Chapter Nine: Dances with the Devil
Robin tried vainly to free herself from Nasat's grasp as he moved out into the night, disappearing into alleyways and moving up along fire escapes. Occasionally Robin tried her craft against Nasat, but he maintained his supreme focus, blocking her efforts as they headed through the city, being pursued by the STN-J and the Factory, neither of which had any particular idea where Nasat was. Kamiya was nowhere to be found, but was presumably giving chace after Nasat.
"Where are you taking me?" Robin demanded, still struggling to be released from Nasat's grasp.
"To an adequate site for our meeting," Nasat replied, as he brought Robin forward, stopping at last at a bridge overlooking a river. "This should do." He tossed Robin down on the ground a few feet from him.
The girl lifted herself, glancing at yet another damaged dress before facing Nasat. "Why did you bring me here?"
"To test the strength of Solomon's most favored child," Nasat replied. "I believe myself to be our father's true heir, but I know enough about you to see the threat you represent."
"Threat?" Robin repeated.
"All witches are the devil's children in Solomon's eyes," Nasat explained. "But you are different. For some reason, our respective superiors favor you. They believe you are the strongest operative they have."
Robin inclined her head. "I haven't heard anything like that..."
"Of course you haven't," Nasat nodded. "They wouldn't want your powers to spurn out of control. Not while they still require craft-users to hunt their kin."
"Kin?" Robin repeated. "You mean witches?"
Nasat nodded. "Craft-users and witches are the same creature. It's so obvious, yet Solomon can't admit it. They're so hopelessly dependent on us to destroy our brothers. I was only too happy to do so, but Solomon moves too slowly. After my plan is completed, only two witches will be left in the world."
"Two?" Robin asked.
"Yes," Nasat confirmed. "Myself, of course- the strongest. And depending on how well you fare, you could be the second."
Robin narrowed her eyes. "But I'm not a witch."
Nasat smirked. "Deny it as you wish, but you may very well be the other survivor. And a new race of 'devil's children' will be born from us, the strongest of our people."
Robin's face contorted. "Forgive me, but that doesn't sound too appealing."
Nasat laughed. "Ah, well. You may yet die with the rest. Prepare yourself."
Robin nodded grimly, fixing her glasses into a comfortable position. "Let's go."
Nasat nodded and focused his powers, releasing a stream of flames at Robin. She moved to the left of the fire and sent out her own burst of it, which Nasat blocked with a quick balance of his own flames, creating a barrier between himself and Robin's attack.
"Disappointing," Nasat noted. "I once believed you were truly powerful, and merely holding back. It would seem the reverse, however..."
Robin growled, having grown tired of hearing how weak she was. She focused more on the flames she produced, as more and more appeared in her attack.
"So, you did hold back a bit," Nasat noted. "No matter. You are nothing when compared with me." He sent another burst of flame forth, breaking through Robin's attack. The girl braced herself as the flames approached, but saw them dissipate a few inches from her face. "I thought you'd be more of a challenge, Robin."
Robin focused her gaze on Nasat. "Sorry to disappoint you..." she sent out another blast of flame, but Nasat again blocked it with his fiery veil.
"A waste of life," Nasat noted. "They have the nerve to call you 'Devil's Child'..."
"Devil's Child?" Robin glanced at Nasat, confused.
"Keep up your resistance," Nasat instructed. "Make me feel real. Make me feel alive!"
Robin tried vainly to struggle against Nasat's flames, feeling overwhelmed. "No," she whispered. "I can't..."
Nasat laughed as he sent another blast of flame towards Robin. Exhausted from her actions, Robin made no attempt to defend herself- however, a sudden gust of wind picked up, and Nasat's flames scattered.
Nasat turned to face Kamiya, even as the wind continued, dissipating the fire. "So, you still intend to pursue me," Nasat noted. "In a hurry to die?"
"The only one who speeds his own demise is you," Kamiya told him. "You should have killed the leader before you attacked his followers."
"Is that so?" Nasat asked. "You believe yourself to be a threat to me?"
Kamiya nodded. "You've taken away my reasons for holding back my power. Now I've got nothing left to lose."
Nasat smiled. "Then you won't mind dying here, brother. Give my regards to our father..." He sent a burst of flame forth, right at Kamiya, only to see the fires dissipate and scatter before they could reach him. "What..?"
Kamiya lifted one arm- the same appendage that Nasat had burned five days earlier. "Your powers are not as great as you think." He sent out a blast of wind at Nasat, but a fiery veil stopped the attack, albeit with more difficulty than before. "I'm not afraid of you."
