Hope you guys are still enjoying the story! Updates, as said previously, will be slowed down again, so just be prepared.

Being summoned by the Elders meant it wasn't for some friendly talk and tea. Those who were called upon rarely ever returned normal; some quickly packed up in the middle of the night and left without a trace, while others never spoke again, eyes always keeping to the ground. As Viktor Leonidovich made his way to the sanctum, he could feel the piercing stares of his fellow ninjas following him. Looks of pity and worry radiated off of their white-clad bodies, rumors soon spreading behind covered mouths. He ignored them. Let them talk; there was nothing better for them to do anyways and it kept them lively through the harsh winter.

The familiar weathered red four-story temple came into view and the ninja swallowed hard as he began the climb up the ancient stone stairs to the entrance. Two guards on either side swapped glances before stepping aside, allowing him to pass through the ornate doorway. There, in the center of the temple, sat the Elders, a large fire reading ceremony in the process. Quietly removing his shoes in favor of slippers, Viktor made his way to the open cushion waiting for him, stopping just before the edge of the pit to bow before the Elders.

"Rise, rodnoy brat." Brother.

Viktor rose, bowed again, before moving to take the cushion closest to him. The Elders were comprised of the three most knowledgeable members of the clan. At the head of the table was Flyorova Aleksandra Vladislavovna, the current Clan Master's first-born daughter. Just below her was Dimitri Stanislavovich, who was the first-born son of the Clan Master's second in command, Yashin Rodion Stanislavovich. And last but not least, was the third in command Zefirov David Igorevich, who was the third-born son of the clan Treasurer, Nadezhda (Nadya) Igorevich. Due to the deaths of her first two born in a battle between two clans, Nadezhda only had her third-born to offer to the previous Elders.

The previous Elders would hold testing every year for potential candidates to take over their positions when they reached the age limitation. Those who passed the first round were given continuously hard testing, both mental and physical, until there were three left. If they continued to pass the Elders' exams, they would then spend the next ten years learning the clan ways and history in order to successfully take over. Normally the highest-ranking members of society, mainly those with connections to the Clan Master, would start training their children from an early age to get an advantage over the rest of the villagers. Only a handful of Elders' had been just normal villagers, much to the distaste of the higher-ups, but they had beyond proven they were born to lead.

Coming from a normal family, Viktor was never forced to learn day and night in hopes of becoming an Elder, though his father trained him rigorously in the ninja arts. As he grew older, he had surpassed the other kids in his class with his physical prowess and was taken under the wing of the dojo master. Training with the master was worse than any punishment he had been through with his father. Often, he was left bleeding and gasping for breath at the end of each day, his sensei showing no mercy to the young child. Years of the harsh physically and mentally tolling training had paid off, and Viktor received the honor of becoming the captain of the Elite team that provided security to the Mother of the Coven in the Witches Realm. Very few had been given the title and everywhere he went, he was treated like a hero by his fellow townspeople. After providing security for nearly fifteen years, he was called back by the Elders regarding a top-secret matter. Once he made it back safely and met with the Elders, his target was to observe a DWMA student named Maka Albarn, a 3-star Death Scythe meister who wielded the last Death Scythe created. She was believed to be in the area, looking into the pre-Kishin sightings and villager disappearances.

Watching the girl and her scythe enter the nearly barren town of Innopolis was interesting, to say the least. From the information he had been given, this small girl wielded not only the Death Scythe, but the ability to use Soul Perception and carried an anti-demon wavelength. To say she was dangerous was an understatement. Opting for complete stealth, the ninja waited until she was lined up with the abandoned hut he was waiting in before releasing a shuriken through the window. With a slim margin of error, and some incredible luck, the meister barely dodged the full force of the weapon. Viktor readied another one as she zeroed in on the general direction, waiting a breath before releasing it. Again, a slim margin of error as she jerked her head back, avoiding the deadly points.

"DEMON HUNTER!"

The blade shifted at her will and the ninja felt his eyes widen in awe; until he realized the blade was about to come slicing through his hideout and hastily jumped through the crumbled walls. The snow exploded into the air, causing a thick whiteout. Using it to his advantage, the ninja unsheathed a kunai before flinging it towards the girl. Judging by the sound it made, it missed its target, though not by much. The snow crunched down, and he prepared for a close-range attack, a kunai in either hand ready to block. Unfortunately for him, he miscalculated and swiftly received a powerful kick to his abdomen, sending him staggering backwards. His mask disguised all but his pallid eyes, concealing the excited grin teasing his lips. It had been so long since someone had managed to land a hit on him, and it made his adrenaline pump faster. The air suddenly whooshed and the dangerously sharp blade of the scythe nearly sliced him open, its attacks relentless as it pushed him further back.

