Pseudo-Eldritch God in Gensokyo

Kiru sat with Reimu on the shrine veranda, discussing the rules and nuances of staying in Gensokyo. Nearby, Rumia and Sanae were engrossed in a surprisingly competitive game of Uno, a deck that Kiru had introduced to them. Sanae, brimming with energy, eagerly debated the best moves, while Rumia adopted a carefree approach, making random plays that somehow worked in her favor.

Reimu leaned back and crossed her arms. "Alright, you can stick around, but remember—no causing trouble. If you do, I'll deal with you myself."

Kiru nodded. "Got it. I'll keep things harmless. Promise."

Suddenly, the sound of rushing air filled the shrine grounds as a figure on a broomstick descended rapidly. With her trademark witch's hat tilted jauntily, Marisa Kirisame landed with a flourish, hopping off her broom.

"Yo, Reimu!" she greeted with a cheeky grin. "Good to see ya—" Her gaze shifted to Kiru, and her smirk widened. "Oh? Who's this? Don't tell me—he's your boyfriend or something?"

Thwack!

Reimu's gohei came down on Marisa's head before she could say another word. "He's not my boyfriend, Marisa. He's an outsider who just showed up."

Marisa rubbed her head, still grinning. "Geez, take a joke, will ya?" Her eyes lit up with mischief as she sized Kiru up. 

Kiru raised a brow, observing her outfit. "Judging by the hat and broom, you're a witch, huh? With that accent, I'd almost think... French witch?"

Marisa blinked, then burst into laughter. "I prefer the term Magician. And—totally French, yeah!"

"She's not French," Reimu interrupted flatly. "She picked up the accent from somewhere, and now she's running with it."

Marisa stuck out her tongue. "Spoilsport." She turned her attention back to Kiru. "So, outsider, do you do any magic, or are you just a tourist?"

Kiru smirked. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve. Why?" He lied. 

Marisa's eyes sparkled with excitement. "You know magic? Sweet! How about we have a danmaku duel?"

Kiru tilted his head. "Danmaku duel? I've heard of it, but I don't know the rules or how magic works here yet."

Reimu chimed in, her tone matter-of-fact. "Spell card battles. They're structured, non-lethal fights. It's the standard way disputes are settled in Gensokyo. Keeps everything... civilized."

Marisa added with enthusiasm, "And they're all about flair! You don't just fight to win—you gotta show off your style, your personality. Make it spectacular!"

Kiru nodded thoughtfully. "Got it. Unfortunately, I don't have any spell cards yet. I still need to get a grasp on the local magic system. But... if you're up for a sparring match, I've got other tricks to keep things interesting."

Marisa grinned ear to ear. "That's the spirit! Let's go!"

With that, Marisa jumped back onto her broom, ascending into the sky in a graceful arc. Kiru grinned and activated his Shaper ability, giving himself Pyro's X-Gene and igniting jets of fire from his palms to propel himself upward. He also gave himself an adaptation of Cyclops' X-Gene but without the need for a visor, thanks to his tweaks he made using Shaper.

Reimu pinched the bridge of her nose. "Hey! Don't you two do this here! If you break something, you're both fixing it!"

Meanwhile Rumia and Sanae kept playing. 

"Uno!" Rumia declared triumphantly, slamming down her card.

Sanae stared in disbelief. "How?! How are you this good?!"

Rumia puffed out her chest proudly. "I just did random stuff, and it worked!"

Sanae deadpanned. "...Of course it did."

The two glanced up as a sudden burst of flame and a streak of light zipped through the air. Marisa and Kiru were already weaving through the sky, their duel kicking off with vibrant bursts of fire and magical sparkles.

"Ooooh, looks like a fight's starting!" Sanae said, her energy renewed.

Rumia nodded, already munching on some snacks Kiru had given her earlier. "I hope she wins. He said he'd make me more hamburgers if he lost his first fight here."

Marisa grinned with electric energy as she shouted, "Magic Sign: Stardust Reverie!"

A dazzling flurry of multicolored stars burst from her, spiraling outward in intricate patterns. The vibrant display was mesmerizing, each star pulsing with magical energy.

