The Eternal Battle of Sorcery

by Wickerstein

A born curse, and a curse that was born. Life is just full of surprises.

8. The Storm

I own nothing. All respective characters and settings belong to their respective franchises.

---

It had taken well over an hour into the afternoon for more Aurors to arrive, apparating groups of students at a time while the teachers kept count. No one was taking any chances as the sky over Hogwarts darkened and the piercing sound of thunder rattled them. Many of the students huddled together as the winds had suddenly increased in intensity without warning, causing many to brace themselves as they waited to be transported to safety.

The adults could feel it better than the young, for they were more attuned to their magic and to the mana in the air. There was a noticeable shift as it seemed to diminish with each passing second, leaving a vibration that reached their bones and caused them to tense up.

Minerva worked to keep the members of her house calm and organized despite their fears, with the Prefects and the older members making sure the younger ones were safe and accounted for. The Auror in charge of them soon returned and waved another five students over to her. After they vanished from sight, the Transfiguration professor glanced over to where Yuki was standing with Amelia, flanked by more Aurors as they seemed to be deep in discussion.

"What guarantee do we have that you will eliminate this threat?" Amelia cut to the chase. "Do pardon me for even asking, as I am fully aware that this is more your area of expertise, but we at the DMLE still have a duty to uphold, so more information would be appreciated."

Yuki, her arms crossed over her chest, darted her eyes back at the school before returning her attention to the woman. "Would you like me to tell you what you want to hear?"

Amelia's eyes became half-lidded. "I have a very strict tendency to sack those who do, Miss Tsukumo. For our mutual benefit going forward, I implore you to speak plainly."

Yuki's lips curled into a small frown, not failing to notice that some of the men shifted or turned their heads away in response to the woman's words. "There is a very strong possibility that I'll die." Amelia's eyes shifted imperceptibly from the young woman's words. "Just wanted to get that out of the way. On a more pressing note, even if I do manage to lose my life, I'll be sure that Raijin won't ever be able to step outside the castle walls. Provided a good chunk of the school is still intact after what will no doubt be a battle of epic proportions."

Amelia pursed her lips. "This... Raijin, was it? What can you tell us about such a creature?"

"Raijin," Yuki began, choosing to be direct considering where they stood, "is known as a deity in Japanese mythology, while there exist other iterations that portray him as a demon. But no matter which version you choose, he's always been associated with thunder and lightning. A storm given form, and armed with a nearly homicidal urge to kill every living thing in its immediate vicinity."

The gleam in Amelia's eyes grew thoughtful as some of her men became nervous or unwilling to take such words at face value. Lightning was one of the most dangerous forms of elemental magic available. To fully master such volatile spellwork was considered a challenge even by NEWT standards. She herself had struggled in her younger years, but now she could easily whip out stun bolts when the standard stunner proved inadequate. "Is that creature truly capable of such destruction?"

"A Special Grade of its level is generally estimated to be capable of leveling a city," Yuki admitted, resulting in Amelia being the only one able to maintain her composure. "I certainly hope that you're not assuming I'm just talking out of my ass here."

"Not at all," Amelia maintained gracefully, "this isn't necessarily my first time dealing with Cursed Spirits. Please know that I and my men are fully prepared to assist you should the need arise."

Yuki hid a frown. So headquarters has worked with them. "I'm afraid this is something I have to take on alone," Yuki motioned. "Not without reason, mind you, for I've witnessed firsthand that magic has had little effect on curses."

A few of the Aurors seemed to take offense at the Sorceress' words, having had formal experience as curse-breakers. "As true as that may be, we cannot dismiss the ever-present versatility of magic," Amelia attested, much to the surprise of her subordinates. "Perhaps not directly, but in other ways. Defensive spells and tactics alone would prove invaluable in your endeavor."

Yuki mused the offer over. True, her chances of success would increase with some extra hands. But that came with the rising of risks. As they say, too many cooks often spoil the broth. "Madame Bones," she began, "if you don't mind my asking. How prepared are you?"

