Hiro couldn’t see any of my emotional turmoil, of course. What lay before him was his traitorous “friend” standing before a panicking, terrified Mariko.

What I saw, though? I saw my way out of Maggie’s ultimatum. I’d have to use the poor fool; I couldn’t be straight with him. He’d never be able to keep up a façade, so I needed him fighting mad and baying for blood.

A cocky grin crossed my face, even as I drew the sword from my scabbard. “I take it we can take Brother Frettchen off the payroll?”

“Maybe,” spat Hiro, holding up Brother Frettchen’s curved sword. “Depends on if he can survive a fall down an elevator shaft.”

“My, my, aren’t we feeling bloodthirsty!”

I had expected Hiro to rethink his actions, or say something quippy. Instead, he took a step forward. “Y’know what? Maybe I am. I’m sick and tired of the Holy Brotherhood showing up and hurting my friends all the time. I’ve tried being decent. Maybe you need a stronger message.”

He was fast, even without Immortal Form activated. I focused on defending against his swipes. Hiro was a bit sloppy with the unfamiliar sword, but I knew he’d get the hang of it eventually.

“Not bad, Takehara,” I said.

“You always bring out the best in me, Magpie,” he spat, launching another flurry of strikes. “It’s why we were friends.”

“Hiro, wait,” said Mariko, taking a hesitant step forward. “Something’s wrong. We need to stop and talk about-”

“No!” Hiro’s voice echoed through the room. Even he seemed surprised at the outburst, but he didn’t back down. “These monsters don’t deserve your kindness, Mariko! Don’t get in my way again!”

“Hiro,” she said, shrinking back.

If Mariko’s words were wasted, they at least bought me an opening. I didn’t want to face Hiro alone in a tight space; I had seen him break the neck of a Holy Brother whose whole body was made of metal. If he opened the floodgates of his powers, he could end me with a single blow. For all his words, he wasn’t going all out on me yet.

However, I didn’t care to count on a “yet” to keep my head and neck together.

“Spectral Web!” I aimed low to bind his foot to the ground. He toppled over, his borrowed sword skittering away as a string of curses left his. The sticky energy structure wouldn’t last long, but it didn’t need to. We were directly opposite from the destroyed elevator shaft, and I fled while the getting was good.

“Svalinn’s Mercy!” I created a wide shield, curved towards the middle. I had used it as an impromptu elevator before, but not at such a height. I willed it thicker than was perhaps necessary, but I wasn’t about to take any chances. “Slow Barrier!” The air in front of the elevator door became an impassable wall. If Hiro tried to follow me through an empty elevator shaft, he’d be stuck like a fly in flypaper.

I took a quick look down, regretting it instantly. Judging by the red splatter on the roof of the elevator car below, the drop had been too much for Brother Frettchen’s powers.

With a bit of distance, I realized I could play both ends against the middle. Mariko knew where we were. Hiro was bound to come charging in like a bull, but he’d never risk Yukiko’s life. If a devil like me was conflicted, I knew damn well Hiro would fold under the threat. Then I would have a chance to figure out how to get them out safely.

It was a Hell of a gamble, but it was all I had.

“Mockingbird to Shrike,” I said, leaving out the honorifics. There wasn’t time for that. “Frettchen’s down, and Takehara is going to be right on my heels! We need to be ready for company.”

“What?” Her voice rang in my ear as I got off at my destination. I blew a hole in the doors with a Bloody Lance; I certainly had enough anger to fuel the attack.

“Do you copy?” I asked, using some terminology from one of Kiyo’s military games. “I said-”

“I heard what you said! What happened to Brother Frettchen?”

“I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say that Newton got his revenge, and it was messy.” I jogged into the mall proper, turning off my earpiece. I’d be able to report to her in person soon enough.

At least, if I could get a word in edgewise. Brother Ratte and Maggie were in a shouting match as the others watched on. More worryingly, I didn’t see any sign of the girls or the mundane soldiers.

“Your Mockingbird completely screwed up! I’m taking control of this operation!”

“And Frettchen couldn’t handle a student whose only talents are with close in combat!”

“Is there really time for this?” asked Brother Maus. “Brother Mockingbird said we have an attacker on the way.”

