Chapter 5 (k)

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The impact is violent. The shock wave that ensues erases any traces of magic on its path. The giant sparks are no more, the constant barrage of beams of light has ceased, the unnatural wind no longer blows.

After such an indescribable chaos, this calm and this silence are somehow unsettling.

Pazuzu and Dlanor have become still. Slowly drifting in a space devoid of gravity, they observe and wait.

Maaya: "I see... I've really underestimated you. I apologize... your skills deserved to be properly acknowledged..."

The witch of power speaks slowly. A twitch in her left eyebrow belies her apparent calm.

Erika: "Tch..."

Maaya: "To think that a mere human could not only survive my strongest magic, but also elude my guard and sneak behind me... That was completely unexpected. Unthinkable..."

Erika: "I hate to repeat myself, but you really don't understand who you're up against."

Maaya: "Perhaps it is as you say..."

In front of my eyes, I see my enemy's face morphing from a fake gentle expression into a hideous, beastly grin.

Maaya: "However that goes for you too, isn't iiit?! Did you really think that I'd be killed by thaaat?! Haaa?! Are you serious?! Do you even realize what kind of place this is?! I will acknowledge that on a neutral ground I'd be dead by now, but here, in this world? In my domain?!"

Certainly I cannot deny that my attack completely failed to harm her in any way. Something blocked my scythe before I could cut her body in half, something that transcends even the most powerful magic barriers, a truly impenetrable shield.

It came out of nowhere, I couldn't even see it nor sense it before. It is different from anything that I have seen so far, and it looks completely out of place. If I were to guess what kind of material it is made of, I would say that it is some kind of hard, transparent plastic. It has a sort of triangular shape with no straight lines, and there is an embedded circle in its center that reminds me of a magnifying lens.

Maaya: "Observe!"

The witch of power snaps her fingers and a new magic takes form. A thick mist and nebulous matter begin to coalesce at the bottom of the giant sphere. This mass grows and spreads like a viscous fluid until it occupies about one quarter of the whole space. There is now a sort of unnatural lake below me. Ripples form on its surface and increase in number and intensity. Strange, fragmented reflections create kaleidoscopic effects among the restless waves, until the turmoil finally subsides, and a vision appears.

Erika: "This is..."

Maaya: "A window open to another world."

My mind goes back to a past where I witnessed a similar situation. My mind travels back to the witches' tearoom, the place where Beatrice used to challenge her many guests. There, all sort of witches, and sometimes even humans, would sit in a circle and engage in intellectual discussions, drinking tea and eating freshly baked cookies and pastries. But before, we used to watch Beatrice's shows. The walls disappeared and just like TV screens, they allowed us to see, as if we were there, various scenes from fictional interpretations of the Rokkenjima murder mystery. Those were the stories that Beatrice created; she called them gameboards.

Something similar is happening now, but it isn't fiction what I am looking at, it's the human world, it's the present time.

That one there is... me...

I am looking at myself from above, as if the shed had no roof. I see the magic circle and several girls sitting all around it. But not everything is exactly how I left it. There is a Ouija board at the very center now, and four persons are sitting close to it at the four cardinal points. One of them is Teramoto, directly aligned with the statue of Pazuzu. Two first year students are at her left and right sides, they were supposedly selected randomly. The last spot is taken by me.

This is how daring my opponent is. She wants me to be directly involved, she wants me to touch her magic with my own hands. She is so confident that I won't understand her trick, that she doesn't even prevent me from getting that close.

Maaya: "Did you notice? Do you understand now?"

Erika: "Yes, I must admit it's pretty clever. That shield of yours is a manifestation of your peculiar planchette. Size apart they're practically identical."

Maaya: "Correct!"

It basically works like this: the fact that Teramoto can interact with demons and spirits with her Ouija board is one of the reasons people believe she actually possesses supernatural powers. As long as this isn't denied, the witch of power cannot be destroyed. I must find the trick that makes that planchette move, only then this bothersome shield will be destroyed.

Maaya: "Surprised, human? Stupid close-minded people like yourself almost invariably think that there are magnets involved. So I made sure to prevent anyone from even suggesting that. As you can see, this planchette is completely transparent. Surely, you aren't going to tell me that there are invisible magnets inside, right? Ha ha ha ha!"

Erika: "Well done, but then, how does that matter? There's definitely some kind of trick involved, all that you demonstrated is that 'magnets' isn't the answer."

