Chapter Three: Contest of Witches
Robin glared at Kamiya, still by the wounded Amon's side. Robin took a quick glance away from Kamiya, searching for any pedestrians, mercifully finding none. She then refocused her gaze on Kamiya, sliding her glasses on.
"I see you are ready to play," Kamiya noted. "Draw your weapon, girl. If you wish to avenge your ally."
Robin glared at Kamiya. "I don't need one... I (am) a weapon..." She focused her gaze on him and sent a burst of flame in Kamiya's direction.
Kamiya leapt to one side, moving out of the flame's path. "A craft-user. How unsurprising," He fixated his gaze on Robin. "Let us see how the hunters' lapdog fares."
"Lapdog?" Robin repeated, angry. She sent forth another burst of flame.
This time, Kamiya did not dodge. He focused his own powers, and a great gust of wind picked up, putting out the flames before they could reach him. "You'll have to do better than that."
Robin glared at Kamiya and walked towards him, entering the building's first floor as Amon climbed to his feet behind her, readying his pistol.
"This should be amusing," Kamiya noted. "But if you wish to confront me, it might be better if we move out of sight... I have heard you hunters try to keep the existence of witches a secret."
"And what would you care of that?" Amon demanded.
"Only that I do not wish to harm any humans," Kamiya explained. "Yet, anyway..."
Robin nodded. "Fine. I will battle you elsewhere."
Kamiya grinned. "Good girl," He turned and led the two to an elevator. "This way, please."
On the second floor, Robin and Amon followed Kamiya out of the elevator and into a large space, devoid of rooms or hallways, only support beams and assorted furniture, several of which were occuppied by a number of people.
"Welcome," Kamiya grinned. "You hunters should feel most honored. You will die here, just before my followers and I begin our path to retribution."
"Path to retribution?" Amon repeated. "What do you mean?"
"Mass genocide," Kamiya replied with another grin. "The death of a human for every witch that has been hunted. The number has grown quite exponentially, thanks to the activities of you hunters."
"Is that some twisted idea of justice?" Robin demanded. "You think killing other people is... retribution?"
"In a way," Kamiya nodded. "A number of my followers would rather we just wipe out the humans entirely. I find no sport in this, as not all of your people are guilty of slaying my people."
"Surprisingly reasonable," Amon noted. "You of course realize that if you carry out with your plan we will have to stop you?"
"Try to stop me, rather," Kamiya responded. "But since you two hunters are already here, why not do so now? My followers will not interfere."
As he said this, the various witches gathered round, leaving a circular area for the three, watching them eagerly.
"You want us to fight you now?" Amon asked. "Why?"
"So you may see the futility of your quest," Kamiya replied. "You can challenge me now if you wish, or you can wait until the Night."
Robin narrowed her eyes. "The Night?"
Kamiya glanced at her. "Don't play dumb. I'm certain hunters like yourselves have long since known of that tradition."
"Actually, we don't," Amon confessed. "Do you wish to tell us?"
Kamiya scratched his chin. "That would be rather cliche of me... the 'villain' giving away the secrets of his plot. But why not? It is not a tremendous secret.
"The Night of the Devil's Children has been a sacred rite amongst witches for centuries," Kamiya explained. "When witches unite to slay a human for each of their brethren that fell before them. This usually occurred on Halloween, but we decided to speed things up a bit."
"Why?" Robin asked, glancing at the murderous looks of the other witches.
"Because waiting to perform this tradition annually is too slow," Kamiya answered. "Especially with you hunters killing us off much more quickly."
"We don't kill you," Amon growled. "We apprehend you. And only if you have committed a crime with your powers."
"Is that so, hunter?" Kamiya grinned. "How long will it be until my people are rounded up simply for being witches? Where can you draw the line? Eventually our existence will become widely known. Will you allow us to live then? Or will you do as the humans will inevitably request, and hunt us all?"
Neither Robin nor Amon gave an answer.
"Very well," Kamiya nodded. "You do not know. Now I offer you two choices. You can confront me now or I guarantee you safe passage out of here."
Amon and Robin glanced at each other. "We can't allow his plan to occur," Amon whispered in her ear. "We have to face him."
"Amon, he seems to be relatively powerful," Robin noted. "And you're hurt."
Amon glanced at the bleeding sore in his forehead. "A flesh wound. Tell him we accept his challenge."
Robin nodded slowly and turned to face Kamiya. "I will battle you, and you will remove my friend from this building."
"What?" Amon roared.
"Interesting," Kamiya smiled. "You wish to face me on your own. I understand... and I accept." He clapped his hands and two of the other witches stepped forth from the crowd, pulling Amon out.
