Chapter 8.
Seeing the beautiful, demonic witch made Nazaiya lost in thought. She was as if not there with the guys, as she could barely hear what they were conversing about with the witch. She looked down, her mind and heart began to crumble with a lot of things.
"We are seeking for something inside this castle," Syaoran spoke, "so could you please tell us where the Ryanban is?"
The witch looked at Syaoran, staring deep into his eyes. "Your eyes are very pleasant… very bright…". She then turned to look at Nazaiya. "But you my dear… Very dark… and lost."
Nazaiya then looked at her with intense eyes, but she doesn't say anything.
The witch then turned her attention towards the others. "Unfortunately, I can't tell you where he is. My role is to stop you… here".
In a blink of an eye, the empty large room became a different place. Except for the witch herself, everyone was standing on top of tall, stone pillars. They were as if at a plain temple ground, with the mountains as the surrounding and the clouds up high.
"…An illusion?" Kurogane voiced out.
"No," the witch stated, "this is my secret art. An illusion is only to fool people, but my secret art… is more than just pretty."
The witch pointed towards Syaoran, and as she did that, little balls of liquid flew quickly towards the boy. He dodged it, but some of it got stuck on his sleeves. The liquid damaged part of Syaoran's sleeves, melting it with a hissing, burning sound.
"The damage inflicted by my secret art is real." The witch said proudly.
"So if we get badly hurt…" Fai muttered.
"You die." The witch calmly replied, beginning to order her secret art on an all-out attack.
As Syaoran dodged more of it, his right foot landed on the pool underneath. Feeling a surge of pain, he quickly jumped back up, only to find that his foot was damaged by the water. Even without him saying it, it looked painful.
"If you fall into the pool, you'll melt!" Fai warned. "This witch is very tricky and strong so be careful!"
In a daze, Nazaiya jumped from one pillar to another. The water droplets barely could reach her, and she knew why. But as the witch gradually upgraded the size of the droplets, one of it burnt the end of her clothes. Jumping in a hanbok is a task itself, and being disturbed mentally is another.
Stopping at one pillar, she began to clench her fists in anger.
"Witch…. Mage… Why do they have to be different?!" Nazaiya spoke to herself angrily, causing the others to be surprised.
"Nazaiya-chan?" Fai asked worriedly, still dodging the water balls.
"What's got into her?" Kurogane asked Fai, but the wizard shrugged.
Seeing Syaoran's injured foot, she got even angrier as she jumped from one pillar to another, realizing that the water balls began to come at her. "If only I could heal…" she huffed. "If only those powers come back..."
"Nazaiya-chan, are you okay?" Fai asked worriedly, trying to approach her by jumping on the pillars.
"Don't come near!" she shouted, a tear streaming down her cheek. "I'm so confused and mad!"
"Her heart's unstable, she can't hear us." Fai frowned, now moving away. "Syaoran, the magic is weaker up there!" the wizard then pointed towards the sky, which appeared clear and unreachable.
"But what about you guys? And Nazaiya-san…" Syaoran doubted.
"It's fine! Kuro-pii will handle things here somehow~ You should just kick your way up there!" Fai smiled. "As for Nazaiya-chan, she won't be like that for long, so don't worry about it."
"….Thank you guys." Syaoran muttered. "I'll go now."
Using the long wooden stick that was obtained from one of the pillars, Kurogane launched Syaoran up as he jumped on it and kicked his way towards the clouds, breaking a different barrier before ending up at another place.
"Hyuu~ You two are so cool!" Fai cheered.
"One escaped," the witch said, "but it can't be helped. I'll just finish you remaining children."
The witch now lashed out attacks of explosive liquid balls, and the waters that splashed on them was very painful. Still, both Fai and Kurogane don't look as affected.
"Looks like this is going to be a serious crisis, Kuro-puu!" Fai said happily.
"Hmph." Kurogane smirked. "That girl doesn't seem to do anything except dodging, so maybe she's fine now."
"You mean Nazaiya-chan?" Fai said, "She's never fine to begin with. You do see how the water can't get to her, right?"
"…Something to do with her magic?" Kurogane guessed.
"Correct! Kuro-mii is clever after all~" Fai teased. "Though I doubt she's in the right state of mind now."
As Fai finished his words, a large ball came through and was about to splash on him. Like an instinct, Kurogane pushed Fai away with his stick, sending him flying to another pillar.
"Kuro-muu, you're meeaaann!" Fai whined, holding his pained stomach.
"If I don't do that, you'll get burnt." Kurogane spoke. "You're very strict, not letting her use her magic, and not wanting to use your own magic in this kind of situation."
Fai didn't reply, but smiled instead.
As the two conversed on how they don't want to die, Nazaiya was now standing on the furthest pillar she could find. Having no control of making up her mind, she now began to approach the witch on her own, pillar by pillar.
"Ah, looks like we have to do something." Fai suggested, noticing Nazaiya's movements.
"Heh…" Kurogane smirked, and Fai looked at him with a confused face.
The witch was then ready to order her huge droplets, "Are you done with your last conversations, children? Now… bye bye."
An ocean of water waved through, surrounding them in a circle. Before the witch could do anything, she saw Fai flying down towards her and grabbing Nazaiya's hand to pull her away, and the witch smiled.
"Willing to rush your deaths?" she spoke.
Fai replied her smile, before making way for Kurogane who was swiftly approaching and to attack her. Though the witch pierced through Kurogane's shirt with her long claws, he was unharmed because of the magazine that he had. Muttering that he hated the rain, Kurogane used the stick on his hand to smash the stone on the witch's crown, breaking it as the surrounding was returned to the former plain, large room.
Thanking Kurogane with a kiss on the cheek, the witch told them that she was put under a spell because of the stone.
"You children are very full of spirit. I'm sorry for blocking your way." The witch spoke. "Your friend there…" she pointed towards Nazaiya who were now on the ground, after she pulled away harshly from Fai moments ago. "You have to help her."
Kurogane then made his way towards the said girl, attempting to get her stand on her own feet. But as Kurogane pulled up her left hand, Nazaiya pulled away harshly as she looked into Kurogane's eyes furiously. Her eyes were shaking with anger, as if something has taken control of her.
Fai then made his way past Kurogane, now kneeling to hold both of Nazaiya's hands. To Kurogane's surprise, she doesn't pull away at all. She looked down, finally coming back to her senses.
"Nazaiya-chan, it's me…" Fai whispered, holding her hands tightly in his own.
Nazaiya looked up, realizing that it was the blond. She can now hear what they were saying, and her mind was clear, as her heart was stable.
"Fai-san…" she muttered, her breath hitched.
Wiping away her tears earlier with the pad of his thumb, Fai pulled her up to stand. Her mind was still fazed, and Fai decided to hold her hand and held her close to him.
"Well then children," the witch said, "those bastards are on the highest floor of this place."
"Alright, let us head there." Fai smiled, strengthening his grip on Nazaiya's hand.
Nazaiya felt the intense grip on her hand, and looked up at the smiling Fai. There was a sense of regret, and yet to protect, inside him towards her. Silently, as she looked down, she smiled. Blushing slightly, she mumbled something that was barely above a whisper. "Thank you, Fai-san…"
To be continued…