Chapter 15

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It had been two days since Zane had had dinner with the others. The general mood had improved and Aki had already shown everyone around the city. Especially Asagi and Carol hadn't left their apartment until then.

Zane was on his way into the city, more specifically to the base of the Second Tactical Mage City-Unit. He had received the notification that he had been assigned to the Second Unit only the day before. The City-Unit of the Tactical Mages were more like a police squad as Aki had described. While the unit to which Aki's team belonged had more military duties. While the City-Unit took care of the internal security of the cities, the Military-Unit took part in operations outside of the Alliance's control areas or were used in battles.

Zane, however, didn't care about the area of ​​operation. He knew he would be joining Leon's special unit soon, at least he hoped so. Until then he was happy to be able to help the little people with his work, even if it was only a small contribution. The gratitude of the youngsters a few days ago had motivated him, it was exactly what Zane wanted to do.

Help the people.

Hence, he had trained hard the last few days. He got permission from Arihiro to use the training grounds at the military base, and so he did.

Zane stood in front of the address Lucia had given him. It was a fairly plain building, unlike what Zane had expected. It resembled an ordinary police station, with two garage doors and a glass-enclosed entrance area.

At the reception, he was greeted by a man wearing a police-like uniform.

"Hi, I'm supposed to report here. Zane Seranis." Zane handed the man the PDA with the data.

"Ah yes. We were informed. I'll let the commander know." He tapped around on a screen.

Shortly thereafter, the commander stepped out of one of the rear doors.

"We meet again." The Tactical Mage who had interrogated him stood in front of him and shook his hand.

"Zane Seranis." Zane introduced himself.

"Kenelm Laifer, commander of the second unit. Glad to meet you."

"Likewise." Zane nodded happily.

"I'll show you the rest." Laifer walked in front and Zane followed.

He led Zane into a briefing room where four others were already seated.

"Welcome to the second unit." Laifer introduced Zane to the others. "These are our Tactical Mages." He began to point at those present. They all wore the same uniform, which identified them as Tactical Mages of security. The second unit's logo was clearly visible on their shoulders.

"This is Stephen." He pointed to the first in line.

"Hey." He waved at Zane.

"Next are Alex and Mikael."

"Glad to meet you."

"Hi," the two greeted Zane.

"And the last one..." Kenelm looked around and sighed. "The last one is Gerard. He is a priest."

Confused by the sigh, Zane looked at Kenelm as Gerard greeted him as well, "May the Architect guide you." He bowed slightly.

Unlike the others, Gerard wore a white jacket over his uniform, branded with Architect Church's logo. He also seemed to exude a kind of religious serenity.

"I'm pleased too. I'm Zane Seranis! Here's to a good collaboration." Zane happily introduced himself.

"Seems Simon isn't here yet..." Kenelm clarified. Zane remembered that there was someone else involved in the incident at the train station. Was it the missing Simon?

With a hiss the door opened behind them and a tall man with dark blue hair slouched in. "What's all this noise here?"

"There you are." Kenelm seemed not surprised while Simon dropped onto one of the chairs. "May I introduce the last of the team - Simon."

"That's the little one from the train station." Simon eyed Zane.

"And your new partner."

"What?" Simon looked at Kenelm in disbelief.

"You complained that you're always on the road with me. So I thought I'd put Zane on your side."

"You mean I should play babysitter?"

"Zane, you will form a team with Simon, he will explain everything to you." Kenelm ignored Simon and ended the meeting.

In passing, Mikael patted Zane on the shoulder, and Gerard also seemed to make a religious gesture in Zane's direction, as if wishing him luck.

"So, kid..." Simon got up and walked past Zane. "Follow me."

"My name is Zane." He followed Simon.

"What are we going to do?" Zane asked Simon who was walking silently in front of him towards the exit after they got off the elevator.

"We're going on patrol." He stopped in front of the reception. One of the police officers handed him a PDA. Simon held up his PDA and walked out the door.

Zane looked around confused. A cop who saw Zane shrugged with a smile before Zane followed Simon.

"And what's the plan?" Zane asked once they were on the road.

"Your first day, right?" Simon replied, a little annoyed. "Follow me."

"So, little one." Simon suddenly turned to him.

"My name is Zane..."

"Time for breakfast!" He pointed energetically to a restaurant they were standing in front of.

Zane looked at Simon, puzzled. "Breakfast? It's half past twelve! There is no more breakfast there."

Zane and Simon were sitting right by the window in the restaurant. Simon had ordered a large portion of fries and a burger. Zane gave Simon a confused look as he stuffed himself.

"Aren't you hungry?" Simon asked, looking down at Zane's plate, which only had two sandwiches on it.

"I do, I do." Zane laughed.

"What's wrong?" Simon asked with some sauce sticking to his cheek.

