"Sakuya, are you alright?"
"My apologies, Master Kars. That Shrine Maiden was stronger than I anticipated." Sakuya was in disbelief over her defeat by Reimu. She had expected to win without incident, but instead, the Shrine Maiden had defeated her with ease. It made her realize the Shrine Maiden of Gensokyo was not as weak as they had assumed, but actually exceptionally powerful.
"I see. Perhaps we all seriously miscalculated the people here from the start."
Setting aside his Little Auntie Remilia and the others, Kars himself had assumed the plan would succeed smoothly. Since they hadn't taken the humans or yokai of Gensokyo seriously, this result was perhaps an inevitable consequence.
Just then, a beam of light shot up from the mansion, and several figures flew into the sky, confronting each other.
"Your power is truly surprising, Hakurei Shrine Maiden. But that only makes this more interesting." Remilia was shocked by the power Reimu displayed, but she quickly normalized her reaction. If the Shrine Maiden didn't possess some strength, she couldn't possibly maintain her position as the region's administrator.
"I have no interest in playing games with you. If you hadn't created that bothersome mist, I wouldn't have even bothered coming here. So, unless you want to be subdued, put an end to that mist immediately!"
"I'm afraid that's impossible. You must know this already: sunlight is a weakness for vampires. This Red Mist is intended to block out the sun. Now that sunlight can no longer reach Gensokyo, this land has effectively fallen into my hands!"
"Are you asking to be subdued, then?" Reimu's lack of enthusiasm annoyed Remilia slightly.
"It's just you left, Hakurei Shrine Maiden! If I defeat you, the victor will claim everything in Gensokyo!"
"Wait? If that's true, what about that male vampire? He seemed to really like the sun." Marisa couldn't help but ask about Kars, as Aya's photos proved Kars was not averse to sunlight, but actually quite fond of it.
"Is that true?" Reimu was slightly curious. A sun-loving vampire was certainly a rarity.
Remilia offered no reply; this was not a matter she knew how to address.
"This is none of your concern! Flandre! Let's go!" Remilia unleashed a giant magic circle, while Flandre's hands erupted in flames, shaping into a greatsword. Flandre rushed toward Reimu.
Massive barrages of danmaku and explosions constantly erupted in the sky. The battle was far more intense than the duel between Marisa and Patchouli.
"They are both very strong." Kars watched the fierce battle, gaining a new understanding of Reimu and Marisa's power. It made him desperately wish he could fight like that, but he knew he couldn't in his current state.
"It's alright, Master Kars. I have no doubt you'll be fine." Sakuya, sensing Kars's mood, came to his side to reassure him. In her view, Kars, who hadn't fully developed his abilities, shouldn't compare himself to them; such comparisons were foolish.
"I know." Kars nodded, looking up at the sky, where the sun was completely obscured. At what should have been the bright midday, there was no trace of sunlight, making him feel a subtle discomfort.
"Master Spark!!" Marisa's massive magic beam shot toward her opponent. Remilia, also channeling energy, launched a spear of condensed energy to meet Marisa's beam, resulting in a fierce explosion and shockwave.
On the other side, Flandre's figure had split into four, attacking Reimu from different angles. However, the effect was far less than expected, and Flandre failed to gain any advantage.
It seems even my little aunts combined can't win. The current situation was not a stalemate. The gap in power was evident just from watching the fight between Flandre and Reimu. If Flandre was defeated, Remilia would be left alone against two powerful opponents.
Even if Kars wanted to help, he was completely incapable. The difference in strength between them was too vast. Kars tried sensing the Sun attribute. What could he do with this power in the current situation?
"Master Kars, I don't know if I'm seeing things, but why is your body glowing?" Sakuya, who had been focused on Kars, saw his body emitting a faint light, just as she had noticed earlier. Confirming it wasn't her imagination, she couldn't help but ask. This was clearly abnormal.
"Glowing?" Kars heard Sakuya's question and examined his body. As she said, a faint light was emanating from his skin. This was the first time Kars had noticed this; his mother would surely have spotted it if it had happened before.
If this was a recent development, the only thing he had done differently was learning Sun-attribute magic. Could this be related to the Sun attribute?
Kars, not knowing what was happening, continued to observe his body. Sakuya did not interrupt, knowing all she could do was ensure his safety. She also had a feeling this might not be a bad thing for Kars; perhaps it would bring a surprise.
The situation was indeed connected to the Sun attribute, just as Sakuya hoped. However, it was less a surprise and more a source of confusion. Kars didn't understand why his body contained such a massive amount of Sun-attribute energy. If he hadn't learned to sense this attribute, he wouldn't have known this power was within him.
Yet, as Kars sensed the Sun attribute in his body, it was like flipping a switch. The dormant Sun attribute within him suddenly became active, and this manifested in reality as Kars's body beginning to shine brightly.
A clearly visible light erupted from his body. In that moment, Kars felt an incredible surge of power, as if he had become superhumanly strong. He couldn't help but look up at Reimu and Marisa battling in the sky, and an idea sparked in his mind.
"... Should I give it a shot?"