Swinging his blade down, a loud clang resounded as metal collided against metal. The meister grunted against the force, finding the strength to push him back with a yell. The loose snow caused the ninja to tumble backwards as his foot slipped, correcting his fall with back handspring. With a quick spin, his foot collided against her stomach, his heel connecting painfully as he heard her gasp. The air shifted again, and snow began to quickly blow away, the powerful scythe creating a strong wind by spinning at top speed. Quickly diverting from the direct blast zone, Viktor took the advantage of sneaking behind her, ready to strike with a short blade. Just before the blade could connect, she spun on her heel and deflected the attack with the spinning scythe, the force pushing him back through the snow a few feet. Keeping the blade close to his chest, he used his other hand to steady himself on the ground, eyes watching them with concealed excitement.

"You… students of DWMA… I am not your intended target, but this shall be an interesting fight!" Viktor mused as he flashed away, opting for rapid fire attacks, keeping her on the defensive. He wanted to push her to the limits, seeing the point where she would crack and give in. Maka Albarn was slowing down as his attacks seemed to be doing some damage, the frigid winter of Russia sapping the very life from her body. Being born and raised in the harsh conditions, the icy winds and thick snowbanks were almost a comfort the Viktor.

"You are a very skilled meister, Maka Albarn, wielder of Death Scythe Soul 'Eater' Evans; but you know nothing of this environment in which I was born, raised, and trained within. If you can't even hold up against a master ninja how do you expect to defeat a newly reborn Kishin?" Taunting the meister seemed to irritate her more as he landed softly on a broken roof, the girl hastily wiping the blood that had trickled into her eye.

"So, tell me; why would a ninja coincidentally be in the same area as a pre-Kishin sighting? Seems a little odd to me seeing as you were the one to attack first." With a deep breath in and out, Maka stood tall and planted her scythe into the thick snow. "Unless you're out here as a distraction so whoever you're working for can hunt down the suspect and unleash a full Kishin. Am I right?"

Viktor let out a low whistle, slowly clapping as he stared at her impressed.

"I read that you were a smart one; very perceptive of you. But unfortunately, not completely correct. My mission was not merely to distract you, but to test your skills level. I have heard of your skills against the Kishin Asura, but he was an ancient artifact compared to today's Kishin. Simply punching a Kishin in the face will not suffice in taking them down, no matter how well it worked last time. But if this is all you have to offer, I'm afraid you'll have no hope in defeating the next Kishin about to be unleashed upon the world."

The anger radiating from the girl nearly had the ninja giddy with glee as she began stretching and cracking various parts of her body, emerald eyes never leaving his. The meister snapped something to her weapon as she crouched down, swinging the scythe back. Kunai slid from his sleeves into waiting palms, his breathing evening out as he waited for the attack. He didn't have to wait long before she made her move.

"Let's go!" The scythe shifted from Demon Hunter, transforming into a new blade. "GENIE HUNTER!"

She was fast; her attacks without fear as she swung over and over, even flipping the scythe to attack with the butt of the shaft. A varied combo kept the ninja on his toes and before he could blink, she was in his face, scythe slicing through the air towards him at an alarming speed. Ducking back, he missed the deadly gleam of the red and black blade by centimeters, his eyes slightly widening with surprise. Even with his decades of training and dedication to the ninja arts, he was struggling to avoid being sliced in half. An opportunity opened and he flung his kunai as hard as he could towards the meister, hoping it would be enough of a distraction for him to get back on the offensive side. The kunai hit their target; one sunk into Maka's upper abdomen while the other punctured the center of her chest.

To his horror, she looked down at the blades embedded in her skin before locking eyes with him as the weapons were pushed out, black blood bubbling from the wound as it sealed. While there was some remaining research on black blood, most of it being destroyed years ago by the DWMA, seeing it up close was a completely different experience to the ninja. Something like that would be very useful to the clan…

"I must say, Ms. Albarn, that is a very impressive skill to possess. But," Viktor straightened himself up, his hand reaching into a small pouch on his left hip. "There is a weakness to every secret weapon and unfortunately for you, I am well aware of what yours is."

His hand whipped out of the bag and 5 small metal balls hurtled towards Maka. With his other hand, he quickly muttered a small jutsu before launching at the meister, arm drawn back as lightning engulfed his fist. One thing he did learn, though, was that forcing a high shock or blast of soul wavelength into the black blood would cause it to momentarily become useless. The small metal balls exploded in her face, leaving a thick smoke clinging to her body.

"FIGURE SIX HUNTER!"

