The day had started off promising for the spider-like demon, Yamame Kurodani. She'd heard the sounds of a dying Youkai and gone running, hoping to find an easy meal. Instead, she'd seen something that chilled her even as a hot wave of magical fury washed over her: a young human girl in red-and-white armor cutting a swath through the assorted minor demons and creatures that inhabited the tunnels leading from Gensokyo to the Former Capital. Yamame didn't care much for most of her fellow youkai, but she did enjoy a challenge. She'd gotten the human's attention, boasted a bit like her idol Yuugi did frequently, and the fight had begun.
And ended almost instantly. In mere moments, a sword of pure light appeared in the human's hand and cut down Yamame like tissue paper. Yamame must have looked sufficiently dead, because the human had moved on and continued her warpath. Time passed and Yamame slowly awakened, quickly wishing she hadn't as she felt blood pour from her open wounds. Instinct told her to run, to leave the underground world behind and go hunt on the surface. Despite being a loner by nature, Yamame still had friends though: her idol Yuugi, the bridge princess Parsee, the strange bucket girl Kisume...
The spider girl paused at the though of Kisume as she finally noticed, amongst the dead demons, pieces of wood and a metal rim. She had one less friend, she supposed. Spurred by the loss of one friend, Yamame bolted towards the Former Capital to find her other friends. She didn't have to wait long.
The bridge to the underground city was burning with pieces of blue cloth scattered about.
Yamame went further in.
She found a lone sake dish, balanced precariously on something, but not tipping over no matter how the ground shook, a tribute to its owner's refusal to waste good drink.
Yamame continued on, ignoring the massive amounts of destruction around her. By now, apprehension had given way to anger and, oddly, curiosity. She wanted to find out what this human was doing in the underground, killing everyone around her. A crack as loud as thunder caused the ruins of the capital to shake as, in the distance, two figures flying through the sky, firing off spells and energy blasts with reckless abandon. They shouted at each other, though what taunts or threats they spat went unheard over the sounds of war. Through the pillars of smoke though, Yamame could see that the human was one fight and the other was Utsuho Reiuji, Hell Raven pet to the mistress of the Palance of the Earth Spirits and probably the most powerful being in the entire underground. The palace itself burned, likely the source of Utsuho's fury.
The battle seemed to be going in the Hell Raven's favor; the human seemed unable to get off a single shot and was constantly on the move. Meanwhile, Utsuho was letting loose with a relentless barrage, firing massive, powerful blasts that ripped through the air, though none seemed able to hit the human.
A moment after one such blast sent her flying, Yamame realized that this was the human's intent all along: let Utsuho tire herself destroying the Former Capital! It certainly was working; few if any structures remained intact and the human was moving as quickly and nimbly as ever while Utsuho's blasts seemed to be lessening in power. When one such blast barely leveled a house, the human struck, forming her sword of light and driving it into the Hell Raven's chest.
A bright light erupted in the sky, flattening most of the Former Capital. Yamame shrieked as heat washed over her, rendering her unconscious again. When she awoke, the ground where the palace once stood was a glowing crater. Fires raged all across the landscape and the occasional voice of an injured or dying youkai could be heard, though to Yamame's horror they were quickly silenced. Finally, the armored human got around to the spider girl.
Yamame looked at the imposing warrior before her, sword raised. This was the only chance she was going to get, so she spoke a simple question.
"Why?"
The human glowered at her victim. "Because you beasts are to be exterminated. The gods command it."
"Gods are overrated," a new voice interjected.
Human and demon turned to see a large creature walking through the smoldering city, pausing to light a cigar on one of the buildings before taking a puff.
"My apologies. My name is Big T and I've decided I like that spider, so back off, Rodent," the creature, a grey-scaled, muscular dragon, ordered.
"The Inquisition does not take orders from beasts," the human spat back.
The dragon chuckled as he approached, flipping a black fedora onto his head. "Then think of it as a friendly suggestion. Your inquisitor's tricks don't affect a member of the Brood and you've spent too much of your strength to actually outfight me."
The human reached down to her hip towards a metal sword, taking up the challenge. She took a swing at the dragon, but the blade stopped mid-strike as a strange glowing field appeared to block it.
"Uh oh. Looks like Big T knows some magic," the dragon mockingly sighed. "Your blade can't touch me and now you can't even hit my spider before I can shred you."
The human stared at the dragon, looked at Yamame, and began to leave. "Remember the name Hakurei Reimu, dragon. Someday I'll have the pleasure of ending you too."
Big T rolled his eyes and puffed out a ring of smoke. "Sure, sure. Nobody expects the Gensokyo Inquisition, I got it. Now...shoo."
As the human left, the dragon stood tall over the spider.
"What do you want with me?" Yamame asked, frightened and confused.
"I want you to stop bleeding on my shoes, but that's not happening right now," Big T answered. "I was on my way home from mocking my dead brother Chaz when I see you watching the bird and the bitch have their little squabble, all the while bleeding from a massive gap in your torso. You look human enough and you're definitely tough enough, so I think to myself 'Big T, this dame's got guts and they're spilling all over the ground. Maybe the Brood could use her for sneaky jobs.' So I'm taking you with me, but I ain't no slaver; you'll get paid for doin' jobs for me and maybe I'll even make a proper...hmm...business associate out of you. What do you say? Keep in mind, if you say no I'm fine leaving you here to bleed to death."
Yamame sighed and looked at her "saviour" with disbelief. Still, she didn't seem to have anything to lose. Being this dragon's servant was certainly a better alternative to bleeding to death alone in the underground.
"Well...I accept."
"That's what I thought," the dragon chuckled, using a quick blast of magic to heal Yamame's wounds. "Now, lesson one in being an associate..."
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