Amelia stared the sorceress dead in the eye, but before she could answer, Yuki continued for her, "You don't exactly strike me as the kind of woman who would sacrifice her men."

"Presumptuous, aren't we?" Amelia remarked with a sniff after a moment of considering the blonde's words. "Very well, but we insist that we join you. We will not remain on the sidelines, Miss Tsukumo. We wizards still have our pride, after all."

"Of course," Yuki said quietly with a nod, and followed Amelia's gaze to see that only a few students remained to be transported. Ten at the most. She had to give these Aurors credit; they worked fast.

The two soon found Minerva, who, with Bill's help, was supervising the last of her students for the Apparition. As Prefect, he had a duty to help with the chaperoning, having sent his siblings and mother ahead of him. It had been a shock for the Weasley boys to see how their mother had behaved, as they'd assumed she'd come to help with the evacuation. Unexpected, but just the sight of her had eased some of their worries. But whatever hopes they'd had were dashed the moment she'd laid a hand on Yuki. Their mother, who was usually a warm but firm woman, had acted abruptly towards the sorceress. The reason eluded them, other than the accusation that the blonde was a Death Eater, but since their brother Bill had mentioned to them that he had met a 'nice girl' in the infirmary, all they had was the word of their older brother, who was often a good judge of character.

From the witch's expression, it was clear that she still did not approve of what the sorceress was about to undertake. The girl was fifteen. Barely a woman. If it had been up to her, she would have had the blonde sorceress be apparated with the rest of the fourth years. All she could really settle for now given the circumstances was lend her aid. She still needed to find Harry and Snape.

"Was that all of them, Minerva?" Amelia inquired.

"With the exception of Mr. Weasley, yes," Minerva replied with a nod. "He will be leaving shortly as well."

Amelia nodded in satisfaction. The house elves had departed a little earlier with a mere snap of their fingers. All of them had become deathly nervous, having sensed the same ominous change in the air much earlier, now too palpable to ignore as the wind continued to howl. When Minerva managed to ask them out of curiosity, all but one of them told her quietly, "It's the storm..."

Bill had walked over to Yuki, and the two teenagers could only stare at each other, the young man hoping it wouldn't be the last. He still wasn't sure, let alone understanding of the context surrounding the girl, but whatever was happening, she seemed intimately connected. It had been some time since he had last felt like this, the sequence of events making him remember the incident with Jacob's younger brother.

"Are you... going to be okay?" Bill asked, scratching the back of his head.

The corner of Yuki's lips turned up lightly. "What do you think?"

Bill blinked, letting his arms and shoulders drop as he held her gaze, "I think... I'd like to see you again."

Yuki replied mockingly with a cheeky grin, "Aw, I don't know what to say."

The redhead huffed and put his hands on his hips, a playful frown flashing across his face as he decided to humor her with, "Well, I'd hate to leave things between us unsaid."

Yuki seemed to seriously chew on his words with a roll of her eyes before she tilted her head at him and asked: "Then I don't suppose you could tell me the kind of girl you like?"

---

Shortly…

With the evacuation cleared, only the Aurors, Yuki and Minerva remained. Some of the teachers had volunteered to stay in case Snape or Dumbledore showed, but they were refused for their own safety, with the exception of Minerva on Amelia's orders. The former Auror stood next to her superior, while Yuki was in front of them, facing the school. The girl took a deep breath and raised her hand parallel to her chest, two fingers extended in a sign as she began to focus, her Cursed Energy flaring out of her body.

The wizards and witches present watched as she mouthed an incantation.

"Emerge from the darkness, blacker than darkness. Purify that which is impure."

Curious, some wondered what the young woman was doing, let alone what kind of spell she was casting. She had no wand with her, which was always a sign of talent in someone so young. A few of them were wary from the incantation alone, still harboring suspicions that she might indeed be a dark witch from how ominous her wording was.

Soon, however, the same curious would get their answer as something began to form high above, just below the dark clouds, the lightning now pulsing more frequently, bright flashes dancing sporadically across the expanse as the rumble of thunder had only grown louder.

