Itadaki no Hecate Second

Gears Set in Motion

Long before that day, to the suspicion of no one, a discrete spell had been cast which passed from hand to hand among innumerable people: by way of lovers, siblings, gestures of respect, business deals, even coincidental brushes-up until it was passed from schoolmate to schoolmate, to the girl dressed as Alice who shook hands with Matake Ogata. As this spell branched out, a subtle but supernatural wind blew, growing ever closer until it found who it was reaching out for.

The moment Yuji and Ogata high-fived in that school hallway, arcane circles formed where their skin had made contact. The air around them suddenly exploded, shattering every window on the floor and knocking them both down. Had there been more room, there would have been a lingering gust as well, but because the space was so confined, there was only one way the wind could blow.

Before either of them could even tell what was happening, there was a beautiful woman standing between them. Her hair was long and bright green, and her eyes of blue-green fixed themselves on the current Mystes of the Reiji Maigo. Yuji knew this woman. He had seen her in the memories of another; this was the lover of his own predecessor, the Beautiful Whim, Pheles.

But how did she discover him so suddenly? Why now? But there was no time to find an answer for either question, he needed to act immediately.

"Fuzetsu!"

Episode 13: Gears Set in Motion

For miles around, the entire area was engulfed in a crimson field. The seal that froze time still carried the essence of the same azure flame that Yuji had come to be familiar with, as there was no need to bring forth the silver fire, especially while Margery Daw was close by.

As he picked himself up, the Beautiful Whim walked towards him with an extended hand. "Johann," she uttered longingly. Reaching out with soft and dainty fingers, she touched his cheek and looked right at him with wanting, yet at the same time, she was also not looking at the current Mystes of the Reiji Maigo. "I've found you."

As shaken as he was, even though he stepped back a few paces cautiously, Yuji held his ground. Had he not fought a dire battle of his own or understood the real meaning of fear and pain from the memories of others, he may have been paralyzed by the presence of one so terrifyingly strong, possibly rivaling even Hecate or Shana.

Gently, he took her hand and removed it from his face. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you take it," he said bravely as he looked her in the eye.

Just as quickly as her appearance, the Crimson Lord's expression exploded into rage, accompanied by another blast of wind. Before she could cause any more damage within the confines of that small space, Yuji shoved his hand forward and let out a stream of corkscrewing azure fire that hit her right in the gut.

Against one so strong, the bluish fire was hardly enough to damage her, but the pressure behind its constant channeling was forceful enough to knock Pheles off her feet and all the way to the other end of the corridor. When she crashed into the wall, Yuji put down his hand and took a moment to assess the situation before him.

His eyes widened by what he found in the space between himself and the Crimson Lord.

Clutching onto an open doorframe so that she would not be blown away was Matake Ogata, still animated within the crimson zone that was supposed to halt all mortal movement.

"Ogata-san?!" Yuji exclaimed as he hurried to her side and urgently tapped her.

The girl's eyes were shut tight, and she held onto her anchor for dear life. She was trembling, of course, and for a brief moment, Yuji recalled the first time the world had turned red and exposed its secret war to him. That same fright was reflected in this young girl right now, too petrified to move or listen to him.