The Witch Hunter (part 16)

Title: The Witch Hunter
Author: KrystalKatz
Genre: Au, Action Adventure
Rating: R
Length: Chaptered
Pairings: Matsumoto Jun/Ninomiya Kazunari, Ohno Satoshi/Ninomiya Kazunari, Sakurai Sho/Aiba Masaki
Guests: Nakamaru Yuichi, Ikuta Toma (Yamashita Tomohisa),
Disclaimer: I only own the plot... L
 
Matsu stared at the demon’s glassy emotionless face, not knowing what to do, “Nino? He said touching the demons face, shocked at how cold it was.
“What’s wrong?” Sakurai asked and then looked at Aiba, who came forwards his face relaxing slightly as he realised what was going on
“He’s been summoned” Aiba said waving a hand in front of Nino eyes, “The lights are on but there’s nobody home...”
“But who’s summoned him?”
“I don’t know I’m betting its Yuu-chan though” Aiba said looking at his father without concern, “I used to summon him a lot when I was a kid... Thinking about it, he must have looked like a statue, I wonder if a bird ever sat on his head...”
“Aren’t you worried?”
“No... What comes out of the other side is just a shadow, a bit like when we summoned Yuichi” Aiba shrugged “They can’t harm him, unless someone summoned him while someone else attacked his physical body... All we can do is wait until he comes back...”
Nino blinked trying to sort his vision out, realising he had been summoned, greatly relieved when he saw Nakamaru staring at him, “You know there are easier ways to get a guys attention” He said with a smirk
“You summoned me I summoned you...” Maru said with a shrug, Nino nodded
“So... Have you thought about it?”
“You will really bring back Kame... The three kings?” The trickster asked correcting himself quickly not looking at the demon
“Yes...I will bring them back” Nino promised
“Then my answer is yes... I’ll help; though, I’m not really sure what you want me to do...” Maru sighed “You know I hate violence”
“Sometimes it has to be done but we’ll talk more when we’re face to face...” Nino told him, Maru nodded touching the side of his nose with his thumb “You still have that nervous tick, Maru?”
“Are you still a slut?”
“I’m too old to change” Nino flashed a grin, while Maru sighed
“I will meet you at the halls” The trickster said, as Nino’s vision shifted again, finding himself back on Niji on top of the hill.
“I feel sea sick” He moaned looking at his three companions who could instantly tell he had good news from the shine in his eyes “Maru has agreed to help us” He said getting down from Niji and stumbling slightly “He will meet us in the halls”
“Are you okay?”
“Hmm, yeah a summoning is a bit like being on a boat in the middle of a storm... I really hate boats” Nino sighed, leaning against a tree while his head cleared.
“So he agreed?” Matsu asked when Nino’s face regained colour
“Yes, I guess he is still hung up on it” The demon laughed then freezing slightly he turned back to face the hill “Someone’s coming...another hunter...”
The rest of the group watched the hill and sure enough they saw a figure riding up to meet them. Aiba tensed years of being watchful of hunters causing him to forget he wasn’t technically a witch any more Sakurai ran a hand up and down his back trying to reassure him, the new hunter stopped in front of them and then jumped down of the horse. Matsu relaxed when he saw who it was and a smile formed on his lips
“Toma” He breathed thankfully relaxing and motioning for the others to do the same.
“Hey, Jun” The newcomer said with a smile and then looked at the other three taking a bag from the horses back “I brought you some food, you shouldn’t go the halls yet, the master hunter isn’t there and Nino will just be stuck in a cage or burnt”
“Excuse me?” Nino said his eyes wide “Who are you?”
“Ikuta Toma, nice to meet you”
Nino looked at the mark on his neck, “You follow the third”
“Yes I serve Yamapi” Toma grinned touching his neck lightly, causing Nino’s eyes to widen even more; it had been years since he had heard anyone else address the third as ‘Yamapi’. Nino watched as the hunter unpacked a bag of food and motioned for Matsu to step aside
“Who is he?”
“He shared my room when I first came to the halls he was a sort of friend but...” Matsu chewed his lip slightly looking at Toma who was offering Aiba and Sakurai some food “He’s always been... Weird...” Matsu sighed “He used to say the third talked to him sometimes when he was lonely, but he was picked on a lot so he stopped...”
“The third talked to him? What did he say?”
“I don’t know... I didn’t bully him for it, but I thought it was strange” Matsu admitted “I mean it can’t be real right?”
Nino shrugged and then turned to Toma “He did know we were here... And he knew my name and the third’s nickname... Toma...”
“Yes” Toma said with a bright smile
“The third talks to you?”
Toma looked at Matsu and then nodded “Yes...”