To their astonishment, the mysterious phenomenon began to spread, appearing almost translucent, black and viscous as it trickled down all around. Eventually, the blackness came to an end as far as they could see past the trees of the Forbidden Forest, the liquid-like substance congealing into a solid-looking dome.

Amelia adjusted her monocle upon seeing this. "Protego Maxima? Fianto duri, perhaps?"

"I shouldn't be surprised that you have your own variation," Yuki remarked as she turned to them, pointing a lecturing finger at the dome she conjured. "This is what we sorcerers use to conceal our activities. It's called a Curtain. Tobari in our language. The barrier will remain in place until I dispel it of my own volition... or I happen to drop dead. Whichever comes first."

Minerva's features furrowed.

"But it's not indestructible," the sorceress went on. "Had I been allowed more time, I would have made the necessary adjustments for it to be more secure, as in the case of my death, it will remain standing to keep the thing confined."

"Did... did it get... darker?" One of the Aurors called out. Even the sounds of the storm had been muffled.

"That's just part of the spell," Yuki revealed. "Cursed Spirits are more active at night, so it might help in drawing Raijin out. No matter what time of day it is, casting a Curtain will shroud the area in dusk or nightfall. Come on, we should hurry."

With the Sorceress in the lead, Amelia, Minerva, and two other Aurors made their way to Hogwarts. As the group trudged through the woods, the Auror to Yuki's right marched closer behind her and said, "Excuse me."

Looking over her shoulder, Yuki's gaze landed on a woman who looked to be in her twenties, with shoulder-length brunette hair and a round face adorned with a smile. Her dark eyes sparkled with curiosity. "I was just wondering what you meant back there. I do beg your pardon, but I couldn't help but overhear what you said about being able to... adjust your barrier?"

Yuki stared at her from the corner of her eye, her expression blank. "Yes, we can customize how our barriers function. Can't you?"

"We can only make our barriers stronger, Miss Tsukumo," Amelia chimed in, walking beside Minerva with her hands tucked behind her. "Though that largely depends on one's mana output. We cannot customize it to the level of Sorcerers."

"Well," Yuki replied, "depending on the skill level, we can tweak ours in ways that aren't just limited to concealment. For example, we can make it so that you can enter a barrier, but you can't get out, and vice versa. In other cases, you can allow only a certain selection of people to enter. Others would just have them go through the opposite end."

"Opposite end?" Minerva repeated, inquiringly.

"If a Non-Curse User just so happens to come in contact with a Curtain, instead of entering or bumping into something solid, they'll simply pass through to the other end without them being the wiser," Yuki explained. "Of course, those kinds of Curtains are made by more skillful Sorcerers."

Two of the Aurors that had accompanied them, the other a man in his mid-thirties, shared a look; if only their barriers could be that versatile. The woman inched her head closer again, and Yuki whipped her foot around in a kick that connected with the witch's stomach, sending her flying and crashing into a nearby tree.

Instead of chastising or attacking the blonde, both Minerva and Amelia whipped out their wands and tied the witch to the trunk with ropes, while the male Auror banished her wand.

"You know, you really should work on your subtlety," Yuki commented, placing her right hand on her hip as she watched the woman's face change, the brunette hair taking on a sharp purple hue as the curls seemed to shrink, her round face becoming a bit sharper and contorting into a pained grimace. "You've been stealing glances from me since you all got here."

"Nymphadora," Minerva identified the girl.

The woman, or girl, now looking much closer to the Sorceress' age, struggled and writhed in her bonds before throwing a seething glare at Minerva and spitting, "That's Tonks to you, traitor!"

Amelia stared at the girl dispassionately, wand still primed and ready to fire another spell. "Where is Milner?" she asked.

Lips peeled and with an angry glare, Tonks snarled, "Go suck on a..." Her words were cut short as a sharp jolt of pain coursed through her entire body, causing her to convulse against her bonds, eyes rolling back.

Minerva looked away, her own eyes closed. The Cruciatus Curse. Despite their dubious status, only those with sufficient clearance could use the Unforgivables. And as head of the DMLE, no one had more clearance to use such spells than Amelia Bones.

