Pseudo-Eldritch God in Gensokyo

The sun had barely started its ascent, casting a soft golden glow over the Hakurei Shrine. The crisp morning air was cool, the lingering dew shimmering on the grass like a thousand tiny mirrors. Standing amidst the rubble of the half-destroyed shrine were Kiru and Marisa, already hard at work. Tools clinked, wood scraped, and there was a rhythm to the labor—punctuated by Kiru's voice, cheerful despite the circumstances, as he sang to himself.

"Some people say a man is made out of mud,

A poor man's made out of muscle and blood,

Muscle and blood and skin and bones,

A mind that's weak and a back that's strong."

Marisa, balancing on a stack of wooden planks with her hammer in hand, couldn't help but grin as she listened. She picked up the tune quickly, letting her voice join his with an unpolished but spirited tone.

"You load sixteen tons, what do you get?

Another day older and deeper in debt,

Saint Peter don't you call me, 'cause I can't go,

I owe my soul to the company store."

The harmony echoed through the shrine grounds, surprisingly lively for a place that had been nearly reduced to dust not long ago. Watching them from the steps of what remained of her shrine, Reimu Hakurei stood with her arms crossed and an unimpressed expression.

Kiru paused briefly to wipe the sweat off his brow before looking over at Reimu. His face wore the kind of smile that suggested he was trying to talk his way out of something—again.

"Are you sure I can't just use that trick I told you about? You know, a little Kaleidoscopic magic could fix the shrine up in minutes. No fuss, no splinters, and definitely no pulled muscles."

Reimu's dark red eyes narrowed at him, and her voice came out sharp and matter-of-fact. "No. This is your punishment. You're going to fix it by hand, without magic. Manual labor builds character, and you're long overdue for some of that."

Kiru groaned, slumping dramatically over the handle of his hammer. "You're a cruel girl, you know that?"

"You blew up my shrine, Kiru," Reimu shot back flatly, though there was a certain smugness to her tone.

Marisa let out a cackle as she hammered another board into place. "She's got you there, ze~! You're lucky she didn't just throw you into the river and call it a day."

Kiru muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, "You were a part of the incident too Marisa." before suddenly straightening up, a gleam in his eye. "Alright, fine. If I can't use magic to build, how about I at least get more hands on deck? Manual hands."

Reimu raised an eyebrow skeptically. "...More help? I don't know who's dumb enough to willingly volunteer for this mess."

Kiru smirked, a sly look crossing his face. "Oh, I think I know just the guy." He snapped his fingers.

Nearby, several tall trees gave a groaning creak as if stretching after a long nap. Reimu and Marisa turned to look, startled, as the bark near the trunks began to split open like maws. From within, a golden substance—something like tree sap—poured out, reshaping itself. The goo solidified into Kiru clones, each wearing plain, mismatched work clothes. Without saying a word, the clones calmly marched over, picked up lumber, tools, and nails, and began working alongside Kiru and Marisa as if they'd been there all along.

The main Kiru grinned proudly at his handiwork. "Pretty cool, huh?"

Marisa let out a low whistle, watching one of the clones saw through a plank of wood. "Didn't know you could do that. That's seriously convenient. You've been holding out on us, ze!"

"I can do a lot of things," Kiru replied with an exaggeratedly smug look. "And, whoa—this is weird, but I think I actually feel smarter now? It's like having more brains to think with all at once. I mean, hive minds? Super underrated it turns out. I might keep a few clones around after this just to brainstorm ideas."

Reimu squinted at him. "Hold on. If you could always make clones like this, why didn't you just use one to distract me earlier when you were running away?"

Kiru gave her a sheepish look as he shrugged. "Honestly? I hadn't tried this trick yet. Plus, it's a hive mind, so even if a clone gets punished, I'd still feel and experience it somewhere. It's not really an escape plan if I'm just suffering in another body." 

He scratched his chin thoughtfully, looking at one of his clones hammering in perfect rhythm with him. "...But maybe an unconnected clone could work as a decoy? Hmm. Questions for later."

With that, Kiru grinned and started humming again, signaling his clones to harmonize with him. The forest and shrine grounds were filled with a surprisingly cheerful sound as the Kiru chorus came together perfectly.

"I was born one morning when the sun didn't shine,

I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine,

I loaded sixteen tons of number 9 coal,

And the straw boss said, 'Well-a bless my soul!'"

