour onto her right shoulder. She attempted to wipe it off but found her arms constrained behind her back. Confused, Reimu realised her eyes were closed and slowly opened them to be greeted by a set of razor sharp teeth floating in black space right in front of her face. Startled, Reimu leaned back only to discover her movement was restricted. Drool was running freely between the teeth, gushing into Reimu's lap as she was knelt on flat stone ground. Upon Reimu's reaction, the teeth moved back before suddenly opening and letting out a deafening roar, slowly re-approaching her face. Reimu closed her eyes and tried to shuffle back as saliva drenched her. Her eardrums were struggling not to burst.

"Queen!" shouted a male voice, "We need her alive for now. Preferably with her hearing intact." The teeth moved to the side out of view as the owner's head turned backwards. Breathing heavily, the creature stepped back. Reimu gradually opened her right eye as slobber ran down her face, soaking her hair. A single weak light shone from the ceiling down on Reimu, showing that she was tied round the chest with natural rope, more ropes linking this restrain to points on the floor around her. Attached to each of these ropes were rectangular spell tags at regular intervals, restricting her energy and concentration. Multiple incoming footsteps caught her attention. One male figure entered the radius of dim light followed by two others to either sides. The one on the left Reimu recognised as the owner of the teeth, a towering alien creature with a long head, the Alien Queen. Reimu only glared at the three, finding it difficult to muster the strength to do any more.

The middle man approached Reimu with a grin, "You look despicable," laughed Ganondorf. Reimu did not respond, her breathing getting heavier and vision blurring.

The shorter robed man on right walked up to Reimu with stunted steps and knelt next to her. He waved a pale wrinkled hand in front of her face, "You are our subordinate," he croaked. Reimu realised what he was trying to do, gurgled her throat and spat in Palpatine's face. He recoiled in disgust, brushing off the saliva, and with intense fury, he pointed both his hands at her and ejected lightning. Reimu's body twitched from the electricity but despite the terrible pain, Reimu could not even grunt in response.

Ganondorf stepped forward and pulled one of Palpatine's arms up, stopping his attack, "Watch the ropes," he advised. He lowered the arm with a concerned look. "Why is she immune to brainwashing as well?"

"Haruhi continues to curse us from the grave," hissed Palpatine, "They met before her death. Haruhi must have made her immune then."

"Hmm... Haruhi definitely knew a brainwashed Reimu would be her biggest threat," conjectured Ganondorf, "Since brainwashing, as opposed to remote control, needs no outside influence after its done, the Hakurei Barrier doesn't block it. Then a new hostile Gensokyo would arise."

"Ah, well, she didn't have the foresight to make her subordinates or Reimu invincible or immune to pain," smiled Palpatine.

Ganondorf laughed, "Haruhi never foresaw her own downfall. So what would our best course of action be?"

"I hear Reimu managed to produce a liquid form of the Hakurei Barrier," suggested Palpatine, "We could use that to get past all remaining solid Hakurei Barriers as well as any active Sonic Barriers or stasis fields."

"Hmm, don't they need Reimu's cooperation to make?"

"Yes, but there is one person who is trapped in such a liquid Barrier," reminded Palpatine, his grin widening, "And she would a powerful ally."

"Sasaki," nodded Ganondorf.

"The liquid Barrier's not as impenetrable as its solid counterpart so force powers should work. It does dampen her own powers though so she is still vulnerable."

"... Would she be able to break her Barrier?"

"As far as I'm aware it's only possible to remove it in Reimu's presence," Palpatine did not sound confident.

"Would it be possible for Haruhi to be recreated or a similar person to be created from scratch? Say, by Sasaki?"

"Hmm... It might be possible. Though for any living being, Sasaki needs to know its state of thought to reproduce it with its personality. However, due to her liquid Barrier, specifically for Haruhi, Sasaki's latest exposure to Haruhi's state was before Doomsday so all she could recreate is a pre-Doomsday Haruhi who has not discovered her powers. It took months for Haruhi to reach her full potential so we'll have time to counter before then."

"What about a revival?"

"As long as we disintegrate Haruhi's body, nothing can be done to revive her," chuckled Palpatine, "The Unwritten Law doesn't apply here."

Ganondorf looked down at Reimu, "So all we need to is keep Reimu here." He lifted a hand, the Triforce of Power on the back of his right hand glowing. Red fire appeared over his hand, forming another spell tag. Reimu could do nothing as he pasted the tag on one the ropes. Her conciousness instantly collapsed, her open eye losing all sign of life. "Memory loss won't hurt either." Ganondorf summoned another spell tag from green fire and stuck it to Reimu's forehead. "Sasaki will be imprisoned forever."

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