Mentioned Characters: Koakuma, Daiyousei

Even with scarlet mist shrouding Gensokyo, Koakuma's basic duties remained the same. The only notable difference was the extra cleaning she had to do. For example, clearing out all the fairies loitering around the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

Even with scarlet mist shrouding Gensokyo, Daiyousei's day-to-day remained the same. The only notable difference was the extra battles she fought. For example, against the residents of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, who lived near her home by the Misty Lake.

"Back again, huh?" said Koakuma. Daiyousei flared her eyes. "Well, maybe that's because you never finish us off properly." (Wait, does she think we're rivals?) Koakuma saw no point in going all out against fairies. They always recovered after a while. Sure, she COULD try and blast them so bad they never got up, but why bother? That said, Daiyousei had proved to be more persistent than expected. Unaware of what her foe was thinking, Daiyousei joined forces with the nearby spirits and launched a barrage of bullets.

In terms of raw power, Koakuma had the upper hand. The scarlet mist blanketed the area. This was the territory of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, giving her the home-field advantage. But this was Daiyousei's home, too. After all, they were on the shores of the Misty Lake. And in a way, the mist worked in her favor. All things considered, it was an even fight. Daiyousei was completely in the zone. A chance like this didn't come around every day―a chance to unleash her full potential. She may have had a gentle demeanor, but she was still a fairy. And that meant her true power was...

Still, Koakuma had no intention of losing. This fight was part of her job, so failure wasn't an option. Nothing but perfection would do. Her sense of duty drove her beyond her usual limits. She too was in the zone. The pair were evenly matched. Power alone couldn't decide the outcome. So the stalemate dragged on. Neither could truly defeat the other. Each day, their battle started anew. Nothing would change until their endless struggle became the norm.