“What does say?”
“Nothing much... He just talks...” Toma shrugged “He told me you were coming today and that I have to help you...”
“How long has he been talking to you?”
“Since I was little... At first he used to scare me... But now it’s nice...”
“Is he talking to you now?”
“Not at the moment... Ah wait, he said to tell you that ‘you’re still an irritating flirt, but I’m glad you’re still on our side and before you start asking I don’t know how I’m able to talk to Toma and no you can’t talk to Oh-chan, I’m the only one here’” Toma said flashing another smile. Nino stared at him in mild surprise and then shrugged
“It’s not the strangest thing I’ve seen... Does your connection have any benefits?”
“Not really, not that I’ve seen, I mostly get a lot of headaches” Toma shook his head “And people think I’m crazy most of the time”
“You’re going to fit in well then” Aiba grinned “I’m Aiba Masaki, I’m Nino’s son I used to be a witch, but Nino talked Death into letting them go into my body and kill my witch side... I’m also sleeping with the monk, Sho-chan...”
“Nice to meet you...” Toma said his smile faulting just a little, as he looked at Aiba’s excited face and then at the blushing monk who was trying to tell his hyper boyfriend that not everybody needs to know that they’re sleeping together. Matsu stared at his fellow hunter feeling guilty that he hadn’t believed him, Nino seemed to think it was possible. Thinking back he hadn’t bullied him for it but he never stopped the others either.
“Hey pretty hunter, get something to eat” Nino said “As the other said we should wait until the master hunter returns... “
Matsu nodded and came to join them eating the food Toma had brought. He watched his old friend for awhile, Toma was talking to himself softly; it was something he hadn’t seen since they were younger. Aiba and Nino were acting as if was perfectly normal for a grown man to be sat talking to himself, which as Aiba had said it wasn’t the weirdest thing they’d en counted since Nino had saved his life and bound to him that day. The only one who seemed disturbed by it was Sakurai, he kept looking at Toma as if he was dangerous, which was rather amusing when he cuddled up to a former witch at night. He wondered why the third could talk to Toma and what they spent the time talking about.
“We can go now, the master hunter should be back” Toma said after awhile when they’d all finished eating.  Nino nodded with a look of relief on his face as he climbed onto Niji. They reached the halls just as the master hunters carriage did
“Toma? What are you doing out?” A voice asked when he saw Toma and then his surprise grew as he saw Matsu. “Jun you’re alive...”
“Master” Matsu said with a polite bow, aware they were attracting a lot of attention from the halls the master seemed to be aware of that as well
“I guess you and your party should come to my offices... Toma you may go...”
“Sorry master... But I have to follow Jun and Nino” Toma sighed pinching his nose “Yes... I know... I am...” He said more loudly than before and there was a murmur from the assembled hunters, Matsu looked at Nino who was shrugging with a small smile on his face
“I guess he’s with us” He said and Toma smiled happily, the master raised an eye brow and then nodded, leading them through the halls and into his office. The master listened silently to Matsu’s story looking at Nino his eyes wide when Matsu told him who he was
“And we should just take the word of a demon or the unholy king?”
Nino rolled his eyes “We could just stand here all day while I prove what we’re saying or you could just believe us and we could save as many as of your hunters as possible... Maru’s here... Excuse me...” The master and the group watched him leave with bemused expressions on their faces.
“Is he always like this?”
“I’m surprised you haven’t slept with him” Matsu mumbled before he could stop himself, looking at the floor when the master looked at him strangely “I meant met him”
“I’ve heard the name Nino a few times over the years” The master said “But no I’ve never met him, or slept with him”
“He’s telling the truth...” Toma said with a helpful smile. The master looked at him and then sighed
“I know... I’ve suspected something was going on for awhile... But to think we’re going to trust the unholy king over the first hunter... A lot of the hunters won’t be comfortable with this”
Matsu almost sagged with relief, “But if you believe us... They will have too...” He said
The master smiled gratefully at him “So I guess, Toma is a part of your little group?”
“I don’t know... I guess” Matsu answered looking at Toma who seemed to be suffering one of his headaches.
“I suppose I should hold a meeting...Oh... Welcome home, Jun and happy birthday...” The master smiled “I only wish it could have been a better home coming...”
“Thank-you”
They left as the master summoned all of the hunters into the main hall, Nino was nowhere to be seen at first and then he came in followed by the nervous man from the summoning circle.
“Jun... This is Nakamaru Yuichi... Maru, this is Matsumoto Jun” Nino said
“Nice to meet you... You really are the hunter without a ruling king...” Maru said eyeing the mark on his neck “Thank-you for helping...”
