Chapter Eight: First Real Mission

"Bell, I don't wanna get up, just leave me alone." Sophi said, pulling covers over her head, trying to hide from Bella. "You have to get up, we're leaving to go investigate that stronghold downtown today, we need the money." Sophi popped one eye out of her sheets then sighed and began getting up. 

Mahō got out of bed early to go for a morning run, It felt weird being underground and not out in the forest something he didn't really want to get used to. Knowing the missing they were going on was only a scouting mission he wasn't to worried about what would happen, Hopefully he could win over the team a little and get accepted into the group.

Gray and Luke woke up in their shared room around the same time and decided to meditate for awhile before going and checking on the girls, Gray just wants to get the mission done smoothly and the team to accept Mahō. Luke is excited about a paycheck so he can get more books on magic and study again, he had only been able to meditate for the last 2 weeks since he ran out of reading material. 

Mahō was walking into the living area for the team when he heard Gray talking. "Alright now that Mahō is here we can get started." Everyone looked at the door as he walked in and sat down on the couch next to Gray. "We are going to take a very public route to the center of downtown where there is supposed to be a stronghold for some counts in the city, supposedly they have been taking in a bunch of Grade 0's and testing magic infusion on them, our job is to get in and confirm the stronghold and that they have Grade 0's present." Gray explained the mission and was getting ready to leave when Mahō spoke up, "So do these experiments transform these Grade 0's actually what even is a Grade 0 Gray." Realizing the country boy would need to sit through some grade school classes when they got back dawned on him before responding. "Grade 0 is what we refer to people with no magic as, when we get back you can sit in on some classes about how the power structure works since you never got that education." Mahō nodded in agreement and followed Gray out.

An Hour Later

Walking through the streets in more casual attire was weird for Grays team as they didn't go on stealth missions often, Until the last mission they had completed they were a T8 team which didn't allow stealth missions as they were to high risk. Now being on their first one seems almost fun to the group. "It feels so cool getting to be all sneaky beaky like in the city now that we're T7 huh bell." Sophi whispered to Bella with a light elbow into her arm. "Stop joking around Soph we need to stay focused on concealing our mana or we could be sensed." Sophia looked sad but nodded her head and kept walking. A few minutes later they arrived into central downtown about two blocks away from where the stronghold was supposed to be. "Alright Mahō take Luke with you and go into that alley, a couple blocks ahead is that place, Use the darkness in the alleys to stay hidden and keep Luke close, I plan on you two getting in to see and the three of us on standby around the block in case anything goes wrong okay." Gray said to the team, "Of course I get the sausage fest." Luke mumbled under his breath before agreeing and dipping into the alley with Mahō. Using a blanket of darkness Mahō was able to cover both of their mana signatures as well as them physically moving through the dark alleyways. As they were approaching the building Luke grabbed Mahō's arm and stopped them. "Hey, see those two bums sitting there playing cards, I think they're Jogi, I sense a slight mana coming from them." Mahō Focusing his senses realized Luke was right they were masking it but didn't seem to good at it. "They are probably Grade 2's it shouldn't be a problem for us." Mahō had a confused look on his face but didn't ask any questions. Moving forward they walked past the two without being spotted and started climbing up the side of the brick building. All was well until Luke lost his footing and some rubble fell out of the darkness blanket and the two bums looked up to the building and focused their senses. "Shit they're grade 4's they masked it well." Luke said as he started climbing faster up the wall trying to make it to a window. Mahō made it into a window and right before Luke was able to get in he get hit in the back by 6 water bullets from below and loses his grip. Mahō Reaches out of the window and grabs his hand before he falls and pulls him into the window. "I bestow the light of life, heal thy wound." Mahō chanted while waving his hands over Luke's back. "You can't silent cast healing spell huh?" Luke grunted. "They're not something I really specialized in just be glad I know a decent one at all." Luke stood up and nodded in appreciation, "We need to go see if they're any experiments going on here, if so they're gonna move soon they know they've been discovered." Mahō agreed and they started running into the facility as Luke's wounds were almost healed.

"I felt someone cast a spell over in this alley." Bella said to Sophia after running over to her. "Shit I wonder if the boys got made, where Gray at?" Sophia said before noticing gray walk up to them. "Did you guys feel that too?" Gray asked, both girls nodded and looked in the direction of the alley. "Well things might not go as smooth as we wanted for our first stealth mission." Gray stated hesitantly.

Mahō ducked back behind the corner after looking around. "There are 4 guys and 1 girl, they all have mana." Mahō whispered to Luke, Luke nodded and whispered back, "Get as close as you can and when you start to attack ill launch and light spear at them and try to get 2." Mahō nodded and disappeared into the shadows. Moments later he reappeared with a katana stabbing the girl through her stomach as she was the furthest away. "Spear of light that I shall summon reap my enemies of life to make holy light shine again." Luke chanted loudly to distract them as the 4 men looked out a bright spear launched in their direction piercing 2 straight through while 1 leaped at him with a dagger. Mahō Began clashing katana to long sword with a the last man seemingly on even footing. Luke tries to back step but gets caught in the side with the dagger before he can move and screams in pain. "Get off you fucking asshole!" Luke screams as he tries stabbing the man with his own dagger only for it to be dodged. "Light of retribu.." Luke gets cut off from another dagger being thrown into his gut and making him drop to his knees. "NOO!" Mahō yells and he uses a blink to be on the assassin like fighter and beheads him with the katana before dropping it on the ground. Mahō Slides across the floor into Luke grabbing him and running away. "Hey dude, it'll be okay just hang out well get out of here not problem." Mahō said unconvincingly to Luke while running through the unknown facility still being chased by the last swordsman. Mahō sees the window that they can in through and blinked again to the wall as he gets stabbed from behind.