Hush! Phew! Hush!

Uh… don't worry, I'm just trying to be a cloud, moving through the sky… I guess.

Anyways, before I'm doing some more weird things… Welcome to this next installment. Well, after a week of nothing more than stress, and a very relieving, longer weekend, and then another, even more stressing week, I present you now the next installment! Yay!

Aaaanyways… Let's start with Review time…

Ahum. So there were a few reviews... 4, to be exact. However... they were for the first chapters, and since it would be strange to reply to them HERE (70 Chapters later!), I guess I just thanks you for reviewing, Animajunki1230 and Aquatic-Idealist.

However, since one of them mentioned it, there is one thing I'd like to say, though... Yeah, I will be going back to edit the first four chapters (at least them) when I get the time... just gonna polish them out a little, not changing a lot of stuff. It's just that they do look... weird, opposed to my current writing style. Just gonna go back and clean them off a few mistakes here and there, nothing that changes the whole plot or something (cause that would be like punching myself into the face, really)

So, after that is done… Let us start the chapter, shall we…?

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Touhou/Project Shrine Maiden, as it belongs to ZUN. However, Chôzen Gekido (and his responsible personalities), Nanatsu no Taizai, Ryoko Jigoku, Shiho Kumo, Kayako Saeki Henge and Sly do belong to me , as for I have created them in a moment of insanity.

Chapter 2: Head in he clouds – Fight the Sky!

"DAMN IT!", I roared as I felt the ground beneath my left feet gone as soon as it touched it… I had stepped right into a puddle of mud, and slipped. It hurt as my body impacted with the ground and I rolled down the hill, dirt staining my face and clothes.

"Chôzen! Chô… Are you alright?", shouted Nanatsu's voice from the top of the hill. I ignored it and pushed myself up, snarled. "Yeah. Let's continue.", I hissed, glared after the ship on the horizon. I had catched up with it until now, but that little slip just there may cost me a lot of time... time that I don't have.

Glaring shortly over my shoulder at Nanatsu and Rumia, the two flinched and nodded, then charged past me, with me immediately following them, catching up. I was jumping over the ground by now, pushing off it right after one of my feet came in contact with it, and so, it only took me seven jumps to rush past Rumia and Nanatsu, who weren't as fast as me.

Comparing us three with each other in terms of speed, power and other aspects regarding our movements and our fighting style, one could easily see that Rumia was a fast and agile, above average in terms of power; while Nanatsu was slow, but incredibly powerful. I, on the other hand, was rather balanced, even though one cannot surely say what I am best at... Speed was my aspect, though... it changed, however, if Insanity took over. My power tended to rocket then, as well as my speed, but caused lack of control and defense at the same time.

In terms of fighting style, Rumia was the one who fought with the most vigor, intending to slash and kill her enemies (back then before the spellcard rules, at least), skilled with martial arts and her sword, even though she prefered to fight with kicks.

Nanatsu relied entirely on her vast physical power, her movements slow and her scythe even slower... and yet, ever so often, one slash would be all it took for most enemies to get knocked out. If the situation recquired it, however, she used the seven deadly sins to fight over distances.

This leads to me... I prefer to change in between wide-range and physical attacks, using Alastor and punches in physical attacks, and using negative energy (low-focused, not intended to negate) on wide-range... Insanity, however, prefered to mercily slash and kill, much like Rumia.

Why I am reviewing our fighting styles right now? Well, for once, our fighting styles could be found in our movements as well, with me using speed, Rumia using her powerful legs to run, and Nanatsu jumped with her body leaned forwards, the weight of the scythe giving her an extra boost, as well as the power of the purgatory surrounding her feet in the shape of darkred flames (otherwise, she wouldn't even be able to keep up with me and Rumia. Not at all.)

The second reason as for why I reviewed our fighting styles right now was, because I kinda get the feeling that we will need them soon... it may be just my imagination, but Unzan, the pink cloud with the huge beard, was glaring at me all the time as he flew aside the Palanquin, turned towards me and my two girls.

"I still don't completely understand, Chôzen...", began Rumia as she catched up with me, "...what exactly is your connection to them? You kinda explained it, but I... I can't understand why you get so worked up because of it...?"

I stopped for a second and frowned at her, surprised and confused. "I mean...why is it that you are so angry...? Is this... Byakuren.. special to you...?", asked Rumia hesitantly. I clenched a fist as something flashed through me, an old feeling that was suddenly brought up by the question.

"It's just... Byakuren is...", I began, muttered lowly, "...I respect her and her belief. Uniting Youkai and humanity to lco-exist sounds like a honorable goal... and..." Rumia and Nanatsu shared a short glance, apparently wondering why I had trailed off so suddenly. "And what...?", asked Nanatsu, but I didn't feel like replying.

Now, it wasn't that I didn't trust Nanatsu... and it wasn't that I didn't trust Rumia... Somehow, though, the words just didn't want to leave my mouth. It remained stuck in my head and throat, never leaving my mouth.

"Byakuren's goal... humans and Youkai co-existing... If that would indeed work, it would mean that even someone as me, someone who has always been an outsider... would be accepted... finally..."

