I slipped back to my room to get fully changed for the day’s festivities. I put on the skintight, camo-patterned fabricata suit that the school used to measure hits on the Peace Bond. I made another little modification, though, running a blade through the mass of metallic runes concentrated in the center of the back, turning it into nothing but a piece of snug fabric. I couldn’t do without it, in case somebody caught me running around not ready for the War Games, but I wasn’t about to get caught in my own trap!

Next came the white service uniform of the Wizard Corps. It felt strange to wear it myself, but they had decided we needed more covering for the major war games. Rose had complained about the skintight camo suit being too revealing; I wondered if somebody in a position of authority had listened? More likely, the cautious Headmaster wanted us to wear the reinforced uniforms in case the Peace Bond should fail.

Still, seeing myself in a white and green cadet’s uniform was disconcerting. It made me really look like one of them.

Maybe it was a bit petty to put a Magic Bolt through the mirror, but I didn’t need the confusion when I was so close to freedom.

I was interrupted from cleaning a few shards of glass from my uniform when a text arrived from Kiyo.

“Magpie, where are you? I’m at the arena.”

“Be along shortly,” I tapped out. I gathered the last few odds and ends from the room and made my way downstairs.

I had commanded soldiers in numerous battles, but I’ll admit my battle plans had never been particularly elaborate. Then again, orcs understood their place, and I was permitted to slay those who didn’t. I once again wished that Maggie had been more cooperative. I wouldn’t have needed to set up so many moving pieces.

A message from Hiro went ignored; he could wait. I needed to get Ms. Yamada’s attention. A succinct text asked her to meet me in the club room.

“Why?” asked Mariko

“Don’t tell anybody, it’s a surprise. I have something for you.”

My next message went to Mrs. Perera, telling her to meet me in the batting cages with the you-know-whats.

The cages weren’t just chosen for nostalgia’s sake, though it was one of the first places I had ever gone with Hiro’s group. They were underused at the best of times, and nobody was there to hit a few balls on the morning of a War Game. It was an ideal place for our skullduggery.

Mrs. Perera clearly felt otherwise, looking absolutely incensed as she stumbled her way into the room, hurling a duffel bag at my feet. “There’s your stupid scarves. Why’d I have to come to you? Your knees still work, damnit!”

“I’m not going anywhere near our dear Maggie before we’re ready. She might try to stop us if she catches wind of our scheme,” I replied, pulling out a red and black plaid fabricata. “These were a stroke of genius. It’s not the best sword in the world, but I can wear it without raising an alarm.”

“Besides the fact that it’s going to be a scorcher today,” she said. “They’ll think you’re a nut.”

“Then thank goodness for air conditioning,” I said as I finished securing the scarf around my neck. It was just tight enough not to fall off on its own, but a good yank would pull it free.

My phone rang. I met Mrs. Perera’s gaze. “You know what to do next.”

She nodded. “Yup, I’ll meet you all downstairs. I’ll grab Brother Bald Eagle while I’m at it.”

“You’re the best, Mrs. Perera.”

She shrugged. “This is probably my last chance to be useful. I’m not going to half-ass it.”

I had to admire the decrepit terrorist’s drive. I gave her a friendly salute as she left, answering the phone before it would shift over to my answering machine. “Good morning, Rose!”

“Soren, where are you?” she asked, her tone verging on whining. “They’re going to start the ceremonies soon!”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” I said, checking my watch. “There’s plenty of time.”

“It’s like Mr. Maki is always telling us,” she said, deepening her voice. “Early is on time, and on time is late! Hah hah!”

“You do a good Maki.”

“Thanks, I’ve been practicing. It’s not as good as my Headmaster Tachibana, though. It would be more fun if you were here in person. What’s keeping you?”

“I’m helping Mrs. Perera out with something. I already told Kiyo I’d be along shortly.”

“She isn’t here either. I’m out here all alone.”

That raised alarm bells. “You might try calling out for Kiyo once we’re done. She’s probably just in hiding.”

Rose paused, her blonde tresses brushing against the phone’s microphone as she glanced around. “I’ll try to find her, but we know we’d both rest easier if you were here too.”

“Rose, you have no reason to worry about your performance today.” It was true, in a sense.

“Easy for you to say; I bled off my Stormbringer last night, and I still feel a hurricane coming on! Do hurry up, won’t you? It’s always easier with you around.”

“If you need to kill some time, go use the bathroom; the Da- Good Lord knows when you’ll get another chance.” It was one last kindness; once the Peace Bond had them, she wouldn’t be able to move for a good long while.

