Mob Sorcery 5 - Ch46

With their plans in place, the week passed rapidly. They missed the chance to conduct the operation on Saturday night, as arranging everything on such short notice proved difficult. Hamelin asked for as much time as possible, and coordinating the police, cartel, mafia, and Miuras for a single night meant a plan organized on Wednesday couldn’t be pulled off less than three days later.

Vince flew toward the stadium on Sunday night in Nicki’s claws. The harpy carried Nina in her arms, while Kiyoko accompanied them. They were ahead of schedule, and the others would meet them at the stadium as necessary. Fia coordinated the mafia and Miuras inside the half-constructed colosseum in the meantime.

The cause for them flying out early was simple: a message from Ronin.

Much of the area comprised a gargantuan and empty parking lot, accompanied by tenements old and run-down enough Vince questioned if they somehow pre-dated the city. Beyond them lay suburbia. The poor sort, with cheap construction that some developer would buy up en masse and gentrify in the future. No doubt the stadium had been part of those plans.

An abandoned Chinese restaurant and bar occupied a building inside the parking lot. Several police vehicles parked near it, but the place was a ghost town otherwise.

Nicki and Kiyoko touched down outside the restaurant.

“Fuck me, we’re still in Aulfair, right?” Nicki asked.

Her wings fluttered nervously as she glanced around. The streetlights remained on, but illuminated only empty streets and the parking lot. Vince barely even heard engine noises, although the distant sound of sirens echoed from somewhere.

“The Yakuza have abandoned their old headquarters here, and there is little to gain by engaging police here,” Kiyoko explained. “Hence the quiet.”

“It feels like the aftermath of a war,” Nicki said.

“I don’t think there’s a curfew, but the cops are discouraging anyone from going out at night here,” Nina said. “Most of the houses here are uninhabited or full of squatters anyway. They were supposed to be bulldozed and redeveloped into a commercial zone when the stadium was finished decades ago, and the banks don’t give a shit about a bunch of condemned houses that haven’t been maintained.”

“Sounds like home,” Nicki said with a half-smile.

They entered the Chinese restaurant, as the bar side of the building was boarded up. As run-down as the exterior appeared, the interior looked like a fancy restaurant right out of the Tri Sommet. A long black marble bar stretched along the front, and a traditional restaurant complete with wooden tables and cushions occupied the half of the building that should have been the bar.

Three police officers stood inside. Ronin’s friend, Blake, and his younger partner Harry played on their phones, but immediately grabbed their foci when the door opened. They relaxed upon recognizing Vince.

“Ronin said you’d be coming,” Blake said.

Livia leaned against the wall behind the bar, right beside a door. She wore her full REAT uniform, sans helmet, and her towering serval cat ears twitched as she nodded at Vince.

“Ronin’s downstairs with the captain,” Livia said. Her eyes ran over the other girls. “Not sure you should head down with everyone. Captain only wanted to speak with you, V.”

Kiyoko narrowed her eyes.

“I don’t think he’ll complain too much if you have some company,” Livia added. “But he’s pushing boundaries as it is.”

“Are you still on ice?” Vince asked her. “You don’t seem to be with REAT.”

She blinked. “I’m still a sergeant, and I’m helping Frost down here after I got bumped off cartel duties. Things got messy after the shit Kreesa pulled, though, and the slow response in Houou’s territory. The brass have gotten a shellacking from the police chief, the governor, the mayor—you name it. Big reorg. No clue what Via’s been doing lately, but I know she’s still working with Kreesa. We might be switching roles when Frost heads up north, but that mafia unit is still in the cards.”

“Should you really be talking about this?” Harry asked, looking between Livia and Vince uncertainly.

“It’s nothing the captain won’t tell him.” Livia shrugged. “Trust me.”

“I’d hope the city has more to worry about than the mafia, given what Houou’s about to do,” Vince said. “It’s nice to see you.”

He began to walk past her to the door, and Kiyoko followed. Nina and Nicki remained behind.