Marisa, still hammering away, happily joined in for the chorus, her voice blending with theirs. Rumia, who had been napping under a tree nearby, perked up at the singing. She wandered over to one of the Kiru clones, who seemed to be taking a quick break, and plopped down next to him. Before long, she was humming along too, clapping her hands to the beat.

"You load sixteen tons, what do you get?

Another day older and deeper in debt,

Saint Peter don't you call me, 'cause I can't go,

I owe my soul to the company store."

The rhythmic hammering and sawing at the Hakurei Shrine had started to settle into a steady pace. Kiru's clones worked in perfect sync while Marisa and Kiru took a short breather near a pile of planks. Marisa plopped herself down on a crate, resting her hammer across her knees as she stared at Kiru with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

"Hey, Kiru," she began, breaking the comfortable silence.

"Hmm?" Kiru replied, wiping his hands on his pants and leaning back against a half-repaired wall.

Marisa tilted her hat back just enough to look at him with narrowed eyes. "You know, I've been meaning to ask—what is your special ability, anyway? You've pulled some pretty crazy stuff since you showed up here, and I feel like you're holding out on me, ze."

Kiru blinked, surprised by the sudden question. "Uh… well…" He scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish. "I was kinda planning to keep my true abilities a secret for a little while longer, at least until I figured out more about this place…"

Marisa gave him a sly grin, leaning forward. "But~?"

Kiru sighed in defeat, waving his hands as if physically tossing his secrecy out the window. "But I guess there's no point in hiding it now. You've all seen enough weird stuff already. Plus, you and Reimu have been decent enough not to blast me into dust—so I might as well spill the beans."

Marisa's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she adjusted her witch hat. "Go on, spill away! I love hearing about fancy abilities, Gensokyo is no stranger to people with those." 

Kiru rolled his eyes at her playful jab but obliged. "Alright, listen up. I've got two special abilities, and they're both… kind of a big deal." He held up one finger. "The first one is called Shaper. It makes me the Ultimate Biokinetic, basically."

Marisa cocked her head, her grin faltering into confusion. "Bio-what?"

"Biokinetic," Kiru repeated, emphasizing the word. "It means I can control, manipulate, and create biological material however I want. Living tissue, plants, you name it. That's how I made those clones—my Shaper ability lets me grow and shape living matter into whatever I imagine."

Marisa whistled, clearly impressed as she looked over at one of the Kiru clones hammering away like a diligent worker. "Huh. That's way cooler than I thought. So you can just grow extra bodies, tools, whatever? Sounds pretty handy. Almost like Patchy's alchemy—but weirder."

"Yeah, something like that, just only if it's organic matter." Kiru nodded. "But Shaper isn't just for clones or tools. I can do more complex stuff with it… but let's save that for another time." He lifted a second finger. "Now, my second ability is called Kaleidoscope. Simply put, it lets me travel across realities."

Marisa's mouth dropped open slightly. "Wait, realities? Like different worlds? You can just—poof!—go wherever you want?"

"Basically, yeah," Kiru confirmed with a shrug. "Alternate timelines, parallel worlds… you name it. I can travel between them. That's why it's called Kaleidoscope—like looking through a lens where every twist shows you a different world."

Marisa sat back, tapping her hammer against the crate with a contemplative look. "Huh… so if you can just teleport between realities or whatever, why didn't you use that to escape when Reimu was chasing you?"

At that, Kiru froze for a moment. Then he laughed awkwardly, scratching his cheek with a sheepish expression. "Ehehe… yeah, about that…"

Marisa squinted at him suspiciously. "Don't tell me…"

Kiru sighed in embarrassment. "I… didn't think of it. I panicked, alright? She was scary. You try being hunted by her with murder in her eyes and see how well you think on your feet... then again I guess you were."

Marisa burst out laughing, throwing her head back. "Pfft—haha! You panicked?! You have a whole cheat-code ability, as Sanae would put it, and forgot to use it? That's rich!"

Kiru groaned, slumping forward dramatically. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up…"

Still snickering, Marisa gave him a playful nudge with her elbow. "You're lucky she didn't exterminate you on the spot, ze. You're either brave or stupid—haven't figured out which one yet."

"Maybe both," Kiru muttered under his breath. Then he straightened up, his tone growing a little more serious. "But even if I had thought of using Kaleidoscope to escape, I wouldn't have done it for long."

Marisa stopped laughing and gave him a curious look. "Why not? If I were you, I'd have skipped off to some nice world with gold for days and free food."