Kiru darted through the barrage, twisting and flipping in midair with fiery jets propelling him. The stars zipped past him, grazing his sides as he narrowly avoided the worst of them. "Not bad!" he called out with a grin, launching weak, controlled fireballs toward Marisa. He didn't want to hurt her, though he was fairly confident she could take it.

Marisa cackled as she swerved on her broom, effortlessly dodging his attacks. "You call that magic? You gotta crank it up if you wanna keep up with me!" she teased, firing off a few more vibrant starbursts in his direction.

Their midair dance continued, with Kiru deftly maneuvering through her patterns while occasionally getting hit by some of her stars, but his improved body could take the hits fine. Finally, one of his fireballs struck true, knocking Marisa's hat slightly askew.

"Ha! Finally hit you!" Kiru shouted triumphantly, his jets of fire stabilizing him in midair.

Marisa adjusted her hat, brushing off the embers. "So what? I've hit you more times than once already!" she countered.

Kiru smirked. "Alright then, how about this? Hit me with your best shot. I'll take it head-on!"

Marisa's eyes lit up with excitement, her smirk widening. "You asked for it!" she said, pulling a strange-looking object from her pocket—it was her mini-Hakkero, glowing with raw magical energy.

She began charging power, her voice ringing out with palpable energy: "Love Sign: Master Spark!!"

A massive rainbow-colored beam erupted from the mini-Hakkero, tearing through the sky with blinding brilliance. The sheer force of the attack was enough to shake the air, scattering clouds and lighting up the horizon.

Kiru's eyes glowed crimson as he activated Cyclops' power, unleashing a massive full powered concussive red beam from his eyes. The two beams clashed in the sky, colliding with a deafening roar as waves of energy rippled outward in every direction.

Kiru gritted his teeth, pushing everything he had into his beam, but Marisa's Master Spark was relentless. Slowly but surely, her attack began to overpower his, inching closer to him.

Kiru muttered with some sweat forming on his brow. In a last-ditch effort, he angled his concussive blast, redirecting the Master Spark away from himself.

The redirected beam soared downward, hurtling straight toward the Hakurei Shrine.

The resulting explosion lit up the entire area in a dazzling display of rainbow light. When the dust cleared, all that was left of the shrine was a smoking pile of rubble.

Both Kiru and Marisa landed on the ground, staring at the wreckage in stunned silence.

Kiru was the first to speak. "Uh... whoops. Sorry, that was an accident."

Marisa tried to laugh it off, waving her hands nervously. "Y-Yeah, Reimu! We didn't mean to! It's fine, right?!"

They both turned to look at Reimu. She stood amidst the rubble, utterly silent, her fists trembling. A dark, ominous aura began to radiate from her, and her head tilted slightly as her expression grew increasingly menacing.

"Y-You..." Reimu began, her voice low and dangerous. "You destroyed... my shrine..."

Marisa swallowed hard, holding up her hands defensively. "N-Now, Reimu, let's not do anything hasty here—"

But Kiru wasn't sticking around to find out what happened next. Activating Quicksilver's X-Gene, he grabbed Rumia—still clutching her Uno cards—and sped off in a blur.

"Later, Marisa!" he shouted as he disappeared into the distance.

Rumia blinked, barely processing what had just happened. "Huh? Where are we going?"

"Anywhere that isn't there!" Kiru replied.

Back at the shrine, Marisa yelled at Kiru's absence before she turned back to Reimu with a nervous laugh. "S-So! Let's just rebuild it, yeah? No big deal—"

Reimu raised her gohei, her aura flaring with righteous fury. "You're not getting out of this one, Marisa!"

Marisa yelped, hopping onto her broom as Reimu lunged at her. "I-I'll fix it later! Promise!" she shouted, taking off into the sky.

Meanwhile, Sanae, who had been quietly inching away, decided now was the time to make a strategic retreat. She shot into the air, leaving Marisa to deal with the storm Reimu was unleashing.

Echoes of magical blasts and shouting reverberated across the area as the sky lit up. 

[TIMESKIP]

Kiru finally stopped a good distance away, panting heavily as he set Rumia down.