"Robin!" Amon called as he disappeared from her view, and the crowd reformed to watch the coming battle.
"Robin..." Kamiya repeated. "An interesting name. No matter. Let us put your craft to the test."
Robin nodded and pushed her glasses up a bit. "What are you waiting for?"
Kamiya smiled as a blast of wind suddenly picked up, blasting towards Robin, carrying the surprised hunter a few feet into the air before dropping her. "Nothing at all."
Robin quickly composed herself and leapt to her feet. She glared at Kamiya, sending forth a stream of flame.
Kamiya again brought up a torrent of wind, cancelling the flame in an instant. He unleashed another burst forward, this one Robin rolled away from, as a pair of the witches observing the battle were pushed back by the attack.
I can't tell where he's attacking, Robin thought grimly. With an element like wind, he can cut down my flames easily. I need to increase their power, if I can.
Kamiya smiled at her. "What's the matter, craft-user? Assuredly you must be more skilled than this. Or have you always depended on your fellow hunters?"
Again Robin did not respond, focusing her gaze firmly on Kamiya, sending out two large bursts of fire at either side of him.
Kamiya tossed out his arms as wind picked up again, sending the fire upwards and away from him, where it dissipated harmlessly before touching the ceiling.
Seizing this distraction, Robin unleashed a barrage of fire at Kamiya, who leapt upwards, aided by a gust of his wind, and dispatched each firey attack beneath him, before again focusing his gaze on Robin.
He fights with such control, Robin observed. He's protecting his followers as well as battling me.
"I am disappointed and pleasantly surprised at the same time," Kamiya grinned. "You are clearly a powerful craft-user, and an inventive opponent. But your abilities still pale in comparison to mine."
Robin glared at Kamiya. "You talk too much." She sent forth another fiery burst.
Kamiya dismissively waved one hand and the flames scattered into harmless embers. "Perhaps, but I know the winds enough to easily put out your flames. Each trajectory can be countered easily, regardless of how powerful you make your burst." He sent forth another gust, blasting Robin a few feet back, knocking the young hunter off her feet. "Surrender, Robin. I do not wish to harm a fellow witch."
Robin glared at him. "I am not a witch," she clamored to her feet, again focusing her gaze on Kamiya.
"Believe what you wish," Kamiya nodded. "Let us resume our pointless confrontation, then." He picked up another powerful gale and sent it towards Robin, just as a large flame appeared on his hand. "What? But..." He glanced at Robin, just as the girl fell to the hard floor again. Kamiya refocused his attention on his hand, trying to blast away the flame. "How could she...?"
Robin glanced at Kamiya's hand. "I didn't do that."
"No," came a deep voice from the corner. "I did."
Robin, Kamiya and the witches in observation turned to see the dark cloak, the scraggly black hair and gray eyes of the infamous Solomon operative, Nasat.
"Who are you?" Kamiya demanded, as he continued trying futilely to put out his hand.
Nasat grinned. "A shadow of a nameless existence, traveling in a world of dreams."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Kamiya growled, still unleashing wind on his enflamed hand. "Why have you interfered with our fight?"
"Neither question need be answered," Nasat replied simply as he stepped forth, the witches clearing a path for him. "I am here to challenge my brothers and sisters. That is all you need know."
Kamiya glanced out at the observers. "Leave. This man may try to harm you. I will deal with him."
The witches reluctantly began shuffling out as Robin, Kamiya and Nasat all glanced at one another.
"You will die now, my brethren," Nasat observed. "A pity, but a necessary action. Only one of us may be the best. Only one of us may take that place at our father's side."
"What?" Kamiya demanded. "Our father?"
"All witches share the same father," Nasat explained vaguely. "I bare his name, in a way."
"What do you want with us, then?" Kamiya glared. "You intend to kill us?"
"Of course," Nasat replied casually. "But I see no reason to waste time in this simple competition of yours. So instead..." He extended his arms, and every window on the second floor shattered in an instant. "...I will prepare you for meeting the father. Embrace the eternal flame."
"Eternal flame?" Robin repeated.
Nasat smiled at her before stepping to one of the windows, climbing onto the sill. "You would know it as well, Robin... how appropriate a death for you." He flexed his eyes as a dozen separate fires appeared around the floor, encircling around Kamiya and Robin. "Embrace the eternal flame." With that Nasat dropped from the windowsill, leaving the two adversaries trapped by the flames.
On the street below, Amon looked up at the flaming floor. "Michael, get ahold of Sakaki, Karasuma, Zaizen, and anyone else available."
"Why?" came Michael's voice.
