Setting: Robin is working in an office building. Several of her co-workers are doing the same, talking amongst themselves and using the computer. She recognizes them as Karasuma, Sakaki, and Michael. Their supervisor and the secretary are also there. Robin decides to make some coffee for everyone. She's in the middle of pouring a cup for Michael when suddenly, there's a massive explosion by the elevators. Everyone gets down under their desks, except for Robin, who is too stunned to move. Glass shatters and armed guards rush in, pointing their guns at everyone. Karasuma yells for Robin to run as she pulls out a gun from her desk. Sakaki does the same. Michael tries to move and gets shot. Sakaki and Karasuma are shooting back, but they get shot too. The Chief, even the secretary all get shot. Everyone is bleeding badly, and the armed guards move towards Robin, ready to shoot her at point-blank range.
Suddenly, another explosion from outside--and a flash bomb get thrown into the middle of the room. As everyone is shielding their eyes, someone abruptly touches Robin's shoulder and lifts her up. It's a tall man with a serious expression, someone Robin recognizes as Amon. "Come with me," he says.
While the guards are distracted, they run into the emergency stairwells, Amon securing each flight with extra security so that it will take time for their pursuers to reach them. Amon explains that the armed guards are here to hunt Robin, as they have deemed her powers dangerous. Robin asks him: "If that's so, why are you helping me?" He doesn't answer. Robin asks Amon if he's the one who hunted Kate, her predecessor. He confirms that he did, and explains that she was trying to smuggle out STN-J secrets. She was losing control of her Craft, her power, and knew she would be hunted as a witch one day; so she tried to sell out the STN-J to satisfy her last grab for power.
Amon remarks that he never felt any trust in Kate as a partner, and Robin realizes that means Amon must trust her in her, must believe in her, somehow.
They reach the basement level, in a large room with an old-fashioned well in the center. Robin uses her pyrokinesis and blasts a hole in the exterior wall of the building so that they can escape, but Amon knows of a secret passage through the well. They can use the blasted wall as a diversion.
Amon says he doesn't think Robin is a witch. Robin is worried about the others, but there's no time. Amon urges her to climb into the well passage. Inside the secret passage, Amon suddenly gets very close to her, and slips a piece of paper into her hair, holding her face. He instructs her to contact the man written on the paper if she needs help. Robin is shaken and doesn't know what her feelings are doing. Then, Amon leaps back out of the passage and starts to close the shutter, intending for him to stay behind.
Robin frantically reaches back, urging him to come with her, telling him that if he stays he'll get shot, or killed. Amon tells her he can't go with her, and to just run. She can't let him die like this...! She tries to hit the switch to stop the shutter, but he pushes her inside just as the shutter closes. Right before he's sealed away, the last words he says to her are: "[name], the next time I see you, I..."
The shutter closes. Robin is alone in the darkness, the sound of her own ragged breathing strangely loud. She is frozen. She hears an explosion, and more gunshots. She starts to shake. She hears the thud of a body hitting the ground. She starts crying, sobbing Amon's name and trying in vain to open the shutter.
She lays there in the passage stairwell for a long time, crying until she can't cry anymore. And then, finally, she descends the stairwell further into the passage.
Robin is stranded on a highway outside of town, her vespa having run out of gas. It starts to rain. Just as she's wondering what to do, a woman in a car pulls up and agrees to drive her into town. Robin is grateful that the woman came in the nick of time. The woman says she's on her way to scold one of the young women who works for her for not showing up to work or calling in. She gives Robin an umbrella to borrow, and her business card so that she can return it whenever. The woman's name is Yano Eiko.
The next morning, Robin brings an extra tank of fuel to keep at the front desk, and happens to see the front page article of a newspaper the guard was reading--and sees that Yano Eiko died in a violent car crash the previous night. She grabs the paper and heads upstairs before the guard can say anything. She asks Michael to look into it, but he says there are no anomalies about the case. The others ask Robin what's up, and Robin tries to play it off until the second she sees Amon. She grabs him and drags him out of the room, saying she needs him to drive her to go pick up her vespa. He is mildly flummoxed. In the car, he starts to tell her he's not her chauffeur, but she ignores that and asks him to take a quick detour.
They go to the scene of the accident and call Karasuma there. At this point both Amon and Karasuma are clearly cranky about this, but Robin is heedless. She explains that she saw the woman who died right before, and that she wants to know what happened in the last moments of her life. Karasuma says she's not here just to satisfy Robin's curiosity, but Amon says that she (meaning Robin) will be satisfied if she does it, and also calls Robin a child, so thanks for that Amon. Karasuma touches the ground and says she feels "tremendous surprise", but nothing else. They argue about the incident--could she have been surprised by a cat jumping out? But there aren't any skid marks on the ground, plus she has a weird wound in her neck. Though she could have gotten that if she had been thrown through the windshield. Unsatisfied, Robin says she wants Amon to take her to see the girl Yano Eiko had said she was visiting the night before. Amon's a sucker, so he does, commenting he had no idea Robin could be so aggressive.
At the girl's apartment, Robin spins a tale that she was going to be Yano's sister-in-law, and Amon her fiancee. Amon is just so out of his element. She goes on about how MY BROTHER'S BEEN IN SHOCK SINCE EIKO DIED etc. etc. Robin plz. They question the girl about Yano's visit, but she girl doesn't seem to know anything... and she's entirely dispassionate about it. Robin finds it suspicious that the girl doesn't even feel sad about her boss's death. They leave, and Amon finally agrees to pick up her vespa, but Robin realizes that she forgot to bring the fuel tank. God.
As they return to the STN-J hq, there's a message for Robin from Michael. Everyone gathers in the meeting room to do some slightly less-than-legal digging on the girl. Karasuma voices her objection, and Michael says that if he had to choose between orders and curiosity, he'd choose curiosity. He pulls up some data on the girl--a CT scan of her brain, and says that the scan indicates typical symptoms of multiple personality disorder, though the girl herself has never displayed any. Robin thinks she's a witch, and Karasuma says she can't just accuse anyone abnormal of being a witch, and then accuses Robin of just wanting an opportunity to use her powers, to which Robin hotly asks Karasuma if there aren't any times when she wants to use her powers? They're interrupted by the Chief, who reprimands them all for digging up personal info on an unrelated individual. Robin takes responsibility for it, and the Chief sends her home for the day. She protests at first, but relents when Amon tells her to do as she's told. Robin is also kind of a sucker.
Later, the guard drives Robin to pick up her bike, which uses mixed fuel so she has to measure it carefully. It rains while she drives home, and she laments over everything that's happened up until that point. At her apartment, Robin is mulling over things with a towel over her head. The kettle is boiling on the stove, and the fire goes out. Touko, her roommate, gets up to turn it back on, but Robin sets it alight with her powers, surprising Touko. Touko angrily tells Robin never to use her craft in the apartment, but relents a little when she sees how sad Robin is. Touko pours tea, and asks Robin if she knows anything about the Law of Conservation of Matter. She compares it to human emotions, saying that feelings, like matter, don't just disappear into thin air. Robin excitedly says that she DOES understand, and that she'll try to have more faith in her own feelings.
Robin goes back to the girl's apartment, only to find the door open. She enters and finds a room full of dolls, and when she turns around, one of the dolls is floating in the air, holding a box cutter. A voice comes from the doll, vowing not to let anyone stick their noses into "their" secret. All the dolls begin chanting, and the doll with the box cutter lunges at Robin. She quickly puts on her glasses and sets the doll aflame, who screams as she hits the ground. The girl rushes into the apartment at that moment, trying to put the fire out. All the dolls rise up into the air, telling her to kill Robin and avenge the doll. Before she can do anything, Amon shows up and shoots the girl in the back, and yells for Robin to burn the dolls, as they are also part of the witch. Robin whirls around and all the dolls go up in flames, screaming. The apartment quickly goes up, and Robin and Amon, carrying the girl, rush outside. The girl escapes Amon's grasp and runs back into the apartment. Robin tries to stop her, but it's too late.
Back at HQ, Karasuma congratulates Robin for a job well done. Robin confesses that she was just sad someone she knew had died, and that she wanted to do something to take her mind off of her grief. That's what clued her in on the girl being a witch--she just didn't seem sad about Yano at all. "I wanted to believe that someone passing away was something that would always move someone emotionally, no matter what." Later, Robin stands on a bridge in the rain, and apologizes to Yano for being unable to return her umbrella. She tosses Yano's business card in the water, and then sees two people sharing an umbrella on the bridge across the way: Touko, and Amon.
Robin gets a phone call at 4am again, but by this point she's used to it. She answers in Italian. She and Amon are called about a body, one that shows unusual signs of death. They verify that while the victim died of burning to death, there are no signs of smoke inhalation and no signs that anything else in the room had burned. The coroner remarks that "it was as though he burned from the inside, like in a microwave oven". Robin is immediately disturbed, because that sounds a lot like HER power of flame. She and Amon leave, and the coroner says, "Wait, I thought you guys were here to take the body!" And she and Amon give him matching glares over their shoulders. Back at the STN-J, Michael's already dug up a suspect. It's a young woman, and Robin wonders what had happened to cause this in her. Everything about this case is hitting a little too close to home. Amon breaches the subject that Robin does not want to talk about:
Amon: As I recall, you were born in Japan, right? Robin: I moved to Tuscany when I was really young, though. Amon: But even so, you can't deny the possibility that a blood relation to you may still remain somewhere in this country.