"Nothing, I just had to think of a friend, she also has an appetite like you, Sir."

"You can skip the Sir right now." He pointed at Zane with a fried potato. "I feel like an old man! I'm still full of energy! I'd like another drink, please!" He yelled through the store.

Zane looked at Simon puzzled, who emptied his glass in one gulp before the waitress brought another.

"You're so calm, is something the matter?" He looked at Zane.

"Uhm no, Sir I mean you've just been so different since we got here."

"What do you mean different?"

"So... talkative..."

"Oh, that. I'm just not a morning person."

"It's past one..." Zane repeated.

"I just need a little until I wake up." He put a fried potato in his mouth. "Besides, you should eat properly before you go to work!"

"Before work?" Zane gave him an unintelligible look.

"Of course, I've been looking for a good restaurant all morning."

"That took four hours. I followed you across town for four hours. Without you saying a single word. For lunch?" Zane asked in disbelief.

"Breakfast." Simon corrected him as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"Wasn't there anything closer to the base?"

"Well, the search radius just increases over time and you have to be on the lookout for offers." Simon still waved a fried potato in front of Zane's face.

Zane gaped at Simon. His first day at work had already turned into a four-hour adventure entitled "We're looking for breakfast".

"That was good!" Simon stomped out of the restaurant with Zane in tow, his stomach swollen into a balloon. "Now we look for work."

Zane was prepared for the worst...

To Zane's surprise, Simon really seemed to be doing his job. Even if it was just a patrol, he seemed to be doing it conscientiously. He even asked some passers-by if they saw anything, it seemed like he was keeping an eye out for the vampire.

Despite the fact that he'd hustled Zane up a tree to get a cat out of it, Simon seemed to be doing his job properly, contrary to Zane's first impression of him.

But in the next moment, the respect that Zane had developed for him evaporated in seconds. Two girls passed them, and Simon immediately started to hit on them.

"Hey, my ladies." He turned to them, as they gave him an odd look. "Well, do you have plans for today?" He asked while the girls seemed to shy away from him.

Zane stood by, embarrassed.

"Uhm Simon I think..." Zane started as Simon flew several meters backward before hitting the ground face first.

Zane turned and saw Aki standing next to him.

"Sorry girls, don't think twice about that idiot." Aki said casually after kicking Simon several meters.

The two girls nodded their thanks to Aki before walking on quickly.

"So, how's your first day Zane?" Aki turned to him while Simon straightened up in the distance.

"Hey Aki..." Zane looked at her confused.

"You're so calm, are you alright?" Aki looked at Zane with some concern.

"Aki, you stupid tart!" Simon ran up and suddenly stood next to the two of them again.

"Oh, hey Simon, didn't see you." She greeted him. "How's your first day going, Zane? They gave you the best partner of them all."

Simon gave her an annoyed look as she spoke to Zane, completely ignoring him.

"Here are a few tips, Simon hits on everything that isn't up a tree by the count of three, so don't be surprised." Aki laughed.

That's when it dawned on Zane, most of the people Simon had talked to today were women, even the cat's owner was a woman. He remembered that while he was climbing the tree Simon was talking to her and when he was back with the cat the woman briefly thanked Zane and took off with the cat in tow. Even the waitress seemed relieved when he and Simon left the restaurant.

"Don't you have anything to do?" Simon tried to get rid of Aki.

"What about you?" She countered. "Don't you have to get rejected? Of course, yeah you do. I'll see you tonight, Zane." Aki said goodbye. "Bye Simon." She walked past him.

Simon looked after Aki with a blushed head and made a gesture with his arms before Aki turned around and stuck out her tongue towards Simon.

"You know her?" Simon asked Zane when Aki was gone.

"Yes, she's a friend. She was at the academy with me."

"Aha...", Simon slurped on.

"What about you?"

"Oh, she was also assigned to us a year ago. Until she was recruited by the military service."

"She doesn't seem very fond of you. Did something happen?"

"Not really..." Simon seemed to avoid the question.

Was he trying to hit on Aki? Zane wondered.

"Did you…"

"What? No!" Simon contradicted directly.

He did… Zane grinned to himself.

"What's there to smile about?"

"Oh, nothing…"

That's how Zane's first day with the Tactical Mages ended uneventfully before rejoining Aki and the others for dinner as before. Apart from an accident and various small issues, the following two days also passed quite calmly.

It was the fourth day when Zane walked out of the nearest fast food restaurant with Simon.

"Let's get started?" Zane asked Simon, who was standing glumly next to him. He was holding the restaurant's business card with the words "Not in 100 years" written on it.

"Did you get dumped again?" Zane leaned slightly toward Simon to read the card.

Suddenly Simon smashed the card to the ground and stomped off. "Yes, let's go to work."

Zane picked up the card and threw it in a trash can before following Simon.