“Good idea, Magpie. Now, hurry up! You know Kiyo’s a wreck without you around.”

I winced. “She’ll have to toughen up, then.” I hung up before Rose could ask for an explanation.

I was loaded down with magical fabricata, yet the most useful tool in my disposal was my smartphone. Technology was the new magic. “Good morning, Rei!”

“Soren? Is that you?” Her voice sounded groggy.

“Don’t tell me you’re just waking up now!”

“No, I’m up, I’m up.”

“Good, you very nearly went to voicemail.”

“Sorry about that,” she said, stifling a yawn. “I’ve only had this phone since I got my affinity under control, and they moved everything around since I was a kid.”

“You’re welcome for the training, by the by,” I said, tapping my foot impatiently. “Where are you? There’s no time to waste!”

“Mr. Takehara took me out for some coffee, but it hasn’t kicked in yet. Why are you calling me? He said he couldn’t get ahold of you.”

“That’s because I didn’t want to spoil the surprise. Meet me in the batting cages. I got us some secret weapons for the fight.”

“Hey, is that Magpie?” I could faintly hear Hiro’s voice in the background. “Did he say something about secret weapons?”

“You have good hearing, Takehara! Yes, I’ve been working on something with Mrs. Perera. You’ll find them shocking.”

“Are you sure?” The microphone rustled as Hiro snatched it from Rei’s hand. I could picture her looking cross at him, without him noticing. “Isn’t that cheating?”

“They’ll all perfectly legal, I assure you. Mrs. Perera saw to that. Get up here!”

“Want me to bring you some coffee?”

“Yes, why not? Now seriously, I’m on a tight schedule. I promised a few too many people a few too many favors today.”

“You’re always letting yourself get pulled too many directions,” he said. “You need to learn to say no.”

I couldn’t manage to suppress my sigh. Didn’t I know it. “That’s rich coming from you, Mr. Accidental Harem.”

I could practically hear him cringe. “I see your point. Do what you gotta do, man. I’ll see you soon.”

It has been said that war is long stretches of boredom punctuated by brief moments of terror. I couldn’t agree with that assessment. I could multi-task and be bored and terrified all at once. My heart raced while I waited for Hiro and Rei to arrive. If I was even a bit off, Hiro would clobber me like the baseballs we’d hit on my first day at the school. Still, it was my best bet to guarantee we wouldn’t be going up against his Immortal Form.

I had weighed my approach carefully. If I could have told my damn nerves to stop fraying, I’d have engaged Hiro in a diverting conversation, waiting for the right moment for my ambush.

What would I even say to him? I ran through a dozen scenarios in my mind, each one ending with him asking logical questions, like why I looked so nervous, or where these supposed secret weapons were.

No good. I was too tongue tied, and I needed to save my diction for spellcasting.

From Hiro’s perspective, a few things must have happened in a flash, far too quickly for him to process. First he walked in, chest thrust out and head held high, like he owned the place. Then, he noticed me slink out of the shadows near the entrance to the long, narrow room, before my hand clamped down on his wrist. His eyes widened in dull surprise at the sudden invasion.

“Magpie, what’s-” Reflexively, the aura of his Immortal Form started to swirl around his body.

Too late for him, though. “Lechtar!” Demonic runes collapsed on themselves, and an electrical charge strong enough to stun two orcs raced through his unsuspecting body. He nearly rode it out, but a last jolt of electricity finally overwhelmed his defenses.

Hiro’s eyes rolled into the back of his head as his knees buckled, but not before I was able to pluck the paper coffee cup out of his hand. It was a favor for him, honestly; he hit the tile floor face first, and he didn’t need to add scalding burns to that.

Rei stood dumbfounded. “What was that for?”

I stuck my tongue out. “For putting too much sugar in here.”

The mousy-haired girl furrowed her brow. “Wait, really?”

“Of course not,” I snapped, rolling my eyes nearly as far as Hiro had. “Holy Sister Shoebill, I have word from on high. We strike today. Are you ready to save the world?”

I was worried she’d waste more precious time on useless questions, but she got with the program more quickly than I’d feared. Her predatory grin was worthy of a devilmaid. “Always, Magpie. I mean, Holy Brother Mockingird. What can I do for the cause?”

I jerked a thumb deeper into the row of chain-link fences that protected observers. “Put those muscles to good use and help me hide him. He’s heavier than he looks.”

She frowned. “That’s almost a letdown.”

“Trust me,” I said, placing my hands under Hiro’s armpits. “You’ll know when the fun begins.”