Robin doesn't have it in her to reply, and pretty soon they head out to join Sakaki and Karasuma to stake out the witch. As they reach the apartment, they find the door unlocked but the chain intact--which Robin burns until it melts away. They find a body in the bedroom covered in a sheet, with an open laptop on the nightstand, and a pile of sand on the floor. They take the laptop back to Michael to see if he can crack it, which he does. The first thing he finds is a typed confession to murdering three men, by the suspected witch. However, the STN-J is only aware of one of the murders, and the other two appear to be alive.
As it turns out, the second murder happens overnight. But the DNA match of the body in the bedroom is that of their suspected witch, so they're at a loss as to how a dead witch could have carried out a murder. Robin suddenly recalls the sand in the bedroom. They go back to the bedroom, and Robin sees things she didn't notice before--multiple signs in the room indicate that it was an astral projection field. She theorizes that a spirit may have tried to contact the witch, or vice versa. Michael does some digging into the victims, and finds that they and the third would-be victim once ran a rehab organization for victims of domestic violence, but it was a cover up for an organ trafficking ring. Their suspected witch was once held there as a child.
Amon and Robin head to the next victim's location, but they can't reach him. Michael calls them and tells them that among the names of those who died at the facility was a girl with a remarkably similar name to the witch--her twin sister. Amon and Robin track the witch to another location, and head inside just to witness their witch burning the last victim alive. The witch then attacks them with her fire, subduing Amon but Robin counters with her own flames. They have a staredown, and the witch angrily proclaims that the only one who can use "that power" is her and her sister. She approaches, and Robin starts to panic, but Amon recovers just long enough to shoot the witch.
Back at HQ, the team surmises that identical twins probably would have the same power if their genetic structure is so similar. The astral projection was probably used by the witch to find out who killed her sister. Robin thinks that the reason the three victims killed the witch's sister was out of fear; one of them was running for election, and she knew about his past as an organ trafficker, so he had her killed, not realizing that her little sister was still alive. Robin feels sympathy for the twins, for trying to survive. Karasuma says that if they hadn't hunted her, the witch might have become a mass murderer. Robin acknowledges that, but she feels turmoil in her heart.
It’s early morning, and Robin and Amon are waiting in a car to pick someone up. The person who arrives is Father Cortion, an Inquisitor. An Inquisitor of SOLOMON is someone who interviews and tests a subject (usually someone with the craft) to determine if they can become a Hunter. Father Cortion says the air is “oppressive”, here. They drive him into town, and he tells Amon to stop at a park on the way to a church. The Inquisitor finds a large stone and examines it, muttering to himself and sniffing the air. Robin looks closer at the stone and sees it’s covered in Ogham letters, with a large rune in the center: Haglaz.
At the church, Robin visits Father Cortion, who is setting up an Inquisition Machine--a little bit of a relic for modern times, but the Factory deems some scientific measurements necessary, and this was the most modern equipment Inquisitors use. Their methods are a little… medieval. Robin reminisces on her own Inquisition: there weren’t any machines, just words. Father Cortion asks her if she recalls the symbols he gave her during her questioning: the eight runes of Hagal’s eight, sacred numbers linked to the secrets of the Craft. At the time, he suspects she didn’t understand the true meaning, and it would have been easy to become obsessed with their power. Robin recalls the Haglaz rune she saw, and the power it brings. Before they can talk further, the subject is brought in, and Robin has to wait.
She and Amon watch the proceedings on the security cameras. The proceeding is unpleasant. Father Cortion hurls accusations at the subject, dragging out every traumatic experience he’s had as a result of not being able to control his powers, and in turn the man tries to kill Father Cortion. Robin gets concerned that they should intervene, but Amon stops her. In the end, the subject either gains control of his power to hold himself back, or something in the machines prevents him from hurting Father Cortion--it isn’t clear. The result of the Inquisition: while the subject may have held up under pressure, the darkness in his soul was laid bare, and he is unfit to become a Hunter. Robin feels conflicted about these results.
Later, while she and Amon are tailing the subject, Robin has her first hallucination. As she watches the subject wander down an alleyway, suddenly she sees herself standing on a winding dirt path, dressed in a nun’s habit, her clothes fluttering in the wind. She hears Father Cortion’s voice speaking to her, and suddenly she’s in a church, sitting at a long table across from Father Cortion. Is this her Inquisition? Is this how it went?
Father: Excessive power leads humans to eternal darkness. Father: It is for this reason that endless patience is required. Robin: Those who awaken to their Craft must endure any treatment. Father: If they wish to live in this world. Father: But in the end, that proves to be impossible. Robin: What should I do, then? Father: You should know the answer to that. Father: Surrender your will, and leave everything to us. Robin: I didn’t ask to have the powers of a Witch. Father: Why do you use those powers, then? Robin: I don’t know, myself.
Robin turns away, and sees light filtering through slats into the room--into the shape of the Haglaz rune. Confused, she glances back at Father Cortion, but he’s gone. The church is gone.
She’s sitting in the car with Amon again. Amon is talking to Michael on the phone about the possibility that SOLOMON forced this man out of work and into solitary living just to bring out his powers. So that’s a fun thought. They continue to follow him, and find him getting ganged up on by some punks in a park. The man, whose powers involve compression and crushing, starts to crush each of the punks into nothing. Robin and Amon try to stop him. He’s too powerful for the orbo, and tries to crush Amon.
Robin… loses it. She asks the man if it’s that much fun to crush people. She says she won’t forgive him. And then she burns him into ash, completely immolating him into nothing. As she does so, she starts to cry. Amon looks shocked.
Later, as Father Cortion is preparing to leave, he tells Robin that this will probably be the last time they will meet, as it seems Robin has “finally awakened to the pleasure of using your own Craft”. Robin doesn’t understand what he means.
This is a memory of Robin's childhood. Robin lived in a Roman Catholic nun's convent in Tuscany, Italy. From an early age, she is aware that she was orphaned very young, that she is of mixed race, that she was born in Japan, and that her biological father was most likely Japanese. Robin's biological mother was once a nun at the same convent, and she died in childbirth. The only remnants of her parents that Robin has are her name: Sena (瀬名) from her father, and Robin from her mother.
Her legal guardian is Father Juliano Colegli, a priest at the church who knew Robin's mother. He's a stern but kind man, who is secretly a high-ranking member of SOLOMON, a centuries-old organization of witch hunters. Robin's aware of SOLOMON but doesn't pay it much mind because she's just a kid. Robin spends her early years being taken care of by Father Juliano and by the nuns, and while they are kind to her, it is an insulated life. She doesn't spend much time with other children her age, especially since she lives by the same structure and discipline as others in the convent: waking up at 5am for morning vigils and prayer, mass, cleaning and dusting the buildings, reading scripture, preparing meals, holding services for attendees from the local villages, and so on. She's educated within the church, and with a few exceptions (field trips to Florence, Rome and Vatican City one summer when she was 8) it is a quiet and simple life for a little girl. Some days she doesn't even see Father Juliano, but she's always pleased when he comes to visit.
He tells her that one day, she will awaken to something important, and when she does, she must tell him. Robin isn't sure what he means until after she turns 10. On a particularly cold autumn day nearing winter, Robin is sitting in the chapel by herself in meditative prayer, when the doors blow open, sending a gust of chilled air throughout the room. It blows out half the candles on the altar. Robin jumps in surprise, and reflexively turns to the candles to relight them--but before she can lift a finger, they relight spontaneously. Robin feels some kind of crackling energy under her skin, and weirdly, behind her eyes. She blinks a few times before realizing what happened: she relit the candles by creating the fire herself. She quickly runs out of the chapel and finds Father Juliano in his office, and tells him what happened. His expression is unreadable for a moment... Robin thinks she sees something like fear and sorrow, but then it's gone, and he's smiling at her, thanking her for telling him. He says that she will have to undergo some very strict training and studying from now on, but by doing so, she will ensure control over her "Craft" (what he calls her pyrokinesis) and become a hunter for SOLOMON. Robin has a feeling she doesn't have a choice in the matter.
From then on, Robin spends a lot more time with Father Juliano, along with other members of SOLOMON, and even meets other hunters. Most of them frighten her, but she starts to understand what the life of a hunter, of an officially-sanctioned "craft user" is like. Unlike witches, craft users are members of the church who vow to use their powers in order to hunt and subdue those whose crafts (powers) have gone awry. Many hunters kill their targets, but there is talk of using non-lethal methods to hunt witches instead. It's a hot debate amongst the higher-ups, but most everyone agrees that if the witch is killing people, then all bets are off. Robin accompanies her senior hunters on hunts a few times in order to observe, but she isn't expected to hunt just yet. Her control over her fire power gets better, although her aim is off sometimes. In addition, her studies now incorporate the history of witches, witch hunting, and the occult.
When Robin turns 15, she receives an order from Father Juliano that she is to be officially transferred to the SOLOMON branch in Japan (the STN-J) as a replacement hunter.
Robin is at work, and Amon places a pair of glasses on her desk. Bewildered, she asks him what these are for, and he tells her to give them a try. Robin is annoyed by Amon's presumptuousness, and tells him her eyes are fine. He walks away. She looks at the glasses with suspicion and more annoyance.