"Milner is probably alive," the wizard with them spoke up. "The Order doesn't kill if they can help it."

Amelia's demeanor was the coldest it had ever been as she stared down the girl, a cadet, now a criminal. "Nymphadora Tonks. This is rather unfortunate. And you had shown such promise in basic training. You would have gone far. Which is not surprising, given your pedigree. Your status as a Metamorphmagus would have made you an invaluable addition to the department."

Nymphadora's breathing became labored as she fought through the pain, a defiant glint returning. "As if I would ever willingly work for a bunch of fascists!"

"Ah," Amelia hummed without surprise, adjusting her monocle, "a spy, then. As if Dumbledore needed any more of those."

"You weeded them all out, you hag!" Nymphadora seethed.

"So I did," Amelia admitted in a deadpan tone, making a swish of her arm before sheathing her wand. "Kingsley."

The man, Kingsley, nodded before banishing Nymphadora to a holding cell at headquarters for questioning. "Call Stevenson," Amelia ordered.

When Stevenson appeared at their side, a thin woman with short black hair in a bob, they resumed their walk until the castle gates were in sight. Yuki whistled as she took in the entirety of the school. "Now that I see it from the outside, I have to admit: Magnificent."

"You're not here as a tourist, Miss Tsukumo," Amelia reminded the girl admonishingly, her eyes scanning the immediate area. Even from where she stood, she could sense that something was wrong. Goosebumps began to form on her skin, her senses more alive than they had ever been during a mission. "It's too quiet." She would think a creature like that would make more of a ruckus.

"A lot of Cursed Spirits can be quite stealthy when they want to or try hard enough. Like a predator stalking prey. However, Raijin is a slight step above that," Yuki surmised. "According to the old records, he was a particularly troublesome specimen to take down."

"Care to elaborate?" Amelia asked with an edge to her voice, obviously wishing the sorceress had elaborated earlier.

"Sorry, but it wouldn't have made much of a difference," Yuki said apologetically. "It must have already gathered all it needs, as Raijin is able to read minds."

"It's a Ligilimens?" Minerva voiced out in dread.

Yuki dropped her head with a sigh. "Is that how you guys refer to mind reading?"

"Do continue, Miss Tsukumo," Amelia gritted out.

"Right," Yuki nodded as she turned to them. "To put it simply, Raijin was able to read people's minds by locking onto the bioelectrical signals of the brain." Seeing their puzzled reactions, her eyebrows flattened. "Living things have electricity in them in very small amounts," she explained, tapping a finger on her forehead. "That being the case, Raijin is still able to interpret those signals as words and images. This is largely my own deduction after going through our old archives. Because of his cunning, it took the combined efforts of both the Zen'in and Tsukumo clans to finally seal him."

"Tsukumo," Minerva repeated. "You mean…"

"That's right, my clan was partially responsible for sealing him in the first place," Yuki declared.

Indeed…

All four magic users pointed their wands to where they believed the voice hailed, which was the front of the castle, flaring out their mana. Yuki looked over her shoulder, sensing that Raijin was waiting patiently inside.

"Enter, scion of the Tsukumo Clan," Raijin said in a deep, guttural voice that seemed to echo from all directions, the very air around them vibrating, "Let us settle this."

"Move!" Yuki shouted as a sudden flash of lightning came down from above. Yuki grabbed the one closest to her, Kingsley, and all five of them apparated to cover a short distance away from the bridge, not a moment too soon.

Once they were all behind the throng of trees, Amelia looked quickly to where the lightning had struck and saw nothing but a large smoking crater, the ground smoldering. "That was dead on. Anyone hit?"

"Other than my heart going a mile a minute, I'm still here," Kingsley grunted as he leaned back against an outcrop. "Stevenson?"

Stevenson, picking herself up from how suddenly she had been dropped on her back, replied, "Did anyone catch that? I don't think anything but the highest level elemental spell could contend."