"Chôzen? Hey, are you there?", asked Rumia, nudging my forehead. This action called me back to reality and out of my thoughts. "W-wha..?", I gasped, blinking. "Just... just what is wrong with you, Chôzen? You're spacing out on us, and you behave this... this...!" The angel of death didn't finish the sentence, turning away before I could read her emotions... I managed though. And found myself surprised.

Rumia's expression, even though I had only seen it for a second, displayed anger, rage... inner rage, hidden away, anger at something I had done... possibly at my behaviour...?

"Ugh... Look... I owe Byakuren this. She'd done enough for me, and I couldn't repay her one bit... She took me in when I had no home and no one else did want to take me in, she cared for me even though no one else ever had and I never wanted someone to do so at that moment, and she was the ultimate trigger for my decision to follow Nanatsu into the outside world once more...", I sighed.

That wasn't a lie. Partially, this was indeed my reason for accepting Byakuren's wish of being sealed away. I respected her choice, even though I had been, even though I never admitted it, against it as well... but out of respect for her and her goals, I had never once complained...

...but deep in my heart, I mourned as well, wanted Byakuren to be unsealed and among us again... Deep in my heart, I wanted her to be back just as much as Murasa, Shou and Ichirin wanted her to be...

"You owe her...?", muttered Rumia, blinking. I turned away as she shared yet another confused glance with Nanatsu... I had enough of this. We were wasting time. Time necessary to prevent the unsealing of Byakuren.

...I can't allow this.

Without a word to Nanatsu and Rumia, I pushed myself off the ground and jumped towards the next hill, after the flying ship. I ignored their surprised complaints and landed on the ground, immediately pushing myself off it, before I landed on a hill right after the jump.

Now, it is true that I can fly... but jumping like this was faster than flying... as weird as that sounds, rapidly using my strength to push me forwards, rather than keeping me in the air, is faster. And with no time to lose, every second counted.

Besides... the ship was flying straight into a thunderstorm. I know that the ship is safe, due to Unzan's help... he would push the other clouds out of the way for it. But for me, Nanatsu and Rumia to fly that high in a thunderstorm was lethal.

I didn't even glance over my shoulder to see if Nanatsu and Rumia were following me... there was no need to. I knew they would. They always do, and always would... I can't say that I dislike them following me... I can't say that I dislike the idea of them now getting along...

...I disliked the idea of us three being near each other at the moment, any longer than necessary that is, though.

I just can't stand it... the loneliness, even though I am not alone...

My heart beats for two women, but their hearts do not beat for me... and yet, if I were not there, their hearts would stop to beat... Call it addiction,masochism or whatever... without each other, we would wither like a flower in the darkness...

Nanatsu... Rumia...

...it will break their hearts if I would really leave to live in Makai, forever alone, isolated until my time comes... How am I going to tell them that we can't continue like this...? That we have no future this way...?

It will shatter their hearts if I tell them that I will...

"SOMETHING IS HAPPENING!"

The sudden roar from Nanatsu ripped me out of my thoughts. I immediately stopped and rose my gaze to the flying treasure ship, wondering what exactly was happening...

...it was a dark shape standing at the back of the ship, piercing red eyes staring in an amused, wicked way at us. At me.

As I saw the dark shape, I was immediately reminded of the unfocused world and how things appeared to be distorted, dying... a scary place to be. This shape could be straight out of it, no doubt...

As soon as I saw the shape, I tried to figure out who it was... Murasa, Ichirin, Shou or Nazrin. However, no matter how much I tried to focus my eyes on it, I just couldn't make out who it was... it was like liquid that you try to grab with a single hand... like black fog, never taking a real shape, constantly wavering. Only it's red eyes remained in the same place...

"What is that...?", muttered Nanatsu behind me. "I don't know...", I whispered, snarling, "...but the actual question is... who is that?" Glancing over my shoulder, I took in Nanatsu's scared, unsure expression, and Rumia's hard, angry one. "I don't like it.", hissed the angel of death, and I could only agree. This was neither Shou, Nazrin, Murasa or Ichirin... and by all means, not Unzan. Thiis lead me to one question... just who had Murasa hired?

The dark, foggy shape glanced behind it all of sudden, as if there was something... and when it nodded (or so it appeared at least, when it's eyes suddenly moved down and up) I knew that something was going to happen... and I should be right.

The dark shape moved backwards, vanished from my sight... only to be replaced by something falling over the edge of the ship, falling towards the ground.

I narrowed my eyes as I watched the falling object... it looked like a bundle of blue and white clothes, fluttering in the wind of the great speed it was falling with. For a moment, I thought it was a trick of Murasa's... until I noticed that Unzan, the big pink cloud, was no longer following the ship.

That moment, it became clear to me that this bundle was no bundle...

"OUT OF THE WAY!", I roared, jumping backwards and extending my arms to shield Nanatsu and Rumia, if possible even get out of the way with them... sadly, I had moved too late.

A giant, pink fist rushed towards us and hit me like a train. Fortunately, I had managed to at least change the path of the fist, and so, only I had been hit, rushing towards heaven with the fist... only to fall towards the ground a few seconds later.

Even before I impacted with it, my body hurt like hell, due to the power of the attack... when I impacted with the ground, I felt my body hurt all over, a sick noise indicating that one of my legs had just snapped from the impacts.

Snarling, I pushed myself up, glaring past the shocked women in my life, right at the "bundle of white and blue cloth", which I had already identified as Ichirin Kumoi, the nyuudo-controlling Youkai that had followed Byakuren back then. And of course, the fist that had hit me was Unzan's.