"We have a bit of a problem..."
Robin glared at Kamiya, still by the wounded Amon's side. Robin took a quick glance away from Kamiya, searching for any pedestrians, mercifully finding none. She then refocused her gaze on Kamiya, sliding her glasses on.
"I see you are ready to play," Kamiya noted. "Draw your weapon, girl. If you wish to avenge your ally."
Robin glared at Kamiya. "I don't need one... I (am) a weapon..." She focused her gaze on him and sent a burst of flame in Kamiya's direction.
Kamiya leapt to one side, moving out of the flame's path. "A craft-user. How unsurprising," He fixated his gaze on Robin. "Let us see how the hunters' lapdog fares."
"Lapdog?" Robin repeated, angry. She sent forth another burst of flame.
This time, Kamiya did not dodge. He focused his own powers, and a great gust of wind picked up, putting out the flames before they could reach him. "You'll have to do better than that."
Robin glared at Kamiya and walked towards him, entering the building's first floor as Amon climbed to his feet behind her, readying his pistol.
"This should be amusing," Kamiya noted. "But if you wish to confront me, it might be better if we move out of sight... I have heard you hunters try to keep the existence of witches a secret."
"And what would you care of that?" Amon demanded.
"Only that I do not wish to harm any humans," Kamiya explained. "Yet, anyway..."
Robin nodded. "Fine. I will battle you elsewhere."
Kamiya grinned. "Good girl," He turned and led the two to an elevator. "This way, please."
On the second floor, Robin and Amon followed Kamiya out of the elevator and into a large space, devoid of rooms or hallways, only support beams and assorted furniture, several of which were occuppied by a number of people.
"Welcome," Kamiya grinned. "You hunters should feel most honored. You will die here, just before my followers and I begin our path to retribution."
"Path to retribution?" Amon repeated. "What do you mean?"
"Mass genocide," Kamiya replied with another grin. "The death of a human for every witch that has been hunted. The number has grown quite exponentially, thanks to the activities of you hunters."
"Is that some twisted idea of justice?" Robin demanded. "You think killing other people is... retribution?"
"In a way," Kamiya nodded. "A number of my followers would rather we just wipe out the humans entirely. I find no sport in this, as not all of your people are guilty of slaying my people."
"Surprisingly reasonable," Amon noted. "You of course realize that if you carry out with your plan we will have to stop you?"
"Try to stop me, rather," Kamiya responded. "But since you two hunters are already here, why not do so now? My followers will not interfere."
As he said this, the various witches gathered round, leaving a circular area for the three, watching them eagerly.
"You want us to fight you now?" Amon asked. "Why?"
"So you may see the futility of your quest," Kamiya replied. "You can challenge me now if you wish, or you can wait until the Night."
Robin narrowed her eyes. "The Night?"
Kamiya glanced at her. "Don't play dumb. I'm certain hunters like yourselves have long since known of that tradition."
"Actually, we don't," Amon confessed. "Do you wish to tell us?"
Kamiya scratched his chin. "That would be rather cliche of me... the 'villain' giving away the secrets of his plot. But why not? It is not a tremendous secret.
"The Night of the Devil's Children has been a sacred rite amongst witches for centuries," Kamiya explained. "When witches unite to slay a human for each of their brethren that fell before them. This usually occurred on Halloween, but we decided to speed things up a bit."
"Why?" Robin asked, glancing at the murderous looks of the other witches.
"Because waiting to perform this tradition annually is too slow," Kamiya answered. "Especially with you hunters killing us off much more quickly."
"We don't kill you," Amon growled. "We apprehend you. And only if you have committed a crime with your powers."
"Is that so, hunter?" Kamiya grinned. "How long will it be until my people are rounded up simply for being witches? Where can you draw the line? Eventually our existence will become widely known. Will you allow us to live then? Or will you do as the humans will inevitably request, and hunt us all?"
Neither Robin nor Amon gave an answer.
"Very well," Kamiya nodded. "You do not know. Now I offer you two choices. You can confront me now or I guarantee you safe passage out of here."
Amon and Robin glanced at each other. "We can't allow his plan to occur," Amon whispered in her ear. "We have to face him."
"Amon, he seems to be relatively powerful," Robin noted. "And you're hurt."
Amon glanced at the bleeding sore in his forehead. "A flesh wound. Tell him we accept his challenge."
Robin nodded slowly and turned to face Kamiya. "I will battle you, and you will remove my friend from this building."
"What?" Amon roared.
"Interesting," Kamiya smiled. "You wish to face me on your own. I understand... and I accept." He clapped his hands and two of the other witches stepped forth from the crowd, pulling Amon out.
