Bad Assumptions

Solitude, after the noise, smells and visual assaults, such a measure of peace came almost gleefully. Rest arrived in the form of swift sleep. A car seat should have been uncomfortable and awkward. It was no bed, though not always necessary. The floor, a rock, or just standing up had all been methods. So the seat would be no different in theory. Yet it was foreign. But none of that mattered. Sleep fell quickly.

Her training woke her immediately at the start of the engine. Miho blinked slowly, noticing a sudden change from what she remembered. The daylight was entirely gone. And city lights blared down at her like tiny suns. The mana-infused world of Mado was bright, but had a soothing and calming intensity to it even as it glowed brighter than the moon. Tokyo at night was nothing like that. It felt rude, much like the air, an assault on her being. “Damn…”

“Evening, sleepy!”

She glared at him for the faux cheery voice that he inserted. “What happened?” If there had been a message from Okamura, she missed it.

“He came through as always. Though charged me more for it. It’s going to be a bit of a drive, but the trade isn’t happening until one, so we have time.” He tapped on the GPS to remind himself of the location as he started down the street.

Miho glanced at the location as if that would actually mean something to her. She couldn’t even pretend to know where it was. “Did he grace us with any additional intel?”

“Not a lot to work with. These sorts of things aren’t exactly printed out on pamphlets. Just the warning that it was going to be a big deal happening.” He had been through trafficking deals before, though given that they sent him for more strikes than stings, it was more often he ran afoul of it. Just like last night, it was something he would discover. This was the first time actively going to stop one from happening.

Yori had to watch the road, but checked over on Miho. “Given that this is your mission. You have anything more to share with me? We’re going in very blind.”

She had been chasing after the shadows of the Lotus for so long that it had been all she knew. Because they mostly operated on the Japan side, it didn’t give her a lot of connections to track. They hired third parties to do work for them. It was what made the biggest syndicates so difficult to deal with. They hid themselves well out of reach.

Miho clenched her hands in her lap. “They prefer not usin’ their own people most times. Though that’s on the Mado side. They may actually have their own. But what little I know is that they have the money to hire the best sorcerers and magical beasts to protect their interests.”

“Sounds like the typical criminal underworld. We’re going to be in for a tough fight. Just remember, first we get the evidence, don’t just rush in, spells blazing. Catching a trade like this is rare.” Even though he said that, Yori knew in the end it would be difficult to pin anything to the Seven Lotus. They’d get a front company at best. And they’d just shed like a skin. Distasteful as it was, he understood the reality.

“Just leave the fightin’ to me after ye get the evidence. These are going to be sorcerers.”

“You are aware that I make my living hunting sorcerers, right?”

“Are ye a sorcerer?”

“Of course not.”

“Then leave it to me.”

He sighed, keeping his hands on the wheel. “I’ve dealt with plenty of powerful sorcerers in my time doing this. You don’t have to worry about me.”

Miho pulled on her jacket. ‘I don’t need to be protectin’ someone while fightin’. These aren’t the type he’s used to dealing with.’ Even if she didn't know his history, she knew that as the one with the most experience fighting sorcerers, what the smart play was. But she could hear the stubbornness in his voice. “Just watch my back then.”

Silence filled in for an answer for further debate between the two. The car ride became a heavy tension of awkwardness, with neither willing to further engage the other, even though they both had more to say. Saying nothing became the only option.

Eventually, they arrived at the location. Okamura had the general area, but not the exact address. And contrary to other conventional types of smuggling or illegal trades, they didn’t need to be a warehouse or a dock that had access to transport. It was just the portal between the sides, and that could be anywhere, provided talented enough sorcerers and money.

It was just a normal-looking neighborhood on the outside. A series of flat buildings with a couple of three and five-story structures breaking up the even sight. There weren't any signs at the moment of something obvious. No guards on watch or unusual vehicles to arrive. They must have already been inside.

The two stood outside of the car, eying up the five-story building in front of them, the tallest landmark in the area. It’d give them a good view of the neighborhood. Miho took a step back, judging the height while pressing a hand to her left forearm. “Stand with me. I’ll take us up.”

However, before she could activate her spell, she realized that Yori wasn’t nearby anymore. She saw his hand on the wall with a ball that was dragging him up the side. It rolled up in defiance of gravity. She glared at him.

“Oh did you need a hand up? Figured you had a spell for flight, but I can come back down for you.”

He was already half up, keeping a surprising pace, if not as swift as her method. “Bury yourself in the oceans of Mihara.” Promptly, she focused on her forearm. A soft green light came from the long sleeves of her jacket before a wind completely surrounded her. Kicking back some leaves and debris, she jumped. In a single bound, she cleared the height and landed quietly on the roof, Yori standing waiting for her. “Asshole.”

“I’m not the one who assumed I’m useless.”

“Point made.” She approached the other side of the roof with him. They still had two hours before the deal would happen. It would be quiet for a while, and they just had to guess which building the sorcerers were hiding. Miho looked down at his hand that had scaled the building. The ball was already gone. “What was that?”

“Magic item. Just because we can’t use magic like you doesn’t mean we can’t access the mana inside us.”

“Mana as fuel for a preprogrammed tool. Is that how ye fight sorcerers?”

“It’s one of my methods.”

“Ye gonna bother to explain your other methods?”

“I thought I was dead weight.”

“You’re being an ass.”

“You started this.”

“And petty.” All he did was smirk and nod at Miho. Frustrated as she was, she could only accept the point. “Fine, sorry for assumin’ ye couldn’t do anything. If we’re doin’ this together, can ye tell me what ye can do?”

“That wasn’t so hard.”

“Don’t push it.”

“I’m trained in anti-sorcerer combat by the Saioji family. So that means both martial and improvised combat. If they’re a low-ranked sorcerer, it's easy enough for me to just counter anything they can throw at me. Higher ranked, I have to rely on my items and cunning. My mana’s been trained so I can withstand the cost of the items.”

“An anti-sorcerer, never heard of anythin’ like that.”

“A speciality required of this side of the Veil.”

“It would seem so. If you’re trained specifically to take out sorcerers, that should be useful.”

“And yourself? Magic is pretty varied, and I haven’t seen a catalyst on you.”

“That’s because I don’t require one. It’s in my body. But thanks to the Veil, I’m limited to only the spells that I have prepared. I wasn’t given approval for the limiter to be released.”

“That’ll help keep collateral down.” A military grade sorcerer was trouble enough in his eyes. The Veil thankfully kept a majority of that in check. He didn’t want to have another national incident on his hands.

They monitored the sides looking for any signs of change as time passed. But the sorcerers were keeping themselves well hidden. It wasn’t until a few minutes before the appointed hour that Miho became alert. She immediately rushed over to the northwest corner of the building. “I can feel the mana in the air. They’re opening the portal.”