The gigantic, pink cloud with the face of an old man, as well as Ichirin Kumoi, glared at me as I lifted off the ground, hovering above it, knowing that I couldn't stand on my broken leg anymore... not until it had healed. Would take a moment, though...

"Gekido... You've changed!", called Ichirin out, Unzan hovering behind her. "Ichirin...", I snarled. It seems she is still angry at me... she called me by my last name, not my first... "We didn't believe Nazrin when she described the person at the temple to look like you... but now, seeing you with my own eyes, I will have to apologize to her..."

"You better do…!", I growled, hovering past Nanatsu and Rumia towards the giant cloud and the one it protected. "I will. But first… first, I'll stop you and retrieve the shard!", roared Ichirin, extending one hand towards me. I hissed and rose my arms to protect me… I covered them in negative energy in just the right moment, as Unzan's fist hit me only a second later.

This time, Unzan's attack was not as powerful to me… okay, so it was still as powerful as before, but the negative energy protected me enough for me not to be hurten. And when I extended my arms into both directions suddenly, Unzan's fist exploded into several smaller clouds, which then gathered into a fist again next to him.

"Fine!", I roared, "But don't think I will just let you do that! It is not time to wake Byakuren, and I will prevent her awakening with everything I have until the time has come!"

Ichirin didn't reply… she merely snarled and rose the yellow ring she held in her right hand.

This was going to be a hard battle.

~ Music: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - Argorok~

When Unzan swung his fist down on me, I rolled backwards in midair and avoided the gigantic fist that way. Around us, the storm began to pick up, lightning breaking through the dark sky with ferocity that I hadn't seen in a long while, rain coming down from heaven like waterfalls.

The howling wind roared in my ears, blocked out nearly every other sound... I had to focus hardly on Ichirin and Unzan, tried hardly to make out any sounds they made. My sight was bad, the wind and rain in my eyes limiting my reactions, and the howling winds drowned out any of the silent sounds that the giant cloud or the one it protected made.

Now, if Unzan had been actually nothing more than a puppet, being controlled by Ichirin, this wouldn't have been the problem... In that case, I could've read Ichirin's movements and could've used that against her. However, this was not the case. Unzan was an own being, acted on his own... would do anything to protect Ichirin, the girl he had sworn to protect, his purpose nothing more than that.

"HIYAH!", roared Ichirin, swinging one fist forwards, encouraging Unzan to attack me. I hissed and rose my arms, crossed them in front of my body and blocked the attack with another charge of negative energy. What took me by surprise, though, was that Unzan's fist didn't dissolve this time... rather than that, I was on the receiving end of having already overused this technique... yes, I had only used it twice now, but sadly, Unzan and Ichirin had already come up with a way to counter!

I pushed Unzan's fist back and twirled around, snarled and growled as the other fist of Unzan hit me full force, throwing me backwards. Due to blocking it, though, I managed to minimize the force of the attack somewhat. I landed on the ground and sled on it, the force of Unzan's raw power giving me no chance to stop.

My unwilling slide ended eventually, when I landed with the back against a huge rock... my broken leg hurt a lot... but since it hadn't just given away under the pressure, I was silently wondering if it was indeed broken or just wounded.

"Unzan... I never fought him before... And I am only glad I never had to until now. He's terribly strong... But as every enemy, no matter how weak or strong, he must have a weak point... An uncoordinated movement in a combo, a moment to cool down..."

Unzan pulled his right fist back and huffed out loudly... sort of a battle cry. A very silent one.

Believe it or not, Unzan is a terribly shy Nyuudo... he speaks with no one else but Ichirin, and even then, he only whispers into her ear. Unzan, a powerful Nyuudo, an intimidating appearance (and that even though he was a pink cloud) and a purpose... and yet, he was a shy and retiring person.

Unzan's right fist came swinging down towards me, and it was only due to a very well placed backflip that I managed to avoid it as it crashed into the ground.

Agility was luckily something that came with being a Youkai... heightened reflexes, quicker movements, superhuman power and special abilities... We Youkai sure had our advantages. And our downsides. Solitude, personificating things we did not want to, no secure future and often being hunted down or exterminated. At least that was how things were in the outside world.

But still... imagine me, a complete clumsy person, doing backflips with ease. The irony.

Unzan's left fist came from the left, and with one quick jump backwards into the air, I avoided it. Lightning shot through the air next to me and hit the ground, a roar following it, echoing through the air. The roar of impacting lightning, the noise of a small explosion as it decharged up into the sky... Was big ol' bully Orochi perhaps in a bad mood today, or why was there such a gigantic storm?

"HEYJAAAAAAH!", shouted Ichirin once more, swinging her arms forwards. Unzan, encouraged by her shouts, rose his right fist once more, and continued his attacks, swinging his right fist forwards, which I avoided by jumping backwards.

I landed on top of his second fist, which Unzan swung at me right after the first attack. Pushing myself off the fist, I charged towards Unzan's face... which was waaaaay far away from me, up in the sky. I can only thank whatever force allowed me to fly in Gensokyo...

...Thank you, Nihilism!

