Itadaki no Hecate

Alliance Broken

Under a sickly yellow sky, standing on three sides of a battlefield were four powerful entities. One was the feared Priestess in white, the Supreme Throne Hecate with her staff at the ready. Across her were the twins, Sorath and Tiriel, the former with his massive blade and the latter with her Unrestricted Method still maintained. As for the newcomer, the Flame Haze known as the Manipulator of Objects, Wilhelmina Carmel, she descended with a multitude of ribbons from her back like appendages.

"It would be unusual for her to be here. Bal Masque must be up to something ~de arimasu."

"Swift execution," her contractor, the Crown and Sash of Fantasies, Tiamat, advised her.

Taking her vessel, the headband, from her head, Wilhelmina held it aloft. In a flash of pinkish fire, it transformed into a war mask with cat-like ears and jewel-like eyes, but most distinctively, even more ribbons grew from the back of it like long white hair. Indeed, even as she put the mask on her face, the Flame Haze's hair was completely covered by the wig of ribbons even from the back.

"Indeed, whatever they are planning, it must be summoned as soon as possible ~de arimasu," the Flame Haze said as she raised and stiffened a number of ribbons in the direction of both of the opposing Denizens.

"To think it couldn't get any more toneless here," Tiriel remarked as she called forth more vines and readied them against Hecate. "But at least things are starting to get interesting."

Beside her, Sorath brandished Blutsauger while facing the newcomer. "We'll catch her and make her tell us where the Nietono no Shana is!" he said excitedly.

The Supreme Throne acknowledged the threat of the Flame Haze. Silently keeping her on the edge of her vision and still aiming Trigon at the twins, she raised her free hand in case she had to cast a spell at the Manipulator of Objects.

In human terms, it would be what would be called a Mexican standoff. But as tension grew, it would only take something so small as the sound of a dropping pin for all hell to break loose.

Episode 13: Alliance Broken

Standing in the middle of the track field of the school, Yuji held up the bronze mirror in his hand, the vessel of the Haridan. Here, Hecate's teachings would finally be put to practice. Although all they had really been doing was transferring Power of Existence to the Crimson Lord, it seemed that she believed he may be ready for the test.

Yuji took a deep breath. Although she may have trusted him, in honesty, he was not so sure himself. But there was nothing to lose, and no time to spare. Channeling his Power of Existence into the vessel with his eyes closed, he recalled the projection that had taken him by surprise in his room that one day.

To his wonder, the projection of the city once again manifested before him. Among the crystal buildings, hundreds and thousands of little flames stood still; these were Torches and humans frozen under the spell of the Seal, altered though it may be.

"I did it," Yuji said, pleased with himself.

After a brief while, the silent staredown was shattered by a cry from Sorath.

"Tell me where's the Nietono no Shana!" he said as he leapt at the Manipulator of Objects, who, in turn, sent ribbons at him. He hacked through most of them, and Tiriel caught the rest with her vines. It was at that point that Hecate made her move, taking advantage of the momentary opening. She fired a barrage of beams at both siblings, tearing through all of Tiriel's summoned defenses and blasting them apart.

Wilhelmina did not waste time and threw several ribbons to the ground beneath her, only for them to reemerge under Hecate before she could once again take to the air. With the Priestess immobilized with ribbons binding her hands and feet, the Flame Haze withdrew what remained of the ribbons she had sent at the twins and summoned more along with them before forming a large drill out of them. With this, she sought to impale the Supreme Throne.