Break-in

Kuraishi's quick way, as it turned out, involved teleportation once again. They followed Kuraishi back to the linen closet door, and he worked the spell once again, wrenching it open onto darkness. 

He held out his hands to each of them. "Hold on tight." 

This time, the trip took longer. It felt like invisible winds were buffeting them, and Miyori strained her eyes trying to see into the shadows that surrounded them. 

Where they arrived was not a doorway this time, but a hole in midair that left them stumbling down an alleyway. Kuraishi stepped ahead of them immediately, taking a defensive stance as he looked around. When he deemed the coast clear, he turned around to a magic circle that had appeared, gleaming, on the wall behind them. 

"Using it wrecks the glamour," he said. "Give me a moment to replace it." 

"I'll help," Sumiko said, joining him. 

Miyori took the opportunity to shrink and check her bearings. The mouth of this alley opened up to a row of pubs and restaurants in district she didn't recognize. 

"This is as close to where Koji-kun thought the Shijo base was as we can easily get," Kuraishi said, coming up behind her. "Want to stay small? You can ride on Sumiko's shoulder—you two should stick together." 

"All right." Miyori went and perched there as Sumiko and Kuraishi emerged into the street. 

The area was anything but calm. Knots of people were out in the streets, talking worriedly. Occasionally the wail of the city alarms sounded again, echoing overhead.

"So what's the plan?" Sumiko asked. 

"Well, we've got an address for the entrance," Kuraishi said. "But actually getting inside will be harder—and the street-level entrance is the most likely to be guarded. So if we can find another way in, it would be better." 

"I see." Sumiko stepped further down the street. "Lead the way. I'll stop you if I see something we can use." 

As they walked, Sumiko kept turning, looking in seemingly every direction. Miyori tried to copy her, but wasn't sure what she was searching for. 

Eventually Kuraishi stopped them at the end of a street. "The entrance is around this corner," he said. "Middle of the block."

"Should I check for guards?" Miyori asked. 

Kuraishi shook his head. "They wouldn't be that easy to spot." 

"I think I see what we need," Sumiko said suddenly. "Miyori-chan, can you keep an eye out for anyone coming?" 

"On it." Miyori rose into the sky, alighting onto a tree on the corner.

As she swept the street looking for witnesses, she saw Sumiko and Kuraishi leaning over the manhole cover, conversing. Then there was a muted flash and Kuraishi lifted the cover free. Sumiko caught Miyori's eye and waved down at the hole in the street. 

Miyori came over and took the lead, letting herself sink into the dark. The others joined her on the ladder a moment later, Kuraishi replacing the cover behind him. 

"This was a good idea," he said, making a light. "Can you feel that? The Garden, or whatever it is, is close." 

"Not as well as you can," Sumiko said, "but yes." 

Miyori silently agreed. There was a nagging sense of something nearby that wouldn't be caused by ordinary ritual magic—and it felt like it was very close indeed. 

The tunnel they were in opened into a narrow passageway that ran north-to-south, running at an angle to the streets above. 

"This way, I think," Kuraishi said. "We'll follow along as far as we can, but then we'll need to…or not."

The passageway they were in opened on both sides. The left side trailed off into darkness, markers glowing faintly at regular intervals overhead. 

The right-hand passage was completely dark. 

Kuraishi hummed. "Wait a moment." He waved a hand, muttering, and the darkness swirled like ink, then vanished, leaving a wall that appeared to be made of cinder blocks mortared together. 

"That doesn't look up to code," Sumiko murmured. 

"No," Kuraishi agreed. "I think we've found the base—or part of it, anyway. Now." He took Sumiko's hand and pressed what looked like a kiss to her palm. "You two, get some distance, please. Around the corner. Wait for my signal." 

Miyori followed Sumiko around the bend and waited on her shoulder in the near-total darkness. 

There was a mighty crash from around the corner, and then silence. 

Miyori counted to thirty in her head, then looked at Sumiko and whispered, "Should we—?"

Sumiko shook her head. "Wait." Her gaze was fixed on the hand Kuraishi had kissed. 

Miyori kept waiting. In the distance, she thought she heard some sort of movement, and maybe a distant thud or two. 

Then light flashed in Sumiko's palm—once, twice. 

"All clear," Sumiko said. "Let's go." 

She walked them back around the corner to reveal a messy hole seemingly blasted in the makeshift wall. Beyond it was a hallway—and a couple of guards sprawled out, hands bound and snoring. 

"They'll be out for at least an hour if nothing rouses them," Kuraishi said quietly. "From here on out, I need you to stay behind me. When you hear a fight, back up and hide. Run all the way back out if you need to." 

Sumiko nodded and followed Kuraishi at a distance. He turned the corner and broke into a run down the hall, and Sumiko immediately backed up. There were some more thuds and what sounded like a cut-off shout. A burst of light flashed, followed by a short fizzling sound. 

"Clear," Kuraishi called softly, and they rounded the corner. He was tying up another guard, and tossed Sumiko a length of wire to do the same, gesturing towards a body breathing deeply at her feet. 

"And now," he said, "I think we have a choice to make." 

He gestured towards a door he appeared to have forced open.

Miyori drifted forward cautiously, and realized that bars lined both sides of the hallway that followed. Cells—filled with people. Some of whom were coming up to the bars to stare in their direction. 

The air shivered as the floor around them shook. Dust rained from the ceiling. 

When she turned back around, Sumiko and Kuraishi had their heads together. "I agree with you, but I don't want us recognized," Kuraishi was saying. "We need to hide our faces."

"Oh, I know how to do that," Miyori said. "Do you have a pen?" 

It was difficult with a full-sized implement, but she managed to awkwardly draw a symbol on her face, feeling the shadows settle. "Will that work?" 

"…Well enough." Kuraishi looked impressed. "Will it work on us, too?" 

"I don't see why not." Miyori drew the symbols on each of their foreheads, and shadows hugged their faces. 

"Good," Kuraishi said. "Now, let's get these people out. I think Noa might be in here." 

They retrieved the keys and went down the rows of cells, unlocking them as they went. Each time, Miyori peeked in hoping to see Noa, but each contained a stranger—or no one at all. 

One cell in particular was empty and unlocked, but Kuraishi stepped inside immediately, going to the back. 

"Traces of blood on the bed," he said when he emerged. "He was here until very recently." 

Sumiko nodded, face pale. 

Kuraishi gave directions for prisoners to escape the way they'd entered. Most left without more than a few words of thanks, but a handful hung back, watching them with wide eyes. 

"If you want to stay and fight," Kuraishi said, looking among them, "the guards have some basic weapons and tools. Take what you can and grab better when you get the chance, but I can't guarantee your safety." 

The remaining prisoners nodded and went on their way. 

As they left the row of cells, Miyori felt her ears pop. The lights overhead suddenly flickered, went twice as bright, and then died, leaving blinding after-images. 

"What now?" Sumiko said in the darkness. 

Kuraishi shook his head. "They're doing something nasty—and Noa's nearby, I can feel it. We need to keep looking."