Unzan let out a very... well, "cloud-like" huff when I hit him into the face, and then let myself fall backwards to the ground... With the way Unzan was swinging his arms around, I had to get away from him as fast as possible.

I stopped my fall in midair and twirled around, facing Unzan once more... only to gasp as a gigantic fist neared me from above, swinging down in an arc towards me... I had no chance to avoid it, hopelessly in the way of the gigantic fist.

It hit me and pulled me down with it... the pain didn't kick in until I impacted with the ground, stuck in between the fist and the earth. Luckily, as Unzan's hand wasn't very solid, I at least was in no danger of being actually crushed... the pain was unbearable, though...

"CHÔZEEEEN!", roared Nanatsu's voice over the howl of the winds and Ichirin's laughter. "Yeah! And grumpy Murasa said we stood no chance against him!", cheered the nyuudo-user, pumping a fist into the air. "And now give me the crystal shard! Byakuren will be unsealed, Chôzen!"

I snarled in anger and tried to push the gigantic fist off me, while Ichirin descended towards me... of course to retrieve the shard from my possession...

I won't let her!

"HYYYYYAAAAAAAAAARGH!", I roared, using every strength I had to push the fist off me... only was Unzan way stronger than me... but at least, he had some problems holding me back. "Give up, Chôzen... We will finally awake Byakuren again.", sighed Ichirin, just as she bowed down next to me, extending a hand towards the pocket of my shirt... pah, too bad that the crystal shard isn't there any longer... if it would've been there, I would've lost it more than once...

Just gotta wait one second longer and...

"HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH! YA!"

Ichirin let out a gasp when I simply pushed the fist off myself and spun on the ground, kicking her feet away and catching her as she fell. "Sorry, toots, but Murasa was right. You got no chance if you keep on underestimating me!", chuckled Insanity.

Yeah. Yeah, I had let him free. He had been right when he said that he had a feeling that we needed to work together on this. I agreed on this. I agree fully on this. We had our deficits... We had them quite often. But now... now this should be over. While I would never let him free control over the body without at least some restraints, as he is a power-hungry beast, only longing for control and might... once he got a taste of it, he'd never let go of it, until he has his prey...

Two kings on the same throne, one in control, the other in charge. At the moment, I control him as he is in charge, but back in the days that I first fought Rumia it was exactly the other way around... Back in the days right before I met Byakuren for the first time, and finally got a hold on myself and Insanity...

"Now that the real demon is unleashed, think you can still retrieve this shard so easily, huh?", taunted Insanity through my body, amused at this turn of events. Amused at being set free. At finally being able to fight. He would still have to hold back, he knew... this wasn't Rumia he was fighting against. He didn't want to go all out... only his true queen should see and experience his full strength, and yet she shouldn't tremble as she faces it, and should not bow to him, should stand up to him and hurt him...

It was a sworn ritual for Insanity... A ritual that actually only twice had taken place... two times with the same queen. Rumia Shisô.

"Fighting the real demon in the middle of a storm... how fitting, don't you think, Kumoi?", roared Insanity towards Ichirin Kumoi, which had pushed away from him, and her Nyuudo, enjoying their shocked, surprised faces as the lightning around us continued and the storm around us seemed yet to pick up again.

"This is going to be. So. Much. Fun!"

Rumia's PoV

I hissed, grinding my teeth against each other as I followed Chôzen's movements against the storm. Being an exalted Youkai came in handy, being a predator that lurked in the darkness of the night even more... My eyes were excellent, perfect to see in the dark... my own darkness, as well as the natural one. And so, even a storm didn't minimize my sight in the slightest.

As such, it wasn't a problem for me to see Chôzen against the storm... against all the rain and the darkness. Unlike Nanatsu, who could only see him when the lightning broke through the dark sky, highlighting his shape against the illuminated sky.

What I saw against the sky... it wasn't to my liking at all.

"I-Is he alright...?", asked Nanatsu behind me, almost causing me to cringe. "Y-yeah. He's fine. Stupid made us worry for nothing.", I chuckled uneasily, smiling over my shoulder at the woman of my heart. Nanatsu showed a soft smile and let out a deep breath of relief, before she stared into the heaven again.

I followed her example, but as soon as I had turned away and was sure that Nanatsu couldn't see me anymore, my smile fell, became an expression of worry and seriousness... I knew that I possibly couldn't tell Nanatsu what I could see...

The sudden change in his movements, the ferociousness in his attacks, the reckless charges at the giant cloud without a plan... and the raw power I could see him radiate... This wasn't Chôzen. Not anymore. This was... my king. Chôzen's insane side.

...the one that had once been my king.

Why was he in control? Why had Chôzen let him taken control? Chôzen and his insane side were anything but on terms... the only time that I remember them actually working together was when they had fought me... in that one, apocalyptic night...

Sure, there was that time against Utsuho... I can't be sure about this, but.. For the bloodlust to actually gain control like it did, Chôzen's insane side should've given up control... they both would have to agree on giving up. Furthermore, Nanatsu told me about being in Chôzen's "inner world"... a pub, as she told me, but I can't imagine it to be like that.

I envy Nanatsu a little... I wish I could've been in Chôzen's inner world as well. Maybe this would give me more understanding of him and his strange ways... I understand him, understand his insane side... I understand his insane side like nobody else, due to my insane side being just like his... but I can't understand him if he is like he usually is, his normal self... His true self is wrapped in mysteries and riddles, and he lets no one close to him... not even me and Nanatsu... We are close, there is no doubt in that. But there is still this invisible barrier that Chôzen builds up around himself, to hide his very core, his feelings...