There was no stopping the monster of a woman trailing behind him as they leapt from building to building, her determination and drive wearing the man down. His shock attack had failed, the meister twisting her petite body out of the way in the blink of an eye, whacking him on the back of the head with the scythe's rod. Supplies were running out and the only thing he had left was a sacred katana he had been given from the Elders specifically for this mission. It appeared to be a normal sword, but only those who were blessed to be able to use it knew what other-worldly power it held within it. It had been passed down from hundreds of years of master ninja's, the power growing with each generation it was passed down. Using it meant there was a high chance it would be a critical, if not fatal blow depending on where it landed. It wasn't his intention to kill the meister, but desperate times called for desperate measures if he was going to make it out alive.

"I suggest you stop now if you wish to survive this battle! This could be a fatal blow if I am forced to use it!" The meister ignored his warning, screaming as she began to swing the scythe down. Gritting his teeth, Viktor began unsheathing the blade, the power sparking along the sharp edges.

A loud series of explosions suddenly interrupted the battle, the two stumbling as the ground shook. Maka suddenly slid to a stop and whipped her head towards the center of the explosions, eyes going wide as they grew closer.

"The Kishin…it's here."

"Viktor, we have called you here today to discuss the matter of the witch Ametrine." Flyorova cut straight to the chase, her translucent eyes boring into his. "We have word that she attacked the DWMA, including the meister Maka Albarn, before being taken into custody of the Coven. Her deal was to provide us with a source of Asura's power and in return, for us to continue to unleash Kishins upon the world to spread the madness. Now that she has been captured, she is awaiting trial; most likely she will be executed for her crimes."

"You want me to break her out so we can continue to receive Asura's madness from her in order to fulfill the prophecy." Viktor finished, his hand twitching slightly against his lap. "It will be difficult to infiltrate the Coven while a trial is awaiting. I assume the plan is for me to take the place of someone on the Elite team."

"You always were a sharp one, Viktor, I enjoy that." Flyorova gave a brief smile. "That is the plan, but there has been…a setback." Uneasiness settled over the ninja at the word. "Our Elite team has not been in contact for nearly a week now since her capture and there is the worry that something has gone wrong. We have contacted the Coven and the Mother has not responded. I fear this is Ametrine's doing."

"Do you think she is getting revenge on the Coven? For the crimes committed against her and then exile?"

"That is a high possibility, one that I truly hope is not the case. The fact that neither our team nor the Mother are responding is unsettling, to say the least. I want you and a few other higher-level members to find out what is going on in the Witches Realm. You are dismissed."

Viktor bowed deeply, his forehead touching the floor, before slowly getting to his feet. He made it a few steps before the head Elder stopped him.

"Be careful, tovarishch*, and bring our family back home safely." Flyorova spoke softly, barely above a whisper.

"YA prinesu ikh domoy bezopasno." I will bring them home safely.

What awaited him in the Witches Realm was unlike anything he had ever seen; everywhere he looked was chaos. A heavy aura of madness hung in the air, poisoning the air with its putrid stench. Witches were screaming in agony as their minds were corrupted by the air, some even attacking others with the viciousness of a wild animal. Viktor and his team watched from above, taking in the chaos with stunned silence. They had swapped their tradition white armor for a heavier black version, one more suitable for open fighting in other environments. Buildings were smoking or on fire, burning witches seemingly unaware of what was happening to them as they stumbled around. The crescent shaped building that housed the Council seemed to be one of the few structures still remaining, a magical barrier sealing it off from the rest of the Coven.

"Viktor, where is Ametrine being held?" A fellow ninja asked, their voice tight as they watched with pained eyes.

"According to the last report, she's being held on the outskirts of the city, in a heavily sealed containment cell. We need to find the Mother as well, to ensure her safety. I will use the tunnel system in the Mother's office to find her. Those are your orders, now go." The rest of his team were gone before he even finished his sentence.

Back in his village, due to the history with Asura's madness, the villagers were somewhat adjusted to a certain amount of madness. This though…this was something that was much stronger than he ever anticipated. He could feel it tingling at the back of his mind, wanting to enter and corrupt another soul. Years of training made it easy to block the madness, sealing off his mind completely with ease. With a grimace he leapt from the tree he was scoping in and darted his way through the throng of screaming witches, dodging their jerky movements. The building was on fire as he entered, the thick smoke burning his eyes as he crouched low and navigated his way to the office. Having been there a few times, it didn't take long to reach the smoldering door. It seemed that's where the main fire had been started, somewhere just beyond the doors as he swiftly kicked it open. A massive plume of smoke blasted him in the face, and he coughed heavily. All he had to do was get to the trap door just beneath the desk and he would be able to reach the Council. As he crawled along, something grabbed at his foot weakly.