Kiru shook his head, looking out toward the shrine grounds, where the clones continued working. "Because I want to stay here right now. In this Gensokyo. Running off to another world or another timeline wouldn't solve anything—it'd just mean I was running away. I came here by accident, but now that I'm here… I want to make it work."

Marisa raised an eyebrow. "Make it work how?"

Kiru looked at her and smiled faintly. "I want to build proper relationships here. Make friends, find a place I actually belong. I don't want to skip around aimlessly through different realities. This place feels… real to me now. I want to stay and make it count, at least for the foreseeable future."

Marisa regarded him for a moment, her expression thoughtful. Then she grinned again, leaning back with her usual attitude. "Well, aren't you sentimental? You sound like one of those cheesy manga protagonists, ze."

Kiru chuckled. "Yeah, well… maybe."

"Still, it's kinda admirable," Marisa admitted, though she quickly added, "Don't get me wrong—I'm still laughing at you for earlier. But hey, if you're sticking around, Gensokyo's gonna be a lot more interesting."

Marisa hopped off the crate, stretching her arms as she grabbed her hammer. "Alright, enough chitchat! Let's get back to work before Reimu starts yelling at us again. And don't slack off—your clones won't save you from her if she gets mad."

Kiru groaned, granted he thinks given more time to experiment with his powers Reimu wouldn't feel threatening to him anymore but that's a future thing. "Ugh, fine… slave driver."

Marisa grinned wickedly, tipping her hat. "What can I say? It's fun watching you work, ze!"

As they returned to fixing the shrine, the clones humming along to Kiru's earlier song, Marisa couldn't help but glance at him out of the corner of her eye. For all his quirks and strange abilities, there was something undeniably genuine about the outsider.

[TIMESKIP]

By the time noon rolled around, the Hakurei Shrine gleamed with a renewed brilliance that hadn't been seen in ages. The roof was fixed, the walls were sturdy, and the grounds were free of debris. Kiru's many bodies had worked tirelessly, their synchronized movements giving the whole repair process an uncanny efficiency. Even Reimu, who was notoriously hard to please, couldn't hide her satisfaction.

Standing on the shrine's front steps with her arms crossed, Reimu surveyed her newly repaired home. Her expression was neutral at first, but as her gaze moved over every polished beam and mended roof tile, a small smile crept onto her face.

"Not bad… not bad at all," Reimu muttered, running her hand along a newly replaced railing. She glanced at Kiru and Marisa, her usual calm tone carrying a rare hint of genuine appreciation. "I'll admit it—you two did a good job. Better than I expected, actually."

Kiru, leaning on a wooden post for support after a morning of labor, grinned proudly. "Well, glad you're happy with it. A happy Reimu is a less likely to smack me with a stick Reimu, I hope."

Marisa chuckled while Reimu shot Kiru a glare, though she couldn't bring herself to argue. Instead, she waved them off dismissively. "Alright, alright. You've repaid your debt, for now. Get lost before I change my mind and think up another punishment."

Kiru gave an exaggerated bow. "Your wish is my command, oh great shrine maiden."

Reimu groaned but couldn't stop herself from smirking as she turned back to admire her repaired shrine. "Finally. It's perfect…" she muttered to herself.

With the job complete, Kiru's clones silently dissolved into the earth, morphing into dormant plants hidden beneath the shrine grounds. Marisa raised an eyebrow as she watched the copies vanish. "Creepy… but useful, I'll give you that."

Kiru dusted his hands off. "Now I must get going, got more work to do."

The Scarlet Devil Mansion...

Kiru arrived at the Scarlet Devil Mansion shortly after with Rumia in tow, holding onto her hand to ensure she didn't wander off. The two stood in front of the massive, damaged structure, its red bricks marred by cracks and debris scattered across the grounds.

"Wow…" Kiru muttered, surveying the destruction. "This place really did get messed up during all that chaos yesterday."

Rumia looked up at him, already fiddling with her sleeves. "Are you gonna fix it the same way as the shrine?"

Kiru grinned. "Not exactly. I have something I've been wanting to try out."

As they approached the entrance, Remilia Scarlet was already waiting with her arms crossed. Behind her, Sakuya stood silently while holding an umbrella over her mistress to provide shade, her usual stoic expression barely hiding her curiosity. 

"You're late," Remilia said with mock annoyance. "I trust you're here to clean up your mess?"

