Au + Ag - Hunter x reader

1

The lime-green flames roar towards me, swirling and dancing through the evening air. They snap at me like a ravenous beast, ready to devour me whole. Time seems to slow as my body lurches out of the way, slamming onto the floor and rolling away. I stand up, and just as the flames hit the tree behind me, I hear a loud crunch, a sharp crackle, and a distinct snap. Without looking, I know that the tree has been reduced to a smouldering stump. greenish ashes and cinders float around me like tiny fairies, while the blazing fire behind me distorts my shadow, making it unrecognisably long and twisted.

My focus shifts to the wild witch who cast the blaze at me. "Stand down, now! Hand over the book, and I will let you go!" I command. "Never!" They scream as they draw another spell, sending bolts of lightning at me. I swiftly grab my staff from my back and spin it rapidly in my hands, the metal flashing in the firelight. The moon-shaped head of my staff glows blue, and all the lightning bolts bounce off, burrowing through trees. The wild witch chuckles weakly as I draw a spell circle with my spinning staff and flick it into the ground next to them. The ground trembles as tree roots violently erupt, scattering dirt in all directions. They start to run as the roots wildly flail about, unsuccessfully catching them. I sigh through my nose. 'I hate it when they run'. I put my staff back in its holder and take off running in pursuit.

I chase after the wild witch, dodging roots and rocks that come in my way. They are incredibly nimble, but so am I. My legs start to move independently of my brain, and my fingers follow suit, drawing a spell circle around my wrist like a bracelet. I wave my now glowing hand in the direction of the wild witch, sending bolts of blue light at them. None hit. Instead, they carve through trees and rocks, showering splinters and pebbles everywhere. The wild witch stumbles, and that gives me enough time to close the gap between us. I leap at them with my hands outstretched, sending both of us tumbling downhill. We roll over each other for what feels like an eternity until we reach the bottom. I climb off of them and prepare myself for a physical fight. They scream as they rise from the floor and charge at me with a flurry of fists. I try my best to block them all, but a few get through. I yell in frustration as the last one connects with the side of my head.

I grab both of their forearms and kick them as hard as I can in the stomach. They gasp and fall with a crunch into the dead leaves, covering the floor of the forest. With a wave of my finger, a pair of handcuffs detach from my belt and float up to shoulder height. It's when I bend down to hoist the wild witch up that a weight collides into my back. I'm thrown completely off balance and fall over into the mud. I look up to see the wild witch on their feet, standing over me. Their palisman, a centipede, scuttles up their arm and drapes itself around their neck like a scarf; that must be what pushed me over, and I didn't even notice it was there. The wild witch glowers as they point their staff at my throat. "Stay there or lose your head. You can tell that insane old man that he can pry the book from my cold dead hands." they hiss.

We stay motionless, glaring at each other, me into their bright eyes, them into the darkness of my mask. Suddenly, an idea shoots into my brain. "If you lower the staff, I'll let you go. I will tell the Emperor that I could never find you." I lie. Their face shifts; they are still angry but slightly uncertain. Their staff lowers slightly, and I take my chance. I grab a fistful of mud and sling it at the wild witch's face. It splatters across their eyes, and they howl in pain. I get up and remove my staff from its holder, scramble onto it, and soar up to a tree branch. I hop off my staff and crouch amongst the leaves, hoping that I have enough room to enact my plan. Trying my best to balance, I draw a circle above me with my staff, which gently lowers around me. I look at my hand. I can't see it; only the rough bark behind where it should be, so the spell must have worked. Now I just have to hold my breath.

The wild witch stumbles around the clearing, snarling hexes as they frantically wipe at their stinging eyes. All I can do is watch. They turn their back on me, and I realise now is the time. I count to three in my head and let myself slide sideways off the branch. My hands are tightly clasped around my staff as I hurtle towards the wild witch. Just as I'm about to reach them, they whirl around with their staff raised. A wave of green energy surges towards me, and I have no time to dodge now. The energy whacks into me and sends me flying backward. I smack into a tree, knocking all the air from my lungs.