"Pomogi mne, pozhaluysta…" Help me, please.

"Vika…is that you?" Vika Yanovna was the current captain of the Elite team, having just been sent into the field a few months ago. They had grown up together, often practicing their fighting skills against one another.

"Mat' v bezopasnosti, ona sbezhala." The Mother has escaped, she is safe.

"We have to get out of here, let's go." Viktor reached down and grabbed her arm, pulling her effortlessly against him. Her body was nearly motionless apart from the occasional twitch of her limbs and low groan. With his free hand, he grabbed a kunai and hurled it towards the windows. Combined with the heat of the room, the windows smashed easily, allowing the heavy smoke to be released into the air.

They still weren't out of the woods and the ninja dragged her towards the desk, setting her down gently as he searched for the release button on floor. As a safety reason, the button was placed on the floor so if needed, the Mother could discretely open the escape hatch. After tracing the floor, he felt the button and slammed his fist down on it. With a silent pop it released. A blast of fresh air hit him in the face, and he took a deep breath before turning to grab Vika. As soon as he touched her arm, he knew it was too late. There was no telling how long she had been exposed to the smoke, or if she had other injuries…

"Pokoysya s mirom, moy drug." Rest in peace, my friend.

Not willing to leave her behind, Viktor carefully dragged her to the front of the desk and settled her in front of him. The hatch was designed like a slide, meant to quickly and efficiently get the Mother out of harms way. So, with Vika secured in front of him, the ninja laid back and shot down the slide, the hatch sealing behind him silently.

"I'm telling you, that bitch had something to do with this!" Mabaa's assistant ranted angrily as she chain smoked her pipe, pacing around the council room. "Shortly after we capture her, then the madness goes insane! I know she's behind th—"

"Nyamuu." Mabaa snapped and her assistant stopped cold before muttering an apology, tapping her pipe out on a nearby potted plant.

"Mother, we cannot stay in here forever, there are only enough supplies to cover two weeks of shelter." Celestina Barclay wrung her hands anxiously as she eyed the heavy doors. "I'm afraid…I'm afraid the Coven has fallen. There is no telling how far the madness has already spread. It could be in other towns by now and they would have no warning."

"Mabaa-sama sent out letters ahead of time warning the other nearby towns that madness has erupted within the Coven," The feline witch let out a heavy sigh before continuing. "They should be able to defend themselves for a short while and escape afterwards. A letter was even sent to Lord Death, as much as I despise that reaper…"

"It could take days before Lord Death receives the notice of our emergency, I sent it the fastest way possible, but the madness may intercept the message…" Raine Moonfall chewed on her nails nervously.

"Nyamuu~" Mabaa chirped as she strode over to the door that lead to the emergency tunnel, raising a hand to grab the handle.

"Mabaa-sama, what are you…?" Her assistant strode over to the Mother, hand placed on her hip as she watched the witch open the magical locks, the door popping open.

Just as she took a step back, two black clad figures tumbled through the door, collapsing on the floor in a heap.

"Are they…members of the Elite team? Oh, thank goodness…oh, oh no…" Marilla covered her mouth with her hands, staring at the lifeless eyes of the ninja, icy blue eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.

Viktor coughed violently as he pushed himself up to a sitting position, beating a fist against his chest to help clear it. He had inhaled a good amount himself crawling through the office and his lungs felt like they were on fire.

"M-Mother of the Coven, are you alright?" The ninja wheezed out as he continued coughing, eyes watering. "We haven't heard anything from our team and came to investigate. What happened?"

Celestina quickly grabbed some water and handed the glass to the ninja, offering him a cloth as well to cleanse the soot from his eyes. Ever since Cordelia passed away years ago, Celestina had quickly taken charge, keeping the Council strong for the past few hundred years. She wasn't as confident as her predecessor, but she certainly tried to keep the peace among the witches and other parties.

"Asura's madness was released nearly a week ago, shortly after we had brought Ametrine to her cell. Somehow it was released into the Coven and spread like wildfire." Raine quickly input, taking the empty glass and rag from the Elite member. "We've warned neighboring cities about the spread and have even sent Lord Death an urgent message asking for his help. They have a meister who can combat Asura's madness."

Viktor nodded slowly as he absorbed the information. So, they were looking for Maka Albarn's anti-demon wavelength abilities…. this was getting more interesting by the day. He shifted back and felt something behind him, reminding him of what needed to be done.

"Please, Mother, Council, I need to know where the rest of the previous team has gone. I've already lost Vika, I need to know."

