Chapter Ten: The Scarlet Woman

"I have already battled your mistress," Takashiro pointed out. "Why would you try and battle me, when you know you can't win?"

"I'm just here for some information," the blonde woman answered. "There is an alchemist who was once a student of yours'. What became of him?"

Takashiro took a moment to think, raising her prayer beads to the ready. Who was this person referring to? So many students had gained some sort of magical power during the chaotic events of the Walpurgis Night, but who had-?

It's not magic in my possession, sensei. It's only alchemy.

And then she remembered, the dark-haired boy with the bright green eyes and the right hand that could transform the nature of matter. The boy who, on one of the last days of the term, had transformed her already wild pheromones to his wishes, and had used her body so very... vigorously.

"Hirazuki-kun..." Takashiro muttered, in barely more than a whisper.

And with that, the blonde woman smiled and vanished. Takashiro glanced around and then cursed herself; she'd provided the very information they sought. Without wasting any time, Takashiro hailed the nearest cab and hoped Asante hadn't moved very far away from the apartment he'd used so often...

At that very same apartment, Ritsuko had intended to leave now that Asante had taken his fill from her, but was perplexed and fascinated by this occurrence. The woman with silver hair was charging energy into her gloved hands and smiling confidently.

Asante's hands appeared to be on fire, as hydrogen atoms continued to ignite within him. "Let's get this started," he declared before bounding forward, running up along the air as easily as he ran over the ground.

The woman leapt backwards to avoid a fiery slash, only to immediately turn and slash Asante's forehead with a single finger. Once again he felt a burning sensation, as a third rune sliced and etched itself upon his forehead.

Asante drew back before she could slash him again, snarling. "You must work for young Miss Crowley."

The silver haired woman did not answer and shot forth, pressing her attack. Asante moved a few carbon atoms up from the ground, creating a diamond hard barrier for her to smash into. Only the prompt creation of a shield prevented her from being skewered as Asante converted the total mass of the carbon atoms from a wall into a hail storm, bombarding her with diamond spikes.

They continued to attack and defend against each other for a few more moments, until the silver haired woman turned her attention away from Asante and instead focused upon the blonde woman, still watching the affair from the sidelines.

Upon locking their respective gazes, Ritsuko prepared to run, but she was nowhere near fast enough. The silver haired woman shot at her, drawing her fingers towards Ritsuko's forehead.

Until Asante moved in the way, placing his forehead in the path instead, holding out his right hand, which found the woman's face, grasping onto it. As she painted a fourth symbol onto him, Asante ripped every last iron atom out of her face.

Both fell back, their face burning for one reason or another. Asante grasped either side of his head but remained protectively in front of Ritsuko, as the silver haired woman clamored up to her feet, blood leaking from all over her face, its pace no longer slow enough to be moderated.

"Tell your mistress that I want to reiterate my message," Asante snapped, trying to keep a tough face, despite the sensation of being burnt and cut simultaneously. "She'll be mine eventually."

The silver haired woman smiled, even as blood drained out from her mouth and lip. "Half the spell has been completed. More and more of your self is being eaten away... and it'll be easier to finish the task, now that we know your weakness."

Asante blinked. The woman disappeared.

Ritsuko glanced at him, confused, as a cab pulled up, and out stepped a nun, adorned in a purple robe and a white hood. She paid the fare and stepped forth, holding some prayer beads in her left hand.

"Hirazuki-kun," she greeted, hoping she was correct... but the scars, the horn, the right hand, and the eyes all gave it away. There was no doubt it was him.

Asante felt the atoms running around this woman, but could not detect any in her body. She had erected some kind of protective, immediate barrier, and he could not decipher much. Her powers did not have the same signature as the arcane magic he'd come to know so well... it was being drawn from something other than innate capability or practice. It was as though this woman was receiving assistance from some other unseen power source.

Her voice was familiar, but he didn't recognize the face. "Who are you?" he asked rather gruffly.

"I'm sorry you don't remember me," the nun told him, bowing. "I was your art teacher, T-"

"Takashiro-sensei," Asante finished for her. He felt slightly awkward, given the last time the two had spoken was during a vigorous sexual session almost ten years prior... "Why are you here?"

Takashiro did not answer immediately, and instead moved her hand to feel Asante's forehead. His first instinct was to retract, but her hand felt unusually warm... and her touch was soft and pleasant as she ran her fingers over the characters now burned into his flesh.

"Jody is after you," Takashiro said simply. "Hirazuki-kun, may I come in and speak with you?"

"Certainly," Asante agreed. "Ritsuko-san, would you excuse us?" Ritsuko only nodded and headed away, still indifferent after Asante had rushed to her aid.

"Girlfriend?" Takashiro asked as Asante led her in, sitting down at his table for some Earl Grey tea.

"I had hoped you knew me better than that, sensei," Asante pointed out. "Since when has that ever been necessary for me to get what I want?"

"It isn't too late, even for one such as you," Takashiro pointed out. "You should never write off trying to save yourself from the scars the demon inflicted upon you."