Chôzen... I hope you know what you do... I trust you, I trust you do have reasons for letting him free.. but still... Do you really know what you're doing? I feel like every time that you let him free, you lose a part of yourself...

...that I lose a part of you.

Insanity's PoV

Ha! I can't actually believe that Kumoi thought that Chôzen was THAT easy to defeat! Come on, she saw me once when I fought back those humans along Murasa and that pink cloud! Pah. Anyways, guess I am something like the ace up Chôzen's sleeve.

Using his body was quite a torment if it wasn't distorted into mine... well, my version of his body. Even now, I feel like I am in some confined space, like wearing a straitjacket... actually, maybe it was good that way. I am a madman, after all... haha.

Fighting me, the demon inside the former nihilist, inside this storm... Ichirin seemed scared about the sudden change in "Chôzen's" behaviour, and I bet the setting here makes her even more nervous... and me excited! The raging thunder, the bright flashes of lightning, the rain on my skin, the weight of my wet clothes... It's a thrill!

"You're... not him...", whispered Ichirin after calling Unzan back for a moment. "Well... What'cha know babe, actually, I am not.", I sniggered, not even trying to hide my amusement. "Who are you?" "Me? Well... I guess I don't have a name. But that doesn't matter, anyways... I live my days as someone who doesn't care for name or rank, base of life or any shit like that... No, I am living on instinct... You could say... I am a no one at mind, and a cold person at heart...!"

The Nyuudo-controlling woman let out a loud gasp when I moved... Guess she didn't even see me move. Can't blame her. I am much quicker than the already fast Chôzen. He's a fool for not using all of his power... Well, I don't care! Call me irresponsible, but I LOVE this power...!

"I know what you're about to do... and don't even think about it!", hissed Chôzen's voice all of sudden... causing me to snicker as Unzan's right fist burst apart after I struck mine trough it. "Well... too late for that, ol' pal Chôzen. But I guess I'll not do it, anyways.", I chuckled, glancing over my shoulder at the one who that cloud protected.

"You better don't. Only a coward would attack Ichirin! You know that she isn't a fighter herself, and entirely relies on Unzan for fighting!" "I get it, I get it, calm down!" Geez, that Chôzen. "I'm powerful and malicious, but that doesn't mean that I fight unfair... even I can see that she is a weakling, and only the cloud is indeed powerful..."

Scratching the back of my head, I turned and looked over to where the cloud had moved in behind the one it protected. At least, according to Chôzen, he does that. Can't say I know... to be honest, I don't care much about people. If it weren't for Chôzen, I wouldn't even be able to remember most names... good thing that I can access his memories.

That doesn't mean, however, that I am even searching for peoples names or something. But it helps me communicate with him about people that I honestly don't even give a shit about. Call me ignorant, call me mean, call me whatever you like... I don't care!

They don't call me Chôzen's inner demon for nothing, after all!

"What is your connection to Chôzen Gekido?", hissed Kumoi all of sudden, reminiding me of her presence, even though I had been directly looking at her the whole time. "You look exactly like him, but..." I rose an eyebrow as she trailed off, looking up at my fringe... and snickered when I realized that she was confused about why and how the colour of my fringe and my eyes changed.

Actually, like I have to remember myself ever so often, Chôzen is a Youkai that not only embodies negativity, but is partially made of negative energy... which is radiated at three locations of his body. Not that the radiation of it is extremely strong, mind you... it's just that these three locations change something... they all do serve a purpose.

The first one is the upper back... the back of his chest, to be exact. This spot is able to charge negative energy into a few things... it is the reason that the green line on his shirt begins to glow. It absorbs the negative energy of the same colour... and actually, is the only of the three locations that doesn't change colour with me taking over.

The second location happens to be Chôzen's eyes... Actually, his eyecolour is a regular, deep grey... only, due to the negative energy being able to flow freely in his irises, it appears to be green and gives of a whole lot of light.

The last location is his fringe... creating stripes of green colour in his fringe. This location's purpose is... it sort of absorbs the negative energy around. Weird, I know, absorbing energy through your hair, and even through goddamn green-coloured stripes in your fringe.

The reason as for why Kumoi was confused now was, that Chôzen's eyes and fringe turned crimson after I took over... since I collect and use only red negative energy, the stronger charged one.

"Are you something like a replica? Or are you just able to transform into certain people?", asked Kumoi, slightly causing me to frown and worry about the second part of her question... it was like a bad omen, the weird way she said it that alarmed me.

That wavering, dark shape from before...

...a shapeshifter?

"Heh. Actually... Neither.", I chuckled, replying to Kumoi's question. Ichirin flinched all of sudden, and then nodded slowly. "Unzan believes you are a parasite that has taken over Chôzen Gekido's body.", exclaimed the protected one, leaving me to snort. "Well, what do you know... He isn't that far from the truth! I am indeed something like a parasite... feeding on Chôzen's misery actually is the only reason that I live.", I chuckled.

"Spreading false facts again? You're almost as worse as Mima when it comes to lying and boasting..." "Don't just compare me to people... sheesh!" "Ah... sure." "Anyways, if you don't mind, Chôzen, I'm returning to this... cloud."