Mabaa stared at him with her one eye, pity shining through as she placed a small hand on his clothed head. With a small incantation, magic began to swirl around him, ancient writing twisting into blurry images. As soon as they began to clear up, Viktor cringed as the images morphed into a video. The team was cut down one by one, succumbing to the overwhelming madness and the number of rogue witches attacking them. It showed Vika escorting Mabaa and her assistant to the office, slamming the door behind her as she ushered them to the hatch. Apparently, a rogue witch had wandered into the room and attacked the Elite captain from behind, trying to bite her and infect her with madness. The two slammed into a bookcase, a lit lantern swinging wildly above them before crashing to the ground. Vika yelled at them to get into the hatch before continuing her struggle. The last scene would haunt Viktor for the rest of his life; Vika grabbed something from the pouch on her hip and tossed it to Mabaa before the flames began to engulf the room, smoke concealing her struggling form.

The video cut off and Viktor clenched a hand over his heart, feeling like had been ripped right out. Mabaa released her hand before procuring a folded piece of paper, holding it out to the man patiently. Shaking fingers slipped the letter from her fingers, opening it like it was the most delicate thing in the world. As his eyes scanned the lines, his vision became misty.

"To my dearest Viktor,

If you are receiving this letter, then my time has come. Do not worry, you are strong, and I know you will survive my death. Please, let my family know that I have gone on ahead of them and to remember the happier times of my life.

Before I end this, I wish to confess…I have always loved you, Viktor, ever since we were younger. I was going to confess, but destiny has a cruel way of messing with life. You were taken into the dojo before I could tell you everything, of how I've loved you since we were young teens. I was unable to see you much afterwards, seeing how you were always training or on missions. I'll miss our long talks at night, our sparring matches, our weekly walk through the forest.

I hope you will be strong, Viktor. Revenge is not worth it; it will only cause your own self destruction. Please, for my sake, do not seek vengeance.

I will always look over you, until we meet again.

Love, Vika.

A strangled sob silently escaped his lips as he set the letter down, shifting to look at the woman behind him, his tough exterior shattering. He wanted to tell her, before he left for training, but never had the time. They rarely saw one another after he left, just brief sightings here and there over the years. The one time they finally had time…

"I'm sorry for your loss, captain. She talked about you a lot, actually, usually where there was a meeting going on here and I waited with her." Raine Moonfall spoke softly as she crouched in front of the man, placing a gently hand on his shoulder. "She really did love you, always saying how you were the one she wanted to marry and start a life with."

"Thank you, Mother, for showing me those images. I will cherish them." Viktor quickly wiped away the nearly overflowing tears, pulling his mask further up the bridge of his nose. "We must leave now; the Coven is no longer safe for you. Your family…they are no longer themselves. If you will permit, I shall ease their pain quickly." The last part was barely above a whisper, the images causing the ninja to grimace.

"If it is what must be done, then do so, Captain. There is no way to remove the madness without the assistance of the DWMA and we have received no response from them." Celestina spoke gravely. "Those who were able to escape shall be the safest; there is a portal they can take to leave the Witches Realm in such a case. They will know where to gather, a place we must go to now. Please, do what you must, Captain, but for now we shall teleport out of the city to the location. You remember where it is?" Viktor nodded tightly. "Good. We shall see you there. Mother bless you."

With a bright flash of Mabaa's eye, the witches vanished into thin air, leaving no trace of existence. Viktor shook his head to clear his thoughts, glancing back at the lifeless body just behind him. He would need to get her back to the clan, for a proper burial in her homeland. With a grunt he stood, swaying slightly on his feet. The barrier around the crescent building fell and he could feel the blast of madness trying to penetrate the doors. A blast of energy needed to be released into the air to alert his clansmen of the change in plan. With a deep breath, Viktor steeled himself as he faced the massive ornate doors, short katana at his side. Lifting his leg up, the ninja kicked the door as hard as he could, putting all of his anger and grief into the attack. The iron hinges gave way immediately, the doors flying from the frame and into a group of deranged witches. Some were crushed immediately while others were knocked back, oblivious to the injuries.

"You told me not to take vengeance, Vika, so I will not. But," Viktor spun the blade in his hand, bringing the edge close to his face as he pulled his mask down, rage contorting his expression. "You have said nothing of blowing off steam."

This chapter seems to make more sense to break it into two parts instead of a super long one. So, Fanfiction is being stupid and not keeping my breaks when I enter them into Word, so they will go back to words showing it's a break. Words in Russian will be translated into English next to them or given an asterisk and translated at the end of the story. It's from Google Translate, so maybe it's right? * tovarishch is comrade. * UPDATE - I found out how to fix the breaks, they've been corrected.