Later, she cleans her entire apartment. When Touko (her roommate) comes back from work, she's impressed and surmises that Robin is a bit of a neat freak. Robin explains that it's more like a habit, as cleaning was her big chore when she lived at the convent. On Sunday, Robin goes to attend services at a nearby church. On the way back, she stops by a local park and sees a girl painting. She approaches her, and compliments the girl on her art. She explains that she sees the girl painting often, and always wondered what it was she was painting. The girl confesses that she, too, was curious about Robin when she saw her pass by. Robin says she goes to church to pray, and the girl asks her if she believes in God. Robin says, "it's just sort of a habit". The girl says that she believes in God, and that is why she paints, to try and preserve the beauty of the world He created.
At work, Robin gets a FLOPPY DISK, A REAL ACTUAL FLOPPY DISK I forget sometimes this show takes place in like 1999. The floppy disk contains unsolved case files from the past 2 years, and instructions from Amon to memorize them. She asks where Amon is, and is told he's out with Sakaki. Doujima makes a comment to the effect of, "Robin's supposed to be his partner, not Sakaki", and privately Robin agrees.
As she looks through the case files, she finds an incident that happened at the park she walks by where her artist friend paints. Multiple murders, each victim found with lacerations on the body, died of blood loss. Robin wonders if the killer is still in the area, and Karasuma suggests taking a look around there. But first, lunch!
Robin and Karasuma go to Harry's cafe for lunch, and Robin asks Karasuma if she can read her mind. (Karasuma is also a Craft User, with the power of scrying) She places her glasses on the table, and asks Karasuma to "read" her. Karasuma touches the glasses and says, "Amon... partner... abandonment... why does this always happen?" Robin is impressed at Karasuma's ability, and Karasuma says that she didn't use her powers just then at all--Robin is just easy to read.
Robin pouts. Karasuma explains that her power is just reading intense emotions through physical objects. They discuss power classes for Craft Users--Karasuma is an S-Class, while Robin is an A-Class. Karasuma thinks that Robin could be an S-Class if she could be more accurate with her fire power. Robin says she doesn't know why she can't hit things better, and drinks her coffee sullenly, staring at the pair of glasses.
The STN-J get a call about a double homicide in the Walled City, an area of closely-built rundown apartment buildings housing about 150,000 people. The victims were heavily damaged internally, but not externally. As a result the team suspects that the witch responsible can generate microwaves. Robin notices a bunch of burnt out light bulbs wrapped in paraffin in the area. Curious, she takes one from the scene and holds onto it, which Doujima is absolutely incredulous about BECAUSE IT'S A CRIME SCENE, ROBIN. They don't have any other leads aside from an almost-identical case 22 years ago, so they have to go check out the Walled City--which will be difficult, as it's basically a labyrinth of old buildings. As Robin is searching, she is approached by an old woman in a wheelchair, holding a wooden cane:
Old woman: Do that all you want, you won't find whoever it is you are looking for. Robin: You know what I'm trying to do? Old woman: When you get older, you learn to see a few things. Old woman: When you get older... Old woman: So much that it's amazing. Old woman: How amazing... Robin: What? Old woman: Nothing. Besides, you aren't from around here, are you? Robin: [nods] Old woman: Then you ought to hurry out of here as fast as you can go. Robin: I'm not in any danger. Old woman: That's true, you wouldn't be. Old woman: But I can't say the same for those around you. Robin: Those around me?
Robin gets a text, and apologizes to the old woman for having to stay around for a while longer. She leaves, while the old woman watches her, solemn and unblinking.
Robin joins up with the others, who are waiting at another crime scene. The body appears to have been, uh, taken away by the locals. Karasuma scries the area, but doesn't feel anything except a "huge psychic burst" from earlier. Robin notices the same kind of burnt-out light bulbs all over the area, but no one knows what they mean. This is all very odd and no one is quite sure what to make of it.
The next day, Robin and Doujima ask a Factory tech in the area to look at the light bulb. They surmise that the power of the witch's electricity caused the bulbs to burn out and charred the paraffin covering, and Amon says that it was probably unintentional: the witch's power is out of their control, causing collateral damage--much like Robin's did before she got her glasses. Robin's a little unsettled by that casual diss.
Michael tracks the witch's location using a map of power spikes in the area, and Robin and Sakaki ride on Sakaki's motorcycle to the witch. The witch attacks, but Sakaki's orbo and Robin's fire aren't enough to subdue him. Just as they start to panic, all of a sudden all the electricity in the area powers down--not abruptly, like a wire was cut, but more like it just started to fade and flicker away. That gives Sakaki and Robin just enough time to subdue the witch. As the Factory is taking the witch away, Robin notices the old woman in the wheelchair in the crowd.
That night, Robin goes to HQ and sees Amon there, working alone. He explains that he was reading up information on the witch they hunted today. Although he was distantly related to a witch (and thus on the STN database), he hadn't shown any sign of his power until recently. Robin thinks it's strange, for some reason, to show no sign of a craft that strong. Something is bothering her. She can’t stop thinking about the old woman...
Robin heads home after work and checks the mailroom at her apartment. Touko, her roommate, has let it pile up again, so there's a lot. Robin sees that she has a letter with no return address and decides to head upstairs before opening it.
As she enters her apartment, something feels wrong. She sets her bag and the letter on the floor by the entrance, and slowly enters the darkened room. She turns on the light, and sees Touko bound and gagged, kneeling on an Ogham wheel inscribed into the floor, this time with the Lagu rune* in the center. Quickly she turns off the light, and sees shadowed individuals standing on her balcony. Shots ring out. Robin dives for cover behind a wall, and tries to send fire to the shooters--but it’s blocked by the Lagu rune. Robin slowly crawls towards Touko, who is shaking and crying. The attackers shoot again, this time hitting Touko dead on, who cries out in pain and collapses onto the floor. Robin is able to shield the bullets with her fire, but one of them she’s not fast enough with, and it hits her in the chest dead on. It doesn’t pierce her skin, but the impact sends her flying back.
Suddenly, Sakaki and Karasuma burst in the door, shooting at the attackers. They ask Robin what’s going on, but she doesn’t know. She sees that Touko collapsing broke the circle, so she can use her Craft--she burns up the curtains on the balcony. She and Sakaki pursue, but the attackers are escaping down the side of the building. Robin angrily runs to the stairs, despite Sakaki’s protests. On the way she asks Karasuma to take care of Touko.
On the stairs, she runs right into Amon, who tells her in a firm tone to stay where she is. Suddenly caught up in how scared and tired and hurt she is, Robin blacks out and collapses. She awakens in Karasuma’s car, vaguely aware of the voices of Karasuma, Sakaki, and Amon speaking while paramedics take Touko to the hospital. Robin overhears that Touko is being taken to the ICU, as she is not responsive. Karasuma takes Robin to stay at the STN-J hq, and Robin curls up on the sofa, sore and exhausted. She pretends to be asleep while the others talk, listening in on them.
They agree that timing of the attack on Robin and the Inquisitor’s arrival seems too suspicious; Karasuma says that it feels like the time Kate, who was Robin’s predecessor, was killed; Amon showing up out of the blue is suspicious too; What if Amon was involved in the attack? Robin tries to sleep, but it’s difficult.
*The Lagu rune represents water; it was likely put there as a shield against Robin’s fire power.
Robin, no longer working as a Hunter, is living in a different part of town. She is working as a courier, delivering packages and letters on a bicycle. She makes deliveries for the Nagira Law Office, and no longer wears her long Victorian dress, and her bike helmet hides her characteristic hairstyle. On one delivery, she sees a little girl and smiles at her. On the way out, she sees a dude try to pick the lock on her bike, and glares at him until he runs away.
Later, while Robin is on the streets, she notices Doujima, and tries to blend in so she’s not noticed… but then she sees that Doujima is being followed by some creeps. She decides to follow at a distance to see if she needs help. Sure enough, they try to mug Doujima when she gets to her car, and one of them is a witch who attacks her and sends her tumbling to the ground. Robin sets him on fire, and the other two guys run away. She urges Doujima to call into the STN-J as soon as possible.
Robin wants to leave right then, but Doujima pleads, and the two of them end up in a cafe to catch up on what's been going on since the attack. Everyone at the STN-J is more or less fine; the bullets that were shot were plastic, so aside from Sakaki who broke his leg, everyone is up and running again. They don’t know where Amon is, and Zaizen--their boss--hasn’t shown up since the attack. But they are all definitely running themselves ragged. Doujima doesn’t have any confidence in hunting, and Karasuma is trying to fill in for both Amon and Sakaki. Robin tells Doujima not to tell anyone at the STN-J that she’s alive or that Amon was the one who saved her. Doujima agrees, and asks Robin to help her if she has to hunt a witch again, but Robin says she can’t, for Doujima’s own safety. Before she leaves, Doujima tells her that during the attack an orbo gun and some data were stolen, but that was all. That strikes Robin as odd.
They part ways, and Robin returns to the law office, and gets gently scolded by the receptionist for being late. She heads upstairs, where there’s a loft and a bedroom that she now lives in. She collapses on the floor, having flashbacks to the attack and to the last time she saw Amon. “I’ll wait for you,” she says, “but I don’t want to just wait and do nothing.”