"Do we know anything about the vampire yet?"

"Nah, they're still looking for that guy you encountered."

The incident with the vampire was the most exciting thing that Zane had experienced so far. He had imagined his work with the Tactical Mages to be more adventurous.

Kenelm had told Zane that they would be scouring the web for clues and that the city's magical surveillance unit would be looking for him as well. All magical fluctuations have been captured. The problem, however, was the Mytics who lived in Zane's neighborhood. Magic fluctuations were an everyday occurrence there, making it all the more difficult to find a single person.

So they had to wait until the surveillance AI kicked in or they would find other clues to his whereabouts.

"If you like burgers, a friend of mine makes awesome ones." Zane said casually.

"Your friend?"

"It's one of the people that came here with me."

"Really? Does he work at any restaurant?" Simon asked.

"You want to get dumped again?" Zane laughed. "No, he ran a bar in my old hometown... But he's in quarantine right now."

"Oh you mean that friend, heard about it." The two kept walking.

"And are you slowly getting used to life here?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're much more relaxed. Unlike day one, when you followed me like a star student with a stick up your ass."

"Haha, yeah that's right. A lot has happened the last few days." Zane recalled.

"You're not staying long, are you?" Simon stopped in front of a vending machine, pulled out a drink, and tossed it to Zane.

"Thanks." He caught it and looked at Simon a bit confused.

"You train before and after the patrol, am I right?"

"Does it stand out?"

"Your hands." Simon pointed to the bandages around Zane's fingers as he took a sip. "Are you going into the military too? Or are you more drawn to Shelter?"

"I don't know yet." Zane dodged the question slightly.

"Both would take you in a heartbeat, I think. In my time here in the city and all the Mytics, I've learned to capture the magic of my counterpart. That way I can judge how strong someone is pretty well." Simon leaned against the wall of a house. "And you little one, you're a lot stronger than most Tactical Mages in security. The only thing you lack is combat experience. So I guess you want to go to Shelter. Otherwise you would have gone straight to the military." Simon took a sip.

"You're really good." Zane nodded, impressed. "If only you had those analytical skills on the ladies." Zane laughed.

"Shut up!"

"But you're right. I'm only here temporarily."

"So Shelter?"

"Possible?"

"Oh… so we have secrets. But yeah, do what you want. You're definitely not going to be as comfortable at Shelter as you are here." He threw his can in the garbage can and stretched. "I have learned to enjoy the boredom here. Those on the outskirts, on the other hand, have a back-breaking job. But you don't train to be bored, do you?"

Zane didn't answer and threw his can in the garbage too.

"Let's move on." Simon walked on.

"You mean in getting dumped?"

"Oh shut up!"

"Room 530." Nathan came back from the reception.

It was the next morning. Zane was off work. He and the others were at the military hospital as Zero had finally been released from quarantine.

Aki, Asagi, Carol, Nathan, and Zane walked down the ward's sterile-looking white corridors in the direction of the room the nurse had pointed them to.

Carol and Asagi were visibly nervous when they reached the door.

A white room greeted them, the morning sun filtering in through the windows that overlooked the ocean beyond the city. A single bed stood in the room, with Zero in it, still attached to a breathing mask. Under the white sheet, one could clearly see that Zero was missing an arm.

Aki was shocked the most since she hadn't seen Zero since. Carol, on the other hand, began to cry, whereupon Asagi embraced her. Nathan and Zane also looked at Zero a bit depressed.

"When will he wake up?" Asagi asked.

Aki just shook her head.

"We're glad he made it." Nathan said.

"Don't worry!" Zane turned to the girls. "Zero is strong, he will wake up soon. I'm sure of that!" He grinned confidently at them.

"Yes he will." Asagi nodded and Carol stopped crying.

"Then he'll cook us something really great!" Carol said happily, Aki nodded and Nathan also smiled.

"Exactly!" Zane said when they heard a hiss.

"Oh, hello. Are you his friends?" An elf who worked as a nurse entered. Her gaze roamed the room and lingered briefly on Aki and then a little longer on Asagi.

"Exactly." Zane greeted her and the others greeted her as well. "Thank you for taking such good care of him!"

"Oh, not worth mentioning." The nurse smiled.

"Say, can we talk to a doctor?" Nathan asked her.

"Of course."

"He's fine so far." The doctor, the nurse had called, told them.

"I'm relieved." Zane sighed.

"As soon as he's out of the coma, he could potentially go home."

"Potentially?" Carol asked.

"Of course we still have to do a few final checks. To make sure that there are no after-effects from the injuries or the coma."

Aki saw how Asagi wanted to ask something, but she didn't seem to dare. "What could happen?" Aki asked and Asagi looked at her a little relieved.

"Oh well. His body must be exhausted from healing. It might take him a few days to fully recover."