“I hope to see you after tonight.” Concern filled Livia’s face. “What you’re doing is fucking crazy, you know? If the elementals and clan guardians are too fucking scared to fight this bitch, I don’t know why you’re risking your skin.”

Vince paused, his hand on the door. A line Alessia had said not long ago came to mind.

“I thought up this idea originally to get back at Mei,” he said. “But I’ve heard what she wants to do, and people I know and care about have died or been horribly injured trying to stop her. She won’t go away if I ignore her, and I have the strength to do something about her. If I won’t do something in the face of evil directly in front of me, isn’t that just cowardice?”

Livia’s eyes widened, while a whistle escaped Blake.

“Fuck me, sometimes I forget you and Ronin are old pals. Birds of a feather, you two,” Blake said with a grin.

“Guess Frost was right to see something in you,” Livia said cryptically.

He and Kiyoko descended the stairs to a small hall beneath the building. Ronin stood down here, while a towering man sat on the edge of a wooden dais.

Captain Frost stared at Vince with ice-blue eyes, his head held in one palm and long snow-white hair falling over his uniform. His impressive muscles rippled from beneath his clothes.

“Mister Keys,” he said, before his eyes locked on to Kiyoko. “And Knightsgate’s counter-espionage executioner. I’ve had difficulty determining whether your masters wish Mei Suwa’s demise, and your presence does little to aid me given your reputation.”

“I’m surprised it precedes me,” Kiyoko said.

“I’ve done my research. It’s my job.” Frost smiled thinly as he stood. “I’ll keep this brief. This meeting will undoubtedly be noticed, but it’s of little importance now. The schism within the police force will become public in due time.”

“This is about Kreesa,” Vince said.

“No, it’s about tonight.” Frost nodded at Ronin. “Thanks to Corporal Kilpatrick’s assistance, I’ve been able to both remain abreast of your plans and assist you in bringing peace to Aulfair. Not the future I expected of you after our last encounter.”

“I don’t think I did anything wrong last time.”

Frost showed no reaction. “I assume your plans to eliminate Mei Suwa are going ahead tonight?”

“Yes,” Vince said.

“Good. This siege has gone on for far too long and has made a mockery of the reasons I wear this uniform.” The water elemental sighed. “There has been significant political pressure to prevent you from acting tonight, including that I and my fellow captain should attempt to arrest you once your meister-tier spells are detected.”

Vince froze. This was news. He relaxed after Ronin winked at him.

“Suffice it to say, I’ve stated that I will act in accordance to the law and my oath as an officer of the law.” Frost smirked. “It is perhaps fortunate that my oath legally does not require me to act, and is significantly less valuable than my personal values and ethics. The other captain assigned here has taken the weekend off and has made it clear he won’t be contactable. Should your efforts to defeat Mei fail or your battle rages outside the stadium however—”

“Then I’ll leave that to you and anyone else who wants to mop up the aftermath,” Vince said. “Because I’ll be dead.”

Frost nodded. “I’m glad you understand the gravity of what you’re walking into. There will be consequences should you succeed, however.”

“Really?”

Ronin grimaced, and Kiyoko narrowed her eyes.

“The rapidly growing strength of the Lionetti Family, thanks largely to you, has attracted concern,” Frost said. “There’s a push to classify you as a Lionetti corporate enforcer, rather than an independent enforcer.”

“Without going into the details, I don’t think my other employers will appreciate that,” Vince said.

Frost narrowed his eyes. “I assume that means you still work for Quintus Hierum.”

“I’d be a corporate enforcer if he hadn’t staked a claim.”

“Interesting.” Frost looked away and drummed his fingers against his thigh. “I’ll leave the politics to the politicians and those who whisper in their ears, then. It won’t matter with the coming chaos up north. After Wednesday, our cooperation will end, Mister Keys. Ideally, you’ve grown to understand the cost that chaos like this wreaks on Aulfair and its citizenry, and will minimize it.”