"Okay... I think we're safe... for now" he said.

Rumia tilted her head. "You sure? That shrine maiden seems pretty mad... she might not stop until she catches you."

"I know!" Kiru groaned. "I just need to think of a way to make her not... you know, obliterate me."

As he looked around, trying to gather his thoughts, Kiru's gaze fell upon a large iron gate leading to an imposing mansion. The mansion loomed in the distance, its gothic architecture stark against the horizon.

"Well, would you look at that," he muttered. "This must be the Scarlet Devil Mansion. And that must be its infamous gatekeeper, Hong Meiling."

Leaning against the wall near the gate was a ginger-haired girl in a Chinese-style outfit, her head drooping as soft snores escaped her lips.

Curious, Kiru walked up to the gate and reached out to push it open.

Suddenly, a hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. Startled, he turned to see Meiling peering at him through one half-opened eye.

"No trespassing," she said, her voice steady but firm.

"Wow, I thought you were asleep," Kiru said, blinking.

Meiling stretched, cracking her neck. "I was just resting my eyes. I've got good senses, even when napping."

Kiru smirked. "Really? Then how does Marisa always get past you?"

Meiling's face flushed with embarrassment. "She's just sneaky, okay? That doesn't mean—wait, do you know her?!" She straightened up and got into a defensive stance, eyeing him suspiciously.

Kiru raised his hands in mock surrender. "Relax, I'm not here to cause trouble. I just need a place to hide for a bit because—"

An explosion sounded in the distance, the rumble shaking the ground beneath them. Meiling's expression shifted to confusion as she looked toward the source of the noise.

"What was that?" she asked.

Kiru's face turned nervous. "Sorry, but I really can't be out here in the open right now. Forgive me!"

Before she could react, Kiru grabbed Rumia and activated his superspeed, dashing past Meiling and through the gates into the mansion grounds.

Inside the mansion, Kiru and Rumia ducked into a random room. Kiru leaned against a wall, catching his breath.

Rumia wobbled slightly, looking dizzy. "Can you please stop doing that? You're making me queasy."

"Hey, at least we're safe now," Kiru said, finally standing upright. "No shrine maidens, no gatekeepers—"

As Kiru turned around, he froze, his eyes widening. Before him were some of Gensokyo's most dangerous—and famous—residents. The poised and graceful maid, Sakuya Izayoi, adjusted a tray in her hands as if she had been waiting for this intrusion. Beside her, Patchouli Knowledge, the violet-haired librarian, lazily looked up from a massive book, her narrowed gaze both curious and irritated. Next to her stood Koakuma, Patchouli's mischievous devilish assistant, who seemed caught somewhere between shock and amusement.

At the center of the scene, two vampire sisters, Remilia Scarlet and her younger sibling Flandre Scarlet, sat at a lavishly decorated table. The remnants of an elaborate birthday cake—half-eaten and adorned with crimson icing—suggested the intruder had crashed something far more significant than an average day at the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

Kiru's gaze darted around, taking in the colorful streamers and balloons hanging overhead. His stomach sank as realization dawned on him: This is a birthday party... and I just barged in.

The tension in the room was suffocating.

Kiru coughed awkwardly, offering a sheepish wave. "Uh... howdy. I'm Kiru, and this is Rumia. Lovely party you've got going here!" He let out a nervous laugh, backing up slightly. "We'll just... be on our way—"

Before he could finish, the tray Sakuya had been holding vanished from her hands. The next instant, a barrage of silver knives came hurtling toward him, accompanied by a sharp burst of magical energy.

Kiru's reflexes kicked in just in time. Thanks to Quicksilver's X-Gene still being active, the world seemed to slow down around him as he weaved through the storm of knives and magic blasts. Grabbing Rumia by the wrist, he yanked her out of harm's way behind a piece of furniture.

"You dare intrude on my mansion on our birthday?!" Remilia shouted. "Sakuya, deal with him!"

"Understood, Milady." Sakuya's voice was calm, almost too calm.

"I knew this was a bad idea!" Rumia whined, peeking out cautiously.