Brother Ratte barked a harsh laugh. “He’s one student with a useless pacifist backing him up. We’ll deal with him when he arrives.”

“One student who keeps thwarting us,” I said, reluctantly stepping in the middle of the fracas. “Don’t underestimate Hiro Takehara.”

Maggie whirled around. “It took you long enough to show up! I don’t see Yamada’s hand.”

“I had to get out of there, after Frettchen took a tumble,” I replied. “I’m not about to go toe to toe with Takehara. I need room to maneuver.”

Paul, the regular soldiers, and Mrs. Perera had been standing on the edge of the conversation, but he stepped in. “Wait, what’s this about a hand?”

“Never you mind, Brother Eagle,” replied Maggie. “It’s above your pay grade.”

“No, I think I am going to worry about it, ma’am,” he said, looming over the teacher. “You said we were here to make a political statement. The heck’s cutting off girl’s hands got to do with that?”

“I think it sends a pretty clear message,” retorted Maggie, shoving Paul back. “Besides, if she hadn’t insisted on sticking her nose into our business, she wouldn’t be here at all. This is her fault, not ours.”

Paul’s face fell. “It doesn’t sit right with me.”

“Yours is not to question why, Brother Eagle,” said Brother Ratte.

“Shut it!” Mrs. Perera’s voice echoed through the open air. “Hiro’s damn quick when he wants to be, so we need to stop bickering and plan.”

“I don’t see where we need a plan,” said Brother Maus. “You freeze him in place, then we all unload on him at the same time.”

“Maybe if I hadn’t been running my magic at full tilt all day,” she said. “I’m already faint.”

“Where are the hostages? We should be able to use them as bargaining chips.” I tried to sound nonchalant. “Hiro doesn’t have the spine to put his little girlfriend in danger.”

“It seems like there’s a lot of that going around,” said Maggie. She pointed upwards. “The mundane troops have them under watch in an employee lounge. I didn’t like being in spellcasting range of Rose or Yukiko if they woke up.”

So, she let the regular troops deal with that risk? The Brotherhood seemed to value their men like the Horde valued orcs. It’s a shame they hated us so, or they’d have been prime candidates for collaborators.

“You’re being too paranoid,” said Brother Ratte. “Those magical bonds will keep them from casting any magic.”

“I had a set on Hiro, and Mariko too,” I countered. “This is a tricky bunch.”

“Or you just aren’t good at taking hostages,” grumbled Brother Ratte. “Sister Shrike, I want Brothers Mockingbird and Eagle up front when Takehara arrives. They can be the duelists and keep him tied up so we can cast from afar.”

“You don’t order my boys around,” she retorted.

“Shrike, dear, that’s the best strategy,” Mrs. Perera said in a placating tone.” Mockingbird and Eagle are good with a sword. Let him have this. You’re still in charge, though. Right, Brother Ratte?”

Like any good compromise, both of them looked ready to pitch another fit.

Brother Ratte blinked first. “Fine, whatever you said, Sister Shrike,” he said with a sigh. “We’ll settle this later.”

“You bet we will,” replied Maggie.

“Now that the pissing contest is over,” said Mrs. Perera. “Mockingbird, you’ve got that vision affinity. Where are they?”

I closed my eyes and the world turned dark, lit up only by the outlines of the wizards. A quick glance up showed Maggie hadn’t lied about the locations of Kiyo and the rest. I found that I couldn’t see the soldiers themselves. I supposed they had no magical talents to read, a hole in the Mimic Sight I hadn’t considered before.

Paul’s hand on my shoulder woke me out of my reverie. “You can save yourself the trouble, Mocks.”

Hiro Takehara strode forward through the main entrance, his sword drawn and a determined expression on his face. Mariko followed shortly after him, her hands in a casting position.

“I’m going to offer this once,” he shouted to the assembled brothers. “Lay down your weapons, let the girls go, and I’ll let you live.”

“Nope, that isn’t going to happen,” said Maggie. “Hiro Takehara, Mariko Yamada, you are judged to be demonkin, and will be judged and executed accordingly. Make peace with whatever creator you like; you’ll be meeting him soon.”

Hiro shrugged, looking over his shoulder. “I tried, Mariko.” Not waiting for a response, his legs surged with Immortal Form’s power as he charged right for us.