"Of course!" Kiru replied cheerfully. "I'm a man of my word." He gestured to the mansion. "It'll look better than ever in no time."

Remilia raised an eyebrow. "As long as it gets fixed, I don't care how you do it. Just don't make things worse."

"Got it," Kiru said with a thumbs-up. He glanced at Rumia. "Alright, you behave while I work, okay?"

Rumia pouted. "I'm not a kid…"

"You act a kid" Kiru shot back playfully before walking closer to the mansion. "Now, let's see if this works…"

Standing at the base of the mansion's main structure, Kiru focused his energy, his eyes briefly glowing with a kaleidoscopic shimmer. He raised a hand, the air around him warping slightly as if reality itself were bending.

The damaged portions of the mansion began to glow faintly. Then, like pieces of a puzzle, the broken bricks, shattered windows, and cracked walls started to shift and fade. In their place, pristine, undamaged versions of the same sections overlaid themselves, seamlessly fitting where the damage had been. The process was silent yet surreal—sections of the Scarlet Devil Mansion seemed to ripple and heal as if time were reversing, but this was no time magic.

Sakuya's sharp gaze didn't miss a beat. "Wait," she said, stepping forward. "What exactly did you just do? Those parts… they weren't fixed—they were replaced."

Kiru turned to her, wiping imaginary sweat off his forehead. "Yep. I used Kaleidoscope to overlay the damaged parts of this mansion with undamaged parts from an alternate timeline. It's quicker than manual repairs."

Sakuya's eyes narrowed slightly. "So let me get this straight… you stole pieces of another mansion from another version of us?"

Kiru hesitated, scratching the back of his head. "Well, 'stole' is a strong word… borrowed permanently, maybe?"

Sakuya's glare sharpened further. "And what happens to the other timeline's mansion, then? Are you saying there's now a version of us dealing with sudden damages out of nowhere?"

Before Kiru could respond, Remilia chimed in with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Does it matter? They're alternate versions of us. If their Remilia is anything like me, they'll manage just fine."

Sakuya looked over at her mistress with a mix of surprise and disapproval. "Milady…"

Remilia shrugged with a smug smile. "What? Our mansion is fixed, is it not? That's all I care about." She turned to admire the now pristine Scarlet Devil Mansion, its bricks gleaming in the afternoon sunlight. "And it looks perfect. Excellent work, Kiru."

Kiru sighed in relief. "Glad you approve. That was easier than I thought it'd be."

Rumia tugged on Kiru's sleeve, pointing at the mansion's now-pristine roof. "Hey, it really does look nice. Can we live here now?"

"Uh, no," Kiru replied flatly. "This isn't our house."

Remilia chuckled, walking toward the mansion entrance. "You're welcome to visit—so long as you don't break anything next time. For now consider this repayment for your earlier disruption."

Sakuya, though still clearly skeptical of Kiru's methods, finally relented. "Very well. I'll admit it's efficient, though I have my doubts about the consequences."

Kiru shrugged. "Alternate timelines are messy business, but hey, no one's knocking on our door complaining... hopefully."

With the Scarlet Devil Mansion fully repaired, Remilia takes her umbrella and returned inside with a satisfied look, already planning a tea party. Kiru, meanwhile, slumped down on the mansion's front steps.

"That's two buildings fixed in one day," he muttered. "I think I deserve a nap…"

Sakuya lingered nearby, watching him carefully. "If you do plan to keep using that ability, I'd advise caution. Not every problem can—or should—be fixed by borrowing from other realities... as someone with a talent that gives me power over time, take it from me. You should always have caution when using such power over things like time, space or reality."

Kiru looked up at her and nodded. "Noted. I'll keep that in mind."

Kiru suddenly hears a shrill, excited voice shout, "KIIIIIRUUU!!" before being tackled at full speed by none other than Flandre Scarlet. He barely keeps his balance as the young vampire clings to him like an overexcited child. Sakuya immediately materializes next to them, shielding the young Vampire from the sunlight with a parasol she seemed to produce out of nowhere.

Flandre looks up at Kiru with bright, expectant eyes. "You're back! Can we go see another world now? Please, please, please? You promised!"

Kiru chuckles nervously, glancing toward the Scarlet Devil Mansion. "That depends... is your sister okay with it?"

Flandre puffs out her chest proudly. "Of course! She said it's fine as long as Sakuya comes along!"