That night, she has dinner with Nagira, the owner of the law office. He's a kind of sleazy-looking older guy, but he's a lot sharper than he lets on. He reminds her that she needs to be careful, even hiding in the city like this. He took her in because of Amon, but it would be bad for both of them if she gets caught. He then shows her a picture of a building, zoomed in on a room where Touko is sitting, awake. Next to her is Zaizen. Nagira asks Robin if she knows who the man is, which Robin confirms. Nagira informs her that Zaizen is Touko’s father, and that Touko has made a physical recovery but appears to be in shock from the attack. Robin is flummoxed. How come Touko never told her? Can she trust no one?
Maybe the only person she can trust is Amon, Nagira suggests cheekily. Robin asks Nagira why he’s looking into the STN-J--is it because of her and Amon, or something else? Nagira says simply that he doesn’t like it when people try to slap labels onto people like “witch” and “seed”.
Robin is walking deep in the Walled City. She sees the old woman in the wheelchair that she met before. Robin asks her who she is, and then notices a rune carved in sand right in front of her. The rune is Ansuz, which means "god" (specifically refers to one of the Æsir, the pantheon of Norse gods). Robin looks up, but the old woman is gone. Robin can still hear her voice.
Old woman: I am time. Old woman: Time that has been building up like sediment since days long past in this world that is like the bottom of a valley. Old woman: That is me.
Robin continues searching and catches up to the old woman again. Robin takes a guess--this old woman is a Salem witch. The old woman pulls up her sleeve to reveal a mark on her arm--the rune of Ansuz--confirming Robin's suspicions. But at the same time, Robin realizes there's no way this is possible. The Salem witch trials were over 400 years ago. The old woman says that time doesn't always flow in the same direction, that it can be like a deep, stagnant pool. The old woman asks Robin why she aids the "Confraria" even though she is a witch herself. Robin tries to deny it, but there is something profound in the old woman's words. She calls Robin a descendant of Saturn, just like all the other witches.
Old woman: Do you know when the last Witch hunts were held? Old woman: England, 1717... Old woman: France, 1745... Old woman: Germany, 1775... Old woman: And Poland, 1793. Old woman: How many innocents were put to death during those hunts? Old woman: Some put the figure at several hundred thousand. Old woman: No, there are even some who say that 9,000,000 Witches were burned. Robin: Nine million! Old woman: However, the tragedy did not end there. Old woman: Those that envied the Witches' power continued their Witch hunt by sinking into the darkest depths of society like pockets of water hidden underground. Robin: That's not true! We only hunt Witches whose hearts have turned to evil! Old woman: For more than 300 years, I have been watching. Old woman: And for more than 300 years, I have heard those same words.
The old woman says that she will explain to Robin the truth behind what she really is. She carves another rune in the sand, drops her cane, and says, “In the name of the mages, I call upon you, O Loki.” Everything goes black.
You are walking through alleys, narrow streets surrounded by forebodingly tall buildings that form a labyrinth city. You find an open area between buildings, and see an old woman in a wheelchair. You ask her who she is, and then notice something drawn in the sand at her feet. A symbol--an ancient one, meaning "god", but not the God you serve. You glance up, but the woman is gone.
"I am time. Time that has been building up like sediment since days long past in this world that is like the bottom of a valley. That is me." You hear the old woman's voice speak inside your mind.
You keep walking through the labyrinth and find the old woman again. You can guess by now what she is; all the information you have at your hands points to a very specific type of ancient being. To confirm your suspicions, the old woman pulls up her sleeve to show a mark on her arm, the same symbol you saw in the sand earlier. But your logical mind stalls out: how can this be possible? This ancient group of people should have all died out over four hundred years ago. The idea of there being an immortal being like this is... too much for your mind to grasp. The old woman simply explains that time does not always flow in one direction, that it can instead be still, like a deep, stagnant pool.
Then, the old woman asks you a question: why do you aid the brotherhood? That long-standing fraternity that historically punished and killed people like her. People like you. People like us, she implies. You instinctively deny any association with this old woman. If she is indeed the immortal you suspect, she is an evil being. But the old woman is not having it. She calls you a descendent of the same evil god as her, and you hotly deny her.
The old woman cites centuries of history to point towards the brotherhood's bloodshed: thousands upon thousands of innocents were put to death in the name of your God. The exact number is unknown, but it could be into the millions. You claim that your people only punished those whose hearts had turned to evil, but deep inside you feel the seeds of doubt begin to form.
She will explain to you who she truly is, and then you will understand who you truly are, as well. She carves a rune in the sand, summons a god of deceit and illusion, and everything goes black.
This part is difficult to describe and it would be a pain to write up the entire script, so bear with me. Robin’s mental state is pretty shaky at this point anyway.
Everything is dark. Robin can hear the old woman’s voice throughout everything. At first, she sees images of cave paintings from ancient times, mostly animals. The old woman calls these gods, the first ones humans ever knew. Robin denies it, saying they are devils, and that the devil himself fell from Heaven because he let his desires consume him.
As Robin argues, sometimes she addresses a young girl who alternately speaks with a young girl’s voice, and sometimes the old woman’s voice. The old woman counters with the argument that it was not this so-called “Devil” who fell, but God himself, as numerous atrocities were carried out in God’s name. Robin sees images of people burning at the stake. Robin says that such things were necessary, to save humanity from its misguided ways. The old woman says that it was not out of salvation that God acted, but jealousy. Jealousy that there were those like God, with power to rival Him--Witches. Robin keeps arguing, but they just go in circles. The old woman reiterates: innocent people were annihilated, all for the sake of the jealous ones who craved the power of God that they did not possess. And Robin carries the blood of those who were put to the stake.
The scene changes again: this time, Robin is in a church, and sees a young woman draped in white, bowing before the Pietà. The old woman proclaims that the girl is praying for the last time before she is condemned to the stake. Robin approaches the girl, and freezes when she sees that the girl... is her. The scene changes again, and Robin is alone. The old woman accuses her of “hunting her own shadow”, and Robin has visceral flashbacks to every witch she’s hunted until now.
Suddenly, she hears the sound of a gun cocking behind her, and turns to see Amon coldly pointing it at her. She sees all the STN-J members pointing their guns at her. “Witches must be hunted,” says Amon. Robin clutches her head and cries out that she is not a witch. She is alone again, the old woman’s voice in her head. She demands to know what makes her different from all the witches she hunted. Even if her Craft is used to hunt witches, what makes her so different from them? Was her belief that she was better than the witches she hunted all it took to justify burning them, just as they have burned at the stake for centuries? Isn’t she just continuing the cycle of violence? Robin is shaking. She hears footsteps, and sees Amon in front of her, pointing his gun. “Witches must be hunted.” Robin pleads with Amon. She needs him to understand. She’s not a witch. She needs him to put down the gun. He won’t listen. He’s pulling the trigger.
Robin’s eyes are filled with flames--and everything is darkness again.
Robin is in the church again, and sees the young girl from before in the wheelchair. She smiles at Robin, and says it can finally end. Robin blinks, and she sees before her the old woman in the wheelchair, smiling as she burns. It has been so long. And finally, finally, it is over. Robin stares in shock, watching the old woman die until there is nothing but embers and ash. She sees that the wooden cane is still partially intact, and kneels to touch it. Instantly, she understands: this is the Arcanum of the Craft, and it contains 400 years worth of knowledge. She picks it up, and holds it tight.
Amon (the real one) approaches from behind, and tells her the old woman was Methuselah, an immortal witch. The only way they can die is to be burned by a fire that consumes their entire body. Robin guesses this is why Methuselah used her, so that she could finally die. Amon supposes that memories of being burnt at the stake are strongly tied to an existence like hers... memories like that must be too sad to bear, Robin thinks.
Later that night, Robin sends a message through her compact: “Recovered a relic that is possibly related to the secret of the Craft. Standing by for further instructions.”
Everything is very dark. You can hear an old woman speaking. You see images of ancient cave paintings, of animals, mostly. The old woman calls these gods, the first ones humans ever knew. They were worshipped as gods, and so they are gods. But you deny it; these are devils. You know what you have been taught, and you repeat it: the devil fell from Heaven because he let his desires consume him. As you argue, you are faced alternatively with the old woman and with a young girl in a hood who speaks with the old woman's voice. Sometimes the old woman speaks with the young girl's voice. She/They counter your argument with this: it was not this so-called "Devil" who fell, but God himself, citing the numerous atrocities that were carried out in God's name. You see flashes of images of people burning at the stake. You tell her such things were necessary, to save humanity from its misguided ways. Not out of salvation that God acted, but jealousy, she/they counter. Yes, jealousy that there were those like God, with power to rival Him. Frantically, you keep arguing, but it just goes in circles. The old woman and the hooded girl proclaim: innocent people were annihilated, all for the sake of the jealous ones who craved the power of God that they did not possess. And you carry the blood of those who were sacrificed.
The scene changes, and you are standing in a church. A young woman is bowing before the pietà, draped all in white, praying. The old woman's voice tells you that the girl is praying for the last time before she is condemned to the stake. You slowly approach her, but you freeze, because as soon as she lifts her head you can see--she is you.