“Tell that to everyone who keeps trying to publicly assassinate me,” Vince said hotly.

Surprisingly, Frost bowed his head. “If you can keep your disputes to self-defense, then I will have worse troublemakers to handle. I hope our paths do not cross for the next few months, Mister Keys. I wish you all the luck tonight with the would-be-Jörmungandr and I hope that any injured recover as swiftly as Pola Lionetti.”

A chill ran down Vince’s spine at the mention of Pola.

Surely the mention of Jörmungandr, a Norse myth, was a coincidence, right? Captain Erik Frost did appear Scandinavian, but Vince knew very little about the elemental. Those ice-blue eyes and his expression gave away nothing.

“Thanks,” Vince said.

He nodded at Ronin, who returned the nod, and then left with Kiyoko.

Together with Nicki and Nina, they flew over to the stadium.

The empty, haunted atmosphere of the area gave way to bustle once they entered the stadium interior, bypassing tape and walls intended to keep people out. Numerous vehicles sat inside a small barricaded area surrounded by concrete pylons.

The stadium appeared structurally complete, with steel and concrete pillars holding up bare stands, and large, unpainted structures in the corners, presumably for use by teams and staff. Tarps covered half-finished roofing and the building remained lit. Somebody was on the hook for the maintenance.

Fia waved at them as they arrived. “You’re early. Frost didn’t have much to say?”

“No, but what he did was important,” Vince said. “So long as we keep things inside the stadium, we won’t have trouble, but the city doesn’t much like us.”

“That’s hardly news.” She snorted and nodded at the enforcers pulling a large multi-armed hunk of aluminum out of a van. “We’re moving our wards into place around the stadium. Everything will be out of sight from the field itself, if you call it that.”

“I don’t follow,” Kiyoko said.

“There’s no turf,” Fia said. “They flattened the area and covered it with dirt, but that’s it. Hell, a lot of it has worn away from years of rain. Might be a good idea to cover up any big pits with earth magic.” She looked at Nina, who nodded. “The cheapskates who built this didn’t exactly do it well. Some of the garbage they buried to level the land has cropped out. I’d half-expect there to be toxic waste buried here.”

“It would explain a lot if the stadium was a huge scheme to bury some bodies or illegal waste,” Nina said.

“Maybe. Occam’s Razor suggests they’re just cheap assholes, though. I’ll let you know if we’re running behind.”

“Mei has a specific time to come here,” Vince said. “She might arrive sooner, but I’m doubtful. At worst she’ll watch.”

In order to lure Mei here, they needed to let her know about the real egg. Kiyoko had seeded the information through her remaining contacts in Mei’s loyal Yakuza, including the information that if she wanted to get her hands on it, she’d have to meet Vince inside the stadium at 10PM. Any earlier or later and they’d leave, and the same applied if she interfered.

Mei might call their bluff, but Vince had his anti-scrying ring. Not to mention fliers and the Inaba twins to assist with teleportation. He could make her leave and return on time if necessary. If she tried to ruin the trap, then he’d call it off.

The plan relied on Mei’s arrogance and greed. Fortunately, Vince knew she possessed plenty of both.

Just in case Mei was visibly watching them from above or owned a spy satellite, Vince remained undercover. The next hour passed at a glacial pace.

More vehicles trundled in. The Miuras arrived with numerous four-, five-, and even two six-tail foxes, almost all of whom dressed in traditional Japanese robes. The colors they wore varied significantly, and largely aligned with their tail number. Unlike the mafia, the foxes relied less on large magic tools as they spread out and began crafting ritual circles.

Hyuga, Goro, and Cora approached Vince. All but Goro wore suits, and Goro wore a modified version of the blue robes worn by most of the five-tail purifiers. His had been adjusted to be sleeker, offering better mobility and armor of some sort lay over his chest. He retained all his usual jewelry, including the obsidian badge of his family, but had tied silver bands around the base of his tails.

