Magi

Magi Chapter 14

Hayako's mind kept coming back to the same conclusion.

"Julia," said Oshikawa.

Julia walked toward Hayako. The collar snapped around her neck.

"I will break these earthly chains," she said, breaking the frozen mana chains, "and unleash my divine force!"

Instantly, Hayako's mana output surged. She sparked the mana and it erupted into azure flame. She held a hand up, directing the mana flow upward and creating a column of blue flame that turned the night t day around it.

The circuits in the collar had been fried and Hayako grabbed it and broke it off. She heard Oshikawa scream in pain, his flesh seared by the heat of the flames. She stepped out of her pillar of flame and saw Julia looking at Oshikawa with murder in her eyes. Apparently the circuits in her collar had been fried too. She started to lift Oshikawa into the air but Hayako stopped her.

"We need him to tell us where Ayame is," Hayako said.

Julia nodded silently.

The flames had died down by now. Hayako walked over to where Oshikawa lay on the ground, writhing in pain.

"Get away from me, you monsters," he yelled.

"Where is Suzuku's sister?" Hayako asked calmly.

"I don't know."

Hayako flicked Oshikawa in the chest, breaking his rib cage and sending him flying through the roof back into the secret lab. She jumped down the hole after him.

"Where is Ayame Asakawa?" Hayako asked again.

"I swear I don't know," Oshikawa wheezed, "I didn't have anywhere to keep the kids, so I just auctioned them off with a remote control on the black market."

"There must be some record, where is it?"

Oshikawa pointed to the computer he had been using when Hayako entered.

"Thank you," said Hayako.

Julia jumped down into the room.

"Can I kill him now?" she asked.

"Hold on...," said Hayako, looking on the computer, "Okay, found it. Still we might need him...Mind if I punish him?"

"Not at all."

Hayako walked back over to Oshikawa and ripped his left arm off. She then cauterized the wound with flaming mana.

Oshikawa screamed in pain.

"Take him downstairs and meet me at the nearby warehouse," Hayako said, "I'm going to destroy this lab."

"Right," said Julia.

She took Oshikawa and started going down the stairs.

Hayako cast Inferno, setting the whole floor ablaze with azure flame. She then followed Julia's path. They met at the warehouse, still covered in ice.

"What are we going to do with him?" asked Julia.

"I don't know," said Hayako, "We can't turn him in, as far as I know he hasn't actually broken any laws."

"Hmm. I think my family can take care of this, but they're miles away. Sawano might be able to help us out."

"Right, let's go with that."

The two met with Sawano, who agreed to lock up Oshikawa where no one would find him.

"That guy's done some pretty messed up stuff," explained Sawano.

Hayako and Julia then returned to Hayako's hotel to inform Suzuku of the night's events.

"So, where is Ayame?" asked Suzuku.

"She's with some travelling circus, Cirque de Magique," said Hayako, "We'll have to look them up and find out where they are right now, but at least we have some idea of where she is."

"I guess it could be worse," said Suzuku, on the verge of tears, "Some real pervert could've bought her."

"We'll find her," said Hayako, "Don't worry."

"And I'll keep helping," said Julia.

"Thanks, Einzfeld. You're not all bad."

"Thanks."

"I think we've all had a long day," said Hayako, "How about we all get some rest and resume our search tomorrow?"

"Sounds good," said Suzuku.

"Yeah," said Julia.

"Okay, let's get to bed then," said Hayako.

Julia returned to her hotel while Suzuku and Hayako went to bed and slept soundly through the night.