I rose a hand as I spoke, blocking the gigantic fist with my bare hand. "Unzan says that you are talking with Chôzen... is it possible that you are cooperating with him?", shouted Kumoi's voice from the other side of the fist... which I pushed out of the way, grinning with an insane smirk at the protected one.

"Do you really think you could just come and beat Chôzen up? YOU? And after that captain warned you? PAH! This is just too funny, believe me... She warned you for a reason. But please, go back and tell her of your shameful defeat... I hope you realize now that I am not an enemy to be taken light... kiddo. You still have much to learn...", I snickered, grinning at Kumoi. Man, she's too foolish... just like a rebelling teenager, she thinks she could outsmart or even defeat Chôzen... and much more, me! Pah!

She didn't seems to like my words at all. She narrowed her eyes at me and rose that yellow ring once more. With narrowed eyes, she slowly repeated her questions, which I could only hear due to my heightened senses... the rain had gotten really loud by now. And quite hard. What's this, a typhoon? "I asked you something! Unzan said that you are talking with Chôzen... is it possible that you are cooperating with him?"

A grin flashed over my lips, deciding to change my plan... our plan. Seems she doesn't like me... well then, I'll give her back what she wants, then! "True! I do indeed talk to him... it's his body, and I am only the parasite, as you called me... But since you are so attached to him, here he is... just for you!"

I rushed forwards, changing with Chôzen as we rushed towards her... Good luck, Chôzen. I'm waiting for my next opportunity to fight. Hope you let me out soon again... I am enjoying this... even though you only let me out to regain the upper hand... to get out of your misfortunate situation... only if it was a small moment...

I enjoyed messing with Kumoi. I enjoyed the short moment of freedom... well, confined freedom.

Whatever. Hope you'll have your fun~ See ya soon~

Chôzen's PoV

Aaaand here I am in control again! Time to finish this once and for all!

Charging towards Ichirin, I changed my course in the last second, avoiding a giant fist from above. Unzan was mad now. Damn mad.

The cloud-nyuudo that only whispered to Ichirin because it was too shy was in blind rage by now... I had come too close to the one he protected. And making him mad was my goal. It was him I had to fight, not Ichirin...

...to be honest, Murasa, the boldest one of the old group at the Myouren Temple, had Ichirin often called "nothing more than Unzan's hitbox"... whatever that was supposed to mean. But I do believe she refers to the fact that, to beat Unzan, you have to attack Ichirin...

I flew upwards, right into the storm... I had to reach Unzan's face. Attacking him there seems to be the only way to actually hurt him... other than hurting Ichirin, something I want to avoid at all costs. Ichirin herself isn't much of a fighter... and attacking her wouldn't make me better than big ol' bully Kanako.

So I kept on flying higher and higher, the pink cloud's face my goal. Rain and wind kept on hitting my face, making it hard for me to see and keep my direction... the higher I got, the harder the wind got. However, luckily, I think I am just about there... Unzan's gigantic face has come really close by now...

I wish I could see more... With narrowed eyes, I can barely see... but if I open them any more, the water will get in and completely blind me...

Wait... wait, this isn't his face! This is...!

I crossed my arms in front of my chest, holding them in an "X" shape to block the incoming fist from right above... Boy, this is going to hurt!

The sudden impact of the huge fist shook my body and almost made me threw up... especially as I noticed at what speed I was moving. Moving DOWN!

Glaring over my shoulder, all I could see was how the ground appeared in my sight again. I began to panic that moment, well knowing that this was going to hurt... and that I couldn't do a thing.

I was well aware of the sweat that mingled with the cold water on my face... Cold sweat as panic broke out in me.

But even before I could come up with a plan, it was already too late. I managed to shift a little, using my legs to break the fall... forgetting one important thing. One of my legs was anything but okay.

I held back a scream as pain flew through me, the gigantic fist pushing me against the ground, my weak leg holding me up... threatening to give in...

Unzan seemed to notice my misfortunate situation, and used even more power... and I actually let out a pained scream as my leg made another sick sound and gave in under the pressure.

"Ha! So much for that!", roared Ichirin somewhere in front of me... Shit, this isn't good at all! I'm in danger here! And the shard is, as well!

Unzan pushed again, using more power, and I actually began to feel somewhat like a spring, his raw power forcing me into my knees... "That you always have to screw up things...", sighed Insanity inside my head... but made no attempt at helping my leg to recover, or at helping me out. DAMN HIM!

"Now...", I flinched when a soft hand laid onto my chest, tracing it, searching for something, "...where is the crystal shard?" I growled at Ichirin, who stood right before me, searching through the pockets of my shirt. "H-hidden... somewhere...", I hissed, causing Ichirin to frown. "As if. Nazrin already mentioned that you keep it on your body somewhere. The dowsing rods pointed directly at you when she was searching the keys.", retorted Ichirin, slipping a hand into the pocket of my jeans. "Nothing.", she muttered, hissing.

"Okay, Gekido! Last chance! Tell me where you keep the shard, or Unzan is going to crush you rig...!"

My eyes widened when Unzan suddenly pulled his fist back, and Ichirin stopped talking... before her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she fell over, almost onto me. "Enough was enough!", huffed Rumia, leaning Tyrfing onto her shoulder. "She had that one coming, I swear. She should thank me that I only used the broad side, though!"

