A/N: Only two revies..? ;_; Guess i deserve it for not updatning then...
Blaze Shadow: Funny, the Kestrel is in Belkan War too...He no longer has time magic though. And it just owuldn't be Luke if things went right, right?
Tikigod784: I had to beg and researcha bit to find out the basic plots. Then to mix them all and see what comes out is my task alone. I can help you out if you're planning something...
Chapter Ten: The Hunter and the Hunted…
Chisame's hands blurred as she furiously typed onto the keyboard floating in front of her. Around her, shoals of fish darted about, fighting off various attempts to invade her CPU. Her familiars had scurried off to fulfil her orders, and would soon begin to wreak havoc in the hacker's own computer.
The cyberspace around her was a crystal clear cerulean ocean, with soft gold sand beneath her feet, and vibrant green seaweed growing amidst perfect silver rocks. The net idol smirked. When it came to cyberspace battles, she was the champion. Though most of that was thanks to her artefact, she had to admit grudgingly. Without it, she wouldn't have been able to become the queen of the net idols so easily or so quickly. But now her popularity was millions of hits above that of the competition, and her fandom continued to grow.
Though with great fame came great risk. She had made herself a prime target for those seeking to challenge the best. Various upstart idols had tried to compete against her only to fail. Some had even hired hackers to sabotage her sites. This had to be another one of such attempts.
The girl smirked as she typed out another set of commands, eliminating an incoming Trojan that had made it through her firewall. So far, the enemy had been content to hurl numerous weak-grade viruses at her, ones she had easily countered. Such small fry being sent to take her down…it was almost pitiful. Chisame Hasegawa smirked, knowing her victory was inevitable.
The attacks became more frequent, the hacker probably realizing her skill and trying to overcome her with simple numbers. It would do no good. Issuing computerised commands with years of experience, she quickly and accurately deflected each attack sent her way. The enemy's attention was focused on her. Which meant her attack could slip in unnoticed.
Hmmm, interesting. The owner of the database was prodigiously skilled. A reaction time of 0.19 seconds, and an extensive knowledge of computer programming and its workings. A most formidable opponent, the first in a long time.
He crossed his arms in front of his chest, glaring coldly at the large wall of water which marked the boundary between his operating system and hers. Most interesting. She clearly used little of her computer's potential, focused instead on aesthetics and PhotoShock. The IP address matched that of a net idol too. And yet, she was a highly skilled digital user, someone with the potential to become a legendary hacker in the future.
Inside he rejoiced at coming across her, a chance to finally test himself. Outwardly though, he conveyed no emotion, staring stonily ahead, at the position of his foe. That was probably the most intriguing thing about her. The fact she could enter cyberspace at will as well. He turned around and inspected the three mice-like familiars she had sent after him, pinned against the steel wall by his long and sinuous tail.
He leant in to expect the squirming little creatures, his metal heart having lost ago lost all sense of pity. They were small, with large, soft eyes one would find on a puppy. Their fur was soft and glimmered, and the creatures were roughly the size of tennis balls. He breathed in their scent, the mechanical receptors built into his constructed snout detecting and analysing each particular smell. Faint traces of water, clean, mixed with the oily, greasy, polluted fumes of factories pervaded their fur. Marks of the OS' they have been in. But also…lavender? The girl's shampoo, he guessed. They were more than simple programs, though they were clearly digital creatures.
He hissed, his jaws opening slightly as he exhaled into his preys' faces. His hot breath steamed in the air as he spoke.
"Who is your master?"
The three mice stared back, scared but defiant. He pressed them against the wall a little bit harder, eliciting squeaks of protest. The hacker asked again.
"Who is your master?"
The words were clear and understandable, though lacked emotion. Like the computerised voice of a gadget, they were spoken in a flat monotone, overlaid a harsh grating sound like two sheets of corrugated iron being dragged across each other. The mice shivered as one answered.
"Chiu!" it squeaked in fear, trying to wriggle free. The hacker snorted as he searched his memory banks for such a designation. The blank visor which masked his eyes displayed flickering green numbers as data poured through his mind. The figures froze suddenly as he located the information he required. Snarling slightly, he released the three furry little creatures, watching them fly off swiftly to freedom, back towards the safety of their master's OS.
His static voice, amplified beyond all mortal capability, thundered behind them "Tell that girl the Seeker is coming!" it roared.
A knight does not lie.
Fate would not have it so.
