Chapter Four: Brief Alliance
Robin glanced around at the flames surrounding her, instantly trying to find a way to suppress them. She tried accessing her own fire powers to reduce the number of fires raging around her, before the entire floor was engulfed. She did not concern herself with Kamiya, who was still futilely trying to remove the flames from his own hand.
I don't think I can control this kind of thing, Robin thought grimly as she focused her powers, slowly reducing the size of the flames before her. It would take too long...
As she focused on these flames she heard a crackle from behind her, as one of the pieces of furniture became lit, and a flurry of sparks flew at her. Robin covered her face with one arm, but felt a sudden gust of wind pass her, sending the sparks flying away from her.
Kamiya lifted himself, no longer caring for his flaming hand. "It would seem you could use some help."
Robin glared at him and resumed focusing on the fires. "I don't need your help."
"Perhaps you do, perhaps you do not," Kamiya responded as he turned from her, sending out a gale at the flames on the other side of the floor. "But my followers may still be in this building, and I would prefer neither them nor either of us were harmed."
Robin nodded and resumed reducing the flames, while Kamiya blasted his wind out, slowly blowing away the embers and allowing smoke to filter from the now open windows.
His help is appreciated, but it's not enough, Robin thought. We can't keep up this effort forever. Nasat's craft was just so powerful...
"Robin," Kamiya called. "We need water."
"I can see that," Robin shot back, still holding her attention on the flames. "But that's not my craft."
"That wasn't my plan," Kamiya growled. "All the floors on this building are equipped with emergency sprinklers. Use your fire to activate them."
Robin momentarily took her eyes off the fires and to the ceiling, where a number of splinker heads rested in various places. Thinking quickly, she sent a small burst of fire at each sprinkler, and in instants water rained from the ceiling and onto the flames.
With the combined efforts of Robin, Kamiya and the sprinklers, the large amount of flames were quickly dissipating.
Down on the street, a number of civilians had gathered to witness the flame, as the fire department and ambulances had been called. More importantly than that, Amon had called in help, and Haruto and Karasuma arrived instantly, accompanied by FACTORY personnel.
"In here," Amon instructed his fellow STN-J members. Karasuma and Haruto followed their leader, moving through the crowds and into the burning building. "Wait..." He looked up, and spotted the fires dissipating. "Okay, yes, follow me."
Back up on the second floor, Robin and Kamiya glanced around at their handiwork amongst the endless rain. Kamiya was now mourning over his hand, which was now burnt beyond recognition thanks to Nasat's attack. However, he quickly regained his composure and faced Robin, locking his green eyes with hers.
"Shall we continue, Robin?" Kamiya wondered, sliding his burnt hand into one pocket. "Your craft won't be of much more use here, with all this water about." He glanced at the dying flames. "Of course, I imagine your fellow hunters will be here soon."
"Did you know who it was that attacked us?" Robin asked bluntly.
"No, I do not," Kamiya replied simply. "All I know is that he will pay. There is no need for witch rivalries when the time of our justice is so close at hand."
"How close is it?" Robin asked now.
Kamiya smiled at her. "I can hardly reveal all of my secrets, my dear. But I would like to challenge you again, and finish our little battle. The Night of the Devil's Children would be an accurate time to do so."
"When is it?" Robin demanded.
"In five days," Kamiya replied as he headed for a nearby window. "Be ready, Robin. If you demonstrate the same skills then as you showed tonight, I assure you that you will be defeated without effort." He climbed up to the sill as Nasat had, water still dripping from his body.
"Robin," came Amon's voice as he, Karasuma and Haruto arrived on the second floor, immediately leveling their weapons at Kamiya. "You," Amon stated. "Get down on the ground. Surrender, now."
Kamiya smiled and glanced at Robin. "Until then, my adversary." He dropped from the window just as Nasat had, landing easily on his feet thanks to a quick gust to slow his descent. With that Kamiya disappeared into the crowds below.
Karasuma walked over to Robin, examining her. "Are you all right?"
Robin glanced at her soaked dress and jacket and shrugged. "I'm fine, but I may not be soon."
"Why?" Haruto asked as he walked over, examining the burnt out floor. "Because you torched this floor?"
"I didn't do this," Robin explained. "Neither did Kamiya. Emanuel Nasat set this floor on fire."
All three stopped and glanced at her, confused.
"What do you mean?" Amon asked. "Are you sure it was Nasat?"