Kiru, despite the situation, couldn't resist a smirk. He dodged more knives as he moved around the room and called out to Sakuya with a teasing tone. "That all you got? You're too slow!"

For just a split second, Sakuya's composed expression flickered with irritation before she regained her calm demeanor. "Cocky, are we?" she said, her voice cool and steely. In an instant, she disappeared from sight.

Kiru blinked, suddenly feeling sharp pain shoot through his legs. Looking down, he saw several knives embedded in them, his movements faltering as he stumbled.

Sakuya reappeared in front of him, adjusting her gloves with a faint smirk. "Speed is meaningless when I can stop time itself."

"Ugh, right..." Kiru grunted, yanking the knives from his legs. Blood stained his pants, but before Sakuya could strike again, he activated his Shaper ability as his wounds stitched themselves shut.

Sakuya's eyebrow quirked upward. "Regeneration? How troublesome." She stepped forward, knives in hand. "Then I'll simply have to hit you faster than you can heal."

Kiru fired back with a concussive blast of red energy from his eyes, forcing Sakuya to sidestep. Taking the brief opening, flames erupting from his palms as he rocketed himself upward to gain distance.

Unfortunately, his aerial escape didn't last long. A torrent of water smashed into him midair, sending him crashing into the wall with a thud. Groaning, Kiru sat up and spotted the culprit—Patchouli, a faint magical circle glowing in her hands as she coolly observed him.

"Oh, almost forgot about you." Kiru grumbled. He quickly swapped Pyro's X-Gene for Jean Grey's, summoning telekinetic abilities. He retaliated with a wave of force that knocked Patchouli back into Koakuma, sending the pair sprawling across the floor.

Before he could catch his breath, a shadow loomed overhead.

"Hee hee... you're fun!"

Kiru's eyes widened as Flandre Scarlet floated above him, her multicolored crystal wings glinting like shards of a rainbow. She grinned with unsettling excitement, her red eyes practically glowing.

"Let's play! You can be my birthday present!"

"Flan!" Remilia called sharply, trying to rein in her sister. "He's not a toy, he's—"

But Flandre was already giggling madly, energy crackling in her palms. Without warning, she fired a barrage of explosive magic blasts, forcing Kiru to dart through the room, telekinetically shoving tables and furniture in the way to buy himself time.

"This girl is crazy!" Kiru shouted, barely avoiding a particularly large blast.

The mansion turned into a battlefield as Flandre chased after him through the hallways, laughing hysterically as she unleashed destruction. Kiru lands an attack as he fires another concussive eye blast at the Vampire, knocking her into a wall.

For a moment, there was silence. Then Flandre's giggles echoed through the room once more. She floated back up, looking more thrilled than ever.

"Taboo: Four of a Kind!" she declared gleefully.

Kiru watches as three perfect duplicates of Flandre materialized, all of them cackling in unison. 

The four Flandres swarmed him, magic lighting up the room. Kiru switches Jean's X-Gene, summoning Iceman's abilities. With a sweep of his arms, he unleashed a miniature blizzard, freezing two of the clones solid and forcing the other two back.

"HA! That all you got?!" Kiru shouted.

From behind him, Sakuya's knives suddenly pierced into his back, pinning him in place. He winced, feeling his movements falter again. Sakuya appeared at his side.

"This ends now."

Kiru clenched his fists and pulled the knives free, his wounds healing shut. "Not so fast."

When Sakuya activated her time-stop again, Kiru braced himself and activated Kaleidoscope. The multicolored shimmer spread across his body, and as time froze around him, he found himself still able to move.

Sakuya's eyes widened in genuine shock as Kiru launched a massive snowball at her, sending her crashing through a nearby doorway and into a bedroom.

"How...?!" she gasped, brushing snow off her dress.

Kiru grinned, his body still shimmering. "Turns out, Kaleidoscope lets me cheat your time tricks. I figured, 'If i can travel through space and time with this ability, why not move through stopped time?' Looks like I was right."

Sakuya's face reddened slightly, though whether it was from frustration or his cocky tone was unclear. "Hmph. Then I'll just have to try harder."

"Gotta say, though," Kiru added, smirking as he prepared for another round. "You look hot when you're in battle mode."