"Most of these scars are self inflicted," Asante countered, voice icy. "I don't want to seem rude, but could you get to whatever it is you came to discuss with me?" He handed her a cup of tea, steam lifting off the light brown surface.

Takashiro took a sip and then continued. "Jody is looking for a woman she knows only as the Scarlet Woman. A young woman who is destined to bear the child that will inherit all the powers of the devil."

"Revelations according to John," Asante chimed in. "And why-?"

"Jody seeks to fulfill her grandfather's prophecy," Takashiro stated. "She knows the Scarlet Woman is in this country, and she knows the Lance of Longinus is in this country."

Asante's expression changed. "The Lance of Longinus?"

"Yes," Takashiro answered. "It is in several pieces, but could theoretically-"

"I just reconstructed it," Asante interjected. "With a piece no larger than my thumb, I recreated it for my... employer, into a weapon roughly the size of his body, ending in two prongs."

"Is he a trustworthy man?" Takashiro asked.

Not even remotely. "Sure. Why not?"

"Then that matter can wait," Takashiro told him. "It happens I know the identity of the Scarlet Woman... I hope you don't mind if I don't tell you..." She glanced up at the runes imbedded in Asante's forehead.

"How long do you think until Jody completes this transformation on me?" Asante asked, following her eye movement.

"Maybe a day or two," Takashiro answered. "She will be relentless."

Asante grinned. "Good."

Takashiro took another long draught of tea. "Hirazuki-kun, I'll contact you again. I think I may need your help... Jody isn't the only one involved in this struggle."

Asante narrowed his eyes. "Saeki-chan?"

"I hope it's only her," Takashiro answered. "But I felt the seal I placed on Imari-san break. Kitami may have woken by now."

"Kitami-sensei is alive?" Asante asked, somewhere between astonished and altogether not surprised.

"And I am going to locate her by nightfall," Takashiro confirmed. "Thank you for your hospitality, Hirazuki-kun. If all goes well, we could have recovered the lance and the Red Lady by tomorrow."

"Do remember, sensei, there is a price for my cooperation," Asante pointed out, eyeing her lecherously. "And you know the only thing I ever demand in payment."

Before returning to the campus to gather with her forces, Kurumi Imari/Reika Kitami returned to her apartment to shower and gather up clothing, when she noticed something different about her night stand.

Namely, that the black sphere containing the dealmaker had vanished.

Kitami cursed. Gone? Who could've been here to take it from me? Has Saeki-san betrayed me already? No... this is too soon for her. Who would've-

And she remembered the boy she'd taken the demon from. A boy Saeki had battled earlier in the day.

Hirazuki Asante.

And back at Tokken's underground headquarters, Gendo lifted up through the floor again, appearing before a council of Tokken administrators.

"Zarathustra's power is growing," Gendo reported. "As we had expected. The process will be complete by the time the Red Lady reaches the appropriate cycle."

The shadowy figures remained stoic, as a single administrator, the only one that was composed of flesh and blood and not machinery and interconnected voice synthesizers, leaned forward to address Gendo, revealing the decaying flesh. "Jody is operating on her own, so I cannot be certain she will confirm the Red Lady's identity. Do you know any who might know it?"

"Captain Toruda Yuge, perhaps?" Gendo suggested.

"Unlikely," the administrator stated. "He would leave my employ at a moment's notice to save the lives of his subordinates; even if he knew I would be unable to force the information out of him."

"That's one problem, I agree," Gendo nodded. "But why must we use Zarathustra for this? Wouldn't any virile male serve the purpose?"

"Not for me and you well know it," the administrator spat. "Zarathustra's body carries my blood within it. I will only be able to safeguard my soul in his progeny."

"And thus gain all the powers of the devil at last," Gendo confirmed, as the dealmaker's smile vanished completely, as the truth began to dawn on the lesser demon. "And once you've succeeded in that task, all I need do is pierce the unthinking monstrosity and absorb Zarathustra's power."

"It is folly to assume that you will gain the powers of a god," the administrator told him flatly. "If that is, indeed, what you want?"

"Have I not told you enough for you to trust me?" Gendo asked. Both heard a door open and stopped talking, but relaxed as Ritsuko stepped forward.

"Sorry I'm late, gentlemen," she greeted. "Jody was after our alchemist."

"She is welcome to him," Gendo said. "He has served his purpose."

"Did I miss anything important?" Ritsuko asked. She glanced at the animatronic figures, all unmoving. "I see you've finally dropped the facade."

"Zarathustra will be ready in two days, assuming we gather enough female flesh for him," Gendo assured. "No doubt within that time Jody will know the Red Lady's identity."

The dealmaker's fear was apparent. Gendo only smiled as he felt half his body run cold.

"Then I suppose it's time I join the fray," the administrator said. "This body is falling apart, but it won't matter... Doctor Akagi, bring me down to see our beloved prototype."

"As you wish, Aleister Crowley-sama."