The scene changes again. You're alone, and it is dark. The old woman and the hooded girl are both here. They accuse you of hunting your own shadow, and you remember all at once: every person whose blood is on your hands, whose lives you shattered. You hear the sound of a gun cocking from behind, and turn to see... him. That man. Standing right behind you, eyes cold, dispassionately pointing a gun at your head. You're surrounded. They're all pointing their guns at you. Someone like you... has to be put down. You clutch your head and cry out: I'm not like them! Suddenly you're alone again, and the old woman's voice asks you: what makes you so different from them? Was it the belief that you're different, you're special, enough to justify destroying their lives? To propogate centuries of violence? You're shaking, and you break out in a cold sweat. You hear footsteps, and you know that man is behind you again, ready to pull the trigger on you. Someone like you must be taken care of. You're dangerous. You're forsaken. But you need him to understand, you need him to put the gun down and listen. He's not listening. You plead, and plead, and slowly he pulls the trigger...
For a moment, all you see is fire.
You're back in the church again, unharmed. This time, the old woman sits before you at the altar, her body slowly catching fire. But she does not seem pained. She smiles at you, and with a sigh of relief, says that it's been so long now... and it's finally over. You watch her burn into nothing but embers and ash, frozen in shock. Once there is nothing left, you see something on the ground where she burned--it looks like a small wooden stick. You kneel and pick it up, and instantly you understand what it is: a fragment of memory, carrying centuries of knowledge. You pick it up and hold it tightly in your hands, and you feel something stir within you.
You realize vaguely that your eyes are your own again. The man--the real one--approaches and you learn from him that the old woman/the hooded girl was an immortal who could only die by sacred flame. You both suspect that memories of being burned at the stake would be tied strongly to an existence like that. Internally, you think that holding onto memories like that must be too sad to bear.
Later that night, you send a text message to an unknown number, informing the recipient that you have uncovered an ancient relic that may contain incredible and powerful secrets.
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maleficafe) wrote2018-12-09 11:59 pm
1. The attack on the STN-J
Setting: Robin is working in an office building. Several of her co-workers are doing the same, talking amongst themselves and using the computer. She recognizes them as Karasuma, Sakaki, and Michael. Their supervisor and the secretary are also there. Robin decides to make some coffee for everyone. She's in the middle of pouring a cup for Michael when suddenly, there's a massive explosion by the elevators. Everyone gets down under their desks, except for Robin, who is too stunned to move. Glass shatters and armed guards rush in, pointing their guns at everyone. Karasuma yells for Robin to run as she pulls out a gun from her desk. Sakaki does the same. Michael tries to move and gets shot. Sakaki and Karasuma are shooting back, but they get shot too. The Chief, even the secretary all get shot. Everyone is bleeding badly, and the armed guards move towards Robin, ready to shoot her at point-blank range.
Suddenly, another explosion from outside--and a flash bomb get thrown into the middle of the room. As everyone is shielding their eyes, someone abruptly touches Robin's shoulder and lifts her up. It's a tall man with a serious expression, someone Robin recognizes as Amon. "Come with me," he says.
While the guards are distracted, they run into the emergency stairwells, Amon securing each flight with extra security so that it will take time for their pursuers to reach them. Amon explains that the armed guards are here to hunt Robin, as they have deemed her powers dangerous. Robin asks him: "If that's so, why are you helping me?" He doesn't answer. Robin asks Amon if he's the one who hunted Kate, her predecessor. He confirms that he did, and explains that she was trying to smuggle out STN-J secrets. She was losing control of her Craft, her power, and knew she would be hunted as a witch one day; so she tried to sell out the STN-J to satisfy her last grab for power.
Amon remarks that he never felt any trust in Kate as a partner, and Robin realizes that means Amon must trust her in her, must believe in her, somehow.
They reach the basement level, in a large room with an old-fashioned well in the center. Robin uses her pyrokinesis and blasts a hole in the exterior wall of the building so that they can escape, but Amon knows of a secret passage through the well. They can use the blasted wall as a diversion.
Amon says he doesn't think Robin is a witch. Robin is worried about the others, but there's no time. Amon urges her to climb into the well passage. Inside the secret passage, Amon suddenly gets very close to her, and slips a piece of paper into her hair, holding her face. He instructs her to contact the man written on the paper if she needs help. Robin is shaken and doesn't know what her feelings are doing. Then, Amon leaps back out of the passage and starts to close the shutter, intending for him to stay behind.
Robin frantically reaches back, urging him to come with her, telling him that if he stays he'll get shot, or killed. Amon tells her he can't go with her, and to just run. She can't let him die like this...! She tries to hit the switch to stop the shutter, but he pushes her inside just as the shutter closes. Right before he's sealed away, the last words he says to her are: "[name], the next time I see you, I..."
The shutter closes. Robin is alone in the darkness, the sound of her own ragged breathing strangely loud. She is frozen. She hears an explosion, and more gunshots. She starts to shake. She hears the thud of a body hitting the ground. She starts crying, sobbing Amon's name and trying in vain to open the shutter.
She lays there in the passage stairwell for a long time, crying until she can't cry anymore. And then, finally, she descends the stairwell further into the passage.
2. Raindrops
The next morning, Robin brings an extra tank of fuel to keep at the front desk, and happens to see the front page article of a newspaper the guard was reading--and sees that Yano Eiko died in a violent car crash the previous night. She grabs the paper and heads upstairs before the guard can say anything. She asks Michael to look into it, but he says there are no anomalies about the case. The others ask Robin what's up, and Robin tries to play it off until the second she sees Amon. She grabs him and drags him out of the room, saying she needs him to drive her to go pick up her vespa. He is mildly flummoxed. In the car, he starts to tell her he's not her chauffeur, but she ignores that and asks him to take a quick detour.
They go to the scene of the accident and call Karasuma there. At this point both Amon and Karasuma are clearly cranky about this, but Robin is heedless. She explains that she saw the woman who died right before, and that she wants to know what happened in the last moments of her life. Karasuma says she's not here just to satisfy Robin's curiosity, but Amon says that she (meaning Robin) will be satisfied if she does it, and also calls Robin a child, so thanks for that Amon. Karasuma touches the ground and says she feels "tremendous surprise", but nothing else. They argue about the incident--could she have been surprised by a cat jumping out? But there aren't any skid marks on the ground, plus she has a weird wound in her neck. Though she could have gotten that if she had been thrown through the windshield. Unsatisfied, Robin says she wants Amon to take her to see the girl Yano Eiko had said she was visiting the night before. Amon's a sucker, so he does, commenting he had no idea Robin could be so aggressive.
At the girl's apartment, Robin spins a tale that she was going to be Yano's sister-in-law, and Amon her fiancee. Amon is just so out of his element. She goes on about how MY BROTHER'S BEEN IN SHOCK SINCE EIKO DIED etc. etc. Robin plz. They question the girl about Yano's visit, but she girl doesn't seem to know anything... and she's entirely dispassionate about it. Robin finds it suspicious that the girl doesn't even feel sad about her boss's death. They leave, and Amon finally agrees to pick up her vespa, but Robin realizes that she forgot to bring the fuel tank. God.
As they return to the STN-J hq, there's a message for Robin from Michael. Everyone gathers in the meeting room to do some slightly less-than-legal digging on the girl. Karasuma voices her objection, and Michael says that if he had to choose between orders and curiosity, he'd choose curiosity. He pulls up some data on the girl--a CT scan of her brain, and says that the scan indicates typical symptoms of multiple personality disorder, though the girl herself has never displayed any. Robin thinks she's a witch, and Karasuma says she can't just accuse anyone abnormal of being a witch, and then accuses Robin of just wanting an opportunity to use her powers, to which Robin hotly asks Karasuma if there aren't any times when she wants to use her powers? They're interrupted by the Chief, who reprimands them all for digging up personal info on an unrelated individual. Robin takes responsibility for it, and the Chief sends her home for the day. She protests at first, but relents when Amon tells her to do as she's told. Robin is also kind of a sucker.
Later, the guard drives Robin to pick up her bike, which uses mixed fuel so she has to measure it carefully. It rains while she drives home, and she laments over everything that's happened up until that point. At her apartment, Robin is mulling over things with a towel over her head. The kettle is boiling on the stove, and the fire goes out. Touko, her roommate, gets up to turn it back on, but Robin sets it alight with her powers, surprising Touko. Touko angrily tells Robin never to use her craft in the apartment, but relents a little when she sees how sad Robin is. Touko pours tea, and asks Robin if she knows anything about the Law of Conservation of Matter. She compares it to human emotions, saying that feelings, like matter, don't just disappear into thin air. Robin excitedly says that she DOES understand, and that she'll try to have more faith in her own feelings.
Robin goes back to the girl's apartment, only to find the door open. She enters and finds a room full of dolls, and when she turns around, one of the dolls is floating in the air, holding a box cutter. A voice comes from the doll, vowing not to let anyone stick their noses into "their" secret. All the dolls begin chanting, and the doll with the box cutter lunges at Robin. She quickly puts on her glasses and sets the doll aflame, who screams as she hits the ground. The girl rushes into the apartment at that moment, trying to put the fire out. All the dolls rise up into the air, telling her to kill Robin and avenge the doll. Before she can do anything, Amon shows up and shoots the girl in the back, and yells for Robin to burn the dolls, as they are also part of the witch. Robin whirls around and all the dolls go up in flames, screaming. The apartment quickly goes up, and Robin and Amon, carrying the girl, rush outside. The girl escapes Amon's grasp and runs back into the apartment. Robin tries to stop her, but it's too late.