Maaya: "And you call that a rational argument? How is it logical to assume that there must be a trick?"

Erika: "What are you talking about? Of course there's a trick, it can't be any other way! Because magic and supernatural do not exist! Everyone knows that!"

Maaya: "Shut up!"

Erika: "Oh? Did I upset you?"

Maaya: "There's no point in talking with you! You're just a pathetic fool! By now you should have already realized that you can't win against me, you simply cannot hurt me! But I bet you're just too blind to accept the evidence in front of your very eyes! I can only feel contempt for you. You're strong, you're fast, I acknowledge that. I have no idea how a human like you can pull those stunts, but it doesn't matter. In the end you're just a bug, a very persistent one, but still a bug!"

Erika: "Ah, don't tell me! Are you going to resume your magical heavy bombardment, hoping that I'll eventually get hit by something? Boring!"

Maaya: "No, that tactic proved to be uneffective. But now I know how to deal with you."

Erika: "Oh, Really?"

Maaya utters some incomprehensible words, while drawing strange circles in the air with her left hand. I sense the unmistakable small alterations in the fabric of the metaworld that often foreshadow powerful magics. The ritual is concluded by an esoteric gesture that ominously points at me.

The effect is almost instant, and in a blink of an eye I find myself trapped inside a spherical cage made of several rings of energy.

Erika: "Seriously? Is this your new strategy? I guess you didn't learn a single thing."

All I need to do is to teleport away. Maaya must believe that I am simply moving at an incredibly high speed. If that was the case, I wouldn't have any means to escape, but my powers are true.

I proceed to instantly change my position, my body dematerializes and reappears just a few meters to the right.

See? I am free already... or that is what I would like to say. Apparently... I am still caged.

Strange. I am quite sure that I did teleport, there are no doubts about that. But my prison is not longer where it was supposed to be. It is as if... it followed me. How?

I really don't like the way Maaya is smiling at me now. I don't like that all!

Maaya: "Well? How do you like your cage? It seems to me that you've already grown pretty attached to it!"

Erika: "Very funny! What's the deal with this thing?"

Maaya: "That's not a 'thing', that's a curse. You've been cursed, great detective, and no matter where you go, the curse will stay with you."

Well, well... this wasn't part of my plans, but it changes nothing. I should have imagined that an occult freak like her would know how to curse her enemies. That was a small miscalculation, it's annoying, no, actually it is very irritating, but I will have my vengeance.

Erika: "All right, now I am trapped inside a cage that follows me wherever I go. So? What's the point of a prison if it doesn't restrict mobility?"

Maaya: "That's a very pertinent question. The fact is... that this curse isn't exactly meant to restrain you. In other words, it isn't a prison at all."

Erika: "Then, what else it's supposed to be?"

Maaya: "It's a bull's-eye."

A bull's-eye. In other words this thing is marking my position. This is a curse that targets me with absolute precision. The viewfinder is glued on me, and not matter what I do, I cannot shake it off!

This is no laughing matter. The more my many little gray cells process the implications of this simple information, the more I feel my body freezing on the spot.

An attack is incoming, right now. I am not actually perceiving it, but I know it is aiming for my head. I feel it. All my instincts are telling me that I must escape. I have no time to reason about its futility, I simply teleport as far as I can.

My fears become true in front of my eyes. A stream of energy coming from one of the pillars just pierced my afterimage. It is fast, as fast as light, and it is magnetically attracted by the cage that surrounds me.

I simply cannot escape this, I simply cannot teleport with a high enough frequency, and it would be pointless anyway.

I have no choice, I must muster my strengths and endure it.

The sound reminds me that of a shrimp thrown into boiling oil. I would think this was funny, if this wasn't my own body. My muscles are all tensed up by the flow of high voltage current.

I can barely move, I can barely think.

This pain would be excruciating for a normal human being, another person in my place would be screaming his guts out. But I am a witch of truth, there is nothing that can hurt me. Nothing. Nothing can hurt me. Nothing can hurt me! Nothing can hurt me!

Dlanor: "Miss Erika!"

Pazuzu: "StAy WhErE YoU AaArE, PaThEtIc ToOl Of ThE LoSt GoLdEn AaAgE! I WiLl NoT LeT YoU InTeRfEeErE!"

Dlanor: "We will not be defeated! I will not allow it!"