"Wrong," Amelia countered, her eyes still glued to the crater. "It was far too quick and precise. Even Dumbledore would need time just to charge the mana required, and with an ungodly amount of focus."

Minerva placed a hand on her chest and took measured breaths to calm her pounding heart. She had foolishly assumed that she had already an idea of how terrifying Cursed Spirits could be. Never had she been proven so wrong in such an instant.

"It wants me alone," Yuki stated the obvious. "Looks like it's holding a grudge."

"You cannot possibly face that thing alone!" Minerva snapped from where she was sitting next to Amelia, who had just assessed enough of the damage.

"Maybe if I had done so in the first place-"

"There is absolutely no-"

"Enough!" Amelia snapped. "We're wasting time. The girl goes in, Minerva."

"Amelia!"

"Do we have any other options you might be so kind as to offer? We'd love to hear them!" Amelia snarled at her fellow witch. "Because from where we're standing, the longer we stay here counting twigs, the more out of control this situation will get."

"I have a plan," Yuki spoke up.

All five pairs of eyes darted to the sorceress. "I'll go in while you try to find Harry and Snape. And if you somehow manage to run into Dumbledore too, do me a solid and put the hurt on him. It would make this day all the better for me."

"That's your plan?" Stevenson commented, raising an eyebrow.

"It wouldn't really matter since Raijin would still catch on. We might be able to get the drop on him for a while, but I have a feeling that pissing him off this early in the game might not be the best idea," Yuki pointed out. "We'll make it short and simple. The priority is the people trapped inside."

Amelia nodded. "She's right. We're not here to showboat. This is an extraction. Either you all get with the program or I'll be forced to banish any one of you into the same cell as Nymphadora. Are we clear?" She directed the threat at the other Aurors, with Minerva unofficially resuming her former role.

Minerva opened her mouth to argue back, wrestling with her emotions. Had she been younger, she wouldn't have hesitated. Or would she? Was it just age? She doubted it. Had she simply become too accustomed to Hogwarts? Partially, perhaps.

"Very well, Amelia," Minerva conceded, trying and failing to keep the tremor out of her tone. The Head Auror gave her one last look before exhaling.

"It's not ideal for me either, Minerva," Amelia added. "But as you've only recently returned to your senses, a moment of weakness now would undermine that."

Minerva nodded, sharing a look with the blonde sorceress one more time before they all stood. She told them to go in once she gave a signal. Minerva tried to offer the girl another reinforcement spell, but Yuki admitted that the last one she had cast had been dispelled in Dumbledore's office. A thoughtful, but ultimately useless gesture when she was going to flare out her Cursed Energy anyway.

Yuki marched past the trees and straight to the bridge, stopping right at its threshold. "Come out and face me, Raijin!"

There was a pause, before the voice spoke again, "First. Answer me one thing, sorceress."

Upon Yuki's silent permission, Raijin inquired, "Where is Fujin?"

Yuki blinked. "I don't know."

Raijin was silent, sensing that the girl was telling the truth. "How long has it been since?"

"Why are you asking a question to which you already know the answer?" Yuki mused aloud.

"So it truly has been a thousand years," Raijin acceded. "Why don't you come closer?"

Yuki's eyes scanned the front of the school from side to side, top to bottom, just to get a bead on the Special Grade, all the while making sure to keep her thoughts blank. "How about you come out for some fresh air instead?" She raised her arm, her hand flat to indicate that the group should hold.

"Hm, this... castle... this land... I did not recognize," Raijin began to muse loudly. "I sensed...voices not far from here. I listened and…learned. This...Hogwarts. These...these are not Sorcerers. "

"I take it you're new to magic?" Yuki asked, and was surprised when there was a rumbling in the air that sounded distinctly like thunder.

Raijin…was chuckling.

"On the contrary," Raijin refuted, much to the surprise of the Aurors listening. "There were foreigners who would come and go by ship. Most from the Great Continent, and those from other lands. There were these…barbarians, who would carry around sticks. The Sorcerers back then did not take kindly to them, and the feeling was mutual."