Back at HQ, Karasuma congratulates Robin for a job well done. Robin confesses that she was just sad someone she knew had died, and that she wanted to do something to take her mind off of her grief. That's what clued her in on the girl being a witch--she just didn't seem sad about Yano at all. "I wanted to believe that someone passing away was something that would always move someone emotionally, no matter what." Later, Robin stands on a bridge in the rain, and apologizes to Yano for being unable to return her umbrella. She tosses Yano's business card in the water, and then sees two people sharing an umbrella on the bridge across the way: Touko, and Amon.
3. Sign of the Craft
Amon: As I recall, you were born in Japan, right?
Robin: I moved to Tuscany when I was really young, though.
Amon: But even so, you can't deny the possibility that a blood relation to you may still remain somewhere in this country.
Robin doesn't have it in her to reply, and pretty soon they head out to join Sakaki and Karasuma to stake out the witch. As they reach the apartment, they find the door unlocked but the chain intact--which Robin burns until it melts away. They find a body in the bedroom covered in a sheet, with an open laptop on the nightstand, and a pile of sand on the floor. They take the laptop back to Michael to see if he can crack it, which he does. The first thing he finds is a typed confession to murdering three men, by the suspected witch. However, the STN-J is only aware of one of the murders, and the other two appear to be alive.
As it turns out, the second murder happens overnight. But the DNA match of the body in the bedroom is that of their suspected witch, so they're at a loss as to how a dead witch could have carried out a murder. Robin suddenly recalls the sand in the bedroom. They go back to the bedroom, and Robin sees things she didn't notice before--multiple signs in the room indicate that it was an astral projection field. She theorizes that a spirit may have tried to contact the witch, or vice versa. Michael does some digging into the victims, and finds that they and the third would-be victim once ran a rehab organization for victims of domestic violence, but it was a cover up for an organ trafficking ring. Their suspected witch was once held there as a child.
Amon and Robin head to the next victim's location, but they can't reach him. Michael calls them and tells them that among the names of those who died at the facility was a girl with a remarkably similar name to the witch--her twin sister. Amon and Robin track the witch to another location, and head inside just to witness their witch burning the last victim alive. The witch then attacks them with her fire, subduing Amon but Robin counters with her own flames. They have a staredown, and the witch angrily proclaims that the only one who can use "that power" is her and her sister. She approaches, and Robin starts to panic, but Amon recovers just long enough to shoot the witch.
Back at HQ, the team surmises that identical twins probably would have the same power if their genetic structure is so similar. The astral projection was probably used by the witch to find out who killed her sister. Robin thinks that the reason the three victims killed the witch's sister was out of fear; one of them was running for election, and she knew about his past as an organ trafficker, so he had her killed, not realizing that her little sister was still alive. Robin feels sympathy for the twins, for trying to survive. Karasuma says that if they hadn't hunted her, the witch might have become a mass murderer. Robin acknowledges that, but she feels turmoil in her heart.
4. The eyes of truth
At the church, Robin visits Father Cortion, who is setting up an Inquisition Machine--a little bit of a relic for modern times, but the Factory deems some scientific measurements necessary, and this was the most modern equipment Inquisitors use. Their methods are a little… medieval. Robin reminisces on her own Inquisition: there weren’t any machines, just words. Father Cortion asks her if she recalls the symbols he gave her during her questioning: the eight runes of Hagal’s eight, sacred numbers linked to the secrets of the Craft. At the time, he suspects she didn’t understand the true meaning, and it would have been easy to become obsessed with their power. Robin recalls the Haglaz rune she saw, and the power it brings. Before they can talk further, the subject is brought in, and Robin has to wait.
She and Amon watch the proceedings on the security cameras. The proceeding is unpleasant. Father Cortion hurls accusations at the subject, dragging out every traumatic experience he’s had as a result of not being able to control his powers, and in turn the man tries to kill Father Cortion. Robin gets concerned that they should intervene, but Amon stops her. In the end, the subject either gains control of his power to hold himself back, or something in the machines prevents him from hurting Father Cortion--it isn’t clear. The result of the Inquisition: while the subject may have held up under pressure, the darkness in his soul was laid bare, and he is unfit to become a Hunter. Robin feels conflicted about these results.
Later, while she and Amon are tailing the subject, Robin has her first hallucination. As she watches the subject wander down an alleyway, suddenly she sees herself standing on a winding dirt path, dressed in a nun’s habit, her clothes fluttering in the wind. She hears Father Cortion’s voice speaking to her, and suddenly she’s in a church, sitting at a long table across from Father Cortion. Is this her Inquisition? Is this how it went?
Father: Excessive power leads humans to eternal darkness.
Father: It is for this reason that endless patience is required.
Robin: Those who awaken to their Craft must endure any treatment.
Father: If they wish to live in this world.
Father: But in the end, that proves to be impossible.
Robin: What should I do, then?
Father: You should know the answer to that.
Father: Surrender your will, and leave everything to us.
Robin: I didn’t ask to have the powers of a Witch.
Father: Why do you use those powers, then?
Robin: I don’t know, myself.
Robin turns away, and sees light filtering through slats into the room--into the shape of the Haglaz rune. Confused, she glances back at Father Cortion, but he’s gone. The church is gone.
She’s sitting in the car with Amon again. Amon is talking to Michael on the phone about the possibility that SOLOMON forced this man out of work and into solitary living just to bring out his powers. So that’s a fun thought. They continue to follow him, and find him getting ganged up on by some punks in a park. The man, whose powers involve compression and crushing, starts to crush each of the punks into nothing. Robin and Amon try to stop him. He’s too powerful for the orbo, and tries to crush Amon.
Robin… loses it. She asks the man if it’s that much fun to crush people. She says she won’t forgive him. And then she burns him into ash, completely immolating him into nothing. As she does so, she starts to cry. Amon looks shocked.
Later, as Father Cortion is preparing to leave, he tells Robin that this will probably be the last time they will meet, as it seems Robin has “finally awakened to the pleasure of using your own Craft”. Robin doesn’t understand what he means.
5. Childhood and early training
Her legal guardian is Father Juliano Colegli, a priest at the church who knew Robin's mother. He's a stern but kind man, who is secretly a high-ranking member of SOLOMON, a centuries-old organization of witch hunters. Robin's aware of SOLOMON but doesn't pay it much mind because she's just a kid. Robin spends her early years being taken care of by Father Juliano and by the nuns, and while they are kind to her, it is an insulated life. She doesn't spend much time with other children her age, especially since she lives by the same structure and discipline as others in the convent: waking up at 5am for morning vigils and prayer, mass, cleaning and dusting the buildings, reading scripture, preparing meals, holding services for attendees from the local villages, and so on. She's educated within the church, and with a few exceptions (field trips to Florence, Rome and Vatican City one summer when she was 8) it is a quiet and simple life for a little girl. Some days she doesn't even see Father Juliano, but she's always pleased when he comes to visit.
He tells her that one day, she will awaken to something important, and when she does, she must tell him. Robin isn't sure what he means until after she turns 10. On a particularly cold autumn day nearing winter, Robin is sitting in the chapel by herself in meditative prayer, when the doors blow open, sending a gust of chilled air throughout the room. It blows out half the candles on the altar. Robin jumps in surprise, and reflexively turns to the candles to relight them--but before she can lift a finger, they relight spontaneously. Robin feels some kind of crackling energy under her skin, and weirdly, behind her eyes. She blinks a few times before realizing what happened: she relit the candles by creating the fire herself. She quickly runs out of the chapel and finds Father Juliano in his office, and tells him what happened. His expression is unreadable for a moment... Robin thinks she sees something like fear and sorrow, but then it's gone, and he's smiling at her, thanking her for telling him. He says that she will have to undergo some very strict training and studying from now on, but by doing so, she will ensure control over her "Craft" (what he calls her pyrokinesis) and become a hunter for SOLOMON. Robin has a feeling she doesn't have a choice in the matter.
From then on, Robin spends a lot more time with Father Juliano, along with other members of SOLOMON, and even meets other hunters. Most of them frighten her, but she starts to understand what the life of a hunter, of an officially-sanctioned "craft user" is like. Unlike witches, craft users are members of the church who vow to use their powers in order to hunt and subdue those whose crafts (powers) have gone awry. Many hunters kill their targets, but there is talk of using non-lethal methods to hunt witches instead. It's a hot debate amongst the higher-ups, but most everyone agrees that if the witch is killing people, then all bets are off. Robin accompanies her senior hunters on hunts a few times in order to observe, but she isn't expected to hunt just yet. Her control over her fire power gets better, although her aim is off sometimes. In addition, her studies now incorporate the history of witches, witch hunting, and the occult.
When Robin turns 15, she receives an order from Father Juliano that she is to be officially transferred to the SOLOMON branch in Japan (the STN-J) as a replacement hunter.