Pazuzu: "Uh Hu Hu Ha Ha Ha!!! YOuR DoOm Is At HaAaNd! YOuR HuMaN FrIeNd WaS AlReAdY EnSnArEd By My MAsTeR'S CuUuRsE. NOtHiNg CaN SaAaVe HeR. VIcToRy Is AlReAdY OuUuRs!"

Dlanor is fighting valiantly. Her swords pierce through the demon's flesh with merciless precision, but her opponent is too powerful. He keeps regenerating as if that didn't bother him at all, and he is getting bolder and fiercer. Dlanor will not last for much longer, and I am in no better position.

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Chapter 5 (j)

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Of course, I couldn't really give her even the slightest impression that I am scared or worried, I have a reputation to protect, and In fact I have absolutely no doubts that I will be the one laughing in the end. However, her powers are decidedly not to be taken lightly. I have already seen what she is capable of, and now, I am sure, she will not restrain herself anymore.

Those eyes, that stance, those are unmistakingly telling me that a death sentence has been passed on me, and I feel a shiver running down my spine. But this is fine, this feeling, this overflowing anxiety and tension. I will really be destroyed if I make even the slightest error, and this thought, to me, is absolutely inebriating!

The eleven pillars activate at my enemy's command once again. The pressure is increasing and the air overflows with static energy. This is getting dangerous, I will move as far as possible away from Maaya, for the time being.

Dlanor and Pazuzu, having realized what is going to happen, suspended their battle temporarily. If they want to survive, they will need to focus exclusively on the calamity that the witch of power is about to unleash.

With a deafening roar, streams of concentrated energy begin to flow from the pillars to Maaya's stretched hand. This is similar to what she did before, but I can tell that this time she is garnering an even bigger power. The light emanating from those magical sparks is so intense that it is almost dazzling, and everything around darkens.

Erika: "I am ready. Do your worst, witch of power!"

Maaya doesn't even bother to answer, she simply smirks sardonically. A single instant later, the whole place is ravaged by her thunderstorm. Energy fluxes protrude from her hand and in a completely disorderly fashion reach out for the borders of this spherical prison. There are dozens of them, and they move quickly following unpredictable trajectories. This is a wondrous and terrifying display of power, but a thought occurs to me: in a way, this whole place has just become a colossal version of those fancy plasma globes. Right, plasma globes, which often are used by phony wizards and 'psychic advisors' to impress their simple-minded customers. There couldn't be a more fitting comparison, because in the end Maaya's bountiful power isn't anything more than a fraud, and a laughable one, I may add.

Evading the erratic electrical discharges is difficult, but far from being impossible for me, and I can always use my special trick as a last resort to instantly move from a location to another. The problem is that even then I will need to choose my destination carefully, because there are no safe areas to retreat to.

Maaya: "You're pretty obstinate, aren't you? I wouldn't have expected anything less from a cockroach! But there's more to come. Let's see if you can evade this too!"

I knew it. It couldn't be that simple.

Maaya isn't simply going to switch to a different magical attack, she will conjure another one on top of what I am already evading!

From her other hand, several beam of lights begin spreading everywhere. Unlike the electrical discharges they move beautifully and harmoniously, and while their starting directions seem to be completely random, they then all bend, tracing curves in the air, all aiming to a precise target: me! In other words this is a barrage of homing lasers.

Perhaps Maya thinks that this is an even more dangerous magic, but I don't really think so. Sure, now I need to evade attacks that are actively following me, how scary! Unlike the mindless sparks, these lasers have a sort of 'intelligence', so to say. But in truth there is a very huge downside that comes with all that: predictability.

Maya could even summon a thousand, a million, or even a trillion of those beams of light all at once! It wouldn't change a thing. They will all converge to a single point in the end, and I know exactly which! All that I need to do is to wait until the very last second and quickly evade before I get hit.

There is only a minor problem; I need to avoid the unpredictable electrical discharges at the same time.

Focus, I need to stay focused. A single error and it will be checkmate.

The laser beams are approaching ominously. Only two seconds before they reach me. This is where I should stay still to make sure they will all point to this precise spot, but I can't. One of those annoying sparks just had to irrationally change its course and move where I am at this very moment.

I dodge to the left, the beams immediately follow me. One second.

Maaya revels in an ephemeral, illusory victory as she observes her attack laying waste on my body. But her malicious smile quickly warps into a frustrated grin when she realizes that what she saw was just another afterimage.

That was a pretty risky move, I really waited until the very last fraction of a second, and soon after transferring I had to quickly assess my surrounding and evade another electrical discharge.