“This is where I hand over the heir to be blooded,” Hyuga said, then bowed with a flourish. “I’d ask you to keep him safe, but against an eight-tail fox, I expect you’ll have your hands full protecting yourself.”

Goro bared his teeth at the clan guardian. “I am representing the Miura clan in this hunt. If I can’t hold my own, then I have no place here.”

Cora winced as Hyuga shot the young fox a sharp look.

“Hunts aren’t solo affairs, Goro,” Hyuga said, voice steadier than his glare suggested it would be. “When you gather together to battle a vastly superior foe, it is teamwork that allows you to overcome the otherwise insurmountable gap. Experienced warriors can slot into teams with relative strangers, because they understand the ebb and flow of combat, and understand how not to step on other warriors’ toes. You’re strong and damn talented. But you’ll be a hindrance tonight if you don’t pull your head in and realize you’re fighting alongside Vince and his comrades, instead of competing to take Mei’s head before them.”

Goro looked away. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Maybe not, but I’ve seen too many promising warriors get themselves or others killed due to their pride.” Hyuga’s expression softened and he struck Goro in the arm. “It’s your first big hunt. Live, and you’ll have a hell of a story to tell as the clan heir, eh?”

“That’s…” Goro closed his eyes, then smiled at Hyuga. “Of course. I’ll give all the clans something to feel honorable about.”

For a moment, Vince felt he saw past Goro’s bravado. The young fox turned to him and held out his arm.

“Whatever your orders, I’ll follow them,” Goro said. “I dueled you once, skeptical of your prowess, but that is in the past.”

“It is.” Vince took Goro’s hand and did his best not to wince at the powerful grip. “Main thing is to avoid clashing with my fire spells, given the magic-consuming nature of foxfire. Otherwise, follow Nina’s advice.”

While the team had done some basic planning, and passed that on to Goro, they’d lacked the chance to do a proper practice session with him in just a few days. Hopefully Nina’s experience helped integrate him. Especially with Cora joining in.

By the time 10PM rolled around, Fia and Hyuga gave him the signal they were ready to activate the wards with a moment’s notice. Vince’s earpiece crackled with various people sounding off, and they began changing frequencies in preparation for the actual battle. He only wanted to hear the most important things once Mei was here, as a distraction at a vital moment could get him killed.

“I’m holed up nearby and ready with my toys,” Hamelin said.

“You better not vanish mid-fight,” Ashley growled.

“Please. Even if I think this is kinda dumb, I’m Vince’s bitch until he gets bored of me.” Hamelin made an odd popping noise. “Worry about your own cowardice.”

As Ashley began to growl, Vince cut in, “No arguing. Mei can and will show up at any moment. Kiyoko, any sign of the Yakuza?”

“No. It is possible Captain Frost is blocking any physical approach to the stadium,” Kiyoko said.

Vince stood roughly in the center of the dirt field, surrounded by the bare, metal stands. Kiyoko hovered high above them, while the rest of the team fanned out behind him in a 180-degree radius. Everyone had their barriers active. In order to avoid making Mei feel surrounded, they chose to leave one side of the field clear.

Or at least, it appeared that way. He’d seen Momo and Anzu slip into the shadows while wearing their skintight bodysuits.

Their team was smaller than he’d like, but far stronger than the one that fought Kigenai. He had Nina, Gaby, and Cora as front-line fighters. Ashley and Goro could act for both, and possessed powerful magic that let them punch above their weight classes. Hamelin hid away but had gotten Nina’s help to bury numerous wooden boxes beneath the dirt across the field. Kiyoko remained the strongest fighter save perhaps himself.

And of course he had Daji’s power, plus whatever Momo and Anzu brought to the fray.

Minutes passed in silence. Vince looked up at the moon. Tonight was a cloudless night.

He pulled out his phone and barely saw that it was 10:06PM when his magic senses rippled.

“She’s here,” Nina said, her voice audible in person and over his earpiece.

Mei stood roughly thirty feet in front of Vince. It was the first time he’d seen her since the night of the heist, over a month ago.