Amelia huffed before muttering, "Sticks..." Never did wizards take offense to such a misnomer. Their wands were not mere sticks.

"It would seem I have insulted those accompanying you," Raijin remarked unapologetically.

"How are you able to speak English at all?" Yuki asked even though she already knew the answer, but for Raijin to grasp the language in such a short time after being unsealed was something for the record books.

"There is little that is beyond me," Raijin stated.

"That's quite a boast," Yuki snorted. "You said that we should settle this, so what's the holdup?"

So eager…

"Miss Tsu-"

Yuki's vision became a blur and she lost touch with her senses as something fast and hard slammed into her from the side, sending her body flying through a row of trees, her form disappearing from sight.

Amelia made a swift grab for Minerva's arm, her hand like a vice as she prevented the witch from following. Through gritted teeth, she growled, "That is our signal!"

Minerva rounded back to the woman. She wanted to pull away, cry, or scream; anything. But Amelia's unrelenting gaze managed to stay her tongue at the very last second.

The mission came first.

All they could do was stare at Raijin, the fearsome ogre standing in front of the bridge with his back to them. All twenty feet of muscle appeared in a flash and swatted Yuki away as if she were a doll. They all froze at the thought that he might go for them next, and in truth, the ogre was considering it.

With speed that did not reflect his build, he sped off in pursuit of the sorceress within half a second before they apparated as well.

Raijin felt solid ground when he reached the place where he had sensed the sorceress' presence, already searching for her, the only evidence being a large fallen tree at his feet. His keen hearing picked up the sounds around him, ignoring those he knew were distractions. He raised an arm vigilantly, blocking an incoming fist that dug into the bone, nearly breaking it and sending him reeling back a good distance.

Yuki ran with wide and quick strides of her legs, briefly closing the gap and clasping both hands together. She jumped up and pulled them back before bringing them down, hitting Raijin in the stomach and slamming him to the ground, the sheer force of his landing causing the earth to crack and shake, uprooting more nearby trees in the process.

The sorceress did not give in, summoning Garuda in her airtime and grabbing his tail to smash the beast in the chest, but Raijin was ready, releasing a wide pulse of electricity that caught the sorceress and stunned her. The ogre ruthlessly took advantage and grabbed her to knock her down, but before he could, Yuki smacked him in the face with Garuda, causing him to release her. She jumped out of his massive grip and retreated a good distance back.

Panting, Yuki took a deep breath to collect herself, her body shaking from the shock, the pain settling in as she watched the giant get back to his feet. Raijin looked down and saw that he had some bruises where he had been hit; the wench had actually hurt him. Not that the sorceress was in any better shape herself, her right sleeve torn off, her blonde hair disheveled, and some blood dripping from her mouth. Still, an ear-to-ear smile was drawn across face, her red eyes set in a vicious glare.

"If you wanted to kill me so badly, you could have just asked first!"

Raijin remained unimpressed, only his gaze seemed to harden now that he had a better view of her. "You…"

Yuki wiped some of the blood from her chin with her still-sleeved forearm. "Something wrong, asshole?"

Raijin simply kept staring. "Your face…"

Scratched as it might have been, he would recognize that face anywhere. If her hair had been darker and she had carried herself more regally while dressed in the traditional jōe. "You truly are a scion of the Tsukumo, for I can see the passing resemblance to the wretched cur responsible for my imprisonment."

"Flattered," Yuki said breathlessly. "But I'm not interested in going down memory lane with you."

Raijin agreed inwardly as he drew back a fist, fully intending to crush the bug in front of him, only for Yuki to mirror the action. As their blows connected, a shockwave went out from the contact, scattering the loose debris all around them. More followed until their hands were a blur as they exchanged and matched one another in a fierce brawl, producing more and more shockwaves in an endless chain that wore down on their surroundings and flattened the land.

Yuki parried with admirable dexterity, sneaking in a few good punches along the way, but the ogre's defenses were solid, anticipating her moves before they could even land, and because of his size, his reach exceeded hers. Still, she was persistent, knocking his arm away to strike out at his knee, the kinetic force more than enough to break it. Raijin froze, losing his balance and taking a kick to the stomach before he could land on his side.