“Um... You’re welcome... And nice to meet you too...”Matsu said, wondering how this man was ‘the trickster’ it was as bout as believable as Nino being the unholy king. The trickster was said to weld a lot of power but the guy in front of him looked barely able to summon a protective fire. Maru gave a smile
“I know what you’re thinking... But if you’re really going to bring back the three I won’t let you down...” Maru said “So which is the one that talks to Yamapi?”
“He’s the one that looks like he’s talking to himself” Nino answered with a smile, motioning to Toma who was sitting by himself in the corner. Maru nodded and with another smile left.
“He’s strange... Not what I was expecting when you said help”
“Trust me, if it means getting Kame back he won’t let us down just don’t put him in a tower with a lot of windows, him and the monk will have to be kept at ground level...” Nino told him, Matsu sighed sliding down the wall to sit on the wood floor.
“So we have you, a former witch, a monk the trickster and Toma”
“We also have you” Nino murmured smiling down at him “You’re the biggest part of this...”
“It’s weird... To think I came back on my birthday” Matsu murmured looking up at him from his position on the floor.
 “Happy birthday” Nino smiled coming and sitting on his legs, facing him and giving him a quick kiss Matsu smiled “Though I’m sure it’s not exactly the happiest one...”
“I’ve had worse” Matsu shrugged and then kissed him again deeper this time ignoring the looks from the other hunters as he tasted Nino’s lips, loving the feel of his arms him around him surrounding him with his strange body heat. Nino pulled away first and then pulled something out of his pocket.
“Here... This is for you...” The demon said handing him a pendent Matsu stared at it realizing he had seen Aiba wearing one similar, he was sure he had seen the design somewhere before but he wasn’t sure until Nino murmured “It’s the symbol of the unholy king... My symbol... It’s weird for a mortal to wear it, let alone a hunter... But as long as you are, think about me... As Nino...” He voice trailed off slightly as he looked down at the black and gold pendent in Matsu’s hands.
“Nino, what’s wrong?”
“If... When we see... Akanishi... It will be hard to hold on to who I am... I might be gone before you have to kill me...”Matsu hugged him tightly burying his face in his chest, so the demon wouldn’t see the tears framing his eyes; Nino smiled kissing the top of his head “I do love you, Jun...”
“Me too...”
“There’s a group of demons coming...” An elder hunter said doing best not to stare at Nino with disgust, “Not quite an army but there is a lot of them...”
“Rebecca and the others” Nino sighed after he froze for a moment “Let them in” He motioned to master hunter who raised an eyebrow but nodded. Nino climbed off of Matsu and helped him up, looking around for his party, which had already included Toma and Maru. Maru caught his stare and gave a nod, though Matsu was unsure what Nino had silently asked of the trickster and wondering if it had something to do with why he and Nino hadn’t been seen for awhile when he had first arrived. The large doors opened and a large number of demon marched in, led by the female demon from the other day.
“Your majesty... I brought who I could find...” Rebecca said as she looked around the halls her eyes full of ill disguised hatred of the hunters “They will serve you... And your... Our master”
“Thank-you, Rebecca” Nino said surprised by the number she had found in such a short time “You will all serve me?”
“Yes your majesty... We serve our unholy king...”
“And my master, you will serve him? And my son” Nino asked motioning to Matsu who had just finished putting on the pendent and Aiba who was sitting with Sakurai. The demons looked at them, and then slowly nodded
“We will serve”
“Then bind yourselves to my party...All of you...” Nino said ignoring the whispers of the other hunters, and Toma’s low talking to himself or Yamapi. The demons nodded slowly and came to stand in a line in front of Matsu taking the knife Nino offered. The hunters watched as one after one the demons bound themselves to Matsu, Aiba, Sakurai, Toma, and Maru and then gave their blood to Nino. When they were all bound and Sakurai recovered Nino nodded “Thank-you all... When the time comes... Maru will treat you kindly...”
The demons looked at Maru who was nervously touching the side of his nose, they frowned for a moment trying to work out who he was “The trickster?” A few murmured with surprise and then the feel of the demons changed and they looked at the king with more than forced servitude but something close to respect. Even Rebecca’s eyes had softened “Thank-you your majesty” They said “We will serve you proudly”
“Serve my party...” Nino frowned slightly and he gripped the pendent “You should get yourselves accustomed to this place before the attack”
“Nino?” Matsu said grabbing the demons shoulder
“I’m fine... Just a twinge” The demon smiled “Come on pretty hunter... Show me around while we still have time...”
 
 
A/N: Part 16, Happy Birthday MatsuJun:-P... Ah sorry for making Toma ‘spacey’ Hope you enjoy ^ . ^