Don't forget to listen to the songs!

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Chapter 9: The Hunt (VALHALL)

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Kid must have slept at one point, since there was a gap in his memories. He woke up when someone wrapped a cloth around his eyes, pulling his head back which only irritated his cramped neck. He was lifted from the chair, still bound, and pushed along throughout the building. Though his sight was restricted, he could still use his Soul Perception and other senses. The air was musty and cold, and the only sounds Kid could hear were the footsteps of the people surrounding him. Their souls were a large bright blue, human and powerful.

They traversed through quite a bit of ground, taking a few turns every now and then. Kid tried to keep track of where they turned but he soon grew irritated by the seemingly chaotic and unbalanced order, they were taking too many left turns and few right ones.

Eventually, they stopped and there was the sound of a large creaking door being opened. Kid was pushed inside then guided to sit in another chair. The boy couldn't protest, being already restrained, and he had to hold in an irritated sigh as he felt more thick leather binds being wrapped tightly around his frame.

When the blindfold was taken off, Kid found himself in a new room. To his surprise, he wasn't alone. The room he was in had a massive tempered glass wall build into the stone. Around it were three other rooms, containing people Kid didn't think he would see alive again. There was Arachne, Giriko and Mosquito, each one in their individual rooms with unique bindings. The three were already restrained and focused on the room Kid was in. Giriko settled at glaring at the people around Kid, whereas Mosquito simply narrowed his eyes. Arachne ignored them completely, focusing over her son and going over his frame, eventually giving a small sigh of relief at the lack of injuries. In the meantime, Kid managed to get a good look at them and how they were restrained.

Everyone's bindings were different. Mosquito's restraints were rubbery, probably to account for a sudden increase in size. They had also encased his nose in a large polyester cube. It would be a funny sight if they weren't imprisoned by their enemies. Giriko only had thick chains on his neck and limbs. However, there was a thin layer of water at his feet. The man could probably slice his chains right off but maybe such an action would cause a current to flow through the man, electrocuting him to the point of unconsciousness, or worse. His mother's prison was different too. A thicker glass pane separated her from the others, and the exit to her room was bolted shut, leaving no cracks between the door and the floor. Kid thought it must have been to stop her from dissolving into her spiders and escaping through the cracks- Arachne's prison had to have miniscule ventilation.

Looking back on his own prison, Kid guessed they used all the basic methods of imprisoning on him since they weren't aware of the extent of his capabilities. They limited his movement and speech, the latter as a precaution against the boy conjuring an unknown spell, which was redundant since Kid couldn't do any actual magic.

Though there was his wavelength… but he'd have to force physical contact with someone, and that would still leave him bound.

The door behind Kid creaked again and the boy sensed a human soul behind him. He tried to crane his neck to no avail, though he did catch Arachne's sober expression which looked over the boy's shoulder.

"You may all be wondering why you are all still alive," a familiar voice came from behind Kid, causing a shiver down his spine.

It was Arthur.

Arachne scoffed in annoyance. Mosquito had his expression carefully blank whereas Giriko had leaned back and regarded the man with annoyance. Kid gulped but he didn't let his nervousness show.

"Matter of the fact is, none of you will talk when you're alone. So I thought, why not bring you all together, break the ice and all that?" He let out a hollow laugh as he walked to Kid's chair.

"You want to torture us one at a time in hopes someone eventually breaks," Arachne nonchalantly cut him off. "At least be straightforward with your intentions," she replied upon seeing the man's scowl.

Arthur sighed and put his hands up in defeat. "Ok, you got me. I'm not here to make friends," he replied in a cheerful voice.

He turned to his side where a table was. Simultaneously one person walked into each prisoner's cell, including Kid's. The boy noticed the person in his room, a middle-aged woman, carried a double-handed axe.

"The other folks here are my friends though," Arthur said as he picked up a particularly sharp knife. "They'll make sure none of you misbehave too much."

Kid had the gag taken off by the woman in the room. The boy stood still, trying his best to lay low on these people's radars.

"Let's get this started." Arthur snapped his fingers. "Ladies first."

The man who was in the room with Arachne took out a menacing hunting knife and placed it at the Witch's throat, who only gave them a derisive laugh.