Robin lifted herself. "Neither am I... not anymore."
Nasat laughed again. "Then show me what you've got."
Robin sent forth a stream of flames as Kamiya sent forth a miniature cyclone of wind. Nasat set up his flaming veil, blocking their attacks once again, before sending out his own fiery assault. Kamiya and Robin leapt away, and ended up next to each other.
"Why are you attacking him?" Robin asked as she and Kamiya combined their powers in an assault once again.
"He slew all of my followers," Kamiya responded. "and he burned my hand. Besides, I do owe you for helping me earlier... so helping you get rid of him sounds like a worthy time investment."
Robin nodded as she and Kamiya focused their energies again, when Nasat suddenly broke through and they had to withdraw, leaping in opposite directions to avoid his flames.
"As enjoyable as this is, I have many others to rid the world of," he extended his hand. "I'm sorry, Robin. You failed my test."
Nasat prepared to unleash another burst of fire, but stopped and side- stepped, just as a bullet whizzed by his head. Amon walked over, pistol smoking.
"This ends here, Nasat," Amon told him. He leveled his Orbo-pistol at the former Solomon operative. "Even you can't defeat these odds."
Nasat laughed once again. "Oh, but I can, hunter..." He sent another burst of flame at Amon, who braced himself, tossed back by the fires. He was unharmed thanks to his Orbo pendant, but still heated and winded from the fall. "Just like I can defeat anyone in my path!" He sent another stream of flame, this time towards Robin.
Kamiya interjected however, scattering Nasat's flame once more and releasing a renewed gale at his opponent. "Robin, try and help the hunter. We need all the help we can get."
Robin nodded and headed to Amon's side, helping him up. "Amon, are you all right?"
Amon nodded, before saying: "Look out!" He moved Robin aside as he braced himself, Nasat's flames pushing him back even farther. Robin turned in time to see Nasat blast Kamiya away, burning him ever more.
"Well now," Nasat noted. "We are alone now, little Robin. Are you ready to die?"
Robin nodded grimly. "I have been." She sent out a burst of flame, which Nasat again blocked with his fiery veil.
Nasat chuckled. "Then die, Robin..." He sent out his own flames, which Robin countered with a veil of her own, as she struggled to fight back. "Embrace the eternal flame..."
Robin tried vainly to free herself from Nasat's grasp as he moved out into the night, disappearing into alleyways and moving up along fire escapes. Occasionally Robin tried her craft against Nasat, but he maintained his supreme focus, blocking her efforts as they headed through the city, being pursued by the STN-J and the Factory, neither of which had any particular idea where Nasat was. Kamiya was nowhere to be found, but was presumably giving chace after Nasat.
"Where are you taking me?" Robin demanded, still struggling to be released from Nasat's grasp.
"To an adequate site for our meeting," Nasat replied, as he brought Robin forward, stopping at last at a bridge overlooking a river. "This should do." He tossed Robin down on the ground a few feet from him.
The girl lifted herself, glancing at yet another damaged dress before facing Nasat. "Why did you bring me here?"
"To test the strength of Solomon's most favored child," Nasat replied. "I believe myself to be our father's true heir, but I know enough about you to see the threat you represent."
"Threat?" Robin repeated.
"All witches are the devil's children in Solomon's eyes," Nasat explained. "But you are different. For some reason, our respective superiors favor you. They believe you are the strongest operative they have."
Robin inclined her head. "I haven't heard anything like that..."
"Of course you haven't," Nasat nodded. "They wouldn't want your powers to spurn out of control. Not while they still require craft-users to hunt their kin."
"Kin?" Robin repeated. "You mean witches?"
Nasat nodded. "Craft-users and witches are the same creature. It's so obvious, yet Solomon can't admit it. They're so hopelessly dependent on us to destroy our brothers. I was only too happy to do so, but Solomon moves too slowly. After my plan is completed, only two witches will be left in the world."
"Two?" Robin asked.
"Yes," Nasat confirmed. "Myself, of course- the strongest. And depending on how well you fare, you could be the second."
Robin narrowed her eyes. "But I'm not a witch."
Nasat smirked. "Deny it as you wish, but you may very well be the other survivor. And a new race of 'devil's children' will be born from us, the strongest of our people."
Robin's face contorted. "Forgive me, but that doesn't sound too appealing."
Nasat laughed. "Ah, well. You may yet die with the rest. Prepare yourself."
Robin nodded grimly, fixing her glasses into a comfortable position. "Let's go."