Maaya doesn't want to give me any break, a second wave of homing lasers is coming already. She must have figured out that I cannot escape forever, if she keeps this going for long enough, I will eventually perish.

Of course, that is true as long as I just keep evading and do nothing else. Anyway I am pretty far from exhaustion, and I can survive for quite a long time still. The laser beams are here and this time dodging them will be a lot easier.

Maaya: "Die, you maggot! Why don't you just die already?! Die! Die! Die!"

Erika: "Frustrated?"

Maaya: "Ha! I'm merely irritated by your pointless obstinacy! There is simply no comparison between us, this is an absolutely lopsided battle! Then why don't you just stop wasting my time? Just give up already! I promise it will be swift, you won't feel any pain!"

Erika: "Ha ha ha! Aren't you getting a bit too overconfident just because of your brute strength?"

Maaya: "Brute strength?! This is magical power!"

Erika: "All the same! Power alone does not decide the outcome of a battle!"

Maaya: "We will see about that!"

I think I am getting better and better at this game, and isn't it funny how I am still completely unscathed in spite of this gargantuan offensive?

Maaya keeps on firing her beams of light at me and I keep evading them.

Maaya: "Just how long are you planning to continue like that?"

Erika: "Until the right moment, witch of power."

Maaya: "I didn't even give you the chance to show me a decent attack! You're totally at my mercy! You can't even get close to me! Face it! You basically did nothing at all since our duel started!"

Erika: "Oh, you're right, I suppose you won't have to worry about your defense then! You might as well lower your magic shield."

Maaya: "Spare me your cheap tricks! I won't fall for them!"

Erika: "Then are you acknowledging that I might... uh?"

What happened? Just now, I felt something very wrong in the way my body reacted to my commands.

Again... I am not moving like I wish to. Why? Did I forget how to fly in the metaworld? Preposterous! Something must be interfering and it is getting worse by the second.

Maaya is smirking, is this her doing? No, I would have noticed, it must be...

Ah, of course! It's him!

Where is he? How can he be so bold to attack me in this situation? Did I underestimate that demon?

Dlanor: "Miss Erika, forgive me! I had no choice but to disengage from combat."

Erika: "I know, but who would've thought that he would use his wind attack in this situation?!"

This is insane, Pazuzu is messing with my flying maneuvers, now pushing me from the left, then from above, behind, and then the right! He keeps changing the direction of his wind in a totally random fashion. He doesn't even give me the time to adapt.

And the thunderous sparks, like giant serpents, keep slithering all around me. The incessant fire of homing lasers doesn't allow me any rest. I must keep track of all these simultaneous threats, and I can't even properly control my movements!

Erika: "Ha ha ha ha! How splendid! This is fun! This is so much fun!"

Maaya: "What a nerve you've got! You dare laughing in this situation?! Or is it that your mind has yielded to insanity?!"

Erika: "Hey, Maya! I thought your pet wasn't supposed to interfere!"

Maaya: "Yeah, and? Oh, are you implying that he's attacking you?! It's not like his wind is directly harming you!"

Erika: "Is that how you justify your dirty move? Ha ha! Well, I can't say that I completely disapprove of that!"

Dlanor: "Miss Erika, I will find the demon Pazuzu and resume our duel. I will stop him!"

Erika: "Dlanor, are you sure you can manage that? You won't be of any use to me, if you get destroyed!"

Dlanor: "I will succeed, do not worry!"

Erika: "Very well, then go!"

She should do better to come back in one piece! She is my furniture, her failure would reflect on her master, in other words: me! That would be absolutely unforgivable! But if that poor excuse for a demon that Maaya summoned can use his power while under the constant threat of being electrocuted, then Dlanor should be able to do the same.

Ah, it appears that she found him, at last. Do not disappoint me, Dlanor!

Dlanor: "Demon, you will stop meddling in our respective masters' duel. Your opponent is Death Sentence Dlanor. I am in front of you!"

Pazuzu: "I ToOoLd YoU AlReAdY. YOu ArE IrReLeVaNt, InSiGnIfIcAnT, NeGlIgIbLe! WHyYy Do YoU StIlL PeRsIsT? IS It NoT ThE TiIiMe FoR YoU To DeScEnD InTo ObLiViOn?!"

Dlanor: "If there is one among us that should not exist anymore in this day and age, that is you!"