"I see. But if it's only for a few days, that's great." Zane said with a smile and the girls looked at each other contentedly.

"If everything goes well, yes." The doctor laughed.

Then Zane's PDA vibrated. "Oh, sorry I have to answer that." Zane left the infirmary.

"Yes?" Zane took the call.

"Hey Zane, this is Kenelm. Sorry to disturb you on your first day off."

"No problem, what is it?"

"There is a new development. When can you be at the base?"

"What's going on?" Nathan asked Zane, coming back into the room.

"Unfortunately, I have to leave..." Zane apologized to everyone.

"Oh..." Carol replied sadly.

"Yes it seems to be something urgent."

"But aren't you free today?"

"That's how it is with the Tactical Mages Carol. They are always on standby."

"Are you also on standby?" Carol turned to Aki.

"No. I don't have that."

"Sorry again. See you later then." Zane said goodbye.

"We'll stay a little longer." Aki said goodbye to Zane and the others nodded in agreement before saying goodbye to Zane as well.

"Glad you were able to join." Kenelm greeted Zane before leading him into the briefing room.

"You're here too?" Simon was already sitting at the table with the others.

"That's what I wanted to ask you." Zane sat down next to him.

"So everyone's here now." He darkened the room and a display appeared on the wall behind him. "As you know, we've been looking for a vampire for a few days. Well, the situation has changed." When he touched a button and a city map with multiple markers replaced the Tactical Mage logo that was previously emblazoned on the display. "These are the reports of vampire sightings."

Zane stared at the map in wonder. More than 30 notifications were drawn and distributed across the entire city.

"And these are just the confirmed reports. If we add all unclear sightings, we have well over 300 sightings in the last three days." Further markings faded in.

"You must be joking!" said Stephen.

"More work..." Simon moaned.

"We've had some reports in the church, too."

"It seems to be an acute problem. We suspect a Pureblood is in town." Kenelm explained.

"A Pureblood?" Alex's eyes widened.

"What would a Pureblood be doing in town?" Stephen asked.

"Is there even a vampire kingdom here on Nykara?" Mikael added while Zane listened to the conversation carefully.

"We don't know." Kenelm replied to Stephen. "But leadership has decided that we should investigate the problem before it becomes any bigger. It has been decided that tomorrow night there will be a full-scale operation involving all the Security Service's Tactical Mages."

"Are the hunters participating too?" Mikael asked.

"No, just us from the security service. The higher-ups don't want to show any weakness towards the other parties and want to use this opportunity to distinguish the Tactical Mages of the security service."

"How did he get past the magical barrier in the first place?" Stephen asked.

"We have identified a few hotspots where we will intensify our investigation. The military police will support us in this. Prepare well as there will be combat. The goal is to capture the Dhampirs and, if necessary, eliminate them before they can spread further."

"What about the Pureblood?" Mikael asked.

"We hope to use the operation to narrow down the whereabouts of the Pureblood and then eliminate him."

After the meeting, everyone met in the cafeteria.

"Ready for your first real mission?" Stephen asked Zane, coffee in hand.

"Sure, of course."

"I don't think we have to worry about Zane." Mikael laughed.

"After all he's been through..." Alex said.

"He's not alone out there."

"Unless you're sleeping, Simon." Alex added.

"Shut up!" Simon complained and everyone started laughing.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of you." Mikael patted Zane on the shoulder.

"Thanks." Zane nodded as Stephen came up to him.

"But I have to ask you one thing." He gave Zane a serious look. "Are you really ready? This is a combat mission."

Stephen was the first troop commander and acted as such even when Kenelm was not present. Zane could tell Stephen was worried about him.

"Yes, I'm ready." Zane said in a serious voice. "I've already been on a mission."

"The evacuation operation, yes. I heard about it." In the meantime, everyone had calmed down and followed their conversation. "I also read that there was a fight with a Teikoku that snuck into your class..." Stephen hesitated. "I'll get straight to the point. How would you have finished it?"

Zane looked at Stephen.

"Could you have killed him?"

Zane hesitated. He hadn't thought about it during the fight. He just fought to protect his friends.

He feared that Stephen would exclude him from the operation, but he answered anyway. "I don't know...", he admitted intimidated.

Silence.

"That was the right answer." Stephen said after a moment and Zane looked up at him. "Killing someone is not the most natural thing in the world, everyone reacts differently to it. Some just can't take it." He patted Zane's shoulder encouragingly. "It's a combat mission, you might have to make a decision. You are still young, almost a child. I don't want to drag you into this if you don't feel up to it."

"Thanks Stephen." Zane nodded. "Thank you all." He turned to the others. "I'm ready. Don't worry, I won't disappoint you!" He said enthusiastically.

"That's what I want to hear." Kenelm said to them, who had been leaning against the door until now, patting Zane on the shoulder.