Sakuya froze for half a second, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. Then, her face turned red with anger as knives filled the air.

"You insufferable FOOL!" she snapped, unleashing a flurry of blades.

Kiru laughed, summoning a barrage of snow balls and ice to meet her attacks head-on. 

As the stopped time flickers off, Flandre blinks in confusion, her head turning this way and that. She sees Sakuya in mid-action, poised to strike Kiru, and her eyes widen with a pout.

"Sakuya! I was the one playing with him first!" Flandre's voice is filled with childish frustration as her remaining clone disappears.

Kiru, sensing the opportunity, quickly gathers his strength and launches one more concussive blast from his eyes. The force of the beam sends Sakuya hurtling backwards, crashing into Flandre, who squeals in surprise. But the reprieve is short-lived. Kiru's victory is interrupted when a powerful magic ball hits him square in the chest, knocking the air out of his lungs. He stumbles back, only to find Remilia Scarlet floating above him, her eyes full of fiery anger.

"What made you think barging into someone's home was a good idea?!" Remilia's voice is filled with a mix of outrage and disbelief.

Kiru coughs, his body aching from the blast, but he forces himself to stand, offering her an apologetic look. "Listen, I'm really sorry! I was just looking for a place to hide, and your mansion happened to be the closest—"

Patchouli Knowledge, having arrived after the others, steps forward with a raised eyebrow. "Hide? What exactly are you hiding from, that you felt the need to intrude into our Lady's mansion?"

Before Kiru can respond, the wall behind them suddenly explodes outward with a tremendous crash. In floats Reimu Hakurei, carrying a battered Meiling in her arms, her expression as venomous as a snake's.

Reimu glares at Kiru, her eyes full of the promise of pain. "Meiling ratted you out... and I've already dealt with Marisa." She lets the unconscious Meiling slump to the floor like a discarded ragdoll.

For a moment, Remilia's fury dissipates into confusion as she stares at Reimu, then back at Kiru. "Her?! What did you do to make Reimu so furious?"

Kiru scratches the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well... I kinda accidentally played a part in... uh, destroying her shrine?"

The room goes completely silent, and then the others react in unison with shocked gasps.

Remilia's face contorts with disbelief. "No wonder she looks murderous. Only an absolute idiot would destroy her shrine."

Kiru swallows hard, suddenly feeling very small under the combined gazes of the others. Reimu lands and approaches him, her steps heavy and deliberate, the weight of her anger palpable in the air. The other girls step back instinctively, leaving Kiru to face the full brunt of Reimu's fury.

Reimu's voice is cold and threatening as she steps closer. "Now, tell me... how will you pay for this? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't exterminate you like a youkai."

Kiru gulps, his heart pounding in his chest. He quickly drops to his knees, hands clasped in a pleading gesture. "L-Listen! I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to! I swear, I'll build you a new shrine! I'll make it better than it was before, just please—"

The tension in the room is unbearable as Reimu stares at him, her expression unreadable. The seconds stretch out, an eternity of silence that feels like it's going to crush him. Finally, Reimu's cold eyes soften, and to everyone's surprise, she sighs, the fury leaving her face.

"Great" she says, her tone completely shifting to one of calm indifference. "Get started on that shrine tomorrow... or else."

With a simple turn, Reimu walks away, leaving a stunned and bewildered Kiru behind. The tension that had filled the room dissipates in an instant. Kiru exhales loudly, his entire body releasing the breath he had been holding in for far too long. His heart is still racing, but at least, for now, he is no longer in immediate danger.

Rumia, who had been hiding to the side of the hallway watching the whole thing in silence, finally speaks, her voice surprisingly full of some admiration. "Wow... I'm surprised she spared you."

Kiru, still a bit shaken from the encounter, moves to Rumia and pulls her into a tight hug, his arms wrapping around her like she's a lifeline. "Sorry... just... give me a minute..." he mumbles, his voice thick with relief.

Rumia, squirming slightly, looks up at him in confusion. "H-Hey! What gives?!" she protests, but there's no real anger in her tone. 

