章節 18: Magic
The streets of downtown Tokyo were lively even after nine o'clock. The shops were emitting bright lights on the street, a few spotlights were hanging from Cherry Blossom trees and the couples walked hand-in-hand. High School students went into an arcade, giggling like girls. Middle School guys hung at each others' houses while little kids had apple candies in their hands as they ran around the park.
Hito, with a hood over his head, grunted at Sengoku, "I told you we should have waited till it was ten."
Sengoku rushed past a couple, then glared at Hito. "I haven't completed my one hour of the night reading, and I can't stay awake after ten thirty. You know that, so keep quiet and follow me."
Hito rolled his eyes as he jerked from his spot and followed Sengoku to a dark alley at the end of the street. The lights in that area were turned off and a dry Cherry Blossom tree was standing alone.
Sengoku stopped near the bench under the withered tree and waited for Hito. Then they both entered the plaza.
"Are you sure?"
"Yep, Pretty sure it is closed. No lights and no sounds," Sengoku said as he pulled himself to a wall.
Hito went to the other side of the building and kept up with Sengoku's pace Sengoku stopped and looked at the CCTVs fixed in both corners outside the vet's clinic. 'There must be more inside. And a hell lot in the care center.'
He lifted his thumb and gave Hito the signal. With a nod, Hito turned to the CCTVs and focused on his energy. He could feel his pupils throb as the energy rushed through his veins.
Sengoku turned to the CCTVs and saw smoke coming from them after a buzz. With a frown, he turned back to Hito. "Why did you break them?"
Hito shrugged as he moved to a window. "I have lost the touch. Maybe you should let me use it more often."
Sengoku leaned off the wall and went to the main door, it had a board that read: Dr. Jui's Veterinary Clinic and Care Center.
Hito came from the opposite and reached the doorknob before Sengoku. He paused with his hand on the knob and then twisted it open.
Sengoku pushed past Hito and went inside first. He leaned down and looked for CCTVs above the receptionist's counter, and two on two hallways – one that led to Operation Center and the other that led to Care Center.
With a hand sign, Sengoku called Hito forward. He closed the door behind him and walked beside Sengoku. Hito did the same eye thing looking at the cameras. They buzzed but did not emit any smoke this time.
"Good," Sengoku muttered as he took the hallway to the left to Care Center. Hito maintained his pace with Sengoku and continued to scan the surrounding for any more cameras.
On the sides of the hallway were rooms for special cases – aggressive or rabid dogs. And at the end of the hallway was a common room for puppies and other friendly dogs.
Every door had a metal net, followed by a wooden block. Sengoku was sure there would be cameras inside the rooms, so they would have to be careful.
He stopped beside the door and waited for Hito to slide to the other side. "Where did you say she was?"
Hito opened his mouth but then closed it. He turned to the metal net and widened his eyes. He tried to feel the energy on the other side of the door, then pinpoint the one that would feel the most familiar.
The light in the hallway was dimmed. Although the yellow lights in the hallway and blue lights were turned on inside the rooms, that color combination turned the dark hallways even creepier.
"She is on the right corner, in a kennel," Hito said as he grabbed the handle.
"Wait." Sengoku grabbed the handle from Hito's hand and twisted it. "I will look out for CCTVs, you bust them for me." With that, he went inside.
The blue light glowed in the corners of the dark room. A few puppies were closed in cages by the corners, one over another. Dog kennels were arranged by the side of the hall.
Hito looked at the corners for cameras, and he doubted whether the CCTVs could even capture them in a place this dark. The room was bigger than Hito had imagined it to be. By two kennels, at the end of the room, was a door that lead to the playground outside.
Sengoku pushed the door and let Hito follow, then he pointed at the two CCTVs in the corners. Hito nodded and FIXED them.
"Where is she?" Sengoku asked as he pushed his shoulders back and stretched his arms. "I wonder how spies keep this up for their whole life."
Hito scanned the area, then pointed at the kennel on Segnoku's left side. He turned to see a light pink kennel with a fenced door to it. A smile spread on his face as he walked to the kennel.
He smelled the medicines and anti-infection spray near the kennel. Perhaps every dog in the room had been given some meds, a spray, or some powder. But this smell got stronger as he squatted in front of the kennel.
Hito raised his hand. "Wait, I will open it—"
Sengoku grabbed the padlock in his fist and started mending its U. With a snap, he opened the lock. An orange color Shiba Inu, sitting in the kennel, tried to wag her tail, then cried in pain.
The other dogs in the facility woke up due to her squealing. They banged the metal gate, and started growling, wailing in their cages. But without any care, Sengoku pulled the Shiba Inu with a Cherry Blossom on her collar out along with the cushion she was on.
She tried to wag her tail again, lifted her paw with broken nails, and hit Sengoku's forearm with it.
'All right. Alright." Sengoku patted her back, she tried to get off, but he pushed her head back on the cushion. "Calm down, girl. I know, you're safe with us."
The dogs in the cage started shaking their cages, and the growling dogs started to bark. Hito clicked his tongue and turned to the dogs in the cage. He glared at the barking dogs.
Just as dogs sense a ghost or any other spirits, they must have sensed the dark energy rising from Hito and went back to growling. As Hito took a step forward, they whimpered and cuddled themselves in the cages.
Sengoku raised his hand to hold her properly, but Sakura struggled to get away from his muscular hand. The smile on his face fell when he saw her reaction to his hand. "Sorry… but I have no other way of doing this."
He rested his hand on her head anyway, she growled and twisted her head to bite him. But with a little strength, he pressed her head on the cushion. She finished with a whimper.
"Done?" Hito asked from behind.
Sengoku nodded as he pushed Sakura back inside. She had lost consciousness and was now limp. The doctor had treated her wounds, but he was not a wizard to fix her overnight.
Sengoku closed the kennel's gate and since he could not get the mended U of the padlock to get back in place, so he just left it like that.
"We can do at least this much for our friend," Sengoku said, staring at Sakura. "We won't see him after he disappears for a year."
Hito and Sengoku waited like that for a moment, then Hito walked to the door. He held it open while Sengoku walked out.
"Fix the CCTVs." He dug his hands into the jeans pocket and continued walking down the hallway.
The dogs had started growling again, and this time, they annoyed Hito. He stood in the doorway, then looked at the CCTVs. Sengoku was already halfway across the hallway.
"The dogs are annoying here." He closed the door after stepping out. Then followed Sengoku.
"Did you fix the CCTVs?"
Without hesitation: "Yeah…"
"How much time will it take?" Hito asked, catching up with Sengoku.
With a shrug, Sengoku said, "One night will be enough."
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