Voleume 4—Chapter 91: Umbrakinesis
All the way across the world, at the great monument that honours Napoleon’s… Waterloo, Belgium.
Ground Zero.
The once peaceful landmark is now completely locked down, surrounded by more than ten esper operatives in tactical formation. Their attire looks civilian at first glance, but the way they position themselves, the precision of their movements, and the faint presence of concealed tools betray their true affiliation.
At the centre of the circle is the president of the Esper Association, Michael Henrickson. His expression is calm, but still wary of the figure they have surrounded.
“Ladies… welcome to Earth,” Michael greets in a deliberate tone.
The one Michael was welcoming was none other than the witch who had arrived in this world through the portal. She regarded the scene with calm amusement, her posture relaxed in contrast to the readiness of the espers around her.
“Quite a welcome you have for me… I am flattered by it,” said the witch, Emilia, her words laced with irony.
Behind her, half-hidden in the folds of Emilia’s cloak, a young girl clings tightly to her side. Syena. Her body trembles, her eyes darting nervously to the surroundings. Fear radiates from her every breath, as if she expects violence to break out at any second.
“Shall we talk?” Emilia asks, tilting her head slightly, her crimson gaze never leaving Michael.
“Talk?” Michael’s lips curl into something between a smirk and a sneer. “Do you really want to? I’ve never heard of a monster being interested in negotiation.”
“Monster?” Emilia repeats, almost amused. She gestures to herself, placing a hand against her chest. “Are you… referring to me?”
Michael’s eyes narrow. “I’ve seen things like you before. Beings that pretend to look human but bring only ruin. I’ve fought them, and I know what they are.”
Emilia’s smile does not falter. In fact, her amusement only deepens. “Interesting… “
“Well… I am here just to put this girl back home,” Emilia said with a calm voice, though her presence radiated an air of quiet menace.
“That girl?” Michael’s sharp gaze shifted to Syena, who was still trembling behind the witch’s side. The girl’s fingers dug into the fabric of Emilia’s dress, as if letting go would mean something bad would happen.
“Bring her home, huh… do you know her identity?” Michael asked, suspicion clear in his tone.
“Identity, huh…” Emilia tilted her head, almost playfully. The question amused her. “Well, she is underage, so she has no ID. But her name is Syena Fiolera.”
“Fiolera?…” Michael’s voice dropped slightly, the single word carrying weight. Hearing one of the most prominent family names spoken so casually from Emilia’s lips stunned him for a brief moment.
“Weird… I don’t think I recall having any reports of a Fiolera family member disappearing,” he muttered. Lifting his wrist, he tapped on his smartwatch, a faint glow lighting up the screen as he opened a secure line. He spoke quietly, likely requesting confirmation from one of his subordinates.
“Can we move into a more comfortable place? To talk?” Emilia asked, edged with impatience.
“I’m sorry, but we still can’t trust you,” Michael replied firmly.
“This is annoying…” Emilia sighed, a note of frustration finally slipping into her otherwise composed demeanour.
“Well, if you don’t want to talk…” She reached down, wrapping her arm protectively around Syena, and pulled the girl closer. “Sayonara.”
With that, Emilia’s form lifted from the ground, her figure rising gracefully as if carried by unseen currents. Syena clung to her tighter, eyes shut in fear. The air crackled with energy as the espers tensed, ready to respond.
“Hey… not so fast.”
Suddenly, a huge darkness surged upward, enveloping Emilia’s thigh like a living chain. It coiled tightly, halting her ascent. The shadows pulsed with unnatural strength.
Umbrakinesis. Michael Henrickson’s power.
“Shadowy power, huh…” Emilia murmured as something materialised in her hand. It was a broom.
“Hold this tight.” She pressed the broom into Syena’s small hands.
Syena obeyed without hesitation. The broom sprang to life, lifting the girl and shooting her away from the ring of operatives. “Woooah!!” she cried, carried fast and safe beyond the perimeter.
“Now then…” A sudden slice of golden light sheared through the shadowy chain that bound Emilia, snapping it apart and freeing her.
“You want a fight?” Emilia asked as she descended slowly back to the ground.
“Let’s do it,” Michael answered, setting his stance.
Emilia raised her hand, calm and precise. “But of course… let’s do it fair.”
A vast barrier bloomed around both of them, shimmering into existence and sealing the ground between witch and president. The operatives outside slammed against it, their shouts rising in one voice. “Press!”
“Tear this thing open!” another yelled.
No matter what they tried, the barrier would not give.
“Tell your men to stop their futile effort,” Emilia called. “Those are primordial barriers I put in place.”
“Primordial, huh? That sounds grand,” Michael replied, eyes locked on her.
“These barriers are reserved for battles of oath,” Emilia said. “An oath that can be broken only by one’s last breath.”
“So this barrier only goes away if I kill you?” Michael asked.
“That is one way to do it,” she returned. “But can you?”
Michael readied himself, the tension coiling through him like a drawn wire. “We will only find out if I try first,” he said.
“I will match your power,” Emilia said, centring herself. “I wield only light.”
“Be ready, mortal,” she added, voice steady and bright. “Those darknesses will meet my divine light.”
Both of them then start their battle…
And it will not be an ordinary battle at all.
The clash of light and shadow tore across the barrier, shaking the air like a storm caught in a cage. Every strike Emilia released blazed with a radiance that scorched the ground itself, while Michael’s shadows coiled and twisted, swallowing everything they touched into endless night. Sparks of opposing forces crackled as the two powers collided, filling the barrier with a deafening roar.
This was not just a fight between an esper and a witch, but a struggle where even the smallest mistake could mean annihilation.
Author's Note
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