“My dear pet, I feel as though you are hiding something from me.”

The man steepled his fingers as he stared across the desk and at the portal wherein his agent looked back. She was shaking her head but she would not meet his gaze. He knew, instinctively, that something was wrong. It frustrated him… and yet this was a time to use the carrot and not the stick, for she was an asset he could not replace.

At least not at this time.

Unlike his usual strategies, this was not about brute force. It was a long game. So for now… he would treat her with kid gloves. Until he could dispose of her. He tried to hide his smile, yes, he would enjoy that. Disposing of her. She had already proved too much of a pain in his ass.Too soft. Too weak.

“Then tell me again, what have you learned of the boy so far?”

“He… he is very kind. Loyal. He trusts everyone.”

The man held back a laugh, yes, he had counted on that… the boy trusting everyone. Even a suspicious new spirit that showed up at his doorstep with a strange backstory.

“And he does not suspect you?”

This is when she finally looked up at him, her yellow eyes big.

“Not at all, master.”

“Right, master. Your true master. Do not forget that your contract is signed in blood. Do not forget what will happen if you disobey me. Even for a minute. You are not a normal spirit, as much as you might wish to be. And this is a role, not a gift. Do not forget who you are.”

She nodded, seeming to understand and agree, but only time would tell. When he needed her to twist the knife, could she do it? If not, she would have to turn it on herself. He could make her do that.

And he would enjoy every second of it. Either way. More blood. Both would die. She would have served her purpose by then anyhow.

***

White wind surrounded my body like a flame, tendrils of it spiking off of me, it was power, pure power. And it exhilarated me. I knew it was dangerous to channel this much but I did not care. These beings had invaded this place, destroyed its sanctity and attacked Hana… perhaps captured Kira… and they were the work of the summoner. I gripped the blade, my nostrils flaring.

They had taken solid man-shaped forms, black as night, they were now vaguely human. They flexed their muscles and cracked their knuckles, each had a solitary bright blue eye.

“You will pay, demons. For what you did. This is for Fenra. Tell the Summoner I sent you when you see him in hell!” I twirled my blade and assumed my fighting stance.

The creatures fanned out, then they struck. Two lunged at me from either side. I ducked and swept my blade at the first one's legs, focusing the energy around the blade. The shadowy figures' calves ruptured, spilling black ichor across the cobblestones. So these ones can bleed, huh? The being stumbled and fell towards me, large hands still clawing towards my chest.

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I stepped to the right and dodged his fallen companion, only to find that his companion was almost upon me. I stabbed upwards, catching this new figure through his jaw. I saw the blue eye go red, then gray, winking into blackness. I slid the blade down and out of the exit wound cleanly and stepped back, panting. This form two, slid to the floor. I stepped over the other prone body and stabbed down into its blue eye until this one too turned red, gray, and then disappeared. It shuddered and died.

I fried the blade, whipped it free of any residue and looked around me at the remaining enemies.

I felt my muscles getting sore already. Energy was leaving my body in waves. I was pushing myself to the limit. I remembered Fenra’s warning, that my body was a vessel… not a source. I could theoretically channel forever, but the problem was my human form could not take the stress. Eventually the very threads that bound me would become frayed, untethered. I would burst like a pipe. I gulped. I had no time to think about that now.

There were still more of them.

Six, in-fact. I counted.

Two more came at me, but this time I saw their bodies morphing chaning, in place of hands weapons were formed. Sharp obsidian blades that glinted in the moonlight that filtered in through sliding doors. I swung before the first reached me, sending an arcing blade of wind energy at him. The creature raised the blades that had been its arms, deflecting the projectile.

I swung again at the second form. This one did not deflect or dodge in time. The sharp arc of wind energy split it open from groin to chest, black ichor drained from the wound and it dropped to its knees then began to disintegrate.

By then the second blade wielding shadow had reached me and swung wildly. I dodged just in time, the black blade slicing through the sleeve of my robe and across my shoulder, cutting me in a glancing blow I winced at the searing pain that immediately shot through the wound.

I had no time to dwell on the pain, It whirled, elbowing me in the stomach. The blow winded me and doubled me over. I struggled to regain my posture. The creature was already bringing the blade to bear upon me once more, in such close quarters I had only one choice to stop him. I dropped my blade, gathered the energy in my palms and pressed my fingers against the creature's chest. The “skin” of the thing, if it could be called that, was freezing cold to the touch.

I felt fear and nausea well within me when touching the demon but ignored it. I summoned all my strength and shot a burst of wind energy through its chest, blowing a hole right to the other side. It cried and fell and its light winked out. I stood, panting, blood leaking from my shoulder. I reached down and picked up the sword. I tested a swing, my range of motion was pitiful. Had to be the right shoulder, didn't it? I felt weak. I would have to make this quick.

“Come on… you bastards! Show me what you got.” I thought it would sound convincing. It was in my head. A good taunt. In reality the words fell flat. The creatures look at me, then at each other. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe my words had scared them senseless. Absurd. They turned their bodies to face each other.

What the fuck are they going doing?

The four remaining figures linked arms, the lights of their eyes slowly gathering together until they touched.

The fuck are these four perverts doing?

They melted… into one another. A chill crept down my spine. They howled. They were one. The remaining four of them had merged. The new creature, which I mentally deemed voltron-shadow, stood 1.5 times my height, rippling with muscle, four eyes, four arms, and one mouth with large fangs. That’s new. I tried to raise my sword with my right arm and nearly dropped it as pain lanced up my forearm and shoulder. I looked at my wound, it was green. Pulsing. It looked infected.

Shit, shit!

I managed to sheath the blade. I needed a strategy. Quick. A new angle I turned to Hana, still passed out. It looks like I'll have to do this without any help.

I searched around for another weapon, nothing. The creature slowly lumbered its way towards me. I did the only sensible thing I could, I ran. I jumped through the paper thin walls of the shrine and out the other side.