6. Stubborn Aesthetics part 1
Later, she cleans her entire apartment. When Touko (her roommate) comes back from work, she's impressed and surmises that Robin is a bit of a neat freak. Robin explains that it's more like a habit, as cleaning was her big chore when she lived at the convent. On Sunday, Robin goes to attend services at a nearby church. On the way back, she stops by a local park and sees a girl painting. She approaches her, and compliments the girl on her art. She explains that she sees the girl painting often, and always wondered what it was she was painting. The girl confesses that she, too, was curious about Robin when she saw her pass by. Robin says she goes to church to pray, and the girl asks her if she believes in God. Robin says, "it's just sort of a habit". The girl says that she believes in God, and that is why she paints, to try and preserve the beauty of the world He created.
At work, Robin gets a FLOPPY DISK, A REAL ACTUAL FLOPPY DISK I forget sometimes this show takes place in like 1999. The floppy disk contains unsolved case files from the past 2 years, and instructions from Amon to memorize them. She asks where Amon is, and is told he's out with Sakaki. Doujima makes a comment to the effect of, "Robin's supposed to be his partner, not Sakaki", and privately Robin agrees.
As she looks through the case files, she finds an incident that happened at the park she walks by where her artist friend paints. Multiple murders, each victim found with lacerations on the body, died of blood loss. Robin wonders if the killer is still in the area, and Karasuma suggests taking a look around there. But first, lunch!
Robin and Karasuma go to Harry's cafe for lunch, and Robin asks Karasuma if she can read her mind. (Karasuma is also a Craft User, with the power of scrying) She places her glasses on the table, and asks Karasuma to "read" her. Karasuma touches the glasses and says, "Amon... partner... abandonment... why does this always happen?" Robin is impressed at Karasuma's ability, and Karasuma says that she didn't use her powers just then at all--Robin is just easy to read.
Robin pouts. Karasuma explains that her power is just reading intense emotions through physical objects. They discuss power classes for Craft Users--Karasuma is an S-Class, while Robin is an A-Class. Karasuma thinks that Robin could be an S-Class if she could be more accurate with her fire power. Robin says she doesn't know why she can't hit things better, and drinks her coffee sullenly, staring at the pair of glasses.
7. The Soul Cages
Old woman: Do that all you want, you won't find whoever it is you are looking for.
Robin: You know what I'm trying to do?
Old woman: When you get older, you learn to see a few things.
Old woman: When you get older...
Old woman: So much that it's amazing.
Old woman: How amazing...
Robin: What?
Old woman: Nothing. Besides, you aren't from around here, are you?
Robin: [nods]
Old woman: Then you ought to hurry out of here as fast as you can go.
Robin: I'm not in any danger.
Old woman: That's true, you wouldn't be.
Old woman: But I can't say the same for those around you.
Robin: Those around me?
Robin gets a text, and apologizes to the old woman for having to stay around for a while longer. She leaves, while the old woman watches her, solemn and unblinking.
Robin joins up with the others, who are waiting at another crime scene. The body appears to have been, uh, taken away by the locals. Karasuma scries the area, but doesn't feel anything except a "huge psychic burst" from earlier. Robin notices the same kind of burnt-out light bulbs all over the area, but no one knows what they mean. This is all very odd and no one is quite sure what to make of it.
The next day, Robin and Doujima ask a Factory tech in the area to look at the light bulb. They surmise that the power of the witch's electricity caused the bulbs to burn out and charred the paraffin covering, and Amon says that it was probably unintentional: the witch's power is out of their control, causing collateral damage--much like Robin's did before she got her glasses. Robin's a little unsettled by that casual diss.
Michael tracks the witch's location using a map of power spikes in the area, and Robin and Sakaki ride on Sakaki's motorcycle to the witch. The witch attacks, but Sakaki's orbo and Robin's fire aren't enough to subdue him. Just as they start to panic, all of a sudden all the electricity in the area powers down--not abruptly, like a wire was cut, but more like it just started to fade and flicker away. That gives Sakaki and Robin just enough time to subdue the witch. As the Factory is taking the witch away, Robin notices the old woman in the wheelchair in the crowd.
That night, Robin goes to HQ and sees Amon there, working alone. He explains that he was reading up information on the witch they hunted today. Although he was distantly related to a witch (and thus on the STN database), he hadn't shown any sign of his power until recently. Robin thinks it's strange, for some reason, to show no sign of a craft that strong. Something is bothering her. She can’t stop thinking about the old woman...
8. Loaded guns - part 2
As she enters her apartment, something feels wrong. She sets her bag and the letter on the floor by the entrance, and slowly enters the darkened room. She turns on the light, and sees Touko bound and gagged, kneeling on an Ogham wheel inscribed into the floor, this time with the Lagu rune* in the center. Quickly she turns off the light, and sees shadowed individuals standing on her balcony. Shots ring out. Robin dives for cover behind a wall, and tries to send fire to the shooters--but it’s blocked by the Lagu rune. Robin slowly crawls towards Touko, who is shaking and crying. The attackers shoot again, this time hitting Touko dead on, who cries out in pain and collapses onto the floor. Robin is able to shield the bullets with her fire, but one of them she’s not fast enough with, and it hits her in the chest dead on. It doesn’t pierce her skin, but the impact sends her flying back.
Suddenly, Sakaki and Karasuma burst in the door, shooting at the attackers. They ask Robin what’s going on, but she doesn’t know. She sees that Touko collapsing broke the circle, so she can use her Craft--she burns up the curtains on the balcony. She and Sakaki pursue, but the attackers are escaping down the side of the building. Robin angrily runs to the stairs, despite Sakaki’s protests. On the way she asks Karasuma to take care of Touko.
On the stairs, she runs right into Amon, who tells her in a firm tone to stay where she is. Suddenly caught up in how scared and tired and hurt she is, Robin blacks out and collapses. She awakens in Karasuma’s car, vaguely aware of the voices of Karasuma, Sakaki, and Amon speaking while paramedics take Touko to the hospital. Robin overhears that Touko is being taken to the ICU, as she is not responsive. Karasuma takes Robin to stay at the STN-J hq, and Robin curls up on the sofa, sore and exhausted. She pretends to be asleep while the others talk, listening in on them.
They agree that timing of the attack on Robin and the Inquisitor’s arrival seems too suspicious; Karasuma says that it feels like the time Kate, who was Robin’s predecessor, was killed; Amon showing up out of the blue is suspicious too; What if Amon was involved in the attack? Robin tries to sleep, but it’s difficult.
*The Lagu rune represents water; it was likely put there as a shield against Robin’s fire power.
9. Heal the pain
Robin, no longer working as a Hunter, is living in a different part of town. She is working as a courier, delivering packages and letters on a bicycle. She makes deliveries for the Nagira Law Office, and no longer wears her long Victorian dress, and her bike helmet hides her characteristic hairstyle. On one delivery, she sees a little girl and smiles at her. On the way out, she sees a dude try to pick the lock on her bike, and glares at him until he runs away.
Later, while Robin is on the streets, she notices Doujima, and tries to blend in so she’s not noticed… but then she sees that Doujima is being followed by some creeps. She decides to follow at a distance to see if she needs help. Sure enough, they try to mug Doujima when she gets to her car, and one of them is a witch who attacks her and sends her tumbling to the ground. Robin sets him on fire, and the other two guys run away. She urges Doujima to call into the STN-J as soon as possible.
Robin wants to leave right then, but Doujima pleads, and the two of them end up in a cafe to catch up on what's been going on since the attack. Everyone at the STN-J is more or less fine; the bullets that were shot were plastic, so aside from Sakaki who broke his leg, everyone is up and running again. They don’t know where Amon is, and Zaizen--their boss--hasn’t shown up since the attack. But they are all definitely running themselves ragged. Doujima doesn’t have any confidence in hunting, and Karasuma is trying to fill in for both Amon and Sakaki. Robin tells Doujima not to tell anyone at the STN-J that she’s alive or that Amon was the one who saved her. Doujima agrees, and asks Robin to help her if she has to hunt a witch again, but Robin says she can’t, for Doujima’s own safety. Before she leaves, Doujima tells her that during the attack an orbo gun and some data were stolen, but that was all. That strikes Robin as odd.
They part ways, and Robin returns to the law office, and gets gently scolded by the receptionist for being late. She heads upstairs, where there’s a loft and a bedroom that she now lives in. She collapses on the floor, having flashbacks to the attack and to the last time she saw Amon. “I’ll wait for you,” she says, “but I don’t want to just wait and do nothing.”
That night, she has dinner with Nagira, the owner of the law office. He's a kind of sleazy-looking older guy, but he's a lot sharper than he lets on. He reminds her that she needs to be careful, even hiding in the city like this. He took her in because of Amon, but it would be bad for both of them if she gets caught. He then shows her a picture of a building, zoomed in on a room where Touko is sitting, awake. Next to her is Zaizen. Nagira asks Robin if she knows who the man is, which Robin confirms. Nagira informs her that Zaizen is Touko’s father, and that Touko has made a physical recovery but appears to be in shock from the attack. Robin is flummoxed. How come Touko never told her? Can she trust no one?
Maybe the only person she can trust is Amon, Nagira suggests cheekily. Robin asks Nagira why he’s looking into the STN-J--is it because of her and Amon, or something else? Nagira says simply that he doesn’t like it when people try to slap labels onto people like “witch” and “seed”.
10. Precious illusions part 1
Old woman: I am time.
Old woman: Time that has been building up like sediment since days long past in this world that is like the bottom of a valley.
Old woman: That is me.