"Robin!" Amon called as he disappeared from her view, and the crowd reformed to watch the coming battle.
"Robin..." Kamiya repeated. "An interesting name. No matter. Let us put your craft to the test."
Robin nodded and pushed her glasses up a bit. "What are you waiting for?"
Kamiya smiled as a blast of wind suddenly picked up, blasting towards Robin, carrying the surprised hunter a few feet into the air before dropping her. "Nothing at all."
Robin quickly composed herself and leapt to her feet. She glared at Kamiya, sending forth a stream of flame.
Kamiya again brought up a torrent of wind, cancelling the flame in an instant. He unleashed another burst forward, this one Robin rolled away from, as a pair of the witches observing the battle were pushed back by the attack.
I can't tell where he's attacking, Robin thought grimly. With an element like wind, he can cut down my flames easily. I need to increase their power, if I can.
Kamiya smiled at her. "What's the matter, craft-user? Assuredly you must be more skilled than this. Or have you always depended on your fellow hunters?"
Again Robin did not respond, focusing her gaze firmly on Kamiya, sending out two large bursts of fire at either side of him.
Kamiya tossed out his arms as wind picked up again, sending the fire upwards and away from him, where it dissipated harmlessly before touching the ceiling.
Seizing this distraction, Robin unleashed a barrage of fire at Kamiya, who leapt upwards, aided by a gust of his wind, and dispatched each firey attack beneath him, before again focusing his gaze on Robin.
He fights with such control, Robin observed. He's protecting his followers as well as battling me.
"I am disappointed and pleasantly surprised at the same time," Kamiya grinned. "You are clearly a powerful craft-user, and an inventive opponent. But your abilities still pale in comparison to mine."
Robin glared at Kamiya. "You talk too much." She sent forth another fiery burst.
Kamiya dismissively waved one hand and the flames scattered into harmless embers. "Perhaps, but I know the winds enough to easily put out your flames. Each trajectory can be countered easily, regardless of how powerful you make your burst." He sent forth another gust, blasting Robin a few feet back, knocking the young hunter off her feet. "Surrender, Robin. I do not wish to harm a fellow witch."
Robin glared at him. "I am not a witch," she clamored to her feet, again focusing her gaze on Kamiya.
"Believe what you wish," Kamiya nodded. "Let us resume our pointless confrontation, then." He picked up another powerful gale and sent it towards Robin, just as a large flame appeared on his hand. "What? But..." He glanced at Robin, just as the girl fell to the hard floor again. Kamiya refocused his attention on his hand, trying to blast away the flame. "How could she...?"
Robin glanced at Kamiya's hand. "I didn't do that."
"No," came a deep voice from the corner. "I did."
Robin, Kamiya and the witches in observation turned to see the dark cloak, the scraggly black hair and gray eyes of the infamous Solomon operative, Nasat.
"Who are you?" Kamiya demanded, as he continued trying futilely to put out his hand.
Nasat grinned. "A shadow of a nameless existence, traveling in a world of dreams."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Kamiya growled, still unleashing wind on his enflamed hand. "Why have you interfered with our fight?"
"Neither question need be answered," Nasat replied simply as he stepped forth, the witches clearing a path for him. "I am here to challenge my brothers and sisters. That is all you need know."
Kamiya glanced out at the observers. "Leave. This man may try to harm you. I will deal with him."
The witches reluctantly began shuffling out as Robin, Kamiya and Nasat all glanced at one another.
"You will die now, my brethren," Nasat observed. "A pity, but a necessary action. Only one of us may be the best. Only one of us may take that place at our father's side."
"What?" Kamiya demanded. "Our father?"
"All witches share the same father," Nasat explained vaguely. "I bare his name, in a way."
"What do you want with us, then?" Kamiya glared. "You intend to kill us?"
"Of course," Nasat replied casually. "But I see no reason to waste time in this simple competition of yours. So instead..." He extended his arms, and every window on the second floor shattered in an instant. "...I will prepare you for meeting the father. Embrace the eternal flame."
"Eternal flame?" Robin repeated.
Nasat smiled at her before stepping to one of the windows, climbing onto the sill. "You would know it as well, Robin... how appropriate a death for you." He flexed his eyes as a dozen separate fires appeared around the floor, encircling around Kamiya and Robin. "Embrace the eternal flame." With that Nasat dropped from the windowsill, leaving the two adversaries trapped by the flames.
On the street below, Amon looked up at the flaming floor. "Michael, get ahold of Sakaki, Karasuma, Zaizen, and anyone else available."
"Why?" came Michael's voice.
"We have a bit of a problem..."