Pazuzu: "UuUrRrGh! I Am StIlL PoOoWeRfUl In ThE MiNdS Of HuMaNs! MY LeGeNd LiVeS On! I HaVeN'T VaNiShEd AlOnG WiTh ThE CiViLiZaAaTiOnS ThAt OrIgInAlLy FeArEd MeEe! BUt WhAt AbOuT YoUuU? YOu ArE BuT A ReLiC Of A NoT So DiStAnT PaAaSt. SUcH A ShOoOrT ExIsTeNcE! YOu ShOuLd JuSt DiSaPpEaR! YOu ArE ObSoLeEeTe!"

Dlanor: "Certainly it is true that I am the defender and protector of the ten rules of the golden age of murder mysteries, and it is true that such time is in the past and already almost forgotten in this modern world."

Pazuzu: "ThEn YoU UnDeRsTaAaNd ThAt YoU No LoNgEr HaVe A PuUuRpOsE!"

Dlanor: "I disagree. The rules themselves are no longer enforced, but the ideals that they were meant to protect still live!"

Pazuzu: "ThE IdEeEaLs? WHaT Is ThIs NoOoNsEnSe?! WHaT IdEeEaLs ArE YoU TaLkInG AbOuT?!"

Dlanor: "Justice! Fairness! Honor!"

Pazuzu: "WhAaAt DiD YoU... JuSt SaAaY?!"

Dlanor: "Do you understand, demon? You have just broken my rules! You are at the mercy of my judgment! The sentence is DEATH!"

Pazuzu: "UuUrRrGh!"

It looks like Dlanor is doing better than I expected. She can still unleash on her enemy such elaborated attacks in spite of the hellish thunderstorm that surrounds her. Pazuzu is really on the losing side now, but it isn't just because my furniture is stronger. That annoying demon hasn't given up on messing with me! His wind isn't hindering me as much as before, but it is still a bother.

Maaya is getting more and more impatient. She is doing her best at hiding her growing frustration, but she can't fool me. Right now she is probably wondering why I am still alive. She doesn't even understand how could this happen. Of course she can't, I told her: she doesn't know who I truly am!

She must have already realized that something isn't quite the way that she expected it, but she is too proud to show it. She is too proud to ask.

And so she escapes into a convenient delusion. Now Maaya is convincing herself that it doesn't matter, now Maaya is repeating to herself that it is only a matter of time. I can't escape forever, and that is true in a sense. But she is making a fatal mistake by ignoring the elephant in front of her eyes; because for the very same reason that I can avoid even her deadliest magic, now I will destroy her!

So far I used my teleportation magic only to escape, but who said that I can't use it to do the opposite?

Right now Maaya isn't thinking about protecting herself, right now Maaya is fully concentrated on killing me as fast as possible. She can't think about anything else. I was waiting for this moment. When she will realize what I am going to do, she will panic, and that will be my chance.

Another barrage of lasers is coming, but this time I won't simply move away, I will teleport forward!

At this point Maaya can't be fooled anymore by the afterimage that I leave behind, so she instinctively looks for me around the area she expects me to reappear to. She doesn't even realize that I purposely trained her to do so. So far I jumped for distances that aren't even half of what I can actually cover. Unconsciously or consciously Maaya doesn't think that I can exceed that limit.

Now that I unexpectedly moved closer, she is getting wary, but she still doesn't think that I can threaten her. A new wave of lasers comes and I teleport again, further reducing the gap that separates us. This time Maaya reacts, but she doesn't have the time to formulate a coherent plan, she instinctively moves away from me. Once again I teleport, now I am very close and she is getting restless. She simply cannot imagine that this isn't even the fastest that I can be. In her mind I am charging at full speed in a desperate blitz attack.

She can't do anything but firing her beams at me, hoping that they won't miss at this distance, but she isn't that naïve. She knows that I am no longer where she still sees me and she knows that I am going to strike her next.

And this is where she panics.

Desperately her eyes wanders around the very area that I wanted her to focus on. She gives for granted that I will appear there somewhere, her only doubt is about the precise location.

Too bad Maaya, but this is your loss. I jumped beyond that place, I jumped beyond you. I am where you don't expect me, I am where you cannot see me, I am on your blind spot.

Let's see if your magic defense works even if I attack you from behind at point blank range!

My scythe is ready to drink your blood. I spin around myself to impress an even greater force on my deadly strike. My body is engulfed by a feverish bloodlust. I am shaking and shivering in anticipation, but my hands are firm. 

You see, Maaya, what counts is the blow that kills your enemy, and you only need one. What you have been showing me so far was just a pointless display of power. You are about to learn this lesson, but you don't have enough time left to treasure it. How sad.