The blonde was already cutting it close with her innate technique, unwilling to hold back against such an opponent as she wrenched her body back to dodge a bolt of lightning - this one more impulsive before she could capitalize. Raijin pressed forward, ignoring his busted knee as he charged at her, their battle ravaging the rest of the forest and leaving a long swath of destruction in its wake. Yuki kicked a chunk of what was once a boulder at the ogre, a missed swing having shattered it, but the stone projectile barely made him flinch as he kept swinging at the sorceress, who deftly avoided his arms by mere inches.

Yuki could tell from the beginning that Raijin was barely trying. Hell, she wagered he wasn't even putting in half the effort. Her next attack would have to be more decisive before he decided to bring out the real heat, a fist loaded with enough imaginary mass to punch a hole clean through.

Alas, Raijin sensed this as well, prompting him to reach for the drum on his left.

With the sound came a bolt of lightning, condensed lightning that shot down like a laser, almost hitting the sorceress had she not dodged at the very last second, barely escaping with a shudder that hit her left foot. Unfortunately, this left her wide open as Raijin struck another drum to his right, filling the very atmosphere with electricity. Yuki screamed in agony as she was caught in the discharge before falling to the ground like a stone.

Yuki could barely think as she tried to fight off the paralysis, only to have her vision go black as something heavy fell on top of her, the ground beneath her rupturing as Raijin trampled her with his full weight. Irritated and now partially numb to the pain, Yuki slammed both hands down to prop herself up as soon as his foot was lifted to repeat the action, catching the monster off guard, surprised that the girl still had such strength as he was thrown off balance.

No, not quite. He could feel a shift in the girl's brain activity, the all-too-familiar lapse that came with the activation of her technique.

The girl roared as she swung her shikigami in one fluid motion at her opponent before he could hit the drum on his upper left, causing him to gasp as he was knocked off his feet once more to sail through the air, only much higher. But before Yuki could follow, her eyes widened and she was rooted to the spot after only a few steps, the pain of raising her head barely registering.

For Raijin had yet to come down.

The ogre slowly rose to his feet, not on solid ground, but on a cloud. A large cloud that seemed to seamlessly hold the giant's entire weight in the air. Soon, more dark clouds hovered nearby, converging around him, but he paid little care to the phenomena as he bore into the blonde with his perpetual glare. It was as if the sky itself had come to life and was now embracing him, transforming him into the very image of a deity that had descended from the heavens, wreathed in his element.

"I grow weary of this, sorceress," Raijin declared in a booming voice that seemed to echo over the crack of lightning and the rumble of thunder. With a mere wave of his hand, Yuki felt a pressure all around, strands of her blonde hair billowing upwards before a blinding flash of light consumed everything around her in an instant, creating a mushroom cloud past a mile in radius. Within seconds, the light dissipated, leaving nothing but a perfectly formed crater beneath the haze of dust. Nothing was left but the ground, which had disintegrated into dry black sand, the crystallized residue of the ionization.

Raijin, however, was far from satisfied as he looked towards the horizon, the girl having fled the epicenter of the blast. She was quick, he could give her that, but even he knew that no human—sorcerer or otherwise—could stress their body without consequences.

Yuki leaned back against a tree and inhaled sharply as she focused her Reverse Cursed Energy to rejuvenate her battered body, most pressingly her legs, feeling like they could fall off at any moment. She held her left arm and glanced sideways in alarm, knowing she had only a measly window of reprieve. She closed her eyes as she felt the pain ebb away, taking deep, measured breaths.

She was well aware that her reserves were steadily dwindling, having fathomed early on into the battle the truly herculean task of taking on a Special Grade of Raijin's caliber. She shouldn't have expected any less. The legends and myths that gave way to his conception empowered him in ways few others of his kind could boast. It was times like this that she remembered the grading system in place wasn't at all an exact measurement, but merely a ballpark figure with a fairly good margin of error given how unpredictable Cursed Spirits could be.

