Chapter 174: Gwah! The Cowlick God Acts!
The Forest of Magic appeared exceptionally serene.
The treetops swayed in a gentle breeze, and sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, dappling the forest floor in shifting patterns of light and shadow. This tranquility, however, was abruptly shattered by a panicked, yet distinctly familiar, shriek.
"Aaaah—stop chasing me!! Stop it, ze!"
Marisa Kirisame was a blur of motion, her magic broom pushed to its absolute limit. Her iconic black-and-white witch's outfit was now dusty and tattered, the hem of her skirt sporting several fresh tears.
Hot on her heels was a figure that was humanoid, but disturbingly not quite human. Its long limbs swung in a bizarre, unnatural gait, and its pallid skin seemed to glow with a piercing whiteness under the sun.
SCP-096 sprinted on its long legs, closing the distance at an incredible speed. Even with her broom at full power, Marisa couldn't shake it.
She was on the verge of tears. "Stop chasing me! Is it just because I accidentally saw your face?! I swear, I didn't see anything just now!"
She had only caught a glimpse of half its face. The next thing she knew, the creature had crouched on the ground, curled into a ball, and begun to emit faint, sobbing sounds. Marisa had been utterly bewildered, wondering if she should apologize. But then, the thing had suddenly shot to its feet and launched a frenzied attack.
If she had been a fraction of a second slower, her only option would have been a trip to the Sanzu River to wait for Haruto to fish her out.
Time dragged on.
Marisa's magical energy was nearly depleted, yet the pursuit was relentless. Just as she was steeling herself for a desperate last stand, a figure materialized at the end of the path ahead.
"Marisa, this way!"
Alice Margatroid stood there, her hands deftly manipulating over a dozen dolls. Before Marisa could even react, the puppets swarmed forward, forming a defensive line that momentarily intercepted SCP-096.
"Come with me."
Alice grabbed Marisa's hand and pulled her deeper into the Forest of Magic. They ran until the bizarre, wailing cries finally faded into the distance. Only then did Marisa collapse onto the ground, panting for breath.
"What in the world was that monster, ze? I almost ended up in a coffin."
She turned to Alice, still gasping. "Why are you in Gensokyo? I thought you were back in Makai."
"Haruto told me about SCP-096 and asked me to keep a closer eye on you, so I came back early," Alice said with a sigh, her tone laced with helplessness. "Didn't he warn you not to take off its hood?"
Thank goodness Haruto had anticipated this. Otherwise, Marisa would have suffered far more than a simple scare.
From the distance, that shrill, inhuman wail began to approach again. It was clear the dolls couldn't stall SCP-096 for long.
Alice's delicate brows furrowed. She had heard from Haruto that this creature was quite powerful; without a specific countermeasure, killing it would be next to impossible.
With that in mind, she didn't linger. She hauled Marisa to her feet and they made a break for her home. The two sprinted all the way, finally skidding to a halt before a small, Western-style house.
Alice glanced back, her azure eyes fixed on the woods behind them. A pale figure had already burst from the tree line, charging frantically on all fours.
"Get inside, quick! It's catching up!" Marisa yelped, anxiously raising her Mini-Hakkero, only to find her magical reserves completely dry.
At that critical moment—
Just as SCP-096 lunged into the air, it was struck by what looked like an invisible, colossal hand. It was sent flying backward even faster than it had charged, crashing violently into the forest.
Crack! CRACK!
A series of sickening snaps echoed through the woods as ancient trees, so thick it would take several people to encircle them, shattered and toppled under the impact. SCP-096 was flung like a discarded ragdoll, carving a long, destructive path through the forest before finally disappearing from sight.
"Alice, my dear Alice! Quick, let me see, are you hurt anywhere?!"
The speaker was a petite girl who was now nervously circling Alice, practically plastered to her side. The single, prominent cowlick on her head swayed back and forth with her anxious movements.
"This... is SCP-096?"
Patchouli Knowledge peered down, scrutinizing the misshapen white creature that now lay on the ground before them. Her expression was a mixture of curiosity and mild disgust.
They had heard the eerie wailing from a distance and were about to pick up their pace when the creature came crashing through countless trees, landing right at their feet.
Haruto gave a subtle nod, his eyes on the familiar figure as it twitched on the ground, letting out weak, frustrated moans. He glanced back in the direction it had flown from; a whole row of giant trees had been snapped in half.
He knew that with Alice's strength, she could probably suppress SCP-096 for a short time, and she likely had sealing magic at her disposal. But to unleash a single strike with this level of devastating power?
While he was pondering this, the twisted and broken limbs of SCP-096 had already mostly healed. It struggled back to its feet, let out another shrill wail, and immediately sprinted back the way it came.
...
With the help of Shinki, Marisa's injuries and magical energy had been fully restored. Feeling the power overflowing within her, her face was flush with excitement.
"Gwah! I feel better than ever, ze!"
She jabbed a thumb in the direction SCP-096 had been flung. "If that guy comes back, you all don't even need to—"
Her voice cut off abruptly. Hearing that familiar, sickening wail once more, Marisa instantly dove behind Alice and Shinki for cover.
SCP-096 was moving even faster than before. Despite being swatted away once, it showed no signs of fear.
Alice raised an eyebrow, her fingertips twitching. Several dolls materialized around her as she prepared to wear the creature down before attempting to seal it.
However, the moment SCP-096 leaped into the air, its body froze solid in mid-flight. Only its eyeballs could still roll, wide with terror. Then, starting from its long, thin legs, its body began to blur and turn transparent, as if it were being erased from reality itself by some unseen force.
"Mother, please stop!" Alice called out hurriedly. "This is a pet Haruto is keeping."
The cowlick on Shinki's head bobbed in confusion. With a light wave of her small hand, the half of SCP-096's body that was about to vanish shimmered and returned to its solid state.
"It's Haruto's? So he likes this type?" she mused, nodding in understanding. "Well then, Alice, next time you come back to Makai, you can bring him along. I have many similar creatures there. If he likes them, I can give them all to him."
Shinki was, after all, quite fond of her best friend's younger brother.
Haruto happened to arrive just in time to hear this and immediately agreed. He had yet to visit Makai, and he'd heard it was filled with all sorts of strange and wonderful beings.
He walked forward, unable to resist reaching out to flick the expressive cowlick on Shinki's head as he passed. He then finally placed the helmet back over SCP-096's face.
"Ms. Shinki, could you please erase its memories of today?"
Although Haruto had his own methods for blurring memories, they were only effective for short-term ones.
"I've told you many times, Haruto," Shinki puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction. "You can call me 'Mother,' just like Alice does."
Her light blue eyes glanced briefly at SCP-096. "Done."
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