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Chapter 5 (i)

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Pandemonium is unleashed.

Ravaged by the violent storm, I can barely keep my eyes open. This wind is like a wall of infinite blades, sharp and powerful gusts trying to dice my body. If I was a normal human being, I would be mincemeat by now. It hurts nonetheless, and my skin is already covered by several red thin lines wherever it has been struck. I can endure this pain, I can endure any pain without even flinching, this is one of my many qualities. Not a single groan leaves my throat, but even if I screamed with all my might, this deafening fracas would have covered it. And yet, I can discern an eerie sound that is definitely not caused by the storm: It's a long, deep, feral howl.

It takes not a superior intellect to understand who is the owner of such guttural voice. True to her teachings, Maaya summoned Pazuzu by invoking his name thrice. Without a doubt in this world such a powerful charm cannot fail. The bearer of storms and drought is here.

Maaya: "To my side, demon! My arts and my magic bend you to my will! Obey me!"

Pazuzu: "UuUrRrGh..."

The unnatural whirlwind quickly subsides and I can finally examine the demon without disturbances. The beastly being that stands near Maaya is only vaguely similar to the statue that I saw in the shed. His physical build is a lot more massive, and his nails and fangs are decidedly more menacing. While he is for the most part anthropomorphic, his head is more akin to that of a lion, his lower legs are like bird talons, and he possess a scorpion tail and two pairs of massive eagle-like wings.

This is Maaya's furniture, a familiar, so to say; a servant, a creature born from the mind of a powerful witch. This kind of magic requires a very strong will and a lot of practice, I must commend my opponent for being capable of such a feat. However this is still somewhat disappointing and boring, I can't shake the feeling that there is something very dissatisfying about Maaya's magic. I guess the problem is her lack of originality, she doesn't even try to come up with something unique or peculiar. She probably thinks that by strictly adhering to existing myths she can be more believable, and she knows that with that she can create more stable and powerful magics. This is one downside of depending on an external source of power.

But I am used to way more creative, bizarre and flamboyant performances, and no matter how strong is the flavor of this new dish, it still lacks the exotic spices that I grew accustomed to.

Aaah, this is really ironic! Who would have thought that I would miss Beatrice?

Pazuzu spreads his wings and stretches his limbs. His burning eyes glare at Dlanor with evident hostility.

Maaya: "What's wrong, human? Do you finally see the error of your ways? Do you finally realize how foolish your skepticism was? Are you suddenly accepting the existence of the demon Pazuzu, now that you see him in front of your very eyes?!"

Erika: "My very eyes?! Who do you think you're dealing with? Do you expect such a plain strategy to work against a slayer of witches? This place isn't real, I didn't acknowledge the existence of your pet in the world of humans, nor did I acknowledge your so called magic. In fact it is my intention to deny them both, along with you!"

Maaya: "And you believe you caaan?! Even though you're here, trapped in my realm! How can a human be so stubborn to deny what her very senses tell her! There's truly no end to the mortals' hubris! You chose to make yourself blind and deaf! Perhaps I will help you with such a foolish endeavor by ripping your eyes and piercing your ears until your brains bleed out from them!"

I grip my scythe firmly.

Erika: "And how are you going to pull that off, considering you'll be soon nothing but a talking head? Oh wait, let me guess! Magic?! Ah ha ha ha!!!"

Maaya: "Enough of this! Pazuzu!"

Pazuzu: "YeEs, MAsTeEeR..."

Maaya: "The human is mine, I'll entertain her personally. You'll take care of her toy. Make sure she won't be able to interfere!"

Pazuzu: "AaAs YoU WiSh, MAsTeEeR..."

Erika: "Now that's unexpected! It is customary for a third-rate villain to send her minions to the slaughter first before finally getting on the stage."

Maaya: "And who's supposed to be a third-rate villain? You fool! You still don't understand what you're up against! That will be your undoing, human!"

Erika: "On the contrary, if there's one among us who doesn't have a clue about the true nature of her enemy, that's clearly you! *giggle* *giggle*"

Maaya: "Ha! I must admit that you're indeed a very amusing creature. It's simply amazing that you can keep your cool and preposterous self-confidence in your current predicament. Tell me, is this a superb acting, or utter idiocy?"

Erika: "Don't expect an answer from me, I'd rather leave you in your ignorance. You're a lot funnier that way!"