~ Music stop~

For a moment, I stared wide-eyed at the angel of death, which had just saved me and the crystal shard... by interupting our fight. "Rumia, you shouldn't have done that! It wasn't your fight!", gasped Nanatsu as she landed directly next to us, but Rumia let out just another huff.

"Look, I can tolerate a lot, but not her groping him! She didn't even win yet!", snarled the angel of death at the other woman, causing her to sigh. "Oh dear, what am I going to do with the two of you... you always act so immature..."

I shared a glance with Rumia, but then chuckled in an amused way. "Thanks, Rumia.", I sighed. "Whatever.", replied the angel of death, before she extended a hand towards me. "Need to get up, old man? You look like your legs can't carry you anylonger.", teased the angel of death, but I let out a sigh.

Looking down at Ichirin to my feet made me feel bad... receiving the broad side of a sword to the head was pain enough, but did Rumia really have to knock her out? Unzan's going to be...

UNZAN!

I rose my gaze, peered through the rain and the darkness, only to find the face of an enraged old man... I noticed his anger just in the last second to see the fist coming down at me once more... DAMN IT!

And all of sudden, there was nothing more than black...

"Ouch...

...did someone... actually see what just hit me...?

Woah, I feel like I should have a major pain throughout my whole body after being hit by Unzan's fist without blocking it... but here I am, all that I have is a little headache..."

I opened up one eye and glanced around. The sky above me was of a light orange colour, just as if the sun was just setting... and yet, an even softer colour, almost... cream-coloured. The clouds in the sky looked funny as well... way too edgy and serious to be a thoughtless cloud...

"...where is here, anyways?"

Sitting up, I shook all drowsiness from me, one hand massaging my right temple, waiting for the pain to become numb... but when I opened up my eyes, I quickly forgot the pain as I looked around me.

I was lying on top of a green hill with short grass... That wasn't unusual. Last time I checked, I got crushed by a fist on top of a hill in the middle of a storm.

However... this hill... just... faded into nothing. It vanished in a soft, orange mist at the lower end... and when I looked up, I could see a few buildings that confused me even more.

One was a maze made of green, another building was a tower in the distance, a huge, red heart on it... And then, there was this house to the left of the maze, a beautiful white house with a single tower... Alice's house... and it was guarded not by dolls, but...

Cards as tall as me with spears and helmets?

...Oh god, don't tell me...!

"Well, hello there, Chôzen.", chuckled a sinister voice, and upon twirling around, I came face to face with Insanity, who stood behind me, grinning smugly at me with his arms crossed in front of his chest. "Or rather... welcome back, Chôzen. Welcome back to the... unfocused world... Or more certainly..."

I turned around and looked once more at the... "wonderland"... that lay before me. "Alice's part of the unfocused world...", I mused, earning a chuckle from Insanity. "Welcome to the wonderland, Chôzen... A white rabbit, that was very nervous, told me that a certain Alice was roaming around here..."

Slowly standing up, I let my gaze move around once more. "You're kidding me, right...?", I muttered. "Not at all. Very well then, Dorothy... Shall we?", snickered Insanity, before he calmly walked past me towards the maze...

...and as I stood there, looking after him and over to the house in the distance, I knew that I was going to see a certain puppeteer yet another time... If I wanted or not.

A question is, though... how did I get into the unfocused world this time? I don't remember falling asleep...

"Stop wasting my time! There's a lady waiting for us, Dorothy! Do I really need to get your red shoes or something?"

Oh well... I guess it's time for a bedtime story then...

...somehow, I get the feeling that this story isn't named the Insanity of Oz... but rather...

Chôzen in Wonderland...

And that's about it!

Heh. I was actually thinking about whether to introduce Shou or Ichirin in this chapter... and eventually decided for the later one, as Shou's going to play a role in a later chapter.

Now... I personally don't think this is a great chapter... rather average, I guess. I wish that the fight between Chôzen and Unzan would be a little different but... I just don't manage to get it right. This is actually the... what? Seventh version or something? This fight was a little... weird.

But oh well.

Now, Chôzen is back in the unfocused world... in Alice's part, to be exact. And Insanity, who seems to like appearing more often now, is there with him... but how did Chôzen get into the unfocused world? Wasn't he about to be crushed by Unzan? (as good as a cloud can crush someone...)

It is like I said... the unfocused world will gain a little importance now and then... and since it was just created, I thought I actually give it a little importance... And until now, only Chôzen and Alice are known to be able to access the mysterious unfocused world... who else is part of it, or will become...?

Well, that's stuff of the future. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and are just as eager as I for the next one.

So long~!

The Grimoire of SorrowfulReincarnation

The Walking Enigma

Chôzen Gekido (Amnesia)

Chôzen Gekido, even though being the same person as before, had gained an entirely different personality after his loss of memory. Chôzen, the same exalted Youkai that once pursuid the path of Nihilism for a long time, only remembers one thing as he comes to... that he just hit his head on the pavement of a Shinto Shrine.

Reimu Hakurei, the owner of the shrine, was confused about this new arrival, as she was sure she had seen him before. And only shortly after, she indeed found him in the records of the Hakurei Family... labelled as "Youkai of Negativity", with the ability to "negate anything and everything", even though she and Chôzen are sure that this must be a mistake of some sorts.