And he was paying the price.
Throwing himself into a helix spin, Luke flew over the dry ground, watching as both daggers flashed by him. He gulped as he crashed onto the ground, swiftly scrambling back onto his feet and running on. A small part of him couldn't help but appreciate the irony.
He had only managed to avoid that last set of kunai thanks to the training Miss Nagase had dragged him off too, all that time ago. Unfortunately, he hadn't learnt that lesson to its fullest.
And neither had he learnt the lesson about locating the source of the attacks. Living up to her reputation, the kunoichi had vanished into the night as soon as he had bolted, attacking from seemingly every direction at once. Just as he formed the thought, another blade hit the ground between his legs, and the blonde abruptly switched directions, diving into a thicket of brambles on his left before realizing what he'd just done.
The youth leapt out with a yelp, covered in scratches before another dagger convinced him to get going once more.
She was herding him…and toying with him too. He could sense it. This was not how it was meant to go! He had come back for a peaceful life! Not to the receiving end of all the madness! That world wasn't his anymore, he'd left it behind, he was just a human…
Another kunai hissed past in front of his face, and he swung right, still pumping his legs. She was out there, watching him, anticipating his every move…but not considering him as a threat. That ninja had spoken to him about it once, when he'd bothered asking her about demon hunting.
In any fight, it was best to weaken the opponent as much as possible before striking.
That's what she was doing, making him tire himself out before attacking directly…from behind, he added as an afterthought, grinning slightly. Ninja were hardly famous for being honourable fighters after all.
Twigs continued to lash at him as he ran in between the trunks of trees. Crunching leaves underfoot, Luke smiled slightly. In the end, he came back to Mahora because it was the only home he had ever known. Running for his life on the first evening back was the perfect homecoming.
In the end, did he do much else whilst at the Academy the first time around?
Of course, that was when he ran into a tree, promptly knocking himself out. The tree was just as surprised as the youth was. IF it could talk, it wouldn't have said anything, that's how surprised it was.
Amidst the branches, Kaede Nagase, the kunoichi of class 3A, sighed as she watched the boy keel over into the grass and lie still. A pity. He had been doing well, avoiding her attacks and switching directions swiftly. The makings of a good fighter perhaps. But the lapse in concentration had led to his downfall.
Disappointing. It was hard to find someone like Negi-sensei in her own age range…
That thought stopped her momentarily. What on earth was she thinking about that for?! She had come to the mountains to train and get away form those senseless worries, not to reinforce them! Annoyed at her lapse in concentration, she shook the stray thoughts off and focused on the youth.
She dropped from the branches and landed softly on the ground, making no sound. Making her way over to the young man, she knelt down and placed two fingers on his neck, searching for a pulse. Satisfied when she finally found one, the kunoichi then ran a quick check for any concussion or head injuries. Finding nothing in regards to that, she picked up the youth, glad for her training suddenly as she realised he wasn't exactly light. Totally unlike that time she had found Negi-sensei in the forest.
Though both boys had proven to be entertaining in their own way. Negi was a child, true, but enjoyable company none the less, and this Luke had given her a slight workout. Though she had no idea who he was, he seemed like nothing to worry over. Probably some crazy or maybe even some kind of cosplayer…
Kaede chuckled slightly at the thought. Well, in that case he would have told the truth, and not tried to lie to her. He was inexperienced in it, she could tell. She shrugged as she carried the unconscious boy back to the camp, considering a nice rest followed by another bout of interrogation in the morning.
Chisame looked up form her work, three of her mice familiars flying towards her, visibly shaken. The net idol frowned slightly as the battle lulled momentarily, the viruses retreating in the face of her skills. The peaceful ocean of her operating system returned to its serenity as the vicious fish that represented the attacks swam away.
"What is it?" she asked, gently, so as to not startle her familiars further. The little creatures all began speaking at once before she quietened them down. "One by one, slowly," she ordered.
"The enemy OS-" started the first.
"-is totally unlike this one!" finished the second, leaving the third to elaborate.
"The hacker, he's in cyberspace too! Calls himself Seeker! He's issued a direct challenge!" squeaked the final mouse, shooting a black look at its compatriots as it did so.
The girl considered this for a moment before smiling. "Then we'll answer his challenge!"
"B-but mistress!"
"Of course, in case of any surprises, it's only wise to summon backup," grinned the net idol evilly, as her artefact glittered.