As we walk through the narrow slots of the cave, we feel dread covering our bodies, but our proximity dulls it down.

The fire still hovers above Daiyousei's hands, as bright as ever.

"How long is this passage? No wonder people avoided this."

"But Cirno-Chan, Reimu's the only person who's been here before, remember that when we're last here the entrance is not there?"

"You're right. I can't believe that Miko went on her way through this mess."

We continued to walk, until the passage begins to widen, we know we are approaching a wide section of the cave, and sure enough we see a red gate in front of us, covered in giant metal studs.

But that is not the only thing that catches our attention. We looked down to see a kneeling figure, with a large spear like weapon beside her. The spear is odd though, as it also had an axe light blade near it's tip.

The figure has white hair, as white as snow. She wears a white scarf and a red dress. On her chest, is a piece of ofuda that I've seen that Miko used before.

"She's not moving nor breathing. Like a statue..."

"Looks like her movement's constricted because of the charm." I said, before circling around her.

However Daiyousei is curious, and went closer to the figure and touched her in the shoulder. The shake is enough for the ofuda to unlatch itself from the chest, and it fell to the ground.

I widen my eyes, as Daiyousei took a step back.

"She's still not moving... We're alright. Maybe she's dead after all!"

"Dai..." I said, conjuring a short sword and a shield, both from crystallized ice.

I did it because I see her fingers twitching, and wrapping themselves around the pole of the strange spear. Slowly she stood up, and looked at us.

"Not dead, not dead!"

Daiyousei took a few steps back before falling on her rear, and the flame on her hands went off because of the fall. She started to scramble backwards, as I walked to her side, and readied my shield.

"This fight is mine, Dai. Let me handle her."

"You now face... Iudex Sara, Gatekeeper of Makai, Judge of whoever is worthy of passing it!"

She swings her spear around, which I evaded by jumping up, and I strike her down with my shield.

She was knocked backwards. Afterwards, I thrusted my blade into her body, but she manages to swipe it away using her bare left hand. She lifted her spear up, and tries to thrust it to me as well. I rolled out of the way in time, and I made some slashes on her which only lightly scraped her.

She turned around, before she uses her free left hand to deliver a fist towards me, which I knocked away using the shield. She recoiled from the hardness of the crystallized shield.

"So easy... Didn't even need to use a spell card against her..."

"Spell... Cards? What're those again?"

I raised a brow. She doesn't know what a spell card is? Then she is totally not from within Gensokyo... But possibly from wherever that gate behind her leads to.

"Nevermind what I said just now."

"Then enough blabbing, and continue our battle! We'll see if you're worthy of passing the gate!"

She then lurched forwards and raised her right knee a bit, which hits me in my chest, knocking me off guard. She then grabbed me by my throat using her left hand, lifted me up into the air, a few feet away from the ground, before she smashes my body back down.

Afterwards she lifted her spear, and strikes down the axe like blade of it. I managed to roll out of the way in time, and the axe blade hits the ground, getting stuck afterwards.

Using this as an opportunity to strike, I leapt back up and bashed her with my shield, knocking her away from her weapon, and I thrusted my sword into her throat.

And when I pulled out, blood sprays out as she then raised her hand to touch the wound. She shook her head slowly, before kneeling down and falling face first to the ground.

In an instant, I hear the gate opening as I reached for my flask to take a sip. It is slow, but after it eventually opens, I called out to Daiyousei, and she followed me deeper into wherever we are heading this time.

- To Be Continued