"I have to say, I thought the accounts of your beauty were exaggerated. I stand corrected," Arthur began, ignoring Mosquito's nasally protests and Giriko's muffled yells. Kid also wanted to protest, but a quick knowing glance from Arachne squashed any such plans. "Who knew behind such a lovely face is the soul of a cold-hearted monster?"

Arachne only smirked in response. "No matter what tortures you come up with, they will be dreams compared to what I will do to you," The woman craned her neck back to give a predatory smile to the man holding the knife. His hand trembled. "Do your worst."

"Uh uh uh, don't rush me. You have to build up to these sorts of things."

Giriko, who was still muffled, let out a long string of what was possibly curses.

"So, I'm going to as question to each one of you. If you fail to answer, you'll get punished. If you lie…" he indicated to the glass where Kid sensed another blue orb was. "We'll know."

"How can you know when someone is lying?" Mosquito loudly asked, his voice having lost any hint of elegance with his nose bound.

"We have ways. And people. You really shouldn't underestimate humans."

Arachne threw him a haughty scoff. "Stop dilly dallying and get to the point. What do you want?"

"What so many people want! Information! Specifically," the man's smirk now had a manic edge to it. "That Wavelength that knocked everyone out."

Kid felt his blood ran cold.

Arachne's expression briefly morphed into one of confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb dear, it's uncharacteristic of you." Arthur leaned against the glass, waving his knife as he talked. "I wonder why you did it. Perhaps you were desperate for a trump card, so much so that you would risk the wrath of your old enemy?"

At this Kid frowned. Arthur's words didn't make sense.

Arachne seemed to follow a similar train of thought. "You're not making things any simpler."

"Don't play daft, you old hag!" Arthur's patience appeared to have run out. "That Wavelength that rendered everyone unconscious -we all felt it!" the man spat out. "What have you done to Death, Witch?"

The next few seconds were ones of seemingly eternal silence. Arachne's expression stretched before being forced into a neutral but unnatural poker face. Meanwhile, Kid's mind was reeling.

Arthur just claimed that the Wavelength used at the base was Death's Wavelength. However, Kid knew that in actuality it was his own wavelength that he used in the magic circle. These two details were incorrigible with each other.

Was Kid missing something? Had he accidentally created a summoning circle? His was certain his was supposed to be a circle that amplified the user's wavelength, not summon one!

Had Arthur gotten it wrong? Had Kid done something wrong?

A few more seconds passed. Arachne hadn't said a single word.

Arthur, now clearly annoyed, made a swift motion with his hand. The man on the other side of the glass nodded, and the dagger was pressed hard at Arachne's skin. A thin trail of blood came out.

The witch's face remained bored. Mosquito had gone red with seething fury whereas Giriko had a scowl on his face. Kid tried best to hide his worry, since this was what these people counted on but couldn't help frowning in concern.

Arachne rolled her eyes. "This is pathetic."

"Oh I'm just getting started. Now, to move to the lackeys."

Arthur backed away from where he was, instead heading over to where the elderly manservant was held.

"Mosquito. Know anything about that Wavelength?"

Mosquito turned his nose up -quite literally- causing the Styrofoam block to swivel, almost hitting his guard in the face. "If you think a gentleman like me will ever betray Milady, then you are but a deluded youth like that thug over there!"

"Fuck off, you old fart," Giriko shot back.

"My point exactly," the vampire calmly replied.

Arthur's face grimaced, before morphing into his usual smug expression as he turned to the younger man. "Giriko?"

"Ha! You think a bastard like you intimidates me?! I've torn smug brats like you to shreds more times than I can count-"

"At least use a better metric, my boy," Mosquito interrupted him. "If one was to take your statement at face value you've killed less people than the fingers on one hand."

"I can count pretty high old fart, stop sabotaging my speeches!"

The two then continued squabbling seemingly ignoring everyone else in the room. Kid found it funny and maybe a bit impressive how their rivalry took precedence over their own self-preservation.

Arthur evidently did not if judging by his frowned expression. The woman and man present in the two lackey's rooms gave Arthur a lost look and the man disregarded them with a wave of his hand.

"Well then, it seems you leave me with little choice…"

Arthur craned his neck to look at Kid and any amusement the boy had from before vanished.

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