Sakuya gives Kiru a composed nod, her expression unreadable. "Indeed. I'll accompany the young mistress. But I must warn you, Kiru—if you take her somewhere too dangerous, you'll answer to me."

Kiru raises his hands innocently. "Relax, Sakuya. I've got the perfect place in mind. A little danger, sure—but nothing she can't handle. Now, everyone hold on to me."

As Flandre clings to his arm and Sakuya rests a hand on his shoulder, Rumia waddles over to grab his other arm, nibbling on a piece of jerky. Kiru activates Kaleidoscope, and a dazzling, prismatic light envelops them.

In an instant, they vanish.

[TIMESKIP]

The group was now inside a lively medieval tavern, the scent of roasted meat, ale, and fresh bread filling the air. Around them, adventurers chatter, barmaids bustle between tables, and the occasional bard strums a lute. The four of them, now dressed in fitting attire for the setting, blend right in: Kiru sporting leather armor and dual holsters, Flandre in a cloak over an adventurer's outfit, Sakuya donning a stylish yet practical dress, and Rumia in a simple tunic and shorts.

Sakuya takes in her surroundings with a cool gaze before turning to Kiru. "Why bring us to this world?"

Kiru grins and gestures broadly. "Because, Sakuya, I thought Flandre would love a classic Dungeons & Dragons-style adventure. Knights, dragons, magic—you know, the works. Plus, four people make a perfect adventuring party!"

Flandre perks up, her scarlet eyes gleaming. "Ooooh, it's like one of those stories from Patchy's library! This is going to be so much fun!"

The group sits at the bar, where Kiru orders a ginger ale for himself, mixes some of his blood into Flandre's drink, and hands Rumia a massive steak to keep her satisfied. As they settle in, Kiru explains the world's mechanics to Sakuya, emphasizing that this particular timeline is safe enough for their escapades—no overpowered deities or apocalyptic threats lurking in the shadows.

Flandre stares curiously at her drink before taking a tentative sip. Her eyes widen as the taste hits her. She takes a bigger gulp, draining half the cup in one go before licking her lips. Slowly, her expression twists into an unsettling grin.

"It's... sweet. So sweet. So... yummy" she murmurs, her voice tinged with a predatory edge.

Kiru hesitates. "Uh... Flan? You okay?"

Sakuya sighs, giving Kiru a pointed look. "Kiru, you've just given her what's probably, I assume, the sweetest blood she's ever tasted. And you've admitted before you can regenerate it endlessly thanks to your abilities. Congratulations—you've officially become her favorite walking blood bank."

Flandre leans toward him, smiling eerily. "You're not going anywhere, right, Kiru? You'll stay close so I can have more... later?"

Before things escalate, Sakuya gently pulls Flandre back and whispers something calming to her. Flandre reluctantly settles down, her excitement contained for now.

Sakuya turns back to Kiru, her tone serious. "You're certain no hunters will try to harm the young mistress here?"

Kiru waves off her concerns. "Relax. In this timeline, half-vampires are an accepted thing. We'll just tell anyone who asks that she's a halfling. Nobody'll think twice about it."

Rumia tugs on Kiru's sleeve, her mouth full of steak. She points toward the tavern's windows, where smoke and chaos erupt outside. Kiru follows her gaze and smirks.

"Well, what do you know? Just like I thought—many adventures start in a tavern. Looks like we've got one happening right now."

The group steps outside into a scene of destruction. Flying gargoyles swoop through the village, setting buildings ablaze and terrorizing the locals. Villagers scream as adventurers scramble to defend them.

Kiru grins, pulling two sleek, customized handguns from his holsters, he 'borrowed' these from another world. "Hey, Flan! Here are those 'toys' I promised you."

Flandre's eyes light up with glee. "Hehehehe... HAHAHAHA! These look fun! I wanna break them!"

With that, she takes off into the air, tearing through the gargoyles with feral precision, her destructive powers in full swing. Sakuya follows closely, hurling knives in calculated arcs as she time-skips between enemies, dismantling them with surgical precision. Rumia, not wanting to be outdone, fires off shadowy blasts, her attacks landing with surprising accuracy but not the most power.

Kiru watches the chaos unfold, laughing as he spins his pistols and charges into the fray. "I love this! This is the kind of thing I wanna live for!" He squeezes off rapid shots and blasts two gargoyles in quick succession.

"I'm absolutely crazy about it!" he yells, sliding under a gargoyle's claws and delivering a well-placed shot to its head.

(TO BE CONTINUED)