The battle continues one-on-one as Chiyo remains in her spot. She raises her arms, causing the icicles to grow longer and sharper. They slowly make their way behind Victor, but he is so engulfed by the geisha that he doesn’t realize what’s happening.
As Leo watches, he leans to the geisha beside him. “I told him to watch out for her. I also told him to be mindful of his surroundings. I don’t think he’s a good listener.”
The geisha gives Leo a bombastic side eye as she chews at her peach.
Victor and the geisha continue to engage in a sword fight. She eventually finds a moment to kick Victor backward. As Victor stumbles back, he bumps against the ever-growing icicles. He turns around to see that the space around him is getting smaller. He tries to figure out what he needs to do. His thinking is cut short as the geisha advances at him. As they swing, hit after hit, Victor’s eyes glow white. He starts using an air pulse to push the geisha back.
Chiyo looks on, lifting her head as she studies Victor’s actions. Victor uses a couple more air pulses to push the geisha back, further and further away. He picks up the geisha with his Air Magic and throws her around like a boat in stormy water. The spikes retract so that they do not impale the geisha.
Victor notices this as the spikes start to grow faster. He then creates a gust to pick up the geisha and flings her around the dome. As this happens, the spikes quickly retract. Victor then looks at Chiyo, and his eyes turn from white to blue.
Before Chiyo can react, she’s caught in a wave from the dome and is flung around.
Leo and the geisha beside him drop their jaws and peaches in amazement. Victor figured out how to get rid of those damn spikes. He creates water bubbles around Chiyo and the geisha and flings them around like rag dolls. The icicles start to disappear. Once the dome is spike-free, Victor releases them from their bubble.
The two women cough as they catch their breaths and try to wring water out of their kimonos. Chiyo stands up and uses Air Magic to dry her kimono and hair. She waves her hand over her face, removing her ruined makeup. Victor watches, his eyes still glow blue. Chiyo gestures for the geisha in dark green to leave. An opening appears, allowing the geisha to exit. As she walks out, she sits beside Leo, who hands her a peach.
When Chiyo closes the exit, she straightens her poster. “Very impressive, my young empath warlock. But now, playtime is over.” She throws her hand up and clenches it into a fist, engulfing Victor in a bubble filled with water. Unable to breath, he starts to panic.
The glow in his eyes begins to fade. His eyes flutter closed as he goes unconscious. His body is now floating inside the water. Then, before Chiyo is about to release him, Victor opens hiseyes that now glow bright white. Chiyo holds still, waiting for a reaction.
Victor opens his mouth, and bubbles start forming in front of him. Soon, a giant bubble covers his nose and mouth, allowing him to breathe again. Chiyo scoffs and begins to freeze the water, giving Victor more of a challenge. She twirls her fingers and wrist, causing the air around the water to swirl rapidly. Chiyo slowly walks toward him, watching as he struggles inside the bubble.
As the frozen water starts to close in on Victor, he holds out his arms. His eyes glow slightly brighter as he’s about to lose the battle. The remaining water around him starts to swirl around like a whirlpool. The force of the turbulence inside causes the frozen ball to burst. Chiyo goes flying as Victor frees himself from the icy water prison.She rolls around a few times before lying face down.
Leo and the geishas sit in silence for a moment until the geishas jump up to their feet and start applauding. Leo slowly joins in and gives Victor a look of great admiration. The dome begins to retract as Victor walks over to Chiyo. Chiyo looks up at Victor as he extends his hand to help her off the ground. She takes his hand and lifts herself to her feet.
She dusts herself off, takes a step back, and bows deeply. She speaks to Victor in Japanese, “Congratulations, My Young Empath Warlock.”
Victor bows in return and responds in Japanese, “Thank you, Master of Water.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Victor and Leo prepare for their return to the hotel by boat. Victor notices Leo smiling as he carries a crate of peaches on the boat. Off to the side of the courtyard, Chiyo is kneeling in front of a shrine, offering her evening prayer while the two geishas start packing things up. When Chiyo finishes, she walks over to the boat. She turns around, and with a flick of her wrist, all the lanterns and candles blow out. Leo helps her into the tiny ship, and they sail off.
Victor and Leo sit in the back as they enjoy the sunset. One of the geishas starts playing ashamisenwhile Chiyo plays thekoto. Victor feels a sense of tranquility as the breeze caresses his face and the water splashes against the boat. Having no motor on the boat helps with the serenity. Leo and Victor kick up their feet while the second geisha uses her Air Magic to move the boat across the lake.
Victor starts to doze off, and Leo wraps his arm around Victor’s shoulders, letting Victor lie against him. Chiyo gives Leoa little smirk as she keeps playing music. Looking down at herkoto, she starts to feel something is wrong. Chiyo stops playing and looks up. The geishas notice her gaze and look behind them.
A massive wave is approaching.
Chiyo jumps up, “Shit! Hang on!” She twirls her arms and wrists to help propel the boat faster across the water. They are still about half a mile away from the shore. Leo and Victor wake up as the boat jerks under them. They turn around and see the wave coming at them.
“What the fuck is going on?” Leo shouts.
“I think someone found our empath!” Chiyo shouts back.
“Why are they coming after me?” Victor asks anyone who will answer.
“We don’t know. It might have something to do with your ability,” Chiyo answers.
“But why me? Superior Charles is an empath too,” Victor questions.
Chiyo looks back at the wave and then down at Victor. “It might have something to do with your grandmother.”
The wave is gaining on them. They still have 500 feet to go.
Victor looks back at the wave and then at the shore. “We’re not going to make it!”