Her eight silver tails fanned out behind her. She wore a black and white kimono with a pattern of leaves spread across one half. Unlike her usual clothing, it didn’t reveal her shapely thighs or threaten to cause her hefty bust to spill out at the slightest movement. It looked closer to the robes worn by the Miura purifiers. When the fabric shifted, Japanese script glittered in the light. Enchantments, no doubt. Numerous paper talismans were tucked into a thick white sash tied around her belt.

She’d come prepared for a fight.

Magic whirled around him as her tails shimmered solid white. Vince tensed, and gripped Daji’s egg.

This was the first test of their planning.

Nothing happened. Mei muttered something in Japanese and the dirt around Vince’s feet scattered as she blasted it away with telekinesis.

A complicated series of magic circles revealed themselves. None quite matched each other, because they’d been drawn by different people. Thanks to Mei’s raw power and prowess, nobody had been confident enough they could block her teleportation with a passive magic circle. Even Momo and Anzu had admitted they might need to blow their cover to stop her.

“It seems you remain frustratingly competent,” Mei said, her eyes boring into Vince. “First you somehow slay Kigenai, and now you set a trap that brings together almost every faction in the city. I was right to pinpoint you as important. My only regret is not pursuing you more vigorously earlier. It’s funny how similar we are. Easily overlooked, yet tremendously dangerous.”

Vince knew where this was going. “You got our message?”

“Of course. Before you try to cut off my escape, know that—”

“You’ll teleport away if we try to block teleportation. Obviously.”

Mei smiled and her eyes glittered with excitement. “Then that means you have something you think can tempt me into stepping onto your web. Why else bring so many purifiers and magic tools to hold me in place? It can’t be another fake egg. I can’t believe Houou would let you risk the real egg, however.”

Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the surroundings. She paused on Goro and Cora for a moment, before dismissing them.

Eventually, she found Kiyoko, who had slowly lowered herself to a few dozen feet above the ground.

“So Knightsgate only saw fit to send you, Kiyoko?” Mei called out. She covered her mouth with one hand and laughed. “Does that not seem odd to the two of you? I’ve admitted to betraying Knightsgate and far more. You’ve heard of the atrocities I’ve committed. And yet, the diplomats and politicians of Knightsgate do nothing, even though they have powerful kitsune on hand.”

“I am enough,” Kiyoko declared.

“Cute.” Mei smirked and looked at Vince. “I understand you’ve already been attacked by Yakuza kitsune brought in from Japan. No doubt an attempt to frame me, as if I’m in a position to act outside this prison or call in foreign reinforcements.”

“Attacked?” Vince frowned.

The only time he’d been attacked by anyone trying to be Yakuza had been Juliet’s failed assassination attempt. The foxes there had worn Yakuza pins, but they’d also used illusions. They’d concluded the attack had been a false flag by Houou’s rebellious Miyoshi faction to pin the blame on Mei.

He hissed as he recalled one thing he’d forgotten. Kiho had immediately recognized the foxes who entered the restaurant as Yakuza. That seemed unlikely if they’d been illusioned, especially as those two hadn’t worn pins.

“Oh, it seems you’ve realized,” Mei said.

Hamelin’s voice crackled over the earpiece. “Uh, bad time to mention it, but I’m pretty sure there was a Yakuza fox at the meeting I had with Kreesa with Juliet. It was before I signed the contract, though.”

Vince’s eyes bulged at the news, and he heard Fia cursing the mousegirl over the earpiece.

“Perhaps you should teach the necromancer that her jokes about you ‘owning her’ aren’t jokes,” Daji said coldly. “She’s undead. Some tough love is survivable.”

A problem he’d deal with later.

“They’ve been moving around in the shadows, but political bullshit isn’t my forte,” Vince said.

“And yet, it will be your problem,” Mei said. “When an organization chooses to suffer traitors, it is always with intent and tells you their true values. Knightsgate ignores my deception because it benefits them, just as Houou overlooks my betrayal because the truth is too much for them.”