"Yes, it was," Robin answered. "He burnt Kamiya's arm and lit the floor on fire, hoping to kill both of us."
Amon considered this. "We'll have to report this to Zaizen immediately. Apparently Solomon aren't doing their jobs."
Karasuma activated her earpiece. "Michael, we've got a message for Zaizen."
On the street below, two of the conflict's participants could be found amongst Kamiya's followers, each with different statements to them.
"Who did this to you?" one of the followers asked Kamiya, as the leader silently tied bandages around his burnt hand.
"A man who did not tell me his name," Kamiya responded somewhat neutrally. "A craft-user, possibly a hunter."
"What of the girl you battled?" another follower asked.
"I allowed her to live and fight me again," Kamiya explained, still wrapping up his hand. "On the Night of the Devil's Children we will battle one another once more."
"Is it wise to inform the hunters of this?" another follower questioned.
"Not at all," Kamiya growled back. "There is no method to this particular madness. Only a wish of mine... to finish my confrontation with the hunter and her cohorts." He finished tying the bandages over his burnt skin. "And of course, revenge tends to be an appealing choice. What better night to reap my personal vengeance than the night we make humanity aware of us?"
The other participant was elsewhere, with a single follower of Kamiya's trembling at his feet, twitching from various burns on his body.
"Why? What do you want?" the witch demanded.
Nasat smiled. "Your death. It would go much faster if you'd stop resisting."
"You will pay for this, hunter," the witch promised. "On the Night of the Devil's Children, the traitors of witches will bleed with the humans."
"The Night of the Devil's Children," Nasat repeated. "That is not for some time."
"It is sooner than you think," the witch replied defiantly.
"Really?" Nasat smiled. "Then perhaps you will be kind enough to tell me. I might consider sparing your life."
The witch thought about this. "Five days from tonight."
"Excellent," Nasat smiled. He extended his hands again and a trickle of fire sprouted above the witch.
"But, you said..." the witch began, terrified.
"I considered sparing your life, as I agreed," Nasat smiled. "But I would have to kill you eventually." He waved casually as the witch's body was engulfed by flame. "Give my regards to our father."
With that Nasat headed off, leaving the burning body behind. Again, with every step, he repeated the same word: "Robin..."
Robin glanced around at the flames surrounding her, instantly trying to find a way to suppress them. She tried accessing her own fire powers to reduce the number of fires raging around her, before the entire floor was engulfed. She did not concern herself with Kamiya, who was still futilely trying to remove the flames from his own hand.
I don't think I can control this kind of thing, Robin thought grimly as she focused her powers, slowly reducing the size of the flames before her. It would take too long...
As she focused on these flames she heard a crackle from behind her, as one of the pieces of furniture became lit, and a flurry of sparks flew at her. Robin covered her face with one arm, but felt a sudden gust of wind pass her, sending the sparks flying away from her.
Kamiya lifted himself, no longer caring for his flaming hand. "It would seem you could use some help."
Robin glared at him and resumed focusing on the fires. "I don't need your help."
"Perhaps you do, perhaps you do not," Kamiya responded as he turned from her, sending out a gale at the flames on the other side of the floor. "But my followers may still be in this building, and I would prefer neither them nor either of us were harmed."
Robin nodded and resumed reducing the flames, while Kamiya blasted his wind out, slowly blowing away the embers and allowing smoke to filter from the now open windows.
His help is appreciated, but it's not enough, Robin thought. We can't keep up this effort forever. Nasat's craft was just so powerful...
"Robin," Kamiya called. "We need water."
"I can see that," Robin shot back, still holding her attention on the flames. "But that's not my craft."
"That wasn't my plan," Kamiya growled. "All the floors on this building are equipped with emergency sprinklers. Use your fire to activate them."
Robin momentarily took her eyes off the fires and to the ceiling, where a number of splinker heads rested in various places. Thinking quickly, she sent a small burst of fire at each sprinkler, and in instants water rained from the ceiling and onto the flames.
With the combined efforts of Robin, Kamiya and the sprinklers, the large amount of flames were quickly dissipating.
Down on the street, a number of civilians had gathered to witness the flame, as the fire department and ambulances had been called. More importantly than that, Amon had called in help, and Haruto and Karasuma arrived instantly, accompanied by FACTORY personnel.
"In here," Amon instructed his fellow STN-J members. Karasuma and Haruto followed their leader, moving through the crowds and into the burning building. "Wait..." He looked up, and spotted the fires dissipating. "Okay, yes, follow me."
