Paralytic spell.
Fuck him.
For a moment, she was caught between running or staying to fight. It was pretty dangerous fighting a wizard, after all. But she was better off knowing what he was up to than leaving him an unknown factor.
She casually dusted herself off as she turned to stare at Tsukiyama, who had his wand drawn.
"What do we have here?" She said in a jeering voice.
"Don't sound so high and mighty, little girl." Tsukiyama sneered back, "This war isn't something you can win. Maybe this battle, but not this war."
Korū appeared with Shōhei, and froze for a second, before drawing his katana and tossing a gun to Shōhei. "What the fuck?"
Alina mindlinked Korū, a stoic expression in her face. "Bitch, you can't fight a wizard like that."
"What else do you want me to do?" he mindlinked back. "I'd rather use the fucking sword than go unarmed. That'd be dumber."
"Just stay behind me. Make sure Shōhei does too." Alina told them.
"The fuck?" Korū hissed.
"I have protection for the direct spells." Idiot. "I'm not that dumb or noble." No way she was capable of being a human shield, right? Much less for two people. The metal of her pendant suddenly felt cold against her skin.
Korū huffed in response, sheathed the blade, and swapped the gun Shōhei was holding for the gun that Alina had stolen. How it got there was something he would have to figure out later. Shōhei blinked at the gun, then rolled his eyes.
Alina and Tsukiyama stared at each other, seemingly sizing the other up.
"Tsukiyama-san, what are you doing?" Shōhei asked from behind.
Tsukiyama said nothing, choosing to simply cock his head to one side and look at the three teenagers with disdain.
Korū raised the gun, shooting Tsukiyama in the shoulder.
Tsukiyama's shoulder jerked backwards violently and he fell to the ground, yelping, and his wand fell out of his hand and skidded across the floor. He glared at Korū, before his other hand glowed as he held it to his injured shoulder.
"That's playing dirty." Alina commented. Healing magic changed everything.
Tsukiyama smirked. "It isn't if there weren't any rules in the first place."
Alina growled at him, habitually scenting the air.
Three more bullets were shot into his shoulders and stomach, barely missing his vital organs. At least, they would have if they had reached their target in the first place.
"I'm a Fujihana, boy. Don't expect yourself to be able to even hurt me." The wizard laughed from behind his magic, spreading his arms as he made the bullets that were originally meant for him levitate and angled them at his foes, "Make one move, and I'll give these back to you." He warned.
Korū growled, but had the sense to stop shooting, his gun still aimed at Tsukiyama. Shōhei had taken up a similar stance beside him, both of them tense and ready for Tsukiyama's next move. Alina glared at Tsukiyama, but her mind was somewhere else.
"Empty threat." Alina mindlinked as she turned around and lunged at a shadow near the end of the corridor, flying past the two boys as she slid her knife out of her sleeve, where she had left it after the last encounter with the same person.
"What the-" Tsukiyama snarled as Alina darted away from him. That was not what he had expected. The moment his guard went down, Shōhei fired two shots at him, hitting his stomach and knee, causing him to crumple onto the floor.
Korū spun around to shoot at the shadow, which dodged both Alina and his attacks. Alina was engaged in a very dangerous dance off, her only knife against the opponents katana.
"Stop shooting him!" Alina yelled to Shōhei, as she ducked when a blade swung overhead.
"He's enjoying it," Korū observed, trying to get a clear shot at his grandfather.
"He's going to die if he's not dead yet! We need him for questioning, and this is murder." Alina responded as her knife finally hit home as she broke past Akui's defences, throwing herself forward and jabbing the weapon upwards, and into his stomach.
Akui winced, then lunged at Korū and grabbed him at lightning speed. His fingers tightened around his grandson's throat. Korū clawed at the iron grip with one hand, struggling for breath, the other raising the gun to Akui's face.
Alina turned and kneed him in the balls, hoping he had some. He hissed, not letting go of Korū, and kicked at Alina.
"Holy shit, do you not have any balls?" Alina bared her fangs and backed away slightly.
Korū's gun fell to the ground with a loud clatter and Shōhei snarled, shooting him twice in the arm holding Korū, but Akui still didn't let go, even as his bones shattered and his blood splattered on the floor. That's what years of pain and torture did to him. He levelled a glare at Shōhei and moved behind Korū, using him to shield himself.
He only needed one person.
Alina narrowed her eyes at him. She inhaled sharply and held her knife to her own neck. "Let him go." she commanded, praying that her suspicions were correct.
"What the fuck, Alina?" Korū choked out. Akui merely narrowed his eyes back at her.
Alina pressed the knife harder, drawing blood. She held her gaze steady as the warm liquid slid down her collarbone. The stinging pain didn't matter to her.
Akui growled and dropped Korū, who lay there gasping.
Suddenly, a glowing wall of light appeared between Akui and everyone else. "Leave." a new voice commanded. It was Mrs Ishikawa's twin, pointing her wand at Akui from beside the presently unconscious Tsukiyama. She knew full well that she and her family would hunt him down and make him pay eventually if he had done them wrong. He would never get away.
With yet another hiss, Akui disappeared into the shadows. Shōhei scrambled over to Korū, who was also unconscious. If Akui's grip was any tighter, his windpipe would probably have been crushed.
"What happened?" The witch asked, kneeling beside Tsukiyama and healing his wounds.
"Tsukiyama and Akui happened." Shōhei growled.
"Details."
"You know nothing of this?" Alina asked.
She shook her head. "I don't even know how that dragon got in. Access here is very limited, as you have experienced yourself. The portals aren't open all the time."
Alina nodded, believing that she was telling the truth.
"He's working with or for Akui." Alina told her, swiping her knife against her shirt before sheathing it. She would wash the piece of fabric later.
"Is that so?" The witch frowned, then cast a spell that knocked Tsukiyama out again as he started to stir, for precaution's sake. "I'm afraid we need to get everyone to drink some truth potion. I can't have any mistakes or misunderstandings happening. Let us gather everyone and settle this in the living room." She then approached Korū, addressing Shōhei, "Let me make sure he's okay."
Shōhei backed away. Korū didn't stir. It was the best rest he'd gotten for a while, so he wouldn't have wanted to wake up anyway.
The witch waved her wand again to make sure Korū wasn't secretly dying. "Okay, let's go. Can you carry him?" she directed the question at Shōhei.
Shōhei nodded tensely and lifted Korū's limp form. The witch picked Tsukiyama up and they trooped off to summon everyone else.