Nasat nodded and focused his powers, releasing a stream of flames at Robin. She moved to the left of the fire and sent out her own burst of it, which Nasat blocked with a quick balance of his own flames, creating a barrier between himself and Robin's attack.
"Disappointing," Nasat noted. "I once believed you were truly powerful, and merely holding back. It would seem the reverse, however..."
Robin growled, having grown tired of hearing how weak she was. She focused more on the flames she produced, as more and more appeared in her attack.
"So, you did hold back a bit," Nasat noted. "No matter. You are nothing when compared with me." He sent another burst of flame forth, breaking through Robin's attack. The girl braced herself as the flames approached, but saw them dissipate a few inches from her face. "I thought you'd be more of a challenge, Robin."
Robin focused her gaze on Nasat. "Sorry to disappoint you..." she sent out another blast of flame, but Nasat again blocked it with his fiery veil.
"A waste of life," Nasat noted. "They have the nerve to call you 'Devil's Child'..."
"Devil's Child?" Robin glanced at Nasat, confused.
"Keep up your resistance," Nasat instructed. "Make me feel real. Make me feel alive!"
Robin tried vainly to struggle against Nasat's flames, feeling overwhelmed. "No," she whispered. "I can't..."
Nasat laughed as he sent another blast of flame towards Robin. Exhausted from her actions, Robin made no attempt to defend herself- however, a sudden gust of wind picked up, and Nasat's flames scattered.
Nasat turned to face Kamiya, even as the wind continued, dissipating the fire. "So, you still intend to pursue me," Nasat noted. "In a hurry to die?"
"The only one who speeds his own demise is you," Kamiya told him. "You should have killed the leader before you attacked his followers."
"Is that so?" Nasat asked. "You believe yourself to be a threat to me?"
Kamiya nodded. "You've taken away my reasons for holding back my power. Now I've got nothing left to lose."
Nasat smiled. "Then you won't mind dying here, brother. Give my regards to our father..." He sent a burst of flame forth, right at Kamiya, only to see the fires dissipate and scatter before they could reach him. "What..?"
Kamiya lifted one arm- the same appendage that Nasat had burned five days earlier. "Your powers are not as great as you think." He sent out a blast of wind at Nasat, but a fiery veil stopped the attack, albeit with more difficulty than before. "I'm not afraid of you."
Robin lifted herself. "Neither am I... not anymore."
Nasat laughed again. "Then show me what you've got."
Robin sent forth a stream of flames as Kamiya sent forth a miniature cyclone of wind. Nasat set up his flaming veil, blocking their attacks once again, before sending out his own fiery assault. Kamiya and Robin leapt away, and ended up next to each other.
"Why are you attacking him?" Robin asked as she and Kamiya combined their powers in an assault once again.
"He slew all of my followers," Kamiya responded. "and he burned my hand. Besides, I do owe you for helping me earlier... so helping you get rid of him sounds like a worthy time investment."
Robin nodded as she and Kamiya focused their energies again, when Nasat suddenly broke through and they had to withdraw, leaping in opposite directions to avoid his flames.
"As enjoyable as this is, I have many others to rid the world of," he extended his hand. "I'm sorry, Robin. You failed my test."
Nasat prepared to unleash another burst of fire, but stopped and side- stepped, just as a bullet whizzed by his head. Amon walked over, pistol smoking.
"This ends here, Nasat," Amon told him. He leveled his Orbo-pistol at the former Solomon operative. "Even you can't defeat these odds."
Nasat laughed once again. "Oh, but I can, hunter..." He sent another burst of flame at Amon, who braced himself, tossed back by the fires. He was unharmed thanks to his Orbo pendant, but still heated and winded from the fall. "Just like I can defeat anyone in my path!" He sent another stream of flame, this time towards Robin.
Kamiya interjected however, scattering Nasat's flame once more and releasing a renewed gale at his opponent. "Robin, try and help the hunter. We need all the help we can get."
Robin nodded and headed to Amon's side, helping him up. "Amon, are you all right?"
Amon nodded, before saying: "Look out!" He moved Robin aside as he braced himself, Nasat's flames pushing him back even farther. Robin turned in time to see Nasat blast Kamiya away, burning him ever more.
"Well now," Nasat noted. "We are alone now, little Robin. Are you ready to die?"
Robin nodded grimly. "I have been." She sent out a burst of flame, which Nasat again blocked with his fiery veil.
Nasat chuckled. "Then die, Robin..." He sent out his own flames, which Robin countered with a veil of her own, as she struggled to fight back. "Embrace the eternal flame..."