Pazuzu: "YoU WiLl BoOoW DoWn To My MAsTeEeR, MoRtAaAl!"

It looks like I have upset the demon, how interesting! This pathetic creature thinks that he can intimidate me, even though he just received a precise order that forbids him from attacking me.

Dlanor: "Miss Erika bows down to no one but Lady Bernkastel, demon!"

Pazuzu: "YoU AaArE Of No CoNsEqUeEeNcE... YOu AaArE WaY OuT Of YoUr LeAaAgUe, DeAtH SeNtEnCe DLaNoR. YOuR JuRiSdIcTiOn LiEs ElSeWhEeErE. YOu HaAaVe No AuThOrItY In ThIs ReAlM. KNoW YoUr PlAaAcE, SeRvAnT Of ThE HeAvEnLy InQuIsItIoOoN! THe RuUuLeS ThAt YoU EnFoRcE HaVe No EfFeEeCt HeRe!"

Dlanor: "Nonetheless I will fight you and slay you. I do not need my full power to send you into oblivion. You will return to the abyss you came from!"

Pazuzu: "UuUrRrGh! WE ShAlL SeEe WhO WiLl Be ObLiTeRaTeD!"

Maaya: "Enough of this pointless bickering! Human, are you prepared to meet your doom?!"

Erika: "I'm prepared to be your doom, witch of power!"

Maaya: "I'll take that as a yes! Let the show begin!"

All my senses are heightened. I feel the adrenaline flowing in my veins. This feeling of excitement! This inebriating sensation! A battle in the metaworld, after so much time!

Come at me, Maaya, show me your terrible techniques, show me your power! Do not hold back, fight with all that you have got! I am ready. I am here. I will triumph once again, I will survive this new ordeal! In the end you are absolutely nothing compared to what I have already endured in the past! I am the only survivor of the Rokkenjima incident! They all died! All of them, but I am here! I have seen hell! I have touched the bottom of it and emerged victorious! It was meant to destroy me, it was meant to kill me, but look at me!

I won! I was the one laughing at the end! And how foolish they all look in my eyes now! How foolish they all were! I feel nothing for them! They cannot hurt me anymore, never again! I am invincible! Don't you understand?!

What do you think you can possibly do against such a superior existence?! Can't you see that I am blessed by karma itself? Don't you know that I survived in spite of impossible to overcome odds? Don't you understand that my resilience defies logic itself?!

But you simply don't get it! You made fun of miracles, as if they were something remote in the realm of myths and legends. You didn't realize... that I AM a miracle!

And confidently you smile, oblivious, unknowing, unsuspecting...

A simple gesture of your arm and a swarm of long, pointy objects is summoned in front of you. Hundreds, thousands, hundred of thousands! What are these things supposed to be? Nails? You summoned the same kind of nails you use for your stupid pseudo-voodoo rituals? Don't make me laugh!

Maaya: "Die."

Fast. Those things are coming at me at an incredibly high speed. They are very close to each others but they are spreading out. If I move away quickly enough, I should be able to pass through the widening gaps.

Your attacks may be fast, Maaya, but I can move and think at lightning speed myself.

This is not a problem at all, I fly backward, this way!

All right! They all went past me, I made it just in time. That wasn't too hard, but I doubt it will be so simple.

And in fact she snaps her fingers and another wave of deadly projectiles materializes out of thin air. She sent them at me from a different angle, I must quickly move to the left or I am going to become a pin cushion.

Come on, Maaya! You can do better than this! I have already visualized the pattern of your attacks, and they might be fast for a regular human, but to me they are just as slow as snails. You can keep swinging your arm left and right as much as you want, but you will not get anywhere at this rate!

What do you think of my evasive skills? I have already eluded five of your barrages, you should have already understood at this point that you can't really hope to kill me with this simple tactic!

But wait, why is she still smiling? Actually, I think her grin is even wider than before.

Maaya: "This is fun, great detective! Keep dancing! Keep dancing on my palm! Ha ha ha ha!"

Is she just toying with me?

Erika: "You're not thinking that I'll simply play defensively, aren't you?"

Maaya: "If you think you can get close to me, you're free to try!"

Oh, is that so? Is the reason of her ostentatious confidence the belief that I am merely a mouse unable to do anything but escaping her grasp? If that was the case, I wouldn't have nothing to worry about, but something is off, my danger sense is tingling.