Robin continues searching and catches up to the old woman again. Robin takes a guess--this old woman is a Salem witch. The old woman pulls up her sleeve to reveal a mark on her arm--the rune of Ansuz--confirming Robin's suspicions. But at the same time, Robin realizes there's no way this is possible. The Salem witch trials were over 400 years ago. The old woman says that time doesn't always flow in the same direction, that it can be like a deep, stagnant pool. The old woman asks Robin why she aids the "Confraria" even though she is a witch herself. Robin tries to deny it, but there is something profound in the old woman's words. She calls Robin a descendant of Saturn, just like all the other witches.
Old woman: Do you know when the last Witch hunts were held?
Old woman: England, 1717...
Old woman: France, 1745...
Old woman: Germany, 1775...
Old woman: And Poland, 1793.
Old woman: How many innocents were put to death during those hunts?
Old woman: Some put the figure at several hundred thousand.
Old woman: No, there are even some who say that 9,000,000 Witches were burned.
Robin: Nine million!
Old woman: However, the tragedy did not end there.
Old woman: Those that envied the Witches' power continued their Witch hunt by sinking into the darkest depths of society like pockets of water hidden underground.
Robin: That's not true! We only hunt Witches whose hearts have turned to evil!
Old woman: For more than 300 years, I have been watching.
Old woman: And for more than 300 years, I have heard those same words.
The old woman says that she will explain to Robin the truth behind what she really is. She carves another rune in the sand, drops her cane, and says, “In the name of the mages, I call upon you, O Loki.” Everything goes black.
Memory Share edition
"I am time. Time that has been building up like sediment since days long past in this world that is like the bottom of a valley. That is me." You hear the old woman's voice speak inside your mind.
You keep walking through the labyrinth and find the old woman again. You can guess by now what she is; all the information you have at your hands points to a very specific type of ancient being. To confirm your suspicions, the old woman pulls up her sleeve to show a mark on her arm, the same symbol you saw in the sand earlier. But your logical mind stalls out: how can this be possible? This ancient group of people should have all died out over four hundred years ago. The idea of there being an immortal being like this is... too much for your mind to grasp. The old woman simply explains that time does not always flow in one direction, that it can instead be still, like a deep, stagnant pool.
Then, the old woman asks you a question: why do you aid the brotherhood? That long-standing fraternity that historically punished and killed people like her. People like you. People like us, she implies. You instinctively deny any association with this old woman. If she is indeed the immortal you suspect, she is an evil being. But the old woman is not having it. She calls you a descendent of the same evil god as her, and you hotly deny her.
The old woman cites centuries of history to point towards the brotherhood's bloodshed: thousands upon thousands of innocents were put to death in the name of your God. The exact number is unknown, but it could be into the millions. You claim that your people only punished those whose hearts had turned to evil, but deep inside you feel the seeds of doubt begin to form.
She will explain to you who she truly is, and then you will understand who you truly are, as well. She carves a rune in the sand, summons a god of deceit and illusion, and everything goes black.
11. Precious illusions part 2
Everything is dark. Robin can hear the old woman’s voice throughout everything. At first, she sees images of cave paintings from ancient times, mostly animals. The old woman calls these gods, the first ones humans ever knew. Robin denies it, saying they are devils, and that the devil himself fell from Heaven because he let his desires consume him.
As Robin argues, sometimes she addresses a young girl who alternately speaks with a young girl’s voice, and sometimes the old woman’s voice. The old woman counters with the argument that it was not this so-called “Devil” who fell, but God himself, as numerous atrocities were carried out in God’s name. Robin sees images of people burning at the stake. Robin says that such things were necessary, to save humanity from its misguided ways. The old woman says that it was not out of salvation that God acted, but jealousy. Jealousy that there were those like God, with power to rival Him--Witches. Robin keeps arguing, but they just go in circles. The old woman reiterates: innocent people were annihilated, all for the sake of the jealous ones who craved the power of God that they did not possess. And Robin carries the blood of those who were put to the stake.
The scene changes again: this time, Robin is in a church, and sees a young woman draped in white, bowing before the Pietà. The old woman proclaims that the girl is praying for the last time before she is condemned to the stake. Robin approaches the girl, and freezes when she sees that the girl... is her. The scene changes again, and Robin is alone. The old woman accuses her of “hunting her own shadow”, and Robin has visceral flashbacks to every witch she’s hunted until now.
Suddenly, she hears the sound of a gun cocking behind her, and turns to see Amon coldly pointing it at her. She sees all the STN-J members pointing their guns at her. “Witches must be hunted,” says Amon. Robin clutches her head and cries out that she is not a witch. She is alone again, the old woman’s voice in her head. She demands to know what makes her different from all the witches she hunted. Even if her Craft is used to hunt witches, what makes her so different from them? Was her belief that she was better than the witches she hunted all it took to justify burning them, just as they have burned at the stake for centuries? Isn’t she just continuing the cycle of violence? Robin is shaking. She hears footsteps, and sees Amon in front of her, pointing his gun. “Witches must be hunted.” Robin pleads with Amon. She needs him to understand. She’s not a witch. She needs him to put down the gun. He won’t listen. He’s pulling the trigger.
Robin’s eyes are filled with flames--and everything is darkness again.
Robin is in the church again, and sees the young girl from before in the wheelchair. She smiles at Robin, and says it can finally end. Robin blinks, and she sees before her the old woman in the wheelchair, smiling as she burns. It has been so long. And finally, finally, it is over. Robin stares in shock, watching the old woman die until there is nothing but embers and ash. She sees that the wooden cane is still partially intact, and kneels to touch it. Instantly, she understands: this is the Arcanum of the Craft, and it contains 400 years worth of knowledge. She picks it up, and holds it tight.
Amon (the real one) approaches from behind, and tells her the old woman was Methuselah, an immortal witch. The only way they can die is to be burned by a fire that consumes their entire body. Robin guesses this is why Methuselah used her, so that she could finally die. Amon supposes that memories of being burnt at the stake are strongly tied to an existence like hers... memories like that must be too sad to bear, Robin thinks.
Later that night, Robin sends a message through her compact: “Recovered a relic that is possibly related to the secret of the Craft. Standing by for further instructions.”
Memory Share edition
Your eyes are not your own. You know this.
Everything is very dark. You can hear an old woman speaking. You see images of ancient cave paintings, of animals, mostly. The old woman calls these gods, the first ones humans ever knew. They were worshipped as gods, and so they are gods. But you deny it; these are devils. You know what you have been taught, and you repeat it: the devil fell from Heaven because he let his desires consume him. As you argue, you are faced alternatively with the old woman and with a young girl in a hood who speaks with the old woman's voice. Sometimes the old woman speaks with the young girl's voice. She/They counter your argument with this: it was not this so-called "Devil" who fell, but God himself, citing the numerous atrocities that were carried out in God's name. You see flashes of images of people burning at the stake. You tell her such things were necessary, to save humanity from its misguided ways. Not out of salvation that God acted, but jealousy, she/they counter. Yes, jealousy that there were those like God, with power to rival Him. Frantically, you keep arguing, but it just goes in circles. The old woman and the hooded girl proclaim: innocent people were annihilated, all for the sake of the jealous ones who craved the power of God that they did not possess. And you carry the blood of those who were sacrificed.
The scene changes, and you are standing in a church. A young woman is bowing before the pietà, draped all in white, praying. The old woman's voice tells you that the girl is praying for the last time before she is condemned to the stake. You slowly approach her, but you freeze, because as soon as she lifts her head you can see--she is you.
The scene changes again. You're alone, and it is dark. The old woman and the hooded girl are both here. They accuse you of hunting your own shadow, and you remember all at once: every person whose blood is on your hands, whose lives you shattered. You hear the sound of a gun cocking from behind, and turn to see... him. That man. Standing right behind you, eyes cold, dispassionately pointing a gun at your head. You're surrounded. They're all pointing their guns at you. Someone like you... has to be put down. You clutch your head and cry out: I'm not like them! Suddenly you're alone again, and the old woman's voice asks you: what makes you so different from them? Was it the belief that you're different, you're special, enough to justify destroying their lives? To propogate centuries of violence? You're shaking, and you break out in a cold sweat. You hear footsteps, and you know that man is behind you again, ready to pull the trigger on you. Someone like you must be taken care of. You're dangerous. You're forsaken. But you need him to understand, you need him to put the gun down and listen. He's not listening. You plead, and plead, and slowly he pulls the trigger...
For a moment, all you see is fire.
You're back in the church again, unharmed. This time, the old woman sits before you at the altar, her body slowly catching fire. But she does not seem pained. She smiles at you, and with a sigh of relief, says that it's been so long now... and it's finally over. You watch her burn into nothing but embers and ash, frozen in shock. Once there is nothing left, you see something on the ground where she burned--it looks like a small wooden stick. You kneel and pick it up, and instantly you understand what it is: a fragment of memory, carrying centuries of knowledge. You pick it up and hold it tightly in your hands, and you feel something stir within you.
You realize vaguely that your eyes are your own again. The man--the real one--approaches and you learn from him that the old woman/the hooded girl was an immortal who could only die by sacred flame. You both suspect that memories of being burned at the stake would be tied strongly to an existence like that. Internally, you think that holding onto memories like that must be too sad to bear.
Later that night, you send a text message to an unknown number, informing the recipient that you have uncovered an ancient relic that may contain incredible and powerful secrets.