Still not knowing his name, Marisa Kirisame makes her appearance, and after a row of unfortunate events, Chôzen is left at the shrine as Reimu goes buying supplies, and Marisa heads home. It is then that he accidentally sets free Mima Hakurei, who had been sealed in a silver chest for over five years. The evil spirit is surprised about his amnesia, but, as he doesn't know, uses this to her advantage and pretends to be an old friend of him.

It is Mima that helps him at least remember his name and the actual limit to his powers... which he still didn't believe in. However, as he should notice that very night, his powers are real... and damn weak. All he was able to do was to negate one's special power... and he didn't even know how.

Being dragged into an "incident" as a strange, scarlet fog lays onto the land, Chôzen sets out along Marisa, Reimu and Mima to find the source of it. Along the way, he gets into a fight with an apparently young Youkai... that turns out to be just as exalted as he as Mima accidentally takes off her seal. Said Youkai was none else than Rumia Shisô, the half-sister of Yukari that he helped seal. Leaving the old grudges behind (partially because she temporarily forgot entirely about "Insanity" due to the effects of the seal), she began to feel attracted to him, held back, though.

The incident was eventually resolved after the Scarlet Devil Mansion, old acquaintances of Chôzen, were responsible for the mist, and even though Chôzen helped Remilia Scarlet in battle as he snapped for some reason (Insanity coming through), they lost after Remilia accepted where she was wrong, and defeated Chôzen with a single hit.

Chôzen returned to normal, and after meeting Flandre again, as well as the new employee at the Scarlet Devil Mansion, he went out to explore Gensokyo a bit. It was during these explorations that he met Yuuka Kazami first, even though he never learned her name then.

Shortly after, when spring refused to come, Chôzen went out with Reimu, Marisa and Mima again to find the source of the stolen spring. During this incident, he should meet Ryoko Jigoku, who became his mentor, as well as Alice Margatroid, who he instantly learned to hate. After meeting Yuyuko Saigyouji and Youmu Konpaku again after over three centuries, he also stumbled into the Yakumo family after requesting to see them. During his visit to Yukari's residence, a few things became clear to him about himself, and he also should meet Nanatsu no Taizai, his wife, again.

Having taken residence with her in a newly build house on the edge of the forest of magic, the house warming is quickly disturbed as Yukari notices the moon to be fake. Making up a team with Rumia Shisô, Chôzen left along four more teams to resolve the incident, which was ultimately resolved by Reimu and Yukari, much like the ones before. During this incident, Chôzen also fought Fujiwara no Mokou, and soon began to remember having met her before during the path of nihilism.

The incident behind, a new one starts when flowers bloom out of season only shortly after, confusing Chôzen. Entirely ignoring it, Chôzen should meet Sakuya's father, Dio, and also eventually come to terms with Yuuka, who he met again at the end of the imperishable night incident, where she had teamed up with Mima. Yuuka opened a gateway to Higan, where Chôzen eventually learned of his purpose to be the one that destroys it all once more.

After Rumia Shisô, who had been fighting with Nanatsu no Taizai over him ever since the imperishable night, left him, saying that they shouldn't be, Chôzen fell into depressions, which even didn't end when the next incident started, which soon turned out to have a personal meaning to him, as Kanako Yasaka, who held a grudge against him since thousands of years, attacked him. Ultimately, he managed to stop her... or rather, was stopped as well by Suwako Moriya, his former mentor.

Rumia Shisô returned shortly later, her mind only set on killing Chôzen or being killed herself to end her suffering. Chôzen had to trust his insane personality, Insanity, to help him, and it was only with his help that he managed to defeat Rumia... but at a terrible cost, as he believed to have killed her. After a terrible challenge set up by Insanity, he understands his mistake, and actually manages to save Rumia's life.

It is only one season later that Chôzen's life turns upside-down as he is called into another incident... which, this time, only draws him to it because of a personal reason: Chôzen could meet the one again that took his memories. Unknown to him, as he descended into the underground alongside Rumia and Nanatsu, he set Mima's plan of getting rid of him in motion, which in the end, though failed.

Regaining his memories after encountering Utsuho Reiuji, the one responsible for him losing them in the first place, he confronts her over his and Gensokyo's fate. Apparently dying along her during their fight, Nanatsu and Rumia are to return a century later as he should resurrect, but as he returns and finishes fighting Utsuho, ending in a draw, he reunites with Nanatsu and Rumia... only to learn that the two of them were now a couple.

Feeling betrayed, he left. Trying to find reason and back to his usual self, he visited several places in Gensokyo, and finally found what he searched for through, of all persons, Alice Margatroid, which he was now on a "friendly" level.

Returning to Nanatsu and Rumia, he should find that there was no way for them to live alongside each other, and currently plans on leaving for good.

At the same time, he is unaware of Mima's evil plans, even though Shikieiki Yamaxanadu herself warned him... He even denies them, thinking only good of Mima and Yuuka... At what terrible cost his ignorance comes, he is unaware about as he left to prevent the old Myouren Temple Inhabitants from unsealing Byakuren too early...

Hush! Phew! Hush! Phew! Hush!

Doooon't mind me, I'm just floating like a cloud~