Soon her eyes snapped open and she sprang from her perch, another bolt of condensed lightning coming down and gutting the tree. More followed, raining down like deadly arrows as she forced herself to dodge and weave through the hellish downpour. The blasts became more concentrated as she struggled to keep up, gradually narrowing her escape routes.

She gritted her teeth. It was risky, but she would be dead and gone anyway if she didn't try.

Like a cage closing in on her, the lasers all converged at a now slithering pace, as if in taunt, enveloping her vision with light as she crouched down, awaiting certain death.

Raijin watched as the sorceress was caught and vaporized by his attack, the land itself being gouged by the narrow pillars of light until they all condensed into a brilliant column that deeply tore into the very earth. This should have been enough, but he knew better. Only instead of being dismissive, he was racked with something he hadn't felt in a long time.

Annoyance.

Deep inside the crater, Yuki had her head down, crouching low as she let out a breath she had been holding, putting all of her focus, all of her will into this one technique. She was bewildered that she even had breath to give, opening her eyes and seeing nothing but darkness.

With renewed vigor, she staggered back up after the worst was over, staring listlessly at what she knew was just a wall of earth before a grin slowly came to her lips.

She had done it. She had actually done it.

"Heh…" She was left breathless by the experience, but her lungs neither ached nor burned. Instead, her chest seemed to throb on its own, a soft chuckle that soon grew into laughter.

Mad laughter.

Raijin could sense that if he prolonged this, the tide would turn. Still, he was the least damaged of the two. He was in an ideal vantage point and from what he had seen of the girl, she had no way of reaching him. Not unless she flew on that shikigami of hers, but he'd shoot them down before she could even come within arm's reach.

Yuki stormed out of the hole in a single bound and to her amazement, she managed to catch a glimpse of the sky. A view that seemed to stretch into eternity. There was just something entrancing about the specks of light that penetrated through the thick condensation, a level of beauty unseen and often taken for granted. Her unfocused gaze seemed to wander aimlessly for a moment before she caught sight of him, but instead of dread or fear, she looked up at the so-called deity with abject contempt. She was angrier than ever, but she could barely keep a smile from splitting her face because of what she had accomplished.

Raijin was nonetheless curious. "That wasn't Hollow Wicker Basket." He had dealt with the technique before, and killed those who were foolish enough to believe it would save them.

Yuki snorted. "Not even close. That was Domain Amplification, a technique that came a few hundred years after your time. By enveloping my body with my domain, I nullified your lightning. Not all of it, but enough. You have no idea how long it took for me to try and get the hang of it. Days, weeks, months—it was a pain, but now? Here of all places? It was freaking amazing! I've never been so damn proud of myself! Haha!"

Raijin could tell what the change in the girl was. A fugue state for sorcerers, one in which they were at their most dangerous. It was rare, but with his imprisonment, an untold number of others could have achieved it without his knowledge.

"So what else do you have, big guy? Are you going to hit me again with a good old-fashioned electric shock?" Yuki said confidently, but she knew that one more blow was all Raijin needed to bring her down. She had to strike first if she ever wanted to put an end to this.

The ogre quietly stared at the sorceress, and then he vanished in the blink of an eye.

Yuki spun around, unwilling to take another direct hit when she saw Raijin standing some distance away from her instead. However, his right arm was pulled back just before he threw a punch in her direction. Expecting another bolt of lightning, the space around the ogre seemed to distort, twist and bend, followed by a muffled silence. What came next was a total blur to her, as she was suddenly overcome by an intense and devastating shockwave that ripped through the newly created clearing, expanding until everything was crushed under an invisible force, with Yuki at its center.

Once the ogre relented, she was barely clinging to consciousness as he slowly drew near her broken body, his footsteps not even registering as her eardrums bled. Only a faint, shadowy outline, blurred by her dwindling senses, stood above her.

Raijin looked down at the pathetic wretch beneath him, finally satisfied with his work.

"Did you honestly believe that lightning was the only thing I could do?"