Kiru loosens his grip after a few moments, straightening up and pulling himself together. He then turns back to the girls of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, his expression apologetic. "I'm really sorry about everything... like I said, I'll help fix your mansion."

Remilia huffs, clearly unamused. "That's a start, but it's not nearly enough to pay for the trouble you've caused."

Kiru's eyes flicker as he thinks, then a sly grin spreads across his face. "Alright, alright... I'll sweeten the deal." He holds up a finger, as if to make a grand point. "I'll fix the mansion, but... I can offer you something more. Something fun. Something you haven't had before."

Flandre, ever the excitable one, lights up at the word fun. "Ooooh, what kind of fun?"

Kiru chuckles, warming to the idea. "Well, I have two special abilities. One lets me travel between different realities. I can take you to see new places, other worlds... whatever you want."

Flandre squeals, grabbing her sister while practically bouncing with excitement. "Can we, sis? Please?! I wanna see new places! Also, he's fun, I like him!"

Remilia sighs, rubbing her temples as though considering the offer with growing impatience. "Fine..." she mutters, clearly reluctant. "I suppose you've convinced my sister. As long as you keep your word, you're forgiven."

Flandre cheers, throwing her arms around Kiru in a playful embrace. "Yay! New worlds! New Friend!"

Remilia looks exasperated but can't help the smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Alright, alright," she says, her tone still a bit sharp. "Let's continue the birthday party that was so graciously interrupted." She gestures for everyone to follow her back into the main room.

Kiru turns to Sakuya, who is carefully tidying up after the chaotic mess they just caused. He clears his throat and says, a bit awkwardly, "By the way... I meant what I said earlier. You really are a beautiful maid you know?"

Sakuya freezes for a moment, her eyes narrowing. "Pervert" she mutters under her breath, though she can't hide the faint blush coloring her cheeks at the compliment.

As the others return to the party, Rumia looks up at Kiru, her voice curious. "So... what now?"

Kiru exhales deeply, feeling the weight of the day crash over him. "I guess we head back to the shack... I've got two buildings to fix tomorrow... ugh, what a day."

He picks Rumia up again and uses his Kaleidoscope ability to teleport them back to the shack. The familiar surroundings of their little home are a welcome sight, though Kiru's exhaustion is palpable. He sets Rumia down gently, but as he collapses onto the bed, something feels... off.

He blinks, lifting his head. His hand is resting on something soft, something not his pillow.

A voice, smooth and teasing, rings out from below him. "My, my... how forward of you."

Kiru's eyes widen in horror as he quickly pulls his hand away from her bosom, his face turning bright red. "S-Sorry! That wasn't my—"

Yukari Yakumo smiles at him from where she lounges on his bed, looking far too comfortable. Her eyes gleam with amusement as she watches his panic unfold. "Oh, how perverted of you, trying to grope a young innocent maiden like me?" she teases.

Kiru stammers, his face turning crimson. "W-What are you doing here?! Why are you in my house?"

Yukari leans in closer, her smile turning sly and playful. "Well, I've been hearing about this 'outsider' who arrived recently. Outsiders aren't too uncommon in Gensokyo, but you..." She moves closer, her gaze sharp and curious. "You're quite... unique. I've never seen an outsider with abilities like yours. Shaper and Kaleidoscope, I overheard you call them?"

Kiru swallows, feeling a chill run down his spine. "H-Have you been stalking me?"

Yukari shrugs, unconcerned by his question. "I've been watching, yes. Needed to see if you were a threat I'd have to dispose of."

She moves even closer, her body nearly brushing his. Then, just as quickly, she backs away, her smirk never faltering. "But you don't seem like a threat. At least, not right now. Just make sure you follow the rules and you'll be fine."

She turns to leave, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "I'll be seeing more of you, Kiru" she adds, before opening a Gap and slipping through it, vanishing without a trace.

Kiru is left standing there, utterly dumbfounded. He stares at the spot where she had been, his mind reeling from the encounter.

Turning slowly, he sees Rumia curled up on a beanbag next to the bed, fast asleep. With a sigh, he collapses next to her, his head sinking into the pillow. 

(TO BE CONTINUED)