“We overlook nothing!” Goro bellowed. “Vince, why are you listening to this traitor!”

Cora hushed her superior, and Goro grimaced. Both knew the plan, and that Vince needed to convince Mei to stay. The moment to reveal the egg needed to be right. Letting Mei waffle only benefited them.

Especially as her knowledge of Knightsgate would be useful even after Mei was long dead.

Mei glanced at the fox, then back at Vince’s impassive face. “You’ve been making friends. But you know I’m right. The only question is will you accept the truth. People prefer lies. They power society. Whether they be lies that tell others to deceive them in order to climb over them, or lies they tell themselves to escape uncomfortable truths they’re too cowardly to face. Tell me, Vince, has anyone told you the truth of what you are?”

He bit his lip despite his efforts to remain impassive. Mei’s eyes narrowed and she grinned.

“Is this where you dangle the truth in exchange for the egg?” Vince asked. “Except you know nothing, because that’s also a lie. You already told me a story about what lay inside me the last time we fought.”

Mei laughed. “Perhaps. The difference is I can discover what you are without much difficulty. My offer remains open, Vince. Join me. Become something worthwhile in this world, instead of the patsy and target of pity by a washed up billionaire. Nothing I’ve said or done is any worse than those around you have done to others.”

“Perhaps.” He inclined his head. “In the grand scheme of things, I can probably agree. I’m not that big on politics to argue over shit like capitalism, and I’m not going to defend someone like Quintus. But there’s a key difference.”

“Oh?” The fox raised an eyebrow.

“You killed a friend of mine, Duilio. Kigenai fought for nothing and died for nothing, thanks to you. You personally deceived me, and planned to kill and betray people I loved, including Alessia,” Vince said, an undercurrent of anger finally showing in his tone. “That’s what makes you worse than the others.”

Mei’s face turned to stone. She crossed her arms and her hands vanished into the wide sleeves of her outfit.

“I see,” she said. “Then you had best have something worth my time.”

Vince finally pulled his hand out of his pocket, Daji’s egg clutched within it. The crown and many jewels adorning it shined from the red light of his barrier.

Greed filled Mei’s eyes when she saw it. Her tails twitched.

He held the egg up. “This is what you want. I’m certain that you can confirm it’s the real deal, in spite of the protections around it and the distance between us. If you want the power you’ve built your plans around, then you’ll have to stay and take it from us.”

That was the signal to activate the anti-teleportation wards. Within thirty seconds, Fia and the Miuras would turn the stadium into an inescapable spider’s web that trapped Mei inside it, leaving Vince and team to kill her or die trying.

“I can barely even sense it…” Mei’s eyes widened, and he saw her tails moving wildly with diagnostic spells. “Only a true soul egg could be such a masterpiece.” Her eyes narrowed. “And yet there’s the finest of leaks. One that tells me exactly how you have it in your possession.”

Vince steeled himself. He’d known the risk of bringing it out, as Mei might rightly suspect he was drawing on Daji’s power.

“Hmph. You’re a fool to think the excess magic we skim off the top of the eggs holds any meaning,” Mei said. She grinned. “But the scent of that magic is enough for me to confirm this is what I want. For that, I thank you for your idiocy. Especially for being so damn arrogant to rely on those stupid magic circles.”

He barely had a chance to react before her tails shined bright white. Heat filled his hand, and he clutched at the egg. Only to grip air.

Mei stood opposite him, Daji’s egg in her hand. “Goodbye, Vince.” All eight of her tails shimmered white as she activated a teleportation spell.

- - - - -

Commentary: And so the climax begins. The whole fight will be posted tomorrow.

Frost finally makes his reappearance after two books of absence (although he got plenty of mentions and made his presence felt at times). There's been a lot of setup for the next arc after this, whenever I get back to it. Mei closes out the long-running Yakuza arc, but there's plenty more to come even after this huge book.