Back up on the second floor, Robin and Kamiya glanced around at their handiwork amongst the endless rain. Kamiya was now mourning over his hand, which was now burnt beyond recognition thanks to Nasat's attack. However, he quickly regained his composure and faced Robin, locking his green eyes with hers.
"Shall we continue, Robin?" Kamiya wondered, sliding his burnt hand into one pocket. "Your craft won't be of much more use here, with all this water about." He glanced at the dying flames. "Of course, I imagine your fellow hunters will be here soon."
"Did you know who it was that attacked us?" Robin asked bluntly.
"No, I do not," Kamiya replied simply. "All I know is that he will pay. There is no need for witch rivalries when the time of our justice is so close at hand."
"How close is it?" Robin asked now.
Kamiya smiled at her. "I can hardly reveal all of my secrets, my dear. But I would like to challenge you again, and finish our little battle. The Night of the Devil's Children would be an accurate time to do so."
"When is it?" Robin demanded.
"In five days," Kamiya replied as he headed for a nearby window. "Be ready, Robin. If you demonstrate the same skills then as you showed tonight, I assure you that you will be defeated without effort." He climbed up to the sill as Nasat had, water still dripping from his body.
"Robin," came Amon's voice as he, Karasuma and Haruto arrived on the second floor, immediately leveling their weapons at Kamiya. "You," Amon stated. "Get down on the ground. Surrender, now."
Kamiya smiled and glanced at Robin. "Until then, my adversary." He dropped from the window just as Nasat had, landing easily on his feet thanks to a quick gust to slow his descent. With that Kamiya disappeared into the crowds below.
Karasuma walked over to Robin, examining her. "Are you all right?"
Robin glanced at her soaked dress and jacket and shrugged. "I'm fine, but I may not be soon."
"Why?" Haruto asked as he walked over, examining the burnt out floor. "Because you torched this floor?"
"I didn't do this," Robin explained. "Neither did Kamiya. Emanuel Nasat set this floor on fire."
All three stopped and glanced at her, confused.
"What do you mean?" Amon asked. "Are you sure it was Nasat?"
"Yes, it was," Robin answered. "He burnt Kamiya's arm and lit the floor on fire, hoping to kill both of us."
Amon considered this. "We'll have to report this to Zaizen immediately. Apparently Solomon aren't doing their jobs."
Karasuma activated her earpiece. "Michael, we've got a message for Zaizen."
On the street below, two of the conflict's participants could be found amongst Kamiya's followers, each with different statements to them.
"Who did this to you?" one of the followers asked Kamiya, as the leader silently tied bandages around his burnt hand.
"A man who did not tell me his name," Kamiya responded somewhat neutrally. "A craft-user, possibly a hunter."
"What of the girl you battled?" another follower asked.
"I allowed her to live and fight me again," Kamiya explained, still wrapping up his hand. "On the Night of the Devil's Children we will battle one another once more."
"Is it wise to inform the hunters of this?" another follower questioned.
"Not at all," Kamiya growled back. "There is no method to this particular madness. Only a wish of mine... to finish my confrontation with the hunter and her cohorts." He finished tying the bandages over his burnt skin. "And of course, revenge tends to be an appealing choice. What better night to reap my personal vengeance than the night we make humanity aware of us?"
The other participant was elsewhere, with a single follower of Kamiya's trembling at his feet, twitching from various burns on his body.
"Why? What do you want?" the witch demanded.
Nasat smiled. "Your death. It would go much faster if you'd stop resisting."
"You will pay for this, hunter," the witch promised. "On the Night of the Devil's Children, the traitors of witches will bleed with the humans."
"The Night of the Devil's Children," Nasat repeated. "That is not for some time."
"It is sooner than you think," the witch replied defiantly.
"Really?" Nasat smiled. "Then perhaps you will be kind enough to tell me. I might consider sparing your life."
The witch thought about this. "Five days from tonight."
"Excellent," Nasat smiled. He extended his hands again and a trickle of fire sprouted above the witch.
"But, you said..." the witch began, terrified.
"I considered sparing your life, as I agreed," Nasat smiled. "But I would have to kill you eventually." He waved casually as the witch's body was engulfed by flame. "Give my regards to our father."
With that Nasat headed off, leaving the burning body behind. Again, with every step, he repeated the same word: "Robin..."