Maaya must have something in mind, a surprise attack most likely. However she is a witch, she must recite an incantation or perform some kind of ritualistic gesture to use her magic. I am observing her very attentively even as I am evading her constant barrage. Should she make even the slightest move, I am confident that I will be able to react accordingly. All of my senses are focused on her and her attacks...

Wait! What if she realized that? What if this was her plan all along? Then... behind me!

Maaya: "Too late! You can't escape! Just give up and die!!!"

The nails that I thought I had already evaded... they are bouncing on the borders of the spherical hall and are coming back! Suddenly I am surrounded from all directions! There is no longer enough space for my maneuvers. They are coming, they are here!

Maaya: "Gotcha! Writhe in pain, human! Suffer and die! How does it feel to have your body skewered by a thousand nails?! What a disappointment you were! You didn't even put up a decent fight! What was the point of that oversized scythe, if you couldn't even get anywhere close to melee range?!"

Erika: "Not even close? What are you talking about? What are you looking at? I'm here, I'm right behind you!!!"

Maaya: "What?!"

Startled by my voice coming from a completely unexpected direction, Maaya quickly turns around and stares at me with frightened and incredulous eyes. Nothing is more sublime than seeing the arrogance of your enemies becoming fear!

I swing my scythe with decision in a perfectly horizontal motion. This would be enough to cut her flimsy body in half, but with a desperate and inelegant backward dash Maaya manages to distance herself enough to be just grazed by the lethal slice.

I guess that now she will think that it was stupid from me to warn her of my presence just a second before my surprise attack. I could have simply killed her now, before she could even get a hint of what a dangerous being I am. I could have finished her now, before she could unleash her full power, right?

Ha ha ha! No way! Why would I do that? Why would I want to end this exciting battle in such an uneventful manner? This is not her show, this is my show! And it is not me who is trapped in this place with her. It is she who trapped herself with me!

Maaya: "How the hell is this possible?! You were there a second before! I saw your body being pierced!"

Erika: "Ha ha ha!!! What you saw was just an afterimage! Seriously, you didn't think that I survived and triumphed against several other witches just by sheer luck, didn't you? This might be your metaworld, but this is still a metaworld; conventional logic and physic do not apply in this place. If you think that moving almost instantly from a point to another is impossible, then you clearly know very little of how this world works. It is just a simple matter of will power and concentration!"

Maaya: "A simple matter of will power... you say?! Don't make me laugh! Teleportation is a high level magic! A pathetic being like you can't possibly have mastered it!"

Erika: "You think so? I wonder about that!"

Maaya: "I don't know what kind of trick you used, but I won't let you disgrace the art any further with your shams!"

Erika: "Shams?! Art?! Tricks?! Magic?! And what's the difference?! They're all the same thing!"

Once again I swing my scythe at my enemy, but this time my attack is charged with the power of truth. The blade traces an arc of light which bursts upon release creating a storm of blue, luminescent darts.

Maaya quickly retreats, the roles are now inverted. She summons again her magical shield, just in time before being skewered. The barrier shakes violently and dangerously while deflecting the shower of sharp, blue shards.

Maaya: "You fool! You understand nothing! Such an ignorant statement is an unforgivable blasphemy!"

Erika: "Oh my... you aren't even funny, you know..."

Maaya: "What?!"

Erika: "You don't need to play the part with such emphasis. I know that you know the truth behind your so-called magic as well as I do."

Maaya: "There's only one who knows the truth among us!"

Erika: "That's what you want to believe."

Far from the two of us, on the lower part of the spherical hall, the battle between Dlanor and Pazuzu is continuing as we speak. The demon is very strong and his ability to control wind seems to be a real problem. I can see that even my furniture is having quite some difficulties at maintaining control over her flying maneuver under the ever-changing gusts and gales that her enemy is bombarding her with.

Maaya: "Ha! Don't even dare to think that you demonstrated anything with your stunt! I was merely toying with you!"

Dlanor is attacking the beast with her two swords, but the demon doesn't even seem to bother about evading. His wounds regenerates at an incredibly fast rate. He is really a troublesome furniture. I guess that the only way to destroy him is through a direct denial of his existence. I fear that he is more than what my companion can handle by herself, but for now I only need her to keep him occupied.

Erika: "So, does that mean that you're going to get serious now? I feel honored, it seems that you're finally beginning to understand how dangerous I am."

Maaya: "Don't flatter yourself! You're just becoming very annoying. I'm very sorry, but you're really getting on my nerves. I'm going to finish you now. Good bye!"

  

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